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Author: Rachel Grosvenor

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Craft

Your Guide to Decoding Writing Acronyms and Terminology

Writing acronyms and terminology

Have you ever been online and seen a writing post that you don’t understand? I have been there.

Despite having studied Creative Writing at university, I was slightly baffled by the writing acronyms and terminology used when joining the online world of writers. What on earth was a CP, anyway? So, if you have ever felt this way, too, here is a helpful guide to de-code that confusing language for you!

  • Active voice – Using the subject of a sentence to perform an action, “The monkey likes bananas” rather than “The bananas were liked by the monkey.”
  • Alpha reader – Someone who reads your draft as you are writing it. Alpha readers are often writers and can give you insight into fixing an issue.
  • Amplification – Adding to a sentence to build upon its meaning.
  • Analogy – “The mind is like a car engine.” – Drawing a comparison between two things that are not alike to help make a point.
  • Antagonist – The villain of your story.
  • Anti-hero: A flawed hero, such as Batman.
  • Beta reader – Someone who reads your novel once it has been through at least one draft. A beta reader aims to give you a reader’s perspective. They do not have to be a writer, as they are reading as your ‘target audience’.
  • Blurb – A short description of a book designed to engage a reader.
  • CP – Critique Partner
  • CW – Creative Writing
  • Character arc – Your character’s personal journey and how they develop.
  • Colloquialism – Slang, ordinary conversation. This can make dialogue seem more realistic.
  • Copy editing – Editing for grammar, spelling, punctuation and style.
  • Developmental editing – Editing for narrative, characterisation, plot, and more.
  • Dialogue tags – A verb post dialogue to show who has spoken, e.g.: ‘yelled Sally.’
  • Exposition – providing background information to help the reader understand what is happening.
  • External conflict – The issues facing a character externally, for example; A character losing their job.
  • First-person – I language. ‘I went to the shops.’
  • Foreshadowing – To write an indication of an event or moment.
  • Fourth person – One language. ‘One goes to the shops.’ (Not often used in narrative)
  • Grammatical person – First, second, third or fourth person narrative.
  • Head-hopping – moving from one character’s point of view to another within the same writing section.
  • Information dump: A lot of backstory or information given at one time. This can be jarring and might pull a reader out of a story.
  • Internal conflict – How a character is coping internally, within themselves.
  • MS: Manuscript, an unpublished piece of work.
  • NANOWRIMO – National Novel Writing Month, which takes place during November.
  • Narrative break – A break in the story to signal to the reader that there has been a passage of time.
  • OC – Original character.
  • POV – Point of view. The person from whose perspective you are telling a story.
  • Pantser –  Someone who doesn’t plot a novel but prefers to invent as they write.
  • Planster – Someone who both plans and creates on the spot when writing.
  • Plot hole – An issue with a plot that makes it seem unrealistic or creates an inconsistency.
  • Plotter – Someone who plans a story in advance.
  • Protagonist – Your main character.
  • Red herring – To give a false clue to your reader.
  • Second person – You language. ‘You went to the shops.’
  • Subplot – a storyline that moves alongside the main plot, often supporting it.
  • Synopsis – A summary of your story.
  • Third-person – He, she, they language. ‘They went to the shops.’
  • WIP – Work in progress.
  • Writing sprint – A timed session where one writes as much as possible.

Are there any writing acronyms and terminology I have missed out that you want to know about? Let me know, and I’ll add it!

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Craft

How to Write Subplots in Your Novel

How to write subplots

Are you writing a novel with subplots? A subplot is a story or narrative that runs alongside the main plot of a book.

For example, let’s take the classic Shakespeare play Romeo and Juliet. The main storyline is the one we all know, with Romeo and Juliet falling in love, etc. However, that’s not the only story in the play. The other stories include the rivalry between the two leading families, the Montagues and the Capulets. Another subplot is the efforts to get Juliet married to Paris. Subplots can support the main plot of your story, as in Romeo and Juliet. We understand that the tensions are heightened because of the subplots.

It’s a great idea to include subplots in your novel preparation, because it leads to a richer experience for your reader. It means that they understand the world better, and your characters are more in-depth. It can also lead to better pacing (see this blog post on pacing here!), raise the tension of your narrative, and give context for the reader.

So, when you are writing subplots in your novel, what do you need to consider? 

A subplot shouldn’t become more significant than the main plot. If your subplot has taken on a mind of its own and can stand without your plot, it might need a novel itself. Subplots are minor stories told alongside or weaved into a larger piece, but they should not overpower your main plot.

