Novel Writing

5 Quick and Dirty Tips on Sentence Structure

/ Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 3 Comments

As someone working hard this month to complete a draft of my novel, I appreciate posts like this one from Sacha Black and Writers Helping Writers,  Getting Jiggy with the Nitty Gritty, or, Improving Your Sentences.

This is a keeper and one I will use to start the editing process when ( notice I said when) I finish my novel.  In the meantime, if you’re looking for some quick and dirty tips on sentence structure, check out Sacha’s post and these 5 Tips.

  1. Filtering
  2. Juxtapositions
  3. ‘Sense’-ational Sentences
  4. Crutch Words, Wordiness, and Clichés
  5. First and Last Lines

It’s well worth a read. And, if you would like to follow the progress of my novel, you can read it and Buzz me at http://www.chapterbuzz.com/sheilamgood.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject. Join the conversation. Talk to me or tell me your story. I’m all ears.

A Novel Idea

/ Sheila McIntrye Good, Author / 4 Comments

 Someone, please shake me and slap me silly! I can’t believe what I’ve gotten myself into now. I, Miss Type A (or so some say), am also a huge procrastinator.  My novel, Hello Hell has been languishing on my laptop almost as long as I’ve been breathing – okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration. Suffice it to say, it’s been there a long time.

I’ve toyed with it, re-written the first chapter a million times, sent the story in one direction only to change mid-stream. Are you feeling my pain, yet? Now, I’m no Hemingway, but dammit, I wanted to finish this thing before I croaked. The rate I’m going, my brain will get there before the rest of me.

I needed something or someone to hold me accountable  – yeah, that will do it. So, during one of those energetic days, I decided to enter the Chapter Buzz 10,000 Word Challenge for October.

I’m off and running, posted my first chapters and as I expected, my first “fan,” commented, “You might want to watch those commas,” or something along those lines. I don’t think he’s familiar with the Comma Whore, but I introduced him to her (ah, me).

I don’t know what I was thinking, but cheer me on, here, but be kind, I’m fragile. Thank God, I have an understanding muse.