Learning: Always Ask Questions

Houck, Viguie, Holder, and Dessen at the MBFI

I mentioned yesterday that one of the best ways to gather reliable information is to directly question experts in the field. When you're talking about something as subjective as writing, though, who can really be considered an "expert"? Do they need a degree? Does having one book published make you an expert or do you not gain expert status until your publications number in the double digits? Who knows? I definitely don't and it's probably not a good idea to waste time trying to come up with a universally acceptable definition.

You won't always be able to meet face to face with a published author, but luckily you have the internet! The internet houses places like the Booktopia Blog which has a list of Ten Terrifying Questions and a huge list of authors who have taken the time to answer them. Browse through the list and you may be surprised by the names you'll find. Fiction, mystery, romance, young adult, and pretty much everything else are represented on this list and you can learn a lot by looking through the answers they give. Below I've copied the answers of young adult author Lauren Kate who wrote Fallen, Torment, and the upcoming Passion.

And, just an fyi, I will be taking the next three days off, but look for a new post on Tuesday! The first of the new year!

1. To begin with why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself – where were you born? Raised? Schooled?
I was born in Dayton, Ohio, but moved to Dallas, Texas when I was two. I grew up in Dallas (where my family still lives, so it’s technically “home” to me). When I was eighteen, I moved to Atlanta, Georgia to go to Emory University. Emory is not far from Savannah (where Fallen is set). Since then, I’ve lived in New York City, Paris, a farm in Northern California, and Los Angeles (where I live now).

2. What did you want to be when you were twelve, eighteen and thirty? And why?
When I was twelve, I wanted to be a ballerina. I have twenty years of formal ballet training, but I gave it up after college when I was broke and living in New York and couldn’t afford lessons anymore. Plus, as many a ballet teacher told me, I never had the right shaped feet.
When I was eighteen, I wanted to be a writer. I’d started publishing short stories in my high school literary magazine, and wrote my college application essays about being a writer. Still working on that one!
I turn thirty next year, but I already know what I want to be next: A chef. Of some sort. I’m looking into culinary schools and would love to someday work in a restaurant.

3. What strongly held belief did you have at eighteen that you do not have now?
One thing I remember feeling very strongly about at eighteen was that I wanted to always stay friends with my ex-boyfriends. HA! I guess I realize now that it’s okay to let people in and out of your life.

4. What were three works of art – book, painting, piece of music, etc – you can now say, had a great effect on you and influenced your own development as a writer? 
There’s a sculpture by Camille Claudel called La Vague in the Rodin museum in Paris. I used to live very close by and I think I’ve probably spent more time looking at that sculpture than any other piece of art. It’s as if the artist has frozen the climax of a novel—it shows so much about pacing and drama and tension. And it’s just so beautiful.
My favourite novel is White Noise by Don De Lillo. It’s the book that made me want to be a writer. I read it first when I was eighteen and I try to reread it every year.
I played the song “You Look So Young” by the Jayhawks on repeat just about the entire time I was revising Torment. It’s so torturously beautiful and something about it speaks to the relationship I’m trying to create between Luce and Daniel.

5. Considering the innumerable artistic avenues open to you, why did you choose to write a novel?
I was never conscious that I was choosing anything. I just wrote. I wrote songs and poems and stories for a while and then I realized I was much better at the longer stuff. I always had a hard time coming out of a short story. Plus I hate writing endings—the less of them I have to write, the better. So novels it was!

6. Please tell us about your latest novel…
The novel I just finished writing is called Torment. It’s a sequel to my novel, Fallen, and it picks up the romantic saga right where Fallen left off. Luce is beginning to grasp the scope of her relationship with Daniel, her fallen angel boyfriend, and she’s looking forward to happy days in love. But of course, she’s in for a few more surprises before she gets her happily ever after…


7. What do you hope people take away with them after reading your work?
I love to read stories that have humour and heart, stories that take me on some sort of unexpected journey. So I hope those are the kinds of stories that I write.

8. Whom do you most admire in the realm of writing and why?
I love F. Scott Fitzgerald for the brevity and punch of his character descriptions. The way he writes Daisy in The Great Gatsby blows me away every single time I read it.

9. Many artists set themselves very ambitious goals. What are yours?
Well, at one point, I wanted to publish a novel before I turned thirty. It looks like I’ll have published four of them by the time I hit the big 3-0. Achieving goals is a wonderful feeling, of course, and I consider myself quite ambitious, but in reality, success and accomplishments never really look the way you thought they were going to in your fantasies. Some things that used to seem really important no longer matter—or is no longer possible. And that’s okay. It helps me to be adaptable and laid back and not expect things to turn out exactly the way I’d envisioned. Some times things even turn out better!

10. What advice do you give aspiring writers?
Live curiously. Make the whole world your muse. Never let yourself get bored—instead: eavesdrop, ask questions, try to learn as much as you can about as many things and as many people as you can. If you live your whole life like a curious person, you’ll never be at a loss for things to write about.

Research: Beware Misconceptions

See the original here.

I found this XKCD comic online recently and then asked myself, does Wikipedia really have a list of common misconceptions? Another Google search showed me that, yes, they do! How intriguing. Some of the information on this rather long list I already knew, some of it I didn't. What it made clear to me, however, is how easy it is to get something wrong. Misconceptions, misperceptions, and misunderstandings happen all the time. In fact, it's a little scary how easy it is to misunderstand someone.

Since misinformation is so prevalent, how do you know what to believe when doing research for your books? Especially when a lot of research is being done online and all it takes to make a source look legitimate is a good website and a believable url. It's a tricky question and truly depends on the subject. A lot of times, though, finding someone who works in the field and asking them to direct you to reputable sources or answer some questions is the best and safest way to go. If this fails, books published by a reputable house are usually (but not always) safe. Textbooks are safer. You can use the internet as a starting point, but don't let it be the only way you research.

Below the cut line are some of the misconceptions I found interesting, amusing, or weird. Since they're on Wikipedia, I in no way vouch for them being 100% true, but it's still interesting. To see the full list, go here.

Technology: Who Was The First?

