Your Novel's Structure

by Sione Aeschliman

What is structure?
When we talk about the structure of a novel, we're describing the order of the major plot points, the work that needs to be done by the major plot points and between those plot points, and the timing of the major plot points, with the goals of ensuring that the story 1) hooks the reader, 2) sets up accurate expectations in the first fifty pages about what the story's about, 3) maintains forward momentum, and 4) delivers an appropriately intense emotional payoff.

My approach to narrative structure is influenced primarily by the three-act structure as explained to me by my friend Diane Gilman, who wrote screenplays for many years, and by Viki King's description of the nine plot points in her book How to Write a Movie in 21 Days. Influenced being the operative word; what I offer here is not a simple mash-up of those two approaches but rather my own interpretation of them with modifications to fit commercial and upmarket fiction for today's readers.

Act I: The Beginning
This is The Beginning of your story, starting on on Page 1. It introduces the novel's setting, tone, characters, and theme(s) and includes two inciting incidents: the one that happens within the first five or six pages, and the one that heralds the end of Act I, around page 50.

Yes, that's right: Act I is only 50 pages long, if that. Here's a post that discusses Act I in detail.

How to Process Feedback

by Carly Hayward

ShoreIndie is a community full of editors and fellow authors wanting to help your manuscript be the best it can possibly be. The community this contest fosters is one of the most valuable prize you could win. Even if you aren’t picked by an editor or you don’t win during the judging round, there is a lot of value to this contest. The ShoreIndie editors are a fabulous resource, and lucky for you, they are chomping at the bit to give you feedback. They all have your best interests in mind, and they want to help you make your best book.

The way to get all that feedback is to engage. Don’t just submit your manuscript, talk to the editors on Twitter. Ask them as many questions as your heart desires. It’s what they are here for. They want to get to know you and your book. And believe me, we love giving advice!

Top 8 Problems That Turn Readers Off

by Carly Hayward

ShoreIndie is about to begin, and I bet you’re wondering what you can do to catch an editor’s eye. We editors see hundreds of manuscripts during these contests, and there are some common problems that will turn us away from your manuscript. While all these problems can be overcome by a fabulous voice or a plot that we can’t look away from, it’s best to avoid them.

Let’s dive right in! Here are the top eight problems we see over and over again:

1. Head-hopping: This term can be easily misunderstood. Head-hopping is not the same as multiple points of view or omniscient narrators. It’s when you are within the head of one character, understanding their opinions and viewing everything through their perspective, and then suddenly you are hearing the thoughts of another character. Multi-POV changes points of view after chapter or section breaks and remains in one character’s head at a time. And an omniscient narrator may be able to see into everyone’s head but has a bird’s-eye view; their POV is distinct from the characters.

10 Reasons I'm Excited about ShoreIndie

by Sione Aeschliman

[Note: this post was updated on June 1, 2017 to reflect last-minute changes to the submission process.]

A few weeks ago I wrote a post called "6 Reasons to Follow #ShoreIndie," in which I gave some arguments for why writers should follow the ShoreIndie Contest regardless of whether they intend to submit. Today I'm going to focus on my own personal reasons for being excited about this contest - as its creator, as an indie author, and as a member of its editing team.

1. I know of no other contest like this for indie authors.
Existing contests open to indie authors fall into two main categories: published manuscripts and unpublished manuscripts. This contest falls into the latter category, and it distinguishes itself from existing contests in that 1) it is run by freelance editors, not by a self-publishing service; 2) TEN authors, not just one, will win professional editing; and 3) the prize packages are designed to include services and resources to help emerging indie authors begin to grow and sustain their careers, not just publish a single book. So yeah, I'm pretty darn proud of what we've put together. The contest being the first of its kind? Bonus.

2. Supporting indie authors as leaders in the publishing industry.
I am a person who is driven by a fierce independent streak and a strong commitment to social equality and self-empowerment. So it makes total sense that I'd be excited about the fact that we who write the books now have access to the means of production and distribution. But it goes beyond that, too. One of the biggest opportunities that self-publishing authors have is to push the boundaries laid down by traditional publishing - by publishing content deemed too risky for traditional publishing, by blending and inventing new genres, by introducing readers to voices and perspectives that aren't yet making it through the gates of traditional publishing. I firmly believe that once the self-publishing community has proven that there is a market for a wider range of voices and perspectives, more traditional publishers will be willing to take these projects on. Everybody wins.

