M.B. Weston's Blog, page 5

Working with Editors: Send in Your Best Work

About a year ago, I submitted a short story for a yet-to-be-titled anthology edited by one of my friends, author John Hartness. Hartness co-edited The Big Bad 2, which featured my story “The Witch Hunter“, so we have collaborated before. I respect him as a person, author, actor, and friend. I definitely want his opinion on my story, and I trust his corrections.

This anthology, originally titled Corsets, is rather open ended. I believe the word count maximum was around 9,000 words (because my story was 8,300). We were told to write anything we wanted as long as a corset was featured prominently in the story. My story, a thriller/horror story called “Blue Lights,” takes place on the moors of Dartmoor.

Most of my blog posts focus on writing before the story reaches an editor. I’m going to focus my next few posts on working with an editor after the manuscript has been accepted. I’ll use the instructions Hartness sent me and my corrections as examples–mainly because he gave me so many to choose from (wink, wink).

***Note: I didn’t say suggestions. I said instructions. Hartness isn’t a beta reader. He is the editor. Unless I have a darn good reason for disagreeing with a change, I need to fix what he tells me to fix. That’s part of working with publishers and editors, especially when working with an editor on an anthology. The editor knows the style and the audience the anthology is aiming for, and he/she will try to make each of the stories, while different and by different author, flow in a coherent fashion. I might have to tinker my natural writing style to fit the editor’s vision for the anthology.

Today’s post covers a simple concept:

Submit your best work.

Yeah, I didn’t.

I have a writing process I try to follow that usually helps me submit the best work possible:

Write the pre-draft/outline thing.
Fill in the plot holes until the plot works.
Make sure characters are developed.
Add in sensory details.
Go through the story and make sure to “show, don’t tell.”
Preform a word search and eliminate all stupid words and verbs that do nothing for the sentence, focusing on all forms of “to be” and “has/had/have.” (John, if you are reading this, you hereby have permission to hit me over the head with a book the next time you see me.)
Have a few beta readers read it over.
Make corrections.
Read it out loud.
Submit to editor.

See all the parts of the list in italics? Guess what parts of my process I neglected because I didn’t have time due to the deadline?

Guess which parts of the story totally got chewed apart?

Did I deserve it? Heck yes. I’m better than what I sent in, and I knew it. I sat on pins and needles waiting to find out if the manuscript was accepted because I knew I neglected the final polishing steps.

Oh, I have some very good excuses as to why I wasn’t able to get to those steps:

Extra research and a complex, backstory-ridden plot forced me to take more time on the project than I planned.
I worked down to the deadline on this one.
I didn’t get much sleep for a week–maybe two hours a night–because I worked down to the deadline, and I was physically and mentally spent.

The excuses, while legitimate, don’t really matter. No reader reads a story and says, “Wow, this story had some issues but that’s okay. The author has some good excuses.” Neither do editors, and I guarantee you the words they use and think while editing your story might be…colorful…

A few tips to help you submit your best work:

Get sleep–if possible. (Sometimes deadlines render sleep impossible.) As I re-read my story, I was shocked at how my story sounded. I normally write much better than I did, and I vaguely remember doing a word search on my “to be” verbs and not being able to think of how to make the sentences better. I couldn’t come up with anything because I was exhausted.
Get at least one advance/beta reader. I like to get at least five if possible. However getting one person to look your story over can help. I didn’t have time to get anyone to look over this one, and I hastily read it to my husband before I submitted it. I might have had better results if I had a emailed my story to a trusted beta reader, who would have had time to pick apart the story.
Read it out loud. Reading a story aloud exposes several weaknesses and grammar mistakes easily missed during editing. (Note: this only works if you aren’t exhausted from lack of sleep.)
Let the story sit for a day or two–if you have time. Fresh eyes find fresh fixes.

So submit your best work. Obviously, if you are up against a deadline, you might get some leeway, but remember you’ll still have pay for it when you get your work back for revisions.

M. B. Weston’s Art on Display at IONS: A Geek Gallery in Memphis

Believe it or not, I have a slightly creative side, and not just with writing. During some of my free hours in the evenings (after writing during the day), I’ve been working on a few pieces of artwork. This first series I’m working on is devoted to Edgar Allan Poe. The series isn’t complete yet, but some of it is already being featured in the IONS: A Geek Gallery in Memphis, TN! If you don’t live near Memphis, don’t worry. They are available online as well.

The Poe series is collage/decoupage art with silhouettes  that illustrate some of Poe’s most beloved (and creepy) stories. I used actually pages from hard cover books for the creations. I also have tried to feature a raven in each one because…well, it’s about Edgar Allan Poe! Once I finish some smaller collage pieces, I’m going to turn some of these into watercolors.

Here are a few items that are available so far.

