Jessica Russell's Blog, page 3
July 17, 2021
Suspension of Disbelief Only Goes so Far
If you have a formal literary education of any kind, you’ve likely heard, at some point during your creative writing courses, that to enjoy fiction, readers must “suspend their disbelief” to a degree.
Naturally, this is true. Real life isn’t a novel, and unless you’re looking for something with a tragic ending, you probably like your books to have a neat and tidy finish. That is sometimes referred to as “a satisfying ending.”
However, if you’ve been to college for journalism or creative writing, it is almost certain that you ALSO heard the term “fiction has to be believable.”
Of course, that’s an oxymoron, but what that phrase means is that nonfiction is what it is: if the guy got struck with lightning four times in his life, then he did. But if you put that in a fiction novel people are going to roll their eyes and toss it over their shoulder as “unbelievable.”
Therefore, it’s important not to go too far out with a plot or a plot device. I recently read a book that had such excellent descriptive writing that I didn’t want to put it down, but the plot was so ridiculous I had to. In it, a detective happened to “stumble on” a dead body that looked just like her. So, in order to solve the crime, the police force got together and pretended that the person hadn’t really died and the detective took that person’s place amongst her friends and family to try to figure out why she was killed.
And none of the dead girl’s friends or family members would realize it wasn’t her? Particularly whoever killed her and knew she was dead? It was, in short, ridiculous. Great writer, great talent, but where in the world was the editor to challenge her with a plot that was utter nonsense? And they pick on “unknown” authors? Wow.
There was a similar book that got a celebrity endorsement so it was an instant bestseller, but it was about a girl who raised herself all alone in a shack and never once got harmed, never got sick, never had an emergency, her shack never got a leak in the roof, her boat never got a hole in it or needed repairs, and she grew up beautiful, fit, healthy and normal with absolutely no one in her life since she was about seven. Then she learned to read at 14 and six years later became a published author writing Einstein level botany.
Well, this one had a celebrity endorsement, so it was going to do well no matter what, but the other one got a lot of negative reviews. Of course, famous authors can afford to make those kinds of bizarre mistakes, as can those who have a celebrity waiting in the wings to promote their book.
If you are not yet known as an author, however, well…you CAN’T afford to make those mistakes. So be careful about how much you’re asking your readers to “suspend their disbelief,” because the last thing you want is your first novel being so unbelievable that nobody wants to read your second. Write on!
Naturally, this is true. Real life isn’t a novel, and unless you’re looking for something with a tragic ending, you probably like your books to have a neat and tidy finish. That is sometimes referred to as “a satisfying ending.”
However, if you’ve been to college for journalism or creative writing, it is almost certain that you ALSO heard the term “fiction has to be believable.”
Of course, that’s an oxymoron, but what that phrase means is that nonfiction is what it is: if the guy got struck with lightning four times in his life, then he did. But if you put that in a fiction novel people are going to roll their eyes and toss it over their shoulder as “unbelievable.”
Therefore, it’s important not to go too far out with a plot or a plot device. I recently read a book that had such excellent descriptive writing that I didn’t want to put it down, but the plot was so ridiculous I had to. In it, a detective happened to “stumble on” a dead body that looked just like her. So, in order to solve the crime, the police force got together and pretended that the person hadn’t really died and the detective took that person’s place amongst her friends and family to try to figure out why she was killed.
And none of the dead girl’s friends or family members would realize it wasn’t her? Particularly whoever killed her and knew she was dead? It was, in short, ridiculous. Great writer, great talent, but where in the world was the editor to challenge her with a plot that was utter nonsense? And they pick on “unknown” authors? Wow.
There was a similar book that got a celebrity endorsement so it was an instant bestseller, but it was about a girl who raised herself all alone in a shack and never once got harmed, never got sick, never had an emergency, her shack never got a leak in the roof, her boat never got a hole in it or needed repairs, and she grew up beautiful, fit, healthy and normal with absolutely no one in her life since she was about seven. Then she learned to read at 14 and six years later became a published author writing Einstein level botany.
Well, this one had a celebrity endorsement, so it was going to do well no matter what, but the other one got a lot of negative reviews. Of course, famous authors can afford to make those kinds of bizarre mistakes, as can those who have a celebrity waiting in the wings to promote their book.
