Bridges DelPonte's Blog, page 4

The Wind Up, The Pitch

When I grew up in Boston, I was an avid Boston Red Sox fan. Our family of 11 would pile into our Country Squire station wagon and head to Fenway Park. The bleachers seats were only a dollar—such cheap family entertainment. We lived and died with the team when they almost won the World SeriesContinue reading "The Wind Up, The Pitch"

It’s Beta, Baby!

According to numerous sources, the stats suggest that only about three percent of people who set out to write a novel ever finish it. So, if you’ve ever completed a novel then congratulations– you are in rare company.  Out of that small group only about twenty percent get published.  Self-publishing and hybrid publishing have probably improved the chances of putting your work out there. Those numbers are still pretty slim.

Despite these daunting stats, I’ve completed and revised my fourth novel, tentatively entitled, The Remade Bridesmaid. In the novel, a broke and broken twenty-something Indigo loathes returning home to her dad’s quirky Key West mobile home park after Broadway failures and a talent agency scandal. Facing mounting debts and paralyzing panic attacks, Indigo reluctantly enrolls in a swanky resort’s professional bridesmaid training. With her brash honesty and caustic wit, Indigo locks horns with the program’s domineering director and discovers an unexpected path forward. Think The Devil Wears Prada meets 27 Dresses.

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I’ve worked with a couple of critique groups throughout the initial drafting process. But finishing and revising a draft manuscript is just the beginning of more input and revisions from beta readers. Borrowing from software development lingo, beta readers are a trusted group of people who are the likely audience for your novel. They don’t have to be authors, although some of mine are writers. Their primary role is to give you further feedback on what works and doesn’t work in your novels. You ask—no, beg them–to be brutally honest in order to improve the quality of the manuscript. Some authors can afford to pay for professional beta readers, but my beta readers help me for free—but will be acknowledged in my book when it gets published as a “thank you” for their support!

In the past, I requested general thoughts on a manuscript. But for the first time, I asked my beta readers to respond to several questions to learn their impressions and to determine what feedback will lead to further revisions.  Here are the six questions, I requested them to respond to in their beta reader feedback.[B1] 

Do the first 10 pages make you want to keep reading? If not, what is the problem?Could you relate to the main character, Indigo? Did you feel her pain, joy, fears, humor, worry, excitement?Which characters did you connect to and like the most? Or love to hate?Was the story interesting to you? Did it drag or confuse you in parts? Where?Do you find the ending satisfying?Any other comments to share to improve the novel?

I’ve already received four beta responses. Their feedback helped me to shore up and clarify a few plot points and character questions. This information is invaluable in making more changes before I send it off to agents this fall. Thank you to my beta readers for playing an important role in polishing up my draft novel—you’re all alpha readers to me!

 [B1]

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Writing the Next Novel…

It’s always hard to get positive feedback on a novel from an editor who then says, “But we’re passing on it as it doesn’t fit our list right now.” You know the work is good, but that it’s not what’s trendy in the market.

In October 2019, I was so hopeful when my novel, Friends Like Us, got the attention of an agent. It’s the story of a friendship between three women in their forties without kids—one by choice, another by chance, and a third by circumstances. It’s a labor of love for me and was inspired by my decades-long friendships with other women who don’t have biological children. I even wrote about half of its sequel.

Thanks for your timely advice, Mia!!

While writing the sequel, guest author, Mia P. Manansala, spoke to my local writer’s group about her tortured writing journey. She’s an award-winning writer and Chicago book coach and author of culinary cozy mystery, Arsenic and Adobo (Penguin Random House),the first book in the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery Series. Mia has now written a second book in the series, Homicide and Halo-Halo.

Mia (she/her) presented on the joys and challenges of “Being a Debut Author.” She discussed that her first novel never got published, and then changed agents before selling her second novel to a major publisher. She cautioned authors not to write a sequel until the first book sells so you won’t have two unsold manuscripts on your hands. Her advice came at the right time for me and I put my sequel on hold to write a new novel. Thank you, Mia!!

After a long slog in developmental editing and publishing’s COVID delays, the novel ultimately went out on submission in April 2021. But then my agent left the business a couple of months into my submission process and the novel lost its champion. Eventually, it languished and didn’t sell to the big publishers. I parted ways with the literary agency, too. Now I’m submitting it to smaller presses and mulling over the idea of self-publishing another novel.

