tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70711975088597060972024-03-13T11:02:18.703-04:00How to Plan, Write, and Develop a BookCreate, Craft, and Sell Your First Novel, Memoir or Nonfiction Book. Tips from Award-Winning Author Mary Carroll MooreYour Book Starts Herehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568469874356348872noreply@blogger.comBlogger750125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071197508859706097.post-52546133710977232192023-06-30T06:00:00.004-04:002023-06-30T06:00:00.141-04:00The Angst of Finding a Great Book Title: If You, Like Me, Don't Score High at This All-Important Task, Some Tips to TryOK, I admit. I am not the best when it comes to book titles. Occasionally, I score. But most times, in my publishing history, editors or agents have changed my proposed title. Radically.<br /><br />Case in point: When my second novel was ready to be shopped to publishers, my agent emailed me with a big problem—the title. I had written the novel under the title of OUTLAWS. I loved that title because it represented all the bad-ass glory I love in women who are heroes at heart. I embedded the theme of outlaws into the story, placed it (very occasionally) in dialogue as a marker for the reader to go “Ah-ha! That’s why the title.”<br /><br />But she didn’t like it. Editors would be confused, she said, thinking it was a Western. Which it most certainly is not. It’s about an indie musician on the run from a murder-frameup and her estranged sister who has to hide her, against her better nature. Both women are pilots. My mom was a pilot, and she had a little of that free spirit I imagined for these two characters. So OUTLAWS was a tongue=in-cheek, rather brilliant way, of alluding to that heroic nature.<br /><br />Thelma and Louise. Butch Cassidy. Society’s outcasts who win our hearts. Right?<br /><br />My agent wasn’t having it.<span><a name='more'></a></span> <br /><br />She gave me a hard task: come up with fifteen possible titles instead of OUTLAWS. <br /><br />I sweated over that. As I said, I’m not the best at titles. She suggested going online and looking at novels like mine (comp titles) and seeing what those writers chose. I did that. I couldn’t find anything I liked, that alluded to the heroic quality of these two narrators, the estranged sisters. <br /><br />One of the best exercises for finding my book title—which I eventually did—was freewriting on the themes of the book. What actually happened? What did that happening mean to the characters? What was the reader’s take-away from all of it.<br /><br />After doing this, I realized a few things:<br /><br />The book was about women who became heroes despite themselves.<br /><br /> I wanted to show how women save others.<br /><br /> I wanted to also show how we all often save ourselves because we save others first.<br /><br />There are three generations of female main characters—an artist in her twenties, an indie musician in her thirties, and a mother and Search & Rescue worker in her forties. As the story evolves, their lives become entwined, again, despite their better judgments. They become “found family” and begin to heal the longings they’ve each had for this kind of bond.<br /><br />Search & Rescue, the older narrator’s occupation, fascinates me, and I caught the metaphor of it as I was working on this title search. Our search for ourselves and how we rescue others in the process.<br /><br />The title that my agent gave a thumbs-up? <i>A Woman’s Guide to Search & Rescue.</i> And so it has become that.<br /><br />Imagine finishing your book manuscript and sending it out to agents and then publishers—and getting that longed-for YES! You're going to publish your book, after all the years of achingly hard work. Time to celebrate. <br /><br />Then the reality of production begins. <br /><br />Changes marked on the manuscript by your agent. Then your editor. Then the sales team talks about your promotion. And the marketing department tells your editor they want to change your book title.<br /><br />I've had three book titles changed by marketing departments or editors after contract signing. Always with good reasons, always a shock to me. In the end, I've mostly been glad. As I said early in this post, I’m not a rock star when it comes to titles. But it's a bit like you’re a beginner again, you don’t know what you’re doing. Especially after I'd published five books--my trusty agent had sold my sixth manuscript to a mid-sized publisher . . . whose first request was to change the title. And I didn’t like the one they chose.<br /><br />Who decides? As an editor and writing teacher, I read good manuscripts with terrible titles, and I think: How much more compelling this book would be if it had a terrific title.<br /><br />Terrific titles sell manuscripts, catch the eye of an agent who has already scanned hundreds of queries that day, light up for a bookseller, intrigue a reader.<br /><br />Many writers choose a title to orient their writing and revising. They write towards the metaphor or feeling the title evokes. So it’s never too early to find your working title, or the title you’ll use to present your book to the world.<br /><br />I’ve given some steps above. How else might you dream up a fabulous title for your book? Here are some tips I’ve learned from other writers.<br /><br />And a side note: Once you have some ideas, see how far you can trim them down. Get rid of any extra words (especially ones that don't convey image--the, and, an, a, etc.). Go for short. Longer titles are hard on library cataloging systems. Short titles fit more compactly on a book's spine, in larger type too. <br /><br /><b>Your Weekly Writing Exercise</b><br /><br />List key images or keywords in your manuscript. Read through your chapters and highlight words or images that repeat. On paper, begin doodling or playing with them. <br /><br />Write a poem around one of these image or words. Does part of one line of your rough poem stand out? Could it become a book title with some additional tweaking?<br /><br />Study your book's meaning or theme--not what it's about, but what it means to the you, the characters, the reader. Any images or words come from that? <br /><br />Look at your characters' dilemmas--could their name or occupation be part of the title? <br /><br />If these fail, go to your plot. How could a big turning point in the plot become part of the book title?<br /><br />If you're writing a nonfiction book, go for the reader benefit. What's a reader going to take away--what new skills or understanding? Use benefit-oriented phrases: How to, 25 Ways to, Secrets, or Master. (For more about this, check out business-book blogger Ginny Carter and <a href="http://marketingtwentyone.co.uk/7-ways-choose-perfect-title-business-book/">her article </a>on choosing strong book titles for nonfiction.)<br /><br />Clever with words? Try for a twist or double meaning: The End of Your Life Book Club. New Ways to Kill Your Mother. Flip your image or its normal meaning: Running with Scissors. Swamplandia. Present a problem in your title: Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.<br /><br />Study good titles of published books and see why they sold. You'll laugh, you'll disagree, but you may also learn!Your Book Starts Herehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568469874356348872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071197508859706097.post-68156358188334331142023-06-16T06:00:00.015-04:002023-06-16T06:00:00.145-04:00Organizing the Mess of a Book: Four Methods for Staying Sane and FocusedThe two most common questions I get: (1) how do you find your ideas and (2) how do you keep it all organized?<br /><br />I used to write a weekly food column for the <i>Los Angeles Times</i> syndicate. My job was simple: come up with 600-1000 words about something related to food, design and test one or more recipes to go along with it, and send it off to my editor. Other than the natural mess recipe-testing makes in a home kitchen, I didn’t have much to organize. I liked the ease of the weekly deadline, I loved eating the leftovers from testing or inviting a bunch of friends to come over and share. <br /><br />My column got noticed. I got asked to contribute to books. That was my first foray into the world of 300-pages of writing. My first moment of understanding how big and unwieldy a book-sized writing project can get.<br /><br />Early days, I just put parts together and sent them off to my editor to organize. I wasn’t able to—or interested in—seeing the big picture. Then I got approached by a larger publisher and asked to not just contribute but write a whole book myself. I’d be assigned an editor, but I was responsible for delivering the manuscript by deadline, all 90,000 words of it.<br /><br />That was back in the Stone Age of file folders. I brainstormed my chapters and wrote each on the outside of a paper file folder, in a circle. Then using a method some call clustering or mind mapping, I designed the parts of the chapter as spokes radiating from the title in its circle. Then I began my research. <br /><br />Each piece of information—since these were food topics, I might research the history of the kiwi fruit, for instance—went physically into the file folder for the chapter where it would live. My interview notes got distributed the same way. I didn’t begin actually writing until the folders were fat and I had plenty to work from. I knew if I had to look at a blank page on my computer screen, I’d lose confidence fast. The contents of each file folder was spread on a table, and I created a possible order for all the pieces. Sometimes I wrote bullet points for each piece on an index card so I could just shuffle those instead (an early storyboard).<br /><br />After I had most of my material and a rough order planned out, I’d sit down and begin entering everything into the computer. Again, each chapter got its own computer file. I didn’t arrange the chapters in any final order yet—I wanted to see how they’d line up with their contents in place.<br /><br />The first draft was pretty awful, usually. But I made sure I got it written then printed out. I edited on the hard (printed) copy and input corrections into a new Word document on my computer. There was a master file for the manuscript, individual files for each chapter, then all the chapter (and manuscript) revisions. <br /><br />By the time the book was ready to send to my editor, I had a file drawer of drafts and revisions and many, many electronic iterations. <br /><br />Incredibly cumbersome. But it wasn’t a bad system. I wrote five books this way, all published, selling well for years. I remember moving from the house where I did most of those books and struggling to throw out all the paper copies with their edits. It felt like destroying history.<br /><br />Organizing my writing this way continued for a few more books, until I got to my first contract for a book that wasn’t about food. The publisher I approached said yes to my proposal for a self-help/spirituality hybrid. I was thrilled—until I realized I had no idea how to structure it.<br /><br />Some of you who’ve been in my classes have heard this next step: A writing friend gave me a book called <i>A Writer’s Time</i> by Ken Atchity. The genius of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Writers-Time-Making-Write/dp/0393312631/ref=sr_1_1?crid=6GFM0FH83AXZ&keywords=a+writer%27s+time&qid=1685914613&sprefix=a+writer%27s+time%2Caps%2C101&sr=8-1">A Writer’s Time </a>is the concept of writing in islands or snippets of ideas, scenes, information. It makes good use of the random brain, the flow (unorganized) part of our creativity. I brainstormed islands and created enough to fill the book. Again, my file folders came out and I created my chapters, the circled title and the spokes of topics within. Then index cards to start a sequence of chapters.