If you are not yet known as an author, however, well…you CAN’T afford to make those mistakes. So be careful about how much you’re asking your readers to “suspend their disbelief,” because the last thing you want is your first novel being so unbelievable that nobody wants to read your second. Write on!
July 11, 2021
Why Do We Do It?
During a completely unrelated episode in my life, where I had to just scratch my head and say to myself "why would somebody DO that?" I also started to think about why readers and writers do some of the crazy things they do.
For example, what on earth would drive someone to throw a full throttle hissy fit because a person didn't like a book that they liked? There are several books out there right now that have dyed in the wool cult followings and Heaven help ANYONE who indicates that they think those books are anything less than five-star.
Newsflash:
It's okay not to like a book.
Second Newsflash:
It's okay not to like a book that everyone else likes.
Third Newsflash:
It's okay not to like a book that got a celebrity endorsement or was the Book-of-the-Month according to a famous person.
Was that kind of silly the way I did that? Well that's exactly the way I scoff at the people I see practically throwing angry fits because a person didn't care for a particular book.
Everyone is different. If you say you don't like a book, you're not a "hater" who has something against the writer. You just didn't like the book!
If you say a book wasn't realistic enough for you, you don't need to be beaten down by a dozen people telling you that a book doesn't HAVE to be realistic to be enjoyable. You weren't contesting that. You were just saying it wasn't realistic enough for YOU. (You're allowed to do that.)
In this world of hatred and anger, sometimes we need to settle down and realize that what were getting mad about really doesn't matter. At the end of the day, what difference does it make to you if you liked a book and so-and-so didn't? These are the little things that make human beings human beings. Were not all the same.
So the next time someone says they didn't like Where the Crawdads Sing or Golden Girl, just remember...you don't have to go into a blind rage over it. Honest. Write on!
For example, what on earth would drive someone to throw a full throttle hissy fit because a person didn't like a book that they liked? There are several books out there right now that have dyed in the wool cult followings and Heaven help ANYONE who indicates that they think those books are anything less than five-star.
Newsflash:
It's okay not to like a book.
Second Newsflash:
It's okay not to like a book that everyone else likes.
Third Newsflash:
It's okay not to like a book that got a celebrity endorsement or was the Book-of-the-Month according to a famous person.
Was that kind of silly the way I did that? Well that's exactly the way I scoff at the people I see practically throwing angry fits because a person didn't care for a particular book.
Everyone is different. If you say you don't like a book, you're not a "hater" who has something against the writer. You just didn't like the book!
If you say a book wasn't realistic enough for you, you don't need to be beaten down by a dozen people telling you that a book doesn't HAVE to be realistic to be enjoyable. You weren't contesting that. You were just saying it wasn't realistic enough for YOU. (You're allowed to do that.)
In this world of hatred and anger, sometimes we need to settle down and realize that what were getting mad about really doesn't matter. At the end of the day, what difference does it make to you if you liked a book and so-and-so didn't? These are the little things that make human beings human beings. Were not all the same.
So the next time someone says they didn't like Where the Crawdads Sing or Golden Girl, just remember...you don't have to go into a blind rage over it. Honest. Write on!
July 8, 2021
Writers Lifts and Shameless Self Promos: Huh?
I know that I’m going to get a lot of flak for this post. Therefore, if you’re the type of person who cannot read something you disagree with without getting enraged, then I humbly request that you stop reading now.
I see so many people on Twitter and other social media sites declaring that they are doing a “writers lift” or a “shameless self promo” and they call for authors to drop the links to their books, which they do by the score. I appreciate what these people are trying to do, but mentally I am screaming “what’s the point?”
That’s because, unfortunately, the primary people who are going to see those links are other unknown authors. Well, I’m not including myself, because I buy, read and review a lot of work by unknown writers, but most of us don’t. In fact, unknown authors are the absolute worst when it comes to turning up their noses at works by other unknown writers.
Most do the very thing they don’t want done to them. They say to themselves “how good could it be? it’s an unknown author.”
With regard to promotions, it’s just as important to find out what DOESN’T work as it is to figure out what DOES. Advertising your book to other writers who are struggling to become known is probably, in my humble opinion, a major waste of time. You need to get your book in front of readers who are willing to take a chance on a new author.
It’s far better to join groups and network with book lovers in general, or groups of readers who enjoy your specific genre. Those are great places to drop your link for a bit of exposure.
