Halfway Through February Already?

I guess we're firmly entrenched in 2014 now.  It seems like New Year's Day was a week or so ago, when it's been a month and a half.

Yes, time flies.  I'm wondering where the first half of this month has gone.  But it only takes a few seconds to know that mine has been spent putting words on paper...and then changing them.

Author and friend Patricia Davids and I were just exchanging emails about our writing methods.  We each do our writing in a different way.  Her method is to edit and change as she goes along.  Mine is to write a first rough draft and then go back two or three times to change, add and edit.  Both ways are acceptable, both are perfect for each of us.  I've done the go-back method before, and all it does is confuse me.  Not only am I visual, I'm linear.  I start at the beginning and keep writing.  If I think of something that needs changed, I make a note, stick it on my book bible for use later.  After almost 20 years of writing, I find it's better if I do it my way.  That doesn't mean I don't tweak and change my way.  (Please be aware that I typed T W E A K, not t w e r k.)

The Pluses of Plotting
On top of that tic, I also plot.  I didn't start out that way, so maybe that's why I'm linear when I write.  "No plotting for me!" I cried to my critique partners.  Yeah, that didn't last as long as I thought it would.  Even to pansters I have to say, "Know where you're going!"  Why?  Because there's no reason to write half a book, only to dump it because you've come to a dead end or no reason to go back to the beginning and start making huge changes in the story.  This counts especially for new writers, who sometimes tend to have a super idea, but get lost in the telling and go off on tangents that are great for word counts, but not so good for a great story.  Involving a little plotting is a good thing, and in a week or two, I'll go through some ways that can vary.

Continuing to Learn
I was in the middle of reading Alexandra Sokoloff's Writing Love: Screenwriting Tips for Authors II when I had to stop and do other things.  You know, those writing things.  But I went back to it a couple of days ago and picked up where I left off, which was story middles and endings.  She uses examples from both movies and books, which I find to be a great help.  The thing is, none of us ever know everything, and it's always good to find another and another and even another way of looking at our writing.  I think that's another reason I enjoy writing.  I keep learning.

Making Adjustments
This isn't all about me, this is about you, as a writer.  Are you finding that writing has become more difficult?  Are you growing bored with your story, your characters?  Have you come to a place where writing is no longer something you look forward to?  If so, it's time to make some changes.

Change.  It doesn't have to be a big change.  Even changing the font you use could bring about a change.  No, I haven't tried this, but... ☺ What I did do when editing after that first draft is to change the method in which I read.  I tend to do better when I edit on hard copy, so I print the manuscript and go through with a red pen.  I may do an on-computer read-through afterward, finding a few more things that need corrected or changed.  But with the last ms, I uploaded the file to my Kindle, highlighting anything that jumped out at me and making a note of it.  It appeared more as a book than a manuscript and was different than the other two ways.  I've only done it once, but I'm going to try it again.  If it works, great!  If not, I can go back to my old standby of printing again (ouch!) or reading off my computer.

If It Doesn't Work, Try Something New
Never, never, never be afraid to try something new.  It's not as if you threw out that comfy chair and brought in a new one that makes your back ache.  What you did before a change can always be done again.  But I have a feeling that first way may end up being done in a small, but different way.

Love Yourself, Not Your Words
Great for Valentine's Day, right?  But it's true.  Sometimes things don't go right.  If your story is starting to read the wrong way, don't despair.  Words and ways can be adjusted and changed.  If needed, brainstorm with friends--writing friends are the best for this, not Mom or Aunt Jill or Best Friend Charlotte.  They will always LOVE your writing, even when it's bad.  If you're self-publishing, hire yourself a reader or an independent editor.

And when you're done...

Love Your Work
See how I worked that in to Valentine's Day? ;)
It's always a day brightener when an editor adds a note to a manuscript that something you thought funny is funny or something makes he/r smile.  Even better is having a reader tell you s/he loves your book.  In the process of writing, if you aren't loving what you do or something doesn't feel right, stop.  Then think.  If you're sick of writing and ready to throw in the towel, take a mini-vacation from writing and enjoy all the other things that life offers.  And there are so many things besides writing that life offers.  Grab one.  Or two.  Or even three.  But don't go away for long.  If you're really a writer, you'll stick with it.

Always learn through your mistakes.  Doing so is a gift that only we can give ourselves.  And what a perfect day for gifts!  Happy Valentine's Day!!  And pass the candy. ;)

All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt. ~ Charles M. Schulz

The Seasons of our Minds

I started to write this about my favorite season, Autumn, but when I sat down at my keyboard this morning and read the 110 words I'd written, I decided to start over.  We do a lot of that, don't we?  Starting over.

