4 Essentials to Write a Powerful Scene

 By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills

Tweet this: 4 Essentials to Write a Powerful Scene

Build your scene with vivid words.

Novels are written with one powerful, sensory-engaging, character-building, plot-enhancing, conflict-stabbing, stake-raising scene after another.

They are fresh, alive, exciting, unforgettable . . . and often difficult for the writer to grasp the technique.

With all the criteria necessary to keep the reader turning pages, how is a scene mastered that incorporates all the essentials and yet doesn’t look like a template branded onto the page?

Some years ago I struggled with all of above. Defeat and failure stalked my waking and sleeping hours. An editor at Tyndale Publishers gave me four plot questions to ask before creating each scene, and she also gave me permission to write and teach her recommendations. How cool is that?

The following are what I now use to form a new scene.

1. What is the point of view character’s goal or problem?
2. What does the point of view character learn that he/she didn’t know before?
3. What backstory is revealed?
4. How are the stakes raised?

These questions stopped me from heading in the wrong direction. In short, I was able to focus on what needed to occur. At times the answers to #2 and #3 are the same. That’s okay.

The prompts propelled me to think more about the dynamics of scenes and how I envision an adventuresome and unique story. I’ve also incorporated a few words of wisdom from other bestselling writers.

Donald Mass teaches: “Avoid backstory until after the first approximately 50 pages.”

Wow, that means the story begins in the now. We’re writing about a likable character who is experiencing the story world as it unfolds to her. The reader develops a relationship with the character, just like meeting a real person for the first time.

James Scott Bell adds: “Avoid character flaws for the first approximately 50 pages.”

I love this. The character holds back on showing those traits that aren’t admirable while the reader is getting to know him/her. Remember dating the man or woman of your dreams? We were in love before we spotted a few things that bothered us. But we’d already invested in the relationship, so we stuck with it.

Steven James: “Story trumps structure.” 

Spend the time to ensure your scenes have zip!

How else can we write a scene that is a keeper? The middle can leave us exasperated, and too often a reader discards the book when the story falls flat. Here are a few tips:

1. Have the character choose between two rights and face the consequences of the decision.
2. Have the character choose between two wrongs (one of my favs) because this forces the character to change and grow.
3. Toss in a crucible, when two characters will not give up something of value. Think lifeboat.
4. Shove two characters into a scene with opposing goals. Watch the conflict explode!
5. Consider a facade scene. This is when a character believes something to be true, and the reader believes it too, then the character faces the devastation of knowing he/she was wrong. Entire books can be constructed this way.

Building scenes with a worthy goal, adding conflict, and raising the story’s stakes is worth the time. The rewards will be in good reviews and sales.

How do you write scenes that usher in admiration and respect for the craft?

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DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She combines unforgettable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels.

Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. Library Journal presented her with a Best Books 2014: Genre Fiction award in the Christian Fiction category for Firewall.

DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers; a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association; International Thriller Writers, and the Faith, Hope, and Love chapter of Romance Writers of America. She is co-director of The Author Roadmap with social media specialist Edie Melson where she continues her passion of helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country.

DiAnn has been termed a coffee snob and roasts her own coffee beans. She’s an avid reader, loves to cook, and believes her grandchildren are the smartest kids in the universe. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.

DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on any of the social media platforms listed at www.diannmills.com.

Probiotics for the Professional Writer

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills

Tweet this: Probiotics for the Professional Writer
 

Got it for my body but what about my novel?

Probiotics receive a lot of credit for keeping the human body healthy, especially the digestive system. But what about probiotics for the professional writer, those good-for-you additives that benefit your story?

This isn’t a pill, a liquid, or a gel to keep your reader happy. Writer probiotics aren’t even found in food or a supplement, but they are a preventive against a manuscript falling into the weak and sickly zone. The result is a story that works from the beginning to the end without a trip to the book doctor.