Of course, to get serious traction, you do have to spend money on advertising. Where you do the advertising depends on various factors, such as your personal budget, and the demographic you hope to reach. However, advertising your book to other writers who are focused on advertising THEIR books is not really the best place for your time and effort. It’s not about how many people you reach, it’s about reaching the ones who will actually buy, read and hopefully review your book. Write on!
I see so many people on Twitter and other social media sites declaring that they are doing a “writers lift” or a “shameless self promo” and they call for authors to drop the links to their books, which they do by the score. I appreciate what these people are trying to do, but mentally I am screaming “what’s the point?”
That’s because, unfortunately, the primary people who are going to see those links are other unknown authors. Well, I’m not including myself, because I buy, read and review a lot of work by unknown writers, but most of us don’t. In fact, unknown authors are the absolute worst when it comes to turning up their noses at works by other unknown writers.
Most do the very thing they don’t want done to them. They say to themselves “how good could it be? it’s an unknown author.”
With regard to promotions, it’s just as important to find out what DOESN’T work as it is to figure out what DOES. Advertising your book to other writers who are struggling to become known is probably, in my humble opinion, a major waste of time. You need to get your book in front of readers who are willing to take a chance on a new author.
It’s far better to join groups and network with book lovers in general, or groups of readers who enjoy your specific genre. Those are great places to drop your link for a bit of exposure.
Of course, to get serious traction, you do have to spend money on advertising. Where you do the advertising depends on various factors, such as your personal budget, and the demographic you hope to reach. However, advertising your book to other writers who are focused on advertising THEIR books is not really the best place for your time and effort. It’s not about how many people you reach, it’s about reaching the ones who will actually buy, read and hopefully review your book. Write on!
July 4, 2021
This is NOT How it’s Done
The best advice I can give any aspiring novelist is to, through trial and error, learn how to sift through all the “rules” and figure out which ones are breakable. Yes, some are made to be broken. The fine line is… which ones? I’ve seen new writers make horrible mistakes because they broke some of the rules, and I've seen new writers make horrible mistakes because they FOLLOWED some of the rules.
Yes, it is difficult to know the difference sometimes, but not ALL rules apply to every novel. Creative writing courses will tell you that EVERYTHING is a formula, and the formula must always be followed. For example, “the subplot should be introduced in chapter four.” Always? Really?
Of course not.
I couldn’t do that in my novel. For one thing, mine really didn’t have chapters per se, it had sections. It was more or less up to the reader to decide when to stop and start reading. I did that to avoid readers missing what’s most important: it’s my humble opinion that one of the worst things that happens when you’re reading a book is when you start to get fatigued and you say “okay, well, let me just get to the end of this chapter.” You’re actually too fatigued to keep going and should stop right there. But we’re programmed to think we have to finish the chapter we’re on and I didn’t want people skimming because you miss too much in my book if you skim. So that was one rule that sure didn’t work for me.
Other rules are a bit more important. Like understanding how to make a book flow. You can know how to write wonderful sentences and terrific paragraphs, but still not know how to write a book. Writing a novel is an art form, and you have to understand how to keep it flowing and keep your readers engaged. Otherwise even the best plot will just go flat.
Ultimately however, it’s actually up to the writer to decide which rules to break and which ones to follow. The type of story you’ve come up with may not fit the typical “formulas” that every editor thinks a book must have. It’s knowing when to stick with the tried-and-true methods and knowing when to go out on a limb, and unfortunately, no one else can tell you that. But don’t be afraid to rattle some cages and break a few rules, because as the old saying goes, “nothing ventured nothing gained.” Write on!
Yes, it is difficult to know the difference sometimes, but not ALL rules apply to every novel. Creative writing courses will tell you that EVERYTHING is a formula, and the formula must always be followed. For example, “the subplot should be introduced in chapter four.” Always? Really?
Of course not.
I couldn’t do that in my novel. For one thing, mine really didn’t have chapters per se, it had sections. It was more or less up to the reader to decide when to stop and start reading. I did that to avoid readers missing what’s most important: it’s my humble opinion that one of the worst things that happens when you’re reading a book is when you start to get fatigued and you say “okay, well, let me just get to the end of this chapter.” You’re actually too fatigued to keep going and should stop right there. But we’re programmed to think we have to finish the chapter we’re on and I didn’t want people skimming because you miss too much in my book if you skim. So that was one rule that sure didn’t work for me.
