Tricia Drammeh's Blog, page 36
December 4, 2013
Writer Wednesday: Interview with Tricia Drammeh
Reblogged from Lily Byrne Writes:
Today I welcome author Tricia Drammeh to my blog.
Author Bio:
Tricia Drammeh is a wife and mother of four children who lives in New Hampshire. Her published works include The Claiming Words, The Fifth Circle, and The Séance. Tricia is currently working on her seventh novel. When she’s not writing, she can be found devouring books, interviewing up-and-coming authors, and drinking vast amounts of coffee.
Huge thanks to Lily Byrne for featuring me on her blog today!
December 2, 2013
Write What You Want
A few years ago, I belonged to an online writers’ group where I posted The Claiming Words for critique. For the most part, I received good feedback, but there was one review that really got to me. Good reviews can make you smile all day, but bad reviews tend to revisit you, playing in your head every time you’re feeling insecure. The reviewer criticized my main character for being too Bella-like and then “complimented” me for even attempting to write a YA vampire novel in such an over-saturated market. My mind immediately skipped over the fact that there are no vampires in the book and instead replayed all the negative things he said about the book. Was my character too weak? Was my book totally lame? Nevermind all the nice things reviewers said–I couldn’t stop thinking about the bad review.
Fast forward a couple of years and The Claiming Words is published, though not exactly taking the publishing world by storm. But, that’s okay. There are people who have read and enjoyed it. More importantly, I enjoyed writing it.
Let’s face it–there’s always going to be someone who doesn’t like your book. Agents and publishers will reject it. Readers will criticize it. Even your own family members will tell you they don’t want to read it because they don’t read fantasy or young adult or romance or whatever. Someone will always be around to tell you your romance is too drippy, your erotica too smutty, your YA too immature, your fantasy too lame, your science fiction too implausible, and your literary fiction too pretentious.
If you can’t please everyone, you might as well make yourself happy.
Trends come and go, sometimes so quickly it’s hard to keep up. If you’re scrambling to cash in on the latest craze, you’re taking a risk because by the time you’ve finished your novel, teen-vampire-zombie-post-apocalyptic-romance might not be popular any more. Even if it is, your book still might not sell. Some authors say it’s only the lucky ones who become blockbuster bestsellers. Others say it’s all about hard work. Well, I say there’s no substitute for passion. Readers can tell whether or not you’re passionate about what you’re writing.
When I was active on the online writing site, I read hundreds of unpublished manuscripts. It wasn’t unusual for me to fall in love with a story that was structurally imperfect. If the story was good and the characters were likable–if I could feel the author’s passion for the story–I could forget about a few grammatical errors. There were many books I read which were edited to perfection. The author followed all the “rules,” but for some reason, I didn’t connect with the story. Oftentimes, I felt like I should like the story–it was my preferred genre, it was well-written, the plot was fantastic–but there was something missing. Passion.
If you’re passionate about the book you’re writing and you put your heart and soul into it, you’ll find an audience. Even if you’ve written in a sub-genre that was last year’s craze, who’s to say there isn’t still a hardcore group of readers yearning to read a book just like yours? Who’s to say your genre won’t be popular again next year or the year after that? If you’ve written an innovative book, maybe it will be the beginning of the next big trend.
You can’t predict trends. You can’t control the publishing industry. You can’t make everyone like your book. But, you can write what you’re passionate about. You can make yourself happy. You deserve to be happy, so write what YOU want!
November 29, 2013
November 22, 2013
Defining Multicultural Fiction
As an author who has tagged a couple of my books with the “multicultural fiction” label, one would think I had a very clear understanding of what multicultural fiction means. I don’t. Well, I know how I define multicultural, but others might have a different view.
