Ruth Ann Nordin's Blog, page 67

Updates on What I’m Doing

Done with the First Draft!

Marriage by Deceit: Book 2

This book is finally complete!  A lot of this story entwines with book 3 in that the events that happen in this book lead directly the next book.  This was a fun book.  The hero is intensely shy, and some of the conversations he has with the heroine who is trying to help him find a wife had a humorous note to them.  This book is not a comedy, but it does have some cute moments.  It also has a few serious moments, but I’d say overall, it’s a light-hearted read.

Mr. Christopher Robinson (hero in His Reluctant Lady) and Lord Edon (aka. Ethan who was the hero in A Most Unsuitable Earl) from the Marriage by Scandal series play a big role in the events that transpire in this book because they are up to mischief.  Lord Roderick and Lord Clement in the Marriage by Scandal Series are much too serious, so they would never have worked here.  But for those who enjoy seeing characters from another series, this should be a treat. :)  Personally, Christopher Robinson was my favorite in the Marriage by Scandal Series.

I’m Hoping to Publish Ruined by the Earl in Either March or April

Cover Coming Soon

I’d love to have this out in March, but it depends on how things go.  I had the delay on Love Lessons With the Duke, so it’s possible a snag will develop while writing this that I can’t anticipate ahead of time.   However, my goal is to have it out a month after Love Lessons With the Duke is out so there’s not a long delay between the two books.

So far, the hero in this book is turning out to be just as fun to work with as Christopher Robinson.  In fact, Christopher might find a kindred spirit to be friends with in this book.  I’ll go more into this book later.  Right now, I’m only at chapter 2, so I have yet to see how everything comes together.

But the chemistry between the hero and heroine is already exciting.  She can’t stop crying because he kissed her at a ball, thereby preventing her from marrying the person she wanted.  And while he only did it because he was desperate for the money (there is a good reason behind his actions, but it won’t be revealed until later in the book), the way he reacts to everything is humorous.  He’s got a lot of Christopher in him.  If you read His Reluctant Lady, you know what I mean.

I Just Got to Chapter 2 in This One

This one has been a long time coming since book 1 in the series (The Earl’s Secret Bargain) when Lord Reddington (Orlando) wanted to marry Chloe, but her father arranged a marriage for her to someone else.  Her husband has just died, and Orlando is going to jump at the chance to marry her before her father pairs her up with someone else.  I am aware there was a mourning period and ladies were expected to go longer than gentleman after the death of a spouse before marrying again.  But Orlando is going to whisk her off to Gretna Green anyway.

I’d love to get this out in either April or May so that the entire series can be complete and out before this summer.

On Chapter 3 in This Anthology

This is another anthology Janet Syas Nitsick and I are working on.  We did some writing in it this week to get an idea of where both of our stories will go.  The thing is, since the heroes in novella 1 and novella 2 are brothers who are going to the same farm to work, we need to make sure the stories connect.  While her hero is going to end up with one heroine and my hero will end up with another, they are staying at the same place and dealing with the same people.  So it’s important we don’t contradict each other.  The two novellas will be different romances.  They just overlap because of the brothers being so close.

We’ll be submitting this one to our publisher, Parchment & Plume.  We’re hoping it’ll be out before this summer.

Finally Got It!

I’ll have Stephannie Beman work on the cover to fit it in a series if a series does evolve from this book.

I’m glad I waited for the right plot because now I’m excited about this book.  I was never that excited about the original storyline I had, but now I’m totally psyched and have been writing bits of flash fiction pieces.  I’ll be posting a teaser scene in a couple days.

This will be the first book in a series.  I already have three books planned out for it.  I’ll be referring to the series as “Pioneer Series”.  Since my other historical western series have simple titles like like “Nebraska Series” and “South Dakota Series”, I figure it’d be best to keep to the same simplicity in naming this one.

I am going to modify the cover to Wagon Trail Bride, but it won’t be a whole lot.  I plan to contact Stephannie Beman, my cover artist, about giving the title a “zing” to it and setting the series to the title in there somewhere.  I have the basic image already without the text.  I like the people on the cover.  I’m just not thrilled with the way the text looks.

Then I’ll let her do the covers for the next two books in the series so they all match up.

My Thoughts on the Hunger Games Trilogy

This post contains some spoilers, so don’t read this if you hate spoilers.

I’m currently reading the first book.  So this is really about the two movies Hunger Games (movie 1) and Catching Fire (movie 2).

When I saw the first movie was on video, I watched the very beginning and turned it off.  It looked like it had the potential to be a depressing movie.  I’ve seen the movies Brazil and 1984.  Those depressed me for days.  I’m not a fan of movies or books set in some futuristic time where the state controls everything the individual does.  Why?  Because the oppressors win, and the hero/heroine loses the person they love.  I write romance.  I need my happy ending.

But last month I decided to give the series another chance because my husband had watched the first movie and said it wasn’t as depressing as I expected.  He even said there was a satisfactory romance in it, meaning the boy didn’t die like I thought.  Well, a good romance usually pulls me in, so I figured I’d give it another shot.