Other rules are a bit more important. Like understanding how to make a book flow. You can know how to write wonderful sentences and terrific paragraphs, but still not know how to write a book. Writing a novel is an art form, and you have to understand how to keep it flowing and keep your readers engaged. Otherwise even the best plot will just go flat.
Ultimately however, it’s actually up to the writer to decide which rules to break and which ones to follow. The type of story you’ve come up with may not fit the typical “formulas” that every editor thinks a book must have. It’s knowing when to stick with the tried-and-true methods and knowing when to go out on a limb, and unfortunately, no one else can tell you that. But don’t be afraid to rattle some cages and break a few rules, because as the old saying goes, “nothing ventured nothing gained.” Write on!
July 3, 2021
If You Confuse Them, You Lose Them
A common mistake made by many writers is allowing characters to step OUT of character. Whether it’s a book, a film, a play, or any other creative work, if it involves characters, they need to be consistent.
A well-known author who wrote many good books in the past has recently begun irritating her readers by turning out novels in which the characters start out one way, but along the line morph into something completely different.
I won’t say the author’s name, but the pattern has been quite repetitive of late: the leading character starts out as a strong, independent, intelligent woman who knows her own mind, but after meeting a man– a man who is not even all that likable – she becomes…well…a ditz. She becomes a woman who has no self-confidence, who is emotionally lost and unable to make up her mind about the smallest things and does not seem to realize that if a man is abusive, she should probably leave the relationship. WHAT?
In real life, people don’t suddenly lose IQ points or undergo a complete metamorphosis of personality after a few dates with a new man. When you change characters that radically, you greatly annoy your readers, and your book is at risk for the dreaded DNF. (Did Not Finish…as in did not finish the book.)
Character development is one of the most important aspects of writing a good novel, so pay very close attention to exactly who your character is and what is in line with his or her personality. It’s not that you can’t make someone in your novel do something that’s uncharacteristic for him or her, but you need to explain why it happened in some kind of way.
However, if you confuse your readers with too much uncharacteristic behavior, and they don’t know who the person is anymore, they probably won’t care what happens to him or her, and that is the kiss of death when you want them to continue with the story.
Ask yourself this as you go along: “is that what (fill in your character’s name) would really say or do?” If it seems out of line with the personality you've given him or her, scrap that part and start over. Consistency is key where characters are concerned! Write on!
A well-known author who wrote many good books in the past has recently begun irritating her readers by turning out novels in which the characters start out one way, but along the line morph into something completely different.
I won’t say the author’s name, but the pattern has been quite repetitive of late: the leading character starts out as a strong, independent, intelligent woman who knows her own mind, but after meeting a man– a man who is not even all that likable – she becomes…well…a ditz. She becomes a woman who has no self-confidence, who is emotionally lost and unable to make up her mind about the smallest things and does not seem to realize that if a man is abusive, she should probably leave the relationship. WHAT?
In real life, people don’t suddenly lose IQ points or undergo a complete metamorphosis of personality after a few dates with a new man. When you change characters that radically, you greatly annoy your readers, and your book is at risk for the dreaded DNF. (Did Not Finish…as in did not finish the book.)
Character development is one of the most important aspects of writing a good novel, so pay very close attention to exactly who your character is and what is in line with his or her personality. It’s not that you can’t make someone in your novel do something that’s uncharacteristic for him or her, but you need to explain why it happened in some kind of way.
However, if you confuse your readers with too much uncharacteristic behavior, and they don’t know who the person is anymore, they probably won’t care what happens to him or her, and that is the kiss of death when you want them to continue with the story.
Ask yourself this as you go along: “is that what (fill in your character’s name) would really say or do?” If it seems out of line with the personality you've given him or her, scrap that part and start over. Consistency is key where characters are concerned! Write on!
June 30, 2021
The Likability Factor
Do you really have to like people? Well, that’s a loaded question. some days I like animals more than people. Anyway, almost every editor in the world tells you that the characters in your book have to be “likable” or your novel might be DOA. Maybe I’m in a minuscule minority, but I never really got all that hung up on whether or not a character was likable, as long as the character was REAL. Overall, though, you do need likable characters in your novel for the sole purpose of making sure the reader cares enough about them to want to know what happens. If they don’t, they may not finish the book.