<br /><br />There I stalled. Organizing the flow of this new book was not like arranging the courses of a meal. <br /><br />Again, someone in my lovely writing community told me, just in time, about storyboarding. I learned my first storyboard in the shape of a giant W, with rising and falling action. It’s said that Joseph Campbell first tried this method. If you google storyboard W you’ll see how the idea has taken off. <br /><br />Using my index cards at first, then Post-it notes for more ease, I arranged the rising and falling action of my book on the storyboard chart. Here’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMhLvMJ_r0Y">a video</a> about it, if you’re new to the whole idea. It was new to me but it’s not uncommon now—a method used in screenwriting, filmmaking, editing. I remember seeing my first storyboard at an ideation session for one of my food books. We gathered in a conference room at the publisher’s and on the wall were large white sheets of poster board, arranged like an empty cartoon. We literally sat there for eight hours and filled them in. <br /><br />Voila, a book.<br /><br />These were good techniques for organizing massive amounts of writing, yet I was ecstatic when I discovered yet another, better way to keep sanity around a book project: Scrivener. <br /><br />I’ve devoted many posts to the glory of Scrivener as a writer’s organization tool, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. I’ve written five books using it. It hasn’t failed me yet. Gwen Hernandez was one of my first online teachers and she’s excellent if you want a tutorial or class to get going with it. <br /><br />I love writing books and will keep doing it for a while. Sometimes, though, I think longingly of the past, those 600-word columns. Or the short stories I write now, just for a break. Short pieces of writing are easily gathered in file folders. Even multiple revisions or printed pages from feedback become simple revision lists. While a book used to take up at least one file drawer, forty-five of my short story drafts fit into one woven shelf basket in my writing room.<br /><br />I also sometimes long for the tangible, the feel of printed paper and not a keyboard. I never would go back to a typewriter but I do miss the satisfaction of a pile of completed pages stacked on my desk. <br /><br /><b>Your Weekly Writing Exercise:</b> browse the recap of methods, plus a few new ideas, below and use them as fuel to explore your current organization and what it might be missing. Pick an idea that interests you and try it out, even a little.<br /><br /><b>Method 1: Project Box</b><br />Twyla Tharp is famous for this method--each choreography project gets its own new box. Into that box she puts all her notes, objects, fabric samples, videos, anything that has to do with the project.<br /><br />If the container is big enough and inspiring to your creative self, a project box works for a book. One stalled-out day, when I couldn't write, I collaged the outside of a large wooden box and tried it for a year. Images on the collage led me back into juicy writing time after time.<br /><br /><b>Method 2: One or More Bulletin Boards </b><br />I read about a writer who starts her book with seven bulletin boards in her kitchen (big kitchen, I thought). She pins everything to them that has to do with the book. Images, lists, sketches, photographs, diagrams. As she writes the book, she condenses the number of boards to one, discarding all the material that doesn't actually fit the book now.<br /><br />Anything easily visible--a board on a wall--helps the writer keep the book at close attention. <br /><br /><b>Method 3: Old-School File Folders</b><br />Using the method described above, try file folders as organizing tools later in the book process. Once your have chapters organized in your computer, create a folder for each. On the outside of each folder, brainstorm ideas—let yourself fly with this, no holding back. <br /><br />Or try my method of a circle with spokes coming off. In the center of the circle is the chapter's purpose (or title if the purpose is still evolving). On the spokes are the scenes or points the chapter now includes. Add and subtract as you revise. Inside the folder are the research notes, photos, images, lists of ideas, anything you want to keep in mind as you continue to write.<br /><b><br />Method 4: Scrivener or Other Software</b><br />Some writers combine Scrivener with other software, such as Aeon Timeline (great for figuring out different thru lines in a story) or Devonthink Pro, which comes highly recommended by one of my online students, although I haven't used it yet. But new software comes out constantly so do your research.<br /><br />Software includes learning time, It helps if a writing buddy can show you the ropes. I was fortunate to get great help for Scrivener setup during one of my workshops.<br />Your Book Starts Herehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568469874356348872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071197508859706097.post-9015361659922901032023-06-16T06:00:00.004-04:002023-06-16T06:00:00.144-04:00When Private Becomes Public: Facing Criticism and Exposure As Your Book Gets PublishedWe all have a great deal of personal freedom with what we choose to write--or do we? I've spoken with many writers, of all genres, who are conscious of the reader looking over their shoulder, judging their words. Or family, people they want to include (fictionalized or real), who may get hurt or shun them for the way they tell their story. <br /><br />Some writers don't care. "It's my story, I lived it, and I can tell it however I like," one student told me. More power to you, I thought. I knew her as a forthright activist, never shying from truth telling and confrontation. I'm not that way, and maybe some of you aren't either. You may, like me, worry a bit (or a lot) about judgment.<span><a name='more'></a></span><br /><br />One of my long-ago students wanted to write a novel loosely based on his family, but the fear of their criticism always stopped him. No amount of hiding details behind the fictional wall soothed this concern. His older brother, in particular, haunted him whenever he sat down at his laptop.<br /><br />Another student, writing a self-help book, was equally frozen by imagined comments from colleagues at the university where she taught. "In academia," she told me, "self-help is laughed at, and I'm afraid of losing credentials with my scholarly community." But both of these authors-to-be were driven by the need to write their stories, to share what they'd experienced and realized. <br /><br />A third wasn't at all concerned about what she shared in her memoir--just that revealing her background (addiction, childhood trauma) would open her to intrusive curiosity. A very private person, she wondered if there was a way to set up sane boundaries about what she shared and how.<br /><br />I have personally experienced both of these dilemmas: the fear of criticism and the fear of exposure and the resulting intrusion. Publishing today erases much of the boundary between public and private. Your private thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and facts get exposed to public scrutiny--even when you are writing fiction. (See below for more about that.)<br /><br />I remember a story I wrote years ago about my grandmother's death. She was a wonderful woman, strong and true, and very faith-rich until she was mugged outside her apartment. She believed God had deserted her in that moment, and it started her decline. She died not long after, a ghost of her former self.<br /><br />As a young woman, this change in my beloved grandmother shocked and haunted me for years. I wanted badly to write about it, about what happens when we lose faith in ourselves or our lives. The story ended up in my second memoir. <br /><br />I wasn't prepared for the reaction from some family readers, after the book was published. Not entirely approving, that I'd shared this intimate detail about our matriarch. And not entirely agreeing with my version of what happened.<br /><br />This is not an uncommon experience for memoirists. I asked friends whose stories I included to read and approve of my version but I hadn't asked my family. Too afraid of their censor, perhaps. Or just too stubborn to agree to changes, not unlike my student above. But soon after, I switched away from memoir into fiction. Family breaches healed, and I felt safer.<br /><br />My novel changed the game again, It is inspired by my mother, a World War II pilot. I wanted to not only write a story about women pilots, out of admiration for those who bust through this traditional male work wall, I wanted to honor my mom.<br /><br />The novel is clearly fiction, not subject to scrutiny, but the short essays I'm crafting in addition, about her and her flying years, are not. I'm back in tricky territory again.<br /><br />But like my students above, I am driven to write this: to understand her strength as a survivor, someone who could fly bombers at twenty-two. We weren't a family who talked about the tragedies, so I only have a scattering of memories of conversations with her about my older sister's death or my uncle's estrangement. I had to go to other resources to find her stories. I notice a certain current of tension inside as I imagine publishing these. What will my family's reaction be? What will I expose about myself, my history?<br /><br />I have the freedom, such as it is, the right to write whatever moves me. But I'm learning that it's a very individual thing, to find the intersection of this freedom and the place of comfort about how much to expose.<br /><br />In her wonderful <a href="https://1000wordsofsummer.substack.com/">Substack newsletter</a>, "Craft Talk," author Jami Attenberg writes "Boundaries must exist, and this is for everyone’s benefit. A good thing to think about in your writing: what you’re willing to tell and what you need to keep close for yourself. How much of yourself do you need to put out there?"<br /><br />"Even if we write fiction," she adds, "the most beautiful literary subterfuge, we can tap into certain personal wells and it can feel (to us, at least) like those boundaries become translucent."<br /><br />I think many writers--not all--start off with the specter of criticism and exposure very close. At least, I've seen this with my classes and private clients over the past two decades. We can write about anything when we're freewriting, but when it comes to sharing it, the gates close and the flow gets strangled. (There are exceptions, like the writer above who felt anything was game on the page, damn the consequences).<br /><br />For most of us, there has to be a middle ground. I've found it through time, my own comfort zone, but then I'll release a new book, as I am this fall, and all bets are off once again. I loved the freedom of the writing, editing, finishing. Now I have to face the responsibility of the book going out into the world, out of my control.<br /><br />Maybe that's why I take my sweet time with my books. I write and revise endlessly, trying to find that boundary that allows my free expression and also my safety--or at least a measure of it, call it sanity perhaps, that allows me to keep writing and keep believing in myself.