Thursday, August 2, 2012
Bookcover Award
My book, To Tell the Truth, has won the Books in Sync bookcover award for August 2012! This bookcover was illustrated by Heather Paye, a young and talented illustrater located in New Mexico. I'm very excited about this award!
Faye M. Tollison, Author
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Bookcovers
There
are a number of websites where a writer can find a bookcover for his/her book.
They are pre-made covers and can range in price anywhere from $150.00 to
$600.00 at best.
So
what is the disadvantage to these bookcovers? They do not reflect your story. Generally generic, they can be used for any
genre. Of course, if this is what you want, then you will probably be satisfied
with it. But if you want your book to stand out from the rest, a bookcover that
reflects your story will be much more satisfactory.
Stop
and think about it for a moment, and you will see what I mean. The first thing
a person looks at when searching for a book is the title. If the title does not
grab them, they move on to the next book. Once they find a title that draws
their interest, they pick up the book and look at the bookcover. Now you should
be able to see why it is important to the sale of your book. The title and the bookcover are the first two
things that give the reader a good idea what the book is about. Those two
things will convince the reader to read the blurb on the back cover and even
open the book and read the first page or two.
Now
I have seen a number of well-known authors’ new books on the shelf, and their
bookcovers are so plain and boring that it is a good thing they have already
made a name for themselves. Otherwise they probably would not sell very many of
their books.
People
who read are visual. We learn to write in such a way as to draw a visual
picture in their minds. That is what the bookcover picture should do for your
title. It should draw a visual picture of the written title as well as the
basic story, hence giving the reader a better idea of whether or not they would
be interested in it.
Your
illustrator should be someone who is willing to work close with you to achieve
the perfect bookcover for your story. If they are not willing to do this, they
are probably not worth the money you are paying them. Once you find the right
illustrator, you will find satisfaction on several different levels. One, you
will obtain a bookcover with which you will fall in love. Two, you will have a
bookcover that will help sell your book. Three, you will have a good friend who
will, the longer you work together on different projects, know just what you
like or dislike; and you will develop a good working relation.
At
this point, I would like to give credit to my most wonderful and talented
illustrator who has put up with me with utmost patience. Her name is Heather
Paye. She will amaze you with her talent. Her website is: htpp://hpayedesigns.yolasite.com.
Faye M. Tollison
Author of: To Tell the Truth
Upcoming books: The
Bible Murders
Sarah’s Secret
Member of: Sisters In Crime
Writers On the
Move
Books
In Sinc
Friday, May 18, 2012
Prologues
PROLOGUE
Most
books on writing or self-editing tell you to never put a prologue in your book.
I do understand this since most prologues are very boring and way too long.
This can lead to the reader giving up on the book before they even have a
chance to read it. An interesting prologue can easily be your first chapter.
However, I have noticed more and more books with prologues.
The most justifiable form of prologue is the backstory
prologue. Of course, even this can be interspersed into the main story a little
at a time or placed as the first scene of chapter one.
The second type of prologue is the flash-forward
prologue. The name tells you what it is. Once again this prologue can be placed
as the first chapter or the first scene in chapter one.
Another type is the body-on-page-one prologue. Even
though you do need to introduce the murder within the first 100 pages, the
prologue may be a bit premature, causing our chapter one to fall flat. It is
not necessary to open the book with the murder. There is something to be said
for building up to it.
Lastly is the summary prologue. This is where the
narrator looks back on the experience about to be told, summarizing the lessons
learned. In other words, this is the story’s theme. Not essential to the book
itself, but some publishers do as for this when considering your book. So take
it out of the book, and it will never be missed.
If you use a prologue, make sure it is useful and serves
a well-integrated purpose which is necessary to the story.
