Tabitha Barret's Blog, page 3
March 2, 2015
Promoting Your Book in 140 Characters or Less
~A post for new writers who haven't had the pleasure of promoting their books yet, or authors who are new to social media.
Social media, such as Twitter, has changed our world in amazing ways, but it has also created a world of short attention spans. Everyone wants to know a brief summary about their favorite things so that they have more time to do their other 500 favorite things at the same time. This short attention span can make it very difficult for an author to promote their book. With smaller advertising space and less time to grab a potential reader's attention, the author has to be clear, concise, witty, friendly, energetic, compelling, organized, thoughtful, and entertaining. This is not an easy task given that you must do all of these things in 140 characters or less.
Book Summaries:
Everyone who writes a book should be able to talk about their book, in fact, they should love talking about their book. If they took the time to write it, hopefully they are excited to tell anyone and everyone about their book. The problem comes when the writer has to write a summary of their book. Talking about the book is easier than writing a one paragraph summary about it. When we talk about things we love, we embellish and try to engage the person we are speaking to by highlighting parts that they would find interesting. Writing a short summary takes all the fun out of the book and cuts down 200-600 pages of material into a short synopsis. Choosing the wrong words can kill a book before it even sees the light of day.
How do you cut down your 600 pages of prose into a few sentences that will interest a reader? First, you must think about your audience. Who is your target demographic? For a younger audience, the summary should be fun and entertaining. For twentysomething audience, you need to be relevant and fresh in your approach. Older audiences will want a more refined summary. Think about who you want to read your book and then write the summary for them.
Be honest about with your book summary, but add detail to it. Instead of saying that your book is, "The Best Travel Guide for New Jersey", say that it "takes a closer look at the rich history that New Jersey has to offer" or "follow our guide to see the amazing arboretums and proud farmlands in the Garden State". Don't be afraid to romanticize topics that aren't considered romantic.
To write your summary, step back from your book and don't think about all the fun dialogue or weird characters that you love to write about. Think about it from a strangers perspective who knows nothing about the book. Break down the elements to get the basic idea, and then add the detail.
Here's an example of my breakdown for The Third Throne:
What is the main idea of the book? A young woman struggles to survive the horrors of Hell only to learn her true destiny.
What is the genre? Romance/Erotica that falls into the Paranormal subcategory
What do you want the reader to know about the story? It's an emotional journey for both the young woman and the Angel of Darkness as they learn what love and sacrifice mean.
What are the common themes? Deception, darkness, duty, faith, compassion, and kindness
What should they take away from the book after they read it? Love comes in many forms, but it isn't always easy. Sometimes, to love someone, you must sacrifice something in return.
When writing a summary, it's sometimes hard to describe the book without giving away too much of the plot. I suggest putting the big reveal, or the surprise ending in a box and locking it away. Decide what plot lines you don't want to talk about, but find a way to hint at them. Even though there is a surprise ending and the main character is really dead the whole time, find a way to lead the reader close to the truth, but don't give them them whole picture. Entice them find the secret, but don't give the secret away.
Turning Your Summary into 140 Characters:
In the old days, before the internet, and mobile phones, if you wanted to sell a product, you had to actually speak to people. A friendly voice, or a well-groomed appearance was usually enough to grab a client's attention. Once they had their foot in the door, they had to impress someone with their prepared speech about their product. There was a sales technique called and "elevator speech" that salespeople used. The theory was, you had to be able to tell a client about your product within the length of time it took for the client to ride the elevator and convince them to set up a meeting to discuss their product a length before they left. Once in the meeting, they could employ whatever means they needed to pitch their product. Twitter has taken that elevator speech and reduced it from 30-60 seconds to 5 seconds.
In the fast pace world of Twitter, the average reader will only glance at a tweet briefly before moving on to something else. Once you have your well thought out summary, you have to chop it down even further. If you have used Twitter before, you know how to type a tweet about the weather, or how cute a celebrity is, or how amazing your children are, but that's easy compared to shoving 600 pages into a sentence or two. The problem comes when you have to add the link to your book or website and then add hashtags. Once you have your Bitly or Ow.ly account, you still have to be cleaver enough to write all about your wonderful book in a sentence. It's frustrating and annoying, but it has to be done if Twitter is where you want to promote yourself.
Again, you must think of your target audience. The idea needs to be brief, eye catching, and interesting. You may have to try different approaches until you find something that works for you. Selling your book at $0.99 is fine, but you still have to mention what the book is about. This where #hashtags come in. Hashtag the genre, a keyword, or anything that's relevant. Do a search for different keywords to see what they pull up. You may have to try out a few before the right one sticks.
Adding photos is also a great way for people to recognize your book cover, or your face, or your product. "Photos" can be used to give you more room to write about your book. You can create a .gif of a great review or snippets of your book to work beyond the 140 characters since they appear as attachments.
Advertising a book takes time and patience. It takes followers and friends. Don't be afraid to retweet a book from a different author. Helping them can sometimes help you. If they are nice, they will return the favor and retweet one of your posts. Your tweet may be seen by 8000 followers of a different author, broadening your range. Hopefully, some of their followers will like you and start following you. Be creative and search for authors in similar genres or genres who might also be interested in what you write. Remember to thank or mention that author for helping you out.
There is no guarantee that Twitter will help to sell a single book, but it will get your name and your book out into the world for people to remember and recognize on other promotional sites. It's only one tool that an author can use to gain name recognition and to seek out advice from others who have been where you are.
Social media, such as Twitter, has changed our world in amazing ways, but it has also created a world of short attention spans. Everyone wants to know a brief summary about their favorite things so that they have more time to do their other 500 favorite things at the same time. This short attention span can make it very difficult for an author to promote their book. With smaller advertising space and less time to grab a potential reader's attention, the author has to be clear, concise, witty, friendly, energetic, compelling, organized, thoughtful, and entertaining. This is not an easy task given that you must do all of these things in 140 characters or less.
Book Summaries:
Everyone who writes a book should be able to talk about their book, in fact, they should love talking about their book. If they took the time to write it, hopefully they are excited to tell anyone and everyone about their book. The problem comes when the writer has to write a summary of their book. Talking about the book is easier than writing a one paragraph summary about it. When we talk about things we love, we embellish and try to engage the person we are speaking to by highlighting parts that they would find interesting. Writing a short summary takes all the fun out of the book and cuts down 200-600 pages of material into a short synopsis. Choosing the wrong words can kill a book before it even sees the light of day.
How do you cut down your 600 pages of prose into a few sentences that will interest a reader? First, you must think about your audience. Who is your target demographic? For a younger audience, the summary should be fun and entertaining. For twentysomething audience, you need to be relevant and fresh in your approach. Older audiences will want a more refined summary. Think about who you want to read your book and then write the summary for them.
Be honest about with your book summary, but add detail to it. Instead of saying that your book is, "The Best Travel Guide for New Jersey", say that it "takes a closer look at the rich history that New Jersey has to offer" or "follow our guide to see the amazing arboretums and proud farmlands in the Garden State". Don't be afraid to romanticize topics that aren't considered romantic.
To write your summary, step back from your book and don't think about all the fun dialogue or weird characters that you love to write about. Think about it from a strangers perspective who knows nothing about the book. Break down the elements to get the basic idea, and then add the detail.
Here's an example of my breakdown for The Third Throne:
What is the main idea of the book? A young woman struggles to survive the horrors of Hell only to learn her true destiny.
What is the genre? Romance/Erotica that falls into the Paranormal subcategory
What do you want the reader to know about the story? It's an emotional journey for both the young woman and the Angel of Darkness as they learn what love and sacrifice mean.
What are the common themes? Deception, darkness, duty, faith, compassion, and kindness
What should they take away from the book after they read it? Love comes in many forms, but it isn't always easy. Sometimes, to love someone, you must sacrifice something in return.
When writing a summary, it's sometimes hard to describe the book without giving away too much of the plot. I suggest putting the big reveal, or the surprise ending in a box and locking it away. Decide what plot lines you don't want to talk about, but find a way to hint at them. Even though there is a surprise ending and the main character is really dead the whole time, find a way to lead the reader close to the truth, but don't give them them whole picture. Entice them find the secret, but don't give the secret away.
Turning Your Summary into 140 Characters:
In the old days, before the internet, and mobile phones, if you wanted to sell a product, you had to actually speak to people. A friendly voice, or a well-groomed appearance was usually enough to grab a client's attention. Once they had their foot in the door, they had to impress someone with their prepared speech about their product. There was a sales technique called and "elevator speech" that salespeople used. The theory was, you had to be able to tell a client about your product within the length of time it took for the client to ride the elevator and convince them to set up a meeting to discuss their product a length before they left. Once in the meeting, they could employ whatever means they needed to pitch their product. Twitter has taken that elevator speech and reduced it from 30-60 seconds to 5 seconds.
In the fast pace world of Twitter, the average reader will only glance at a tweet briefly before moving on to something else. Once you have your well thought out summary, you have to chop it down even further. If you have used Twitter before, you know how to type a tweet about the weather, or how cute a celebrity is, or how amazing your children are, but that's easy compared to shoving 600 pages into a sentence or two. The problem comes when you have to add the link to your book or website and then add hashtags. Once you have your Bitly or Ow.ly account, you still have to be cleaver enough to write all about your wonderful book in a sentence. It's frustrating and annoying, but it has to be done if Twitter is where you want to promote yourself.
