Riley Adams's Blog, page 215

How Original? How Edgy? Writing for a Market

One exhilarating thing about writing is that there are so many choices for our story.

When I'm working on the Memphis Barbeque series, the plot possibilities are endless. There are dozens of possibilities for story direction, new characters, and character development.

What I do know when I start writing, is that the book will be set in Memphis. There will be at least one murder (and probably two.) Much of the story's activity will be centered around a barbeque restaurant.

There will not be a lot of profanity, excessive gore, or over-the-top violence.

The lack of profanity, gore and violence is because I know my genre and my readers—and I respect them. I'm writing for a particular market...and readers who might not buy my next book if they're disappointed by a radical departure from cozy norms. Check out these posts from Margot Kinberg (she explains that these subgenre categories help readers find the kinds of books they want) and Alan Orloff (writers should know their audience and the conventions that audience expects.)

The story's setting, the murders, and the centering around a restaurant is due to the series' branding and the expectations of my publisher. This is how we're marketing the series—it's set in Memphis, Tennessee which is a vibrant city known for its barbeque. The series is a culinary mystery series.

When I signed the contract for the series, I agreed to certain conditions. My publisher paid me an advance on the books that I hadn't written yet, and in return I promised to produce something that they could market and put on the shelf—that fit the parameters of the genre.

I was on Twitter the other day and someone sent me a message. They were interested in my agent's name because they had written something that "had never been done before."

I know that many unpublished writers say that they want to write a book that is unique and really stands out from the crowd…or the slush pile.

Of course you should write the book you want to write. The one with the characters that talk to you all hours of the day and night, begging for more lines.

But, if you're looking for publication, I don't think you have to go wildly original. And you don't have to push the boundaries or be really edgy to stand out.

In most genres, there's an audience for what's considered standbys for the genre. And what you see on the shelves in those genres represent, for the most part, what works. What people want to read, what they're talking about and sharing with each other.

It's great to have the breakout novel that defies definition. I think many of us have a book like that in us.

But I think there's a lot to be said for following industry guidelines for a genre and delivering something that can easily be marketed and sold. The type of book that readers of that genre genuinely love to read.

What makes your book unique and not the same as every other fantasy or YA book or mystery out there? Your characters and your voice.

So, if it's the edgy, breakout novel that resists labeling is the one that's asking you to be written, definitely write it.

But don't feel like that's the novel you have to write. There's plenty of room for the old standards. For the kinds of stories that people go back to. For comfortable reads. For what works.

I think it's great to wow an agent or editor with your unique voice and your amazing characters. I don't think you necessarily have to forge new territory with a radically different or edgy plot.

And maybe…once you've established yourself in the industry with with reliable sales, you can more easily find a home for something really unusual or unique or edgy.

I know there are folks who feel otherwise, though, like the man who contacted me on Twitter. What do you think? New territory? Old standards? Which do you see making its way through the slush pile easier?

Keeping Busy While You Wait

Patience is the trait that I admire most.

Unfortunately, it's one of the traits I'm lacking. :)

Actually, I think if I had to name my biggest fault, it would be my lack of patience. I'm always moving, restless. I have trouble sitting still…even when I write. I'll frequently "write" in my head while I'm doing housework or errands.

And publishing? It moves veryyyyy slowwwwly.

There's actually not a single area of the publishing industry that I can think of that moves quickly. Querying? Very, very slow. Contract agreements? Slow. (Usually back and forth between agent to editor a couple of times before getting to us to sign.) Edits? Pretty slow, again mostly due to the back-and-forth nature of it and the need for thought in regards to changes. Book production…oh Lord. That's the slowest of all.

Of course, it takes time to write a book, too. :) Some of the time, they're all waiting on me.

Actually, for most published authors that I know, the process is wait, wait some more, waaaait, then…hurry! Hurry! Make the deadline! Then waaaait. Then there's an insane rush around release time that lingers.

But I never think about the waiting. I'm never anxiously wondering what stage of production my book is in.

I'd ordinarily be the worst person in the world with all the waiting…except that I'm so very busy writing books and working on promoting them.

