Judith Post's Blog, page 121

Writing: Do opposites attract?

Last Wednesday, at writers’ club, three readers volunteered to share pages with us who have entirely different styles. Connie read first–a short, horror story. She has a sly, dark humor that permeates her writing. Every time she reads, I grow envious. Her wordplay reminds me a bit of my friend’s, Carl Grody–whose witty humor colors everything he writes. He can dazzle with similes and metaphors. (His book is on amazon). Me? Not so much, so when I read someone who’s mastered those styles, I notice.

Fazal read next. He has a subtle, literary style that captures characterization with quiet nuances. Again, not my strong point. Les Bock was our last reader. He writes thrillers. His books teem with insider information, a strong masculine view, and not so nice characters. (He’s on amazon, too). I looked around the table at my fellow writers. Paula, (who writes wonderful novels and has yet to share one of them with the world) has so many depths of layers to her stories, I turn green with envy. Mary Lou Rigdon and Kathy Palm can weave descriptions and details into their prose, as though braiding colorful tapestries. So can Sia Marion (who’s new and still pounding out her manuscript). Karen Lenfestey can milk angst from a rock. We call her the Queen of Conflict. And I enjoy listening to all of them, because they do what I don’t.

The things I admire about their writing are the things I’m not known for. I tend to write clean and concise. Sia told me that’s what she loves about my writing. And that’s when it hit me. We can all see the strengths in the OTHER person’s voice and style, and we can all see the warts in our own. I’ve started to think of it like houses. If a person knocks on my door, unannounced, I know each thing, in each room, that could be dusted or cleaned, but my visitors don’t seem to notice. When I knock on their doors, they apologize for messes I don’t see. And even if I did, I don’t care. We can all see our own shortcomings. I swear I’m drawn to peoples’ writing because it isn’t like my own.

When I was a kid, (and yes, this shows how old I am), Connie Stevens starred on a TV show called 77 Sunset Strip. She was short and curvy with blond hair and blue eyes–all the things I’m not. To me, she was perfection. A perfection I could never achieve. It took me a while to realize that I’m drawn to the things I’m not. But it doesn’t matter. Because all you can be, in life and in writing, is you. So be your best and go with it!

My webpage: http://www.judithpostswritingmusings.com/

Mary Lou Rigdon’s webpage: http://www.MLRigdon.com

Karen Lenfestey’s webpage: http://www.karensnovels.com.

Kathy Palm’s blog: http://findingfaeries.wordpress.com/2014/02/04/there-is-no-lif/

Sia Marion’s blog: http://findingfaeries.wordpress.com/2014/02/04/there-is-no-lif/

Les Bock’s book: http://www.amazon.com/French-Liaison-Bock-ebook/dp/B005FTQFGE/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404078488&sr=1-1&keywords=Les+Bock

Carl Grody’s book: http://www.amazon.com/Since-Before-You-Were-Born-ebook/dp/B00EHT3B5G/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404078540&sr=1-1&keywords=Carl+Grody

Writing: And now it gets ugly

I usually write my blog posts on Sundays, but my sister and I are driving to Bloomington to visit my grandson tomorrow. We’re leaving at 9:30 in the morning so that Mary can take him out for lunch–his pick–and then take him shopping before we drive home. Yes, my sister is the best great aunt any boy could have. Both boys know it. My other sister’s not too shabby either. It’s going to be a great day–yakking with Mary on the way there and back–and seeing Tyler, but it’s going to be a long day. I won’t want to write a blog when I get home, so here goes.

I’ve been working on the romance novel I started. I’m always excited when I start a new book. Ideas churn away in my head, my characters clamor to do this or that, and everything’s new and different. My first chapters usually have problems, but it’s still a joy writing them. I can’t really hear my characters until I watch them act and react to things and listen in on their dialogue for a while. Usually, after the third chapter, I know them better, and then I can write plot points for them. By then, they have opinions of what they will or will not do. I’m a plot driven writer, so I have turning points they have to reach, but they tell me how they’ll manage that. It works for all of us. I’ve been sailing through my plot points, and my characters keep stretching and surprising me, and all’s going well. But now, I’ve finished the first fourth of my book. It ended with a crash–literally. Someone cut the chains of the beautiful, crystal chandeliers that Ian bought for the great room of his lodge. Someone’s sabotaging him.