Instructions are as follow:

1. Learn the craft. Writers take time daily to educate and review technique. 
2. Spend the money and time to be an expert. 
3. Polish all skills on a regular basis. 
4. Get involved with other writers. A pro gives to others with no thought of receiving. Your kindness will return to you.
5. Engage and participate in social media. A must for writer success. You have something to say and others are eager to hear it. 
6. Read Read Read. Marvel at the wording on a Cheerios’ box or the latest media report. Don’t forget the best sellers. 
7. Nurture your body by eating properly and exercising regularly.

Daily doses of the above can help balance your "strengths" and "weaknesses" to keep your story working like it should.

Probiotics for the professional writer prevent:

1. Irritable agents, editors, and readers.
2. Inflammatory comments from those who critique with a harsh tongue (or pen).
3. Infectious diseases that center around self-pity and failure.

Can prevent:

1. Rejections that sting.
2. Reluctancy to write. Often called the give-up syndrome.
3. Revisions - at least the multiple type.

Side effects are:

1. Writers may begin talking to characters.
2. Stories are purchased.
3. May trigger series ideas.

Probiotics for the professional writer work with the story’s immune system to create healthy and powerful entertainment that live on in the hearts of readers and writers.

What’s your favorite probiotic for writers?

Tweet this: Probiotics for the Professional Writer

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She combines unforgettable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels.

Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. Library Journal presented her with a Best Books 2014: Genre Fiction award in the Christian Fiction category for Firewall.

DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers; a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association; International Thriller Writers, and the Faith, Hope, and Love chapter of Romance Writers of America. She is co-director of The Author Roadmap with social media specialist Edie Melson where she continues her passion of helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country.

DiAnn has been termed a coffee snob and roasts her own coffee beans. She’s an avid reader, loves to cook, and believes her grandchildren are the smartest kids in the universe. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.

DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on any of the social media platforms listed at www.diannmills.com. 

Tips for Composing Effective Social Media Updates - Social Media 101 for Authors

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Tweet This: Tips for Composing Effective #SocialMedia Updates – via @EdieMelson

Twitter, as many of you already know, is my Social Media Sweet Spot—my easy button, if you will. It’s my go-to place to send and receive information. Because of that, I compose all my social media updates from a Twitter mindset. So no matter where I'm sending the update, I compose it with Twitter in mind.

I know that Twitter is NOT the sweet spot for many of you reading this blog.

Part of that is because you’re not really sure what constitutes a good tweet. You’ve heard just enough about hashtags and twitter etiquette to make you cringe at the thought of composing your own tweet. So rather than failing, you either stick to retweeting what others share or just pass on the whole thing.

Today, I’m going to break it down for you and share my tips to composing the (almost) perfect tweet every time.

Twitter Basics

I have four types of updates I share on Twitter (and all social media).

An insightful quote or thought.

A question to get the conversation started or make us think.

Something funny, because let’s face it, we all need to laugh.

A link to information I find valuable and think will enrich your life.

But What IS a Perfect Tweet?

The definition can vary widely, depending on who you ask. But since you’re reading my post, I’m going to give you my definition.

A perfect tweet makes someone’s life a little bit better, and does so in a way that’s easy to share with others.

Components of a Perfect Tweet

There are certain things that good tweets have. Not every tweet will have every one of these, but here are the list of things that make a tweet good.

• An attention grabbing headline—this is the main focus of your tweet and can be a statement or a question. It makes others what to learn more, take action, join the conversation and/or share what they’ve read.

• A clear attribution—I’m a writer, so authorship is important to me. If someone says something brilliant, I really want them to get the credit. So when possible, I include the person’s name and/or twitter handle. (A twitter handle is your Twitter user name. My Twitter handle is @EdieMelson).

• Hashtags—stop groaning! You knew I was going to include this one. A hashtag is a number sign (#) that’s put in front of a group of letters and/or numbers. This makes that particular topic searchable anywhere within the Twitter universe. There is a specific number of hashtags that’s ideal. For the highest number of shares, use two. One is good, two is best, three or more is not so good.

