Lakefly Writers Conference 2018 Pt 2

Welcome to part two of my Lakefly Writers Series!
Last blog I covered day one of the conference, this post is going to be all about day two, Saturday.

The day started out a little strange, and not as planned. But thankfully because I am a person that likes to be prepared, it was easily overcome. Once again I arrived early, which allowed me to have almost the pick of the tables! There were a few other writers there to set up at the same time, but I was able to select a prime spot to set up. Right by the doors, with a clear view of the stage across the room,

I realized that after I publish a few more books I'll need a better rack for displaying them! It was an amazing feeling to see all seven of my book babies sitting out on the table. Instead of having one or two novels on the table, it was full! I felt like amidst the other authors I actually belonged. Imposter syndrome is real, and sometimes we just need an outside trigger to make us realize we are, in fact, "real" authors.

My best writing friend,  Rebekah Bryan, and I ended up sharing a table. Like we pretty much always have, it just seems easier to get through events with a buddy. And look! We even had time to sneak in some writing sessions. Good little worker bees typing away on our keyboards.

Though, let me tell you, it was highly motivating to be selling and talking about Wolf's Blood while working on Wolf's Bite! There was something urgent about realizing my readers were right in front of me that made it easier to clack away at the keys.

I'm not sure if it was the environment, people, or the fact that this is my third year self publishing, but it was so much easier to talk about my books and "sell" them. It was *gasp* fun! This was a first for me, and made me want to do events more often as I had my best sales ever. I am looking forward to connecting with these new readers and writers. 

In fact the entire weekend was inspiring and motivating. My husband and I are already planning on logistics for next year! 

Lakefly Writers Conference 2018 Pt1

Since Liam was born I had to be honest with myself, and my budget, and realize that going to the large Writers Institute conference in Madison would no longer be feasible for me. I went for three years, and every year learned more and more, and LOVED every minute of it. So, in all honesty I was more than a little saddened by the realization that my new offspring was going to prevent me from doing something I loved. BUT I got over it and realized once baby is old enough Mama will have plenty of opportunities to go to writing events.

A year passes, and I saw that a friend of mine on Facebook clicked "interested" in a writing event in Oshkosh.
Enter Lakefly Writers Conference to the rescue!

Some quick searching of their page, a scan at their prices, and a talk with my husband, and I was signing up before I knew it!
I was so excited for the conference, and boy, they did not disappoint.

On Friday I got there ridiculously early, like I do, but it was nice since I had no idea where I was going both to get there, and once in the building. Thankfully Ruth, who organizes the entire event was there and made me feel welcome. In fact, every single one of the volunteers who ran it made me feel not only welcome to the event, but that I mattered.

At other conferences they were so large it almost made me feel like a fly on the wall. Just a number. A faceless writer who paid their dues. But not so here.
Here I was not only an attendee, but I was a person who was important. They were geniunely pleased to see me there, and Ruth even greeted me by name (Before I put the tag on)! She had seen my Tweets about attending this year and made a point to be there to take my picture and Tweet about me. ME! The small town writer mom, who tweets sparingly, and doesn't have thousands upon thousands of readers.

It definitely made my day! 

The first session I attended was by Dionne Kelm, author of the childrens' book series Grandma Hearts. Once again, she and her husband continued the theme of sincere kindness and friendliness. There was a lot in her time slot, but the main take away I had was to own your brand. To use that brand in everything, and anything you can think of! Including placing graphics on your car/camper, making everything cohesive design wise, and even in your email signature. I should have thought about the email signature angle after working in the "professional" world and having a few signatures of my own. She was a true delight.

The second session was led by Barry Busby the Winnebago County Coroner. What a fascinating topic! I attended this one because I eventually have plans to write a 13 book urban fantasy detective series and thought it would be good to learn when I have the opportunities. This was way more than I bargained for! Everyone in that room was enraptured in what he had to say, and we wish he could have gone on longer.

The last session I decided to visit was one about Blogging. Yes, Blogging. That thing that all authors are "Supposed" to do and I have done with consistency in the past. I know I needed to reinvigorate this blog, and this was just what the doctor ordered! Rex Owens had some fantastic advice, and was very informative and inspiring. Thankfully it seems that I have been on the right path for blogging, I just need to be more consistent and open up with more possible topics. I had some ideas for topics both in the session, and once I got back to my hotel room for the night, so I am looking forward to sharing them soon.

Part Two will cover how Saturday went!
Until then, keep writing!

A Day in the Life

It seems that every one wants to know what exactly a "full-time" author does every day...So here is my answer!
Now, as many of you know, I am also a full time stay at home mom to an almost 11 moth old, so what my day looks like will vastly differ from that of a parent whose children are in school, if they work, or if they do not have tiny spawn running around.

So here goes nothing!

We'll just pretend, for the sake of a streamlined blog post, that Liam sleeps when he's supposed to and that it's Monday since it's the start of the week.

5:50 AM- first alarm goes off, I wonder "Why me". Hit the turn off button and roll back over. Continue for the next three alarms adding in thoughts such as "Did I just hear Liam?" "I can totally sleep another twenty min."

6:30 AM- This is a pretty typical wake up time now since I am an exclusive pumper. (That's all I'll say about that, from now on abbreviated to EP for future reference)

7 AM- Get Liam's bottles ready, and get the baby up if he's awake and ready. He tends to talk to himself for the first half hour he's awake and as he gets louder it means he's ready to get up. Give Liam his first bottle, then have him play in his playpen while I clean up the kitchen and eat quickly.

