Genevieve Iseult Eldredge's Blog, page 6

From the Author's Desk: On Writing

This is the week of my birthday, and it's a tradition of mine to try to give a little on my personal new year. So, Dear Readers, I'd like to give you a piece of writing advice I find invaluable. Okay, now, you might be hoping this is the secret to writing a bestselling novel. I. Wish. Seriously, though, this piece of advice has helped me through some tough times:Enjoy the journey.Okay, I know it sounds like one of those affirmations that belongs in a calendar or on a gym wall or on an Alex and Ani bracelet, but here's the thing:In the business of writing, there's ALWAYS something to freak out about. ALWAYS.First, you freak out because you're not published. So you work real hard; you get published. Then you freak out because, What if my reviews aren't good? Then you get some good reviews, and your freak-out becomes, Oh God, now I have to do this again in Book Two. Then you do it again in Book Two, and you're freaking out about your reviews again. Then you send some stuff to agents. You freak out because, What if they don't request my material, but OH MY GOD, WHAT IF THEY DO????You get the picture.The only way to stop the vicious cycle of freaking out about your writing career all the damn time is to ENJOY THE JOURNEY.Stop and look around, poke your head up from the Hobbit-hole of your freak-out. Smell the flowers. Congratulate yourself on your successes--even the small ones. Heck, ESPECIALLY the small ones. Write something for the joy of it. Ask for help if it's appropriate. Help others when you can. Lift up other authors. Share links to and reviews of one another's books. Be part of the writing community. Stay positive. Breathe. Keep writing. Breathe. Keep submitting your stuff. Thank people who take their time for you. Enjoy every part of it. Be an active part of your journey. Make it happen rather than just letting it happen. I've found that enjoying the journey, being an active participant in it, controlling what I can control and letting go of the things I can't, and above all, being grateful have made all the misfortunes, bad reviews, and rejections sting a whole lot less. I hope it works for you, too. All the best in your writing!~GIE

CIRCUIT FAE in Paperback!

Awesome news! All your fave CIRCUIT FAE books are now available in paperback! At Firefly Hill Press, we know there's nothing like holding a physical book in your hand. The feel. Oooh! The crisp pages. Ahhh! The smell. Double oooh! Get yours today!MORIBUNDAMAZONBARNES & NOBLEKOBODERAILEDAMAZONBARNES & NOBLE - Coming Soon!OUROBOROSAMAZONBARNES & NOBLEKOBODETHRONEDAMAZONBARNES & NOBLE - Coming Soon!INIMICALAMAZONBARNES & NOBLEAs always, thanks so much for reading! ~GIE

After NaNoWriMo

It's December, and you know what that means - NaNoWriMo 2018 is officially ended! Congratulations! Whether you "won" NaNo or just dipped your pinkie toe in, developing a writing habit is hard, and you should seriously be proud of ANY steps you took in that direction. But, now what do you do with your 50,000-ish word work-in-progress? A lot of people think that they need to rush out and hire an editor. You could, but ask any published author, and she'll tell you that after one month, you don't have a novel. What you have, my friend, is a Crappy First Draft. But don't despair! With a little (I spelled "a lot" wrong) work, a Crappy Rough Draft can turn into an awesome polished book worthy of an editor's time and attention--AND your hard-earned money. Real talk: Good editors don’t come cheap, and you don’t want to waste your money having them fix surface issues like grammar or mechanics. I highly recommend doing some self-editing on your own and with a critique group.Here are some concrete steps to take to polish up that baby:Pick up Self-Editing for the Fiction Writer by Renni Browne and Dave King (Amazon, B & N, Kobo, iTunes, GooglePlay).Read through it.Take a pass through your manuscript with special attention to the areas mentioned in the book.Next, find a critique group or beta readers. I always recommend staying away from the impulse to let your boyfriend/ girlfriend/ parents/ siblings/ best friends and anyone who has a vested interest in telling you what you want to hear. Ask them to look at areas of opportunity for improvement, such as weak plot, repetition, vague main character Goals, Motivations, and Conflicts. Review the critiques you get back and implement those you think will make the story better.Do a read-through on your own. For every chapter, list 1-10 things the story SAYS and 1-10 things the story DOES:For instance, in chapter 1 of Harry Potter, what the story says is: a young boy from the Wizarding World is orphaned and dropped off to live with muggles;What the story DOES is: creates sympathy for Harry, provides backstory, introduces us to the Wizarding World, gives us glimpses of some of its inhabitants like Hagrid, McGonagal, and creates mystery.Look for areas of repetition in your What it Says/What it Does outline. Eliminate those areas.Seek out craft books that help with any weaknesses you've identified (e.g., weak plot, repetition, vague main character Goals, Motivations, and Conflicts). Read those books and fix those areas. Spellcheck and grammar check.Repeat steps 4-5 (and 6 if needed).Only after you’ve done all this should you spend your dough on a reputable editor. Only AFTER you've done all your editing should you query agents and publishing houses. These folks aren’t looking for rough manuscripts. They’re looking for a mss that’s AT LEAST 95% of the way there. As always with any writing advice, this is just a guideline. Some of these techniques may work GREAT for you, while some won't. Individual mileage may vary.Happy editing!~GIE

