Why your Novel bites, and Not in a Good way

Okay, if you know me, you know that I don’t pull punches. I don’t like it when people tell me I look nice when I know it looks as though I just crawled out of a sewer pipe. I hate it when people say that my writing is “Just great!” with that falsetto high pitch we all know means they are trying not to offend. It doesn’t help us improve ourselves when people placate us about how we look, or how we write.


So how do you figure out if your novel sucks and how can you fix it? Here are a few pointers I’ve picked up the hard, expensive way. Now pay attention, I’m only going to say this once!


-You have 90% narration, 5% flashbacks and 5% dialogue. Okay, let’s be honest, it takes a freaking MASTER to keep the attention of a reader with this kind of breakdown. MASTER, not NEWBIE. And if you’re reading this, even if you’ve got several books out, you’re a NEWBIE, just like me.

Up your dialogue people! Every time you step into narration and flashbacks, you SLOW your reader down. Way down. Might even put the book down. So try, really, really hard to “up” your dialogue. Turn that narration into a CONVERSATION.


-Your Characters all get along and float through life. Okay, conflict is #1 in a story. Who the hell cares if their lives are perfect? Mine isn’t, I sure don’t want to read about someone who has a better life than me. Readers want a story to show them just how BAD life can get and how the hero deals with it. Look at every chapter, if there isn’t some sort of conflict, put something new in. Maybe the evil stepmother we all thought was dead comes back to life as a zombie. Or maybe the husband who ran off with the sister was really poisoned and now needs to be rescued! The possibilities are endless regardless of the genre, so make your characters SUFFER!


- You are getting complaints in your reviews of TYPOS! Please, please, please get at least one editor to go over your book! If you can’t afford an editor, there are ALWAYS options. Beg another author, do a swap with them and give them an “edit” on their book while they do the same for yours. But dang, there is a reason you can’t get reviews, or that the reviews you do get are 3 stars at best (not including family and friends in this of course because we all make them give us 5 stars ;p).


Typos, dropping plot threads (e.g. A character shows up in chapter 1 but then never again and yet they seemed important, that is a dropped thread), and general issues with your “baby” (that I won’t go into here for sake of space) can be VASTLY improved by having someone in the industry do a pass. Not just your mom or your best friend. Someone who will tell you the truth, even if it makes you CRY!


-Last and final way to improve your book. Learn your strengths and play to them. I write FAST PACED, high octane books that always center on the power of relationships between loved ones. That is MY strength. I can’t write police procedurals, I’ve tried. I can’t write children’s books, the kids get nightmares. Figure out what your STRONG points are. Maybe you have a knack for building tension in scenes to the point of making people grip their books/Kindles in a white knuckle grasp. Build on that. Write emotional scenes so strong you bring tears to people’s eyes? Go for it! Full force on your strengths will make your book stand out from the crowd.


Don’t try to be something you aren’t.


In conclusion, in this shifting world of self publishing going head to head with the traditional publishers, we HAVE to stand out from the rest. Not because we are the best of the worst, but because we are the best of the best.

*Side note* Your chance at $150 in Amazon Gift cards ends Jaunuary 31st( I've extended the deadline)- for more details check out this post here.

Some love and ENDORSEMENT for Indie Authors



October Winner



I am looking for a few good Indie authors who want to participate in a FREE promo event.

Maybe that's you eh?



If you haven't noticed, the last few months I've been doing Indie Cover Art Polls. It's very simple. You say you want to be in on the poll, I'll let you know what month you are going to be in.

November Winner



Then I put up your cover art, a blurb and a link along with a bunch of other authors. Then you get your friends, tweeps and complete strangers to vote for your book and its beautiful/interesting/crazy/wild cover.

The winning author gets to be hosted on the other authors blogs for a single post. And 1 winning commenter gets to win a copy of EACH of the authors books. Pretty cool huh?



December Winner



Each Poll has so far gotten over 1000 hits each, plus a TON of comments. Out last poll had over 200 comments, many of which were where the commenters were excited to go and purchase a bunch of the books. Yay!

So, if you're interested in getting you book and its cover in one of the next Cover Art Polls (Indie Authors Only Please) contact me at motionsrider@yahoo.ca.



 

"Dauntless" book Launch & a Short Story to boot.

Tomorrow, October 31st, is the big day, the release of Dauntless, the third and final instalment of the Nevermore Trilogy and I’m just a tad bit excited. Okay, I’m -over -the -top -nearly - peed- my- pants- excited!


