The Curse of a Good Book

Most aspiring, and even published authors are often racked with doubt and self-deprecation, constantly asking the question: is my writing good enough? or even, am I good enough?

I'm one of these writers, constantly worrying over the quality of my sentences and whether or not my story is worth telling, if it would make any sort of impact on a reader's life, if it lives up to the idea of it in my head, and if it's good enough to share shelf space with my favourite novels.

As a reader, I devour books in the genre that I write, to see what kind of stories are being told and sold, which characters are the most beloved, what works and what doesn't. Sometimes I'll read a book that just takes my breath away, that makes me wish I'd written it and that makes my soul ache to know it's not my name on the front cover. This is the sort of book that makes me want to strive harder, to write better, and simultaneously makes me wonder why I even try because I'll never be as good as that.

This is the curse of the good book.

This curse happens in three stages:

1) AMAZING book, I am so in love, I want to read it again right now, I won't live another year waiting for the sequel, I must stalk the author on Twitter, I want to be her best friend, I wish the characters were real, I'm going to write out my favourite quotes and stick them above my bed...

2) I HATE this book! It's so good, so much better than any of my ideas. Why didn't I think of this amazingly awesome stupendous idea? My characters are flat, emotionless, boring Mary Sues and Gary Stues, no one will ever want my hero as a book boyfriend, I'm wasting my time writing, I'll never be good enough, I'll never write a book this awesome...

3) Of course I can write a book this awesome! In fact, I will. I'll stop comparing my first draft to this perfect, polished, published piece of art and get stuck into revisions, whipping my story into shape. My characters are totally swoon-worthy. I can so write a book as good as the one I just read.

There is so much to learn from reading a good book: What makes it so good? What did I love about the characters? How did the author move me? What devices, tip and tricks can I apply in my own stories? And while reading these books can often be a little demoralizing and make me wonder if I'll ever be that good, they definitely inspire me to strive harder, to write better and dream bigger.

Have you ever experienced the curse of the good book?

After the Book - Are You Selling a Book or the Author?

So you have written the book.

You have gotten it published.

Now what?

The obvious answer is to start writing that next book, but there is so much more to it than that; along with so many different philosophies as well.

I am going to look at what has worked for me and how I see it from the librarian perspective, which is where I am going to start.

When most people come into the library looking for any sort of fiction book, what do you think they ask for most of the time? Let me give you a few options…

1. The Title of the Book
2. A piece of a Title of a Book
3. An Author
4. An Author's New Book
5. I want a Book that reads like author X

Well if you guessed any of them you would be right, but the question we guest asked the most, from my almost 10 years working in the library is “Do you have Author X’s new book?” Most people if you are lucky might know a piece of the author’s book title but most of the time they don’t. What they know is what authors like to read and know when the author is releasing a new book.

What a lot of new authors don’t realize is that you are not only selling your book(s) but you are also selling yourself as an author. You, the author, are your brand.

I may never get the chance to sell out and become a New York Times bestselling author, which I would do in heartbeat, but I have created; as one person liked to call a cult of personality.  I have gone out and marketed myself out at Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Multi-Genera/Gamming Conventions and created my author brand. People know who I am and what I do; so in turn I sell books. I have worked long and hard to make sure people who attend these shows know who I am.  I knew I was doing something right when someone, I really don’t know who, create a Wikipedia page about me.

I also knew I was doing something right when I started do a series of charity anthologies called Writers for Relief and I was getting big names to donate both original and reprint fiction. So I may never become a huge house hold name, but I have been able to give back and help in times of need.

Something to remember most publishing houses don’t have large marketing budgets and they are going to market things they know are going to sell; aka their big name authors. They are a business and they are going to try and put their money into a sure thing. And if you are working with a small press their marketing budget is even smaller if they even have one at all. A lot of the times, especially the smaller presses, are looking for the author to market themselves. 

