Thursday, March 28, 2013

Fit Your Life Around Your Writing


If you’re a writer without a day job, I’m jealous. I have so many things to do every day that I have to figure out how to fit it all in.

I have priorities in my life, and I have obligations in my life. On Monday and Wednesday mornings, you can find me at the local university teaching classes before heading to my full-time job, where I also am on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Because my commute is an hour each direction, I get up early to do my workouts. On Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, I go to the gym during lunch as well because those are my two-a-day workouts.

I essentially get up on weekdays at 4:30 am, leave the house by 6:30 am, and find my way back home around 6:00 pm. Once home, I make dinner, feed the family, clean up, and then I have time to read my emails and write before heading to bed sometime between 9:00 and 10:00 pm.  I’m up early on weekends also, because those two days are my time to catch up on everything I didn’t get done during the week, (and partly because I just wake up at 4:30 in the morning no matter what).

I’m always looking for ways to do more each day. I’m sure other writers who have a day job are in the same situation. Some good ideas are in the book Writer with a Day Job (see my review here). I appreciate other writers who willingly share what works for them.

Because I put writing at the end of my day, it might seem like it’s not a priority in my life. It is. In a perfect world, I would write every day, but I don’t. I still have my goal of 2,000 words a week, which I usually achieve. Does that make me less of a writer? No, it doesn’t. It just makes me a writer with a busy life.
 
Would I like writing to be my day job? Of course. But until then, I have to do the best I can with the time I've got!

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Enter a Contest


I just finished reading a batch of stories for a short story contest. It’s one of my favorite things to do, and I feel blessed to have the opportunity to read what others produce.

I love to enter contests, although I don’t do it as often as I used to. Here are three great reasons to enter a contest:

1.       Find out how strong your writing is. Enter a contest that offers a critique (it’s usually a small fee), and give it a go. You’ll get feedback, and know if you still have some work or learning to do.

2.       It can jump start your creativity. Contests that have a particular theme or prompt, or a very small word count make you think about writing within the parameters that someone else sets. It can be challenging, but it can be fun.

3.       It’s rewarding. If you win, you might get some money, but you will also find your name on the contest website. You may be able to submit a short bio with links to your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest, and Goodreads accounts, as well as to your website and/or blog. Instant promotional opportunity!

One other thing to keep in mind—pay attention to the contest rules:

1.       Submit by the deadline.

2.       Keep within the word count.

3.       Send your story as requested: put it in the body of the email if that’s what they want, or attach the Word document if the rules say so.

4.       Include your identifying information in the proper place.

5.       Write with the theme or prompt in mind, if there is one.

Even though every contest entry will be read, be sure to edit, rewrite, and polish to perfection. The contest will post the winning stories, and they aren’t going to publish anything that is sloppy and riddled with mistakes, no matter how fantastic the storyline is!

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Coincidences


I went to town on Tuesday to donate blood, and ran into an old friend. We haven’t seen each other for two years, so we had a lot of catching up to do.

She asked if we still had three dogs, and I told her we have a fourth, a boxer from hell, that she hasn’t met yet. She gave me a strange look and said her family got a boxer as well. Turns out her boxer is the same age as mine, is just as goofy looking, with the same hyperactive tendencies. They are sisters! On top of that, my boxer’s name is Bella, and so is hers.

Coincidence.
This made me think about coincidences in books and stories. As writers, we need to be careful that there isn’t so much coincidence that our story becomes predictable. But most stories also need to have a few to move the story along.

Some people may call coincidence by other names: fate, chance, divine intervention, happenstance, or synchronicity. No matter what the tag is, we have to plan them carefully. Why does he see her every day around the same time, but not in the same place? Is she stalking him? Are they supposed to meet and marry? Does she want him to follow her? Is she someone from his past that he doesn’t remember? Does she even realize that he sees her every day? Ask yourself why you are including this coincidental sighting. If it has no bearing on the plot, it doesn’t belong.

I’ve cut coincidences in my stories before. Usually it’s because my plot was going in a particular direction, but I changed course. Other times it’s because I thought I was giving too much away when I wanted the reader to continue wondering about a certain element.

Coincidental situations should be strategically planted in your stories for a reason. Watch for them while editing!

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Outlining


I came up with a new plot idea, one that is stewing in the back of my mind. It pops up every once in a while, usually while I’m running, and I can’t seem to let it go.

I also can’t seem to make it coherent. It rolls around in different directions, and sometimes ends up making no sense. Then I think it’s not worth pursuing, until it gets a hold of my brain again.

I only know one solution. I need to sit down and put these ideas on paper. I think I want to pursue this idea for NANOWriMo 2013, so I have a few months to flesh it out. My way of putting it on paper is to outline.

Before you run away screaming because the word “outline” conjures up bad memories from high school English teachers, take a deep breath and hear me out. My outlining method is from Karen Wiesner’s book, First Draft in 30 Days (read my review here). It doesn’t use roman numerals and small letters that are indented. It uses worksheets that actually make sense.

Outlining using this method forces me to think more about my characters, my settings, and my scenes. I can see where I’m potentially going to run into problems, and I can write out a few different directions of where I think the book is going. Ultimately, the outline is in my control, and it doesn’t control me.

I don’t outline every scene in detail—only the ones that I’m having difficulty with or have more than one idea for. The rest of my outline consists of big ideas that I’m comfortable with.

