Ilsa's Q&A discussion
This topic is about
Ilsa J. Bick
General
>
Ask Ilsa Anything!!
date
newest »
newest »
Hi everyone! Welcome to Ilsa's Q&A!! Just start typing up your questions for Ilsa. How are your kitties? I guess Timmy is a full grown cat by now. :)
Mod
How are your kitties? I guess Timmy is a full grown cat by now. :)"
Hey, guys:
For some reason, Grace's question was deleted from the thread; I'm sure it has something to do with me doing this on an iPad. Anyway, a big thanks to Karen for keeping track--otherwise, we'd be screwed!
To answer Karen's question; The cats are fine, thanks. Timmy's a little over a year now, and he's LOOONG. He'd probably be even longer if he didn't have that slight kyophosis from that spinal injury.
Grace: It's a long story, but the short version is that I went to a workshop on developing pitches and synopses for agents and editors. A synopsis I thought up and wrote during that was the basis for my first YA, DRAW THE DARK. The funny thing is that I was doing adult mystery at the time and had zero interest in YA. The only reason that book got written was because I sent out a bunch of letters to editors with just the pitch and synopsis: in essence, I pretended that the book was already written. I just wanted to see what would happen. Well, an editor got back almost immediately, requesting to see the manuscript. So I lied--said I was finishing up something else but would get right on it--and then I wrote my fingers off for the next eight weeks. Delivered the novel and never heard a word from this editor (found out she'd left her job about a month before). But I discovered that I kind of liked writing YA--and the rest is history.
Hi Ilsa! Could you talk a bit about how to stay disciplined as a writer?Also, are there authors who particularly inspire you?
Thank you for this wonderful opportunity!
Mod
Could you talk a bit about how to stay disciplined as a writer?Also, are there authors who particularly inspire you?
Thank you for this wonderful opportunity!"
No worries; you're most welcome.
The discipline thing isn't that mysterious, really. This is my job. Nothing gets done if I don't show up to work. So it's matter of treating this like any other job, meaning that I get up, have my coffee, and then screw my butt into the chair and get my work done for the day. (Some writers have page goals; others use word lmits; still others go by number of scenes. Whatever works.) It also means that I really can't stop working until the job is finished for the day--just like a boss won't let you leave in the middle of a project. Trust me: when this is your livelihood, you're either disciplined or you starve. It probably helps that I'm pretty disciplined to begin with; you can't get through medical school otherwise. But, really, it's as simple as that.
Inspirations . . . not really/ Although I wouldn't mind trading up for Stephen King's problems. Even when his books are clunkers, he knows how to tell a story.
Hello Ilsa,It's wonderful to get to talk with you. I'm rather young and a recently published author. My nerves are definitely wracked right now, so I was wondering, Do you have any advice for a newly published author trying to get their name out in the field?
Thank you, I truly appreciate your time and help.
Mod
It's wonderful to get to talk with you. I'm rather young and a recently published author. My nerves are definitely wracked right now, so I was wondering, Do you have any advice for a n..."
First off, congratulations! Second...remember to breathe ;-)
Seriously, your question is a touch broad. I guess the most important thing is always try to put out good product, right? Write the best book you can and then go on and write the next one? In terms of getting your name out. . . you know, I wish I knew. No one has an answer for this, really. You can do reasonable things: set up a website, choose a couple different social media sites,that kind of thing. But there's no silver bullet. What you're really talking about is marketing, and there are scads of articles out there with all kinds of advice. I'd suggest you track a few down and read them, see what you think and if you're willing to put in that kind of time.
But the most important thing is to write the next book.
Dear Ilsa, How did you came up with the idea for White Space?
P.S.the origin story for Draw the Dark that you shared above is...awesome =)
Haha, Sarah you beat me to asking a question. Hello Ilsa!!
What's your typical day like? Are you working on a new project right now? (If it's okay to talk about it)
Have a beautiful morning!
Mod
Hello Ilsa!!
What's your typical day like? Are you working on a new project right now?
My days hew pretty close to the same routine, nearly seven days a week: up by 6-6:30, coffee, look at email, and then I'm at the computer, writing until my goal's reached (either a certain number of pages or specific number of scenes, but it's usually pages). Sometimes this means I'm done by 2 p.m.; sometimes it means I go exercise (which I do every day, regardless), come back, do dinner for the husband, and then go back to work. I try very hard not to go to bed until I've hit my goal for the day, and then I wash, rinse, repeat the next day and the next. If I'm done by the time we're finished with dinner, then I might read or do research for the next book or map out the next day's work. The only day I change up is Sunday, when I'll sleep a little later, go get coffee at Starbucks, grab a sack of bagels. I'll work for a few hours and then knock off to bake that Sunday's cake. Sometimes I'll work in the garden on Sunday afternoons or go for a long bike ride. The only other time I don't follow this routine is if I'm either on the road for a book-related thing or my husband tells me I'm on vacation. Since I haven't taken a vacation in over a year . . . I lead a very regimented existence ;-)
What I'm working on now is driving me to drink, so I think I'll just hold on to my misery a little while longer ;-) I can tell you that it's a contemporary YA and there are guns, spiders, scars, dogs, and people who do interesting things with knives. In addition, I just finished final proofs of the sequel to WHITE SPACE called THE DICKENS MIRROR, and that will be coming out next March.
