The ABCs of Book Writing: T is for TITLE . . .

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. . . to capture your THEME.

"What's in a name?" asks William Shakespeare's Juliet. "That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet." Compelling though this sentiment is, what might apply to floral names does not typically work for book titles. In fact, an apt title enhances both the artistry and marketability of a book, while a poorly chosen title can subvert a book's intention and meaning, and adversely affect its reception. This is true of both fiction and nonfiction.

If an author has a conventional book contract, the publishers will often step in and insist on renaming the work. This can be a mixed blessing, as the publisher's title will often be catchier and more marketable than the author's but will not necessarily reflect the book's content with strict faithfulness. Publishers typically have the power to override the author's title preference but will usually concede the author's right to give input. My advice to any author faced with a publisher's title is to listen to your own instinct. If the new title sounds good to you, then run with it and everyone is happy. But if you strongly dislike the publisher's title, then risk being considered difficult and advocate for your own title. You might not win this battle but at least you will have the satisfaction of having stood up for your own creation.

Some writers appear to have a natural feel for a good title and are quick to devise one or more concise and compelling options for naming their manuscripts. Many others, myself among them, struggle with titles and never quite feel that we've chosen wisely. I know of no easy way out of this dilemma. But at least the possibilities for titles are numerous, and awareness of how others have successfully titled their books may set you thinking in some new direction that will eventually lead to a title that works for you and your manuscript.

Here, for both fiction and nonfiction, are some title categories and examples of each:

Novels

Humor/whimsy/irony/satire

- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
- MASH
- Catch-22

Concepts

- Pride and Prejudice
- Sense and Sensibility
- Magnificent Obsession

Metaphors

- Gone with the Wind
- To Kill a Mockingbird

Literary references

- For Whom the Bell Tolls
- The Sound and the Fury
- Brave New World

Biblical references

- East of Eden
- Song of Solomon
- A Time to Kill
- The Tower of Babel

Character names

- Moll Flanders
- Fanny Hill
- Joseph Andrews
- Jane Eyre
- David Copperfield
- Oliver Twist
- The Great Gatsby
- Rebecca
- Cross
- I, Alex Cross

Setting or place names

- Wuthering Heights
- A Room with a View
- Hawaii

Single words 

The thriller writer Jonathan Kellerman is a notable contemporary master of the one-word title—

- Rage
- Gone
- Compulsion
- Deception
- Victims
- Motive

—to cite just a few.

Creative nonfiction

Also known as narrative nonfiction, creative nonfiction, includes such genres as history, true crime, biography and memoirs, and uses many novelistic techniques. This alliance of fiction and nonfiction is reflected in the many creative nonfiction titles that derive from sources similar to those that have inspired the naming of novels. Here are a few examples:

- My Family and Other Animals (humor/whimsy)
- The Russian Album (metaphor)
- The Pebbled Shore (literary reference)
- All Creatures Great and Small (hymn reference)
- All Things Bright and Beautiful (hymn reference)
- Angela's Ashes (subject's name)
- Dietrich (subject's name)
- Liverpool Miss (place name)
- Lime Street at Two (place name)

Expository nonfiction

Expository nonfiction, such as self-help, how-to, and motivational books, tends to look less to outside inspiration for its titles and more to capturing the main content of a book. This imperative typically, though not always, requires the use of a title-subtitle combination. In today's world of Internet marketing, another consideration for titles is the need to provide meaningful keywords for online searches. Here are some representative examples of expository nonfiction titles and subtitles:

- Stand-alone title: The Seat of the Soul
- One-word title + explanatory subtitle: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
- Short title + concise subtitle: The Wealthy Barber: Everyone's Commonsense Guide to Becoming Financially Independent; Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More than IQ
- Short title + long subtitle: Necessary Losses: The Loves, Illusions, Dependencies, and Impossible Expectations That All of Us Have to Give Up in Order to Grow
-Title + shorter subtitle: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change

Brainstorming titles

Not inspired by the examples listed above? Then try brainstorming a range of words and concepts, and combining and recombining them until some potentially viable titles emerge. Just Google "book title generators" and you will discover a number of websites that generate titles either randomly or by your choice of genre and words relating to your book's content. To my mind, many such titles have an awkward or contrived feel, but title generators might nonetheless stimulate your thoughts and spark that just-right title for your book.

Book titles matter

As Google results and the sampling of titles given here show, when it comes to naming your book there are many sources and kinds of titles, as well as variations on the basic title-subtitle combination. This embarrassment of riches may or may not be helpful to you, the author, as you try to nail the perfect title for your work. Frustrating though the endeavor can be for some, even the most title-challenged writer can at least take comfort in knowing that the effort is worthwhile. As much as the content of the pages—sometimes even more so—the title is crucial both to representing the intent of your book, and to maximizing its appeal to readers.

Up next . . . "U is for UNITY"

The ABCs of Book Writing: S is for SCENES . . .

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. . . and SHOWING them clearly.

Breaking up long or medium-length chapters into shorter scenes is a sure way to add drama to your fiction and flair to your nonfiction—not to mention enhanced readability to whatever you write.

Scenes and physical structure

All but the shortest chapters can benefit from being divided into scenes. Here's why:

Scenes look good.

At the most basic visual level, breaking up chapters into scenes creates white space and makes manuscript or book pages look more attractive and inviting. Physically indicate a new scene by entering extra line spacing or, preferably for greatest effect, by adding a simple textual divider or small graphic to most clearly show the end of one scene and the beginning of another.

