Your Writing Does Not Suck

Today the gang ends their two-year run talking about Rebirth – the moment when characters face the death of old identities and must forge on with new, enlightened versions of themselves.

Jess speaks about the successful elements of a character’s rebirth, Tracey delves into the key moments of Star Wars and other stories, and Anne speaks about nuances and shifts in character before signing off the podcast one last time.

QUOTE: “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change.” – A snappy paraphrasing of Leon C. Megginson who was snappily paraphrasing Charles Darwin 

CREDITS: This episode of Your Writing Does Not Suck was recorded by the individual participants and edited by Anne M. Belen.  

Many things can and will kill your motivation. Not just in writing, but throughout life in general. And when that happens, you might stop doing Your Thing, which leads to guilt which leads to Darkness Brain and less motivation and the vicious cycle is in full swing. So what do you do when you feel stuck? What do you need to pop you out of it?

Jess talks about the persistence of famous names in the industry, Tracey talks about giving yourself grace and time, and Anne finds a reason to talk about BTS again (as well as other things). At the end, the group has an important announcement.

QUOTE: “Some days are better, some days are worse. Look for the blessing instead of the curse. Be positive, stay strong, and get enough rest. You can’t do it all, but you can do your best.”  -- Doe Zantamata

LINKS:

Creativity, Inc. by Ed Catmull

The Winner’s Curse Marie Rutkoski

CREDITS: This episode of Your Writing Does Not Suck was recorded by the separate participants and edited by Anne M. Belen.

The second half of this discussion uses first lines and openings from different books to demonstrate the myriad ways of entering your story.

Tracey proves her love of horror, Anne proves that she is pretty random, and Jess makes a bid to usurp hosting powers.

QUOTE: “If your dreams don’t scare you, they’re not big enough.” – Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

LINKS:

Harlan Coben – Don’t Let Go

Stephen King – It and The Stand

Paul Coelho – The Witch of Portobello

Franny Billingsley – The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and Chime

Sarah J. Maas – Throne of Glass

Kim Harrison – The Outlaw Demon Wails

Tracey Shearer – Entwine and Raven

CREDITS: This episode of Your Writing Does Not Suck was recorded by the individual participants and edited by Anne M. Belen.

Hey, look, more rules for us to ignore! In Part One of this topic, the group chats about the “dos” and “do nots” of novel openings and when to pay more attention to them.

Tracey talks the importance of getting that character “feel,” Anne explains her dislike of opening dream sequences, and Jessica rounds it out with her editorial overview.

QUOTE: “Experience is the hardest kind of teacher. It gives you the test first and the lesson afterward.” – Oscar Wilde

LINKS:

Franny Billingsley

CREDITS: This episode of Your Writing Does Not Suck was recorded by its individual participants and edited by Anne M. Belen.

Who are you as a writer? What can people expect from you when they pick up your book? Today the group discusses the importance of keeping your branding simple and focused.

Jess breaks down some of her many projects, Tracey discusses rebranding and pen names, and Anne talks about both of their successes with pulling people toward them at events through their smart choices.

QUOTE: Your smile is your logo, your personality is your business card, how you leave others feeling after having an experience with you is your trademark. – Jay Danzie (disappointingly, not Wayfair)

LINKS:

Your Book, Your Brand by Dana Kaye

CREDITS: This episode of Your Writing Does Not Suck was recorded by its separate participants and edited by Anne M. Belen.

**Shannon passed away unexpectedly in September of 2021. But her spirit and mission lives on through the agents still at Victress Literary.

Shannon is back again answering more questions about industry and agenting expectations. We hear about some dos and don’ts of queries and manuscripts, as well as learn which fruit Shannon believes to be the root of all evil.

QUOTE: “Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in.”  -- Bill Bradley

CREDITS: This episode of Your Writing Does Not Suck was recorded on a less-janky-than-last-time ZOOM call and was edited by Anne M. Belen.

**Shannon passed away unexpectedly in September of 2021. But her spirit and mission lives on through the agents still at Victress Literary. 

It’s happening. The day has come for Anne to put her agent in the hot seat to discuss the road to agenting, the agency itself, and the all-important question of who her celebrity crush is.

LINKS:

- Victress Literary

- @VictressLit

QUOTE: “The world breaks everyone but afterward many are strong at the broken places.” – Ernest Hemingway

CREDITS: This episode of Your Writing Does Not Suck was recorded on a janky ZOOM call and Frankensteined into coherency by Anne M. Belen.

When the time comes and your manuscript needs some hard truths, who you gonna call?

This time around Anne and Tracey talk about helpful beta readers and what to ask of them. Anne discusses the necessity of asking readers to get brutally honest, and Tracey goes over a very…unusual first kiss scene.

QUOTE: “One kind word can change someone’s entire day.” – currently Anonymous

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CREDITS: This episode of Your Writing Does Not Suck was recorded by the separate participants and edited by Anne M. Belen

BETA READER QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER OR ALTER AS NEEDED:

(Courtesy of Anne Belen who stole it from Tracey Shearer and altered it after she stole it from Stacy Claflin and altered it)

MAIN STRENGTHS:

1) What kept you coming back to read (if anything?)

2) Other comments:

MAIN WEAKNESSES

1) What is the first thing someone would complain about in a review for this current version of the story? Remember, you’re looking out for me!

So, scale of 1-10, how badly did that thing you just wrote down bother you?

2) Other comments:

TITLE:

1) Did this title work for you? If not, any thoughts on a better one?

