Erin Ashley Tanner's Blog, page 7
February 18, 2014
WRITING IS THERAPY
WRITING IS THERAPY
It's been a while since I've written a new post, but life has a habit of getting in the way. After a few extremely tense weeks filled with running around for job interviews, a car accident, and preparing to move again I hope things are getting ready to settle down for a while. Meanwhile in the midst of all this craziness I've continued writing and I've discovered something all too terrible, while at the same time wonderful...writing is therapy.
Yes I know you may think it's cliché or a bit weird but it's true. I'm currently working on my fourth novel and it has started to dawn on me that there are some recurring things that I'm starting to see. No I'm not talking about that fact I write happily Ever Afters in an effort to cope with a less than stellar love life. I'm talking about something deeper. Something I really didn't realize until I'd finished my third book a few months ago. But yeah. It's there. Staring back at me from past written pages and slowly forming new ones.
To protect the innocent I won't tell you what the theme is outright, but I will say it's all about relationships and not the romantic type. I've been writing seriously since February 2012 and with each finished book I confront another issue that I've either locked away or didn't realize was bothering me. So to sum it all up, discovering the written word has been therapeutic for me. I'm able to express all my frustrations. All my fears. And all my hope and dreams in the confines of a world I'm in charge of.
I'm glad that I decided to start writing. It has allowed me to confront some things and hopefully reach the point of being able to let go. So the next time you sit down with your laptop or pull out your trusty journal and write, just think for a moment. What are you really saying with every new sentence? And are you prepared to accept what you uncover?
It's been a while since I've written a new post, but life has a habit of getting in the way. After a few extremely tense weeks filled with running around for job interviews, a car accident, and preparing to move again I hope things are getting ready to settle down for a while. Meanwhile in the midst of all this craziness I've continued writing and I've discovered something all too terrible, while at the same time wonderful...writing is therapy.
Yes I know you may think it's cliché or a bit weird but it's true. I'm currently working on my fourth novel and it has started to dawn on me that there are some recurring things that I'm starting to see. No I'm not talking about that fact I write happily Ever Afters in an effort to cope with a less than stellar love life. I'm talking about something deeper. Something I really didn't realize until I'd finished my third book a few months ago. But yeah. It's there. Staring back at me from past written pages and slowly forming new ones.
To protect the innocent I won't tell you what the theme is outright, but I will say it's all about relationships and not the romantic type. I've been writing seriously since February 2012 and with each finished book I confront another issue that I've either locked away or didn't realize was bothering me. So to sum it all up, discovering the written word has been therapeutic for me. I'm able to express all my frustrations. All my fears. And all my hope and dreams in the confines of a world I'm in charge of.
I'm glad that I decided to start writing. It has allowed me to confront some things and hopefully reach the point of being able to let go. So the next time you sit down with your laptop or pull out your trusty journal and write, just think for a moment. What are you really saying with every new sentence? And are you prepared to accept what you uncover?
February 1, 2014
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR CHARACTER CHANGES YOUR PLANS
WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR CHARACTER CHANGES YOUR PLANS
As some of you may know I have been working hard on the second book on my Demi-God Daughters series, GODDESS BY CHANCE. From the inception of this book I devised a great female lead who has a past that will make the reader root for her. I also came up with a villain who is pretty despicable. The hero of this story was supposed to be Hephaestus, the Greek God of Blacksmiths. If you know anything about Greek mythology then you know that Hephaestus has had a pretty bad go of it. His father Zeus cast him from Olympus as a baby and his wife Aphrodite routinely cheated on him. So I felt that if there was another Greek god that deserved real love, then Hephaestus was it. But even the best laid plans fall apart.
I'd written about fourteen chapters into GODDESS BY CHANCE when it became all too apparent that something was wrong. My heroine, Arienne had better chemistry with the villain than she did with her leading man Hephaestus. I couldn't believe it. At first I was in denial. No way am I going to have my heroine with this pretty despicable villain. Besides, what about poor Hephaestus. So I went around and around in my head about it. I vented on Twitter. I received suggestions from some of my followers. I put the story down and mulled over things, but I was only prolonging the inevitable. In my heart of hearts I knew that I had no choice. I was going to have to change the story and start over.
So with many apologies I said goodbye to Hephaestus and promised him a book later. Then I ripped out all fourteen chapters from my journal and prepared to start over. In the trash went my flashcards with information and plot points about the original story. Out came fresh flash cards for me to jot down some ideas about my villain and how I was going to redeem him and have him and Arienne fall for each other. Despite the fact that starting completely over was going to mess with the timetable I'd set for myself to finish this story, I found myself getting excited. I've never written anything with such a complicated male lead before. A male lead that is out to get the heroine and not for romantic reasons. But it is a challenge I'm happy about.
At present I'm working on Chapter 4 of GODDESS BY CHANCE. I'm excited every time I pick up my journal and start to work on this story. Having to start over brought some things into perspective for me. Most important of all was the power every character has. Though I had a different destiny in mind for my heroine, she soon made it evident to me that she had other plans in mind. There are some who say that when you write that is the only place where you are in total control. I've discovered that is not true.
Regardless of the fact that you are the writer, every character has their own voice. As you create a story your characters will start to speak to you. Though sometimes what they say will be in line with your plans, sometimes your characters will change your plans. It is up to you listen to them. Though you may balk at first like I did, in the end you will feel more satisfied if you listen. Many times the suggestions your characters impart will make the story better than what your original vision for the story ever was.
So what do you do when your character changes your plans? Simple. You go with it. You listen to your characters and revise the story to their suggestions. If you listen to your character you'll be happy you did and so will they.
