Writing

How to Master the Apostrophe

January 10, 2025 By LDSPMA Leave a Comment

Apostrophes are one of the most diverse punctuation marks in the English language. They can be used and placed in various ways to change the meaning of a sentence. You’ll want to make sure you’re using them correctly, so that your writing reads clearly. In this article, we’ll outline simple rules that will bring confidence and accuracy to your apostrophe use in the future.

This is an apostrophe: ’ It is also known as the right single quotation mark.

This looks like an apostrophe but is not: ‘ It is the left single quotation mark, which can’t be interchanged with an apostrophe.

Apostrophes are used for three main reasons: signifying possessives, replacing missing letters or numbers, and—rarely—to form plurals.

1. Signifying Possessives

This is the most complicated use of the apostrophe. Possessives have a handful of nuances based on singular or plural form and, in some cases, the pronunciation of the individual word. But don’t let that scare you. We’ll lay out some simple rules you can follow so you’ll get this down in no time.

Singular Possessive

This is the easy one. To show that a singular person, place, or thing possesses something or someone else, add an apostrophe and an s to the end of the noun.

The cat’s paws were as pristine as a white carpet.

A student’s book was in the street.

My toddler’s red balloon sailed into the sky.

The same rule applies to singular nouns that end in s. Add both the apostrophe and the s at the end of the word.

James’s dog chases Chris’s ball.

Arkansas’s capital has a booming industry.

Agnes’s report said that her crocus’s petals were as vibrant as ever.

Note: Not every style guide agrees on the treatment of singular nouns as possessives. For example, in the Associated Press (AP) style, the noun being proper or common will determine whether to use an apostrophe or the apostrophe s. However, the majority of style guides, including Chicago style (CMOS), American Psychological Association style (APA), and Modern Language Association style (MLA), agree with the rule above.

Plural Possessive

Most plural words in the English language end in s or es to show more than one person, place, or thing. For those plural possessives, add only the apostrophe after the end of the word.

The knives’ sharpness made even the most experienced chefs take precaution.

My sisters’ shoes always look pristine.

The boxes’ angles interested the children.

For plural nouns that don’t end in s or es, we revert back to the original rule. Add an apostrophe and an s.

The children’s toys were sprawled across the room.

The mice’s tails whipped behind them as they ran.

The women’s discussion enlightened each member of the room.

There are a handful of words in English that end in s both when they are singular and plural. Examples are leggings and politics. For these kinds of words, just add an apostrophe like you would for plural words ending in s, even if they are used in a singular sense.

The headquarters’ main office had cubicles.

The crossroads’ intersections both needed to be cleared of debris.

The tweezers’ prongs were sharper than necessary.

Similarly, words that have a plural form ending in s but are singular in meaning, like United States, follow the same rule of adding only an apostrophe.

Beverly Hills’ homes are some of the most expensive in the country.

Longwood Gardens’ woodlands contain over 100 floral species.

Portland Academy of Writers’ meetings are extensive and informative.

Joint Possession

When a noun is owned by two or more people, this is called joint possession. The placement of the apostrophe (or apostrophes) in joint possession will change the meaning of the sentence. If two or more people own the same item, only one apostrophe is used with the last written owner’s name. If two or more people own separate but similar items, apostrophes are used with each written owner’s name.

For example, if we wanted to talk about dogs that were owned by both Jim and Pam, we would write, “Jim and Pam’s dogs.” The apostrophe is placed only after Pam’s name to show that Jim and Pam own the same dogs. If we wanted to talk about dogs that were owned separately, some by Jim and some by Pam, we would write, “Jim’s and Pam’s dogs.” The apostrophes after both names signify that Jim and Pam do not own the same dogs but have their own set of dogs.

Chancy, Noah, and Clara’s parents celebrated their 28th anniversary.

(Chancy, Noah, and Clara all have the same parents.)

Emma’s, Anthony’s, and Sawyer’s parents shop at the same grocery store.

(Emma, Anthony, and Sawyer all have different parents.)

Halley and Stuart’s bakery is located on the corner.

(Halley and Stuart own the same bakery.)

Josie’s and Caleb’s bakeries are across the street from each other.

(Josie and Caleb own two separate bakeries.)

Last Names Ending in S

Here’s a little bonus section for you. Sometimes last names that end in s can make the plural and the possessive complicated. But if you follow the rules stated above, you can figure out the correct way to write each last name in each situation.

Let’s say the last name is Leavitt. If we want to talk about one Leavitt (singular) in the possessive form, we would add an apostrophe and an s. “Sophie Leavitt’s nails were painted red.”

If we want to talk about all the people in the Leavitt family (plural), it would be Leavitts. Now, let’s add the possessive form with the plural. Like we mentioned above, for plurals already ending in s, simply add an apostrophe. “The Leavitts’ car is brand new.” Simple enough, right?

Here’s where the confusion comes in. What if the last name ends in s already? Let’s take the last name Roberts, for example. In the singular possessive form, we would say, “Ignacio Roberts’s house is the quaintest on the block.” Making that last name plural, it’s Robertses. Now, follow the same rule for a plural noun already ending in s: add only an apostrophe. “The Robertses’ cat dashed under our porch.”

2. Replacing Missing Letters or Numbers

Sometimes apostrophes stand in for letters or numbers. These are called contractions. For example, in the contraction don’t the apostrophe stands in for the missing o in the phrase do not. Here are more examples:

won’t for will not

’twas for it was

gov’t for government

rock ’n’ roll for rock and roll

cookin’ for cooking

Apostrophes standing in for numerals have less variations. They are mainly used to signify the year. So, instead of 1994, we could use an apostrophe to replace the numbers 19 and simply write ’94.