Mod
How did you came up with the idea for White Space?
P.S.the origin story for Draw the Dark that you shared above is...awesome =)"
The short and simple truth: my youngest daughter asked me if I was going to kill her off this time. See, I tend to target this kid and have killed or otherwise maimed her in fairly hideous ways in several stories and many novels. In one story, I not only used her bicycle and helmet and gave her the name of her favorite bear. . . the mother ran her over with the family Subaru. This has traumatized my kid in ways you can't believe...though, honestly, you'd think she'd catch a clue.
Conversely, the other kid is madly jealous that I haven't killed her yet or done terrible things to her alter ego.
But all this got me wondering about the boundary between real life and fiction. Like when you read your own name in a book . . . there's this mental trip, a moment when you think, "No, that didn't happen to me. This isn't about me." But what if you put in too much real life into a book or character? What happens to the fabric of the story? What's going on between the lines or chapters that we don't see? If you infuse enough reality into a character . . . does that character even know it's a fiction? How do YOU know you're not a character in someone else's narrative? What makes you think that's air you're breathing? [Thank you, Morpheus ;-) ]
That pretty much describes my mind-set when it came to doing WHITE SPACE.
The system ate my last comment...I think? Apologies if this is a repeat.Happy Friday, Ilsa! Thank you so much for your thorough and thoughtful response. That upcoming YA sounds exciting and mysterious. I can't wait for March and The Dickens Mirror too.
I actually have a couple more questions if you don't mind.
Do you plan your novels before you write them? Or do you just let the words flow and the plot forms itself? Do you go through many drafts before the work is finalized? And, what would you say is the most challenging part of writing a novel is for you?
Thank you so much again!
Mod
Happy Friday, Ilsa! Thank you so much for your thorough and thoughtful response. That upcoming YA sounds exciting and myste..."
Good questions, Thomas. I always plan my novels. It's a habit I developed from my years of work-for-hire doing STAR TREK, MECHWARRIOR, things like that. In essence, when you do wfh, you're playing in someone else's sandbox, so the editor has to make sure you don't kill Captain Kirk and never bring him back. In order to do that, you have to develp a proposal and then a detailed synopsis. So I just got into the habit. There have been times when I've broken away from that...but I haven't enjoyed them. Remember, I have to tell myself the story before I can tell you. So I'd rather not take off into the clouds.
OTOH, once I've written an outline? Almost never refer to it again. In fact, by that time, characters have become so real, they take on their own lives and voices and refuse to follow an outline. But outlines, for me, are helpful.
Having said that, though, I did break my own rule with THE DICKENS MIRROR and, sort of, with my current work in progress. Never again. Too many months spent spinning my wheels.
The most challenging part? The whole bloody thing. Oh, you want me to be more specific? The middle third: by then, my excitement's died; my critical voice is on high whine (*You suck. Everything you write is baaaaad.*). Just a horrible time that you simply have to muscle through.
So I've got a real important question: how do you deal with word count? Have you ever just written...too much? How did you get rid of excess?That was more than one question...
Mod
That was more than one question..."
I don't worry about word count. I worry about pace, and how many words can tell the story. Have I overwritten? Sure. I do it all the time. There's always blood on the floor from all the words I've killed--or, to use another analogy . . . you vomit the story onto the page, clear away the chunks (that's called editing), and there's your story.
But I never worry about word count. I just don't. I simply tell the story, and I have never been asked to shorten a book. If anything, I've been asked to amplify and then I find that I'm adding back all the words I killed before.
Word count's a McGuffin. Don't ever chase word count.
Hi Ilsa,My question is about side characters. I sometimes feel that my side characters are too one dimensional/ stereotypical since I usually write in first person, so I never hear the "thoughts" of other characters.
So, how do you characterize your side characters properly, so they don't look like stereotypes while also not outshining the protagonist?
Thanks so much for answering these questions.
Mod
My question is about side characters. I sometimes feel that my side characters are too one dimensional/ stereotypical since I usually write in first person, so I never hear the "though..."