History is marked by "firsts" and made by those who risk everything on new technology, new ideas, or new trends. Gutenberg earned his place by being the first to create movable type. Henry Ford is a household name not because he invented the automobile, but because he was the first to take that idea and make it accessible to the rest of the world. George Washington, our first president. Amelia Earhart, the first woman to make a transatlantic flight. René François Armand "Sully" Prudhomme, the first winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Before the huge technology boom of the last few decades, firsts were well recorded. We know with relative certainty that Mark Twain was the first author to turn in a manuscript created on a typewriter (Life on the Mississippi) and Jack Kerouc made history with his 120-foot long roll of paper containing the first draft of On the Road. The New York Times has an interesting article on the scroll if you're interested. You can read it here. But what about the first author to submit a document created on a word processor? Who were the early adopters of that technology?

While literary historians know that Stephen King bought one of the earliest editions of the Mac home computer in the 1980s, was he the first author to do so? And after that? Who was the first to move to PC? Or to write a book on an iPad? Do we even care? Matthew Kirschenbaum, an associate professor of English at the University of Maryland, does.

Mr. Kirschenbaum is looking into the literary history of word processors. The author of the NYT article, Jennifer Schuessler, made an interesting point in the article. She says,

The study of word processing may sound like a peculiarly tech-minded task for an English professor, but literary scholars have become increasingly interested in studying how the tools of writing both shape literature and are reflected in it, whether it’s the quill pen of the Romantic poets or the early round typewriter, known as a writing ball, that Friedrich Nietzsche used to compose some aphoristic fragments. (“Our writing tools are also working on our thoughts,” Nietzsche typed.)

And it's true. Word processing and the internet has streamlined the creative process, making it easier to write, research, and daydream. It provides us with more opportunities and more distractions than any authors in history have had to deal with and thus changes the way we think and write. Does it make our work more disposable because the very medium we're using to create it is so quickly thrown away? Or will quality endure just like it has for centuries? It's something to ponder, but not the point here.

Let's get back on track:

Mr. Kirschenbaum, whose earlier book, “Mechanisms,” analyzed experimental electronic writing, said he was less interested in analyzing the stylistic impact of word processing than in recovering its early history, particularly its adoption by mainstream writers. And in his lecture, sponsored by NYPL Labs, a unit of the library devoted to experimental technology, he ticked off some of the better-documented moments in that history. Tom Clancy wrote his 1984 thriller “The Hunt for Red October,” often cited as one of the earliest word-processed best sellers, on an Apple IIe, using WordStar software. And Jimmy Carter set off what may have been the first word-processing-related panic in 1981, when he accidentally deleted several pages of his memoir in progress by hitting the wrong keys on his brand-new $12,000 Lanier, a calamity noted in The New York Times.


Given the spottiness of the record Mr. Kirschenbaum is hesitant to proclaim Mr. King the computer-age equivalent of Mark Twain, the first major American writer to complete a work using the new technology. But Mr. King’s 1983 short story “The Word Processor,” Mr. Kirschenbaum ventured, is “likely the earliest fictional treatment of word processing by a prominent English-language author.”

It's a fascinating subject to someone who grew up in the computer boom and actually watched computers get bigger and more powerful before suddenly becoming smaller and even more powerful. But one topic in particular intrigued me most about this article. Jennifer talks about Stephen King's story "The Word Processor" and how it came to be:

The story, published in Playboy (later retitled “Word Processor of the Gods”), certainly captured the unsettling ghostliness of the new technology, which allowed writers to correct themselves without leaving even the faintest trace. In the story a frustrated schoolteacher discovers that by erasing sentences about his enemies he can delete them entirely from the universe and insert himself in their place, a reflection of Mr. King’s fascination with his Wang System 5’s “insert,” ”delete” and “execute” keys, recounted in the introduction to his 1985 story collection, “Skeleton Crew.” “Writers are used to playing God, but suddenly now the metaphor was literal,” Mr. Kirschenbaum said in the lecture. 

 Having never written an entire book on paper (or evenon a typewriter) will I ever know how much the computer has changed the way I would have written in a different era? Who can know, but it's something to keep in mind. Who knows? Maybe the escape, control and home keys will inspire my next book. ;)

Websites: Common Mistakes

Mixed messages are everywhere and the information coming to new or aspiring authors is no exception. One of the biggest of these involves self-promotion and websites.

Almost everyone recommends authors have a web presence through their own site as well as social media like Facebook and Twitter. The social media pages are simple to set up and most of us already make use of these pages in our daily lives. Setting up a website from scratch? Not quite as easy.

When I started my first website sometime in 2007, I used Microsoft Office Live. Not only did this service (at the time) offer free webhosting and free simple design software, they gave you a free domain name! It seemed perfect and, for a first website, it was. I attempted to have a blog on that site simply by adding text to a page with dates, but the format annoyed me pretty quickly. A few months after I started the website, I started a Blogger blog and, for a while, cross posted everything on both sites. Eventually I stopped cross posting and simply added notifications to the website that new content had been added to the blog. But then I dropped of the face of the interwebs for a while. When I finally resurfaced this year I looked at my website and realized I hated it. The webhosting was still free, but I had to pay for my domain name. The design software was still simple, but it was annoyingly limited. Then I looked at my blog. Most of my interesting content was already hosted on my blog and in the intervening year Blogger had added a really cool new tool called Pages. This featured allowed me to create static pages with whatever content I want. How awesome is that? It didn't take me long to decide to scrap the Microsoft site entirely and bring my domain name over to Blogger.

For me, Blogger works as a site. In a few years once I actually have some books published and my promotional needs change, it might not work as well. For now, however, it's perfect. I like posting content about writing because not only does it help whoever happens to stumble across the post, it helps me keep up to date on the ever-changing industry. There are a few people who have been following me ever since the beginning of the blog and even came back after my long hiatus, but for people who are just discovering my corner of the internet there's a wealth of posts for them to browse through.

As easy and convenient as Blogger (and similar sites like Wordpress) is, it's not for everyone. If you don't plan on posting much or find after you start that you can't keep up the pace, having a blog-centered site might actually hurt your promotional goals: having no website is better than having a bad website. However, there is hope!

If you're a die-hard do-it-yourselfer, there are a few websites you can check out that list the most common mistakes author websites make and how to spot and then avoid them. Jane Friedman talks specifically about Blogger and Wordpress and the problems of using a blog-centered website. Designer Karin Bilich goes into detail about the design issues she faces working with authors on their websites. Last but not least, The Creative Penn hosted a guest blog by founder of Writing Forward Melissa Donovan about common mistakes authors make on their websites. All of these posts provide useful tools and tips that won't hurt and may help your website.

If you don't mind asking for help, there are a wide range of services available online from the cost-effective to the full-service luxury packages. Different designers will specialize in working with different hosting services, so if you don't already have a site established, find a designer (preferably one who has worked with authors before) and listen to their input. That is, after all, what you're paying them for, right?