3. Forming Plurals

This is the least common use of the apostrophe. In fact, it’s pretty rare. An apostrophe can show the plural form only when adding an s or es would make the meaning ambiguous.

For example, if we’re talking about lowercase letters of the alphabet in the plural form, it would be confusing to read “The teacher wrote xes on the chalkboard.” The reader may not know if the teacher wrote more than one x or xes. Instead, to be very clear, we would use an apostrophe. “The teacher wrote x’s on the chalkboard.” This applies to lowercase letters, but capital letters are pluralized by adding only s. (“She got all As on her report card.”)

You may also see this same usage being applied to numbers, but it’s not as common. (“The algorithm required we use only 0’s and 1’s.”)

Apostrophes are diverse, but you can master them if you review the guidelines outlined above. The more you practice using apostrophes, the more confident you’ll be that you’re applying them correctly. To learn more about apostrophes, you can read the Chicago Manual of Style, sections 7.5–30 and 5.20. And if you’re ever confused, you can always refer back to this article.

We would like to thank Breanna Call and our friends at Ever Editing for allowing us to share this article with you. To read the other great articles they’ve written, click here.

Common Publishing Terms to Know

November 15, 2024 By LDSPMA Leave a Comment

If you’re jumping into the publishing world—welcome! We’re happy you’re here. We love new people, voices, and stories. As you’ve looked into writing groups, editing stages, publishers, and more, you’ve likely come across the many terms associated with the publishing industry. As with any trade, there is a plethora of jargon.

But there’s no need to be overwhelmed or confused as you step into your writing journey. We’ve got you covered. This publishing tip will introduce you to some of the main terms used in writing, editing, design, and publishing.

Acquisition. When a publisher “acquires” a manuscript and sends a contract to the writer for publication.

Advance Reader Copy (ARC). A copy of a book that is given to a select amount of readers before it is officially published. This allows readers to read the book before publication so that they can positively review the book as soon as it is published.

Alpha Reader. A reader who looks over the first, unpolished draft of a manuscript to give feedback.

Backlist. Books that are not newly published but are still in print.

Back Matter. The material in the back of a book, including afterwords, addendums, appendices, author biographies, epilogues, glossaries, and indices.

Beta Reader. A reader who gives feedback on a manuscript after it has gone through several drafts. Beta readers can be volunteer or paid and should be regular readers of the book’s genre.

Bibliography. Section in the back of a book that cites all sources that were consulted in the book’s research. Bibliographies are commonly found in genres such as nonfiction, reference books, and historical fiction.

Blurb. A brief description of a book that entices readers to read it. The blurb is commonly found on the back of a cover, inside a book jacket, and as the book description in an online store. Also known as cover blurb.

Character Arc. How a character develops from their original state at the beginning of the book to their new state at the end of the book based on the events that transpire throughout the storyline.

Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS). A style guide used in publishing that sets grammar, punctuation, and similar guidelines for publication. It is most commonly used in print publications, fiction books, and nonfiction books.

Climax. The part of a story that has the highest tension, emotion, and action and is a major turning point for the main character.

Comps. Published works that are similar to a writer’s own work. Comps are usually referred to when a writer is pitching their work or writing a proposal to an agent or publisher.

Copyediting. A type of editing that corrects errors in capitalization, grammar, punctuation, spelling, and usage. This stage of editing generally comes right before the book is put into printer-ready format.

Copyright. The right to publish, sell, and revise a work, be it written or artistic. This right generally belongs to the creator of the work automatically unless otherwise stated by the creator or sold by contract.

Cover Blurb. A brief description found on the cover of a book that entices readers to read the book. Also known as blurb.

Developmental Editing. A type of editing that evaluates overarching story elements, such as themes, organization, character arcs, and pacing for the manuscript as a whole. This stage of editing would be done before any other stage. Also known as substantive editing.

Editorial Letter. A letter that most often accompanies a developmental edit and can accompany other levels of editing. This letter is written by the editor and includes actionable steps and advice for revision of a draft.

Elevator Pitch. A short promotional description of a book that aims to sell the book as fast as possible. An elevator pitch is typically no more than 100 words and delivered vocally to agents, publishers, or potential readers.

Endnote. A source reference or author note that is listed at the end of a book or the end of a chapter. It is marked by a superscript in the main body of text.

Epilogue. A section at the end of a book that is found directly after the main chapter content. It can act as a conclusion for the book or give commentary on what happened in the story.

Flash Fiction. A short fictional publication generally no more than 1,500 words. It may be a few paragraphs or even a few words long.

Footnote. A source reference or author comment that is listed at the bottom of a printed page and marked by a superscript in the main body of text.

Foreword. Section at the beginning of a book that briefly describes how the book came into being and why readers should read the book. Forewords are typically written by someone other than the book’s author.

Front Matter. The material at the front of the book, including title pages, forwards, prefaces, copyrights, dedications, lists of publications by the same author, and tables of contents.

Galley. A typeset document that authors, editors, and publishers review before the final publication. Also known as a proof.

Hook. A sentence or paragraph that catches the reader’s attention and entices them to keep reading. Hooks can be found at the beginning of a book or chapter and even on cover material.

Hybrid Publishing. A new publishing model that combines aspects of traditional publishing and self-publishing. There are many variations of hybrid publishers that allow for more author involvement, but it is important for authors to research any hybrid publisher in order to avoid illegitimate publishing deals.

Imprint. The trade name a larger publisher uses to distinguish and publish a specific type and collection of books.

International Standard Book Number (ISBN). A number used to identify a specific book. This number is needed in order to sell a book.

Lead Time. The time between when an editor receives a book and when it is officially published.

Line Editing. A type of editing that amends discrepancies in tone, style, plot, and characterization at the paragraph and sentence levels. This stage of editing happens after a developmental edit and before a copyedit.

