I Did Not See That Coming

So, you never know who will read your book and be so excited that they tell every one they know how good it is. I truly was not expecting what happened a couple of months ago.

I was the substitute representative of my Chapter at a P.E.O. meet and greet tonight and part of the introductions included what we “did.” I explained that I owned a small independent publishing company and that my second book had just been published. One of the women present asked what genre of book. I replied that it was a science fiction/fantasy  cross over. She responded with “I love science fiction and fantasy!”

I pulled out a business card which had a photo of the cover of the first book with a list of the awards it has received and a direct url on Amazon. After she studied the cover photo for a minute she announced “My daughter has this book! She has read it and told me that I should look into getting it quick because it was going to be a great series!”

I did not see that coming. I was skeptical that it was the same book but she insisted, saying her daughter described the cover very well and that it was just too different not to recognize. She then asked if I had either one with me. Now how did she know I had several copies of both books in a box out in the car? She pulled out her check book, asked me how much for both books and could I sign them both to her daughter. Well, I was not going to say no to that. I brought in the box and several other women passed them around – sharing the excitement and small worldliness of the exchange. Another of the attendees said she remembered seeing an article in the May issue of the P.E.O. Record about the book.

Yes, it is a small world and therefore you as an author need to make sure your book is the best it can be because, believe me, people will talk about what they read. Plus you should always have business cards with your book cover images on hand to hand out to interested people. Make these clear and concise without too many words and include a link or QR code to where they can purchase it/them. This is ESPECIALLY important if you don’t have actual copies of the book with you.

She was so excited about giving her daughter two signed books and she is planning to swipe her daughter’s current copy for herself and bring it back to Denver so I can sign that one to her. I asked her where her daughter lived. The answer? Washington state. Kind of bizarre if you ask me.

This interaction has made me aware of several things:

1. If you write a good story people will read it and encourage others to do the same.
2. Make your cover memorable – it helps with recognition.
3. Design a good business card and always have several on hand.
4. Be proud of what you write. Own being an author. Don’t keep it a secret.
5. Always have a couple of copies on hand.
6. Keep writing – because if they liked this one they will want more.

 

 

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Radio Interview!

Last fall I participated in an author interview on KYGT in Idaho Springs, Colorado. I was nervous but show host Jerry Fabyanic had given me a short list of topics he planned to cover, so I was not going in to this new experience totally unprepared. Even so I hope you will pardon all the umms and uhs on my part because it was broadcast live – no cuts or retakes on that first airing. The link, below, has had the local announcements of sponsors and upcoming programs removed but otherwise it is what it was. Jerry has been a radio host on KYGT, known as The Goat, since 2004. He interviews local and regional authors on his radio show “The Rabbit Hole.” I was introduced to him  early in 2016 at a Colorado Independent Publishers Association meeting as he was preparing to publish his first book, Sisyphus Wins, which garnered a 3rd Place award in the 2016 CIPA EVVY Awards. His editor, Melanie Mulhall of Dragonheart Writing and Editing, is also my editor so we have a bit more in common than being award winning authors.
Anyway, for your listening curiosity, here is a link to that show: Radio Interview. Jerry made me feel very comfortable and we wandered around a variety of topics involved with writing, especially on writing science fiction and fantasy. He was intrigued that the characters in my books talk to me in dreams and often won’t leave me alone until I tell their story the way it “actually” happened.

You can read more about Jerry and his works at www.JerryFabyanic.com and you can listen to all his interviews and shows on “The Rabbit Hole” at www.kygt.org, The Goat.

If you are an author living in the Colorado area, you should consider contacting Jerry to see if he can get you on his schedule. It was a fun and different experience. My husband, Bob and I got to Idaho Springs early and walked the main streets until show time. We were delighted to be scheduled that particular weekend because the town was celebrating “Dynamite Days” and the streets were lined with all sorts of artisans and performers. All that helped me relax. Once at the radio studio Jerry and I exchanged books and then launch into the interview, which lasted about one hour. It sure went by fast! Afterward Bob and I celebrated this event with a late lunch at a restaurant, Mountain Prime (MTN Prime), across the street from the famous Beau Jo’s Pizza. Since I shouldn’t ingest gluten or dairy products (darn, I love pizza but really cannot handle the usual crusts & ,toppings – they cause the joints in my hand to swell and hurt, a lot) the menu at Mountain Prime suited my alterations better. And, honestly, I had one of the best hamburgers (without the bun) and sweet potato fries I think I have ever had. We will be going up there again!