8 AM- Liam gets his breakfast.

8:45 AM- start the process of putting Liam down for his nap. Ideally he will be asleep by 9, or at least I will be out of the room.

9- 10:30/11 AM- This is what I consider my first "break" of the day. Typically in this time I will check social media, my blog, etc. If there's a twitter hashtag or I have a blog post go live this is the time I will share the links and posts. If it's not, I will work on outlining, or some editing.
This is also the time I shower. Yes, I make it a point to shower every day, during the day! I have found as a SAHM it makes a difference in my attitude and I'm much more productive.

10:30/11AM -12:45PM- Liam wakes up between 10:30 and 11, and then it's play time until lunch, and then until afternoon nap.

1- 3 PM- By this point, I've eaten and tidied up the house. I do have to spend about 45 min to an hour doing my EP tasks. But the afternoon nap is the main time I am able to get work done. This includes editing, social media, maybe writing a blog post, outlining a post, or even reading.

3PM-6:30 PM- Family time! My hubby gets home, we eat dinner, Liam gets a bath, and then bed time. Typically he is out by 6:30/7.

7PM- Huzzah! It's the glorious time of day that I can plug in earphones, blast music, and write. I typically do not write in my WIP's during the day as I feel my attention is constantly divided between whatever I am doing ad listening to the baby monitor. But from 7-8:30PM I am able to zone out and get those words down!

To be perfectly honest, there are some days that during Liam's naps, and even in the evening, my brain is so fried that all I want to do is sit and crochet instead. Which happens, more often than I care to admit. Taking care of a tiny hoomin is exhausting, both mentally and physically. I do anticipate that this schedule will change as Liam gets older and the weather gets nicer.
Then we'll be able to actually get out of the house!

Anyone else have a loose daily schedule they follow for writing?

What Happened?

Here's how it goes.
You're looking forward to a book. Maybe for a day, maybe for months.
You grab your snack, beverage, a comfy spot, and teasingly open those first few pages. But before long, your cozy evening has been hijacked by a book that wildly doesn't live up to your expectations.
Throwing the book down, you storm off to find another one...But what happened?

What did that book do that broke your short lived love affair?

For me, it's a variety of reasons.

I have read many, MANY books over the years, and recently I have dived into the realm of Self, Indie, and Small Press Pubbed books.
During this time I've found books that for some reason I stopped reading. It doesn't happen often, but it has happened. Case in point: in the past two years there has been three books I've had to put down and step away from.

And no, I'm not going to spill which ones they were here. That is a different topic entirely.
What is interesting is that the main reason for putting each down was different for each one.

The first was a fantasy that I had to stop reading due to the rampant cliche's. It was terrible. From the characters, to plot holes, to even dialogue. It was riddled with tropes, and NOT in a good way. (The editing was also terrible, but that's not the main reason I had to put it down.)

The second was what I thought was an paranormal/urban fantasy. I got 30% in and realized it wasn't, it was a graphic romance novel with paranormal/UF aspects to it. Very little plot development with jumping between characters minds in mid paragraph. I wasn't prepared for the content, and on top of that it was not at all something that I enjoy as the "romance" part of it overtook the rest of the book.

To be slightly more generous, both of the above were self published. Now, self pubbers NEED to have many rounds of edits and re-writes, just like traditionally pubbed writers. Each book of mine goes through multiple rounds of edits from me, as well at least 5 other people before it is released to the world. In the above instances, these things would have been very easily found, and fixed had their editors been either honest, or they went through enough rounds.

The third was the second in a series of paranormal romances. I did enjoy the first, but this sequel was not the same, at all. The back blurb talked about one male and one female, the reader would think those are the main characters, correct? We didn't even see one of them until chapter five. Then we didn't get a chapter from one of their POV's until chapter seven.
On top of that, there were several mistakes that should have been caught as this was published from a small press, that SHOULD have had a through editing before release.

In all of this I don't begrudge the author. Writing is hard. But releasing that book into the world? Terrifyingly difficult.

The only downside I see is that I wasn't able to enjoy the writers world as they intended. And in many of the cases of books I put down, had these simple items been fixed, I wouldn't have been able to put the books down!

Anyone else have books they just had to stop reading? Why?

Reading Wide

I recently saw a discussion in one of the Writing Groups I follow on Facebook about whether or not one should write and read in multiple genres.

I didn't weigh in, because it would have taken far too many comments for me to explain my feelings about this topic.

With that, my opinion is this:

HECK YES!

Every writer should not only read widely, but I also believe they should also write widely.

At the time of writing this I am reading Polgara the Sorceress  by David Eddings, The Pale Horseman by Bernard Cornwell, and Coiled by H.L. Burke. The first is a high fantasy, the second is a historical fiction, and the last is a retelling of the Eros and Psyche myth.

Each is different, each contains tropes from the different genres, and all of them are good in their own way. I thoroughly enjoy several different genres. Romance, all types of Fantasy, Historical, Mystery, and Retellings each have places on my book shelves.

Reading as a writer is different than just enjoying a story. In order to improve your writing, reading with an eye towards craft is an invaluable tool. One of the best pieces of advice I've stumbled across was as a writer you should read as much as you can. But not just read a lot, examine and dissect the books you read.

Instead of simply thinking "I like this character", ask yourself why? How does the writer make you care for them? What aspects to the character bleed through the writing that hooked you?

