I'm so excited to be a part of the blog tour for Hover by Melissa West. I absolutely loved the first book in the series Gravity and equally adored Hover. Melissa stops by to share some writing tips for you.
Hover by Melissa West
8/13/2013
On Earth, seventeen-year-old Ari Alexander was taught to never peek, but if she hopes to survive life on her new planet, Loge, her eyes must never shut.
Because in this world, pleasure is everything, held up by a ruling body that keeps their people in check by giving them what they want and closing their eyes to what's really happening around them. The only hope Loge has is to move its people to Earth, and they have a plan.
Thousands of humans crossed over to Loge after a poisonous neurotoxin released into Earth’s atmosphere, nearly killing them. They sought refuge in hopes of finding a new life, but what they became were slaves, built to wage war against their home planet. That is, unless Ari and Jackson can stop them.
But on Loge, nothing is as it seems…and no one can be trusted.
Melissa West Guest Post:
Tips for becoming a better writer
Thank you for having me! Today, I thought it would be fun to offer 10 tips for becoming a better writer. This is my advice, but if you’re a writer, you know that all writers have advice on writing, so take what works for you and trash the rest. J
10. Learn to rewrite. Rough drafts are junk even for the most skilled writers. It’s important to learn to evaluate your work, see the problems, and then rewrite. And rewrite again.
9. Find critique partners or a critique group that you trust and that gets your work. Family and friends are rarely going to be as honest with you as a stranger. OR maybe they are too honest, criticizing on things that are really not a problem.
8. Accept criticism. It’s not that you have to accept everything someone suggests, but avoiding change in your work will keep you from becoming a better writer.
7. If your critique partner or an agent or an editor tells you that your story has elements that are exactly like something published. Change it. Right now. Because I will tell you, if your story makes it to publication and it is still a carbon copy of said book, readers and reviewers are going to rip you apart. You don’t want that. I don’t want that for you.
6. Set a daily word count goal. This will help you stay on track.
5. Learn the rules, and then learn when it is okay to break them.
4. Make sure your characters’ goals and motivations are clear and strong.
3. Make sure the conflict in your story is high. And then elevate it still more.
2. Never stop writing at the end of a scene or chapter. Write the next few lines, so it is easier for you to get back into the story the next day.
1. Read. Reading inside and outside of your genre will make you a much stronger writer.
Melissa lives in a tiny suburb of Atlanta, GA with her husband and daughters. She pretends to like yoga, actually likes shoes, and could not live without coffee. Her writing heroes include greats like Jane Austen and Madeleine L'Engle.
She holds a B.A. in Communication Studies and an M.S. in Graphic Communication, both from Clemson University. Yeah, her blood runs orange.
GRAVITY is her first novel.
Giveaway Details:
A giveaway basket with a signed copy of Hover, a $20 Amazon GC, T-shirt, and other goodies!
Tour Schedule:
8/12/2013- K-Books- Interview
8/13/2013- Bookish Things & more- Review
8/14/2013- Chocolate Coated Reviews- Guest Post
8/15/2013- Library of a Book Witch- Guest Post
8/16/2013- Step Into Fiction- Interview
8/19/2013- Book Sniffers Anonymous- Review
8/20/2013- Chapter by Chapter- Review
8/21/2013- The Book Hookup- Character Interview
8/22/2013- Jenuine Cupcakes- Guest Post