Meet ShoreIndie Editor Sione Aeschliman

Sione Aeschliman (pronounced see-OWN ASH-lemon) is an editor and writing coach with a Master's degree in English and over fourteen years of editing experience. Since becoming a full-time freelance editor in 2012, she’s had the honor of working with authors from several countries on a wide variety of fiction and nonfiction projects. Last year she was an editor in the Pitch to Publication Twitter contest and faculty at the inaugural The Work Conference in New York City. This year she’s a #RevPit editor, creator of the ShoreIndie contest, co-editor of an anthology of floating-inspired prose and poetry for Coincidence Control Publishing, and teacher of genre fiction writing at the Show:Tell Workshop for Teen Writers and Artists.

Under her own name Sione writes prose and poetry (and prose poetry) about dusty heart-drawers and being chased by nunchuck-wielding ducks. Under pseudonym she is the indie author of seven books published in the last five years.

Although she lives in Portland, Oregon, she does not own a bicycle and is woefully underprepared for the zombie apocalypse, but her adorkable dog, Milton, is an Expert Urban Forager. She can't wait to read submissions and connect with members of the Twitter indie author community.

For ShoreIndie 2017, Sione is excited to accept...

Meet ShoreIndie Editor Carly Hayward

Carly Hayward is a developmental editor specializing in genre-fiction, including but not limited to romance, mystery, sci-fi, fantasy, erotica, and YA. Carly will help you find your voice and bring your vision to the reader. She will be your book’s best friend.

She has worked in the publishing industry for 9 years, including at a big 5 publishing house, a literary agency, and an indie publishing house that helps self-publishing authors. Carly graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in English. She is a member of the Editorial Freelancers Association and Chicago Women in Publishing. Carly was a panelist at Book Expo America 2016 and an editor for #RevPit and #P2P16.

For ShoreIndie 2017, Carly is excited to accept submissions that fit the following MSWL:

Meet ShoreIndie Editor Elizabeth Buege

Elizabeth Buege is a Midwestern girl with a lifelong love of words. She graduated from the University of Northwestern—St. Paul with a B.A. in English writing and internship experience in nonprofit writing and book editing. She now teaches secondary writing classes for homeschool students through a local co-op, where her job is to help teens fall in love with words and learn to express critical thought clearly. Elizabeth also loves helping authors become better writers, so she offers book critiques and editing services at elizabethbuege.com, where she blogs writing tips and related topics to help authors grow in their craft. When she’s not editing books or grading research papers, she’s probably reading, writing, or enjoying the world around her.

For ShoreIndie 2017, Elizabeth is excited to accept...

Meet ShoreIndie Editor Jeni Chappelle

Jeni Chappelle is a freelance editor with eight years of editing experience and a lifetime of word nerdiness. She has worked on #P2P16, #RevPit, and now #ShoreIndie.

Jeni and her husband used to own and run a little bookstore. Part of the plan for the store was to give local and self-published authors (much less common in those early days of Kindle!) a venue for their work. In 2009, one of their self-pub authors asked if Jeni could look over her new manuscript and give her opinion about its marketability with the bookstore’s customers. The feedback was extensive, the author was impressed, and Jeni was hooked!

Most importantly, she learned that although she has the know-how to write a book, her real passion is helping writers bring their books out into the world. Editing is the perfect blend of her analytical skills and her creative spirit–it keeps both sides occupied so they’re not always fighting!

Jeni lives in an itty-bitty town a few miles from Charlotte, NC with her family and a menagerie.

For ShoreIndie 2017, Jeni is excited to accept submissions that fit the following MSWL:

Meet ShoreIndie Editor Rebecca Heyman

Rebecca Faith Heyman started editing in 2007, while completing her Masters in English & American Literature at NYU. Her no-nonsense editing style is precise, spacious, honest, and compassionate, and has fostered countless collaborations with indie and traditionally published authors alike. Rebecca serves as an advisor to the board of Reedsy, a curated marketplace for book industry professionals and winner of the 2015 Futurebook award for BookTech Company of the Year, and is the founder/director of The Work Conference, an annual writers’ event in NYC. Notable releases (2017): The Alchemists of Loom (Kova, Silver Wing Press); Queer, There and Everywhere (Prager, HarperCollins); Project Semicolon: Your Story Isn’t Over (Bleuel, HarperCollins); Welcome to the Slipstream (Burian, Merit/Simon&Schuster); Hot Mess (Belden, Graydon House/Harlequin).