In The Claiming Words, my two main female characters share POV. One young woman is white; the other is black. A majority of the secondary characters in the book are also black, so I feel pretty safe in labeling this book “multicultural.” But what about The Seance? After I put a multicultural label on it, I had deep reservations. While one of the important characters is Middle-Eastern, the main character (Abby) is white. The story is told from her POV. So, even though her love interest/best friend is from Saudi Arabia and is a practicing Muslim, I’m still not quite comfortable with using “multicultural” to describe the contents of the book. I’m afraid readers will feel cheated or misled when they discover the main character is not from a diverse background.
Hmmm… Maybe I missed the whole point of what multicultural is supposed to be about.
Let me give you a little insight into my background so you know where I’m coming from. I’m white. My husband is West African. We have interracial children. My brother’s first wife is black, so he also has an interracial child. His new wife is Australian. Seriously, when my family gets together, we look like a United Nations meeting. Given my family background, I should be totally on top of what it means to be multicultural, right? Maybe not.
What exactly is multicultural fiction? Does this mean any fiction written by a person with a multicultural background? Or, does multicultural fiction refer to the content and characters in the book? Surely, the book must have at least one multicultural character. But, how many? And, does this mean the main character must have a multicultural background in order to qualify?
If any book with multicultural characters can earn the label “multicultural,” then we’d have to include a whole lot of books. Harry Potter has a cast of characters from different cultures. Even Twilight has a black character. Are these considered multicultural books?
Hmmm… Defining multicultural fiction isn’t as easy as one would think, is it?
Maybe we should restrict the multicultural label to books that explore different cultures instead of just characters with different colors of skin. Maybe we should restrict the multicultural label to those books that feature a non-white main character. When I say it like that, it sounds sort of exclusionary, doesn’t it?
Exclusion is never a good thing and certainly not in the spirit of what multicultural is supposed to be.
Let’s stop for a moment and talk about a friend of mine…. Ruth de Jauregui is an author who started a website devoted to fantasy and science fiction books for teens and young adults of color. Alien Star Books is meant to help parents find books with characters their kids can relate to–or characters their kids can learn from. Though Alien Star is primarily dedicated to books with protagonists of color, it includes everyone.
On her website, Ruth says she would never exclude a good book just because the main character isn’t a person of color. On her Facebook group page, she says, “While there is room for EVERYONE, because this is all about inclusion and not exclusion, I really want to promote books with main characters and positive images of People of Color.”
“This is all about inclusion and not exclusion.”
As authors, we all have our own cultural backgrounds. We all draw from our own lives when we build our characters. Many authors will tell you they have no control over the characters they write, that the characters are fully evolved when they reveal themselves. Most authors don’t set out to deliberately fall into a category. We just write. We tell the story and label our books later. This is why there’s overlap in genres, age categories, and yes.. sometimes even our labels can’t be clearly defined.
Should we chuck away labels altogether and just let good fiction be good fiction? The idea certainly has appeal. But, with the vast number of books available for purchase, labels certainly help us narrow down our choices. Let’s face it–some categories are always going to have big, huge gray areas. Multicultural fiction is one of those categories. I don’t think we’ll ever be able to clearly define it, and I don’t think we should. Because to strictly define it would be to exclude a whole lot of good books and that’s the LAST thing we want to do.
Like Ruth from Alien Star says, “this is all about inclusion and not exclusion.”
Words we should all live by.
Defining Multicultural Fiction
As an author who has tagged a couple of my books with the “multicultural fiction” label, one would think I had a very clear understanding of what multicultural fiction means. I don’t. Well, I know how I define multicultural, but others might have a different view.
In The Claiming Words, my two main female characters share POV. One young woman is white; the other is black. A majority of the secondary characters in the book are also black, so I feel pretty safe in labeling this book “multicultural.” But what about The Seance? After I put a multicultural label on it, I had deep reservations. While one of the important characters is Middle-Eastern, the main character (Abby) is white. The story is told from her POV. So, even though her love interest/best friend is from Saudi Arabia and is a practicing Muslim, I’m still not quite comfortable with using “multicultural” to describe the contents of the book. I’m afraid readers will feel cheated or misled when they discover the main character is not from a diverse background.
