After a month of reading Madeleine L'Engle, I returned to reading a variety of books. Although this month, I decided to it was time to catch up on the books on my kindle I downloaded and haven't read yet. I only have a few more left and probably will read a few more of those in October.
Today's post is the third in a writing tips and advice series called From One Writer to Another. First, I tackled some general advice, then I told the truth about blogging, and I gave a few tips to write fiction faster. Today's post tackles self-publishing. About a year ago, I wrote a post called the Ins and Outs of Self-Publishing talking about the advantages and disadvantages of self-publishing. I still agree with what I wrote then, but I wanted to add a few more notes about what I've learned about self-publishing after releasing another book.
First, self-publishing is pretty easy to do for someone with reasonable skills on a computer. The actual formatting for both my paperback and ebook versions of The Adventures of Zelda were relatively painless. The ebook versions maybe took 2 hours to format and polish with another couple hours for the paperback format for Createspace. (If my old version of Microsoft Word wasn't so terrible, the Createspace format would be even quicker!)
All of this is to say it is true anybody can self-publish. Even if you can't figure out the formatting, someone will do it for you for a nominal fee. And that my friends is what is amazing about self-publishing. There is a way to put your words out in a format for others to read. I love it. I am able to pass out books and spread the word about my writing through self-publishing. I am building a name for myself. It's great.
But, the road to self-publishing success is long. Unless you are the lucky one of one million writers, your first book isn't going to sell enough to pay your bills, even if it's a great book. Success in the self-publishing arena takes dedication, patience, and consistency.
And so, if you want to be a successful self-published author, write a book, publish it, and then immediately start writing another. Realize your success will come down the road when you have several books out for readers. So keep writing and get a critical mass of books published. Focus on writing good books first.
When you have published three to five good books, it is time to start the serious marketing. Start looking for ways to advertise and reach new readers whether that's paid advertising, blog interviews, book signings, etc. Then when you find new readers, they have another book to buy, and your name to pass on to other readers.
If you look at the majority of successful indie authors (Lindsay Buroker, Johnny B. Truant, Sean Platt, J.F. Penn, David Wood, Hugh Howey), they have several books out, usually in the double digits. When you have 5, 8, or 10 books out, it becomes much easier to market and spread the word about your writing.
So that's my strategy, especially in the next nine months. I'm focusing hard on writing fiction, less on workshops, marketing, and even blogging (although I still will do it). The plan is to have at least two more fiction books out by next summer and then market my name. I believe in self-publishing and making a career of writing. But, I understand the time and commitment of doing it, and I'm willing to make the sacrifice.
I thought my readers might enjoy an update in The Adventures of Zelda saga. I wrote this quick story last week, but expect a few more to pop up here over the next several weeks. To read more of the pug tales, pick up a copy of the book. Also, if you have read the book, I'd love for you to leave an honest review at Amazon. Thanks friends!
I love bedtime. In fact, I haven’t met a pug who doesn’t love bedtime. Every night, I curl up under the covers with Lucy and she pets me until we fall asleep. I wake up the next morning refreshed and ready for another day of adventure.
But, for the past week, I’ve had trouble sleeping. After I get comfortable under the blankets with Lucy, I try to fall asleep, but I can’t. It’s too hot and the air is stuffy. I feel like I am going to sneeze the night away. So, I move out from under the blankets and sleep next to Lucy. I end up waking up every few hours; she tosses and turns all night. I just can’t win.
I tried sleeping in the living room on the couch or in my dog bed, but I don’t like sleeping alone, and it’s a bit chilly in the living room at night. I tried Hannah and Nate’s bed, but they kicked me out. Ben is worse than Lucy at tossing and turning so I didn’t even last in his bed for one whole night.
So I am back at square one, trying to sleep in Lucy’s bed. I need to get my pug beauty sleep, so I have enough energy to chase squirrels, run through leaf piles, and do well at school.
Tonight, I find a great spot next to Lucy, under the covers at her feet. I don’t feel hot like normal so I close my eyes. I am jerked awake with a kick to the butt from Lucy. Aggravated, I crawl and lie next to her stomach, out of harms way. But, she feels like a hot, sunny walk, so I keep crawling until my head is out of the blankets, resting next to Lucy’s on the pillow. My head sinks into the pillow; I breath in the fresh air and relax.
I wake up a few hours later overheated again. Lucy has rolled away from me so I scoot up and spread out across the pillow. My whole body sinks into the pillow. It feels incredible; the pillow is by far the best bed in the house. I fall asleep and wake up when Hannah comes in to wake Lucy up for school. How have I not slept here before?
The following night I have no hesitation. I jump on the bed and go straight for the pillow. But, Lucy’s head is right in the middle of the pillow.
She stole the pillow! I have to get it back.
