How whitespace affects reading

cj Sez: Since Halloween is only a couple of days away, here’s your next book to read:

  Perfect for the upcoming holiday: HALLOWEEN PIECES . . . An anthology of 18 pieces of work by 17 authors

A short paranormal story I’m kind of proud of, “Once in a Blue Moon,” is included in this fourth installment of the Mobile Writers Guild anthology PIECES series. Paperback and ebook available. Kindle is $1.99.

 

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  Searching my archives for blog ideas, I came across this 2020 post by Ellen Buikema on the Writers in the Storm blog. I am a big fan/follower of the concept for all of my writing and believe it’s worthy of sharing. Granted my excerpt from her post is directed more to formatters and self-publishers, but the entire post speaks to presentations, too, whether as an author at a conference or in the business world conference rooms.

  Since creating presentations for senior management was part of my career in the automotive industry, I would add that for visual presentations don’t use small, thin, script fonts (need 20 point or greater) and don’t use pastel colors for text or graphs. They’re almost invisible to anyone beyond the first row of your audience. 

  Read the full post by clicking on the link for Ellen’s post below.

Ellen Buikema wrote:

Like a pause in a song, white space can help create drama, emotion, a bit of quiet before a storm of words.

White space is the canvas where we paint our words.

Writers can affect readers with the use of white space in several ways.

1. White space draws the reader’s attention to the words on the page, makes the print easier to read, and improves comprehension.

2. Space on the page makes finding where the reader left off reading quick and easy.

3. Kerning, the space between letters, can change the look of the print and add meaning. Just as using all capitals can be interpreted as yelling, extra space between letters may emphasize speaking words slowly. “You need to s  l  o  w  down.”  (cj Sez…Personally, I’d use this only in advertising and poetry.)

4. The use of white space at the beginning and ending of chapters gives the reader a visual break. Some writers and formatters choose to begin a new chapter halfway down the page. Others like to start all chapters on the right-hand side of the book for physical copies. A new chapter beginning on the same page as the previous chapter looks like a formatting error.

5. Line spacing may be adjusted to fit next to or around a photo or illustration, or from left to right margin across the page. Avoiding a line with the final word of a sentence dangling all by its lonesome self on the following page is a good thing and can be done using line spacing as well as kerning.

6. Blank pages are helpful in the case of an anthology of short stories, particularly if the spacing and word count send the ending of one story onto the right-hand page. A blank side gives the reader emotional space to regroup for the next tale.

Ways to create white space:

1. The use of images surrounded by a margin of space: illustrations, icons, graphs, photos, all give the reader a brief rest and let the mind focus on something different.

2. Bullet points and numbered lists make reading quicker, scan-able.

3. Variable sentence lengths make for more pleasurable reading. Too many long sentences in a row create blocky text. If you pause and go back to a big block of text. it is really difficult to find one’s place.

4. Use shorter paragraphs. 

( Source: https://writersinthestormblog.com/2020/03/white-space-in-writing/ )

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  Okay, that’s it for today. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Raising prayers for a happy and safe you.

cj

Now a note from my sponsors:

  My novels THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA are fast-paced, thriller/suspense stories with sassy banter and a smidgen of romance. (Perfect diversions for a quick weekend getaway.)

  The books are available on Amazon or through your favorite eTailer and bookstore. Got a library card? You can read the ebooks free from Hoopla.

  Little note: When you shop The Haunted Book Shop, I can drop in and sign copies of my books for you. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us  Angela Trigg, the awesome owner and a RITA Award-winning author in her own right (writing as Angela Quarles) will be happy to ship you any book(s) by any author of your choice.

➜ Follow me on . . .  

➜ Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page

➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor

➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson

➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

 

Are Writers' Conferences Worth It?

cj Sez: It’s been a while since I’ve traveled out-of-state to a writer’s conference, but it’s not because I think I don’t need to attend since I’m already published.

  I’ll answer that question with a “yes, writers' conferences are worth it.” I always benefit from some nuggets of helpful advice/information at any conference. And networking with fellow authors is a major plus. For me, though, it’s a time and money thing. When I have the money, I can’t seem to break out the time, and when I have the time, I’ve already spent my money on something else. (sigh)

  That said, I thought making a conference plan for next year might help. I’ve had my eye on the Mystery Writers of America Florida Chapter’s Sleuthfest conference (www.sleuthfest.com). I’ve never been to this conference, and it’s about a day’s drive away from home. Bouchercon is another maybe go-to. Their 2024 conference is scheduled to be in Nashville, which is also a day’s drive. Do you have any other possibilities to share?

  Maybe I can call a trip to a conference a gift to me. My Christmas and birthday presents all rolled up into one gift. If the stars align just right . . . just maybe.

