One second, I was typing away and the next it was over. I knew it instantly. My plot, the characters, they weren't going to work. Everything I'd worked for since November 1st, completely useless. I stopped and closed my laptop. I thumbed through my journal that contains all my notes, story mapping, character developed...nothing. I sat down with my husband and ran over every possible scenario for these characters, all the ways the story could end and the steps that needed to occur to make these endings reality. Impossible.
So just like that, my story was unable to end.
Even as I type, I'm going through the plot one more time, asking "Well, maybe if I change.....Nope, that won't work. What about.....no. Not that either."
Darn. Ok, a different less appropriate word came to mind.
It's not like this has never happened to me before. I've started and abandoned plenty of projects, knowing in my gut that they simply aren't the "right" story for me to tell. But I've never gotten so far (almost 25,000 words) into a story nor have I ever set a deadline (end of November) that I really wanted to accomplish.
A part of me is still clinging to hope that I can salvage something. I tell myself that I'll just put it aside for a while, marinate on it, then when I have more time I can recreate some of the characters and try again. Maybe it will happen. Probably not.
I started a new NaNoWriMo, mapped out the entire 16 chapters with each chapter having 2 scenes. I know exactly what I want to write about in each 1500 chunk. A step in the right direction but the hit of my failure is weighing on my mind. Almost 25,000 words, completely unusable.
And November is ticking away. I'll have to work twice as hard to hit the 50,000 word mark. Can I even do it with the time left?
Here's how it's going to work for me. I don't like to fail, never have, but I've done it enough times to know how to pick myself up, tell my self-doubt to "suck it" and keep moving forward. So that's what I'm going to do. Yeah, it's a bummer I put so much time into something that didn't work out, but I learned a lot about drafting scenes, and even though the entire story won't come together, I re-read chapters and individually, it's some of my better writing. And whenever you write, you practice. I got practice address the 5 "w's", adding detail, working with believable dialog, and writing historical fiction. On a side note, I know way more about the roaring 20s and the Polish-Soviet war than I ever imagined I would. So all isn't wasted.
I'm going to pick up the pace, write fast, work hard and at the end of November, I'll have my NaNoWriMo.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Thursday, November 7, 2013
NaNa WriMo : Conflict
Today, I read through my entire NaNoWriMo. I’d
gotten some really good writing sessions in but I had no idea that I was about
halfway through my 50,000 word goal.
Yay! But then I read through
it. Boo!
I made the classic new writer mistake – one that I pretty much always do
at this point – which is not including enough detail. I’m not really beating myself up too much
because it’s NaNoWriMo and the name of the game is 50,000 words. I can always go back and add detail
later.
I did, however, notice that my storyline is almost
over. So let’s recap. I’m about 25,000
words into my story and I could pretty much wrap it up in another 10,000. No wonder my first book, A Light in the
Darkness was only about 30,000 words. It’s
my lack of detail! But it’s also a bit
more than just that. It's my conflict. I need more conflict.
.
Let me give you a basic idea of how a typical plot
works and how we get to our ultimate conflict moment. You start with a big bang (inciting
incident) then back off, then you gradually crescendo until you reach the
climax, then you take it another step further, to the black moment, then you
finish up with, perhaps, a happy ending.
I’m at the point where things are starting to get really
tense. The black moment is around the
corner. I can feel it coming…but
wait! I forgot one important thing.
Knock the hero down, then kick him in the ribs.
My hero is about to be kicked, without the initial
knock down. This simply won’t do. It doesn’t create the element of surprise nor
does it lead to the level of suspense I’m looking to achieve. Sure, I could have one turn, one surprise,
one big kick to the ribs, but why have one when you could do two? It makes the book much more exciting. Plus it creates an emotional roller coaster
for your reader that hopefully will make them fall even more in love with your character.
Remember, readers want to connect to the hero/heroine. They want to feel their pain, laugh at their
silly antics, cry along with their distress.
I recently read Sons of Thunder by Susan May Warren, and at one point, I
said outloud, “Oh Markos (the main character)" with genuine sympathy as if Markos was standing in front of me, then got teary eyed at the event taking place (hey,
it was a good story, and I’m not embarrassed to admit that it brought tears). I was right
there with him, getting knocked down, getting kicked in the ribs. Sure, she could have only picked one
incident, but man-oh-man, the two together blew me away.