My mother sometimes will ask me, "Now when is your book coming out? Everyone is asking me!" I'll tell her it's June and she'll exclaim over the wait. And…each time I'm surprised by her reaction. It hasn't felt that long on my end. For one, I think I'm just getting used to it.

But really, it's just my busyness. Who has time to think?

Unfortunately, publishing wasn't designed with impatient types in mind.

I think, if we spend too much time thinking about the wait—particularly if we're waiting to hear back from queries—then it just makes things worse. I can't think of a single productive internal monologue that I've had when I've felt impatient and anxious. They always end up making me feel worse.

If you're waiting on something to do with publishing (queries, contracts, your release)…have you tried writing another book? What else do you do to keep yourself busy while you wait?

Editing Made Easy (Or At Least Easier)

After I finish a first draft, I start into my edits right away. And boy, is there usually a lot of editing to do!

Looking at the manuscript as a messy whole is sometimes overwhelming.

To get me started on the right track and help myself feel a little more enthusiastic about the chore in front of me, I usually start out with some easy edits that make a big difference.

The first thing I do is a find {ctrl F} for my favorite words. I'll find a lot of 'justs' and 'sighs.' This takes only minutes to do, but makes me feel a little more cheerful.

Not sure what your favorite words are? Some folks use Wordle, which highlights the most common words in a manuscript.

The next thing I look for are weak words and words to investigate…because I might need to make the sentence stronger: That, seem, there, might, something, 'to be' verbs (like was ____ing), had, very, so, little, almost. This takes a bit longer, but is still really easy. Terry Odell has a nice post on using Word to eliminate problem words.

I have some new words to look for, too. There was a great post on Write it Sideways last week about filter words. Quoting the post, filter words are "those that unnecessarily filter the reader's experience through a character's point of view."

Those words are (again, quoting directly from the blog):

to see to hear to think to touch to wonder to realize to watch to look to seem to feel (or feel like) can to decide to sound (or sound like)

So, to give a quick example, a sentence using the filter word 'heard' might look like this:

John heard the siren.

Without the filter word, you could have this:

The siren blared.

Basically, you're putting the reader in John's shoes and deeper into the story.

Of course, you wouldn't want to eliminate all of these words. And there are plenty of situations where you need them—where the wording would be too awkward otherwise.

But it's a great place to start with editing, I think. It's nothing if not easy. You can search for the words and just take a quick look at the sentence and see if it can be stronger or worded better.

When I knock out these easy fixes, it just helps me feel more confident about knocking out the rest of the mess. :)

Are there particular words that you look for? What words do you commonly use as fillers?

Best Practices…for Writers

There's a term that I keep tripping over—'best practices.' I've seen it in literature my husband brings home from work, and my son has been studying it for a business class he's taking. It's also mentioned on television from time to time.

According to Wikipedia:

A best practice is a technique, method, process, activity, incentive, or reward which conventional wisdom regards as more effective at delivering a particular outcome than any other technique, method, process, etc. when applied to a particular condition or circumstance. (Wiki)

I thought I'd put together a sort of best practices list for writers of the advice I've heard and read most frequently from other writers.

Writing:
Set a writing goal, either daily or weekly.
Don't be too critical of yourself during the first draft.
Try to be flexible about the times and places that you write.
Keep dialogue tags simple.
Showing rather than telling is usually more effective.
Make sure your book has enough conflict.

Read. It helps if you've either been an avid reader or are one currently.

Find what works for you (outlining or no-outlining, edit as you go or later, research now or later) and do it.

Connect with other writers who understand and appreciate what you're going through. Others close to you may or may not.

Editing and Revising:

Try putting away your manuscript for a while.

Be aware of industry standards for word count for the genre you've written--and try to conform to the standards, if you plan to submit for publication.

Find an honest critiquer to offer constructive criticism. But still respect your gut.

Read the book aloud.
Printing the book and revising on paper may help.

Querying

Research agents, focusing on those that represent what you write. Check the agents against Writer Beware and Preditors and Editors.

Research dos and don'ts of query writing (lots of advice on these agents' blogs): Rachelle Gardner's Rants and Ramblings, Bookends, Query Shark, Pub Rants, Babbles from Scott Eagan.