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For writers:

  Some Helpful Hints: https://janefriedman.com/what-it-means-to-make-your-story-relatable/

  A Little Nudge. . . The beginning of National Novel Writing Month is nearly here (November 1). Get more info here: https://nanowrimo.org/ 

This is how you do it: you sit down at the keyboard and you put one word after another until it’s done. It’s that easy, and that hard. — Neil Gaiman

  Getting ready to publish: After I take my manuscript as far as I can (several edit cycles, a manuscript exchange with out-of-state authors that write in my genre, and if I’m really lucky, a beta reader), I need the input of an expert, an editor, for her/his expertise in the character
development and plot enhancements that make the story work. Whether submitting queries to agents or self-publishing, having the manuscript professionally edited is an essential part of the process. Do not skip that step.

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A review for readers (and writers because we are all readers):

Paradise Valley by USAToday best-selling author Rosanne Bittner is not a new release but one that I happened across while doing research.

  The novel is historical fiction—a Western romance about Maggie McPhee Tucker and Sage Lightfoot. Violated, battered, and widowed while on her way to Oregon, Maggie is determined to exact vengeance for her husband’s murder. Sage lets her tag along with him even though he has his doubts, but Maggie holds her own and then some in untamed Wyoming in the mid-1880s.

  Ms. Bittner knows her historical facts but doesn’t beat the reader over the head with them. I particularly enjoyed the fast pace and conflict that were not interrupted by historical detail dumps that some writers pack into one complex sentence.

  I’m not into sappy romance stories with bleeding hearts, and Paradise Valley is none of that. It’s tightly written, gritty, and tough, as I would
expect the Wild West to be. If you like strong women and men who will do what it takes to do more than just survive, you’ll like this novel. I give it 4.5 Stars. 

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  Here’s a quiz for you…Can you name all of these felines from my descriptions?

  The daughter of a queen; the Pink Panther's valet; Hardee's puts cheese, egg, and bacon on it; that can of specialty small corn kernels; orange and sweet and spread on toast; female and friendly with all the boys; Star Wars bad guy all in black with the raspy voice; he's starvin'.

  Disclaimer: Not all of these kitties live in my house; some just come for the free food on the patio or porch and leave.

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Okay, that’s it for today. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Raising prayers for a happy and safe you.

cj

Now a note from my sponsors:

Perfect for the upcoming holiday: HALLOWEEN PIECES . . . 18 pieces of 

My short paranormal story I’m kind of proud of, “Once in a Blue Moon,” included in this fourth installment of the Mobile Writers Guild anthology PIECES series. Paperback and ebook available. Kindle is $1.99.

My novels THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA are fast-paced, thriller/suspense stories with sassy banter and a smidgen of romance. (Perfect diversions for a quick weekend getaway.)

The books are available on Amazon or through your favorite eTailer and bookstore. Got a library card? You can read the ebooks free from Hoopla.

The Haunted Book Shop has a few signed copies of my books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us  If she happens to be sold out, I have a small stash. 

  Angela Trigg, the awesome owner and a RITA Award-winning author in her own right (writing as Angela Quarles) will be happy to ship you any book(s) by any author of your choice.

➜ Follow me on . . .  

➜ Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page

➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor

➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson

➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

 

Do or do not...the story behind the stories

cj Sez: I’ve been saying for a long time . . . way too long a time . . . that I’m trying to learn how to write a mystery. In fact, sitting in front of my keyboard staring at my WIP, I said it just the other day. Then I saw this meme:

  It reminded me that it has always been my habit that if I want to learn how to do something and have set an achievable goal, I have done what’s necessary to reach it. In other words, if I really want to do something, I will do it.

  I once had a wild hair thought and decided I wanted to go white water rafting. When I was 50, I took six weeks of swimming lessons and then
spent 5-1/2 days sleeping on the ground with 12 strangers on an Outward Bound rafting trip on the Yampa River between Colorado and Utah. I had a great adventure, made some interesting friends, and still don’t know how to swim. (That adventure is part and parcel of my novel “Choosing Carter” which I revised/re-edited/self-published as DEATH ON THE YAMPA.)

  When I first wanted to learn how to write, I enrolled in a creative writing class at a local community college. I flew to San Francisco and spent three days immersed in Robert McKee’s Story screenwriting workshop. I grabbed a bunch of how-to books. I read mystery novels and read some more of all genres.

  Over time, I discovered I was drawn to the books of Robert B. Parker, Elmore Leonard, John Grisham, James Lee Burke, Robert Ludlum’s Bourne series. You know the kind, heavy on the action and adventure with a smattering of sex. When I relocated from Detroit to Mobile, I took a continuing education class at the University of South Alabama (“Storming the Walls of the Publishing Industry”), wrote seven paragraphs based on a prompt from the instructor, and, with a positive response written on the paper, decided I was ready to write. (Those seven paragraphs eventually became “Deadly Star”, which I revised/re-edited/self-published as THE DAWGSTAR.)