Maybe it's the plot. Does it twist and turn and keep you guessing? Or is it simple and straight forward but the setting and characters make it intriguing.

Since different genres place emphasis on different parts of writing. By reading and asking yourself questions about these, your writing will become more well rounded.
For example:
A common error that new(er) authors stumble into with fantasy is not doing enough world building. Or to spend so much time and space in the book cramming every detail about the world, and then not have enough plot or characterization to pull the readers into the story.

All writers should read widely in an effort to better their craft and give readers books they want to read, and enjoy.

While I write mainly fantasy, I have had a lot of people that wouldn't normally read fantasy, read and love my Incalescent Trilogy. Mainly because I don't just focus on the fantasy aspects, but the interpersonal relationships and emotions behind the events in the plot.

Just because you write in one genre, doesn't mean you are restricted to read ONLY that genre.
Spread out and try different stories, ask questions, and improve your own work!

Cover Reveal

If you follow any of my other social media, you may have noticed that the cover for Wolf's Blood was released!

I am so excited to share not only this story, but the cover. Kaitlin at Diseuno Vida Studios designed it, and she did a fabulous job! I gave her some rough ideas for what I wanted, but she took what I had and ran with it. The Celtic circle, and howling wolf are simply genius and really give the cover more substance!

Originally I was not going to write the trilogy for some years, but two years ago Bryna just kept pestering me during NaNoWriMo. I ended up writing over half of the first draft during that time. It poured out of me onto the page in rapid succession. Below is the book blurb:

Descending from generations of Loup Garou—immortal wolf shape shifters—makes living life in the modern world a bit complicated. Bryna Whealan’s nights are spent managing her family pub, and days are consumed with keeping the wolf inside controlled. Life was utterly predictable and comfortable, and she liked it that way. At least until a rogue wolf showed up, and someone breaks into her pub, creating unease through her pack.

A fateful meeting brings Ethan Donnelly into Bryna’s life, forcing her to make decisions based on their immediately undeniable bond. But due to his studies of supernatural creatures as a professor of Occult Anthropology, Ethan is a dangerous match. Bryna risks her entire pack’s safety simply by talking to him.

When her ex-fiancé rolls into town, and mysterious wolves infringe upon her pack’s territory, how will Bryna balance keeping her secret and Ethan safe? 

The book will go on pre-sale soon! I will be sure to update my social media when it does so. :) 

AND as a bonus Kaitlin is giving potential clients a 20% discount if they mention me as a referral! So be sure to mention me when contacting this fantastic artist for your own works. 

https://disuenovida.wordpress.com/

New Years Resolutions Pt 2- Set Yourself Up for Success

Welcome back to my three part series on New Years Res—I mean Goals.
Which as we covered last week can start really at any time you want. ANY TIME. Not just at the beginning of the "New Year, New Me" phase. (Seriously, does anyone else loathe that statement as much as me?! I digress...)

This time I want to share some tips that helped me to achieve the goals that I set.

Want to know the first thing to do if you want to fail at your goals?
Make them big, with no plan on how to get there.

That is honestly the first failing of a lot of goal setters. I saw it every year in the gym. That first month back is PACKED to the gills, but as the month wanes, people start to drop off. Then by March maybe a handful have stuck around.

Why?

Because they go all out for a few weeks, completely changing their schedule and focusing on this huge momentous goal. Never thinking of making small steps, and smaller goals, on the road to their bigger one.

Their goal may have been to lose 40 pounds, run a 5K, or lift to a certain amount. But without those smaller goals after some time, that bigger goal seems out of reach, and they lose momentum.

I have done this, I will be the first to admit it. Setting goals is easy, working towards them is not. We are only human after all.

So the best way to actually reach your goals are to split them up into bite sized pieces. Every time you hit one of these mini goals you celebrate. It means you're moving forward toward your larger goal, but you are also celebrating how far you have come.

If your goal is to run a 5K, I do not recommend getting on a treadmill (I live in SE WI, so I don't suggest hitting the pavement in below freezing weather) and sprinting the full 5K. I don't think many people could do that without training.

Instead of punishing yourself and falling short of your goal, try running for a set amount of time. Say 1 minute straight to start with walking periods in between. Repeat that a few times over the course of 30 minutes for example. Do that for a week. Then the next week, increase one of the minutes of running to two. And so on until you are running straight for the full 30 min. Then work on distance.

You are not only working toward your goal, but you are changing your habits as well. That is the difficult part of goals. Humans like our habits, it's in our nature. And change, even welcome, wanted change, is difficult. BUT if you can push past the discomfort and start with small changes, you will find that you can achieve even the biggest of goals in time.

Another equally important aspect to reaching your goals is finding someone to cheer you on. Everyone needs encouragement every now and then. So find your cheering section! This can be done with personal friends or family who may have the same goal as you, or someone who just wants to see you succeed and can hold you accountable to show up and work to your goal.

In the writing community there are some lovely people that can be found on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook writing groups, and the NaNoWriMo website. If you do a quick search of #amwriting on Twitter or Instagram, you will find these wonderful people. Even one writing buddy can make the difference, so reach out.
(Feel free to add me, I love cheering people on! Twitter/Insta: @MalindaWrites )

Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Our goals shouldn't be sprints either.

I like to set up both long term and short term goals. Next week I'll share a few of my goals for the New Year; long term, short term, and how I plan to get there.

Has anyone set goals for this year? Writing related? Health related? Work or personal life related? Drop a comment below, I'd love to cheer you on! :)

Why I love NaNoWriMo

Ahh, it's that time of year again.

