Patti Ann Colt's Blog

Week Two: #BreaktheBlock - Five Thoughts and a Map

[image error] Every writer I know has trouble writing.  --Joseph Heller

How did Week 1 go? Did you hold to your 5 minutes? Did you find a groove spot where you knew you'd accomplish it? Did you achieve 80%, 40%?  It all counts.  Even 1/7 counts because the goal is progress, not a nitpick of what you didn't do. Any progress from 0 counts. If you didn't get there for whatever reason, try again this week.  Add keeping a log of how much you accomplished or what you didn't accomplish and why. Sometimes sick child trumps everything and those things are understandable. But if you don't write it down, concrete reasons stay nebulous and, therefore, not actionable. If you met the goal, increase your time. Fifteen minutes, 500 words - your choice.

This week we're going to talk about how writers mess with our head especially when we're blocked. I have this thing. I wanna be like Nora or Stephen (as in Roberts and King.) Stephen King has said (and I'm paraphrasing here) that he tells people he writes every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas and his birthday, but the truth is he writes every day. (If you haven't read his book On Writing, go, do, and absorb.) Nora does the same thing. EVERY day - thousands of words! That idea sits there and sits there working on me. It's my job. I should be like Nora. Right?

Truth is I would kill for that kind of consistency. I've been writing for 28 years and have never met that challenge. Even though I have 10 books published, several took me years to write. Me thinks it's probably time for a new challenge. My muse doesn't respond to that goal. What's the fastest I've written a novel? 5 weeks. 65,000 words. How did I do that? I'm rolling on the floor laughing at the moment because that was 3 years ago and I have no earthly idea. I'm at a point where connecting with what I used to do is not a useful exercise. Things have changed for me. Have they changed for you?  Maybe it's time for a new goal, a new standard. One that fits a delicate psyche (meaning fragile, not weak!) and a complicated life.

Remember writing is a process and most of it goes on in your head. Extreme writer self-care is important here, and I don't mean the snacking at your desk or the playing spider solitaire to relax - neither will help you write. Put a protective shell on like a turtle.

First, if someone asks you if you're writing, stay away from the complicated answers and just say yes. If they want details, say "It's too early to discuss, but I'm having fun with it." Always frame the positive. Why? Because part of self-care is to be nice to yourself.  More on this in a minute.

Second, don't solicit comments from any writing friends, family, or your bestie on how to break this thing. Don't share the depth of your despair because trust me with this. All their advice will be based on little experience, a pop-psychology orientation, or worse still, a need for you to take their advice because it'll make them feel better. Not helpful. Few people understand creativity and motivation, and even fewer have helpful advice.

Third, count everything you do in your writing process as writing. The time you spend doodling to figure out your plot?  It counts. The time you spend trying to find pictures of your scenery or your characters? It counts. The time you spend in the car talking to yourself about dialogue? It counts. The time you sit at the park observing the scenery and human activity? Count it all. Make time to do these things because these tidbits come into imaginative play when you write your book.

"Vision is always ahead of execution."  David Bayles/Ted Orland, Art and Fear

Fourth, what about the time you spend before going to sleep? Are you silently berating yourself about not writing? Stop. It. Negativity hurts. It hurts your thought process. It hurts your motivation. It hurts your heart. Just don't. We get inundated with have a positive attitude and all that, and I bet I'm not the only one that wants to say to those telling me to be positive to go bugger off. That's not what this is. Negative framing and negative words affect your subconscious. I'm not going into an in-depth explanation here because there's a very good book that will totally explain it better than I can. Go to the library, the used bookstore or Amazon and find Yvonne Oswald's book - Your Every Word Has Power.  Stop for a minute and say "I didn't" to yourself and see how you feel.  Then say "I tried" and see how you feel. Break the "I didn't" terminology and make it "I tried."

Fifth, search all sorts of places for ideas to fight writer's block, but be very careful of those that are full of quick fixes or the opposite - detailed criticism. Now I have no objection to constructive criticism, but one author I read this week suggested that writer's block isn't real - that if you have work strategies in place, you can fight the blank page by just relying on what you've always done. Hmmm. I can't tell you how vehemently I disagree. The stories are definitely in my head, and they aren't coming out my fingers by relying on what I usually did. Because my normal world was shifted by a divorce and a grandchild with autism. Falling back on what I used to do before isn't helping me because my whole life has changed. My priorities have changed. Have yours been changed by illness, depression, or the death of significant person in your life?  Are you caught up with a new relationship, a new job, moving, planning a wedding, having a baby, or getting a degree? Be kind to yourself! Constructively deal with what IS.

How?

Mind Mapping.  Click on the mind mapping link and follow his procedure.

"It's not about making yourself get unstuck; it's about letting yourself get unstuck." Productivity Flourishing 

I would also add that it's about being emotionally ready to be unstuck. 

