Glenys O'Connell, Author of Mystery & Romance

Sounds like the start of a comedy routine, doesn't it? For some odd reason, many of my public appearances seem like that, too.....

Where was I? My first booksigning was at a school. Thirty eager little boys gathered around me and listened rapt while I told stories - did I tell you I started out as a children's book author? - anyway, they were really good kids (I think their teacher had threatened them with something aweful if they weren't) and at the end I signed a huge pile of books. One little guy, about eight, came up and told me how much his sister loved my books, and read every one of them over and over. Was I ever pleased!

Until I realised that he was mixed up and thought I was another author - what an ego deflating moment that was! Still, I met the other writer later at a writer's conference and we had a good laugh when I explained how, when I was starting out, I had a chance to bask in her reflected glory!

But it was an event at my last signing, at a huge bookstore in Kingston, Ontario, for Judgement By Fire, that sparked this blog. A woman came up and was reading my promotion materials when she suddenly exclaimed : "Romance Can Be Murder!" (That's my tag line for my romantic fiction books)

"Oh,"she said, "You don't know this, but you've just given me a God message."

"Er, God message?" I asked, already feeling that funny ominous tingly sensation on my spine.

"Yes, a message from God. Romance Can Be Murder. Thank you so much - you've helped me make a decision! I can't tell you what a help this is."

And off she went, leaving me worrying about exactly what kind of decision a person makes from a line like Romance Can Be Murder.

I'm watching the local press for any stories about a woman killing her lover.

Can I be named as an accessory?

Critiquing is a skill and done well can provide the person whose work is being critiqued with some very valuable feedback. Critiquing can smooth out the glitches, help with story and plot points, make characters more believable, spot errors and generally polish up someone’s work. It can renew the writer’s enthusiasm and confidence. Or it can destroy them. Depending on how it is done.

Professional critiquing always looks to the positive – even busy editors rarely advise a writer submitting work to them to take a job, any job, except writing – although best selling author David Gemmell was once told by an editor to stay with his job as a trucker’s mate! Usually they will wish the writer luck in placing the work elsewhere, perhaps advise them to consider taking a creative writing class, etc.., even if the work submitted seems beyond redemption. The point being, the writer and their future work are not beyond redemption, and do not deserve to be terminally put down because of one piece that does not hit the spot.

 The Rules

 The first rule of critiquing is to consider the ways the writer can use these positive points to improve their work. The second rule is to be constructive – critique criticisms are more along the lines of:

 “Well, I think if you fleshed the character Jed out, gave him more background and motivation, it would really work.”

 Rather than:

 “God, I’ve never seen such cardboard, one dimensional characters! What ever were you thinking? Jed has no personality, he ruins the entire story – not that there’s much to ruin!”

 See the difference?:D

 The second rule is to listen carefully to what is said (or read carefully) so your critique is accurate. And before you give a critique, think about what you are saying and how you would feel if it was said about your work. The general idea is to be constructive, to help a writer improve their work, not to humiliate and put them off writing anything more creative than a grocery list. Critique unto others as you would have them critique unto you!

Never interrupt with a point while someone is actually reading their work aloud. Take notes instead. Remember, your reaction to someone’s work is very subjective. There will be some styles of writing you do not like, some subject matter you would not choose to read. So critiquing has got to take your own personal tastes into account so it remains balanced and impartial.

 Critique Points

 Listening carefully and home in on the following points:

 The Hook: Does the opening of the work grab your attention? Is it interesting? Does it make you want to read on? If it is non-fiction, does it still catch your eye? Again, with non fiction, does it sound plausible and factual?

 The Body of the Material: Does the material that followed the hook lead you into the story, or does it jolt you out of it? Is it in the same style as the hook, or do you suddenly think you are reading a completely different story? What is the pacing like? Does it keep up the momentum you were promised in the beginning?

 Setting: Do you think the setting compliments the story? Does it seem accurate? Too much or too little description?