The cool breeze, pumpkin spice everything, hot chocolate and cider, carving pumpkins, the changing leaves, Mosquitoes die in the cold pits of—oh there I go again getting away from myself.

It's fall! *canned cheering*

Which can only mean one thing for writer-ly types: NaNoWriMo approaches!!

This year will be the fourth time I have competed in the challenge and the second time I plan on writing two novels in 30 days. I have also participated in their summer program Camp NaNoWriMo several times.

There are so many positive aspects to this program, not the least is providing materials and support to schools and libraries across the USA. They have turned the month of November into a celebration of literary abandonment and the joy that is writing.

The concept is simple: write a brand new novel that totals 50, 000 words in the 30 days of November. So if you break that down, the daily goal is 1,667 words every day. Something that's a little more "bite sized", but at the end of the month you either have a completed novel, or at the very least, the start of one.

I will, of course link their website at the end of this post for curious clicking.

Below are just a few of the reasons that I really love, and support this program.


1.) It is a month completely dedicated to literary events that center around writing. It is one month out of the year that can give people the excuse to say "Not right now, I'm writing". Finding the time to work on your writing can be difficult for many people from many different walks of life. From the college/HS student, to the workaholic, to the stay at home parent. Finding even 30 minutes to yourself can be hard to find. But just once a year, telling your loved ones that you're concentrating on hitting a goal as lofty as writing a novel in a month gives credit to your efforts, and gives you a concrete timeframe.


2.) The challenge is fantastic for learning how to set a big goal, and break it down into smaller bite sized pieces. Most people, if not all, know that in order to attain a larger goal you should break it down into smaller steps. NaNo does that for people. It can be a stepping stone to working on other projects, both writing and non-writing related. You just wrote a book in a month, why not start that walking routine? Or saving money? Or eating just one more serving of fruits/veggies instead of the french fries? NaNo can be a spring board for other great habits, both with intangible and tangible rewards.


3.) NaNo brings together people in a way that I have yet to experience elsewhere. The site has the option to make a "region" your home location. Within that region there is a forum where people, anyone in the region, can start a "thread" or conversation. Other members can comment and even set up public meetings called "write ins". Usually Write Ins are held at coffee shops or libraries. They are events where the writers come, get food, drink, socialize, and best of all write! Writing can be such an isolating activity, NaNo combats that with the forums and local write ins. Writers now have a "built" in community of people who understand the ups and downs of writing. I met my entire writing group through NaNo, and they are honestly my best friends, mentors, and editors.


4.) One of the fantastic aspects to NaNo that I love is that it promotes writing to EVERYONE. Not just people who have been writing for years, or even went to school for it. But EVERYONE. That cashier at the local CVS? She has a story to tell. Your pastor? He has a story too. The Barrista at the local coffee place? The same. Creativity is not limited to people who have always been writing, it is for ANYONE who has ever had the thought "I could/should write a book." Writing is one of those activities where it doesn't matter your age when you start, unlike say Football. If you have a story in your mind, write it. NaNo encourages that.


5.) At the end of the month, whether you've written the 50,000 or 5,000 you have the feeling of accomplishment. You've attempted, or met a goal that not many people actually try to do. If you hit the 50k you'll feel like a winner. If not, even if you wrote 2,000 words you've still written 2,000 words that you hadn't before. No matter what happens during the 30 days, everyone who participates, who tries for this large goal, everyone can feel proud of themselves.

If you are a more serious writer, of course you could and should write throughout the rest of the year. But why not participate in something that is so exciting and brings so many different people together using the one thing they all love?

I for one plan on participating every year unless serious life events challenge that. But even then I'll probably still find a way to write extra during November. 



NaNoWriMo site:  http://nanowrimo.org/

How to help your favorite Indie

Independent authors are a different breed of people. Usually they have a stick-to-itness that others don't, and they develop a thick skin. They are the DIY'ers of the writing industry, and are not afraid to take a new challenge head on. Whether that challenge is writing the actual book, or wading into the murky waters that is social media to promote their books and build their "brand" (whatever that means *snort*).

But no matter how outgoing, or stubborn an "Indie" is, they still need people to help them in both large and small ways. Below are some of the ways that friends and family are able to help their favorite "Indie" out in the process.

1. Be a listening ear/sounding board. Because we, the authors, spend so much time in our own heads, it is helpful to bounce ideas off of someone who doesn't know the whole story. We can gauge your reactions and impressions, and then adjust accordingly. (Or maybe we just need a break from typing our fingers off!)


2. Provide coffee (or their preferred mode of caffeine/inspiration fuel). We do accept gift cards! ;)


3. Ask us how the writing is going. I know, I know, we may groan and moan, but we will love and appreciate that you are taking an interest in not only our interest, but often times writing stories is our passion. Even the most reclusive introvert will talk your ear off about their writing if you take the time to ask.


4. Once the book is out, buy a copy! Better than that, ask us to sign the inside, and then read it and let us know what you thought. Writers love to hear what people reading their books think. We usually start out writing for ourselves, but it is nice to know how others reading it are responding to the characters and plot that we've created.


5. Once you've read said book, leave a review. Leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, your own facebook/social media. THIS IS THE SINGLE MOST HELPFUL THING TO AN INDIE. Shout out that you loved this book to everyone!
Independent authors do not have a media team behind them like the traditionally published books do. They need every bit of help they can get to promote their work.
Even writing a one line review and leaving a star rating helps. This increases visibility, and also encourages potential readers that the story is worthwhile.