OPENING:

1) Were the first paragraphs and first page compelling? If not, where did you stop and why?

2) Did you get oriented fairly quickly as to: whose story it is, what’s going on, and where/when it’s taking place? If not, what was confusing?

3) Did the story continue to hold your interest through the first few chapters? Is there a point where your interest started to lag (at any point in the book, really)?

4) Opening -- other comments:

PLOT, PACING, SCENES:

1) Was the overall story interesting to you? What plot/subplot(s) kept pulling you through?

2) Where there any parts that confused, frustrated, or annoyed you?

3) Which scenes/paragraphs/lines did you really like?  

4) Which parts were exciting? Should they be elaborated on?

5) What parts resonated with you and/or moved you emotionally?

6) Were there any scenes that you knew were “big deals,” but you felt “meh”?

7) Which parts bored you and should be compressed or even deleted?

8) What parts or plotlines did you dislike? Is there a plotline you think doesn’t even need to be in the story?

9) Did you understand every phrase/term? If not, which ones needed clarity?

10) Did you notice any discrepancies in behaviors and decisions (not later explained)?

11) Were there any logic issues with the plot?

12) Was the social conflict between characters understandable? Could you see all sides’ opinions clearly?

13) *Was the ending satisfying and believable?

14) Did major plot points feel appropriately timed?

15) Plot/Pacing—other comments:

DIALOGUE     

1) Did the dialogue sound natural to you? If not, whose dialogue did you think sounded off and why?

2) Dialogue—other comments:

CHARACTERS:

1) Could you relate to (the main character)? Did you feel her pain, joy, fears, worry, excitement?

2) Could you relate to (the male lead)? And (the secondary characters)?  

3) Was (the antagonist) fully realized and believable? Could she be more interesting and connect more for the reader?  

4) Could the threats to (the main character) be nastier or more interesting?  On the flip side, did anything feel like too much?

5) Were there characters that needed development or focus?

6) Which characters did you connect to and like? (Or like to hate?)

7) Are there any characters you think could be made more interesting or likeable?

8) Did you get confused about who’s who?   

9) Did (the two main leads) have chemistry and did their relationship make sense?

10) Did (the MC and antagonist) relationship feel fully realized and make sense?

11) Which side characters are you curious to know more about after reading this installation?

12) Character—other comments:

THE GOOEY STUFF:

1) Did you have to reread any part of the romantic scenes or interactions for clarity?

2) Did any of the romantic dialogue or interactions make you cringe?  

3) How well did you think the relationship developed between the couple and did you feel it served the story?

4) Romance—other comments:

VISUAL:

1) Could you see every action clearly?

2) Did you have to reread any of the action sequences to understand who was doing what? Did any of it feel “cardboard” or mechanical?

3) Did you get a good idea of what the characters looked like in your mind? If not, what was missing?

4) Visual—other comments:

WORLD-BUILDING AND SETTING:

1) Did this feel like a fully-realized world? Did you think anything was lacking or logically implausible within the rules of the world?

2) What (if anything) stood out as a cool concept or idea?

3) Did anything feel particularly cliché or were there missed opportunities to do something unique?

4) Were there any missed opportunities for world-building in general?

5) Were you able to visualize where and when the story took place?

6) Did the setting pull you in, and did the descriptions seem realistic?

7) Was there logic to the world? If not, what felt off?

8) Did the societal/government details make sense? Were their aspects of it that felt unaddressed in order for the story to work (as opposed to things that can wait for later books)?

9) World Building/Setting—other comments:

WRITING STYLE/TONE/VOICE:

1) Did the “feel” of the Point of View character work? Did it feel appropriate to the story type?

2) Did any of the writing feel jarring or awkward in places? If possible, can you cite where? (Saying “the whole thing” is perfectly acceptable.)

3) Did the promise of the story type (established in those opening scenes) feel consistent until the end? Or did the ending feel like it belonged to a different genre or story?

4) Were there certain scenes or paragraphs that felt out of place or like a “different writer” had stepped in?

5) Writing Style/Tone/Voice – other comments:

GRAMMAR AND TECHNICAL

1) Did you catch any editing blips? Please (if you can) note where and what.

2) Did you notice any continuity issues?

3) Were there inconsistencies with italics or other formatting?

OTHER:

1) Would you be interested in reading the next story in the series?

2) What things would you like to see explored in subsequent books?

3) Other comments:

Tracey’s still out and Anne is a bit under the weather, but we are here for you, talking Character Goals!

Anne brings up the “goal underneath the goal” and Jess talks about the importance of changing and conflicting goals. There is also a quest for a hotdog.

QUOTE: “Put your hand on your heart and ask what your dream was. What it really was.” – Kim Namjoon, speech at the United Nations 2018

LINKS:

Zombieland

John Truby -- Anatomy of Story

The Winner’s Curse

CREDITS: This episode of Your Writing Does Not Suck was recorded by the individual participants and edited by Anne M. Belen.

We need tension and conflict in our stories, but what exactly do these words mean and how do you harness them in your story? Tracey is out for the day, but the remaining duo trudges on. Jess compares these concepts to dissonant musical notes and Anne talks about re-evaluating scenes that are not doing your story any favors.

QUOTE: “Happiness is not something that you have to achieve. You can still feel happy during the process of achieving something.” – Kim Nam Joon

LINKS:

• Margie Lawson Academy
• Donald Maass writing books

CREDITS: This episode of Your Writing Does Not Suck was recorded by its separate participants and edited by Anne M. Belen.