Heather Weidner's Blog, page 79
March 20, 2020
Stuff You Never Get To...
It looks like we’re going to be at home more and more over the next few weeks because of quarantines, self-quarantines, and social distancing. It’s the perfect time to get to work on some of your writing tasks that have been languishing. Here are some ideas…
Update your website. Make sure that all your links work and that your content is current.
Revise your author biography.
Work on book club questions for your novels and post them.
Make sure you have a summary/synopsis of all your works.
Put together a press kit for your publicity.
Work on blog posts for the future. It’s always nice to have a stockpile.
Check out your biographies on your social media sites and make sure they’re current (e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, Goodreads, BookBub, Amazon, etc.) Don’t forget the ones that you don’t visit that often.
Work on your next newsletter.
Create a marketing campaign. Work on all the scheduling and promotions.
And don’t forget to write your next story, novella, or novel.
I hope you and yours are safe. And if we can’t visit in person, let’s keep up with each other on social media.
March 19, 2020
#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Jayne Ormerod
I’d like to welcome my author friend, Jayne Ormerod, back to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday.
A few of your favorite things: Almost all food and wine; a good book on a rainy day; a walk on the shore in any weather; and dogs. If I had a big enough yard, I would be that “crazy dog lady.”
Things you need to throw out: I have a lot of clothes I need to throw out, partly because I bought on-line and the sizing/quality was way off and it was too much of a hassle to return. My spice rack could do with a good cleaning out, too. I used one spice the other day that had a Use By date of 2001.
Things you need for your writing sessions: My laptop. I just can’t write the old-fashioned way. I edit as I go, which requires lots of deleting and moving of text.
Things that hamper your writing: My puppy laying his head on my laptop while I am writing. He is QUITE the snuggler, and my new laptop has a touch screen that is sensitive to dog noses and I’ve found stuff deleted.
Things you love about writing: Plotting! I love to noodle up a good plot!
Things you hate about writing: The additional 62,000 words needed to flesh out the plot and turn in into a story!
Favorite music or song: Carolina Shag music!
Music that drives you crazy: Rap. I can’t understand the words and it always sounds so angry to me. Not relaxing.
Favorite beverage: Diet Coke and wine (not together of course!)
Something that gives you a sour face: Bad milk. (you’d think at my age I’d know better than to smell it after it’s expiration date!)
Favorite smell: Coq au vin simmering in the oven. Mmm-mmm. Now that’s good eating!
Something that makes you hold your nose: The smell of fish at the fish counter at my grocery store. It literally makes me gag.
Something you’re really good at: Few people know that I took 12 years of piano lessons. “Moon River” is my favorite song to play. It was my mother’s favorite song.
Something you’re really bad at: Anything athletic.
The last thing you ordered online: Large, thin crust mushroom, chicken, red onion and spinach pizza from Pizza Hut.
The last thing you regret buying: This thing for my dog that is supposed to control barking by squirting citronella oil in his face when he barks too much. I haven’t even opened the package.
Things you always put in your books: Food and drink.
Things you never put in your books: Putting dogs (or any animal) in danger! I do love it when they burst on stage and save the day, though!
Things to say to an author: “I didn’t want the book to end!”
Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: “You missed a quotation mark on the second sentence of the third paragraph on page 79.” (Trust me, I didn’t do that on purpose! Stuff happens during the editing process. I hate it when it does, but it’s a reality of being a published author.)
Favorite places you’ve been: Perhaps I have romanticized the small town I grew up in, but I love going back to my hometown of Chagrin Falls, Ohio.
Places you never want to go to again: A rock concert. Too many people. Too expensive. Too loud. And WAAAYYY past my bedtime.
The coolest person you’ve ever met: Sue Grafton. It was the happiest Happy Hour of my life!
The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video: Jessica Fletcher, the author of the Murder, She Wrote series, mostly because the author was really a ghost writer by the name of Donald Bain. (He also was the ghost writer for Margret Truman’s Capitol Crime series. He doesn’t look like her, either!
About Jayne:
Jayne Ormerod grew up in a small Ohio town then went on to a small-town Ohio college. Upon earning her degree in accountancy, she became a CIA (that’s not a sexy spy thing, but a Certified Internal Auditor.) She married a naval officer and off they sailed to see the world. After nineteen moves, they, along with their two rescue dogs Tiller and Scout, have settled into a cozy cottage by the sea. Jayne is the author of the Blonds at the Beach Mysteries, The Blond Leading the Blond, and Blond Luck, as well as a dozen other short stories and novellas. Her most recent releases are Goin’ Coastal and "It's a Dog Gone Shame!" in To Fetch a Thief.