Writing: Grammar Laws Or Grammar Opinions?

As a writer, you must have a relationship with grammar, even if it's a dysfunctional one. For example, my childhood.

Placed in the "gifted" program in second grade, I was always expected to do well in school. For the most part, I conformed to these expectations, but not always. Multiplication escaped me entirely for three years. Geography I found insanely boring and thus failed miserably in my ability to remember the locations and capitals of all fifty states. The most inexplicable failure on the part of my brain, however, was my horrendous spelling and poor grasp of grammar laws.

Somehow, I had an innate understanding of proper grammar and normally used words and phrases correctly, yet despite a reading level years above my actual age, I sucked at picking out the parts of a sentence and--as my mother used to say--"couldn't spell my way out of a paper bag". That usage has always confused me as I can't understand how spelling something correctly would help me escape a paper bag, but I digress... The actual point is grammar and structure and spelling were never interests of mine, but stories have always been my first love. So here I am years later attempting to make a career out of storytelling and using the very rules and guidelines I never bothered trying to understand in school. At least I know I'm not alone in this struggle.

Grammar is fluid, its rules and structure changing with a language that evolves every day. New words and newly acceptable usages are appearing every day. Although some seem to point to the future decline of our ability to communicate clearly (idk jk ltftw!) others are simply loosening of archaic structures that now mimic more clearly the way we use language in everyday conversation. Some of these more mutable topic are taught as rules when they're actually guidelines--or just plain wrong. Online College has a post covering the 20 Most Controversial Rules in the Grammar World and Lists o' Plenty has a List o' Top Ten Commonly Believed English Grammar Myths. Some of the "rules" are repeated on both pages, but it's an interesting read nonetheless for writers or grammarians.

In essence, grammar rules, like Legos, are building blocks. Read the instructions, know how the pieces fit together, and then use them to suit you. Not everyone will follow every rule and not everyone needs to. Sometimes the most interesting, innovative stories come from breaking the "laws" of grammar. And who knows, the "rule" you follow by rote today may just be a suggestion tomorrow.

Holidays: Merry Christmas!

Christmas is overly commercialized and stressful. That being said, people do get pretty crazy and pretty creative during the holiday season. So to celebrate the day, here are some awesome, scary, funny, cool, or unique Christmas related pictures I found on the internet. [sorry! They're gone now... You can find a bunch with a couple of Google searches, though.]

Merry Christmas!

Questions: Wondering Why

Quote of the day:

I always wonder why birds stay in the same place when they can fly anywhere on the earth. Then I ask myself the same question.
-- Harun Yahya

To see image with this quote, click here.

Controversy: Should You Use It In Your Writing?

Controversy is surprisingly easy to find. If you want to, you could live your entire life in controversy with someone but why in the world would you want to? Whether it's any good to have in life or not, controversy is useful, and possibly essential, in writing. However, this is only true when it's used correctly. Some good examples can be found in the following (books are listed as I remember them, so in no particular order):

1. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson - Controversial subject: rape
2. 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher - Controversial subject: suicide and bullying
3. The Color of Water by James McBride - Controversial subject: race and class struggles
4. Shine by Lauren Myracle - Controversial subject: homosexuality and hate crimes
5. Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen - Controversial subject: abuse and neglect of children
6. After by Amy Efaw - Controversial subject: teen pregnancy and infanticide
7. My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult - Controversial subject: prenatal genetic modification
8. Room by Emma Donoghue - Controversial subject: kidnapping, assault, and survival

This list is by no means complete, but all of these books are sitting on the shelves of my closet right now, so I can vouch for them. All of these books approach very different subjects from very different angles, but they all have at least one thing in common: they take a serious, multi-prong look at a very serious subject that can, has, or will affect hundreds or thousands of people. As long as you don't treat the subject lightly (I'm not saying you can't make a serious subject funny; just look at the movie 50/50), you should be able to handle any subject in a way that will only offend about a third of the people who read it.

What brought this up? Recently George Takei posted a link on Facebook to an article about a pair of identical twin boys, one of whom, at the age of fourteen, is in the process of undergoing gender reassignment and has changed her name from Wyatt to Nicole.

There is so much drama, tension, and controversy inherent in this story (and you really should read the entire article no matter what side of the fence you're on; it's incredibly interesting and enlightening). I would not be surprised to find at least a handful of authors inspired by this story and now feverishly building a story around an idea similar to the story of Nicole and Jonas Maines.

Writing: It's Not Just About The Words You Put On The Page

Writing is not the only profession affected by this in the current market, but if you're trying to become a professional writer (fiction, non-fiction, freelance, etc) this is an important list to keep in mind. Many thanks to Robert Lee Brewer (whose name is NOT Bob) for posting this on his blog.

Here are the 8 jobs of modern writers:

1. Writer. Believe it or not, the writing should always come first. If the other seven jobs ever start to overwhelm you, remember to fall back on the writing. That's your bread and butter as a writer.
2. Editor. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that someone else can correct all your mistakes. Sure, an editor will help improve (or at least alter) your writing, but that's only after your work has been accepted. Your job as a writer is not just to string words and sentences together; it's to string the best words and sentences together--with a minimum of grammar and spelling mistakes.
3. Copywriter. Jane Friedman wrote a great post about why this is important over at Writer Unboxed. Copywriting skills are needed for everything from writing query letters to bio notes.
4. File clerk. Once your writing is great and your query skills pay the bills, you need the ability to keep accurate records. The WritersMarket.com site I edit offers a submission tracker tool, but writers need to also keep track of bills, payments, and expenses--for tax purposes. It's not fun for most people (raising my hand), but it's essential to freelance success.
5. Negotiator. Here are my negotiation tips for writers--from the perspective of an editor. Put them to good use. For tips from the writer's perspective, check out this post by Carol Tice. You don't have to be super pushy to be a good negotiator--sometimes all you need to do is ask.
6. Accountant. This is sort of related to number four, but money complicates everything and needs an extra level of care. If you're trying to make a business out of your writing, you'll need to keep receipts and accurate records of payments, expenses, bills, etc., that are related to your writing. If you go to a conference, that's a business expense, including the hotel, mileage, etc. Learn more in the 2012 Writer's Market, which has a great piece on this subject by full-time freelancer Sage Cohen.
7. Marketer. Most writers don't want to think about this job. After all, many are introverts. Then, there are the extroverted writers who actually want to move this ahead of the writing on the list of jobs. However, I think the writing always comes first, but writers have to build a platform. It's essential to building your brand as a freelance writer and making you visible to potential opportunities.
8. Speaker. Speaking of introverted writers, I'm sure most are spitting their coffee all over the computer screens in disbelief that I would include number eight as an essential job of modern writers. However, it's true. Many of the best opportunities (both for platform building and making money) for writers moving forward will involve speaking. You don't have to be the best speaker ever, but speaking is a skill that you work on and can improve over time. Trust me, I used to think it was impossible, and I still get nervous, but I am much better now than I used to be. Click here for a few of my tips on speaking.

