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Formula, Reading Levels, SMOG Readability, Writing

SMOG Readability Formula

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Have you ever wondered what age group you write for? Some of the lines blur between children, YA and adults. While some are clear-cut and obvious others are not so much.

There are some clever formulas one can use to calculate your written words to the age group of the readers. One such format is the SMOG Readability Formula. In short it counts 10 consecutive sentences in the beginning, middle and at the end of your story. It counts every word with three or more syllables in the 30 sentences regardless how many time it appears. It adds that total number and then compares it to the SMOG Conversion Table so we can determine what grade level we are writing toward.

There are some rules one needs to remember. A sentence is any string of words that ends in a period, exclamation point or a question mark, Words that have hyphens count as one word. Proper nouns are counted as words. If you have numbers in your story read them out loud to see how many syllables they have. In long sentences that have colons or semicolons followed by a list count each part of the list with the beginning phrase of the sentences as one sentence each. You also should count abbreviations as if they were not. Do not include verbs ending in “ed” or “es” for that will make the word have a third syllable.

This will give the writer a good clue of where their book is geared toward. I have found this particular useful for my writings when the line between the ages are so close together it is hard to determine who to pitch to. There will be some exceptions to the rule. By the time I was in 3rd grade the books being read by me were the ones my sister in high school was reading. You will have kids who are more advanced and will not fit this profile. But for the most part it’s a good starting point

Don’t have time to do all of this? Well it got easier. The link below gives you an opportunity to cut and paste from your story and it will calculate for you where the readability is.

http://www.readabilityformulas.com/free-readability-formula-tests.php

I am so glad these tools exist for us to take advantage off. This gives me one less thing to do which I happily embrace.

Author, Books, Creative Writing, Critique, Editing, Manuscript, Plot

Are you hooked?

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“You are going to hate me for this,” Robin said as she looked at me with sadness. I had just read the first chapter to a book that had been completed a week before. Sitting in the library room with one of my writer’s group I tensed on the inside. Okay be calm, breath how back can this be?

Robin said the first two paragraphs of my first page needed to go somewhere, anywhere but where it had been placed. My hook she continued really started on paragraph three. Looking where she pointed I knew she was right, 100 percent correct. Thanking her I made the notes on the sheet.

The back story would just be moved elsewhere in the book. It is rare I delete that much words unless they don’t work anywhere else. The hook, the most important part of any story regardless of length has to be mastered. There are many books on this topic though the one I refer to most often is “Hooked” by Les Edgerton. This determines if a reader will continue with your novel or just place it down never to be picked up again. Some example of hooks:

-”The creatures came again last night.” – Seven Views of Olduvai Gorge

-”I lost all interest in sex after I died.”- Water-Skiing Down the Styx

-”When John Rochon was found dead Sunday morning on his front lawn, his neighbors were not surprised- only they had always somehow suspected his timid wife Beth would die first.”-He Had It Coming

One of my writing teachers once said if you are missing a hook at the beginning, then go through your story and find it. There is a chance you have written the hook but have placed it further into the story line. This is something we as writers can not ignore and hope it will just happen.

One of the many reasons we write is to have people read our stories and get enjoyment from them. To do that we have to make sure they get pass page one, then page two and so on until the last page has been read. As much time and effort we put into writing it does no one any good if the book remains on the shelf or worse the trash can.

Book, children's book, Electronic submission, Manuscript, NaNoEdMo, Publishers, Publishing, Publishing House

Anticipation

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“Anticipation, anticipation
Is makin’ me late
Is keepin’ me waitin’ ”

Does anyone remember this song?

In February of this year I attended a free writers conference. From that contacts were made from small press publishers. I submitted my first novel to one in late March and within a couple of weeks the rest of the MS was requested. It was told to me that the time frame of hearing anything would be 4-6 weeks. Cool! Now I had to sit down and wait and not obsess over this every single hour of every single day. Piece of cake NOT well at first anyway.

In that time I completed the second volume to the book, edited 80 percent of my NaNoWriMo book of 2011 and now just a couple of chapters shy of another novel being finished. The days have gone faster since the concentration has been back on my writings and not waiting for the call whether the news be positive or negative. I don’t think of it daily like I use to thankfully for that made for some long days.

Though to be perfectly honest my mind has spread out into dream land if I get the call and receive the news most writers wait for. It is hard not to fantasize of getting one’s first book in print the traditional way. I do have two short stories that were published in an ebook anthology and that still gives me a little woohoo especially when I look at the book on line.

But to get one’s book in print and hold it in our hands well let’s just say I really really would love to know how that feels. It use to be when I started writing it was with thoughts of money. But over the last two years it has mellowed to just loving to write and homing in on my craft. Interacting with fellow writers whether that be on line or in real life gives me a burst of energy that is so hard to explain. For they get what I am trying to do and understand why I am doing it. They get me.

I just love to write. Hopefully some day down the road people will not only pick up one of my books but enjoy it to where it gives them a smile. If I can accomplish that then I am successful.