Let’s Be Social:
March 13, 2020
The Value of a Critique
I am in two monthly critique groups. One is in-person and the other is a video chat. In each, we read about 50 pages of the others’ works and provide feedback. I joined the in-person one about ten years ago, and it took some courage to submit my work the first time. I actually waited a couple of months before dipping my foot in the pool.
But I learned quickly that the feedback from these groups is invaluable. These are readers and mystery lovers who help with structure, plot holes, typos, and writing issues. All writers want to hear how wonderful their baby is, but sometimes, a detailed critique is worth it’s weight in gold as you try to make your manuscript the best it can be. Here are some of the things I’ve learned through the years.
Find a group that understands your genre. It helps that the feedback focuses on what you’re trying to write. Both of my groups are made up of mystery writers/readers. I read other genres, but I want my writing focus to be on mysteries.
None of the members knew each other when we started. I think this was helpful. When people are friends, there’s often a tendency not to be open and honest about the writing because you don’t want to hurt the other’s feelings. You can give a positive critique without being brutal or covering every page with red ink.
We also set the rules up front, and there is a moderator in the larger group to keep us on task and watch the clock.
The writers in my groups are at different stages of their writing journeys. That brings a variety of perspectives. They also come from different backgrounds and experiences, and the wealth of knowledge is amazing.
Everyone in the group has committed to read and provide comments on the submissions. I read theirs; they read mine. They help me talk through plot holes or weak areas. I believe in sweat equity. Everyone is contributing.
I learn as much from the discussion of others’ issues as I do with the one centered on my work.
There are a few folks in one of my groups who don’t write frequently or just want to be readers. But they read a lot of mysteries. Their comments often help me judge reactions to tension points and characters.
Read the feedback and decide what you’re going to change. If multiple people had the same reaction, you probably should take a look at it.
The monthly deadline helps me stay on track with my writing. I am more productive when I know I need to get my pages ready for my groups.
The goal is to get your work published, and you need to make your WIP the best version possible. For me, the writing/revising part of the process is key to improving the work. This takes the most time and energy. I’ve been alone with my manuscript for months, and the critique groups provide me a way to introduce it to readers and get an honest reaction. Invest in your writing and find a group to help you.
March 12, 2020
#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Grace Topping
I’d like to welcome mystery author, Grace Topping, to the blog today for #ThisorThatThursday.
Things you need for your writing sessions:
The main thing I need most is quiet. I’m not one of those writers who can work in a coffee shop or put on background music. I’m easily distracted and will use any excuse to stop working. Something as simple as hearing the dryer signal will have me dashing to fold clothes.
Things that hamper your writing:
Hunger! When I start to fidget and have a hard time focusing, invariably I’ll look at the clock and realize it’s near a mealtime. I know I’m not going to make progress until after I’ve eaten. I don’t keep snacks in my office, so that means I have to go prepare something to eat, which also gives me a break from writing and sitting.
Things you love about writing:
I love creating characters to fit into my story. Most times they pop into my head fully formed, and I marvel about where they came from. Some writers talk about taking characteristics from multiple people and combining them to create a character, but I’ve never done that. Perhaps I should give it a try. I’d be
afraid someone I know would recognize themselves in one of my characters.
Things you hate about writing:
Proofreading. Before I retired I worked as a writer-editor, so proofreading wasn’t something new to me. But even with that experience, invariably I’ll miss something, no matter how many times I proofread it. Reading your own work is a challenge because you see what you expect to see. I’m much better proofreading someone else’s work.
Hardest thing about being a writer:
For me, one of the hardest things is juggling the time needed for writing, promoting, and everyday life. I had no idea how much time I would need to devote to promoting a book once I had written it. It’s fun, but it’s also time-consuming—not leaving much time to actually write.
Easiest thing about being a writer:
I had to think long and hard about that since these days, nothing about being a writer seems particularly easy. But if I had to pick an easy thing, I would have to say talking to people who have read my book and want to discuss it, especially at book club meetings. They are so enthusiastic about the book and pleased that they are getting to meet the author and can ask questions. Sometimes they see more in a story that I’ve written than I had considered.
Favorite foods:
Unfortunately, salty, crunchy foods like potato or corn chips. If we have them in the house, they virtually call to me. So I’ve learned not to buy them. I told my husband that if he buys them, he has to hide them; otherwise, I’ll wear out the carpet walking back and forth between the family room and the pantry getting another
handful.
Things that make you want to gag:
Bananas. I can pretty much eat most things (except perhaps exotic food), but I have never cared for bananas. With so many other things to eat, I don’t miss them.