For example, a friend of mine read a book recently by a well-known romance author who at one time came up with some really good stories, but whose work has gotten very repetitive the last decade or so. And I’m not picking on anybody, because will all be there one day: either using a ghostwriter or just churning them out to make the next check. (Or what I plan to do… Retire before I get either of those points. LOL)
But anyway, when I say repetitive, I mean repetitive. At one point, I had to take a look at the book just to see if it was as bad as my friend told me. I counted the same point reiterated 44 times in 50 pages. That’s just bad writing, pure and simple. The heroine was downright irritating. She started out as a strong, independent, intelligent woman and then in the end, couldn’t figure out whether or not to leave a man who was mentally and physically abusive… because, well…she loved him. UGH.
Yeah, that’s gonna make a lot of modern women angry and make them want to throw the book over their shoulder. So, there’s a lot to be said for the likability factor. If the character is so annoying that the reader doesn’t care what happens to her/him, then clearly you are at risk of the reader not finishing the book. If you are going to make a character annoying because you’re just going for “real” as opposed to “oh, I really love this person” give the reader a FEW attributes that he or she can like or relate to. Even villains and screw ups can be lovable if you create them the right way.
So, yes, likability is important and you should find a way to do it somehow, and if you’re leading character is not so noble, put another character in the book that readers can root for. Either way, don’t make the leading character so annoying that people stop reading or you hear the dreaded “so what?” when they’re finished. Write on!
For example, a friend of mine read a book recently by a well-known romance author who at one time came up with some really good stories, but whose work has gotten very repetitive the last decade or so. And I’m not picking on anybody, because will all be there one day: either using a ghostwriter or just churning them out to make the next check. (Or what I plan to do… Retire before I get either of those points. LOL)
But anyway, when I say repetitive, I mean repetitive. At one point, I had to take a look at the book just to see if it was as bad as my friend told me. I counted the same point reiterated 44 times in 50 pages. That’s just bad writing, pure and simple. The heroine was downright irritating. She started out as a strong, independent, intelligent woman and then in the end, couldn’t figure out whether or not to leave a man who was mentally and physically abusive… because, well…she loved him. UGH.
Yeah, that’s gonna make a lot of modern women angry and make them want to throw the book over their shoulder. So, there’s a lot to be said for the likability factor. If the character is so annoying that the reader doesn’t care what happens to her/him, then clearly you are at risk of the reader not finishing the book. If you are going to make a character annoying because you’re just going for “real” as opposed to “oh, I really love this person” give the reader a FEW attributes that he or she can like or relate to. Even villains and screw ups can be lovable if you create them the right way.
So, yes, likability is important and you should find a way to do it somehow, and if you’re leading character is not so noble, put another character in the book that readers can root for. Either way, don’t make the leading character so annoying that people stop reading or you hear the dreaded “so what?” when they’re finished. Write on!
June 27, 2021
It Really Comes Down to THIS?
Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought him back to life. Curiosity is the biggest thing new authors have going for them. If you can get someone curious about your novel, chances are you can get them to read it. Summaries are extremely important, as well, because they tell potential readers the primary storyline, which usually tells them whether or not it’s the type of book in which they would be interested. However, the summary won’t help you much if nobody reads it.
It’s important to understand how you GET them to the summary. The two things that make people stop and read a summary are the book’s title and the book’s cover. Yes. After all that hard work, blood, sweat and tears, it comes down to those two things.
They are also the two things that most new writers make mistakes with.
Covers and titles are an art form. No matter how many different approaches there are, both the title and the cover need to do two things: make the book stand out, and make potential readers say “I wonder what THAT means?” If those two things happen, they’ll likely move on to the summary, and if the summary is written well, they’re far more likely to buy the book.
Especially for authors who are not yet well known, covers have to be eye-catching. Not eye-catching in a garish, overly busy way, but eye-catching in a way that makes you want to keep looking.
Bland covers subconsciously tell readers that the book will also be bland. Many times, bland covers fail to catch the reader’s eye at all, and their eyes simply land on a book that DOES have a striking cover. This is also true with titles. The latter should peak readers' curiosity and put a question mark in their mind. Boring titles are the kiss of death.
One of my favorite books, “A Perfect Evil” by E.C. Sheedy got my attention because of the cover and the title, and the rest was history. The cover depicted a girl pulling the curtains back to look through a window, but all that appeared to be on the other side was a blinding white light. At least that was my perception. Guess what I said? “I wonder what THAT means?” The title, of course, speaks for itself.
