Give it up.

You may have noticed recently that my blog got a facelift.

You may also have noticed that it happened shortly after my webpage (www.RaniDivine.com) got a facelift.

What you may not have noticed is that I also updated all the text on my webpage.

And really, it only has slight bearing in what I'm about to say.

If you've read the new About Me section, then you'll know that I recently had to shelf one of my stories. Yes, that's right, it's gone in the vault and I've agreed that I'm never going to look at it ever again.

But how are we supposed to know when a story reaches that point? 

Trouble is, I don't think there is a way to know for sure.

This particular story is one that I've been working on, off and on, for close to a decade (wow, that's weird to say when you're only 23). It's never gotten beyond eighteen chapters, never moved beyond the preliminary "I'm not quite to the editing phase yet" stage, and I've never liked it enough to let anyone read it.

The problem was that this story was my baby. It was my first, the one that I'd tried so hard with from the very beginning.

But I think the very fact that it was my baby was the problem.

I couldn't get beyond the early stages with it, because when I started it I didn't know how to get beyond that. And sometimes with things like this, when we try to pick them up again they somehow convince us to regress into what we used to be.

We can't let that happen.

And that's how I knew that this particular story needed to be shelved.

It wasn't going anywhere.
It took up more time than it should have.
It wanted me to come back in time with it, to the life of a teenager trying her hardest to write cohesively.
It wanted me to be something I no longer am.

If your story has reached that point, I urge you to do what I've done -- to put it on the shelf and say goodbye forever. Who knows, maybe someday you will be strong enough to go back and work on it again, but that is not this day.

Today is a day to write, to grow, and to keep living life in the present.

That's as much for me as it is for you.

[love]

{RD}

p.s. don't forget about my contest! Click Here to see rules and how to enter!Winner gets a signed copy of my new book and two surprise gifts from me!

IT'S A CONTEST

OH MY GOODNESS I HAVE TWO BOOKS ON THE MARKET!!!!

I don't even know what else to say, I'm so ecstatic!

So, to celebrate, I've decided to run a little contest.

Here's what I want you to do: 

Answer this one little question.

That's all.

Just answer a question.

Well, and get it right.

But if you've been paying attention to my posts, you'll know the answer without even thinking.

Tell me...

How many times have I posted excerpts on my blog? (including both books and short story blurbs)

That's all you have to do. Comment here or on Facebook anytime now until Saturday (1/31/15) at midnight (MST) to have your name entered to WIN.

But I suppose you'll want to know what you could win. 

One (1) winner will receive a free signed edition of Coetir: People of the Woods as well as two (count em, two!) surprise gifts from yours truly!

Winner will be chosen on Sunday, February 1st... But you'll all be watching the Superbowl *wink* so I'll announce the winner right here on Writing, Editing, and All Things Rani on Monday, February 2nd!


Let the games begin!

And don't forget, if you have the book and you've already finished reading it (I know there are some of you out there!), write us a review and email it in! I'll display my favorite review right here in just a few weeks!


[love and prizes]

{RD}

One. More. Day.

Can you believe it? Only a matter of hours before the official release of People of the Woods! I can't begin to explain how excited I am, or to express how thankful I am for the support of each and every one of you!

Just to keep you posted on everything that's going on...

Coetir: People of the Woods will be available ONLY through RAD Writing until further notice. We're trying to get the book up on Amazon as soon as possible, but the price will be exactly the same as what you'll find on RAD's Square Store.

The book is, as many of you know, currently available for preorder! All of you who have already placed orders, your books will be in the mail as soon as possible!

We're still working on setting up some signings and reading in the New Mexico area, so bear with me as I work with RAD to get everything situated.

If you're NOT in the New Mexico area and you want me to come to your city, drop me a comment or send me a message on my Facebook page! I'll do my best to get out to your state as soon as I possibly can!

If you want the book signed but you don't think you'll be able to come to any of the signings (or I won't be able to come to your state), don't worry -- RAD is offering my book on their store, pre-signed. They also have an option for me to personalize it for you, for only a couple extra dollars! 

Again, thank you all SO much for all your support!! I couldn't do any of this without you!

I can't wait to share my story with you!!!

[much love]

{Rani D}

Cutting, Part Two

Wednesday I talked about cutting scenes from your novel... And today I'm going to talk about something even more difficult:

Cutting Characters

This is, without a doubt, the most difficult thing to do as a writer. Not only is it tricky and time-consuming to go through and remove a character from existence in an entire novel, but it can also be a painstaking process that leaves us far more drained than writing them ever could have done. 

But here, again, are three ways to know when a character needs to be cut, and three things to help you handle the cutting. Beginning, of course, with knowing when to cut:

1. They're a minor character who's taking up too much limelight

2. They're a minor or semi-minor character who simply takes too much time and attention, even if all that means is that they talk too much and it's too much trouble to shut them up

3. They confuse the main object of the story, or add too much unneeded flavor to their scenes

Those are pretty easy to spot, aren't they? Sometimes, of course, we'll have to ask someone else's opinion (which is another reason why I believe that every book we write needs to be read by at least one person while we're writing it--so we can ask them for help along the way). 

Now, my three things to remember when cutting characters: 

1. If they're taking up too much limelight, it probably means that they want a book of their own

That means you'll be able to spend more time with them later, because you'll be able to dedicate a whole book to them--even if it is in a different setting, time, or world altogether. 

2. If they're taking up too much of your attention, remember that you'll be helping your audience to understand your main characters more fully

Devoting too much time to minor characters only detracts from the beauty of our stars, the ones who should have the most light and life in our work. 

