Heidi Heilig's Blog, page 2

On Reviews and Responses, and a Personal Policy

In the year since the book sold, I've seen several instances of authors stalking or threatening reviewers. So, first off because it's most important:

Threatening and/or stalking someone is never, ever okay.

It is so Not Okay that I don't even have a metaphor for how Not Okay it is.

In fact, "Not Okay" is a huge understatement. It is wrong. It is illegal. It is evil. No one should ever do it.

I have never been the subject of a bad review. (Because my book isn't out yet. I'm sure that I will get some when it starts to be available. That is life. Can't be all things to all people/there are bad reviews for classics/etc.)

But I have been stalked and threatened.

And it is terrifying.

Is a bad review terrifying? ... Maybe? But not in the same way. If someone hates my work, I do not fear for my life. And if they somehow make me fear for my life with personal threats and calling my private cell and heavy-breathing their review into my ear, then, you know, I go through appropriate channels to try to protect myself. And "Appropriate Channels" is NOT threatening or stalking.

(Nor is it using a large platform to sic fans on reviewers. I don't have a large platform so this may never be applicable to me, but it should be said because apparently some people don't know this?)

So, okay, with the internet the way it is, people are more accessible than ever. We can tweet and email and chat and crosstalk and argue and all that, and I love that, I love connecting with people. And as the pub date approaches and my circle widens, there is more opportunity for cool conversation but also more risk. And I never want to make anyone feel unsafe, ever.

So I want to just include a personal policy, of sorts, for social media. As time goes forward, I will be thinking about and developing this policy further, but for now this is what I've got.

--If you ask me questions directly online, or invite me into a conversation, I will happily and respectfully try to respond. I love talking to people (though I am awkward about it at times) and appreciate conversation.

--If you Tweet about me but do not appear to be inviting me into conversation, I will err on the side of not responding. I'm not ignoring you to be rude! But I would rather risk appearing rude than making you feel unsafe.

--If you review my work, I may or may not read it, but I will always appreciate it--even if you hate the book. Why? Because you took the time, and time is your most precious resource. Thank you, truly.

--If you review my work and loved it and rave about it and it comes to my attention, I may in fact print out your review and keep it to look at when I'm unsure of myself. It means the world to me to know I did well in the eyes of a reader.

--I will always support a better safety and harassment policy on all social media platforms.

--If I hurt someone or cause harm, I will want to apologize. I will feel sorry. I will likely make some kind of public announcement of what I did wrong (keeping names out of it) and my intent to do better and any plans I have to that effect. I may or may not apologize directly, depending on my sense of whether or not a direct apology/contact is wanted by the person I hurt. (I am aware that sometimes, when harm is caused, the person harmed wants nothing more to do with the person who has harmed them and that's okay too. Stuff is complicated and I want to try to do the right thing.)

Okay. I think this is a good policy, though again, it is evolving. And I always want to do better so feedback is welcome.

New (Old) Song!

Getting back to my musical theatre roots!

Please enjoy a new recording of an old song, with New music. (er, music by Joel B. New, that is). Sung with flair by Vishal Vaidya.





I don't always write love songs, but when I do, I--oh who am I kidding, most of my songs are love songs.

The other ones are about science and time travel. But in service of love.

Writing Outside The Checkbox

You know those checkboxes you get on some official forms where there's an incomplete list of races/genders and you're like "Where am I on here?" and also "Is this, strictly-speaking, legal?"

Not even an "Other" box? 
Very few of us fit in neat boxes, but you can imagine a hypothetical and inclusive checklist. And I posit that most of us feel pretty comfortable writing characters with whom we share an identity--people who would check the same boxes as we would.

In seeking to write diversity, I definitely feel like I can speak for the type of people that would check the same boxes as me. I'm bipolar. I'm biracial. So I'm comfortable writing characters with mood swings or people who never feel quite at home in any one culture. Part of this is that I have a huge amount of lived experience to draw from.

And part of it, of course, is that I never have to fear that someone can accurately say to me "We're not like that. You got it wrong."

I hate being wrong, of course. Most people do. But it's more than that.

Any member of a marginalized community knows how hurtful stereotypes and misattributions can be. (If one more mass murderer is diagnosed by popular opinion with "mental illness" post-rampage, I'm going to go NUTS.) (See what I did there?) I don't want to feed into stereotypes. I don't want to hurt people. I don't want to make things even worse.

But I don't want to do nothing either, because the status quo is actively harmful.

So how to try to make things better without making things worse instead?

Two things I recommend.

1) Read and support marginalized voices outside your own experience. Listen, like, buy, retweet, signal boost. And most importantly, do this without butting into the conversation to give your own take on other people's lives.

