Last week, I gave a detailed account of the first half of my revisions process - the fun and creative but sometimes arduous task of making sure the actual story is just right. Plot and character development must be nailed down before I waste time on anything else. After all, it's in that phase where I make the most profound changes and there's no use spending a lot of time on perfecting the words of a sentence or a whole paragraph that might not be there later.

We left off with my WIP in the hands of my first round of critique partners, who are reading my story for plot and character arcs. Hopefully, their feedback is easy to address. Unfortunately, it not always is. Sometimes I need to put more work into the story's structure, which I do in the next round of revisions (we're on the third round now). While I'm doing this, I'm also making sure that I'm satisfied with where chapters end, re-analyzing the need for each scene and even paragraph. By the time I'm done with this round, every paragraph, scene and chapter must serve at least one purpose, but the more, the better.

Now I get into revising the actual writing, including a round of working solely on dialogue and another solely on descriptions. I know the theme of the story by now and revise words and tone to serve and support that theme the best way I can. Some descriptions need to be changed to "showing" rather than "telling." Some need to be enhanced, while others need to be down-played - sometimes what a character is wearing or what a room looks like is important, but sometimes not and saying so only disrupts the scene and distracts the reader.

Dialogue needs its own round. In that first draft, I wrote what the characters needed to say to each other, sometimes in their "voices" but sometimes in my own. In this revisions round, I make the words belong to the characters, rather than me, adding in body language and working on tags, as well. I also analyze whether the characters actually need to say the words or if there's another, better way for them to communicate their message.

After this fourth round, I send the manuscript off to the first set of beta readers, because by now I need to know that readers enjoy the story. When their feedback comes to me, I usually have a particular scene or two that needs work, or a character that needs more development. I clear up anything betas found confusing or where they didn't experience the emotional effect I'd hoped for. Also, I'm constantly working on the writing now. Every time I go through the WIP, I find ways to improve the writing. Then it goes off to the second round of critters.

I choose these critters because they know how to turn a "good" sentence into a beautiful one. They point out awkward phrasing, show me how a few word changes can make a description pop, and frequently tell me, "you can do better." They notice when a paragraph is too stilted or too long-winded, and if it's the proper rhythm for the mood I'm trying to set in that particular passage. They also give feedback on everything else, as well, but the writing is their main focus.

With their notes, I go through the manuscript once again (see how you can become so disgusted with and also too close to your own work?), polishing, polishing, polishing. Every paragraph, sentence and word is considered, and if necessary, rewritten. This is when I try to make the writing shine. Then my second round of betas get to read it, hopefully in its almost-final phase.

By the time betas return their comments, I'm at the point where I'm beginning to hate the book. I see that it still needs work, and I know there are way too many "that's," "was's," "it's," "just's," and the dreaded saw, heard, felt, realized, decided, etc., even when I've been careful to eliminate every one I'd come across in previous rounds. I want to throw the whole computer out the window and run far, far away. I'd rather yank every nose hair from both nostrils than go through the stupid, mother-@#$@##@ing, piece of $#%) story again.

But I do it.

And when I'm done? I love the story. I love the characters. I want to hold them and hug them and pet their hair. I know I've written the absolute best book I possibly could at this particular point in my career. So off it goes to the line editor, who may pick apart a few things, but I'm okay with those because I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Once I'm done with those fixes, I'll give it another read-through just to make sure there's nothing else I want to change (well, there's always something, I still want to fix things in every book I've published, but at some point we have to call it "done").

Then the proofreader gets it, returns it, I make the fixes, and YES!!!! I'm done. I'm ready to hit the Publish button. Well, not really - there's still the whole formatting process, but the book is written, I'm proud of my new baby, and I can't wait to share it with the world.

Until it's actually in the world, anyway. Then the nerves set in, and I start second-guessing every decision I made during the revision process. Will they like that new character? Should I have kept that one scene in? Was that dialogue line as funny as I thought it was or could a newborn have said it better?

What? You didn't know that being a writer requires a certain level of neurosis? Well, if you don't have it, you're not made for this life. *wink*

Next time, I'll try to share some tips and tricks for how to make all this work, especially in a tight timeframe. I also plan to list some of my favorite books either next time or the one after that - books all writers should read and study and will help you through the planning, drafting and revising processes.

Questions? Please ask!

My (Ideal) Revision Process

Mention the word "revisions" around a group of writers, and you'll get a mixed chorus of "ugh!" and "squee!" It's true - some writers hate revisions while others love them. Those who hate them say they prefer the creative part of the process and hate getting bogged down with the technicalities of grammar and sentence structure and rewriting the same sentence 23 times before getting it exactly right (only to end up deleting it in a later round). Others say they love giving their stories that beautiful polish, knowing that every change is making the story and the writing better.

I'm kind of in the middle here - I do love the creative process, which for me, continues through the first few round of edits, but the process can also wear on me, becoming tedious and boring. There are only two times I truly hate revisions and edits, though. The first is when I need to make a plot or character change that's going to cause a ripple effect throughout the story. Making this one revision, whether big or small, means cleaning up several scenes, sometimes even adding a new one or completely rewriting one that I already loved. The job feels huge and daunting and I whine about how much I don't want to do it.

The other time I hate revisions and edits is far into the editing stage - that point where I thought I was done, but realize I need to make another pass or two through the manuscript. By this time, I hate - I mean, HATE - the book and the characters in it and I just want to kill them all off. I've read the story so many times that I think the whole thing sucks and I should simply trash it and this whole idea of being a writer because I'm really just a fraud. But when I'm done - well, I love the book and the characters all over again, and I know it's the best book it can possibly be. I learned a secret about how to handle this at the Heather Graham's Writers for New Orleans Workshop last week that I'll share when we get there.

But first, how does this all go together? How do I get from the first draft to that point of knowing I need to make plot or character revisions to the point of hating the book because I've read it so many times and then back to loving it? How do I know when I'm ready to hit the Publish button?

First of all, let me say that every book has been different. The writing process has varied, and so has the revision process. But I do follow a general progression of steps, which I'll outline here and we'll get into in subsequent blog posts.

Before I list those steps, though, I feel the need to define the difference between beta readers and critique partners. At least, this is the difference to me:

Critique partners are other writers (usually published now that I am) or editors who give me detailed feedback. I use them at different stages, which you'll see in a moment, so the kind of feedback may vary, but the point is that they're focusing on the craft of the story and the writing - the technicalities that readers don't specifically notice but know there's just something "wrong" there. My "critters" can explain what exactly is wrong or at least help me figure it out for myself.

Beta readers can be writers, but are also just readers who enjoy reading and can give good feedback on the story, but usually in more general terms. Sure, they'll point out a typo or grammar mistake, and they're really good for noticing inconsistencies (a character's eye color changes, for example, or their aunt has a different name later in the book). But they're also good for overall reaction. While my critters are focused on the trees, the betas can look at the forest. They can tell me if the plot makes sense or if there's a hole somewhere. They can tell me if they loved the whole thing, or liked certain parts but not others. They'll say, "I don't like this character. He rubs me the wrong way." But, compared to my critters, betas may not be able to pinpoint what it is that they love or don't like. They know a character gets on their nerves, but may not realize it's because the words or body language I've given him doesn't mesh with the character I'm trying to portray. Betas are often people with different perspectives - I get The Man's opinion from a male perspective; maybe someone who's familiar with a disorder one of my characters has to make sure I've kept it "real"; and, of course, avid readers who know when a story works and when a character is swoon-worthy.

