Angela Booth's Writing Blog

Avoid Fiction Disasters: Remove Exposition And Backstory In 3 Steps

Writing fiction? If you’re a new author, your biggest temptations are exposition and backstory. They’re tempting because you want to explain things to readers. Please don’t do that — you’re killing your novel.

Readers want entertainment, not explanations.

In an earlier post, we discussed beginning your novel, novella or short story with a first-sentence hook, and said:

Your novel’s first sentence must be a hook. Otherwise readers won’t read your second sentence.

Sadly, many new authors follow that strategy, then wreck their wonderful hook because they don’t trust readers.

You need to explain, don’t you?

NO, you don’t. When you explain, you throw away wonderful opportunities to keep readers reading.

Avoid explanations: you’re throwing away opportunities to create suspense

Authors “explain” when they use devices like exposition and backstory. (Backstory is anything that happened before your story starts.)

I’ve written about backstory hell before. Here’s what an author indulging in backstory looks like to readers.

• A scene starts. You settle down to read an enjoyable scene between two characters, then the author inserts…
• Backstory 1, of one of the characters…
• In the middle of backstory 1, you get backstory 2, the backstory of the other character…
• Finally the author remembers he’s writing a scene. So you get a snippet of the scene (by this time the reader’s head is spinning like a top). After just a few paragraphs of the scene, the author inserts…
• Something or other, which may be backstory, or maybe it’s a flashback, who knows?

Please don’t do that.

Keep your story moving FORWARD, always

Make it your goal to remove all author intrusions when you spot them. Keep your story moving forward.

These steps will help.

Step 1. Your first draft is your “story” draft: write quickly

You’ll eliminate exposition and backstory in later drafts. In your first draft, you’re discovering the story of your novel or novella. So just write, without editing.

Be messy. Your sole aim in your first draft is to get the story down and type: “The End.”

Step 2. After your first draft read-through, tag all instances of exposition and backstory

Leave your first draft for a day or two, then read it through. This first read-through is solely for story. Do you have a story? Can you create a logline?

You must know what you're selling, so selling your book starts with a one sentence summary, much like a movie’s logline:

When INCITING INCIDENT happens, OUR PROTAGONIST decides TO DO ACTION against ANTAGONIST.

During your second read-through, tag author intrusions like exposition and backstory.

Then…

Step 3. Delete backstory and exposition

Most of the time, you’ll be able to delete instances of exposition and backstory and instantly improve your story.

Occasionally, you’ll need to introduce information you’ve deleted or which is missing. Introduce this needed information via:

• A new scene, or even an entire subplot;
• Dialogue;
• A character’s thoughts.

Write Your Bestseller: Write HOT Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Word for word, mystery authors earn more than authors of most other genres, including romance.

Check out our new report, “Write Your Bestseller: Write HOT Mystery, Thriller & Suspense”. You’ll discover how, why, and what types of mystery fiction are selling today, and how to develop a mystery writing career.

Characters: From Hate-able to Relatable

1. A “save-the-cat” moment

A common literary trope is the misanthrope who ends up saving a cat stuck in a tree. Why is this important? Because it’s a moment, no matter how small, that shows the humanity of the character to the audience. It’s a moment of compassion. So think – is there something your character can do to show the reader they do possess compassion? Is there an instance you can write where the character freely acts in a selfless or brave manner?

Examples: Katniss taking her sister’s place at the Reaping (the famous “I volunteer as tribute!” line) in The Hunger Games 

via www.jacquelyneubanks.com

"Perfect" characters are boring. An excellent article to get you thinking about your characters...

A Quick 5-Point Checklist for Writing a Scene

1. Time and Date:

I always put the time and date of the scene at the top of each checklist. It helps me keep track of the pacing of the story while I'm writing it so that I don't have half the book happening on one day and then rushing the rest of it.