Have you been on the radio? What did you do to relax? What about celebrating?

Something has changed

Something is changing. In the last two weeks I have been approached by several authors who have liked my reviews on various books that I have read (some I read and reviewed more than two years ago!). They liked my review of whatever book it was and they are offering free downloads of their book if I will give them a review. I am fascinated by this.

Should I have expected this? No one said that I should. I did not. It has caught me completely off guard. Amazon notifies me if someone likes one of my reviews or if someone found my review helpful, but that is all. It is they, these authors, who have reached out to me because of my writing.

I  am suddenly curious as to how I can use this to some advantage. Obviously first I should probably be careful in which books to review. I have interacted with only two of these authors so far because their books actually interest me. If the subject or genre is not of any interest I know I will not be able to review a book properly. I do try to widen my reading diversity but some subjects or genres are very low on my list.

A couple of the requests have come from authors who have written in a completely different genre than the book they liked my review of. (that is a awkward sentence – did I get the point across?). I am trying to figure out whether or not to respond to them at all. It’s like receiving a letter addressed to Mister Allen Rigg. Obviously they have not done their research – a top priority. First I am female and appreciate and expect the correct salutation. Second and probably most important spell my name correctly. If the review they liked is on a children’s book and they are asking me to review their steam punk erotica book, I am probably not going to say yes – there is a slight disconnect between the two. However, if their book is on writing and they have contacted me because of a review of a similar book then the answer is probably on the positive side.

I was surprised by the first request which came to me three weeks ago. I have since received three more requests. The realization that I have been “out there” reading, reviewing, writing, and publishing for over four years and all of a sudden I am getting attention from other authors is intriguing, unexpected, and (if I am honest) humbling. I have written things that have made an impact on someone. And they want my opinion on their book. I am honored.

At the moment my hope is that the ones I choose to read and review are decent and have something to offer me as a reader and as a writer. But something has changed and I don’t know what.

Have you experienced anything like this? Have you been asked to read and review a book because of a review you have written? How do you handle the request. Do you use the same technique and contact reviewers of books that are similar to yours and ask them to read and review your book? Should I do that?

In Search of My Expertise

Jeff Goins says in his blog, Copyblogger.com, from May 2016 that “One way to help others is to first share how you’ve helped yourself. Hidden in your experience is an expertise other people need.” Click here for more of Mr. Goins’ blog on how writing can enhance your life.

I know writing has made me happier than ever, excited about the future, and has encouraged me to expand my knowledge. Writing and reading lets me explore new worlds, new ideas, and old things in new and fantastic ways. Writing encourages my imagination. Sometimes it helps keep order in my world and other times it bleeds words and chaos – which is not necessarily a bad thing. Writing has shown me that I love life, my life. I wake up every morning wanting to write. I go to bed every night wanting to write. I dream about writing.

Is this the expertise other people are in search of or need? I don’t know. I am not the one to say what others need. I do know that I am going to write until I find it and then I will continue to write.

Come along with me. Let’s do it together, let’s discover our own expertise by writing. Starting right now.

 

Letting Go of or Changing the Goal

It is difficult to let go of a goal. Or even change the goal. Actually it is not the goal itself, rather it is letting go of the interim step, the first step, towards the main goal. The main goal is book three of the sci-fi series, tentatively titled The Blades. The interim step was writing 50,000 words in the 30 days of November (NaNoWriMo ). It was meant to be the leap off the cliff with the introduction of Uncle Reslo as a point of view character and the beginnings of figuring out the mysterious woman (or the b**** in the corner) who showed up out of nowhere while writing the first 52,000 words of book two, The Balance (written in the NaNoWriMo challenge in 2012). I figured that this year I now had the opportunity to find out who the heck is she and what does she want. – You can read chapter nineteen in The Balance to meet her.