As some of you may know I have been working hard on the second book on my Demi-God Daughters series, GODDESS BY CHANCE. From the inception of this book I devised a great female lead who has a past that will make the reader root for her. I also came up with a villain who is pretty despicable. The hero of this story was supposed to be Hephaestus, the Greek God of Blacksmiths. If you know anything about Greek mythology then you know that Hephaestus has had a pretty bad go of it. His father Zeus cast him from Olympus as a baby and his wife Aphrodite routinely cheated on him. So I felt that if there was another Greek god that deserved real love, then Hephaestus was it. But even the best laid plans fall apart.
I'd written about fourteen chapters into GODDESS BY CHANCE when it became all too apparent that something was wrong. My heroine, Arienne had better chemistry with the villain than she did with her leading man Hephaestus. I couldn't believe it. At first I was in denial. No way am I going to have my heroine with this pretty despicable villain. Besides, what about poor Hephaestus. So I went around and around in my head about it. I vented on Twitter. I received suggestions from some of my followers. I put the story down and mulled over things, but I was only prolonging the inevitable. In my heart of hearts I knew that I had no choice. I was going to have to change the story and start over.
So with many apologies I said goodbye to Hephaestus and promised him a book later. Then I ripped out all fourteen chapters from my journal and prepared to start over. In the trash went my flashcards with information and plot points about the original story. Out came fresh flash cards for me to jot down some ideas about my villain and how I was going to redeem him and have him and Arienne fall for each other. Despite the fact that starting completely over was going to mess with the timetable I'd set for myself to finish this story, I found myself getting excited. I've never written anything with such a complicated male lead before. A male lead that is out to get the heroine and not for romantic reasons. But it is a challenge I'm happy about.
At present I'm working on Chapter 4 of GODDESS BY CHANCE. I'm excited every time I pick up my journal and start to work on this story. Having to start over brought some things into perspective for me. Most important of all was the power every character has. Though I had a different destiny in mind for my heroine, she soon made it evident to me that she had other plans in mind. There are some who say that when you write that is the only place where you are in total control. I've discovered that is not true.
Regardless of the fact that you are the writer, every character has their own voice. As you create a story your characters will start to speak to you. Though sometimes what they say will be in line with your plans, sometimes your characters will change your plans. It is up to you listen to them. Though you may balk at first like I did, in the end you will feel more satisfied if you listen. Many times the suggestions your characters impart will make the story better than what your original vision for the story ever was.
So what do you do when your character changes your plans? Simple. You go with it. You listen to your characters and revise the story to their suggestions. If you listen to your character you'll be happy you did and so will they.
January 22, 2014
WHAT'S WRONG WITH A LITTLE SUPPORT?
WHAT'S WRONG WITH A LITTLE SUPPORT?
Ever since I started my journey into the wonderful world of writing, I've been amazed at the some of the wonderful people I've met along the way. When I decided that I wanted to be serious about pursuing a writing career, it was the first time in my life that I seemed to actually meet likeminded people like myself. It was amazing to discover that I am not alone in the universe like I sometimes tend to think I am. I've even made some new friends. But with every rose, there are thorns. One of the things I'm noticing is that many times support in the writing world is not reciprocated.
Maybe about a month or two ago I decided that I was going to tweet the links to books that were out or coming out by other authors I follow. Many of them are indie authors. So I thought a tweet doesn't hurt anyone. So I spent about half an hour finding the links to their books on Amazon and individually tagging the authors and tweeting their links. So a few said thank you. I appreciate that, but the only authors who returned the favor were authors I've already built a pretty good relationship with. I admit. I was a little pissed off.
I feel like this, if I take the time out of my day to show support for your novel which many times I haven't even read yet, as a courtesy you should be willing to do the same for me. I re-tweet things all the time on Twitter. Much of the time it is other author's stuff. I have no problem showing support. It's much needed, especially because sometimes this writing journey can be a lonely one. So don't be stingy with the re-tweets. Even though you may not be a particular fan of another's work, maybe some of your followers will be. By a simple re-tweet you possibly could've helped a fellow author get a sell they may not have gotten.
I have discovered some really great authors, just from someone else re-tweeting the links for their books. Among them @Eden_byNite @PerriForrest @KseniaAnske @EllisRomance. A re-tweet never hurt anyone. I firmly believe that if I'm not willing to embrace those that are out here on this path with me and help in anyway I know how I might not be so blessed with my own works, but that's just me.
I know some will say that it's not their job to support another author. They have their own stuff to do. They're right. It's not your "job" to support another writer. But if you're strolling down your timeline and see something it's not going to kill you to re-tweet it. After all you're going to want someone else to show you that same courtesy. (Use discretion though. Nothing is more annoying than a stream of constant of re-tweets though.)
So I hope I've given you something to ponder the next time you're scrolling through your timeline. Just remember The Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Ever since I started my journey into the wonderful world of writing, I've been amazed at the some of the wonderful people I've met along the way. When I decided that I wanted to be serious about pursuing a writing career, it was the first time in my life that I seemed to actually meet likeminded people like myself. It was amazing to discover that I am not alone in the universe like I sometimes tend to think I am. I've even made some new friends. But with every rose, there are thorns. One of the things I'm noticing is that many times support in the writing world is not reciprocated.
Maybe about a month or two ago I decided that I was going to tweet the links to books that were out or coming out by other authors I follow. Many of them are indie authors. So I thought a tweet doesn't hurt anyone. So I spent about half an hour finding the links to their books on Amazon and individually tagging the authors and tweeting their links. So a few said thank you. I appreciate that, but the only authors who returned the favor were authors I've already built a pretty good relationship with. I admit. I was a little pissed off.
I feel like this, if I take the time out of my day to show support for your novel which many times I haven't even read yet, as a courtesy you should be willing to do the same for me. I re-tweet things all the time on Twitter. Much of the time it is other author's stuff. I have no problem showing support. It's much needed, especially because sometimes this writing journey can be a lonely one. So don't be stingy with the re-tweets. Even though you may not be a particular fan of another's work, maybe some of your followers will be. By a simple re-tweet you possibly could've helped a fellow author get a sell they may not have gotten.