Announcing Circuit Fae 5: EIDOLON

Spoiler alert: Things are gonna get CRAZY for our Fae girls, Syl and Rouen! Winter is here, and I couldn't be more thrilled to announce the official back cover copy and presale links for Circuit Fae 5: EIDOLON!DescriptionLong live the Faerie Queens! Syl Skye, Queen of the Summer Court and everything sunfire, heat, and light and her polar opposite and soul-bound love, Rouen, Queen of the Winter Court and all things cold, dark, and stormy have finally brought peace to their warring Fae realms.Or so they think.Because when Rouen’s father, the exiled King, breaks free from his prison, he tears the Shroud that shields mortals from Faerie and declares war on Syl, Rouen, and the entire mortal realm.Now all of Faerie’s breaking loose—along with every other dimension in the history of ever—and mortals are awakening to their Faerie blood and being swept up in the King’s war. Worse, the mortals fight back, and with every passing hour, the military draws closer to discovering Faerie’s whereabouts and exposing all its secrets.Beset by enemies on all sides, can Syl and Rouen heal the Shroud, stop the war, and defeat the King before Faerie, the mortal world, and everything in between goes kaboom?Their only chance lies in the evil dark circuitry magic they’ve been fighting all along—the Moribund. It’s a desperate plan, but Syl and Rouen’s enemies are about to find out:Faerie hath no fury like a Queen scorned.Lock in your copy of CIRCUIT FAE: EIDOLON today! And stay tuned for the exciting cover reveal--coming soon!AMAZONGOOGLE PLAYKOBOBarnes & Noble and iTunes presales coming soon!As always, thanks for your support!xoxo~GIE

CIRCUIT FAE in Paperback!

Great news! Thanks to popular demand, all your CIRCUIT FAE faves from MORIBUND all the way to INIMICAL (and all those novellas between) are coming out in paperback on December 3, 2018.Just in time for the holidays!Whether you're a dark fae or a fair Fae--or even a pocket púca--you've gotta admit, that's pretty sweet. :)

REKINDLED: Pinterest Boards

CIRCUIT FAE 3.5: REKINDLED is off to my editor, and that means it's time for the REKINDLED Pinterest boards. Woohooo!I'm super excited about these ones, and I hope you like them. This time, we've got our heroines Syl and Rouen, the dastardly Miss Jardin, and some cool newcomers like Laguna, Queen of the Sirens. Check them out!Syl's back, and this time, she's ready to take on Miss Jardin and all the forces of Dark Faerie, if that's what it takes to get Rouen backRouen's under a dark spell and can't remember Syl? Noooooo... Can she and Syl break Miss Jardin's spell before Rouen's memory loss becomes permanent?Miss Jardin's stepped up her bid for world Faerie domination, but what's her endgame? And will our intrepid heroines be able to stop her?Only time will tell!I'm super excited about Laguna, Queen of the Sirens. That's right, baby. He's glam, he's glittery, but who's side is he really on?Check it out, readers, Lennon's finally here! She may look cute, but don't be fooled. Big things are in store for Syl's bff, and I can't wait to share!You KNOW I wouldn't forget Prudence. She's the backbone of Syl's Rescue Rouen Squad, which might include wrangling a bunch of dark Fae kids into pirate gear. (Might = definitely)And if you haven't locked in your copy of Circuit Fae 3.5: REKINDLED yet, here are the links. Since CIRCUIT FAE is a complete series, it does help to read the novellas. :)AMAZONBARNES & NOBLEGOOGLE PLAYIBOOKSKOBOThanks so much! ~GIE