Again, you must think of your target audience. The idea needs to be brief, eye catching, and interesting. You may have to try different approaches until you find something that works for you. Selling your book at $0.99 is fine, but you still have to mention what the book is about. This where #hashtags come in. Hashtag the genre, a keyword, or anything that's relevant. Do a search for different keywords to see what they pull up. You may have to try out a few before the right one sticks.
Adding photos is also a great way for people to recognize your book cover, or your face, or your product. "Photos" can be used to give you more room to write about your book. You can create a .gif of a great review or snippets of your book to work beyond the 140 characters since they appear as attachments.
Advertising a book takes time and patience. It takes followers and friends. Don't be afraid to retweet a book from a different author. Helping them can sometimes help you. If they are nice, they will return the favor and retweet one of your posts. Your tweet may be seen by 8000 followers of a different author, broadening your range. Hopefully, some of their followers will like you and start following you. Be creative and search for authors in similar genres or genres who might also be interested in what you write. Remember to thank or mention that author for helping you out.
There is no guarantee that Twitter will help to sell a single book, but it will get your name and your book out into the world for people to remember and recognize on other promotional sites. It's only one tool that an author can use to gain name recognition and to seek out advice from others who have been where you are.
February 21, 2015
Writing Problems: Organizing Timelines, Character Histories, or Complicated Fight Scenes
When writers create their stories, they may or may not have an outline of what they are going to write. Typically, they start with an idea and the idea grows and grows until it turns into a story. The problem comes when the story becomes too big or complicated to remember every little detail. When writing a series that has a 12 book story arc, mistakes are easy to make and searching for previously written "facts" can be time consuming. The worst thing that a writer can do is corrupt their timeline or mix up the histories of their characters.
Continuity problems are a way of life when writing complicated histories for characters that have lived for centuries and it is easy to lose sight of what was written in an earlier book. I know that every writer uses some kind of tool to chronicle their facts whether it's hard notebooks or programs/apps. I used to make notes and stack them on my desk, or worse, write random notes and save them in different sections of a future book so that I would remember them later. I found this process to be completely maddening and decided that a physical notebook was a waste of my time.
Aside from using Microsoft Word to write my books, I use Excel, Powerpoint, and OneNote to try to simplify my data. (I think I would have lost my mind if I hadn't accidentally opened OneNote and rejoiced in its beauty.) I have created everything from maps of the Realms of Torture in Hell, to layouts for the rooms of my characters for the sake of continuity. Using different programs may seem overwhelming, but I found it to be immensely helpful.
Excel: I am writing a 12 book series concurrently with no less than 212 characters or places across all of the books, and I'm not nowhere near done creating characters. I made a list of all of the character's names, descriptions, titles (angels love titles), who they are loyal to, which books they are seen in, which books they are mentioned in, and if they died. The information is in a giant grid so that I can quickly see which books the characters are in. This is helpful, not only for timeline purposes, but I find that I don't duplicate character names or use too many characters with the same first letter. It's easier to see all of the B characters so that I can avoid Brend and Brent. It has saved me a few times.
I also have multiple timelines in Excel. I have a history of human events, such as wars, because one set of characters will reference these events, and I have the history of the fallen angels who appear in the series. There have been many times when these timelines have saved me from making huge mistakes. A character can't talk about their experiences in the 1500's if they weren't alive at the time.
Powerpoint: I am a very visual person, and it helps if I can see a room, or a set of characters. For every character I have, I Googled an actor or a model, or some random dude and associated a specific picture with that character. It can be hard to find the right photo because I want it to express the emotion of the character, more than the physical features of that person. Once I have my photo or photos, I write out descriptions for each characters, including their personality traits and quirks. For example, one of my characters has a tattoo on his inner wrist and loves guns. I have a random photo of the tattoo that I found and added photos of the specific guns he uses. It tends to give me a better feel for the character and helps me remember what color eyes he has, since it can be hard to keep track of 20 sets of eyes!
Creating fully furnished rooms with decorative windows is fun when you use the photo settings in Powerpoint. I created a 3-D room using various photos from online catalogs. One room has a bed with black satin sheets, a black Barcalounger, a carved wooden chest, a vanity with a water basin, a book shelf with handmade maps, and a stained glass window of a sunset sitting over a ledge with a red cushion. I can remember all of this, because I have seen the room. The odds of remember what this bedroom looks like once I get to Book 12 are slim, so I find that taking the time to construct this room will save me having to open up Book 2 and find where the room is and search through the text to remember what color the cushion was.
Aside from the character descriptions, or the room layouts, I also use Powerpoint for hierarchies. When dealing with the Celestial Warriors or the Overseers of the Realms of Hell, it helps to know who out ranks who, since there are power struggles occasionally. I used the "organizational chart" to map out my chain of command, which is great because it allows for thumbnail photos to be viewed next to the titles.
The most complicated "slide" I have in Powerpoint is the map of Hell. I used the drawing tools to create the Realms and color code them. Then I added a thumbnail photo of the Overseers in each Realm or area, then used the "text box" to add descriptions. It's definitely easier to remember the names of the Overseers and which Realm they are in charge of when I can see it at a glance. In my ever expanding Hell, it helps to know which realms are near the Caves of Winds so that the character can take the correct path to the castle. Without the map, even I'm lost.
OneNote: I cannot say enough positive things about the program. I was losing my mind one day working with Powerpoint because as much as I love it for certain things, it can be tedious when you are short on time. I don't want to have to stop and create a text box every three seconds. I knew that there had to be a better program to jot down notes and write down ideas aside from virtual sticky notes, so I went through all my Microsoft programs and found OneNote. I had never heard of it before, so I opened it expecting to be disappointed, and instead it changed my life.
The screens in OneNote are a blank slate, just like Powerpoint, but you can click anywhere on the screen and make a note. It blew my mind. No more tabbing in Word, or inserting Powerpoint, or moving cells in Excel. I could insert a photo and write all the notes I wanted and move them anywhere on the page. I was in heaven.
The fun part about OneNote is that I can "bookmark" any idea and see a synopsis on the side. I can write notes anywhere on the screen, but I can tag them for later so that I can "remember" them, or "question" them, or "make a check list". The possibilities are limitless.
In OneNote, I have each Book in a Notebook, and inside each Notebook I have my ideas page where I list the things I have still have to deal with, like finishing out a plot line, or throw in a photo to remind me to deal with a specific character. I have my chapter outlines where I can drop in photos so that I remember which characters interact in that chapter. I also have my Continuity Notebook where I write down specific "facts" that carry across the series. If the Angel of Death was once known as the Angel of Determination and it influences his character in some way, I had better remember that he was Determination. I don't want him to be the Angel of Cautiousness in a flashback.
The best thing I have done so far is create an entire fight sequence. I have 2 different settings where 20 possible Celestial Warriors are battling about 15-20 creatures, all of whom are named. Since I have my photos of each character, I can build my battle scenes and move around the photos like a chess board. I can see where each of the creatures dies and where a Warrior is hurt. I no longer have to find the piece of paper where I sketched out stick figures to try to remember which Warrior killed which creature. I now have a battle plan that I can refer to during the editing process. There would be hell to pay if I forgot to kill off one of the creatures. I find it easier to keep track of everyones movements when I can see each piece of the puzzle.
Writing a series is hard enough, but without the right tools to help organize my thoughts, my books would be a rambling mess of continuity problems. I truly have no idea what I would do if I had to rely on being organized on lined paper and Post-It Notes. I am the first one in line to try out a new program to see if it will help me streamline my writing process or help me remember which book someone died in. I know that I wouldn't be able to accomplish such a large undertaking without some kind of digital assistant. If you have a favorite program, let me know and I will try it out!
Continuity problems are a way of life when writing complicated histories for characters that have lived for centuries and it is easy to lose sight of what was written in an earlier book. I know that every writer uses some kind of tool to chronicle their facts whether it's hard notebooks or programs/apps. I used to make notes and stack them on my desk, or worse, write random notes and save them in different sections of a future book so that I would remember them later. I found this process to be completely maddening and decided that a physical notebook was a waste of my time.
Aside from using Microsoft Word to write my books, I use Excel, Powerpoint, and OneNote to try to simplify my data. (I think I would have lost my mind if I hadn't accidentally opened OneNote and rejoiced in its beauty.) I have created everything from maps of the Realms of Torture in Hell, to layouts for the rooms of my characters for the sake of continuity. Using different programs may seem overwhelming, but I found it to be immensely helpful.
Excel: I am writing a 12 book series concurrently with no less than 212 characters or places across all of the books, and I'm not nowhere near done creating characters. I made a list of all of the character's names, descriptions, titles (angels love titles), who they are loyal to, which books they are seen in, which books they are mentioned in, and if they died. The information is in a giant grid so that I can quickly see which books the characters are in. This is helpful, not only for timeline purposes, but I find that I don't duplicate character names or use too many characters with the same first letter. It's easier to see all of the B characters so that I can avoid Brend and Brent. It has saved me a few times.
I also have multiple timelines in Excel. I have a history of human events, such as wars, because one set of characters will reference these events, and I have the history of the fallen angels who appear in the series. There have been many times when these timelines have saved me from making huge mistakes. A character can't talk about their experiences in the 1500's if they weren't alive at the time.