Subplots should not be independent of the main plot. If your main character is off to find and fight a dragon, don’t weave a story alongside it about the baker from the local village trying to find his dog if it has nothing to do with the main story. It will confuse the reader and will be irrelevant. Subplots should help drive the main plot forward.

Struggling to come up with a subplot or wondering what yours is? Look at your main character’s relationships with other characters. Is external conflict being created, leading to internal conflict? How about your minor characters or antagonists? What is that they want from the world, and what will they do to get it? Once you have some answers to these questions, consider how this links in with your main storyline. For example, in my novel The Birth of Ida, a subplot involves a secondary character wanting revenge on Ida. This climaxes in a large scene at the end, and so though the two characters do not spend time with each other past the first and last chapters, the subplot is integral to creating tension in the plot and satisfying the reader.

Do you have any questions on subplots and how to write them? Get in touch. As a writer with a PhD, MA and BA in Creative Writing, I have spent years honing my craft and teaching others how to write. I would love to make your novel the tightest it can be today. 

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Uncategorized

5 Things to Consider When Hiring an Editor

Hiring an editor

Are you ready to hire an editor? Good question! When should you approach an editor, and how do you know you are ready? Well, here are some things to bear in mind:

1) What kind of edit do you need? 

There are different types of editing available.
A developmental edit takes into account narrative, characterisation, consistency, plot, world-building, and more. If you have finished the first draft, I recommend reading through it and making any changes before sending it off to an editor for a developmental edit.
A copy edit is when the work is reviewed and edited to improve its readability, ensure consistent writing, and take into account grammar, punctuation, and more. This is usually done after the work has been through a developmental edit and a few drafts in – almost ready for publication.
Proofreading is the last step! This checks for spelling, punctuation errors, missing words, typos, and those pesky things the human eye misses easily.

2) Do you know when you’ll need an editor? 

Editors usually book in advance because edits can take time. If you aim to have your novel finished by a certain time, bear in mind that you should contact editors ahead of this date to see what time they have available.

3) What kind of work does the editor prefer? 

Most editors have different preferences on their website, whether they only work with non-fiction, have a penchant for romance, or love YA fantasy. Peruse their website and consider what they prefer. Why? Because this usually gives you a hint at what they are most experienced in editing and reading. If they spend hours reading fantasy in their spare time, they will understand the tropes of your fantasy novel better than someone who has never read anything fantastical!

4) What is their experience? 

You should be able to tell what an editor’s experience is from their website. For example, do they have testimonials of happy clients, and what is their editing education? If there are neither of these things, it’s worth asking. This is because you want to ensure you have a great experience with someone who is trained, has the skillset to provide you with the service, and has previously worked well with other authors.

5) What is your budget? 

Editors are not cheap, and there is a reason for this. Editing is a big job that takes many hours and a high level of concentration. It also requires a particular skill level that your editor will have worked on for a long time. However, most editors are happy to discuss payment plans and ways you can afford their services. Never be afraid to ask them, because you might just be surprised!

If you have any questions about editing, feel free to get in touch and ask me. To learn more about the editing packages I offer, click on the editing page on my website! As a writer with a PhD, MA and BA in Creative Writing and a previous CW lecturer, I’ve done my fair share of high-level fiction editing, and have very happy testimonials. Get in touch today for dates, questions, and information. I’m always happy to chat! 

Categories
Craft

4 Tips for Writing in Multiple Points of View

Writing in multiple points of view

Are you telling a story from the point of view of more than one character? It isn’t always easy, I know. Sometimes it can be hard to get that message across or know who to focus on. So, here are four tips that will make it easier for you to write from multiple points of view in your novel.

1) Assign scenes to a specific character. 

Avoid head-hopping at all costs. Your reader needs to understand that they are reading from a specific character’s point of view. Head-hopping happens when you move from one character’s POV to another within one scene, meaning that the reader is left wondering who they are focusing on and through whose eyes they are seeing the story. Therefore, assign scenes to a specific person, and if you want to move to a new character, use a narrative break or new chapter so that the reader understands what you are doing.

2) Use unique dialogue.

Make sure your reader knows who is speaking through unique dialogue and action tags. This is important for any novel, but especially for writing multiple points of view. It means that your reader will immediately understand whose scene they are in and the character they are focusing on. Even if your characters are from the same place, they should still speak slightly differently. No one speaks the same as somebody else, and if they do, they might use different slang words or have physical movements that differentiate them.

3) Consider a primary point of view. 

Do you have a main character or someone more important to the story than anyone else? A primary point of view makes writing a multiple character story much easier, so it’s worth thinking about if you haven’t yet considered this. It’s not something you have to do – just a recommendation.

4) Consider why you are using multiple points of view. 

