I’ve learned a lot about being a writer over the years, but there’s one lesson I have to reconfirm, over and over. That’s because this lesson requires courage.
Recently, I posted on my other blog about sensing my late husband around me. I wavered for days about posting this because, frankly, it was very intimate and that’s scary. I was writing from the heart – laying it all out there – and rejection of that would have hurt.
As usual in these cases, the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. Others have shared their own experiences of feeling the presence of someone who has passed on. I can’t tell you what great joy that gave me. But again, I had to be reminded of the truth: when you write from your heart it will always turn out okay, even what’s bad is good.
I’ve read some authors that were truly tough to read but their work was redeemable because I could find truth within and truth is treasure. Writing from the heart results in your truth being revealed.
Again, rejection is what makes it so tough to do. You have just bared your soul to your readers. What if they reject you? Every man jack of us is afraid of that, no matter how tough an exterior we project to the world. But here is the reward – if you can bear to expose yourself you will ultimately create something good.
When I began writing Red Mojo Mama I was afraid of being too fluffy. What would people think? Would they realize I know that this is just a fun read? Would they judge me as a lightweight? Then one day, while I was laughing out loud at what I was putting on the page, the dam burst and I thought “What the hell! I’m having fun. This feels good. This is what writing is all about.” And I gave up my fear and wrote. God, it was fun.
So, if I could pass on just one tip about writing it would be this - get past your fear and write from your heart. It will pay you (and your readers) dividends in the end.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Friday, August 12, 2011
Writing is a Lot Like Living in an RV
I love analogies! It’s my favorite way to explain things. Last night I had a profound realization: for me, writing is a lot like living in an RV.
Wanda, my home, is a 23-foot RV. I took up residence three and half years ago. I moved into her from a 3-bedroom home. Doing so meant giving up enormous amounts of stuff, some useful, some simply sentimental. This is exactly what’s required in rewrite.
So, I started rewriting my life. In the process, I found that the things I used regularly needed to be easily accessible, so I put them where I could get to them without much thought or effort. Exactly the same as making some layers of plot and character completely obvious.
Other things, like tax paperwork, photo albums, old writing samples, winter clothes, got stuffed into distant corners and overhead compartments. This is also how I treat the complex points of a story, the plot twists, the deeper aspects of characters.
At the end of the day, however, I have 2’ by 8’ of floor space. When I stand in the middle of Wanda’s interior, it’s only one or two steps from any part of her. This is how I like to write; simple, concise, mostly easy to understand, occasionally requiring extra work.
It’s also the way I like to read. I’ve recently tried to read some of the more difficult classics and authors that are brilliant, like James Joyce, but honestly, I failed – probably because I couldn’t gain access to their deeper meaning. An analogy – their old Victorian home had too many rooms and too much in the attic for my taste.
So, in reality, for me – moving into Wanda was practice for honing my craft.
Wanda, my home, is a 23-foot RV. I took up residence three and half years ago. I moved into her from a 3-bedroom home. Doing so meant giving up enormous amounts of stuff, some useful, some simply sentimental. This is exactly what’s required in rewrite.
So, I started rewriting my life. In the process, I found that the things I used regularly needed to be easily accessible, so I put them where I could get to them without much thought or effort. Exactly the same as making some layers of plot and character completely obvious.
Other things, like tax paperwork, photo albums, old writing samples, winter clothes, got stuffed into distant corners and overhead compartments. This is also how I treat the complex points of a story, the plot twists, the deeper aspects of characters.
At the end of the day, however, I have 2’ by 8’ of floor space. When I stand in the middle of Wanda’s interior, it’s only one or two steps from any part of her. This is how I like to write; simple, concise, mostly easy to understand, occasionally requiring extra work.
It’s also the way I like to read. I’ve recently tried to read some of the more difficult classics and authors that are brilliant, like James Joyce, but honestly, I failed – probably because I couldn’t gain access to their deeper meaning. An analogy – their old Victorian home had too many rooms and too much in the attic for my taste.
So, in reality, for me – moving into Wanda was practice for honing my craft.
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Excellence Does Exist in Indie Publishing
I’ve read about 10 books written by independently published authors over the past month and I’m very proud to say there is quality to be found.
Let me say, right up front, my novel Red Mojo Mama, is not heavy lifting. It is fluffy, fun reading with perhaps a few precious moments. So, I’m not judging this from the POV of a “great author.” Not even a little bit.