Powerpoint: I am a very visual person, and it helps if I can see a room, or a set of characters. For every character I have, I Googled an actor or a model, or some random dude and associated a specific picture with that character. It can be hard to find the right photo because I want it to express the emotion of the character, more than the physical features of that person. Once I have my photo or photos, I write out descriptions for each characters, including their personality traits and quirks. For example, one of my characters has a tattoo on his inner wrist and loves guns. I have a random photo of the tattoo that I found and added photos of the specific guns he uses. It tends to give me a better feel for the character and helps me remember what color eyes he has, since it can be hard to keep track of 20 sets of eyes!
Creating fully furnished rooms with decorative windows is fun when you use the photo settings in Powerpoint. I created a 3-D room using various photos from online catalogs. One room has a bed with black satin sheets, a black Barcalounger, a carved wooden chest, a vanity with a water basin, a book shelf with handmade maps, and a stained glass window of a sunset sitting over a ledge with a red cushion. I can remember all of this, because I have seen the room. The odds of remember what this bedroom looks like once I get to Book 12 are slim, so I find that taking the time to construct this room will save me having to open up Book 2 and find where the room is and search through the text to remember what color the cushion was.
Aside from the character descriptions, or the room layouts, I also use Powerpoint for hierarchies. When dealing with the Celestial Warriors or the Overseers of the Realms of Hell, it helps to know who out ranks who, since there are power struggles occasionally. I used the "organizational chart" to map out my chain of command, which is great because it allows for thumbnail photos to be viewed next to the titles.
The most complicated "slide" I have in Powerpoint is the map of Hell. I used the drawing tools to create the Realms and color code them. Then I added a thumbnail photo of the Overseers in each Realm or area, then used the "text box" to add descriptions. It's definitely easier to remember the names of the Overseers and which Realm they are in charge of when I can see it at a glance. In my ever expanding Hell, it helps to know which realms are near the Caves of Winds so that the character can take the correct path to the castle. Without the map, even I'm lost.
OneNote: I cannot say enough positive things about the program. I was losing my mind one day working with Powerpoint because as much as I love it for certain things, it can be tedious when you are short on time. I don't want to have to stop and create a text box every three seconds. I knew that there had to be a better program to jot down notes and write down ideas aside from virtual sticky notes, so I went through all my Microsoft programs and found OneNote. I had never heard of it before, so I opened it expecting to be disappointed, and instead it changed my life.
The screens in OneNote are a blank slate, just like Powerpoint, but you can click anywhere on the screen and make a note. It blew my mind. No more tabbing in Word, or inserting Powerpoint, or moving cells in Excel. I could insert a photo and write all the notes I wanted and move them anywhere on the page. I was in heaven.
The fun part about OneNote is that I can "bookmark" any idea and see a synopsis on the side. I can write notes anywhere on the screen, but I can tag them for later so that I can "remember" them, or "question" them, or "make a check list". The possibilities are limitless.
In OneNote, I have each Book in a Notebook, and inside each Notebook I have my ideas page where I list the things I have still have to deal with, like finishing out a plot line, or throw in a photo to remind me to deal with a specific character. I have my chapter outlines where I can drop in photos so that I remember which characters interact in that chapter. I also have my Continuity Notebook where I write down specific "facts" that carry across the series. If the Angel of Death was once known as the Angel of Determination and it influences his character in some way, I had better remember that he was Determination. I don't want him to be the Angel of Cautiousness in a flashback.
The best thing I have done so far is create an entire fight sequence. I have 2 different settings where 20 possible Celestial Warriors are battling about 15-20 creatures, all of whom are named. Since I have my photos of each character, I can build my battle scenes and move around the photos like a chess board. I can see where each of the creatures dies and where a Warrior is hurt. I no longer have to find the piece of paper where I sketched out stick figures to try to remember which Warrior killed which creature. I now have a battle plan that I can refer to during the editing process. There would be hell to pay if I forgot to kill off one of the creatures. I find it easier to keep track of everyones movements when I can see each piece of the puzzle.
Writing a series is hard enough, but without the right tools to help organize my thoughts, my books would be a rambling mess of continuity problems. I truly have no idea what I would do if I had to rely on being organized on lined paper and Post-It Notes. I am the first one in line to try out a new program to see if it will help me streamline my writing process or help me remember which book someone died in. I know that I wouldn't be able to accomplish such a large undertaking without some kind of digital assistant. If you have a favorite program, let me know and I will try it out!
February 15, 2015
Changing the Name of the Game
When I first came up with the idea of writing a series, I had created a title for the series and the individual books. I thought that the name best represented the books and what they were about. For three years I have been writing these books and have identified them by these titles. The name had become ingrained in my subconscious. The problem came when it was time to publish the first book.
When we started designing the cover, my husband suggested that the title was too common. Since I write paranormal romance, there are a lot of similar themes across the genre. Everyone writes about ghosts, vampires, werewolves, zombies, angels, etc. My book involves all of them, but primarily focuses on fallen angels. If you do a Google search on any of these themes, you will find scores of books with similar titles. You can't throw a rock without hitting the word "angel", especially "fallen angel". I was disheartened to realize that I needed a new title, one that still captured the essence of the book, but was easier to find amongst all the carbon copy titles.
I wallowed in my grief for about two minutes, and then I pushed ahead. I knew it was the right decision if I wanted to be noticed. So for the next ten minutes, we were in a panic trying to come up with an alternate title. We googled different ways of saying angel, apocalypse, Hell, and harbingers, but we got nowhere fast. I was still stunned, so I wracked my brain searching for a better title. It was then that a phrase was thrown out by my husband. It was a simple phrase, but it was relevant to the story, just in a smaller way. As soon as he said the title, I had a fluttering sensation in the pit of my stomach. The more I tested it and rolled it around my head, the more I accepted the new name.
We quickly googled the title and couldn't come up with anything of significance. I breathed a sigh of relief and watched as the title appeared on the cover of my book. While I still missed the old title, I knew it was for the best. I didn't think it would be as successful if I had stuck to my guns and kept the old title.
As writers, we tend to fall in love with our characters and our story lines and are resistant to change when a suggestion is made. The problem comes when we are too stubborn to admit that the change could make a huge difference. I'm thankful that I was in a flexible mood that day and was willing to listen since I do believe it will make a difference.
I still have to get used to the idea that the "Fallen Angels of Temptation" has now become "The Third Throne", but it's slowly sinking in. Now I just have to change my internal working documents on my future books, and I will be set.
When we started designing the cover, my husband suggested that the title was too common. Since I write paranormal romance, there are a lot of similar themes across the genre. Everyone writes about ghosts, vampires, werewolves, zombies, angels, etc. My book involves all of them, but primarily focuses on fallen angels. If you do a Google search on any of these themes, you will find scores of books with similar titles. You can't throw a rock without hitting the word "angel", especially "fallen angel". I was disheartened to realize that I needed a new title, one that still captured the essence of the book, but was easier to find amongst all the carbon copy titles.
I wallowed in my grief for about two minutes, and then I pushed ahead. I knew it was the right decision if I wanted to be noticed. So for the next ten minutes, we were in a panic trying to come up with an alternate title. We googled different ways of saying angel, apocalypse, Hell, and harbingers, but we got nowhere fast. I was still stunned, so I wracked my brain searching for a better title. It was then that a phrase was thrown out by my husband. It was a simple phrase, but it was relevant to the story, just in a smaller way. As soon as he said the title, I had a fluttering sensation in the pit of my stomach. The more I tested it and rolled it around my head, the more I accepted the new name.
We quickly googled the title and couldn't come up with anything of significance. I breathed a sigh of relief and watched as the title appeared on the cover of my book. While I still missed the old title, I knew it was for the best. I didn't think it would be as successful if I had stuck to my guns and kept the old title.
As writers, we tend to fall in love with our characters and our story lines and are resistant to change when a suggestion is made. The problem comes when we are too stubborn to admit that the change could make a huge difference. I'm thankful that I was in a flexible mood that day and was willing to listen since I do believe it will make a difference.
I still have to get used to the idea that the "Fallen Angels of Temptation" has now become "The Third Throne", but it's slowly sinking in. Now I just have to change my internal working documents on my future books, and I will be set.
August 20, 2012
Sunlight vs. Darkness
It seems like forever that I have started a blog entry, but I am assuaging my guilt with the fact that I was holed up finishing Book 1 and working through the tedious process of editing my book. While it is by far the worst part of the writing process and a very important one, it seems like it will never end. The worse part is that is doesn't end, at least until it's finally in print and out or your hands.
Currently I'm going through the depressing part where others are reviewing what you have written and will either gleefully rip it apart, smile a fake smile and pretend it's great or shrugging indifferently. I'm not sure which response I would prefer at this point. My nerves are shot as I eagerly await feedback.
While I have been playing the waiting game, I managed to go outside and remember what the shining thing is the sky is and that there are other food options aside from caffeine laced snacks and soda. I almost feel like I have a life again. So of course what do I do after a few weeks of normalcy? I start working on the other books which are in various states of outline, partial chapters and notes. I'm a sucker for torture.
I feel like if I don't keep going, then I will lose momentum and completely forget what I wrote in Book 1 and forget what my intended objectives are for the remaining books. I was gleeful when I lay down, intent on taking a nap and instead envisioned huge sections for Book 2 that come in blinding glimpses of the obvious. I, of course, had to write them down, and then edit them, and the expound upon them and ultimately forsake my nap.
