Judith Post's Blog, page 111
December 20, 2015
Oh, boy…
It’s holiday season. Up until November, I was patting myself on the back because I was ahead of schedule on my writing. That was before our grandson moved in with us for a few months. (He broke up with his girlfriend and has to find a new apartment). And that was before Thanksgiving and holiday preparations. But I just crossed a day of cookie baking off my list, so things are settling down.
I love cookie day. My daughter came up from Indianapolis, and we made chocolate chip, M&M, molasses, peanut butter, snickerdoodle, and frostinged sugar cookies. Sounds like a list, but we used to bake more. This is the year we’ve cut back. Ty stopped in, too, on his way from Bloomington to Detroit. He’s doing a short internship over his college Christmas break. Our Friday night friends came over. The house was full again, and it was wonderful. Lots of food. Lots of laughter. Holly and Ty had to leave today, but they’ll be back on Christmas Eve for a short stay. So there’ll be more festivities. And then…
In January, I have to chain myself to my desk chair and write like a crazy woman. I need to catch up. I’ve been writing hodge-podge, between stringing Christmas lights, shopping, and get-togethers. But I’ve always loved to hibernate once winter is official. There’s no more yard work. No more cook-outs. Time slows down, and I hit a new rhythm. Hope winter brings you lots of writing, too.
BTW, if any of you ever have any topic you’d like me to take a stab at, let me know. And happy holidays!
December 18, 2015
Chaper 11’s up
I posted chapter 11 of Babet & Prosper’s River City Rumble on my webpage, if you’re interested. It’s not safe being undead around Zanor. He’ll gladly make you true dead. http://www.judithpostswritingmusings....
December 12, 2015
If only…
I’ve been talking to a few fellow writers lately who are frustrated. It happens to all of us. We ask ourselves, “If only we’d known…” And then kick ourselves that we went in the wrong direction on our books, our careers, or our choices. I look at the novels and bundles I have on Amazon and ask, “Should I have written something besides urban fantasy? Why do I always pick glutted markets?” I wasn’t even following a trend. I just read one and liked it, and it sparked ideas for a series of my own, and then another, and…well, you get it.
Do I regret writing them? Not really. When I wrote mysteries, I hardly ever wrote action scenes. I concentrated on plotting. And motivations. And clues. With urban fantasy, you write a LOT of action. Female characters kick ass. And have attitudes. Did I enjoy that? You bet I did. My characters changed. They became more assertive. I like that.
Way, way back when I’d only been writing for a few years, I went to a romance conference with two of my friends. Gloria was interested in writing contemporary romance. Dawn wrote historical romance. At the conference, three panels met each hour. I volunteered for the one no one else was going to. I listened and took notes to share with my friends. While they went to panels on How To Develop A Romance and Creating Historical Settings in a Romance, I attended The Blushing Typewriter–about sexy scenes and how to get in the mood to write them. I learned a lot:) A writer there asked if I’d like to co-write romances with her, but back then, I couldn’t imagine myself ever writing a romance, so I turned her down. Do I regret that? Not really. I wasn’t ready.
I think writers have to give themselves time to grow as people and as writers before they can tackle certain things. A friend lamented, “If only I’d known character arc and plot points before I started my first book.” I know I studied a book on plotting when I started out, but it didn’t do me much good. I wasn’t ready yet.
Some people are naturals at things, and I admire that. I’m not one of those people. I have to learn by my mistakes, but do I regret my mistakes? Not really. I learn from them. I gave myself time to grow. I lived more, and experienced more. I suffered more setbacks and hardships. Laughed more. Loved more. Ate more–(and it shows). But all of it made my writing richer. When experts say Write what you know, I only half listen. I’ve never battled an evil voodoo priest or fought a necromancer. When I was young, I was sheltered and naive. And believe me, that was a blessing. But now? I can pull out lots of emotions. I’ve suffered lots of disappointments, know what it was like for my dad to battle Multiple Myelama (a blood cancer) and for my mom to battle Alzheimer’s. I’ve watched friends lose husbands and children. Life beats you up. You earn scars to offset all the good times. And those scars, you can put into your writing. Those are things you know.