Now things turn ugly. Not just for the characters. Every conflict cranks up from now on. Ian’s hit his internal and external problems, and so has Tessa. And things are only going to get worse. For me, the writing gets more serious now. There are more balls to juggle, more subplots to weave in and out. We’re past introductions and we’re going for the long haul, the nitty gritty. The longer the story goes, everything has to become more intense, have more depth. Pacing becomes more important.

I’ve never written a romance novel before. In urban fantasies, the bad guys gain momentum, and the battles grow more dangerous the longer the book goes. That’s what I like about reading and writing UF. Eventually, the stakes reach the point of live or die. In romance? There has to be the push-pull of attraction that’s frustrated by the reasons the hero and heroine can’t get together. So far, it’s been fun figuring out what brings them together and then adding things that push them apart. But now, my characters have hit the nitty-gritty. They’re past chemistry and sly looks. It’s time to up the ante. push the buttons, and add the romance. I have some great ideas. We’ll see how they go:)

http://www.judithpostswritingmusings.com/

Just a note: Another practical blog from Lindsay Buroker: http://www.lindsayburoker.com/

Writing: 7 things about myself

I think I got lucky this time. I’ve spent so much time worrying about getting the elements right in a romance, I finally just sat down and wrote the first chapter. Then I played with it more the next day. I printed it out so that I could scribble in the margins, and my daughter came over for a visit. She picked it up and read it and liked it. That never happens. My first chapters are always a struggle for me. Then I took it to my writers’ club, Scribes, and read it, and THEY liked it, too. Miracles do happen:) Anyway, this is a perfect way to lead into 7 things about myself.

Number 1, my first chapters usually stink. I rewrite them, off and on, the entire time I write my books. The farther I get in my stories and the more I know my characters, the better handle I have on them. My opening hooks usually stay the same–they’re what made me excited about writing the stories in the first place, but the dance of introducing the main characters, the settings, and the books’ big questions get tweaked endlessly while I trudge through plot points.

Number 2, I make tons and tons of goals, and life never agrees with them. But I still cling to making my lists and crossing things off when I finish them. It gives an illusion of control that brings me comfort.

Number 3, I love to cook. I own more cookbooks than any person should have, and I get two cooking magazines delivered to our house each month. I get bored making the same things, so the magazines keep me inspired with fresh recipes and takes on ingredients. My daughter and grandsons lived with us for years, and the boys went through a Chinese phase. I have so many Chinese oils and flavorings on the top shelf of my cupboard, I’m lucky I didn’t need a new kitchen.

Number 4, I have a thing for British period pieces and stories. On our honeymoon, John and I had to stop whatever we were doing to watch The Wives of Henry VIII. John said he should have taken that as a sign. He was right.

Number 5, I take in strays. I only chose the first kitten we ever got. The rest have all found their way to our house. Our chihuahua is a stray. I have a gray kitten in my living room right now. The mother cat ditched him, and he’s looking pretty darned cute.

Number 6, I love bungalows. We live in one. There’s something about that period–the early 1900′s– that I like. The woodwork. The arches. The one-and-a-half storied ones. Cozy. I like cozy.

Number 7, I love people, but I need my alone time. I’m only social to a point. And I like small groups better than big groups. I get uptight and grumpy when I’m overwhelmed with too many people. But that might be typical of most writers. That’s why I like my keyboard time. It’s me, myself, and whatever characters I create:)

Writing–can I pat myself on the back?

I’m bragging today. Not about super sales numbers or barrels of money, but because I finally finished a lot of long term goals, and I was only off by one week on my time line. And I’m feeling pretty darned satisfied.

First, I finished the rewrites for the sequel to my Empty Altars novel. My agent, Lauren Abramo, is reading the new stuff, and hopefully, it will be ready to go online soon. I had so much fun writing SPINNERS OF MISFORTUNE because I tossed lots of my favorite myths into the story line. My daughter read it and liked it, but she’s not as enamored of myths as I am, so she’s more of a fan of the Fallen Angels novels. But I got to make Arakhne, the girl whom Athena changed into a spider, one of the minor characters, and I made her a big spider–really big. Then I got to descend to the Norse Underworld with Hel, Loki’s daughter. Hel is one of those cool, creepy goddesses that I had to sort of love/hate. Fitting, since half of her looks beautiful, and the other half looks zombified. Talk about a split personality. That’s the kind of stuff that excites me.