Retail: The Gripes of A Bookstore Employee

Having spent most of my day at a mall (eww), it brings me back to my days as a retail employee during the holiday season. When the bookstores began to die, a few stores gave up the veneer of complacency and decided to tell customers exactly why they've gotten on our nerves over the years. Having lived through two years of Borders I can vouch that all of these are true. All of them and then some. >.< So, in the spirit of the season, here are some things NOT to do when you go into most stores. Chances are if you avoid these errors, you'll get better service. ;)

Things We Never Told You: Ode To A Bookstore Death

We hate when a book becomes popular simply because it was turned into a movie.

It confused us when we were asked where the non-fiction section is.

Nicholas Sparks is not a good writer … if you like him, fine, but facts are facts.

We greatly dislike the phrase "Quick question." It's never true. And everyone seems to have one.

Your summer reading list was our summer reading NIGHTMARE. Also, it's called summer reading, not three days before school starts reading.

It's true that we lean to the left and think Glenn Beck is an idiot.

We always knew when you were intently reading Better Homes and Gardens, it was really a hidden Playboy.

Most of the time when you returned books you read them already - and we were onto you.

Limit One Coupon did not mean one for every member of your family - this angered us. Also, we did know what coupons were out.

It never bothered us when you threatened to shop at Barnes & Noble. We'd rather you do if you're putting up a stink.

"I was just here last week and saw this book there" meant nothing to us. The store changed once a week.

When you walked in and immediately said, "I'm looking for a book," what you really meant to say is, "I would like you to find me a book." You never looked. It's fine, it's our job - but let's be correct about what's really happening here.

If you don't know the author, title, or genre, but you do know the color of the cover, we don't either. How it was our fault that we couldn't find it we'll never understand.

We were never a daycare. Letting your children run free and destroy our section destroyed a piece of our souls.

Oprah was not the "final say" on what is awesome. We really didn't care what was on her show or what her latest book club book was. Really.

When you returned your SAT books, we knew you used them. We thought it wasn't fair - seeing that we are not a library.

Writer's Block: Share The Blame!

I found this online... Who knew?! Everyone blames writer's block on a blank page when really it's the pencils!

Publication: Is The Grass Always Greener?

Say you work very hard on your manuscript, you get a recommendation from a published friend that lands you an agent, and that agent happens to have lunch with an editor who then decides to buy your book. You did it! You're a published author! Now what?

Some aspiring writers believe that as soon as they get that phone call from their agent saying someone has offered them a contract, their life is set and all they have to do from there on out is attend signings and conferences and write the next book. Sometimes, this isn't the case. In fact, I'm willing to bet it's never the case, even if you're someone like Stephen King or Stephenie Meyer. Some days are going to be great! You read a fabulous review of your book, receive a royalty check, and get a call from your agent saying the movie option for your book is now under contract. Other days? Not so much. A 1 star review on top of a low (or non-existent) royalty check and dead silence from your agent and your editor can make you start wondering why in the world you work so hard if you're not really getting anything in return.

Jody Hedlund, author of inspirational romance, posted on her blog about what happens after publication and the struggle many midlist authors go through on their bad days.

Before publication, most of us have dreams of what we think being a published author will be like. And the more we rub shoulders with other writers and fan the flame for publication, the larger our dreams become, until we’ve made being a published author into this HUGE, BIG deal—perhaps bigger than it really is.

Isn’t it that way with most things out of our reach? We long for something. But the more it’s denied us, the more intensely we want it. And we start to think it will be SO fabulous when we finally get it.

Our expectations grow with our longing, until eventually, our expectations are slightly (or maybe greatly) out of proportion with reality.

She makes some excellent points and although I've seen some of them made before, it's always good to read these reminders from people on the other side of the fence that the grass isn't always greener.  I searched around Jody's blog (which you might want to do as well) and also discovered a post on what to do with reviews. Using examples from user reviews on Amazon, she shows you how contradictory the feedback you get can be:

About the romance:

“The scenes where the husband and wife are falling in love with each other are a little intense. Nothing vulgar or across any lines, but enough to make me blush at times.”

“I soured on inspirational romance in part because I didn't feel it dealt realistically with the physical attraction between men and women. The tension and desire between Priscilla and Eli in The Doctor's Lady, however, is tangible. Jody handles it so tastefully that even people accustomed to the hand-holding-only atmosphere of other inspirational romances won't be offended by it.”

About the hero:

“At first, I didn't particularly care for Eli. I thought him crass and kind of a jerk.”

“It didn't take me long to fall in love with Eli's strong, but gentle ways. Wow, he sure sounded like a hunk.”

About the story development:

“I was bit disappointed. Not completely, because I was very impressed with Jody's writing, and I will definitely pick up more from her. The Doctor's Lady isn't about the Whitman's mission with the Nez Perce. It's completely about their journey to the Nez Perce . . . I was just hoping there was more of the plot actually involving Native Americans.”

“I love every part of this book: the adventurous journey, the interaction with the natives, the beautiful description of nature, the struggle and courage of the characters, everything!”

About the ending:

“Although the end is predictable, the journey there is heart-wrenching and engaging - never flat.”

“By the end of this book you feel things coming together and I felt like I could just explode in emotions and tears of joy and I was sad that it had to come to an end. This is one of those books that although you are satisfied with the ending, you are disappointed that you are done reading about the characters that moved your life!”

Comparing my first two books:

“After disliking Jody's first book, The Preacher's Bride, I was pleasantly surprised by Jody's second book, The Doctor's Lady, and I enjoyed reading it very much.”

“This is a good traditional romance, and while it lacks the power of Hedlund's first novel The Preacher's Bride, it will keep readers hooked to finally see Eli and Priscilla admit their love for each other.”