I looked for the first movie (Hunger Games) but saw the second one pop up in my search on instant video.  Since the second one (Catching Fire) was free, I decided to give that one a shot.  This way I could test the waters without investing too much into it.

So at the very beginning of this second book, I see Katniss with Gale, and more than that, he kisses her.  My initial thought was, “Oh crap.  She is kissing the guy she didn’t go to the games with in the first movie.”

For those who aren’t familiar with the series, Katniss is the main character.  Gale is her longtime friend.  Peeta was the one selected for the games in the first movie, and he’s the one I was rooting for because from the little bit I watched in the first movie, he looked like the underdog and I have a weakness for the underdog.  Usually, it’s the underdog who will lay down his life for the girl he loves, so I want to see the underdog win her.

So when I saw Gale kiss her, it was a major letdown.  Because what if she ends up with Gale?  Peeta was alive in the second movie, but Katniss wasn’t interested in him.

I was ready to turn the movie off when the heroine was told she needed to pretend to be interested in Peeta.  And this is when I paused the movie and did a search for it on the internet to get spoilers about how this movie was going to play out.  Before I was willing to invest any more time into what was a promising premise, I needed to be assured the entire series would end the way I wanted it to.  I checked out all the spoilers I could find and was relieved that she does end up with Peeta in the end.

So you see?  Spoilers can actually help sell books and movies in certain conditions. :D  But it is a good idea to warn the people that the review contains spoilers so those who don’t want to know what happens won’t get upset.  As for me, if the movie or book is not a romance, I love spoilers that let me know how the romance plays out.  If the hero and heroine don’t end up together, I won’t invest my time in it.  This is a personal preference.  I know some people don’t care either way as long as the story is good.

I did watch movie 2 in its entirety.  Then I went back and bought movie 1.  (Later on, I went back and bought movie 2 even though it’s still free.)

Quick side note: There are some people who claim that no one finds value in anything free, but I love these two movies, and I bought the one that was free.  I then went and bought the books and even bought the soundtrack.  If someone loves something enough, they will be willing to buy it or buy things that go along with it.  So this is why I don’t consider “free” a bad thing.  I get a lot of flack (from other writers) for having some of my own books free, but you know what?  Free is an excellent way to let someone test the waters to see if the book (or movie) is a good match for the person who is investing time into it.  Not only have I ended up buying movies and books that were free, but I usually go to You Tube, listen to songs (for free) for the purpose of picking which ones I like enough to buy off iTunes.

Okay.  Back to the post…

I liked the second movie more than the first because in it, Katniss falls in love with Peeta.  Yay!  My favorite part of the whole movie is when she tells him, “I need you” and kisses him.  Of course, then they are separated again.  But I’m okay with this because I read the reviews on the third book and talked to someone who read the whole series.  Peeta ends up with her, and she has children with him.

I do plan to see the last two movies in the series, but I don’t think I’ll read the third book.  It sounds like there isn’t really a lot of Peeta in there (and he’s my favorite character).  It also sounds like it’s a lot more “war intense” than the first two books.  I’m not reading this trilogy for the “we’re going to knock down the tyrannical government” theme; I’m reading it for the romance.  I am reading book 1 right now and will read book 2 next.  The reason I’m even reading the books to get a deeper point of view in what Katniss is thinking about Peeta during the events in the movies.  I will probably skip book 3 except for the epilogue because someone who likes the same kind of romances I do told me it’s worth reading.  Sorry to those of you who love stuff like battle scenes and such.  Those don’t interest me at all.

I’m hoping the last two movies, they’ll 1) let Katniss’ sister live and 2) keep the momentum going between Katniss and Peeta.  Since this isn’t giving in 1st person point of view like the books, there’s a good chance, we’ll get a deeper look at Peeta and what he’ll be going through.  I really hope the last movie ends on a super happy romantic note.  Yes, I know war is terrible and in real life there would be scars from it all, but I’m hoping they’ll be a fairytale-like quality to it, similar to how Return of the Jedi ended for the original Star Wars Trilogy.  *fingers crossed*

Flash Fiction from Wagon Trail Bride: The Opening Scene

I’m not sure where this is going, but tonight I got an idea for Amanda and Richard Larson and thought I’d run with it to see what happened.  I am a panster, so I have no idea where this will take me.  But since I am dabbling in flash fiction, I thought I’d try my hand at the opening scene in Wagon Trail Bride because I’m hoping it’ll get my brain going.  I do want to write the book.  I’ve been wanting to write it ever since I wrote Sally Larson’s book (Her Heart’s Desire).

I just wasn’t happy with my original attempt.  So I have tossed it all out and am starting over.  Ironically, writing the Regencies has opened my mind for historical westerns.  This is why I write more than one genre.  It helps me stay fresh.

Anyway, here it is.  It’s almost 1000 words long.  It’s not a complete story.  It’s just an opening scene to get the ball rolling.  And, for the first time, I’m excited about telling Amanda and Richard’s tale.

As a side note, I have not done any editing to it.  This is in first draft form.

I’ll have Stephannie Beman work on the cover to fit it in a series if a series does evolve from this book.