And please remember I am mostly talking about more about genera fiction and not contemporary fiction, niche fiction, regional fiction, romance writing, etc. those are all different monsters and we are all going to write the fiction we want to write.

Things I have done to grow my cult of personality:

Whenever I can I always try to get a table at these conventions. This gives me a home-base where I can engage people, show off my books, and give away swag (bookmarks, pins, audio samples). Never be afraid to say hello to someone passing by the table.

I try to do as many panels or talks as possible. I want as many people to get to know who I am. I am not afraid to moderate these panels. I am willing to do panels, as long as I am moderating them, on topics I know nothing about. This has led to some incredible learning experiences on my part.

I will attend after hour’s events. These are a great place to meet other authors, publishers, people in the biz and mingle with fans in a different sort of light.  

I have worked on a number of successful podcasts. I wouldn’t suggest this to everyone. It takes a lot of time to do one of these things right. But podcasts that do news, and fiction reviews are a good place to try and get interviewed to get your books and yourself out there. You never know who might be listening.

Don’t be afraid to embrace social media. Yes a lot of authors do it, but if you do it long enough and consistently – you will be heard; especially if you have grown your fan base in other ways. Facebook, Twitter and whatever will come next will help you interact with your fans away from conventions and book signings. Fans like to know what is going, what is happening next, where you might be appearing.

Go after book signings where ever you can; from small books stores to large ones to libraries to comic book stores to university book stores to book fairs to anywhere someone is willing to let you set up and sell your book(s). And if you know a group of published authors joint book signings work o extremely well. Again conventions fall under this as well. These sorts of things don’t come after you, at least not until you make a name for yourself.

Also get yourself a website or a blog if you can't get a website up and going. Use your first and last name as the website address if it is still available (for example daveybeauchamp.com) update the website/blog/whatever you have as much as you can; especially if people can’t connect to you on facebook and twitter. Wordpress sites work great and require every little work to update and can be redirected to from any website name. 

In the end the name of the game is name recognition.

In the end you really need to find what works for you and do it. I really think at times writing the book is the easy part. The next hardest thing is getting published; though now in this very new world of publishing, it is an easy thing to do. But it is your name recognition that will let you cut through the sea of anyone can be published with a few simple clicks on the internet. Because, regardless if you are being published by a large publisher, a small press or self-published you are all now competing for the same market share. The internet, the ease of publishing, e-book markets, fan fiction followings, etc. have changed the entire paradigm. You just don’t know who is going to hit it big next.  

My tips for Teen Writers

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to host a writing workshop for teens. As someone who always loved writing, it was amazing to be able to share some tips with teens who loved writing too. They even had me sign their notebooks afterwards.

Anyway, here are the tips me and authors Katie Kacvinsky and Bryan Bliss shared with teens about inspiring your muse.


1. Use music to get you in the mood. Have a specific song for a scene you're writing or for each character to get you in their head. (Katie)


2. Use movies to help with setting. Never been to Las Vegas? Watch the hangover. (Bryan)

3. Use Google Image Search or postcards for writing prompts. (Me)

4. Write for a set interval without stopping- for anything. Don't worry about spelling or punctuation, just get words down. (Me)

5. Figure out what kind of music your characters are into. It will help you shape the kind of people they are. (Katie)

6. Think about your story like a movie. It has three acts. It starts and then something happens that changes everything and forces your character into action. Action continues to climax and finally resolution. Try to think of favorite movies this way. What are the three acts of Star Wars? (Bryan)

We all had a great time and the teens were super excited to get some insider tips from published authors. What are your favorite ways to inspire your muse?

Guest post - Order out of Chaos: A Sketch and Write Exercise

I’m sure many of you keep a writer’s notebook, that wonderful place where you can keep all your ideas, brilliant shining gems and half-formed potential lumps alike, a place where—best of all—no one has to see them unless you want. (Sometimes the gems turn out to lumps when you see them a few days later. Happens to us all.) I keep two such books, my writer’s notebook and my sketchbook.

