M. Pierce's Blog, page 5

“Enter WEIRD hospital scene with a stuffed manatee (Huh???) Okay. This shocked me, but not in a good way. Is he a MAN or a child?” – another satisfied customer

 

 

That’s my book, Averil Dean’s book, a plush sloth, a plush wolf, and a plush manatee.

And yes, that’s my Amazon viewing history as of 5 seconds ago.

Writing

I love to write about writing, though I’m no authority on the topic. It’s a guilty pleasure. Ditto reading about writing—an indulgence I rarely allow myself.

That said, a few months ago one of my Twitter followers asked if I had any advice for writers. “Too much for a Tweet,” I told her. I said I would write a blog post about it.

So, without further ado (i.e. months later):

 

Okay, here are my humble suggestions for writers seeking advice on improving their craft:

 

READ

I could leave it at that, but I won’t. But I could.

You don’t need to drop thousands of dollars on an MFA to “learn” to write. (Take it from me; creative writing coursework is nothing but time to write and a critical environment like a pool of piranhas.) (Sophomoric piranhas.)

You don’t need fellowships. You don’t need writing retreats. You don’t need to get drunk at Bread Loaf.  Don’t do it. Don’t sleep with the professor. Don’t buy Moleskines. You are no closer to being a writer with your Moleskine. You are out ten bucks and that’s about it.

Just read. Read what you love and some of what you hate. If you have a gift for writing, you will learn by osmosis. The rhythms of language will siphon into you. Your vocab will grow, along with your respect for well-placed punctuation, diverse syntax and diction, colorful words, restraint, time-moving techniques, plot devices that work, and the mystery of a good book.

“What the fuck made that book so good?” you will ask yourself. You will read it again, searching for the mechanics behind the magic trick. And yes, it is a magic trick, so look closely. Look again. Find the strings of words that provoke you and find out why. If a book makes you laugh or cry or makes you furious, never forget it.

You will know if you should write if you can’t just read. If every great read makes you say, “I have got to do that, I know I can do that,” then you’re probably a writer. And I’m sorry about that.

 

Go on without me…

 

WRITE

Sounds obvious, right?

Wrong.

I have met dozens of “writers” who don’t write. They plan novels. They craft elaborate outlines. They create characters. They research. They write blog posts. They write journal entries from a character’s POV. They listen to music and think about writing. They sign up for NaNoWriMo. They sit in cafes and stare at their laptops. They take writing classes. They join writing groups. They talk about their projects to friends and colleagues.

They do everything, anything… except ass in chair / hands on keyboard / mind-numbing novel writing. Why?

I know there are authors who will disagree with what I am about to say, but:

Writing a novel is hell. Even when it’s going well, it’s hell.

Orwell put it best when he said, “Writing a book is a horrible, exhausting struggle, like a long bout of some painful illness. One would never undertake such a thing if one were not driven on by some demon whom one can neither resist nor understand.”

Again, Faulkner: “An artist is a creature driven by demons. He doesn’t know why they choose him and he’s usually too busy to wonder why.”

Hunter S. Thompson: “Writing is the flip side of sex – it’s good only when it’s over.”

And the great William Zinsser: “If writing seems hard, it’s because it is hard. It’s one of the hardest things people do.”

I could go on and on about this, because I am not alone. “I don’t like to write; I like to have written.” That quote is attributed to half a dozen authors. It could be attributed to me. You should see me when I’ve finished my writing for the day. I glow. Yes, I have a strange radiance. I am kind. I feel goodwill to men.

But before I’ve written? When I’m writing? Suddenly I’d rather read the dictionary. Suddenly I want to dispatch people for making noise like breathing. Suddenly I’m cruising social media. Suddenly the sky looks like it needs contemplating. God help me, there is nothing so arduous and anxious as writing, and I can understand why millions of people want to do it and can’t or won’t or don’t.

Just remember: if you want to “be a writer,” you have to write. Lovers love. Fuckers fuck. Writers write. Put your money where your mouth is, because the ability to sit down and work (for years) through waves of crippling self-doubt and universal rejection is what separates… you know… wheat/chaff, boys/men… the people who make it from the people who just thought about it.