Favorite music or song:
I enjoy both classic rock and classical music. However, since I usually listen to audiobooks, I rarely listen to music these days. Proud Mary by Creedence Clearwater Revival is among my favorite songs. If I were on my deathbed and heard it playing, I would probably get up and dance to it.
Music that drives you crazy:
Modern jazz and rap.
Something you wish you could do:
I wish I could memorize long passages. Sadly, I am not good at it all, so I could never be an actor. I wouldn’t be able to memorize all my lines. Short ones, but not long ones. In second grade the teacher selected me to read a passage for a school holiday production—reciting something about the holly and the berry. I was so distressed, she gave me one line instead: “When does the party begin.” That I could handle.
Something you wish you’d never learned to do:
When I first started working (a thousand years ago), I wished I’d never learned to type. Every time I attended a meeting, because I could type, I was always called upon to record and type the minutes of the meeting.
Things you always put in your books:
Pets. A good number of cozy readers love reading about pets in the books they read. Before I was published, I was at Malice Domestic, a mystery conference, where a fan asked me about my work in progress. She specifically wanted to know if I had any cats in it. When I said no, she turned abruptly and walked away. You can be sure that night I went home and added a cat to my manuscript. Since I don’t own a pet, it was a challenge remembering to have my main character caring for her black cat, Inky. Otherwise you get letters from readers asking how your main character could have gone away for days and not provided for her pet.
Things you never put in your books:
I write cozy mysteries because of the things cozy authors leave out—violence, sex, and bad language. So I never put them in my books. I also read for pleasure and escapism, so I don’t put anything in my books that a
cozy reader would find off-putting, like cruelty.
Things to say to an author:
I loved your book.
Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book:
I read your little book. To me the term little is condescending and means the person feels something has little merit.
Favorite places you’ve been:
My husband and I have been very fortunate to travel extensively around the world and to some remote places such as Easter Island, Pitcairn, Cape Horn, and South Africa. The one place I was absolutely thrilled to visit was the ancient city of Petra in Jordan. As a child, I saw a photo on a magazine cover of the iconic treasury building at the entrance of the city, and I yearned to travel there, but thinking I wouldn’t get there in a million years. Standing at the entrance brought tears to my eyes. Machu Picchu is still on my bucket list.
Places you never want to go to again:
During our travels, we have enjoyed some places more than others, but I don’t think there is a place that I would never want to visit again. Some experiences when traveling are great; some are not. One thing I wouldn’t want to experience again was contracting Norovirus, which I’ve experienced when traveling. Don’t ever, ever put your room cardkey in your mouth to hold it. Never.
Favorite books (or genre):
I tend to favor both cozy and historical mysteries. I like books that are intriguing and present a puzzle but lack violence. I want to be entertained not horrified.
Books you wouldn’t buy:
Erotica, sci-fi, and thrillers. I used to say Westerns, but I recently read a mystery set in the Wild West. The title, Holmes on the Range, by Steve Hockensmith, caught my eye because of the connection to Sherlock Holmes. It was a great concept of having a Holmes-like character who is a cowhand. So you never know what type of book is going to appeal to you until you try it.
Most daring thing you’ve ever done:
Probably the most daring thing I did was to leave home and join the Navy. It was really daring in that I didn’t fully know what to expect and whether I would like it. It was something I had always wanted to do, especially coming from a family with many military and naval veterans, but there was still that element of the unknown. It was a wonderful experience and definitely helped shape my life.
Something you chickened out from doing:
I don’t know that I’ve ever chickened out of doing something—more than likely because I probably wouldn’t have entertained doing something that would make me reconsider. I’m not into life-threatening things like skydiving, mountain climbing, or caving. I don’t even go on rollercoasters. I probably would have chickened out of those things if I had been crazy enough to contemplate them.
Some writers chicken out of ever showing their writing to anyone because of their fear of being criticized or laughed at. Sadly they never get published, regardless of how good their work may be. It takes a certain amount of bravery to put your work out there for others to read. I’m glad I didn’t chicken out.
About Grace:
Grace Topping is a recovering technical writer and IT project manager, accustomed to writing lean, boring documents. Let loose to write fiction, she is now creating murder mysteries and killing off characters who remind her of some of the people she dealt with during her career. Fictional revenge is sweet. She’s using her experience helping friends stage their homes for sale as inspiration for her Laura Bishop mystery series. The series is about a woman starting a new career midlife as a home stager. The
first book in the series, Staging is Murder, is a 2019 Agatha Award nominee for Best First Novel. Grace is the former vice president of the Chesapeake Chapter of Sisters in Crime, and a member of the SINC Guppies and Mystery Writers of America. She lives with her husband in Northern Virginia.