Examples of textual dividers 

Three-em dash: ———

Five or six underlines: ______

Three asterisks: ***

Section character: §

Hash character: #  Don’t use three hash characters (###), as this is reserved for the end of the book.

Examples of graphic dividers

Graphic dividers are often botanical shapes, landscape or architectural icons, small scrolls or flourishes, and various symbols.

Some graphic dividers to indicate scenes within book chapters.

Scenes add to readability and impact.

Divide chapters into scenes for any or all of
readability, drama, suspense, emphasis, and clarity.

In today's busy world of time constraints and demands on our attention, not every reader has the leisure or inclination to read several chapters or even just a single chapter at one sitting. Scenes provide convenient stopping points for readers, whereas undivided chapters may necessitate their leaving the story in mid-episode. Scenes thus enhance the reading experience, especially for the busiest of readers.

For all readers, the space between scenes is a physical representation on the page of a pregnant pause or deep breath or long moment of tension, any of which can elevate the drama and suspense of episodes within chapters.

Scenes in novels and creative nonfiction

Beyond their positive effect on the appearance and readability of a novel or work of creative nonfiction (memoir, biography, or other true story), scenes play crucial roles in the narrative structure. Every novel is a world unto itself, and while chapters are the main territories within that world, scenes within chapters are the signposts that keep readers oriented and engaged.

Scenes help readers navigate the unfamiliar landscape of each new novel or true story they read.

Within chapters, make a new scene to signal one or a combination of the following:

- Shift in point of view (POV): rule of thumb—one POV per scene.

- Major change of locale: for example—different city or country, across town, shift to another character’s home or workplace; generally, a character walking from one room to another or other minor changes of locale do not necessarily call for a new scene.

- Significant passage of time: this might mean years or a shorter duration—days or even hours. Plot requirements and writer's instinct determine what is significant and merits a new scene.

Sections in expository nonfiction

In expository nonfiction, dividing chapters into sections (the equivalent of scenes in fiction) not only aids readability but can add emphasis and impact to your content in self-help, motivational, how-to, and other informational books.

Make a new section to show the following:

- Major turn of thought.

- New topic.

- Sidelight or elaboration on the current thought or topic.

In expository nonfiction a new section can be signaled by using textual or graphic dividers such as those shown above. Usually, though, it is most effective to use subheads to indicate new sections and the particular topic or subtopic to be covered in each.

Cultivate scene sense

Like paragraphing, deciding exactly when, where, and why to end one scene or section, and to begin another, has an element of subjective judgement call involved. Seasoned authors develop a keen feel for the scene or section. It can therefore be helpful to revisit your favorite authors and study their handling of scenes or sections. This technique and your own good judgement add up to the common sense of scenes and, ultimately, to the creation of functional, marketable, and memorable books.

Up next . . . "T is for TITLE"

The ABCs of Book Writing: R is for REVISING . . .

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. . . which means REWRITING.

Completing the first draft of a novel or nonfiction book is a notable achievement. Many aspiring writers don't get this far, and when you join the ranks of those that do, you may understandably experience a satisfying feeling of completion. Of course, you will probably do some subsequent revising, a little pleasurable tweaking and tinkering. Revising has a nice ring to it—revised edition or revised draft each carries a strong connotation of improved. The trouble is that revising, if it is to be productive, typically requires careful scrutiny, sometimes painful rethinking, and resultant changing of the first draft—in other words, rewriting.

The contemplation and task of rewriting can be daunting and unpleasant to many novice, and even some seasoned, authors. It is natural to wonder whether the creative process has to be this uncomfortable. Is rewriting really so crucial?

Why rewrite?

In his well-known best seller, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey advises beginning with the end in mind. This means not just having a goal but establishing the right goal. When they start out, many writers' goal is to have written. They look forward to the day when their words are in print and their faces on book jackets. They imagine the signings, book reviews, public appearances, and interviews. In fact, it's okay to fantasize about your first interview with some notable media personality—as long as the fantasy remains separate from the true goal. Rather than wanting to have written, you want to be the kind of writer who produces quality work—whether that means the finest literary novel, clearest how-to guide, or most romantic Harlequin romance. When being a quality writer is your goal, then what you must do becomes clear: you learn, write, refine your craft, write some more, rewrite, and (if need be) rewrite again . . . The interviews and signings will follow in their time.

How do I get over my dislike of rewriting?

I know of no quick tip or easy formula that will help you come to like rewriting. Probably, in the beginning, everyone hates it. I know I did. But now that I am an experienced re-writer, I prefer rewriting to writing. The reason is that writing turns your ideas into tangible form, which can be exciting; but rewriting is what will ultimately allow your ideas to reach others. To rewrite, is to write better and to communicate as effectively as possible—that, to my mind, is the real excitement.

The more you rewrite, the more you will find it a rewarding

effort, and the better your writing will become.

I reached this point through practice, because someone made me rewrite, or because I knew I had to do it. Somewhere in the midst of grumpily undertaking what seemed to be an unavoidable and distasteful chore, I came to tolerate rewriting, and then to like it. The only way I know to become comfortable with rewriting—even grow to enjoy it—echoes the advice I gave previously in this series: JUST write—writers write. They also rewrite.

So if I must rewrite, how exactly do I go about it?