I have discovered some really great authors, just from someone else re-tweeting the links for their books. Among them @Eden_byNite @PerriForrest @KseniaAnske @EllisRomance. A re-tweet never hurt anyone. I firmly believe that if I'm not willing to embrace those that are out here on this path with me and help in anyway I know how I might not be so blessed with my own works, but that's just me.
I know some will say that it's not their job to support another author. They have their own stuff to do. They're right. It's not your "job" to support another writer. But if you're strolling down your timeline and see something it's not going to kill you to re-tweet it. After all you're going to want someone else to show you that same courtesy. (Use discretion though. Nothing is more annoying than a stream of constant of re-tweets though.)
So I hope I've given you something to ponder the next time you're scrolling through your timeline. Just remember The Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
January 16, 2014
LIFE
LIFE
While you know that I'm a novelist, not many know that I am also an amateur poet and lyric writer, so I decided that in addition to my journey through the world as a novelist, why not share some of my poetry as well. So here it goes. This one is called Life.
Tear me down
Destroy my happiness
How did my life get to be such a mess?
Break my spirit
Shatter it all apart
Stop the very beating of my heart
Bring the rain
Let it flow
Flood my very soul
I can’t fight
What I can’t see
But the strength is in me
Somewhere there
Down deep inside
Is a fragile seed gasping for life
Will it grow?
Can it breathe?
Will it succeed?
That’s to be determined
Right now I don’t know
Just pray for my growth
While you know that I'm a novelist, not many know that I am also an amateur poet and lyric writer, so I decided that in addition to my journey through the world as a novelist, why not share some of my poetry as well. So here it goes. This one is called Life. Tear me down
Destroy my happiness
How did my life get to be such a mess?
Break my spirit
Shatter it all apart
Stop the very beating of my heart
Bring the rain
Let it flow
Flood my very soul
I can’t fight
What I can’t see
But the strength is in me
Somewhere there
Down deep inside
Is a fragile seed gasping for life
Will it grow?
Can it breathe?
Will it succeed?
That’s to be determined
Right now I don’t know
Just pray for my growth
January 13, 2014
DREAM ACHIEVED, NOW WHAT?
DREAM ACHIEVED, NOW WHAT?
Ever since I decided to listen to the calling in my heart to write, I have been pushing myself to accomplish two goals: Become a Published Author & Get an Agent. Well I've been blessed to reach both of these goals. In October 2013, Evernight Publishing released my debut novel, Goddess of Legend. And last Thursday, January 9, 2014 I signed with Holloway Literary Agency. Going forward my agency will be representing me as we seek the publication of my second novel, Siren's Choice. In a few short months I have realized two of my biggest dreams and I feel happy and blessed, but what happens now? I must confess I'm starting to have a little self doubt. My road to publication with my first novel was not easy and as the rejections came at times I felt like giving up. But eventually Goddess of Legend found a home and most of the people who have read it, have really enjoyed the story. I'm so grateful for that everyday. It means so much. Upon finishing Siren's Choice I was hopeful that the submission process would be easier this time around. It hasn't been. Before signing with Holloway I received three rejections of Siren's Choice. It stung and I started to doubt myself. Is my writing really good enough? These publishers don't want my book and I'm already published. Should I quit while I'm ahead? All these thoughts have crossed my mind. Signing with an agent has alleviated some of the doubts that have been plaguing me but a whole new set of worries has replaced them. Now that I have someone in my corner that believes in my vision and what I see for my writing career, I'm scared. What if this is the start of something big for me? Am I really ready for it? Will my subsequent works live up to my first novel? Honestly I'm a bundle of nerves right now. Soon I'm going to start working with my agent and making changes to Siren's Choice in preparation of submitting it to bigger publishers. But even now I wonder will these other publishers like my story? And if I'm successful in securing a publisher that can introduce me to a wider audience will these new readers like my work? As we speak I'm working on the second installment in my Demi-God Daughters series, Goddess By Chance and with every chapter I wonder will previous readers like this new characters? Or will they compare them to my previous characters and find them lacking? Because of the great reviews I received with my first novel, I don't want to let my readers down. I want to give them the best possible story I can and I want it to be as great as my first one or better. That's a lot of pressure for a first time author and I'd be remiss if I didn't admit that the pressure worries me. But now I must put things in perspective. I'm not alone in having this experience. People all over the world surely feel the same way after being published for the first time. And many of them made it through the sophomore jinx. I can too. I've been blessed to see the realization of a dream not everyone gets to see. And to honor that blessing all I can do is move forward and do my best. I will continue to learn my craft.I will identify areas that need work and spend more time on them.I will write the absolute best novel I can.I will take advice.I will always remember that I've accomplished my dream and appreciate it.I will believe that with time and hard work I can be better. So now that I've shared with you some of my fears, what are some of your writer fears? And if so how do you deal with them?