Let’s Be Social:
Webpage: www.gracetopping.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GraceToppingAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gtoppingauthor
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/staging-wars-by-grace-topping
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/staging-wars-grace-topping/1136278009?ean=9781635115918
March 5, 2020
#ThisorThatThursday Interview with Kaye George
I’d like to welcome mystery author, Kaye George to the blog this week for #ThisorThatThursday.
Things you need for your writing sessions: My computer, silence, my files, a deadline
Things that hamper your writing: Noise, heat.
Things you love about writing: I feel so very good after I’ve written something. Even better after it’s published and someone says they enjoyed it, that I entertained them and made their day better.
Things you hate about writing: How hard it on my neck, back, hands, and eyes.
Hardest thing about being a writer: Answering this question: Where do you get your ideas?
Easiest thing about being a writer: Getting ideas. I have enough ideas to last
me 100 years, should I live that much longer. I honestly have no idea where
they came from. They’re just there.
Things you never want to run out of: Dr. Pepper, toilet paper, sticky notes.
Things you wish you’d never bought: That caramel flavored candy corn. It’s awful. Way too sweet.
Favorite foods: Anything with sugar and/or chocolate
Things that make you want to gag: Cilantro, anchovies, boiled okra.
Favorite beverage: I have several that I drink at least every week: iced tea, Dr. Pepper, Scotch (any kind but Dewar’s).
Something that gives you a sour face: Sweet tea, Dewar’s Scotch.
Favorite smell: Either lavender or vanilla. I like plain smells.
Something that makes you hold your nose: The skunks outside my house at night,
those stinkbugs that love to come inside, the kitchen sink and trash bag when
I’ve been writing too much and ignoring things around me.
Things you always put in your books: Some humor, some romance, tension, human beings as real as I can make them.
Things you never put in your books: Hurting children or animals.
Things to say to an author: Oh, you write mysteries? I love to read mysteries. Yes, I’d love your card.
Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: Have I ever heard of you?
Favorite places you’ve been: Anywhere! I like to go. I love to go to places I haven’t been. I’ve been lucky enough to travel to Europe a few times, to lots of writing conferences, to visit my far flung relatives
every once in a while. I’ve also lived a lot of places and liked all of them, with the exception below.
Places you never want to go to again: Montana in the winter when it’s 40 below (80 below with the terrific Great Falls wind chill). But I love it other times of the year.
Favorite books (or genre): I don’t really have just one. I like to read mystery, horror, biography, autobiography, true crime, history, historical fiction, humor, and maybe some others.
Books you wouldn’t buy: I’m not sure. I’ll never say never on this category.
Things that make you happy: My kids and grandkids. Good weather. Being able to tend a garden.
Things that drive you crazy: Allergens in the air. Too much rain, Not enough rain.
About Kaye:
Kaye George is a national-bestselling, multiple-award-winning author of pre-history, traditional, and cozy mysteries (upcoming is the new Vintage Sweets series from Lyrical Press). Her short stories have appeared online, in anthologies, magazines, her own collection, and her recent anthology of eclipse stories, DAY
OF THE DARK, by Wildside Press. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, Smoking Guns chapter, Guppies chapter, Authors Guild of TN, Knoxville Writers Group, Austin Mystery Writers, and lives in Knoxville, TN.
Let’s Be Social:
Emails:
kayegeorge@gmail.com
janetcantrell01@gmail.com
March 3, 2020
It's Our Book Birthday!
The second book in the Mutt Mysteries series launches today. Check it out at your favorite book retailer.
This is a collection of dog-themed, cozy mysteries by Jayne Ormerod, Rosemary Shomaker, Teresa Inge, and me.
My story is “The Fast and the Furriest.” It’s about a love triangle gone bad at a local race track in Amelia County, VA. Cassidy Green and the her Director of Security, Rottweiler Oliver need to solve the case before it sends her business in a tail spin.
February 27, 2020
#ThisorThatThursday Author Interview with Teresa Inge
I’d like to welcome Mutt Mystery author, Teresa Inge, to the blog for #ThisorThatThursday.
A few of your favorite things: Sweet tea, my dogs, husband, children, and writing!
Things you need to throw out: Clothes in my closet! I have too many.
Things you need for your writing sessions: Laptop.
Things that hamper your writing: Not much. I write in my car during lunch. I write in our RV when we travel. I write in our classic cars as my husband drives. I write on our back-deck. By the pool and with my dogs Luke and Lena by my side.
Things you love about writing: Creating memorable characters and settings. I love writing about the Outer banks (OBX) in my stories.