Different kinds of books and authors require varying kinds and levels of rewriting. Generally speaking, seasoned writers rewrite in order to improve basic grammar and spelling; to ensure correct and effective word choice; to adjust pacing and sustain forward momentum; and to re-position words, sentences, and/or paragraphs for any or all of greater clarity, flow, logic, credibility, impact, and drama.

Additionally, a good deal of productive rewriting is a process of deleting or paring down that might include any or all of the following surgical procedures:

* liposuction of flabby writing. (See "O is for OW . . . Overwriting")
* removal of repetitious words or ideas
* amputation of excess adverbs and adjectives
* excision of any or all of extraneous characters, unnecessary points of view, inner monologues, circular arguments, logical gaps or fallacies, and clumsy transitions

How do I know when to stop rewriting?

Some writers will speak of a feeling in the heart or gut that tells
them they are done with rewriting.

I have no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of when you should stop rewriting; neither do I know of any quantitative measure to determine how much rewriting is enough. But, from experience, I have learned to recognize  qualitative, intuitive signals that tell me this book is done.

Some writers say things like, I know it in my heart or I feel it in my gut. For me, I first realize that I have to rewrite when my satisfaction at having written a first draft is marred by a growing sense of uneasiness. This sense usually resolves into the odd new idea or way of thinking about some or all of what I have written. This leads to an irresistible urge to revisit the manuscript, at which point the rewriting begins, and continues. . . . I know when to stop when that sense of uneasiness is no longer with me—and, not least of all, when I can again sleep through an entire night. You, too, will develop your own way of knowing.

Is there anyone who does not have to rewrite?

Perhaps the blockbuster greats, like Stephen King or John Grisham, don't have to rewrite—if necessary, their publishers will get someone to do it for them. If you are a natural-born literary genius, then maybe you don't need to rewrite, though I doubt it. If you are unparalleled at planning your book before even starting to write, then this could reduce the amount of necessary rewriting, but I again doubt that you could successfully avoid it altogether.

In The Elements of Style, Strunk and White similarly remark that "few writers are so expert that they can produce what they are after on the first try." If the history of literature, judgement of experts past and present, and requirements of today's mainstream publishers are any indication, then most writers of most kinds of books should, and do, rewrite as a matter of course.

Writing is rewriting

Ernest Hemingway has been so often quoted on the subject of rewriting that a spirit of originality makes me reluctant to follow in the wake of so many and to repeat what he said in A Moveable Feast. On the other hand, he was Hemingway, and I can do no better than to join the ranks of those who have quoted a master writer's characteristically succinct take on the creative process: “The only kind of writing is rewriting.”

Up next . . . "S is for SCENES"

The ABCs of Book Writing: P is for PUNCTUATION . . .

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. . . a few POINTERS.

Most writers know what to do with the period, question mark, and exclamation point—the punctuation that typically signals sentence endings. The most prevalent internal sentence punctuation, the comma, is not as well understood. In my work as an editor, I notice widespread misuse or absence of commas, as well as uncertainty about how and when to deploy less familiar punctuation marks such as the semicolon and em dash.

Increasing their punctuation know-how is an effective, but often overlooked, way for writers to enhance the ease and impact of their writing. What follows is not an exhaustive course in punctuation, but a few quick pointers about the uses and versatility of common punctuation marks in English-language writing.

End-of-sentence punctuation: period, exclamation point, question mark

Insert—

—a period to conclude a statement:

Nothing could be more simple.

—a question mark to end with an inquiry or, occasionally, a note of irony or disbelief:

What time did you arrive? What did you do next?

You did what?

—an exclamation point to end with an emphatic flourish:

I could not believe my eyes!

Note: Be sparing with exclamation points. Using too many of them depletes their emphatic power: It's true! I mean it! Really!

Other end-of-sentence punctuation

Use—

—an em dash for speech or thought interrupted:

"But you said you would—"
"I changed my mind," she snapped, disliking his accusatory tone.

—ellipsis points to indicate ongoing action or voice trailing off in dialogue:

The ships sailed in and out of the harbor. . . .

"But I was so sure it would all work out. . . ." He had to lean in close to hear the last part of what she said.

Internal sentence punctuation: the comma

Insert a comma—

—to signal a pause:

When he was a boy, his family home did not have electricity.
Possibly, the whole plan was a mistake.
At certain times, there is no need to apologize.

Note: In examples like the three above, the comma is often optional, according to the writer's ear and need for emphasis. If in doubt, retain the comma to ensure clarity. In many instances, using an optional comma will add a subtle note of emphasis to the statement. Compare the second and third examples above to these:

Possibly the whole plan was a mistake.
At certain times there is no need to apologize.

Also use a comma—

—to offset added descriptive or explanatory content:

The salesman, whose smile looked pasted onto his face, approached with a determined step.

—to list items in a series:

She was warmly dressed in a coat, hat, scarf, and pair of fleece-lined boots.

Note: The final comma in the series is optional, but most stylists recommend its inclusion.

—to separate the main parts of compound and/or complex sentences:

Simple sentence, no comma: Mary walked away.
Compound: Mary turned her back on him, and then she walked away.

Complex: Because she had nothing more to say to him, Mary walked away.

Complex/compound: Because she had nothing more to say, Mary turned her back on him, and then she walked away.

Other internal sentence punctuation

Use—

—a semicolon when ideas are closely connected, and making two sentences would create choppiness:

One cat was white; the other was orange. (Instead of: One cat was white. The other was orange.)