Second, I finished the first draft of the third Fallen Angels novel. Holly (my daughter) read it and loved it. Once it gets past Holly, I always feel good. Everyone needs those one or two–three, if you’re lucky–readers, who call you out when you’ve fallen short. Holly nails me every time. She reads as a READER, for story and characters, etc. Did I bore her? Did she want to throw the manuscript on the floor and jump up and down on it at any point? Once I pass her, then I give my manuscript to my friends Mary Lou and Ann (both awesome writers), and they clock me for any other mistakes I’ve made. I’m waiting on their feedback now, but that’s okay. Because I can put BLOOD LUST away for a while and start work on another book. By the time I get back to it with their comments, it will look different to me. I’ll have more distance.

Third, I finished two novellas for my Christian/Brina novella series so that I can put them in a bundle. This will finish ALL of my novella series. The last one–done. And Holly read the last Christian novella and gave it a thumbs up. I’m still waiting on Mary Lou’s verdict. But my goal–to finish them–is complete. I really enjoyed this series, because I set it in medieval times for the simple reason (and this is sort of pathetic) that I could live in a castle and ride dragons and add witches and magic and anything else I could think of. I kept myself entertained. But Christian’s serfdom is finished now, and eventually, the bundle will go online. That feels good–to have something stored away that I can put up later, when I’m struggling with the new book I’m about to start.

Last but not least, I finished reading Samantha Young’s DOWN LONDON ROAD. I really liked the book, but I was reading it as homework, to study a contemporary romance and see what elements I need when I try to write my own.

I’d planned on finishing everything up by the last day of May. I went over by one week, but I’m happy with that. I’ve cleared out all of the projects I had going for urban fantasy, and now I can concentrate on writing a romance. I’ll do better that way. My head tends to niggle at things that are half finished, and now it’s clear to move on to the next project.

Also–Stephanie at http://stephanieneighbour.com/ nominated me for a Versatile Blogger award, and I promised to tell you 7 things about myself this time, but I blabbed too long about my goals, so I’ll list them next week. Lucky you:)

Writing–flash fiction

This is not my usual post. It’s not even my usual type of writing, but I wrote this short-short for a blog contest. Didn’t win, but I still like it. So I thought I’d post it on my own blog. Just for fun.

Dirk’s Ring

by

Judith Post

The phone rang. The receiver was only inches from her hand, but she’d never reach it.

Clarissa didn’t bother to open her eyes to listen to the message on the machine. She couldn’t open her eyes. It took too much work.

“Hi, hon, just wanted to let you know I’m working late tonight. I’ll grab something to eat on the way home. Save me a kiss.”

Bastard. Going for an alibi. Her fingers were slick with blood. She moved her thumb and finally pushed off her plain, gold wedding band, letting it fall beside her. That ring had sealed the deal. She’d been touched that he offered something so simple instead of trying to impress her. But he’d had plenty of time to perfect his routine, hadn’t he? His last wife had died, too. And to think that’s another thing that had attracted her to him, how much he still loved the young bride he’d lost.

She tried to chuckle, but could only gurgle.

The knife was so sharp, and the slice had been so quick, she hadn’t felt any pain. The blood flowing from her throat had made her too dizzy to stand, though. She’d tried to crawl to the phone, leaving a smear of blood in her wake—her oak floors. Could someone get the stains out? Lord, she loved this house. He’d tossed it to make her death look like a robbery gone bad.

Spots danced under her eyelids. She’d rub her arms, if she could. She was cold. Then something warm pressed against her. Soft fur caressed her skin. Cheesenip’s purr rumbled, and she felt something inside her relax. Her orange cat had gotten away. Dirk had tried to catch him. The two of them never got along. That should have told her something right there. Her fingers itched to stroke him, but the spots were beginning to fade. Black seeped to erase them.