Expect rejection and persevere. Learn what you can from any feedback you receive.

After Signing Your Contract and Following the Book's Release:

Respect your editor. Think twice before arguing over a change.

Market, in some form, with as much enthusiasm as you can. Make sure your publisher is aware of your efforts.

Manage your time, especially online time.

Be careful of what you say online..on your blog, when commenting on others' blogs, when Tweeting, while on Facebook.

Keep writing. Write while you're submitting, write while you're waiting for your book to release. Not only does it keep you busy, but it's great practice.

Obviously, the most important thing is to find out what works best for you, then do it. :) What works for you…what would you recommend for a 'best practices' list for writers?

Twitterific

Here are writing links that I've posted to Twitter for the past week.

If you're looking for a particular topic, just plug in your keyword into the search box at the top left-hand corner of the blog (on the black header right above my blog name…next to the Blogger symbol…the small search window is next to the magnifying glass) and the roundup with your subject will come up. To narrow your search down on the page, do a CTRL+F, type your subject, and hit enter.

I'm also archiving these posts in what I hope is an easily searchable format—if you look at the Twitterific tabs under the blog's heading, I'm posting the links there, too.

How Do You Decide on Your Author Brand? – Part One: http://dld.bz/FJZj and Two: http://dld.bz/FJZP

When Dialogue is nothing but "Blah, Blah, Blah": http://dld.bz/FJX3

The use of artistically-arranged crime scenes in mysteries: http://dld.bz/FT4k @mkinberg

Secret Weapons of Successful Self-Publishers (Huff Post): http://dld.bz/FJTZ

3 Things to Do While Querying: http://dld.bz/FJT3

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Now, kill two New Year's resolutions with one recipe! http://bit.ly/dRWnXW @CleoCoyle

6 things one author wishes she knew when writing her first novel: http://dld.bz/FJTk

Crossing over with YA: http://dld.bz/FJS5

Tall, Dark, And All Wrong: http://dld.bz/FJSb

5 Ways to Develop Consistency in Writing & Blogging: http://dld.bz/FJpB

Best articles this week for writers-- 1/14: http://dld.bz/FJpm

Tips for high concept writing: http://dld.bz/FJeh

How to fall back in love with your story: http://dld.bz/FNnT @WeronikaJanczuk

Deepening Your Character's Needs: http://dld.bz/FJdX

The Character of the Successful Writer–A New Level or a New Devil?: http://dld.bz/FJdD

7 Reasons Why Writers Need To Start Using Video For Book Promotion: http://dld.bz/FJd8 @thecreativepenn

SEO and Social Networking for Writers (Who Don't Have All Day for It): http://dld.bz/FJdv

Tips for speaking on panels: http://dld.bz/FJgu

Point of View: A Cheat Sheet: http://dld.bz/FJda

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Winner - BWW Contest http://bit.ly/he6JXm @CleoCoyle

The evolution of how @janefriedman uses Twitter: http://dld.bz/FKfZ

How Soon Do I Query Again? http://dld.bz/FJc7

Saying "I'm a Writer" - The 6 Stages of Responses from Others: http://dld.bz/FJcg

Developing Characters While Waiting in Line: http://dld.bz/FJx9 @LauraMarcella

Why it's a good idea to promote other writers: http://dld.bz/FBVg

25 Ways To Wake Up Early (And Maybe Get Some Writing Done): http://dld.bz/FBUW

Worldbuilding: The Art of Everything: http://dld.bz/FBSF

First Vs. Third: Point of View and Character Development: http://dld.bz/FBS4

The best font for a book: http://dld.bz/FBSx

Appositives: Quick Lesson From the Style Guide: http://dld.bz/FBSu

7 Ways to Get Your Blog Posts Shared On Facebook: http://dld.bz/FBSq

The Agent's Role in Today's Digital Book World: http://dld.bz/FBSh

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Julie's Favorite Salad http://bit.ly/ht9Ulh @CleoCoyle