Now, much of what I draw is—how do I say it?—crap. (But, hey, how many first drafts are glittering, literary gold?) Still, I find the exercise to be meaningful, not only to me personally but also to my writing life. My sketches inform my writing and vice versa. Today I’m sharing a sketching exercise that is also a wonderful way to generate a writing prompt. You’ll need a piece of paper or a sketchbook page, a pencil, and a pen. Other tools, like an eraser or watercolors, are optional.

Step One: Without looking at the page, take your pencil and scribble all over it for as short or long of a time as you wish. Make whatever kinds of strokes feel right to you. The important thing is to resist the urge to try to draw a particular object.

 

Step Two: Look at your scribble and find a picture in it. Trace it with the pen. It doesn’t have to be realistic. My mermaid chicken certainly isn’t. Start with your scribble lines and add detail if you like.

 

 

 

Step Three: Freewrite for 10-20 minutes about the thing you drew. Clean up your drawing and add color if you like. Be amazed at your creativity!

 

 

 

 

 

Bio:

Connie B. Dowell tutors and is assistant director at a university writing center. She writes for the full age-range of children’s literature, from picture books through YA. Connie puts her tutoring skills to work for fellow fiction writers through her editorial services. She lives in Virginia with her husband and an overly clingy cat. Find her online at www.bookechoes.com.

Giveaway:

Connie is giving away a big picture evaluation of the first 10K of a manuscript. Comment on this post with your email address to enter. On June 16^th, she will use Random.org to pick the winner.

 

Watching Television is Educational

It’s no secret that I am a TV junkie. I’m known for the calendars I make each Fall with all the shows I’m going to watch. I even color-code them. I’m amazing, I know.

Anyway, watching television is more than a simple pastime for me. While I sit on the couch wishing I could be as cool as Emily Thorne (Revenge) and dismissing any ideas that exercising would be a better choice, I am learning how to improve my writing. So, really, watching TV can be considered an educational experience for me.

Today, I’d like to share some of my favorite shows and what I take away from them as a writer. Be sure to let me know which shows inspire you in the comments!

***

Revenge (ABC)

While the show can be a bit too melodramatic and borderline soap opera, Revenge is a delicious, engaging, and thrilling show. The various plot twists have helped me re-think the way I go about plot points and the ways I can turn a story upside down. I also view each episode as a chapter in a book, and have improved my ability to create cliff hangers.

Arrow (the CW)

I was a huge fan of Arrow even before it premiered on the CW last fall. Partly because I’m kind of in love with Stephen Amell, but mostly because I liked the rest of the cast and the show looked really good. What I found, however, exceeded my expectations. I’m not a huge action kind of person, but I am so glad I love this show because I’m more familiar with how an action scene should look and feel. I can then interpret this visual understanding into a written version, resulting in a more refined fight scene.

The Vampire Diaries (the CW)

The Vampire Diaries features some of the sexiest most complex bad guys. I mean, look at Klaus! He’s ruthless, pure evil, and yet you can’t help but feel for him. In fact, I love him. I really do. If anything, this show has taught me that the antagonist in any story should still retain some level of humanity that will appeal to readers/viewers.

Being Human (SyFy)

This show is so much more than just the paranormal aspects. To me, Being Human is all about the character relationships and how they react to one another. I love watching Aiden, Josh, Nora, and Sally grow as people and as friends. Watching them has helped me reevaluate my own characters’ relationships and I’ve managed to bring a better sense of realism to them, if that makes sense.

***

That’s just a sample of the shows I watch, but hopefully you found today’s topic fun and enlightening! Don’t forget to tell me which shows you love to watch and how they help your writing!

Why You Need An Elevator Pitch Even If You Always Take The Stairs

"Elevator buttons and morning stares

Stranger’s silence makes me want to take the stairs"

I couldn't resist starting with a little Taylor, partly because every day should have some Swifty lyrics in them and partly because it’s the perfect intro to today’s topic: the elevator pitch.