• A link—if you’re referencing something you’ve found online, you’ll want to include the URL. Be sure to shorten the link. Hootsuite will do it for you, but if you don’t use Hootsuite or a scheduling program, I recommend www.bitly.com. If you’re just posting a question or a quote, there’s not always a reason to include a link.

Format Your Tweet

There is a general order in the way you arrange the components of your tweet.

Do NOT start your tweet off with an @ sign (Like @EdieMelson) unless you are replying to something I said. A reply tweet will only be seen by those who follow BOTH you and the person you’re replying to.

Hashtags can be used at the beginning, middle or end or your tweet. But the best way to use them is organically, within the body of the tweet. Second would be toward the end. Lastly, at the beginning.

Finally, we all know Twitter limits tweets to 140 characters. But I do NOT recommend you use all 140 characters. For one, if someone retweets your update, something will get lopped off the end of the tweet because the retweeters info will be added to the beginning of the tweet.

So ideally, keep your tweet to under 120 characters. But remember, this is just a guideline, not a hard and fast rule!

Here's the order I tend to like best:

•    Headline

•    Attribution

•    Link

•    Hashtags

Example and Explanation

Here is a tweet I composed for this post:

Tips for Composing Effective #SocialMedia Updates – via @EdieMelson #writing http://bit.ly/1LZyiMe

Breaking it Down: 

Tips for Composing Effective Social Media Updates—is my headline, my attention grabber.

#SocialMedia and #Writing—are the two hashtags I’ve chosen to use. They reflect the focus of the tweet and are popular hashtags.

@EdieMelson—is my attribution. I used it in this tweet because I’m composing the tweet for ClickToTweet, which means someone else will be sending the tweet out. If I was just sending this out, I would NOT use @EdieMelson because the tweet would originate with my Twitter account and everyone already knows it’s me.

http://bit.ly/1n1vohq—is my shortened URL or Link. This URL will take the person clicking on it directly to this post.

Common Questions

1. What if the blog post I'm referencing is a guest post, which attribution do I use - the author of the post or the owner of the blog? If possible, it's good to use both attributions. Here's how I would handle that:

Is Your Manuscript Written to Death? - via @VaughnRoycroft on @WriterUnboxed owl.li/xHH8x #amwriting 

2. What if the person I'm referencing doesn't have a Twitter handle or I don't have time to research it? People who don't include their social media info is a big pet peeve of mine. If it's not easy to find, or you can't find it, just use the person's name. 

3. What if I don't have room for everything? This happens frequently with Twitter. After all, we only have 140 characters. If I don't have room to include the author of the post and the blog name, I prioritize and use the author's name. If I don't have room to use two hashtags, I only use one. The key is to stay flexible and don't overthink this.

4. Do I have to always use two hashtags? No, use the hashtags that make sense and what you have room for.

Now it's your turn. What questions do you have about composing updates? Do you have format you like to use? Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Tweet This: Perfect #SocialMedia updatesadd value in a way that’s easy to share - tips from @EdieMelson 

Edie Melson is the author of numerous books, as well as a freelance writer and editor. Her blog, The Write Conversation, reaches thousands each month. She’s the co-director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and the Social Media Mentor at My Book Therapy. She’s also the Military Family Blogger at Guideposts. Com, Social Media Director for Southern Writers Magazine and the Senior Editor for NovelRocket.com. Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook. Look for her newest book, While My Soldier Serves (Worthy Inspired), available at bookstores and online.

Writer Energy for Today and Tomorrow

By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills

Tweet this: Writer Energy for Today and Tomorrow

Recently I had a birthday. A big one.

Never mind the years.

I haven’t recovered yet.