The Making of a Novel: Courage to Tell Your Best Story: http://dld.bz/FB8K

26 Tips to Enhance Your Experience on LinkedIn: http://dld.bz/FB8h

Maintaining Your Sanity and Your Blog: http://dld.bz/FB8c

Signs of a bad writing day: http://dld.bz/F8cu @elspethwrites

Smart Self-Publishing: How to Get Published Without Getting Scammed (Huff Post): http://dld.bz/FBsd

Tips for radio and print interviews for writers: http://dld.bz/F8k3

How To Avoid Preachy Writing: http://dld.bz/F8km

Intern Tips: The Query Edition: http://dld.bz/F8kh

5 Mistakes to End Your Freelance Career: http://dld.bz/F8jN

Are These Filter Words Weakening Your Fiction? http://dld.bz/F8j7

Thanks to @SGRedling & wkee.com for my radio interview! Streaming live Fri. at 8:35 EST, if you'd like to tune in.

Why you should consider guest blogging: http://dld.bz/F8ju

The Greatest Challenge Agents Will Face: Standardization of Terms: http://dld.bz/F8hQ

Got an idea for a book? Let it stew: http://dld.bz/F6Yt

Why Writers Persevere In the Face of Doubt: http://dld.bz/F8kM @storiestorm

Taking The Emo Out of Emoticon: http://dld.bz/F6Yn

Putting Critiques to Good Use: http://dld.bz/F6Yg

RT @thecreativepenn Writing Mysteries With Elizabeth Spann Craig http://bit.ly/eg1Jdd

7 Myths About Freelance Writing Online-- http://dld.bz/FxA4

How One Writer Became a Twitter Freak in Less than a Week: http://t.co/0kBnRxK @jhansenwrites

How to speak publisher - B is for Blad: http://dld.bz/FxAz

How to Write a Readable Writing Blog: http://dld.bz/FxAn

8 Ways To Convey a Professional Image When You Work from Home: http://dld.bz/FxAg

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Let's hear it for LIBRARIANS!!! http://bit.ly/gfYxta @CleoCoyle

How Spell Check CAN Be Helpful When Proofreading: http://dld.bz/FxAb

The Neil Gaiman Master Class in Writing--Openings: http://dld.bz/Fx8D @WritingAgain

Should Writers Complain Publicly About Hardships? http://dld.bz/FxzR

Writing from the Garret: The Joys and Dangers of Readership: http://dld.bz/Fxz8

Gotten stuck? Try the good vs. evil trick for getting unstuck: http://dld.bz/F3dM @SGRedling

Resist the urge to explain: http://dld.bz/Fxzn

Low Paying Freelance Writing Gigs: Jump Off That Train, Quick!: http://dld.bz/FxyF

Can You Launch Your Book Without Losing Friends, Family, or Your Mind? http://dld.bz/Fxyj

Tips for starting out with your writing blog (or improving it): http://dld.bz/Fxuh

Want to write a mystery? My tips, from my interview with @thecreativepenn : http://dld.bz/FxwH

Formatting your manuscript – the silent scream: http://dld.bz/FxtU

7 Common Homonymic Spelling Errors: http://dld.bz/FxtF

How to let a scene write itself: http://dld.bz/FrRH @jammer0501

The 7 Secrets of an Indie Editor: http://dld.bz/FrR8

Thinking of pitching a non-fiction book? 5 questions to ask yourself: http://dld.bz/FxBp @JanetBoyer

Social Media and the Myth of the Master: http://dld.bz/FrRh @TAOXproductions

Plotting for Your Antagonist: http://dld.bz/FrR6

Tips for planning a writing convention: http://dld.bz/FrR3

50 Things to Tweet About: http://dld.bz/FjPw

A post on writing for trade magazines: http://dld.bz/FjPr

What Books Topped Bestseller Lists the Week You Were Born? http://dld.bz/FjPe

Are Publishers Becoming Technology Companies? http://dld.bz/FjNV

Got ISSN? http://dld.bz/FjN3

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Rice Pileau (Also Pilau. And Perlo. And Pilaf…) http://bit.ly/hSFdCV @CleoCoyle

Writing milestones--editing: http://dld.bz/FjNh

9 Types of Listeners' Responses - on Twitter and Everywhere Else: http://dld.bz/FjGx

Is Your Setting Helping Or Hurting? 3 Tips To Bring It Alive: http://dld.bz/FrSq @AmieKaufman

Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Urdu…Who Knew?: Words Without Borders' Surprise Hit: http://dld.bz/FjJ7

10 reasons one writer doesn't share early drafts: http://dld.bz/FrNv @elspethwrites

How one writer approached self-publishing: http://dld.bz/FjMT

Reading Writers' Houses: http://dld.bz/FjKV

Thoughts on changing editors: http://dld.bz/FjMx

How using lists can help you write your book: http://dld.bz/FjMg

Turn Social Networking into Character Development: http://dld.bz/FjK8

10 signs you're a published writer: http://dld.bz/FjJX

Equipping yourself to write--4 tips: http://dld.bz/FkzA @camillelaguire

Interactive fiction in the ebook era (Guardian): http://dld.bz/FjJ4

An editor answers questions about whether you can mention celebrities, lyrics, etc, in your book: http://dld.bz/FjHR

Vital Secondary Characters: http://dld.bz/FjFZ

Does your writing echo? Tips for eliminating repetition in your writing: http://dld.bz/Ffqk @jhansenwrites

Developing Your Unique Writing Voice: http://dld.bz/Fe7v

How to Dish Out Backstory in Digestible Bites: http://dld.bz/Fe7u

I don't usually tweet classes, but will now: http://dld.bz/Fkwy Took it in '09 & credit it for my blog & Twitter success. @blogbooktours

How to get ideas for stories – be gullible: http://dld.bz/Fe7g

The 2 Ways Writing Keeps You Off the Streets & Out of the Bars: http://dld.bz/Fe4Z

Electronic cover letters: http://dld.bz/Fe6h and http://dld.bz/Fe6j

12 Email Marketing Mistakes To Avoid: http://dld.bz/Fe63

Should You Consider a Small Publisher? Part I: http://dld.bz/Fe8j

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Cleo Coyle's Most Useful (and Useless) Kitchen Gadgets and the Perfect Hot Dog http://bit.ly/i40kBA @CleoCoyle

One mother's writing habits: http://dld.bz/EZTM

Why the popularity of the Kindle means that writers need stronger beginnings to their books: http://dld.bz/EZnY @hartjohnson

Realistic, challenging writing goals: http://dld.bz/EZUc

Need writing resources? An impressive list of links for your writer's toolbox: http://t.co/4IzJWvj @jhansenwrites

The power of positivity: http://dld.bz/EZTA

Ideas vs execution: http://dld.bz/EZT4

On critiquing--pros and cons for when to offer constructive criticism: http://dld.bz/FeAC

5 Simple Ways to Improve Your Vocabulary: http://dld.bz/EZTv

Is the Query System Dying? http://dld.bz/EZTs

Three Tips To Writing A Better Book Proposal: http://dld.bz/EZSG

Keeping It Readable: How Not to Write Dialogue Like Mark Twain: http://dld.bz/EZSD

The ABCs of character development: http://dld.bz/EZSC

Starting a book with the protagonist vs starting a book with a circumstance: http://dld.bz/EZS3