Oh, well, she’d known this might happen, hadn’t she? Terri, the practical Virgo, had never been fooled by Dirk.

“Don’t you think he’s a little too perfect?” she’d asked.

Dirk always said the right thing, made the right gesture. Was he too good to be true? There’d been warning signs she’d ignored. When was she going to make her investments joint? Was her house ever going to be their house? And flashes of anger showed more often when she resisted.

Why had she resisted? Had she always wondered? Did Dirk love her or her money? Would he stick around if she didn’t comply?

They didn’t have children. Dirk told her that he wanted to enjoy “couple” time before they had kids. She had no close relatives. The looks he darted her lately said he thought things weren’t quite right between them. He must have decided not to wait, that the courts would award him, her husband, all of her properties.

He always could read people well, but he was in for one heck of a surprise. Terri would care for this house—the house Clarissa left her when she’d made changes to her will. And she’d take good care of Cheesenip. She’d promised to when Clarissa gave her the envelope with the words “In Case of my Death” scrawled on the front. The letter inside spelled out that the police should look closely at her husband. Clarissa had left Terri a large chunk of money, so that she and Cheesenip could live in comfort.

And the rest? Clarissa had willed everything else to a program that provided free neutering for stray cats—a catch and release program. If people took in kittens and then tossed them out when they were tired of them, like Dirk collected and killed wives, her money might make a difference.

This time, as the black claimed her, she did smile.

Dirk hated cats.

http://www.judithpostswritingmusings.com/

Writing: time, the illusion of control?

My grandson, Nate, laughs at me, because when I leave the house, I always wear a watch. He’s eighteen. Time still stretches before him. He goes to school and works, but if he can get together with his friends often enough, he’s happy. For me, time flies by, and I try to squeeze in writing, marketing, friends, and family, plus my favorite TV shows and reading at the end of the night. Time keeps growing more and more precious. Somehow, no matter how organized I am, something doesn’t get done. If I write all day, I don’t weed a flower bed, dust the house, or take my daily walk. If I play 3 games of Spider Solitaire, I might not get enough time to read. Everything is about choices.

Nate laughs at me because he says my watch and the clocks that grace every single room of my house are simply illusions. Just because I watch their minute hands tick by, I can’t buy myself any more time.

I’m not the only one who frets about time. I have brilliant friends at my writers’ club. I love the work they do, and most of it has eventually found its way into e-books. But they’re so serious about the writing process that they grow impatient with marketing. After all, they could write three or four pages in the amount of time it takes to twitter, facebook, and connect. So they don’t market. In my opinion, a mistake. A person might write a mind-blowing book, but no one’s going to find it unless the author lets them know it’s there.

When the kids were little, I was happy to write one book a year. I timed the opening scene for the first week the kids went back to school and I outlined it out so that I finished the last draft before their last day of school in early June. Then I’d send out queries to agents and editors during the summer, and if nothing happened (I got enough rejections to wallpaper my entire home), I’d toss the manuscript in a drawer and start a new book the next Fall. But that was carefree, hope-for-the-best writing and marketing. I’m more serious now, and I have too many ideas to be satisfied with one book a year. I’d feel like I was doing the books I’ve finished a disservice if I didn’t promote them now and then. So these days, I spend the first hour of my work time every day, doing marketing/connecting before I write the first word. I twitter on Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays and try to hit twitter again every evening after supper for fifteen to twenty minutes. I facebook on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays–even though I’m not sure how or if Facebook works. But it might. So I don’t want to ignore it. And on Sundays, I write my blog.

I write at least three to four hours most week days. Some days, the words flow. Some days, they don’t. But if I sit there long enough and pound on them, I usually end up with something I can work with. That was NOT true when I hit periods of high stress and worry in my life. I forced msyelf to keep writing, but the results were brittle and sad. And I could only work for an hour or so. But it did keep me disciplined.

Everyone has different amounts of time to divide into chunks for the passions in their lives. But the truth is, writing is hard work. It takes time. So does marketing. And that’s why I wear a watch. I know if I skimp on my writing too many days in a row, a chapter or a scene won’t get finished. If I don’t twitter or connect, my rankings will drop. None of us has more than 24 hours in each day. So choose wisely.