There's nothing wrong with starting over.  It doesn't necessarily mean we give up on something else.  What it really means is that we want to do something better than we did before.

Seasons of nature are always a special time, especially for new beginnings.  Starting over is a part of that.

Last week, I worked on my current WIP, a full proposal for the last book in my Desperation, Oklahoma series for Harlequin American Romance.  It's rough draft stage, so I try not to go back and make big changes.  Well into the second chapter, I had to leave my desk several times to do my daily chauffeuring.  Autumn means school days, as will winter and spring, and I spend a third of my daytime sitting in my car and driving to and fro.  That time sitting is often spent writing or editing.  So with the extra time that day, I started writing a scene in longhand.  After I got home and had some quiet time, I keyed it into a Word document and continued, thinking I'd done a good job.  By the next day, I realized the scene didn't work.  I'd gone off course from my basic idea.  I ended up scrapping it and starting over with the original idea.  Time wasted?  Not at all.

Sometimes our minds instinctively know what's right and what's wrong.  At other times, our minds may take off on a new road or go back and choose a different one.  It may be a smooth road, and it may be a rough one.  The only way to know is to take it.  I drove down what I thought was a smooth road, but it started getting bumpy.  Nearly to the end, I realized I had to start over.  When I did that, everything fell into place on a much smoother road.  There's nothing wrong with starting over.  Tell yourself that and you'll find new freedom.

Autumn is my favorite season.  I think that's because I remember the excitement of school starting after a long summer of too much freedom.  It meant seeing all my friends (and not-so-much-friends) on a regular basis.  I love the colors of autumn.  They invigorate me and make me want to make changes and start new beginnings.  Whether it's the colors of the leaves changing and the grass hibernating, or the new, crisp, colder air that inspires me to make changes, I'm smiling.  This is nature at its best.

This year is especially special.  I'm re-discovering the beauty of autumn.  For the past few years, we've experienced a drought, and the changing of the leaves had been a bit disappointing.  But this year, we've had rain.  The drought is over and nature is in full bloom.  As I drive along the riverbank to drop off or take the kidlets at their grade school or drive through neighborhoods with Maple and Oak trees among the usual Elms, I'm blown away by the vibrant shades of red, orange, yellow leaves that were green, not so long ago.  I need to remember to take my camera, but even taking pictures can't catch the breathtaking beauty of nature this autumn.

Life, too, has cycles, just as our days and seasons do.  At times we're forced into change, but even when it feels uncomfortable or is caused by something we believe isn't good, we eventually adjust and make things better.  We start over, we find a new beginning, and we enter a new season of life.  Make this new season the very best.

Every corny thing that's said about living with nature - being in harmony with the earth, feeling the cycle of the seasons - happens to be true. ~ Susan Orlean

So You Want to be a Writer...

Millions of people think of becoming a writer.  Only a small percentage actually do.  There are probably as many reasons for both.  It looks like fun, but the truth is that it's hard work and not for the faint-hearted.  It can be brutal, it can be fabulous!  But there's no way of knowing which and when will happen, because both do.

I'll be upfront and honest and say without qualms that I am not a NY Times Bestselling Author.  I don't have awards stretched along my fireplace mantle.  I don't even have a fireplace, much less a mantle.  I haven't sold as many books as some, but I've sold more than others.  In fact, I have two, very close friends who have topped the charts.  Does that bother me?  Not really.  I focus on myself, not everyone else.  I don't need to be the Joneses next door.  Trying to do that is counterproductive.  I'd drive myself crazy.  Okay, crazy-ER.

It's my opinion that there are four kinds of writers.  Let's take a look at them.

1. People who dream about being a writer and may have even told people about their dream, but haven't written anything.  
2. People who write sporadically, when the mood strikes, but enjoy being around people who write.
3. People who are actively writing toward a goal of being published and continue to learn new things.
4. People who have had a book published--or have published a book--and are actively working on the next.  Learning new things are a must in their life.

#1's are simply dreamers.  They usually love reading and wish to someday do the same.  However, they haven't looked into the process of writing and publishing.  They, like dreamers, dream of someday writing a book...when there's time.  Maybe.  These are the people we hear say, "Someday I'm going to write a book about [whatever topic is being discussed].  There are times when this can lead to actually moving forward and investigating what goes into writing a book.

#2's are what are known as hobbyists.  There's nothing wrong with being a hobbyist.  Having interest in doing something is good.  Many writing hobbyists are even voracious readers.  There are a few who rarely read, but enjoy listening to others talk about writing and will say they are writing, too.