****

Amanda bent over the stream and gathered a handful of water then washed her face and the back of her neck the best she could. She knew being on the wagon train heading for Nebraska was going to be rough, but she’d underestimated just how much. Life in New York had been easier than this. The endless days of walking by the wagons beneath the heat of the sun…knowing they had to reach Omaha before the weather turned cold…living off the same staple items or hoping the men would bring back some fresh meat…

But if she’d known it was going to be this difficult, would it have made any difference? She stared at her reflection in the water. Was she a bad person for agreeing to marry Richard? Should she have said no when he asked?

“Amanda Larson, you are a mystery.”

Amanda turned as Laura Rufus knelt beside her, her light blonde hair a stark contrast to Amanda’s dark hair, even though both had their hair pulled back in a bun and were twenty. Wiping the sweat from her brow, she said, “I’m just getting some water to drink.” Then, to demonstrate, she gathered more water in her hands and drank it.

Laura shook her head. “That’s not what I’m talking about, and you know it. You’re so quiet. You keep to yourself. No one really knows you.”

On some days, she could tolerate Laura. On others, all she wanted to do was tell the young woman to mind her own business. At least Richard’s parents left her alone. It helped that Richard had five younger siblings they had to look after. But Laura… Well, she was an only child and—worse—she wasn’t married yet, so she had nothing else to do but follow Amanda around.

Amanda picked up the two canteens from the grass and began filling them up.

“You and Richard don’t act like newlyweds,” Laura continued. “You act more like a brother and sister.”

Biting on her tongue, Amanda willed the water to fill the canteens quicker. Why couldn’t they have found a larger stream?

“Whatever the reason, I bet there’s a good story behind it,” Laura said with a chuckle in her voice. “Why don’t we play a game? I’ll guess what your secret is, and you can give me a nod if I’m right.”

Finally, the canteens were full. Amanda sealed them and stood up. “It’s almost time to walk again. I suggest you fill up your canteen.”

Then she hurried back to the wagon Richard was driving, glad it was two ahead of the one Laura’s family owned. She lowered her gaze as she passed others on her way to Richard. When she reached him, she waited until he finished taking care of the oxen that pulled their wagon before giving him his canteen.

“Thanks,” he said as he set it under his bench. “Do you want to keep walking or take a break and sit for awhile?”

“Walk.”

“Aren’t you tired of walking?”

She slid the strap of the canteen over her head so it hung at her left hip. “I’d rather walk than sit.”

“I don’t understand how you can do it day after day. Don’t your legs ever get tired?”

The prairie wind blew an errant strand of hair in her eyes, and she brushed them away. “I sleep better at night if I walk.” And besides, she got restless when she sat with nothing to do. When she was walking, she was doing something, even if the land spanned for endless miles.

For a moment, she thought he was going to say something, but then he offered a hesitant smile and got up into the seat. She released her breath and started walking, making sure she would have enough distance between herself and the others so she could be alone with her thoughts. Not that she had deep ones. She never let her mind go there. She kept them on pleasant things. The way the sun cast her shadow along the grass, the different flowers she passed by, the sound of the animals that accompanied the group, among other things. Mere distractions. Things to think about to pass the time.

With a glance over her shoulder, she was assured Laura was too far behind her to catch up to her. Of all the people who threatened her peace, it was Laura Rufus. Just what was it about her that made Laura keep talking to her? There were other women in the group. Was it because they were the same age? Or did Laura enjoy watching her squirm?

The leader called out it was time to go, and soon the whole party was moving forward, the mix of oxen, mules and horses going at a steady pace. She pulled the bonnet from her pocket and tied it around her face. If she didn’t, she’d be regretting it that evening. She’d already gotten enough of a sunburn the other day.

Gathering her skirt, she marched forward. From up ahead, Joe Otto, who was riding a horse, looked back at her. Their eyes met for a moment, and her steps slowed, her heart stopping in her throat. She glanced at Richard, but he was too focused on the oxen he was guiding to notice.

Lowering her gaze, she avoided further eye contact with Joe. If she’d known he had taken a job to help lead and protect the wagon train, she never would have agreed to come. So far, he hadn’t approached her, and she could only pray he’d leave her alone for the entire trip. But they still had two months to go, and a lot could happen in that time.

Updates on What I’m Working On

Hope to Finish the First Draft By November 30

This is book 2 in the Marriage by Deceit series.  (The Earl’s Secret Bargain is book 1.)

I was supposed to already be done with this book, but I’m still working on it.  I reached 62,000 words today.  The goal was 65,000 words, but there’s no way it’ll be done at that word count.  I’m not sure how long it’ll be.  At the moment, my estimate is 70,000 words.

I was hoping to finish the first draft at the beginning of October.  However, I am getting there.  The story is turning out to be longer than I expected, which is fine, but this is why I’m glad I pushed the release date back to February 14.  The story would not be good if I rushed it.

A side benefit to going slower on this book that I didn’t expect is that I got the ideas for books 3 and 4 in this Regency series.  Since I have ideas for these books and these books are ready to be written, I started those.

RUINED BY THE EARL
(Cover Coming Soon)

This is book 3.