This block we all experience at one point or another isn't about writing, it's about feelings. Get specific about what IS - put it on paper and look at it, then cut yourself some slack. Some would say: "Isn't cutting myself some slack part of the problem?" No, it isn't the problem at all.  We'll be talking more about that next week.

I'm not going to blow good fortune your way and say there's no problems here. There are. Forward progress when you've been stopped dead is not an easy thing. I'm relearning everything I thought I knew. Analyze the messages you're sending yourself.  Is it time for change? Try this week. It's all I ask of myself, and it's all I'm asking of you.



Week One:  #BreakTheBlock - Ready, Set, Go

Week One: #BreakTheBlock - Ready, Set, Go

Do you ever look at your word count and stress?  Are you stalled in the middle of the book? Do you keep walking away from your desk because the words won't come?  Has it been so long since you've written than you're afraid you don't know how to put a good story on paper anymore?  

That's me.  Right this moment, I'm struggling out of a world of can't.  Can't make the words come, can't get an original idea if I cut open my brain, can't follow the tons of advice on writers block because it just makes me feel more lame and helpless.  If this is you too, join me for a adventure.  You know the kind.  Camping with the s'mores, the great bonfire, and the snorer in the next tent.  Let's not make this drudgery, but together we can explore and find the thrill of writing again.  It's called the #BreakTheBlock Challenge, and it starts today.  

You can take a moment if you'd like to analyze why you're suffering from Writer's Block.  For me, it's not a block of words, but a block on producing fiction words.  I took on freelance writing 4 years ago to support myself, and the necessity to make money made me put those dollar words first.  After 2 years of struggle, I realized what a horrible impact it was having on fiction writing and quit the content mill process.  Then I took on academic writing to support myself and, although I find it easier, the same thing happened. I consistently produce those words, but to my chagrin, I exhaust my supply of want to and fiction writing leaves me staring at the page. Add a few years where deaths, divorce, and drama mixed with a crazy routine and tons of responsibilities and here I sit.  Sound familiar?

I write romances, and during my divorce, I found it impossible to write happily-ever-after books. WRITERS BLOCK lives.  I went back to school to earn a graphic design degree, changed to art history, owned and closed a digital publishing company that took 5 years of attention to run properly, and now I'm wanting to revive a dead fiction-writing career.  Eight books published, and I'm like a babe in the woods again.  How did I write a full novel eight different times? I don't know.  It seems like a dream except Amazon shows the results of that labor.  So, if you find my how-to sheet bring it to the campfire and show me. 

But here's one thing I did figure out during that time:

You live what you put first. Patti Ann Colt

Everybody has priorities.  There is nothing wrong if your family or your job comes first, just figure out where writing is in your priority and keep it there. Going back to school wasn't a simple decision for me.  I knew it would impact every aspect of my life, but at that moment I needed a serious change and something, gads anything, that would spark my passion. I never expected to find a different creative side, but I did, and I never expected that hands on creativity to spark my fiction writing again. What did I learned from finishing two years of school? Doing what you love is really important, and nobody else can make the changes necessary to put you where you need to be. 

You may hear other writers say "Oh, writer's block isn't real. Those are all just excuses." If you avoid saying anything about your writing career because you fear someone will say "Suck it up, cupcake," then I'm glad you are here.  I will never say those words to you. There's nothing worse than wanting to write and not being able to. We're going to talk about this more in coming lectures, but I say that this is my life and my choices are my choices.  What feels real to me, is therefore, well, real. Don't beat yourself up over how you chose to live. You don't owe anyone any explanations. If you're like me, you beat yourself up more than anyone else can anyway.  Fighting against the pileup of guilt when goals go unmet is about as non-productive as it comes. 

One caveat that's important here:  Don't come here to complain about your life.  If you're looking for real solutions, are willing to analyze the problems and are willing to try new things to figure out how to get out of what's happening with your writing, then you're in the right place.  I'm here to help, here to advise, and here to try things with you.  Explore for Solutions - that's #BreaktheBlock. 

Second caveat: I can write anything, but I don't love freelance or academic writing.  I can do it, but it doesn't spark any creativity. It's just a means to eat.  Important, yes.  I'm not arguing that, and if you're in that situation, by all means keep plowing forward.  If you have a day job and have to work hard there to keep the bills paid, kudos to you. Financial stability is important.  If you're like me, though, your next novel (or 5) is stuck in your head and you need a tweak to your lifestyle to make your novel a reality. This challenge is for you.  Don't expect massive goals and demanding changes. As I've discovered, they won't work.  
  
So here it is - simple and straightforward.  

This week:  

1) Write for 5 minutes every day. 