Note: As a rule, in this kind of construction, avoid inserting a comma and creating a run-on sentence (a.k.a. comma fault or comma splice)—as in: One cat was white, the other was orange. For further discussion of the run-on sentence and its fixes, see "E is for EMAIL".

In other kinds of sentences, insert—

—a colon to introduce a list, or to augment or complete preceding information:

Example of ellipsis points used for deliberate effect.

The room contained four items of furniture: a bed, nightstand, floor lamp, and rocking chair.

Jane looked at her watch and saw that she had two choices: she could grab a bite now or go hungry until dinnertime.

—ellipsis points to indicate omissions from quoted material, or to suggest ongoing action and/or time passing:

"When a species . . . increases inordinately . . . , epidemics . . . often ensue."

The clock ticked . . . ticked . . .
ticked . . . and finally struck midnight.

—two em dashes to offset parenthetical information, or to emphasize added content:

French impressionists—for example, Monet and Degas—brought a new vision to painting.

My best option—or so I thought at the time—was to keep my mouth shut.

Note: The first sentence in the above pair might also use parentheses: French impressionists (for example, Monet and Degas) brought a new vision to painting. Many contemporary stylists favor em dashes over parentheses because the former are more elegant or emphatic in many sentence constructions.

In the second sentence, replacing the em dashes with commas would be acceptable, but the use of em dashes creates greater emphasis and/or drama.

And speaking of enhanced effect, instead of a comma try using—

—a single em dash to add drama to a sentence:

He suddenly got an idea—a brilliant idea that would solve all his problems.

Note: An em dash can be typed as two hyphens (--), but do not use single hyphens in place of em dashes or any other sentence punctuation. Hyphens are for use in compound words and to attach some prefixes and suffixes: kilowatt-hour, mass-produced, co-op, anti-inflammatory, university-wide—to cite just a few well-chosen, high-quality examples of hyphenated words.

Learning more about punctuation

The pointers and examples given above are introductory and do not include all forms of punctuation or every usage for the punctuation discussed. For more information about punctuation marks and specialized usages, consult chapter 6 of The Chicago Manual of Style, available in the reference sections of most public libraries. For online information, start at
http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/.

It can take years of writing, editing, and consulting style manuals to become a punctuation expert. But mastering the basics and following punctuation best practice, even at an elementary level, will help ensure clarity and empower your writing.

Up next . . . "Q is for QUERY"

The ABCs of Book Writing: O is for OW . . .

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. . . OVERWRITING, that is.

When I edit a book manuscript, I use sidebar comments to explain the reason for many of the changes that I make. Some of these comments include abbreviations to designate frequently recurring issues. My favorite abbreviation of this sort is OW. Not only does it stand for overwriting, but it also expresses a common reader reaction to bloated language. In The Elements of Style, Strunk and White parody the painful effect of "overblown" writing: "Rich, ornate prose is hard to digest, generally unwholesome, and sometimes nauseating."

What is overwriting?

Generally speaking, to overwrite is to write in a contrived, elaborate, and wordy style. Overwritten prose may include any or all of the following lapses, occurring separately or in combination:

—unnecessary adverbs

—excessive and/or redundant adjectives

—obscure and/or overly elevated language

—indiscriminate use of qualifiers (little, very, rather, pretty)

—unnecessarily long sentences

—mixed metaphors and similes: comparisons using dubious logic and contradictory or incompatible imagery

Examples of how to reduce overwriting 

In each example below, the reduced version is a representative way to correct the overwritten passage. Other possibilities for reduction are numerous, and rewrites will vary according to the individual writer's style and objectives.

 Adverbs

Overwritten: "I hate studying," she said angrily and shut the textbook loudly.

Reduced: "I hate studying," she said and slammed the textbook shut.

 Adjectives

Overwritten: A great, huge, overgrown red setter lumbered toward us.

Reduced: An overgrown red setter lumbered toward us.

Overwritten: Weary, and with slow, leaden steps, he plodded onward, dragging himself along the long, endless path.

Reduced: Weary, he plodded along the endless path.

Language

Overwritten: She was in no small way gratified that both her visual acuity and auditory capability were of a functionality vastly superior to that of the pedestrian throng that constituted virtually all the rest of humanity.

Reduced: She was proud that her eyesight and hearing were far above average.

Qualifiers

Overwritten: "The constant use of the adjective little (except to indicate size) is particularly debilitating; we should all try to do a little better, we should all be very watchful of this rule, for it is a rather important one, and we are pretty sure to violate it now and then." (From Strunk and White; boldface added.) 

Reduced: "The constant use of the adjective little (except to indicate size) is particularly debilitating; we should all try to do . . . better, we should all be . . . watchful of this rule, for it is an . . . important one, and we are . . . sure to violate it now and then."
 

Long sentences

 

Overwritten: While she couldn't help feeling uneasy, she made an effort to ignore the prickling at the back of her neck, because it could just be heat rash, she told herself in an attempt to stay calm, but she really didn't believe this, as her heart rate was accelerating.

Reduced:  She made an effort to ignore the uneasiness prickling at the back of her neck. It could just be heat rash, she told herself, but her accelerating heart rate said otherwise.

Mixed metaphors and similes

Overwritten: Bracing himself like a boxer about to enter the ring, he took a deep breath and then plunged into the poisonously freezing river, which flowed with the ferocity of molten lava from a newly erupted volcano.

