Casey Harvell's Blog, page 4

Process

“You get ideas from daydreaming. You get ideas from being bored. You get ideas all the time. The only difference between writers and other people is we notice when we’re doing it.” ~ Neil Gaiman

We all have one. Mine, personally, I feel is a bit more sporadic than others. But every writer has something that they do, some process when they write.

Maybe you need a dark, quiet space. Maybe you need lots of light and music. Perhaps you feel the need to sit at a desk to work. Or maybe, (like me), you can and will write from anywhere, at any give time.

So, my question to you: What is your writing process? What idiosyncrasies do you implement when doing your thing? What is your process?

Research That!

“If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?” -Albert Einstein

We all have to do it. Perhaps it’s for different reasons. The everyday person may do their homework before making a large purchase. Us writers, we HAVE to do it, to write.

It can be anything from physics, to a specific location, but it’s a necessary evil. I’ve researched things that I’ve found interesting, and also things I haven’t, but needed the knowledge to make a novel the best it can be. It’s also one of the very first things you should be doing if you are writing something. Get your facts straight, because believe me, people will call you on it.

So, as I’m waiting for responses to all those queries I sent out, I am working on the next book in the series, and my new project. Want to guess which stage I’m on? Yup! Research. I got my plots, outlines and the like, but now it’s time to make everything as feasible and accurate as possible.

Don’t forget to do your homework! Anything worth doing is worth doing well.

Waiting.

It sucks. Yup, waiting is not fun. Especially after months of hard work and self proclaimed deadlines. Then what? You wait. Arg.

So far,  out of the 40 queries I sent out over the past 3 days, I’ve gotten 6 “no thank-you’s”. It could be worse. It could be all 40.

I like to believe that at least one agent or publisher will give me a chance. But I’m starting a cover soon, just in case I end up self-publishing again, at least I won’t be held up by that.

I will keep you posted. I didn’t hear back from my top choice, and I’ll take that as good news. For now.

The Write State of Mind

First let me start off by saying I’ve been slacking in the blogging department and for this I apologize.

I have been super busy though! I finished all the editing on Righteous Decisions and now have a fully complete manuscript. At over 64,000 words, I’m very proud of it. I also now have a completed synopsis, no easy task mind you, and a list of 42 literary agents to query. So, I am currently hacking away at the query letter. Gulp.

“The Write State of Mind.” It’s something I have to be in, in order to write. I write everyday, but on those days, I can write my ass off. It just flows. I love those days, and will often end with a stiff back, but a wonderful feeling of completion.

On my off days, I do something else. I now have a few projects going, so I can work on an outline, edit, create a cover, do some marketing, the list is almost never-ending.

What I love the most? Is that now I can. I’m able to devote the time I need to writing to be really successful at it, (hopefully.)

So, I will keep you guys posted. Let you know when the query letters go out (and IF I get a reply.) Wish me luck!

Growth

“It’s never too late to be what you might have been.”

- George Eliot

I’m learning so many new things and I’m so grateful for it. How to write a synopsis for example. This is something you ideally want completed before you begin querying for an agent. It just makes you look unprofessional if they ask for one and you don’t have it ready. Think 5-6 pages of your book broken down, in the most enthralling manner you can manage. Dang.

Then, there’s the mini-synopsis. This is a few paragraphs that actually go in the query letter. So double dang. You get the synopsis finished and then you get to do it again, yet on an even smaller scale.

And the logline. Basically one sentence to summarize, AND, as if that wasn’t hard enough, it has to rock. It has to make someone go ‘I need to get my hands on this’. Sure. Easy. No problem. Right?

Not so much. This process was almost harder than the writing part. And maybe you want to half-ass it. You’re tired. You’re a writer. You already did that right? Nope. Half-assing it now is basically throwing yourself into a self-fulfilling prophecies for failure. Yep. It’s that important to do it right.

So I really do like what I’m learning. A lot of it will really help my next projects go more smoothly. As for the difficultly between self-publishing and querying for an agent? Well, at this point marketing and synopsis are neck and neck. I’ll keep you posted.

Trying out something new…

So after much internal debate I’ve decided to try some fundraising efforts. Mainly because ads are expensive, and my mini-notebook is starting to bog me down a bit in the book cover department. So for the next 21 days I will be hosting a campaign on Indiegogo here:

Even if you can’t make a donation perhaps you know someone who can 

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-an-indie-author-become-more-independent

Arg

Yeah, that says it all

After finishing up Righteous Decisions (happy dance here!) I’m now left with the choice of which route I want to take. Go for an agent? Or keep self-publishing?

It’s no easy choice. Especially not for something you’ve devoted so much time and effort to. And I’ve been researching A LOT. Some of the benefits don’t really seem like they’re worth the wait.

Here’s what I’ve discovered (If I get any wrong please let me know):

Benefits to an Agent:

1) Well, there’s the obvious. Duh! You get an agent. No more doing EVERYTHING! No more formatting and covers! The Holy Grail of authors.

2) They work with publishers. You write. Boom!

Disadvantages (what I found anyway):

1) They don’t market you. I’ve been marketing myself, and it’s hard. And it kind of sucks. So not having that in the package. Yeah.

2) You can’t always have the final say in YOUR book. Call me a control freak, but when it says “By: Casey Harvell” I think it should be just that.

3) Shelf life! Sometimes you don’t even get a say in how long your book stays on the shelves. Major bummer.

So I’m still undecided. Still wishy0washy about the whole thing. But I will keep you posted on my decision. (Pun intended)

My Last Post Today, I Swear!

So as this is completely irrelevant to my last two posts I felt it deserved it’s own.

My first novel, Lingering… is officially for sale in paperback form on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Lingering-safe-Penelope-country-LINGERING/dp/1484098854/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1367153885&sr=1-1&keywords=casey+harvell

If you’re an e-reader it is also available in the Kindle Store and in the B&N Nook Store.

“No where is safe… After a trying time in her life Penelope Miller runs as far and fast as she can; clear across the country to rediscover herself with the help of her grandmother. Along her journey she encounters a man who may be worth redeeming her faith in men and herself. Little does she know that her past is still- LINGERING…”

Thanks!