Writing A Novel: Use Your Words Wisely -- An Interesting Review

I haven't yet read the 50 SHADES OF GREY trilogy so I can't comment on the books; however, some of the reviews are pretty funny, including one where the reader kept a running count on repetitive phrases and words, such as "blushed," "flushed," "gasped," etc. Recently, I received a review where the reader also apparently kept count in my book ... and complained about my repetitive use of the word "that."

I'm not sure whether she means that I used "that" too many times (see, I used it twice in one phrase) or if she was critiquing sentences where I used the word twice in a row, i.e. "I told you that that girl isn't worth talking to!" (In this case, my usage is correct, though I very well could've had a typo where the word was incorrectly repeated.). Anyway, it was an interesting review and one that friends have joked about. One suggested that I used "a" and "the" too many times; another advised me to use more accents over words.

Still, much as some people may have laughed about it, her review got me thinking: When does a writer know when he or she has overused a particular word or phrase?

When I was at the magazine, we were all very aware of our word usage. Our longest articles were about 1500 words, certainly not anywhere near novel length, so we tried to vary attributions. As we quoted an actor, we wouldn't just say, "He said." We'd use everything from "He stated" to "He mused." We tried to mix things up as much as possible, making sure that everything made sense of course.

There were some other instances where repetitive words were pointed out to us. My boss once told me that I overused "however" as a transitional term. And the copy editors were always coming up with new ways to say the same thing. For instance, if we wrote about the winter weather and used "cold" three times in one paragraph, they'd suggest that we use a "cold," "frigid" and "freezing" to add some variety.

This may seem like nitpicking, but this kept our articles interesting and colorful. I kept this in mind as I wrote BAND GEEK. I thought that my first draft contained too many "weirds" so I edited a lot out. I also edited out a lot of characters' eye rolls, sighs and smirks. Actually, describing facial expressions and ticks was pretty tricky because there are only so many ways to write about emotions without going completely over the top -- so I can understand why E.L. James relied on a lot of blushing and flushing of her characters.

When one writes a 70,000-word novel, it's nearly impossible to NOT repeat certain words. I do think it's important to have some variety, but I haven't yet read a book where every single key word is different. Ultimately, moderation is ideal. I try to at least keep repeated phrases a few paragraphs apart.

This review was a little surprising to me, but I'm open to constructive criticism and appreciate the fact that this woman took the time to give me some. She definitely gave me something to consider!

Please read and review (and count words, if you wish) REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD, just 99 cents!

Publishing On Kindle: BAND GEEK Review

Early this morning, I had two big things on my mind: the Presidential election results and the release of my first professional book review as part of my ongoing Virtual Blog Tour.

I'm pleased -- and relieved -- that Chrys, author of the book review blog Oh, Chrys enjoyed my novel so much. It's always nice to have your work complimented, but what I really appreciate is that she took the time to write such a thorough and thoughtful review. She didn't think that BAND GEEK was pefect and had some valid criticisms, but I feel as if she really "got" the story. She also noted how much time I'd obviously spent when it came to crafting realistic, relatable characters, and I'm ecstatic that my efforts were noticed.

When I ask friends -- or my blog readers -- for reviews, I'm not fishing for compliments. I'm not expecting anyone to gush over my work. I'm looking for reviews that are honest and detailed, that explain exactly WHY my book made an impression (good or bad). Not everyone is going to react to a book or movie, or some other subjective piece of art or literature, the same way, and I'd like to get my readers' unique takes on BAND GEEK.

For any writers who are reading this blog, I do suggest getting a couple of professional reviewers to critique your work. Writing a review that truly explains what makes a book tick is difficult and a skill unto itself. Chrys's piece has given me some stuff to think about when I work on my next novel -- which is what a good critique should do.

And Chrys, if you're reading this, I truly believe that you have a bright future in publishing, either as an editor or a literary agent. I'm not just saying that because you liked my book!

Please read AND review REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD, just 99 cents on Kindle!

Publishing On Amazon: The Importance Of Reviews

I'm sure you've noticed by now that I end each post asking readers to review my book on Amazon. I'm not doing this just so I can fish for compliments. Reviews can help make or break a sale.

Think about it: are you more likely to see a movie that's been reviewed or one that's gotten no notice? Sure, you can find out what it's about by going to the movie's website or by watching the trailer, but this is information that's put out by the studio. It's different when you read a review that's been put out by the masses.

Studies have actually been done to determine the effectiveness of reviews ... and well, they're very effective. I'll fully admit that I'm swayed by reviews. Two of my favorite sites to look at are menupages and tripadvisor, both which encourage people to share their experiences. I tend to look at the restaurants or hotels which have received the highest number of positive reviews. I feel like I'm getting the "real picture" when I hear what people like me had to say.

Reviews can also be helpful to an author. When I was shopping my book to agents and then publishers, I received many positive reviews ... and many critical ones. I found both to be useful. However, these were all opinions from people in the publishing industry who were looking at my book artistically and monetarily. Getting the opinion from someone who just wants to read a good book is a different story.

On Amazon, reviews can also help with rank. I don't quite understand how Amazon or Kindle ranks its books, but "active" pages are ranked higher. As I said before, reviews help prompt sales, which makes your book active ... and well, that moves it up to a spot where it can be seen more and get even more sales.

So whenever you download a book on Kindle -- mine or any other author's -- please take the time to review it. While I'd love to get all 5-star reviews, I'm realistic and know that not everyone is going to like my work. So if you dislike a book -- mine or another author's -- don't just say that you hated it and wanted to throw it out the window. At least take the time to say WHY you disliked it and what we can do to improve our next work.

Once again, please read and review REVENGE OF A BAND GEEK GONE BAD.