The Modern Language Association Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing (MLA). A style guide used in publishing that sets grammar, punctuation, and similar guidelines for publication. It is most commonly used in the humanities, liberal arts, and literary criticism.

Narrative Nonfiction. A genre of books in which actual events and facts are structured and presented in a storytelling style.

Pacing. How quickly or slowly key events in a story develop.

Pitch. A very brief written or verbal presentation of a book that authors use to entice agents, editors, or publishers to accept their book for representation or publication. This pitch may also be found in a query letter.

Printer. Not to be confused with a publisher, a printer is a company that prints the physical copy of a book.

Print on Demand (POD). A printing process that prints single physical copies of a book only after they are ordered by a customer, instead of printing a large amount of books at once to sell at a later time.

Prologue. A section at the beginning of a book that is sometimes found directly before the main storyline. It acts as an opening for the book or gives relevant information needed to understand what will happen in the story.

Proofreading. A type of editing that catches the final errors in the typeset format of a book, including making corrections in punctuation and formatting.

Proposal. A document sent to an agent, an editor, or a publisher to convince them to accept a manuscript for representation or publication. It may include a cover letter, an author’s bio and credentials, a query letter, comparable titles, sample chapters, an outline of the book, and marketing strategies.

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA). A style guide used in publishing that sets grammar, punctuation, and similar guidelines for publication. It is most commonly used in behavioral sciences, healthcare, and social science.

Publisher. A company that acquires, edits, designs, and markets a book. They also oversee public relations and sales.

Query Letter. A brief letter, typically one page or approximately 250 words, that is sent to an agent, editor, or publisher to convince them to accept your manuscript for representation or publication. A query letter includes a manuscript’s title, word count, and genre, as well as a hook, quick author bio, and synopsis of the story.

Revisions. The changes an author makes to a work.

Slush Pile. Unsolicited manuscripts received by an agent, editor, or publisher. These manuscripts may not be top priority and may not be read in a timely manner.

Story Arc. The chronological structure of a plot, including a beginning, a middle, and an ending.

Synopsis. A brief summary of a manuscript.

Title Page. A page near the front of the book that includes the title, subtitle, edition, author name, publisher, and, when necessary, the imprint.

Trope. A common theme or element found in a specific genre.

Typesetting. Formatting a manuscript from a Word document, Google Doc, or similar format to an industry-standard e-book or PDF.

Unique Selling Proposition (USP). What makes a book stand out in the marketplace.

Work in Progress (WIP). A manuscript that a writer is currently working on.

You’re sure to find many more terms and acronyms in the publishing world, but this list should give you a good starting point to understanding the rich jargon used by agents, editors, designers, publishers, readers, writers, and more.

We would like to thank Breanna Call and our friends at Ever Editing for allowing us to share segments of this article with you. To read the article in full, click here.

10 Writing Tips to Make Your Writing Glisten

September 6, 2024 By Kami Pehrson 1 Comment

I’ve always been the bookish sort, hanging out with imaginary characters in the library while my peers went out to recess, reading about adventures instead of going on them, and scanning the dictionary for sophisticated zingers to wield in future (and unlikely) debates. It wasn’t that I didn’t have many friends—though that is also true—but I believed I had a firm grasp of language arts from a young age. However, it wasn’t until I set out to write a novel that I discovered I’d been making some rookie mistakes. Through my study of the craft, suggestions from editors, and earning an MA in English and creative writing, I’ve compiled a list of tips you might find helpful. While no one wants their artistic endeavors stifled by dos and don’ts, incorporating these suggestions to align with your style will make your writing more effective, engaging, and concise.