But what I do know is that no matter what my birth certificate states, I feel great. Perhaps my hyperactivity is a bonus. My writing reflects my health, and that is a direct reflection of what I eat, daily exercise, and my state of mind.

All three weave together to ensure writers stay on top of their game.

2016 will be here in the blink of an eye. While enjoying the New Year’s festivities, take a few minutes to enlist the acronym for ENERGY—a surefire way to keep polished and publishing along into the next year.

E - Exercise
I developed the habit of exercising when I was 15. Not everyone has the same interest and enthusiasm for a daily workout, but 30 days sends a practice into a habit. Try it! Your brain will be firing faster!

N - Nutrition
“We are what we eat” is fortunately or unfortunately true. When we load our diets with lean protein, whole grains, and lots of fruits and veggies, our bodies thank us. They’re meant to last a lifetime.

E - Entertainment
Another adage is, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” Balance work and play and laugh away your stress. Muscles relax and creativity takes a boost when writers feed their bodies with healthy fun.
 
R - Rest
Eight hours of sleep allows the plot and character problems to resolve while writers are in dreamland. Did you know that those who don’t receive the proper amount of sleep are more likely to gain weight and catch viruses? Face it, writers, we can’t write when we’re tired and sick.

G - Gift
Cherish the gift of writing. Not everyone has the wonderful ability to communicate through the written word. Embrace it and don’t neglect developing the craft.

Y - You
It’s always back to the individual writer. We strive to produce the best manuscripts, and the best way is to fill our lives with energy.

How do you plan to take care of yourself in 2016? How are you managing the task now?

Tweet this: Writer Energy for Today and Tomorrow

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She combines unforgettable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels.

Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. Library Journal presented her with a Best Books 2014: Genre Fiction award in the Christian Fiction category for Firewall.

DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers; a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association; International Thriller Writers, and the Faith, Hope, and Love chapter of Romance Writers of America. She is co-director of The Author Roadmap with social media specialist Edie Melson where she continues her passion of helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country.

DiAnn has been termed a coffee snob and roasts her own coffee beans. She’s an avid reader, loves to cook, and believes her grandchildren are the smartest kids in the universe. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.

DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on any of the social media platforms listed at www.diannmills.com.

Is Twitter Worth the Bother for Writers - Social Media 101 for Authors -

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Today I want to jump into one of the most important social media platforms, Twitter. But first, in case you've missed the previous posts, here are a list of them, with links.

Part I—Social Media 101 for Writers

Part II—When Should a WriterStart Building a Social Media Network

3 Reasons to Master Twitter 
TWEET THIS: Is Twitter Worth the Bother for Writers - @EdieMelson 

I remember the first time I ventured onto twitter. It’s an intimidating site, full of unfamiliar terms and strange rules. Beyond that, the more people I followed, the more confusing the newsfeed became. To my untrained eye, all those 140 character bursts were just disjointed and disconnected chaos.

I really didn’t understand how anyone could get anything good out of this network.

Luckily for me, I didn’t give up. I kept digging for articles to help me understand the value of Twitter. And that’s when I began to unravel the Twitter chaos. As I became more familiar with this alien landscape, I began to appreciate why Twitter and writers are a perfect match.

Twitter is a respecter of time.

• It respects our time. Interacting in 140 character bursts keeps conversations focused and moving quickly.

• It helps us write tight. If you’ve spent any time at all studying writing, you’ve heard the advice to write tight. This means eliminating unnecessary words.

• It’s a networking superconductor. There is no social media platform out there that is better at allowing us to find connections with like-minded people.

Tips to Make Valuable Connections

1. Be sure to follow people back. It’s considered good manners to follow people back who follow you. This doesn’t mean you have to follow people who make you uncomfortable or who are trying to sell you 10,000 followers. Use common sense, but unless there’s a good reason be nice and follow people back.