Why are you using multiple POVs in your novel? What is the drive, and what is the story getting out of it? What are your characters giving to the tale? These questions are worth working through because if you have a character that adds nothing to your story, you should ask yourself why they are there. The varying points of view that your characters are offering should drive and move the story forward. For example, let’s take a book I recently read – The Mitford Trial by Jessica Fellowes. The story is told from the point of view of two characters, and the reason for this is that, in this classic whodunit, these two have differing opinions, see different things, and therefore provide different clues. So, it wouldn’t work so well as a single narrative point of view.

If you are writing a story with multiple points of view, and have any questions, get in touch to ask! 

Want to read something similar? Click here!

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Craft

3 Ways to Ensure Your Novel is Well Paced

Novel is well paced

Pacing is such an essential part of a novel. But what is it? Well, it’s essentially how fast or slow you tell the story. A well-paced novel doesn’t include irrelevant details that could bog the story down with information, such as non-eventful travelling, information dumps, or non-essential back story. The idea of a well-paced novel is to keep the reader engaged, interested, and well – turning that page!

So, how can you ensure your novel is well-paced? Here are three ways.

1) Shift the focus.

Have you been in a hurry to tell the story, and it’s moving too fast? It could be time to shift the focus from the main plot to your subplot. There are many different types of subplots, from romance, to giving backstory through flashbacks to supporting the novel’s central theme (think Bob Cratchit’s tale in A Christmas Carol).

Focus on a subplot means that it will take you longer to reach the final destination of your main plot, so use this idea sparingly. Too many subplots and diversions can be frustrating for a reader who really wants to know whodunit.

Want to speed up your story? Consider taking out a subplot.

2) Vary your sentence length. 

Just as including large narrative sections in dense paragraphs can slow down your pacing, the opposite is also true. Short, sharp sentences and the use of single paragraph sentences can pack a punch and speed up the pace of your novel. An exciting read has varying sentence length, and a novel with roughly the same length sentences can be repetitive, even if the content varies. Keep your reader on their toes by changing up those sentences!

3) Create urgency.

As I shared in my blog post – How to Create Tension in Your Writing – urgency can come from different places. For example, adding a literal time limit will keep your reader on the edge of their seat, checking their watch to see how much time the character has left to complete their mission. Creating urgency in writing can also mean adding an element of danger – is your character being chased? Is there a fight brewing?

Alright, those are three ways to ensure your novel is well-paced! Do you have any questions about pacing? I would love to help answer them. Get in touch here.

Fancy reading something similar? Click here!

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Craft

How to Find and Fix Plot Holes

Plot holes

A big part of self-editing is finding plot holes and fixing them. I know that when you have written the work, it isn’t always easy to spot them, so let’s begin this blog post with what a plot hole might look like in your novel before moving on to how to fix them. 

I also teach a class on this in my Novel Writing Masterclass: It’s Time to Write Your Novel. This 40 class course will take you from idea to publication – self-editing included!

Let’s look at those plot holes issues right now. 

Plot Holes:

1: Continuity errors. For example, a character suddenly knows something that they shouldn’t until later in the plot, or there’s a scene that’s missing that explains how two characters met. Anything that makes you go ‘huh? Hang on a minute….’

2. Those sneaky narrative threads. When you’re reading the work, you should now see if all of your threads are tied up nicely. If you find one that isn’t – that’s a plot hole that needs fixing!

3: Unusual actions or dialogue: If your Scottish character suddenly spends a few lines talking like a cowboy without reason, that’s a plot hole. If someone does something that is entirely out of character without any explanation or backstory – guess what? Plot hole! Yes, your character will develop throughout the novel, but keep it realistic. If someone’s personality changes overnight without reason, that’s significant and can be considered a plot hole.

4: Error and impossible action: If you’re writing a renaissance and your main character flicks on the radio – this is an obvious plot hole. But remember, they can be more subtle. If you have a character who lives in the 15th Century in a mud hut and you say something in the text like ‘His interest turned up like a dial’ – this too is a plot hole. Your reader will be thrown out of the story as they wonder about the consistency of the writing. Impossible actions include things that would kill someone usually, but your character happens to survive – unless they have a valid reason for doing so (secret superheroes and that sort of thing). Remember – your character can’t just survive because they’re the main character – that’s not realistic.

Fixing the Plot Holes!

Now we know what the plot holes are, how do we fix them?

1: Continuity errors: If you find a continuity error that’s bigger than a dialogue issue, often writing in a scene to explain how you have reached a certain point can help. Don’t rush it – take your time. A shoe-horned chapter can throw the reader off, so really consider: how did this character get here? What could make this section of the journey more believable? What can you add to make this part of the story make sense?

