delsheree

[delsheree]

Moving to Substack

I have decided to combine my newsletter and blog (which I obviously haven’t had time for lately) and move over to Substack for future blogging/newsletter announcements. As I try to get back into gear with writing and book-related stuff, I’m trying to consolidate my efforts so I can be more efficient and hopefully get more done. If you’d like to follow me on Substack for updates, you can check…

View On WordPress

[delsheree]

Action Scenes: Adding Uniqueness

Keeping action scenes unique will help hold the reader's interest. Learn how to add more variability and interest to action scenes in this article.

One of my pet peeves with action scenes, whether in film or book form, is repetitive action. I can only watch the same chase so many times or read endless thrusts and parries for so many pages. Keep action scenes interesting by making them unique. Adding Unique Elements Every fight, explosion, or gunshot needs to have at least some level of uniqueness to it in order to keep the various scenes…

View On WordPress

#action #action goals #action scene tips #action scenes #action setting #action tempo #describing action #how to write action #how to write action scenes #setting #story setting #unique action scenes #weaponry #weaponry in fiction #writing action #writing action scenes

[delsheree]

Action Scenes: The Aftermath

What happens after the action dies down? The aftermath is just as important as the action experienced. Learn how to consider the effects of action and incorporate the consequences into the characters lives and the overall story.

Action scenes don’t stop when the last punch lands or the escape is made. It doesn’t matter whether the scene was verbal action or physical, there are consequences to what just happened that needs to be taken into consideration. Pacing Action scenes are intense, either emotionally, mentally, or physical, or a combination of two or all three of these elements. Not just for the characters either.…

View On WordPress

#action #action scene tips #action scenes #how to write action #how to write action scenes #writing action #writing action scenes

[delsheree]

Action Scenes: Characterization

Action is more than movement. It is also a great opportunity to get to know your characters better. Learn how to use action as a tool for characterization in this article.

High-intensity moments are when many people show their true colors, and that can be just as true for characters. Action scenes can be great opportunities to delve more deeply into your characters’ motivations, fears, and limitations. Use action scenes as opportunities to explore your characters on a new level. Reactions and Decisions Why does he or she fight, flee or freeze? Why does a…

View On WordPress

#action #action and character #action and characterization #action scene tips #action scenes #character development #characters #how to write action #how to write action scenes #writing action #writing action scenes #writing characters

[delsheree]

Action Scenes: Storytelling

Bring your action to life by incorporating sensory information while keeping it consistent with the style and tone of the larger story.

Action scenes may seem like islands within the bigger storyline at times, but it is important to match the action to the overall story and to write it in a way that shows the reader what’s happening rather than telling them it happened. Matching Action and Story An action scene needs to fit the story’s overall tone and pacing. It will seem out of place if the majority of the story’s style is…

View On WordPress

#action #action and experience #action scene tips #action scenes #action show vs tell #describing action #how to write action #how to write action scenes #writing action #writing action scenes #writing style action

[delsheree]

Action Scenes: Consistency and Realism

While action scenes often require slight changes to style, they shouldn't feel like someone new wrote them. They should also feel realistic to the reader to avoid pulling them out of the scene and making them question what is happening. Learn how to write

As with any writing project, it is important for the writing style to remain consistent throughout the project and for each scene to keep a foot in the realistic world, no matter the actual level of realism in the world and story. Consistency in Style When writing an action scene, there will be some changes in style depending on the scene elements involved, but the scene should not feel like…

View On WordPress

#action #action realism #action scene tips #action scenes #how to write action #how to write action scenes #writing action #writing action scenes #writing realistic action #writing style and action

[delsheree]

Action Scenes: Describing and Pacing Action

Describing and pacing action scenes can make or break the scene in the readers experience. Learn how to describe action compellingly and how to appropriately pace action scenes.

Writing effective and interesting action scenes requires appropriate description and careful pacing. Describing Action Use simple language when describing action. Technical terms or jargon will get lost and can easily confuse readers in a fast-paced scene. If certain terms are important to the story or scene, be sure they are explained in an earlier scene so readers are familiar with them and…

View On WordPress

#action #action scenes #describing action #how to describe action #how to pace action #how to write action #how to write action scenes #pacing action #writing action #writing action scenes

[delsheree]

Action Scenes: Using Action in a Story

What does action do for a story? Assessing an action scene's purpose can help make it more effective and reward the reader for taking the time to understand it.

Action in a story always serves a purpose when done well. To make sure action scenes are effective, consider what they ask of the reader and how they advance the plot. The Nature of Action Scenes When it comes to the nature of action scenes, it is important to recognize that a big difference between movie action scenes and written action scenes is what they ask of the reader. Action scenes in…

View On WordPress

#action #action scene tips #action scenes #effective action scenes #how to write action #writing action

[delsheree]

Action Scenes: The Basics

Does your action have purpose? If not, it may not intrigue readers nearly as much as you expect. Learn how to base action on purpose and avoid common action scene mistakes.

Action is often at the center of important story points and should grab the reader’s attention with realistic description and exciting actions. The Purpose of Action An action scene isn’t really about the action. It’s about how the character’s experience the action and how they are affected by it. Focusing on the sensory and emotional information of the action taking place can help you avoid…

View On WordPress

#action #action purpose #action scene basics #action scene tips #action scenes #action scenes purpose #how to write action #how to write action scenes #writing action #writing action scenes

[delsheree]

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all my readers!