But, I’m a voracious reader and have been all my life. Before I started tweeting, I flew through 3-4 books a week. Unless you’re an idiot, if you read that much you have to come away with the ability to recognize when you’ve encountered something extraordinary. So, far – that has happened twice since I bought my Kindle.
The first such experience was halfway through The Killing of Train-Man Brown, a short story by Will Bevis – available on both Amazon and Smashwords. Within the first few moments, I was invested in the narrator and seconds later I was captured by Train-Man himself. Drawing a reader in that quickly is phenomenal and extremely difficult to do. The tale then took me through a life – two really – lived in one time and changed by another. I was amazed, saddened and in the end heartened again by Train-Man – the man and the story. It was 30 minutes of pure joy.
Next I discovered Suffer the Little Children by Christina Carson. In no time, I was attached to Nannie and the child she takes on, Little Bit. How their story unwinds and the changes that come to the both of them are nothing short of gripping and magical. Perhaps spiritual is a better word than magical, but at different moments both seemed the perfect word. Carson has created a novel that entertains and changes the reader. You will become a better person, if you read and absorb just a small part of the world she presents.
I write this piece for a single reason – in defense of Indie authors. We have been bashed by the publishing industry – both originally as we attempt to gain the attention of an agent or publishing house and afterwards, when so often, the impression is given that this body of writers “couldn’t make it.”
This is SO not true. These are just two examples of writers that should not have been overlooked. I don’t know that they ever submitted through traditional means, but that’s rather irrelevant. The fact that I’ve read so much traditionally published material that is pure tripe supports the conclusion that Indie authors have nothing to be ashamed and everything to be proud of.
After all, we took a chance on ourselves. We made our dreams come true. And a few of us are incredibly good writers. Stand and applaud for Will Bevis and Christina Carson. They can be our standard bearers until we have a Academy of our own!
Let me say, right up front, my novel Red Mojo Mama, is not heavy lifting. It is fluffy, fun reading with perhaps a few precious moments. So, I’m not judging this from the POV of a “great author.” Not even a little bit.
But, I’m a voracious reader and have been all my life. Before I started tweeting, I flew through 3-4 books a week. Unless you’re an idiot, if you read that much you have to come away with the ability to recognize when you’ve encountered something extraordinary. So, far – that has happened twice since I bought my Kindle.
The first such experience was halfway through The Killing of Train-Man Brown, a short story by Will Bevis – available on both Amazon and Smashwords. Within the first few moments, I was invested in the narrator and seconds later I was captured by Train-Man himself. Drawing a reader in that quickly is phenomenal and extremely difficult to do. The tale then took me through a life – two really – lived in one time and changed by another. I was amazed, saddened and in the end heartened again by Train-Man – the man and the story. It was 30 minutes of pure joy.
Next I discovered Suffer the Little Children by Christina Carson. In no time, I was attached to Nannie and the child she takes on, Little Bit. How their story unwinds and the changes that come to the both of them are nothing short of gripping and magical. Perhaps spiritual is a better word than magical, but at different moments both seemed the perfect word. Carson has created a novel that entertains and changes the reader. You will become a better person, if you read and absorb just a small part of the world she presents.
I write this piece for a single reason – in defense of Indie authors. We have been bashed by the publishing industry – both originally as we attempt to gain the attention of an agent or publishing house and afterwards, when so often, the impression is given that this body of writers “couldn’t make it.”
This is SO not true. These are just two examples of writers that should not have been overlooked. I don’t know that they ever submitted through traditional means, but that’s rather irrelevant. The fact that I’ve read so much traditionally published material that is pure tripe supports the conclusion that Indie authors have nothing to be ashamed and everything to be proud of.
After all, we took a chance on ourselves. We made our dreams come true. And a few of us are incredibly good writers. Stand and applaud for Will Bevis and Christina Carson. They can be our standard bearers until we have a Academy of our own!
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Newly-found World of an Indie Author
Four months ago, I promised to tell folks what my self-publishing experience was like as I went along. Yeah…no. I didn’t do that, mostly because I got so caught up in it I forgot all about this blog…and much of the rest of the world.
Here’s just a bit of what I’ve found:
· Getting a print copy of your book published and printed on Amazon is incredibly easy and can cost at little as $.00 (excluding the cost of buying copies of your own book). I spent $150 to upgrade to Professional and to buy my ISBN number.