#3's are writers.  They have done and continue to do their "homework."  They attend conferences, workshops, either in person or online, and keep up with what's going on in the publishing world.  They get together with writer friends and join writing groups to talk about and learn more about writing and publishing.  But most importantly, they are writing...at least once a week, if not more.  They are writers.

#4's understand how important it is to write and continue to learn about all aspects of writing.  In the meantime, they write nearly every day (or night).  They write wherever and whenever they can, whether it's waiting while kids attend activities or even on vacation.  They work hard and have deadlines to meet.  They are Writers.

Which number are you?

Kristen Lamb said in her June 10, 2013 blog post, Traits of the Successful Author--Self Discipline, "If you want to be a professional, careful hanging out with too many amateurs. When I say amateur, I don’t mean unpublished (pre-published) writers. I mean writers who are hobbyists. If you’re in a writing group, and it might as well be a coffee klatshe? Find another group or create one on WANATribe."

Well said, Kristen!

Which number are you?  Are you happy where you are?  If so, that's fine.  If you aren't, why aren't you?  Ask yourself what's keeping you from moving on.  Even multi-published authors can and do ask themselves this question.  The answer?  Each one is different, just as each writer is different.  Know where you are and decide where you want to be.  If you're a #2 and happy, you're where you want to be.  If you're a #1, and do nothing beyond dreaming, ask yourself what's important, dreaming or doing and do something about it, if needed.  #3?  Keep learning and keep writing!  Even when it feels like the odds are against you, keep moving forward.  Keep writing.  The publishing world is changing, and you may find the right place to be and the right (write?) you.

Follow your dream, then live your dream.

Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world. 

 -- Harriet Tubman

The Future is Here

For several years, we've had the opportunity to read electronic books.  It's something I never thought I'd do, but I've discovered that I enjoy them as much as printed book, and sometimes even more.  Thanks to major markets such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple, the three largest ebook retailers, digital sales have skyrocketed.  

This is a good thing.  Any time we can make it easier for people to purchase and read books is a plus.  Reading is good for the mind.  Reading is good for the soul.  Now that libraries around the country have jumped on the ebook bandwagon and offer digital downloads to their patrons, nearly anyone can enjoy a book.

Where does this leave a writer?  For one thing, it opens up writing and publishing in a way that has never before been seen in our lifetime.  Now writers have options beyond the get-an-agent-submit-partial-to-publisher-wait-for-answer-from-publisher-wash-rinse-repeat.  The long years of writing and waiting have become shorter.

Is this a good thing?  Yes.  And no.  Yes, because we're no longer required to write within the parameters needed to sell to the bigger print publishers.  No, because although writing a book isn't hard, writing a GOOD book is.

So what's an author to do?  It's time to make some choices.  Here are a few:

• Large and well-known publisher - offers both print and ebooks to buyers
• Small publisher - offers ebooks and some print books to buyers
• Small epub publisher - offers ebooks only to buyers
• Indie/self-publishing - usually offers ebooks only to buyers

Each has its strengths and weaknesses, its positives and negatives, pros and cons.  When looking into each of them, it would be wise to first know what it is you want. Author JA Konrath recently blogged about this and offered a list to look over and think about.

Consider these factors of publishing, and rate how important they are to you as a writer:

• Cover art

• Price

• Sales and free promotions

• Title

• Speed to publication

• Distribution

• Marketing and promotion

(for more information, visit his blog, A Newbie's Guide to Publishing)

Does it really come down to a one-way-or-the-other choice?  No.  Authors writing for large publishing houses are now also indie-publishing other books.  Indie-published authors who've wowed the public on their own are now writing for some of the biggest publishers. Sometimes authors decide to stick with only one way, while some are using several.

Keep in mind that publishing your own book isn't at simple as it might seem.  None of us is perfect, and we make errors...spelling errors, grammar errors, and more.  It's always good to have someone look it over.  That could include paying an outside editor to look over our work for those errors.  If you're not savvy about the different types of files needed for self-publishing, or you don't want to deal with the hassle, a formatter can also be had for a price.  Covers are much the same, and one of the things that's easily forgotten in the beginning, as we rush to write the book of our heart.  But a good cover can help sell a book.  There are many cover artists to choose from, and a good way to find them is through recommendations from other writers who have indie-published.

The above is only a brief introduction to the choices writers have now.  We have options.  Before choosing which way might be best, do your homework.  Read articles, blogs and comments.  Talk with authors about their experiences.  Don't jump in without checking what lies beyond the surface.  Educating ourselves saves us from making mistakes we might regret. Changes can be difficult.  Some of us are more timid that others.

When all is said and done, we've moved into the future, and it is ours.  Good luck!

Choices are the hinges of destiny.  ~Attributed to both Edwin Markham and Pythagoras