Ever since I decided to listen to the calling in my heart to write, I have been pushing myself to accomplish two goals: Become a Published Author & Get an Agent. Well I've been blessed to reach both of these goals. In October 2013, Evernight Publishing released my debut novel, Goddess of Legend. And last Thursday, January 9, 2014 I signed with Holloway Literary Agency. Going forward my agency will be representing me as we seek the publication of my second novel, Siren's Choice. In a few short months I have realized two of my biggest dreams and I feel happy and blessed, but what happens now? I must confess I'm starting to have a little self doubt. My road to publication with my first novel was not easy and as the rejections came at times I felt like giving up. But eventually Goddess of Legend found a home and most of the people who have read it, have really enjoyed the story. I'm so grateful for that everyday. It means so much. Upon finishing Siren's Choice I was hopeful that the submission process would be easier this time around. It hasn't been. Before signing with Holloway I received three rejections of Siren's Choice. It stung and I started to doubt myself. Is my writing really good enough? These publishers don't want my book and I'm already published. Should I quit while I'm ahead? All these thoughts have crossed my mind. Signing with an agent has alleviated some of the doubts that have been plaguing me but a whole new set of worries has replaced them. Now that I have someone in my corner that believes in my vision and what I see for my writing career, I'm scared. What if this is the start of something big for me? Am I really ready for it? Will my subsequent works live up to my first novel? Honestly I'm a bundle of nerves right now. Soon I'm going to start working with my agent and making changes to Siren's Choice in preparation of submitting it to bigger publishers. But even now I wonder will these other publishers like my story? And if I'm successful in securing a publisher that can introduce me to a wider audience will these new readers like my work? As we speak I'm working on the second installment in my Demi-God Daughters series, Goddess By Chance and with every chapter I wonder will previous readers like this new characters? Or will they compare them to my previous characters and find them lacking? Because of the great reviews I received with my first novel, I don't want to let my readers down. I want to give them the best possible story I can and I want it to be as great as my first one or better. That's a lot of pressure for a first time author and I'd be remiss if I didn't admit that the pressure worries me. But now I must put things in perspective. I'm not alone in having this experience. People all over the world surely feel the same way after being published for the first time. And many of them made it through the sophomore jinx. I can too. I've been blessed to see the realization of a dream not everyone gets to see. And to honor that blessing all I can do is move forward and do my best. I will continue to learn my craft.I will identify areas that need work and spend more time on them.I will write the absolute best novel I can.I will take advice.I will always remember that I've accomplished my dream and appreciate it.I will believe that with time and hard work I can be better. So now that I've shared with you some of my fears, what are some of your writer fears? And if so how do you deal with them?
January 4, 2014
MY WRITING PROCESS
MY WRITING PROCESS
2013 brought the completion of a lot of things for me. I finished writing my third novel, The Diary Of An Ugly Stepsister. I graduated with my Master's in Politics and Policy. And I think I have finally figured out my personal writing process and what works for me. So I just thought I'd share. STEP 1: IDEAS Let me start off by saying I am a person with a mind constantly influx. It really doesn't take much to spark an idea for a story with me. For example, my first novel, Goddess of Legend was born from a desire to write an adult romance about the Greek god Hades finding true love. My second novel, Siren's Choice came from my love of all things mermaid and the desire to read about mermaids that looked like me. And my third novel, The Diary of An Ugly Stepsister was an idea that came to me about writing a re-telling of the Cinderella myth from the viewpoint of a stepsister that is not so ugly. This idea came as I lay in the living room on the couch. Within about five minutes I knew what the story was going to be about. You get my point. An idea for a story can pretty much be sparked by anything. STEP 2: PLANNING Some people plan and some write start from the hip. Plotting or planning everything out does not work for me. It stifles my creative process. I tried planning everything out for the first novel I ever started writing, For The Sake Of Convenience, but because I plotted every minute detail chapter by chapter for the entire book it killed my creativity. For The Sake Of Convenience is currently languishing away on my laptop. I made it to chapter 18 before I couldn't take it anymore and stopped working on it altogether.Since that first attempt at writing I have discovered that I have a pretty weird process. A.When it comes to my planning I scribble on a flash card what the basic premise of the book is about. For example: romance, thriller, etc. B.This is followed by jotting down a few notes about scenes that might come to me. For example: Someone dies. There's a fight.Etc. C.Then still using notecards I write down the characteristics of the characters. This includes: Age, Race, Occupation, Physical Description, etc. D. And lastly I identify what are the master plot lines that will be included in the story. For instance, murder, revenge, etc. That's it. No plotting chapter to chapter. No outline. Now I'm ready to start writing. STEP 3: WRITING I am one of those weird people who cannot write at all on a computer. Don't get me wrong. I wrote papers for school on my laptop like nobody's business, but when it comes to creative writing my mind completely blanks. This is probably another reason why For The Sake Of Convenience is languishing away. I started writing it on my laptop. Bad idea. My mind pretty much freezes staring at a computer screen. If I can manage even a few words it is a real struggle. None of it comes easy. So when I started Goddess of Legend I knew without a doubt I would not be writing it on the computer. Instead I bought a journal and started writing. Yes, in this age where people do everything on the computer I write in longhand. (So does my favorite author Jackie Collins). My journal of preference are made by PlanAhead. They are hard back journals that come in all kinds of colors and designs. I own about 34 of them. None look alike. My writing pen of choice is the Bic Intensity Marker Pen Fine Point Noir in black. I know. I know. It sounds weird but I've got to have these things to get my writing going. Which brings me to the actual writing. I don't know how it is for other writers but when I write it's like there is a narrator in my head telling me exactly what to write word by word. Yeah it sounds a little crazy, but I'm thankful for it. I've had some other writers tell me the story plays out like a movie in their head and they write from there. Personally I'm happy for my narrator. But my typical writing output can range from a single scene, 2 pages, 5 pages or a complete chapter. It all depends on what kind of mood I'm in that day. I try to write 5 days a week, but sometimes it doesn't always happen. STEP 4: TRANSCRIBING & EDIT 1 After I'm done writing the first draft in my trusty journal I go back and type up the entire story in Microsoft Office. This is a painstaking process as I hate to type, but it has to be done. So as I start typing up my story as I go along I start to notice mistakes I may have made in writing the first draft like spelling errors, incorrect tense usage, or sentences that repeat and need to be cut. This is my first edit of the novel and believe it or not quite a few things actually do get cut in the transcribing process. STEP 5: EDIT 2 So after I'm finally done transcribing I print the entire novel. I can't edit staring at a computer. Mistakes don't jump out at me like that. I need paper and ink in my hand. So after its printed I put it aside. I think I might've put Siren's Choice aside from two to three weeks. Not looking at it gives your mind time to forget what you wrote and be able to approach the story like a reader. So I read the novel all the way through a few chapters at a time. Along the way I write notes down on a sticky pad and stick those to the beginning of each chapter. The notes consist of things like: so and so doesn't make sense, over explanation, more explanation needed, incorrect tense usage, etc. So once I have done this for the entire manuscript it's time to move on to Draft 2. STEP 6: DRAFT 2 So keeping my notes in mind I write draft 2 chapter by chapter using my original draft as a guide. And there you have it folks. That's my very strange and convoluted writing process. I'm eager to hear what you think of my process. I'd love to hear what your writing process is like as well.