When I was querying, I was somewhat horrified that I needed to condense my entire novel into three paragraphs that would have an agent salivating. THREE tiny paragraphs to sell a whole novel?  Can’t be done, can’t be done, can’t… fine, I’ll do it.  But I won’t be happy about it.

If you feel the same way, you’re not going to like this post. Because I’m here to tell you you’ll need to go even further. You should also be able to sum up your novel in one sentence. 

Feel free to mount the same argument that I did with respect to elevator pitches. What is the statistical probability that I will be:

A. Riding an elevator with an agent to begin with

B.  Able to determine in the 47 seconds it takes to get from the lobby to the 8^th floor that said person is a literary agent representing the exact type of fiction I am writing

C. Able to work up the nerve to discuss my book with this unicorn of a mystical being.

Well, okay, if you attend the odd writer’s conference, it's not entirely improbable; however, it also isn’t exactly likely.  But that doesn’t matter. Because nine times out of ten you won’t need your elevator pitch to land your agent.  You can have the three whole paragraphs for that.  It’s the part that comes next that requires the logline.

You will now need to be able to discuss your book in one sentence each time you talk to: every one of the people you brag to about landing an agent to (who will then follow up with “Cool. So what’s your book about?”), every fellow writer you encounter at a conference, every book store owner you approach about hosting your book signings, every teacher you contact about an author visit, every blogger you want to host you on a blog tour, and EVERY SINGLE possible potential reader that you encounter in the world from the time you sign a book contract to the time your book has been on shelves for years.  

So what is an elevator pitch?

Let’s consider some movies for easy examples (just envision an eager screenwriter facing executives and saying “Okay, picture this!”, probably with lots of enthusiastic hand gestures included):

“Eight-year-old boy is accidentally left behind when his family goes on vacation and must defend his house from a pair of dim-witted thieves.”

“The high school jock, the princess, the goth, the nerd, and the bad boy are locked in all-day detention together.”

“A high-society girl and a penniless dreamer fall desperately into forbidden love aboard the about-to-sink Titanic.”

Any one of those lines conjures an instant image of the tone and possibilities. Note that I don’t have to tell you what actually happens in any of these stories- I really just have to give you the set-up and your imagination is off and running.  That’s an elevator pitch. That’s what will get readers to the bookstore (versus you rambling on and on about how it’s “sort of like The Little Mermaid but without the prince and, oh yeah, it doesn’t take place in the water, and the main character is a selkie, not a mermaid but..”)

When should you write your logline? Right now. If you can’t come up with one for your novel, you may not yet know what the heart of your story is and it would be a good exercise at this point in the writing to stop and boil it down. It can also help to inform your revisions if you know what the essence of your book is before you go all Edward Scissorhands on it. Write your line down, tweak it, memorize it, and then practice it on every person who asks what you are working on. If they start smiling and nodding along, you've got it!  

Until that point, consider the stairs…

Feel free to use the comment box as your practice space- share your logline below!

Guestopia: Jordan Link

Today we have a guest post from 16-year-old Jordan Link, author of The Sacrificed. Take it away, Jordan!

Author at 15: Breaking into the Elusive Industry

by Jordan Link

Since being contracted with Entranced Publishing for my young adult fantasy novel, The Sacrificed, two questions in particular have caught my attention: why start so young, at the age of fifteen? Why not wait until you have more experience in the literary world?

I have enjoyed reading since I could remember, long before the time in elementary school when I received my first book log. There was something alluring about a book, fresh from printing, or dusty from weeks spent on the shelves. I fell in love with the odysseys, the adventures that lay before me as I turned each crackling page. But it soon became clear, around grade eight, that something was missing. My own characters, the quests and kingdoms trapped in my own mind, hadn’t yet found their place on the pages of a book.