Things you hate about writing: Editing. Editing, Editing. But practice makes perfect so it’s a necessity.
Hardest thing about being a writer: Finding time to write.
Easiest thing about being a writer: Nothing. It’s challenging but well worth it.
Words that describe you: Hard worker. Loyal. Trusting.
The coolest person you’ve ever met: My husband, AJ.
The nicest thing a reader said to you: I love your books and can’t wait to read the next one.
Favorite books (or genre): Cozy mysteries. Since becoming an author, I now read my fellow author’s books.
About Teresa:
Teresa Inge grew up reading Nancy Drew mysteries. Combining her love of reading mysteries and
writing professional articles led to writing short fiction and novellas.
Today, she doesn't carry a rod like her idol but she hot rods. She juggles assisting two busy executives and is the president of the Sisters in Crime, Mystery by the Sea chapter. Teresa is the author of the Virginia is for Mysteries Series, 50 Shades of Cabernet, and Mutt Mysteries Series.
Visit Teresa at her website: www.teresainge.com
February 24, 2020
When You Think You're Done Writing...
There is no other feeling like typing, “The End.” You have worked and worked on your manuscript, and now you’re done. Take a break and celebrate.
Now the work for the next phase begins. You need to polish and revise this to make it the best that it can be. If you’re going to query it to agents and publishers, you only get one shot.
Go through your manuscript and remove all unnecessary or overused words. Use the find/replace feature. (Mine are “that,” “just,” and “a few minutes.”)
Reread your manuscript and make sure the plot flows and the events move your story forward.
Make sure that your main character is likeable and human. They shouldn’t be perfect. If they are, then, there’s not that much conflict. (Make sure that your reader knows who the story is about. You don’t want confusion.)
Create a document that summarizes what happens in each chapter. This will help you see plot holes. (You’ll also need it later as an outline for a synopsis.)
Make sure that you didn’t leave any minor story lines hanging. Readers will want to know what happened to something earlier in the story.
Find a critique group, beta readers, or a writing partner to read your whole manuscript and provide you with feedback. (Parents, friends, and spouses are great for feedback, but you need someone who is going to tell you about the good, the bad, and the ugly.)
Look over your feedback and make revisions. Sometimes, this means rewrites.
Print a copy and check for typos, misspellings, and any other inconsistency. (I probably do this three or four times before the book is ready to send to an editor or agent.)
I hire an editor to go through what I think is my final version. Then I go back and make the changes and proofread the book again.
Then take a few minutes to celebrate all the effort that it took to get your book ready. Now, it’s time to think about marketing and promotion.
February 22, 2020
What I Learned from Literary Agent Paige Wheeler
Literary agent, Paige Wheeler of Creative Media Agency, spoke to my Sisters in Crime - Central Virginia chapter recently about mysteries. Here’s what I learned from her presentation:
Publishing is a business
Publishing is all about the sales numbers
Print is still alive and well
Write your passion
Know your readers
Your book needs to be excellent
Your writing needs to be fresh and unique
Your work needs to stand out
You need a unique marketing hook for your book
Discoverability is important
Authors need to be nimble and adjust to the tastes of the time
Your query letter needs to spark interest
Don’t be too wordy in your query letter
Your sample pages are important
Show how your character is transformed
Focus on the whole story in your query
Your query letter content is not back cover text
February 21, 2020
You Can Do This! Tips to Help Writers Stay Motivated
Writing is primarily a solitary business, and a bad day, the grumpies, a negative review, or someone’s snarky comment can easily send you to a demotivated state. If you want to be a published author, you need to persevere. Writing and publishing are work. You need to keep at it. Here are some ideas that can help you get going .
Look at the feedback/criticism. Learn from it, but don’t dwell on it.
Keep control of that voice in your head. Be aware of your self-talk. You don’t need to make things worse by fixating on them.
Take a break and do something else for a while. Physical activity will clear your mind and get your endorphins going.
Do something else that’s creative (e.g. paint, draw, knit, sew…). It will boost your energy.
Be grateful. Count your blessings. You’ll be surprised at the list of positive things in your life.
Volunteer or help someone else. You’ll often find that your troubles aren’t as challenging as what others are facing. And you are often able to make a difference in someone’s life.
Writing is work, and it’s a long process. There is a lot of waiting (e.g. on queries, responses, contracts, edits…). You need to stay busy during the down times. Write your next book.
When something happens that you don’t like, take a minute to cry, scream, yell, or eat chocolate. Get it out of your system and move on. You’ve got things to do. Don’t waste precious time wallowing in self-pity.