I didn’t plan on this book, but while I was writing Love Lessons With the Duke, the idea came to me.  The basic plot is that this self-centered earl (who will learn to care for others by the end of the book) creates a scandal so an unsuspecting young lady has to marry him.  This is Lord Toplyn who made a brief appearance in The Earl’s Secret Bargain.

Ruing by the Earl begins 3/4 into the time line of Love Lessons With the Duke.  There’s a reason for this, but since I don’t want to spoil Love Lessons, I won’t mention it here.  I’m excited about this.  The hero as fun to work with as Christopher Robinson (from His Reluctant Lady).  I loved writing Christopher.  He might have given poor Perry a lot of grief, he didn’t a flipping care about the Ton’s rules, and characters like that are fun to work with.

Since I just started this book, I’m still in chapter 1.

This is book 4.  This should finish the series.

I’m only at the beginning of chapter 1, so I’m not sure if Lord Reddington (the best friend of the hero in The Earl’s Secret Bargain) will be a goofy character like Lord Toplyn or not.  I’m guessing not.  But he is willing to do whatever it takes to be with the lady he loves because after learning her husband just died, he makes it a point to whisk her away and marry her, even though she should be in mourning.  Her family, needless to say, will not be happy.

This story happens a month or two after Love Lessons With the Duke ends.

A Groom’s Promise Will Go To My Publisher, Parchment & Plume.

As time permits, I work on my novella in this anthology that I finally decided to call “The Shy Groom”.  I couldn’t come up with any other title.  My hero is terribly shy in this story.  He stutters when nervous, trips, drops things, bumps into people, etc.  He does have a bit of Tom Larson in him, except he’s much worse because instead of seeking a wife, he’s actually going to hide from the heroine.  I expect this book will be a lot of fun.

****

Back to writing multiple books at a time.

I’m back to working on 3-4 books at a time, and it is so much better.  I don’t write as much a day as I did with the sprinting method.  However, I am allowing myself times to slow down in a book if I need to while I focus on others, and I think this way makes my books stronger because I’m more relaxed when writing.  With the sprinting method, I was rushing to make the word count.  Some people are just not meant to write as fast as others.

Future Plans on Pre-Orders….I Think I’ll Pass

I would like to get these four books out before the summer of next year.

In theory, pre-orders are nice, but when I run into problems with the story and have to slow down in writing it, it makes it hard to make a deadline.  I already had to push deadlines back on three books.

Plus, when I’m done with a book, I want to focus on the next one.  Part of being an author is that I’m expected to promote my book after it’s done, but once I finish the book, I want to focus on the next one.  This is why I haven’t done characters interviews or anything with His Convenient Wife.  I’m done with it and have moved on.  This is sad because I love His Convenient Wife.  It’s one of my top favorites.  I should want to talk about it.  But now I’m immersed in the Regencies and A Groom’s Promise, and that’s what I want to focus on.  I don’t know if that makes sense.  Some authors can go over past books, but I find I’m not one of them.  Once a story is done, it’s done.

I’ll leave His Convenient Wife, Love Lessons With the Duke, and Royal Hearts up in pre-order since I already set them up.  But for the rest of them, I’ll just publish them when they’re ready.

What I Got Out of the HACWN Conference This Year

As I’m writing this, I’m getting ready to head back to Nebraska.  I spent the past couple days in Overland Park, Kansas (which is a subdivision of Kansas City) at a writer’s conference.  Here’s a couple pictures on their Facebook page.  Here’s the website.

For the past few years, I’ve gone this conference except for two years when my husband was in Korea and I couldn’t get away.  There’s no way anyone wants to watch four elementary school-aged kids for 3-4 days.  But this is my favorite conference because I feel spiritually and emotionally refreshed.  It reminds me of why I write and, more importantly, why I write what I do.

But there are other takeaways I get from being there, which I’ll share in this post:

1.  I get updates on the changing landscape of publishing.

I do meet editors and publishers and learn about what’s happening in the industry while I’m there.  While I mainly self-publish, I do have four books with a small press, Parchment & Plume, which is an awesome publisher.  I don’t think publishers are going away.  At the moment, they may not seem like an attractive alternative to some (especially when we hear about the success stories of indie authors), but keep in mind, the success stories aren’t really as common as it may seem.  Yes, you might earn more in royalties per book, but it’s possible to sell better with a publisher.  There is no magical formula you can plug in that will guarantee sales.  All you can do is try your best and hope it works.

I think publishers will continue to be important.  They still lead to a great level of credibility (you’ve been vetted), they might have connections you don’t, and they can help with marketing.  Some publishers work with authors on the story, cover concept, etc.  I find a lot of small publishers will work with authors on what they want.  But the key is to find a good, reputable publisher.  For that, you need to do your homework.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to publishing.

Self-publishing offers a lot of freedom.  The author has full control over the content, cover, where the book is sold, what format it’s sold in (ebook, paperback, audio), the description, etc.  However, self-publishing also requires the author to do all the work him/herself.  Whether the author makes their own cover, formats, and edits their own book or hires out for these things, the author still has to make the call.  A publisher is an important assets for authors who’d rather not do it all themselves.

