Read my post, “My Journey to Horror (and Why Women’s Representation in Horror Matters)” to end Women in Horror Month at New England Horror Writers website–check out the three previous posts as well!
Category: writing
The Woods Spoke to Me
The backstory: I wrote this back in 2002. We’d just moved into a new house, and the kitchen window faced out into our backyard ending in the edge of woods (unbuildable wetlands; we still live in that house and the woods are still there.) It was a late Autumn afternoon, and I stared at the woods, these words and images came to me…
The Woods Spoke to Me
I should have been doing laundry,
but the Woods spoke to me thus–
Come…
Feel the dry, sad leaves
crinkle under your feet.
See if you can catch
the sigh they make,
Now that their lives are ending.
Resolute that they will rejoin the Mother
in a warm embrace.
Come, the Woods said, come…
Follow the flickering lights
as they dart through the branches.
The Sun does not penetrate here.
Come…
You are new to this place.
Don’t your fingers ache
to touch these prickly bushes?
To discover the wild berries
that grow here?
Come…
Look how I’ve left myself
exposed for you.
Dropping the leaves,
letting dead branches fall.
Sucking back the vines and ferns
into myself.
Coyote will not harm you–
Fox is shy.
Squirrel will show you the way.
See him dancing for you
at the edge of the yard?
The brothers and sisters of the Woods
heed my commands.
Come…
Follow the broken light
into the shadows,
where your footing is unsteady.
Breathe in the crisp air,
the dank earth,
Let it nourish you.
Squint your eyes,
and you will see…
Me, the Lord of the Woods
in all my majesty.
Darting through the costumes
of the leaves–
Waiting for you.
Join me in this place
you know is home.
For you are kindred…
I should have been tending to the house.
But the Woods spoke to me.
Oh! The Woods spoke!
~ © Suzanne Reynolds-Alpert
Please do not reproduce or republish without attribution and/or my consent.
Short Story Acceptance!
Hi All! I haven’t poked my head up much because spring is always MY CRAZIEST TIME OF LIFE with kid stuff and other family stuff. I hope to get back to regular “tips for new writers” at some point before summer begins.
I do have a great announcement–my short story In Darkness, She Sheds was accepted into the New England Speculative Writer’s premier anthology, The Last Summons. I can’t tell you how honored I am to be in the company of these other writers, and how excited I am to share my story with the world. In Darkness, She Sheds is a fantasy-horror story.
In order to pay the authors sooner rather than later and also hire local talent to edit and create original art for the book, NESW has started a Kickstarter–click here to read about it, donate, or share on your social networks. Happily, we already reached our funding goal, but we’re trying to meet a stretch goal that will allow for things such as an audiobook narrator and more original art. Please support us if you can–and remember, even if you can’t support us monetarily, sharing is caring!
Improve Your Writing Through Editing
In a past tip for new and aspiring writers I discussed the importance of beta readers for your work. Getting feedback at all stages of your writing is crucial to improve your writing.
Another way to improve is to become a better editor of your own work. I’ve found that a great way to do this is to start with others’ work. Reach out to peers and ask them if you can beta-read their work. This is valuable for several reasons:
- It shows you that everyone–even the best writers–have messy initial drafts
- You’ll recognize weaknesses (punctuation, spelling, word choice, etc.) in others’ writing–and by recognizing this, you’ll learn to recognize it in your own work
- You’ll begin to hone your “editor’s eye” and learn to improve your own editing
It is true that naturally, some of us are better editors than others. Some great writers are just not good at seeing the mistakes in their own work, including blatant spelling errors. Not every great writer is a great editor, but honing your “editor’s eye” will make your writing better. Another benefit: nurturing your ties with other writers means that they will return the favor and edit your work at some point.
I am naturally blessed with a decent “editor’s eye,” but when I began to edit professionally the experience enhanced my self-editing. I’d find myself writing something, and recognize the mistakes I picked up in my clients’ work. Passive voice is a still a huge problem for me, but I’m getting better at recognizing it as I write because I so often flagged it for others.
There are many tips out there that can help you become a better self-editor. Here’s a post that recently appeared on the New England Speculative Writers blog, courtesy of Morgan Sylvia. You can also google “self-editing.”
For New and Aspiring Writers Who Parent
This week’s blogpost for new writers is going to be re-posting a something I wrote for New England Speculative Writers. I had a health scare this week and was in the hospital for a bit (I’m fine–false alarm but lifestyle changes needed) so I’m behind in life. I have a writing deadline to meet and a dance competition for my daughter this weekend.
This post is still relevant for new and aspiring writers, particularly those with children. It tells a bit about my path to motherhood and how that affected my writing. The good news–it’s never too late.
Here’s the link to the post. Please check out the excellent submissions from other writers in New England in honor of Women’s History Month.
Beta Readers–Yes, You Need Them
Beta Readers are Your Friends
Last week, I posted about the importance of finding a critique group. This week I want to discuss a related item–getting beta readers for your work.
A beta reader improves your writing in many ways:
- They can tell you “what’s working” and “what needs improvement”
- They catch spelling and grammar mistakes
- They can catch plot holes and logical inconsistencies that you’re “invisible” to
- They may catch inadvertent racism, sexism, ableism, etc.
If you’re a new writer, you’ll find that there is always a slight disconnect between what you think you’ve written or intend, and what readers will glean.
In the Eye of the Beholder
You may write what you think is the perfect fight scene. Perhaps you love fight scenes in books, and have read hundreds.
Once you give that scene to beta readers, you may find it’s not so perfect after all. One reader may tell you it sounds clichéd. Another may have weapons experience, and tell you that there’s no way your protagonist would have that kind of firearm on them. Another may note that the human body could not do the moves you described.
It is important that you be open to any feedback you receive. It doesn’t mean you have to take all of it, but you need to learn to put your ego aside and accept that your beta readers are picking up on things other readers might as well.
Finding Beta Readers
You will find that most people feel honored to be asked to beta read your work. Ask members of your household, classmates, friends. If you are a member of a writers’ group you have built-in beta readers there. You could also ask in a Facebook group devoted to your genre, if you belong to one.
Ideally, you’ll want another writer to read your work, along with one or two people who like the genre you write. Having an editor or grammar nerd is also helpful.
