The Friday poem.
Novel Word Count?
September 25, 2018 at 4:16 pm (Editing, Marketing)
How long does a novel have to be? That has been widely debated and seems to change from time to time. The bottom limit has often been regarded as around 50,000 words but I just finished Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury and was much surprised to find that it weighs in at only 46,118 words. I feel much better about the two novels I’ve drafted which came in at around 53,000 and 63,000 words. Onward and upward!
Editing Mode
September 18, 2018 at 3:40 pm (Editing)
Every writer needs an extra cup, or two, of their preferred beverage when editing. Am I right? Well, here’s a little trick that I’ve recently found helpful.
I write either on paper or on a computer. If I write on paper, then I edit for the first time as I type my manuscript into the computer.
If I write on the computer, I may make one or two passes reading through the manuscript and editing on the computer. Then I print it.
I edit it on the paper copy and transfer the changes to computer document.
Now I’ve added a new method for finding my mistakes and taking stock of the landscape of the draft. I turn it into a .pdf file and load it to my Kindle, where I have a free .pdf file reader.
Something about reading on the Kindle, the way I might another book, helps me to catch even more mistakes and edit the overall plot and flow of the story. It’s almost as if I were reading someone else’s writing.
I might try a suggestion from author G.H. Monroe, and read it into a recorder so I can play it back for myself.
Pretty soon it’ll be the beta readers turn! Yay!
Poem: Eventide Rhapsody
September 14, 2018 at 5:01 am (Poetry)
The Friday poem. Please feel free to share.
Reading Poetry
September 11, 2018 at 5:00 am (Marketing)
I’ve read weekly for others at writer’s group and I’ve read a poem or two at open mics but never had a reading all to myself, until this past Sunday at Card Carrying Books & Gifts, shown in the picture. I found I was rather nervous, though I guess I didn’t need to be.
It was a small group – twelve people – two friends, one of which dragged her husband along, and my family. The rest were the store manager, store owners and their families. One of the store owners did ask me to sign a copy for herself and a friend.
I definitely learned I need to start promoting readings sooner.
Next up is recording the audio book. I recorded a few in preparation for the reading and I want to get on with recording the book so I’ll be checking into what I need to do that. Hoping I can just borrow the equipment from our library’s maker space. We have quite an array of options there.
I’ll be part of a local author meet and greet with book sales and signing on November 10th at the North Corning Fire Hall and I’m hoping to put together a group reading and sale at the library with local authors in the near future as well.
I keep writing more, all the time.
Delayed Creation
September 4, 2018 at 5:00 am (Poetry)
I haven’t been feeling very inspired lately but there’s still plenty of work to be done. I’ve been typing up poems I’ve written over the last couple of weeks and making notes for the poetry reading I’ll be doing this coming Sunday at Card Carrying Books & Gifts. (3 pm)
What kind of notes do you make for a poetry reading? Well, I don’t dance and I don’t sing, often, but I do like to tell some stories surrounding the creation of some of my poems and about my writing processes.
It also occurred to me to look at some old story ideas that never came to fruition. I’m turning the beginning of a story, Cemetery Trees, into a poem. Maybe I’ll share it around Halloween.
Hope to see some of you at the poetry reading in Corning next Sunday!
Melora Johnson's Muse 