Think of some of your favorite stories. I bet you can point out the ups and downs,
the climax, the black moment. Now look
at your story. What are you
missing? Now roll up your sleeves and
get back to work!
Monday, November 4, 2013
NaNo WriMo : Premise
Congrats for making through the first week of NaNoWriMo! By now, you're hopefully settling into a routine and working out your hero/heroine.
So let's talk premise.
As defined in From the Inside Out: Discover, Create and Publish the Novel for You! by Susan May Warrenn and Rachel Hauck, a premise is a 2-5 sentence "blurb" that really zeros in on the stakes, fears, dreams, theme and plot of your story. Once crafted, you can continue to refer back to your premise to help keep yourself on track.
Your premise is a paragraph with the most important aspects of your story. Even if you don't know everything that's going to happen, it's a good idea to write your premise BEFORE you get too far in your story. Like I said, it will serve as your compass while you navigate through the many layers of your novel.
So how do you do it?
Your premise needs to have your main character easily identified as well as the character's goal for the story. Basically, you have to tell the reader what your story is about. Again, you may not have all the details, but you can still write this with general ideas. You'll need to throw in the conflict and the stakes. Then, you need to include the story question.
What's a story question?
It's different than a theme. A theme is the overall idea of the story. A story question asks "what if" on a universal level. It address a "what if" that many people are asking themselves. It is a question that connects you to the reader and makes the reader want to keep reading. Think about what your book is about and what you're saying about that subject.
For example, your story may be about overcoming social norms. The story question could be something along the lines of "What if a group of teenagers where able to see past their social labels?" You can rephrase, "Can a group of socially mismatched teenagers break through their stereotypes and develop meaningful relationships with each other?" That would be the story question for the movie The Breakfast Club. Starting to get the idea?
Take time and really go through this. A good story question will captivate the audience. Once you get it, write it down and keep it somewhere you can see it while you work. Everything in your story will revolve around it.
So now you need to piece it together. Put all the elements into a paragraph. Use colorful language and have fun with it! Like I said, getting the premise down will keep you on track and help when the writer's block sets in later on. Good luck!
So let's talk premise.
As defined in From the Inside Out: Discover, Create and Publish the Novel for You! by Susan May Warrenn and Rachel Hauck, a premise is a 2-5 sentence "blurb" that really zeros in on the stakes, fears, dreams, theme and plot of your story. Once crafted, you can continue to refer back to your premise to help keep yourself on track.
Your premise is a paragraph with the most important aspects of your story. Even if you don't know everything that's going to happen, it's a good idea to write your premise BEFORE you get too far in your story. Like I said, it will serve as your compass while you navigate through the many layers of your novel.
So how do you do it?
Your premise needs to have your main character easily identified as well as the character's goal for the story. Basically, you have to tell the reader what your story is about. Again, you may not have all the details, but you can still write this with general ideas. You'll need to throw in the conflict and the stakes. Then, you need to include the story question.
What's a story question?
It's different than a theme. A theme is the overall idea of the story. A story question asks "what if" on a universal level. It address a "what if" that many people are asking themselves. It is a question that connects you to the reader and makes the reader want to keep reading. Think about what your book is about and what you're saying about that subject.
For example, your story may be about overcoming social norms. The story question could be something along the lines of "What if a group of teenagers where able to see past their social labels?" You can rephrase, "Can a group of socially mismatched teenagers break through their stereotypes and develop meaningful relationships with each other?" That would be the story question for the movie The Breakfast Club. Starting to get the idea?
Take time and really go through this. A good story question will captivate the audience. Once you get it, write it down and keep it somewhere you can see it while you work. Everything in your story will revolve around it.
So now you need to piece it together. Put all the elements into a paragraph. Use colorful language and have fun with it! Like I said, getting the premise down will keep you on track and help when the writer's block sets in later on. Good luck!
Thursday, October 31, 2013
NaNoWriMo...Start your engines!
It's here! Write a story in a month is finally here!
Who else is super pumped?