However, it is important that the author make their work as polished as possible before submitting a book to a publisher.  No publisher wants to wade through a ton of errors when working on a book.  Yes, they have an editing team, but a book that is well written and edited prior to submission stands a much better chance of being accepted than a book sent in its first draft form.  The publisher’s job is not to teach a writer how to write.  That is what critique groups, workshops, and books are for.

Also, if you are going to submit to a publisher, make sure you read their guidelines and follow them to a T.  If you don’t do everything they ask, chances are they’ll never look at your proposal or sample.  Plus, keep in mind the audience the publisher targets.  If you write a thriller, why would you submit a book to a romance publisher?  Sure, there might be a romantic subplot in your book, but if it’s not the main focus, then you need to find a publisher who publishes thrillers because that is the audience they are familiar with.

2.  Flash Fiction

Every conference I go to, I learn something new I can take home and apply to what I do.  This time, I learned about flash fiction.  I was familiar with the concept.  I’ve read a couple of flash fiction pieces.  They’re short.  That’s all I knew about it going to the workshop.  From time to time, I like to break out of my comfort zone and try something different.  Flash fiction sounded appealing to me because it’s a break from the full-length novels I usually write.

But what really piqued my interest was the idea of writing flash fiction stories about characters who are in my books or will be in my books.  These would be extras.  Maybe something that happened prior to the book, something that happened during the book but was never revealed, or something after the book ended.  I’m still trying to get ideas on how to approach this.  I definitely have some ideas on some non-romance stories, but since I don’t typically write other genres, it would probably be submitted in a magazine like Splickety.  Ben Wolf, the executive editor, was the one who gave the workshop on writing flash fiction.

Basically, flash fiction are stories that are 1000 words or less.  They have a beginning, middle, and an end.  They have a source of conflict.  This is something that tries to prevent the character from getting what they want.  The conflict can come from within, from another character, from a force in nature, etc.  It has to take place somewhere, of course, but you can’t afford to use too many words to set the stage.

A good example of flash fiction is one Lauralynn Elliott just wrote on her blog called “The Morning Glory”.  It has all the elements Ben Wolf was talking about.  I don’t know about anyone else, but it helps me have an example to get a better idea of how flash fiction works.  I did pick up a couple of the Splikety magazines, but since I know Lauralynn and can easily point to her post, here it is.

Since this post is already long enough, I’ll end things here.  If anyone has questions about conferences, let me know.  There’s stuff I haven’t covered but am not sure what interests you.

Other than that, I would love to know what flash fiction stories would you like to read about characters from my books.  These can be books I already published, books I am working on, or books I will/might write in the future.  So give me an idea of what character(s) you would love to read more about.     :D

A Post for New Writers: Tips For Polishing Up Your Book

A Post For New Writers

So you have your first draft finished and would like to polish it up so it’s ready to publish.  Authors’ opinions vary on what to do at this stage of the game, so this isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach.  What I’m going to do is offer my opinion.

1.  The initial look over.

This is where you have others look over your story, but they are not the people who will edit your book at the final stage.  They are the first ones to seek out.

I say this because you will probably rewrite portions of your manuscript depending on what these people say.  There’s no point in editing over your work when you’re only going to rip through it to change things.

I suggest using at least one of the following resources for the initial look over, though it’d be best to do at least two:

a. Content Editor

A content editor will look at your overall book.  They will check for pacing, setting, characterizations, style, etc.

b. Critique Groups

You want a group (preferably small) that will be honest but also kind.  So when they’re saying what doesn’t work, they are also adding what does.  There should be an underlying feeling of support and a high level of comfort.  You might not be comfortable at first.  It’s normal not to if you’re new to it.  But as you go along, you should feel more and more comfortable sharing your work with the group and offering your own critique to their work.

c. Beta Reader

Another option is to have a beta reader (or beta readers) go over your book.  Let them know it’s not polished so they’re warned.  If you want, give them a list of things you want them to look for.  Otherwise, you can get their general input on what works and what doesn’t in the story.

It’s important to have at least one person on your editing team who will not read the book through the eyes of a writer or editor.

Why?  Chances are, most of your readers will be non-writers.  And believe it or not, non-writers catch the heart of the story and can help fine-tune your voice in ways writers and editors can’t. Writers and editors have been trained to think “rules of writing” while reading, and this can hinder their ability to see the very soul of the story and appreciate your voice.  I can’t count how many times I’ve heard writers and editors tell me they can’t read a book for enjoyment because they have their “red pen” out whenever they read.  Beta readers who aren’t writers or editors are that much more important because of this.

2.  Now that you’ve had the initial look over of your book and have polished up the things the team has found, go through the story again by yourself to tighten it up.

In this stage, you are doing the following things:

look for typos  (ex. misspelled words, words that should be there but aren’t, etc)
inconsistency errors (ex. the heroine changes eye color in the middle of the book)
eliminating sentences that don’t add to the plot or are repetitive (ex. if you already said someone was cold in the paragraph above, there’s no sense in doing so again)
adjusting your word usage (ex. clearing up any confusing sentences; “I go now to the store” is changed to “I’m going to the store now.”)
making the story easier to understand (ex. if the hero was walking down the street in one paragraph and driving a car the next but you never showed him getting to the car, you need to add him finding a car and getting into it)

I like to print the entire story on paper in 14-font Times New Roman with 1-inch margins on each side.  Yes, it’s a lot of paper to go through, but I find the particular font and size with the white space on the edges to be helpful in catching the most errors.