Now, I do have what I call an alpha reader. She is also my business partner/co-publisher. She gets to read everything first, sometimes even before I do, and her primary function as the alpha is to serve as cheerleader and sometimes idea-bouncer-offer (she serves other roles later in the process). Choose this person carefully because he/she will probably read your book several times before it's ready to be published or submitted. You don't want them to hate you for putting them through that. (The Man will NEVER be an alpha reader for me. In fact, he doesn't get to read until the very end because he won't read it again to see how I addressed his feedback or to see how it's evolved. Then he talks about the book and he's wrong about half the things.) So, yeah, choose wisely.

Proofreaders, one more distinction I want to make, are reading specifically for typos, missing words, extra words, grammar mistakes and the like. They're also making sure that the last round of line edits didn't cause a sentence (or whole paragraph) to accidentally disappear. Yes, that's happened before.

Now onto my process. These are the steps I follow as soon as I complete the first draft in an ideal situation, but sometimes I have to combine some steps to be able to meet my deadlines.

1. Read-through while taking notes.
2. First round of revisions for plot.
3. Give to alpha to read and get feedback.
4. Second round of revisions for more plot issues based on alpha's feedback/brainstorming sessions, as well as character arc and development.
5. Give to critique partner(s) who I admire for their excellent plotting and character development.
6. Third round of revisions to address critters' feedback, as well as scrutinizing and fixing structure of scenes, chapters and paragraphs.
7. Fourth round of revisions for theme, descriptions and dialogue.
8. Give to first round of beta readers.
9. Fifth round (now called edits) addressing betas' feedback and polishing the writing.
10. Give to different critique partner(s) who I admire for beautiful writing and grammar technicalities.
11. Sixth round addressing critters' feedback and polishing the writing even more.
12. Give to second round of beta readers.
13. Sixth round of edits addressing any more betas' concerns, as well as combing for repetitive words and phrases and finding better ways of saying the same thing.
14. Give to line editor.
15. Fix line editor's issues.
16. One last read-through.
17. Give to proofreader.
18. Fix proofreader's issues.
19. If time allows, give to one more fresh set of eyes just to be sure nothing went wrong while fixing the proofreader's issues.
20. Collapse from exhaustion ... then celebrate.

We'll go through these in detail over the next several weeks. For now, if you haven't already, I recommend lining up your first round of critique partners and beta readers. And if you have an alpha reader, you can decide whether you're ready to let him/her read your baby yet or if you want to go through it at least once before slicing yourself open and exposing your soul er, sharing this little project you've been working on.

You Wrote a Book! Now What?

National Novel Writing Month (November) has ended and now there are people all over the world asking, "Now what? I wrote a whole book. What do I do next?"

Well, first, CELEBRATE!!! Finishing a book is a huge accomplishment. The saying goes that everyone has a book in them. That may be true, but not everyone wants to write a book. Of the millions of people who do want to write one, only a fraction actually start. And of those who start, only a small fraction actually finish. So you are basically one in a million! Or, at least, one in a hundred-thousand or so. Either way... Congratulations! Do a happy dance, have a few drinks, take a day or two to relax and say, "I did it."

Then it's time to get back to work. At least, if you have any desire at all of possibly pursuing publication. When I finished my very first draft of my very first book, I wasn't so sure about the publication thing. I didn't even know if I had something anyone but me would actually enjoy. I wrote that book solely for my pleasure, and the thought of sharing it with anyone was absolutely horrifying - worse than going into public naked. That was my very soul in those 180,000 words.

Yes, you read that right. I don't have a typo there. My first draft of my first book was a little over 180,000 words. That's basically the equivalent of two normal-length books. I didn't know that at the time. But I learned. And I revised and edited and revised and edited some more. Eventually, I realized it was two books, so I split and rewrote endings and beginnings and revised and edited some more. I (eventually) shared the new versions along the way. My poor business partner who became my publisher read about twenty versions of Promise and Purpose before they were ever ready for publication.

My point? You finished a book, but that doesn't mean it's time to hit the submit or publish button. I don't care who you are or if this is your first or thirty-first book. A first draft is also known as a rough draft for a reason - it's bumpy and choppy, jostling the reader about with its plot holes, lack of smooth transitions and sharp turns that make no sense. The writing is ugly and coarse, except for maybe a few gems that will probably need to be deleted anyway because they do nothing for the story (we call this killing your darlings).

Your book needs work. Lots of it. This is especially true after NaNo or any other time we shut down our inner editor and write with abandon.

I knew this when I finished my first whopper of a draft, if only because while I'd been writing it, more ideas had come to me that I wanted to go back in and add or change. But before I decided just how much more work I wanted to put into it, I needed to know if it would be worth it. I needed some validation. So when a couple of important people in my life wanted to see what I'd been so obsessed with for the previous six weeks, I sucked in a deep breath and tried not to puke when I handed my soul, er, I mean, manuscript over.

They liked it. They had some ideas. They asked questions that made me think and generate more ideas. I couldn't not work on it. I became a little braver and let more friends read the revised version (still one book, though), and this process continued for 18 months. That's right - I wrote the first draft of 180k in 6 weeks, but it was another year-and-a-half before Promise was ready to be published.

Finishing a first draft with a beginning, a middle and an end is a huge accomplishment, and for some, that's enough. They can cross that goal off their bucket list and move onto something new. But I think for most of us, the writing bug bites hard, and we can't just let it go. And even though there is still much work to do, and even though we may whine and gripe about how much we hate it (especially when we've gone through the book so many times, we'd rather stick needles under our fingernails than do it again), we also love it. This is our passion, and we want to share it with the world.

If this is your new goal - to share your book with the world - stay tuned. Over the next few weeks or so, I'll be sharing my revision and editing process. The good news? It doesn't take two years anymore. In fact, some people can complete the entire process in a couple of months. It takes me about six months from the first word to clicking the publish button now. Not as fast as some authors, but we're all different, and I think six months is about as fast as I'm comfortable with.

Before we dive in, you might be like me and want to know if you should even put more work into this thing you've created. If so, take the plunge and let one or two trusted friends read it. If they finish it in a decent timeframe, you have something worth working on. But even if they don't - even if they don't get back to you in months and skirt the question every time you ask, "So how do you like it?" - don't give up. Either get back to work on it or move onto the next project.

If writing is your passion, you'll keep going. And that's the real answer to the "Now what" question: keep writing.

Rules You Can NEVER Break

As writers, we are constantly being told by the "experts" that we can't do this but we must do that. There are plot and structure rules, writing rules, grammar rules, querying rules and even rules for how to promote our books once we get to that stage. But this is probably one of the most lenient professions/hobbies where "rules are made to be broken." As long as you know the rules and respect them, you can choose to break them. Just be sure that when you do, it's the best choice for you and your story.

When you're in the first draft, such as in NaNoWriMo, though, you can completely ignore pretty much all those rules. Whatever has been broken can be fixed - if you want to fix it - during revisions and rewrites. It's not the time to be hung up on such details.

However, there are certain rules you absolutely, positively CAN. NOT. BREAK. I don't care who you are. Unfortunately, even the biggest and brightest authors do so. I'm talking about breaking the rules you've created for your own world.

What are the rules of your world? Well, they can be anything from how far away your protagonist and antagonist live from each other to what powers a supernatural or alien being possesses. Paranormal, fantasy and sci-fi authors probably create more rules for their worlds than other genre writers, but all authors have rules they create for their worlds.

When you break these rules, people notice and they will call "foul!" Authors such as J.K. Rowling and Charlaine Harris have had inconsistencies in their series and readers have noticed. Sometimes, these are little things that make readers say, "Ha! You messed up. I feel so smart." But sometimes, this breaking of your own rules can cause readers to say, "Bogus! That can't happen!" They feel cheated and even offended, thinking the author believed they could get away with it because readers are too stupid to notice.