There is somewhat of a stigma toward young writers in the industry. There is always uncertainty about their level of maturity, and how they will react when they receive their first criticism. They may lack experience and work ethic. The details of their contracts may be more exquisite, since many teen authors are under the age of eighteen. All of these points, under many circumstances, can be proved valid. Thus, it is often times difficult to find a publisher that will overlook ones age, and focus instead on their ability to cast a reader into a world that they will never forget. Luckily, I found Entranced to be that publisher.

But even before one embarks on the strenuous search for a publisher, or, if you’re really looking to submerge yourself into the literary world, an agent, a document of an extraordinary word count must be produced. No, it is much different than the five-to-ten-page research papers that every student, no matter how much they may protest, is required to produce in high school. Writing a novel is a journey in itself, and if a writer is truly entrapped in the mystical worlds that they create, the words will flow easily from their fingers and onto the glare of their computer screens.

My advice for any teen writers who are currently struggling to complete their manuscripts, and who may be reading this now, is quite simple: focus on the quality of your work! Though NaNoWriMo is a great way to fill the blank space of a Word Document, and to gather the confidence needed to pursue a full-length novel, an unedited piece will be the bane of many editors, and, as you will soon see when the rejections begin to pile up, the bane of yourself. However, outlining in excess can restrict your imagination. It may discourage and bore you: often times when I find myself outlining, I end up recycling the novel soon after. Instead, focus on major plot points that you need to fulfill, and keep tabs on questions that the reader might ask throughout your novel.

One big, often-addressed obstacle that can grow in size, brick by brick in the way that a medieval fortress would, is writer’s block. Many writers suffer from it, and writers with lesser experience are even more prone to resignation because of it. They allow it to escalate to an impassable blockade, one that is armed at every possible gate. The little black line that follows every word they type will blink, waiting, until their mouse hovers over the red ‘X’ at the corner of their screens.

No matter what people may tell you, or how much they will discourage you, a true writer will never stop trying. Just imagine where you could be in five years, ten years: typing away in the threshold of apartment with the skyline of a city down below; relaxing on a beach while embracing the sound of an endless ocean.

One person determines where you’ll end up in life: that’s you.

Be sure to check out The Sacrificed now available from all major retailers.

Emerald Hayden lives in the City of Centsia, a half-winged among the other walkers. She has no family, friends, or food: only a grim future filled with tiresome labor in the upper level’s factories. But everything changes when she meets Dusk, a winged from the place that she previously scorned. He opens her eyes to a new possibility: the possibility of the unity of winged and walkers, of freedom, and of love. Together, they decide to challenge the upper level’s supreme, winged council. But when a friend betrays them, they must choose whether to sacrifice their beliefs and save their own lives, or to remain along the thin line that divides the city in two. Success could mean liberty; failure, death.

Writer's Block: Get Over it!

In interviews with writers, I see a lot of questions about Writer's Block: Do you get it? What tips do you have for beating it?

When I was at the UCF Book Festival earlier this year, I sat listening to a panel of journalists. One of them said, "Journalists don't have writer's block. Ex-journalists have writer's block."

And I thought: YES!

You have to understand something first: I grew up with a very stereotypical military father. Sprained ankle? Walk it off. Stomach upset? Drink a Sprite and go to school. No excuses, no whining. It may seem harsh, but it was done with love and it's made me a very strong, independent person and I am immensely thankful for that.

This is how I approach writing. So, you say you have writer's block? Here's my honest advice, that I am also giving you out of love, with the intent of making you a stronger person, a stronger writer:

Get over it. Get over yourself.

Sit down in front of your computer/notebook and write. Write about your character eating a Big Mac for all I care. Just do it. Yeah, it may be crap at first. You'll need to get over that, too. And eventually, it won't be crap. Maybe it will even be good. With some revision, it could be great.

But it won't be anything if you don't start.

Are you a writer? Write. No excuses, no whining.