Eliminate Adverbs
Stephen King once told me to cut out all my adverbs. Well, he didn’t tell me this personally, but I did listen to him narrate his audiobook On Writing, so it felt like he was speaking to me. This advice confused me at first. Why wouldn’t I want to use a million modifiers to clear up any ambiguity a lone verb might create in the reader’s mind? Well, because adverbs can be condescending and lazy. Strong verbs provide narrative context to allow the reader to grasp your meaning without relying on a plethora of -ly words. Readers are intuitive; go ahead and trust them. Use adverbs as you would cayenne pepper—just enough to give your writing a kick. (I learned this the hard way in writing and cooking—sorry, family).
Choose Your Dialogue Tags Carefully
I loved assigning a clever tag to each dialogue line in my stories. One character would “exclaim,” the next would “shout,” and another “declare.” However, these expressive tags distract from the dialogue and narrative flow. Stick to simple tags like “said” or “asked,” but even these aren’t entirely invisible. Mix them with action beats, internal thoughts, sensory details, and body language. If dialogue can be understood without a tag, don’t use one. Don’t reiterate a character’s emotion with a redundant tag. Also, be wary of onomatopoeic words like “grunt,” “snort,” “groan,” or “guffaw”—these sounds are hard to make while speaking.
Avoid Clichés
The adage “All that glitters is not gold” is as true now as when Shakespeare coined the phrase, but overuse of expressions degrades their literary impact. In dialogue, common idioms can reflect a character’s voice, background, or personality, but avoid them in narrative and descriptive passages. Don’t say, “Listening to him talk was like watching paint dry.” There are countless other boring things in the world. Create something original to complete the metaphor and make your writing stand out.
Eliminate or Change Repetitive Words and Ideas
I try to avoid overusing my favorite words when writing. However, searching for a synonym in the middle of a writing session can slow down creative flow, and in my case, lead to deep dives into etymological rabbit holes and distractions like word games and quizzes on the dictionary app. Instead, wait until the revision process and use your word processor’s “find” feature to search for words you tend to repeat. Then delete them or think of alternatives.
Ground Your Characters and Set the Stage
Even if readers can reasonably assume the scene takes place in a particular city or country, let them know where the characters are at the start of the narrative. Don’t let your characters float in a void for the first few paragraphs. Provide enough description to ground readers, but be careful not to overdo it. Each aspect of the character’s environment should serve a purpose, like carefully chosen decorations in a room. Include enough key pieces and furniture to make the setting feel real, and avoid littering it with unnecessary details that distract from your purpose.
Be Specific
Words like “there,” “that,” “those,” “it,” “this,” “here,” and “which,” along with other vague pronouns, can slip into sentences when you’re not looking. While these pronouns might be convenient placeholders in a first draft, carefully examine them during editing. Pronouns are necessary and effective when their antecedents are clear, and they help avoid repetition of nouns. However, when their reference is unclear, they can confuse readers and weaken the impact of your writing. Specific language clarifies your meaning and helps readers form a complete mental image of the scene.
Avoid Heavy-Handed Dialect
Overwrought vernacular can cause readers to stumble over dialogue, pull them out of the story, and frustrate them. Avoid phonetically spelling words to make a character seem ignorant or foreign. Misspelling words to mimic pronunciation can make the text challenging to read and disrupt the narrative. Plus, it’s easy to get it wrong unless you’re very familiar with the region or social group you’re trying to represent. The goal is to enhance the narrative, not create barriers between your story and the audience. I once tried to write all my dialogue in Early Modern English because my book was set in the 17^th century. Alas! My readers grew tired of slogging through all the “forsooths” and “prithees.” I left some archaisms in because what fun would it be to remove them all? As my linguistics teacher advised, “Remain true to your characters and their language, but don’t sacrifice clarity.” Use dialect sparingly to give a subtle flavor of a character’s education, background, and regional origin.
Limit Adjectives
Oh, how I love delightful, beautiful, intrepid adjectives. Why else would I spend my childhood reading the dictionary but to stuff my prose full of sharp-witted, erudite, and droll descriptive words? Are adjectives your darlings too? Kill them. They cling to a sentence like barnacles and drag down the narrative. Scrape off adjectives that don’t serve a purpose before they sink your story. Keep only those that sharpen the image or add essential information.
Get Rid of Filter Words
Perception verbs like “feel,” “hear,” “see,” “realize,” “watch,” “notice,” and “wonder” clutter up the story, create distance between the reader and the narrative, and dilute the story’s immediacy. For example, instead of “I saw the car drive by,” you could say, “The car drove by.” Immerse the reader in the action and setting by showing instead of telling. For example, instead of “She felt nervous,” you might say, “She clasped her trembling hands in her lap.” Let the reader experience the story through the POV character, not filtered through an extra layer of interpretation.
Use Active Voice Instead of Passive Voice
Look for words like “had,” “were,” “was,” “have been,” and other “to be” verb forms followed by the past participle of the main verb. For instance, instead of saying, “The food was eaten by me,” opt for the more direct, active version: “I ate the food.” Replace weak “to be” verb forms with stronger verbs. Using the active voice whenever possible will make your sentences more engaging and precise.

Apply or Disregard These Suggestions as You See Fit!
Don’t be afraid to write for fear of “breaking” a rule. The key lesson I’ve learned is to put your ideas down on paper, then go back later and make your writing glisten.

Happy writing and revising!

Kami Pehrson

Kami Pehrson lives with her husband and five teenage children in Stansbury Park, Utah. She recently finished her master’s degree in English and creative writing and has written three novels—but is still trying to figure out what to do with them. She loves editing, reading, and playing word games on her phone. She also enjoys listening to audiobooks while half-heartedly doing Pilates in the living room.

Powering through Your First Draft

May 31, 2024 By LDSPMA 1 Comment

Congratulations. You’ve decided to write a book!

Whether you’ve plotted out the storyline or you’re writing it by the seat of your pants, you’re going to spend a lot of time in front of your computer typing. By the time you’ve finished, you’re probably going to hate your book. In fact, that will happen long before you finish.

Most people who begin writing a book will never finish it. They have a wonderful plot, dynamic characters, and a fantastic world, but the time-consuming effort to get their ideas onto paper will become so overwhelming that they just quit.

As a published author—both indie and traditional—I can completely relate to that feeling. The longest it has taken me to finish the first draft of a novel is 15 months. The shortest is four months.

I’ve learned quite a bit about how to write effectively and efficiently so I can power through and get the first draft of my manuscript completed.

I’d like to share four tips with you on how you can reach your goal of writing a book.

Set a Daily Goal

One of the best ways to power through your first draft is to set a daily writing goal for a minimum number of words you want to write.

The most difficult part of writing, for me, is starting on a daily basis. I tend to sit down at my laptop, but then I check Facebook, look at the news, see if the YouTube channels I follow have any new videos… You get the idea.

But I’ve found that if I can start writing and get 300 words, then I’m in a good rhythm by that point and can keep going to get quite a lot more. There are some days when I’ve been able to get over 3,000 words in one session!

Having a minimum daily goal will get you closer each day to finishing your rough draft.

Find a Group

The most effective way I have found to meet that daily goal is to find a “sprinting” group. These can be found in Facebook groups, on Discord, and other virtual social media platforms. If you are a member of LDSPMA, you can see if other members are already sprinting.

Here’s how sprinting works: At an agreed-upon time, writers get together virtually (or in person, for some groups). I personally prefer Facebook Messenger group chats, but some groups will use Discord or Zoom.

One person sets a timer for a set amount of time (usually 10 to 15 minutes). Everyone begins and writes for the entire time. The person timing lets everyone know when the buzzer has gone off, and everyone shares their word count for that time.

After a five-minute break, the timer is set again. You can sprint for just one round, or you can do four or five rounds! It all depends on how you and your group choose to do it.