 I don't care how you accomplish this.  But don't make a big deal out of setting aside the right space and the right time.  You'll fail.  Use your computer on the sofa or in bed, put your show on pause and use your iPad, grab your iPhone at the next really long light (Please don't type while you're driving!), or pull into Sonic or your favorite coffee shop, grab a receipt off the floor, and write for five minutes in the parking lot!  Five minutes is only five minutes. It doesn't give any time for fear to build or for your internal editor to click on, and most things can be ignored for 5 minutes.  BUT you can accomplish 100-200 words in that 5 minutes. Don't believe me?  Time yourself.  I have, that's how I know.  If you can't get 100-200 words, you're thinking too hard.  Work on your novel, write about the car next to you, write a note to your spouse, or take a random word and see where it takes you.  There's hundreds of creative writing prompt choices. Find one.  

Now I know, 5 minutes seems like a really low goal.  If you're a seasoned writer, you're thinking "I can do more than that."  Yes, I'm living in your head.  Don't listen to yourself. I think that to myself all the time and it's not helpful. I also think - I can do it later.  Then later comes, and presto, the goal hasn't happened.  So set your time.  Can you meet a 5 minute promise to yourself?  I think I can.  And so can you.  

I write better first thing in the morning, but I also spend a lot of time in my car driving - another commitment I won't explain.  But if I adjust my timing and take my iPad or a CAN notebook (see how I worked CAN into a CAN'T situation), a pen, and my story notes (which are printed from a nifty program called yWriter), I can pull over a couple places along my route and set my iPhone to time a 5 minute write.  Heck, I've been stuck in DFW traffic longer than that.  Analyze your day and find those 5 minutes.  No excuses.

A habit takes a few days to settle in, so don't give up.  1400 words a week writes a full novel in 42 weeks.  If you snorted to that, tell me how long it's been since you produced a full novel and just do it!

You numbered that, you say.  Where's the #2?  

2)  READ. READ.  READ. 

Find a book, any book and read - whether lunch hour, cooking dinner, or bedtime, spend some time with a favorite. Pay attention to the flow, the thrills of following a story again, and keep it going.  If you have to cut out a few television shows, just do it.  With Netflix, Hulu, On Demand, etc. etc., you shouldn't be a slave to sitting there. Pick your 2-3 have-to-watch-now shows and cut the rest..... and I'm saying that with The Voice just starting, Walking Dead ready to explode, and March Madness in full swing so I feel the same pain.  I love television too, but it cuts off your connection to the written word.  Find it again.

"Just write every day of your life.  Read intensely. Then see what happens. Most of my friends who are put on that diet have very successful careers."  Ray Bradbury

That's all.  Take some steps today to #BreakTheBlock.  Feel free to introduce yourself and/or leave your successes or problems in the comments!

"Simply Don't," Patti Said.

Good morning, writers! Patti here.  Getting back to writing after a couple years break. Well, not a break per se because it wasn't like I planned it that way.  College, grandkids, and life's chaos had me in a complicated loop there for a bit, but I'm back! While I was out, I still kept up on writing issues around the internet sphere and dealt with a bit of writer's block of my own and the mental challenge of breaking bad procrastination and overscheduling habits - but more about that in another post.


My topic for today is a pet peeve of mine, please pardon the brief rant but take the advice to heart.  My peeve is the substitutes for the word said.

Put simply it pushes my buttons to see credible bloggers pushing the idea that there is a substitute for "said." CHECK OUT THIS LIST OF SUBSTITUTES FOR SAID pops up all the time on my feed on Pinterest and backtracking those and reading what these writers want you to substitute makes me pull out my hair. I just ran into a writing book on Amazon where an author published all those words with this same directive - use these to substitute.

No, no, just no. Don't.

One of the main reasons is this:  Anything that pulls your readers attention to your writing instead of being utterly absorbed in the good stuff of your story is bad news.  But let's put some more punch behind that.

Remember back in first, second, third grade when you were learning to read?  It's a simple fact that through practice your subconscious learns to recognize the meaning of certain words but skim them without actually reading them.  Words in this category include: is, it, that, the, when, said, etc.  When your brain skips over these words, what happens?  It falls on more important parts of your story. Subbing words like exclaimed and explained for "said" tangles your reader up in your words because they have to stop and process the meaning of those words, and in some cases, they put an emotion behind them you don't intend. If you want another look at reader statistics to help you shape the how of reading, pick up The Writer's Little Helper Book by James V. Smith here.  It's full of all sorts of gems to help you get out of the way of your reader.

Second, have you read this book: Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King? If you haven't, go here and get yourself a copy.  I wish someone had given me this book before I started writing.  I could have avoided a few dozen rookie mistakes, and the pain of undoing the bad habits. Pay attention to their comments on absolutely only using said for the reasons listed above and because it makes you look like a freaking rookie writer.

After I read this book (which was years and years ago), I wrote 3 chapters of a book as a test for myself.  I didn't use said once.  Why?  Because those spots are a perfect opportunity to make your characters real.  People don't sit still when they talk.  They twirl a coffee cup, toy with their food, tap the foot or fingers, rub a nose, stare around the room, flush with embarassment or anger.  Make your story real.  It's a good habit to develop, one I cultivated years ago and now it's a writing habit.  Try it. Always assess "said" in your edit process and see if you missed opportunities to bring forth some motion or feeling. Use said sparingly when you have a dialogue section that needs the "said" attached to help keep straight who is saying what. And then it's, "Shane said." And it is "Shane said" not "said Shane." Period. End of rant.