MORIBUND Nominated for a Cybils Award!

Dear Readers,THANK YOU! I'm so excited that MORIBUND has been nominated for a Cybils Award in the YA Speculative Fiction category. But even more importantly, just knowing that you love MORIBUND and all things CIRCUIT FAE makes my dark heart so happy. When I started writing about Syl and Rouen's adventures, I was told by some people that queer fiction wouldn't sell, that it wasn't a smart career decision, that, if only I wrote about straight, white, cisgender characters, I'd be more successful. I didn't listen to those people. I wrote the book that was in my heart, the book that I would have LOVED to read as a teenager. Almost instantly, the letters and reviews started pouring in. Readers were thrilled to see themselves reflected in Syl and Rouen's story. They loved that the story followed two gay girls who were kicking ass, taking names, and paying homage to the fact that the queer community deserves our fun stories too. An older reader told me she cried when Syl and Rouen first kissed. I'm so THRILLED that MORIBUND resonates with you, my readers! I'm excited to be included in the 2018 nominations alongside such amazing writers as Sabaa Tahir, Tomi Adeyemi, Leigh Bardugo, L.L. McKinney, Zoraida Cordova, Sarah J. Maas, and so many more. Check out all the nominees in the YA Spec Fic category here.Read more about the Cybils Awards here. We'll have to wait till February 2019 to find out who the winners are, but no matter what happens, you've all made me feel like a winner. Thank you from the top and bottom of my heart and soul. xoxo~GIE

