Announcing my first ever LIVE webinar. Come and join me for a two hour workshop (and 30 mins Q&A). There is going to be much nerding out about all things craft, prose, hooks, and delivering a product that readers want.

Do you look on wistfully at those authors going viral on TikTok and instagram? The authors hitting the top charts and wondering how the hell they’re doing it? This workshop is for you.

Prose in the Market Webinar Information:

I am running three session times to try and accommodate as many timezones as I can (more on this below). Each of the three workshops will be the same, you only need to attend one.

In this session, I’ll explain:

• How to deconstruct bestselling books and implement the tools you find in your own work
• An easy three step methodology for deconstruction
• Practical examples of deconstruction and implementation in your own work
• Why you’re not using copywriting enough
• How to intentionally slip TikTok-able/Marketable scenes into your novels that will hook readers
• Examples of viral hooks that work on social media (and why)
• What’s in a hook and how you can create your own
• The craft of tropes
• Live deconstruction using examples from those in the session

You’ll also receive a workbook containing exercises for you to implement all the things you learn during the session.

And best of all, there’s a thirty minute question and answer session at the end where you can ask me anything you like. If you can’t make it but still want the class, grab a ticket and email me the questions in advance and I’ll be sure to answer them during the session.

Session Times and Dates:

• Friday 9th Feb 2024 at 7pm BST (11am PST, 2pm EST, and 8am Sat 9th Auckland (DST NZDT) sign up here.
• Saturday 10th Feb 4pm BST (8am PST, 11am EST, 5am Sunday 11th (DST NZDT) sign up here.
• Saturday 10th Feb 8pm BST (12pm PST, 3pm EST, 9am Sunday 11th (DST NZDT) sign up here.

FAQ

The post Prose in the Market Webinar appeared first on Sacha Black.

In this episode we cover: 

• How to write a retelling
• Mistakes to avoid with retellings
• How closely you need to stick to the original tale
• How to develop voice
• Description tips

This week’s question is: How do you plan? By tax year, calendar year, by quarter or something else?

Recommendation of the week is: The Mechanic: A John Tyler Thriller by Tom Fowler (patron)

Apple

Kobo

Amazon UK

Amazon USA

***this show uses affiliate links

Links and events I mentioned are:

Jericho Writers Self-Publishing Month

Find out more about Alix on:

Twitter

Author website

Rebel of the Week is: Lena Johnson

If you’d like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com or instagram me @sachablackauthor

No new patrons this week, but a big thank you to my existing patrons. If you’d like to support the show, and get early access to all the episodes as well as bonus content you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack

The post 133 How to Write a Retelling with Alix E Harrow appeared first on Sacha Black.

N.B. If you’re a listener to the podcast, and want to hear the usual intro and updates, please listen to the audio version beneath the video. If you want to watch the meat of the show (i.e. just the tips) you can watch the YouTube episode below.

N.B. The episode show notes are at the bottom of the post.

Get your copy of The Anatomy of Prose

Get your copy of The Anatomy of Prose Workbook

Tips to Improve Your Prose 1: Don’t filter

Filtering is one of the most common mistakes I see in manuscripts when I edit. You want your reader to look directly through your protagonist’s eyes. Like the reader’s wearing hero tinted spectacles. But when you filter, you, the author, add in unnecessary narration.

This causes the reader to be removed one step from the character. So instead of watching through the protagonist’s eyes, the reader is standing to the side watching the hero do things.

Filter words include things like:

• I heard
• she saw
• he felt
• I thought

Here’s an example:

With Filtering:

I heard an owl hooting in the trees and a moment later I saw the canopy leaves rustle as if replying.

Readers don’t need to read the word “heard” or “saw” because the action of hearing and seeing is implied in the description of the sound.

So what does it look like without filtering?

Without Filtering:

An owl hooted in the trees and a moment later the canopy leaves rustled as if replying.

Of course, there are no rules. You don’t have to remove every instance of filtering. That’s especially if removing it will impact the meaning of your sentence. 

Tips to Improve Your Prose 2: Repetition 

Repetition is an insidious little bitch. Everyone thinks repetition comes in the form of crutch words. But NO, my darlings. It’s so much more than that.

Let’s start with crutch words. Crutch words are words or phrases you unintentionally repeat in your manuscript. For example, just, but, so, that, look, hand, eye, glance, walk. 

But what about the other, more subtle forms of repetition?

