Q&A with Josh Lanyon discussion
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Writing Questions for Josh
Any tips on writing blurbs? I've been staring at a blank Word doc for hours...
Mod
My tip is to write down the three most interesting points of the first part of your story -- one which includes the conflict between the two protags -- and then jazz it up accordingly.
Josh, how did you come up with the name Adrien (with an 'e') English? I'm asking because I've noticed that most of your characters have pretty normal names (with the notable exception of Sedgwick Crisparkle and Septimus Marx, and IMO at least the latter one can be explained with the book's genre), but the spelling of Adrien's name has been noted in about all AE books at least once.
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Josh wrote: "Um, I HATE writing blurbs. Remember when I had that contest for the blurb writing for Somebody Killed His Editor? I'm terrible at blurb writing.My tip is to write down the three most interestin..."
I remember that. However your tip is helpful - thank you.
Josh wrote: "[...:]When he first points the spelling to Jake in Fatal Shadows, it amuses Jake and ca..."I love how Jake inserts that into parts of the other stories. He is such a fascinating and multi-layered character.
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Josh, I saw you mention your schedule in a different topic and wondered if you could explain a bit about your writing schedule. Or maybe that's the wrong word for it. What I'm wondering is how you plan your time around your many writing commitments. I have a story that's coming out soon so the work on that is nearly done, but now I also have a newly accepted one with a deadline. It's months away, but I've never written to a deadline before. My first story was "completed" before I ever submitted it; this new one is only 15K of a potential 30K. I'd appreciate any advice on time management, etc. that you can offer, Josh. Thank you!
Mod
Badly.
;-)
This is going to be a do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do version of how to schedule. Because I've got a problem saying no, and so I kept accepting projects after I had filled in this year's schedule last November.
(How badly did I overbook? I accepted two novels, one novella, and one short story after my year had already been planned. So when I bitch about my schedule, I have only myself to blame.)
But I digress. There are two ways to figure out your writing schedule.
The first is to simply figure out how many real writing days you have before your deadline -- meaning take out holidays and any days that you know for sure you won't be able to write -- plus four sick days (just to give yourself a little cushion for emergencies)-- and then divide your word count by the remaining writing days left. That gives you your basic daily word count. Now take that number and times it by seven to get your weekly number.
Your weekly number is more important than your daily number because you'll have days where the words flow like wine and days where they come out one. at. a. time. So long as at the end of the week you've hit that weekly number, it really doesn't matter what you did each day.
**Note -- if you want the story to be reviewed by a critique partner, you need to calculate how much time that will take and remove those days from your weekly writing word count.
Okay, that's the cut and dried method, and those are the non-negotiable numbers. You know that you must complete a certain amount of words each week to hit your deadline, and you know how many words you need to do each day. It's certainly worth keeping an eye on those numbers. They'll keep you on target.
But, basically what you really want to do now is take a look at your writing patterns and figure out what you can comfortably produce each day. Do you have a day job? Does most of your writing happen on weekends? Are you more productive at certain times of the week or month? These are things to figure out now -- because a good writing schedule isn't based on one project, it's based on a year's worth of writing -- a career's worth of writing, in fact.
I personally recommend anywhere between 500 -- 1500 words a day as a sensible, productive, professional writing schedule.
Anyway, figure out what you typically, comfortably can produce a day -- meaning push yourself a little but not so much that you're risking burn out -- and then aim to write that much every day.
Every day whether you have a contracted project or not.
I have a story that's coming out soon so the work on that is nearly done, but now I also have a newly accepted one with a deadline. It's months away, but I've never written to a deadline before. My first story was "completed" before I ever submitted it; this new one is only 15K of a potential 30K. I'd appreciate any advice on time management, etc. that you can offer, Josh. Thank you
The other thing you'll need to figure into your writing schedule -- that isn't a factor at first -- is time for edits and time for promo. Both those things happen during the writing of new projects, so you have to calculate that time in. Now there are all kinds of ways to arrange your schedule. When I was working fulltime, I did the new writing first thing in the morning, promo stuff on my lunch breaks, and the edits at night. You want to schedule the most taxing job -- the creation of new fiction -- for when your mind is sharpest, you're most relaxed, and you have the most time.