2013 brought the completion of a lot of things for me. I finished writing my third novel, The Diary Of An Ugly Stepsister. I graduated with my Master's in Politics and Policy. And I think I have finally figured out my personal writing process and what works for me. So I just thought I'd share. STEP 1: IDEAS Let me start off by saying I am a person with a mind constantly influx. It really doesn't take much to spark an idea for a story with me. For example, my first novel, Goddess of Legend was born from a desire to write an adult romance about the Greek god Hades finding true love. My second novel, Siren's Choice came from my love of all things mermaid and the desire to read about mermaids that looked like me. And my third novel, The Diary of An Ugly Stepsister was an idea that came to me about writing a re-telling of the Cinderella myth from the viewpoint of a stepsister that is not so ugly. This idea came as I lay in the living room on the couch. Within about five minutes I knew what the story was going to be about. You get my point. An idea for a story can pretty much be sparked by anything. STEP 2: PLANNING Some people plan and some write start from the hip. Plotting or planning everything out does not work for me. It stifles my creative process. I tried planning everything out for the first novel I ever started writing, For The Sake Of Convenience, but because I plotted every minute detail chapter by chapter for the entire book it killed my creativity. For The Sake Of Convenience is currently languishing away on my laptop. I made it to chapter 18 before I couldn't take it anymore and stopped working on it altogether.Since that first attempt at writing I have discovered that I have a pretty weird process. A.When it comes to my planning I scribble on a flash card what the basic premise of the book is about. For example: romance, thriller, etc. B.This is followed by jotting down a few notes about scenes that might come to me. For example: Someone dies. There's a fight.Etc. C.Then still using notecards I write down the characteristics of the characters. This includes: Age, Race, Occupation, Physical Description, etc. D. And lastly I identify what are the master plot lines that will be included in the story. For instance, murder, revenge, etc. That's it. No plotting chapter to chapter. No outline. Now I'm ready to start writing. STEP 3: WRITING I am one of those weird people who cannot write at all on a computer. Don't get me wrong. I wrote papers for school on my laptop like nobody's business, but when it comes to creative writing my mind completely blanks. This is probably another reason why For The Sake Of Convenience is languishing away. I started writing it on my laptop. Bad idea. My mind pretty much freezes staring at a computer screen. If I can manage even a few words it is a real struggle. None of it comes easy. So when I started Goddess of Legend I knew without a doubt I would not be writing it on the computer. Instead I bought a journal and started writing. Yes, in this age where people do everything on the computer I write in longhand. (So does my favorite author Jackie Collins). My journal of preference are made by PlanAhead. They are hard back journals that come in all kinds of colors and designs. I own about 34 of them. None look alike. My writing pen of choice is the Bic Intensity Marker Pen Fine Point Noir in black. I know. I know. It sounds weird but I've got to have these things to get my writing going. Which brings me to the actual writing. I don't know how it is for other writers but when I write it's like there is a narrator in my head telling me exactly what to write word by word. Yeah it sounds a little crazy, but I'm thankful for it. I've had some other writers tell me the story plays out like a movie in their head and they write from there. Personally I'm happy for my narrator. But my typical writing output can range from a single scene, 2 pages, 5 pages or a complete chapter. It all depends on what kind of mood I'm in that day. I try to write 5 days a week, but sometimes it doesn't always happen. STEP 4: TRANSCRIBING & EDIT 1 After I'm done writing the first draft in my trusty journal I go back and type up the entire story in Microsoft Office. This is a painstaking process as I hate to type, but it has to be done. So as I start typing up my story as I go along I start to notice mistakes I may have made in writing the first draft like spelling errors, incorrect tense usage, or sentences that repeat and need to be cut. This is my first edit of the novel and believe it or not quite a few things actually do get cut in the transcribing process. STEP 5: EDIT 2 So after I'm finally done transcribing I print the entire novel. I can't edit staring at a computer. Mistakes don't jump out at me like that. I need paper and ink in my hand. So after its printed I put it aside. I think I might've put Siren's Choice aside from two to three weeks. Not looking at it gives your mind time to forget what you wrote and be able to approach the story like a reader. So I read the novel all the way through a few chapters at a time. Along the way I write notes down on a sticky pad and stick those to the beginning of each chapter. The notes consist of things like: so and so doesn't make sense, over explanation, more explanation needed, incorrect tense usage, etc. So once I have done this for the entire manuscript it's time to move on to Draft 2. STEP 6: DRAFT 2 So keeping my notes in mind I write draft 2 chapter by chapter using my original draft as a guide. And there you have it folks. That's my very strange and convoluted writing process. I'm eager to hear what you think of my process. I'd love to hear what your writing process is like as well.
December 31, 2013
MY WRITING LIFE IN 2013 & LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
MY WRITING LIFE IN 2013 & LOOKING TO THE FUTURE
Now that 2013 is drawing to a close it's time for me to do what I do every year...reflect. Yes I know it's cliché but every year I reflect over what has happened the last year and make new goals for the future. Do I meet those goals? Sometimes I do. Sometimes I don't.