Gosh, I don't even think about this. Honestly, whenever I introduce any character--even a bit player--I know what they look like and how they should act. An example: I have a range official in this current book. He shows up for exactly one scene, but I know what his tattoos look like; how his body type and biceps make him look like Popeye without the cleft chin or pipe; and even where he served in Vietnam (says so on his tatts). When you do things like that . . . I dunno, these people become real for me.
As for shining/outshining...your protagonist is only as central as the supporting characters allow, and the more life you give THEM, the more your central protags have something to react/push against. If that makes sense. Giving the supporting characters definition helps you understand the shape of your narrative and the protags. Sometimes a side character develops a compelling life, too--and you just roll with that. I know I did that in MONSTERS: took a couple supporting characters and let them run with a storyline. Didn't detract from the main protags. If anything, their stories not only broadened the book's scope but gave readers a little bit of a break. It can be very wearing to always be following just a few characters or a single POV (which is why some good trilogies falter; they stay rooted in first person POV, and no one person can be everywhere at once).
Ilsa wrote: "Mikaila wrote: "Hello Ilsa,It's wonderful to get to talk with you. I'm rather young and a recently published author. My nerves are definitely wracked right now, so I was wondering, Do you have an..."
Thank you, Ilsa!
I appreciate your answers. Luckily I do also have a marketing rep, so that helps a bit, as do the things that you pointed out here. I was wondering if along with this you could give me any personal advice on how to market yourself? For example, I may be able to schedule a book signing and show up, but if I'm trying to draw anyone who might be in the store to my table... well I have no idea how to go about that. So how can you present yourself personally when trying to market a product, without becoming a salesperson?
Thank you again for your time, and I really do appreciate you talking with us and answering our questions! I hope you have a great rest of your year!
Mod
It's wonderful to get to talk with you. I'm rather young and a recently published author. My nerves are definitely wracked right now, so I was wondering, D..."
Actually, I wrote a whole blog about this as it relates to Skype, and you can read that here, if you wish: http://www.ilsajbick.com/?p=1988. But the short answer is...just be yourself, but remember that there's a public you and a private you. Whenever you're going out as a writer, you're marketing yourself. So that's what I focus on: I talk about how I got into writing, funny things about my past; I make a lot of jokes at my own expense, and that's fine. The one thing I don't do is try to hawk a particular book or series. People like to feel a personal connection, and it is frequently that which motivates them to pick up your book.
Personally, I'd not do a book signing if I were you. They are deadly unless you're famous and frequently not even then, and I just so happen to have written about that, too: http://www.ilsajbick.com/?p=2385. Parnell's video is, by the way, priceless and everything he says is true.
You want to market you, your brand? Then go to conventions; go to book-related events; get yourself on panels; let people get to know you. Join a writer's association like RWA or HWA or MWA or whatever, if you write genre. Any venue that gives you face time is worth it. Cons are where you get seen and heard by fans, and you network with other writers. Forget bookstores; they won't help you one bit unless you are lucky enough to band together wtih other writers, some of whom might be famous. There are several writers who do this and do mass appearances at bookstores; that will sometimes draw people in, but let's face it: bookstores aren't the social places they used to be. Virtually no one goes to hang in a bookstore. I'm not dissing them at all; I happen to adore independents. But signings are iffy propositions for them and you, and you are better served with putting your limited energy and marketing time elsewhere.
Lastly, marketing does not take the place of producing books. So you can spend some time on this, but don't spend too much. You'll get yourself all immersed in something that's only peripheral to writing instead of turning out the next book.
To highlight with bold font, use the following html code (but with no spaces):
< b >Your question.< /b >
Have fun!
I'll help by posting all questions here so Ilsa can find them easily.
1. Karen - How are your kitties? I guess Timmy is a full grown cat by now. :)
2. Gracie - 1st question: What really got you into writing young adult novels?
3. Ran - Could you talk a bit about how to stay disciplined as a writer?Also, are there authors who particularly inspire you?
4. Mikaila - Do you have any advice for a newly published author trying to get their name out in the field?
5. Sarah - How did you came up with the idea for White Space?
6. Thomas - What's your typical day like? Are you working on a new project right now? (If it's okay to talk about it)
7. Thomas - Do you plan your novels before you write them? Or do you just let the words flow and the plot forms itself? Do you go through many drafts before the work is finalized? And, what would you say is the most challenging part of writing a novel is for you?
8. Gracie - So I've got a real important question: how do you deal with word count? Have you ever just written...too much? How did you get rid of excess?
9. Briana - So, how do you characterize your side characters properly, so they don't look like stereotypes while also not outshining the protagonist?
10. Mikaila - how can you present yourself personally when trying to market a product, without becoming a salesperson?