Different Words, Same Meaning 

Writers will often unintentionally use different words to describe the same thing. For example, describing cold temperatures multiple times with words like: chill, icy, cool etc.

Describe it once, describe it well. Move the fuck on.

Same Words, Different Meaning 

The flip side of that repetition is using the same word in a different context. For example, the hum of a bee or the hum of a car’s engine.

Guys. We’re writers, the thesaurus is your best friend. Use it.

Duplicated Archetypes 

During one of your edits, make sure you check for duplicated character types. For example, do you have two mentors? Are there an unnecessary number of allies? Of course, sometimes these duplications are needed. But more often than not, you can condense the duplicated characters into one more effective and efficient character that readers can get to know better.

Better to have one supercharged steroid injected mentor than three pitiful ones because they don’t get enough page time to have any depth.

Duplicated Personality Traits

Likewise, look for repetition in personality type. Have you got two sarcastic divas? Or two brooding gentlemen? Two mother’s of villains? NO, NO YOU DO NOT. I am the only mother of villains.

The point is, do you really need two of this personality trait? Or would it be more effective to have one?

Name, Name, Name 

We all have biases. Which is why you should always check your character names. If you’re not careful, you’ll end up with two characters with similar sounding names or names all beginning with the same letter. 

If you have Natalie and Nancy or Tony and Tom, your readers are going to get confused.

Opening and Closing of Scenes 

Check the opening (and closing) lines of your scenes. If you have four scenes back to back all opening with a location description, or all starting with dialogue, or all starting with inner monologue, you need to edit out the repetition.

Tips to Improve Your Prose 3: Don’t forget the Impact

Whenever a writer describes something, be it a new character, the atmosphere or a new location your character has walked into, most writers describe the obvious — what their protagonist sees. While the ‘what’ of what a protagonist interacts with is important for creating imagery, it doesn’t create the connection that hooks a reader through the rest of your story. 

What makes a reader connect is the emotion in the story. But how can you convey emotion when the protagonist is describing a building, meeting a new character, or buying a coffee? The quickest way to create emotion even in these interactions is to describe the impact the interaction has on your protagonist.

Does the smell of coffee throw your protagonist back to a childhood memory? Does the smell make them feel sick?

WHY PEOPLE, WHY???? THE READER NEEDS TO KNOW.

Is that smell or memory painful or comforting? What about the way shadows fall over the building your protagonist’s about to walk in? Do they make her stomach churn or does she feel like she’s coming home? Rather than describing the colour or shape of a building, give the reader insights into the emotional impact it has on your characters.

This goes for describing characters too.

How does the new character make your protagonist feel? The impact says a thousand times more than the colour of the character’s eyes.

Tips to Improve Your Prose 4: Don’t Forget the Senses

While sight is the basis for description in most stories, too often, we writers forget to include the other senses. Or, when we do use them, they’re used in isolation or used in their expected form, i.e. the scent of toast wafts through the door.

I like to compare using the senses to creating a painting. A pencil sketch outline of your painting is a normal sentence without the senses. Nothing wrong with that shit, I adore pencil pictures. 

But when you pour the senses into your prose, it’s like turning a pencil drawing into a mixed-media full color piece of art. It breathes life into your masterpiece.

BUT HOW DO YOU USE THEM?

With the senses, think outside the box rather than using them in their most obvious guise. For example, touch includes temperature and vibrations as well as texture. Consider describing things like buildings, the weather and air, the ground, skin, weapons, clothes, nature and even emotions. You might not think of emotions as having a texture, but they do! Think about the hot, throb of rage, or the cold, prickle of fear.

Likewise with taste, how often have you tasted rage or perhaps the tang of jealousy? Or what about tasting the weather? I’m sure you can all imagine the cold crisp breath of wintery air. 

Tips to Improve Your Prose 4: Drop the Standard Character Descriptions

When introducing characters to your story, most writers describe their brown hair or blue eyes. But think about it. When you finish a book do you remember the colour of a character’s hair? Or do you remember what they stood for? Their strange quirks and how they made you feel?

I thought so.

There’s a few tricks you can use to ensure your characters stand out to your reader and describing their eye colour ain’t one of them.

While, YES, you do need to describe their physical appearance, what makes a character more memorable are their quirky features. Take Sherlock Holmes, does anyone even know what colour his eyes are? Didn’t think so.