Don't protect your tweets

2. Don’t PROTECT YOUR TWEETS. On your Twitter profile there’s the option to protect your tweets. This locks your account and doesn’t let people follow you unless you approve them. If you feel the need to protect your tweets, you really shouldn’t be on Twitter. This social media platform is a place to get found, not lurk.

3. Make sure your 160 character ABOUT ME gives a good picture of who you are. You don’t want to over use hashtags here, but you do want to cover all the things you might tweet about and hashtags are a good shortcut for that. Here’s what I have as my description: Writer & Author—passionate for life's stories & God's path. ‪#Militaryfamily blogger Guideposts.org #steampunk #vets #scifi #socialmedia4writers

4. Show your face. Always use a picture of YOURSELF as your Twitter icon. The evidence is overwhelming. People respond to a head shot where you can see the person’s smile. The only exception is if you have a business account. Then you can use your company’s logo.

Have a regular presence on Twitter &be consistent.

5. Have a regular presence on Twitter. I Tweet a lot more now than I did when I started out. More first goal was to Tweet four to six times each day, four or five days a week. I use Hootsuite to schedule my Tweets throughout the day. I’ll be covering Hootsuite next week, so don’t worry if you’re not familiar with a scheduling program. Just remember, Do NOT send out all your tweets at once. This is called hogging the stream and is the height of bad manners!

 6. BE CONSISTENT with the subject of your tweets. I tweet about social media, writing, some books, and issues important to military families. Occasionally, I’ll find something that I just want to share outside of those topics, but that’s an exception, not the norm.

7. Make sure you’re sharing valuable content with your Twitter updates. Don’t make your Tweets all about you. Instead, promote others who have something valuable to say to your followers. I know it’s counter intuitive, but it works every time!

8. Look for strategic people to follow. Here’s what I mean. I’m working on a science fiction manuscript and trying to grow my Twitter followers for that specific market. To find new people to follow, I visit some of my favorite science fiction author’s profiles. Then I click on their followers. This does two things.

1. It gives me people to follow who are interested in following a scifi author.

2. It gives me a good chance of them following me back because they’re already good about following back.

9. Reply to others publically. Twitter is a public medium and people like to be mentioned. If someone says something nice about you, or mentions you, be sure to reply publically to thank them. I also keep a list of people who regularly mention me and try to find something they do that I can mention. Here's a post I wrote on the Ways to Utilize Twitter Lists. 

What NOT to do on Twitter!

Twitter No-Nos

There are several things that may seem tempting for short cuts to Twitter followers. I cannot urge you strongly enough not to try them. This is one of these times when if it sounds too good to be true, it is.

Do not use an auto responder. You may think you’re being polite, but what you’re really being is irritating. Auto responders are obvious and no one likes messages from a computer clogging up their timeline.

Do NOT buy Twitter followers. This may look like a good shortcut, but most of the followers you buy are fake or spam accounts. You are not doing yourself or those who follow you, any favors with this short cut. Beyond that, if Twitter catches you, your account can be shut down and you can be banned for life.

Do NOT use ANY automatic programs to increase your followers on Twitter. As with buying Twitter followers, using a program to increase your followers can result in a high percentage of face or spam accounts. And this practice can also get you penalized by Twitter.

Twitter has very strict policies against these practices and I’ve known several people who have had their Twitter accounts suspended because of this. 

These are the basics of why I've found Twitter valuable. What about you? Do you use Twitter, avoid it? Be sure to leave your thoughts and questions in the comments section below.

TWEET This: Get Started or Take Twitter to the next level with @EdieMelson 

Edie Melson is the author of numerous books, as well as a freelance writer and editor. Her blog, The Write Conversation, reaches thousands each month. She’s the co-director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and the Social Media Mentor at My Book Therapy. She’s also the Military Family Blogger at Guideposts. Com, Social Media Director for Southern Writers Magazine and the Senior Editor for NovelRocket.com. Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook. Look for her newest book, While My Soldier Serves (Worthy Inspired), available at bookstores and online.