Mark the changes on the paper then go to the computer to fix the errors in the manuscript.

3.  Now you can go to your proofreaders.

At this stage, you’re done with the structure of your book.  So it’s time to clean up the smaller things that are still there.  I guarantee you, at least one typo made it through stage 2.  This is why having someone else look it over is important.  It needs to be someone who hasn’t read the book yet so they are coming at it with fresh eyes.  It doesn’t matter who this person is as long as they are good with details.  You need someone who can pick the smallest of typos at this stage.

4.  The final read through.

You will change what was caught in stage 3 and go through the book a final time.   This stage can be done in several ways.  You can listen to it by using the text-to-speech feature on your kindle or the Adobe program on your computer.  You can print it out again on paper but use a different font and size.  You can read it aloud.  You can have someone read it to you.  Or maybe there’s a method I haven’t mentioned.  Do the method that most appeals to you.

***

After publishing the book, someone caught an error.  What now?

Even after going through this extensive process, you might find a typo or two after you publish the book.  The reality is, no matter how many people read your book over and how carefully you go over it, it’s possible to miss something.  Don’t sweat it.  It’s okay.  Despite what some nitpicky people will have you believe, this is not the end of the world.

Just quietly go back to the story, fix the typo and upload the updated version.  You can do this on the KDP dashboard, over at the Nook, at Smashwords, and other places without unpublishing the book.

Remember, it’s okay to be human.  No one is perfect.  Don’t let people get you down if they catch one or two typos in a full-length novel.  Worse things have happened.  And fortunately, this is easy to correct.

If you are with a publisher, the book is out of your hands, and you can’t change anything yourself.  Most publishers will not go back and correct errors in a book.

The Faster I Run, The Faster I Fall Behind (Aka The Truth About a Writer’s Life)

There are some things going on behind the scenes, which I really don’t wish to talk about on a public blog, that impacts how much I write.  I realize I upset some people when I can’t get a book out by a promised date.  I didn’t set out to push back the dates on the pre-orders, but I had to do it.

I think there’s this idea out there that writing is easy.  And I also think the reason this idea exists is because movies (for a large part) have given us (at least in the United States) a portrayal of what a writer’s life is supposedly like, and this is a myth.

This is the myth I’m talking about:

An author is sitting in a cozy office or a secluded cabin, merrily typing away in their story.  Soothing music plays in the background.  From time to time, they sip a drink or smoke a cigarette.  It’s peaceful and serene.  There’s no real effort at all with writing the book. The story just comes to them.

Then, when they finish the book, they go back to their agent at a fancy restaurant where they laugh and discuss their next book.  Then they publish the book and there’s this big line of people waiting for the author to sign the book.  Or there are headlines in newspapers about how the author hit the New York Times Bestseller’s list or is having a movie made off their book or is winning some award.  The author is carefree and has it all together.  The money is pouring in while they live in this big house with a big yard in the country somewhere.

Not all movies portray this, but enough of them do so that when I started publishing my books, my uncles were shocked when I told them my life wasn’t like what I described above.

Here’s what it’s really like:

The other day I went to my accountant (because filing taxes on my own would be huge nightmare with all the forms I need to fill out), and after paying about 47% my income (which is my book sales), I still owe at least $1000 in taxes.  I pay federal and state taxes.  For those who don’t pay state taxes, the rate is 40%.  So that means about half of everything I make goes right back to the government.  I could not afford a home in the country or a little secluded cabin.

You see, I pay self-employment tax because I write books and publish them myself.  This is something no one told me when I started.  But yes, as a writer, you are self-employed, and you will be taxed at a higher tax rate than if you worked for someone else.

So financially, it’s not the way the myth would have you believe.  I have a husband and four kids.  I have a mortgage.  I am debt free except the house (thankfully), but we do have to watch how we spend money.  I’m not in a big house, nor do I drive expensive cars.  I also don’t eat at fancy restaurants.  My name isn’t headlined in newspapers everywhere, nor are they making movies based off my books.

When I write, it is quiet when the kids are in school, but I have to periodically stop writing to do laundry, clean the house, cook, run errands, track my expenses and income for tax purposes, or answer emails/phone/the door.  I’m not lounging back while music is softly playing.  As the wife and mother, I am expected to keep up the house and take care of the kids.  Maybe men have it different, but that is what goes down in my home.  And when the kids are home, I usually have to write over their noise (and four boys are loud and rough when they play).  I even have two kids who literally climb the hallway walls.  They argue and come to me about their grievances.  They makes messes where I just cleaned, and ask me the same question I just answered half an hour ago.