<br /><br />But these are good questions for all of us to ponder. Attenberg says it so well: "How do we travel the line between pushing ourselves to be vulnerable, honest, interesting and still make ourselves feel safe? How do we take risks as artists and still protect ourselves? How do we stay steady even as we explore and exploit the wildness of our minds?"<br /><br />A final note about writer’s block, which is oh-so-connected to this topic of safety and danger. Sometimes, we feel pushed to share beyond our comfort zone. Class feedback asks for more about a topic you’re dancing around. An editor or agent does the same. You comply, but the writing flow reduces to a trickle. Suddenly, you just don’t feel like writing at all. Some gatekeeper inside has slammed the door because you’ve put yourself in danger, in its mind. <br /><br />We writers are very attuned to this, and I’ve witnessed many cases of writer’s block from line crossing, in myself and others. It’s a learning process, for sure—we don’t always know where that line is. Or maybe we’re brave or defiant or rebellious at the core, and we think lines are meant to be crossed. Who dares to tell us where our freedom begins and ends! Nobody.<br /><br />But we stop writing. Stop creating. Dry up a bit more each day we’re away from it. The critical inner voice gets louder. <br /><br />This week’s exercise is a gentle soother for that voice. It allows you to revisit your personal boundaries and see if they are still useful, need shoring up, need relinquishing.<br /><br />Your Weekly Writing Exercise: Make a list of topics, memories, ideas, thoughts, concepts you’re comfortable sharing with an unknown reader. Make a second list of those you’re uneasy about sharing with that reader. And a third of those things you’d never share. (No one will see these lists but you, so you can dive deep and be brutally honest with yourself.) Pick one from each list and freewrite for 10-15 minutes about your feelings of danger or safety with each one. Have you cross the line Attenberg talks about, even inadvertently, and your writing has narrowed or even shut down because of the danger you feel? Your Book Starts Herehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568469874356348872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071197508859706097.post-54809767224172220662023-06-09T06:00:00.003-04:002023-06-09T06:00:00.148-04:00It's All Too Much! (Risk, That Is): Recognizing and Balancing the Risk Quotient in Your Writing (and Your Life)Long ago, I wrote a book called <a href="https://www.amazon.com/How-Master-Change-Your-Life/dp/157043123X">How to Master Change in Your Life,</a> which is, as you probably guessed, about how different people view and react to change of all kinds. One of the more fascinating parts of my research for that book was what I began to call the risk quotient of each person. Including myself. <br /><br />Evidently, there can be a vast difference between how we deal with external risk (driving across Europe alone) and internal risk (telling a friend that we can’t be friends anymore). <br /><br />Since the book was published, I’ve kept that fascination with risk. I use it to weigh my characters’ effectiveness in a story. I evaluate how much external risk I’ve put in the plot—how many dramatic moments, how intense or low-key they are. I’ve studied my own tendencies towards different kinds of risk. Is it a male-female thing? Is it influenced by location? Or class or education or race? <br /><br />When I taught writing, I sometimes asked students about their tendencies to allow risk into their stories. I noticed a real difference in the answers when I taught, say, in Minnesota versus New York. <br /><br />I began wondering if the place we live reflect or instructs our tendency to bring risk into our creative work. Does a mountainous, storm-ridden region make a writer more able to write terrifically intense scenes with a lot of external tension? Does the flatland do the opposite, perhaps bringing out more internal risk in characters or narrator?<span><a name='more'></a></span> <br /><br />Because I’d lived all over the country I could examine this idea with equanimity, not dissing anyone—or myself—for their tendencies, just noticing them. <br /><br />Because once we notice, we become conscious and able to compensate, if we want to. <br /><br />Case in point: my current novel, which is being published this fall, was drafted when I lived in the Midwest. Feedback from kind readers in those early days told me, basically, that not enough happened. In my early fifties, when I divorced and moved to the East Coast to go back to grad school, I saw my writing change. Of course, it was influenced heavily by my MFA teachers, who told me I had to externalize more of the internal conflict, get the characters out of their heads. (Translated: Not enough happened.) <br /><br />But it was also my life then, suddenly living in a landscape that was not far-seeing but carved from hills and valleys, mountains and gorges. It felt, surprisingly, easier to write external drama here. I had to work harder to write about a character’s internal risk, but luckily I’d accumulated lots of pages on that already. <br /><br />Eventually, I found another agent (mine had retired) and got represented for this new novel. One of her first comments was There’s too much going on. I had to laugh! I’d learned my earlier lesson of Not enough risk and now I had to tone down Too much risk. You can’t have so many traumas, she told me. Choose one or two, max. <br /><br />I don’t know if all writers (or agents) would agree. But I did tone the external risk down. The novel was in its umpteenth revision now, and I was exhausted. My life was reflecting Too much risk as well—I’d remarried, begun parenting a stepson, started teaching at three new schools, and moved to an area of New England where I knew no one outside my immediate family. <br /><br />I needed to find a risk balance in my writing, for sure, and my life as well. <br /><br />So, I thought, life really does reflect writing and vice versa. Especially in the case of risk. <br /><br />It has taken me a while to get this, and although I don’t agree with it all the time—plenty of drama also happened in my years in the Midwest, but it was nothing like my life now—it’s an interesting guideline, and I keep in the back of my mind as I draft and revise. <br /><br /><b>Internal and External Risk </b><br /><br />A good balance of tension in a story begins with choosing what the character or narrator will risk. Risk sets up a dilemma—because risk implies moving out of comfort into the unknown. The risk can exist either internally or externally—the car trip across Europe or the frank conversation with a friend—or toggle between both (the car trip happens at the same time as the difficult confrontation). <br /><br />Most times, one of the kinds of risk will bring the other forth. The conversation with the friend goes south, so the narrator decides to hit the road. Internal risk perpetuates external risk. After a while the external risk gets handled (or not—it can also launch new external risk). The narrator gets ancy, creates more risk. And so on. <br /><br />In my view, good story is all about this sine wave of risk. Just like I found fascination in examining each individual reaction to risk in people I interviewed, knew, loved, I am fascinated by examining the wave of risk events in a story. Often, if I can step back and do this, I find there are dead spots (Not enough risk) or passages that simply blur for the reader (Too much risk). <br /><br />One way to analyze the movement of risk is to ask, for each chapter, these two questions: <br />What’s the question this chapter asks and answers? <br />What’s the quest that’s happening? <br /><br />The question is the way I chart the internal risk as manifested in the chapter. If nothing is asked, if no one is wondering anything inside, there’s less chance of growth or internal change. Less internal risk. <br /><br />The quest charts the external drama, the external risk. The outer event that causes a reaction, which causes change. <br /><br />It does appear differently in the various genres, and it helps to know what to look for, depending on what you’re writing. Here’s a very general way to break it down, although there are many exceptions. <br /><br />With nonfiction, the risk often circles around learning information or a new method or idea. What’s the best method of growing a bonsai garden? What should a concerned citizen do about classism? <br /><br />With memoir, the risk is in the narrator’s growth, or internal journey. Often there’s an element of identity shift. What’s my identity as a parent now that my child is an addict? What do I have to do to forgive my ex—if I even can? How do I survive a trauma or serious illness? Think of the challenge of figuring out a new identity after a great loss. This kind of risk, stepping into the unknown, forms the path your reader travels through your story. <br /><br />With fiction, I find the risk has to exist externally or the book has no dramatic arc. (Memoir has become like this as well.) So the risk often takes the form of a quest to discover something about a situation. Who killed the victim in a murder mystery? How will we get across France into Germany in that car? <br /><br />Without risk in any genre, to me there’s no story. <br /><br />A great way of looking at this, often used in writing classes: What's at stake? What can be lost? And is that loss primarily external or internal?<br /> <br /> Here’s an example from one of my past students, a beginning memoirist. <br /><br />Chris was writing the story of her grandmother’s life, but she wasn’t happy with the slow pace of her story. Not enough was happening (Not enough risk) but she didn’t know how to bring it into a true story that seemed, to her, almost risk-free. She’d loved her grandma precisely because of this serene aura that surrounded the older woman’s life. When she came to my storyboarding class and got a chance to both brainstorm the ideas she had and refine them, it mostly showed the many lovely moments in her grandmother's life. A good tribute to her. Not a publishable story, in my view.<br /> <br /> Absolutely, her grandmother lived an interesting life, well worth writing about. But her story, mostly preserved in family letters, seemed too perfect to Chris.<br /> <br /> A technique I love and often teach along with the storyboard (see my short <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMhLvMJ_r0Y">storyboard video </a>on YouTube) is the image board. Many published writers use image boards, maybe the most famous being Sue Monk Kidd, author of The Secret Life of Bees. For that novel, Kidd started an image board with one picture of a jar of honey. An entire story evolved from it. Although Chris wasn’t writing fiction, I knew the image board could trigger memories and feelings that were valuable but hidden from the conscious mind. So I suggested Chris create an image board of her grandmother’s life, what she knew of it. Her grandmother died when Chris was nine, but she’d been Chris’s primary caretaker until then.<br /> <br /> Chris went through the letters again and old family photos. Then she put these documents aside and turned to her intuition.<br /> <br /> She gathered a stack of magazines and spent an hour tearing out any images that spoke to her of her grandmother’s life. Then she arranged them on a large sheet of paper. This is when the central risk began to reveal itself.<br /> <br /> For some reason Chris pasted a beautiful garden next to a car accident, then a fallen bird near a sunny kitchen. Why the opposing images? She tried to recall conversations about her grandmother’s past, before her marriage. Were there secrets she didn’t know about?