Hmmm… Maybe I missed the whole point of what multicultural is supposed to be about.
Let me give you a little insight into my background so you know where I’m coming from. I’m white. My husband is West African. We have interracial children. My brother’s first wife is black, so he also has an interracial child. His new wife is Australian. Seriously, when my family gets together, we look like a United Nations meeting. Given my family background, I should be totally on top of what it means to be multicultural, right? Maybe not.
What exactly is multicultural fiction? Does this mean any fiction written by a person with a multicultural background? Or, does multicultural fiction refer to the content and characters in the book? Surely, the book must have at least one multicultural character. But, how many? And, does this mean the main character must have a multicultural background in order to qualify?
If any book with multicultural characters can earn the label “multicultural,” then we’d have to include a whole lot of books. Harry Potter has a cast of characters from different cultures. Even Twilight has a black character. Are these considered multicultural books?
Hmmm… Defining multicultural fiction isn’t as easy as one would think, is it?
Maybe we should restrict the multicultural label to books that explore different cultures instead of just characters with different colors of skin. Maybe we should restrict the multicultural label to those books that feature a non-white main character. When I say it like that, it sounds sort of exclusionary, doesn’t it?
Exclusion is never a good thing and certainly not in the spirit of what multicultural is supposed to be.
Let’s stop for a moment and talk about a friend of mine…. Ruth de Jauregui is an author who started a website devoted to fantasy and science fiction books for teens and young adults of color. Alien Star Books is meant to help parents find books with characters their kids can relate to–or characters their kids can learn from. Though Alien Star is primarily dedicated to books with protagonists of color, it includes everyone.
On her website, Ruth says she would never exclude a good book just because the main character isn’t a person of color. On her Facebook group page, she says, “While there is room for EVERYONE, because this is all about inclusion and not exclusion, I really want to promote books with main characters and positive images of People of Color.”
“This is all about inclusion and not exclusion.”
As authors, we all have our own cultural backgrounds. We all draw from our own lives when we build our characters. Many authors will tell you they have no control over the characters they write, that the characters are fully evolved when they reveal themselves. Most authors don’t set out to deliberately fall into a category. We just write. We tell the story and label our books later. This is why there’s overlap in genres, age categories, and yes.. sometimes even our labels can’t be clearly defined.
Should we chuck away labels altogether and just let good fiction be good fiction? The idea certainly has appeal. But, with the vast number of books available for purchase, labels certainly help us narrow down our choices. Let’s face it–some categories are always going to have big, huge gray areas. Multicultural fiction is one of those categories. I don’t think we’ll ever be able to clearly define it, and I don’t think we should. Because to strictly define it would be to exclude a whole lot of good books and that’s the LAST thing we want to do.
Like Ruth from Alien Star says, “this is all about inclusion and not exclusion.”
Words we should all live by.
November 17, 2013
Author Spotlight: Tricia Drammeh
Bio: Tricia Drammeh is a wife and mother of four children who lives in New Hampshire. Her published works include The Seance, The Claiming Words and The Fifth Circle. She is currently working on her seventh novel. When Tricia isn't writing, she can be found devouring books, interviewing up-and-coming authors, and drinking vast amounts of coffee.
Interview:
What all have you written?
Thanks, Maria, for featuring me on your fantastic blog.
Author Spotlight: Tricia Drammeh
Bio: Tricia Drammeh is a wife and mother of four children who lives in New Hampshire. Her published works include The Seance, The Claiming Words and The Fifth Circle. She is currently working on her seventh novel. When Tricia isn't writing, she can be found devouring books, interviewing up-and-coming authors, and drinking vast amounts of coffee.
Interview:
What all have you written?
Thanks, Maria, for featuring me on your fantastic blog.