What in the world are you supposed to do with such dichotomous comments? Jody reminds writers that "Everyone will view a book through his or her own worldview glasses. Our religious beliefs, values, expectations, personalities, likes/dislikes—all of that will come into play for how we experience a story." You always have to keep this in mind or you'll go crazy trying to get EVERYONE to like your story. It's not going to happen. Ever. To anyone. Just look at the Twilight series if you want proof. Sure, it's blasted its way to the top of the charts in both movie and book form, but for every thousand people who call themselves Twihards and fill their homes with Twilight memorabilia, there are a hundred others who spend their days writing articles that "prove" Edward is abusive, Bella is an idiot, and Stephenie Meyer is trying to tell everyone that girls are weak and need to be protected. And the more fervent her supporters got, the more furious her naysayers got. Trust me. I first read Twilight back in 2006 and I watched from inside the fandom as the negativity mounted along with the positive reinforcement. It would be enough to shake anybody's confidence.

My point? Concentrate on the things you can control--your work and your outlook. The future and all the good and bad it will bring shall come eventually. Hope for the best, plan for the worst, and try to be happy even if you end up somewhere in between.

Publication: Advice On How To Get There

There is no easy answer to this question and no road map for you to follow.

Just so we're clear.

There are, however, steps you can take and things you can try that might get you one step closer to publication. Agent Rachelle Gardner offers some tips, but no one can make you promises. Other agents and bloggers have as well and, in a nutshell, their combined advice is as follows.

One, improve your writing. In fact, this is kind of a must. If your book is not absolutely the best you can make it, don't even think about submitting it and please, please step away from thoughts about self-publishing. For advice on how to improve without spending a lot of money, check out Elizabeth Spann's post or my version of the same.

Two, enter contests. I mentioned this in my post on improving, but it's a subject that is worth repeating. Romance Writers of America has a list of contests for 2012 here (chapter hosted contests) including a few for unpublished manuscripts. Many others exist for both published and unpublished authors and a Google search can help you turn up ones relevant to your genre.

Three, fine-tune your query letter, but stay away from query-letter services. I've read from multiple reliable sources that most agents can instantly spot a pre-fab query letter and using one of these will not get you on their good side. Free services for query letter critiques include sites like Critique Circle and Query Shark that can provide edits once you have a letter written, but if you're struggling to get a solid letter on paper (or on computer) try one (or a few) of these resources:

1. Agent Query - How to Write a Query Letter
2. Query Shark - just reading through the posts can be enormously helpful
3. Writer Beware Blogs - How to Write a Query Letter
4. Nathan Bransford - How to Write a Query Letter

These are just a few of the thousands of sites available, but they are sites I know are reputable and thorough. The advice they offer is more valuable than gold and you should treat it as such.

Four, find an agent to query. Do your research and don't bother querying agents who A) aren't accepting submissions, B) don't represent your genre, C) show up on Writer's Beware, D) ask for money before reading your query, E) don't follow the guidelines of the Association of Authors' Representatives (AAR). They don't have to actually be a member of the AAR, but even those who aren't should follow the ethical guidelines established by this organization. To find an agent you should do some Google searches or search through the databases of Agent Query (free) or Writer's Market (subscription required). These sources include most of the agents currently working in the industry and will be invaluable in your search.

Five, attend conferences and pitch sessions. You can do a Google search for conferences in your area, but unless you live in New York or California, you will probably have to travel for most of the major events. Personally, I hope to attend the RWA conference, the New York Book Expo, and the NYC Pitch and Shop Conference in 2012. These types of conferences are a fantastic way to meet other writer and industry professionals and maybe start forming a network. Often, skill alone isn't enough. A single recommendation can go a long, long way.

Six, think positive. This may seem silly, but it's important. Crucial, even. Getting published can be a long, winding, uphill road and letting yourself feel negative is one step closer to letting yourself quit. If you want it bad enough, you'll get there come hell or high water. Just remember that each rejection you get is one closer to an acceptance and each bad review is one more way you can make your work better.

This probably seems like a lot of work. That's because it is. There is another route to publication, the DIY path, but since the weight of every single decision rests on your shoulders, you have to make sure you do your research before committing to this. J.A. Konrath has a lot of information on his blog about self-publishing even if he sometimes phrases his opinions in ways that tend to offend. Not me, but I've seen it happen. New sites with advice or offers of publishing services are popping up every day, but do your research before signing with a company. It's free to load your ebook onto Amazon or Barnes & Noble, so don't pay for anything you don't have to. This is a very valid option, but not one I've done a ton of research on, so I can't offer much more advice on the subject. Not anything that I've personally tested, anyway.

So, here it is. Hopefully, it helps someone. Satisfaction is in no way guaranteed, but it's a possibility.

Writing: Don't Let Interruptions Get You Down

In my apparently ongoing series on how to use your life and your world as sources of inspiration, I bring you my post on interruptions.

I recently followed Penguin (the publisher, not the Batman villain) on Twitter and they posted a link to a short article by author Virginia Lowell. 

Despite my love for cats, I gave Olivia Greyson, owner of The Gingerbread House, a Yorkshire terrier. Don’t get me wrong, I grew up with dogs and love them dearly. However, Olivia has a dog because of yet another interruption to my doomed writing schedule. One sunny summer afternoon, while I was writing Cookie Dough or Die, I glanced up to see a huge black Labrador on our tiny back porch. He stared at me with friendly intensity as if he’d checked out a few homes in the area and chosen ours. I tried to ignore him and get back to work, but it was hopeless. Those limpid brown eyes….

No family in our neighborhood included a black Lab, but my visitor was clearly someone’s pet. I joined him on the porch for a chat. I learned he was friendly, a gentle giant, and eager to follow me anywhere. I also realized he had no collar. With the Lab trotting beside me, I walked across the street, where my neighbor gardened while her feisty little Yorkshire terrier protected the perimeter. When the Yorkie caught a whiff of black Lab on his territory, he let loose a torrent of deafening yaps. Yorkies are like that. It struck me that he had no idea how small he was. In response, my sweet newfound buddy—did I mention he was the biggest Lab I’d ever seen?—bunched his substantial muscles and roared at the little guy. Things were not going well. War was averted when my neighbor grabbed her Yorkie and locked him inside her backyard fence. He kept yapping, but at least no blood was shed. The Lab relaxed at once. He seemed happy to hang with us while we discussed how to find his owner.