I write characters with supernatural abilities and have created a world with my own take on paranormal creatures such as vampires, werewolves and mages. I have to be very, very careful to stick to my own rules. Sorcerers are more powerful than warlocks, who are more powerful than witches and wizards. Based on the rules I've set, it's highly unlikely one of my witches can beat a sorceress, so if that happens, I better have a damn good way of explaining it.

My characters' abilities also have parameters surrounding them - rules I can't change later simply because it's convenient. This can make writing hard sometimes, but just like we can't break the law of gravity in our world, as an author, I can't break the laws of mind-reading in my world if they've already been set.

As a prime example, look at Breaking Dawn Part 2.

***WARNING: THE FOLLOWING IS SPOILERY, SO I'VE WHITED IT OUT FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE YET. IF YOU HAVE, PLEASE USE YOUR CURSOR TO HIGHLIGHT THE FOLLOWING TEXT TO READ IT.***

I caught a major flaw with the twist at the end of the movie that most everyone has called epic. I have to agree that what they added to the movie that wasn't in the books was amazing and the visual intensity was absolutely necessary because the books lacked it. Whether you're a Twilight fan or hater, no one can deny it's been a phenomenon and they could not end this with an anticlimactic scene like the books. Unfortunately, the world's rules were broken to do so.

I'm not talking about how the movie differed from the book. I thought it actually did well in keeping to the book, except for this one part, which like I said, was necessary and could have been awesome. So I'm not even going to refer to the books, especially since it's been a few years since I've read them. However, we just watched all the movies over the last week to prepare for this last one and they're fresh in my mine. Here's what I noticed.

In New Moon, Alice says she can't see Bella's future when Jacob is around, and also adds something along the lines of "I can't see past you and your pack of mangy mutts!" That is a rule set three movies ago - Alice can't see the future if the wolves are involved. In Eclipse, it's some of the same - Alice can't see the end fight because the wolves are involved. In Breaking Dawn Part 1, they're talking about the fetus and Alice says she can't see its future just like she can't see Jacob's. This has been a rule set and adhered to for three movies. Nothing has happened to change this rule.

So how, then, did Alice see the future of the whole fight that involved the wolves? She couldn't have seen Jacob and Nessie as they tried to get away. She couldn't have seen the wolves fighting the Volturi. She could not have shared that whole fight scene with Aro. And since Aro can see every thought she's ever had (a rule established in New Moon), he would know this flaw to her gift. So Alice couldn't have even made up the vision to try to trick him.

The writers (I include the author here because she's always been closely involved with the scriptwriting from what I understand), the director and the producer (who happens to be the author) needed to make the ending HUGE. EPIC. Talked about for months or longer. But the way they chose to do it broke their own rules, and they could only hope nobody noticed. Actually, I personally think they hoped everyone would be so relieved that all those people didn't die, they wouldn't care that the rules were broken.

But really, whether you noticed it before or just now see it, how does that make you feel? Cheated? Disappointed? A little angry? Ticked off because the makers thought you were too stupid or enamored to notice? Annoyed but you're okay with it because it was still an epic ending? I'm sure there will be people who feel any of these emotions and many others. My point to you is - how do you want people to feel about your own writing?

If you don't want anyone calling "foul!" or "bogus!" or "cheater!" then you can't break the very rules you have set. And if you find that you absolutely need to, then you better have a very good way of explaining how that rule can be broken. Maybe a necklace weakens or strengthens your character's ability. Maybe a time-warp has changed how your spaceship generates power. Maybe an earthquake creates a chasm that now requires your character to travel two hours to get to his best friend's house three blocks away. If you have to break a rule and can make it believable, just be careful not to do this more than once or twice. Otherwise, you come off as a lazy writer with poor planning skills.

Yes, rules are made to be broken. Even some grammar rules, like "don't use fragments and incomplete sentences." Sometimes breaking a rule makes the story or writing better. But unless you want to piss off your readers, never, ever break the rules you've created for your world. Because someone will notice and will out you.

What NaNo Is Teaching Me

Tomorrow marks the halfway point of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and I'm not quite at halfway to 50,000 words. Ugh. I'd hoped to be at 50K by now so that I could actually complete the novel by the end of the month. Because, really, 50K does not make a novel, unless it's a middle-grade chapter book. My own tend to be around 100K and to feel truly proud to say I wrote a novel for NaNo, I wanted to actually complete the entire first draft. I don't see that happening.

I'd hoped by writing something completely brand-new (not a Soul Savers book), I'd be all excited about these new characters and world and would be going crazy when I had to take care of real-world stuff, chomping at the bit to get back to the story. That's how I'd been when I'd started the very first draft of what is now Promise and Purpose. I was absolutely in love with Alexis and Tristan and wanted to spend as much time with them as I possibly could (and actually, that's how it still is with them). The characters in this new series, however, have been harder to get to know, and it's taking me time to fall in love with them. So when I'm not writing, I'm not constantly thinking about them, which makes it harder to sit down and write.

But that's what we have to do to call ourselves writers: write. "Butt in Chair" is our mantra, and there's a reason for it. When the excitement of a shiny new idea wears off, we still have to plant our hinies in the chairs and write. When we're stuck and don't know where to go next, we can take all kinds of showers, play solitaire, go for miles and miles of walks and even clean, but nothing's really going to get done if we don't sit down and write something. Anything. Just do it.

Although I know this, NaNo is teaching me in a different way. I'd always wondered why the founders of this great idea chose November. After December, this has to be the absolute worst month to hole oneself up to complete a novel. It's time to plan for the holidays, start shopping, make menus, have people over for Thanksgiving, spend time with family, etc. Why couldn't they pick a boring month like February or July? Why not January, when people can make completing their novel a resolution?

Well, the "why" doesn't matter. It is what it is. And that's what NaNo is really teaching me (or at least reinforcing for me). No matter what's going on (or not) with the story or in the real world, we have to put our butts in the chair and write if we want to reach our goal. We not only have to get in the habit of writing every day, but we have to do so even when there are so many reasons not to. Even when there are more distractions than usual. And if we know there's going to be specific times that we absolutely cannot write (e.g., Thanksgiving Day), then we must plan for it so we can still reach our goal.

So I'm learning to write with music that has words without being distracted. Maybe someday I can actually write in a coffee shop or airport. Since not having inspiration is new to me, I'm creating new habits of forcing myself to write even when I don't feel like it. I'm getting better at planning my writing time around real-world happenings, which is good considering all the traveling I'll be doing next year while still trying to get 2-3 books out.

In other words, I'm learning how to be a true professional writer. That's not really the point of NaNo, but that's what it's doing for me, and just in time since I am now a full-time author and publisher. Even going into NaNoWriMo for the first time, I knew it was about more than writing 50K of crap just to say you did it. At least, for me it would be. And I'm happy to say that it is doing so much more. So even if I don't finish a full draft by November 30, I'll know this month has totally been worth it. And no worries - I will make that 50K goal no matter what it takes.

So what does NaNoWriMo do for you? Are you participating in NaNo? If not this year, have you in the past? What have been your lessons?

"Expert" Advice

I know I said last time (er...last February) that maybe I'd revive this blog and here it is, 9 months later and I'm just now getting around to another post. Plenty of ideas come to me - there are all kinds of things I can say about writing, revising, editing, indie publishing, etc. There are many topics to cover for this blog that is for other writers, new and experienced alike. But the thing is, when I really start to think about a topic for a post, I can't help but think, "But who am I to give this advice?"

All kinds of authors and editors give advice on writing - people who are more experienced and knowledgeable than me. Many indies share their "expertise" on becoming successful as a self-published/indie author.