2: Narrative threads: If you have found a thread that’s flapping in the wind, you can tie it up or remove it. Consider – is it essential? Is there a reason you didn’t tie it up or forgot about it (Perhaps it didn’t play into the plot or relate to it)?

3: Unusual actions or dialogue: This is a character action or personality issue – so ask yourself: Is there any explanation that could make this work? Why is my character behaving in this way, and does it make sense? What can I change to make it make sense? If you like the unusual action or dialogue, ask yourself, ‘Is there anything that can be added earlier on in the story to help this make sense?’

4: Error and impossible action: This is usually to do with a lack of research, and the answer is the same as the problem – it calls for research! The only fix to this is to re-write these parts.

If you need a professional editor to help you clean up your plot holes, get in touch. That’s precisely what a Developmental Edit is for. I would love to help you make that manuscript shine! 

Any questions? Don’t hesitate to ask.

Want to read something similar? Check out the following…
How to Deal with Constructive Criticism of Your Writing
4 Ways to Edit Your Own Writing

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Coaching Publishing

How to Write a Synopsis

Write a synopsis

The synopsis. I can hear you groaning already…what is it about a synopsis that writers find so tricky to write? I believe I know. You are so close to your novel, and you’ve written thousands of words. You’ve edited it and finally reached the end. And then, you have to pull yourself way back from the story and summarise what you’ve written? That isn’t easy.

It’s actually way easier for someone else to do for you – and I know this because I have written clients’ synopsis and pitches for them and found it much easier than writing my own. It’s because I can view the story objectively, pull out what needs to be known, and re-write it clearly. When it comes to my story, I just want to tell you ALL of it!

Writing a synopsis is a class that I teach in my Novel Writing Masterclass – It’s Time to Write Your Novel, but I wanted to give you a little freebie here because I know that other people struggle with this area too.

So – let’s break it down together. Here are the steps I recommend to write a synopsis:

1) Write down plot points in the order of events.
2) Write the first paragraph – set up the premise and write a clear description of the world and scenario you have created.
3) Connect your plot points by describing your character’s growth.
4) Tell us the ending.
5) Re-read for editing.

Ideally, this should be no more than 1000 words.

Follow these steps, and you should find it much easier to write your synopsis!

Let me know how you get on and don’t forget to get in touch if you need a hand.

Are you looking for a similar read? Check out the following:
3 Things Needed for a Fantastic Book Proposal
5 Things to Avoid When Writing Dialogue 

Categories
Craft

How to Write an Amazing First Sentence

First sentence

Your first sentence is the thing that pulls your reader into your story and makes them want to read on. Often it can be the sentence that makes a reader buy a book, as who out of us hasn’t stood in a book shop and perused the first page, just to see if it’s something that we connect with?

So, knowing how vital this first sentence is, how do we create an amazing one? Let’s break it down together.

Make the reader curious. 

Good first sentences compel the reader to keep reading, inspiring their curiosity and making them desperate to know what happens next. Here’s an example of some first sentences just like that:

‘He was wounded and unhorsed, but he was alive.’ – The Caspian Gates – Harry Sidebottom

Who was alive? What has happened? This sentence is excellent because it makes us want to read on and helps set a theme. We know that we are heading into a battle scene, that the world is potentially set in a different era or fantastical. It urges you to find out more.

‘The house was set back from the noisy main road in what seemed to be a rubbish tip.’ – The Good Terrorist – Doris Lessing

One of my favourite authors, doing a great job of pulling me into the story. The house is set in a rubbish tip? Tell me more, instantly! This sounds fascinating, and like the set-up for a dramatic tale.

Be clear. 

You’ll notice from both of the above sentences that they are short, clear, and easy to read. Your first sentence is not the time to wax lyrical about the colour of the autumn trees for fifty words; that can come later. You want to engage your reader and get them to understand you immediately. Even Tolkien, who used flowery language and long sentences, settled for a clear first line of Lord of the Rings, a complex novel:

‘When Mr. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would shortly be celebrating his eleventy-first birthday with a party of special magnificence, there was much talk and excitement in Hobbiton.’ – Lord of the Rings – Tolkien 

This sentence, despite using the phrase ‘eleventy-first’, is easy to understand. This one also sets a theme. We know instantly that this is not the world that we are all too familiar with and that we are about to step into something brand new. How exciting!

You will notice that all of these sentences set the scene for the reader, which is convenient because that is the next tip!

Set the scene.