I am constantly amazed that as well I pretend to know about the world that I'm writing about, I'm taken by surprise by all the things I never knew about. I almost feel like a new reader who is starting a book and turning the pages as quickly as possible to find out what happens next, except that I'm writing the new pages and trying to get to the next one as fast as I can type. It's an exciting experience, if not a little frustration since I want to know how it ends too.
There are days when I think, even if no one else ever reads my books, at least I will have had the amazing opportunity of writing them and getting this interesting world down into print. Other days I hope like heck that someone will read it and tell others and before you know it, tons of people love it. Of course every writer feels that way. I'm just another in a sea of millions, but who cares? I'm doing what I want to do, hopefully.
While it was fun to play in the sunlight for a little while and actually read books that I hadn't written, it's more enticing and interesting to sneak back into the darkness of my room, lit only by my monitor and explore the places inside my head that make me type as fast as I possibly can.
I know more blog posts will follow now that I'm securely back in the curtain drawn room where the sunlight is just a myth and a concept. All the really intriguing things live in the dark.
Currently I'm going through the depressing part where others are reviewing what you have written and will either gleefully rip it apart, smile a fake smile and pretend it's great or shrugging indifferently. I'm not sure which response I would prefer at this point. My nerves are shot as I eagerly await feedback.
While I have been playing the waiting game, I managed to go outside and remember what the shining thing is the sky is and that there are other food options aside from caffeine laced snacks and soda. I almost feel like I have a life again. So of course what do I do after a few weeks of normalcy? I start working on the other books which are in various states of outline, partial chapters and notes. I'm a sucker for torture.
I feel like if I don't keep going, then I will lose momentum and completely forget what I wrote in Book 1 and forget what my intended objectives are for the remaining books. I was gleeful when I lay down, intent on taking a nap and instead envisioned huge sections for Book 2 that come in blinding glimpses of the obvious. I, of course, had to write them down, and then edit them, and the expound upon them and ultimately forsake my nap.
I am constantly amazed that as well I pretend to know about the world that I'm writing about, I'm taken by surprise by all the things I never knew about. I almost feel like a new reader who is starting a book and turning the pages as quickly as possible to find out what happens next, except that I'm writing the new pages and trying to get to the next one as fast as I can type. It's an exciting experience, if not a little frustration since I want to know how it ends too.
There are days when I think, even if no one else ever reads my books, at least I will have had the amazing opportunity of writing them and getting this interesting world down into print. Other days I hope like heck that someone will read it and tell others and before you know it, tons of people love it. Of course every writer feels that way. I'm just another in a sea of millions, but who cares? I'm doing what I want to do, hopefully.
While it was fun to play in the sunlight for a little while and actually read books that I hadn't written, it's more enticing and interesting to sneak back into the darkness of my room, lit only by my monitor and explore the places inside my head that make me type as fast as I possibly can.
I know more blog posts will follow now that I'm securely back in the curtain drawn room where the sunlight is just a myth and a concept. All the really intriguing things live in the dark.
June 2, 2012
Balancing Work and Writing
I have to admit that I am not a full time writer, though there are times that I think I would like to be one. Given that I am still in the process of writing my series, I still have to pay the bills in someway. So, since I must work and take care of my family and dogs, I have to find the time to write. Thankfully I have a husband that supports me, usually, as long as the house isn't falling apart while I'm in my writing cave. Yet, even with the support of my family, I still have to find a few precious hours here and there to focus on my writing and get my words down on paper.
In previous blogs I have mentioned that you have to make time for yourself if you want to write. Even though I am committed to my project, there are days when I'm tired or cranky or blocked, yet I don't give up. I don't allow myself to forget what my goal is and why I'm doing this. I'm not doing this for fame and fortune, though I wouldn't threw it away, but I'm writing because I like my characters and want to bring them to life. It's that goal that makes me sit down once everyone is in bed and write for a few hours before I pass out. Granted it's easier when inspiration is driving me crazy and nagging at me to type faster and get all my ideas down, but even when I'm not motivated, I still have to get things done.
I ask you, after a commute to and from work, after being yelled at by your boss or having trouble with your co-workers and dealing with customers, and then coming home, making dinner, stopping all the unnecessary sibling fights, do you want to sit down and write, probably not? What I find most helpful is thinking about what I want to write during my spare moments in the day. I love talking things out in the car, while making dinner, taking a long shower, but I have to find the energy to sit down at night and work. There are weeks were I'm too stressed to concentrate but then I look forward to the weekend. I steal any time that I can during those two days to kick the crap out of my keyboard and jam as much into the computer as I can. For example, last weekend I added a scene to Book 1 that helps with an emotional response that I found was originally lacking. I realized my character never really accepted that she loved the hero, or in this case, the anti-hero. By adding a few paragraphs, I was able to show an important emotion that will balance out the story. It took a few hours to re-work until I was happy, but it was well worth it and it didn't take weeks to write. I also came up with a kick-butt opening to Book 6. Something I didn't even know I had in me.
Balancing out your life is never an easy thing, no matter what your interests or responsibilities are, but it's important that you don't lose sight of your goals. We are constantly kicking Thing 1 in the butt about what goals he should be setting in his life, goals for 1 year, 5 years, 10 years. It's important to set realistic goals with your writing so that work and life won't overtake your passion. Even if you get stalled for a week or two, don't just walk away and let your project sit around collecting dust. If you are passionate enough about what you do and the story you are writing, you will learn to make the time alotted, work for you. It may take a day, a month or a year to finish what you started, but don't let anything get in the way of your dream, even if it's bills. If you want something badly enough, you will find a way.
In previous blogs I have mentioned that you have to make time for yourself if you want to write. Even though I am committed to my project, there are days when I'm tired or cranky or blocked, yet I don't give up. I don't allow myself to forget what my goal is and why I'm doing this. I'm not doing this for fame and fortune, though I wouldn't threw it away, but I'm writing because I like my characters and want to bring them to life. It's that goal that makes me sit down once everyone is in bed and write for a few hours before I pass out. Granted it's easier when inspiration is driving me crazy and nagging at me to type faster and get all my ideas down, but even when I'm not motivated, I still have to get things done.
I ask you, after a commute to and from work, after being yelled at by your boss or having trouble with your co-workers and dealing with customers, and then coming home, making dinner, stopping all the unnecessary sibling fights, do you want to sit down and write, probably not? What I find most helpful is thinking about what I want to write during my spare moments in the day. I love talking things out in the car, while making dinner, taking a long shower, but I have to find the energy to sit down at night and work. There are weeks were I'm too stressed to concentrate but then I look forward to the weekend. I steal any time that I can during those two days to kick the crap out of my keyboard and jam as much into the computer as I can. For example, last weekend I added a scene to Book 1 that helps with an emotional response that I found was originally lacking. I realized my character never really accepted that she loved the hero, or in this case, the anti-hero. By adding a few paragraphs, I was able to show an important emotion that will balance out the story. It took a few hours to re-work until I was happy, but it was well worth it and it didn't take weeks to write. I also came up with a kick-butt opening to Book 6. Something I didn't even know I had in me.
Balancing out your life is never an easy thing, no matter what your interests or responsibilities are, but it's important that you don't lose sight of your goals. We are constantly kicking Thing 1 in the butt about what goals he should be setting in his life, goals for 1 year, 5 years, 10 years. It's important to set realistic goals with your writing so that work and life won't overtake your passion. Even if you get stalled for a week or two, don't just walk away and let your project sit around collecting dust. If you are passionate enough about what you do and the story you are writing, you will learn to make the time alotted, work for you. It may take a day, a month or a year to finish what you started, but don't let anything get in the way of your dream, even if it's bills. If you want something badly enough, you will find a way.
May 19, 2012
Turning Trauma into Something Positive through Writing
You don't have to be an author to be able to write. That may sound silly, but it's true. So many people tell that they don't like to write or that they don't enjoy it, yet writing is simply a physical account of things that could have easily been spoken. We all speak everyday. We all have ideas that populate our brains, some people just enjoy chronicling their words for others to read. If you speak about something, you are creating words that are just as meaningful as the ones that are written. This is why we need to be careful about what we say as well as what we write. We can use our words to be kind to people, to influence people to do amazing things, or we can use our words to hurt others and tear them down. You don't have to write the words down for them to upset someone.
There is a national campaign that is actively trying to combat bullies not only in the school systems, but in everyday life. They are trying to gain support by telling kids to talk to their parents and teachers about what is happening to them. I have read so many heartbreaking stories about kids who have given up on life because they have been beaten down by bullies. It's hard to believe that people can be cruel enough to cause others to consider taking their own lives, but it happens and it happens everyday.
The popular thing to do for awhile was to write your experiences and feelings down on cards and play music in the background to express sadness. It opened up the eyes of a lot of people. I read an article about a woman who told her story on her Facebook so that everyone she went to school with could understand what she went through and how she survived. It takes a lot of strength to come forward to talk about your experiences.
Every single person has experienced some form of bullying in their lives. It could have been someone in school, or a sibling, or an adult, or an abusive parent. Regardless of who did the bullying or abusing, the worse possible thing to do is be silent. Silence hurts more than the words that are said to us. When we stay silent and allow ourselves to suffer, the positive things die inside of us. Confidence, Self-Esteem, Courage, Happiness, and Hope are beaten down until they are gone. We start to believe the words that we hear and we give the bullies even more power over us.