Like Piecing Together a Puzzle

Writing a story--any story--is like piecing together a puzzle. I dabbled in journalism a while back, and one of the things I loved about writing articles was viewing them as puzzles. Each of the elements--the quotes, the facts, the background research--was a puzzle piece. All I had to do was fit them together to form a compelling story. It's the greatest feeling when all your work finally fits so seamlessly together. There's lots of fun in getting there too.

Writing fiction is a lot like that. The elements may be different, but the hunt for that finished puzzle is the same. The outline of your story--should you choose to do one--is like when you first open that puzzle box and dump all the pieces onto the floor. You survey all the pieces and get a good look at what you're dealing with. Once that's done, you sit at your computer and start piecing it together, keystroke by keystroke.

The way we usually do puzzles is by identifying different areas of the puzzle, and the similar pieces that link together in each area. For example, when we were kids we looked for the blue pieces of the sky or the red pieces of a barn. Here are a few of the areas you should identify when it comes to the puzzle that is your project.   

The Beginning

The first--and arguably most important--pieces fit into place here. This is where you have to know the point in your story where the actions start. A rule of thumb (not coined by me!) is to "start the story as close as possible to the end." Basically this means: don't waste time. Start fast and keep the story moving so you keep your readers turning the page. Without this key piece of the puzzle, you may be lost before you even began. 

Character Wants

Once you've started your puzzle, this is where it begins to take shape. Always ask yourself: what does my character want? What are his or her intentions? These pieces are what drive the plot of your story. They are the pieces that the readers latch onto in order to follow along. When you've fit them together, it is smooth sailing.  A good character sketch should get you on the right track. Those pieces are key to fitting together the pieces of the next section of the puzzle.

Obstacles and Achievements

So, if you know what your character wants, you can piece together his or her character arc. The rising action of the story is usually a series of obstacles and achievements. How your character overcomes each obstacle is determined by what he or she wants. For example, if your heroine is on a course to rescue her true love who has been kidnapped by a psychotic human-gargoyle hybrid, she might stop at nothing to save him, including putting her own life on the line. It's your job to set up the stumbling blocks and then use your character's motives and desires to have her make decisions that get her closer to where she wants to be (or even have her tragically fail).

Subplots

These are those tricky pieces that you very much want to fit somewhere, but on the surface they just don't seem to have a place. It takes a lot of skill and patience to make these pieces fit. Pay careful attention to these pieces because they can either turn your puzzle into a masterpiece or a muddled mess. On the other hand, don't spend too much time of them, because it is your main pieces that need the most focus.

Climax and Resolution

These are likely the pieces you've had set aside from the very beginning. You know where they go. You've known all along what they look like down to the very last line. These pieces should fit easily into place, but be careful: it's easy to get lazy here, to just jam them in the last remaining open spots. You're exhausted. The end is in sight. But don't give this part of the puzzle any less focus. Take great care to make sure your climax and ending are the best they can be, that they do actually fit. After the climax things tend to cool down and the story's theme or message comes full circle. It's when you answer the question: what was everything for? Your character should reflect back on the events of the novel and the reader should take something memorable from that. Don't make this part too abrupt, but don't draw it out for too long. You'll know when it feels right and when it doesn't. When it's finally done right, it's all the more satisfying when you can stand up and say, "Wow, what a great looking puzzle!"

Inside the editing cave

I've been absent on social media for the last month, as some of my friends have noticed, but online activities went ahead minus me and most were none the wiser. And my inbox grew...a lot. It's like the emails were bunnies and bred.

During this time I was holed up with my laptop editing like a fiend. I had to take an early version of my manuscript and mash it together with a newer version and then weed out all the inconsistencies.

Two rounds of editing later and I'm back in the real world...for now. My manuscript is now  in the hands of my editor and will probably undergo a few more rounds of content edits before it under goes line edits. So I'm bound to disappear into the editing cave again soon enough.

So if you have a writer friend who goes MIA it's not that they don't love you or care anymore. They're probably in crazy editing mode and neglecting friends and family in person as well as online.

So: what makes you disappear offline? And how do you handle your editing?