I like sprinting because not only does it force me to write for a certain amount of time, but I am held accountable for what I do during that time. Even if you don’t want to sprint, having a group of writers to belong to will keep you accountable.

Don’t Self-Edit While Drafting

Sometimes your sprinting word count can be low if you are self-editing as you write. In fact, one of the biggest mistakes people make as they try to write a book is to edit themselves as they go along.

Don’t do that!

Of course, if you have a typo, you can take a moment to fix it, but don’t get caught in the trap of rewriting entire scenes that you don’t like.

Just. Keep. Writing.

Whether you’re sprinting, trying to finish a chapter on your own, or writing new scenes, just keep going! Hold on to that scene; don’t try to fix it or make it perfect right now.

That’s what editing is for! You’ll never finish your first draft if you get stuck on one scene or one chapter, trying to make it “just right.”

Use ChatGPT or Another AI

Sometimes as you’re writing, you’ll hit writer’s block. That happens to me quite regularly, actually. When that happens, I turn to ChatGPT. Now, I want to be clear: I do not use AI to write my books for me. At all. But I will use it as a way to get me past my writer’s block by triggering my imagination.

For example, if I need to write a letter from a character to her aunt, and I have no idea what kinds of “fluffy” things to fill it with so I don’t information-dump, then I will ask ChatGPT to write a letter.

Now, these snippets are not going in my book. Honestly, they’re usually terrible, but even if they were any good, they wouldn’t be in my voice or style of writing. Instead, I use them as a springboard. There might be one line or a topic that will catapult me into an ocean of ideas. Something as simple as “While at the inn on our journey, we met the most intriguing man…” will open up a host of ideas for the letter my character is writing to her aunt.

I know that ChatGPT (and other AI programs) are a bit of a hot topic right now, which is why I only use it as a way to get past my writer’s block. It’s not much different than asking your writing group or texting your mom and asking, “What kinds of things could this character write to her aunt in a letter?” and getting ideas from them.

If you feel uncomfortable with that idea, find a group of people (friends, other writers, family) you can ask these questions. It will serve the same purpose of getting your creative juices flowing.

You Can Get Your First Draft Done!

These four tips are how I am able to write several novels in a year.

Most people get stuck on their first draft because they want to make it “perfect” or “just right.”

Don’t let that be you—just write! Before you know it, you’ll have your first draft completed. Then you can begin to fine-tune it and turn it into what you want it to be.

You can power through and get your first draft done, which means you’ve written a book! It’s not edited yet, but as soon as you write “the end,” you’ve written a book.

And it’s an amazing feeling.

Tiffany Thomas

Tiffany Thomas is a chocoholic former math teacher with Crohn’s Disease and homeschooling mom of four kids. She is a published author of indie regency romances, as well as Lamb Books (early scripture readers boxed sets) through Cedar Fort. Tiffany and her husband, Phillip (who is an engineer) also work together on the blog Saving Talents, which (among other things) provides free Come Follow Me daily devotionals and FHE outlines for kids. They enjoy spending time with their family, geeking out over sci-fi together, and saving money.

How “Save the Cat” Can Save Your Story – Part Three

February 23, 2024 By LDSPMA Leave a Comment

Previous Parts
How “Save the Cat” Can Save Your Story – Part One
How “Save the Cat” Can Save Your Story—Part Two

In my last article, we talked about Save the Cat’s “Transformation Machine.” In this article, we’ll learn about the next three plot beats that draw on your hero’s want while planting subtext about their emotional wound and true need. If you know your hero’s background, you can infuse the story with that rich resonance we want to create with our readers. Studies have shown that most readers will read about 25% of a story before giving up, so these next beats are all the more important. Resonance is the key to hooking your reader and keeping their interest.

The first three beats—Opening Image, Theme, and Set-up—established our world, the main characters, and the hero’s essential problem. Now it’s time for the plot to come crashing into the hero’s life in a very big way.

Beat 4: Catalyst

The Catalyst is a single-beat scene that hits around the 10% mark of your story. Think of this event like a bomb going off in your hero’s life—it’s unexpected (to them, though the reader may anticipate it), upsets everything, and can’t be ignored. If you can honestly say that the hero could ignore the Catalyst—you know, if he weren’t in the book you’re writing—then chances are good it’s not a sufficiently disruptive event. While the hero will spend the following few chapters debating what to do in response to the Catalyst, the truth is they have no choice but to act.

Pro Tip #1: Imagine your hero going about their day—same-old, same-old—when a bomb smashes their house to bits, leaving them alive, but suddenly living a very different life. That’s the kind of impact your Catalyst should have.

Beat 5: Debate

When writers feel like something is “off” with their manuscript, I always review the Catalyst and Debate. Getting these two beats wrong will mess with the book’s flow. In these cases, I find the Catalyst is almost never life-changing enough, and the Debate is never (I mean, never) long (or deep) enough.

The Debate should be 10% of your book!

If you’re writing a 100,000-word long book, the Debate alone will cost you 10,000 words. That’s a lot of words! My chapters tend to be 2,000 words long, so I’d need to write five chapters of Debate. That’s 10% of your story spent on boring stuff.

Or is it?

The Debate is only boring if you write it that way.

Imagine that Beat 4’s bomb lands on your hero’s house and everything goes up in flames. It’s a total loss.

Beat 5 asks, “What now?”

If (as is common for many writers when they first come to me) your answer is, “Then she moves in with her boyfriend, and it’s awesome, and they live happily ever after!” then, well, you have a problem. That’s not interesting, and it’s not real life.

The Debate beat allows you to lean into what you know about your hero and the internal journey you want to take them on.

In real life, if a bomb randomly blew up someone’s house, the victim wouldn’t stop talking about the event. They’d have a hard time working, sleeping, eating, or doing anything. Their mind would be on a constant loop of “A bomb just destroyed my house!”