The Raven:

9″ x 12″ Original – Matted (artwork: 9″ x 12″, matted 16″ x 20″) $50.00

8 1/2″ x 11″ Print – Matted (11″ x 14″): $15

8 1/2″ x 11″ Print: $10

 

 

 

 

 

The Masque of the Red Death:

9″ x 12″ Original – Matted (artwork: 9″ x 12″, matted 16″ x 20″) $50.00

8 1/2″ x 11″ Print – Matted (11″ x 14″): $15

8 1/2″ x 11″ Print: $10

 

 

 

 

 

The Pit and the Pendulum:

9″ x 12″ Original – Matted (artwork: 9″ x 12″, matted 16″ x 20″) $50.00

8 1/2″ x 11″ Print – Matted (11″ x 14″): $15

8 1/2″ x 11″ Print: $10 – Currently out of stock, more to come.

 

 

 

 

Murders on the Rue Morgue:

9″ x 12″ Original – Matted (artwork: 9″ x 12″, matted 16″ x 20″) $50.00

8 1/2″ x 11″ Print – Matted (11″ x 14″): $15

8 1/2″ x 11″ Print: $10

 

 

 

 

 

Annabel Lee: 

This is the newest in the series, and I haven’t been able to ship it off to IONS yet. It’s currently available at . Special thanks to my friend, Robert Alvarez, for giving me the idea.

8″ x 10″ original on canvas – $40

8″ x 10″ print – $10 (Coming soon)

 

 

 

I also have a few handmade jewelry pieces and other items on sale in my new Etsy shop (MBWestonConcepts). (I had a bunch of scrap paper left over from the above projects.):

Pendants:

Edgar Allan Poe Raven Book Page Pendant: $19.99 (The raven is hand-drawn and hand-cut. The paper is taken from actual Edgar Allan Poe stories.)

 

 

Glass Book Page Pendant: $14.99 (Taken from actual Edgar Allan Poe stories.)

 

 

Round Book Page Pendants: $9.99 (Word choices below. Taken from actual Edgar Allan Poe stories.)

“Intensity” – $9.99

“Desire” – $9.99

“Fierceness” – $9.99

“Secrets” – $9.99

“Depth” – $9.99

Magnets (Taken from actual Edgar Allan Poe stories):

Large Book Page Magnets – $9.99

 

 

 

Small Book Page Magnets – $3.99

 

 

Check Out My New Etsy Store (MBWestonConcepts)!

In the past month, I’ve had a lot of changes–good changes (for a change). I have been able to cut my hours at work to part-time, and I’ve spent my time writing and preparing for the baby (due in November). Long story short, I’ve been working on some art projects at night after writing during the day. It has given me something to do beside just let the television roll and in a sense, because it activates different parts of my brain, I can do it even after I have been writing all day.

Part of my motivation, aside from needing an outlet that doesn’t involve wrestling with words, is making sure I can continue to go to conventions and promote my books after the baby is born. Conventions are much more expensive for authors than people realize. We have to pay for our own travel, lodging, and food, and we only make a small amount of profit from our books–especially those of us who are traditionally published instead of self published. I purchase my books for the same price from my publishers as Barnes & Noble and other bookstores do, and therefore my profit margins are slim. Having something else to sell at my table at conventions will help cover the costs of the convention, and I believe that convention attendance is vital to book sales.

I’m working on some mixed media/collage/decoupage art, and I want to focus on doing about six series a year. My first series is dedicated to Edgar Allan Poe. Each collage features the silhouette of a raven and different symbols of some of Poe’s most famous stories and poems. (The picture up top is obviously dedicated to the poem, “Annabel Lee.” I plan to do similar designs in watercolors as well.

The good news: I already have some of my work featured in IONS: A Geek Gallery in Memphis, TN, and my work is actually selling! (I’ll blog about that on Monday. Meanwhile, you can check out the online catalogue they have for my work by clicking here: They had to rush to get over 600 works up online, so the pictures aren’t as intricate as they could be, but I will put better pictures on my website Monday.)

Meanwhile, please check out my new Etsy store, MBWestonConcepts. I will eventually catalogue everything I have in the store here on the website, but I wanted to let everyone know that it’s out there. If you love literature and Poe (and of course, ravens), you might find something that you like.

And stay tuned to the website because my next series will focus on steampunk!

Using Character to Fix Plot: M. B. Weston’s Writing Diary 06/11/15

The interplay between plot and character development in a story should be like watching a couple on Dancing with the Stars. It’s so seamless and dazzling that it’s impossible to tell who is leading and who is following. Therefore, it’s only natural that if you’re struggling with one, you might have to tweak the other for the actual fix.

In yesterday’s post, I discussed my most current writing difficulty: the plot snag. Without giving away too many spoilers, my big struggle was with the last two chapters of rising action, where I was drawing total blanks. The story just wasn’t unfolding and I couldn’t even think of the next scene.

Diagnosing writing issues isn’t like figuring out what’s wrong with your car. We don’t have a manual or physical, tangible parts we can examine. However, here are a few things I see in this current manuscript that scream “plot problem.”