· Getting a Kindle copy published on Amazon is even easier and completely free.
· I’ve also tried Smashwords for other eBooks. This wasn’t as easy and I’ve had zero sales on Smashwords.
· I floundered around for a while, selling hard copies to friends and family, and a few online. Also a few Kindle copies sold. I tried several ideas for marketing – none worked – then I bought a Kindle.
· The minute that happened I got a promotional email from Amazon for a book by John Locke called “How I sold 1 million eBooks in 5 months!”
· I bought the book, my first Kindle book – for just $4.99 and my world expanded. Buy the book and you’ll understand why.
· It’s impossible to explain exactly what happened, without writing a book myself, but I can say I now have a successful blog – nearing 1800 views in the past month.
· Twitter is best thing I’ve discovered – to promote my blog and therefore my book.
· In one month, my book sales increased 1600%.
I also discovered how much I love to blog. So, I’ve reactivated this blog – to be strictly about writing. My other active blog right now “Red Mojo Mama Musings” is to express feelings and thoughts about the world.
If you are a writer on the cusp of becoming an Indie author – a new phrase I discovered as well – I hope you buy the Locke book to give yourself a fair idea of what must be done and I hope you’ll stop by occasionally and see what I’ve found out.
Here’s just a bit of what I’ve found:
· Getting a print copy of your book published and printed on Amazon is incredibly easy and can cost at little as $.00 (excluding the cost of buying copies of your own book). I spent $150 to upgrade to Professional and to buy my ISBN number.
· Getting a Kindle copy published on Amazon is even easier and completely free.
· I’ve also tried Smashwords for other eBooks. This wasn’t as easy and I’ve had zero sales on Smashwords.
· I floundered around for a while, selling hard copies to friends and family, and a few online. Also a few Kindle copies sold. I tried several ideas for marketing – none worked – then I bought a Kindle.
· The minute that happened I got a promotional email from Amazon for a book by John Locke called “How I sold 1 million eBooks in 5 months!”
· I bought the book, my first Kindle book – for just $4.99 and my world expanded. Buy the book and you’ll understand why.
· It’s impossible to explain exactly what happened, without writing a book myself, but I can say I now have a successful blog – nearing 1800 views in the past month.
· Twitter is best thing I’ve discovered – to promote my blog and therefore my book.
· In one month, my book sales increased 1600%.
I also discovered how much I love to blog. So, I’ve reactivated this blog – to be strictly about writing. My other active blog right now “Red Mojo Mama Musings” is to express feelings and thoughts about the world.
If you are a writer on the cusp of becoming an Indie author – a new phrase I discovered as well – I hope you buy the Locke book to give yourself a fair idea of what must be done and I hope you’ll stop by occasionally and see what I’ve found out.
Monday, April 11, 2011
The Art of Storytelling
Two perspectives on storytelling have always irked me a bit. One is the distrust some people have of anyone who can tell a story well and likes to do so; fearing that they are lying in some way. Another is the individual who can’t tell what good storytelling is and often launches into the most boring and minute details while telling you a “good story.”
I just finished reading Pat Conroy’s 2010 novel “South of Broad.” It is definitely a well-told tale; part love letter to the city of Charleston, South Carolina and part the epic adventures of some high school misfits, who remain friends into their varied and often tragic adulthoods.
I truly enjoyed the read, although, as famous and acknowledged a writer as Conroy is, I found myself chafing occasionally at the dialog of supposed teenagers and frequently at the horrors they all endure together and separately.
The true nugget of the novel, for me, was one passage that completely illuminated what good storytelling is; a snippet near the end of the book.
“While she inspects the house, I spot a lone magnolia blossom high in one of her trees and scramble up to retrieve it, feeling older with every branch I climb. I break off the flower, the first of the season, inhale its sweetness, and decide it was worth the climb. I hand it to Mother and am delighted when she pins it to her hair.”
This is the main character Leo King describing a moment between him and his mother. Here’s where the true craft of storytelling comes in: the women never claws through her purse for a hairpin or rushes back into the house to find one. In one fell swoop, Leo hands the flower to his mother and she pins it in her hair.
Such a thing could not happen in real life. There she would have to find a means of pinning that flower to her hair. As readers, we do not want to be dragged through the tedium of that task and so we accept the movement from hand to hair, just like that. That’s how we prefer it.