2013 was a monumental year for me. After buckling down and finally listening to the voice that had been telling me to write for the longest, my first novel was published. Goddess of Legend is my baby and I am extremely proud of it. I am so grateful to everyone that took the time to read it. It means a lot to me.
With the happiness that I felt at finally becoming a published author, there also was tons of rejection. I had a hell of a time finding someone who believed in my vision for Goddess of Legend. There were times when I was ready to give up on being published at all. But I kept going and now I'm telling myself to do the same thing.
I'm currently shopping around my second novel, Siren's Choice, and hoping to find a publisher or land an agent. I have already received some rejections, but I'm determined to keep going. After all, rejection is part of the game when it comes to writing.
This year I also completed my third novel, The Diary of An Ugly Stepsister, a new take on the Cinderella myth from the viewpoint of one of the stepsisters. I wrote this novel in about six months and I'm really proud of it. Do I think I will have a hard time shopping it around? Probably. After all, I write multicultural fantasy romance. And that is a hard genre to shop around, but we'll see what happens.
Overall in 2013, I completed 2 novels and have started writing my fourth novel, Goddess By Chance. So with a new year approaching what are my writing goals?
1. Complete the first draft of Goddess By Chance, Book 2 in The Demi-God Daughters Series
2. Complete the first draft of Siren's Embrace, Book 2 in The Mermaids of Astaeria Series
3. See the publication of Siren's Choice, Book 1 in The Mermaids of Astaeria Series
4. Start second draft of The Diary of An Ugly Stepsister, Book 1 in The Fractured Fairytale Series
5. And if I'm really lucky, find an agent.
So what are your goals for 2014? Drop me line and share.
Now that 2013 is drawing to a close it's time for me to do what I do every year...reflect. Yes I know it's cliché but every year I reflect over what has happened the last year and make new goals for the future. Do I meet those goals? Sometimes I do. Sometimes I don't.
2013 was a monumental year for me. After buckling down and finally listening to the voice that had been telling me to write for the longest, my first novel was published. Goddess of Legend is my baby and I am extremely proud of it. I am so grateful to everyone that took the time to read it. It means a lot to me.
With the happiness that I felt at finally becoming a published author, there also was tons of rejection. I had a hell of a time finding someone who believed in my vision for Goddess of Legend. There were times when I was ready to give up on being published at all. But I kept going and now I'm telling myself to do the same thing.
I'm currently shopping around my second novel, Siren's Choice, and hoping to find a publisher or land an agent. I have already received some rejections, but I'm determined to keep going. After all, rejection is part of the game when it comes to writing.
This year I also completed my third novel, The Diary of An Ugly Stepsister, a new take on the Cinderella myth from the viewpoint of one of the stepsisters. I wrote this novel in about six months and I'm really proud of it. Do I think I will have a hard time shopping it around? Probably. After all, I write multicultural fantasy romance. And that is a hard genre to shop around, but we'll see what happens.
Overall in 2013, I completed 2 novels and have started writing my fourth novel, Goddess By Chance. So with a new year approaching what are my writing goals?
1. Complete the first draft of Goddess By Chance, Book 2 in The Demi-God Daughters Series
2. Complete the first draft of Siren's Embrace, Book 2 in The Mermaids of Astaeria Series
3. See the publication of Siren's Choice, Book 1 in The Mermaids of Astaeria Series
4. Start second draft of The Diary of An Ugly Stepsister, Book 1 in The Fractured Fairytale Series
5. And if I'm really lucky, find an agent.
So what are your goals for 2014? Drop me line and share.
December 16, 2013
BAD WRITING HABITS
BAD WRITING HABITS Regardless of whether or not you are a writer or not, we all have bad habits when it comes to grammar and writing. I am no different. I have recently started writing my fourth novel, GODDESS BY CHANCE. After writing three novels in first and third person, I think I have a base to pull from when it comes to recognizing some of my own writing bad habits. And today I will be brave enough to share mine with you. TENSE USAGE. I am the world's worst at slipping in and out of correct tense. One minute I am writing in present tense. The next I'm writing in past tense. This is a big problem of mine and I have to remind myself constantly to be on the lookout for this as I write. I think I run into this a lot when I'm shifting between telling backstory that has happened and what is presently happening in the story. It's a problem and I know it. DESCRIPTIONS. I struggle with writing descriptions, not because I can't, but because I don't like to. I'm the type who wants to get to the story. I don't like wasting time writing long descriptions because I feel like they can in a sense distract from the story. If you spend so much time with the long descriptions, they can cause your reader to lose track of your story and you to lose the flow as you write. There needs to be description in your novel, but you have to make sure that you walk the line between too much and not enough. My problem is I tend to write not enough description. I have a habit of skipping over it to get to the story. But I need to do better, so I am making a conscious habit of trying to take the time to have adequate descriptions throughout my novel. After all, I want my readers to be able to clearly imagine the world I have created. WORD CHOICE. I am guilty of the sin of using the same word over and over again. I don't try to do so, but it just happens. I've taken note of this while transcribing my third novel, THE DIARY OF AN UGLY STEPSISTER. I have used the word "look," like a thousand times in the first few chapters. Clearly I need to have a thesaurus to refer to when I'm writing to vary my word choice. POINT OF VIEW. Yes, this too is a bad habit that has been brought to my attention. The last time I did it was today. Forgetting that the story was supposed to be in third person, I switched to first person and had written a whole paragraph before I realized what had happened. Needless to say I shook my head at my own foolishness and quickly went back and edited the paragraph. My preference is first person. I like writing the character as if it were me, but third person allows you a wider view of the world so I'm trying to stick with that. DIALOGUE TAGS. I've heard many writers say the only dialogue tag you need is "said." I absolutely do not follow this rule. I am the Queen of Inventive Dialogue Tags. I love them. I feel like they jazz up what is being said, but I know they are bad. Pray with me as I try to stop using them so frequently. I already know I cannot go cold turkey just yet. So those are my "deadly writing sins," that I watch for during the first draft and try to clean up during edits. Be brave. Share with me a few of your own bad writing habits.