You know how I look when I write?  I’m in a t-shirt and jeans with my laptop.  I’m not wearing fancy designer clothes.  I’m not sipping from a drink either.  I go in the kitchen to sip some water or tea or (if it’s been a hectic day) ginger ale because if I have a drink where I’m writing, a kid will knock that drink over and make a mess for me to clean up or (worse) hurt my computer.  It’s not uncommon for a kid to whiz past me, knock into my chair, and spin me around.  This actually happens a lot since my house is laid out in a way where they can run in a circle, and they typically do this for a good part of the night.

In conclusion:

It’s not that I’m blowing off writing the books or that I don’t want to write them.  It’s just that a lot of things happen, and it’s not as easy to get them done as it seems it would be.  On top of that, things that are happening in the country and that happen to people I care about do impact my ability to concentrate on my work.  I’ve published eight books this year.  I usually average 6-7.  So I worked hard enough where I feel okay with holding off on publishing anything else until next year.  The important thing is I write the best book I possibly can because the worst thing I can do is rush a book so it sucks.

A Post for New Writers: What If You Never Finish a Story

A Post For New Writers

There are some people who never finish what they started writing. I, too, have some books that never got finished. If you have one or two such books, it’s okay. Don’t sweat it. But if you have started ten stories and haven’t finished one of them, you might be dealing with fear, boredom, or difficulty.

In the case of fear, you will need to do everything you can to eliminate the source of the fear.

1.  If it’s because you have a relative or friend (or someone else) who says you suck as a writer, you need to stay away from the person as much as possible.  If you can’t avoid the person, then don’t mention writing when you’re with him. If the person brings it up, change the topic or politely say, “I don’t wish to discuss it.” If the person has a sarcastic little retort, walk away or hang up. Seriously, some people are toxic and will destroy your dreams if you let them. Put up boundaries to protect yourself.  You have every right to stand up for yourself.  You have every right to be treated with respect and for your writing to be treated the same way, whether you are writing for pleasure or to a career going.

2.  If it’s because you think your story will totally suck, then keep writing anyway. Listen to music to help take your mind off your inner dialogue. If you can’t shut off the inner dialogue, replace it with positive dialogue like, “I will write the best book I can” or “I really love my character because _______” or “I can do this.”  I have this fear creep up while I’m writing from time to time, and I just keep telling myself, “Keep typing the scene, Ruth.  Keep going and don’t look anywhere else but at the screen where the characters are doing their thing.  You can clean up anything that sucks during the edits.”

3.  If it’s because of a review, do not read your reviews.  If you need to remove your email from public places so you don’t get negative comments in your inbox, then do it.  If you need to block someone who is being hateful on Facebook or your blog, do it.  Put a wall between you and the toxic person who is being spiteful.  (Get a good beta reader, editor, or writing friend to give you honest input on the book before you publish it, but there’s no reason to put up with a stranger’s unsolicited advice, especially when that advice is really an attack.)

4.  If it’s because of poor sales, do not check your sales.  Yes, I realize some writers are paying bills with the money they’re earning.  But this is one of those jobs that doesn’t come with a consistent income.  Sales fluctuate.  It’s an up-and-down roller coaster.  There are no guarantees.  All you can do is write the next book and make it the best it can possibly be.  Everything else (besides where you choose to sell it) is out of your control.  And please, do not read about the success of other authors.  This will only depress you more.  Stay completely offline if you need to while you’re writing your story.

You need to put as much distance between whatever is causing your fear and your writing as possible. 

In the case of boredom, you have to push through it.

It’s easy to be pumped up and excited when starting a book. The idea is fresh and new. You are learning about the characters and the world. It’s easy to have tons of energy at this stage.

But suddenly, you lose your enthusiasm for the story.

Press through it. I get bored at the 20,000-word mark in almost every story I write. But when I get to the 35,000-word mark, things get easier (and more exciting) again. You just have to do it.

There is no magic formula to it. Stay focused and keep on writing, even if you can only manage a couple hundred words that day. Sometimes you can set a goal like, “I will only write for 15 minutes in this story today” and when you’re done, do something else. When you success at the 15-minute mark, then decide to do it tomorrow for two 15-minute sessions. Then slowly work your way up.

And you can work on something more exciting when you’re done as a way to reward yourself. But make sure you write in that particular story every day or almost every day.

Finally, there’s the matter of difficulty.

You might have come to realize writing is harder than you thought it would be.  When you write, you are working.  You are creating.  You are not only creating characters who have emotional depth, but you need to put them in a believable world in a situation that will make the reader want to keep turning the page.  On top of that, you need to be able to tell this story in a way that is entertaining, and it must be polished up by a great editing team.

So there are a lot of things to do.  And what can happen when you realize writing is harder than you expected it to be?

You might realize writing isn’t a good fit for you.

If so, there is nothing wrong with that.  No matter how much I’d love to act, I wouldn’t be able to do it. To me, acting looks easy, but I was in a high school play, and even as a side character, I didn’t do a good job at all because the concept of becoming the character was harder than I thought it’d be.  And you know what?  I never acted again.  And there’s nothing wrong with that.  But you don’t know if you don’t try, so I encourage you to give it your best shot.

If you feel led to write–if it is something you truly want to do–then sit down and write.  It’s not always exciting.  Inspiration doesn’t always come.  But you need to be dedicated to it in order to finish the story.

