A.E. Jones's Blog, page 50

Writer’s Process Blog Tour

Hello all! This week I am changing things up a bit on my blog. I am participating in the Writer’s Process Blog Tour. So what is it, exactly? Each Monday, authors from all over the globe answer four questions about their writing process and then ‘tag’ another author to answer these same questions the following week. So far, the blogs I have been reading are fascinating! Every writer does things a little bit (or a whole lot) differently than the last.

I have been ‘tagged’ by the extremely talented author by the name(s) of Amy DeLuca/Amy Patrick. No, she does not have a split personality. She writes YA (Young Adult) under the name of Amy DeLuca and NA (New Adult) under the name of Amy Patrick. She is a 2013 and 2014 Golden Heart® finalist, which is how I met Amy last year. In August, she will be releasing CHANNEL 20 SOMETHING, her first novel in a new NA series. I have been lucky enough to have a sneak peek of this book and it is a winner! Visit Amy at her NA website here, or her YA website here. Or on Twitter.

Okay…on to the questions!

What am I currently working on?

I am currently working on A LOT. I am completing final proofreading on my 2013 Golden Heart® winning novel, Mind Sweeper that will be released in the fall. Yay! (Sorry for the shameless plug, but I am so proud of this book!). It is the first book in my Mind Sweeper series. I am also completing first edits on my novella which is book two in the series as well as my second full length novel, Shifter Wars, which will continue Kyle, my heroine’s, story. And with all of this comes the decisions inherent with self-pubbing. I am juggling a lot. Some days I juggle tennis balls and other days I juggle chainsaws (don’t try this at home), but as long as I keep things in the air and don’t shed too much blood, I’m calling it a ‘win.’

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

You know, this one is a toughie. There are so many phenomenal paranormal romance and urban fantasy writers out there that I am in awe of and who are each unique in their own way. But if I really think about my writing, I would say it has a great combination of the fantastical and the funny. I look at my writing as delving into ‘normal’ situations and putting a paranormal (and therefore oftentimes humorous) twist on it. And I love independent heroines who think that they are in charge of their lives and their emotions, but in reality have a lot to learn, including how to trust.

And that is the cool thing about writing. You can have universal themes that work across the genres. Women with trust issues can be wearing hoop skirts in a historical, a gun and badge in a suspense or be sporting fangs in a paranormal. But the ability to let someone close to you and love them is relatable to everyone.

Why do I write what I write?

I have been addicted to books my entire life, so it isn’t too hard of a leap that I have also been writing for a long time. But in the last 5 years, I really started to take my writing seriously and that is when I wrote my first paranormal. I absolutely loved, loved, loved, the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all of the paranormal shows that have evolved since then. There is something wonderful about creating a world of ‘other beings’ that have powers that we can only begin to imagine, but struggle with the same issues we as everyday humans face (love/hate, trust/betrayal, good/evil). And world-building that is involved with writing paranormal is my idea of heaven.

As for why I write romance, I guess you could say it is because relationships are the basis of everything in life and make stories and characters more interesting. I grew up reading mysteries and I love them, because I love solving puzzles, but wow does it take a long time for a relationship to blossom in one. Dead bodies are cropping up left and right, but it isn’t until book five when the plucky independent heroine and the sarcastic cop finally, finally, finally kiss! So my books have paranormal characters usually solving some kind of mystery and falling in love at the same time. I guess you could say I write romanstery or mysterance!

How does my individual writing process work?

Now on to the final and hardest question. I have been reading all of my fellow writer’s blogs on this and I am amazed at the intricate process many of them follow. But we are talking about me now and I can tell you emphatically that I am NOT a plotter. I actually have a tendency to jump around when I write. Which if you know me personally is VERY ironic since I am extremely meticulous in my day job. Spreadsheets and project plans are my friends during daylight hours. But when I put on my writer’s cap and sit down to create, I do not write an outline or synopsis. I start with the kernel of an idea. It could be about a character, it could be about a situation. And if that kernel rattles around enough and bursts open, I have to write it down. I equate it to a movie trailer. The idea flashes in my brain for a few seconds and it makes me want to see and write more.

I will tell you that I do write fairly complex plots (mystery lover, remember?) and a large cast of characters. Those two things are my main focus. Does my plot make sense? Did I leave something flapping open in the breeze that readers are going to say, ’what about this?’ I make sure that my plot works and carries through the entire manuscript. And I love creating those, ‘oh crap’ moments that make the reader wonder how they will ever get out of trouble.