Building relationships with blogging: http://dld.bz/EZSw

A Twitter Case Study of an Author Brand: http://dld.bz/EZSh

Word formatting 101: http://dld.bz/EZkN @authorterryo

10 Tips for Your New eBook Reader: http://dld.bz/EWhs

Using Your Premise to Create Plot: http://dld.bz/EWhe

14 Lies We Tell Ourselves about Writing: http://dld.bz/EWhd

Recommendations for Debut Authors: http://dld.bz/EWgG

Best Tweets for Writers (week ending 1/7/11): http://dld.bz/EWfJ

If You're Watching The Clock, You Ain't Really Writin': http://dld.bz/EWeB

Are You Using "There" as a Crutch? http://dld.bz/EWef

Top Reasons People Won't Read Your Blog: http://dld.bz/EJk3

The Contradictory Nature of Great Fiction: http://dld.bz/EJkq

The journey of the eBook (slideshow): http://dld.bz/EJjN

Five Favorite Love Stories and Why They Work: http://dld.bz/EJjH

How POV Can Solve Your Writing Troubles: http://dld.bz/EJjB

Fiction editing checklist: http://dld.bz/EJj5

17 Killer Writing Tips for an Internet Audience: http://dld.bz/EJhM

How to Exhibit at Book Industry Tradeshows: http://dld.bz/EJgm

Signs you are Query Worthy: http://dld.bz/EJge

Reasons not to be afraid of reading while you write: http://dld.bz/EJfv

The First Day of the Rest of Your Life: http://dld.bz/EJfa

Avoid Capital Offenses When Using Job Titles: http://dld.bz/EJeR

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Welcome Guest Blogger Lois Winston! http://bit.ly/ijygVK @CleoCoyle

Style blunders in fiction: http://dld.bz/EJeN

Backlinking bootcamp (learning how to use backlinks effectively on your blog): http://dld.bz/EJdQ

Creating unforgettable settings: http://dld.bz/EJd4

Should we finish writing a bad book? http://dld.bz/EJcY

10 of the best explosions in history (Guardian): http://dld.bz/EEEW

The Sparkle in Our Writing

I have a neighbor who is interested in my writing and frequently asks me questions about it. She's from South America and expresses herself in refreshing ways sometimes.

One day this week she called me on the phone around lunch to ask me something about our girls' drama class. "Elizabeth," she said, "I'm sorry to have to call you! Did you have the inspirations and I am interrupting them?"

Sadly, no. I was actually writing when she called, but I was definitely not having the inspirations. Being on a schedule, though, means writing every day—and not just when I'm inspired. The story comes out just as easily, even when the muse is silent. But the words don't sparkle as much.

I've gotten over the lack of sparkle in the uninspired days because I know I can add the sparkle later, in revisions.

The sparkle to me in a book is the feeling I get when reading it that the author was enthusiastic. And, maybe, that the characters themselves are enthusiastic and vibrant as they face whatever challenge they're up against.

Sometimes it's hard to put my finger on exactly what makes for sparkle. But this is what I've been able to find that helps:

Strong verbs—Usually they show instead of tell. And sometimes if you look for 'to be' verbs like is, was, been, you can find passive construction that could be written stronger.

Vivid imagery-- adjectives that go the extra mile (using all the senses.) Words that add texture.

Clever metaphors and similes. Just a dash. Too many and I tend to see the puppet's strings.

Precise nouns—Try not to overuse pronouns. And name things—"the diner" is Bo's Diner. "The chair" could be a rocking chair, an armchair, or a recliner.

Varied sentence structure—Something a little different than a subject-verb start. And both short and long sentences.

Characters that are animated instead of stagnant. And that can be both literally animated—they're in motion—or that their speech is lively.

What do you do to bring the sparkle back to your writing?

Panels

Panels are usually pretty easy, even for those of us who aren't crazy about public speaking. Usually you're seated (and frequently behind a table.) You'll need to remember to bring a book and a plate stand to put the book on (or else prop the book up with a couple of other books.) Bring water, just in case they don't provide it…my mouth gets dry when I'm nervous.

I'm an early bird anyway, but I always try to arrive at a panel especially early. That way I've got a chance to put my promo things out on the special table they've usually got out, find out how the venue is handling book sales (is there a volunteer from Friends of the Library helping? Is there a bookstore that has a table and is selling them? Am I responsible for selling my own books?) I always bring lots of ones and fives in case I need to make change…just in case.

Arriving early also means that I have a chance to get acquainted with the audio equipment, find out where I'll be sitting, and greet and speak to attendees as they come in (which, although I'm introverted, makes me less nervous about speaking to a roomful of people.)

Occasionally, I've had to apologize and ask the panel moderator to repeat a question. Either I won't hear the question or the author who answered it before me got off track and rambled and I forgot the question. It's better than making up my own question to answer and not having it be germane.

If you're stumped by the question or need an extra minute to consider your answer, then you can always ask the question to be repeated to give yourself extra time.

There are a couple of things that I've noticed are considered bad etiquette on panels. If you've written seven or eight books? That's terrific, but don't put them all on display in front of you. Other authors get irked. Usually the venue has a table along the conference room wall where you can display books, bookmarks, etc. Pick your last couple of releases.