And if you’re the smart arse shouting they’re brown at the screen, shut the fuck up, and get back in your box.

What we remember about sherlock is that he’s a pipe smoking genius. Or maybe his suspicious fashion choices, Deerstalker hat anyone? 

For each of your characters, create your normal physical description, but make sure you add one or two quirks. In Sherlock’s example, he has: a pipe, Deerstalker hats, tweed, and a magnifying glass. 

Instead of focusing on the normal details, mention those in passing and have your protagonist notice the unusual quirks your new character has. It makes them much more memorable.

Tips to Improve Your Prose 6: Anchor that Shit

A lack of scene anchoring is one of the fastest ways to disengage a reader.

But what is it?

Scene anchoring is the process of grounding a reader in time, space and point of view.

Every time you open a new scene or new chapter, your reader needs to know three things in order to not feel like they’ve been thrown around a washing machine having consumed a socially unacceptable amount of gin.

Number 1: WHO is telling the story. If you write stories from multiple POVs thats even more important. If you write in first person, give yourself a pat on the back, you get to feel like a smug bastard.

Number 2: WHERE are they? Are they in space? Are they amoebas stuck on the ass cheek of a cricket? Or are they in a fantasy castle?

This is even more important if your characters have moved between scenes. Your reader might’ve put your book down at the end of the last scene break. If so, they’re gonna need a refresher.

Number 3: WHEN are they? Has time passed since the last scene? Don’t expect your readers to know. They aren’t mind readers.  Be clear. Tell them if time has passed.

Tips to Improve Your Prose 7: Always Strengthen Your Verbs

Here’s the thing. Weak verbs are vague. Vague means your reader doesn’t really know what the fuck you’re trying to say. Don’t do that to your reader. It’s rude. But what’s a weak verb?

Hit. That’s a weak verb.

What the hell is a hit anyway? Is it a gentle tap? Is it a flirtatious nudge in the ribs? Is it a violent clobbering to the head?

TELL ME AUTHORS. WHAT IS IT?

Be specific. 

Is it a nudge? Nudges are softer they don’t hurt. Which means, nudge is a stronger verb. The action of nudging is specific. If it’s a punch, that’s also specific. You can’t punch someone by accident. If you punch someone in the dick, it’s going to fucking hurt.

Use strong verbs.

Tips to Improve Your Prose 8: Unusual Details

One fast way to create deeper characterisation, is to ensure your protagonist notices unusual details. Details no other character would. And these details should be connected to their personality type too. 

If, for example, you have a character who’s super empathetic, then they ought to notice subtle body language changes in other characters. This not only deepens your protagonist’s character. It deepens the character they’re looking out for too.

Got a protagonist with an eye for patterns? Then they should spot patterns throughout the story. AND especially a clue or pattern that leads to the magical sword of destiny that saves the day.

Let your protagonist notice unusual details when describing people, places, events. It’s the nuances in their noticings (that’s probably a word) that reveals their personality.

Where one character notices the sadness in another’s eye. Another protagonist might notice that they’re not carrying a blade they usually do.

DETAILS, PEOPLE. THE DETAILS MATTER.

Tips to Improve Your Prose 9: Differentiate the Dialogue

Ever worried that all your characters sound the same? It’s cause you haven’t differentiated the dialogue. BUT HOW, SACHA? HOW DO YOU DO IT? 

A stack of ways. Here’s some ideas.

Think about your character’s personality type and let that influence the way they speak. Got yourself a stuff professor? Have them use long stuffy words like:

• Furthermore
• In addition
• The definitive conclusion

Got a gang member? Make sure they’re using slang or gang-specific words. Got yourself a diva? Make sure they’re sarcastic and throwing verbal takedowns like it’s candy on halloween. It’s all about your characters personality. When you know what that is, it becomes their voice.

Tips to Improve Your Prose 9: Avoid Exposition

Exposition is a crude tool. Essentially, exposition occurs when you the author explain something to the reader. Ever heard of mansplaining?

This is authorsplaining.

SURE, sometimes we need to tell because otherwise our manuscripts would be 4687 pages long. No matter how good your writing, a reader doesn’t want a book that long.

So when can you “expose”? Stop thinking about breasts. I don’t mean exposing yourselves. Heathens.

How can you tell you’ve exposed your inner story secrets? The two easiest ways are looking for long dense paragraphs of text or finding those paragraphs that take the reader out of the “present action”.

