First Book Published – Now What?

I’ve just published my first e-book today titled Salmon Falls.  I’m super excited because I actually made it through the entire process but not without frustration. This was a learning experience that I’ve enjoyed mostly and I’m anxious to start on my next book.

Now the book is completed, I have to find ways to market it which ought to be interesting since I haven’t the slightest clue where to begin. I’ll learn as I go. But for now, Salmon Falls is for sale through Smashwords at a minimal cost so I hope you can stop by and take a look.  The first four chapters are free to give a feel for the story.  If you decide to check it out, I hope you enjoy it and tell others or leave me a comment.

Feeback on your Novel – Friend or Foe?

Over the last two weeks I’ve posted a few chapters of my book, Salmon Falls on the website Write On by Kindle.  It’s free to authors and readers and a an excellent way to connect with people and get feedback on your book.  Here is what I’ve experienced.

Readers are eager to get a hold of something new and fresh and they want a compelling story.  Those readers are also willing to take time and give feedback on your novel but be prepared.  Not everyone is going to like your book and at times it may seem the comments are harsh. Keep in mind; however, that these people are trying to help you succeed and as with anything to do with writing, the tone doesn’t always come across the way it’s intended..

I’ve had comments that I had to read a couple of times or even over a few days because I was taken back by them and was genuinely upset.  After all, this is my writing, it’s personal and I’ve put a lot of time and effort into developing the story line and characters so what do I do with that?  I stepped back and had to keep telling myself that these people are readers, readers who I want to have continue reading my story in addition to future books I may post.  I’ve read many posts in discussion forums regarding how to take feedback and there are some who say to ignore those comments altogether while others say to pick and choose what to take seriously.

My advice is to take all feedback seriously even if you don’t agree at first.  Step back and really look at what a comment says and then read your story.  Look for what the problem areas are they’ve point out and believe me, your grammar, spelling, punctuation, tenses and every else in between will be scrutinized, and see if there’s room for improvement.  Some comments will suggest literally rewriting your entire chapter or moving things around and there are some readers you can tell aren’t familiar with your genre.

For example, my story is a murder/mystery and I found in the beginning, people were asking me all kinds of questions as to the relevancy of bits of information included in the first chapter and thought I was just putting things in there to fill space.  Clearly in this type of story, “clues” are left and what is written, no matter how small, is relevant to the story.  I had to step back and ask myself how do I make this story more compelling so those bits won’t be questioned without giving the whole story away in the first chapter?  How can I be a better writer so that information gets across to my readers without making them stop and wonder what’s going on?  If I was a perfect author I would write in a way that would have people reading on to see what happens instead of stopping to write a comment asking me those questions.

With this in mind, no one is perfect and even with published authors, they have editors to help with the making of their books which are not published until it’s perfected.  Everyone on Write On is putting their work out there and it’s raw.  I hold stock in these comments because these are future readers of my books and I want to give them a good story.  They know what they like and chances are they’ve read enough books to know each author has their own style.

Don’t just concentrate on that first sentence to hook the reader.  I’ve found most comments are based purely on the first chapter so it had better be one hell of a good read to keep them coming back for more.  Take each comment seriously and try your best to use some of them if you agree and always thank them for taking the time to read.  People will continue coming back if they feel you’re taking their suggestions and using them and that they’re appreciated.

Lastly, in the end when you’ve done your due diligence to those potential fans and you’ve revised your story, know when to stop.  You won’t please everyone but more importantly stay true to your story..

Finding Motivation to Write

Oh how I lost my motivation for a while to write anything.  Mostly because I’d stared at the same story for months editing, re-editing, rewriting etc.  When does it all end?  The answer for me is that it doesn’t.  We as writers are the harshest critics of our own writing and we long for constant feedback so we can get that perfect balance.  I found my motivation to continue putting the final touches on my book by reading other’s work.

I found motivation when I was asked for feedback from another author and for me that simple act restored my eagerness to complete what I started.  Reading someone else’s work is a great way to step back and think about my own writing skills, make suggestions and even come up with new ways of presenting my story.  I like helping others and I want them to help me as well to be the best possible.  Getting together with others that love the same thing I do is inspirational and definitely is a way to keep moving forward.

So all  the authors out there who want feedback on their work – take the time to do the same for others.  It’s important, it feels great especially when the receiver thanks you and likes your input.  You will feel inspired.

Writing Tool – The Thesaurus

All writers search for that one word that can pack a punch and make a difference between a good statement and a great statement.  No one wants to write a story using the same words over and over again and just like our readers, we want some variety.  A thesaurus is a great way to mix it up a bit and although Word has a built in thesaurus the results are limited.  I’ve looked around on the internet to see if I could find a thesaurus that would really help in my writing and I found one.