Reduced: He took a deep breath and plunged into the freezing river.

Note: The comparisons in the first sentence are dysfunctional, mixing logically unrelated, and thus incompatible, imagery of sport (boxing), toxicity (poisonously), and a natural phenomenon (freezing); the sentence then contradicts the image of freezing cold water by introducing an image of heat (molten lava).

Keep it simple

Avoid overwriting by practicing the necessary restraint to streamline your prose. Without entirely compromising your personal style and vision, lean toward a minimalist approach to writing:

—Reduce or eliminate adverbs; use strong verbs instead.

—Resist introducing extraneous adjectives.

—Use language judiciously, with an eye to transparency.

—Avoid qualifiers; use only those that add to meaning or effect.

—Vary sentence lengths; divide overly long sentences into digestible portions.

—Scrutinize your metaphors for logic, consistency, and appropriateness; when in doubt, opt for a straightforward action statement.

In all matters of style, aim for brevity, directness, and clarity. As Strunk and White advise, "guard against wordiness," self-edit early drafts, and "delete the excess." Less is usually more.

Up next . . . "P is for PUNCTUATION"

The ABCs of Book Writing: N is for NEW . . .

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. . . and, er, NOTHING NEW.

Back in the day when I was a full-time book author, my New York agent enjoyed regaling me with her book-trade "street smarts." Among her favorite and most often repeated aphorisms was this one: There's nothing new under the sun. At the time I regarded this notion with a good deal of skepticism. Personally, I was full of bright ideas that I was pretty sure were brand-new. Certainly I had thought them up on my own without knowingly copying anyone else. But as my years in the book trade mounted, and came to include editing and consulting as well as writing, I began to see what my agent had meant.

What's "new" in nonfiction

In expository nonfiction, a bright idea newly conceived might shed fresh light on related ideas that came before. This can certainly be original and creative but not necessarily brand-new. Forms of creative nonfiction—memoir, biography, popular history, and other kinds of true narrative—have a long history and relative uniformity of structure. Such works are typically organized chronologically, thematically, or by a combination of chronology and theme. Any newness comes from the author's distinctive style and possibly subject matter that is little known or explored from a fresh perspective.

What's "new" in fiction

In fiction, three main kinds of conflict—separately or in combination—drive all stories:

1. Character vs. self (as in, for example, identity confusion, obsession, self-deception, and destructive goals or behaviors)

2. Character vs. character(s) (as evidenced in, for example, jealousy, betrayals, and rivalries of all kinds from office politics to threats of bodily harm to fights to the death)

3. Character vs. major force(s) (for example nature, technology, or apocalypse)

Given that conflict must be present in any functional story, and that there are only three basic kinds of conflict in fiction, it stands to reason that entirely original plots are accordingly limited. Writers, critics, and scholars of literature have long argued about exactly how many distinct plots constitute the entire history of fiction. Widely defended numbers are three, six, seven, twenty, and thirty-six. For more information see, among many other such discussions, the Guardian article ". . . how many basic plots are there in all stories ever written?"

A plausible case can be made for any of the commonly proposed numbers of plots. What this boils down to is that the much-hailed "stunningly original" blockbuster and "creative tour de force" are not completely new but, rather, offer new twists on old plots.

The creative challenge of nothing new

Way back in history, when the literary world was young, entirely new ideas must have been more readily conceivable than they are in our time. If indeed my agent was right, and there is now little or nothing that is truly, totally new, then writers must contend with a notable irony: in this age of sound bites, short attention spans, and constant information flow, a taste for the new is arguably more widely prevalent and insatiable than ever before.

Today's creative challenge is constantly to reinvent what was once brand new, and which must appear to be new all over again. Strategies for recreating the new include the following:

—developing fresh perspectives
—cultivating stylistic distinctiveness
—discovering underexplored subject matter
—concocting new plot twists
—devising compelling hooks

As literary history continues to unfold, new rarely, if at all, means brand-new. The imperative now is ongoing reinvention in writing, and innovation in the marketing of books.

Up next . . . "O is for OW . . . OVERWRITING, that is"

The ABCs of Book Writing: INTERMISSION

The series "The ABCs of Book Writing" is half done, with A to M completed last week. The series will resume in July as "Book Writing ABCs, with "N is for NEW." During this intermission period, go to https://www.facebook.com/HelpingYouGetPublished.FreelanceEditing/ for announcements and other posts on book writing and publishing.

For an overview of infographics and other visuals illustrating book writing from A to M, go to:
https://www.pinterest.com/helpingyougetpublished/the-abcs-of-book-writing-a-m/

The ABCs of Book Writing: M is for MOMENTUM . . .

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. . . and MOVING the story forward.

Every book needs sustained forward momentum. Like a radio or TV show that suddenly has dead air, a book in which momentum halts sends a clear signal: something is wrong.

Momentum in fiction and creative nonfiction

To hold the reader’s interest, all novels must create and maintain a sense of the plot going forward. In a thriller, this momentum is typically very fast. In other kinds of novels the pace may be slower, more like real life. But the forward momentum must be there nonetheless, or the reader feels no need to read on. Creative nonfiction must similarly establish and maintain momentum in order to attract and keep the reader's attention.

Sustaining momentum in fiction and creative nonfiction

For novels, novellas, and stories:

—Cultivate conflict and problems. Stories are propelled by the conflicts and problems that characters encounter and resolve. Remove all conflict and you have no plot; fail to sustain conflict and you get a plot that stops and starts. Instead, constantly thrust the character into scenes where the character must confront conflicts, take action, and solve problems—thus changing, growing, furthering the plot, and always moving the story forward.