It’s definitely a real bummer. But others have told me that even getting an agent is like winning the lottery, and getting published in the big leagues these days is like winning the lottery twice.

So, what’s an author to do? As Mia suggested, I wrote something new. I’ve finished and edited another new women’s fiction novel, The Remade Bridesmaid, in the interim and sent it off to beta readers this afternoon. I’m hoping to hear back by August and will begin submitting it to new agents in the fall. I may be a glutton for punishment–but aren’t all writers?  I’ll keep you in the loop on this new journey!

Knocking Out Round 1

Supposedly, Ernest Hemingway once said that “The first draft of anything is shit.” That may be an overstatement, but writing the first draft of a new novel is hard work and a mental battle from beginning to end. My mind is racing with ideas about creating plot points, character arcs, scenes, humorous bits, set ups and pay offs, and a zillion other things. When writing my first novel, Deadly Sacrifices, I spent a lot of time polishing and overediting my first draft. Now that I’m on my fourth novel, I’m focusing more on getting it down on the page without too much deep editing. I know it’s only the first round in a long process.

MY KEYBOARD COLLAPSE!!

On Saturday, I felt really happy (and tired) that I completed a first draft of my current project, The Remade Bridesmaid. It’s a women’s fiction dramedy about a young twenty-something woman who, failing in her big Broadway dreams, must find a new path forward in her Key West hometown. It’s a beast at about 132K words, so I’ve literally got my work cut out for me—cutting out about 20-30K words. As they say in writing, I’ll have to kill a lot of my little darlings, but that’s the way it goes. Writing followed by editing, editing, editing, editing……

I’m fortunate that I have critique partners who are reviewing it as I write it. I’ll use their critiques to further inform my editing process. Then I’ll send that draft out to beta readers who will give me further feedback and then more editing before sending it out for review. I’m hoping to be done with the editing process by September of this year—if all goes to plan!

I’m thrilled that Round 1 in this boxing match is done…now only about twelve more rounds or so to go!

Admiring the Art of Illusion

Where can you poke a bear, stand in a shark’s mouth or ride on a Velociraptor without a call to 911 emergency services? The 2022 Venice Chalk Festival!! Amazing to watch chalk artists, using chalk and paint, to create a variety of 3-D illusions and 2-D art on unused runways at the Venice Municipal Airport. This year’s theme was ‘resilience” in a pandemic-weary world.

I was especially fascinated by the 3-D works. On one side, an image is stretched and skewed beyond recognition while the other side pops with a wonderful 3-D illusion. I watched these chalk artists carefully shaping and perfecting their paintings with fingertips, brushes, and sponges. The artists worked under the constant threat of rain, damaging their temporary art works. Yet they labored on their hands and knees to create these magical pieces of fleeting art. These unique kinds of paintings create the illusion of a new scene for visitors to step right into—just like a good book of fiction creates the illusion of the world and journey of its characters.

As I write, I strive to create and shape a world with words, rather than chalk, paint and brushes. It’s a never-ending process or writing and rewriting as I further hone my writing craft and sharpen my storyline. I’m over 105,000 words on the first draft of my latest work of women’s fiction. I know that when I’m done with this first draft, I’ll be revising the story for many more months reshaping and revising the story. It can be tedious at time, but that’s the only way to improve the work. I’ll keep you updated on my progress.

My kudos to all of those who seek to perfect the art of illusion in art and literature!

Wowing Past 80K

In February, I enjoyed participating in WOW month with the Women’s Fiction Writers Association’s (WFWA). WOW stands for Work our Works in Progress. It was a great opportunity to interact with daily WFWA Facebook posts and to create online connections between writers of women’s fiction.

I hoped to break through 80K words on my current project, a dramedy about a broke and broken twenty-something woman, Indigo Costa, who returns home to Key West after failing at her dreams of Broadway stardom. In unexpected circumstances, she reluctantly enrolls in professional bridesmaid training at a swanky Key West resort, locking horns with its domineering director and finding her own surprising path forward. Think The Devil Wears Prada meets 27 Dresses. There is plenty of humor and tears to go around in this story.