In addition to those tips, it might help to read plenty of books in the genre you’re writing in and break down common elements you see the authors using.  I suggest books that are good sellers (because those authors did something right if their books are doing well).  I also suggest reading a variety of authors.  Every author has a unique voice, and you will learn something new about what you like and don’t like from every one you read.

Never plagiarise another author’s work.  Make sure it’s your story you’re telling, and develop your own voice.

Let’s say you really love the way an author used first person point of view in their book and want to do your book in first person point of view.  By all means, go ahead.  Do first person when you tell your story.  Let’s say you hate the use of adverbs.  Then by all means, do not use them.  Take elements you like and use them.  And with elements you don’t like, toss them out.

This is your story.  Only you can write it.  Give yourself freedom to enjoy the journey of creating the story and push aside the negatives so you can focus on what you’re doing.

***

The next post on writing will finish the series of posts for new writers, and it will be about polishing the story (editing/proofreading).

Had To Push Back Publishing Dates on My Pre-Order Books

I had to do this for a couple of reasons.  The most pressing one is the fact that I’m behind schedule in writing Love Lessons With The Duke AND I just realized I need to go back and change a couple things (in addition to adding about two or three scenes).

I could try to rush through it and get it done, but I don’t want to do that anymore.   Since I’m self-publishing these, I can do that.  I want the book to be the best it can be, and after pressing myself so hard to finish four books this summer, I’m still exhausted.  Sprinting took more out of me than I expected.  While the method paid off wonderfully, I think it might work best for authors who can plan out the book ahead of time.  (Just a guess.)  What I know is that I can’t do it unless I have a plan in place, and most of the time, like with this book, I don’t have a plan.  I’m figuring out what I need to do as I go along.

While I pushed back the publishing date for Love Lessons With The Duke, I decided to push back the dates on the other two books I have in pre-order status, too.

I put His Convenient Wife down for January 3 since I want a book out in January.

Love Lessons With the Duke will now be out on February 14.  This way I have plenty of time to write it as it’s supposed to be and get it edited with my team. 

Then I decided to push back Royal Hearts to July 4 because (to be honest), it’s going to be one of my least popular books.

My weakest (aka least popular) books should be later in the year and my strongest books should be at the beginning of the year.  This is what I’ve noticed after self-publishing ebooks for five years.  So I’m better off not having another book out for the rest of the year.

A Post For New Writers: If The Scene Doesn’t Add To the Plot, Throw It Out

A Post For New Writers

This is another hard one, but this will prevent your story from getting bogged down.  Your goal is to write a compelling story, and a compelling story is one in which the reader has a hard time putting the book down.  You want to make it hard for your reader to go to bed, get up to make dinner, go to work, etc.  You want your reader to be thinking about your book when they’re not reading it or to be so engrossed in the story that they finish it in one sitting.  This is hard to do if you add scenes to your story that don’t advance the plot.

The plot is your main idea.  Everything you write should support the main idea.  All your minor ideas must move the main idea along.

Ever hear people say they skimmed a book or there was a sagging middle?  The reason for this is the extra scenes that didn’t add to the plot.  They were fillers.

Some writers use unnecessary scenes for several reasons:

They find the scene cute, funny, or interesting in some way so they want it in the book.
They honestly don’t realize they’re rambling.
They want to boost word count.
They were told to add more by a publisher so they had to put something in there.
They heard that to maximize sales potential, they should write X number of words in a book.  And since they want to maximize sales potential, they will write whatever they need to in order to make that word count.
They don’t think the reader got the idea the first time so they repeat it over and over so it “sticks”.

In the end, less is often more.  

You might have your heart set on writing a 70,000-word book, but if the story ends at 60,000 words, then let it end.  Maybe you wanted to write a full-length novel (which is 50,000 words), but your story ended up being a novella at 30,000 words.  It’s okay to have a shorter story than what you planned.  You are much better off having a tight, solid story that engages your reader every step of the way than having a longer story that drags on.  Even if the book is part of a series and the other books in the series is 70,000 words, let this particular book be 60,000 words if that’s what it’s meant to be.

You would much rather hear, “I wish there was more” than “I never thought the book would end.”

Readers will forgive you if you miss a typo or don’t get something 100% correct, but they won’t forgive a boring book.  (Disclaimer: Strive to have a book that is error free, but remember that we’re all human and humans aren’t perfect.  Yes, editing is very important, but you should edit a compelling story, not a boring one.)

While you’re writing your first draft, by all means, add in all the scenes you want.  

You don’t know until the book ends if you will need the scene or not.  Books are fluid.  They often change as we’re writing them.  You might think your book is going in one direction, but something happens to a character that throws everything off course.  Then you have to change the rest of the story.  That’s okay.  In fact, it’s common.

But when you are done with the first draft, go through and remove all unnecessary scenes, dialogues, or actions.   

On average, I cut 2,000 to 5,000 words from every story I write because I’m removing all unnecessary elements from it.  If you write a tighter first draft than I do, then this won’t be the case for you.  I tend to do a lot of repetition on my first run through a story.