If for example, you’re in a space ship racing towards a fight and suddenly you’re talking about the laws around alien government, then you’re taking the reader out of the present action to talk about something else. You’re authorsplaining. STOP THAT SHIT.

So when is exposition or telling allowed?

• Action scenes
• Where there’s a need for pace
• Shifting scenes
• Younger protagonists
• When it’s in character
• Reader attention 
• Complex worldbuilding 
• Avoiding narrative repetition

THAT’S IT. ten quick tips to help you polish up your prose. If you enjoyed these tips, then make sure you go grab yourself a copy of The Anatomy of Prose: 12 Steps to Sensational Sentences because there’s a whole lotta other tips in that. You can get it in your favorite book store or you can order a copy through your local library.

Get your copy of The Anatomy of Prose

Get your copy of The Anatomy of Prose Workbook

Rebel Author Podcast Episode 33 Show Notes

This week’s questions is:

What is your favorite literary device?

Book recommendation this week The Anatomy of Prose: 12 Steps to Sensational Sentences you can get it in ebook, paperback or hardback now.

Click the link here.

Preorder the Workbook here.

Join the Launch Party tonight, 29^th May 9pm BST, 1pm PST, 4pm EST, 6am Sydney, in my Facebook group here.

Listen to the Next Level Author episode I mentioned here:

Watch onYouTube 

Listen on your Podcatcher 

Listener Rebel of the Week is Russell Phillips

If you’d like to be a Rebel of the week please do send in your story, it can be any kind of rebellion. You can email your rebel story to rebelauthorpodcast@gmail.com or tweet me @rebelauthorpod

Thank you to new patrons this week Katlyn Duncan, Samurai Girl and Daniel Willcocks. If you’d like to support the show, and get access to all the bonus essays, posts and content, you can from as little as $2 a month by visiting: www.patreon.com/sachablack

The post 10 Tips to Improve Your Prose – The Anatomy of Prose Launch appeared first on Sacha Black.

There’s stacks happening to celebrate the launch. First up, I’ll be bringing you a super special launch post all about how to improve your prose later today. So stay tuned for that.

Then, this evening, I’ll be running a LIVE Q&A in my Facebook group Rebel Authors. If you’d like to join the festivities, or ask me anything about writing, publishing, marketing or the universe, hop over to the group. The show starts at 9pm BST, 1pm PST, 4pm EST, 6am Sydney, in my Facebook group here.

Find Out More About the Book

Do your sentences fail to sound the way you want? Are they lackluster, with flat characters and settings? Is your prose full of bad habits and crutches?

In The Anatomy of Prose, you’ll discover: 

• A step-by-step guide to creating descriptions that sing
• The key to crafting character emotions that will hook a reader
• How to harness all five senses to make your stories come alive, deepening your reader’s experience
• Tips and tricks for balancing details at the sentence level
• Methods for strengthening each sentence through strategic word choice, rhythm and flow
• Dozens of literary devices, and how to utilize them to give your prose power
• Tactics for differentiating characters in dialogue as well as making it punchy and unforgettable
• A comprehensive prose-specific self-editing check list
• How to embody your character’s personality at the sentence level
• The most common pitfalls and mistakes to avoid

The Anatomy of Prose is a comprehensive writing guide that will help you create sensational sentences. Whether you’re just starting out or are a seasoned writer, this book will power up your prose, eliminate line-level distractions and help you find the perfect balance of show and tell. By the end of this book, you’ll know how to strengthen your sentences to give your story, prose and characters the extra sparkle they need to capture a reader’s heart.

If you like dark humor, learning through examples and want to create perfect prose, then you’ll love Sacha Black’s guide to crafting sensational sentences. Read The Anatomy of Prose today and start creating kick-ass stories.

Get your copy of The Anatomy of Prose

Get your copy of The Anatomy of Prose Workbook

The post The Anatomy of Prose Launch is HERE! appeared first on Sacha Black.

I don’t mind admitting I’m a selfish reader. I’ve always read exactly what I want for no other reason than, I felt like it. So I never paid much attention to whether or not it was useful or beneficial. But now, as a writer, whilst I still need some of that escapism by falling into a good book, I’ve come to realise I also need to read to aid my writing – and I’m not just talking about non fiction books that teach you writing skills. This is part one in a two part series, looking at reading like a writer – reading what you NEED and reading what you WANT.