6. Never grumble about the price of the book. An Indie author pays for everything upfront out of pocket, usually funded by a day job they would rather not have, just to make ends meet.



Writing a book is hard, editing a book is hard, promoting a book is hard. Be kind, and help out the Indie authors you know. You are helping them live their dream, and isn't that something worthwhile to support?

So You Want to Write a Book? Pt 4

The very last question/topic for this series is almost the most important one, and the one I hear most frequently.


"How do you get started?"


This is both the simplest and most difficult to answer. It's like answering the existential question of "What does life mean?" There are numerous answers to both, and yet there is only one correct answer for each person.


Every person starts on this journey differently. Some will have similar paths, and some will have very convoluted steps.


But the most simple answer I can give is: just start wherever you are. If you feel like writing on the train, in the car, at the office. Grab some paper, or even your phone. And just start. Sometimes your characters will bug you until you write their stories. Others, you'll need to pursue and convince them their story is worth sharing. But the whole issue boils down to one thing.


You have to tell your inner editor, that naysayer, to shut up and take a back seat.


All the doubts, and negative thoughts telling you that your writing will suck, that no one would want to read your books, that people will hate your writing. Take those thoughts, bundle 'em up nice and tight with duct tape, and ship them off to the artic. Or Sibera, whichever is cheaper for your selected transit company.


You have to get those out of your head. Or even better, use them as fuel. Tell yourself that you're going to write despite or in spite of those negative thoughts. And if it's a person telling you those things? Cut them out. You or anyone else who is thinking of being creative definitely don't need that kind of negativity in your lives.


This is why I love what NaNoWriMo and Camp NaNoWriMo stands for. It's just literary abandon at its finest. AND you have a group of like minded people surrounding, and supporting, your writing. Whether you make the 50K or you only write 10K. You did something that most people would never dream of doing: getting started.


So start today. Maybe just an outline. Maybe a character sketch. Maybe a piece of dialogue. Maybe an entire chapter.
Whatever it is, just start.


I'll just be over here cheering you on.

Tools of the Trade

There are many tools that writers utilize during the process of creating a book.
They can range from reference books, a library, a person, the software used to plan or write the book, hard materials such as notebooks/pens/notecards, to online resources like Pinterest and baby name websites.


In this blog post I'd like to talk about one that I have recently, really begun using more. That is the App, or website known as Pinterest.
Now, I have been a Pinterest user for several years; it definitely started after I got my first iPhone. At first I used it for the usual things like, jokes, cat memes, planting advice, house ideas, writing advice for both during NaNo and writing in general. (There's seriously tons on my boards, and it would take way too long to list everything!)


Then I found the geek tab, and I added more boards all about Lord of the Rings, Supernatural, House, Castle etc. From that board I started finding interesting fantasy posts and pictures. Any writing advice got pinned to the writing boards, but what was I to do with these inspiring and cool pictures that sparked my imagination? Well, create a board called "Inspiration"!


This "Inspiration" board has become a catch-all for anything that sparks my imagination, or reference materials for books. You will find things that range from types of weapons and armor, to plants and their medicinal (or poision) uses. From reference pictures of characters and clothing to snippets of dialogue or listings of medieval jobs. Anything that catches my attention goes in.


Later, or even if I know right away where that particular piece fits, I either add it to an existing board, or I create a new one. So now not only do I have an "Inspiration" board, but also a board for my first trilogy, "Incalescent", and for the romance trilogy I'm working on that's set in Ireland, "Irish Romance".


Lately I've been using it to save images of characters for a middle grade/young adult Christian Fantasy I've had brewing in the back of my mind. Which is a little odd. Before this I never actively searched for character references. But I have found that this is helping to solidify the characters and their traits more in my mind.


Have you used Pinterest before in your writing process? If you have, I'd love to hear about it!

Comparison

One of my favorite quotes is "Comparison is the thief of joy." And almost nothing is more true than that when it comes to writing and the publishing industry.


It's almost easy to go along and believe that your books are something special, that they are one of a kind, and that you can't wait to have lots of readers who will feel the same right out of the starting gates. That you'll be receiving fan mail full of praise, fan art, and all positive reviews on Good Reads and Amazon. Your Twitter, Instagram, and blog will flood overnight with subscribers.


Sadly, for the majority of authors, this does not happen overnight. Or even ever. Not all of us can be the next J.K. Rowling, Diana Gabaldon, Nora Roberts, or Stephen King. And even those writers went through periods of doubt, and low readership.


You cannot allow the negative thoughts and feelings to creep in. And if they do get around your barriers? You flush them out as fast and as hard as you can. If you don't doubt will crawl in and make a home. Often this influences every part of an author's life, not just their writing. But most definitely their writing will suffer as a result.


It can be hard to see someone selling well, and their readership climbing via social media. It can be disheartening to take your books and attend an author event only to see tables/booths that are teaming with people, and making sales all day.


I know it's hard, but try to remain positive. Instead of whining and making yourself miserable, ask yourse;f "What can I learn? How can I *insert topic here* better?" (Examples, are Market, Write faster, Set up a booth etc) Then analyze what the people are doing. Are they blogging more? Are they more active on social media? Do they set up more giveaways and promotions? The list is almost endless and can be tailored specifically to your situation.


We're writers! We steal ideas and then change them to fit us. This is just another instance of this. Yes, it is disheartening. Yes, it is difficult. But isn't your writing worth it? Aren't you worth it?