But you do have to leave time for the edits and the promo because those things are a reality and they do seriously eat into your creative time and energy.
Does that help? Or were you looking for something else?
Damn, you're good. That was exactly what I was looking for. I'll get with the math and figure this out ASAP. Just today, I've spent 4 hours on reviewing line-edits, answering emails, organizing a contract, and playing around in here. (I do work, but as long as the mouse clicks and the keyboard tappy-taps no one seems to notice. *g) I'll see what I can write out this afternoon and then do that math bit for an estimate -- and probably to scare the hell out of myself and light that fire. Thanks again, Josh. {squeezes you}
Over on the other forum (What are you reading?), you wrote: Now you've started me thinking about the fine art of endings...Something that I actually get some complaints about now and then. (Though they leave me stonily unmoved.) *g*
What is your approach to ending a story? Do you start a story with an ending in mind? Or do you more or less work by the seat of your pants with a general 'this is what needs to happen to finish this'?
You have several story series out now, but other than the Adrien English series, are any of the others deliberate series or more add-on sequels (because you and readers couldn't get enough of the characters or the environment)?
Josh, I remember you saying in Man Oh Man to set the first draft aside for at least a week--or was it 14 days?--before revisiting for edits and such. In the first schedule scenario above, should that time period and some days of edits be planned in as well? Or is that not necessary at that time?
Mod
Rob, that should ideally happen before you submit anywhere -- but you don't need to necessarily figure it into your writing schedule since, unless the work is already contracted, you can let it sit for a couple of weeks at the end of the process, while you're thinking over your next project.
Once you're contracted and writing to deadlines, part of the "review" time can become the time between when you turn it over to your editor and when you see it again. Ideally, I like a month between when I turn something over to an editor and when I get the edits back. By then I can look at the story very clinically. But...my current timetable is pretty tight, which makes it usually pretty tight for my editors too.
But for non-contracted works, you should definitely let them sit!
Mod
It depends. Usually I know the basics of what and where and how, but I don't have the last scene or the final lines in my mind until I begin to close in on them. (The Adrien books have been the exception there -- I had the final lines on THYS and DOPK long before I ever wrote the books -- but then that series had a finite story and character arc as I envisioned it.)
You have several story series out now, but other than the Adrien English series, are any of the others deliberate series or more add-on sequels (because you and readers couldn't get enough of the characters or the environment)?
Since I mostly write mysteries, I usually have a good idea of the overall plot points and ending -- I never "discover" who the killer is as I go along. That's all worked out ahead of time. I can't but help think that making it up as I went along would be a very sloppy way to try and write a mystery, but to each his own.
One thing I do if I think there might be future books in the characters, is not try to neatly tie up every emotional issue or question. That's too unrealistic, first off, plus if I'm coming back to write those characters again, I want there to be more to their story than the solving of a crime. That was definitely the case with SKHE. I didn't want to tie everything between J.X. and Kit too neatly because they had more stories ahead.
I have come back to characters that I didn't originally plan to return to -- Sean and Dan, Mark and Stephen...and I'll probably revisit Time and Luke from IADW and Perry and Nick from TGWYS primarily because readers wanted more (and because I'd left enough open that I could comfortably re-explore those characters and their relationship). Partly that's the advantage of writing the kind of stories I do where you can't, believably, tie every single issue up with a bow.
Other stories I've decided as I was writing that I just enjoyed them too much to let them go -- Matt and Nathan from SIH and Taylor and Will from DG. Those are natural characters with natural dynamics for more stories.
Josh wrote: "Josh, I saw you mention your schedule in a different topic and wondered if you could explain a bit about your writing schedule. Or maybe that's the wrong word for it. "Thanks for sharing this, Josh. It's VERY topical for me as I approach yet another review of my writing/working life balance. I KNOW it's all common sense really, but I appreciate hearing you state plainly that an author needs to look at what time they have vs what they want/need to write, and schedule it accordingly.