Ok, I'm going to be helping you out as much as I can. I'll be writing my own book, something I've been working on for a few months but haven't gotten past the research phase. Also, I joined a support group through My Book Therapy, which is a great website for budding authors. They'll be emailing tips and encouragement throughout the month.
So let's get started with some "how to" pointers:
1. Map out the basics. I've written tons of stories, short stories, scribbles and nonsense but I always start with a basic idea of where I'm going. I don't always know the details but I have a general idea of where my characters are heading. That sink or swim moment is called the "black moment", it's when their darkest fears are becoming reality and it's good to have a general idea of what this moment will look like. All scenes lead to this.
2. Time Management. Ok, if you're really organized, map out how many words you're aiming for, figure out how long it takes to write 1500 or 3000 words (average length for a short or longer chapter) then you can tell how many hours it will take for you finish the book. Set aside the hours and get writing. If you aren't organized, make sure you write everyday, or at least every week day. Keep an eye on the calendar and aim for 25,000 by mid month, just to stay on track.
3. No editing. No going back. That's right, shut off your internal editor, shut off your self doubt and just write. Don't worry about grammar, passive voice, verb choice, just write. Also, if you come up with a new idea mid-story, go with it. Don't go back and edit the past to fit that story line. You may end up coming up with a different story thread later and then you'd end up editing twice. If you're mid-story and you discover a turn in plot, just make a note and start writing the new plot idea. You'll edit everything later.
Ok, these are three tips to get you started. Don't forget to have fun!
Who else is super pumped?
Ok, I'm going to be helping you out as much as I can. I'll be writing my own book, something I've been working on for a few months but haven't gotten past the research phase. Also, I joined a support group through My Book Therapy, which is a great website for budding authors. They'll be emailing tips and encouragement throughout the month.
So let's get started with some "how to" pointers:
1. Map out the basics. I've written tons of stories, short stories, scribbles and nonsense but I always start with a basic idea of where I'm going. I don't always know the details but I have a general idea of where my characters are heading. That sink or swim moment is called the "black moment", it's when their darkest fears are becoming reality and it's good to have a general idea of what this moment will look like. All scenes lead to this.
2. Time Management. Ok, if you're really organized, map out how many words you're aiming for, figure out how long it takes to write 1500 or 3000 words (average length for a short or longer chapter) then you can tell how many hours it will take for you finish the book. Set aside the hours and get writing. If you aren't organized, make sure you write everyday, or at least every week day. Keep an eye on the calendar and aim for 25,000 by mid month, just to stay on track.
3. No editing. No going back. That's right, shut off your internal editor, shut off your self doubt and just write. Don't worry about grammar, passive voice, verb choice, just write. Also, if you come up with a new idea mid-story, go with it. Don't go back and edit the past to fit that story line. You may end up coming up with a different story thread later and then you'd end up editing twice. If you're mid-story and you discover a turn in plot, just make a note and start writing the new plot idea. You'll edit everything later.
Ok, these are three tips to get you started. Don't forget to have fun!
Monday, October 28, 2013
How to market and sell a self-published book
So you've finished your masterpiece. You've poured countless hours into your work, drank so many cups of coffee that you're going to be shaking for weeks to come, ignored phone calls, banished yourself from facebook, all in your quest for writing excellence.
And now you're done! You've self-published and celebrated your success!
But how do you get the book from your hands into the hands of readers?
The first thing you should be aware of, and I've mentioned it before, is that no one is going to care that you wrote a book. I don't mean to burst your bubble, but it's a truth that you simply must accept in order to start selling your story. Now-a-days, anyone can be an author, so you writing a book isn't as impressive as it once could have been. Now how does this info help you? You need to make yourself special, marketable. You need to give readers a reason to read your book.
1. Develop your platform. A platform, while defined a few different ways, is basically your ability to sell books based on who you are, the personal or professional connects you have, and the social media outlets you use. This takes time so don't worry if you're at the starting line.
2. Develop a Unique Selling Proposition (USP). If you're in business (which you are as an author), you'll recognize this term. A USP is what sets you apart, what makes you different than the thousands of other romance, suspense, or fantasy authors. For example, Susan May Warren was a Russian missionary and many of her books have some connection to Russia. This is something unique to her brand of books. Your USP may be something to do with your characters, or perhaps your themes, but it should be something that attracts readers and sets you apart from everyone else. By having a USP, you'll be able to funnel your marketing strategy to those uniquely interested in what you have to say.