3. If they're adding too much flavor, remember that vanilla is a flavor too

Maybe without them your story seems more vanilla, maybe it's not as you'd imagined it would be the first time around, but that's okay. A little vanilla never hurts anyone, and too much cayenne definitely can. 

I hope this helps you writers out there, and I hope you'll be joining me at www.RAD-Writing.com this Tuesday (January 27) for the release of my new book! Don't forget, you can already pre-order now at Rad's Online Store

[love and excitement]

{RD}

Cutting

Today's one of those days... One of those days when I simply do not feel like sitting down and doing what needs to be done.

Why, you ask?

Because what needs to be done is the cutting of a scene I happen to greatly enjoy.

As I've said before, all writers are inherently editors as well. That means sometimes we have to make the tough decisions, for the good of our work. Like I always say, it's best to keep a copy of the original for your own purposes, but the book we share with people is the one they're going to know.

I think that's what makes cutting specific scenes so difficult.

Sometimes, as in the case of today, it's a beautiful scene that I deeply cherish... but it's not one that really moves the story forward.

That's why it needs to be cut.

And I truly wish that I could share this scene with all of you, because I believe you would greatly enjoy reading it. But again, it's not moving the story forward.

If you're not moving the story forward, you're either keeping it stagnant or moving it backward: two things that we all need to avoid in our writing. (and also how I tell when a scene needs to be cut)

To help you writers out there deal with cutting scenes (and to help myself, as I'm about to do it), here are five things to remember when you're editing, five things to help keep you in the right state of mind, five ways to deal with cutting that scene, so you'll be able to get back to work.

        1. To the story, cutting this scene is the equivalent of cutting the baggage and dead weight out of your life 

You know that terrible time you had in high school that just seems to weigh you down every time you think about it? That's what this scene is to your story. Even if the baggage in the story seems light in comparison to your incidents growing up, thinking about it in these terms helps us to remember that the dead weight needs to be cut off--both in our own lives, and in our work.

        2. If you don't cut it now, your editor will ask you to cut it

And it's only harder if you have to hear it from someone else. At least you'll be nice to yourself about it, won't you?

        3a. If it's a beautiful piece, remember the possibility that you'll be able to share it later on, as an excerpt that had to be cut from the book

It's something that a lot of writers do, really. If the book does really well when it's published, or your fans want a little more while you're working on the next in the series, you might be able to share these beautiful gems with your adoring audience (because, as we all know, audiences are adoring)

        3b. If it's a boring or exhaustingly traumatic scene, remember that you'll be sparing your reader the pain you went through to write it

I'm sure you recall how difficult it was to write this traumatic scene--or how exhausting it was to get all these boring words down onto paper. So remember, if it was difficult for you to write, it's probably going to be difficult for your reader to read.

        4. The scene will always be there for you, as a memory, so even your characters will never forget

This one mostly applies to those beautiful scenes, the ones that you don't want to forget. Because really, if you don't want to forget them, you probably won't. At least, until the point that you've written so many books that you simply cannot remember all of the beautiful scenes you've had to cut. But we'll try not to think about that time just yet.

        5. We, your fellow authors, are rooting for you, and we've been in your shoes many times before

All of us know what it's like to cut scenes. We do it time and time again. It may never get easier to do, but I find it helpful to know that there are always others I can go to and talk about the scenes I've had to cut--someone who has been there as well, time and time again.


[love]

{RD}

A letter to the extroverts

Dear Extroverts,

Perhaps we only let you think you're in the lead.

Perhaps we know what you're doing, and we're doing the same -- just by a different route.

Perhaps we're all fighting for the same things, and it doesn't matter whether we achieve it through standing tall in the spotlight or sitting quietly in the shadows.

Perhaps those shadows contain our chance to shine.

Perhaps we don't require an audience, because we're softer at heart.

Perhaps it's not that we don't like to be around people, but that our connection to them is so intense that it overwhelms us.

Perhaps we love ourselves the way we are, and we wouldn't wish to change even if you offered to teach us how.

Perhaps there is no right way, no better personality type, no one group who stands above the other.

Perhaps there is nothing wrong with being the opposite of you.

And perhaps we're ready to stand on that, to show you all the ways we're just as strong as you, all the ways we're just as successful and powerful in this world.


Perhaps it's time to show you that we too can rule the world -- we'd only choose to do so from a different scene than you.

I hereby dub 2015 the Year of the Introvert, a time when we'll strive to show you, the extroverts, how good different can be.

A time when perhaps you'll see how comforting peace and quiet can be.

A time when maybe, just maybe, we'll let ourselves believe that we too can rule the world.


Signed,

The Introverts 

{RD}

Ten Days!

Only ten more days until the Coetir: People of the Woods release! To that end, I thought you might like another quick glance at the synopsis...

Beyond the boundary on the edge of town live the druids, the Coetir, a species so deadly that they threatened to destroy our very existence.

We have a law: don't cross the line that keeps humanity separated from the druids, on penalty of death.

I've never been good at following the rules.

My name is Ellya, and I'm the first person to cross the boundary since its creation.

What follows will change more than any of us could've possibly imagined.

If you'd like to know more about the book, check out these sneak peeks: 

Crossing the Line

Follow Me

Stay tuned for more information about the release and some events we'll be running. RAD Writing is still trying to get everything organized, but I promise I'm trying to get to as many locations as I possibly can for signings and readings, and to meet all of you!

[love!]

{RD}