The longer we stay silent, the longer the words grow into fear and depression. Why do we believe other people when they call us stupid? Why do we care if someone doesn't like our clothes? Why to we let the popular kids tell us that we aren't cool enough? Why do we believe that we are worthless? The answer is, because we need other people to believe in us because we can't believe in ourselves. It's sad, but it's true. Instead of looking for others to tell us if we are funny, or smart, or pretty, or talented, we need to start believing these things about ourselves. We need to take the power away from the bullies and find our own source of confidence.
Everyone has suffered in their lives and so many people are afraid to speak out. What happens when someone does speak out and no one listens or doesn't act on it? For years I remained silent about the abuse that I was suffering at home. It wasn't until I was much older that I started to talk about it. I never thought that anyone would believe what I was going through. I didn't have bruises or scars to show anyone. The evidence that I did have was locked away and inaccessible. So who is going to believe a teenager over an adult? Even when I did find the courage to speak out, my efforts were stalemated and help never came. My source of help came when I called 911 because I finally had enough and wanted to end my life. It was my own mother was asked me the simple question of, "Why?" Why would I want to escape my life? Because I confided in the wrong person and help never came. My words were ignored and claimed to be misunderstood. I retreated further into my depression and swore I would never speak out again. Silence became my best friend and my worst enemy. Looking back I realized who I should have spoken to and often wondered what would have happened if I did confide in the right people. Maybe I would have been saved much earlier and maybe I wouldn't have had to call an ambulance to help me.
While it may seem scary to talk about your experiences, it can be quite liberating when you do and sometimes positive things can come from it. I wrote the beginning draft of a story when I was a teenager. It was violent and angry and allowed me to express some of my feelings even if I wasn't talking about my own problems. I was able to vent my frustrations through writing. I recently found the draft and it was different than how I remembered it. When I read it I remembered that I used part of my suicide note in the story. I felt at the time that it was the only way for me to tell my story, even if it was embedded within a fictional story. Today I am finally working on the story that came from my originaldraft and from my pain. It has allowed me to finally work through some of the emotions that I had at the time, even if the story has little to do with my life. Some of the frustrations and emotions that I had are spread throughout the story. Perhaps it's a way of finding some sort of closure, a way to deal with what happened to me. I'm using my words to deal with the difficult things that I have endured. I encourage you to do the same.
There is a national campaign that is actively trying to combat bullies not only in the school systems, but in everyday life. They are trying to gain support by telling kids to talk to their parents and teachers about what is happening to them. I have read so many heartbreaking stories about kids who have given up on life because they have been beaten down by bullies. It's hard to believe that people can be cruel enough to cause others to consider taking their own lives, but it happens and it happens everyday.
The popular thing to do for awhile was to write your experiences and feelings down on cards and play music in the background to express sadness. It opened up the eyes of a lot of people. I read an article about a woman who told her story on her Facebook so that everyone she went to school with could understand what she went through and how she survived. It takes a lot of strength to come forward to talk about your experiences.
Every single person has experienced some form of bullying in their lives. It could have been someone in school, or a sibling, or an adult, or an abusive parent. Regardless of who did the bullying or abusing, the worse possible thing to do is be silent. Silence hurts more than the words that are said to us. When we stay silent and allow ourselves to suffer, the positive things die inside of us. Confidence, Self-Esteem, Courage, Happiness, and Hope are beaten down until they are gone. We start to believe the words that we hear and we give the bullies even more power over us.
The longer we stay silent, the longer the words grow into fear and depression. Why do we believe other people when they call us stupid? Why do we care if someone doesn't like our clothes? Why to we let the popular kids tell us that we aren't cool enough? Why do we believe that we are worthless? The answer is, because we need other people to believe in us because we can't believe in ourselves. It's sad, but it's true. Instead of looking for others to tell us if we are funny, or smart, or pretty, or talented, we need to start believing these things about ourselves. We need to take the power away from the bullies and find our own source of confidence.
Everyone has suffered in their lives and so many people are afraid to speak out. What happens when someone does speak out and no one listens or doesn't act on it? For years I remained silent about the abuse that I was suffering at home. It wasn't until I was much older that I started to talk about it. I never thought that anyone would believe what I was going through. I didn't have bruises or scars to show anyone. The evidence that I did have was locked away and inaccessible. So who is going to believe a teenager over an adult? Even when I did find the courage to speak out, my efforts were stalemated and help never came. My source of help came when I called 911 because I finally had enough and wanted to end my life. It was my own mother was asked me the simple question of, "Why?" Why would I want to escape my life? Because I confided in the wrong person and help never came. My words were ignored and claimed to be misunderstood. I retreated further into my depression and swore I would never speak out again. Silence became my best friend and my worst enemy. Looking back I realized who I should have spoken to and often wondered what would have happened if I did confide in the right people. Maybe I would have been saved much earlier and maybe I wouldn't have had to call an ambulance to help me.
While it may seem scary to talk about your experiences, it can be quite liberating when you do and sometimes positive things can come from it. I wrote the beginning draft of a story when I was a teenager. It was violent and angry and allowed me to express some of my feelings even if I wasn't talking about my own problems. I was able to vent my frustrations through writing. I recently found the draft and it was different than how I remembered it. When I read it I remembered that I used part of my suicide note in the story. I felt at the time that it was the only way for me to tell my story, even if it was embedded within a fictional story. Today I am finally working on the story that came from my originaldraft and from my pain. It has allowed me to finally work through some of the emotions that I had at the time, even if the story has little to do with my life. Some of the frustrations and emotions that I had are spread throughout the story. Perhaps it's a way of finding some sort of closure, a way to deal with what happened to me. I'm using my words to deal with the difficult things that I have endured. I encourage you to do the same.
Using Your Words to Stop the Pain
You don't have to be an author to be able to write. That may sound silly, but it's true. So many people tell that they don't like to write or that they don't enjoy it, yet writing is simply a physical account of things that could have easily been spoken. We all speak everyday. We all have ideas that populate our brains, some people just enjoy chronicling their words for others to read. If you speak about something, you are creating words that are just as meaningful as the ones that are written. This is why we need to be careful about what we say as well as what we write. We can use our words to be kind to people, to influence people to do amazing things, or we can use our words to hurt others and tear them down. You don't have to write the words down for them to upset someone.
There is a national campaign that is actively trying to combat bullies not only in the school systems, but in everyday life. They are trying to gain support by telling kids to tell their parents and the teachers what is happening to them. I have read so many heartbreaking stories about kids who have given up on life because they have been beaten down by bullies. It's hard to believe that people can be cruel enough to cause others to consider taking their own lives, but it happens and it happens everyday.
The popular thing to do for awhile was to write your experiences and feelings down on cards and play music in the background to express their sadness. It opened up the eyes of a lot of people. I read an article about a woman who told her story on her Facebook so that everyone she went to school with could understand what she went through and how she survived. It takes a lot of strength to come forward to talk about your experiences.
Every single person has experienced some form of bullying in their lives. It could have been someone in school, or a sibling or an adult or an abusive parent, regardless of who did the bullying or abusing, the worse possible thing to do is be silent. Silence hurts more than the words that are said to us. When we stay silent and allow ourselves to suffer the positive things die inside of us, Confidence, Self-Esteem, Courage, Happiness, and Hope. We start to believe the words that we hear and we give the bullies even more power over us.
The longer we stay silent, the longer the words grow into fear and into depression. Why do we believe other people when they call us stupid? Why do we care if someone doesn't like our clothes? Why to we let the popular kids tell us that we aren't cool enough? Why do we believe that we are worthless? The answer is, because we need other people to believe in us because we can't believe in ourselves. It's sad, but it's true. Instead of looking for others to tell us if we are funny, or smart or pretty or talented, we need to start believing these things about ourselves. Take the power away from the bullies and find our own source of confidence.
Everyone has suffered in their lives and so many people are afraid to speak out. What happens when someone does speak out and no one listens or doesn't act on it? For years I remained silent about the abuse that I was suffering at home. It wasn't until I was much older that I started to talk about it. I never thought that anyone would believe what I was going through. I didn't have bruises or scars to show anyone. The evidence that I did have was locked away and inaccessible. So who is going to believe a teenager over an adult? Even when I did find the courage to speak out, my efforts were stalemated and help never came. My source of help came when I called 911 because I finally had enough and wanted to end my life. It was my own mother was asked me the simple question of, "Why?" Why would I want to escape my life? Because I confided in the wrong person and help never came. My words were ignored and claimed to be misunderstood. I retreated further into my depression and swore I would never speak out again. Silent became my best friend and my worst enemy. Looking back I realized who I should have spoken to and often wondered what would have happened if I did confide in the right people. May I would have been saved much earlier and maybe I wouldn't have had to call an ambulance to help me.
While it may seem scary to talk about your experiences, it can be quite liberating when you do and sometimes positive things can come from it. I wrote the beginning draft of a story when I was a teenager. It was violent and angry and allowed me to express some of my feelings even if I wasn't talking about my problems. I was able to vent my frustrations by writing. I recently found the draft and it was different than how I remember it. It has changed a lot over time. When I read it I remembered that I used part of my suicide note in the story. I felt at the time that it was the only way for me to tell my story, even if it was embedded within a fictional story. Today I am finally working on the story that came from my originally draft and from my original pain. It has allowed me to finally work through some of the emotions that I had at the time, even if the story has little to do with my life. Some of the frustrations and emotions that I had are spread throughout the story. Perhaps it's a way of finding some sort of closure, a way to deal with what happened to me. I'm using my words to deal with the difficult things that I have endured. I encourage you to do the same.