<br /> <br /> Chris decided to call up an elderly aunt and interview her. Chris learned that her grandmother had given birth to an illegitimate child when she was very young, and that child was given up for adoption. This explained the persistent sadness Chris always felt from her grandmother, and the disjointed collage images suddenly made sense. Chris now knew the central risk of her grandmother’s life and how she could write her book around this risk. <br /><br />Chris’s grandmother was forced to give up her baby—an external dilemma that Chris learned about from her elderly aunt. Chris believed it brought on the persistent sadness and colored her grandmother’s every day. Unresolved conflict always festered beneath all the gardening, cooking, and bird-watching that her grandmother described in her letters. <br /><br />I thought about Chris’s story for many months after the class ended. I wondered if the grandmother's life-long sorrow was a feeling she faced daily. Did it color her life beneath the serene exterior? A question I might imagine this woman asking herself is: How much do I share, how much do I keep secret, how do I live with either choice? <br /><br />No one knows. But now, it made a good story. <br /> <br /><b> Your Weekly Writing Exercise:</b> Make a list of potential risks in your book. What are all the different kinds of trouble that your people could get themselves into? If you’re writing fiction or memoir, you can begin with a list of unmet desires (which foster internal risk) or external challenges for one of your least-known characters. For nonfiction (such as how-to books), think of your reader’s risks. What problems bring them to your book? Then pick one problem and free write about it for 20 minutes. Allow the nonlinear side of your creative self to explore it. <br /><br />And, if you want, follow the directions above in Chris’s example to create an image board with pictures from the internet or print media that might tap into the less conscious risks in your story. <br /><br />Then, draft a scene or section in your book where someone faces this risk. Don’t keep them (or you) safe from it, if possible. Let it fly. <br /> <br /> Sometimes, it's hard for writers to bring risk to the page because they have to experience it themselves en route. And after these past years, who needs more? But to me, risk, in the right balance, continues to be an essential part of storytelling. <br /><br /> Your Book Starts Herehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568469874356348872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071197508859706097.post-67748232189141854622023-06-02T06:00:00.005-04:002023-06-02T06:00:00.144-04:00What Works When Sharing Your Work? Unexpected and Traditional Publicity Tips from Five Published Writers<i>Be sure to scroll down to the Shout Out! at the end of this post for some exciting news.<br /></i><br />I've been learning--somewhat to my private self's dismay--that reaching out to readers requires not only persistence but exposure. <br /><br />It's risky to share the author behind the book.<br /><br />Yet this week I interviewed five published writers--and former students of mine--who have gone on to reinvent their outreach and succeed beautifully in touching readers and building a worthwhile, supportive community in the process.<br /><br />What if you don't want to build community? Or have readers know you behind your book? <br /><br />I've heard this a lot from writers: "You mean, after all the years of putting together a publishable book, I also have to welcome readers into my private life and be glad about it?" It's certainly up to you. And in past times, that worked--the writer stayed in her cozy room and her book got whisked into the hands of readers without much effort. Or so it was true with my early books.<br /><br />Promotion when I began publishing in the eighties was also more about how you appeared than anyone getting to know you as a person. When one of my nonfiction books was published, the publisher hired a wonderful publicist who got me interviews on over 100 radio and television programs, and my goal was just to look and talk like an expert--or at least someone who knew what they were writing. Of course imposter syndrome flared--I ran the gamut, grateful when my book sold well, but all the time wary of being outed for my real life. I didn't want readers coming too close--I'm able to admit that now, looking back.<br /><br />Today's author needs to be more focused on building community with readers. Podcasts, "in conversation with" events, how we share on social media, all this is about getting to know the story behind the story. Readers want to relate to the person who wrote the book we so admire--or are curious to read.<br /><br />It means the writer becomes known, not just for her words but for herself.<span><a name='more'></a></span><br /><br />For some, this is no big deal. We're already living out loud in every aspect of our lives. We share our toothpaste brand and our relationship woes on Twitter. But if this isn't you—and it sure hasn't been me—there’s a huge sea change to face.<br /><br />With the upcoming release of my new novel, I'm feeling the waves slap me in the face as I figure out the new methods.<br /><br />So, as I often do when the learning curve is steep, I go to my community of other writers. My former students who have gone on to publish are a wonderful resource, and five of them were willing to share tips this week.<br /><br />You may still be writing, revising, agonizing over plot and character, but as you'll see in the advice below, it's never too early to begin considering your community and your outreach, if you want your book to be read.<br /><br />Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard came to my classes in New York many years ago. When we first met, she was working on her first historical novel, which she went on to self-publish, along with a second book. Her third, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Sisters-Castle-Elizabeth-Hutchison-Bernard/dp/1685130623/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1VK1Y0CEWZG3P&keywords=sisters+of+castle+leod+a+novel&qid=1685102912&sprefix=sisters+of+castle%2Caps%2C113&sr=8-1">Sisters of Castle Leod,</a> was picked up by a traditional publisher who admired her publicity efforts so much--the third book sold very well--they offered her a two-book contract and stepped in with full publicity support.<br /><br />Bernard believes you have to spend money on outreach in today's publishing world. Most of the writers I interviewed, including those published by one of the Big Five, agreed. "Unless you have already built a huge following, or you are incredibly lucky and your book somehow catches the attention of a major influencer," Bernard says, "you will need to spend in order to make even a small dent in a very crowded and competitive marketplace."<br /><br />Her efforts have kept her new novel at #1 on the bestseller list for Historical Biographical Fiction (Amazon Kindle) for over two months and counting. <br /><br />Her first suggestion is to get Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) of your book to potential reviewers at least six months before your release date. "Be willing to spend a few bucks on reputable professional review sites," she says, "and on entering appropriate book contests, to accumulate quotable praise. This begins your marketing campaign.<br /><br />"Gather additional reviews," she says, "and get the buzz going, by hiring someone to schedule one or more blog tours. Yes, you could reach out to bloggers yourself if you have the time and patience, but a facilitator usually will get the job done better and with less pain. If you have a niche genre, try to select bloggers that prefer that genre, or something close to it. Get as many bloggers as possible to commit to actually reading the book and writing a review (rather than just featuring a photo of your book cover and a book description). Don't neglect Instagram bloggers, who often have a big following. Quote positive reviews and promote them, as they occur, on your social media. Your goal should be to have at least 40-50 advance reviews (the more the better) on Goodreads before your book launches. Follow up with reviewers requesting that they post on Amazon as soon as the book is live."<br /><br />Another former student, Jeanne Blasberg, sent ARCs to "a ton of bookstagrammers and Facebook groups" when her second novel, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Nine-Novel-Jeanne-McWilliams-Blasberg/dp/1631526529/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1GHKCPBTLGHPR&keywords=the+nine+jeanne+mcwilliams+blasberg&qid=1683055805&s=audible&sprefix=The+Nine+Jeanne+%2Caudible%2C85&sr=1-1-catcorr">The Nine,</a> came out. Reviews generated content for her to post and she also did a lot of events, "many I organized myself in different cities with book clubs or sometimes at bookstores," she says. Blasberg focused on "really engaging on social media with influencers, but also going to live events and meeting those people. I made a huge effort to become a literary citizen and support other authors as well as indie bookstores."<br /><br />The community Blasberg built was supportive. They "invited me to hold events. I spent a lot of time in my car and traveling--all self-funded which I realize is a privilege. I also feel like I got good at social media both posting about my regular life and my literary life. I review a lot of books and post about that as well."<br /><br />Bernard made friends with other successful authors in her genre. "The friendships I've formed with other writers are mutually beneficial when it comes to promoting each other's work," she says. "I would never recommend to my readers a book that I don't love, but when you befriend authors who write excellent books, it's a win-win-win. You, your fellow authors, and your readers all benefit. Besides, it's nice to have something else to talk about on social media besides yourself and your own books!" <br /><br />Although her publisher hired a publicist, Minnesotan Mindy Greiling gave her memoir, <a href="https://www.upress.umn.edu/book-division/books/fix-what-you-can">Fix What You Can,</a> a story of her son's schizophrenia, a lot of additional attention before its release last year. She upped her presence on social media, launched a blog, newsletter, and web page for the book. Covid changed her in-person appearances, including one at the National Press Club, to virtual, which she says had a "terrible impact on sales," but she didn't give up. She booked as many speaking engagements on zoom as she could--again, finding and building the community to support her book.<br /><br />"A year and a half ago," she says, "I was invited to be on a national podcast with two other mothers who are also authors of books about their family experience with schizophrenia. One mother is a radio host in Connecticut who does shows for NPR and the other is a painter in Washington state. ‘Schizophrenia: Three Moms in the Trenches’ is now doing incredibly well and helping many, many families who contact us to tell us so."<br /><br />Bernard used book giveaways as an integral part of her marketing plan. "I did two of them on Goodreads, the second one a premium giveaway that allowed me to send a message to those who didn't win, inviting them to view the book trailer, follow me on Goodreads, buy the book." The Goodreads giveaways resulted in over 5000 readers adding her novel to their "Want to Read" list," she says. <br /><br />John David Ferrer's second historical novel, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Beloved-Borinquen-John-David-Ferrer/dp/B0BSHZ6JXR/ref=sr_1_1?crid=29UY51J53Y50J&keywords=my+beloved+borinquen&qid=1685099949&sprefix=my+beloved+bori%2Caps%2C101&sr=8-1">My Beloved Borinquen,</a> takes place as the Spanish civil war draws to a close. It reached a large audience from carefully placed ads on Facebook's Meta Business Suite, Ferrer says. "I’ve reached 58,000 people [at latest count].” Ads have increased interest in Ferrer's first novel so they are selling in tandem.