First, they’d freak out a bit. (Understatement.) Then they’d call the fire department, police, and a friend—because where are they gonna sleep? And what will they wear/do/think? Everything they owned was just destroyed. (More freaking out.)

They’d talk to the police and insurance people. And talk to them again. The place where they spent their first night might not be where they want to stay long term, so they’ll talk to more people and make more arrangements.

They must pick through what’s left of their life, which will be so hard. Lean into that pain.

This is an opportunity to make a change. Maybe they work from home, so really, do they want to rebuild on the same lot? Or do they want to follow their lifelong dream of living and working in Belize? Do they even want to build another house? Maybe they want to move downtown into a trendy condo. The options are endless, challenging, and ultimately, revealing. They might even find themselves thankful for that bomb because the misfortune will allow them to fix everything that’s wrong with their life.

That hope, that belief that they’re in control and know what they’re doing is exactly where you want your hero to be as they Break into Two (Beat 6).

Pro Tip #2: If your Catalyst doesn’t yield this kind of life-altering dilemma, it’s not big enough or radical enough.

Pro Tip #3: Make a list of everything that needs to happen because of the Catalyst, then build your Debate. You’ll discover plenty of material to fill that 10% of your book, and it will inform Act 2 in powerful ways.

Pro Tip #4: If you’re writing a “Call to Adventure” story, the Debate can be a preparation beat—but should be no less demanding of your hero.

Beat 6: Break into Two

The Break into Two beat is a single scene showing your hero choosing to move into Act 2. The event should be physical and occur entirely of their own volition.

This shift from the set-up phase isn’t Harry Potter going to Hogwarts. It’s Harry running head-first into a brick column, believing it’s a magical gateway to wizarding school.

It’s not Katniss volunteering to be Tribute. It’s Katniss boarding the train from District 12 and stepping off into the completely different world of the Capitol.

A bold decision or action provides the perfect lead-in to Act 2—otherwise known as the Upside-Down World. But you’ll have to wait for the next installment to learn how to solve that whole “messy middle” business.

Here’s a hint: With Save the Cat, there’s no such thing as a “messy middle.”

Ali Cross

Ali Cross is a USA Today bestselling author, motivational speaker, and story development coach who loves to help writers level up both professionally and personally. A happiness enthusiast and believer in hope and magic, Ali’s a sucker for underdogs, redemption stories, and happily-ever-afters. She explores the concept of joy and where it can be found in her YouTube show and podcast, Write4Joy. She lives in Utah with her hacker husband where they collaborate on stories, artificial intelligence, and their plan for virtual world domination.

Find Ali at her website or @thealicross online.

Four Steps to a Page-Turner

December 1, 2023 By LDSPMA Leave a Comment

Forget the old adages you’ve heard. In a real race between a tortoise and a hare, the hare would win every time. It’s biology. And what applies to biology applies to writing as well: no one wants to write at tortoise speed or produce a book that would make a tortoise yawn—especially when all the hares out there are rushing to compete for today’s readers (and their short attention spans). Here are a few steps to transfigure your fictional tortoise into a hare.

Step 1. Offer your tortoise a carrot. Every character needs a reason to press forward with increased purpose. Without a goal, we flounder then wallow in the comfortable couch of laziness. Long-term goals are vital to a plot, but short-term goals are the steps to get there. Without them, your story will lag and your audience will drift off to sleep. If you want a title to study, Robison Wells offers lots of carrots in his book Variant. First, he establishes an environment that makes his character uncomfortable. Because the character is not the type to ignore an itch, he feels compelled to set short-term goals along the way—to find out more about what makes his environment tick. The more he discovers, the more unsettled he becomes.

Step 2. Remove distractions. If you’re going to offer your tortoise a carrot, you’d better make sure he doesn’t already have lettuce to nosh on. There are times when distractions are appropriate and interesting, but if your story is dragging and you need to speed things up, your character needs to focus. Remember the importance of short-term goals: write less thought and more action. If your character is focused on beating that rival, delivering that package, or sending that life-changing letter, the inherent conflict is more immediate and important, and your character has to fight harder to accomplish his goal. Without pesky thoughts to distract him, your character is free to follow his gut, which inevitably leads to mistakes, loss, and increased tension—all things that speed up your prose and force your reader to pay attention. In Divergent, Tris’s survival frequently depends on her ability to focus on the task at hand.

Step 3. Turn your tortoise on its back. It may be difficult to watch him struggle with his legs flailing in the air, but this struggle springs from his primal desire to survive, and it ultimately strengthens him. The writhing tortoise is in danger and may lose everything. This vulnerability is something with which every reader empathizes. Empathy ties your reader to your character’s fate, making every kick of every limb more important. If your readers cheer for your character, they won’t want to walk away in the middle of the race. In most contemporary novels, the inciting incident that puts your character’s physical, emotional, social, or spiritual world in danger usually happens in the first chapter of the book. The resulting vulnerability and struggle carry the reader to the novel’s end. Any time your character discovers the reality he has long believed is riddled with lies or half-truths or realizes the depth of his personal flaws or challenges, your character has essentially been turned on his back and is forced to set his life—or his understanding of it—aright.

Step 4. Use magic words. Active verbs and descriptive nouns illustrate everything your reader needs to witness without wasting time or crowding the page with heavy blocks of text. Experienced authors not only know which words to include, but which words to cut. Remove the words that slow your prose to a clunky, awkward creature carrying its house on its back. Twist passive phrases into active voice. Precision wordsmithing sculpts a lithe, muscular machine built for speed. One of the best wordsmiths I’ve ever read is Jerry Spinelli. He magically tells an emotional, intricate story with a few precise words. Maniac Magee is still one of my favorite novels, and it is practically poetry—every word in this book counts.

