Writing & Editing – Page 2

My Favorite-

This afternoon I get to indulge in one of my favorite things-chatting with another author. Today, it’s thriller writer J.A. Jance.

I get to be involved because of the Author Chat series sponsored by Tucson Festival of Books.

Sometimes, these chats are good, sometime they aren’t, but I think it’s fun to listen to the advice and encouragement of successful NYT Bestsellers. It’s a dream of mine to make that list.

I write every day, less so now since I’m recovering from surgery and typing send tiny shards of pain up my wrist. On the thumb side. Where the bone graft came from. Sigh.

My body also likes to put my nerves on high alert after surgery, so I’m working to desensitize those suckers. It’s uncomfortable, but worth the pain. As is the stretching to get more movement in my wrist.

What can also be uncomfortable is writing. (Nice segue, huh?)

The most difficult part of writing for me is the first draft-I much prefer editing and fleshing out the story. But it’s all fun, no matter how difficult it is to get the words down.

I hope you are able to indulge in something you love. Sonja

Balancing

The big challenge of writing is balancing all the other things that go along with being self-employed. There’s the marketing, the financial side, the writing itself, networking. So many things to take up time.

And, time is valuable. Time is precious.

These posts take up some of that time, but I like writing them. They help me feel connected to you, the reader. I hope you find them fun and worthy of your time as you read them.

It’s especially hard to do thing as I enter my third week in an arm cast. It’s difficult to type at a keyboard when my wrist is immobilized, but this will end soon and I will be back to typing at full strength!

The cast is necessary. A necessary evil? Definitely. I am naturally clumsy and this trait has increased over the years. If not for the cast, I would have slammed my wrist into doors, walls, and the backs of chairs too many times to count.

If you have any good ways to manage your time, I would love to hear it! Post here or send me an email at sonjadanielson@gmail.com.

Looking forward to hearing from you! Sonja

What I Love The Most…

The comment I receive the most about my writing is how my descriptions transport the reader into the world I have created.

That makes me smile. I love to “see” where my characters live and play. It’s what I love to read. I’m so glad that what’s in my imagination translates well onto the page. My favorite book is the Descriptionary: A Thematic Dictionary, by Marc McCutcheon. There are some sections that I don’t use, like “French Cooking Terms” and “Surgical Procedures.” But if I want to know what a “hand-and-a-half sword” is, then there’s a definition for it. (It’s an intermediate or small sword, smaller than a two-handed sword, by the way). There’s also a section on clothing, separated by major historical eras or shifts.

Hey, have you heard of a “ha-ha”? No, it’s not laughter. It’s a sunken fence or moat around a garden to keep animals out of the area.

Fascinating, huh?

I love creating scenes that you can fall into and live alongside the character. It makes the story more real.

Enjoy your own setting. Sonja

My Work Space

I always have a cup of tea beside my laptop. Even as it’s tortuously hot outside, I have some cooled tea in my cup.

I also have dogs at my feet! Guinness the Therapy Dog is usually under the table where I work and rests on top of my feet. Lucy the Wonder Dog likes to stretch out beside my chair-within quick access to her crate where she hides.

I would love to see where you work! Sonja

Still Recovering…

While I continued to wear a spiffy blue cast on my lower arm, I imagine it actually looks like this. I’m charmed by this photo.

Plus, I am writing about Lady Zepherine in the fourth installment of The Fairies of Carlow. Her namesake rose isn’t such a light pink but is equally beautiful. It’s a more cerise pink, maybe a medium dusty pink, so she makes a statement when she enters a room! There’s no blending in for someone wearing a cerise pink gown.

While I’m unable to write without sending pain throughout my hand and wrist, I am busy plotting in my head. My notebook is filled with ideas (my right hand, my handwriting hand, is fully capable!) and I’m starting to form another novel under a different author’s name.

The next Guinness the Therapy Dog book is also close to being sent to the illustrator.

Exciting stuff, huh?!?!?

I hope your week is filled with success, too. Sonja

How to–

I’ve had a lot of questions about how to come up with a title. For me, it generally appears in my imagination before I start writing. My current work-in-progress (WIP), doesn’t have a title, which is weird for me. So, I’m using a placeholder. It’s uninspired, but I don’t want to spend time trying to think of one. I expect it will come through as I’m writing. If not, then I’ll spend the time thinking about it.

I like to spend my time writing, not thinking slowly closing circles about something that will likely appear–as if by magic!

The title is so important, as is the cover art and the text on the back. They’re more important than the first five pages! They encourage a reader to pick up the book and read those words–hopefully, leading to them buying the book to read.

I hope to give my readers adventure and a taste of the magical kingdom where the fairies live. And I want to give readers a glimpse into the life of Guinness the Therapy Dog.

I hope you enjoy! Sonja

Thank You!!!

I wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who has read my books. You have no idea how much it means when a reader enjoys something that I have created!

A book takes months to write and edit, and, for me, involves a lot of personal angst from resurrecting memories. To have that work enjoyed makes it all worth it.

Please accept my thanks for taking a chance on my books. I hope you enjoy them. Sonja

It’s Nice To Be Noticed!

Sunflowers are not wallflowers. I mean, look at her! She faces you and demands attention.

As a writer, it’s difficult to do that. We are, by nature, solitary beings but it’s important to seek recognition. Especially when you’re not on the New York Times Best Sellers list…yet.

The hard part is exposing your work. That can be difficult. Good writing shows a soft, mushy part of your psyche, something you may not want to revisit or have anyone else see.

Writing the Fairies of Carlow series is cathartic for me. I can take all those angsty moments of growing up and put them into the story. Then I get to say what I should have said back then, or done what would have made things better. (Such as, standing up to those bullies, or not taking myself too seriously.)

Sometimes, as I’m writing a scene based on something that really happened to me, I cringe at the memories. Once the story’s finished, I feel better about it, but getting there is a slog through the emotional swamp.

In my new Fairies of Carlow book, based upon Lady Zepherine, I’m taking a look at the bullies who made me miserable during middle school and high school. Oh, it’s hard to look back on those people (both male and female) and remember what I had to endure! But there’s plenty of material! Silver lining? Hopefully!

Pressing on that sensitive nerve ending, Sonja

Grammar App

This is a reprint from the end of March:

I am a comma fiend. I love them and use them indiscriminately. So, why does my writing have such great grammar?

I use a grammar app called Grammarly.

Part of it is free and there is premium content as well. I paid for the premium since it works better for me and keeps my writing appropriate.

This isn’t an ad, I promise. Hey, see those commas. Totally appropriate!

I also have a grammar book that I kept from college writing classes and another one I bought several years ago. But I still can’t get a handle on commas. They are my Achilles’ Heel.

I know commas should be used like salt and sprinkled conservatively. But I love them and use them like sugar in a cookie. Lots of them and blended through everything!

Have, a, great, day,! Sonja,

#motivationmonday

It’s time to set your intentions for the week!

What do you want to accomplish? What do you want to have done by the weekend?

I guess you could call this a weekly bucket list… to do list… success list.

I have my goals: finish editing my current work in progress (WIP), write the next installment of the Guinness the Therapy Dog series, continual communication with the folks who like my books (I love to hear from them!), reach out internationally… the list is long and continually growing!

I’m also working on my lifelong learning. I’m refreshing my French and German. I’m getting my classes lined up to learn Japanese with my son (a huge leap on my part) and I’m taking some writing classes online since there’s always something new to learn and improve on.

What are your short-term goals?

Time to take the plunge! Sonja