One of my favorite old Victoria Holt novels “The Witch from the Sea” depicted a girl in what appeared to be the 1600s racing down a rocky shoreline in the midst of a thunderstorm, and there was a ship crashing onto the rocks not far from her. It made me very curious, so I got the book, and she became one of my favorite authors of all times.
Sounds oversimplified, but it’s a proven fact. After all that effort to create a great novel, if you miss on the title and the cover, readers just might miss you! Write on!
It’s important to understand how you GET them to the summary. The two things that make people stop and read a summary are the book’s title and the book’s cover. Yes. After all that hard work, blood, sweat and tears, it comes down to those two things.
They are also the two things that most new writers make mistakes with.
Covers and titles are an art form. No matter how many different approaches there are, both the title and the cover need to do two things: make the book stand out, and make potential readers say “I wonder what THAT means?” If those two things happen, they’ll likely move on to the summary, and if the summary is written well, they’re far more likely to buy the book.
Especially for authors who are not yet well known, covers have to be eye-catching. Not eye-catching in a garish, overly busy way, but eye-catching in a way that makes you want to keep looking.
Bland covers subconsciously tell readers that the book will also be bland. Many times, bland covers fail to catch the reader’s eye at all, and their eyes simply land on a book that DOES have a striking cover. This is also true with titles. The latter should peak readers' curiosity and put a question mark in their mind. Boring titles are the kiss of death.
One of my favorite books, “A Perfect Evil” by E.C. Sheedy got my attention because of the cover and the title, and the rest was history. The cover depicted a girl pulling the curtains back to look through a window, but all that appeared to be on the other side was a blinding white light. At least that was my perception. Guess what I said? “I wonder what THAT means?” The title, of course, speaks for itself.
One of my favorite old Victoria Holt novels “The Witch from the Sea” depicted a girl in what appeared to be the 1600s racing down a rocky shoreline in the midst of a thunderstorm, and there was a ship crashing onto the rocks not far from her. It made me very curious, so I got the book, and she became one of my favorite authors of all times.
Sounds oversimplified, but it’s a proven fact. After all that effort to create a great novel, if you miss on the title and the cover, readers just might miss you! Write on!
June 26, 2021
If it's Broke, FIX it
We’ve all heard the expression “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” That’s very true. However, sometimes it’s broken. Point blank. One mistake I see new authors make consistently, whether they’re writing a book, sales copy, web content, or any other type of material, is to keep going down a particular road when it’s not accomplishing anything. I see it over and over again and I fail to understand it!
There’s a lot to be said for not ever giving up. Nevertheless, sometimes the thing you are doing to try to achieve your goals just isn’t working and nothing is going to change that. Switching gears is not giving up!
You can’t get stuck on stubborn and think that your way to do something is the only way. This may sound a little silly, but think about the Wright brothers. When they were trying to invent the airplane, they were studying birds. So, their original plan was to make the wings of the plane go up and down like our fine feathered friends. If they had refused to acknowledge that that plan was failing, we would not have airplanes today.
Sometimes you just have to look at what you’re doing and evaluate whether or not it’s giving you any return on your money, efforts or both.
For example, something I harp on continuously is writers giving free books away. If you’re a year or more out from your book launch and you’re still running around handing out free copies of your book to try to stir up some interest, but you have very few sales, then you are doing nothing to further your career. Of course, that approach is doomed to failure anyway, but suppose you have a GOOD idea for a marketing plan? Or at least what you THOUGHT was a good idea, but months or years down the road your sales volume is very low. Clearly that plan is not working and you should troubleshoot to try to find out why and switch gears as soon as you can to get on a better track.
Sometimes there’s a lot of trial and error involved and there’s nothing wrong with that! The thing that’s WRONG is when you get fixated on “not giving up,” to the point where you refuse to acknowledge when something has failed. Lots of different approaches fail. And interestingly enough, some approaches work very well for certain authors but not so well for the next. That’s okay too. Find what’s best for you and run with it. But part of finding out what’s going to work also involves admitting what ISN’T working, and that’s very important as well. Therefore, never feel like you’re giving up because you need to move on to a different method or technique, it may be exactly what you need to do!