Then on to characters. Because when it comes down to it, that is what readers love and come back to again and again. So after my first draft when I am editing I make sure that I have really given my characters the back story to explain their motivation. Why does my heroine not trust? Why does my hero feel the need to save everyone? And this part is so hard because as writers our characters are three-dimensional in our heads, but that doesn’t mean that they are coming across that way on the page. That is probably where I spend most of my time in edits.

So there you have it. Now on to the fun part! I get to tag someone for next week’s blog. And I am lucky enough to tag my writer-friend and chapter mate, Miranda Liasson. Miranda was the 2013 Golden Heart winner for her series contemporary manuscript, Baby on Board, Help! And I am so excited to announce that she recently signed a multi-book deal with Entangled Indulgence for a contemporary series she is working on. I have read snippets of Miranda’s work and she is uber-talented. Check her out here. Or on Twitter.

Calling my Inner Tortoise

We interrupt this regularly scheduled blog to say ‘hi’ to those of you who are visiting my site for the first time. If you found me by clicking on the link on my very talented writer-friend and fellow Golden Heart ® sister, Amy DeLuca’s blog, welcome. Or if you found me another way, welcome. Or if you’ve been following me for a while, thanks, and the check is in the mail ;)

Take a look around. I write a weekly blog about my writing process. This year it’s all about my self-pub journey. I hope you find my site useful. Now…on to my newest revelation.

Last week I talked about working on edits. never-ending edits. But this week I’m going to spend some time on attitude. My attitude to be exact and how it needs to be flexible for this self-pub journey. As many of you are aware, I am a teensy-bit high-strung. Some might say it is type-A personality, others might actually say triple-type-A personality. But whatever you call it, it is one of the reasons why I decided to self-publish my Mind Sweeper series. And while my personality can and does help lead me down the path, I have to remember that if I speed down the highway like a maniac, I’m going to miss the sights and signs along the way.

So I’m going to equate this process to the age-old parable, the tortoise and the hare. My personality definitely lends itself to the hare (or rabbit for those of you wondering what the heck I am talking about). And I came to the conclusion this week that I have to listen to my ‘inner tortoise’ too. One of my mantras this year has been BE PATIENT. And it is important for a reason. Each step to self-publication is actually a series of sub-steps (refer to my earlier blog, ‘Order in the Court…’ if you need an idea of what I mean here). I can’t expect to rush through this process. And I started to lose sight of that this past week, until Thursday night rolled around and I sat in front of my computer mumbling to myself about all the things I need to get done and not having enough hours in the day. 

So what did I do, you ask? I shut down my computer and backed away from it, slowly. And I relaxed. The next day it was time to regroup, rethink, and make a list checking it twice, no three times (sorry Santa, didn’t mean to one-up you, but I can’t help myself sometimes). Now if you have been following me, you know that I am a list maker, but this time on my new list I wrote down REALISTIC dates of when I could accomplish my steps to publication. And then I stopped breathing in a paper bag (a hypothetical paper bag, but you get my meaning).  

All in all I slowed down in this race so that I can make sure I get it right. Because, is this really a race to begin with? And I have to remind myself that it’s okay when the tortoise needs to take over…or in the very least when the bunny needs a sedative!

Edits, Edits, who’s got the Edits

Before I launch into my newest blog about my self-pub journey, I want to take a moment on this Memorial Day to thank the men and women who have served in the military. Your hard work and sacrifice should never be forgotten. Thank you.

Today it was eighty-four degrees and sunny (that’s 84 Fahrenheit which equals 28.8 degrees Celsius for my friends outside the US). True Nirvana for most Northeast Ohioans who spent the past winter hip deep in snow and ice and sub-zero temperatures. A winter that never really let go of us until early May. We did not have a spring this year. Many of the trees and flowers that would have bloomed for us in April are blooming now. So having a day (actually a whole weekend) of wonderful weather is a celebration that should not be taken for granted.

So what did I do over this long, beautiful, holiday weekend? Drumroll please….I edited.

Yes, I edited. Now you may remember that I regaled you in past blogs about my process of finding an editor. And then I talked about receiving my edits back. So what else can I possibly have left to edit? Well, I’m glad you asked. Writers know that editing is NEVER truly over. Because as writers we are neurotic enough to continue reviewing and reviewing and tweaking our work. But if we become too obsessed by it, we will never allow our work to see the light of day. Never let readers enjoy the stories that have keep us up for countless hours and that would truly be a shame.

Fear not, my followers, I have not fallen into this trap. In the case of Mind Sweeper, the first book in my series, I have already completed three rounds of edits with my editor. Now I am sending it off this week to a proofreader and I also have one of my writer friends lined up to give it a last read through as well. And then it will be ready for formatting and cover art. (happy dance here). Pheww, a lot of work, right?