2) Use the learning that naturally came from listening in your own work. Try to write outside your checkbox. My main character is mixed race, her father is a bipolar addict. Those are all things I've dealt with. But her best friend is Persian. Her surrogate father is Nuer. I am neither, but I did my best to research, to listen, to understand, and then to write a compelling cast of diverse characters.

Did I get stuff wrong? Very likely.

Will I apologize for getting it wrong when someone lets me know? Most definitely.

Would I rather have just stuck with people that were like me? Certainly not.*

After all, they can't ALL be crazy.Trying and failing is better than not trying at all. Do your best to write diversity well, and acknowledge in advance that you can always do better.

And then write books that can proudly check loads of boxes.




*That is, unless for some reason my portrayal of these characters causes massive harm to others. I really don't think it will. But I may be utterly clueless. You have to leave open that possibility, the possibility that you are Utterly Clueless.

How To Avoid Working On Your Work In Progress

Guess what I'm doing today!

If you guessed procrastinating, you are correct.

YOU WIN ONE MILLION INTERNETS.

I have a draft of book 2 that's staring at me, and I'm steadfastly refusing eye contact. But my soft deadline is six weeks from today, which is coming up alarmingly fast.

Long ago*, procrastination looked like Netflix binges of crappy horror movies while I started internet fights. But now that I have deadlines and a small beeb at home, procrastination looks different. Here's a list of things I do while procrastinating that still (hopefully) help me inch towards my deadline.

1. Research: This one's great! Since I'm writing historical fantasy, I can still Netflix binge, but I get to watch documentaries instead of horror movies. Better for my psyche anyway. And I get so much inspiration from getting a visual on those old documents, photos, or letters they show with the slow Ken Burns zoom/pan. I'm not a visual person so watching something gets my brain firing in new ways.

2. Reading: This one can be dangerous. When I have writer's block, reading is a godsend, but when I'm procrastinating, I'll happily try to fool myself into thinking that my entire TBR list is vital to finish. I have to be selective because I will read and reread new books and old favorites, and I'll never want to stop. Still, reading can help jog something that's been stuck in my brain, so it's vital. One thing that helps more than others is reading and critiquing for critique partners. Making my brain work on problems other writers are having is a good way to exercise my problem-solving muscles.

3. Blogging: HA HA. I actually don't know if this one's helpful. Obviously I should be laying down words on book 2 rather than here. Still, I can tell myself I'm being helpful to readers or getting out my angst or whatever. And there's a limit. I can't work on this post all day long. Eventually I'll get annoyed with myself and go open my document.

4. Shaming myself by blogging about procrastinating: Yup. I'm annoyed. I'm opening my document.






*Before book 1 sold.

Terrific or Terrified?

So I just got my copy edits back and they are awesome and terrifying.

They are awesome because we are nearly done!

They are terrifying because we are nearly done!

A real life edit note from the copy editor
Committing to something is not my best skill. My favorite quote* is "Art is never finished, only abandoned." I love rewriting, and this past year of edits has shown me how very much you can rewrite. You can tweak and adjust and fix and retool forever.

Well, you could, if you didn't have deadlines.

SO. I'm going to get these edits done, and then I'm going to send them off, and then that will be it. I will not have to make more changes. I will not be able to make more changes.

Indeed.
It's a good thing. It has to be. Because I have to put book 1 down and finish up book 2.

Martha Mihalick sums it up perfectly

Happy (re)writing.





*Fittingly, there are many versions of this quote attributed to many different people. Quotes are never given, only claimed.

Revision Tips: THE ONE TRUE WAY

You know how I often say there is no one true way to write or revise?

I lied.  
There is only one true way that all writers write and/or revise. I have checked with hundreds of other writers and they all have the same process and it works every time. You ready? Here goes:
1. Open document (either in hard-copy or electronically.)2. Open web browser (on computer or phone.)3. Go to Facebook.4. Feel guilt. Return to document. Scroll down a bit (or page through.) Change an m-dash to a semi-colon. Feel better. Progress!5. See what that notification is on Facebook. Oh! Jason* has a birthday. 6. Type "Happy Birthday Jason!" in the box.7. Return to the manuscript. Search for "eyes." See 694 returns. Grit your teeth and make your way through 38 instances. 8. Open Twitter. Type something pithy about cutting eyes, maybe make a reference to Oedipus. 9. See an interesting looking link about how to edit and revise your MS. Retweet it.10. Get coffee. 11. Note time on microwave. Didn't you start trying to revise two hours ago?12. GET FED UP WITH SELF.13. Start revising in earnest.
There you go. You're welcome. Feel free to print this out and stick it to the bulletin board above your writing desk. (Bonus secret tip: I highlighted #13.)