It also helps me keep the timing of events realistic. Usually falling in love, character growth, and other plot events take time. From a glance at my checklists, I'm able to see that only two days have passed rather than two weeks (even though a lot has happened), and that my characters still need more time to get to know each other before falling in love or having their personal epiphanies.

via jodyhedlund.blogspot.com

Start your novel the easy way: write a scene.

(Then write another one.)

You Don’t Need to Clear the Decks to Focus on Important Work

We’re looking for perfect conditions before we can start to find any focus, before we can launch into that important, meaningful task that we’re committed to doing.

When we’re done with all of that, we decide it’s time to get going with that important task … but first, there’s that one other thing we realized we need to do. Every little task takes importance over this important task.

Try this experiment: commit yourself to doing the one big important task you know you’ve been wanting to do (it’s usually one you can identify easily, because you’ve been putting it off) … and commit to doing it right after you’re done reading this post.

via zenhabits.net

Know that you "should" be writing, but find 1001 excuses?

Write anyway. (Read the above article first.)

Keep a Journal to Solve Tough Problems

Writing forces you to organize your thoughts. Instead of having a jumbled collection of ideas, you are forced to put down your ideas in a sequence. This added step makes it far easier to think through any big challenges you might be facing.

Writing out your ideas into a journal also gives your brain a “save” function. Normally, your short-term memory can store roughly 5-9 items at a time. That isn’t a lot of RAM for solving tough problems. Career choices, deciding to stay or leave a relationship or planning a big project may have dozens of factors you need to consider.

When I write out my ideas in a journal, I can quickly type the main points into a short list and then expand on each point individually. By writing out the ideas, I save my precious short-term memory and can think without clutter.

via www.scotthyoung.com

Keeping a writer's notebook?

Kudos. :-)

Why I started a bullet journal — and so should you

At first, I rolled my eyes. Notebooks don’t change your life.

The system . . . gathers the tasks and notes we keep across apps and notebooks in one place.

But in the dark days leading up to the new year, I had been drifting around the internet in search of a task manager that would focus my mind. I tried all sorts of apps in 2017: Asana, Todoist, Trello. I had five coffee-stained notebooks full of contextless scrawls. I had saved restaurants I had forgotten I wanted to visit in Foursquare; books I had forgotten I wanted to read in Goodreads; and thoughts I had forgotten I had recorded in my Notes app.

via medium.com

Yep, a bullet journal can change your life.

BTW, not an artist? Your BuJo can be as aesthetically pleasing or as UGLY as you wish.

My BuJos tend towards messy, and that's totally fine. They're tools, rather than artworks. :-)

Pitch Perfect: Can You Sell Your Story in ONE Sentence?

All successful pitches should be able to quickly and clearly answer a potential consumer’s key questions.

What are you ‘selling’?

What’s in it for me?

Why you (your product/service/company) and not another?

Too many authors fail to answer any of these questions, largely because they never stopped to ask them in the first place.

They rely on ads, marketing, social media badgering and spam and, when the book(s) fall flat? They’re mystified.

The interesting thing about ‘the pitch’ is it is the foundation of ANY business proposal. Ironically, the absurdly high failure rate of new businesses (like new books) can also be attributed to failing to answer these core questions and, instead, relying too much on (ineffective) marketing and ads.

via authorkristenlamb.com

The magic of pitching... Wonderful article for self-publishing authors and other writers too.

Know what you're selling, and the audience, and you'll sell.

Quick Guide to Advanced Evernote Skills, Tips, and Tricks

If you search for the same keywords a lot, consider adding them to your saved searches. 

Do this after performing a search by selecting the Save Search icon (magnifying glass with a plus sign icon), selecting Edit > Find > Save Search, or Add to Home Screen. 

If you have set up your files with underscore tagging and more?

Also, under Settings, you can do things like Clear Search History or enable Offline Search when a connection is not available.

You can also create a shortcut like described on the previous slide. Drag your text from the search box to the shortcut bar (not available for all platforms).

via www.lifewire.com

Evernote user? You may learn a new trick or two from this article.