Visual Thesaurus is unique and even a little fun to use.  It’s not free but the cost is minimal and there’s a free 14 day trial period.  Type in a word and click “look it up”.  A variety of words will come up that circle the word you’ve searched with each associated word connected with lines and a colored dot to symbolize the part of speech.  When you run your mouse over the colored dot a definition pops up for each group or one particular word and in some instances the word will be used in a sentence.  There’s a great feature where you can look up the words and synonyms in different languages as well.  If you see a group of words that you like better than your chosen word, right click on that word and choose “make center”. Once this is done you will see the focus is now on that word and synonyms etc.  Right clicking on a word will also give you options to search the internet for a more in depth description and also search images for your word.

I’ve just subscribed to this so I’m still getting used to it but I’m hoping it proves helpful.  Check it out and see what you think.  If you don’t want to subscribe you can try it for free without entering your credit card information but I think some of the features are disabled.  To use the free 14 day trial you have to enter your card information and cancel before the trial period runs out.

Descriptive Writing

One of my biggest pet peeves when reading a story is when the author stops to describe scenery or what a character is wearing.  As an author I don’t like having to stop to describe anything really, although I know it’s necessary so I keep it brief and to the point because I want to get back to writing the story.

However, there are some things the readers don’t need to know.  For instance is it really important to know what a character is wearing when going on a boat?  I think most readers will have a clear picture in mind of what people wear on a boat and unless that particular outfit has something major to do with the story it’s unnecessary.  Simply stating what kind of boat would be enough.

My idea of a long, drawn out description is someone walking in the woods.  For example:  He walked through the woods where the trees were so thick and crowded their branches were intertwined.  Birch, Maple and Pine rose high above blocking light from the path. The wind was strong causing the trees to sway while the leaves rustled loudly with their undersides upturned indicating a storm was coming. 

Instead just say:  He walked into the dense woods submerging himself in shadows.  The wind rustled the leaves indicating a storm was coming.

The second version gives a clear picture of where the character is going, what the surroundings are like and what is coming.  Something simple won’t detract from the story but will give the reader a clear sense of what’s going on.

This of course is just my opinion but as one who reads many books, I like simple and to the point.

Sometimes it’s hard for me to describe something in little detail so when I write I try to describe something the way I would if I were speaking with another person.  When we talk to others we don’t go into a ton of detail and yet we are able to clearly describe what we’re trying to convey.  Another method you can try is to relate what you want to describe to a place or festivity.  For example, I’m from New England and anyone who has ever been here knows the smell of pine and fir trees but it’s impossible to describe that scent so I would relate that to the smell of Christmas for example.  Who hasn’t smelled a pine scented candle or has seen a fir tree featured in a Christmas movie?  Not many but it’s important to be able to convey what you want so anyone reading your story can relate.  So how would you describe the scent of pine to someone living in the desert who’s never traveled?  Again let’s use the scene in the woods as an example.

Walking down the path surrounded by pine trees she instantly thought of Christmas. 

You get the point.  It’s simple and maybe you’d even be able to get a little more specific but keeping it short and to the point is key.  I’ve read many books where an author will describe a flower that only grows in a particular region.  For me if I’ve never been there I have no idea what they’re talking about, therefore, that description hold absolutely no meaning for me.  Not to say that it’s wrong but as an author wouldn’t you want all readers to be able to know and understand what you’ve taken so much time to write about?  If you’ve taken time to put this in a story then it’s in your best interest to make it’s meaningful for your readers.

Clearly I’m not a published author – yet!  I don’t proclaim to be an expert by any means but I know as a reader what I like personally and how I’ve used my particular tastes in my own writing.

 

Working Backwards – It isn’t always a bad thing.

When I  sat down to write my first novel “Always a Victim” I started from the beginning with a rough draft until I wrote every chapter with anywhere from 800 to 3,500 words each.  In between writing chapters I’d read about outlining vs. a rough draft.  I’d already written my rough draft which was a mess and scolded myself for not reading about outlines before I started.  So I thought I have to edit this story regardless of where and how I started it so what the heck; I’d do an outline after the fact.  This was my saving grace and by not outlining first was the best mistake I ever made.  For me outlining turned into so much more than just listing what I want in each chapter and scene.  It’s where I was able to put the details into each part moving me closer to my first draft; therefore outlining my story is my second step instead of my first.

Here’s how it worked for me.  Once I finished my rough draft I had a friend edit it and provide their comments, which I saved if I thought a good point had been made.  I found a wonderful writing tool called yWriter that is designed to aid in every phase of writing.  Since my rough draft had been done and I set it aside for a month, it was time to get back to business and work toward my first draft.  I took each chapter from my rough draft, copied and pasted it into the yWriter software and then created my outline where I broke each chapter down into scenes.  For me, this provided a much more organized approach and I was able to see exactly how each chapter moved forward to the next, the relevancy of each scene to the entire story and that many scenes should actually be a whole new chapter.  Once the scenes are set for each chapter, I’m able to detail how I want each scene to play out or what I want included so when I go back to it everything is summarized.  Here’s what it looks like:

Scene: 1
Nate sulks at home and at work about Michelle.  He knows he was out of line and a real ass and has serious doubts he’ll be able to fix it.  Clarence has had enough of the act and tells Nate as much laying out before him exactly what he had and how he screwed it up and that he’d better fix it otherwise he’s a fool.