Unsolved issues: One of my main characters is a female detective named Allison. In one scene, I know she runs back in her room to get a box of old evidence and notes, but I don’t know what’s in the box. In another scene, Allison and Michael see some papers on a desk that I know relate to an international problem, but I don’t know what they are.
Necessary backstory that doesn’t fit: I know Allison’s father’s death a few years ago is integral to the story, but I haven’t been able to fit it in.
The big picture story works but the important details aren’t coming together: I know that Michael and Allison are supposed to hunt the villain. I know most of the steps they take. I know the climax. But I’ve got so many holes in the parts that explain why they are hunting the villain that the story feels hollow.
I feel like my villain’s plan is second rate: To tell you the truth, when I think about her plan to start taking over the world, I kind of get embarrassed and don’t want to tell anyone because subconsciously I know it’s cheesy. It feels like a B-rated action film–one where people go, “This doesn’t make sense.” I mentally can’t develop the ideas because I know they are laughable. 

The fix: In this case, I realized that the cause of my plot snag was a character issue. My villainess’ ideas and plans didn’t fit her character. (Nor were they logical, I’m ashamed to admit.) I spent yesterday reevaluating her character a few questions I asked myself:

What is her goal with this disaster she is planning?
How much work toward it has she done so far?
What drives her? Power, money, fear? Why does she want power?
What is her end game? What does she want to accomplish with her master plans? (This question was actually the game changer.)
What scares people in today’s society? (You can’t create tension if the reader isn’t a bit nervous about the outcome.)

Those questions helped me reevaluate the villain’s plan. I changed the whole thing and ended up figuring out several of my missing puzzle pieces, including connecting the dots with Allison’s father’s death and her box of evidence as well as filling in my missing two chapters. The good news: I don’t have to rewrite much!

How about you? Have you ever fixed a plot problem by reevaluating a character?

M. B. Weston’s Writing Diary: 06/10/15

It’s been while since I’ve posted, so I figured I would give a quick summary of where I am with the Lodestone novella. I’m finally out of my first trimester, which I have to say was probably the only thing on the planet that could keep me from writing every day. Depression is one thing to deal with, and I’ve written through that before. Total exhaustion, however, is something altogether different, and that signified my first trimester. I’ve never in my life fallen asleep at 8:00 on the couch as much I did those first three months. I finally have my energy back, and I’ve adjusted my work schedule so I have more time to write. I need to pump out 2 novels and a short story collection before the baby comes, so I need as much time as I can get.

I’m almost done with the 2nd draft of my urban fantasy, pulp novella about Michael Lodestone. (If you’ve missed the previous posts, Lodestone is an immortal wizzard, who has set out to kill the other immortal witches and wizzards before they can destroy the world.) I’ve definitely struggled with this 2nd draft, but I do that with all my 2nd drafts. Unfortunately, I have one plot point that I can’t figure out, and I have to admit it’s stopped me a bit. I’ll be working getting my plot to flow this week, and I should be done with the second draft in a few days. I think I’m going to try writing backwards and starting at the end…

Anyway, that’s the big “three months of updates” post. Hopefully I’ll get through this little plot problem and be done with it soon.

Also, my next public appearance will be at LibertyCon in Chattanooga, TN. This will be my last planned convention this year, since I will not be traveling much in my 3rd trimester. Please be sure to say hi if you are there!

Toodles!

M. B. Weston’s LibertyCon 2015 Schedule

I will be attending LibertyCon from June 26th to June 28th. Here is my schedule. I won’t have a table this time, but I have plenty of signings, and I will carry my books around with me.

Friday

03:00PM – Reading
06:00PM Autograph Session

Saturday

12:00PM – What’s New in YA Fantasy Literature
05:00PM – Generating the Sense of Wonder in YA Literature
06:00PM – Author’s Alley
07:00PM – Author’s Alley
08:00PM – Author’s Alley

Sunday

10:00AM – Kaffeeklatsch
12:00PM – Autograph Session
02:00PM – Urban Fantasies: What Cities Make the Best Backdrop for Imagination and Why?

Today’s New Orleans Genre Writer’s Conference Schedule

Here is today’s panel schedule at the New Orleans Genre Writer’s Conference:

Why Did my Character Say That? – 11:00am
Promotion & Presentations – 2:00pm
Q&A – 3:00pm

Today’s New Orleans Genre Writer’s Conference Schedule

This weekend, I am speaking at the New Orleans Genre Writer’s Conference. Today’s panel schedule:

Name that Genre – 10:00am
Social Media – 3:00pm
Building Strange New Worlds – 4:00pm
The ROI of Writing – 5:00pm

M. B. Weston’s New Orleans Genre Writer’s Conference Schedule

This weekend, I am speaking at the New Orleans Genre Writer’s Conference. I’ll be speaking solo on Saturday at 4:00pm on “Building Strange New Worlds” on world building and character development.

I will also be speaking on these panels:

Saturday:

Name that Genre – 10:00am
Social Media – 3:00pm
The ROI of Writing – 5:00pm

Sunday:

Why Did my Character Say That? – 11:00am
Promotion & Presentations – 2:00pm
Q&A – 3:00pm

Today’s CyphaCon Panel Schedule: Sunday 04/19/15

Here is today’s panel schedule for CyphaCon in Lake Charles, LA:

Sunday:

10:00 AM The Great Debate Good vs. Evil (Room 2)
12:00 PM Breaking into the Writing Business (room 2)
2:00 PM Creating Villains and Monsters (Main Panel)