No, this weekend was spent editing the next novel in my series. And the edits were content edits. Content edits are not the nitty-gritty line or copy edits that I spoke about previously in my blogs. Instead they are about broader issues in your books like characters or plot or flow. And here is something that is interesting about writing a series. YES the first book is massively important because if your readers don’t like it, they won’t pick up book two or three or…well you get the idea. But here is something you might not think about.

Book two has added pressure. It has to live up to book one AND also stand on its own. So M.E. (stands for ‘Madame Editor’ for those of you new to my blog) read through book two and came back with some content edits. And when I read them and then read them again (taking the emotions out of the picture the second time), I realized she was right. While the book was good, it needed some tweaks to make it stand on its own.

So over this beautiful, holiday weekend, I edited. Sitting in a lawn chair, sunglasses perched on my head, I enjoyed the weather while making my story even stronger. Some of you might think I am crazy, but for me, it was my own form of Nirvana.

Order in the Court…or the Self Pub Process!

So I did it (and it’s about time). I contacted a cover designer, peppered her with a million questions and I think she is the one…yay me!

But while I was conversing with her, she asked me a very simple question (or what should have been a very simple question). How many pages was my book?  You see, she needs to know this since she is designing the front, back and spine of my book since I will be releasing it in BOTH print and digital.

Now, you may be thinking, well duh, just open up your word document and it will tell you. Here’s the thing…in order to publish the book in print, it needs to be formatted. And I need to decide what size I want me book to be and what paper type I will be using. Then the formatter puts it all together and lets me know how many pages so that I can give the info to the cover designer.

Yep, you guessed it…I have to find a formatter first BEFORE my cover designer will work her magic. But wait! In order to give my book to a formatter, it has to be ready. And I still need to add some details and have a final proofreader go through it one last time.

Order in the court! Order in the self pub process! Step back away from the edge and regroup a bit. Time for one of my handy-dandy lists/schedules.

Complete the ‘other data’ in the book such as the acknowledgement page, dedication, copyright, etc.
Query proofreader and send book for final proof
Order ISBN’s (13 digit code assigned to the book).
Send finalized book w/ISBN included to formatter.
Send page number, completed cover questionnaire, back cover blurb to cover designer.

Whew…and here you thought it was a simple thing, right? Well, part of the fear for me was the unknown and as I head down this path I am learning a lot. But I also know that I have a lot more to learn and self publishing is ever-changing. Deep breath in.

So I decided that in order to tackle all this, I needed a list I could tape to my wall next to my computer monitor. One that I can use REGARDLESS of the self-publishing step I am on. Here goes (the first three should look familiar to you).

Be Fearless
Be Patient
Listen to your Gut
Don’t Panic
When all else fails, eat chocolate
When that fails, sit down and write a character, a scene, a chapter just for the FUN of it. Okay…now I remember why I am doing this.

Until next time.

 

Covers Revisited – Still Twitching

This week I’m going to expand on my decision process for picking a good cover artist. I talked about all the information to look for on the various cover designer websites in my last blog and now, I’m moving on to sending out questions to make a final decision on my designer.

So what questions am I going to ask? Well…here are a few things that I need to know before I sign on the dotted line.

Questions:

Timeframe – when would you be available to work on my covers? Please note, that this is a series, so I would need 5 covers developed.
Series – since these book covers are part of a series, how would you link them together visually so that readers would know right away that they belong together?
If you use stock photos, what is the copyright on those photos? Is there a limit to the number of copies that can be used? If yes, what would be the additional cost to extend that copy number?
How much would it cost to find more ‘exclusive’ photos that are not being used on multiple covers?
Would I need to mention your name on the copyright page as the designer? Would I have to mention the photographer on the copyright page?
Any other clarifications that were not readily available on their website would also come into play here as well.

So, it sounds like I have everything figured out, right? I mean why would I be twitchy at all at this point? Well, I’m going to tell you (don’t I always).

I can have all the answers to the information I gathered in last week’s blog, along with answers to the questions I posed in this week’s blog, but that doesn’t mean that I know THE answer to THE question.

THE Question: What makes a GOOD cover that GRABS readers’ attention?

THE Answer: ________________

Because when it comes down to it, every person is different. A cover gives an immediate visceral response and you hope and pray that it is a positive one. You want that potential new reader to click on that teeny tiny cover they see on Amazon, read your blurb and scream BRILLIANT as they click the ‘BUY ME’ link.

I like to think that is what will happen with my book. But it all comes down to grabbing the reader’s attention and emotion. That is why I am STILL TWITCHING!