<br /><br />Ferrer runs his ads from 10-14 days in select cities in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. "I vary the cities every time I run an ad. I skip a week between ads and vary the artwork. The ads are affordable, since I establish a budget. I budget about $50-$70 per ad which runs for approximately 10-14 days. I pick age groups (35-65) and subject matter, i.e., historical fiction. My ads feature different versions of the book cover for variety and at times I include reviews."<br /><br />Bernard also built her reading community via a book trailer. She originally assumed that trailers were not worth the cost, but she thought it might be fun to see her novel translated into film. "I opted for a cinematic book trailer (a cheaper type of trailer may do more harm than good if it looks unprofessional), and I found a great producer (Electrafox) to work with," she says. Together, they created something that made a huge impact on her book sales. "I posted the trailer everywhere I could think of, multiple times, and scheduled a special book trailer blog tour to feature it. My publisher used well-targeted Facebook ads to widen the reach.” You can view it <a href="https://ehbernard.com/books/sisters-of-castle-leod/">here</a>.<br /><br />Emma Laurence's new <a href="https://lifeiscoachingyou.com/beyond-burnout-playbook/">Beyond Burnout Playbook</a> was promoted "in waves," Laurence says. "I first announced my book to my subscriber list as part of a new website. Then, I presented on LinkedIn since I belong to an online business collective that amplifies the members’ posts. I’ve had such a positive response through LinkedIn that I had to backtrack to ensure my copyright language is complete. Readers want to share this material!<br /><br />"Before the launch, I experienced a sense of panic around visibility. Visibility is vulnerability, and I didn’t feel ready. That week, a Visibility Coach with the tagline, Find the courage to be seen, showed up in my inbox. She’s beta-testing a new program, and I signed up. Her first video on self-love touched a deep chord.<br /><br />"As the waves return through invitations to guest on podcasts, write magazine articles, and contribute to conferences, it’s the ongoing support of others that’s shoring me up,” Laurence says.<br /><br />That's community! In the end, it gives back much more than it takes from us, the writer. Or at least that's the experience of these fortunate five. I hope you appreciate their tips and wisdom—I certainly do.<br /><br />Your weekly writing exercise: Free write on your feelings about writerly community, how it appears in your life now, what it might become, ideally. Choose one of the ideas shared above and try it yourself. Even if your dream of publication is months or years off, what can you do to foster a supportive community for when your writing reaches readers? Time spent contemplating your hopes and fears on this topic can yield an increase of personal freedom in the end.<br /><br /><b>Shout Out!</b><br /><br />A hearty shout out to these writing friends and former students who are publishing their books! I encourage you to pre-order a copy to show your support of fellow writers and our writing community.<br /><br />(If you are a former student and will publish soon (pre-orders of your book are available now), or have in the past two months, email mary[at]marycarrollmoore[dot]com to be included in a future Shout Out!)<br /><br />Nancy Crochiere, <a href="https://www.nancycrochiere.com/graceland">Graceland</a> (Avon, May release)<br /><br />Emma Laurence, <a href="https://lifeiscoachingyou.com/beyond-burnout-playbook/">Beyond Burnout Playbook </a>(Life Is Coaching You, May release)<br /><br />Lynne Kolze, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Please-Write-Finding-Meaning-Handwritten/dp/1643436732">Please Write: Finding Joy and Meaning in the Soulful Art of Handwritten Letters </a>(Beaver's Pond Press, May release)<br /><br />Linda Dittmar, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tracing-Homelands-Israel-Palestine-Belonging/dp/1623717507/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2RZ4IJ4AKCGXO&keywords=linda+dittmar&qid=1684065563&sprefix=linda+dittmar%2Caps%2C76&sr=8-1">Tracing Homelands: Israel, Palestine, and the Claims of Belonging.</a> (Interlink Press, July release)<br /><br />Nigar Alam, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Under-Tamarind-Tree-Nigar-Alam/dp/0593544072/ref=sr_1_1?hvadid=598659499888&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9002320&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=6473714192734925458&hvtargid=kwd-47944857362&hydadcr=22563_13531175&keywords=under+the+tamarind+tree&qid=1685288331&sr=8-1">Under the Tamarind Tree </a>(Putnam/PRH, August release)<br /><br />Patty Wetterling and Joy Baker, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dear-Jacob-Mothers-Journey-Hope-ebook/dp/B0BVYF4H69">Dear Jacob: A Mother's Journey of Hope</a> (Minnesota Historical Society Press, October release)Your Book Starts Herehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568469874356348872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071197508859706097.post-76196525232809208772023-06-01T07:40:00.008-04:002023-06-01T07:51:43.115-04:00Subscribe to this blog on Substack!<p>Dear wonderful subscribers,</p><p>This is just to let you know that I'm moving my blog to Substack this week, which allows you to receive my weekly posts in your inbox each Friday morning. If you prefer that option to reading it here, please go to <a href="http://www.substack.com" target="_blank">Substack </a>and enter Mary Carroll Moore in the search box then click on People. My name will come up with my tiny photo. Click on that and subscribe. It's free!</p><p>Substack has the advantage of a cleaner format, easier reading, and cool links to browse. Check it out.</p><p>Thanks for being a subscriber!</p><p>Mary</p>Your Book Starts Herehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568469874356348872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071197508859706097.post-73317523953382064902023-05-26T06:00:00.002-04:002023-05-26T06:00:00.144-04:00Bringing Authenticity into Your Writing: The Challenges and the Benefits of One Writer's Journey with His Memoir Many of us say we want to write with authenticity. Of course, that's a worthy goal, as is living an authentic life. But it can also be a challenging one. In our lives, we can decide what to reveal or not reveal, and still live authentically within those perimeters, I believe. On the page of a book, it's different. You share a story from your life, from your heart and core values, and readers can take it anywhere they want. <div><br /></div><div>I've been drafting short essays about my mom, who was a pilot in World War II. Her story of being in the Women's Airforce Service Pilots program was recorded in a Library of Congress interview. She died several years ago at age 98. Reading about her flying years, now that she's gone, made me realize how little I knew of her life, as her daughter. We get to know our loved ones even more after they're gone, a bereaved friend once told me, and I'm seeing that now. I have so many questions: how did she get to be so strong, such a survivor? At twenty-two, she was ferrying B-24's across the US to Canada. Once, her plane engine caught on fire and she had to do a dead stick landing at LaGuardia. </div><div><br /></div><div>One of my past students, Jody Lulich, was another example to me of surviving. I had the privilege of working with him both in classes and as a private client after he won the prestigious Loft Mentor Series in 2015 for his memoir-in-progress. Jody struggled to structure the story of growing up in a biracial family with a mother who committed suicide when he was a boy. <span><a name='more'></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div>Animals became a touchstone for him during those years and he went on to become a veterinarian and professor of internal medicine at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the U of MN. My mother's story is completely different, but there are parallels too--what makes a person so strong, such a survivor?<div><br />When Jody's memoir was published in April by the University of Minnesota Press, I interviewed him about the challenges he faced with both the subject matter and the writing itself. How did he remain vulnerable on the page, write about his past with authenticity? What would he would advise memoir--and any--writer to consider with their own projects, if their goal was also authenticity?</div><div><br /></div><div>Here are the answers, in Jody's own words. Scroll to the bottom for a link to his book.<br /><br /><i><b>How did this book begin—what was your purpose in writing it—and how did that change over the time you worked on it?<br /><br /></b></i>I started writing this book as a tribute to a remarkable person who had a profound influence on me. When I went to veterinary school, I rented a room in the home of a 75-year-old Black woman named Grace. In the beginning, Grace and I had a typical landlord-tenant relationship until the night she asked me to braid her hair. <br /><br />Grace was particular about her appearance. Before going to bed, she’d set out her clothes, moisturize her face, and pin up her hair. She had a routine every night. That night, she looked down at her hands and gave each one a gentle caress with the other. I could see that she was in pain. With that simple act of helping, our relationship changed. As I braided her hair, she’d tell me the stories of growing up in the depression and what it was like being a Black woman at the time of segregation and the Jim Crow laws of the South. <br /><br />The stories she told, left me in awe of her bravery. She didn't have any children of her own, and I did not want her stories to die with her, so I took on the role of preserving her legacy. <br /><br />As the book progressed, I weaved my stories around hers. Only then did I find the true impact that she had on my life.<br /><br /><i><b>What was your biggest challenge in writing or finishing this book? <br /><br /></b></i>Writing a memoir was an emotional ride that I had not expected. As painful memories surfaced, I found myself crying and emotionally devastated. But I kept writing. By doing so, I found a path to hope and happiness.<br /><br />The title refers to Grace, of course, but readers (like me) also wonder about the concept of grace and how your journey brought that into your life. Can you speak to this?<br /><br />Grace has many meanings. What first comes to mind is simple, elegant and refined like Audrey Hepburn. However, in reference to my book, I am more in line with the spiritual meaning, which is an undeserved, unmerited, and unexpected gift. <br /><br />It took me a long time to realize that I needed to learn how to graciously accept gifts in order to graciously give gifts. Grace is the willingness to give unmerited gifts to others and in doing so I have been able to mitigate the pain and trauma of my youth. <br /><br /><i><b>How does your work as a veterinarian influence how you look at the title of this book—being in the company of grace? How does grace form a part of your work with animals, if it does?