Chris Baty's Blog, page 161

12 Book-Blockers and How to Hurdle Them

Every year, we’re lucky to have great sponsors for our nonprofit events. BookBaby, a 2015 Camp NaNoWriMo sponsor, asked their president, Steven Spatz, to share twelve obstacles that often stand in writers’ ways for your identifying purposes:

I’ll be honest: I wondered what I could possibly add to the many helpful and educational posts here on the NaNoWriMo blog that inspire thousands of eager writers on a daily basis.

And then it came to me—how about a post filled with my own cautionary tales? And so, NaNoWriMo fans, I present to you the flip side of the coin:

Block that book! Twelve diabolical, evil, and just plain awful things that prevent you from finishing your book (if you let them).

All of these roadblocks are based on true-life experience: namely mine, as I labored to finish my first book, The End. Now What?! 6 Steps to Take Your Manuscript to Marketplace in 6 Weeks: 

Your boss. Many of you have at least one day job, and a boss to go with it. I share your pain. If only mine knew how much more fulfilled I would be as an employee if I were writing my book during office hours instead of filling in Excel spreadsheets.
Your bills. Directly related to the boss factor. That book-blocking day job really is useful for providing the funds for things like pizzas, coffee, co-pays for psychiatric therapy to discuss your book project, and more. Take it from me, your cable company will not accept a free chapter of your upcoming book in lieu of your HBO subscription. Which leads to…
Game of Thrones. Or House of Cards. Or any one of the recent plague of addictive programs that now competes for your precious time. Just like the creator of the atomic bomb and the selfie stick, the person who invented the concept of “binge watching” had no idea of the damage they would inflict upon humanity.
Children. I have two wonderful kids, AKA time-suckers who share my last name. Now that they’re college age, I really thought their presence as subversive book blockers would diminish. Nope. Yesteryear’s cry of “I need my diaper changed” merely progresses to high decibel shrieks of  "I need money for gas/tuition/bail.“ Different crap, same distraction.
Internet. Oh thine world wide web, your siren song is so sweet and alluring. It used to be cat videos, Angry Birds, and MySpace. Now it’s Twitter, Instagram, Tinder, and whatever else was invented and went viral in the 14 hours since I wrote this post.
Social life. Studies illustrate the harmful effects of solitary confinement. Doing hard time with your book can be just as bad, so there’s good science behind the need to get out and be around people. But the danger! It’s a disaster waiting to happen for your book.
Mrs. White. She was my hyper-critical high school English teacher who never met an essay she didn’t bleed red ink all over. We all have someone like her. It might be your perfectionist spouse, or your cousin Harry who reminds you he’s a former book editor every chance he gets. These people can cause you to second guess every word you type.
Mother Nature. Frankly, I have no clue how any books are ever published in California, Florida, or other places where the sun shines and average snowfall is under 28 inches. Fully 95% of my book was written during the months of January through March. (avg. temperature in Philadelphia: -14º).
Other books. Memo to talented writers: When I’m in the process of writing my next book, kindly refrain from publishing any new material. (That goes double for you, Hugh Howey.) Not only do I get sucked into their stories, I start to compare my own writing (I call it: blunt force word blacksmithing) to their flowing prose. Depression follows. Sleep. It does a body good, usually. My nightmares are full of bad grammar and Mrs. White and her red ink pen.Eating. This is where my vow of "never eat drive-thru” is severely challenged.
Exercise. Vigorous typing doesn’t register on my Fitbit.

That’s it—my dirty dozen of obstacles. Now comes the time where most NaNoWriMo blog posts provide some answers to the challenges raised above. So very briefly:

1 & 2 – Buy lottery tickets. Win big. 
3 & 5 – Unplug. 
4 – Adoption… it’s never too late. 
6 & 7 – Embrace your inner hermit.
8 – Move to northwest Minnesota, Moosejaw, or anywhere in Maine.
9-12 – I got nothing.

No, I can’t really help you with these all-too-common issues of daily life. Instead I’d like to end this guest post with a huge round of applause for those who have done it: They’ve managed to tiptoe through the minefield of life’s distractions and come through with a finished manuscript. You really can do it. Heck, I did it once and I’m determined to make it through again.

Steven Spatz is President of BookBaby. From eBook conversion, print on demand, cover design, and book distribution, BookBaby provides independent authors the services and solutions to get self-published. The BookBaby Blog features hundreds of posts to get you motivated to write, publish, and stay on top of the ever-changing world of self-publishing.

Read the book Steven managed to write, despite the obstacles. BookBaby is offering a free eBook download of The End. Now What?! 6 Steps to Take Your Manuscript to Marketplace in 6 Weeks . It’s available free for a limited time.

"One of the biggest roadblocks I have in the drafting process is self-doubt. I beat myself up about..."

“One of the biggest roadblocks I have in the drafting process is self-doubt. I beat myself up about how sloppy the pages are or how cliché the plot might be or how my concept in another author’s hands would be executed better. I am my own worst enemy. A perfection monster.