I like having a guide that lets me lead the way, and that’s what Ms. Wiesner’s book does for me.  

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Promotion


You’ve written your book, have your publication date, and now need to sell. How can you maximize your sales creatively?

I’m sure you’ve heard it before: authors are largely responsible for their own marketing. Some people struggle with self-promotion, while others aren’t sure where to begin. Some people don’t have much money to spend, while others don’t know where to spend it.

What is right for one author isn’t necessarily right for another. To successfully promote your book, you have to be comfortable with the way you’re doing it. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t stretch yourself if the right opportunity comes along, but you also shouldn’t try a method that makes you feel like your integrity is going to be called into question.

If you’re looking for ideas on how to market your book and yourself, take a look at Sell Your Book Like Wildfire, by Rob Eagar (read my review here: http://www.readablewriter.com/Reviews.html).

To me, the book is a comprehensive view of several ideas that you can try, modify, or ignore. I believe every author can find at least one tool to utilize, and many more to mull over. Mr. Eagar shares stories that illustrate how his marketing suggestions have worked, and they bring his concepts to life.

For my novel , 2012: The Rising, I was on a short timeline from the date of publication to the December 21, 2012 event that my book is about. I wish I would have read Mr. Eagar’s book earlier in the year because there were so many ideas that I could have put into motion.

I will return to this book over and over again, as well as Mr. Eagar’s website, because I believe that with patience and the right promotional tools, I can market myself like wildfire.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Donate Your Novel


I love donating to charities. Whether it’s clothing, food, or money, there are several organizations that we support. My husband and I know we’re blessed in many ways, and believe it’s important to share our blessings with those who are having a tough time.

The Wounded Warriors Project is a fantastic organization that supports service members who suffered an injury incident to serving our country after September 11, 2001. There are several ways to support the Wounded Warriors Project, and as an author, here is a perfect way: Authors for Wounded Warriors.

The books on my bookshelf are some of my most precious possessions. I have an eclectic mix of genres and nonfiction, but every book has some meaning to me. I love receiving books as gifts, and love giving them as well. When I read about Authors for Wounded Warriors, I knew I had to share the information (and I hope you will as well).

I was excited to hear that Musa Publishing is a corporate sponsor—it makes me even more proud to be a Musa author.

If you have a novel in .mobi format and want to donate your book, go to http://authorsforwoundedwarriors.wordpress.com/about/ . You’ll find all the information you need to provide along with your novel, and who to send it to. Also, take a look at the Home page. There is information about helping to restock the libraries that were affected by Hurricane Sandy.

Hats off to Ashley Mackler-Paternostro for creating Authors for Wounded Warriors!

 

Thursday, March 7, 2013

First Impressions


I admit I’m a headline skimmer. I look at them on MSN.com and in the grocery store line. Every once in a while, one catches my attention and I have to open the webpage or the magazine.

I do the same thing when I’m at a bookstore. Sometimes it’s the title that catches my eye, sometimes the cover, and I pick up the book to read the blurb.

Those first impressions count. If your title isn’t alluring, strangers may not pick up your book. If the cover to your novel doesn’t grab someone, it will be passed over, along with hundreds of others.

I usually have a title to my work in progress before I start, but I am working on one novel right now that has no title. I love what I’ve written so far, but nothing sings to me yet. I know it needs to be provocative given the nature of my book, but everything I’ve come up with is bland or feels forced.  I’m not going to worry about it because I still have the other half of the book to write. When the right title comes along, I’ll definitely know it.

My husband is a pro at artwork. He has a knack for knowing what works and what appeals to others. I depended on him to help with my book cover for 2012: The Rising. When the cover was designed, I didn’t like it at first, but my husband told me it was perfect. I’ve gotten several compliments on the design, so he must have been right…again.

Your title and cover should be well thought out with your audience in mind. What will grab their attention? What will make them curious enough to stop and pick up your book? If it’s not enough, you’ll miss those precious sales!

 

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Why Don't Writers Care?


I overheard some people lamenting the fact that they can’t find a good book to read any more. The conversation went something like this:

Person 1: I always read my favorite authors when their books come out, but in between, I have nothing.

Person 2: I know what you mean. I see books that look interesting, but I’ve been burned too many times now and don’t want to waste my money on a promise.

Person 1: Why don’t writers care about their readers?

Person 2: I don’t know, but I shouldn’t have to do research just to find out if someone has had their book edited.  Why does everyone think they’re a writer?

At first, I smiled and nodded with understanding.

Then I got mad.

Most of us work hard to be the best writer we can be. Most of us spend a lot of time and energy working at our writing to produce something readable. Most of us care about our readers and want to give them a great reading experience.

Why does everyone think they’re a writer?

My husband once lamented that every man thinks he can build. He complained regularly that his craft was being diluted by people looking for work who didn’t know how to pound a nail. He was always proud of the end result of his work—the beautiful building that would serve many and that would be a landmark for him, for years to come. Building, to him, was a form of art, and a reminder of the time and energy he expended to create something functional and usually, aesthetic.  He left the construction field several years ago because it was no longer satisfying, and his annoyance level was high since he worked with people who didn’t care.

What are writers who care supposed to do? Continue to put out good product, market ourselves and get known so people can’t wait to read our work again, and keep our audience amazed and delighted.

People are looking for good authors, and we’re out here. Let’s do our best to maintain the integrity of our craft so the public doesn’t discount us and our hard work.