—Keep explanatory description of settings, people's physical appearance, and emotions to a necessary minimum. Never lecture. Show, don't tell.

—Avoid long flashbacks. Integrate flashback information bit by bit into the main action of the story.

—Avoid detailed backstory. As with flashbacks, integrate the necessary background information into the main action.

For memoirs, biographies, popular histories, and true crime:

Use any or all of the strategies noted above to ensure that your readers stay engaged. Creative nonfiction typically employs many, if not all, of the narrative techniques of fiction. What I have said with respect to fiction writing therefore applies to your work of creative nonfiction. While you may be able to take greater liberties with description, flashbacks, and backstory than you would with fiction writing, the need to sustain forward momentum always remains.

Momentum in expository nonfiction

Expository nonfiction does not have a story in the same way as fiction or creative nonfiction. But books specifically designed to explain and instruct must still convey to the reader a sense of forward thrust, of constantly moving toward any or all of the following:

-conclusion of an argument
-solution to a problem
-benefit for the reader
-specific action the reader can take
-fresh insight
-new skill or knowledge

If the nonfiction book appears to lack such momentum and direction, readers will disengage in the same way that they would from a novel that grinds to a halt.

Sustaining momentum in expository nonfiction

For how-to, self-help, and motivational books; textbooks; and academic and technical works:

Making a habit of putting reader understanding before a
display of your own knowledge will automatically help
sustain forward momentum.

—Stay focused on the book's ultimate objective. Avoid digressing.

—Be concise. Avoid lecturing.

—Be clear. Don't obfuscate by writing in circles around the subject.

—Remember the reader. Always prioritize reader understanding over showing off your own expertise or erudition.

Keep moving, keep readers

Daisy, the Helping You Get Published mascot, demonstrates
forward momentum and reader engagement.

All readers know the power of those books that compel us to keep turning the pages to find out what comes next. Momentum is the source of this power. Without sustained momentum, you not only lose writing power but you lose readers. Forward momentum is at the heart of reader engagement. Successful writing is that simple—and that challenging.

INTERMISSION: The ABCs of Book Writing will resume in October
with “N is for NEW.” Announcements at: https://www.facebook.com/HelpingYouGetPublished.FreelanceEditing/

The ABCs of Book Writing: L is for LECTURING . . .

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. . . and avoiding it—a LITTLE goes a LONG way.

What do you mean by lecturing when writing a book?

By lecturing, I mean dumping large quantities of dry facts or long-winded background information into your fiction or nonfiction with little regard for engaging the reader. The adverse effects of lecturing include:

- detracting from the interest of the main points or argument in nonfiction;
- halting the forward action of fiction; and, in all cases,
- boring or confusing the reader.

Is lecturing in a book ever OK?

Certainly—if you're a professor writing a guide called something like 25 Winning Lectures, then lecturing is not only OK, but a positive must. For most other kinds of books, instead of lapsing into lecture mode, try to find briefer and more readable ways to convey information.

Avoiding lecturing in nonfiction writing

In the writing of both creative and expository nonfiction, there are times when explanations or background information are necessary in order for the reader to understand what is going on. It is up to you as the author to ensure that your readers are suitably oriented and informed. But lecturing is by no means the only or most engaging way to do your job.

Tips for conveying information in nonfiction

 
—Be concise.

—Moderate your tone; don't harangue.

—Focus on the main points; don't digress.

—Don't quote at length from other books. This is boring and may violate fair use guidelines.

—Convey information through anecdotes, colorful examples, vignettes, or even recalled or imagined conversation.

—Keep paragraphs short: five or six sentences on average, interspersed with one- or two-sentence paragraphs for variety and emphasis.

—Where appropriate, introduce numbered or bulleted points.

—Use subheadings to break up lengthy topics into readable sections.

 Avoiding lecturing in fiction writing

Effective fiction is all about story and character. A novel or shorter fiction should never be a platform for the author to show off his or her erudition, voice opinions, or dish out copious amounts of explanations and background—however relevant such information might seem. Similarly, do not let your characters lecture either—whether they're expressing your views or their own.

Tips for writing fiction without lecturing the reader

—Do not overuse the omniscient author point of view—in other words, do not intrude yourself into the story. Develop strong character viewpoints and stay with them.

—Write character dialogue, not monologue.

—Keep all dialogue speech brief; do not let characters ramble on for two or more paragraphs.

—If conveying a lot of information through dialogue is necessary, then break up each speech into short, digestible chunks. Use "beats"—gestures, facial expressions, or short passages of action—to make the dialogue seem natural and to keep the story going forward.

—Resist the urge to explain. Let necessary information come out bit by bit as the story moves forward; reveal what the reader needs to know through the characters' actions and understanding.

The need to explain in fiction and nonfiction

Shakespeare was to the point on brevity: watch

the video below . . .

There is a difference between the need to explain and the urge. More often than not, you may feel the latter, because explaining is less creatively taxing than devising more engaging ways to get your point across. In certain instances, however, a no-frills explanation may be the only option. This is the need to explain.

In both fiction and nonfiction, the need to explain something does not call for a full-blown lecture. Use your own feelings as a barometer. If you're boring yourself as you write, then the odds are that you're lecturing—and boring the reader too. Explain what and when you must, but never fail to practice lecture avoidance:

Be clear about the point you need to make. Get straight to it. Be brief.