November 16, 2013
NaNoWriMo and Setting Realistic Goals
It’s mid-November and for those authors who signed up for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month where authors make a commitment to write a 50,000 word novel in only 30 days), we’re knee deep in novel-writing frenzy. Or, at least we’re supposed to be. For authors who are on track toward achieving their goal, NaNoWriMo provides a way to track their word count online and to feel a sense of community with other writers. For authors who are far behind in word count, NaNoWriMo can be a month-long guilt fest.
This is my third NaNoWriMo and I don’t think I’m going to reach my goal. At first, I wasn’t even going to participate, but after reading Facebook updates and blog posts by pumped-up, mega-motivated authors, I decided to enter. It’s day sixteen and I’m now several thousand words behind. It’s unlikely I’ll hit 50,000 words by the end of the month. I might not even make it to 25,000.
For some authors, writing 50,000 words a month is a realistic goal. For others, it is not.
On Authors to Watch, one of the interview questions I always ask authors is this: What advice do you have to offer new or aspiring authors? Lots of authors (indie and traditionally published) tell aspiring authors to write every day. “Write even when you don’t want to. If you want to be a professional author, act like one. Professional writers write every day even when they don’t feel like it.”
While I think there is some wisdom in this advice, I don’t believe it’s realistic to tell ALL authors to write every day. While this might work for SOME authors, it will not work for all. Our writing goals are constantly changing. We need to be flexible and cut ourselves some slack when life gets in the way and we’re unable to reach our daily word count goals.
In the past, having a daily word count goal has helped me finish novels. Sometimes a chart (like the one on NaNo) or a spreadsheet can be a powerful motivator. But, if you’re an author who strives for perfection on a first draft, self-editing and rewriting as you go, you’re probably going to write at a slower pace. If you’re writing a novel that requires extensive research, there are going to be days (or even weeks) where you’re busy reading, researching, or interviewing. Just because you haven’t been adding to a word count chart doesn’t mean you haven’t been productive.
We all have our own unique writing process that fits our individual needs. We all have different goals. For some authors, writing a book every two years is the goal. For others, they aim to crank out three of four books a year. Is the second type of author more productive? More professional? Not necessarily.
Before we set a realistic writing goal, we need to define for ourselves what our long-term goals are. We need to define what it means to be a “professional” writer and if we in fact want to be one. There is nothing wrong with writing for pleasure or writing only when we feel like it. It doesn’t make you any less of a writer. There’s nothing wrong with publishing twelve novellas a year just like there is nothing wrong with not wanting to publish anything at all.
Define your long term goals and then you’ll be able to set realistic short term goals. If you want to eventually make a living from novel-writing, you’ll need to set some challenging goals. You’ll need to push yourself to write nearly every day. You’ll have to train yourself to meet deadlines.
As for NaNoWriMo… Adjust it to suit your own needs. Try these ideas:
If you can’t possibly write 50,000 words in November, select a word count you can work with.
Create your own spreadsheet and set your own goals. Or go to Story Toolz to get a nifty Word Count Meter to track your progress.
If you can’t consider starting a new project until you finish your WIP or edit an existing manuscript, set an editing or project-finishing goal for the month.
Start a Facebook Group with like-minded individuals and update each other on your progress.
Set small goals and reward yourself when you accomplish each one.
As writers, goal setting is important, but our goals shouldn’t be one-size-fits-all. As long as you’re making progress toward YOUR goal, you’re a winner! Happy Writing everyone!
NaNoWriMo and Setting Realistic Goals
It’s mid-November and for those authors who signed up for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month where authors make a commitment to write a 50,000 word novel in only 30 days), we’re knee deep in novel-writing frenzy. Or, at least we’re supposed to be. For authors who are on track toward achieving their goal, NaNoWriMo provides a way to track their word count online and to feel a sense of community with other writers. For authors who are far behind in word count, NaNoWriMo can be a month-long guilt fest.