Preptober: Week 4

Hello, my pretties, and welcome back to NaNoWriMo: Preptober planning! If you missed an earlier post, have no fear! Here are some helpful links:Week 1: PreplanningWeek 2: The Who, What & Where of Your NovelWeek 3: Outlining Your NovelAnd now, for Week 4! We're in the home stretch, so this post will focus on the practicality of writing, creating a habit that will get you in the chair every day for thirty days. Because remember: butt + chair = productivity. 1. Break it DownI've said it before, but it bears repeating: 50,000 words in thirty days is a huge task. The best way to tackle it is to break it down into smaller, manageable chunks. Roughly, this translates to 1666.66 words/day. I recommend rounding that up to 1700 words/day or about 5.5 pages. This gives you a 1000 word cushion because, yes, my pretties, you will have some days when you write 2500+ words like a freaking goddess and other days where you're struggling to get 10 words on the screen/page.And you know what? That's perfectly normal. I've written 3 CIRCUIT FAE novels and 2 novellas now, and that's been my daily experience. Having daily goals helps me let go of my disappointment if I don't hit goal every day. With some days better and some days worse, it'll all come out in the wash.But yes, it does mean writing every single day, which is good, because even more important than getting your 50K novel written, NaNo is best for creating a habit of writing. So lock in those daily goals and track them somewhere you can see your progress at a glance. I use this Writing & Revision Trackerby Jamie Raintree. It's worth the cheap price, and it will tally your productivity through the whole year. I love it. If you're not into high tech, a simple notebook or Bullet Journal will do. 2. Butt in ChairCarving out writing time can be a serious challenge because a lot of us are super busy. The best way to do this is to look closely at your daily schedule and make a change.Do you linger in bed for a half hour, looking at your phone? Do you spend hours on FaceBook? Are you level gajillion in your fave RPG? Are you binge-watching Netflix? Use that time to write instead. Get up early. Stay up late. Miss your favorite TV show. Get off FaceBook. Do you want people to remember that you Liked their page 10,000 times, or that you wrote that awesome book they loved? 3. Turn off the Inner EditorOkay, so you have your daily goals and your butt is in the chair. You're staring at that blank page, and it is intimidating you the way Darth Vader intimidates Death Star employees. Your inner editor is telling you how much you suck, that your writing's no good.What now? Relax. Turn on some music that inspires you. Light a scented candle. Take a few deep breaths. Go over your outline.Most importantly, let go of the idea of writing perfectly. Give yourself permission to suck. Give yourself permission to write crap. No writer, not even the most famous, most talented writer gets it right on the first try. You may have heard that "perfect is the enemy of good." That's more true than I can say. More importantly, you can't edit a blank page. And NaNo isn't about creating a perfect bestselling novel right out of the gate. It's about gathering your materials, getting the bones of your story down, shoveling sand into the sandbox so you can build sandcastles later. So shovel away, my pretties. Silence the inner editor and let the words flow. Even when they suck. 4. Shut Out Those DistractionsYou've probably also heard that writing is 10% getting words on a page and 90% staying off the Internet. This is also true. We have a million distractions at our fingertips every day. Cell phones, Internet access, TV, family, work... First, I use noise-canceling headphones to cocoon myself in music. Not only does this close out unwanted sounds, it also signals to others in my vicinity that I don't want to be engaged. Even if you don't actually listen to music, have the headphones in, especially if you write at the local Starbucks. The rest is about looking shrewdly at your habits and changing them.Do you check your phone incessantly? Leave it on your nightstand.Do you check the Internet all the time? Use Write or Dieor another program that shuts you out of your fave sites. Do you have trouble focusing? Break up your writing sessions into sprints. I use the Pomodoro technique, which breaks up your sessions into 25 minutes of work with a 5 minute break. This allows you to stretch, freshen up your coffee (tea for me!), hit the bathroom, check to make sure the kids aren't playing Hunger Games... You know, normal stuff. Getting rid of those distractions is key to productivity, and who knows? Less time on the Internet might just be a good thing, too.5. Keeping motivation highYou might find that the first few days you're really excited, and it's easy to get motivated, but then, as the month plods onward, you realize what a lot of writers already know:Writing is super isolating! There's no one to pat you on the back, no one to loom over you and make sure you're hitting your goals. It's just you, baby. And that can be hard.That's where NaNo really excels. NaNoWriMo has an entire community you can engage with. From pep talksby famous authors like Neil Gaiman and Charlaine Harris toforumstospecial events, there's enough here for introverts and extroverts, plotters and pantsers alike.One of my personal tricks when motivation is low is to watch short scenes that inspire me. Those climactic battles, tear-jerker endings, heartfelt admissions. I find that reminding myself of the story moments I love helps motivate me to go write my own. You can also try things like: taking a walk, working out, taking a shower, drawing, coloring--any endeavor where your body can move and your subconscious can be free to just...drift. All right, my pretties! That's all for now. I hope these posts have helped make your Preptober the best one yet!If there's a topic you'd like me to cover in NaNo November, drop me a line here, and I'll do my level best. Happy writing!~GIE