It is not a lie, in any shape or form; not even by omission. It is simply the grit of actual living that has been culled from the moment. It’s also necessary. If we told the truth – in all its tiresome itemization – a story would never be told, a novel never written. All forms of narrative would be far too long, and we would fall asleep in the telling, both teller and listener.
Praise be for the great storyteller! For eons, around the campfires of old, in the courts of kings and before the television screens we have embraced this gift, without always acknowledging that it is at the core of our being – either to tell a story or to listen to one.
I just finished reading Pat Conroy’s 2010 novel “South of Broad.” It is definitely a well-told tale; part love letter to the city of Charleston, South Carolina and part the epic adventures of some high school misfits, who remain friends into their varied and often tragic adulthoods.
I truly enjoyed the read, although, as famous and acknowledged a writer as Conroy is, I found myself chafing occasionally at the dialog of supposed teenagers and frequently at the horrors they all endure together and separately.
The true nugget of the novel, for me, was one passage that completely illuminated what good storytelling is; a snippet near the end of the book.
“While she inspects the house, I spot a lone magnolia blossom high in one of her trees and scramble up to retrieve it, feeling older with every branch I climb. I break off the flower, the first of the season, inhale its sweetness, and decide it was worth the climb. I hand it to Mother and am delighted when she pins it to her hair.”
This is the main character Leo King describing a moment between him and his mother. Here’s where the true craft of storytelling comes in: the women never claws through her purse for a hairpin or rushes back into the house to find one. In one fell swoop, Leo hands the flower to his mother and she pins it in her hair.
Such a thing could not happen in real life. There she would have to find a means of pinning that flower to her hair. As readers, we do not want to be dragged through the tedium of that task and so we accept the movement from hand to hair, just like that. That’s how we prefer it.
It is not a lie, in any shape or form; not even by omission. It is simply the grit of actual living that has been culled from the moment. It’s also necessary. If we told the truth – in all its tiresome itemization – a story would never be told, a novel never written. All forms of narrative would be far too long, and we would fall asleep in the telling, both teller and listener.
Praise be for the great storyteller! For eons, around the campfires of old, in the courts of kings and before the television screens we have embraced this gift, without always acknowledging that it is at the core of our being – either to tell a story or to listen to one.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
The Next Great Adventure – Self-Publishing
I, like every other writer, have long heard all the negatives about self-publishing. It was almost enough to put me off of the idea, but things have changed in the marketplace and it’s time to rethink a few things.
First, there has always been a stigma to being a self-published author - with good reason. There are a lot of crappy self-published books out there. However, the still-prevalent feeling that if you can’t interest an agent or publisher in your book it probably isn’t publishable is no longer true – for a couple of reasons.
The prospects for a successful book, whether fiction or non-fiction, is much reduced over a decade or so ago. With the advent of the computer age, slowly printed books have taken a dive, and most recently that dive has been off the proverbially cliff. Bookstores, our traditional outlet for reading material, are suffering badly, and not just the Mom-and-Pops. Borders filed for bankruptcy last month, in spite of rumors of a planned acquisition of Barnes and Noble.
Being a former journalist, I’m more than aware of the decline of print news media. It appears that all printed reading material is now being challenged by the vastly available online products or the electronic readers.
So, what’s a writer to do? Well, how about jumping into the mix instead of standing hopelessly on the outskirts of successful publishing, wishing and waiting for the tide to turn your way?
That’s my plan. Instead, of continuing to collect very positive rejections from the agents who’ve read my manuscript, “Red Mojo Mama”, I’ve decided to offer it as both a Kindle and Amazon Print-On-Demand book. Then I’ll branch out to the other electronic reader outlets.
I have the same plan for two non-fiction books I haven’t even attempted to market to agents – “Leases, Landlords, and Locations” and “Tell Them You’re Fabulous.” I’ve spent so much time and energy on breaking through the maze of traditional publishing; I hadn’t had the time to pursue marketing these two books yet.
Here’s the thing – we writers hold on to our completed projects like they are the last thing we’ll ever do. “Red Mojo Mama” is just the first novel I’m truly satisfied with and want others to read. There are so many other novels inside me fighting for my attention. As I’ve waited for Red to hit, I’ve become immobilized – a waste of time and energy. I’m not giving up my dream of being the next big Random House author – oh, no. Instead, I’m moving forward, hoping for some small success and writing again. I want to do a trilogy of books based on Lydia “Red” Talbot, my heroine and hope that someday all three will be picked up. But in the meantime, if I can get 150 people to read Red and fall in love with Lydia, it’s all good; anything more than that will be a huge success in my mind.