I have a plastic, storage box in the basement, filled with novels that I wrote, sent to a few publishers, and then tossed in a drawer. Would I ever take them out and try to rework them? Hell, no! Those were the novels that I cut my writing teeth on. They’re filled with mistakes. And it seems to me, when an author goes back to rework an old novel, he somehow reverts, and the mistakes drag him down. I love each and every one of those novels, because they did what they needed to. They taught me to write. Because it takes a lot of writing until you get better at it.
Look at some of your favorite authors. Read, if you can find it, their very first novel ever published. Then read their current work. Most writers–not all–get better over time. So don’t mourn your novels that crash and burn. Learn from them. And grow. Until you’re awesome!
my webpage: http://www.judithpostswritingmusings....
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JudithPostsu...
Twitter: @judypost
December 10, 2015
Chapter 10’s up
Just wanted to let you know that chapter 10’s up, if you’re interested.
Babet goes to visit Lillith, the original succubus who, according to legend, left Adam in the Garden of Eden. http://www.judithpostswritingmusings....
December 6, 2015
Proofs & Pseudonyms
I’ve never worked with a book publisher before. It’s a new experience for me. My agent read and commented on my urban fantasy novels and usually asked for rewrites, but most of them only involved a few scenes. . .except for Fallen Angels. And that was my fault. I decided to make it multiple POV instead of single, and when I asked her about it, she said Go For It. Lauren’s wonderful that way.
I got lucky when Kensington took my romance novels. My editor, John Scognamiglio–who’s wonderful to work with, too–only asked me to change a few words in both manuscripts I submitted. I did a happy dance. Even the copy edits were pretty easy. Odd, isn’t it? After I went over that manuscript so many times, and my critique partners looked at every word choice and comma, it still had mistakes. But not lots of them.
The real wake-up call for me was when I got my page proofs, which I just finished and returned. I’ve never worked with a book publisher before, so I’ve never experienced proofs until now. It had an odd effect on me. I read the pages, looking for errors, and the words didn’t feel like my own. I couldn’t fiddle with sentences or structures any more. I couldn’t change anything except a mistake. I’d read a paragraph and just KNOW I could write better if I tried again. I even looked up a scene in my original manuscript because I just KNEW I wouldn’t use the word “specified” for that sentence. And guess what? I did.
I’ve always had a problem with my writing once it’s published. When I sold stories to Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine or anthologies, I couldn’t look at them when I got my copies. I saw every flaw I didn’t catch or every description I could have done better. I didn’t like them at all, couldn’t see what I’d done RIGHT. I had the same problem with the proofs. Finally, I had to turn off my writer brain and read the pages as a copy editor. Only then did the words flow smoothly. Only then did I appreciate the story. I’m sure that says something about my personality, but I don’t want to think about it too much:)
The other thing that keeps throwing me is my pseudonym. When I look at the cover, COOKING UP TROUBLE, by Judi Lynn, I forget that’s me. I understand the reason behind the pseudonym. There probably won’t be a cross-over between readers who’ll like my romances and readers who like urban fantasy. The pseudonym makes a clear distinction between Happy Ever After and battles and bloodshed. But it’s going to take me a while to think of myself as Judi Lynn.
All in all, having a publisher has been a wonderful learning experience for me. My writing has progressed step by step, from short stories in magazines and anthologies, to finding Lauren as an agent and working with Sharon Pelletier to put my novels and bundles online, to selling romances at Kensington. It’s been a long journey. I’m no overnight success, and that’s all right. Because it’s been a fulfilling one.
BTW, my novella bundle–The Babet & Prosper Collection II–will be free Monday to Friday, Dec. 7-11 if you’ve missed River City and its witches and shifters.
My webpage: http://www.judithpostswritingmusings....
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JudithPostsu...
On twitter: @judypost
December 3, 2015
Chapter 9 is up
I posted chapter 9 to River City Rumble on my webpage. I’ve never written a battle between two vampire seethes before, and I have to admit, it was pretty fun! If you’re interested, here’s the link: http://www.judithpostswritingmusings....
November 28, 2015
Cooking Up Trouble
Kensington sent me the book cover for my romance that comes out April, 2016. I posted it on my author’s facebook page, but thought I’d wait to post it here until Thanksgiving weekend. That’s appropriate. I feel very thankful that Kensington wanted three romances from me.