There’s a lot to be said for not ever giving up. Nevertheless, sometimes the thing you are doing to try to achieve your goals just isn’t working and nothing is going to change that. Switching gears is not giving up!
You can’t get stuck on stubborn and think that your way to do something is the only way. This may sound a little silly, but think about the Wright brothers. When they were trying to invent the airplane, they were studying birds. So, their original plan was to make the wings of the plane go up and down like our fine feathered friends. If they had refused to acknowledge that that plan was failing, we would not have airplanes today.
Sometimes you just have to look at what you’re doing and evaluate whether or not it’s giving you any return on your money, efforts or both.
For example, something I harp on continuously is writers giving free books away. If you’re a year or more out from your book launch and you’re still running around handing out free copies of your book to try to stir up some interest, but you have very few sales, then you are doing nothing to further your career. Of course, that approach is doomed to failure anyway, but suppose you have a GOOD idea for a marketing plan? Or at least what you THOUGHT was a good idea, but months or years down the road your sales volume is very low. Clearly that plan is not working and you should troubleshoot to try to find out why and switch gears as soon as you can to get on a better track.
Sometimes there’s a lot of trial and error involved and there’s nothing wrong with that! The thing that’s WRONG is when you get fixated on “not giving up,” to the point where you refuse to acknowledge when something has failed. Lots of different approaches fail. And interestingly enough, some approaches work very well for certain authors but not so well for the next. That’s okay too. Find what’s best for you and run with it. But part of finding out what’s going to work also involves admitting what ISN’T working, and that’s very important as well. Therefore, never feel like you’re giving up because you need to move on to a different method or technique, it may be exactly what you need to do!
June 23, 2021
It's NOT Ok
In this day and age of "everything is ok," it's time to mention something that's NOT. It's not ok, as an author, to let apps take over your life! Years ago, a writer sat down with a typewriter or word processor and wrote a book. Authors didn’t rely on software to carry them every step of the way. Although some software is helpful and it’s convenient, you still need to perfect your craft.
You CANNOT rely on software for everything. Look what happened to music when they decided to let computer programs write the songs instead of hiring people to do it: one measure repeated for 3 minutes; there's your song.
There are even individuals who offer “editing” services on platforms such as Fiverr and UpWork and all they are doing is spinning it through Microsoft spellcheck and grammar check. Believe me…Microsoft, Grammarly, and all kinds of other apps and programs CANNOT take the place of true editing. There are also some great programs that will help you with passive, versus active voice if you do AP style writing, but AGAIN, they are not foolproof.
YOU HAVE TO LEARN YOUR CRAFT!
If you don’t know how to do all that already, WITHOUT the software, you’re not ready yet. That may be hard medicine to take, but it’s the truth.
It’s also important to avoid “plot generators.” Honestly! If you don’t have a story in your head, or at least the beginnings of a story cooking, you’re not there yet. You’re just plain not ready. I’ve actually seen people on writing groups/pages say, “I want to write a novel, what should be about?”
Ridiculous.
I’m not trying to be condescending but come on! If you have no idea what you want to write a novel about, then you’re simply not ready to write a novel!
It’s very important to follow all the steps: you need command of the English language–or command of whatever language you’re writing in–you need to learn good grammar, you need to learn how to create a book through scene, sequel, scene, sequel in a straightforward or patchwork pattern, and you need to understand how to wrap it up at the end so that it’s satisfying, whether in a good way or bad way. Just those basics alone are vitally important, not to mention everything else.
Don’t jump the gun and try to get there in one big step with software, advice from other people, and plots spun from apps. The results will NEVER be as good as organic results. Go the long way. It will be WELL WORTH IT!
You CANNOT rely on software for everything. Look what happened to music when they decided to let computer programs write the songs instead of hiring people to do it: one measure repeated for 3 minutes; there's your song.
There are even individuals who offer “editing” services on platforms such as Fiverr and UpWork and all they are doing is spinning it through Microsoft spellcheck and grammar check. Believe me…Microsoft, Grammarly, and all kinds of other apps and programs CANNOT take the place of true editing. There are also some great programs that will help you with passive, versus active voice if you do AP style writing, but AGAIN, they are not foolproof.
YOU HAVE TO LEARN YOUR CRAFT!
If you don’t know how to do all that already, WITHOUT the software, you’re not ready yet. That may be hard medicine to take, but it’s the truth.