November Madness and NaNo

It's been a few years since I doubled down and decided to tackle National Novel Writing Month, and given my work load with school and freelance writing, not to mention a new grandbaby, I'm hovering on the cusp of epic failure or rapturous victory.  I'm starting late - November 5th - December 4th, and my intent is to wrap up a couple of projects that have been sitting here since the discovery of fire. So here's to all my fellow writers who got started on the 1st.  I'm right behind you.  

Week One: #BreakTheBlock

Do you ever look at your word count and stress?  Are you stalled in the middle of the book? Do you keep walking away from your desk because the words won't come?  Has it been so long since you've written than you're afraid you don't know how to put a good story on paper anymore?  

That's me.  Right this moment, I'm living in a world of can't.  Can't make the words come, can't get an original idea if I cut open my brain, can't follow the tons of advice on writers block because it just makes me feel more lame and helpless.  If this is you too, join me for a journey.  It's called the #BreakTheBlock Challenge, and it starts today.  

You can take a moment if you'd like to analyze why you're suffering from Writer's Block.  For me, it's not a block of words, but a block on producing fiction words.  I took on freelance writing 2 years ago to support myself, and the necessity to make money makes me put those dollar words first.  I consistently produce those words (mostly), but to my chagrin, I exhaust my supply apparently, and fiction writing leaves me staring at the page.  Add a crazy routine with tons of responsibilities - whether external (as a job or family) or character driven (as a goal you just won't compromise), and here we sit together.  I went back to school to earn a graphic design degree, already own a digital publishing company that does take attention to run properly, and am committed to help my grandson with anything he needs.  He has autism, so it's a big commitment, and no matter what's happening, he remains my first priority.  Is your life as complicated?  I suspect it is. You may be beating on yourself to do more and struggling with the pileup of guilt when goals go unmet. You're not alone.

However, I've come to realize...and I'll state this succinctly:

You live what you put first. Patti Ann Colt

Let me digress for a minute. I'm in my mid-50s, so going back to school wasn't a simple decision.  But I believe when you find something that sparks your passion, you should follow that trail.  The decision supports my digital publishing company and my indie author publishing goals, but I never expected to find a different creative side.  What I learned from finishing my first year:  doing what you love is really important, and nobody else can make the changes necessary to put you where you need to be.  I can write anything, but I don't love freelance writing.  I can do it, but it doesn't spark any creativity. It's just a means to eat.  Important, yes.  I'm not arguing that, and if you're in that situation, by all means keep plowing forward.  Stability is important.  But if you're like me, your next novel (or 5) is stuck in your head and you need a tweak to your lifestyle to make your novel a reality. This challenge is for you.  Don't expect massive goals and demanding changes. As I've discovered, they won't work.  
  
So here it is - simple and straightforward.  

This week:  

1) Write for 5 minutes every day. 

 I don't care how you accomplish this.  But don't make a big deal out of setting aside the right space and the right time.  You'll fail.  Use your computer on the sofa or in bed, put your show on pause and use your iPad, grab your iPhone at the next really long light (Please don't type while you're driving!), or pull into Sonic or your favorite coffee shop, grab a receipt off the floor, and write for five minutes in the parking lot!  Five minutes is only five minutes. It doesn't give any time for fear to build or for your internal editor to click on, and most things can be ignored for 5 minutes.  BUT you can accomplish 100-200 words in that 5 minutes. Don't believe me?  Time yourself.  I have, that's how I know.  If you can't get 100-200 words, you're thinking too hard.  Work on your novel, write about the car next to you, write a note to your spouse, or take a random word and see where it takes you.  There's hundreds of creative writing prompt choices. Find one.  Now I know, 5 minutes seems like a really low goal.  If you're a seasoned writer, you're thinking I CAN DO MORE THAN THAT.  Yes, I'm living in your head.  No, seriously, I think that to myself all the time.  I also think - I can do it later.  Then later comes, and presto, the goal hasn't happened.  So set your time.  Can you meet a 5 minute promise to yourself?  I think I can.  And so can you.  

I write better first thing in the morning, but I also spend a lot of time in my car driving - another commitment I won't explain.  But if I adjust my timing and take a CAN notebook (see how I worked CAN into a CAN'T situation), a pen, and my story notes (which are on sticky notes), I can pull over a couple places along my route and set my iPhone to time a 5 minute write.  

A habit takes a few days to settle in, so don't give up.  1400 words a week writes a full novel in 42 weeks.  And if you snorted to that, tell me how long it's been since you produced a full novel and just do it!

You numbered that, you say.  Where's the #2?  

2)  READ.  Find a book in your genre and read - whether lunch hour, cooking dinner, or bedtime, spend some time with a favorite.