9 of the best ballpoints, rollerballs and fountain pens for writing in 2019

From finely milled quills to click-tops that’ll be the envy of any boardroom, this selection of inky cylinders is sure to improve your penmanship. The crabby handwriting is on you, though.

Buying tips

Water fountain

Ballpoints are brill for easy scribbling, but nothing tops a fountain for classy cursive. Fancy a blend of both? Try a rollerball for the fine lines of water-based ink in a more accessible package.

Finer points

Not all nibs are made the same and the tip you pick will shape your script. Go rounded for versatility or italic for calligraphy, then select a flexibility and size – from extra fine to broad.

via www.stuff.tv

Your pen is mightier than a sword... If it's the right pen for your purpose.

Self-Publishing Basics: 3 Commonsense Ways To Sell More Books

Self-publishing today: “How can I sell more books?”

Whenever a writing student asks me that question I buckle down and do the research. What research, you’re wondering? Here you go.

You research the author’s:

• Audience;
• Published books (audience and blurb? Keywords? Categories? Etc.);
• Audience targeting;
• Macro and micro marketing methods to reach his audience…

Reality: selling books is complicated

Selling books is complicated. No one really knows what works for a specific book.

Consider that if anyone knew how to sell more books and could do it by throwing money at it, traditional publishers would only publish bestsellers.

They’d never have books which just don’t sell. Think of the money they’d make. Instead, traditional publishers do what self-publishing authors do: they publish a lot of books and hope some of them hit it big.

Sometimes books do hit it big, for both self-publishers and traditional publishers.

If you’ve asked the “How can I sell more books?” question, let’s look at some commonsense ways to sell more.

1. Know your audience: who are they? What do they read?

Every month, 50,000 new books hit the Kindle Store. That’s a lot of books. And, despite the immense competition, each and every month bestselling authors publish a new book and it becomes an instant bestseller. These authors rake in many thousands of dollars each week… They’re making more money than authors have ever made in the history of publishing.

How’s that possible?

In a word: audience.

Today it’s possible to reach readers no one could reach before. As long as you know who they are, you can reach the perfect audience for your book. Bestselling authors who sell more copies in an hour than others sell in a year hit the bulls-eye on their target audience.

Tip: think about genre. Who reads novels in the genre in which you’re writing? What tropes appeal to your genre?

Half an hour’s research can help you to define your book’s audience. This knowledge will not only make money for you, it will save you money too.

2. Develop a marketing message for your book and stick to it

If you’ve published several books you’ve received reviews which leave you scratching your head. What book did those readers read? It certainly wasn’t yours…

You must know what you're selling, so selling your book starts with a one sentence summary, much like a movie’s logline:

When INCITING INCIDENT happens, OUR PROTAGONIST decides TO DO ACTION against ANTAGONIST.

Read the above article and become familiar with loglines. When you develop a logline, you’re giving readers a reason to read. In essence, you’re developing a marketing message for your book.

A hard truth: if you can’t summarize a novel (or a nonfiction book) in a single compelling sentence, it won’t sell.

Tip: create a logline for the book you’re writing now.

3. Write and promote: keep writing and promoting

“Publish or perish” applies to academics — and to publishers, both traditional publishers and self-publishing authors.

“NEW” sells. Indeed, Amazon’s algorithm rewards it. So, as a self-publishing author, you need to keep writing, while promoting your books.

Traditional publishers have seasonal lists; self-publishers need them too.

Tip: create a publishing plan for the next 12 months. Stick to it.

And remember:

• Know your audience;
• Create loglines.

Write on. :-)

NEW, Short Reads: write short stories and nonfiction ebooks and build your profits today

Have you checked out this program? It shows you how to make money from short ebooks.

Amazon has two categories for short ebooks. They are: Kindle Short Reads and Kindle Short Stories. You’ll learn how to make money with these two categories in this eye-opening report.

After you read the report, you may well decide that your income will benefit when you write SHORT ebooks, both fiction and nonfiction. Get started NOW.