To help Dauntless shoot out of the starting gate, I’m asking that those who are waiting oh so impatiently for it, to please purchase it between 6-7pm PST to help with the Amazon rankings. This will help me be seen by even more readers, something every author wants and hopes for.

After the writing journey I’ve been on so far (looking for an agent, found an agent, agent is too busy for me, floundered on my own for a bit, now self publishing while agent is in the wings) for me this is a big accomplishment to see a full trilogy published and doing well.

I feel it’s in large part because of YOU my readers. How so? The feedback has been phenomenal, the reviews are 99% 4-5 stars and were not talking just one or two reviews. We’re talking 60+ reviews between the first two Nevermore books, Sundered and Bound. That has given me the encouragement I needed to continue pursuing self publishing.

I wouldn’t be here without my readers and supporters and I want to find a way to thank you. I thought about money and jewels, fast cars and exotic vacations . . . And then I realized what you would all want.

A new story from the Nevermore World.

Tomorrow in conjunction with the release of Dauntless, I have a short story called “No Way Safe” that will be published in the e-zine Forever Nocturne.

The short story follows Annie and Dustin, a brother sister duo as they face packs of insatiable Nevermores, a gun toting crazy woman in a bright purple muumuu and the very daunting task of surviving in that deadly world on their own. Though the short story will leave you hanging (you aren’t really surprised are you?) you will get to see the culmination of Annie and Dustin’s journey in Dauntless.

Again, thank you for all your support and reviews. It is for YOU that I write my stories and I love hearing that you get swept away in them and care about the characters as much as I do. You are the best. =)

Happy Reading!

Winners Announced for iPad Contest and Cover Art Contest

First off, let me say thank you to all who participated in the Cover Art Poll and the Win an iPad contests. Without participants, they’d just be big flops and that would be awful!

The randomly drawn winner of the 16 e-books from the Cover Art Poll is . . .

Erin Bachand

(Commenter #17)  Erin, I will have the authors of all the books contact you in order to get the e-books to you. Congratulations!

The author whose cover garnered the most votes and will now be featured on the other author’s blogs for a minimum of 1 post. By a slim hair (only 1 vote) the winning cover is . . . .#8

 Dawn of Darkness by Daniel A Kaine.

Thank you to all the wonderful authors, the cover art is so fantastic and I’m looking forward already to next month’s cover art poll where another 15 covers will go up and be looking for your votes. If you are an indie author and would like to take part in an upcoming poll, you can contact me at motionsrider@yahoo.ca


But I’m betting some of you are looking forward to the really, really big news. You want to know who won the iPad, don’t you?

You’ll have to scroll down for this.



A little more.


I need a drum roll or something.


Okay I give.


The winner is . . . . .

SHEREE TIEHS

 *throws confetti*

I just sent the iPad off to Sheree today and she will be emailing me a picture with her happy smiling face and her new iPad as soon as she gets it.

But wait, there’s more! I will be releasing the first book in a new trilogy in December and you’ll have another chance to win big.

Not just any bit, Apple iPad 2 big. So stay tuned, it will be a limited time offer and one that you’ll have to jump on if you want a chance to win.

Last but not least, a reminder that Dauntless, Nevermore Trilogy Book III will be released October 31/2011.

Cover For "Dauntless" Book 3 of the Nevermore Trilogy

Yay :D I love my cover artist Patricia Schmitt (who by the way may just do a little guest post on here sometime in the near future) she does amazing work and is so great about any changes I'd like. Did I mention that she was amazing? I'd love to know what you think so leave me a comment and I will pass them on to Trish so she can have some feedback too.

Here is Dauntless . . . No blurb yet . . .

What?? You haven't read the first two books yet? Well, here's the covers and the links, you'd better get on it. ;-p

A paranormal romance set in a post apocalyptic world, Mara and Sebastian fight off marauders and monsters alike. But Sebastian carries a dark secret, one that more than threatens to tear them apart, it threatens to destroy them both and the love they have for each other. The secret forces Mara to make the ultimate choice. Will she live for love, or will she live to survive?

Sundered, Book I of the Nevermore Trilogy is available on Amazon and Smashwords

Rumours and whispers of a cure have reached Mara’s ears and hope that has been denied for so long begins to grow once more. But, if she is to find the cure, to help Sebastian, she must face down a whole new set of dangers.

A sadistic army General who’s hatred knows no bounds.

A brilliant scientist whose love for his lost wife drives him to madness.

And a new pack of Nevermores . . .

Bound, Book II of the Nevermore Trilogy is also available on Amazon and Smashwords