Faye M. Tollison
Author of: To Tell the Truth
Upcoming books: The
Bible Murders and Sarah’s Secret
Member of: Sisters In Crime
Writers on the Move
www.fayetollison.blogspot.com
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Where There's A Will
C. Hope Clark was the speaker at the Greenville Chapter of Sisters in Crime this past Thursday, April 4, 2012. Originally from Mississippi, she has quite an impressive background. Writing her first novel, she faced rejection after rejection. So she put her book in a drawer and reconsidered what she could do which would involve writing.
Mrs. Clark started a newsletter service, which reaches almost 45.000 writers. This site, www.fundsforwriters.com, was recognized by Writer's Digest magazine in its annual list of 101 Best Web Sites for Writers for the last 12 years. She has been published in The Writer magazine, Writer's Digest, Chicken Soup as well as many trade and online publications. She is a member of SC Writers Workshop Association, Sisters in Crime, and MENSA.
She gave a very inspiring talk to our local chapter of Sisters in Crime, holding her audience spellbound. I think she should add inspiration speaker to her vast resume.
Low Country Bribe is her first mystery novel and is the first in her Carolina Slade Mystery Series. Her writing is as impressive as her speech. I foresee this lovely lady to be a big success with her book. I just do not see how she could be anything but.
Faye M. Tollsiln
Author of: To Tell the Truth
Upcoming books: The Bible Murders
Sarah's Secret
Member of: Sisters in Crime
Writers on the Move
www.fayemtollison.com
www.fayetollison.blogspot.com
www.fmtoll.wordpress.com
Mrs. Clark started a newsletter service, which reaches almost 45.000 writers. This site, www.fundsforwriters.com, was recognized by Writer's Digest magazine in its annual list of 101 Best Web Sites for Writers for the last 12 years. She has been published in The Writer magazine, Writer's Digest, Chicken Soup as well as many trade and online publications. She is a member of SC Writers Workshop Association, Sisters in Crime, and MENSA.
She gave a very inspiring talk to our local chapter of Sisters in Crime, holding her audience spellbound. I think she should add inspiration speaker to her vast resume.
Low Country Bribe is her first mystery novel and is the first in her Carolina Slade Mystery Series. Her writing is as impressive as her speech. I foresee this lovely lady to be a big success with her book. I just do not see how she could be anything but.
Faye M. Tollsiln
Author of: To Tell the Truth
Upcoming books: The Bible Murders
Sarah's Secret
Member of: Sisters in Crime
Writers on the Move
www.fayemtollison.com
www.fayetollison.blogspot.com
www.fmtoll.wordpress.com
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Purposeful Paragraphing
Have you ever read a book where the paragraphs seem to go on and on? Or a book with paragraphs so short you look around to see where they disappeared to? There is an art to paragraphing.
If your paragraph/s are too long, you may be telling instead of showing. Ask yourself if there is a way to show rather than tell. By showing you can break that long paragraph up into several small paragraphs, whih will be much more interesting to the reader. Paragraphing frequently can also add tension to a scene.
Long paragraphs can be boring to your reader, especially if there are many of them in a scene. You need to break them up to give your reader a rest and maintain his/her interest in your story. Watch for paragraphs that run longer than a half a page.
A long array of short paragraphs can be just as tiresome as a lot of the long ones, so be careful to have a balance of both and put them in the proper place in the scene. For instance, short sentences to build the tension; but eventually you reach the peak of that tension. Then you need a longer paragraph to give you reaer a chance to relax from all that tension.
Another purpose for a short paragraph is to focus attention or put emphasis on an important development by placing it in its own short paragraph. Also, if you have a scene that seems to drag, try paragraphing more often and have more dialogue between your characters.
Throughout all this shortening and lenthening your paragraphics, you must be careful that everything you write be essential to the story and to the flow of it.
In conclusion be aware of your paragraphs. There is a purpose for long and short paragraphs. Be mindful that balancing them can make or break your scene.