Sure, I've written four full-length novels and a novella, but I am by no means an expert in writing and story-telling. Yes, my reviews are excellent and I have a solid readership who love my books. But who am I to give you advice on how to write amazing characters or craft a plot? I feel like a novice myself.

As for being an indie author and self-publishing - I've been blessed with tons of success here, too. Most indies don't sell more than 1,000 books. I've sold (not including free downloads) nearly 150,000 books. But am I an expert? Far from it.

Many times I see an author write a blog post - or even a whole book - about craft or marketing or successful indie publishing, and I can't help but (silently) ask the question, "Who are you to give this advice? What are your credentials? Have you achieved this yourself?" To me, there's nothing worse than wasting my time on bad information. And when others' careers and/or livelihoods are at risk, I think it's even more important to be sure that if you're going to tell others how to be good at something, you better damn well know what you're talking about.

And that's why I have a hard time giving advice on this blog, which is supposed to be geared toward helping other writers. If I don't feel 100% confident that you'll achieve your goal if you do it my way, I'm not going to tell you to do it my way.

But then I think, "There's nothing wrong with sharing what has worked for me so others can at least try it." And really, that's my philosophy with all so-called "experts" and the advice they share - read it, learn from it, go into it knowing that it may not work for me. Because that's how this industry is right now as it goes through some serious growing pains - what works for one person may not work for another.

So that's the theme of this blog now - "What worked for me and may - or may not - work for you." Well, the motto needs work, but that's the philosophy anyway. I've always meant for this blog to be for other writers - a place to discuss anything writing and publishing related, and hopefully to help other writers as they embark on or continue this crazy journey of being a writer.

I'm participating in NaNoWriMo for the first time this year and as it kicks off tonight at midnight, I imagine I'll have a lot of thoughts on the writing process over the next 30 days. I'll share those thoughts here, as time and my brain cells allow. Will this blog be chock-full of the answers you need as you're writing your own NaNo novel? Um, no. But hopefully you might find something inspiring that sends you on your way of discovering your own answers, or, at the least, encourages you to keep going because you know you're not alone in your struggles.

Then, when NaNo ends, who knows? Maybe this blog can be permanently revived with at least monthly posts about writing and indie publishing (and all things related). For now, let's get through the next month. 50,000 words, here I come!

Hey, there! (Yeah, I'm still here...)

Holy schmoly, has it really been two months since I've posted here?! What a slacker I am! LOL Yeah, right. I assume most of you follow me on my main author's blog (www.KristieCook.com) so you know what I've been up to - blog tours, Genesis release, holidays, pulling Devotion together for its upcoming release... Yeah, not much slacking going on here.

I really haven't had much to say in regards to writing, but I thought it was time to at least drop in and say "Hi!" and let you know that I'm still here.

I'm in the midst of editing Devotion, so not many new words being written, and I get tired of complaining talking about revising and editing. So I just kind of kept quiet here. I'm slowly making my way through a book on dialogue that I'm determined to finish, though I'm not sure why. I guess I'm hoping there's still something I might learn from it. I'll let you know soon what the book is and my thoughts.

The big talk in the self-publishing circles seems to be about production, production, production. Everyone who's making decent sales is pushing out book after book after book. I can't say that I completely agree. Yes, the more books you have, the more you'll sell overall. Each book plays a role in sales of the others. You can't just put one book out there and expect to become a bestseller. However, my experience proves that you don't have to put out a book every two months, either.

I have three books out, one of which just came out a month ago and had little to do with my sales numbers. And my sales numbers are fantastic. If you didn't see, Promise made it into the Top 100 of all Kindle paid. It's a national bestseller. That was before I even had three books, when my most recent release had been nine months prior. So, no, you don't have to push out a book every 2-3 months to find success in this industry.

Now, if you want to produce that many books that quickly and it doesn't cause you to lose all of your hair, scream at your loved ones until your voice runs out or result in your home being a disaster area that makes the houses on Hoarders look clean...well, then, that's your choice. I'm just saying you don't have to. Just make sure that you're producing the absolute best books you can that have been edited and polished to a shine. The goal should be to be proud of your work, not just throw something out there because you think you're in some big numbers game.

Ruth Ann Nordin wrote about how to write 4+ books a year and she has some great ideas. I know I can't do it like her - I need more than one draft. Like 4 or 5 or 6...or 10 is more like it for me. And that's before the final proofread! But as she says, just as we all plot and plan (or not) differently, we all write on different schedules, too. So it is possible. Not for me, but possible.

What I liked most about the post: her emphasis on the subjectivity of quality. Because she's absolutely right when she says quality is in the eye of your readers. If enough people think you're producing high quality work to keep buying and telling their friends about it, then you're producing quality.

Just keep in mind the "enough people" part. Because you may get a few thousand or even ten or twenty thousand people who think your quality is good, but that's not enough. Not enough to make you a bestseller. Not enough to make you a full-time writer earning a decent living. Even if you do produce 6-8 books a year. Because people's attention wanes. We're easily distracted. What we thought was good for the first 3 or 4 or 5 books might not impress us anymore in book 6 or 7. We might have moved on to something new - another series, another author. And there aren't enough new readers who accept that same quality to make up for the ones who've moved on.

Again, produce something you're proud of. Nothing less than your best. When you're proud of your work, everything else just goes better, from promotions to your response to reviews to, yes, sales. And trust me, readers notice when your quality doesn't reach your potential.

That's my two cents. What's yours? What are your thoughts on producing 6-8 books a year? And I mean actually writing and producing, not pulling out past pieces that are already finished and just need edited. Is that something you can do? Is it something you'd want to strive for?

The Problem With Being Obsessive

So many ideas, so little time. That's my lament when it comes to writing. Fifteen years ago, I was convinced I didn't have a novel in me. I'd started way too many stories only to realize I had a character or a setting or a few scenes, but not a plot for an entire book. I'd given up fiction writing.

Fast forward to three years ago, when I decided to start writing fiction again just for fun, something to do for me. I thought I'd just dabble in characterization, maybe write some short stories for a few close friends. I didn't expect it to be anything more than a hobby to occupy my time instead of TV or World of Warcraft.

But as soon as I made that decision, a full story came to me. And then enough stories for a series. The ideas haven't stopped flowing since.

I have a Word doc where I keep story ideas that have come to me. Some are just a couple of sentences with a kernel of an idea. Others are a full page of stream-of-consciousness narrative.

All of those ideas just sit there for now, the file hidden away, only to be opened to add in yet another idea. I don't worry too much about them because I figure my heart and soul will tell me when an idea is one I need to work on. In other words, the characters won't shut up until I write their story, which is what happened with Alexis.

I had to write her story - still have to write it - because she's incessantly babbling in my head. The only ones that have screamed louder than her are Cassandra and Jordan, the characters in Genesis. And I think the only reason Alexis quieted enough to let me hear them is because their story is important to hers.

But sometimes, like right now while waiting for critique partners to send me Genesis back, I get the urge to start on one of those ideas. Something completely different than the Soul Savers. Something shiny and new. Only until I can work on Genesis again, I tell myself. But I just can't do it.

While I joke about Alexis and Tristan talking in my head all the time, annoying me until I write down what they're telling me, I'm actually obsessed with their story. That's what keeps me going.

In fact, I really have an obsessive personality. When I'm passionate about something, it becomes my primary focus. I can multitask spectacularly on those things that need little brain power, energy or creativity, but when something needs more from me and I truly believe in it, I give it everything I have and then some. This characteristic has served me well in achieving many goals, but it's also a problem.

When it comes to writing, it means I can only focus on one project at a time. I tried to juggle Genesis and Devotion, but I found it difficult to keep switching back and forth. I'd get too involved in one story and forget that I was supposed to put some time in on the other.