For ShoreIndie 2017, Becca is excited to receive submissions that fit the following MSWL:

Meet ShoreIndie Editor Cynthia Luna

As a marketer and linguist, Cynthia T. Luna has been editing and reviewing people's writing for more than 10 years. She began editing works of fiction in earnest with her brother's debut novel. Since then, she has helped several new and seasoned writers structure their books to be better calling cards for their businesses and advised indie authors on ways to structure and develop their stories. If there's only one thing Cynthia has learned while editing it's this: good writing emerges during edits!

In fiction, Cynthia most recently completed edits for a couple of young adult romance novels. In nonfiction, she rounded the corners of an upcoming book for indie authors on writing better villains. Cynthia wrote and self-published The Aspiring Author's Guide: Write Your Marketing Strategy (2016) for indie authors. And she contributes semi-regularly to her own blog, LivinginCyn.com.

Cynthia earned an M.Sc. in Public Relations (with distinction) from Boston University College of Communication and holds a B.A. in French Language & Literature (summa cum laude) from University of Maryland, College Park. Born in Trinidad, she grew up in Washington, D.C., and today lives in Winterthur, Switzerland. In her free time, Cynthia loves to read, binge watch Netflix series, eat delicious foods, take long walks in nature with her husband and travel.

For ShoreIndie 2017, Cynthia is excited to accept...

Meet ShoreIndie Editor Katie McCoach

Katie McCoach is a developmental editor working with authors of all levels. Her motto is, “Let’s create your best story!” Her specialties are romance, young adult, new adult, sci-fi, fantasy, and memoir. She is an active member of Romance Writers of America, Contemporary Romance Writers, and Los Angeles Romance Writers. She’s a featured editor for Revise & Resub (#RevPit contest) and #ShoreIndie contest (2017). Katie was also a participating editor in Pitch to Publication (2015, 2016), and has judged the 2016 & 2015 Golden Hearts Awards and 2014 Stiletto Contest. She is based in Los Angeles.

For ShoreIndie 2017, Katie is excited to receive submission that fit the following MSWL:

Meet ShoreIndie Editor Kyra Nelson

Kyra Nelson is a YA author and freelance editor. She earned her BA in English language and Editing from Brigham Young University before completing her MA there in linguistics. She is now pursuing a degree in applied linguistics from Northern Arizona University. Before becoming a freelance editor, Kyra spent several years interning at a literary agency and working in house for various publications. She has also taught university courses in composition, grammar, and editing.

Kyra is a recurring character on the YA WordNerds vlog. She likes keeping busy whether she's reading, writing, baking, hiking, playing violin, or just goofing off with friends. Kyra loves adventure, even if it's a small adventure like roasting Starbursts over the open flame of her stove top.

For ShoreIndie 2017, Kyra is excited to receive submissions that fit the following MSWL:

Meet ShoreIndie Editor Julia A. Weber

Julia Alexandra Weber is a Germany-based literary agent-turned-editor who realized that she finds helping authors make their work shine way more rewarding than having to send out rejections on a daily basis. She is extremely passionate about well-crafted stories, compelling characters, and engaging writing, and specializes in editing commercial Middle Grade, Young Adult, New Adult, Romance, and Women’s Fiction as well as Suspense and Psychological Thrillers—in both German and English.

Julia holds Masters of Arts in Communication Studies, Creative Writing, and Publishing, and her years as a very hands-on and editorial literary agent have helped her develop an eye for detail as well as the skill to identify the strengths and weaknesses of a manuscript. She knows how to get your manuscript in shape without compromising your voice.

When she isn’t reading or editing, Julia is a big sports enthusiast, day dreamer, night thinker, and cake batter eater.

For ShoreIndie 2017, Julia is excited to accept...

Meet ShoreIndie Editor Kisa Whipkey

Kisa Whipkey is a dark fantasy author, a martial arts demo team expert, and a complete sucker for Cadbury Mini-eggs. She's also the Acquisitions & Editorial Director for YA/NA publisher, REUTS Publications. She developed a passion for storytelling at a young age and has pursued that love through animation, writing, video game design and demo teams until finally finding her home in editing. She believes in good storytelling, regardless of medium, and applauds anything featuring a snarky lead character, a complicated narrative structure, and brilliant/uncommon analogies. Currently, she lives in the soggy Pacific Northwest with her husband and plethora of electronics.

For ShoreIndie 2017, Kisa is excited to accept...