Coming next week . . . "M is for MOMENTUM"

The ABCs of Book Writing: K is for KNOWING what you don't know . . .

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. . . and KNOWING to look it up.

Writers of expository nonfiction such as how-to and advice books generally do their research and get their facts straight. It is every bit as important for authors of creative nonfiction and fiction to look up what they cannot remember or imagine. Whatever you write, even if you are 99.9 percent certain that you know something, leave no room for doubt or error.

Look it up.

The importance of factual accuracy in expository writing, creative nonfiction, and fiction

It stands to reason that authors of textbooks, how-to guides, and advice books must aim for absolute factual accuracy, or their books would be worthless. A similar commitment to accuracy is also essential for writers of creative nonfiction and fiction. While most fiction readers appreciate an imaginative plot, many are also sticklers for correctness when it comes to the portrayal of real-life events, dates, geographic locations, professions, and specialized knowledge. If these readers find errors, they might be put off your writing for good.

For example, memoir writers need to verify the dates of their personal memories as well as events occurring in the world around them. Your memories are your own but they exist against a backdrop of personal chronology and historical events that must be accurately represented in order for your memoir to be engaging and convincing. Similarly, when writing fiction, you will disengage your readers if you don't ground your leaps of imagination in factual reality. If you are writing a police procedural mystery, for instance, you need to accurately represent how law enforcement really works. Even if you are writing an out-there futuristic techno-thriller, your story will have greatest impact if it takes off from a foundation of actual science and technology.

Why authors should research and fact-check

There are four strong reasons for authors of all kinds to do their utmost to write with factual accuracy:

—Meticulous research and concern for accuracy enhances your credibility.

—Avoidable errors can be off-putting to many readers; on the other hand, a reputation for accuracy can contribute to your reader retention. You want to attract readers, keep them, and avoid doing anything that might be a potential turnoff.

—Writing can be hard enough without your having to wrestle with a niggling feeling that you are not going the distance. Doing your research and fact-checking is a matter of professional pride.

—Research and fact-checking can be a source of new ideas or directions for either your current or future projects. Creativity and imagination may originate from within you, but both can be measurably enriched by research.

Doing your research: Sources of information for book authors

Internet

Today the first go-to source of information for most people is the Internet. Most users are aware that the reliability of sites and their information varies. For complex subjects, I therefore tend to use books by established authors rather than websites or blogs. But for basic information and fact-checking, nothing can beat the speed and convenience of the Internet.

To ensure that I am getting correct information or fact verification, I pick reliable sites such as Wikipedia and, where they exist, online versions of standard encyclopedias or dictionaries. When dealing with sites of lesser authority, I check at least three sources for the facts I am verifying. If they all agree, then I generally feel confident that the information is accurate. In case of discrepancies, I keep looking until a consensus emerges and I can eliminate the information that seems doubtful.

Personal library

Once upon a time, not so long ago actually, there was no Internet, and authors were largely dependent on libraries for research and fact-checking. In my case, I would make notes about facts that needed checking and bibliographic citations that I was missing. Then, every once in a while, I would take a break from writing and spend a day running up and down stairs in the university library stacks, filling in all the gaps in my information. This would generally take a whole day and was often exhausting.

To avoid these time-consuming and tiring excursions, like many authors, I found it useful to amass a personal library of reference works relating to the subjects I was writing about. Even today, despite the convenience of the Internet, I still value my personal library. Often, rather than going online, I find it is just as quick to pull a book off my own shelf and look up something in a source of proven reliability. My personal collection includes assorted dictionaries and style manuals, Oxford and Cambridge reference works on literature, book trade directories, and books on writing.

If you have the space and budget, you might explore the possibility of starting your own personalized at-home library. This can be a practical and satisfying complement to your writing activities.

Even in today's digital world, public libraries and
librarians remain among the best sources of information
and tips on effective research.

Public library

Most people have ready access to some sort of public library, whether municipal or university. These days many library holdings can be accessed online. Online library resources are a tremendous aid to research, as they provide the reliability of traditional information plus the convenience of the Internet.

Even if you have extensive access to online library holdings, don't entirely neglect paying the occasional in-person visit to a physical library. Librarians know how to find information with maximum efficiency and, often in minutes, can unearth facts and resources that you might take days to discover or altogether overlook.

The imperative of the authoritative author

Whether you rely on the Internet, compile your own book collection, or use public libraries and consult librarians, you owe it to your readers and yourself to be an author whose accuracy can be trusted. Know what you don't know. Get it right. Look it up.

Coming next week . . . "L is for LECTURING"

The ABCs of Book Writing: J is for JUST write . . .

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. . . and JUST why you should.

In the real world of professional authorship, the bottom line is: writers write. Over the course of a career some authors will produce dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of books, articles, and reviews. Others may produce only a handful and build a career by combining writing with speaking, teaching, or consulting. How prolific you are depends on a number of personal and professional factors—for example: whether or not you have a day job, your health and energy, your family and domestic obligations, and the type of writing you do. Regardless of your individual situation, what you don't want to be is a one-book author.

Why writers must keep writing

There are four basic reasons why there is no downside to your being as prolific a writer as you can manage to be:

1. Writers must keep writing for the obvious reason that this is the only way to produce a sufficient amount of work to reach others. The more you produce, the more likely you are to find markets and draw readers.