 

These evil thoughts creep in every three days or so, and I become paralyzed with doubt. I forget that first drafts are messy. My head becomes a storm of negative thoughts. Can I really write this draft? Will readers like it? Is there anything salvable in this manuscript? When I fall into that dark place, I know it’s time for a pep talk or time to find a part of the book that I’m proud of. But forgive yourself. First drafts aren’t supposed to be perfect.”

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Dhonielle Clayton is a librarian and co-founder of CAKE Literary. She is the author of Tiny Pretty Things with Sona Charaipotra, and her new fantasy series The Belles hits shelves soon from Disney/Hyperion.

Writer’s Care Packages from Camp NaNoWriMo and We Need Diverse Books.

Camp Pep: Your Story Is Important. Wait.

Are you participating in this July’s Camp NaNoWriMo? Our participants have words of wisdom to share with their fellow writers. Today, author and participant J. M. Frey advises you to embrace the writing itch while living your everyday life:

I’m going to make you promise me something. Ready?

Please don’t send your July Camp NaNoWriMo project out for submission to agents or publishers or, put it up for self publication on August 1st. 

Why?

Because your story is important. 

It’s important enough that you just did this whole crazy month of writing. It’s important enough that you forwent sleep, social time, and possibly a bit of sanity. 

And it’s important enough not to rush.

Too often I see manuscripts going out sooner then they’re ready to be seen, and rejected because of that. It’s a shame, because just a bit more patience and a bit more polish would have saved them from the recycle bin.
You deserve better than that.  Your story is important. Give it the love it deserves. What should you do next?

Finish your book: Most novels are between 75-100k words. 50k is a great foundation and more than halfway. Edit: Find a critique partner who gets what you’re doing, loves your writing, but can also be totally brutal about what isn’t working. Polish: Make it grammatically perfect and typo-free. Consider hiring a copy editor.Write a 3-page synopsis:  These are evil, but necessary. It should be written in the same voice as the book, and make for a compelling read whilst explaining all the plot developments. Always include the full ending of the book. Surprise the readers, not your agent.Write the pitch paragraph: This is the paragraph that goes on the back of the book. Be compelling and interesting without leaning on cliché.Write a query letter: Customize each letter for each agent/publisher just like you would customize a cover letter for a job application.Write a tag line: A one-sentence hook or an “elevator pitch”. Memorize it!Research: However you want to publish, do your research thoroughly. I kept a detailed document of agent’s preferred method of querying, what they’ve asked for, what they represent, their major clients, what day I queried and their response.  I collected offered critiques or advice and compared it—if there was a pattern, I did a rewrite.Query mindfully: Agents and editors get hundreds of queries monthly. Don’t give them any excuse to chuck yours. Be professional, polite, humble, give them everything they ask for (and nothing extra), and get their names right. Don’t send bribes, gifts, or scented paper.Start a new book: Don’t over-edit or angst over one book. A career comes from having many books. 

It seems like a lot of work but having all of this squared away before you start shopping your manuscript is worth it.

Trust me.

J. M. Frey is a voice actor, author, and fanthropologist. She appears on television, radio, and in documentaries to talk about all things geeky. She is internet-famous for her Steampunk Edwardian TARDIS cosplay. Her 2006 NaNoWriMo Novel was published as Triptych and was named one of Publishers Weekly’s Best Books of 2011. The first book of The Accidental Turn Series, titled The Untold Tale, was her 2012 NaNoWriMo book, and will be released December 2015 from Reuts Publications. Follow her on Twitter!

Top photo by Flickr user Fernando Rossi.

"Spend some time writing out how your world works. Writing fantasy or sci-fi? What is the one thing..."

“Spend some time writing out how your world works. Writing fantasy or sci-fi? What is the one thing in the your world that everyone wants? What are people (or those who live there) willing to do to get it? What are the constraints of the world and how does that warp how people live or relate to one another?

 

Knee-deep in contemporary? Where is your character in the pecking order? If your character could have one wish that could fix everything for them, what would it be? How is their family structured, and how do they operate? Spend time figuring out the rules of your magic or your world.”

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Dhonielle Clayton is a librarian and co-founder of CAKE Literary. She is the author of Tiny Pretty Things with Sona Charaipotra, and her new fantasy series The Belles hits shelves soon from Disney/Hyperion.

Writer’s Care Packages from Camp NaNoWriMo and We Need Diverse Books.

"When you’re in the writing trenches, you need a buddy. Someone to whine to, someone to commiserate..."

“When you’re in the writing trenches, you need a buddy. Someone to whine to, someone to commiserate with, someone who understands just how hard it is to create something out of nothing.

 

I call my writing partner. Our code name is “PEP TALK” and when deployed she knows to expect a whole bunch of whining and dumping of my neurotic thoughts. In those moments, she fills me up with just what I need—words that remind me that I’m a writer and a creator, and that I can do this.”

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Dhonielle Clayton is a librarian and co-founder of CAKE Literary. She is the author of Tiny Pretty Things with Sona Charaipotra, and her new fantasy series The Belles hits shelves soon from Disney/Hyperion.