The story has a happy ending. While we talked, we noticed a van driving slowly down the road. The Lab’s family had been searching for him for close to an hour. When the van’s back door opened, the Lab leaped inside and settled next to an overjoyed little boy. Frazzled Mom explained the dog had escaped from their fenced back yard, and he couldn’t wear a collar due to an allergy. All was well. And I’d lost a chunk of precious writing time.

Back in my living room, I lifted my laptop lid and knew at once that Olivia needed a Yorkshire terrier. And Spunky was born. Spunky escaped from a puppy mill and wandered the streets of Baltimore before a rescue group caught up with him. He is smart, brave, and noisy… and he has proven himself helpful when there’s a murder to be solved. Next I gave Chatterley Heights’ gangly young deputy sheriff, Cody, a gigantic black Lab, prone to running away. Unlike the dogs in my real life adventure, however, Spunky and Buddy are the best of pals.

When I read a good story, I sense the author’s deep involvement in life, combined with a habit of noticing the small yet telling details. I love those stories. And I always wish I’d written them! So now when my concentration is under assault, I think of Spunky and Buddy, and I remind myself to be open to the interruptions. Because it’s during the interruptions that life happens.

Like Virginia's story about the dog or like Kanye West breaking into Taylor Swift's acceptance speech at the MTV awards, you can't predict what will happen during a day or even during the next hour. Of course you have to budget writing time, but don't block yourself off from the world either. The world is where the stories are.

Writing: Ways To Help Yourself Improve

As a writer, you should always be looking for ways to make your writing better, tighter, more creative, etc. Even producing a New York Times #1 Bestseller doesn't mean you can breathe a sigh of relief and lie back to wait for the money to roll in. This means you have even more pressure from yourself and everyone else to do it again. What do you do, though, when you're still trying to make it to the point of publication but you don't have a lot of money to invest in training and out-of-town conferences? Mystery writer Elizabeth Spann has some tips.

In her blog post Inexpensive Ways to Improve Your Writing, Elizabeth says "I was speaking to a lady the other day who is an aspiring author. She has been researching ways of improving her writing, but told me that everything seemed so expensive—the classes, the conferences, etc. It could be expensive to improve our writing, but it doesn’t have to be." And she is absolutely right.

Elizabeth reminds authors to utilize your local library which should stock things like the most current Writer's Market and numerous books on writing. Another good point is that it doesn't matter when those books were written (with the exception of Writer's Market, of course) because solid writing is solid writing no matter how long ago those tips were written. Other free ideas? Online resources like writer's blogs and websites (if you've never stopped by Holly Lisle's site, do yourself a favor and go) and the feedback you can get from other writers and conscientious readers. This is really my favorite form of improvement--the thrill and the devastation of a really brutal edit. If you don't know anyone who can offer this service to you there are sites that can help pair you with a beta reader (Elizabeth recommends Clarissa Draper's match-up linky) or sites like Critique Circle where you can post your work for critiques in exchange for critiquing other people's  She also suggests reading. Get a library card and you have millions of books at your fingertips for the low, low cost of nothing (unless you're forgetful and don't return them on time). Or, to avoid late fees, most libraries will also loan out ebook copies of many titles. You can also download most of the classics that have gone out of copyright for free from sites like Project Gutenberg.

On the cheap there are also multiple options. Online classes offered through organizations like Romance Writers of America (classes which are not only about romance writing) are usually between $10-$40 and are available even if you're not a member. Once you have a manuscript, you can also enter contents offered through RWA and other similar organizations. Entry fees are usually less than fifty dollars and winning could give you the edge you need in the quest for representation.

Also, it's something to keep in mind that any money you spend on classes, membership fees, travel and hotel stay for conferences, research, reading material, etc is usually tax deductible. Keep your receipts and you may get a lot of the money you spend back when you file your taxes.

Funny: In The Meantime...

Sorry about the absence! I found out earlier this week that I have extra paid time off I didn't know about, so I shall be taking it next week. That decision, however, means that I have a lot to finish up before then. PLUS, my sister arrived from Wednesday night. A real post shall be coming later, but in the meantime here's something to amuse, annoy, and keep you entertained. :D

Photo found here.

Edited to add: I totally miscalculated. I'm just getting home and it's after midnight my time. So... posts tomorrow! Three, in fact, to make up for my absence!

Technical Issues: By The Way...

While browsing through a couple of other blogs, it came to my attention that Google will be discontinuing their friend connect widgets for non-Blogger blogs. Since my blog is hosted on Blogger, this doesn't change anything for me, but it might for people who are using it to follow my blog. So, in the interest of fairness, I've added a secondary follower service through Networked Blogs. Anyone who doesn't like the friend connect service, or anyone who won't continue using it once the widgets go away in March can also follow Incandescent via Networked Blogs, by RSS feed, or by email.

Just so you know. :)

Question: What Makes A Story?

sto·ry  [stawr-ee, stohr-ee] noun, plural -ries, verb, -ried, -ry·ing. noun
1. a narrative, either true or fictitious, in prose or verse, designed to interest, amuse, or instruct the hearer or reader; tale.

This definition is not untrue, but it is somewhat limited. Who says a story must be limited to prose or verse? One could argue that music is included in this definition as most would agree songs are written in verse, but what about other forms of art? Does being a painter, sculptor, pianist, or photographer preclude one from being a storyteller? I argue emphatically NO. Take, for example, the photograph below:

[photo removed. to see images referenced, visit this page.]

 This incredibly beautiful photograph is a story in itself. Small details like her wedding ring add depth to the story and help you piece together what has happened. Put this photo together with the other photos in the series, and you start to understand the pain this woman is facing. You don't need to be told. You can see it.

The point? I guess I have a couple. Don't discount other mediums when telling your story and pay attention (yep, that one again) because everything and everyone has a tale to tell.

Inspiration: What Do You Miss If You Live With Your Eyes Shut Tight?

"In Washington DC , at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, a man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

After about four minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.

About four minutes later, the violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

At six minutes, a young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

At ten minutes, a three-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.

At forty-five minutes: The musician played continuously. Only six people stopped and listened for a short while. About twenty gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

After one hour: He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people’s priorities.

This experiment raised several questions:

In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?
If so, do we stop to appreciate it?
Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made… How many other things are we missing as we rush through life?"

You can find the original article in the Washington Post here. 