Do This Now

If you haven’t read Jack M. Bickham’s Scene and Structure, read it, mark it up, and memorize as much as your brain can hold. Bickham’s amazing explanation of the importance of goals and how to create believable conflict will change the way you approach fiction writing and will give a nice backbone to your creative content.
Read through your manuscript and break it down into goals. Do this either through highlighting or by writing a few words in the margin describing each goal. If you go a page or two without making any marks, odds are you’ve hit a lull in your story.
Play the what-if game. This little game is one of my favorite plot/character developing techniques, and it’s a game that Orson Scott Card recommends in his book Characters and Viewpoint. Let your imagination run wild, asking what-if questions that put your character in different situations, have him come from different backgrounds, or challenge him with different types of conflict. Follow through on these questions and imagine where the changes would lead your character. This process has revealed some fantastic plot twists for many authors.

What techniques have you developed to keep your novel moving?

Amy Maida Wadsworth

Amy Maida Wadsworth published three novels with Covenant Communications, which are available for Kindle and Nook. Amy started teaching fiction writing in 2006 and has been a writing coach ever since. She works as a freelance editor and blogger for Eschler Editing and is pursuing her master’s in human development and social policy. This article appears courtesy of Eschler Editing.

The Importance of a Good Book Cover

April 20, 2023 By LDSPMA 3 Comments

When I decided to self-publish my Legends of Muirwood trilogy, I didn’t know a lot about book cover design. Actually, I didn’t know anything. It probably shows.

My goal at the time was to get the trilogy out in the world without spending a lot of money. I bought a package that included cover design through a self-publishing platform for a bargain price, and I gave some suggestions about abbeys, forests, and fonts. They delivered what they promised: three book covers. But they were all missing what really mattered—a way to help potential readers judge whether they might like the book.

The original covers of Jeff Wheeler's first three books.

As a hybrid author with over thirty published novels, I’ve gained an unusual perspective about the process of designing cover art. I want to give you three BKMs, or “best-known methods” about book cover design so you can see what an author—indie, traditional, or hybrid—needs to keep in mind when designing or choosing a cover.

BKM #1: It’s the Wrapper

Imagine standing in line at the grocery store and seeing a king-sized Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup on sale. You buy it with your groceries, get in the car, unwrap it, and prepare to sink your teeth into that chocolatey-peanut-buttery nirvana . . . but it’s a York Peppermint Patty. You might feel frustrated because you were expecting one thing and got another. Book covers, like candy wrappers, set expectations with the reader up front. The cover clearly shows the genre of the story.

It’s very easy to check on Amazon what the bestselling books are by category and see what design elements are common to the genre. You can look at the size of the fonts, the placement of the author’s name, any bestselling tags, and the color schemes. It’s not a coincidence that a Reese’s candy wrapper looks the way it does or that stores shelve similar items next to each other. Authors are brands too, so if you want a reader to anticipate a certain genre or style of book, it helps if your cover looks similar to others in the same genre.

BKM #2: It’s Professional

Long gone are the days when mediocre-to-cringeworthy book covers (like my original Muirwood ones) would be tolerated. If I tried that now, I can’t imagine what would happen. Readers do judge a book by the cover, so it’s important to hire a professional cover designer because you don’t get a second chance to make that first impression. In fact, especially in the indie space, even the New York Times bestselling authors I know will redesign the cover of a book when they feel it isn’t connecting with the proper audience. Even if the first cover looks amazing, it’ll hurt sales if it doesn’t resonate with the right audience. Many authors have created new covers and found that the second one worked better.

This year marks the 10th anniversary release of my Legends of Muirwood trilogy. We redesigned the covers to strengthen the brand for the series and tie the series in with other books written in the same world. There’s quite a difference from the originals.

The redesigned covers for Jeff Wheeler's first three books.

I highly recommend Bryan Cohen’s Five-day Author Ad Profit Challenge. Even if you haven’t written a book yet or have one to sell, you can still join his Facebook page and watch the videos when he runs the challenge. You’ll learn a ton (for free) about how Amazon algorithms work, how to design a cover, and how to write killer ad copy for your books. I wish this existed back when I first self-published.

Readers can tell the difference between a cheap cover and a professional one. Cover designers are mostly freelance these days, and with a little research, it’s not difficult to find ones you like. For example, most books include the name of the cover artist in the front matter, which you can see for free on Amazon using the “look inside” feature.

A screenshot showing where to find the "look inside" feature on an Amazon book.

I can’t recommend enough getting a professional to do the job right. There are cover art stock photos you can purchase if you’re on a budget, but at the very least, hire a graphic designer to help you with the fonts, styling, and sizing. The last thing you’d want is to spend a lot of time writing a book that no one will read because it looks amateurish. I was satisfied with the covers my publisher used for my first several books, but it wasn’t until they hired Shasti O’Leary Soudant to design the cover of The Queen’s Poisoner that I learned firsthand the power of an amazing cover. You know the saying that “A rising tide lifts all boats”? After that book came out, all my books began to sell better. I’ve now hired her to do some of my indie titles as well.

BKM #3: It’s Expected

Word of mouth is the number-one way people find books they enjoy. There just isn’t a replacement for the solid recommendation of a friend or someone you trust. Readers find new authors all the time through email subscriptions to Amazon’s top Kindle book deals, BookBub, or Goodreads. There is promotional text there, of course, but the cover catches the reader’s eye first. They look at the cover for a second or two before reading the blurb. If they’re still intrigued, they’ll click on the link to see how many reviews it has, how many stars it has received, etc. These are all ways that a book is “judged” before it’s read. The reader’s visceral reaction to the cover starts it off. That’s why readers expect the cover to tell them about the genre and author. They expect a title that’s easily searchable and interesting enough to entice them to learn more.