2. Writing continuously is the only way to significantly grow as a writer. In the course of producing one book, you may gather momentum and hone some skills. But without continuing to write, it is hard to imagine maintaining your craft, let alone improving on it.

3. The more you write, the more likely you are to be successfully published. It is difficult to break into the market as a first-time book author with absolutely no credentials. Agents, publishers, and readers will be swayed in your favor if you have some writing credentials, such as book reviews, journal or magazine articles, or anthology contributions. Now that publishing credentials can be obtained through both print and digital sources, it's hard to justify wanting to be a book author while remaining totally unpublished.

4. To keep on writing is to be a professional. Even if you have just finished a magnum opus, you have no excuse to hang up the quill pen or power down your computer. If you work hard at your manuscript and persevere with querying agents and publishers, or with marketing your self-published book, your work will eventually attract someone who can take you to the next level. But odds are, that someone will not only value prior writing credentials but will also want you at least to have a second book in progress.

Strategies to keep you writing

Ideally, while you are working on one book—presumably your main project—you should be writing something else as while. If this is absolutely not possible for you, then once the main project is completed, immediately begin the next book or some other writing project, preferably one related to your newly completed book.

Strategies that will keep you writing can be as many and as varied as writers themselves. Here are a few for you to try and to adapt to suit yourself and your situation:

—While writing one book, research, plan, make notes on, and write snippets of the next book.

—Seek out book reviewing opportunities. Start but don't stop with Amazon, Smashwords, and Goodreads.

—While writing one book, work on another in a different but related genre, to keep you fresh in both. Examples of possible pairings: science fiction/popular science; contemporary romance/romantic suspense; detective fiction/true crime; popular history/historical fiction; cozy mystery/period mystery.

—Write articles or short stories related to your current book in progress; write and send out queries for these.

—Start, and work hard at, a blog related to your book.

—Look for related blogs to contribute to as a guest.

—If your book is part of a series, make notes on, or write drafts of, later books in the series.

—Just for fun, write fan fiction. It could grow your author platform.

—If all else fails, write journal or diary entries. These will not likely be publication ready anytime soon, but maybe someday . . .

Just keep writing

However you choose to do it, stay continuously involved in the writing process. Some of us must devote time and energy to day jobs, and we all need downtime. But succeeding as a book author means never entirely walking away from writing, whether it's a book you're working on or something—anything—else that qualifies as potentially publishable written work.

Writers write.

Coming next week . . . "K is for KNOWING what you don't know"

The ABCs of Book Writing: I is for INTERTEXTUALITY . . .

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. . . and enhancing your own IDEAS.

What is intertextuality? And why should I know about it?

Intertextuality is a term used in literary theory to designate the diverse ways that any literary text inevitably refers to other texts, both past and contemporary. These other texts may include novels, nonfiction books, and other written works. The text in intertextuality also encompasses other forms of artistic and cultural expression:

—movies

—music

—television

—ideas and beliefs

—symbols

—sayings, conventions, and oral traditions

Intertextuality reflects the reality that culture is a way of life. It is therefore inevitable that a writer's cultural experience and community will find direct or indirect expression in his or her own writing. Intertextuality is important because recognizing and using it effectively can add to your personal stock of ideas, and enrich your writing.

For an overview of intertextuality, watch the video at the bottom of this post.

Intertextuality in fiction and nonfiction books

There are many ways that one text may refer to another. Such references may be direct or indirect, conscious or unconscious on the part of the author. In written works, they may be found anywhere from commercial nonfiction to literary and genre fiction, and might include the following:

—quotation
—allusion
—adaptation
—synthesis
—parody
—structural parallelism
—imitation

Examples of intertextuality in literature and popular culture

Examples of intertextuality from the literary canon include Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, which refers to Dante's Inferno, and his later novel Victory, drawn from Shakespeare's The Tempest. Among the best-known literary examples of intertextuality is James Joyce's Ulysses, a modern retelling of Homer's Odyssey.

Today's popular culture is also rich in intertextuality. The long-running comedy series The Big Bang Theory combines fresh, clever writing with extensive intertextual references to earlier sitcoms, Star Trek, Star Wars, various action-hero movies, comic books, and popular science—to name just some examples. In film, notable intertextual variations on earlier plots include Sleepless in Seattle (1993), which uses quotes, clips, and music from An Affair to Remember (1957), and Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), a millennial adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (1813).

The power and pitfalls of intertextuality in writing

Examples from literature and popular culture show that, used with awareness and innovativeness, intertextuality can be a powerful creative tool. Just the introduction of a short but apt quote can add an extra level of artistry and meaning to your writing. Beware, however, of overdoing your intertextual references and adaptations, or you might run the risk of having your work dismissed as too derivative. Falling back on hackneyed writing, discussed previously, is another kind of intertextual faux pas. Worst of all, for ethical as well as artistic reasons, is plagiarism, an extreme and always unacceptable form of intertextuality.

If you are unsure of what constitutes intertextual innovation, freshness of expression, and fair use, err on the side of minimalism: a pithy quote, passing allusion, or new twist on an old idea. When handled with deftness and discretion, intertextuality adds dimension and interest to your writing. 

Sources for this post: M. H. Abrams, A Glossary of Literary Terms, 5th ed. (1988); Chris Baldick, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms (1990); and David Lodge, The Art of Fiction (1992).

Coming next week . . . "J is for JUST write"