*If you don't know a Jason, I don't know what to do for you. You should probably just type "Happy Birthday Jason!" to someone at random and then get on to step 7.

Does a Writer Have to Write Every Day?

Short answer: No.

If you still have a few minutes, here's the long answer.

There are a lot of quotes around saying that a writer must write every day. Michael Connelly: "Write every day, even if it's just a paragraph." Ray Bradbury: "You must write every single day of your life. . . "  Robert McKee: "Write every day, line by line, page by page, hour by hour." Articles purporting to be habits of highly successful writers usually include this bit of advice.

But it is WRONG.

NO. BAD PINTEREST.
Writers--like humans--come in all types.

There are writers who cannot survive without writing every day. They keep slips of paper in their pockets and pens in their hair and sometimes they wake in the night and write in their journal, which is on their nightstand, open to a fresh page.

There are writers who have been into photography recently but when go on a road trip with friends, they livetweet the experience and then Storify it on the spotty wifi at the last motel before home. Then after they unpack, they take up knitting.

There are writers who just recently heard the word "NaNoWriMo" and googled it and thought "Huh. Why not me?"

There are writers who have grueling work schedules and come home to families that need feeding and have no time to wash their hair, but while they're standing over the stove making some delicious mac n' cheese, a thought moves in and makes a home behind one ear and eventually starts to expand into all the rooms in the head. Then one day that writer gets fired and they spend their first week freaking out and the next week helping that idea move to paper.

There are writers who find it impossible to get out of bed on very dark days, much less drag themselves three feet to the computer, but on the good days, they write hilarious stories and make their readers laugh and laugh.

This is not an exhaustive list of writers. There is no one way to be a writer. And the ways a writer writes may change over time. Frankly, I think it's a very privileged to say that a writer must write every day, because not every writer can. Of course a highly successful (i.e. HIGHLY PAID) writer is more likely to be able to write every day. But you don't stop being a writer when you put down your pen.

So, no. Writers don't have to write every day. Imaginations can be boundless, time is still limited. Writers write. . . eventually.

Interview at DiversifYA

I'm honored to say I was interviewed over at DiversifYA. Check it out if you want to read about my crazy hapa self!

I highly recommend reading the interview archives. There are a whole bunch of diverse writers talking about their experiences, with bonus advice for authors who want to write diverse characters*.

*That's all of us, right? RIGHT??

The "Ta-Da"--Timelines in Publishing

I'm seeing lots of Twitter Chatter (Chitter? ... Uh) about the Bologna Book Fair, and that's how I know that my Book Deal is just about one year old!