December 12, 2013
SEPARATE BUT UNEQUAL....DIVERSITY IN THE WRITING WORLD
SEPARATE BUT UNEQUAL....DIVERSITY IN THE WRITING WORLD
America has a long and complicated racial history. In 1896 in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson, the Supreme Court ruled that segregation,( also known as separation) was equal. Things only finally changed in 1954 in the case of Brown v. Board of Education when, the Supreme Court ruled separate but equal is inherently unequal. We like to think that since those dark days in American history, things have changed for the better and in some way they have. But in others, they remain the same. Things are the same in the publishing world, at least that is what I've been seeing in my many years as a reader and now in my short time as a published author.
Today I went to the two bookstores in my city, Books-A-Million and Barnes and Noble. When I walked into BAM, I saw that in the front of the store the new arrivals in fiction were displayed. Right next to those books was the African American category. Now I cannot fault BAM for where they decided to place these books. They were up front in the store for everyone to see. But as I stood and watched people come in and out of the store, the African American section was ignored completely. People went over to the new arrivals, skipped over the AA section and then moved to the fiction section right next to it. My heart sank.
I found myself angry. As I looked at the books on the shelf in the African American section I thought about how so many of these books would fit in other categories and gain so much more exposure instead of being put adrift in a category, readers walk right past. Simmering with aggravation, I continued my browsing around the store. I came to the romance section and was shocked. I saw a brown face on the cover of a romance book. I picked it up to investigate further. It was a Beverly Jenkins book. In the entire romance section, she was the only African American author that had not had her books put in the African American category. I had no idea what to think. I was happy to see heroes and heroines that looked like me, but it shouldn't be up to just one author to carry that weight. I made my purchases and left, but something nagged at me so I went across town to Barnes and Noble.
At Barnes and Noble, there was no separation of books by race. As I browsed the shelves, I noticed books by African American authors on the same shelves, in the same section as everyone else's. I was happy. Quite pleased. It seemed B&N had the right idea. Separate is not equal. But at the same time, I noticed there were less books overall at B&N than BAM, limiting your selection.
So now that I'm home thinking about things I have a lot of questions. Who decides where a book is shelved? Is it the publisher? Is it the bookstore chain? Or is it up to the discretion of each book store?
Whoever came up with the idea for an African American section may have thought they were doing a good thing. Maybe their intention was to encourage more people of color to read by showing them books with people who looked like them on the cover. And while a few more people of color may be reading more, authors of color are losing out. With the diversity of books in the African American section that could easily fit in other categories such as romance, chic lit, women's fiction, suspense, ect., these authors are missing out on those markets because readers seeking these types of books will never see their books because they are placed in the African American section. It's sad, but true.
A separate category is not an equal category. In my opinion, I think the African American section needs to be done away with. Period. If you want to have an urban section to put novels written about the ghetto and crime, fine. But the rest of the authors unfairly stuck in the African American category need to have their books placed on the shelves in the appropriate genre they belong to. African American is not a genre. It is a race based category and it needs to go away forever. All writers want to have the chance to have their books exposed to a wide audience and they deserve that chance. So when it comes to having an African American section in the bookstores, thanks but no thanks. The Supreme Court ruled separate is not equal and I wholeheartedly agree.
America has a long and complicated racial history. In 1896 in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson, the Supreme Court ruled that segregation,( also known as separation) was equal. Things only finally changed in 1954 in the case of Brown v. Board of Education when, the Supreme Court ruled separate but equal is inherently unequal. We like to think that since those dark days in American history, things have changed for the better and in some way they have. But in others, they remain the same. Things are the same in the publishing world, at least that is what I've been seeing in my many years as a reader and now in my short time as a published author.
Today I went to the two bookstores in my city, Books-A-Million and Barnes and Noble. When I walked into BAM, I saw that in the front of the store the new arrivals in fiction were displayed. Right next to those books was the African American category. Now I cannot fault BAM for where they decided to place these books. They were up front in the store for everyone to see. But as I stood and watched people come in and out of the store, the African American section was ignored completely. People went over to the new arrivals, skipped over the AA section and then moved to the fiction section right next to it. My heart sank.
I found myself angry. As I looked at the books on the shelf in the African American section I thought about how so many of these books would fit in other categories and gain so much more exposure instead of being put adrift in a category, readers walk right past. Simmering with aggravation, I continued my browsing around the store. I came to the romance section and was shocked. I saw a brown face on the cover of a romance book. I picked it up to investigate further. It was a Beverly Jenkins book. In the entire romance section, she was the only African American author that had not had her books put in the African American category. I had no idea what to think. I was happy to see heroes and heroines that looked like me, but it shouldn't be up to just one author to carry that weight. I made my purchases and left, but something nagged at me so I went across town to Barnes and Noble.
At Barnes and Noble, there was no separation of books by race. As I browsed the shelves, I noticed books by African American authors on the same shelves, in the same section as everyone else's. I was happy. Quite pleased. It seemed B&N had the right idea. Separate is not equal. But at the same time, I noticed there were less books overall at B&N than BAM, limiting your selection.
So now that I'm home thinking about things I have a lot of questions. Who decides where a book is shelved? Is it the publisher? Is it the bookstore chain? Or is it up to the discretion of each book store?