So diving into a totally new project is pretty much out of the question. I get too obsessed. I wouldn't be able to tear myself away to meet my deadlines for Genesis and Devotion. And what if those new voices completely drown out Alexis? What if she goes away because I'm ignoring her? That's my fear. That's why I won't be starting any new projects for a while. It's my problem with being so obsessive.

Are you like me and get obsessive with your characters and story? Or can you juggle more than one story at a time? If you're a juggler, how do you do it?

That Fluttery Feeling

Do you get that fluttery, queasy feeling in your gut when crit partners return your story? You know, excited but sick-to-your-stomach nervous? You can't wait to see their reaction to the plot, to the characters, to the beginning, the middle and the end, to the twists and turns, etc. Do they love Mr. Hawtness as much as you do? Did they see that twist coming? Which lines made them laugh? Did they cry?

But for me, the most disconcerting question of all, especially while under deadline as I am now, is... How much more work do I need to do? Because, you know, in that first round, there's a lot. We like to think there isn't, that we're geniuses and hit it beautifully right out of the gate. But deep down we know better, so we know there's work coming. Just how much?

In the second round, we think we're pretty close. We've addressed everything from the first round, smoothed out our transitions with the new material, and, while we were at it, tightened up the writing. We think our plot is sound and our character arc develops well. Feedback from this round will let us know that we filled all the plot holes and/or that we created new ones. So we either have a long way to go still or...we don't.

In the third round, at least in my process, it's mostly about polishing the writing, clearing up any final loose ends, etc. Feedback from this round should, hopefully, be all about strengthening the writing and putting on a few last minute touches. The light is at the end of the tunnel. Right?

Well, this is how I'd like it to all go. But with each round, I just can't be sure. Changes after the first round might be so extensive that I've created all kinds of new problems that come back in the second round. Third round critters might find plot or character issues the first two rounds missed and now that they've been pointed out, I can't just leave them like that!

Aack! More work to do than I expected.

There's always more work to do than I expect. Just when I think it's perfect, something else is brought to my attention. I get to the point where I can't stand the story anymore and wish I'd never written it. Just the thought of looking at it again makes me want to vomit. So far in my experience, that's been the last round. It's just when I absolutely hate the story and never want anything to do with it again that it comes back clean. And then I realize how much better it is. And then I love it again.

Right now, I'm waiting on critters' feedback for GENESIS. Every time I hear the email dinging sound, my stomach drops to my knees, just knowing it's from a critter. Which is a little melodramatic, considering I get 100s of emails a day and 99% of them are not from critters. But I can't help it.

And when they are from a critter, my heart pounds, ready to sink when I see how many problems there are still to fix. With a deadline looming directly overhead, problems mean lots of coffee and late nights in my near future. So far, though, this round hasn't been too bad. Of course, they've just barely begun, so I'm not holding my breath. A lack of oxygen does nothing for that fluttery, queasy feeling but, perhaps, make it worse.

How do you feel when you get crit partner feedback? Do your emotions get all twisted in a bunch? Or are you just plain excited to hear back? Do you sit on top of the inbox, checking every 2 minutes or do you run and hide and pretend like the email isn't there until you know you must open it?

Writing on the Road

Since Friday, I've been in hotel rooms and family homes, some with good internet, most without. I've also spent over six hours a day in the car, driving only half the time. The plan was to get some writing - well, revising - done whenever I had a chance. Things haven't gone as planned. Go figure.

My failing laptop only has a battery life of about an hour these days, so just as I'm getting my groove on in the car, the screen goes black. By the time my brain wakes up enough in the morning to even focus on revising, it's time to check out and hit the road again. And then by the time we check into our room, eat dinner, settle in for the evening, check email and get caught up, I'm too exhausted to focus for long.

Obviously, these are excuses. Except the dead battery - I really can't revise without power. But if I'd been drafting, this would definitely just be an excuse because there are, of course, these objects called pen and paper. I know many of you draft with these instruments and then later type your new chapters. My writing hand just can't keep up with my brain nearly as well as my typing fingers can, so I don't do it often. But it's possible.

Anyway...excuses. That's what these are. To be professional writers, we have to condition ourselves to be able to write (or revise) under any conditions. After all, part of the profession is touring and we need to be able to do our work in the car, on a plane, in a hotel room or anywhere else. Because deadlines don't stop their fast approaches just because we aren't home. Publishers expect us to go on the road, but they also still expect that next book to be done according to contract.

It doesn't matter that I'm indie. I still have a commitment to my business partner and others - most importantly, readers! - to produce a book by the date I said I would. Indie writers have more leeway than contracted authors, but that doesn't give us a free pass. We still have to do our job. We still have to meet our responsibilities, whether it's to ourselves, to our supporters or to our readers.

So I'm working on eliminating these excuses and getting my job done, even while traveling, visiting and sight-seeing. If you have any tips, I'd greatly appreciate it!


Where do you usually write? Can you write anywhere, despite distractions, or do you need your special writing place to focus? Have you ever written while traveling? How did it go?

What Does "Kill Your Darlings" Mean?

We've heard it time and again - "Kill Your Darlings!" It sounds like such a psychotic phrase. Kill my darlings? As in my babies? These sweet little things I'd give my life for?

No, no, NO! Not your human darlings. Sheesh.

So what darlings are we talking about? Your writing darlings. (Which can sometimes feel like our human babies, I know, but they're not really. Human, I mean. You know that, right?) I've discovered over the years that this phrase has several different meanings.

Killing the Darlings Everyone Loves
I think the first time I ever heard "Kill Your Darlings" was a quote from Agatha Christie and I totally thought she meant your best characters must die. I mean, she's a murder mystery writer, so it makes sense, right? I don't know if this is what she meant, but since hearing it several years ago, I've noticed how the really good, gut-wrenching stories kill off at least one character we fall in love with. Or, if you're J.K. Rowling, you kill off at least 20% of the cast, breaking our hearts.

By doing so, though, Rowling deepened our emotional investment. She made us love, she made us lose and she made us hurt. She's merciless! But in a good way because these losses strengthened our love, empathy, support and even hate - the same feelings as the characters - making us part of the story. If we can kill one of our darling characters in our books and make the reader feel it, we pull them deeper into our world, giving that immersion experience they seek from books.

Killing the Darlings the Writer Loves
These are the darlings the experts teach us to kill - the parts of our book we love so much but do nothing for the story. Whether it's a paragraph with exceptionally beautiful writing - our best ever! - or a lovely scene depicted brilliantly, we love these babies so much, we can't bear the thought of hitting the delete button. But if they do nothing for the story, we must bring ourselves to kill them. If that's a little too drastic for you faint-of-heart, you can just cut it and paste it into a standby document. Then you know it's there, in safe keeping, to visit whenever you wish. Just don't put it back!

Killing the Darlings Who Don't Belong
This third meaning just made itself clear to me while revising Genesis. I have a character who I - and my betas - absolutely adore, but he has to go. At least, his POV does. He plays an important role in the story, but his part of the narration just isn't necessary, bogging down and detracting from the true story of Genesis. As much as we all love his part of the tale, I've had to take it out. From this book, anyway. I think he'll have his own story - at least a short one - soon.

This meaning isn't just about POV, though. We often have multiple supporting characters in our first drafts that only lead to confusion in the reader, who's trying to keep track of all these names when half of them never return. Combine them. Get rid of some. No matter how much you love them, they're not helping your story. This goes for subplots, too, that relate in no way to the main plot and only clutter the story. If you love those side characters so much that you want to give them their own plot line, then do it - in a different book.

We writers pour our hearts and souls into our stories. We have lots of darlings. Can you think of other darlings we must kill to improve our stories? Do you have any you've had to kill that hurt more than others? Do you keep your little darlings in a back-up file and go back and read them because they make you happy? Or is that just me?