 

While I did make a solid stab at that interim goal with over 33,000 words and I am getting to know both Reslo and Sarinne (that b*** now has a name, which I did discover during those 33,000 words), I still feel sad that I did not WIN the 50,000 word challenge. I participate in a weekly writing group that had gotten to know each other during the 2012 NaNoWriMo where I started The Balance. Four of the six of us took on the challenge this year. Three WON! I am so proud of their efforts. Two of them did not think they could do it in the beginning because the writing process is so different from how they have been writing.

 

And here I am, having succeeded with my first NaNoWriMo challenge in 2012 and having published two books in the last two years, and this year I only managed 33,000 words in 30 days. — I kind of want to hear an ‘oh, you poor thing,’ from you on this but I know that won’t happen. — It took a comment from Rondi, one of the writing group’s members who was working on editing a MG book instead of doing the NaNoWriMo challenge, who explained to me that even though I had not written 50,000 words on a single project I had been and was successfully living the life of a writer. That I WAS a winner through my work on editing a quarterly publication for a non-profit organization, assisting that organization with upgrading the management of their membership files and helping their election of board members move forward. And, of course, she added the awareness of the extra duties and travels I was experiencing with my father’s recovery from a serious leg injury (a comminuted fracture, where the bone shatters into three or more pieces, of his femur at age of 89) and all the changes and decisions that needed and still need to be made with the help of my siblings and my father.

 

After that small lecture she suggested that I go buy a calendar where I can write in each day what I have done as a writer. That includes reading in my genre, research, listening to podcasts on writing, participating in webinars, marketing, editing anything (including my husband’s writings for our square dance business), updating my website, and writing for my blog. She said even reading for pleasure is part of the life of a writer and should be written down. she showed me her calendar, begun just three months ago, and it was a visible record and proof of the FACT that she was a writer every day and not just on one project. I am purchasing that calendar today.

 

So, while I didn’t complete what I thought would be my first step on one project I did in fact, get my foot planted on the ground and I have momentum to take the next step – it will just take a few more weeks. And now, that is okay because I am a writer and I will live the life of a writer every day. Even if it is jotting down ideas that come to me while driving to and from my father’s rehab facility or shopping for groceries, or meditating in the dry sauna or while swimming laps at the gym.

 

I am not going to focus on the length of time it takes me to complete that interim step – this is the letting go of the goal part – because I know I will complete it. I can be proud of the fact that I got it started.

 

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” – Lao Tzu

Q & A #53 – Susan Mackay Smith, “Conan the Grammarian”

Conan the Grammarian is the first thing I read when I get the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers’ monthly newsletters. Now, to have it all in one place is a good thing – for every writer and reader. Here is Mark Stevens’ review and Q & A of author Susan Mackay Smith’s informative and fun book.

Don't Need A Diagram

“Clarity is what matters to readers.”

That’s the clarion call of one Conan The Grammarian, a.k.a. Susan Mackay Smith, who has been writing columns in the monthly newsletter from Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers for about ten years.

Now, Conan is out with a handy reference guide that distills those columns into an inspiring volume titled, handily enough, Conan the Grammarian, Practical Guidelines on Grammar and Craft for Fiction Writers.

Remember Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation? This book would sit handsomely on your shelf alongside it and all your other writing resources.

Conan sets a high bar for writing. And writers.  Cool plots, Conan argues, can be enhanced by the nuances of language.

But, fear not. This is a light (near breezy) read that will leave you feeling encouraged and emboldened, not depressed or over-anxious. In fact, Conan talks a good game but, in the end…

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Writing Ways

The past four years have been an interesting experiment in the ways of writing a novel. The second book of my science fiction/fantasy series was published September 1, 2016 – just thirty days ago. The manner in which it was written was completely different from the first book and the third book is being written in yet a different method.