This is in some ways a follow up to my post The Beauty of the World You Live In. How much do we miss when we get so focused on the little things that (if we're completely honest with ourselves) don't matter at all in the grand scheme of the universe. This article is also, in some ways, a testament to the ignorance of the general populace to the beauty of classical music and their inability to recognize someone who has more right to celebrity status than Paris Hilton, the entire cast of Jersey Shore, and every "real housewife" combined. Writers especially (well, all artists, really) need to remember to slow down and take in the intricacies and incredible wonder of the world we've created. Don't let yourself get so caught up in the mundane that you fail to see something wonderful right before your eyes.

Pictures: Antigua

As promised, here are some photos of my trip to Antigua! You can also see the whole album here.

Book Blogs: The Beginning Of The End?

The LA Times recently posted an article about a letter from William Morrow of HarperCollins to book bloggers. The company used to send out unrequested books to bloggers in the hopes of a review (apparently. I was never on that list, so I can't speak from personal experience). Now they plan on creating a request system which will limit bloggers' choices to three per month and will expect reviews of those books within one month of shipment.

I can see both sides of this equation. It must cost the company a lot of money to print and ship that many books and I'm sure there are more than a few bloggers who request a ton of books, but don't always review them--hell, maybe they don't even read them. I can also see the point of view of the bloggers who have been diligently toiling away on their sites for years (often without compensation of any kind except those free books they receive in the mail). Too bad this system HarperCollins is putting into place can't judge bloggers on a case by case basis and give the ones who deserve it more credit.

Does this move by HC spell the end of the golden times for book bloggers? Does it signal the end of book blogging entirely? If bloggers who review multiple books per week have to buy all those books, do you think they'll continue? A few will, those who would buy the books anyway whether they planned on reviewing them or not, but a lot will probably fall away if the flow of free copies ever stops. The advent of the digital age may be the saving grace as it costs companies almost nothing to send out ebook ARCs, but will they do this? The fear of piracy may prevent them from even contemplating it.

There's no easy answer, but I know how I hope this will turn out. It will be interesting to see the actual outcome.

Agents: A Day In The Life

This one shall be short, but interesting. Hopefully. :D

I have been trying to find an agent for a few years now. I query them and they read manuscripts and eventually sign people they like, but what exactly do agents do all day? Rachelle Gardner gave an overview of her days:

When I’m not handling crises and talking writers off ledges, here’s how I prioritize my daily work:

1. Contracts and Payments.
Fielding offers, negotiating deals, scrutinizing contracts, discussing clauses and terms with publishers, walking clients through their contracts, making sure the contract gets executed properly. Following up on advance and royalty payments, making sure publishers pay clients in a timely manner, examining royalty statements for accuracy.

2. Submitting projects to publishers.
Working with authors to prepare their proposals and manuscripts; preparing lists of editors to whom we’ll submit; getting projects out to publishers; following up appropriately.

3. All other client-related work.
Answering random questions; reading their latest work and offering feedback; coaching on marketing, promotion, career planning; brainstorming ideas for future projects; handling interaction with their publishers on everything from titles to book covers to extended deadlines and more; being a listening ear whenever necessary.

4. Finding new clients.
Reading incoming queries, reading requested partials and full manuscripts, sometimes offering feedback whether or not I’m saying yes to representation. It also includes proactively pursuing authors I’d like to represent.

Inspiration: The Beauty Of The World You Live In

Like my recent post about keeping your eyes open, this one will hopefully remind you what there is to see in the world around you. Small town or large, on the water or landlocked, the world can show you some beautiful things if you open your eyes. Below are some pictures I took last weekend on Ft. Lauderdale beach, a spot I only truly appreciated after moving away for eight years.

 

Writing: The Mythos Of Word Counts

Especially during National Novel Writing Month, writers can get a tad preoccupied with word count. In fact, I've read posts by more than a handful of authors who refuse to have anything to do with NaNoWriMo because they believe it promotes the production of pointless fluff. I'm kind of in the middle on the subject. One of the reasons I've never participated in NaNo before is because the idea of writing 50,000 words just to write 50,000 words never appealed. I joined this year because I had a story to tell and I wanted the support of a community of writers all striving toward the same goal. Now I have a novel and I'm editing it, but word count is still something to consider.

My NaNo project is a YA paranormal. Will editors automatically discount a YA book over 100,000 words? How long is too long? I want my story told the way it needs to be told, but it won't be told at all if they never look at because of a few thousand words. Colleen Lindsay, a one-time agent, talks about word counts at length here. Read her post. It's highly informative, covering not only the rules, but the exceptions to those rules. It talks about editor's expectations and the exceptions sometimes made for bestselling and series authors.

This information is useful. It's a good guideline and a good goal. Just be careful about letting it become the be-all end-all of your writing. Another post I found at a blog called The Writer's Alley talks about how an obsession with the literal word count can be a detriment to your work. If you're too stuck on the tally at the bottom of the screen, you'll end up cutting scenes that shouldn't go or adding scenes just to fill the "quota." Word count is an important factor, but your story is more important. If your book is not the best you can make it--with whatever word count is necessary--then how many words you have won't matter. Write the best story you can and then polish it until it shines. Whatever the word count, it will find a home eventually.

Books: Finding Your Title

Before I start: a confession. I am on a plane right now headed out of the country on a business trip. I will not be back until Friday afternoon and therefore will probably not be able to approve comments or answer email until Saturday. This post and the others following it this week have all been pre-scheduled releases. Most revolve around articles or blog posts I discovered in the past few days. When I get back I may post some pictures if I end up with any good ones and I hope to write up a couple posts on editing, too. So, without further ado, I give you titles:

Finding Your Title

Most of the time, I struggle hardest with titles. I put something in place as soon as I start writing a book, mostly to keep it distinct from my other projects on my computer. It's rare I like my first title. In fact, it's only happened once. But you need a title, especially once you start submitting the book to agents and editors or--more importantly--if you plan on self-publishing. How do you find one that works? There are a bunch of theories and methods, but Rachelle Gardner, an agent with WordServe Literary, talks about one I've heard recommended most.

Before I talk about the actual "how" of titling, Rachelle offers this piece of wisdom:

Let’s start by acknowledging a few things. The publisher is usually responsible for the final decision on title, and in the query stage, it’s not that important. In fact, some agents have said they don’t pay any attention at all to titles. But at some point, you’re going to want to think seriously about this. Your title is part of the overall impression you’re creating about your book. It can set a tone and create an expectation. Whether you’re pitching to an agent, or your agent is pitching to publishers, I think you want to have the strongest title possible. Think of it this way: the better your title is, the better your chance that the publisher will decide to use it, rather than changing it.