 Characters: Do you like them? Do you care about them? Do they seem real? Are their physical descriptions consistent? Do they behave “in character”? Can you make any suggestions that might improve them?

 Dialogue: Is it plausible? Does it sound the way you would expect these characters to talk? Is there good use of dialogue for introducing back story and other details? Are there too many tags – i.e., he said, she cried, he growled, she giggled? Can you tell who is actually speaking? Is there an over use of dialect or foreign languages?

 Plot: Does the plot interest you? Even if it is not the kind of story you would normally choose to read, does it seem interesting? Is it plausible? Do the story events carry the plot or conflict with it? Are there any glaring errors you can see?

 Subplots: Are there subplots? Do they work with the main plot, or do they overwhelm it? Are they worth while, or do they create a distraction? Are there too many subplots, making the storyline confusing? Is one of the subplots more interesting than the main plot?

 The End: Does the ending match the rest of the story? Are all the loose ends tied up? Does the story flow towards this ending? Is it logical, following on from the events, or does the conclusion depend heavily on last minute happenings, like the cavalry arriving to rescue the wagon train from an Indian attack when no one has called the cavalry?

 Overall Feeling: Did the story interest you, make you feel good? Did you like the characters and were they in character all the way through? This is where you reprise what you have said earlier, wrap it all up with a few nice comments, and be willing to answer questions the writer may ask about your critique.

 All these critique points can also be applied to your own work, as well. When it comes to polishing your manuscript, read it through with a critiquer’s eye. That way you will catch any glaring problems before anyone else sees your work.

Experience has taught me that there are some very scary things about admitting to the world that you're a writer. Sure, these are balanced by many wonderful things, but some things leave you staring at a blank screen, frozen in terror.

That said, probably one of the first is just that: staring at a blank screen. Sometimes my head is brimming with ideas, or I wake up in the night with snappy lines of dialogue going around in my head. Yet by the time I got to the computer (or even a notebook, or a restaurant paper napkin...I'm not proud) those tricky little neurons have shut down and I CAN"T REMEMBER what I wanted to say. Terror sets in - will I ever again write anything more than a grocery list or an excuse for missing an exercise class (yeah, I do a few of them)?

Sometimes I understand completely why some writers never venture near a publisher. In fact, I know people with notebooks crammed with stories. They whisper to you, as if it were a naughty secret, that they write, but if you press them to see their work, they immediately deny ever having put pen to paper. It's the pressure to perform.

You see, once you admit to writing as something more than a hobby, then you have to come up with the goods. People know.People expect. Editors are tsk, tsk-ing about deadlines. rejection letters pop into your mailbox. You peek at your email through your fingers, testing to see if there's a contract, or a review. Either of these can bring you out of hiding a little, but then someone says  the dreaded words.

"So, Glenys, when are you writing the follow up to Marrying Money? You know, about Lady Diana's best friend, Sally? I'm really looking forward to reading that."

Uhm, so am I, if I only had a clue what was going to be in it.

"Hey, I read that book you wrote, Resort to Murder! When is your next one out ?"

Wish I knew - probably when I unfreeze long enough to write it.

"My wife loved Winters & Somers. It's her birthday in six weeks - do you have another book set in Ireland? I'd really like to get it for her."

Well, actually, I do have another set in Ireland - Marrying Money. But please don't ask me when the sequel will be out. Please.

Okay, I'm joking. I love it when people ask about my books. I just wish that blank screen didn't scare me so......

Of all the things that cause a writer's heart to thump a little harder in a 'help me!' kind of way, being recognised is certainly one of them. Maybe we dream of being in the New York Times top 100, but that's an arms' length kind of recognition - the true test comes when you're actually facing your readers in person or online, chatting about writing or signing your books. That's when you have to emerge from the safety of your shell and actually interact with the people you're writing for.

For most of us, when you first begin writing, it's your own local community that picks up the scent first.