‘It was a queer, sultry summer, the summer they electrocuted the Rosenbergs, and I didn’t know what I was doing in New York.’ – The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath

We know exactly where we are in this, the era, the weather, and it even engages our senses to pull us in further. Plath makes us want to read on to find out more about the main character, too – what are they doing in New York?

Need a hand with your first sentence? Get in touch today. I would love to help you grab your reader by the shoulders and pull them straight into your novel!

Are you looking for more help with craft? Click here!

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Coaching

10 Coaching Questions to Help You with Your Writing Life

Coaching questions

Are you ready to move forward in your writing life? Coaching can get you where you want to go! One of my favourite things to do every week is pull a card from my’ coaching cards for every day’ pack. These open questions allow me to consider all sorts of things, from how to continue with a successful part of my writing life to how to achieve my goals.

Here are ten questions that can help you do the same. My recommendation would be to take some time with these questions and really consider them, journalling on the answers.

What habits support your writing?

What gives you pleasure in your writing life?

What drains your energy and enthusiasm for writing?

What steps can you take to overcome those drains?

Practice describing your book to someone else. What would you say?

What advice would you give to yourself as a writer?

What does ‘happy’ mean to you in your writing life?

What are your top 5 writing experiences in life so far?

What could you change to make your writing situation more positive?

What has inspired you this year, this month, and this week?

If you want to chat about anything you have found out through answering these questions, get in touch. I would love to help you create a writing life and novel that you are proud of. 

Want to read something similar? Check out the coaching page of my blog right here!

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Coaching Productivity

3 Ways to Turn On Your Creativity Tap

Creativity tap

Your creative tap might be rusting out of use, so let’s look at ways to get it turned back on and that innovative water flowing.

Here is one of my favourite writing quotes:

“The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.” —Louis L’Amour.

What does this mean exactly? It means that we should not wait around for inspiration to strike if we want to get some writing done. Go after it with your pen poised. Let’s look into three ways to turn on that creativity tap:

1) Workbooks and Classes.

I cannot express to you the amount of joy that I found through Creative Writing classes over the year, both as a teacher and a student. They have helped me hone my skill set, understand what the craft of writing is about, and most importantly of all, have taught me to prioritise my writing life. Workbooks have a similar effect too, and taking that opportunity to write, create, and learn about something you care about, doesn’t just make you a better writer. It makes you a happier one, and it makes you more comfortable with the title of writer. You are a writer, friend, so it’s time to invest in yourself and your art.

I offer options for this – click here to see The Time to Write Workbook.

This has been developed to help you find time in your working week to write. For the price of a cup of coffee, you can invest in yourself.

I also offer the amazing It’s Time to Write Your Novel masterclass. This 40 class programme is designed to take you from procrastination to print – through the stages of writing your novel. The classes are developed to fit into a busy day so that finding time for yourself is not so difficult.

Once you begin to prioritise your writing life through workbooks, classes, and investing in yourself – you will find that the creative faucet is so much easier to turn on. After all, practice makes progress, and by setting this time aside to work on something you care about, you are making progress.

2) Writing exercises.

Writing exercises are the oil for the rusty faucet! I absolutely love them, and they spark exciting ideas. Here are two of my favourites:

Freewriting. Freewriting is precisely as it sounds – it is the act of putting pen to paper and writing a steady stream of consciousness.

Changing the point of view. Writing from another character’s point of view in your story is a fantastic way to get to know it better. Through this exercise, you can learn more about your characters, your world, and your plotline.

3) Investigation into your process. 

If we do not spend some time considering how we write, why we write, and what makes our writing life better, it will never change. If you are not happy with the writing world you have created and find it hard to get inspired; it’s time to investigate your process. This act alone will help you develop a routine and writing process that actually works for you, meaning that when you sit down to write, you are ready to create with passion.

1:1 coaching is ideal for this step, and through working with a writing coach such as myself, you can understand your process and how you can create a novel you are proud of.

Try the above things if you want to turn that creative faucet on, and let me know how you get on! Looking for more productivity hacks? Click here.

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Disclaimer

Testimonials found on this site are examples of what we have done for other clients, & what some of our clients have said about us. However, no practice, including ours, can ever guarantee results. Results may vary and every situation is different. No compensation was provided for these testimonials.

Are you ready to be your best creative self?

Book a discovery call with me today, and find out how I can help.

A discovery call is a thirty minute chat about what you need help with. It’s very informal, and is like having coffee with a friend.

We will talk about anything you like to do with your writing. I use my experience as a creative writing tutor to both offer possible solutions to issues, as well as coaching you to understand why you are experiencing the issue and how we can move forward.

I also set tasks outside of our time together so that you can work toward your goals. All our conversations are confidential.

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