"Just write every day of your life.  Read intensely. Then see what happens. Most of my friends who are put on that diet have very successful careers."  Ray Bradbury

That's all.  Take some steps today to #BreakTheBlock.  Feel free to leave your comments!

Rookie Writing Camp Part II: 3 Fiction Rules for Pesky -Ly Words and Said

I'm not a big fan of the word "said."

In general conversation, its an okay word.  But in fiction writing, it's a menace. Let me back up for a minute. Have you read Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King?  No, a survey box is not going to pop up, just a general question. If you've read the book, you have a clue where I'm going with this.

Here's the thing:  Dave and Renni are pretty adamant about sticking to only "said" and "asked."  I don't disagree with that, when you have to use them.  So if you've just begun your fiction writing quest, ditch commented, replied, questioned...and every other one you've been using.  They make you look like a rookie writer.  That's what their reason was.  Mine is a bit more detailed.  It goes something like this:

Do you remember memorizing sight words when you learned to read?  Do you know anything about readability?  In general, "said" and "asked" are sight words to your subconscious; your brain can read over the top of them, understand their meaning, and click into context without  interrupting the enjoyment of your story. Commented.  Exclaimed. Replied. Questioned. Challenged.  Nope, those words don't do that. They detract from your dialogue.  They pull your reader's attention from the story to the mechanics of your writing. That's bad.  Bad.  ( I heard that.  "But some of the best writers I know use those words."  Yeah, they do. To that I say, there are many ways to successfully fiction write. You can use these words and get away with it. But read the rest of this article before you decide.)

Rule Number 1:  Purge everything but "said" and "asked" from your dialogue.  

You're attempting to whine here and I know that.  You've taken that sentence:

"Let's kill John," Lola exclaimed.

and now made it:

" Let's kill John," Lola said.

But you desperately what to do something to decorate it like:

"Let's kill John," Lola said, lovingly.

I won't show you the red pen I just stabbed through your paper/computer screen on that word.  :-/

What's wrong with lovingly?

Nothing.  I adore the word "loving."

I don't adore the -ly construction.

Rule Number 2:  Search and destroy every -ly you find. Every. Single. One.

Let's put some parameters to that rule, shall we?  Obviously, there are some words that are naturally constructed with the -ly ending and they can be left alone. Adverbs are your nemesis here.  If the -ly word is attached to a "said", I can pretty much say across the board, DELETE.  If you're dialogue isn't constructed well enough to convey the meaning of that word, search for stronger verbs and play with it until it does. Further, those little -ly words are telling.  What do they tell?  Usually they tell something your dialogue has already said or they convey some movement or emotion that is better demonstrated with straight-forward action verbs and body language. This helps your characters become three-dimensional and your reader will thank you because the characters will become REAL.

Take a moment to search your current work in progress for -ly.  If you have dozens or hundreds, you're in trouble. Train your writing brain now to backspace those words as soon as they are typed.

Once again, though, we're back to how to enhance "Let's kill John," Lola said.

Could we use:  "Let's kill John," Lola said, removing a butcher knife from the drawer.

Really, there is no problem with that construction.  It reads well.  Your reader will get the point without getting stuck in your mechanics.  But as you work your way through the scene, if you do that construction over and over, you once again stick your reader in the midst of your writing mechanics. Not good.

But, what if we mix it up?

"Let's kill John." Lola removed a butcher knife from the drawer and tested the blade against her finger, drawing a bead of red, oozing blood.

I leave it to you.  Which would you rather do?

You have a ton of opportunity in these moments to present movements, visuals, sounds, tastes, smells, emotions, and body language.

You don't understand about body language?  What husband hasn't come home to a wife standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips and a frown on her face?  Does she need to deliver the speech?  If Lola's eyes gleamed and she licked the blood off her finger, what is that going to tell you?

Rule Number 3:  Whenever possible, remove the "said" and "asked" and put active construction in your sentences using movements, body language, and emotion.

Every person non-verbally conveys a message.  Few people sit still, and if they do, there's a reason. Nervous habits, casual behaviors, and common day-to-day activities bring your story from telling to showing.

As a test, take the last scene you wrote and eliminate all the speaker attributes. You're probably having heart palpitations now, because what kid didn't grow up learning to read with "said" and "asked" through the pages of their primers.  Well, how else do you expect kids to learn the mechanics of dialogue and to learn to read over the sight words without stopping?  You're a writer now, though. Move past those days. Imagine yourself in that scene. What would you be doing?  How would you be feeling?  Yes, put those in place with active -ed verbs and tell me your work isn't stronger.