During WOW, I pushed past 80K and am currently past 82K on the first draft. Like the horse sensing the hay in cozy stables just ahead, my writing accelerated throughout WOW and continues to pick up speed as I get closer to the completion of my first draft. I think I’ll finish a first draft in March with another 10-12K more words…then back in the saddle for the long revising process. Yet really happy about my progress in my first WOW!

WFWA Authors – Front Row: Randa Kayyali Privett, Bridges DelPonte, Tracey Enerson Wood; 2d Row: Pamela Raleigh, Cheryl J. Corriveau, Kyle Ann Robertson, Micki Morency, Regina Buttner

I also had a great opportunity to meet other wonderful Southwest Florida WFWA members at a gathering at the beautiful home of WFWA member and author Kyle Anne Roberston (pen name: BB Walsh). So fun and stimulating to talk with fellow authors about their back stories, current books, and future projects. Plus there were snacks! Being with such creative and interesting female authors in SW FL was an unexpected Wow during WOW. Looking forward to our next gathering in May.

WFWA Authors (l to r): Regina Buttner, Kyle Ann Robertson, Cheryl J. Corriveau, Tracey Enerson Wood WFWA Authors (l to r): Bridges DelPonte, Micki Morency, Regina Buttner, Tracey Enerson Wood

Let’s WOW!

This month, I’m participating in WOW month with the Women’s Fiction Writers Association’s (WFWA). WOW stands for Work our Works in Progress. Unlike NaNoWriMo, it’s not necessarily about writing a novel in a month, but about choosing a writing, editing or querying goal for the month of February and concentrating on it. There are also daily online WFWA Facebook posts to promote interaction and connection between writers of women’s fiction.

For me, WOW is another opportunity to keep my focus on my writing and perhaps get close to finishing a first draft of a new novel under my pen name: Bridges DelPonte. I’m about two-thirds done and am pushing myself to finish that last third. Then it’s on to revising the initial draft and then soliciting feedback from beta readers…and then more revising!

My current project is a dramedy about a broke and broken twenty-something woman, Indigo Costa, who returns home to Key West after failing at her dreams of Broadway stardom. In unexpected circumstances, she reluctantly enrolls in professional bridesmaid training at a swanky Key West resort, locking horns with its domineering director and finding her own surprising path forward. Think The Devil Wears Prada meets 27 Dresses. There will be plenty of humor and tears to go around in this story.

I’ll let you know how I fare at month’s end. I hope I’m saying, “Wow, I finished my first draft!”

Cool Lit Gifts, Great Local Businesses, and a Partridge in a Pear Tree…

My sister, Dolores, is a doyen at finding unique Christmas gifts, especially those that support local small businesses and worthy causes. This year, she gifted me with whimsical wood coasters painted using “punny” book titles, like “Tequila Mockingbird” and “Moby Drink”, from Oliverstuff (https://www.cuttingboredom.com or @oliverstuff).  All the fun coasters are made with reclaimed wood in a little San Diego workshop and include a faux San Diego Library book borrowing or circulation card with your order. 

She also gave me Novel Teas, tea bags with fun literary quotes on each tag, from Boston-based Bag Ladies Teas (http://bagladiestea.com/). The retailer added this line of teas after being inspired by her siblings who are deeply involved with education and literacy, including collecting books for children without access to reading materials and participating in the AmericaReads program (https://americareads.as.ucsb.edu/). Besides who doesn’t need a good cup of tea and some literary inspiration after a hard day trying to bang out a good story?

The frosting on the cake was a beautiful scarf from Portland, Oregon-based Storiarts (https://www.storiarts.com) with initial text from The Hound of the Baskervilles, my favorite Sherlock Holmes paranormal mystery. As a kid, I enjoyed reading Sherlock Holmes mysteries and shared my parents’ love for TV mysteries broadcast on the PBS Series: Masterpiece Mystery. I still remember fondly Jeremy Brett’s Sherlock Holmes, David Suchet’s Poirot, and Joan Hickson’s Miss Marple in that series.(Although I must admit that Benedict Cumberbatch in the contemporary updating of the Holmes’ mysteries, Sherlock, is a master class in character acting.) These early introductions to mysteries definitely kindled my interest in writing my own mystery novel, Deadly Sacrifices, A Marguerite Montez Mystery, and several short stories with mystery elements published in anthologies.