Since I started publishing, yet am still working fulltime, every year I've had to adjust down my available time for writing. It's very frustrating when I have plenty of WIP, but I also need to stop piling on the stress - which isn't conducive to writing, anyway :).
I think it's an important thing for an author to be driven - and not just for the writing itself, but also for getting the storytelling down on paper, and then out to readers LOL. If that's what their objective is, of course. But that driven-ness has to be practicable. I think you're an excellent example for making - and maintaining! - a satisfying business from storytelling. It's a win-win for everyone.
This year is the first time I've been contracted for a proposal and a story that's only part-written. While that's exciting, I may not chance it again! Although I think I respond well to deadlines, it's proved a bit daft to have brought an extra one on myself, by myself :).
PS sorry I haven't commented much before on the group, but I enjoy reading, very much! :)
Josh wrote: and I'll probably revisit Tim and Luke from IADW and Perry and Nick from TGWYS primarily because readers wanted more (and because I'd left enough open that I could comfortably re-explore those characters and their relationship)."Thank you, that's made this reader very happy. I enjoyed both of these and have reread them more than once. Even though the endings are totally satisfying on both counts, I still want to know if/how they managed to make things work out and what happened next.
Take care.
Mod
Or maybe "reached" is the word. *g*
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Good. I'm glad, Jan.
I think it will be relaxing to return to characters I already know and enjoy. Always interesting to see what they've got up to in the meantime.
Hi Josh, In your manuscript eval service, do you discourage the use of injury/illness/hospitalization? It is discussed often that it is overused in "romance". I have not read much het romance but do agree that it is used in 75% or more of the books I have read in the M/M genre. Do you think it is overused?
Mod
Illness/injury is a time-honored romantic trope, so like all romantic tropes it shows up a lot, although I have to question your guestimate of 75% -- probably more like 40% judging by what I've seen. (I do read both m/m and het romance, you see.) *g*
It's overdone if you don't like it, but if you do like it, then there's probably not nearly enough of it.
You could argue that all romantic tropes -- including happy endings -- are overdone, but these are the components of romance. Also, a lot of these m/m stories are action-adventure stories, and so -- as in all action-adventure stories -- you get protagonists being knocked out, shot, etc. It's just part of the game.
Disability and chronic illness are much more rare in romantic fiction (probably less than ten percent of all romances have a disabled or chronically ill main character). It's a much harder sell to readers because readers like their fantasies to come with whole, healthy, and usually white main characters. Permanent physical disability and mental illness make a lot of readers squirm.
And if it's not handled realistically -- if a magical operation can make everyone see and hear and walk again -- it's insulting to an already marginalized readership.
So it can be a difficult sell. Not that it shouldn't be done.
Josh, Thanks. I don't have an aversion to the theme was just wondering about all the discussion I see about it elsewhere. Author's defending themselves against the charge etc.
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Josh wrote: "And if it's not handled realistically -- if a magical operation can make everyone see and hear and walk again -- it's insulting to an already marginalized readership."I totally agree.
It's one of my biggest pet peeves. I once wrote a story for a challenge, made the main character paraplegic, gave it a happy ending and received tons of comments on how they enjoyed the story but hated the ending, I should have 'cured' him.
I was not pleased.
I would enjoy reading more stories with a mental illness line-I've read few and liked them.
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I have so little patience with that line of thinking. It's all I can do not to say Grow. Up.
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Okay, in fairness it is romance. And it does need to stay sort of romantic within the framework. But it's something I wouldn't mind seeing more of.
Josh wrote: "No, of course not. That's insulting bullshit from pea brains. I think we had one or two of those for Mexican Heat. Romance "reviewers" who were horrified that Gabriel remained blind. That there was..."That was one aspect of the story I enjoyed - you kept him blind
Mod
That was something I was looking forward to reading about in the sequel. Hopefully, Laura will go back to it at some point. I think it would make a great story. What was that old series with the blind detective and the white dog? Anyone?
Josh wrote: "Thanks, Andy. That was something Laura and I were in complete agreement on from the first. No magical cures."I love that about your characters, they are realistic in every way
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Yes, hopefully Laura will continue the series. She'll do a terrific job and I can just relax and enjoy the ride!