Thought I’d add this. It’s a great blog on how to twitter effectively: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/5564139-the-captain-s-blog-

Also, here’s my webpage, with a new, free short story, The Pied Piper, on the last page, if you’re interested.

http://www.judithpostswritingmusings.com/

Last, but NOT least, I want to thank Stephanie at http://stephanieneighbour.com/ for nominating me for a Versatile Blogger Award. I love Stephanie’s blog. It makes me laugh or smile every Monday morning. There are rules that go with this nomination, so I’m going to fly through them (because I love Stephanie), but I’m not fond of rules. So here goes:

I need to list 15 bloggers that I admire:

1. http://stephanieneighbour.com/ (Stephanie has to be numero uno this time around)

2. http://www.rachelsroberts.com/ (I just love Rachel’s voice)

3. http://rachelintheoc.com/ (A very practical Rachel with great tips)

4. http://findingfaeries.wordpress.com/2014/02/04/there-is-no-lif/ (my friend, who believes in magic)

5. http://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/2014/05/character-reactions.html (make your writing great)

6. http://sia4215.blogspot.com/ (original and creative)

7. http://www.ilona-andrews.com/ (because she’s one of my favorite authors)

8. http://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/ (This blog hits everything–writing & marketing)

9. http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2014/04/16/ten-things-id-like-to-say-to-young-writers/ (to shock you & it’s darned good!)

10. http://www.lindsayburoker.com/ (always informative)

11. http://kriswrites.com/#sthash.KZathY2S.dpbs (because I bow before her writing skills)

12. http://www.cainer.com/yearahead/librat.html# (because everyone should read their horoscope)

13. http://lisagardner.com/writers-toolbox (honestly, awesome!)

14. http://lesedgertononwriting.blogspot.com/2012/03/character-actions.html?spref=fb (more awesome)

15. http://www.writing-world.com/romance/love.shtml (because I’m starting work on a romance novel:)

I’ll tell you 7 things about myself next time. I want you to have a nice week:) And this blog is getting long. Why bore you now?

Listening to other writers

I mention my writers’ group a lot on this blog. My husband is really supportive of my writing. So are my family and friends. I’m lucky. They all ask about what I’m working on and genuinely care. When I wax too lyrical about the nuts and bolts of plotting, pacing, or marketing, they do their best to hang in there, but no one really appreciates the nitty gritty of a job like the people who are doing it. If a group of teachers get together, they talk teaching. Nurses talk about nursing. And writers…well, we talk about writing. Getting together with my group, twice a month, is a chance to talk about craft, frustrations, and news.

The other place I enjoy talking with fellow writers is on twitter (@judypost). Twitter has writers of every genre and every level of success. It has people who specialize in marketing and the business side of writing. It has bloggers who list reviews. It’s a nice place to meet new people and keep my finger on the pulse of what’s happening. And it has experts who share their advice.

If you’re not on twitter, you should be. If you are on twitter, be warned–it can become habit forming. I have to limit my time there so that I actually WRITE, not just talk about writing.

Every once in a while, I list links where I find really good information on writing or marketing. I’ve found all of these because of twitter. I think they’re good, so I thought I’d share them with you.

For marketing, I think it’s hard to beat Lindsay Buroker. http://www.lindsayburoker.com/book-marketing/newsletters-101-email-marketing-for-authors/ Her advice is practical and straightforward.

I also recommend Rachel Thompson’s tweets and links: http://rachelintheoc.com/2014/03/favorite-tools-create-visual-content/

For writing techniques, I’ve enjoyed K.M. Weiland’s posts: http://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/2014/03/character-arcs-4.html

and on character reactions:

http://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/2014/05/character-reactions.html

I also like Chuck Wendig’s blog–but he can be a bit irreverent and may swear occasionally–

http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2014/04/16/ten-things-id-like-to-say-to-young-writers/–(probably why I like him:)

Someone on twitter sent me the link to Jim Butcher’s blogs on scene & sequence. Both good:

http://jimbutcher.livejournal.com/2647.html http://jimbutcher.livejournal.com/2880.html

This blog post is mostly about sharing with you. I’ve enjoyed these, hope you do, too. Happy writing!