So, I’ll chronicle my experience, here on the blog, and hopefully it will be so positive that others will choose to give it a shot. I’ve got books coming – from Amazon – that will help me to market my books on social media sites and in other ways. So, I’ll pass along any tips I can.
All you aspiring authors – stay with me. It promises to be an exciting ride.
First, there has always been a stigma to being a self-published author - with good reason. There are a lot of crappy self-published books out there. However, the still-prevalent feeling that if you can’t interest an agent or publisher in your book it probably isn’t publishable is no longer true – for a couple of reasons.
The prospects for a successful book, whether fiction or non-fiction, is much reduced over a decade or so ago. With the advent of the computer age, slowly printed books have taken a dive, and most recently that dive has been off the proverbially cliff. Bookstores, our traditional outlet for reading material, are suffering badly, and not just the Mom-and-Pops. Borders filed for bankruptcy last month, in spite of rumors of a planned acquisition of Barnes and Noble.
Being a former journalist, I’m more than aware of the decline of print news media. It appears that all printed reading material is now being challenged by the vastly available online products or the electronic readers.
So, what’s a writer to do? Well, how about jumping into the mix instead of standing hopelessly on the outskirts of successful publishing, wishing and waiting for the tide to turn your way?
That’s my plan. Instead, of continuing to collect very positive rejections from the agents who’ve read my manuscript, “Red Mojo Mama”, I’ve decided to offer it as both a Kindle and Amazon Print-On-Demand book. Then I’ll branch out to the other electronic reader outlets.
I have the same plan for two non-fiction books I haven’t even attempted to market to agents – “Leases, Landlords, and Locations” and “Tell Them You’re Fabulous.” I’ve spent so much time and energy on breaking through the maze of traditional publishing; I hadn’t had the time to pursue marketing these two books yet.
Here’s the thing – we writers hold on to our completed projects like they are the last thing we’ll ever do. “Red Mojo Mama” is just the first novel I’m truly satisfied with and want others to read. There are so many other novels inside me fighting for my attention. As I’ve waited for Red to hit, I’ve become immobilized – a waste of time and energy. I’m not giving up my dream of being the next big Random House author – oh, no. Instead, I’m moving forward, hoping for some small success and writing again. I want to do a trilogy of books based on Lydia “Red” Talbot, my heroine and hope that someday all three will be picked up. But in the meantime, if I can get 150 people to read Red and fall in love with Lydia, it’s all good; anything more than that will be a huge success in my mind.
So, I’ll chronicle my experience, here on the blog, and hopefully it will be so positive that others will choose to give it a shot. I’ve got books coming – from Amazon – that will help me to market my books on social media sites and in other ways. So, I’ll pass along any tips I can.
All you aspiring authors – stay with me. It promises to be an exciting ride.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
You're a Writer If...
…you write. I’ve known quite a few writers who have hesitated to identify themselves as such. Why? Well, because they are under the mistaken impression that you must have been published to be a legitimate writer. Really?
Ever heard of a guy named Van Gogh? He never sold a painting in his lifetime. Does that mean he wasn’t a painter? I can almost hear the “yeah, buts” out there.
It’s as simple as that. There are varying degrees of accomplishment as a writer, but all that’s required is that you write in order for you to call yourself one - legitimately.
I recommend to friends that feel uncertain about their status to buy themselves some business cards with the title on it. You may prefer another designation – like wordsmith, which I’m fond of – but it is truly amazing how seeing a title behind your name gives you validity, silly but true.
Buy some business cards and see what I mean.
Ever heard of a guy named Van Gogh? He never sold a painting in his lifetime. Does that mean he wasn’t a painter? I can almost hear the “yeah, buts” out there.
It’s as simple as that. There are varying degrees of accomplishment as a writer, but all that’s required is that you write in order for you to call yourself one - legitimately.
I recommend to friends that feel uncertain about their status to buy themselves some business cards with the title on it. You may prefer another designation – like wordsmith, which I’m fond of – but it is truly amazing how seeing a title behind your name gives you validity, silly but true.
Buy some business cards and see what I mean.
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