3. Make appearances. Remember how you used to want to be a writer because it's a solitary profession? Remember daydreaming about sitting in a room, just you and your computer, writing the next great American novel? Well, as you know, writing isn't what it used to be and if you're a self-published author, you need to get your name out there. This means, YOU need to get out there. This goes back to your developing your platform and USP. For example, if you are a Christian writer, a member of a church and your USP deals with broken characters overcoming some sort of unique specific obstacle, start researching various religious organizations that welcome speakers. Make yourself known.
4. Don't sell your book. Wait, what?? Ok, hear me out. When it comes to self-publishing, a common mistake and one I've made is consistently trying to get people to buy your book. "Hey, I wrote a book. You should check it out!" "Hey, Christmas is coming up and my book is 10% off! *wink wink* *nudge nudge*" Nope, not going to work. After all, when you walk into a car dealership and suddenly get swarmed by sales associates, does that really put you in the mood to buy a car? Don't sell your book. Sell your personality, your ideas, your unique characteristics and views. Do #3, and don't mention your book until the end. Just tell your story, how you became an author, what you can offer others trying to get started on their own path. Then, people will be curious about you and check out your writing.
5. Make a movie trailer. This is becoming popular and while I still haven't gotten around to doing it, I would recommend giving it a try.
6. Get someone to review your book. This is tough. Really tough, but start on Goodreads and search for someone willing to read and review your work. You can also google people who will read self-published books, but just make sure that you submit to someone who reads your genre. Also, make sure you present yourself in a professional manner. On a side note, the reviewer is probably going to want a free copy of your story *sigh*.
This is your starting point to marketing and getting your self-published book sold. Along the way, you'll come up with other strategies but the main idea is to get yourself out there and put in the work. Good luck!
And now you're done! You've self-published and celebrated your success!
But how do you get the book from your hands into the hands of readers?
The first thing you should be aware of, and I've mentioned it before, is that no one is going to care that you wrote a book. I don't mean to burst your bubble, but it's a truth that you simply must accept in order to start selling your story. Now-a-days, anyone can be an author, so you writing a book isn't as impressive as it once could have been. Now how does this info help you? You need to make yourself special, marketable. You need to give readers a reason to read your book.
1. Develop your platform. A platform, while defined a few different ways, is basically your ability to sell books based on who you are, the personal or professional connects you have, and the social media outlets you use. This takes time so don't worry if you're at the starting line.
2. Develop a Unique Selling Proposition (USP). If you're in business (which you are as an author), you'll recognize this term. A USP is what sets you apart, what makes you different than the thousands of other romance, suspense, or fantasy authors. For example, Susan May Warren was a Russian missionary and many of her books have some connection to Russia. This is something unique to her brand of books. Your USP may be something to do with your characters, or perhaps your themes, but it should be something that attracts readers and sets you apart from everyone else. By having a USP, you'll be able to funnel your marketing strategy to those uniquely interested in what you have to say.
3. Make appearances. Remember how you used to want to be a writer because it's a solitary profession? Remember daydreaming about sitting in a room, just you and your computer, writing the next great American novel? Well, as you know, writing isn't what it used to be and if you're a self-published author, you need to get your name out there. This means, YOU need to get out there. This goes back to your developing your platform and USP. For example, if you are a Christian writer, a member of a church and your USP deals with broken characters overcoming some sort of unique specific obstacle, start researching various religious organizations that welcome speakers. Make yourself known.
4. Don't sell your book. Wait, what?? Ok, hear me out. When it comes to self-publishing, a common mistake and one I've made is consistently trying to get people to buy your book. "Hey, I wrote a book. You should check it out!" "Hey, Christmas is coming up and my book is 10% off! *wink wink* *nudge nudge*" Nope, not going to work. After all, when you walk into a car dealership and suddenly get swarmed by sales associates, does that really put you in the mood to buy a car? Don't sell your book. Sell your personality, your ideas, your unique characteristics and views. Do #3, and don't mention your book until the end. Just tell your story, how you became an author, what you can offer others trying to get started on their own path. Then, people will be curious about you and check out your writing.