Writer’s Care Packages from Camp NaNoWriMo and We Need Diverse Books.

"Drafting takes a lot out of you because you’re creating something out of nothing. You’re feeding the..."

“Drafting takes a lot out of you because you’re creating something out of nothing. You’re feeding the story, so be sure to feed yourself and keep your energy levels high.

 

Some writerly brain foods: blueberries, sliced tomatoes with mozzarella, nuts and raisins, popcorn, juice, avocados with chips, and dark chocolate.”

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Dhonielle Clayton is a librarian and co-founder of CAKE Literary. She is the author of Tiny Pretty Things with Sona Charaipotra, and her new fantasy series The Belles hits shelves soon from Disney/Hyperion.

Writer’s Care Packages from Camp NaNoWriMo and We Need Diverse Books.

"Each day make a mini-plan of what you want to get accomplished. A big task is just a series of small..."

“Each day make a mini-plan of what you want to get accomplished. A big task is just a series of small tasks. A book is just a series of chapters. Daily goals are my bread and butter.

 

While I’m drafting, I find it helpful to see a post-it note above my computer that has a daily chapter goal or word count or scene addition. If I hit this daily goal, then I feel accomplished—even if I have tons more to do. This daily satisfaction helps keep my enthusiasm high and my mind focused.”

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Dhonielle Clayton is a librarian and co-founder of CAKE Literary. She is the author of Tiny Pretty Things with Sona Charaipotra, and her new fantasy series The Belles hits shelves soon from Disney/Hyperion.

Writer’s Care Packages from Camp NaNoWriMo and We Need Diverse Books.

Camp Pep: You Are All Exceptional

Camp NaNoWriMo is nothing without you, our incredible participants. Today, some pep, straight from a Camper’s mouth: 

Dear Campers,

I want you to close your eyes for just a moment and imagine your goal for this month. Think about how difficult it is going to be to achieve that goal, and how that is the absolute limit of what you can accomplish. That it is a cage that surrounds you. 

Now I want you to imagine that cage dissolving before your eyes, and striding across that finish line with more words than you could ever have imagined possible…

Here’s the thing: limitations are something we create inside of our own heads. The people who succeed ignore them. One of my college professors once said, “The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something.” The truly exceptional people in this world are going to look at limitations and laugh because while everybody else is busy talking about why you can’t do something, they are off making their dreams happen.

Everybody here is exceptional. You have dedicated time this month to put your writing first and to make that dream a reality. So vow to do six impossible things before breakfast and throw the idea of limitations out the window. See how far you can really fly once you give up the idea of what writing is supposed to be and start treating writing the way you want it to be.

You can write more in an hour. Turn off spell check and go challenge your cabin to a word war.

You can write more in a day. Make tomorrow a day of ridiculous goals and really get after your time management to blow past the most you’ve ever written in a day.

You can write more in a month. That big day you just did? What if you made that the normal for the rest of Camp? For the next NaNo event?

And if you think your goal is modest compared to those of others, realize this: there are millions of people who will never sit down to tell the story they have bubbling up inside them. What you are accomplishing this month is just as impossible to them as these seemingly impossible goals are to you. Every day you sit down to write, you are breaking down that brick wall. You are getting to see places that those who got stopped by that wall will never have the opportunity to see.

Victoria Webb is a believer in doing whatever it takes to accomplish your dreams and she thoroughly enjoys convincing others to join her in her madness. She will be releasing the first book of her Starsinger Chronicles series in early 2016. You can follow her on Twitter: @glyph27.

Top photo by Flickr user sophiagrrl.

"Have you chosen to write about someone different from you? If you chose to explore characters of..."

“Have you chosen to write about someone different from you? If you chose to explore characters of different races or levels of ability, a different sexual orientation, or who live in a different part of the world, fantastic! Crafting diverse characters can be difficult but rewarding if you remember the four R’s:

 

Recognize that much of what you think you know is a media product that may be inaccurate.

 

Root-out stereotypes that may slip in because of that.

 

Replace the stereotypes with realistic portrayals by doing your…

 

Research.”

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B. A. Binns is an award-winning African American author of contemporary, multicultural novels and short stories, including the novel, Pull.

Writer’s Care Packages from Camp NaNoWriMo and We Need Diverse Books.

"Don’t try to force things. Take back your joy in writing by working on a brand new scene, even a new..."

“Don’t try to force things. Take back your joy in writing by working on a brand new scene, even a new story, while the old one rests.

 

Or think about re-writing a favorite scene from a different character’s POV. Write the climactic final battle through the villain’s eyes, or let a minor character take charge of the big reveal. You get to see your world through different eyes, and you can relax and enjoy writing, knowing that what you put down doesn’t have to be perfect, just fun. You may even find that you like writing as this character.”

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B. A. Binns is an award-winning African American author of contemporary, multicultural novels and short stories, including the novel, Pull.

Writer’s Care Packages from Camp NaNoWriMo and We Need Diverse Books.