I’m a few days late in posting my best wishes for 2023, and a lot late on updating the blog. I took some time off from blogging to deal with some family stuff the last 6 weeks or so. Things are, hopefully, calming back down and getting to a place where I can focus on writing again. Writing and everything book related has been on the back burner for more than just the last few months for me. I…

View On WordPress

#happy new year #happy new years #new year #new year goals #new years #new years goals

[delsheree]

Book Blurbs: Crafting the Blurb

Crafting the full blurb may feel like a daunting task, but breaking it into smaller pieces and considering the purpose of each aspect can make it easier. Read more about how to craft a compelling blurb in this article.

While the hook is critical to a great blurb, the body of the blurb deserves equal attention. Consider it’s effectiveness as a whole as well as it’s individual parts. Word Choice Matters Choosing the right words can make all the different in a blurb. Be certain to make sure your word choice communicates the tone of the story by using words that fit the genre and situation. A dark thriller will…

View On WordPress

#blurb #blurb techniques #blurb writing #blurb writing techniques #blurbs #book blurb #book blurb writing techniques #book blurbs #book publishing #book summary #books #how to write a book blurb #publishing #self publishing #writing #writing a blurb #writing a book blurb #writing blurbs

[delsheree]

Book Blurbs: Irresistible Hooks

The hook is an integral prat of a book blurb. When you only have a few sentences to grab a reader's attention, the hook must be effective. Learn more about writing stand-out book blurbs in this post.

The first few lines of a blurb should contain the hook, the attention-grabbing snippet of information about the book that will entice readers to wonder what will happen next and hopefully get them to buy the book. Crafting the Hook A great hook catches readers’ attention, but there are different ways to accomplish that. Consider these examples from published novels: Write something that…

View On WordPress

#blurb #blurb hook #blurb hooks #blurb techniques #blurb writing #blurb writing techniques #blurbs #book blurb #book blurb writing techniques #book blurbs #book publishing #book summary #how to write a book blurb #publishing #self publishing #writing a blurb #writing a book blurb #writing a great hook #writing a hook #writing advice #writing blurbs #writing tips

[delsheree]

Book Blurbs: Formulas and Pitches

What is the most important part of a book blurb? Find out how to make sure your first few sentences will appeal to readers.

I’m generally a big fan of carving your own path and ditching conventions that don’t work for you, but when it comes to blurbs, that may make you lose your mind. Blurbs are so challenging for most writers there’s no point reinventing the wheel and doubling the work. Start with what is time tested and reliable, then adjust and adapt to make it suit your work. A Formula That Works Below is a…

View On WordPress

#blurb #blurb writing #blurb writing techniques #blurbs #book blurb #book blurb writing techniques #book publishing #book summary #books #how to write a book blurb #publishing #self publishing #writing #writing a book blurb #writing tips

[delsheree]

Book Blurbs: What and Why?

Struggling to write a book blurb? Check out this series for tips on how to approach writing a book blurb and what makes a blurb stand out and capture readers' attention.

Condensing a full story into a few paragraphs takes concise wording, understanding the purpose of the story, and developing a great hook. This blog series will dive into defining and book summary/blurb and the techniques of effective book blurb writing. What is a blurb? A book summary, or blurb, is a short description of a book used for promotional purposes, including the book description…

View On WordPress

#blurb #blurb writing #blurb writing techniques #blurbs #book blurb #book blurb writing techniques #book blurbs #book summary #how to write a book blurb #publishing #purpose of a book blurb #writing a book blurb

[delsheree]

Writing Professionalism: Responding to Criticism Effectively

Struggling to respond to criticism when working with clients? These tips can help you evaluate criticism and respond effectively and professionally.

Responding to criticism effectively can be challenging when dealing with clients, but these tips can help you assess and answer criticism in a professional manner. Focus on the Objective Make sure you are clear on the objective of the project as a whole and its individual components. If you’ve missed the objective in some way, the adjustments the client is asking for may be needed to more…

View On WordPress

#accepting criticism #business communication #communicating with clients #communication #communication skills #criticism #effective client communication #effective communication #learning from criticism #professional communication #professionalism #professionalism in writing #responding to criticism #writing professionalism

[delsheree]

Writing Professionalism: Learning from Criticism

Criticism can be hard to take, but it can also be a great avenue for learning and growing. Learn more about how to use criticism to develop your skills and grow your business.

Handling criticism is challenging no matter the situation, but it can be especially difficult when coming from a client. Dealing with feedback and suggestions from clients can be viewed as a great opportunity to grow and improve. Growing through Criticism Criticism helps uncover blind spots. Habits become deeply ingrained over time and are often hard to change. An outside perspective shows…

View On WordPress

#accepting criticism #communicating with clients #communication #communication skills #criticism #criticism and subjectivity #learning from criticism #professional communication #professionalism #professionalism in writing #writing professionalism

[delsheree]

Writing Professionalism: Resolving Conflict with Clients

Conflict, whether large or small, is a part of many client projects. Learning how to resolve conflict professionally can help ensure project success and client satisfaction.

When working with clients, a service provider should always be prepared to handle conflict. Even with clients who are easy to work with, some small conflicts might arise which can slow progress. Significant conflicts threaten the completion and success of a project if not handled in a professional manner. Assessing Points of Conflict First, determine if the point of conflict necessitates a full…

View On WordPress

#assessing conflict #conflict #conflict with clients #empathy #empathy with clients #nonverbal communication #nonverbal cues #professional communication #professionalism #professionalism in writing #resolving conflict #writing professionalism