Faye M. Tollison
Author of To Tell the Truth
Upcoming books: The Bible Murders and Sarah's Secret
Member of: Sisters In Crime
Writers on the Move
http://www.fayemtollison.com/
http://www.fmtoll.wordpress.com/
http://www.fayetollison.blogspot.com/
If your paragraph/s are too long, you may be telling instead of showing. Ask yourself if there is a way to show rather than tell. By showing you can break that long paragraph up into several small paragraphs, whih will be much more interesting to the reader. Paragraphing frequently can also add tension to a scene.
Long paragraphs can be boring to your reader, especially if there are many of them in a scene. You need to break them up to give your reader a rest and maintain his/her interest in your story. Watch for paragraphs that run longer than a half a page.
A long array of short paragraphs can be just as tiresome as a lot of the long ones, so be careful to have a balance of both and put them in the proper place in the scene. For instance, short sentences to build the tension; but eventually you reach the peak of that tension. Then you need a longer paragraph to give you reaer a chance to relax from all that tension.
Another purpose for a short paragraph is to focus attention or put emphasis on an important development by placing it in its own short paragraph. Also, if you have a scene that seems to drag, try paragraphing more often and have more dialogue between your characters.
Throughout all this shortening and lenthening your paragraphics, you must be careful that everything you write be essential to the story and to the flow of it.
In conclusion be aware of your paragraphs. There is a purpose for long and short paragraphs. Be mindful that balancing them can make or break your scene.
Faye M. Tollison
Author of To Tell the Truth
Upcoming books: The Bible Murders and Sarah's Secret
Member of: Sisters In Crime
Writers on the Move
http://www.fayemtollison.com/
http://www.fmtoll.wordpress.com/
http://www.fayetollison.blogspot.com/
Sunday, February 12, 2012
SPEAK WITH YOUR VOICE
What distinguishes one's writing from someone else's writing? Voice. One of the most important things you can give your story is your voice, and everyone's voice is different.
The author's voice, of course, generally belongs to a character, generally the main character. But you are not born with this voice. It has to be honed, developed, and used unconsciously. If you spend your efforts concentrating on your characters and on your story, your voice will come through more naturally. It takes time and lots of practice.
Spend time analyzing your writing. Is it flat, strained, or awkward? Does it seem forced or vague? Check the sentences before and after. Read your work out loud. Does it ring true or false? Highlight areas that you feel need work and rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. Listen to your characters, know them intimately. Why? Because not only does your writings carry your voice, but each character has his or her own voice.
Self-editing demands that you keep rewriting until your voice as well as each character's voice sounds right. If you listen, you will hear your voice.
Faye M. Tollison
Author of: To Tell the Truth
Upcoming books: The Bible Murders
Sarah's Secret
www.fayemtollison.com
www.fmtoll.wordpress.com
www.facebook.com/fayetollison
Member of: Sisters In Crime
Member of: Writers On the Move
The author's voice, of course, generally belongs to a character, generally the main character. But you are not born with this voice. It has to be honed, developed, and used unconsciously. If you spend your efforts concentrating on your characters and on your story, your voice will come through more naturally. It takes time and lots of practice.
Spend time analyzing your writing. Is it flat, strained, or awkward? Does it seem forced or vague? Check the sentences before and after. Read your work out loud. Does it ring true or false? Highlight areas that you feel need work and rewrite, rewrite, rewrite. Listen to your characters, know them intimately. Why? Because not only does your writings carry your voice, but each character has his or her own voice.
Self-editing demands that you keep rewriting until your voice as well as each character's voice sounds right. If you listen, you will hear your voice.
Faye M. Tollison
Author of: To Tell the Truth
Upcoming books: The Bible Murders
Sarah's Secret
www.fayemtollison.com
www.fmtoll.wordpress.com
www.facebook.com/fayetollison
Member of: Sisters In Crime
Member of: Writers On the Move
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
LINE UP THE TIMELINE
When writing my book, To Tell the Truth, there was one of many elements I forgot to include. It was the hardest for me to correct, my efforts at best mediocre. So as a result, I've become rather conscientious about lining up the timeline.
