Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Blog Hop and Randomness

Hello, fellow She Writers!!! Glad you could stop by:

Welcome to the SheWrites Blogger Ball!

I thought I'd list some random things about my family and myself and offer a writing tip.

  1. I have a teenage daughter. She recently came to us (the hubby and I) and wanted permission to date. So, you can imagine what my life is like right now!!!
  2. My youngest daughter (8) is a total diva. She often looks at me crazy when I suggest clothes or hairstyles that she doesn't like. Seriously, I can't understand whose child she actually is. She's been picking out her own clothes since she was 2.
  3. My husband is a hoot. He keeps me laughing and that's probably the biggest reason I keep him around. Oh, and the help with the kids is invaluable.
  4. My family and I love playing card games, especially Phase 10.
  5. My oldest daughter (15) is in love with Casey Abrams from American Idol. Seriously. She loves music and singing and she says he is the best "artist" on the show. Ever.
  6. My favorite TV show of all time is "Lost." Of all times, no others even come close.
  7. I think I have a super power. Seriously. I do. It hasn't fully materialized, but its there, lying dormant until the moment that I need it the most.

Okay, now for my tip.

Pacing is very important in your novel. If done right it can transform your work. I know that many people aren't fans of Stephanie Meyers, Twilight, but I am. For the simplest reason of all - the pacing was great. She didn't give everything away in chapter 2. No, she made you wait and languish over what would happen. Will they end up together or not? Another great YA novel that has awesome pacing is The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins (my favorite YA book- right now). Study both books and you can learn a lot about pacing. Even if your not a fan of either - you can read to learn.


The thing about pacing is it keeps your reader engaged. If you give everything away in the first chapter, what are they to keep reading for? Give them hints of what's to come (foreshadowing) but don't give away the big moment. And don't just give us one big moment. Give us a couple. Each time make the stakes even bigger and make us bite our nails with anticipation over how the MC is going to solve/get out of this one.

 Pacing people...it’s the star of the show.
 

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh!!!


17 comments:

  1. Hello from the SheWrites blog hop! I live in Texas too. Thanks for the writing tips. I write freelance articles, but have a "secret life" as a fiction writer, lol! Nice blog :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I want to know more about this super power! Spill.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi, Dawn.

    Stopping by on the SheWrites blog hop. Enjoyed your post.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks for sharing. My family and I love card games, including phase 10. I also love spades and hearts. My granny taught me how to play cards. My husband and I always have to be on the same team (if playing others), otherwise we'll end up in a marriage building moment. :)

    My husband is Texas born and tells me I am a Texas citizen my marriage, which is important it Texas ever decides to secede because we'd move there. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hey Dawn- I know what you mean about pacing - discovered that while writing my Symphony post. You have to tease and deliver , but just enough to whet the readers appetite for more, to get them crazy for what happens next.
    And keep going the whole way through the novel with the biggest climax at the end-
    And not to mention, if your novel is a series, you need to add a tantalizing sense of urgency into the book, the need to know more, to get our lovely readers to go out at buy that next book and tell all their friends....
    Keep up the good posting work!!
    - Tee -

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks, Judy and Karen - fellow SheWriters. Nice to meet you. Hope you come back to visit.

    Kelly, I can't tell anyone what it is. It's a secret. And I have to remain anonymous. When my powers materialize, I want to be ready. LOL And, no I'm not crazy. Well, just a little.

    Thanks, Tanya. I like spades, too. Except I suck at it.

    Tee, you are so right about a series. That's a whole other type of pacing altogether. You just made me think of a great post for next week. Thanks!!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi there! I am visiting from She Writes. I also have two daughters (11 and 6) but unlike you I live in London (but I am French...Life is complicated...) Come and visit my blog! Muriel

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hello, Muriel. So happy you stopped by. I will visit your blog my first chance. I love finding new blogs!!! And yes, life is complicated...in a good way, though.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Great tip: read to learn! I talk about reading like a writer sometimes, too, and its certainly something I teach my writing students about. Studying the work of others is one of the best ways to learn. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hello Dawn, over from SheWrites. Thanks for visiting my blog. Love the tips. I think I'd like double-speed writing as my superpower - whoosh, and the book's all done!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Miss Good on Paper, love the name, thanks for visiting. Good to know that an instructor thinks I'm on the right track.

    Hi, Debra, thanks for visiting. I'd like that super power also. LOL

    ReplyDelete
  13. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  14. You are so correct about the pacing in Twilight and The Hunger Games. I don't read a ton of YA, but I did love those novels.

    Good luck with your dating and diva daughters...maybe your superpower will mature along with them or is lying dormant until they need you to use it.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thanks for visiting, Vinobaby. Yes, possibly my power will mature when I need it the most -like thwarting a fidgety boy away from my daughter. LOL

    ReplyDelete
  16. Dawn!! I love the new look!! I totally agree about pacing and I have to keep in mind not to give it all away in the first paragraph.

    Again, I love the look!!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Thanks, Adrian. I decided it was time for something different.

    ReplyDelete

Please share your thoughts. We promise not to stone you for it.