There is a national campaign that is actively trying to combat bullies not only in the school systems, but in everyday life. They are trying to gain support by telling kids to tell their parents and the teachers what is happening to them. I have read so many heartbreaking stories about kids who have given up on life because they have been beaten down by bullies. It's hard to believe that people can be cruel enough to cause others to consider taking their own lives, but it happens and it happens everyday.
The popular thing to do for awhile was to write your experiences and feelings down on cards and play music in the background to express their sadness. It opened up the eyes of a lot of people. I read an article about a woman who told her story on her Facebook so that everyone she went to school with could understand what she went through and how she survived. It takes a lot of strength to come forward to talk about your experiences.
Every single person has experienced some form of bullying in their lives. It could have been someone in school, or a sibling or an adult or an abusive parent, regardless of who did the bullying or abusing, the worse possible thing to do is be silent. Silence hurts more than the words that are said to us. When we stay silent and allow ourselves to suffer the positive things die inside of us, Confidence, Self-Esteem, Courage, Happiness, and Hope. We start to believe the words that we hear and we give the bullies even more power over us.
The longer we stay silent, the longer the words grow into fear and into depression. Why do we believe other people when they call us stupid? Why do we care if someone doesn't like our clothes? Why to we let the popular kids tell us that we aren't cool enough? Why do we believe that we are worthless? The answer is, because we need other people to believe in us because we can't believe in ourselves. It's sad, but it's true. Instead of looking for others to tell us if we are funny, or smart or pretty or talented, we need to start believing these things about ourselves. Take the power away from the bullies and find our own source of confidence.
Everyone has suffered in their lives and so many people are afraid to speak out. What happens when someone does speak out and no one listens or doesn't act on it? For years I remained silent about the abuse that I was suffering at home. It wasn't until I was much older that I started to talk about it. I never thought that anyone would believe what I was going through. I didn't have bruises or scars to show anyone. The evidence that I did have was locked away and inaccessible. So who is going to believe a teenager over an adult? Even when I did find the courage to speak out, my efforts were stalemated and help never came. My source of help came when I called 911 because I finally had enough and wanted to end my life. It was my own mother was asked me the simple question of, "Why?" Why would I want to escape my life? Because I confided in the wrong person and help never came. My words were ignored and claimed to be misunderstood. I retreated further into my depression and swore I would never speak out again. Silent became my best friend and my worst enemy. Looking back I realized who I should have spoken to and often wondered what would have happened if I did confide in the right people. May I would have been saved much earlier and maybe I wouldn't have had to call an ambulance to help me.
While it may seem scary to talk about your experiences, it can be quite liberating when you do and sometimes positive things can come from it. I wrote the beginning draft of a story when I was a teenager. It was violent and angry and allowed me to express some of my feelings even if I wasn't talking about my problems. I was able to vent my frustrations by writing. I recently found the draft and it was different than how I remember it. It has changed a lot over time. When I read it I remembered that I used part of my suicide note in the story. I felt at the time that it was the only way for me to tell my story, even if it was embedded within a fictional story. Today I am finally working on the story that came from my originally draft and from my original pain. It has allowed me to finally work through some of the emotions that I had at the time, even if the story has little to do with my life. Some of the frustrations and emotions that I had are spread throughout the story. Perhaps it's a way of finding some sort of closure, a way to deal with what happened to me. I'm using my words to deal with the difficult things that I have endured. I encourage you to do the same.
May 13, 2012
Google Me This
We all remember the 90's and earlier where you had to actually go to a bookstore or dig out your encyclopedias to research anything. We have become completely spoiled by the internet and our smart phones and how easy we can find information. If someone is talking about a song and argues with someone about what year it came out, we simply whip out our iPhone and google it. In a matter of seconds you can have the date it was released, the person who sang it, the position it was on the charts and the full lyrics. I say, thank you internet gods for inventing such a marvelous thing!
When I started writing in the early 90's I had a hard time referencing real places or historical facts since I only had an encyclopedia from 1970 and it wasn't a good one. It was difficult writing about different places or people since I didn't have enough information at my fingertips. I also couldn't drive at the time and didn't want to have to ask my grandmother to take me to the library so I could write for fun. It just didn't work. Now that I'm older and technology has advanced to the point of instant information, I am overjoyed. I desperately try and use it to my advantage. Without even getting out of my chair I can search for a type of perfume from 1995 that a teenage girl would have worn...and no I had no personal reference since I was not cool and trendy and never wore perfume. I was clueless. I found out that Angel perfume was popular at the time and it fit perfectly into my story. Yey Wikipedia! Don't even get my started on video game references.
The interesting thing about using search engines to aid in my writing is all the different ways I have been able to use it. Yes I can search natural disasters that happened 3000 years ago and I can learn about different geographical locations created by an ice age, but I can also use it to help me design furniture or room layouts. I'm the type of writer who is good with characters and speeches. I can do emotions and drama. My downfall is describing what a room or a landscape looks like. I'm terrible with interior design and don't know a chaise from a vanity. Just last night I was try to design my heroine's room and I had to google a ton of different furniture ideas. I would have never been able to come up with such elaborate designs without a little help. Even if I don't always describe them in epic detail, just looking at the image will sometimes help me set up a scene. I personally hit up the Pottery Barn website to get an idea of what my vampire farm boy's modern apartment would look like. It gave me so many ideas of how to layout the room that I felt more comfortable writing about it.
I personally have collected images that remind me of my characters or my locations so that I rummage through them when I need inspiration. While I'm a very visual person, I tend to have trouble keeping the images focused in my head. When I write, I think about the characters actions and words, not necessarily the way they look so I need to go back and look at what photo originally inspired me so that I can create the detail. My collage of photos makes everything more real and accessible allowing me the freedom to create my story.
If anyone were to look through my browser history they would immediately be concerned. I know the genre that I'm writing for and the different kinds of characters that I am creating. There are many times when I have to turn to the dark side and learn about less favorable subjects. I have googled prisons, insane asylums from the 1800's, cult leaders, and of course Satan. I have even looked up what is considered to be the first prison in Italy located in Rome. Some of these subjects would be embarrassing or difficult to research in person. I like keeping my distance from the asylums since they freak me out. I'm perfectly happy to let Wiki and Google access the information and keep me safe.
I know people will argue that going to these places and searching through books is the best way to learn about these things, but I'm not writing a historical romance novel but merely sprinkling these things throughout my stories. Besides, I was in Rome and I don't remember the prison being on the tour, though the building does look vaguely familiar. (My personal favorite was pulling up pictures of the Colosseum and turning the camera view to get all the sides. Having been there it was a nice refresher and I enjoyed the detail.) Also, I'm not going to rummage through furniture stores looking for the perfect chair. I find that taking a few hours away from what I'm writing to research something outweighs the time taken from writing. Having pictures of Romanian castles, cliffs in Norway and cabins in Montana have vastly improved my settings and detail so that I can put my characters in interesting a exciting locations. I wouldn't give it up for anything.
When I started writing in the early 90's I had a hard time referencing real places or historical facts since I only had an encyclopedia from 1970 and it wasn't a good one. It was difficult writing about different places or people since I didn't have enough information at my fingertips. I also couldn't drive at the time and didn't want to have to ask my grandmother to take me to the library so I could write for fun. It just didn't work. Now that I'm older and technology has advanced to the point of instant information, I am overjoyed. I desperately try and use it to my advantage. Without even getting out of my chair I can search for a type of perfume from 1995 that a teenage girl would have worn...and no I had no personal reference since I was not cool and trendy and never wore perfume. I was clueless. I found out that Angel perfume was popular at the time and it fit perfectly into my story. Yey Wikipedia! Don't even get my started on video game references.
The interesting thing about using search engines to aid in my writing is all the different ways I have been able to use it. Yes I can search natural disasters that happened 3000 years ago and I can learn about different geographical locations created by an ice age, but I can also use it to help me design furniture or room layouts. I'm the type of writer who is good with characters and speeches. I can do emotions and drama. My downfall is describing what a room or a landscape looks like. I'm terrible with interior design and don't know a chaise from a vanity. Just last night I was try to design my heroine's room and I had to google a ton of different furniture ideas. I would have never been able to come up with such elaborate designs without a little help. Even if I don't always describe them in epic detail, just looking at the image will sometimes help me set up a scene. I personally hit up the Pottery Barn website to get an idea of what my vampire farm boy's modern apartment would look like. It gave me so many ideas of how to layout the room that I felt more comfortable writing about it.
I personally have collected images that remind me of my characters or my locations so that I rummage through them when I need inspiration. While I'm a very visual person, I tend to have trouble keeping the images focused in my head. When I write, I think about the characters actions and words, not necessarily the way they look so I need to go back and look at what photo originally inspired me so that I can create the detail. My collage of photos makes everything more real and accessible allowing me the freedom to create my story.
If anyone were to look through my browser history they would immediately be concerned. I know the genre that I'm writing for and the different kinds of characters that I am creating. There are many times when I have to turn to the dark side and learn about less favorable subjects. I have googled prisons, insane asylums from the 1800's, cult leaders, and of course Satan. I have even looked up what is considered to be the first prison in Italy located in Rome. Some of these subjects would be embarrassing or difficult to research in person. I like keeping my distance from the asylums since they freak me out. I'm perfectly happy to let Wiki and Google access the information and keep me safe.