If you need help, here's a few resources from my bag of tricks to get you started:

Empowering Character Emotions by Margie Lawson

Writing Body Language and Dialogue Cues Like a Psychology by Margie Lawson

The Emotion Thesaurus:  A Writer's Guide to  Character Expression by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi

How to Read a Person Like A Book by Gerard I. Nierenberg and Henry H. Calero

Indie Publishing the Smart Way - Part II

The How and Where of Indie Publishing
“An indie publisher is still a publisher, the same as any traditional publisher.” Dean Wesley Smith
££££Amazon.  Barnes & Noble.  Smashwords.  Kobo.  iBooks.  Google.  On Demand.  Create Space.  Overdrive.  Ingram.  Sony.  Diesel.  Books on Board.  Baker & Taylor.   Did I miss any?  Yes, tons.  E-book only?  Print, too?  What about audio books?  Gads.  Any more decisions?  Yes, tons.Branding myself as an author?  Designing my interior?  My cover has to do what?  Is there more I need to know?  Yes, tons.The market is expanding every day with platforms, big and small, designed to publish your indie author work.  There are also platforms that are willing to handle the distribution end of your book for you.  That means you publish one place and they do all the work.  That may sound good, but there are some pitfalls.  What is the essential component here?  For you to figure out what is your level of expertise.  How much time do you have available to spend on this adventure?  How much control do you want over the details? How proficient are you with technology?   Whether you have written a cookbook, a work of fiction, or non-fiction, some of the decisions facing you will be the same.  Where do you want to sell your book?  What versions will be available?  How are you going to identify yourself to your reader?  These are only a few of the questions.  There are many, many more and some will be things you didn’t consider.  Every writer brings a different skillset to the table, experiences that can be drawn on to make this quest a success.  Even if you are a published author and have some familiarity with what it takes to bring a manuscript to fruition, or you intend to hire out, there are still decisions to be made and things to consider.So let’s run through a few essential questions and answer segment, questions you should ask yourself before beginning the complex journey through successful indie publishing.
1.  Professional:  Is writing a hobby or a passion?  Because passion will carry you through this process.  Not that curiosity doesn’t have its own learning drive, but passion to put your work out there is going to carry you through the complicated, frustrating avalanche of information.  You are going to work hard and learn hard.  Be prepared.
2.  Physical:  How much time do you have available?  This isn’t an overnight process.  Matters not whether you approach this as a full-time endeavor or do it in your spare time around job and family concerns.  The entire process from editing to book cover production to finalizing formatting to proofreading to publishing can take many hours and hours of work.  If you think you’ll read this book one night and publish the next, uh….we’d love to tell you that, but not happening. There are steps that shouldn’t be skipped, steps which take time to do.  Decide what level of quality you want your name attached to before you begin this process.
3.  Creative:  How would you rate your level of technological savvy?  High, medium, low?  You don’t have to be a guru.  You don’t have to have a computer science degree.  But if you handwrite your manuscripts and shudder any time you have to turn on a computer, you need to assess your ability to learn this process and be honest with yourself.  There is a high learning curve here.  There are no difficult concepts, just new and varied ones. 
4.  Emotional:  Do you use more software than the internet?  Because being semi-proficient in Word, PowerPoint, knowing how to convert files to PDF, understanding technology newer than Windows 95 is essential.  Coping strategies for handling your risk-taking, diving stomach are essential.  Prepping a full manuscript for publication is not for sissies. Understanding how to manipulate unfamiliar programs and not giving up until you can deliver a product YOU are happy with – that’s the aim.

5.  Financial:  What’s your budget?  Nothing?  Hundred bucks?  A thousand bucks?  And your tolerance for spending that?  Because there is a certain amount of overhead cost that you may not see back.  Many writers don’t see a return until their third, fourth, fifth book.  There are production costs depending on how much of this you plan to do yourself, so think through your financial concerns.
If after all that soul-searching analysis you are still ready to try, congratulations and welcome to the world of indie publishing.  Pat yourself on the back, roll up your sleeves, and get to work.

Indie Publishing The Smart Way: Part I - The Beginning

So You Want To Be A Published Author
“ Don't aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally. ”  David Frost
What is the first thing you should know about independent publishing?It’s hard work.For every hour you spend writing, you will spend four in production, publication, and marketing of your book. If you are committed to delivering a quality product to your readers, you may spend more. Then you will turn around and do it again and again and again.If you are curious about this process and want to use our blog to go through the steps to see if this is a viable alternative for your work, the steps will be put forth here for you.If you are fairly certain you want to turn your career away from the traditional publishing route and pursue the tremendous rewards of having control over the who, what, where and how your writing gets in the hands of your readers, this series will show you the way.If you have struggled for years to get published and are ready to take the risks yourself to succeed, by all means, let us help you.If you greatest goal is producing work that is in the public domain (meaning you don’t own the rights), this series can give you the publishing knowledge, but little else.But if you think you have the next brilliant idea, hire a ghostwriter to produce your book, and expect this to be fast “get rich quick” scheme, this procedure is not for you. Will it help you produce a book?  Yes. Will it help make that book a success?  No.  We are professional writers.  Patti has been writing for almost twenty-five years and has published a dozen romance novels. She was the owner/moderator of an online critique group for six years, taught synopsis writing, along with currently being a food blogger and freelance writer. Tiffany has been freelance writing for more than ten years and claims many well-known Fortune 500 companies as her clients. She also fiction writes under the name Anne M. Carpenter. Together, we have published popular cookbooks, blogged on writing, self-publishing and life in general, and have marketed our way to a thorough understanding of what it takes to make a successful independent writing life. We’ve written for a livable income. We’ve written for pennies and for free.We’ve read thousands of words written on the subject of independent publishing and writing and are avid fiction readers.We move in social media circles you probably haven’t even heard of.  Yet.We’ve published almost four dozen books in three years through our digital publishing company using the knowledge we will present to you.It is hard work.  And the most satisfying work we've ever done.We’re not saying you have to commit to only independent publishing long term to utilize the full benefits of this instruction.  On the contrary, every writer should take full advantage of every opportunity and realize his/her own dreams.  But we are proof that success is a mere breath away if you are willing to work hard and commit to giving your client – the reader – the best of what you can do. Write compelling words. But go into this with your eyes wide-open. You will most likely not be that one in a million writer that makes it big on one book. You most likely won’t be that one in a million writer that becomes a household name. But if you keep your eyes focused on pleasing your reader, the money will come. The success will come. The satisfaction will come. 