In other words, don't get so emotionally invested in your title you'll be in tears if the publisher decides they don't like it. Of course, you do always have the self-publishing route where you have control over everything. Even if you do self-publish, you'll still need a title. Now for the how!

What Rachelle recommends--and what some other authors and industry pros have also recommended--is creating a list of words that somehow relate to your book. Images, themes, locations, anything that pops into your head when you think about your story. Add to the list over a few days if you need to, then put it aside. Come back to it later and read through the words. What jumps out at you? Is there anything that would serve as a one-word title? If not, start writing up a new list this one pairing up words from the original list. Put this new list away and come back to it a few days later. See anything you like? Anything close if you tinkered with it?

The most important thing a title does is capture the spirit and style of a book. As often as you tell people not to judge a book by it's cover (or title), how else are you supposed to make a first impression? Especially if a book is sitting spine out on a shelf, the title is the first thing customers see. You don't get a second chance to make a first impression. Even if readers eventually give the book a second chance, in the back of their mind there will still be the first instinctual judgement. Take the time, do the research, and make their first judgement a good one.


Other blogs/articles on this topic: 
Samuel D. Grey - Choosing Titles
Jeremy Wright - How to Pick a Book Title
Shimmer - Five Authors/Five Questions
Luc Reid - Luc's Desiderata of Titling
Caroline Baum - What it Takes to Title a Book
Elizabeth Richards - How to Write a Great Book Title
GoodReads - List of Great Book Titles

Inspiration: A Writer's Plea

Full credit on this one goes to K. Marie Criddle's blog C'MERE and you can find the original post here.

Writing: More Writers On Writing

While fumbling through the internet, I found a post by Brian Klems who is the online editor for Writer's Digest. I receive the WD emails, so I read through a few articles every month. This one I have to share. Apparently they recently posted a list of the secrets of bestselling authors, but Brian pulled his favorite seven from the list of over 90 quotes. The names included in these seven are as broad as can be, but they all have at least one thing in common: they made it. In their own words, here's what they have to say about writing, success, inspiration, and criticism.

Hope you're enjoying your weekend! And don't forget to check out the original post here.

1.

“Oftentimes an originator of new language forms is called ‘pretentious’ by jealous talents. But it ain’t whatcha write, it’s the way atcha write it.”
—Jack Kerouac

2.

“[The writer] has to be the kind of man who turns the world upside down and says, lookit, it looks different, doesn’t it?”
—Morris West

3.

“I would advise anyone who aspires to a writing career that before developing his talent he would be wise to develop a thick hide.”
—Harper Lee

4.

“The only obligation any artist can have is to himself. His work means nothing, otherwise. It has no meaning.”
—Truman Capote

5.

“In truth, I never consider the audience for whom I’m writing. I just write what I want to write.”
—J.K. Rowling

6.

“Write. Rewrite. When not writing or rewriting, read. I know of no shortcuts.”
—Larry L. King

7.

“I think I succeeded as a writer because I did not come out of an English department. I used to write in the chemistry department. And I wrote some good stuff. If I had been in the English department, the prof would have looked at my short stories, congratulated me on my talent, and then showed me how Joyce or Hemingway handled the same elements of the short story. The prof would have placed me in competition with the greatest writers of all time, and that would have ended my writing career.”
—Kurt Vonnegut

If you have some free time, I recommend checking out the full list of 90 quotes. They definitely will inspire you—and they also serve as excellent Facebook status updates.

Inspiration: Where To Find It

A lot of writers I've met have said that one of the questions they're asked most is where do you find inspiration. It's hard to give a real answer to this questions. The best one I've ever heard is PAY ATTENTION.

For example, recently one of my friends posted an article on Facebook that included these pictures:

[visit the article to see pictures of the zombie house.]

Doesn't this building spark a bunch of ideas? Who would live in a place like this? What happened in their life to make them this paranoid? What are they afraid of now? Where did they get the money to build a concrete, high-tech bunker? What do the other people in the neighborhood think about this house and whoever lives there?

This is just one example, and not necessarily one that works for you, but it helps illustrate my point. Keep your eyes open and always ask questions. You never know when you'll find the picture/person/song/statement/quote/movie/color/scene/location/question/whatever that will ultimately become your next book.

And, no, my next book is not going to be about the zombie apocalypse. ;)

Writing: Writers Who Write About Writing

This is Janice. And I want to steal her sweater. :)

Recently, I discovered Janice Hardy's blog. Janice is the author of the middle grade Healing Wars Trilogy, but her website is a treasure trove of useful information for aspiring authors. She covers everything and has even begun offering critiques on short sections (particularly opening sections) of reader's stories. I could probably write a couple thousand words about the information I've found here, but today I'm going to concentrate on one aspect: editing the first draft.

Why am I concentrating on this subject today? Because I'm in the process of doing this myself. My own method of editing has developed over the course of a few years and has fallen into a pattern that works rather well for me. First, I print my book, paperclip each chapter or section, and put the whole thing into an accordion folder. Next, I gather three writing utencils (a black pen, a bright colored pen [usually red, green, or orange], and a mechanical pencil) and a composition book (because they're cheap). Third, I start reading, watching for things I know I have problems with (like overusing "that," passive voice, telling instead of showing, etc.), but I do this only to make sure I'm paying attention to the details as I read. In her blog post about the difference between editing and revising, Janice makes this point:

You often hear edit and revise used interchangeably, but they really are two different things. Editing is the nitpicky, line by line tweaks that polish your text. Revision is more macro level, changing parts of the story. But how do you know when to use one over the other? I revise first, because that covers the big issues. The things that may take a lot of work. Once the story is unfolding how I want, then I edit, polishing it until it shines.

It's a good point, and one that will inevitably save you time in the polishing process.  I am definitely guilty of doing editing during the first revision, but that's also because the first revision usually comes before I have gotten any feedback. In my head, everything is still working because no one has told me otherwise. Do I think my first draft is perfect? Heck, no. I just don't know yet how to fix the problems I'm sure are in there somewhere. That's where sites like Janice's come in handy.

Within her page on editing and revising, she goes through a list of many of the large and middling issues most first drafts face, things like structure, stakes, and story arcs. She gives you questions to ask yourself as you read through your novel to help pinpoint your major issues. And, trust me, they're good questions.

So, if you're like me and beginning the arduous process of revising your NaNoWriMo novel, check out Janice's blog. You may find some information that will get your draft from problematic to perfect.