"So why isn't it out already?" says all my very well-intentioned family and those friends who are not aware of publishing timelines.
Why does your book still look like a stack of printer paper?
Is this some kind of marketing thing?
A year and a half ago, I, too, would have been asking this question. I had a very hazy idea of How Huge Word Docs Become Books. It seemed a bit like magic. "See here, in one hand, an agent, in the other, a publisher--I bring them together and ta da!"   A puff of smoke, and there you are in a ruffled party dress, sitting on a tall stack of your own books at the launch party in your favorite local indie. Right? 
Well. Ask any magician, they'll tell you that "ta-da" covers the interesting and complicated part. 
Unfortunately, in publishing, unlike in magic tricks, the ta-da can take years. (Which is still faster than in musical theatre where the ta-da can take decades...but that's another timeline!)
So far, my timeline looks like this:
Mid-November 2012: "What's this thing everyone's doing writing books or something?"July 2013: "Finish" manuscript. August 2013: Finish Query Letter. (Thank you Query Shark!)Fall 2013: Querying. I try to send out one letter a week, taking the time to make sure that I've got the submission correct--first five pages pasted into the email, or first ten in a pdf? Or no pages at all? I always feel like it shows respect to follow directions and I wasn't in a rush.December 2013: I speak to two agents and sign with Molly at The Bent Agency.January and February 2014: I polish the manuscript with Molly--one of the reasons I felt like she was the best fit for me was that she had ideas to edit the MS and her comments were very astute.March 2014: Molly takes the manuscript to Bologna. Editors are interested. There is a bit of upheaval at home; I have an out-of-town friend visiting in our tiny studio apartment, I'd just gotten out of the hospital for pre-term labor problems, and some of the editors are wondering if I have ideas for second (and possibly third) books in the series. I'm supposed to be on bedrest but my friend needs the couch, so I lay on pillows on the floor in the kitchen and put my computer on my lap and bang out some outlines for potential future works. April 2014: There was enough interest that Molly sent out auction rules. Then multi-book pre-empt offers come in with Greenwillow at HarperCollins and Hotkey in the UK, and we accept happily.May 2014: I panic and start working on Book 2.June 2014: I have a baby! The birth is very dramatic. Also, I get my edit letter. Good times! If you have never rewritten your debut novel with a sleeping newborn on your lap you are missing out. Does wonders to focus the mind. I get the work done two weeks before the deadline. (I just reread this: it sounds snarky but I am in complete earnest. I was high on hormones and adrenaline and it was marvelous.)August 2014: The contract from Hot Key arrives. September 2014: I send back my edits, and the contract from Harper Collins arrives. (All this time, my tireless agent had been negotiating behind the scenes with the contract people at both Hot Key and HarperCollins; Molly is like a swan, poised and lovely but the feet are paddling like mad under there. Also, she's can be dangerous; if you see her heading straight towards you, divest yourself of any buns and get out of there.)October 2014: I get my 2nd round edit letter.November 2014: I send back my 2nd round of edits. I am asked about my ideas for covers and I sort of shrug and flap my hands to try to indicate exactly how bad I am at visual and artistic design.January 2015: I get a few more small notes and make the fixes. I realize that Book 2 is due in another few months and I start freaking out all over again.February 2015: I get ONE more note, no biggie, just REWRITE THE FIRST PAGE which was more angst than every single other rewrite thus far. I use nearly the entire allotted time to work on it and get it in just a day before deadline.March 2015: I get a couple more edits, I send them back the same day. BOOM. Done with line edits. Uh. . . except now we're off to copy edits!
And that's where we are now. Sometime soon, I'm aware that covers will be developed. Jackets and layout will be designed and copy written. Then ARCs will be printed, I think? People will read and possibly review them. "Marketing" will happen. (I think probably marketing is a magic trick of its own.) I will try to plan a launch party, complete with ruffled party dress. Other things too, I'm sure--I'll keep you posted. But you can see that there's a lot going on, and even just editing and contracts take a while to happen. 
Part of it is that the book is complicated--time travel is always particularly hard to edit. I also did so much research but I have a terrible memory so I have to keep checking notes--for example, I remember looking at reports from Honolulu in 1884 to figure out the phases of the moon (Full-moon parties were A Thing, before electricity was as widespread as it is today.) If we changed things by even a day, the phase of the moon might be off and that Just Won't Do. (The copy editors might be happy knowing I already looked at that stuff? I hope so.)
The other thing is that we had a little more time built into the contract--a lot of other books that sold around the time mine did were slated to be published in Fall '15, but Greenwillow's fall list was already full by then.
But looking back at the past year, I'm quite happy with the process. After all, the "Ta Da" is where all the magic happens. And I need time to shop for that party dress. 

Four Letter Word, Rhymes with Duck

Luck, of course! What did you think I meant?

Recently, a friend who's just finished a manuscript wanted to talk about my path to publication. Her first question was an interesting one:

"How much of getting published is luck?" she asked.

My immediately answer was: LIKE ALMOST ALL.



I mean, on top of accident of birth to a privileged family which resulted in, among many things, excellent schooling and lots of disposable time to read and write, I had a story in me that managed to interest both The Greatest Agent In The World and The Best Editor On The Planet. And we all work really well together. Also, I live in an apartment where 3 gourmet donut shops have opened within walking distance in the past year. This is like primo luck and I did nothing to deserve it.

Because that's what luck is, right? The stuff we can't control.

So I thought about that and wondered, how useful is it to talk about luck, really? Maybe instead I should talk about the stuff I know I had a hand in. The stuff I can recommend doing. 

So what isn't luck? What can you control?

The writing, of course. You start with a blank page--you control every word that goes on it. They're your accomplishment--or your fault. So make them good. Reread them and make them better. Then go off for a bit and read other people's words very critically, and then come back to your words and make them the best you possibly can.

What else though? Well, it gets a little tricky there. 



You can do a lot of research and query the right people for your project. You can try to pay attention to larger trends or manuscript wish lists so your work has a better chance of being au currant. You can be your best self and a good Literary Citizen so that when it comes time for you to work with agents and editors, you've practiced your social graces and can make good small talk. But all of these things take luck, and also sometimes they don't matter. 

Personally, I didn't know much about agents before I started querying, I didn't know what a manuscript wish list was, and I am socially very ungraceful: like I said, I've been very very lucky. And the nature of luck is very unfair. 

But it can also be very freeing.

Because knowing the rest is ultimately out of your hands means you can focus on those beautiful words. And--at least for me--that's always been what I cared about most.

So fill those pages. Tell your stories. Write. 

And I wish you the very best of luck!