Whoever came up with the idea for an African American section may have thought they were doing a good thing. Maybe their intention was to encourage more people of color to read by showing them books with people who looked like them on the cover. And while a few more people of color may be reading more, authors of color are losing out. With the diversity of books in the African American section that could easily fit in other categories such as romance, chic lit, women's fiction, suspense, ect., these authors are missing out on those markets because readers seeking these types of books will never see their books because they are placed in the African American section. It's sad, but true.
A separate category is not an equal category. In my opinion, I think the African American section needs to be done away with. Period. If you want to have an urban section to put novels written about the ghetto and crime, fine. But the rest of the authors unfairly stuck in the African American category need to have their books placed on the shelves in the appropriate genre they belong to. African American is not a genre. It is a race based category and it needs to go away forever. All writers want to have the chance to have their books exposed to a wide audience and they deserve that chance. So when it comes to having an African American section in the bookstores, thanks but no thanks. The Supreme Court ruled separate is not equal and I wholeheartedly agree.
December 8, 2013
FEELING PRESSURE
FEELING PRESSURE
Contrary to what many think, nothing about being a writer is easy. Not everyone has it in them to write a complete novel. For those that do, it is a major accomplishment. To have said novel, published is an even bigger accomplishment. But what happens after your novel is out? What happens when you start the process of trying to build a career as an author? I don't know how it is for others but I can share my experience.
After seeing the successful publication of my debut novel, Goddess of Legend, I became even more motivated to pursue my love of writing. I spent months re-writing my second novel, Siren's Choice, and finally felt ready to submit. After giving my previous publisher first dibs and receiving a rejection I was devastated. And so begins the hard process of finding someone to accept my vision and love it as much as I do.
Right now, I'm pretty frustrated. I remember the hell I endured trying to find someone to publish my first novel and I'm in no hurry to experience it again. I'm feeling under a lot of pressure. What if it takes forever to find a publisher willing to accept my novel? What if I can't find a publisher willing to take a chance on this novel? What if I have to try and attempt to publish on my own? But worst of all, what if by the time is out, my readers have forgotten about me?
Let's face it. I'm a new author with 1 novel out. I do not have a built in fan base. I'm still trying to get people interested in me. Time is a luxury I cannot afford. In order to build a fan base, I need to keep myself on the forefront of their minds when they're thinking about buying a new novel. But in this, I'm helpless. I can't make a publisher look at my submissions any quicker and were I to decide to self publish that too would take time. So I'm stuck, waiting and under pressure.
But the waiting game is not the only source of pressure I've been feeling. I take note of what's popular in the writing world. The genres and things that seem to be selling well. And getting the unexpected rejection for my second novel made me think about it more. I started to think, maybe I should take a stab at something I know will guarantee a publisher picking up my story. Why don't I try a romance with shapeshifters? Why don't I try a ménage? Or what about a male/male novel? My mind has been in turmoil. Do I? Or don't I?
Let's face it. I don't have an established fan base. I probably could venture out and try something else. I'm sure I could write a novel with the above mentioned things, but I probably wouldn't enjoy it so why do it? I'm not going to. Despite the pressure I feel I'm going to stick with writing the things that I love. There's no point in me trying to write a book I personally wouldn't want to read. Besides, there are enough writers out there doing those other genres. They don't need to add me to the mix.
When I decided I wanted to become a serious writer, it was because I wanted to carve my own path in the writing world. I want to write novels that people may not have thought about before. I want to write my way. So no matter how much pressure I may be feeling I have to remain true to myself. After all, if I don't want to read it, who will?
Contrary to what many think, nothing about being a writer is easy. Not everyone has it in them to write a complete novel. For those that do, it is a major accomplishment. To have said novel, published is an even bigger accomplishment. But what happens after your novel is out? What happens when you start the process of trying to build a career as an author? I don't know how it is for others but I can share my experience.
After seeing the successful publication of my debut novel, Goddess of Legend, I became even more motivated to pursue my love of writing. I spent months re-writing my second novel, Siren's Choice, and finally felt ready to submit. After giving my previous publisher first dibs and receiving a rejection I was devastated. And so begins the hard process of finding someone to accept my vision and love it as much as I do.
Right now, I'm pretty frustrated. I remember the hell I endured trying to find someone to publish my first novel and I'm in no hurry to experience it again. I'm feeling under a lot of pressure. What if it takes forever to find a publisher willing to accept my novel? What if I can't find a publisher willing to take a chance on this novel? What if I have to try and attempt to publish on my own? But worst of all, what if by the time is out, my readers have forgotten about me?
Let's face it. I'm a new author with 1 novel out. I do not have a built in fan base. I'm still trying to get people interested in me. Time is a luxury I cannot afford. In order to build a fan base, I need to keep myself on the forefront of their minds when they're thinking about buying a new novel. But in this, I'm helpless. I can't make a publisher look at my submissions any quicker and were I to decide to self publish that too would take time. So I'm stuck, waiting and under pressure.
But the waiting game is not the only source of pressure I've been feeling. I take note of what's popular in the writing world. The genres and things that seem to be selling well. And getting the unexpected rejection for my second novel made me think about it more. I started to think, maybe I should take a stab at something I know will guarantee a publisher picking up my story. Why don't I try a romance with shapeshifters? Why don't I try a ménage? Or what about a male/male novel? My mind has been in turmoil. Do I? Or don't I?
Let's face it. I don't have an established fan base. I probably could venture out and try something else. I'm sure I could write a novel with the above mentioned things, but I probably wouldn't enjoy it so why do it? I'm not going to. Despite the pressure I feel I'm going to stick with writing the things that I love. There's no point in me trying to write a book I personally wouldn't want to read. Besides, there are enough writers out there doing those other genres. They don't need to add me to the mix.
When I decided I wanted to become a serious writer, it was because I wanted to carve my own path in the writing world. I want to write novels that people may not have thought about before. I want to write my way. So no matter how much pressure I may be feeling I have to remain true to myself. After all, if I don't want to read it, who will?