And so what if you only have a small reader base? As long as they're loyal, love your characters, and believe in you, that's all that matters!




Keep your heads up, and your fingers busy typing (or writing long hand), I believe in you.

Realizing I wanted to be a Author

Many writers can tell you the story of when they first wanted to be a real "author". For me I grew up writing stories. I think my mom still has some of the earliest pieces tucked away somewhere safe. Eek, let's not look at those! I excelled in the writing and English classes throughout school, but there was a moment in middle school when I knew something had shifted.


I was in 7th grade, and was reading Terry Brooks Elfstones of Shannara for the first time. My father has a love of fantasy, so when I was looking for more books to read, he jumped at the chance to share his love with me. (I was a voracious reader, and it was at this time I also started reading the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon, the Lord of the Rings trilogy by Tolkien, as well as The Mists of Avalon.)


While reading Elfstones I fell in love with the entire mythology and world that Brooks was able to build. His characters made me laugh, cry, and love them with each chapter. The mysteries of the world and magic as well as the races intrigued me. I distinctly remember sitting in a study hall reading, and realizing that not only did I want to write something like I was reading, but that I COULD. There was nothing stopping me from trying, and if I hated it, I would never share anything I wrote with anyone else.


With all the heart and brain power my little 13 year old body could muster, I started writing longer, more detailed stories. Often for projects I would turn in something that was supposed to be only ten pages, but would be closer to 20. This really came to a head when I was 16 in high school. During a creative writing class (It was a new class for the school, and I was so excited) for a short story, my mind just would not stop going. I thought of back stories, names, new geography, new languages, and even new creatures. Enter in my love of all things fantastical, including dragons! For that "short story" I turned in the first 25 pages (single spaced), of the very first draft of Through the Mountains.


Now, a lot has changed since those first few pages, but what I try to hold on to is that passion. The spark that says that I can do it. The spark that drives me to write. I will never forget that realization in study hall. It changed my life forever.

So You Want to Write a Book? Pt 3

Welcome back to my series "So you want to write a book"!
The first post covered the inspiration part, and the second went over how long it takes to write a novel. This post is all about "Finding the Time" to write that book of yours.

I purposely put "Finding the Time" in quotes on purpose. There is no such thing as finding time. Whether it is for working out, crafting, or writing. You will never find the time to do something new. Even something that you love. Finding is not what you're going to have to do. If you want to accomplish anything you're going to have to "Make" the time.

There will always be something (and often times multiple somethings) pulling for your attention. Kids, spouse, work, friends, other hobbies. Everything suddenly needs your attention as soon as you decide you want to learn something new, or to finally sit down and work on a long overdue project.

I get it, I have balanced work, writing, friends, family and working out. It is NOT easy. But then again nothing worth having in life is. If I haven't scared you off yet, below are some of the tips and tricks that I have learned over the years at balancing everything.

1. Utilize breaks at work or school to their fullest. I mean it! If you get breaks and a lunch at work, that's just bonus time! Even if you only get a 30 min lunch, take 15-20 and write, brainstorm, daydream. Just take that time and use it to work on your work. Do you commute on a bus or train? Great! Once again there is extra time, use it to its fullest potential!

2. When you do have time to work on writing, focus. Tune out your surroundings, however you can. Go into a different room, use music with personal earbuds, or sit at a different table in the lunch room. Make sure that when you sit down to work, you're focusing on work.

3. Tell people about your goal, and set a deadline. By telling people you have set this goal, you are creating people that will hold you accountable. Heck, you might even find people who want to do the same thing. You need to find support anywhere you can. Join a writing group, join the NaNoWriMo site. NaNoWriMo is held every year in November. It is when thousands of people around the world band together and agree to spend the month of November writing a novel. It's a great organization that has wonderful communities.

Bringing it Back

Here's a random thought for you:
If you could bring back a TV show from when you were a kid, what would it be?


There are several answers I could give, but the one that popped out to me immediately was the show Zoids. I have no idea why, but lately I have been wanting to watch this show again. I remember it playing on weeknights after school, and begging my mom to let me finish just one more episode before dinner. (This was pre-dvr'ing capabilities, and we only had one VCR and it was the adult TV that had it) She usually gave in because thankfully this show only ran a half hour at a time.


If you don't remember what Zoids was, I don't blame you. I don't think it was a very popular show. The show centered around these giant robots called - you guessed it!-zoids. The zoids are essentially a large machine robot in the shape of an animal. Most being based on designs of lions, tigers or even dinosaurs.


From what I can remember these robots or Mech were not only used as transportation they were used for battles. Mainly between warring factions. It might be more 90's/00's cartoon/anime crap, but from what I can remember I loved it and would often draw, design, and write stories about my own "zoid". This and a few other series really helped to cultivate my creativity, and sometimes I miss these older shows.


What about you? Was there a TV show that you would bring back if you could?

How to Prep for writing a novel

The title is a bit misleading as different avenues and strategies work for different people, so I will outline what I have found that works the best for me.


When it comes to my books, I have a method to the madness.


Usually it starts out simply. Just getting out some character sketches and personalities. This is done using a form that I actually created myself. I tailor it to each project. But the basics are there: Physical appearance, typical dress, who their parents/family are, where they're from, current address, magical abilities, bonded dragons, past injuries/scars, etc. This I fill in as best as I can at the beginning, often times I find out more as I'm writing and will add notes in later.