Rookie Writer Camp, Part I: Three Important Rules Plus Tips

I've been asked several times recently if I had any good advice for beginning writers. Hence, a new series is starting to help you as a working writer grow and learn and get to that first published novel. There are dozens of things I could tell you, distilled from 25 years on this journey, but we'll begin with three important rules with a few tips thrown in for good measure. 
1.  Rule number one of novel writing:  First drafts are always crap.  
I'd pretty the word up, but it really fits. Doesn't matter if it's your first book, my 17th, Nora Robert's bajillionth. First drafts are crap. I believe Nora Roberts is the one who made this rule! Further, you have to be willing to look at every idea, every sentence, every scene and destroy it to get to the core of the idea. That means you write your first draft and then you go through it again and again and edit for content and ideas. [If you are scoffing at the moment because you read "How to Write Your Book In 3 Days and Make a Million Dollars" - go here.]
If you are new to the writing business, I highly recommend you find a copy of Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Dave King and Renni Browne and read it before proceeding. It's a simple little paperback, will take you about 2 hours to read (if you don't do the exercises), and will give you huge insights into the basic writing structure of a novel with an emphasis on rookie mistakes to avoid. 
2.  Having a finished first draft is not an immediate GO DIRECTLY TO PUBLISHING. 
I can't emphasize this enough. In order to provide a frame of reference, let me review my book writing process.
A. Finish first draft.  Time frame can vary drastically here, but it's always crap, remember?  B.  I begin a comprehensive edit by reviewing each chapter with Margie Lawson's Deep Edit System and performing a thorough check of my plot.  You haven't heard of Margie Lawson?  Tisk. See below. C.  At this stage, I need input.  I used to post for my critique group to make recommendations, but I don't use a critique group anymore. I have a writing partner.This is a huge, important step for any new writer, though. Do an internet search for active critique groups if you don't already belong to a working group.  I highly recommend The Critique Circle.  I used them for a few years.  D. I send to my editor (who is also my writing partner). If you do not have an editor, start looking for one - and it should NOT be your next door neighbor or your boss's wife unless they are a successful freelance editor, as my writing partner is.  [You can hire her, too!  GO HERE.]E. I execute her changes and read again.  [We have ten years working together, and I never argue with her suggested changes. Essentially, she's proven herself to be right nearly every time. Find an editor you can develop that kind of relationship with, and you'll always have that person as a sounding board.]F. I read again for consistency in time frame, facts presented, names, opening a refrigerator and not closing it, the many details that go into bringing my books to life.  Many times this necessitates another read through. G. I format to an ebook, add the front and back matter, do the interior design, etc.  H.  Proofread.  This is not editing. They are two different things. By the time you get to this stage, the editing is finished. You should be READING for mistakes. With a publisher, this is called the galley process. You read and fix the errors, usually two go rounds before you give your approval. I only proofread once, and then I hand it off to my business partner to proofread. By then I've been through the work too much and won't see the simplest things like missing words, etc. I read what I think is there, not what actually is. Fresh eyes on a proofread process are essential. I.  Then I write the promotion blurb which is a whole different process to be described in another post.J.  I do my own book covers, so somewhere in there I've usually developed one. If your talents don't run that direction, begin searching for a book cover artist or one of the many sites that offer pre-made covers.K. Publish the ebook.L. Reformat for print publication.  M. Publish to CreateSpace. 
That's a good chunk of the alphabet, folks. If you think you can skip any of these steps, you're on a dangerous path to betraying your reader's expectations, and there are serious consequences to doing that. The fastest I've done a book is four months. I wrote the first draft of Cowboy's Sweetheart in 5 weeks and spent the rest of the time editing and producing it. For most of mine, the first draft stage is a bit longer and every book is different. 
3. If you do not know who Margie Lawson is, GO HERE NOW.   
I highly recommend all her workshops and she has the packets for sale for you to work independently, too. All her classes had a big impact on how I think about writing and my working routine. One class in particular fundamentally changed what I put on the page. This class is her Deep Edits System. This procedure will quickly give you a visual idea of what is missing from your writing. It is a simple process to use, and the idea is backed up with a study rhetorical devices that is worth every penny. Learning to be visual and emotional in what you write connects to the reader.  
I'll have more advice soon, but in the meantime, remember these:
1.  Read in your genre and read a lot. For instance, if you want to be successful as a contemporary romance writer, you have to hit the library paperback section, yard sales, Half-Price Books, Amazon, etc. and read Harlequins. They are going to be your direct competition as they publish 85% of this market. I've been reading Harlequins for 40 years (and have a stack of rejection letters from them in my drawer). Find an author your like and read her stuff. Read with a highlighter and examine the way she told her story and put that back into what you are writing.
2.  Start gathering writing books and read. There are many sites that offer writers workshops on various subjects. Do an internet search. One of my favorite places to take classes is the Kiss Of Death Chapter of the Romance Writers of America. I've taken many of their classes and highly recommend them for fiction writers.
3.  For indie publishing information, Dean Wesley Smith. Spend some time on his blog and go through all the articles. You'll get a clearer understanding of the professional end of this. DeanWesleySmith.com
I never stop learning about writing. It's a huge achievement to have just finished the first draft, but don't stop there. Learn. Grow. Tell a better story. Every step gets you closer to satisfying your readers. 