Story Comes First

Katie at Creepy Query Girl and I must have been on the same page this weekend. Or in the same book. Or maybe not, since there are a lot of published books that could be counted in our thoughts. What are those thoughts?

That story comes first, then comes the writing. Katie says premise. Same diff, in this case.

I was reading a book this weekend by a major author who's been published several times. TV programs have been made from her books. This is no small-time, self-published author. And there are phrases such as:

He whispered  in an urgent voice.

'Any questions?' Heads were shaken.

And the drawing--the drawing was even more horrible. It was...grotesque.

What a wonderful place. [Not dialogue or thought, but prose, followed by nothing showing how it's wonderful.]

On one page, I counted 7 "was"s and 4 "very"s. While describing a Rottweiler, its shoulders sank, its muzzle drooped and its tail tucked between its legs (Rotts don't have tails). There's an adverb on nearly every dialogue tag (and just about every line has a tag).

Another book I read nearly a year ago that became a NYT Bestseller, includes countless phrases such as "I could hear...", "I could feel...", "I saw...", "I decided..." and "I realized..." Lots of showing rather than telling and even more "was"s and "that"s. In fact, "was" and "that" make numerous unnecessary appearances in almost every book I read.

I've read the first of bestselling Amanda Hocking's self-published books and there are more than a few typos. She's said she hired an editor, but, sadly, she didn't get her money's worth. But the story was still good. And when Hocking signed on with St. Martin's, one of the publishers said they wanted her work because she was an excellent story teller.

In other words, story comes first. Then comes writing and everything else.

I haven't finished the book in my first example, but I can vouch for this in the second example and Hocking's. And I'm not saying any of these books were poorly written. In fact, two of them were very well written. They just needed some polishing.

Others, however, are absolutely awful enough that they detract from the reading experience. As in Katie's example, you just can't stand to finish it. And in that case, who cares if the story is even good? You've read those, right? And wonder how on earth those books even got published?

The moral here is to keep weeding out those "was"s and "very"s and "that"s, but remember that story is most important. It doesn't matter if your book doesn't have a single "was" or "that." If the story's lame, it won't sell. But if you have a strong story, you can be forgiven for the little things.

Why a 60-75 Page Partial?

The craft book I'm reading this month is Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell, part of the "Write Great Fiction" series by Writer's Digest Books. I'm just starting Chapter 3, but have already learned some real techniques to apply to my writing. Chapter 2 is about the three-act structure and it got to me to thinking.

You're probably familiar with the three-act structure and this may be old news for you. But in case you aren't - or, as in my case, don't know as much about it as you think you do - here's an overview of how Bell explains it. A story (whether a movie, play or book) should be broken into three parts. Act 1 sets up the protag's world and a disturbance to that world (inciting incident), and ends with a "doorway" - when the protag makes a decision or does something that is irreversible. It's the first point of no return. This doorway leads into Act 2, where the protag faces confrontations and obstacles that move her to the second "doorway," another point of no return. Act 3 is the climax when everything comes to a head and explodes.

You often see books split into three parts, following this three-act structure and those parts are usually pretty equal in length. In a live play production, you're given intermission between acts and those intermissions are evenly spaced apart. According to Bell, however, the acts shouldn't be even.

In a movie, Act 1 is about the first 1/4 of the movie and Act 3 begins with about 1/4 of the movie left. So the middle, Act 2, is about 1/2 the story. For books, he says, Act 1 should be over even sooner - about 1/5 in. We need to get to that first doorway sooner rather than later. Otherwise, the book seems to drag.

This made me think about my book Promise. Although the majority of readers say they're hooked from page 1 and can't put it down, a few - those who are the hardest to impress, to suck them in - have said that the first 70-100 pages drag or, simply, "it's hard to get into at first," but the rest is un-put-down-able. In my mind, my three-act structure broke the story into three even parts. The first mini-climax, where Part 1 leads into Part 2, is when Alexis learns about Tristan's secrets. That part starts at page 98. See the correlation?

However, with Bell's point that Part 1 ends at the first doorway, that really happens when Alexis decides to give Tristan the benefit of the doubt. Her point of no return is really on page 63. And of a 355-page book, that's just within Bell's suggested 1/5 mark. So why do the hard-to-capture readers say it drags? Apparently because I didn't emphasize enough that she'd passed through that doorway. Or that it was even a major threshold for her to cross. I can easily see this now.

So all of this got me to thinking...is this why agents ask for 60-75 page partials? That's 1/5 through a 300-400 page novel. That's enough for them to get to know the narrator's voice, the author's writing style and the premise of the book. But maybe it's that specific number of pages because they want to see that the author has taken them through that first doorway by this time. And they want that doorway to be clear and exciting. After all, agents are going to be the hardest-to-capture readers. If you can impress them, you're on the right path.

Just something to think about as you're crafting your story and when you think you're ready to query (or self-publish). Look at those first 60-75 pages and ask yourself if your protag has gone through that first doorway yet and if it's obvious that he's crossed a point of no return. I could be wrong about this being the reason agents ask for 60-75 page partials - I'm certainly not an agent - but, really, it should be your goal to suck them (and readers) in by then anyway. To get them beyond that point of no return so they'll keep reading to the last page.

What do you think? Do you think this is why agents ask for that many pages? Have you followed Bell's structure when planning your novels? Can you think of a book you love that doesn't have the first doorway in the first 1/5-1/4 of the book?

Review: Novel Shortcuts by Laura Whitcomb

A few months ago, I made a goal for myself to read at least one craft book per month. Um, that's craft as in writing craft, not as in arts and crafts. Unfortunately, I don't have time for those kinds of crafts these days. Anyway, I started by trying to re-read Donald Maass' Writing the Breakout Novel and the accompanying workbook, but they weren't really grabbing me. I'd already read both a couple times and wanted something new, so I kind of fell off the wagon.

But staying up on our craft is important. We can always improve, right? So I promised myself I'd get back into it. As mentioned, I've been reading Novel Shortcuts: Ten Techniques That Ensure a Great First Draft by Laura Whitcomb - my June craft book of the month. Because we're all short on time and don't want to waste what little bit we have on useless craft books, I thought I'd share my thoughts, to hopefully help you. So...here goes.

What I Liked About This Book:

• Real techniques you can use - Whitcomb doesn't just share theory and ambiguous ideas to help improve your writing. She provides real tips and methods to put into practice right away. The "shortcuts to a scene" method, for example, which, as I said, I found quite useful.
• Examples that we're familiar with - I've picked up a few craft books where the author shares examples of their ideas from books I'd never even heard of, let alone read. I'd not only heard of the vast majority of Whitcomb's examples, but I'd either read them or, at least, was familiar enough with the story to understand what she was saying. I didn't feel like I needed to add a bunch of books to my already teetering TBR pile to ensure I understood a key point.
• Easy to read - Whitcomb isn't trying to impress us, other writers, with high brow theories, prose or vocabulary. Rather than using our brains to figure out what she's saying, we can use them to figure out how to apply what she's suggesting to our own writing.

What I Didn't Like About This Book:

• "Shortcuts for first draft" idea - Maybe it's just because I'm more of a pantser, but I couldn't see myself using any of these techniques for writing the first draft. I've actually used outlines for my current two WIPs and have come to like them, but the techniques in this book are so specific, I just don't see how you use them before you even have a draft to work with. For example, she suggests identifying the "crosshairs moments," the main ones that are turning points for the story, as well as the minor ones - the turning points for each chapter. In fact, she says to even identify the crosshairs sentence in a chapter. Well, maybe for a few scenes, you already know in your head what that phrase is, but otherwise, how can you know it for each chapter until you've written it? So, to me, this is more a book for the second draft.
• Poor examples - Okay, so I just said I liked the examples, but for that, I meant the books she referred to. Here, I mean the specific examples she provided to show a before and after. In many cases, I didn't see the point or didn't see how the after was much improved. It was different, sure, but not necessarily better. Maybe this is a style thing. I don't know. I just wasn't impressed.