 

Notice how people keep mentioning demons?

 

WRITE WHAT YOU WANT / SHOW AND TELL / FORGET THE RULES

The only rule is… there are no rules.

My final piece of advice to writers is: ignore conventional wisdom, especially if it’s a dissenting voice in your head.

If you find yourself erasing a paragraph because you’re afraid it’s “telling” and not “showing,” or if you’re writing novel X instead of novel Y because you’ve been told you must “write what you know,” stop listening to the adages.

(Speaking of those adages, let me kill them here and now. 1.) Showing and telling exist along a continuum; the devices are not opposites, and in every novel you must show and tell, use scene and summary, in equal measure and to great effect. My favorite line in Kazuo Ishiguro’s masterpiece The Remains of the Day is pure telling, and it’s the finest damn line I think he’s ever written. “Indeed — why should I not admit it? — in that moment, my heart was breaking.” My heart breaks with that line, in that moment, in that book. You must show and tell. You must move scenes into summaries. You must be like God with time and space, fearless. 2.) Don’t write what you know; write whatever the fuck you want to write. In the end, you will always write “what you know,” whether you know it on a spiritual level, an emotional level, or an experiential level. Write what you know? Yeah, that advice is right up there with: breathe air.)

Ahem. Where was I?

Ah yes, don’t listen to anyone. Don’t even listen to me. You want to write? Then go write. Tell the story. Bring down the house. Bring down the motherfucking moon.

 

 

 

Did I mention that you need an ego the size of this house?

Erotica / children’s picture books

Here’s one thing you don’t know about me:

I can draw.

I mean sketch. And paint. And sculpt. I can do art stuff.

And one day, I plan to write and illustrate a picture book for kids. Because that seems like a fun transition to navigate.

BESTSELLING SMUT AUTHOR —> CALDECOTT WINNER?

Anyway, here is a fanciful bug for your viewing pleasure:

 

Because I have no shame

You can vote for NIGHT OWL in a couple categories in the Smut Book Awards here –> http://smutbookclub.com/smut-book-awards-2013-vote/. And I think you should. Because it’s my book. Because we’re in love. Is that how this works? You’re my reader. I’m your writer. We’ve got a good thing going.

Let’s look at the categories.

Favorite Debut Novel? Night Owl!
Hottest Everyman You Could (Probably) Take Home To Mom? Matt Sky! He brings flowers and potato salad. C’mon.
Most Original Plot? Night Owl! Neurotic writer meets chick online / alcoholic shenanigans / phone sex / BLOW JOB / phone sex / Skype sex / c’mon.
Favorite Pet Name That is Completely Not Annoying? Little bird!

 

Need I say more? Would you like a bit of seed?

 

Image credit: the Smut Book Club

Read Angie’s review of NIGHT OWL

Murmur for a beat in one smooth motion

Three words/phrases rampant in genre fiction (including my own):

Murmur. I can’t be the only person who sees this. Suddenly, everything is murmured. Matt murmurs. Christian murmurs. Male and female characters are murmuring everything everywhere. Why? “I don’t know,” he murmured. Murmur is a seemingly suitable stand-in for “said.” And it makes a nice change of pace. It conveys a softer tone, has a more thoughtful connotation. Doesn’t it? I remember reading King’s On Writing, in which he advises writers never to use any dialogue tag but “said.” I break that rule all the time. I do try to stick to said, but my runner up go-to tag is “murmured,” and I’m starting to realize that murmuring in excess is not good for a chapter’s tone or diction variation. In fact, it quickly becomes annoying and laughable. Note to self.

For a beat. We need new time markers. For a spell. For a space. For a moment. Oh, but they don’t sound as nice and contemporary as for a beat. He paused for a beat, then murmured, “You have a point.” But again, I need to challenge myself to find new ways to describe time lapses. If every pause is “a beat” please beat me. I’ll do the same for you. We’ll make a night of it. (And I know I’m not the only writer struggling with this issue, because I recently sampled a book and counted about 15 “for a beats” within the first 15 pages. No joke.)