So, let’s get over the out-of-date and untrue adage about not judging a book by its cover. We base our judgment on if the wrapper matched the content, if it was professionally done, and if it met our expectations for what we purchased and why. A great cover can’t turn a meh book into a bestseller, but there aren’t many bestsellers with a meh cover. Writers today have to be professional to come up with stories that will keep a reader turning the pages. Thankfully, there are skilled wizards of the imagination who can help aspiring authors design book covers that catch readers’ eyes and delight their hearts.

Jeff Wheeler

Jeff Wheeler is the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the First Argentines series (Knight’s Ransom, Warrior’s Ransom, Lady’s Ransom, and Fate’s Ransom); the Grave Kingdom series; the Harbinger and Kingfountain series; the Legends and Covenant of Muirwood trilogies; the Whispers from Mirrowen trilogy; the Dawning of Muirwood trilogy; and the Landmoor novels. Jeff is a husband, father of five, and devout member of his church. He lives in the Rocky Mountains. Learn more about Jeff’s publishing journey in Your First Million Words, and visit his many worlds at his website .

How I Research for a Historical Project

March 31, 2023 By LDSPMA 2 Comments

By Heather B. Moore

Some people love research, while others don’t. They want to get into the meat of writing as soon as possible. But if you’re planning to write a historical novel or other project, research is vital to developing the story and bringing credibility to your work. As the author of dozens of historical novels set in eras ranging from ancient Israel, Mesopotamia, the Georgian era, the Regency era, the Victorian era, the early 1900s, World War II, the early Cold War era, and the 1980s (yes, that’s considered historical now), I’ve learned a few tips and tricks to help me tackle each project as it comes along.

Search for Sources

I search on Amazon or other new/used book sites and decide if there are books that I’d like to own so I can have them constantly at my fingertips. If possible, I like to get the paperback version to annotate, the ebook version to do a quick search for a particular key element, and sometimes the audiobook to immerse my brain in the era. I own all three versions of some research books. You can also search Google Books and find older digital books that are absolutely free. YouTube has recently become a key source for me with the plethora of documentaries and shorter historical pieces that are available.

Determine Which Sources to Use

Since you can’t read every book written about a subject (unless there are only a few), you might have to be selective. On average, I read five-ten books about a historical subject in preparation to write a book. Some sources are a gold mine. Other sources might just be more of a quick reference to verify the uniforms worn by a particular army during a specific war. Online articles (including Wikipedia) can be great quick go-tos. You can check at the bottom of the articles as well for further sources as needed.

Research Key Elements

Don’t try to be the expert, but research enough to flesh out your story and bring authenticity. You probably don’t have ten years to research everything you can about Italy in the seventeenth century, but you can zero in on several key elements, situations, and cultural points in order to create a vibrant story that makes the reader feel as if they’re looking into the era through a camera lens.

What are these key elements? Start with the five senses.

Touch—what do things feel like? Are your characters sitting on stone benches? Bamboo chairs? Scratchy woolen blankets?

Sight—what is your character seeing? A bombed city? A river meandering through hills covered in small wooden huts? Tropical trees? Sand and rocks?

Hearing—what sounds are in the setting? The puttering of a small vehicle? The clattering of horses’ hooves on cobblestone?

Smell—does your character live on a farm? By the ocean with the scent of sea breeze as a constant companion? Is it spring with blossoming fruit trees?

Taste—what kinds of food surround your character? Do they spend their days in preparation? Is food a main part of their day? What plants and crops are native to the country you’re writing about?

More elements include:

Major historical events during your story’s timeline. You can’t ignore a major historical event (or weather event, for that matter) if your story covers that day/week/month/year. If for some reason, you do decide to ignore or brush over a major event, document the reason why in your chapter notes or an author note as a disclaimer.

Government/politics. Just as our modern lives are framed by the laws of our land, so are historical characters’ lives. What types of laws were in place? How were criminals dealt with? Were there discrepancies between the sexes or racial groups?

Religion. Even if your character isn’t religious, others around them will be. Religious beliefs can also be a major character motivator, so make sure you aren’t skipping over it in a main character or sub character.

Setting. A historical setting becomes a character of its own. By writing about the past, you are researching old information instead of brainstorming new ideas and inventing new things, like you would for sci-fi or fantasy. The setting can affect characters’ choices and motivations. A story set in the middle of a Minnesota winter has a completely different feel than one set in sunny San Diego.

Dialogue. This can be debated both ways, but generally keeping your dialogue free of modern cliches is very important. Most readers don’t want to read formal, stilted, cumbersome dialect, so find a handful of words that will keep your reader immersed in the historical era. Depending on your time frame, instead of “kitchen,” you might say “cooking room,” or instead of “bedroom,” you might use the more historical-sounding “bedchamber.”

Start Writing

You don’t need wait to write until you have done your research. Doing both at the same time is often necessary. I’ll typically start with research—reading sources and taking notes—and when I feel like I can effectively write the first few chapters of the book, I’ll begin writing, knowing there might be some stopping points along the way to deep dive into more sources. I try not to write too far ahead of my research, though, or I run the risk of writing an entire scene that has to be greatly revised.

Everyone’s method will vary, but hopefully something from my journey will be useful to you.

Heather B. Moore

Heather B. Moore is a USA Today bestselling author of more than ninety publications, primarily historical and #herstory fiction about the humanity and heroism of the everyday person. She attended Cairo American College in Egypt and the Anglican School of Jerusalem in Israel. Despite failing her high school AP English exam, Heather persevered and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University in something other than English. Heather dives into the hearts and souls of her characters, meshing her love of research with her love of storytelling. You can learn more about her on her website.