The first time I was introduced as a 'local celebrity' I had to grin foolishly later through many teasing greetings of : 'Oh, look - it's Miss Local Celebrity!' when I met friends and neighbours. This was sometimes yelled across crowded restaurants or from the other side of the street, causing strangers to turn around and stare.

Maybe they were hoping to see a Beyonce or LaCruz but no, it was just a matronly type in paint stained jeans and a faintly distracted expression. Me. Sometimes they looked puzzled, some would actually ask who I was and what I did.....oh, blush!

Of course, there's a point where you've got to get over yourself and learn to accept the 'local celebrity status' as a compliment. It's one of the hardest lessons I've learned, being naturally shy and all. I find it hard to talk about my writing - although I'll yammer on all day about writing in general. Teaching creative writing classes was such fun because it let me talk for a couple of hours several times a week to people who were as interested in writing as I am.

But talking about my writing on a personal level, well, I still find that hard. I think one watershed for recovery from the terminally tongue-tied state that put me in was when the local ladies book club decided to read my second novel, Winters & Somers, as their book-of-the-month. Lord, I was so flattered by that - it was perhaps the first time I felt I was really taken seriously as a writer, by myself as well as people whose educated opinions I respected. And I managed to chat away about the book and answer questions without becoming a shrinking violet - good practice for book signings!

The rural area I live in is noted for its excellent artists and craftspeople, many of whom I admire for their work. It came as something of a shock to realise, once my first novel (Judgement By Fire, from Red Rose Press, available in print on Amazon!) was published, that my friends and neighbours locally were really supportive of what I was doing, and as proud of the 'local writer' as they were of the many artists here. It was a real boost to my self confidence, especially as the encouragement (along with the teasing) grew as my later novels were published. And bought locally, too.

So this weekend I donated four of my novels to a local fundraising auction. And when the auctioneer started: "We are proud to have so many creative people in this area, and in particular, for the past two years, a writer...." I blushed just a little.

But I was proud and grateful for the compliment.

It’s funny the things we take for granted about books and bookbuying. If you are anything like me, you are attracted first by the title and cover, and then by the back cover blurb. At that point you’re holding the book in your hands and it’s logical to take a look at the first few sentences on page one. After all, you’ve come this far, right? According to the people who study these things, writers have something like 30 seconds to impress you once you, the potential purchaser, pick up the book. Getting you to open the covers and read the first few lines is crucial! If the book doesn’t grab you then, it’s quite likely to be consigned back to the shelf. But the major part of that battle is to capture your interest enough to get you to actually pick up the book and open the covers. Which means you’ve got to have something pretty special in the back cover blurb.......please click here to read the rest at The Romantic Journey Blog     http://romanticjourney.wordpress.com/2010/04/26/whats-in-a-blurb/

I'm blogging over at www.romanticjourney.wordpress.com/ about the manuscript that never quite gets finished. You know, I think every writer has one -it's a story you like too much to scrap, but somehow it's never just right enough to be submitted anywhere and winds up being like a ghost at the wedding - making you ever so slightly uneasy in a guilty way because you've not handled it well enough....drop over and take a look, and leave a comment!

Welcome to my first blog on Romance Can Be Murder. I write romance, suspense, and mysteries - often all rolled up into one. I'm published but still working towards the heights of the best seller list. Ah, the dream, the dream....

The aim of this blog is to share the triumphs and distresses of the writing life - and please feel free to jump in with comments! I know that there are many writers and artists out there who are blogging their thoughts and feelings about the process - and I'm glad you're here reading mine! Writing is a lonely occupation - that's one of the reasons so many of us enjoy Twitter - it's a way of reaching out and touching other people, in 140 character tweets. Leaves lots of spare time for real writing. Unless you become addicted to social media, and that's a whole new ball game. There are, of course, enterprising writers putting out books about being addicted to social media

I'll also post some writing tips that I come across and think worth sharing, plus occasional publishing news and bits and pieces from my fellow writers. Let me know if you have fabulous news or a lightbulb moment revelation!

And these blogs will be short - after all, I'm supposed to be writing, right? G'night, all!