Differentiating between day and night was the last thing I thought of; and when I did, I realized I needed a timeline. It would help my book to make sense in the reader's mind, plus it helped me keep up with things and where I was in the story. But most of all it was for my reader's sake.
Why is a timeline important? As I mentioned before, it helps keep things straight and prevents confusing your reader. You should orient your reader to whether or not it is day or night or whether or not it is Monday or Saturday. You don't have to be too specific. Subtle hints can be given or it can be mentioned in a dialogue. But however you do it, your reader needs to know or they could get lost and stop reading your book.
Some writers choose to put it at the start of each chapter. Example: Monday, 8:05 a.m. This method can be used to build suspense. You can also use this method to set a location for that chapter. Example: Monday morning, Lambay Park.
A timeline can also help your reader to add visual clues about the changes in light throughout the course of the day. Your character could search for sunglasses to put on, letting the reader know it is daytime. Or you could mention the lengthening shadows of dusk. Your character could find it difficult to read street names or house numbers. Smells can also be used such as the aroma of bacon and eggs being cooked, indicating it is breakfast time. These points should be mentioned briefly. It is not necessary to get too detailed. This could bore your reader.
Little things do matter and can also be used to orient your reader to the timeline. Not allowing your character to meet human needs can make your character seem less real. So allow him/her to take a shower in the morning before starting work, or take a bathroom break, or stop for a cup of coffee and a quick breakfast. In my second book, The Bible Murders, John meets Detective Tony Reeves for a quick lunch and talk about the case at a favorite hole-in-the-wall restaurant.
It is a good idea to keep a record of the story's timeline. Just make sure it is a means of recording that will work for you. I believe in keeping it as simple as possible. This leaves less room for messing it up.
Faye M. Tollison, Author
Author of: To Tell the Truth
Upcoming books: The Bible Murders
Sarah's Secret
Member of: Sisters In Crime
http://www.fayemtollison.com/
http://www.fmtoll.wordpress.com/
www.facebook.com/fayetollison
Differentiating between day and night was the last thing I thought of; and when I did, I realized I needed a timeline. It would help my book to make sense in the reader's mind, plus it helped me keep up with things and where I was in the story. But most of all it was for my reader's sake.
Why is a timeline important? As I mentioned before, it helps keep things straight and prevents confusing your reader. You should orient your reader to whether or not it is day or night or whether or not it is Monday or Saturday. You don't have to be too specific. Subtle hints can be given or it can be mentioned in a dialogue. But however you do it, your reader needs to know or they could get lost and stop reading your book.
Some writers choose to put it at the start of each chapter. Example: Monday, 8:05 a.m. This method can be used to build suspense. You can also use this method to set a location for that chapter. Example: Monday morning, Lambay Park.
A timeline can also help your reader to add visual clues about the changes in light throughout the course of the day. Your character could search for sunglasses to put on, letting the reader know it is daytime. Or you could mention the lengthening shadows of dusk. Your character could find it difficult to read street names or house numbers. Smells can also be used such as the aroma of bacon and eggs being cooked, indicating it is breakfast time. These points should be mentioned briefly. It is not necessary to get too detailed. This could bore your reader.
Little things do matter and can also be used to orient your reader to the timeline. Not allowing your character to meet human needs can make your character seem less real. So allow him/her to take a shower in the morning before starting work, or take a bathroom break, or stop for a cup of coffee and a quick breakfast. In my second book, The Bible Murders, John meets Detective Tony Reeves for a quick lunch and talk about the case at a favorite hole-in-the-wall restaurant.
It is a good idea to keep a record of the story's timeline. Just make sure it is a means of recording that will work for you. I believe in keeping it as simple as possible. This leaves less room for messing it up.
Faye M. Tollison, Author
Author of: To Tell the Truth
Upcoming books: The Bible Murders
Sarah's Secret
Member of: Sisters In Crime
http://www.fayemtollison.com/
http://www.fmtoll.wordpress.com/
www.facebook.com/fayetollison
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