More importantly, aside from an awesome scarf for future book festivals and readings, Storiarts donates a portion of every purchase to a global nonprofit organization, LitWorld, (https://www.litworld.org/). LitWorld promotes global literacy and supports a love of writing and creativity for children in the U.S. and across the globe. The funds from this partnership have sponsored a wide range of community efforts, including the delivery of food, books, tech resources, and writing supplies, and the sponsorship of in-person and virtual reading programs. So, cool lit gifts, supporting local folks, and some great causes to boot.

BTW–I’m not affiliated nor compensated in any way by these businesses or organizations.  For years, I wrote local business profiles for GoLoJax, a neighborhood group that promoted small businesses. I’m all about bolstering local creatives and passing along holiday gift love and good causes that you might want to share with the working authors in your own life. Wishing you a great New Year’s and a happy and healthy writing in 2022!

Community Matters!

During these turbulent COVID times, I moved into a new community in SW FL—about four plus hours away from my Orlando home base and writing community—just in time for a global pandemic. With societal lockdowns and health concerns, it was very difficult to meet new people or connect with fellow writers or other community groups in 2020. I spent time unpacking and settling into my new home, edited Friends Like These which is currently on submission to publishers, and began to write a new women’s fiction novel. But like most people, 2020 was a time of isolation.

This past year, I’ve been triple vaxxed and am cautiously inching back toward normalcy in reaching out to local writing and service organizations. Thankfully, virtual meetings have helped me stay in touch with the Citrus Crime Writers, the Central Florida chapter of Sisters in Crime, Inc. (SinC). I continue to attend CCW’s monthly meetings and enjoy posting news items on their channels as their social media coordinator. I also was able to connect with fellow writers in the Women’s Fiction Writers Association on both its Facebook page and in a monthly Zoom critique circle on my current writing project. I’ve even joined and attended a few in-person meetings with the Gulf Coast Writers Association in Fort Myers.

Recently, I’ve been applying my writing skills for Beyond Ourselves, a local community service organization, publishing an article about the group in the Charlotte Sun and drafting letters and materials for their upcoming Share the Love for the Kids Home Tour, planned for Feb. 5, 2022, from 10:00 am-4:00 pm, benefiting children’s charities in Charlotte County. And I’m sitting on a local historic preservation advisory board for the city.

At year’s end, I’m grateful for a wonderful life, good health, and a growing sense of community in my little slice of coastal paradise. Wishing everyone a joyous holiday season and a happy and healthy 2022!

Write-In for the Win!

Thanks to all of the members of Citrus Crime Writers for inviting me to host a fun virtual write-in on Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021, from 2:00-3:00 pm. I led two fifteen-minute writing sprints for members. Sherry Morris blew us away with her high word counts with Martha Geaney and Jen Walsh right behind her. Our resident podcaster for WZRD Radio and self-described nerd, Bess Carnan, and Jen Walsh also shared their fun experiences with NaNo Orlando, including their virtual participation in “Writing Around Disney” write-in this week.

Aside from kick-starting our writing, the session provided a wonderful opportunity to share information about useful craft tools and events. For those considering software programs to aid their writing, several CCW members indicated good success with Scrivener, originally intended for use with Apple Computers, but now accessible on a wide range of platforms.

CCW members noted that there is a steep learning curve with Scrivener that they felt paid off in the end for moving around content or locating key plot elements and clues in one’s writing projects. They indicated that the program can be helpful for both “pantsers” and plotters”. Some options for learning about how to use Scrivener are listed below:

For advice on Scrivener, check out Gwenhernandez.com. Her site offers free articles,  free classes and paid private instruction. Gwen is also the author of Scrivener for Dummies.For online classes, Charlotte Hunter, recommended The Loft Scrivener Class 101 with instructor, Nicole Kronzer. The website, Loft.org, offers different writing classes with registration fees.

Charlotte Hunter and Martha Geaney also advised members about checking out a new software program that helps “plotter” authors outline their writing projects, aptly named Plottr. To round out our meeting, I pulled the winner in our drawing for a $25 Amazon gift card out of a fedora hat—Bess Carnan—congrats to Bess!

A great event with truly motivated writers. Have a great Thanksgiving everyone…gobble, gobble!!