Also, watch your time when you're speaking. Sometimes authors get overly-enthusiastic and the audience warms to them and they tend to get verbose. This cuts into everyone's time and makes the other authors think unkind thoughts. This can be dangerous when the other authors write murder mysteries. :)

Sometimes panelists look like they're zoning, I've noticed. I think it's a good idea to at least look like you're attentive when another panelist is talking, even if you're planning what you're going to say.

Consider limiting the number of times you give the name of your book during the panel. Some folks tend to get a little carried away.

Depending on the panel, you might want to contact the panel moderator and offer to send him or her a bio, and even a copy of your book ahead of time.

Practice summing up your book in a few, interesting but pithy sentences. Prepare for common questions like "are you anything like your protagonist?" "What's your writing process like?" and "What are you working on now?"

It's nice to write a note to the moderator or the event organizer to thank them for the appearance.

Although I'm not someone who enjoys in-person appearances, panels are my favorite public speaking venue.

I know I've got some panelists out there…and moderators, too! Any additional tips?

Interviews

I've had two interviews in the space of a week, and I'm headed to a conference next month to speak on a panel---so I thought that a post on interviews might be timely. :)

Radio—I've done a couple of radio interviews. I had a great interview with Sheila Redling from WKEE yesterday…and she's a writer, herself, so all the better!

For some reason, I seem only to be able to do radio interviews when the children are home. :) Yesterday was a snow day because of icy conditions. Here's a tip for parents who do interviews while the kids are home: explain everything. Explain that a radio interview means that the phone will ring and they don't need to get it, that they only need to interrupt you if it's a true emergency (and clarify what a true emergency is), and explain that if the dog starts unexpectedly barking, to put her outside in the back yard. Trust me. It's better to be over-prepared. Put a sticky note on your closed door to remind them you're on the radio/on the phone…they'll forget. They were very good yesterday. I've had problems in the past, though. :)

Other tips for radio:

Use your land line and don't use your speaker phone or a headset.

Turn call-waiting off

Know the station's call letters and use them in the interview.

Make sure you know the demographic for the station.

Have water nearby.

Jot down your interviewer's name and use it. Silence your cell phone.

Make notes for yourself—even with your website info in case you suddenly draw a complete blank under pressure.

Be prepared to sum up your book in a couple of sentences.

Know how long the interview will last so your answers won't be too long or too short.

Emailed Interviews

Most of the interviews that I do are emailed interviews…which, of course, I love. Easy peasy for writers to do email interviews. And they turn out so well!

Telephone Interviews with Newspapers

I've done a couple of phone interviews for the newspaper and those make me a little anxious because they usually don't submit the questions in advance…and because I don't like being on the phone. And because sometimes news people (not all news people…maybe just the reporters that I happen to have dealt with) are a little more challenging to talk to. I've found, though, that you can be really thoughtful :) and, when you get the interview request from a newspaper, you can offer to provide them with questions or with ideas for questions. You're only thinking of them, naturally. The reporters are frequently short on time and are grateful for the help…and I'm grateful to prepare in advance.

My radio interview is going to be playing Friday on WKEE 100.5 at 8:35 and 8:50 EST and as soon as it uploads on their website as a podcast, I'll link to it. :)

My Skype interview for Joanna Penn's new Mystery TV show is here and I talk about writing mysteries (and you can see a summary of the interview below the video player.) As a note to women writers out there—y'all, I wore a ton of makeup (enough for my husband to blink at me when he came in from work and wonder who the heck I was), but you can't even tell. So definitely make up more.

I'll add the proviso that it's difficult for me to see and hear myself on video and audio, but I take comfort in the fact that so many of you said that you didn't like to see or hear yourselves, either! There's room for improvement for me, but thank goodness for video and audio editing.

Tomorrow I'll post a little on panels and preparing for those. I lumped everything together in this one post and it was too long, so I'll tackle that topic tomorrow. :)

Anyone with any additional tips for interviews? Which type of format do you like best?

On Starting Out Your Writing Blog

I've recently gotten a couple of emails from writers asking for tips on starting out with blogging, and gaining blog followers.