Marriage ala Mode

As a writer, I know that inspiration comes from many sources. It can be the lyrics to a sad song, a stunning picture or a vivid dream. Some of these ideas come to fruition and some of them lack enough depth to make a truly good story and are discarded.  Sometimes we write half a story before we realize the idea is dead. But when we are truly inspired, the idea blooms and grows and evolves becoming an inspiration of its own.

Recently I did some research on William Hogarth. You get to jump to the next square in Trivial Pursuit if you know who he is. I did not before I started researching his work. Small sketch:  Hogarth was a prolific British painter. Born in 1697. Died in 1764. He painted in a time of upheaval for Britain. The nobelity's grasp on English society was dying. The middle class businessman and merchant were gaining power. People were moving from rural Britain into the cities.  The Industrial Revolution was about to sweep Britain.  Hogarth was apprenticed to a silver engraver at eight years old and learned the printing business from the bottom up. Yet his greatest talent was painting. Sounds like every other painter from that time, right?  Except Hogarthwas the first painter to paint with vivid strokes and pointed criticism in single and series paintings. Then he would engrave his work to copper and print for the masses.  A deep sense of duty to society and a need to support his family drove him to look widely for ways to do what he loved and profit from it. Hence, the concept for the political cartoon and the comics section of the newspaper was born. He is considered the father of this industry.

He painted portraits and scenes for many years. Finally, he had this series brainstorm and his first series of paintings were done.  The Harlot series was painted during a time when British officials had decided to clean up the streets of the unholy temptress prostitutes.  Hogarth's series of six paintings portrayed one such harlot - a victim of circumstances with no other choices. From there a whole new genre of paintings were born. My favorite is a series he calls Marriage a la mode. The target was marriages of convenience for money or power and supported the idea that the only reason to marry was for love. Are you surprised?  I'm a romance author after all.

Take a look at some of his paintings. Gorgeous, rich colors combined with a vivid depiction of people's emotions.

Yet, that still isn't why Hogarth fascinated me so.

The reason he fascinated me is because he painted in details. Every single image he placed in his paintings had a reason for being there. Some were to comment on society, some were whimsical, but each item deepened the texture of the work, leaving layers and layers of meaning. Whether he did this with deliberate care or let his subconscious rule, it doesn't matter. The end results are works of art as lasting as any Shakespeare play.

We are artists of sorts, aren't we? We don't use paints or a camera, but we do paint pictures, tell stories with our words. It occurred to me if we all used the same deliberate care with constructing those words that Hogarth used in painting his images, we'd all have best sellers.  I'm editing right now, so this may be why this struck me as so vastly important. I know I'm not the only one who has used Donald Maass's Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook to get down to the very core of my characters  I can't be the only one who has read Sol Stein's On Writing chapters on using editing triage to cut the fluff. Or even Randy Ingermanson's snowflake concept to refine an idea from elevator pitch, to blurb, to outline, to manuscript. 

Hogarth's work inspired me to dig deeper into my editing and have the patience to put in place what my imagination intended to be in the words. Hogarth painted what was in his soul, but he used what he did wisely, ultimately understanding his responsibility to his patrons. His work has lasted for centuries. In this new world of ebooks, where the potential for work to exist forever in cyberspace, every attempt should be made to write and edit with that same verve, don't you think? After all, isn't that our legacy?

[Originally published on Happy Endings, July 2011]