<br /><br /></b></i>Our pets do not judge us by our outward appearances. They do not have the prejudices that people use to prejudge one another. Pets judge us by our kindness even when we have to do the necessary procedures to improve their health. Pets always forgive. Giving back is that “grace” that the book is rooted in. <br /><br /><i><b>What do you feel is your biggest success with this memoir?<br /></b></i><br />There are many successes. The most heartwarming and affirming success is the response that I receive from the readers.<br /> <br />On a literary level, convincing a publisher to publish the book was also an unexpected success. I had no idea that most writers receive multiple rejections (as I did) before a publisher agrees to print your book. Multiple rejections can be devastating. As an author, the book was my child that I valued for its interior quality. <br /><br />To a publisher, the book has to be a revenue generator like any business. Those are often totally opposite goals. However, if authors are lucky, the book can accomplish both.<br /><br />Can you share your feelings, hesitations, concerns about writing about your relationship with Joe or being a gay man, if you have any? <br /><br />I did not have hesitations. The book is about being authentic. On a personal level, it heightened my fears of rejection from my father when I desperately needed his approval. On a literacy level, it was important to show many levels of authenticity in the book.<br /><br /><i><b>What do you hope this book will do in the world, for readers? <br /></b></i><br />I want this book to encourage hope when hope seems unattainable or we believe that we are unworthy. Even though there are many painful passages in my book, it starts with hope. You see it in the title and in the quote at the front. “There’s a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.” I hope that by showing the cracks that the light is even brighter.<br /><br />I want this book to epitomize that our greatest freedom is our ability to choose how we respond to adversity. For me that choice is not good or bad, or even complete or final. Life is a journey and each step is an accomplishment toward finding your way. However, to heal our responses need to be thoughtful and authentic.<br /><br /> It is important to recognize our trauma and sit in it for however long it takes to make sense of it. But it is also important to find a path to move beyond it and not just complain about it. <br /><br />Finally, our response also needs to be authentic. It needs to reflect who we are. Only then will the world know who to love.<br /><br /><i><b>Do you have any advice for writers working on their first memoirs, from what you learned with yours?<br /></b></i><br />First, write for yourself. If the writing cannot accomplish what you need, it is unlikely to accomplish what you want your readers to get from the work. <br /><br />Then, write for your audience. It needs to be accessible, interesting, and clear to help others. Meet your readers more than half way, maybe all the way. <br /><br />Books, especially memoirs, find writers when we are in the right frame of mind to write them. A memoir is personal. Writing it can be painful and difficult. It took me 10 years to write this book. I do not think that it could not have happened any sooner or I could not have written it any faster. <br /><br />It took writing this book for me to understand the journey I had taken and how I ended up where I am. And that I finally ended up in a good place.<br /><b><i><br />What is your book about?<br /></i></b><br />When I was 9 years old, my mother committed suicide while I watched. While driving the car to my mother’s funeral, my father ran over a dog and did not stop. I was a cynical person until I befriended Grace, that 75-year-old woman mentioned above, who was three times my age. She showed me compassion.<br /><br />These are the events that led me to become a veterinarian that I tell in my new book, In the Company of Grace; a Veterinarian’s Memoir of Trauma and Healing. <br /><br />It is my life story of a little boy, who when he loses his mother goes on a journey to find mothering, so that he can grow up into someone who can offer compassion and mothering to others. <br /><br /><i><b>Who is the book for?</b></i><br /> <br />This book is for animal lovers, suicide survivors, health providers, and those looking to find their "Why" in life, work, and connection. <br /><br /><br /><i>Click the title to learn more: <a href="https://www.upress.umn.edu/book-division/books/in-the-company-of-grace">In the Company of Grace; a Veterinarian’s Memoir of Trauma and Healing </a>by Jody Lulich</i></div></div>Your Book Starts Herehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568469874356348872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071197508859706097.post-84309442059243894502023-05-19T06:00:00.002-04:002023-05-19T06:00:00.190-04:00Good News for Older Women Writers: Your Age Is a Bonus!Imagine my surprise when I came across this article in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/feb/25/unpublished-older-female-writers-authors">The Guardian</a>: older women writers (in their fifties, sixties, even seventies) are now a hot item with publishers.<br /><br />The trend is slow but steady, according to the editors and agents interviewed. My surprise came because of decades of reading the "30 Under 30" lists and being dismayed at the publishing industry's romance with youth, youthful appearance, and many years ahead to write.<br /><br />I was even told--before I signed with my agent--that trying to get another agent after sixty was iffy. You may have a good track record, you may write publishable books, but do you look like an author with a long future? How do you look, actually?<span><a name='more'></a></span> <br /><br />Post-pandemic, I welcomed the gray. I decided not to return to the hassle of coloring. Many of my friends did the same (and if you did not, no worries--this is all so personal). But it has worried me as I've prepared for my first photo shoot for my new novel. I'll need a headshot, some "writerly" photos, maybe some of me in my natural landscape, with garden as background or puppies in my lap. Sounds like fun, and the photographer is the nicest, most authentic man, except when I consider my hair.<br /><br />Don't laugh--this is a reality for women in most art arenas. We're even concerned about writing narrators who are past 50. <br /><br />Courtney Maum, in <a href="https://books.catapult.co/books/before-and-after-the-book-deal/">Before and After the Book Deal,</a> has two insightful sections on this tricky topic. One discusses debuting after forty (maybe, at the time of publication, this was considered aged) and debuting as a disabled, queer, or author of color. Marginalization happens with older women, we all know that. As an author, we fight harder to be seen--but how do we want to be seen? As younger? As ourselves, right now? <br /><br />Again, if this doesn't worry you, don't take it on, but I clearly remember a recent conversation with three women colleagues in their sixties who are publishing this spring. It's a subject on all our minds at this age of life. How does an older woman writer deal with the visibility disadvantages in the publishing world today?<br /><br />It's not just looks, either. Maybe you don't have the energy to travel to dozens of cities to promote your book. You like being home. You're not up to speed on social media like you want to be. You even (horror!) write female narrators in midlife or older and you're openly passionate about the issues they face.<br /><br />You're also at the age where you want to be who you are, at least most of the time. <br /><br />But still the question remains: If you don't try to look thirty, or even fifty, will you be able to (1) attract an agent, (2) get published, and (3) get read?<br /><br />Such concern doesn't fade if you've already published well. With each new book, I think about my presence in the world, what I am able to do now, what I want to do. I haven't had a new author photo since the pandemic--haven't needed to, thankfully. Zoom is forgiving. <br /><br />So you can imagine my delight at t<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/feb/25/unpublished-older-female-writers-authors">his article</a> in The Guardian. <br /><br />A well-respected British publication, it revealed that the rise of older female authors who are making their debut is now an industry trend, supported by publishers, agents, and sales teams. One agent in the article even said it was an advantage to be coming into publishing now as a debut author in her later years. The article cited many examples, including <i>The Paper Palace </i>by Miranda Cowley Heller, Bonnie Garmus's <i>Lessons in Chemistry</i>, and <i>A Terrible Kindness</i> by Jo Browning Wroe, among others. <br /><br />Anna Fodorova (who published her debut, <i>In the Blood,</i> last year at age 77) was told that she'd need 40,000 followers on social media to get a book deal. Obviously, not true at all.<br /><br />I did visit my hair stylist this weekend, just to see what could be done to update my look for this photo shoot, though. I am not going back to my younger look but I want something fresh, as well. She'll work magic, I hope--we'll see! <br /><br />But in the larger world, I sincerely hope that publishers are getting wise to the wisdom of older women writers. Your Book Starts Herehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568469874356348872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071197508859706097.post-90261722177668579162023-05-14T09:39:00.002-04:002023-05-14T09:47:29.625-04:00Personal Narrative--What You (and Your Book) Are Trying to SayNow that review copies (ARCs) are being readied and I'm entering the window of pre-publication excitement with my new novel, A Woman's Guide to Search & Rescue, I'm studying up on something I never took time for while I was busy writing: the book's narrative and how it intersects with my personal narrative.<br /> <br />Turns out, this element of your story--its message, its meaning--is the way readers most engage with your work.<br /> <br />Sure, an exciting plot is important. Great people to populate your book's stage. But the take-away, the story's impact, is what makes a book truly loved.<br /> <br />This isn't just a question for pre-publishing time, by the way. You may be in the throes of creating your first draft, an exciting and wonderful stage. Or you may be struggling with your structure, via a storyboard or chapter grids.<span><a name='more'></a></span> <br /> <br />It takes a lot of work to make a book. Because we’re so occupied at ground level, we writers often don't consider the lofty thoughts of the book’s greater meaning until a publicist or marketing person asks these kinds of questions: what's your book's key message? How does it intersect with your life and beliefs? They have a specific job: to find topics that blossom into articles or essays or interview topics.<br /> <br />Sometimes, we writers get woken up to the meaning of our stories via savvy readers—friends, an agent, an editor, an interviewer. When my first novel, <i>Qualities of Light,</i> was sold to a publisher and I was waiting for it to be produced, I was very new at exploring the book’s greater message. With my nonfiction books, I could more easily say what they were about and how I felt about this. But a novel’s meaning is often couched in plot and character, not shouted from paragraph one. So I remained clueless until after the book’s launch, when a friend got me an interview on NPR, and I learned from the interviewer what the book was really about. She zeroed in on the relationship between the young protagonist, Molly, and her damaged father. This stayed in her mind and heart, fascinated her, birthed all her excellent questions during that interview. Again, this happened when local news ran a story about my novel, and that journalist told me why the book appealed to her: “It's about how a young person can be the instrument to save her parents."