Preptober: Week 3

Welcome back, my pretties, to Preptober: Week 3! Last week, we discussed the who, what, and where of your story--your main character (MC), their Goals, Motivations, and Conflicts, and how to detail your setting. This week, we'll go a little deeper into the what. Namely, what happens in your book, the plot. But first, it's good to know that there are two basic different types of writers: plotters and pantsers. Like it sounds, plotters plot out their "what happens," while pantsers dive right in, writing away until their plot becomes evident. They "fly by the seat of their pants," as it were.Full disclosure: I'm a plotter with pantsing tendencies. That is, I plot heavily, using a structured outline, but if/when my characters diverge from that, I let them. Especially in the early drafting stages. That's when the magic happens. Full disclosure: my Week 3 is mostly about plotting. If that's not your jam, don't worry! There are plenty of articles out there for pantsing like this one from Janalyn Voight.All righty, plotters, get ready. Step 1: Write the short versionThrough much trial and error, I've found that having a one-sentence pitch or summary is a great way to stay on track. It condenses your story, distilling it into its component parts. So, write this first! In the dark of night, when you're out in the weeds with your plot, you can come back to this to remind yourself "What in the heck am I writing again?"I use the following template:When [OPENING CONFLICT] happens to [MAIN CHARACTER], they have to [OVERCOME CONFLICT] to [COMPLETE QUEST].Let's try it for a few well-known books:When Katniss Everdeen volunteers for the inhumane and violent Hunger Games to save her sister, she finds herself a pawn in the corrupt Capitol’s plan to pit teenagers against each other in a brutal game of death.When Harry Potter finds out he's no ordinary boy but a famous wizard, he must master the classes at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to fight the world's most deadly and infamous evil wizard, Voldemort. Oooh, shiny!Another great side effect is that you can use the one-sentence summary to query agents, publishers, editors, etc. Also, say goodbye to dreading the question, "What's your story about?" Now when someone asks, you have a ready-made answer!Step 2: OutlineI know, it sounds like a horrible waste of time. I promise you, it's not. To "win" NaNoWriMo, you have to write 50,000 words in 30 days. Even the most professional writer needs help to stay on task at that rate! There are many different ways to outline, and I've found it's more of a personal choice than anything else. Here are some of my favorites:1.Blake Snyder's Save the Cat: A bit dated, but this book on screen-writing is invaluable for breaking down story into its necessary "beats." Its easy to read and concise, and the website has beat sheets from several famous movies like Guardian of the Galaxy, Jaws, E.T., and many other movies. Save the Cat is what I use, but try it out for yourself. Every writer is different, and your mileage may vary.Oh, and now there's Save the Cat Writes a Novel. I haven't had the chance to dive into this beauty yet, but I'm thinking it' s probably pretty grand. 2. Donald Maass's Writing the Breakout Novel: This novel from an industry expert details all the necessary elements of a next-level story--from emotional impacts to universal appeals and ways to make your story rise above the crowd. There's also a companion workbookwith exercises. 3. Robert McKee's Story: A lot of people swear by this book, which is why I'm including it. McKee breaks down story structure and character and how they relate. Very intensive and exhaustive.In addition to these fine sources, there are tons of sites and blogs about NaNo outlining like this one from Sofia Wren on using postcards to plot out your characters, setting, etc.No matter what outlining style you use, there are a few things to remember when plotting your story:1. Remember your favorite books? Chances are, the characters were interesting and dynamic, and the plot was filled with dramatic, memorable events.2. To hook readers, use universal emotions: love, hate, jealousy, hope, anger, fear, etc. Readers relate easiest to characters who feel the things they do.3. Don't be afraid to hurt your character. A story in which nothing bad happens isn't much of a story. 4. Have internal AND external conflict. A story with only internal conflict will seem to happen only in the MC's head while a story with only external conflict will make a character feel emotionally distant. Ask: what does the MC stand to lose--emotionally and physically? To gain?5. Don't be afraid to be original. This is often the challenge of writing--how do you create something original yet also appropriate for your genre? You learn the rules of your genre, and then you break them. Purposefully. 6. Keep tension rising. In Star Wars, notice how Luke fights Tusken raiders, then stormtroopers, and only AFTER THAT, he fights Darth Vader. If he fought Vader first, the rest would seem anticlimactic. The same goes for your story--keep the action rising, the stakes rising, and the tension will rise as a result.And that's plotting in a nutshell. Go forth and conquer, my pretties!Happy writing! ~GIE