  Writing in vacuum doesn’t work. I thought my premise was wonderful, the words and structure perfect. I wrote crap. There was no brilliant beginning, middle, or end. There was only a quasi-beginning, a sagging middle, and an unsatisfying end. And I couldn’t even edit out all the punctuation errors because I would read right past them.

  So, I joined a writers’ group and a critique group – a couple of critique groups, in fact, in order to get the kind of varied writer/reader responses I would get should my novel be on a library shelf. I went to conferences and writer retreats and workshops. My first short story was published in an anthology 2008, my first novel in 2013.

  At first, my stories and novels were traditionally published, but understanding that the publication world is a fickle place, I took an intensive class in self-publishing and bought tons of back-up/how-to reference materials. And you know what? It feels very good to know that I prepared myself for the option because I requested my rights back from Simon and Schuster then re-edited and renamed the novels and self-published them in 2021. I continue to submit my short stories to publishers.

  The point I’m trying to make is that, whatever it is you want to do, you have to make your “want to” a real goal in order to succeed. To be achievable, perhaps the goal is a first step. For me, that means reassessing my want-to. I must own the task. I will either do or do not.

  Reader or writer, today’s lesson: Set a goal and write it down. You might be surprised at how far you can go.

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  Readers: This fourth installment of the Mobile Writers Guild PIECES anthology series is a perfect complement to the first of the upcoming holidays. .  . 18 pieces of work by 17 authors.

   “Once in a Blue Moon” is a paranormal short story that was my first effort in that genre.

  The book is readily available in paperback or ebook—Kindle is $1.99.

§§

  Writers: National Novel Writing Month is on the horizon. Get more info here: https://nanowrimo.org/  

§§

  Okay, that’s it for today. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Raising prayers for a happy and safe you.

cj

Now a note from my sponsors:

  THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA are fast-paced, thriller/suspense stories with sassy banter and a smidgen of sweet romance. (Perfect diversions for a quick weekend getaway.)

  The books are available on Amazon or through your favorite eTailer and bookstore. Got a library card? You can read the ebooks free from Hoopla.

  Little note: The Haunted Book Shop has some signed copies of my books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us  If she happens to be sold out, I have a small stash. Angela Trigg, the awesome owner and a RITA Award-winning author in her own right (writing as Angela Quarles) will be happy to ship you any book(s) by any author of your choice.

➜ Follow me on . . .  

➜ Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page

➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor

➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson

➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

It's that time of year again

cj Sez: It’s the time of year when all the stores, and I do mean all, gather the end of the year holidays into one gigantic marketing blitz.

One of my regular favorite toons

So I ask you, “Do you have your Christmas shopping done yet?”

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  This fourth installment of the Mobile Writers Guild PIECES anthology series is a perfect complement to the first of the upcoming holidays.   

“Once in a Blue Moon” is a paranormal short story that was my first effort in that genre. I hope you enjoy the teaser…it was also a first effort.

  The book is  readily available in paperback or ebook—Kindle is $1.99.

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  Writers: I don’t know about you, but my first thought when someone says write a “pitch” is that brief, grab-the-gist-of-the-story elevator pitch, boiled down to about 27 words—given the amount of time you might have to describe your novel if you happen to get caught in an elevator with an agent. Well, surprise, surprise. Did you know there is more than one kind of pitch? Read more about it in author Amy L. Bernstein’s recent post on Jane Friedman’s blog: https://janefriedman.com/the-other-pitch-packages-authors-should-prepare/

  By the by, as the masthead of Lyrical Pens says, if you have a book (new or old) you want to promote with a blog post, drop me a note. We can arrange a blog date…the only caveat is that this site is PG 13.

 

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To quote a master . . .

“Here's what I want from a book, what I demand, what I pray for when I take up a novel and begin to read the first sentence: I want everything and nothing less, the full measure of a writer's heart. I want a novel so poetic that I do not have to turn to the standby anthologies of poetry to satisfy that itch for music, for perfection and economy of phrasing, for exactness of tone. Then, too, I want a book so filled with story and character that I read page after page without thinking of food or drink because a writer has possessed me, crazed with an unappeasable thirst to know what happens next.”   ― Pat Conroy ( https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/6942.Pat_Conroy?page=2 )

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 Okay, that’s it for this post. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Raising prayers for a happy and safe you.

cj

Now a note from my sponsors:

 My novels THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA are fast-paced, thriller/suspense stories with sassy banter and a smidgen of sweet romance. (Perfect diversions for a quick weekend getaway.) 