(IF this is a historical novel, all of the research of time period comes first, and is much more in depth)


Next, once I have all of the major, and quite a few of the minor, characters sorted I move on to the plot. Typically by this point I've worked through the large plot of the story. The main quest or goal. The plotting comes in when I need to figure out how to get to said goal. I start by filling in what the "bad guy's" plans are. This may or may not be revealed in the book to the reader, but it helps me to understand their motives and how they are moving people around. It shapes how my hero's will react.


I have my point A and B, and now I need to get the characters to point B. So I go through and envision what events, conversations, or deaths would compel my characters to point B. This is usually where the scene cards come out. If the larger plot note is my roadmap, the scene cards are my sign posts. They keep the story moving toward the end goal. I can go "off script" and add in scenes or even characters, but the cards keep me directed to the end. I usually end with between 25-40 scene cards per novel. Again, within the structure there is a lot of lateral movement and freedom.


Between getting the characters sorted, the scene cards, and actually writing, I spend a lot of time daydreaming. And I don't just mean staring aimlessly out the window, although that does happen. Nope, not what I do at all. I will take each scene card and focus on what could/should happen. I literally play it through my mind like a movie. By doing this you are keeping your story in the forefront of your brain. It is MUCH easier to dive into the story when you've already sat down and understand what has to happen next.


And then there are those people where none of this works for them, and that is fine too. Some people do a bit of both. Play around, see what works best for you!

So You Want to Write a Book? Pt 2

Springing off of last week Wednesday's post about inspiration, today is about how long it takes to write a book. This is one the Top questions I get asked.
Oy Vey. This one is both straight forward, and difficult to explain.


The best answer I can give is this: The time it takes to write the story is inversely controlled by how much time you have taken in preparing for the writing.


Confused? Me too.


I have found that the more work at setting up the novel: doing research, character sketches, imagining the places and scenes, even doing scene cards for plotting, the faster the actual writing time takes. Mostly I do this much intense prep for my fantasy novels, which I can write in 30 days during NaNoWriMo. As a control, I wrote a romance at the same time. For this book all I had were names, a general location, and an idea. That's it. I even had to make up characters, and places, and plot devices while writing. (This one, after a year, was still unfinished, and took a lot of work to get it into shape)


For me, the more time I spend prepping, the less time I need to spend writing a first draft. NOW this does not include re-writes, edits, and beta reading. Just the time it takes to sit down and write a rough draft.


To do the proper amount of prepping before writing, the time varies for everyone. But once you have done this, it is much easier to "see" and get into your story. Once this is happening consistently, you will find that the words just tumble over your mind and onto the keyboard without you having to force them.


If you have a well thought out idea, it won't stay shoved up inside your mind, it will beg to be released onto the page.

Monday Motivation...On a Wednesday!?!?

It's something that every writer will deal with, lagging motivation.
If you haven't experienced this yet, congratulations! This post will hopefully help whenever that day hits. If you have dealt with this seemingly universal truth, I hope that you can find something new below to help re-spark you.


Lack of motivation can be caused by any number of situations, or even a combination of them. Usually I find my motivation lagging:


After a NaNoWriMo month.
After a negative review or comment on my work.
When I'm not happy with where the story or characters are.
When I'd rather be working on something else.


If at least one of those instances sound familiar then this post is for you!
How does one combat these situations?


In the case of the after NaNo blues, I actually cut myself some slack and give myself time away from writing/editing. It might be a day, a week, or a month. In this case taking some time away from writing is going to benefit you in the long run. You just completed a challenge most people wouldn't dream of trying for! You may/will need to take some time and recharge your creative batteries. Do not feel bad about this! It is completely normal. Just give yourself a set amount of time, and then get back to it.


Ugh, the dreaded negative review/comment. Sadly there is nothing to do in this instance but to remind yourself why you started writing in the first place. Was it for the readers? Or was it because you had this story that you wrote, for you? Because you had an itch and had to scratch it? Always, first and foremost, write for yourself. Write characters, worlds, and plots that you love. Writing and finishing a book is a long labor of love, you need to fall in love with it. And really, what is one person's opinion? Art is subjective, and writing is no different.


Oh boy. You're writing, cruising along, and then BAM you're getting no where. The time between writing sessions lengthens, or that cursor blinks accusingly at you. Something happened, and you're not sure where, but suddenly the characters actions aren't what they should be. Maybe the plot got off track. The best thing to do is to back track to where you were still enjoying the story. Start over. Nothing is written in stone, and sometimes you have to go back before you can go forward.


That side project looking more and more appealing? Instead of completely jumping ship on your current WIP, or the thing you're supposed to be working on, take a break. If you have ideas for a different story, take time and write them down in a safe place. Whether that is snippets of dialogue, possible names, locations, or world building notes. Just get that idea out, and get back to work what you're "supposed" to be working on. It may help you come back with fresh eyes!


I hope that these tips helped! As always, happy writing my friends!

I finally got Tagged!!

Okay, so I'll admit it...I'm a sucker for "tag" videos or blog posts. I think they're super fun and help to create a sense of community in the blogging/vlogging world.


So thank you to the incredibly nice and real Raychel Rose (http://www.thatbrightyoungthing.com) for tagging me!


The Rules:
Answer eleven questions, tag someone, then ask them eleven questions.


Here are the questions that Raychel gave to me!