5. Make a movie trailer. This is becoming popular and while I still haven't gotten around to doing it, I would recommend giving it a try.
6. Get someone to review your book. This is tough. Really tough, but start on Goodreads and search for someone willing to read and review your work. You can also google people who will read self-published books, but just make sure that you submit to someone who reads your genre. Also, make sure you present yourself in a professional manner. On a side note, the reviewer is probably going to want a free copy of your story *sigh*.
This is your starting point to marketing and getting your self-published book sold. Along the way, you'll come up with other strategies but the main idea is to get yourself out there and put in the work. Good luck!
Friday, October 18, 2013
National Write a Book in a Month!
Who else is super pumped about November being National Write a Book in a Month? I've actually never done this before. Shocking, I know but I'm doing it this year. I signed up with mybooktherpay.com in order to stay on task, get helpful tips, and possibly even win some cool prizes.
So who wants to be a superhero and sign up with me? We can do this! If you do sign up, feel free to leave a comment so we can support each other on our month long journey!
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Vintage Books. Ebooks.
I'm a sucker for vintage books. The feel of their rough paper, the yellowing of their pages, even the smell appeals to me, draws me in, makes me want to take them home and put them on a top shelve to be admired.
Today I want antiquing, something I do every now and then, just to browse. I came across a plethora of vintage books by authors I didn't recognize, but I sudden felt the urge to take each of those books home. I only bought one, which is good for my wallet, but as I browsed a sadness came over me. These books, the history they have, the stories they tell not only on the pages but in their creases, scribbles, and rips, belong to someone. The stories they contain were important enough for someone to write down and now they've come into my hands. I'm holding someone's dream, someone's work. To me, that's pretty special. But the sadness came when I realized that one day there may not be vintage books to admire. One day, vintage books will be endangered.
Ebooks. Don't get me wrong, I love ebooks. I love the convenience, I love being able to hold tons of books in my hand at one time through my Kindle. I love the price of ebooks. As an author, I really love how easy it is to publish and ebook in comparison to traditional paper publication. Ebooks can be written, edited, submitted to Amazon and published with extreme efficiency and pretty impressive speed. Paper books need to be approved, then a proof copy needs to be sent and reviewed, then you get your paper books and whoops you see an error. In order to fix an error on a paper book you have to start the whole process of publication over, including getting another proof book, whereas on the ebook you can simply upload the new version. Much easier.
The problem is I love them both. I love ebooks and paper books. I know that ebooks are our future, and I'm excited about all the possibilities of this, but I'm still slightly saddened that paper books will lose their appeal. It's really just the book nerd in me talking :)
Is anyone else torn? Which do you prefer? Paper or Ebook?
Today I want antiquing, something I do every now and then, just to browse. I came across a plethora of vintage books by authors I didn't recognize, but I sudden felt the urge to take each of those books home. I only bought one, which is good for my wallet, but as I browsed a sadness came over me. These books, the history they have, the stories they tell not only on the pages but in their creases, scribbles, and rips, belong to someone. The stories they contain were important enough for someone to write down and now they've come into my hands. I'm holding someone's dream, someone's work. To me, that's pretty special. But the sadness came when I realized that one day there may not be vintage books to admire. One day, vintage books will be endangered.
Ebooks. Don't get me wrong, I love ebooks. I love the convenience, I love being able to hold tons of books in my hand at one time through my Kindle. I love the price of ebooks. As an author, I really love how easy it is to publish and ebook in comparison to traditional paper publication. Ebooks can be written, edited, submitted to Amazon and published with extreme efficiency and pretty impressive speed. Paper books need to be approved, then a proof copy needs to be sent and reviewed, then you get your paper books and whoops you see an error. In order to fix an error on a paper book you have to start the whole process of publication over, including getting another proof book, whereas on the ebook you can simply upload the new version. Much easier.
The problem is I love them both. I love ebooks and paper books. I know that ebooks are our future, and I'm excited about all the possibilities of this, but I'm still slightly saddened that paper books will lose their appeal. It's really just the book nerd in me talking :)
Is anyone else torn? Which do you prefer? Paper or Ebook?
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