I lie down right next to her with my head on the pillow, hoping she will move away from me, relinquishing the pillow on the way. I lie waiting, when a big yawn comes over me and the next thing I remember is light peeking through the curtain the next morning. I open my eyes and Lucy is right next to my head on the pillow, eyes closed, fast asleep. My plan failed.
The next night, I jump into Lucy’s bed before she does and sprawl out on the pillow. It is wonderful and I fall asleep instantly. I awake to a conversation.
“Look Mom, Zelda stole my pillow,” Lucy says.
“She sure did,” Hannah replies with a smile. “But you can move her out of the way, she’s only a pug.”
Only a pug?? I don’t think so.
But, at that moment Hannah grabs me and moves me off the pillow. I squirm and fight it, but it’s too late. Lucy has claimed her spot on the pillow. And I’m stuck sleeping next to her again.
I crawl my way to my spot, head to head with Lucy on my pillow, when I devise the perfect plan to get my pillow back.
I stay awake and wait for Lucy’s eyes to close and her breathing to become regular. And in a few minutes, she is asleep. I crawl up the pillow and step across her head and lie down with my body sprawled across the pillow and her head.
Sure enough, in a few minutes, Lucy wakes up confused and rolls out from under me to the other side of the bed. I am so excited I almost get up and lick her face, when I remember, she might take that opportunity to steal the pillow again. Instead, I lie down on the pillow, with my front paws touching one end and back paws at the other end. And soon enough, I am dreaming about a world with endless peanut butter, steak, and a friend to play with everyday.
I think writing fiction is much more difficult than writing nonfiction. You need to create characters, timelines, settings, and details within an overarching narrative. And then, you need to make sure it works, meaning there are no plot holes or discrepancies in the details.
My first piece of advice for fiction writers is to read for pleasure. Pick up a book and read every day. But, don't dissect every sentence or chapter. Instead, read the book for the story and enjoy it. When you finish a book, think about what you liked and disliked about the story. Doing this will help you become a better storyteller, which helps you writer better fiction. On a side note, I now write short book reviews for every book I read on Goodreads and post the reviews every month. The book review process takes very little time, but really has centered my focus on what I like in a story.
My second piece of advice is to outline your story before you start writing. When I say outline, I don't mean write out every single thing which will happen in your novel or short story. I do mean write a rough outline of the major plot points and conflicts. This allows room for creativity as you write without getting stuck in the tenth chapter because you wrote yourself into a corner. I started off as a pantser, but have moved on to outlining, which is a more efficient method of writing.
My third piece of advice is to use character timelines. If you are writing a novel, I am sure you have a complex storyline with many characters. The timelines between these characters must add up and make sense. So I use timelines for the major characters to help sort through ages, dates for major story events, and backstory. It has helped me tremendously.
When you are writing, put yourself in the story. Visualize the scene and the characters and write what you see. I can see my protagonist in my novel, Rachel, and her reactions to tough moments because I remember my reaction and others' reactions to tough moments. Put yourself in the story and write.
Finally, carry a small notebook with you (or use an app) to take notes about life everyday. If you meet an interesting person, write a small note about what made he or she interesting. Story ideas and new characters pop into my head often when I am not sitting at my computer writing. If I didn't write them down when they came to me, the ideas might get lost in the shuffle. Watch the world. Observe. Take notes.
Honestly, I wish someone told me these five pieces of advice (especially 2 &3) before I started writing my first novel. I probably would have finished the project six months earlier!
Almost a year ago, I wrote about the concept of a story. In simple terms, a story can start as a concept, framed in the form of a what if question. The answer to the question, to your concept, becomes the story. The concept is the platform from which the story can enfold. Let me give an example of a story concept. What if a boy didn’t know he was a wizard?
The what if question above is the concept for the Harry Potter series. I use the what if questions to help me map out story ideas and outlines. And right now, I'm in the midst of figuring out what my next writing project will be and would love your feedback as I flesh them out.
Below I have a few story concepts (what if questions). Your task is to give a possible answer to the what if question - to tell me how the story will enfold from the concept. Or you can ask a follow up question or give me a completely new story idea. There are no wrong answers, so have fun with it! Just leave your feedback in the comments. Here you go.
August is my Madeleine L'Engle month. In my quest to read good young adult novels, I decided to read some of L'Engle's works and decided to start from the beginning with the Austin series. In September, I am back to reading a better mix of books, so hang with me for this month!
If you would like to win a copy of A Ring of Endless Light, leave a comment below telling us a book you loved as a kid or teen which still holds up today! I will pick a winner in a week based on comments.
Today's post is the second in the series "From One Writer to Another." The series is tips, advice, and encouragement for fiction writers. You can read the first post in the series here. I have been blogging for roughly five years. My first blog was youth ministry centered and primarily for the youth and families of my church. I enjoyed blogging so much I decided to start a second blog in June of 2010 called Break the Mold. Break the Mold was about living differently. I wrote about changing your life through simplicity. After about two years, I stopped writing at Break the Mold. The blog was mildly successful, but I grew tired of writing about those topics. Finally, in September of 2012, I launched my current website with a target of readers and writers of fiction.