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I love that about your characters, they are realistic in every way"
Thanks, Andy. I appreciate that.
Josh wrote: "Longstreet. *g*Yes, hopefully Laura will continue the series. She'll do a terrific job and I can just relax and enjoy the ride!"
That's IT! Wow, I'm impressed. Did you wiki that??
Re-Mex Heat--I read an interview with you, I think, that detailed how difficult the collaboration was. Made me feel guilty for wanting the sequel...
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In fairness, the collaboration was probably harder on Laura. I'd have strangled me if I was her.
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Thanks for asking!
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I'll look forward to it.
PS - Don't forget to turn off the sprinkler. ;-)
SO funny. ;-P
I just got a Google Alert that let me know someone pirated my story and is offering it up for free downloading...on the day it was published! I could just cry. I went to their site and filled out their form with the RWA sample take-down letter and let my publisher know, but I feel so...helpless. I want to break their site. If it was a window, I'd throw a brick through it. I just don't understand what benefit someone gets out of giving it away. It's not like they're getting paid or something. They're just being destructive. Have I done all I'm supposed to do? Thank you.
Mod
You've done all you can do for now. Another part of the writing gig is spending time hunting down these thieves and their links and having them removed. The links, I mean. Although I wouldn't object to someone removing a pirate or two. Permanently.
Josh wrote: "Although I wouldn't object to someone removing a pirate or two. Permanently. "Only two?
I have way more than that on my most wanted list.
Thank you, Josh. It's reassuring to know that I've done what I can. I'm settling into a more calm space about it right now, but yeah, removing a few pirate weirdos would still be really satisfying. :)
Josh wrote: "You have my sympathy, Missy. Piracy is rampant, unfortunately. In some cases it's genuine ignorance, sometimes it's cheapness, but in most cases it's anti-social behavior from slobs who've never cr..."Oh Lord. Do not. Add. Tracking down pirated copies to ginormous Whaddya Mean I'm Finally Going to Be Published? List. My skull will explode.
Missy, don't let those cretins take away or in any way mar this for you! Have not read your book yet (I'm hair-follicle deep in revision), but downloaded it -- after properly buying -- and very much looking forward to it!
How long have you been in RWA, btw? Could swear there was piracy article in RWR last year, but I could be wrong.
Mod
I used to be so tolerant too. I never minded the thought of a couple of friends sharing a book between them -- we all do this growing up, don't we? Loaning a book to 989 friends in a week? No. For these people it's all about the game of uploading links.
Mod
If it's any comfort, for a significant percentage of these people it's about downloading and owning rather than actually reading.
Josh wrote: "I used to be so tolerant too."Tolerance is overrated when it comes to bloody pirates.
I just imagine torturing them in various ways, cheer myself up and move on to the next batch of reports.
I hope that at some point the law catches up with eBook piracy the way it has with the music industry.
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Josh wrote: "I think that's inevitable, which is why we're starting to get cooperation in places we weren't getting it before."True, I just wish they'd hurry up. Patience not a virtue with me.
Thanks for the support, everyone. {big hugs} I did get a reply a bit ago from one of the sites -- listed on one, hosted on the other -- that they will be taking action in 3-5 days. What action? Don't know yet. But, yeah, I'm not letting it get me down anymore. People are actually reading my story! And liking it! I can't care about a couple of twats when I have readers...and reviewers. {shiver} Thanks again, everyone!
Kari wrote: "How long have you been with RWA?"About a year now and, yes, that article's where I got the sample take-down letter. I'm just glad I had something to fill out like that letter instead of having to write it on my own. There would've been a lot less professionalism and more snarling dogs, torches, and shotguns if I'd been on my own.
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Q&A with Josh Lanyon
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For the Petit Morts, I think of a emotionally packed but fairly simplistic scenario. Example: in the upcoming Critics Choice two ex-lover movie critics have to get together to do the commentary on a classic horror film. There's not a lot of plot there, but I can hopefully make it entertaining by exploring all the emotional undercurrents.