Writing: Are enneagrams right?

I’m beginning to play with ideas for a straight romance novel. No magic. No battles. No myths. I found a plot and subplot that intrigue me, characters I like, and a setting I love. I’m thinking of having my female protagonist run her own small business. I told my friend, Paula, about that and she immediately said, “I know a couple who just started their own vineyard. They did lots of research. You could get all kinds of practical advice if you ask them questions.” My response? “I’m not ready for that yet.” And then we both laughed at each other. There’s a story behind that:

Years ago, Paula and I flew all the way to San Diego to a writers’ conference that featured Elizabeth George as its keynote speaker–and she didn’t disappoint. But the other reason we were excited about the conference was because an expert was going to explain how to use enneagrams to develop characters in stories. In theory, enneagrams assign different personality types a number; and that number shows the strengths and weaknesses the person will have. For example, a type 1 personality is “The Reformer,” like Eleanor Roosevelt or Miss Marple–principled and self-controlled–a perfectionist. Their idea of how to get love depends upon if they do everything right, exactly right. Their sins if things go wrong? Anger or being too self-righteous.

There are 9 numbers for 9 different personality types. Paula and I took the quiz the speaker gave us, and I got a 5, the investigator–like Sherlock Holmes. Isolation can be good, to withdraw and think. In excess, some fives totally pull away from society, like the Uni-bomber–so you’ve been warned. Type fives’ typical resonse to something new is “Let me think about it.” Paula tested as a 7, the enthusiast, like James Bond. And she still loves new experiences. Sevens need high stimulus and want to keep their options open. One afternoon, we attended a panel that wasn’t what we’d expected it to be. Paula turned to me and said, “Let’s get out of here. We can drive into town and get some wine.” I said, “Let’s think about it.” And we looked at each other and laughed. We’d just verified our numbers. But Paula won, and we took off, and I was happy we did.

I used to use enneagrams to develop character wheels because the numbers made me think about both the strengths AND weaknesses of my characters, along with what they’d have been like as children. Since I plan to focus more on relationships in my new romance, I dug out my old book The Enneagram Made Easy by Renee Baran and Elizabeth Wagele to chart wheels again. I bought it a LONG time ago, and I found free downloads on the internet, but a few warned that they were unsafe–so I’m not adding a link. I don’t want anyone to catch a virus from my blog:) But they’re out there, if you’re tech savvie and stay safe. Anyway, if you’d like to find your number, you can try an online quiz: http://www.enneagramquiz.com/quiz.html. If you’re curious, there are a few different enneagram sources online. And who knows? Enneagrams might help you look at your characters in new and different ways.

https://www.facebook.com/JudithPostsurbanfantasy

FYI, My new novella bundle, Emerald Hills, is online now. 7 novellas in one collection-http://amzn.to/1oBHaNp.

Writing: hurrying, so I can go slow

First of all, Happy Mother’s Day to all of you! My daughter, Robyn, in Florida, sent me the newest novel by Sarah Addison Allen. We try to buddy read her books when they come out, we both enjoy them so much. They have a lovely, lyrical quality we both enjoy–a perfect Mother’s Day present. My other daughter, Holly–in town–is having us over for supper at her apartment later this week. She’s a nurse, so we celebrate around her schedule. Night shift makes family gatherings tricky, but we’ve all gotten used to it. Holly reads almost every single one of my manuscripts. She’s an Aries–they say what they think–so she lets me know if I’ve screwed up or gotten it right–exactly what I need. She has the first draft of Blood Lust right now. Let’s hope it doesn’t come back “bloody” with red ink:)

I’ve been writing like a crazy woman lately. I had my entire year planned out, what I wanted to write, and when. But I’ve been encouraged to try my hand at a straight romance. I’ve never written one of those. I use romance as subplots in my urban fantasies, but the main plots hang on good vs. evil and a battle to the finish. Hinging an entire plot on moving a relationship from single to together is going to prove tricky for me. I can’t dismember or kill anyone:) But I’m sort of psyched by the challenge. I like to push myself once in a while, see what happens. I have, however, a few things I want to wrap-up before I commit to writing long term in a genre I’m unsure of. So I’ve been busting out the long hours to finish up my novella bundles and the rewrite for SPINNERS, the second Empty Altars novel that should go up this summer. And I’ve been determined to market more, not less. All in all, it’s been great motivation for me to get my fanny in gear. I plan to write, write, write all this month, so that when I start the contemporary romance in June, I can take my time to learn as I go. Summer should be leisurely:)

