Don't be Boring Just to Make Word Count

A few years ago, I had a great Skype session with my almost-13-year-old granddaughter, who was an avid reader and a great help to me with my Young Adult WIP, Tattoo, The Awakening.

Anyway, she asked what the next few scenes would be and I mentioned that my main character would be taking a trip to another state. She nodded, then leaned forward so I could see her expression on the screen.

"Well, okay, but leave out the boring stuff."

This caught me off guard. What would a young teen find boring about a trip? So I asked her, and she didn't hesitate at all.

"You know, sitting in the plane, taking off, all that stuff. If you use the plane trip, make it exciting. Like, if the plane crashes and she's the only survivor!"

Okay, I can see that this child will not be fooled by filler. And if she isn't, then neither will the thousands of other young readers we hope to woo with our tales.

So, back to boring. In the early stages of my fiction-writing career, I attended a workshop given by a successful writer in which she outlined the parts of a novel and their importance. She focused on the "sagging middle" because that's where many authors have problems. She talked about breaking up the story into mostly equal word counts to achieve the final goal, and how to dole out the story points through the whole thing.

Could I keep my mouth shut? Nope. During Q&A, I mentioned that my story was finished, but I only had 65,000 words and the required count was 85,000. How could I fix it? Without missing a beat, she said, "Come up with more story." It was the right answer, but what she didn't include was HOW to do that. I had to learn that on my own.

A story arc has three "acts" made up of scenes. Each scene should tell the reader something new and move the story forward smoothly. A story outline can give the author a map to follow and, like a road trip, should include some scenery and attractions along the way. Building the story world is one way to expand word count, but add too much and you'll have readers skipping through the narrative. Extensive character description can also expand word count, but most readers prefer to visualize a character themselves rather than read about the mundane physical details. Dialogue is one of the best writing techniques for carrying a story, but make every word golden. Lots of dialogue is good and provides plenty of white space on the page that gives one the feeling of reading quickly. But dialogue that tracks every reply and grunt and "Hi" and "Yeah" and "Fine, how are you?" is boring! We write stories not about real life as it boringly is, but real life as it is interesting. Conflict is the foundation of every story, so use it to the fullest. 

Know ahead of time what your genre expects for word count and include it in your initial story plan. I recently found this great explanation of word counts; it will make life much easier for me in the future and I hope for you too.

To figure out how to achieve your desired word count, look at each scene or plot point and ask yourself, "What else can happen to make this more interesting?" This is how you "come up with more story."

Now, about that plane crash...

Why Do I Write Horse Fiction?

My name is Toni Leland and I’m a horse addict. 

Seriously...I could have been the poster child for the classic horse-crazy girl.

I discovered horses when I was about 7 years old. Unfortunately, about the same time, I discovered that my father was terrified of them and that there wouldn’t be a horse in my future any time soon.

So to fuel my passion, I hooked up with another horse-crazy girl. We spent hours talking about horses, dreaming about horses, pretending we were horses. . .the boys on the playground were terrified of us!

I took it one step further and wrote stories about horses. Girl rescues horse. Horse rescues girl. Horse and girl have an adventure. . . I wish I had some of those stories now!

Anyway, when my BFF got her very own horse, I was both thrilled and devastated. She no longer had much time for me and our imaginary steeds, and I began the press to convince my father that a horse would be a good thing for me to have.

He relented the year I turned 12 and, from then on, my life revolved around horses—sometimes more, sometimes less.

But one thing remained constant. To this day, even though I no longer have horses of my own, I still get that quickening in the pit of my stomach any time I’m near one.

Write what you know and love. The writing experts have it nailed.

When I set off on this journey of writing fiction, I naturally settled into the comfort zone of my addiction.

My first book was a romantic mystery, built around the Arabian horses I raised in the 80s. Though they were long gone, I held them near to me as we worked our way through the story and revisited characters from those years in the “horse business.” The process was sometimes painful and poignant, but it was also energizing. I’d found my niche.

As Winning Ways finished, I was already well into my next novel. Being fairly adventurous, I’d decided to see if I could write a straight romance—follow the formula, but write one with a horsey setting.

I was a little skeptical about the endeavor. After all, when does a busy horse owner have time to date, let alone nurture a strong, loving relationship? And into what niche would an equestrian romance fit?

When Hearts Over Fences hit the streets, I quickly learned that I had no clue as to “what works.” The book exploded in popularity and today it is still selling in both print and ebook.

So you’d think I’d jump on this gravy train, right? Nooooo. I was already off on another tangent. I wanted to write a thriller about the possibility of terrorism in one’s own backyard, er. . . barn. After Gambling With the Enemy was published in 2006, I headed back toward romantic suspense.

Deadly Heritage embraced that age-old theme of love lost and found. But my characters were constantly challenged by danger and family treachery.

As the nation’s economy nose-dived in 2009, so did business. Horse farms and breeders were deeply affected as the cost of keeping animals skyrocketed. If you can’t feed ’em, what do you do with them?

Horse rescue operations were overwhelmed and the horror stories began to hit the news.

Addressing two similar subjects, I began work on Rescue Me, the story of a horsewoman trapped in a brutally abusive marriage. The research alone on this book made me ever thankful that I didn’t have answers from first-hand experience.

Always a fan of Dick Francis, I began thinking seriously about a mystery series. What I needed was a couple of independent, horse-loving individuals who would save the horse world, case by case. Never did I imagine what hard work this would be! But the team of Kovak & Quaid was born in 2012, and they've been chasing bad guys ever since!

My lifelong love affair with horses has served me well...given me joy and inspiration, and a ton of memories. Now if I can just get them all down on paper....

Working Between Novels: Short Stories Keep the Brain Fresh

by Toni Leland

Writing "The End" to a 90,000-word novel is more than relief and celebration — there is a let-down too. After living with the characters and their dilemmas for anywhere from eight months to a year, an author can't help but find it hard to let go. Sure, once the story is done and published, the exhilaration lasts for several weeks. But then what?

Personally, I find it hard to plunge into another major project, even in a series. I need time to think about other things, but I also need to continue to write. The answer is short stories and freelance articles. These are short-term projects that keep the brain working like a finely-tuned machine and, interestingly enough, while the gray cells are focusing on the job at hand, they are also churning out deeper ideas for the next "big one."

A few years ago, I wrote several short stories for inclusion in women's magazines. One, in particular, was contracted immediately by a new romance publication; sadly, before the third issue could go to press, the magazine folded (underfunded and undersubscribed) and my story rights reverted back to me. I put it aside to await another opportunity. And forgot about it.

Cleaning up old files on the computer recently, I came across it. Read it. Still liked it. Did some fine-tuning and, as they say, the rest is history.

Second Chances debuted on Kindle this week and the process of setting the story free has recharged my batteries. I'm ready to begin work on the fifth book in my Kovak & Quaid series. Sometimes we authors just need a little break.

RISKY BUSINESS – the Kovak & Quaid Mystery Series Continues

I'm always thrilled to announce that I've finished a book, but I'm particularly happy with the release of RISKY BUSINESS. Why? Because writing a series is not for the faint of heart!

I never dreamed when I started that something that seemed so simple could be so challenging. I mean, how hard is it to write stories in the same setting with the same people? I discovered that keeping everything straight for myself and my readers, as well as keeping my readers engaged with the characters for the long-term was not that easy.

So, I offer you Book 4 of the series and hope that you will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Kovak & Quaid thank you!

~ Toni Leland

Risky Business releases April 20, 2015