1. What's your favorite type of cookie?
    That's tough....Usually I'd say Snickerdoodle, but I've been in the mood lately to make Oatmeal cookies. ...might be baking later this weekend... :)

2. What genre of music do you enjoy listening to?

      Honestly? Everything. I have rock, rap, punk, hip-hop, country, classical, Celtic....everything except Jazz. Not a fan of Jazz. Lately I've been really into the older CD's from Building 429, and The Rend Collective.

3. Have you ever swam in the ocean? If so, which ocean?

     Yes! I used to live in WA near Seattle, so I've swam in the Pacific. In 2005 we went to my dad's high school reunion in NJ so I also swam in the Atlantic.

4. Do you like stingrays?

    In zoo's and aquarium's, sure. They're fun to feed and pet.

5. Who do you share your birthday with?

     No idea.... to Google!

     Apparently I share April 25th with: Al Pacino, Renee Zellweger, Matthew West, Jason Lee, and Len Goodman. Who knew?

6. Are you allergic to anything?

    Amoxacillin- some antibiotic that made me *literally* climb the walls as a child.

    Latex- Yes I am one of those weird people.

7. What's something you do, that normally people think you wouldn't do?

     I'm a writer, there's probably a lot that people normally wouldn't think I do. Such as acting out battle scenes, and making faces so I can accurately describe it.

     I also crochet, which has the stigma of being a "granny" craft.

8. Do you have any fears you outgrew?

     Not really, I never had any childhood fears. I still don't like leaving an appendage hanging off the bed at night though.

9. Do you have any scars? If so, how'd you get them?

     Oh boy, too many. But here goes:

     I have a scar on my right ring finger from a pet guinea pig we had when I was a kid.

     There's actually two scars on my face, one is on my chin from a horse accident, and the other is right above my lips in the "cupids bow" from a cocker spaniel who also knocked out my front tooth while leaving his mark. Both are only found when looking reallllly closely.

     Above my right hip I have a small, round scar from my first chicken pox that I scratched before my mom noticed.

     There's a scar on one of knees (can't remember at the moment) from when we were camping and I tripped over a railroad tie and the doctor had to scrape out the wood from inside of my knee.

     Not a scar, but equally interesting: From a horse riding accident, I actually shifted the bones in my left hand, just below the wrist. There's an extra ridge when running your fingers over it that isn't on my right.

     .....yeah...Grace is NOT my middle name....and this doesn't include any of the soft tissue and hair line fractures I've had LOL

10. What's your favorite decade?

      Eh, not much for decades. But I really love any ancient history, or American history prior to the Civil War.

11. Who are 5 celebrities you don't like, but everyone else does?

      Not really big into celebrities in general, kinda boring that way.

BONUS QUESETION:

12. What's your favorite pizza topping?

        Sausage! Pepperoni! Canadian Bacon! Sensing a theme here? :) A vegetarian I am not.






I really don't know anyone to tag, other than Raychel that tagged me and Stefanie who was also tagged! The link to their blogs:
Raychel:  http://www.thatbrightyoungthing.com/
Stefanie:  http://authorstefaniemacwilliams.blogspot.ca/


OH wait! I tag Rebekah Bryan (http://rebekahnbryan.com/)
and Anna Malnory (https://almostherblog.com/)


Also anyone else that likes tags! Please let me know in the comments if you decide to do them, I'd love to read your answers!


Here are your questions!


1. How old were you when you had your first crush?
2. Favorite piece of clothing that you couldn't live without. Why?
3. Tea or Coffee? Or neither?
4. What is your favorite 4-legged animal, and why?
5. Do you like chocolate?
6. What is the hardest thing you've ever had to do?
7. What do you do in your free time?
8. Tell me about your favorite book.
9. Are you a morning or night person?
10. Can you juggle?
11. What is your favorite holiday?

So You Want to Write a Book? Part 1

As soon as people find out that I am not only a writer, but a novelist, they ask tons of questions.
Ranging from:


"How do you get your ideas?"
"How long does it take?"
"Where do you find the time?"
"How do you get started?"


It seems that while there are many writers producing books on this planet, we are still the minority. People appear captivated my the "mystery" of writing a book. They often see writers as this untouchable entity that sit around all day, maybe with a few self-destructive vices, that magically produces great books for them to read. In the majority of writer's cases, this is simply not true. We are just like the rest of the population, except we see, hear, taste, touch, and emotionally feel things a tad different. In every interaction or experience is a story.


That woman in the lane behind you on the freeway who's been riding your bumper for the past mile?
She's trying to get to the hospital to see her loved one who was in an accident.


The man fumbling with his cash at the register and taking longer?
He just found out he's dying.


The mother with the child screaming in the middle of Walgreens?
She's a single mother working two jobs, because her husband left for work six months ago and hasn't returned.


See what I mean? There are stories everywhere, all around us. Past, present, and if you have a large enough imagination, even in the future. Writers just pay a bit more attention and ask themselves the ultimate question: What if? 


One of my favorite quotes is this:
A writer is working when they are staring out the window.


Cultivating your ideas takes time. It takes not only conscious brainstorming, but random daydreaming as well. This can happen at home, in the shower, in the car. Most people call this their "muse" when they suddenly get a good idea for their project. Really, it's just your back brain shifting through stuff and finally finding a solution. Once you are practiced in seeing the stories that are everywhere, it becomes easier to "find" topics and subjects to write about.


Practice saying and thinking "What if"" or "Why" to everyday situations, and see what you can come up with. I had a new idea for a romance set in Scotland come up while I was crocheting a scarf and watching Person of Interest on Netflix. Just always have that notebook handy for when the ideas come.