I even decided to write a short-short story for my webpage to introduce people to Babet & Prosper. Sad, but true, I just really enjoy writing about River City and all the supernaturals that walk its streets. So if you’d like to give them a try, here’s the link: http://writingmusings.com/. Scroll to The Pied Piper, if it doesn’t come up on that page.

Next Friday, on the 16th, my Emerald Hills novella bundle will go online, and I’m offering EVERY novella and bundle I have for 99 cents each, no matter the length, from May 18-25. Emerald Hills has SEVEN novellas in one bundle–one short read for each day of the week. Between trying to promote that and finishing up a few other urban fantasies, I shouldn’t have time to get in trouble for the rest of May. But just wait until June. Who knows what I’ll get up to then?

Writing: you cross lots of finish lines to reach the Derby

My husband and I just finished watching the Kentucky Derby, and when it was finished, he said, “It’s sort of like writing, isn’t it?” “How?” I asked. “It takes picking the right horse, tons of training, and crossing lots of finish lines to be a contender.”

After I thought about, he’s right. A writer has to find a niche for himself–whether it’s writing fantasy, romance, mystery, or literary–and then he has to find a way to be unique from the other writers in that niche. I write urban fantasy, and that means readers expect certain elements when they pick up my books, but each writer puts a unique twist on those elements to make the genre their own. Ilona Andrews is different than Patricia Briggs, who’s different from Jennifer Estep, who’s different from Faith Hunter. And once a writer has found how to follow the rules of the genre in his own way, he’s found a niche. It’s the horse he’s going to ride to the finish line, if he’s lucky. Of course, sometimes the niche becomes glutted or half-dead, and then a writer has to find a new horse or decide to hope for the best and stick it out.

The only way to be a good writer is to write. A person has to master the craft of writing–plotting and pacing, varying sentence structure and writing dialogue, grammar and spelling, etc–as well as finding his own voice and style. That’s where the training comes in. And it’s not just the actual act of writing he needs to learn. There’s a fine line between listening to criticism to make his writing better and listening to criticism to the point that he tries to please everyone and loses his own voice. I’ve met writers who won’t listen to anyone and they never fix their mistakes. I’ve also met writers who listen to everyone and end up with a homogenized nothing. Too far one way or the other does a writer no favors.

The last part of horse racing is crossing the finishing line. But to reach the Kentucky Derby, most horses have raced in lots of others races to hone their skills. Writers, hoping to have a career, have to cross lots of finish lines, too. First, they have to decide on their niche. Then they have to find a way for their story/book to be unique. Then they have to FINISH their story–

and that’s an accomplishment, in itself, but it’s only one finish line. Next, they have to DO something with their books. They can try for an agent, an editor, or self-publish. Whichever way they go, once they accomplish that, they’ve crossed one more finish line–a substantial one, but there are more races to go.

Even published writers have to market themselves anymore. Most authors write blogs or have webpages. A lot of them tweet and have Facebook pages. They advertise and promote. They work to “brand” themselves, so that when a reader hears their name, they think of a product. These days, marketing is a finish line almost every author needs to cross.

Not every horse reaches the Kentucky Derby. Only one horse wins it. The same is true for writers. Some of us are still working to win small races. A few have won more races and sold enough books to have earned a name and a career. Fewer still hit the jackpot. But a writer can’t win if he doesn’t race. The odds are against winning the Derby, but there are smaller victories along the way.

My big dream? Someday, I want to go to the Romantic Times convention, not as a fan, but as an author who might have fans stand in line for me to sign my books. But I have a few more finish lines to cross before that ever happens. So I’m going to keep busy until it’s off to the races! You should, too.

P.S. I put a new post on my webpage for May. http://www.judithpostswritingmusings.com/