<br /> <br />All so true. But looking back, it embarrasses me how stunned I was by this new information. Why don’t we writers know this from the get-go? I believe it’s because we’re too close to the story—we’ve been living and breathing it for years—and we don’t get enough distance to gain a reader’s perspective. Even our writers’ group members or our feedback partners may comment more on the structure or language than the meaning. It’s so incredibly valuable to discern this meaning, though, because it forms the basis for how you will approach your future agent, your publisher, and your readers.<br /> <br />Most valuable, though, is to grasp how the book’s meaning intersects with your own life and beliefs. Again, it’s only looking back that I can see the reason I worked so hard to write about a young person who has the insight and perspective to gift her family in a way that allows it to flourish. I also believe that certain kinds of circumstances, such as the tragedy in <i>Qualities of Light,</i> foster this. In the end, I wanted to write about a young woman of sixteen who is more capable of rescuing her family than either of her parents. Who finds a way to be exiled from them because of the tragedy and also find her way back to them.<br /> <br />So how do you discover your book's message, its narrative?<br /> <br />It takes distance from it, as I said,. It often helps to get feedback from readers or those who know how to ask these kinds of questions. Because I'm usually clueless, I decided to hire marketing guru <a href="https://wegrowmedia.com/">Dan Blank</a> for three months of exploring my new novel's narrative and how it connects to my own life beliefs. Dan's business is "human-centered marketing," and his approach is all about finding the authentic path to travel with promoting your art. I wasn't surprised when his first assignment for me was to think about my book's key messages. What I wanted to say with this story. And how these messages intersect with my own life.<br /> <br />I also appreciated writer and <a href="http://1000wordsofsummer@substack.com/">Substacker</a> Jami Attenberg, author of the "Craft Talk" newsletter, who talks about this narrative in two parts: "the story of your book" and the "story of you." Why you wrote this book, why the book's meaning or message is important to you. Dan asked me to write a list of topics I think my book is about and subtopics that explore it further.<br /> <br />So far, my homework for Dan has yielded some good insights. A Woman's Guide to Search & Rescue is about estranged siblings, two sisters who are both pilots. They are forced to reunite after a tragedy that affects both of them. (Again, the theme of tragedy bringing unexpected gifts.) They end up rescuing each other in unexpected ways. Very much like my first novel, which tells me this is a life theme or belief for me, right? It's something I'm fascinated with: how we help or rescue others and end up saving ourselves. It's also about found family--the community we build away from our origins that often delivers more of what we actually need and repairs wounds we didn't know we had. I never felt I really fit in my family of origin, although I loved them dearly. I moved across country at a young age to find my way and my tribe. Later in life, I found my way back to my origins and appreciated them more.<br /> <br />Connecting this “book narrative” with my personal narrative was hard work this week. It was painful but revealing. I have a deceased older sister whom I'd love to be friends with now, if she were alive. She suffered with terrible addictions and chronic pain, distancing most of the family. I wonder about how we could've rescued each other, as we got older, despite this tragedy, but I'll never know. Her death was a shock and it certainly changed my relationship with my two other siblings. Death in a family often brings a stronger appreciation of the circle that's left.<br /> <br />A third “book narrative” I've landed on explores women and their unique strengths. I wanted to write a story about women pilots. My mother got her license at age 20 and served as a squadron leader in the Women's Air Service Pilots (WASPs) during World War II. She always impressed me as a fearless person, able to survive many challenges of poverty, hard work, losing a daughter, and more. Before she died at age 98, she told me the story of the dead-stick landing she was forced to make when her plane engine caught on fire. I'm sure there are more stories I never heard.<br /> <br />What is the internal make-up of a person who can survive all these kinds of catastrophes and still look on life as a gift? That's definitely my own story too, and it's where the book and I intersect.<br /> <br />This week, no matter where you are in the process from early draft to near publication, spend time listing the topics your story covers and think about ways they intersect with your own beliefs about life. It's an exercise of authenticity, I'm learning. It can put you on the edge but also teach you an awful lot about yourself and why you've spent this precious time writing this particular story.Your Book Starts Herehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568469874356348872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071197508859706097.post-57527726293127246972023-05-05T06:00:00.004-04:002023-05-14T09:47:16.411-04:00Rituals for Writing--The Relief of No Choice<i>A Woman's Guide to Search & Rescue,</i> my second novel, is getting its cover designed this week. A huge step in making any book real and soon to be released. It takes all my patience to stay patient! Good distractions are needed--and there's only so much pie in the house--so gardening is my answer. Getting deep in the dirt, getting way out of my head. Allowing time to pass and trusting the process.<br /><br />All those good things.<br /><br />Spring in New England is an iffy time, too--kind of like my own temperament these days. The week begins with temps soaring into the lovely 70s then plummeting to thirties at night. Birds are loud--they don't care--and spring peepers in our vernal pond are too. My masses of perennials are up, daffodils and hyacinths are a riotous mess. It happens every year, the beautiful routine.<span><a name='more'></a></span><br /><br />When I'm outside, my head often clears enough to ponder meanings and bigger ideas than fonts or colors or cover images. Spring's renewal also brings to mind other routines and rituals, what we do to celebrate occasions, what we do to launch something creative. I have a certain baseball cap, with the Weaverville Hotel logo, picked up visiting family in northern California. When I put it on, it's instant permission to abandon whatever duties call and go out to the newly planted peas, just to see if any more came up since I last checked. I have certain garden clogs too, a beat-up fleece that smells equally of dog and mud. It's my gardening uniform, I guess. And it clicks me into that activity.<br /><br />This week, I was browsing Substack newsletters from different writers and creative artists. One talked about uniforms for creative work. The ritual of putting on a certain sweats, a worn-out pair of leggings or jeans, a cozy pair of moccasins. Paint-splatted pants for an artist.<br /><br />It made me think about other ritual that offer permission to start our daily or weekly writing routine. Like setting out your running or walking clothes before bed, it makes the activity one of no choice.<br /><br />What's the benefit of no choice, when it comes to writing practice? If you're like me, there are always a thousand other things calling. You may not have a writing uniform (or favorite scarf!) to make you feel ready to ignite creativity. But other rituals can remind you, turn away distractions, help you keep your promise to yourself.<br /><br />If we know, via these rituals, that we are permitted to write--if we give ourselves no choice but to sit down and do it--there's magic in that. The whole purpose, the goal, of keeping choice at a minimum via ritual is to make writing a welcome habit.<br /><br />Ritual 1: Place<br /><br />In my classes, I loved to ask writers: Where do you write? Surprisingly, many had no place of their own. "Dining room table until dinnertime," said one. "My bed," said another. "The bathroom with the door closed" was even on the list--a parent of young children said this.<br /><br />i remember one writer who decided, after this Q&A, to convert an unused hall closet into her writing space. She built a series of shelves, one as a desk, added lighting and a chair, and began to actually work on her novel. Another finally took over her grown son's bedroom (he'd been out of the house for five years, but she hadn't wanted to disturb his room). Again, the magic of the ritual of one own's place began to work.<br /><br />I have a day bed in our family room where my dogs sleep and I write on my laptop. I also used to love a certain coffee shop, until the pandemic.<br /><br />With place, the ritual begins when you enter the space. It triggers the habit. Where do you write best? If you don't have your own place, what might allow you to find one?<br /><br />Ritual 2: Time<br /><br />I'm an early-morning person. I get up before anyone else, even the dogs, and I write. For an hour at least, sometimes longer. It sets my day aright, as much as early-morning walks in summer.<br /><br />I also love writing at night, when it's very silent. But that's more catch-as-catch-can, so I don't consider it my ideal time. Morning is when my ideas are fresh, often flood out after sleep and dreaming. Knowing that I will write when I first get up often sets my creative self up for good ideas on waking. I keep this ritual as a promise to that creative self.<br /><br />Sometimes the morning writing is mostly freeform, journaling ideas, freewrites. It all counts. I just show up at that time.<br /><br />A student once asked about limiting time, how to do this. She was afraid of getting too involved in her writing, missing the rest of her life--like work and children. Timers are a lovely answer. Set your phone alarm before you begin. Rely on it, and relax into the writing until it rings. It's great if you have to stop in the middle of something, by the way. Called "Linkage"(I believe I learned about this from a book by Stephen King called On Writing), leaving a sentence even half completed creates a vacuum that will guarantee you showing up the next day.<br /><br />What's your best time to write? Is it happening for you? Why or why not?<br /><br />Ritual 3: Props<br /><br />Some writers light candles. Some play music--even create a playlist of tunes for their character(s) or setting. Some have a certain view or lack of view they have to have in front of their computer or notebook.<br /><br />My props, truthfully, are few. I don't like to write to music, generally preferring silence or, equally, the noise hum of a coffee shop. I do like warm feet--so a certain pair of fleecy shoes in winter is essential. I bought a low-EMR electric lap blanket for my writing area, again for our northern winters and chilly springs.<br /><br />I do like a big mug of my favorite tea. I do enjoy the dogs sleeping beside me. My props, I guess.