It’s also important to avoid “plot generators.” Honestly! If you don’t have a story in your head, or at least the beginnings of a story cooking, you’re not there yet. You’re just plain not ready. I’ve actually seen people on writing groups/pages say, “I want to write a novel, what should be about?”
Ridiculous.
I’m not trying to be condescending but come on! If you have no idea what you want to write a novel about, then you’re simply not ready to write a novel!
It’s very important to follow all the steps: you need command of the English language–or command of whatever language you’re writing in–you need to learn good grammar, you need to learn how to create a book through scene, sequel, scene, sequel in a straightforward or patchwork pattern, and you need to understand how to wrap it up at the end so that it’s satisfying, whether in a good way or bad way. Just those basics alone are vitally important, not to mention everything else.
Don’t jump the gun and try to get there in one big step with software, advice from other people, and plots spun from apps. The results will NEVER be as good as organic results. Go the long way. It will be WELL WORTH IT!
June 21, 2021
Beware the Green-Eyed Monster
You’ve written your book, and to your amazement you’re getting a little ranking, you’re getting book signings scheduled, you're selling copies, in short, you're achieving success! It may even surprise YOU!
All along, your circle of friends has been happy for you, routing you on, giving you a thumbs up, and then all of a sudden you have one, or worse yet more than one, who is suddenly snarky, sulky, pouty or downright rude. In some circumstances, you may find yourself with a friend who has decided to boycott you on social media or in extreme cases, ghost you entirely out of his or her life!
Yes, it happens!
It’s happened to many people I know, and it’s happened to me. One reoccurring thought I had in my own mind was “why did other authors warn me about all the other things that might happen, but no one wanted to warn me about this?” Well, the answer to that is that it’s negative, and who wants to talk negative when you’re trying to uplift other writers and keep yourself positive?
Unfortunately though I think it’s advice that every new author should be given from day one: don’t get blindsided by that jealous individual. He or she is out there, and the jealousy will surface no matter how good a friend you’ve been.
They may push it off on a number of other things, “I had a headache today, there’s ‘something going on in my life,’ I had a bad day,” Etc. etc., and you're left wondering why they never acted that way before for those reasons.
Because those aren’t the reasons.
The jealousy has been eating away for a long time and it’s finally surfaced. Sadly, I don’t have a solution. If the person never wants to put the cards on the table, there’s absolutely nothing you can do to repair the friendship.
That kind of situation is a one-way street: that person has to feel your worth a 30 minute conversation at some point to explain what happened and either defend it or apologize or anything in between, but they owe you that much.
Don’t run after that person groveling and dog paddling and begging for crumbs. If he or she is okay with treating a friend that way, then maybe your friendship wasn’t what you thought it was. Anyway, ignore the green-eyed monster and write on!
All along, your circle of friends has been happy for you, routing you on, giving you a thumbs up, and then all of a sudden you have one, or worse yet more than one, who is suddenly snarky, sulky, pouty or downright rude. In some circumstances, you may find yourself with a friend who has decided to boycott you on social media or in extreme cases, ghost you entirely out of his or her life!
Yes, it happens!
It’s happened to many people I know, and it’s happened to me. One reoccurring thought I had in my own mind was “why did other authors warn me about all the other things that might happen, but no one wanted to warn me about this?” Well, the answer to that is that it’s negative, and who wants to talk negative when you’re trying to uplift other writers and keep yourself positive?
Unfortunately though I think it’s advice that every new author should be given from day one: don’t get blindsided by that jealous individual. He or she is out there, and the jealousy will surface no matter how good a friend you’ve been.
They may push it off on a number of other things, “I had a headache today, there’s ‘something going on in my life,’ I had a bad day,” Etc. etc., and you're left wondering why they never acted that way before for those reasons.
Because those aren’t the reasons.
The jealousy has been eating away for a long time and it’s finally surfaced. Sadly, I don’t have a solution. If the person never wants to put the cards on the table, there’s absolutely nothing you can do to repair the friendship.
That kind of situation is a one-way street: that person has to feel your worth a 30 minute conversation at some point to explain what happened and either defend it or apologize or anything in between, but they owe you that much.
Don’t run after that person groveling and dog paddling and begging for crumbs. If he or she is okay with treating a friend that way, then maybe your friendship wasn’t what you thought it was. Anyway, ignore the green-eyed monster and write on!