My Favorite Parts
Since this is a book about techniques, here are my favorite ones:

• Crosshairs Moments - As mentioned, these are the turning points of your novel and of each chapter. You should always be writing toward that moment or away from it. Identifying the crosshairs moments - the big ones and little ones - should help you see whether a scene or paragraph is even necessary.
• Shortcut to the Scene - I wrote about this and put it into practice with impressive results.
• What to Do When It Stinks - Whitcomb provides some excellent ideas for improving the draft...obviously after you've written it.

Recommendation: Yes, I'd recommend this book to any writer needing some new ideas for either the first draft or revisions. Is there anything groundbreaking? Meh, probably not. Is it among my top recommendations? No, not really. But if you sometimes just need to hear something differently or want to know what works for other writers, this is a good book to have on hand.

Let me know if you've read it or if you do. I'd love to hear your thoughts and reactions.

It Worked!

My little experiment worked! Or at least, something did. I finally finished draft two of Genesis.

Will I use this method before the first draft, as Whitcomb does? Meh, probably not. I'm too much of a pantser to use it for every scene, especially if not written yet. But it is a new tool to add to my writer's toolbox.

Maybe it'll help you, too. Let me know if you give it a try. I'd love to hear your results.

Have you discovered any new tools lately? How did they work out for you?

Oh, the Pain and Suffering!

Okay, maybe the title's a little melodramatic. Then again, maybe not. I'm in the midst of the second draft of GENESIS. Uh, yeah, the novella that's supposed to be out in a few months. And I really need to get it to crit-partners ASAP if I'm ever going to make that deadline.

I'm at a point, however, where I feel like I've been cut open and my insides have been pulled out and twisted around, kind of like that scene in "Braveheart." Except they're also being stuffed back in, but won't fit. Yes, it's quite painful! Not to mention gross. This is also where I am with revisions of DEVOTION - the reason I put it aside for a while to focus on GENESIS.

Both have a couple scenes that just aren't working. They need to be completely rewritten with different scenes that accomplish the same goals as the originals, only better. But if I make them too different, characters' behaviors and reactions to those scenes will change, causing a ripple effect throughout the rest of the book. Other parts would need to be changed as a result. Changes I don't like. I don't think. I don't know. And that indecision just causes more pain and suffering and indecision. It's an evil cycle, I tell you.

You probably know, having gone through it yourself. So I'm giving a new approach a try. I'm reading Novel Shortcuts: Ten Techniques That Ensure a Great First Draft by Laura Whitcomb. She's developed a process for herself called "shortcuts to the scene" that I'm going to give a try. I think it's a little too structured for my pants-favoring self, at least to do before the first draft, but I think it will help me write these scenes. Here are the steps, using a blank sheet of paper or screen:

1. Write a paragraph about what must happen in this scene - "the goal, the conflict, what will remain unresolved." This includes both internal and external actions.
2. List what must be said - the dialogue. You don't have to write it word for word, but get down what needs to be said. Don't use tags, just initials for who needs to say it. Whitcomb suggests making this a different font (or color, if doing this by hand) or, at least, bold it.
3. Do a ten-minute "heartstorm." It's like a brainstorm, but using the heart, not the head. "Feel the scene, the emotions, the sensations, the wonder.... Think of the emotions involved, the smells, tastes, scents, textures, sounds." Like brainstorming, this isn't a time to judge or censor. Just get it out. Then you highlight or bold 10 or more of your favorite phrases, making them stand out.
4. Now print (if you did this in Word), lay the page (yes, it should be just one page) next to your keyboard and use it as a cheat-sheet. She calls it a "menu" - she orders something from one of the three parts to open the scene and then pulls together the pieces she needs to write out the entire scene. The dialogue, in its different font or color, stands out so she can refer to it easily. The key phrases she wants to use from the heartstorm are also easy to see.

I don't know if it'll work well for me or not, but I think since I already know what must happen in this scene because of what's already happened in the rest of the book, it just might be what I need to get beyond this indecision. I hope. I'll let you know how it goes.

It would be nice to feel comfortably whole again, intestines intact. 

Are rewrites as painful for you as they are for me? Do you have any special process or technique that helps you get through them? If so, please share! What do you think of Whitcomb's "shortcuts to the scene"?

What Is Success?

My last two posts about going indie, when you want success and when you don't care, has me thinking about what "success" exactly means. Because in those posts, we discussed whether you want a particular book to be successful and whether you want yourself to be successful as a writer. But what does that mean?

Of course, everyone has their own definition of success. Those definitions often evolve over time as we change and grow and embark on new paths in our lives. Even if we look just at our writing. Because we might start out as writing only for ourselves and success means finishing a complete novel. When we think of sharing it with others, success might mean that they actually enjoy it. Then the goals keep moving - get an agent, get published, sell another book, land on the bestsellers list...

Some of us never worry about anything beyond hoping others like our writing. We're happy with writing for ourselves, family and friends. We feel successful because we've made them happy.

For others, though, the dream is bestseller-dom and seeing our books at the front of the bookstore, on big display. Of selling movie rights. Perhaps of amusement parks built around our book's world. We want to make it BIG.

Going indie probably won't get you to that kind of success unless you get picked up by an awesome agent and big publisher. So what do I mean when I talk about being successful as an indie author?

Well, I guess I give it my definition. See, I'm a major income earner in my family - well, to be honest, since December, I've been the only income earner. My idea of success, for now anyway, is to be in a position to write full time. I love to write just as much as those who do it only for fun. Because it is fun. And I have to write or I would lose my mind. I have tons of ideas and stories to tell and no time to tell them because I have to pay the bills. So, yeah, it would be nice to be able to write for a real living. And it would be a lot less stressful and exhausting.

So that is my definition of success when it comes to indie publishing and book sales: To sell enough books to comfortably support me and my family so I can continue writing. And that is very achievable as an indie author. In fact, my sales are pretty much there and it's just a matter of time - a very short time - where I can feel that I've achieved that level of success. So it can be done.

What is your definition of success? What are you willing to do to achieve it?

It's Not for Me

Have you ever been told, "It's not for me"? If you've ever queried, you have. And most of the time you just don't understand how the agent could possibly say that, right? You did your homework. You followed all the rules and certainly you made sure you chose the agent that is looking for your genre, your type of story. Yet, you get that ambiguous rejection that just doesn't seem to make sense.

At first. But stop and think about it for a second.

Think about books in the genre you love to read. Think about one you DIDN'T love when you thought you would. The jacket copy sounded like other books you love, but not too similar. You'd heard how great it was from people with similar tastes as yours, but this one just didn't strike you. It wasn't bad, but you didn't fall in love with it. Now imagine trying to get someone to invest tens of thousands of dollars into it.

Now think of your favorite book in your favorite genre. The one you absolutely love, have read a million times and wish there were more stories for the characters. And imagine trying to convince someone to invest that same money in it.

Which one would be easier for you to get behind? Wouldn't you be more persuasive about something you love than one you didn't?

Writers - at least the smart ones - carefully research and make informed decisions on who they're going to query. They choose agents who specifically state they're looking for their genre and who rep books and authors similar to them. They do their homework. And they still get rejections that say, "Great writing and strong characters. I like the story, but it's just not for me." HUH?

I had a few of these when I was querying and, at first, I didn't get it. I, like most of you, thought, "But this is what you say you want! It's right on your website! You tweeted that you're looking for this exact book!"