I'm definitely not an expert, but I'll share what I do know and offer some tips that might help with starting out.

There are definitely some elements that you'll want on your blog. The design of the blog doesn't matter very much (except that some of us have trouble reading white words on black backgrounds). But there are some widgets and elements you might want to think about including in your sidebar.

Blog roll: Not only is this a great way to direct traffic to your blogging friends' sites, but it's also helpful to writers who are looking for other writing blogs to follow.

RSS feed button: RSS is basically just an easy way for someone to add you to their blog reader by just a couple of clicks. If you put it near the top of your sidebar, it will help encourage folks to follow you.

A follower widget. This could be Networked Blogs (a 3rd party application of Facebook) or the Google follower widget. People like to feel like they belong…I know I look for a follower widget as soon as I visit a new blog.

Are you on Twitter or Facebook? You don't have to be, but if you are, then add a button to your sidebar to increase interaction with your readers.

Besides blog widgets and buttons, there's another important area to consider—readers. Be sure to visit others' blogs and comment. Many will return the favor with a visit to your blog.

I know that folks who participate in blogfests and blog carnivals also find new readers. It's boggling my mind right now, but I looked for an online dictionary definition of blogfest to link to…and I can't find one. Bizarre! I'll give it a go myself, then—a blogfest is a group of blogs who post on a particular topic (usually on one particular day, unless specified for longer) and link to each others' blogs.

A quick tip—don't bite off more than you can chew. If you won't be able to post every day, then don't. Better to post once a week on a particular day (that you note in your sidebar) or three times a week and be able to keep up with the pace.

I'd also recommend having a good number of blog posts in draft form that you can pull from if you need to. It would be fantastic if you could have an emergency supply of posts before you start your blog, but it's easy to do a marathon blog-writing session and build up a backlog of them at any time.

I learned a lot from the Blog Book Tour class that Dani offers…and she's just about to start another one in February, I see. Here's the info on the class (I got a ton out of it when I took it in 2009): http://blogbooktours.blogspot.com/2011/01/in-with-new-class.html .

Most of y'all who comment here have been long-time bloggers yourselves. Got tips? Please share!

More Thoughts on Using Lists to Write

I love making lists. I make lists of things to do, things to get at the store, and things I want to accomplish for the year.

And, as I mentioned in this post in September, I frequently use lists while writing, too. To recap that post, I've found that making lists can help me advance my plot when I don't have much time (I can list all the ways I can think of…from zany to useful…to approach the next scene), or to make my setting come alive (a list of one particular setting, using each of the five senses to describe it), or to develop my character or my understanding of a character (top 5 things my character cares about, top 5 things that keeps my protagonist up at night.)

My writing friend Jemi Fraser of the Just Jemi blog posted recently on her frustration with her lack of writing time lately. She's frequently getting only twenty minutes a day or fewer to work on her book.

The nice thing about lists is that you can keep a small notebook with you and even if you only have 5 minutes to write, you can make some short lists of things like your character's traits, ways the character can grow during the course of the book, possible subplots, etc.

I've also found that making lists has made me a less-tentative writer. I used to obsess a little over my book's beginning and ending. I would write several different options for the first chapter and the closing chapter of the book, then choose which I liked best.

When you make lists of your possibilities instead, I've found that somehow it puts my anxiety to rest—and I can more quickly explore the different options and see which is better.

You can also curb your desire to stop writing and research part of your book by listing the different things you need to look up. Not happy with a character name or the name of your fictitious town? You don't have to fix it right then…just start a list called "names" and add to it when you come across them. You can always call a character A or B and fill the names in later.

Making lists also comes in handy when you have plot holes. My editor emailed me last week and pointed out a problem area with the third Memphis Barbeque book. Somehow I hadn't noticed it during my revisions, but it was definitely something that needed to be fixed.

I made a list of all the different ways I could think of to work my way out of the mess. When I thought I'd come up with all of them, I kept on going and found some additional solutions. It was easy to come up with the strongest solution when I saw the possibilities together.

Are you a list-maker, too? Have you tried using lists to help write your story?