Preptober: Week 2

Hello, my pretties, and welcome back to Preptober: Week 2!Last week, we went over a few things to prepare you for diving into NaNoWriMo on November 1st. This week, I'll talk about my own process for outlining and developing a novel.And now the obligatory credentials post: I'm a senior editor for a romance e-publisher, and I've helped hundreds of authors design, develop, and outline their novels.I find it's helpful to start basic: with the who, what, and where of your novel.1. Who is the story about?Every story needs a protagonist/main character (MC), and this is a great first step in planning. Designing your MC can help you nail other details down, too. As you develop her, you'll naturally answer some questions that can be great fodder for conflict and development.Let's get started.If you're anything like me, it helps to have a few pictures for reference. I find working from a picture can give me things beyond a character's appearance. It can inspire attitude, wit, strengths--three of the things that make your MC stand out. My default is Pinterest, and you can see some of my Pinterest boards for Syl Skye, Rouen Rivoche, and other characters from CIRCUIT FAEhere.Once I have my picture, I start asking questions like the ones below. Feel free to skip questions entirely or skip and come back to them. The idea is to kickstart your creative brainstorming by creating a "character sheet."Here are some of the questions I ask:What is her occupation? Does she enjoy this?Where was she born? Parents? Siblings? Where does she live? Does she like it there?Physical Description: What does she look like?How do her friends see her? Her enemies?Who are her friends? Her enemies? Why?Who are your real-life or fictional inspirations for this MC? What are her strengths?What are her weaknesses?What quirks does she have?What does she have to overcome in the story?Does she have a love interest?How is she better when she's with her love interest?What's keeping them apart?Describe her bedroom from her point of view (POV)Add any question you deem importantThe goal is to create a memorable MC with strengths, weaknesses, quirks, wants, desires, and conflicts to overcome. To keep the reader's interest, your MC must be interesting and out of the ordinary in some way, however small. For more on in-depth character creation, I recommend Donald Maass's Writing the Breakout Novel. 2. What is your story about?This one can be tough to lock down, but I find that if you've done your homework above, some of this is already taking shape, especially if you are writing a character-driven novel.The "what" will be shaped by your MC's Goals, Motivations, and Conflicts (GMCs).This can be boiled down to three questions:Goals: What does the MC want?Motivations: Why does she want it?Conflicts: What's keeping her from getting it? Take Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: A New HopeGoals: To join the AcademyMotivations: Tatooine is hella boringConflicts: His aunt/uncle need him on the farmI know what you're thinking: Luke's GMCs change as the story progresses. That's true! And it's perfectly all right. As an MC grows, he's bound to change. Thus, his GMCs change. For now, though, worry about starting GMCs.NOTE: the more "universal" you can make your MC's GMCs, the easier you'll snag the reader's sympathy/empathy. So use universal emotions: love, hate, fear, jealousy, desire, honor, sorrow, etc.I've always said, No one wakes up in the morning and says, "I'm going to save the world today!" No. Luke wants to go to the Academy, to follow in his father's footsteps. This is something most people understand. It's also what leads him to saving the world.Likewise, Rey wants to find her family, to find acceptance, to survive. Bilbo just wants to be able to have second breakfast in peace. So, for GMCs, universal emotions are best. Your MC's GMCs will form the backbone of your plot.3. Where is it set? The time and placeSetting is super important! A good setting is like a character in and of itself, and it's good to have a bead on this early on. Again, go back to your character sheet. Have you designed a plucky space pilot? A New York caterer? A down and out gumshoe? An MMA fighter? A dark Fae exiled from her people? Likely, details from your character sheet will inform the type of setting you'll want. In addition, if you've done your reading-in-the-genre homework, you'll have a good idea of what settings your genre supports. But don't be afraid to mix it up! While many fantasies are set in a secondary world like Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, others are set in near-modern times like Clare's The Mortal Instruments. The important part is to choose a setting the MC can have opinions and feelings about. The setting isn't going to have dialogue. It's not going to be overt. It's subtle, and we learn about it THROUGH the MC.Thus, we learn that Tatooine is desolate, sandy, and boring because Luke experiences it like that. Plus, it INFORMS his character and lets us relate to him. Being on Tatooine with him, we also long for excitement. That's why maybe we don't feel so bad when Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru get turned into crispy critters--because we know we'll be leaving boring old Tatooine for adventure!All righty! You should have your who, what, where now. Come back next week for bringing those together to drive your plot and conflict.Go forth and write!~GIE