Scene: 2
Michelle returns home and tries to blow Nate off when he tries to make things right.  In a rant of sorts she tells him she doesn’t have time to deal with his theatrics, spills her guts about everything she’d learned. She tells him that he has some nerve judging her when he needs to take a good look in the mirror.  She reminds him how he uses his father’s disease as a crutch and an excuse to think he’s better than everyone else because he had to fend for himself when in fact he’s one of the weakest people she knows. 

They both reveal their true feelings for one another but neither know how or if it’s possible to move past all that’s happened and build a life together.

Clearly this chapter is a pivotal point for the main characters and I wanted to make sure I detailed exactly what should be include.  I’ve written each scene based on the summaries above.  It’s organized and gives me a clear picture.

I know this approach may not work for everyone and it may seem redundant but I’ve found it’s a fantastic way to map out a story.

This software also allows the writer to set goals for each chapter, add notes and will produce a synopsis for review.  It’s easy to use no matter what your writing methods are.  Everything is easily edited or moved around from one chapter to another without losing your work.

The Dos and Don’ts of Dialogue Tags

As writer’s we’ve all come across a point when we’ve written a dialog and sit back thinking “that doesn’t sound right” and it’s redone over and over again. This blog gives wonderful examples how to write a convincing dialog that flows and shows action instead of just telling about it. A great exercise would be to think back about a recent conversation you’ve had with someone that involved an action. Re-write that conversation conveying the action with dialog and see if it captures the essence of what really happened.

Sneak Peek – Upcoming Novel

I decided to stop second guessing myself and my ability to write and I’m moving out of my comfort zone and putting my work out there for you to read.  What good is being a writer when you won’t let anyone read it, right?

I’ve created a new page here with a sneak peek from my upcoming novel “Always a Victim” I’m hoping to have completed and published in 2015. If you have a moment, please read it and tell me what you think.  I welcome any and all feedback.

Pro’s of writing short stories

As I’ve been working on my full length novel and frankly feeling quite defeated, I’ve also written a short story that I entered into a contest.  Once I finished that short story I began thinking of writing two more and put out a series based on my first one.  I outlined each one in detail and was surprised at how easily it flowed for me vs. the full length novel and  came to realize there are some very good reasons for that.

First is that a short story is just that, it’s short.  That doesn’t mean it’s any easier to write and have it make sense but for me it’s a challenge to consolidate all my thoughts into a few sentences that actually flow and get right to the point.  It forces me to be practical when I have a word count limit looming before me and more importantly it doesn’t bore the readers with unnecessary details that detract from the story.

Second is that its great practice to build my writing skills.  A first draft may show I’ve gone over the word count limit by 90 words which means I have to review each paragraph and really read it.  I’ll start asking myself questions like  Do I really need that description?  How can I convey this point with fewer words? etc. and it also forces me to show action instead of telling about it making the story itself much smoother.

Lastly is I found the story I was writing was exciting to me and I really liked my characters. I liked the plot, the way the scenes played out and loved the ending.  If you like your characters, your readers will too even the villains.  At least that’s what I’ve read from people who’ve given their advice with writing stories.

How do you feel about short stories vs. full length novels?

Uplifted Writer

I wanted to share my knowledge of a fantastic writing tool.  I’m sure many already know about it; however, for me it’s new, exciting and exactly what I needed.  As a new author I find the most difficult part of writing is keeping things in order.  I found that I had to constantly go back and reread what I’d written to keep my facts straight and by the time I found what I was looking for I’d lose my train of thought.  It’s been more than frustrating but I’m new at this so I suppose it’s to be expected.

yWriter is a fantastic tool for anyone considering becoming an author. I’m able to outline my novel scene by scene per chapter including tagging characters in each scene, location of scene, special notes I want to put in there for later on etc.  So when I first open the program it lists the chapters that I’ve outlined so far and off to the side is a list of each scene in that chapter.  If I click on the chapter itself a window opens that let’s me read the description I put in as well as what each scene includes.  I’m able to go back to any given chapter and review what I wanted to accomplish which makes it a lot easier to keep track of the story so that it makes sense.  The program also allows the author to input a timeline of goals to complete the outline, first, second and third drafts and then the final manuscript.  This helps me stay on track and gives me the shove I sometimes need to get motivated.

The program also allows the actual content to be typed in so once you’re finished everything is in one place.  There are reports you can create for a synopsis as well.  I hope this helps some of new authors out there.  It’s completely free so definitely give it a try.

I also want to thank fellows bloggers for stopping by and reading my posts.  I’m new at this so I’m still trying to figure out a way to acknowledge everyone personally so please be patient with me.  The fact that you took the time to stop by has given me such encouragement, I cannot tell you how much I appreciate it!