In one smooth motion. Life in fiction must be easy. Everything is accomplished in one smooth motion. “He lifted me in one smooth motion.” “He peeled off my shirt in one smooth motion.” “He slid his cock into me in one smooth motion.” And no, I am not suggesting that we write more realistic erotica, because that would be depressing as fuck. (“He tried to lift me and we collapsed.” “He peeled up my shirt and it got stuck on my bra.” “He moved to slide into me but–”) (I leave the last example to your capable imagination.) Bottom line: I have no problem with the ridiculous ease of fantasy fiction, but I do have a problem with my penchant for writing the first motion phrases that come to my mind.

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M. paused for a beat and reread the blog post. “That’ll do,” the author murmured, and in one smooth motion moved to the kitchen to find some Pringles.

Book of the month

NIGHT OWL was voted Book of the Month by the GoodReads Fifty Shades Support Group. Thanks to Amy for nominating the book, and to everyone who voted. If you’re over 18, you can join the group and comment on the thread.

Speaking of groups, some awesome readers have created a NIGHT OWL Facebook group for all your NIGHT OWL withdrawal needs. I lurk around the group sometimes. So does Matt Sky.

“In a class by itself.”

“In a class by itself.”

That’s the only editorial review for a Very Famous Novel, which I shall not name.

I laugh when I see it, and I always wonder: what class? Why is it alone in that class? Is it awesome and elite? Is it freakish and horrible? Why is this the only review? Hey, what did the other Big Reviews look like?

Speaking of reviews, do you read your book’s reviews? I do. I said I do. I said “I read all my reviews and I greatly appreciate the feedback.” Oh yes, I greatly appreciate bludgeoning myself. Your five stars are a balm. Your one stars are acid.

Speaking of bludgeoning: writing. Do you write? Please do. Maybe you’ve tried. Keep trying. Why? Because I want you to. Because it makes me feel less alone. Do you have any idea how many friends and enemies I have attempted to convert? Write! You have it in you! I encouraged people with no native talent. I encouraged friends destined to fail. I want you to walk the plank with me. Writing is lonely. Join me.

I wrote two thousand words today. I want to write ten thousand words. What did you write? Or did you just eat turkey?

Yeah — Happy Thanksgiving.

Book news

Dear Readers,

I have some important book news to share with you. I hope you’ll read this message with care.

As many of you know, Night Owl‘s success on Amazon helped me score the literary agent of my dreams. For many years it has been my ambition to acquire a literary agent and to move through the traditional publishing process. If you’ve read this blog, you know that I even made an effort to find an agent for Night Owl, though I was unsuccessful. Another near miss in a litany of near misses. The story of my life.

So, after over a decade of rejection in various forms, I decided to self-publish. Now seemed like the right time. Self-publishing no longer holds a stigma. In fact, self-publication is often the preferred means to earn a living while writing and to reach a wide audience. I have met indie authors who turn down agents and editors in favor of higher earnings and greater freedom with their work. I have also met hybrid authors—writers who put out traditional titles under editorial auspices and continue to publish e-books on their own. I admire these writers. I’ve befriended some of them, spoken with them in depth about their literary paths, and asked them questions as I made decisions of my own.

I have heard strong arguments in favor of traditional publication. I have heard strong arguments against it. I have weighed my options with great care, because writing is my life.

That said, I will be publishing the Night Owl Trilogy with St. Martin’s Press, with a very fine editor, and this is an exciting decision for me.

I know this news will disappoint some of you. However, I would ask you to consider me now. This is my dream—a book deal like this—and it has been my dream for many years. I want it in spite of any perceived disadvantages. I want it in light of them. I have found incredible passion and amazing people on my journey as an independently published author, and I may go on to publish independently in the future, but understand—I am 28 and I grew up reading biographies of Thomas Wolfe and The Paris Review Interviews and the correspondence of Maxwell Perkins and this is what I want. I want the agent of my dreams. I want an editor. I want too many cooks in the kitchen. I want a traditional book deal—even if this is the autumn of traditional publishing—especially if it is, especially now.