I know people will argue that going to these places and searching through books is the best way to learn about these things, but I'm not writing a historical romance novel but merely sprinkling these things throughout my stories. Besides, I was in Rome and I don't remember the prison being on the tour, though the building does look vaguely familiar. (My personal favorite was pulling up pictures of the Colosseum and turning the camera view to get all the sides. Having been there it was a nice refresher and I enjoyed the detail.) Also, I'm not going to rummage through furniture stores looking for the perfect chair. I find that taking a few hours away from what I'm writing to research something outweighs the time taken from writing. Having pictures of Romanian castles, cliffs in Norway and cabins in Montana have vastly improved my settings and detail so that I can put my characters in interesting a exciting locations. I wouldn't give it up for anything.
May 8, 2012
Musical Inspiration that Can Help Your Writing
I was reading a story to Thing 2 awhile back called Bad Kitty. It's a series about well, a bad kitty. This one was about politics and explained how kitty wanted to become head of the neighborhood block patrol. The story is written for kids and is sarcastic and funny. It has illustrations of what the cat is doing to keep the kids interested. There were two pages in the book where it shows a 6 panel cartoon sketch explaining the action. On top corner of the panel was a note written from the writer of the book to the editor of the book. They broke the 4th wall and went outside of the story to make a joke. The note said..."Bob (the editor), here would be a good place for the swelling dramatic music". There was a reply below it that said, "John (the writer) this is a book. We can't use music." The write replied, "Oh right, never mind". While we all get the joke that a book can't have a musical score playing the background and a theme song, that doesn't mean the writer can't use music to inspire their writing.
People love to use music in all areas of their lives. We use it for celebrations like at a wedding or a dance. Everyone knows the wedding march or the number one song currently playing on the radio. We listen to songs when we are sad and want to cheer ourselves up or listen to a upbeat song just because we are happy and want to express it. Come Monday morning I want to listen to any dance song I can find to motivate myself into waking up so that I start my day. The right song can make the worst commutes manageable. I am also known to blast Industrial music or Metal when I'm angry and had a bad day. Music helps us cope with life, so why not let it help our writing?
(Note to reader...here comes the example.) It's 8:00 pm and the kids are screaming and there was a ten car pile up on the Parkway and a customer yelled at you on the phone, but it's time to write a kissing scene where the two people are so focused on each other that the entire world has fallen away. Hard to do when the dogs are currently fighting over prime couch position. Once I lock the door, I put on my "mood music" and pretend that nothing else exists other than the characters I'm writing for. I personally like "Overcome" by Tricky Tricky - Overcome, "Fade Into You" by Mazzy Star Mazzy Star - Fade Into You or Portishead, "Sour Times" Portishead - Sour Times. I can listen to these songs and put myself into a place far away from the distractions and write what I need to write.
The best part about music is that there is an unlimited supply of it and every song makes you feel something unique. A happy song can make us angry because it reminds us of an ex-boyfriend or girlfriend or a sad song can remind us of someone that we lost. The lyrics don't even have to match your mood as long as the music creates the emotion needed. Whatever song you use make sure it matches the feeling you are trying to create. Let it drive the action or the plot or the emotion of the character. There are endless ways of allowing music to enhance your writing.
I was driving in the car the other day...my fav place to work through my writing ideas and I was listening to Front Line Assembly "Prophecy" Front Line Assembly - Prophecy and came up with my battle scene for Book 6. I had always envisioned a battle while listen to it, but didn't know who was fighting. I Started thinking about my Fallen Angels and my pesky vampire problem and voila I had a war. I also like Smashing Pumpkins "The End is the Beginning is the End" Smashing Pumpkins - The End is the Beginning of the End - The Watchmen version, not the Batman version. It's good for a nice creepy battle with things that have fangs and claws. While you can't write in slow motion I certainly think of it that way in my head.
Now the speed round...listen to this and tell me what you want to write about...Jem - "It's Amazing" Jem - It's Amazing...
(No peeking and no coping off anyone else's sheet.)
Here's what I came up with...first round draft notes version: There is a grand staircase in a museum. People are all dressed up, chatting about the exhibits and paintings. A woman in a long tight dress descends the staircase, champagne in hand. She has her eyes locked a man who is talking to the security detail, but obviously a man of importance in his tux. He turns and politely speaks to the woman standing next to him and out of the corner of his eye sees the woman on the staircase. She crosses the marble floor and smiles at him, but keeps walking. He smirks and nodded to the head of security to keep an eye on things. She leaves her drink on a side table and leads the man into an elevator. He gets into the elevator and waits for the doors to close. They quip about the crowd and and the champagne. He invites her to a private suite. She smiles and says she prefers the elevator. She stops the elevator and grabs him for a harsh kiss. She pulls off his jacket and throws it behind her. He grabs her and pulls her closer. She leans back, punches him with a right cross, sending him into the wall. She kicks him with a roundhouse to the face, but he blocks the kick. He throws a punch and she ducks. She throws herself shoulder first into his gut and propells him into the wall. He hits his head and is rendered unconscious. She throws her red hair back and fixes her dress and makeup. She grabs the jacket from the floor and pulls out the security card. She activates the com in her ear as the door at the top of the elevator opens to reveal her partner. She tossed the key to him and jumps up to escape the elevator. She goes through the open elevator door on the floor above them and descends the stairs to rejoin the party.
(Not that this is my style of writing, but it's something that came to mind in the few minutes that I listened to the music. It's also a first draft, so ignore the writing, it's merely meant as an example of what you can write by listening to the music.)
No matter what kind of song you listen to or what you are writing, there is a song to fit every style of writing. Use it to unlock places in your mind that you didn't know existed. Just stay away from the corny stuff like the "Chicken Dance" or "YMCA". I'll leave you with the grand sweeping dramatic music. Escala - Requiem for a Tower
People love to use music in all areas of their lives. We use it for celebrations like at a wedding or a dance. Everyone knows the wedding march or the number one song currently playing on the radio. We listen to songs when we are sad and want to cheer ourselves up or listen to a upbeat song just because we are happy and want to express it. Come Monday morning I want to listen to any dance song I can find to motivate myself into waking up so that I start my day. The right song can make the worst commutes manageable. I am also known to blast Industrial music or Metal when I'm angry and had a bad day. Music helps us cope with life, so why not let it help our writing?
(Note to reader...here comes the example.) It's 8:00 pm and the kids are screaming and there was a ten car pile up on the Parkway and a customer yelled at you on the phone, but it's time to write a kissing scene where the two people are so focused on each other that the entire world has fallen away. Hard to do when the dogs are currently fighting over prime couch position. Once I lock the door, I put on my "mood music" and pretend that nothing else exists other than the characters I'm writing for. I personally like "Overcome" by Tricky Tricky - Overcome, "Fade Into You" by Mazzy Star Mazzy Star - Fade Into You or Portishead, "Sour Times" Portishead - Sour Times. I can listen to these songs and put myself into a place far away from the distractions and write what I need to write.
The best part about music is that there is an unlimited supply of it and every song makes you feel something unique. A happy song can make us angry because it reminds us of an ex-boyfriend or girlfriend or a sad song can remind us of someone that we lost. The lyrics don't even have to match your mood as long as the music creates the emotion needed. Whatever song you use make sure it matches the feeling you are trying to create. Let it drive the action or the plot or the emotion of the character. There are endless ways of allowing music to enhance your writing.
I was driving in the car the other day...my fav place to work through my writing ideas and I was listening to Front Line Assembly "Prophecy" Front Line Assembly - Prophecy and came up with my battle scene for Book 6. I had always envisioned a battle while listen to it, but didn't know who was fighting. I Started thinking about my Fallen Angels and my pesky vampire problem and voila I had a war. I also like Smashing Pumpkins "The End is the Beginning is the End" Smashing Pumpkins - The End is the Beginning of the End - The Watchmen version, not the Batman version. It's good for a nice creepy battle with things that have fangs and claws. While you can't write in slow motion I certainly think of it that way in my head.
Now the speed round...listen to this and tell me what you want to write about...Jem - "It's Amazing" Jem - It's Amazing...
(No peeking and no coping off anyone else's sheet.)
Here's what I came up with...first round draft notes version: There is a grand staircase in a museum. People are all dressed up, chatting about the exhibits and paintings. A woman in a long tight dress descends the staircase, champagne in hand. She has her eyes locked a man who is talking to the security detail, but obviously a man of importance in his tux. He turns and politely speaks to the woman standing next to him and out of the corner of his eye sees the woman on the staircase. She crosses the marble floor and smiles at him, but keeps walking. He smirks and nodded to the head of security to keep an eye on things. She leaves her drink on a side table and leads the man into an elevator. He gets into the elevator and waits for the doors to close. They quip about the crowd and and the champagne. He invites her to a private suite. She smiles and says she prefers the elevator. She stops the elevator and grabs him for a harsh kiss. She pulls off his jacket and throws it behind her. He grabs her and pulls her closer. She leans back, punches him with a right cross, sending him into the wall. She kicks him with a roundhouse to the face, but he blocks the kick. He throws a punch and she ducks. She throws herself shoulder first into his gut and propells him into the wall. He hits his head and is rendered unconscious. She throws her red hair back and fixes her dress and makeup. She grabs the jacket from the floor and pulls out the security card. She activates the com in her ear as the door at the top of the elevator opens to reveal her partner. She tossed the key to him and jumps up to escape the elevator. She goes through the open elevator door on the floor above them and descends the stairs to rejoin the party.
