April 2023

Why you should let your writing breathe, Upcoming Show, Don't Tell workshop, and fabulous client releases!

During a recent story coaching call, my client said, “I don’t mean to interrupt, but you dated these notes as April 226th and that is the most real thing I’ve seen this month.”

Yes. April lasted FOR.EV.ER

But it’s finally May! And there are so many exciting things on the way!

Wow. Looks like I’m into rhyming today!

(Okay, sorry. I’ll stop.)

Editing Tip

Why you need to let your writing breathe

You just finished a manuscript! HOORAY! Take a minute to celebrate and WALK A WAY!

What? No! I need to revise. I need to edit. I need to send it off to a beta reader/editor/agent/publisher immediately!

Before you do any of that, you need to let it breathe.

You need to take a step back. Bask in your accomplishment and do something else for a moment. Actually, much longer than a moment but I’ll take what I can get here.

I understand with deadlines and publishing schedules and pressure to put out a book every 72 hours, it can be really hard to feel like you are “wasting” time by not going back to page one and starting revisions immediately but hear me out.

Ever stand in front of a full refrigerator searching for the pickles that are directly in front of you?

That’s why you need to step away from your story.

Your brain is still in that world. It’s still wearing the clothes of those characters. If you immediately start staring at it again, your mind is going to fill in the plot holes, skip over the craft errors, and make it difficult to see the gaps in the character arc. Basically, it’s going to hide the pickles.

Space from your story will benefit you during the revising and editing process.

First, it’s a great feeling to spend enough time away from the story that you forget particular lines or scenes. You read it again and get to think, “Wow! I wrote that. I’m pretty awesome!”

Second, the further you are from the world you’ve created, the easier it is to recognize where your vision hasn’t made it to the page. Looking at a scene with fresh eyes days, weeks, or even a month after you’ve written it gives you perspective.

Did that grand, robust moment you’ve played out in your mind fully convey in the story?

Do the characters feel as authentic and life-like when you haven’t been immersed in their point-of-view?

Can you see that typo in the first paragraph that you’ve read past at least fourteen times now?

So take some time.

Read a different book.

Binge-watch a series.

Backpack across the country.

Whatever takes your mind away from the story for as long as you can stand it.

Trust me. It will make it much easier to find the pickles.

Upcoming Workshop

When You See It: A Practical Guide to Show, Don’t Tell.

I am so excited about this workshop!

Show, Don’t Tell is kind of a squishy concept. It’s something that is repeated like it is sacred law, but how do you really use it?

This workshop will be more interactive than the previous Dawn’s Story Studio workshops. I’m looking for writers willing to share a snippet of their work-in-progress so we can revise it together and see the transformation as it happens.

This workshop will not be recorded live. THERE WILL BE A RECORDING available the week after as we’ve done with all the other workshops. I have just given up trying to record them live. Technology hates me. I’ve accepted this.

The other reason I’m not recording it live is that I want participants to feel free to offer suggestions, ask questions, and be fully involved without worrying if someone else is going to see it later.

Here is my plan: I will give a brief presentation (y’all know I love me a Powerpoint!) Then we will work through four or five samples as a group. This workshop might go longer than an hour, but no longer than an hour and a half.

For the recording later, the presentation will be the same, but I intend to have four or five different samples to give you more to work with.

Are you feeling brave?

Want to see that section you’re stuck on revised in real-time?

Quick FAQs

• You must be registered for the workshop to submit a sample.

• The sample should be less than 300 words.

• You do NOT have to be on the live call to submit a sample.

• Samples must be submitted by the end of the day Wednesday, May 10th.

• Submitting a sample does not guarantee it will be used. I will try to use all that I receive but I reserve the right to choose what fits the workshop.

Not ready to share your WIP with the world, but still want to hang out with us and learn practical ways to use Show, Don’t Tell in your writing?

Quick Side Note

I am looking for “When You See It” pictures to use in my PowerPoint (like these.) If you have a picture like this that belongs to YOU (not from the internet) that you wouldn’t mind me sharing, please drop me an email! DawnAlexanderBooks@gmail.com

Client Releases!

Check out all the great stories from my fabulous clients that released in April!

Have you discovered Enchanted Rock Immortals yet? It is a paranormal/fantasy series that features different clans by different authors every month.

This month’s release is A Mermaid’s Rescue by Sharla Wylde

Looking for a hot, grumpy/sunshine romance set in a small town? Check out Make Me Exhale by Marie Johnston

Speaking of HOT…

Looking for something a little darker? Maybe with a Mafia edge?

Did you read Where Angels Fall? Have you met Cal yet?

The next book in the City of Sin Trilogy by Delaney Foster is out! Get ready for Where Souls Collide!

Warning: This ends on a CLIFFHANGER that will make your heart stop, but the final book, Where Demons Hide, comes out tomorrow so if you haven’t been sucked into this series yet, you won’t have long to wait!

One more thing…

I really appreciate you subscribing and reading this far.

If you’ve made it all the way down here, you definitely deserve a reward.

Drop me an email at DawnAlexanderBooks@gmail.com and tell me the secret word for a treat!

The secret word is: Peanut butter