This is my third NaNoWriMo and I don’t think I’m going to reach my goal. At first, I wasn’t even going to participate, but after reading Facebook updates and blog posts by pumped-up, mega-motivated authors, I decided to enter. It’s day sixteen and I’m now several thousand words behind. It’s unlikely I’ll hit 50,000 words by the end of the month. I might not even make it to 25,000.
For some authors, writing 50,000 words a month is a realistic goal. For others, it is not.
On Authors to Watch, one of the interview questions I always ask authors is this: What advice do you have to offer new or aspiring authors? Lots of authors (indie and traditionally published) tell aspiring authors to write every day. “Write even when you don’t want to. If you want to be a professional author, act like one. Professional writers write every day even when they don’t feel like it.”
While I think there is some wisdom in this advice, I don’t believe it’s realistic to tell ALL authors to write every day. While this might work for SOME authors, it will not work for all. Our writing goals are constantly changing. We need to be flexible and cut ourselves some slack when life gets in the way and we’re unable to reach our daily word count goals.
In the past, having a daily word count goal has helped me finish novels. Sometimes a chart (like the one on NaNo) or a spreadsheet can be a powerful motivator. But, if you’re an author who strives for perfection on a first draft, self-editing and rewriting as you go, you’re probably going to write at a slower pace. If you’re writing a novel that requires extensive research, there are going to be days (or even weeks) where you’re busy reading, researching, or interviewing. Just because you haven’t been adding to a word count chart doesn’t mean you haven’t been productive.
We all have our own unique writing process that fits our individual needs. We all have different goals. For some authors, writing a book every two years is the goal. For others, they aim to crank out three of four books a year. Is the second type of author more productive? More professional? Not necessarily.
Before we set a realistic writing goal, we need to define for ourselves what our long-term goals are. We need to define what it means to be a “professional” writer and if we in fact want to be one. There is nothing wrong with writing for pleasure or writing only when we feel like it. It doesn’t make you any less of a writer. There’s nothing wrong with publishing twelve novellas a year just like there is nothing wrong with not wanting to publish anything at all.
Define your long term goals and then you’ll be able to set realistic short term goals. If you want to eventually make a living from novel-writing, you’ll need to set some challenging goals. You’ll need to push yourself to write nearly every day. You’ll have to train yourself to meet deadlines.
As for NaNoWriMo… Adjust it to suit your own needs. Try these ideas:
If you can’t possibly write 50,000 words in November, select a word count you can work with.
Create your own spreadsheet and set your own goals. Or go to Story Toolz to get a nifty Word Count Meter to track your progress.
If you can’t consider starting a new project until you finish your WIP or edit an existing manuscript, set an editing or project-finishing goal for the month.
Start a Facebook Group with like-minded individuals and update each other on your progress.
Set small goals and reward yourself when you accomplish each one.
As writers, goal setting is important, but our goals shouldn’t be one-size-fits-all. As long as you’re making progress toward YOUR goal, you’re a winner! Happy Writing everyone!
October 31, 2013
Just Checking In
Hello, everyone and Happy Halloween!
As I’m sure you’ve noticed, my postings over the last few weeks have been sporadic. Well, there’s a good reason for this. I’ve been busy packing and organizing for our family’s big move. After traveling over 1200 miles with three kids, two cats, and a lizard, we are now in our new home in Concord, New Hampshire. Needless to say, things are still quite unsettled. This morning, I had to unpack four boxes before I found my shampoo. I expect things to be a little hectic over the next several days, but eventually I’ll settle into a routine. (Hopefully sometime before the holidays.)
I’d hoped to participate in NaNoWriMo, but I’m really not sure whether or not that will be practical. I have to enroll the kids in their new schools, find a day job (boo hiss), unpack the mountain of boxes surrounding me, and reassure my traumatized cats that they are indeed home. I’m sure I’ll get back to writing soon. Maybe the long New England winters will inspire me.
I promise to get back to blogging soon. Until then, I wish all the NaNoWriMo participants out there a fun and successful month of writing.