  The books are available on Amazon or through your favorite eTailer and bookstore. Got a library card? You can read the ebooks free from Hoopla.

  Little note: The Haunted Book Shop has some signed copies of my books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us  If she happens to be sold out, I have a small stash. Angela Trigg, the awesome owner and a RITA Award-winning author in her own right (writing as Angela Quarles) will be happy to ship you any book(s) by any author of your choice.

 

➜ Follow me on . . .  

➜ Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page

➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor

➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson

➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

 

 

Are you at the stage where you have a saggy middle?

cj Sez: My first dream in creative writing was to become a screenwriter. In case you don't remember my tale of how I got started, in 2001, I flew from Detroit to San Francisco to take a three-day seminar called Story from internationally renowned, story consultant Robert McKee. Didn't take long to discover I probably had no chance at that career. (Drop me a note and ask me why.)

  But the experience was invaluable for my writing career, because I learned to visualize my story. I saw that I needed to create characters who are archetypes not stereotypes and write action/dialogue scenes that show their stories. I’m a work in progress in this deep point of view, because I still learn something new every day. How characters react and what they don’t say can speak volumes to readers who enjoy trying to solve the crime or mystery as the story progresses.

 

  One of the ways I do that is to create a bio for every character, including the antagonist—they're the most fun. Not just the physical description but a lot of their life/backstory (which must never become the dreaded “Info Dump”). Bios help me understand what they would say and how they might react in the situation I create for them. I do bleed in a bit of their background in some scenes, trying to help the reader see and understand the character’s motivation.

  I’ve talked with writers who visualize some movie star or other playing a character in their books. Is that something you do?  I can’t do that. I don’t see a specific person, I visualize the whole characterization as I’ve written it—I’ll leave it to Stephen Spielberg or Francis Ford Coppola to find the mega-star best suited for the role (ha ha).

  Most writers, and I am very much included in that generalization, may or may not have an idea on a theme. (They should. See the Jane Friedman link below.). We struggle with an opening hook, but a lot of us also know how we want the story to end, so that’s all set. It’s the middle that can be the real problem. It wants to sag. Like an old married couple, sometimes the excitement fades away, unless, like that married couple, we work at it.   

  Shoring up a saggy middle without adding a lot of blah-blah-blah always takes a lot of editing. 

 To help me out in this process, I read the dialogue aloud as I go along. Does it sound natural? Are the sentences too complete and so full of blah-blah information that they slow the cadence and pace of the story? Adding unnecessary words can happen anywhere, but it very often happens in the middle part of a story when I’m trying to reach the word count I want/need. Often, I have to change a character’s name, a story thread, a sentence structure, or, as was true for my first novel, the whole genre —it started as an action/adventure love story that the publisher/editor changed to a romantic suspense and which I, in 2021, changed to a thriller/suspense, THE DAWGSTAR. 

  A 5-star reviewer didn’t complain about a saggy middle, so I guess I was successful. Now I work hard to keep that momentum going for all the rest of my works.

  What do you do to shore up the saggy middle of your story? And if you don’t ever suffer a saggy middle, don’t tell me. I’d feel so inept.

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 In a recent post on Jane Friedman’s blog, author, editor, and book coach Sharon Skinner writes that “Theme is a critical element of story, but it is more than just the point you are making.” Read more here: https://janefriedman.com/3-ways-to-use-theme-to-deepen-your-story

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  Okay, readers, especially for you: Stop by my Facebook author page (at https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor ) to follow my days-long series of posts spotlighting my stories and each day introduce a different author in a different genre. Follow the link to their FB pages for info on what they write, and you might just find some new favorite authors there.

§§

  That’s it for today. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Raising prayers for a happy and safe you. 

cj

Now a note from my sponsors:

  Perfect for the upcoming holiday: HALLOWEEN PIECES, the fourth installment of the Mobile Writers Guild anthology PIECES series.

  “Once in a Blue Moon,” a paranormal short story I’m kind of proud of, is included in this book. Paperback or ebook is available—Kindle is $1.99.

  My novels THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA are fast-paced, thriller/suspense stories with sassy banter and a smidgen of sweet romance. (Perfect diversions for a quick weekend getaway.) The books are available on Amazon or through your favorite eTailer and bookstore. Got a library card? You can read the ebooks free from Hoopla.

  Little note: The Haunted Book Shop has some signed copies of my books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us  If she happens to be sold out, I have a small stash. Angela Trigg, the awesome owner and a RITA Award-winning author in her own right (writing as Angela Quarles) will be happy to ship you any book(s) by any author of your choice.

➜ Follow me on . . .  

➜ Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page

➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor

➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson

➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6