For starters, I never thought I could write romance. Close friends know that I’m not a romantic at heart. I’m the girl who told every boy in college who had the nerve to ask me on a date that I’d be happy to go out with them, but I didn’t intend to get serious with anyone until I was at least thirty. I had a game plan all mapped out in my mind. I’d graduate from college, get a job as an elementary school teacher, and travel every summer. Visions of exotic places teased my mind. Once I turned thirty, IF someone attracted me, I’d decide if giving up my freedom was worth it…or not.
My family didn’t encourage happy ever afters. My mom and dad had a rock solid marriage and were crazy about each other, but both of my grandfathers were rotters as husbands. Wonderful grandfathers, mind you, but too footloose to be worth much on the marital front. My mom’s dad drove truck, and he actually deserted my grandmother and his kids during the Depression, living well on the road while they stood in line for buckets of free lard and flour. Why Grandma took him back, I don’t know. But being a single mom with four kids was no easy task back then.
My dad’s dad was a railroad man who dodged out of staying at home as often as possible. He supported his family, but that’s about it. Not that I can totally blame him. Grandma T was about as warm and loving as a jellyfish. I watched them and decided that men might be funny and charming, but only a few of them were dependable. Neither of my grandmothers had anything good to say about men. Ever. If you fell for one, they started praying for you.
My mom’s sister married a spoiled loser (I’m not exagerrating), and got a divorce when divorces weren’t popular. My dad’s sister married a man who loved bars more than he loved her. The woman who lived across the street from us married a drunk, had seven kids, and her husband beat her every Friday night when he finished his beers. I looked around and didn’t see too many prince charmings.
Safe sounded better than sorry, to me. And then I met my John. What can I say? The man was persistent and a keeper. We’ve been married over 44 years, and it just keeps getting better. But am I romantic? Not a tad. He is. Not me.
When I sold my novel, one of my really good, old friends messaged, “How Ironic.” And it’s true. But I found that I really enjoy writing romance. I appreciate it. I’m just not good at it in real life. But I can enjoy throwing two good people together and letting them realize they make a great team.
So here’s the book cover for Tessa and Ian. Two good people who are better off together than apart. I wish them all the happiness in the world!
November 25, 2015
Chapter 8 is up
Every Friday, on my webpage, I’ve been adding a new chapter to my Babet and Prosper novel. Tomorrow’s Thanksgiving, though, and on Friday, I’m not sure I’ll make it to my computer, so I decided to put up the chapter early this week. This chapter is totally inappropriate for a holiday that focuses on bringing family together , but I’ve hit the nitty-gritty in the book. If you’re in the mood for vicious vampires after all the warm fuzzies, give it a try. And Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! May your turkey be moist and delicious, your cranberries tasty, and your pies perfection. Mostly, I wish you a wonderful day and many, many things to be thankful for.
http://www.judithpostswritingmusings.com/chapter-8.html
November 22, 2015
Writing & Detours
When I drove to my last Scribes meeting, I worried I’d be late. The main road I always take was closed for repairs. I turned on another road I use often, and it was closed farther down for road repairs, too. I turned into a housing addition I know well to connect with a cut-through road, only to find a train had stopped and parked on the railroad tracks. Workers were walking from car to car, checking connections. It looked like the train wasn’t going to move any time soon. I finally ended up taking another route.
I finally zigged and zagged my way to the library where we meet, five minutes ahead of time. A miracle. It made me think of my writing career. I’ve taken plenty of detours to get to where I am now. I’ve belonged to Scribes for a long time, and I’ve met lots of other writers, and most of them have been forced to travel circuitous routes in their careers, too.
When I first started writing–way back in the cave drawing days–I firmly believed that good writing equalled a writing career. I still firmly believe in good writing, but I’m not so naive any more. Many wonderful writers can’t find a publisher. They write for the wrong market, or the glutted market, or the highly competitive market. Even if they self-publish, some focus on writing and neglect marketing and fizzle. Not-so-wonderful writers have made a lot of money. Why? Because they deliver a story, an emotion, something new that readers want, and they make sure that their writing doesn’t get in the way–the difference between not-so-good and bad. If a writer makes one grammar mistake after another, can’t spell, and can’t tell a clear story. . .well, he’s in trouble. But there are writers who aren’t wordsmiths, but deliver a new product, something untapped, and they can become bestsellers. Not the same as brilliant word choice, wonderful pacing, and an ingenious plot, but just as effective. Heck, more effective, because what they do hasn’t been done. Those books can hit the top ten even if critics pan them.