Book number one began many years ago as a short story when I was fourteen. Yep, ancient history since I am now approaching the great age of sixty. The Blood was written over decades as family life and circumstances allowed. The writing was basically linear. Start here, what happens next, and next, and next, and finally here is the end. The only major change was that the opening scenes were moved around a bit. Yet, it was still basically written from a beginning to an end.

Book two’s first draft took me thirty days to write thanks to NaNoWriMo in 2012. The challenge was to write fifty thousand words in thirty days! I figured I should try a different method of writing if I wanted to be alive when the second book got published. So while the first book was being looked at by my carefully chosen editor during November 2012 I took on the challenge of creating the base for the follow up novel, The Balance. I decided that instead of trying to be linear I would just write scenes that hopefully would come to me every day – and prayed that some of it would be good. I gave myself the freedom to write crappy stuff along with the amazing. I knew it would all be edited uncountable times in the future and so I wrote with abandon. And after thirty days I found I had scribbled over fifty two thousand words. I patted myself on the back and put it off to the side because the first book came back to me and there was a lot of work to do before publishing it.

While I found the process of writing whatever scenes popped into my head in the morning invigorating and joyful I struggled to NOT edit what I had written the day before. The discipline of just getting words down actually freed up my imagination and by the end of the month all sorts of surprising things occurred. Most important was the appearance of “the bitch in the corner.” All sorts of questions popped up when she showed up in a scene – rather she was standing in the shadows making snide comments to my antagonist and I had no idea where she’d come from. She intrigued me. I had not planned on her. And I believe that the free writing of the NaNoWriMo allowed her to come forward. If I had tried to write the second book linearly I am not sure she would have announced herself. It was not until after the first book was published and I returned to that very messy draft that I discovered she was actually in the first book as a very minor character. And while she is still a minor character in the second book she has come alive and will be featured more prominently in the third and fourth books. She is important. I am still learning about her. She fascinates me. She is going to be fun to write!

Soon after The Blood was published in May 2014, I realized the haphazard just-write-whatever-scene-you-want method I had employed with the first draft of The Balance was going to cause me all sorts of trouble. In order to bring order to that draft’s chaos I printed it, then physically cut each scene out, stapled it together and laid it on the carpet with a one sentence label of what happened. I studied each scene and arranged and rearranged the scenes until I felt it was almost in the correct order. While doing this I added colored notes of what I thought might be transitional scene yet to be written. Once that was complete I returned to the computer and painstakingly organized the electronic draft to match the sequence of scenes on the floor. I even posted those notes on a white board to get a condensed visual of the story. Over the next ten months I added another forty thousand or so words and it smoothed out. The Balance was published September 1, 2016.

Now as I begin work on the third installment of the series, The Blades, I am tackling the writing process in yet a different way. I still want the challenge and freedom of the NaNoWriMo but I also know, now, that I need a structure around which to build the story. So while reading a published electronic copy of The Balance this past month, I highlighted sections, questions, subplots, etc. and made notes as to which could be tied up in the third book and which ones will most likely be continued into the fourth title, The Seventh Stone. The ability to highlight and comment or make notes in the electronic version is giving me a template for scenes and topics as well as a rudimentary outline. I also have picked up a resource book, How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method, by Randy Ingermanson, to help build the needed structure for the story and character arcs I have in mind. This being said, the vast difference between the decades long careful linear writing of The Blood and the crazy mad word gushing that NaNoWriMo allowed for the basis of The Balance, has a enabled me to be okay with a variety of methods to write a novel. To be honest, I enjoyed both and look forward to experimenting with a couple of other ways. Now when I am stuck I have a several things to try that will shake me out of whatever hole/rut I have dug.

What I am finding is that an author does not have to write each book or story in the same manner as the first. If you are open to and honestly try new ways you may discover new things about your characters and their stories. Don’t hobble your imagination by deepening your writing rut. Climb out, let go of the constraints, and try something different. If it doesn’t work – don’t have regrets and don’t retreat to the rut. Stay out and play with words.