I know that signing this deal means longer waits between books, prices I cannot set, promotions I cannot control, editorial changes and advice, and perhaps less monetary gain than I might enjoy as an indie author. However, signing this deal also means professional editing of the books to ensure fewer errors, wider distribution (e-books offered across platforms, trade paperbacks, possible translations and audiobooks), and a reliable advance on which I can live as I work to produce the best possible book. Yes, some indie authors can manage all that without a book deal. I admire them. I am not one of them. Quite apart from wanting this, I need this.

And so I hope you will be happy for me as I move forward with the Night Owl Trilogy. The new release date for book 2 in the Night Owl Trilogy is summer 2014. Please, do not decapitate me. If you truly loved Night Owl, you know book 2 will be worth the wait, and if you are truly a fan of my writing, you will support me as I try to make the best decisions for my career. There are so many fine books to read while you await book 2. Yes, I put one hell of a cliffhanger in the epilogue of Night Owl, but I trust you’re coming back for more than the satisfaction of your curiosity.

I trust you’re coming back for Matt and Hannah.

I trust you’re coming back for me.

Thank you so much, so much, for all your support thus far.

Yours,

M. Pierce

P.S. To lay a rumor (of my own making) to rest:  Book 2 will not be paranormal. The whole trilogy will be strictly contemporary romance. I may, however, be writing a paranormal standalone novel or series down the road.

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November 18, 2013 – NIGHT OWL by M. Pierce

Fiction: Women’s/Romance

Pierce’s NIGHT OWL, about two people who first meet as on-line writing partners, safe and anonymous – but all that changes when they cross the line, to Jennifer Weis at St. Martin’s, at auction, in a three-book deal, by Betsy Lerner at Dunow, Carlson & Lerner.

Aestas Book Blog

At 6:30 in this awesome podcast, you can hear Aestas of Aestas Book Blog making my life complete.

New reviews

More awesome reviews for Night Owl:

SMUT BOOK CLUB ( ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ )

“Night Owl is a cacophony of genre and alternating POV, undefinable unless you’ve read it. So I won’t even try to tell you more about the book other than there’s a crapton of dirty sex, heartbreak, a touch of mystery, and a whole lot of desperation at the end of the book for the next one. Night Owl is a MUST read!”

K&T BOOK REVIEWS (4.5 ★★★★)

“I would sum it up as a sexual explosion. With this being said, there was much more to Night Owl than meets the eye. The second half of the book the plot takes off and you go from being hot and bothered to enthralled with the life of Matt.”

DIVA DISCUSSIONS BOOK CLUB

“Now, on to the sex… OMFG!  I don’t know what to say, except have a partner on standby.”

SIZZLING PAGES (Ang’s review) (4.5 ★★★★)

“So, I decided to check out NIGHT OWL, the latest book everyone’s talking about. Being curious, I grabbed my kindle, loaded it up and – BAM! The intensity of this story lured me in like the proverbial fish on a hook.”

THREE CHICKS AND THEIR BOOKS ( ★ ★ ★ ★ )

“Matthew really did have me laughing out loud.  I enjoyed being able to hear his POV with the alternating chapters.  This was a fun read although it did bring out my emotions towards the end.”

THE BOOK BARISTA ( ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ )

“I’m trying really hard to write my thoughts on this book without spoiling anything but what I really want to say is JUST GO PICK IT UP AND READ IT!!! YOU. WILL. NOT. REGRET. IT.”

NESTLED IN A BOOK (A brand new book blog!)

“I can’t even pinpoint the reason that this book is what inspired me to finally do this.  I’ve toyed with the idea of a book blog for a long time.  This story finally pushed me over the edge.  I’ve read the work of some amazing authors.  Tons of stories have inspired me.  I think Night Owl was the book that broke the camel’s back.”