It’s not just publishing and marketing that makes us detour, either. We all tuck our writing between everything else that happens in our lives. You just had a baby? Good luck if you have time to read a book, let alone write one. Jobs, health, aging parents, kids…everything affects our writing. When my girls were little, I worked hard to finish one book a year. Now, I can finish a book in three or four months. Still slow, compared to lots of writers. But then, I’ve always been the tortoise, not the hare. But right now, for this moment, I can focus on my writing. Nothing’s tapping me on the shoulder, fighting for my time and attention. Okay, nothing but my husband. And bless him, he’s more than capable of entertaining himself. Still, people have been coming and going in our house lately. Lots of kids, friends, and family popping in and out. Does it affect my writing? Sure, it does. But in the long run, I know I’m going to write. I’ll write around other peoples’ schedules, holidays, and necessities. It’s what I do.
I’ve read tweets about NaNoWriMo, and I picture those people chained to their laptops, hammering out words. Days like that are good. But I can never promise myself they’ll happen. What I can promise myself is that I’ll write around everything I possibly can. And if I do that enough, I’ll end up with a book. Hope you’re finding your writing rhythm, too.
P.S. I put Babet and Prosper’s chapter 7 up on my webpage: http://www.judithpostswritingmusings.com/
My author’s facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/JudithPostsurbanfantasy/
on twitter: @judypost
November 15, 2015
Connecting With Other Writers
I went to our main library’s Author Fair yesterday. 75 authors attended it, and 10% of any sales went to the library. The fair had been advertised really well, and a steady flow of people came and went. I was lucky. My friend, Mary Lou, and I had asked to share a table, so we got to yak on and off from 1:00 to 4:00, when no one was around. The good news? Enough people wandered to our table and asked about our books to keep us entertained. The bad news? Not many authors sold more than a few books, but that’s what we expected. Author Fairs aren’t really about selling books. They’re about meeting people. I’ve never been a BIG author with hordes of people lined up to buy my books, and I didn’t expect that to change in one afternoon. But it sure was fun meeting people and talking about what they liked to read, even if it wasn’t what I write. I like talking to readers as much as I like talking to writers, so I had a great day.
Mostly, authors stayed behind their tables to interact with people who attended the fair, so I didn’t meet authors who were new to me. I did get to say hello to some of the authors I already know, though, and I got to catch up with a few of them before the fair started. The fair isn’t about selling books, and it’s not really about connecting with writers, either. It’s about connecting with readers.
My main connection to fellow writers is at my writers’ club twice a month. That’s the best, and I’m so lucky I have it. I occasionally attend the writers’ meeting Kyra Jacobs runs at Barnes & Noble, too. That’s in the evenings, though, and it’s harder for me to juggle time to get there. I used to attend a writers’ conference once a year to meet authors outside of our area, but I haven’t done that for a while. It’s a great way to meet writers who have similar interests, though. Another way to connect with fellow writers is on social media. But I have to be honest, I’m starting to get grumpier about what I spend my time on. Just like with any friendship or acquaintance, if it’s all one-way, I’m over it. If I like a writer, I’ll retweet and share for a while, but if the favor’s never or rarely returned, I stop bothering. I’m not saying I expect tit for tat. That’s too much work–for me or anyone else. I can’t get to twitter or Facebook every day, so I don’t expect other writers to be able to either. I’m talking about one-way streets. And I’m talking about fellow writers. When I think of myself as a reader, a fan, that’s a whole different story.
Anyway, connecting with readers and fellow writers is fun. If you get a chance to be in an Author’s Fair, Anya Breton wrote a great post on how to prepare. She covered it all really well: http://blog.anyabreton.com/2015/11/bo...
In the meantime, Happy Writing!
P.S. I put up chapter 6 for Babet & Prosper’s River City Rumble on my webpage:http://www.judithpostswritingmusings.com/. I plan to post a new chapter every Friday. I love comments!
Author Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/JudithPostsu...
On twitter: @judypost