Through this tangled web of blogging, I've learned two important truths about blogging.
First, blogging is one way to build an audience for your writing. Many writers read that you need to blog to gain traction for your fiction writing. But, blogging is not the only way to find readers for your writing. I use my blog and website as a landing page for new readers. The blogging is secondary and I find more readers through leading workshops and personal connections. I know this isn't true for everyone, but finding readers in a crowded blogging world is tough.
Second, I've learned blogging can easily become a waste of a fiction writer's time. If you want to write fiction, spend 20 hours a week writing fiction, not blogging. Blogging will not get your books finished, but devoting time to writing will.
So my advice for newbie writers is to blog and set up a web home for your work. However, if you are spending more than a couple hours a week on your blog, you aren't doing it right. Make writing the novel and getting published the first priority. Blogging is second.
The other day I was hitting a blank for what to write for my next blog post. So I asked twitter for some help. Luckily, my twitter friend Lydia came to the rescue and gave some great suggestions for posts. But, my favorite was the first suggestion: What advice would you give to less experienced writers? My initial response to Lydia: am I an experienced writer? I don't feel like an experienced writer many days. But, after three years of blogging and three self-published books, I guess she is right. And in the past three years, I've learned so much about writing, publishing, and myself. And so, I've decided to write a few posts on advice and tips for fiction writers- especially those who are getting started or have hit a roadblock. Today's post deals with the basics, but in future posts I will dive more into specifics on marketing, writing, blogging, and more.
My first tip is to figure out what you want to write. Not what is popular today or the latest fad in writing, fiction, or blogging. I spent the first year or so blogging about topics which were popular at the moment, but I wasn't passionate about those topics and I quickly burned out. However, when I decided to write short stories about a pug named Zelda, the words jumped onto the page. Find the stories you want to share, the story that you are itching to put into words and write that, not what's popular at the moment.
Second, make a time slot for writing into your schedule. For me, I try to write for a few hours a day five days a week. The days and times vary from week to week because of my irregular schedule due to my job. But, I know I can't ever be a successful author without writing, so I make time for it. Honestly, I could make more time for writing, but then I lose time with my husband or friends. And both of those are important for me (and keep me sane). But, I still write as much as I can.
Finally, very few writers have immediate success. The path to a writing career is slow and arduous. Be patient. Keep writing. Keep your spirits up. Don't let a flop or rejection letter keep you down. Surround yourself with those who encourage you and plow forward.
Thanks for reading. The next post in this advice series "From One Writer to Another" goes up next week!
Hello Friends! I'm excited to tell you I guest posted over at Cole Crook's blog today. I wrote a little about doing good work and why I write. I think you will enjoy it, along with Cole Crook's regular blog posts. He's doing great work with writing and music! You can find the post here. Also, if you have read The Adventures of Zelda, I'd love for you to leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads. Reviews are so helpful for indie authors. Thanks for reading and walking beside me on this journey.
The writing, revision, and editing process is different for every writer. As a relatively new and young writer, my process continues to evolve, but I am nailing down a pattern to stick with in the future. Here's the process so far. The first part is simply writing the first draft. The goal of the first draft is to get everything down without worrying too much about sentence structure and grammar. Instead, I want the essence of the story written.
The revision process starts with what I am calling my first reading. During my first reading, I read for content, story arc, and character development. I also make grammar edits and sentence structure, but mostly because I can't help myself when I reread. The goal of the first reading is to eliminate plot holes and ensure the story makes sense.
After the first reading, I send the draft to a few beta readers with a few simple questions. Do you like the story? Do you like the characters? What could be improved in the story? While the beta readers have the story, I take a break from the current project for at least a month. The month long break gives me distance from the project and a fresh perspective when I return.
When the beta readers finish and send back comments, I move on to the second reading. Before I read the comments from my fabulous beta readers, I start my second reading. The second reading is similar to the first reading. I am looking for plot holes, areas in the story which need more development, or parts that need to be removed. I write down these notes, chapter by chapter.
When I finish my second reading, I look through the notes from my beta readers. For my novel project, I found some of their revisions matched mine. But, a few didn't. I evaluated those suggestions to see if they would improve the story or if I wanted the story to go in that direction. I ended up agreeing with a few, but not all. Either way, the beta readers are extremely valuable.
After the second reading and beta readers, it's time for serious work on the second draft. I go through chapter by chapter editing and revising content, grammar, and sentence structure. It's a thorough and slow process. I am currently on this stage of the process for my novel (tentatively titled The Photograph). When I finish the second draft, the next steps are still a little fuzzy. I think I will send again to a beta reader, then to a professional editor. I am also going to query this book, so I will do that once the second draft is done.
That's my revision process for my novel so far. With Z published, I'm focused on revisions of the novel which is super exciting. I can't wait to get that work finished and out into the world.