(Not that this is my style of writing, but it's something that came to mind in the few minutes that I listened to the music. It's also a first draft, so ignore the writing, it's merely meant as an example of what you can write by listening to the music.)
No matter what kind of song you listen to or what you are writing, there is a song to fit every style of writing. Use it to unlock places in your mind that you didn't know existed. Just stay away from the corny stuff like the "Chicken Dance" or "YMCA". I'll leave you with the grand sweeping dramatic music. Escala - Requiem for a Tower
May 6, 2012
Finding Time to Write
I have so many people tell that they don't have time to write or that there just aren't enough hours in the day. I personally I have said it a million times, yet I told myself that I am committed to creating my series and want to see it through. So how can you find time to write with a job, husband, kids and dogs? You steal every spare moment that you can.
This past week has been very difficult on the writing front. My husband was away for the week so I had full time kid duty. I wasn't focus on writing at all. Dinners had to be made, dogs had to be walked and even a birthday party had to be planned. I technically didn't write a single word, but that doesn't mean that I wasn't writing.
When you have an idea in your head that you feel is strong enough to put down on paper, it comes from your mind, or surroundings or people you know. It's important to look around your busy life and see what inspiration you can get from it. Did the kids say or do something funny? Did the dogs create such havoc that it inspired a funny moment? So often I hear phrases from friends and co-worker that would fit into different places within my story, even if it's something silly. One word or phrase can open a door or lead you down a path that you might never have thought of. My person fav so far would be from my son, "Eww...pit sweat". It was in reference to a bad guy who could create a gush of water that could drown an entire room. Given that my character is already sarcastic and in a verbal battle with the creature, it's well placed. Of course the way my son said it was beyond perfect. He has excellent comedic timing.
When I don't know what to write and I'm stuck, I let my mind wander. I take whatever quiet time I can get and use it to my advantage. When I lay down to go to sleep, I will think of a character and let my mind wander and see what happens. So many of my ideas have come from just falling asleep or just waking up. It's that time and place where dreams are starting to take over and allow for fascinating things to happen. I also take advantage of the quiet in the bathroom. As odd as it may seem I can stare at the blank white walls, brush my teeth and forget about who is punching who in the next room or what Stinkeroo has in his mouth. Sometimes I only need a few minutes of peace to come up with a simple idea and expand upon. Instead of singing in the shower I have whole conversations as my characters. I come up with their humorous or their serious moments. On more than one occasion I have made myself cry in the shower because I came up with an emotional speech. You remember to get out of the shower and back into the real world before you are late for school or work.
Another place to find time to write outside while on a long walk with the dog. I have two different kinds of dogs, the stroller who stops and pees on every plant and the speed walker that just keeps going. Both of them can get the job done. The stroller allows me to look at the trees and the sky and feel the warm breeze and enjoy the moment. I have conversations, come up with landscapes, character motivation, whatever. The speed walker gets me going and I can think of action moments or battle scenes. The dogs can't talk back and don't understand, so who cares what I say to them. They also don't keep asking what time it is or if they can watch TV or who invented the prison system...yes Thing 1 ask me that when he was 4. So next time, volunteer to take the dog for a walk and take the long route. Talk until you are blue in the face and it will amaze you to see what you have accomplished. Personally I figured out a boat load about Book 2 one day and I was grateful. Oh, but don't walk them together otherwise you will only get a workout and nothing written.
My best and favorite place to come up with ideas would be the car. Now, I admit, I do sing in the car. I will sing just about anything. A friend once told me she puts on a performance in the car. I do the same thing, when I just want to forget about everything. When I want to work on a writing problem, I turn down the radio, look at the open landscape and let my mind play. It was on my way to work the other morning that I came up with the battle sequence for Book 6. I have characters and a vague plot, but I wasn't sure what was really going to happen. Thankfully it came to me in full color and surround sound even though I started off with the simple thought of, what do the vampires do? Why were they created? Then bam, I had the answer. Just make sure you are carefully watching the guy who is took busy texting in the next car over to drive straight and stay in his lane.
While it does take time to type everything out and edit and reedit, I will steal any precious minutes that I can. So many mornings I have sat in the parking lot outside of work and typed out basic thoughts on my smartphone and emailed them to myself. I have sat during the kids activities with my iPad and jotted down notes or phrases or even a few words so that I can turn them into something later. It's important to look up and root for the kids and let them know that you saw the goal that they just made.
As much as we all want to publish our stories and our ideas, writing doesn't have to be a 9-5 job. Given that I don't have deadlines, aside from the ones I impose on myself, I have the freedom to write when it comes to me and make time when I have enough to form something cohesive. When I am ready to bust my butt and really write, I make the time. The bottom line is, if you want something badly enough, you make the time for it. Sure I typically write after the kids go to bed for a few hours before I pass out and I will dedicate most of my Sunday to tackling my project full force, yet I try not to let it get me down when I do have to join the real world and leave my writing for the day or the week. I know that even if I don't get a single word written, my mind is still doing the work and I give it every opportunity to so.
This past week has been very difficult on the writing front. My husband was away for the week so I had full time kid duty. I wasn't focus on writing at all. Dinners had to be made, dogs had to be walked and even a birthday party had to be planned. I technically didn't write a single word, but that doesn't mean that I wasn't writing.
When you have an idea in your head that you feel is strong enough to put down on paper, it comes from your mind, or surroundings or people you know. It's important to look around your busy life and see what inspiration you can get from it. Did the kids say or do something funny? Did the dogs create such havoc that it inspired a funny moment? So often I hear phrases from friends and co-worker that would fit into different places within my story, even if it's something silly. One word or phrase can open a door or lead you down a path that you might never have thought of. My person fav so far would be from my son, "Eww...pit sweat". It was in reference to a bad guy who could create a gush of water that could drown an entire room. Given that my character is already sarcastic and in a verbal battle with the creature, it's well placed. Of course the way my son said it was beyond perfect. He has excellent comedic timing.
When I don't know what to write and I'm stuck, I let my mind wander. I take whatever quiet time I can get and use it to my advantage. When I lay down to go to sleep, I will think of a character and let my mind wander and see what happens. So many of my ideas have come from just falling asleep or just waking up. It's that time and place where dreams are starting to take over and allow for fascinating things to happen. I also take advantage of the quiet in the bathroom. As odd as it may seem I can stare at the blank white walls, brush my teeth and forget about who is punching who in the next room or what Stinkeroo has in his mouth. Sometimes I only need a few minutes of peace to come up with a simple idea and expand upon. Instead of singing in the shower I have whole conversations as my characters. I come up with their humorous or their serious moments. On more than one occasion I have made myself cry in the shower because I came up with an emotional speech. You remember to get out of the shower and back into the real world before you are late for school or work.
Another place to find time to write outside while on a long walk with the dog. I have two different kinds of dogs, the stroller who stops and pees on every plant and the speed walker that just keeps going. Both of them can get the job done. The stroller allows me to look at the trees and the sky and feel the warm breeze and enjoy the moment. I have conversations, come up with landscapes, character motivation, whatever. The speed walker gets me going and I can think of action moments or battle scenes. The dogs can't talk back and don't understand, so who cares what I say to them. They also don't keep asking what time it is or if they can watch TV or who invented the prison system...yes Thing 1 ask me that when he was 4. So next time, volunteer to take the dog for a walk and take the long route. Talk until you are blue in the face and it will amaze you to see what you have accomplished. Personally I figured out a boat load about Book 2 one day and I was grateful. Oh, but don't walk them together otherwise you will only get a workout and nothing written.
My best and favorite place to come up with ideas would be the car. Now, I admit, I do sing in the car. I will sing just about anything. A friend once told me she puts on a performance in the car. I do the same thing, when I just want to forget about everything. When I want to work on a writing problem, I turn down the radio, look at the open landscape and let my mind play. It was on my way to work the other morning that I came up with the battle sequence for Book 6. I have characters and a vague plot, but I wasn't sure what was really going to happen. Thankfully it came to me in full color and surround sound even though I started off with the simple thought of, what do the vampires do? Why were they created? Then bam, I had the answer. Just make sure you are carefully watching the guy who is took busy texting in the next car over to drive straight and stay in his lane.
While it does take time to type everything out and edit and reedit, I will steal any precious minutes that I can. So many mornings I have sat in the parking lot outside of work and typed out basic thoughts on my smartphone and emailed them to myself. I have sat during the kids activities with my iPad and jotted down notes or phrases or even a few words so that I can turn them into something later. It's important to look up and root for the kids and let them know that you saw the goal that they just made.
As much as we all want to publish our stories and our ideas, writing doesn't have to be a 9-5 job. Given that I don't have deadlines, aside from the ones I impose on myself, I have the freedom to write when it comes to me and make time when I have enough to form something cohesive. When I am ready to bust my butt and really write, I make the time. The bottom line is, if you want something badly enough, you make the time for it. Sure I typically write after the kids go to bed for a few hours before I pass out and I will dedicate most of my Sunday to tackling my project full force, yet I try not to let it get me down when I do have to join the real world and leave my writing for the day or the week. I know that even if I don't get a single word written, my mind is still doing the work and I give it every opportunity to so.