Since my books have been out a while and have received plenty of reviews, I've been paying more attention to how people think about books, including myself. And I get it now. If you think about those first two examples above, you'll get it, too. Just because a book is in your favorite genre and the story is good and the characters interesting, doesn't mean that you, specifically, will fall in love with that book. Your friend might - maybe already has - but not you.

The funny thing is, if you read that same book while in a different mood or at a different time in your life or just under different circumstances, you may love it. Have you ever read something once and loved it and read it again a few months or a year or so later and wonder why you thought it was so great?

Agents and acquiring editors are no different. If a book is in their genre and their interest is piqued with the query letter and sample chapters or a partial, they'll read the book. They might like it. They may praise the writing and the plot twists and the character development. But that doesn't mean that they love it. At least, not enough to convince someone to invest tens of thousands of dollars into it. Which is what they're doing when they try to sell the title.

That's what they're saying when they say, "It's not for me." It's frustrating, but everyone has specific tastes and things they're looking for. And for agents and acquiring editors, it's not $9.99 or even $20 on the line if they don't love it, as it is with readers. It's their careers. It's lost time with another project that they do love. It's missed opportunity because they couldn't take on any new clients. They have a reason for rejecting something they like but don't love.

We don't always get it, but "It's not for me" is just how that agent feels at the particular time they are reading it. Don't take it personally. Don't get discouraged. They may have been interested in it at a different time, under different circumstances. "It's not for me" does not automatically mean "It sucks." So dust yourself off. Move on. One of these days you will find someone who says, "Yes! I love it! It's for me!"

And if you get too discouraged, you do have choices now. Taking the chance that your MS will never fall on the right person's desk at the right time is not your only option. Talk to me if you want to know more about your choices.

Pretty Good, Really Good or Great?

I've been reading a lot of "meh" books lately. In fact, I'm starting to wonder if it's really the books or if I've just been in one of those moods. You know, kind of like those times when we don't feel pretty (I say pretty because I don't think guys go through those mood swings, at least not as much. Either they know they're good looking or they know they're not. None of that, "I don't feel handsome today." Right?) Anyway...ladies, you now what I mean. We just don't feel it. So maybe I just haven't been feeling the books.

But I know that's not entirely it. After all, a really great book would have pulled me out of this funk by now. So why are these books "meh"? They're by seasoned writers who've had great books before and have gone through the editing process with big-name publishers. I don't understand how they've been allowed - or have allowed themselves - to release these mediocre stories.

Or maybe I do. As discussed previously, I'm in the midst of revising Devotion (did you see that new title???). I read it through a couple weeks ago and thought, "Wow. This isn't bad. In fact...it's even kind of good." I mean, I knew it wasn't perfect. Not even close. Parts needed to come out. Characters needed more depth. Descriptions needed to be improved. And so did the writing. But, overall, I was happy with the plot.

See that "was"? Yeah...in the time since then, I keep coming up with more ideas to make it even better. New twists. Something about a character I missed before that changes things. Etc. Ideas that will require a lot more work than I thought when I first read the draft. A lot more time. A lot more blood, sweat and tears. When I first read the draft, I thought, "Looks like revisions will go quicker than expected." Now, I think (and tell my publisher), "Well, revisions are going to take longer than expected."

But, to me, it's worth it. I hate putting a book out there that I know I'll be thinking, "But it could have been so much better." I mean, I think we all feel that way about earlier writings, when time has passed and we've learned and grown in our craft. But when it first goes out, we want it to be our best work we could produce at the time. Right?

So how could all those "meh" books be on the shelves? I mean, the stories aren't bad. The characters are likeable and relatable. There's just not a lot of "great" or even "really good" about them. Even when the same author has produced really great before. All I can wonder - and maybe it is just because I am in that mood - is if the publisher or author rushed it. Didn't want to put the time and effort into making the book truly great or, at least, really good.

I don't ever want to be that author or publisher. The one that says, "It's pretty good. Good enough." I want to feel, at least in my own heart, that it's really good. Or, even, great. And, hopefully, others will feel the same.

What do you think makes books "meh"? Do you ever feel like taking the short cut or not taking the long way because it's easier (in your writing)? How do you motivate yourself to do what's best for the story, even if it means a lot more work? And what would/do you do when under deadline and you realize how the book can be even better but it would require significant (time-consuming) changes?

Beyond Writing Fiction

Last week's horror in the South really hits home and my heart goes out to the victims. I know personally that they have a lot of clean up and rebuilding work ahead of them. I can't even watch the news or YouTube videos about it because they bring back memories that make my stomach fall to my knees.

No, my home has never been destroyed by tornado, thank God Almighty, but it's come way too close for comfort. My husband's aunt's house of 50 years was taken by tornado in 2008. But it's come even closer than that. As in about 3/4 mile from our house, back in 2003.

I was editor at the community newspaper then. I remember a beautiful May morning with lots of sun and a few wispy clouds dotting the sky. You'd never believe the previous night had been filled with terrifying storms. I'd crammed my kids with lots of blankets and pillows under the pool table while my husband stood at the basement doors watching the sky. A twister picked up not too far from us, so we saw the swirling clouds but didn't get hit ourselves. The next morning, I stopped at the office just long enough to pick up a reporter and we were off to visit the sites of destruction.

The owners of the first house we stopped at were lucky. Their barn was blown away. Their tractor and other equipment that weighed tons were on the neighbors' fields a mile down the road. But their house was left with a broken window. The second place we stopped was an old cemetery where two-hundred-year-old oaks and headstones were dragged across the cemetery, leaving deep gashes bleeding brown dirt. Records for some of those stones were lost and I'm not sure now if anyone ever figured out exactly where they belonged.

The last stop nearly brought me to my knees, though. Two stone houses that stood side-by-side, built over 100 years before by the then-owners' grandfather were totally demolished. As in completely gone. Their belongings were scattered for miles. A horse had lain twitching in the ditch and a little girl was left crying when the sheriff had to shoot it. Cows were already dead farther down the road.

Amazingly, the people had survived. Out in the middle of nowhere, you don't hear the sirens in town. You don't always know you're right in the path. They didn't. One woman dropped to the floor between her couch and coffee table just in time to see the roof torn off. Her husband had been standing in the kitchen and ended up outside with a few scratches. They had survived.

We drove up and they and their family and friends were picking through what was left. Well, some were. Others were just staring at the wreckage, trying to make sense of it. Their faces were dazed and their shoulders slumped with a feeling of defeat. It wasn't my house. It wasn't my life that had been literally blown apart. But I felt their despair. Their loss. Their feeling of being completely overwhelmed and lost.

And it was my job to ask them... "How are you doing? How are you coping? Tell me what happened."

They're in the middle of just trying to make sense of the situation, salvage the little bit they can and figure out what to do with the rest and I have to go in there and ask a barrage of questions. Some people are good at this. I was not.

And this was why I didn't like journalism. I'd wanted to be a writer since I was 8 years old, but I knew from nearly as young that I didn't want to be a journalist. I just don't enjoy the part of having to break into people's personal lives and get nosy.

I did meet a lot of great people and covered some interesting and heart-warming stories. I also learned a ton about everything from writing thousands of words on deadline to page layout and graphic design. And I worked with some fabulous people.

But journalism itself made me be someone I was not. Luckily, I found the kind of writing I do enjoy most. There are many ways to use our writing skills and talents - journalism, copy-writing, ghost writing, speeches, non-fiction, fiction, etc. - and it's a good idea to test different waters until you find the one you're most comfortable in. It may surprise you...or, if you're like me, it may not.

What writing jobs have you ever done? Did you like it? Are there any you'd like to try?