Things to Avoid in First Ten Pages

When it comes to publishing those first ten pages, here's a list of things to avoid when editing. 

Spelling and grammar mistakes

Too much description and/or backstory

Flashbacks

Confusing plot or timeline

No main character and/or haven't made us care about the character yet

Personal Introductions such as "My name is . . ."

Dreams

Mornings

First days

Funerals

Bad weather

Of course, the list is just an opinion shared by several in the industry at the moment. The tide can always turn around.  Just write and give us your best.  Good and interesting writing is really the ultimate goal.  

Word Count

I'm still in school so capping writing is important.  I don't usually have a word count, but I usually have a page limit.  This summer as I write scholarship and college essays, I've encountered my worst limit of all - the word count.  Sure, as a writer, I've faced that but before, but some of these essays want no more than 250 words.  Ugh!  Good news it really has made me focus on my word choices.  Thus my tip this month if you tend to be wordy is to write essays with a 250 cap.  Once you get used to the pain, it is kind of fun!

Let Your Light Shine.

To our followers. 

Thank you, thank you, thank you for the following!!!

But wait - you are all stars too and I wait to hear all about your success stories (whether they are big or small) so we can celebrate together.

Ready?

Okay, I'll start.  I'm almost finished with my third book!!!  So happy!

Okay, now you. 

Go!!!!

Announcement: New Team Members!!!

With great delight, I'd like to introduce you to a couple of fabulous writers who will be joining the Thinking to Inking team: Karen & Mitchell Clayton!

This dynamic mother/son writing duo is here to give us some tips from the inside of the teen world (Mitchell) and what it's like to write with a partner.

So, to get to know them a little better, here is a note from the wonderful Karen Clayton:

I am a stay-at-home-mom of three very active boys.  When I am not scraping cereal off the walls, planning classroom parties, or taxiing kids around town, I enjoy hiking, Tae Kwon Do, scrapbooking, quilting, and of course writing.  I have a BA in Anthropology from Baylor University and have either taught or subbed for grades K through 12, thus I am familiar with kids of all ages. 

Mitchell is a typical teenage boy.  He enjoys Tae Kwon Do, football, hiking, windsurfing, sailing, SUPing, shooting, longboarding, Theatre, and Choir.  Although he prefers sports over the arts, he has won awards for both Theatre and Choir.  He has even been invited to sing at Carnegie Hall.  When he isn’t out being a boy, he likes to apply his expertise into his writing to help bring his characters to life. 

As a family, we enjoy taking trips to National Parks and then writing about them.  Working together is both fun and challenging, but always interesting!  That’s our story.  What’s yours?