Fiction University: 4 Ways Publisher Rocket Helps Indie Authors Thrive on Amazon

Up Your Odds of Becoming a Bestseller by Picking the Right Category

Amazon separates its library of available books into categories. Some are similar to classic genres; however, they can be much more specific.

Categories are very important for a couple of reasons.

First, some readers will browse a category searching for a new book. This makes it worth your time to make sure your book is ready and waiting to be found.

Second, Amazon bestseller tags are category specific. So, putting your book in smart categories is a huge step toward becoming a bestseller, which can lead to even more book sales.

Most people think you can only pick 3 categories per book. But you can actually put books in up to 10 if you know the strategy I teach. The tricky part is knowing which categories make the most sense for your book and give you the best chance of becoming an Amazon bestselling author.

via blog.janicehardy.com

Read the article if you're serious about self-publishing, because Publisher Rocket is an essential tool.

(Disclosure: I have no connection to the company; I appreciate the tool, and use it often.)

Get Results From Your Advertising

Be Simple and Succinct

Be concise. Write and then go back and cut anything inefficient or repetitive. “Viewers aren’t going to waste time reading unnecessary fluff,” says Bill Blanton, founder of CINC Systems. “You want them to be able to read fast and get the information they need without getting tripped up or confused by awkward phrasing.” 

Go for the Goal 

Always go straight to the point. You should be writing with a goal in mind. If you aren’t 100 percent clear in your own mind about what you’re saying and where you’re trying to go with it, the reader won’t know either and won’t bother reading further. 

via socialmediaexplorer.com

When you spend money on advertising, it's essential that you get results.

Read the article; it's short.

Then follow the advice.

You’re Not Lazy, Bored, Or Unmotivated

The one thing that has helped me show up consistently in spite of fear, particularly with writing, but in other places too — and I have thought long and hard about this — is some version of Nike’s glib, cliché, annoyingly obvious slogan: Just Do It.

Because besides being glib, cliché, and annoyingly obvious, it’s also universally, inescapably true. “Just Do It” isn’t an elegant solution and certainly not a perfect one. It’s not dismissive or snobby but empowering and humble. It’s motivation. Inspiration. Action. Energy. And truth. And that’s why it’s the most brilliant piece of marketing of all time.

via medium.com

Yes.

Stop Setting Goals And Start Building Habits

Simply put, goals just don’t provide you with the tools you need to make real change. On the other hand, habits—small, repeated actions—compound over time, giving you results you never could have imagined by simply setting a goal.

As Atomic Habits author James Clear writes:

Changes that seem small and unimportant at first will compound into remarkable results if you’re willing to stick with them for years.

Here’s an example: Think back to a year ago. What habit do you wish you’d started then and stuck with? If you had decided to write 500 words a day, you’d now have enough for almost 2 novels. Or imagine if you’d gone to the gym every single day for an entire year? The changes feel astronomical, but the actions it takes to get there aren’t on the same scale.

via www.mindmeister.com

Baby steps. Every day.

Power Words: Powerful Writing, Instantly

Well, there was a lot on the line. Under attack from Germany, Britain was fighting for its survival, and somehow, someway, Churchill had to find a way to inspire his countrymen to greatness.

He chose words. Or, to be more accurate, power words.

Each underlined word makes the audience feel something.

In this case, Churchill intermixes words that cause fear, such as “struggle,” “tyranny,” and “terror,” with words that cause hope, such as “strength,” “God,” and “victory.” The last, in particular, is repeated over and over, practically drilling the emotion into the minds of the audience.

It’s no accident.

Power Words = Emotional Words Packed with Persuasion

---

Smart speakers, as well as their speechwriters, sprinkle their speeches with carefully-chosen power words drenched in sensory details, drawing the audience from one emotion to another as skillfully as any novelist or screenwriter.

And it goes beyond speakers and storytellers.

Emails, resumes, blog posts, sales copy, and proposals are all designed to influence the reader in some way. You want to pass along information, yes, but you also want the reader to feel a certain way about that information.

via smartblogger.com

Want to get read? Make your readers FEEL.