When I was at school I hated Shakespeare. I didn’t get it. I didn’t understand any of his wordy sentences, or the elaborate metaphors. I figured he was just another drunk writer that got famous after he died. But then, my discontent was probably more to do with the prescription of school and the incessant deconstruction of texts, than Shakespeare himself. It wasn’t until I voluntarily picked up Shakespeare in my teens that I really grew a deep appreciation for him.

I outlined my writing process and 8 steps to discover your own perfect process last week. I’m drawing close to the end of the first draft of my novel and as a result have started to think about second and third drafts and what might need doing, which led me to Shakespeare. In my second and third drafts come the detail and description.

Whilst I have lots of ideas and a vivid imagination to create plots worlds and characters, as someone who primarily learned to write academic stuff, actually being able to convey the images in my head with enough poetic description to conjure fantastical worlds for readers, takes more practice than I’ve had. I need a parrot constantly sitting on my shoulder barking “Context, Context, Description,” reminders at me. I’m referring to similes, metaphors, and descriptively evocative passages.

So as a writer, that’s what I NEED to read. I need to find novels, passages, and poetry that are spectacular examples of creating vivid imagery through context and description. Who better than Shakespeare himself. (yes there are lots of writers I could have looked at, but I fancied a bit of Shakespeare today!)

Do you know what your weaknesses are as a writer? Could your dialogue do with a brush up? Maybe your characters aren’t quite as full of life as you would like, or maybe your world hasn’t come across the way you thought it would. None of us are perfect. So there will be something you can work on. If you don’t know what you need to develop, then ask someone else. Ask a trusted person who won’t crush you, but will be honest at the same time. When you work out what you need to practice, research writers who excel at it.

It’s ironic that I hated the thought of deconstructing Shakespeare at school, and now that’s exactly what I am about to do! Although there’s a lot we can learn from Shakespeare, for the purposes of this post, and in support of thinking about my next draft I’m focusing specifically on his poetic style and ability to create spectacular imagery.

My favourite passage of Shakespeare’s depicts this beautifully. It’s slightly dark but I adore the imagery and tragic metaphors in it. I give you, Macbeth’s final soliloquy:

She should have died hereafter;

There would have been a time for such a word.

— To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,

Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,

To the last syllable of recorded time;

And all our yesterdays have lighted fools

The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!

Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player

That struts and frets his hour upon the stage

And then is heard no more. It is a tale

Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury

Signifying nothing.

— Macbeth (Act 5, Scene 5, lines 17-28)

I’ve bolded the bit that I really love.

‘Life’s but a walking shadow’ in other words life’s just an illusion. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s a powerful image. It reminds me of Peter Pan’s shadow, prancing around mocking the kids in Wendy’s nursery. I think the way he takes ‘life’ such a complex concept and uses such a simple comparison to draw a powerful image is quite frankly awe inspiring. But that’s the point, right? Use imagery to turn complex concepts into simple images. Sounds simple… *slaps forehead, pulls at face – wishes it was that simple*.

‘a poor player That struts and frets his hour upon the stage And then is heard no more.’ A poor actor who struts and worries for his hour on the stage and then is never heard from again. Such a sad image; an actor who works slaves for lifetime, practicing through the blood sweat and tears to finally get a break and then, only gets 15 minutes of fame. Forgotten forever, like the army of hopeful thespians who came before him, and the budding recruits yet to come. Sad, yet cuttingly true – not everyone can be famous.

The last line, ‘It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury Signifying nothing.’

Life is a story told by an idiot, full of noise and emotional disturbance but devoid of meaning. Not sure how comfortable I am with the sweeping generalization we’re all idiots! But I get his point. We do get caught up in the mundane, or caught up in the shallow intricacies of fads and social hierarchy, and that ultimately is meaningless. Does he really mean that life is meaningless? I hope not, I like to think he is making a point that Macbeth’s life was pointless – he spent it doing despicable acts, and if you do the same, then at the end, life becomes meaningless. Macbeth lived the life of a shadow, an illusion of life.

Isn’t that a wonderful image? Ok, I read into a lot, and the average reader skims through words at a thousand knots trying to get to the end of the chapter, see what happens next. But if I can convey even a slither of that imagery I would be a happy lady.

Tell me in the comments below: do you know what your weakness is? If so, what is it? And what authors do you (or will you) try and learn from?

The post Learn To Read Like A Writer – Read What You NEED appeared first on Sacha Black.