June 2016 – Liana Brooks

2016 June

Pacing Matters!

There are times as a reader who also happens to write that I want to quietly pull another author aside and give them some advice. Nine times outs of ten what I want to talk to them about is pacing. It’d be a quick conversation. “Sweetie, these are really fun…

NaNoWriMo Boot Camp Day 6: Set The Stage

One last day of boot camp and then you’ll be ready to write your novel like a boss! … okay, so let me be honest here: I could write more. You could do 31 Days of NaNo Prep. You could spend a year getting a novel together. You could skip…

NaNoWriMo Boot Camp Day 5: Motivation and Inspiration

Let’s practice a little visualization… You sit down in front of your computer on November 4th with 6,000 words written and the plan to write Chapter 3. You have your notes and your outlines. This is the perfect time of your writing day, and everything is how you need it…

NaNoWriMo Boot Camp Day 4: The Protagonist

What makes a hero a HERO? Some people like to think a hero is born special, a Chosen One with a destiny written in the stars. Some people think the hero is simply the right person, in the right place, at the right time. Maybe they’re both right. Either way,…

NaNoWriMo Boot Camp Day 3: The Antagonist

Oh, the antagonist. There are people who say the hero (or protagonist) defines the book. It’s certainly the hero that people remember. Frodo will not be forgotten. Han Solo and Luke Skywalker were role models for a generation. Harry Potter? He was such a famous protagonist they didn’t even need…

NaNoWriMo Boot Camp Day 2: Plotting

Got a plot? If you’ve completed the exercises from Day 1 of NaNo boot camp (and you may not have because some of them are multi-day projects – don’t stress it) then you know how you write. Step two for planning a successful NaNoWriMo is finding a plot. NaNoWriMo attracts…

NaNoWriMo Boot Camp Day 1: Establish a Base Line

The best way to fail is to not prepare. You think you’re going to start NaNoWriMo November 1st with no preparation, no practice, and no prior thought? Well, honey, that’s just setting yourself up for failure. No worries, though. I am a certified* NaNoWriMo Boot Camp instructor. Every Tuesday and…

The Secret Handshake Of Publishing (a reprint)

Originally Posted On 10/15/14 Since the invention of the printing press there’s been a rumor that you need to know some secret to get your book published. There’s always this idea that it’s who you know, or that some magical phrase in your query letter will get your book a…

Editing

“Editing can’t be that hard,” said a well-meaning friend as I politely declined an invite to a weekend camping trip. I couldn’t go, I needed to finish the edits for DECOHERENCE. And editing isn’t easy. See all that red? That’s the opening chapters of DECOHERENCE during the first round of…

What Do You Do With Rejection Letters (a reprint)

Originally Posted On 6/10/14 Liana, I sent my first story out in February and now I have my first rejection. What am I supposed to do with it? – Rejected and Confused Dear Confused, First, congratulations on sending your story out! That’s a big, scary, terrifying, and exhilarating thing to…