<br /><br />But you may have a whole list of things you need to write--and this is fine. Ten sharpened pencils, a certain notebook with excellent paper, your own laptop (not the one borrowed from your daughter). Coffee freshly made. Two cookies. A drink. Whatever makes it "writing time" for you.<br /><br />One friend has a phone call or text checkin with his writing buddy before he starts his writing time. Just "I'm starting now," and again when finished, "I wrote five pages today." Nothing else. It keeps him honest, he says.<br /><br />Some people call them cheats. Like, anyone should be able to write without any props or special place or time. I disagree. Not all of us can divorce ourselves that easily from the demands of everyday life. Many of us need the small, encouraging signals of our rituals.<br /><br />This week, consider yours. What do you set up for yourself, what do you need, to begin? What gets you started again after you stop?Your Book Starts Herehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568469874356348872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071197508859706097.post-48572453973417472792023-04-28T07:00:00.002-04:002023-04-28T07:00:00.137-04:00Detail That Matters and Detail That Doesn't--What's Too Much, What's Not Enough?Some people love lots of sensory detail in writing. I'm one of them. If a writer shows me the place, what the people wear, the smells and sounds, I'm right there with the story.<br /><br />But I've learned over the years that detail only works if it's relevant to what's happening. One of my teachers called it "salient detail." In other words, if the character or narrator isn't experiencing shifts because of the detail, it's irrelevant to the reader. It can even derail the story's pace and purpose, dulling its shine.<span><a name='more'></a></span><br /><br />Example: In my current novel I'm writing about a small plane pilot who deliberately crashes her plane to stage her own death. With the help of a writing colleague who is a flight instructor, I researched the details inside the cockpit of a small plane. I got a lot of details! Maybe twenty. I knew I didn't want to list all of them. Too many details definitely drop the tension of the crash scene. <br /><br />Each time you add a detail, the reader has to imagine it. (Or skip it--which many readers do!) They literally have to go to a different place in their brain, away from the processing of words and into the processing of visual or sensual memories, for an instant, to do this imagining. <br /><br />This only takes an instant, but it's an instant for each detail! If I used twenty different descriptive details about the interior of the Piper Cub cockpit, it would be a long, long imagining. The reader would probably put the book down, having forgotten why we were in the cockpit in the first place. (To crash the plane.)<br /><br />So I put myself inside the character's head. I thought about what she would see or experience that would have relevance for someone in this panicked state, about to stage her own death. I chose three of the twenty that echoed this panic:<br /><br /><div>1. Her breath fogging the windshield because it is very cold outside.</div><div><br /></div><div>2. The yoke (steering wheel) of the plane, stained from years of flying, which she has been gripping for hours.</div><div><br />3. The cramped space that causes her to have to twist a certain way to get her jacket.<br /><br />It was hard to jettison all the great details I'd researched, but they really didn't pertain directly to this moment in my story. Details must be relevant. Otherwise, they are just detours from the purpose of your scene.<br /><br />Want to test this out? Take a scene or a chapter or even a paragraph of your writing and consider the use of sensory details: what can be seen, touched, smelled, heard, tasted, or felt texturally (like temperature or roughness/smoothness of a surface). <br /><br />If you aren't using any details, add a few.<br /><br />Look at what you've chosen and ask yourself if the details are relevant. Here are the questions I like to use:<br /><br />1. Is the detail being directly experienced by the narrator in that moment?<br /><br /></div><div>2. Does the detail have an important meaning for the narrator, opening up more of the inner story just because it's present?<br /><br /></div><div>3. Is the detail tactile, sensory strong?<br /><br />Try to eliminate any generic details and replace them with relevant ones. </div>Your Book Starts Herehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568469874356348872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071197508859706097.post-76692453808053277212023-04-21T07:00:00.002-04:002023-04-21T07:00:00.185-04:00Finding Character in Landscape--Working with Reflective Surfaces in Setting to Enhance EmotionA memoirist in one of my online classes was trying to write about the sadness she felt at her father’s unexpected death. Her feedback group gave her an unexpected response: while it was clear she was very sad, when they heard her speak of his death, her feelings on the page were abstract, hard to really grasp.<br /><br />“They don’t feel any of the sadness I feel,” she told me. She cried as she wrote, so this bland response confused her.<br /><br />When I read the chapter, I too noticed how distant the writing felt. My take-away was an almost-intellectual sorrow, a wistfulness. Not a strong emotion.<span><a name='more'></a></span><br /><br />A very intelligent woman, this writer worked as a psychologist. She knew people, she understood how they ticked. But she hid the true landscape of her character, herself, behind this thoughtful approach to life. It had infiltrated her prose.<br /><br />When I spoke of this, she got it. She knew it was a key to enlivening her writing. So she tried different ways of bringing herself to life on the pages of her memoir: using more body sensations, more gestures, refining her action and dialogue. It was only when she began to work with the inner and outer landscape of each scene, that her character was revealed. And in surprising ways that actually surprised her too-and taught her more about her own grieving process.<br /><br />Novelist Elizabeth George, in her book Write Away, refers to this the “landscape” of the character as the inner and outer beliefs and history we live within. I see it as a large “container” that reflects back ourselves as we interact with it. You could say it includes our culture, beliefs, spirituality, even our history. Like any reflecting surface, it shows our inner and outer workings.<br /><br />You have these reflecting surfaces all around you. Look at the room or car or office cube where you’re sitting right now, reading this post. Doesn’t it reflect something about you? Maybe your choices made manifest in color, shape, texture; in photographs or art. Maybe in its order or disarray. Maybe in the music playing on your phone, the food nearby. Even the temperature you’re most comfortable at.<br /><br />What can you find out about your characters on the page, those real or imagined people you seek to make more vivid for readers? How can you place these characters in landscapes or containers that tell your readers more about this person, and whether they should invest in that person’s story?<br /><br />You can start with outer setting, the outer container, as revealed through the five senses: sight, sound, taste, touch (texture and temperature), and smell. It always helps to place readers in certain time of day or night, in a room or garden or other specific location, to let them know how the light falls on an object or a wall or someone's arm, what smells and sounds surround the character. Some writers skim over these details, thinking they slow down the prose. Bad call. These sensory details are the main transporters of emotion for a reader.<br /><br />If you don’t believe me: Imagine a play set on a blank stage--no backdrop, no furniture, no atmosphere. OK, maybe nothing is an atmosphere, but only if the actors are very talented and can create something from that nothing. It's much easier for the audience to perceive, say, an 1850s interior farmhouse if there are furnishings and a woodstove and windows with eyelet curtains. Not too much, but some of these details, will build believable landscape for the reader.<br /><br />So start there. Even before you sink into the intellectual territory, build the outer landscape. Remember that readers engage most when we can "be" in the place you're describing and make up our own minds about the people who inhabit it.Your Book Starts Herehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568469874356348872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071197508859706097.post-50295738803361412982023-04-14T07:00:00.004-04:002023-04-14T07:00:00.170-04:00How to Find a Writing Group or Publishing Partner OnlineSome people feel Covid is behind us, some are still being cautious about in-person meetups. Whatever your preference, it's also sweet to have the freedom of online connections when you're a writer. Or maybe you're a new parent or travel a lot for work, and you can't imagine a schedule where you can meet physically with other writers. Such is our life now, or so it is for many of us.<br /><br />If you're working on a book, as I've said often in these posts, you need ongoing support. It's very challenging to write, develop, and submit a book in isolation. It speeds and smooths the way if you have fellow book writers creating a community and lending their enthusiasm. <br /><br />When I poll student in my online classes, at least half the group belongs to a writer's group or has a writing partner. Writing is solitary; it's easy to get a little nutso when you've been on your laptop, deep in your story, for hours without interacting with another human. I know this well! Even virtual interaction with someone else who gets it can ease your way back into your normal life. Fellow book writers also give needed perspective on what you've been doing (even if it's a universe in itself). And of course, there's the immense value of feedback along the way.<span><a name='more'></a></span><br /><br />My writer's group meets monthly by conference call and we discuss one person's work each meeting. The work is sent ahead of time; most of us respond with "track changes" in Word but we also verbally share feedback on the call. We spend time connecting and updating each other on successes and struggles. Not only do these three other writers give me some of the best feedback and suggestions, I value our "hang out" time on the phone each month for the community it fosters.<br /><br />Equally valuable to me is my writing partner. I met her at an online class. She lives a thousand miles from me but we exchange chapters for our books regularly for feedback. I liked her posts in the online class so afterwards I reached out. We stayed in touch, both finished our novels about the same time, got our agents. We're now exchanging chapters for our next novels. We've only met once in person, when I was teaching in her city.<br /><br />I've been in several groups that met by email. My virtual writing partners worked well as long as we writers were at similar stages. Several disbanded because one or more lost interest in their project. <br /><br />It took me a number of years to find and cultivate these virtual relationships. The first suggestion, if you're looking for one, is to find another writer with the same needs, at the same place in their process with a book. <br /><br />I've shared this link before, but a solid resource that lists places to find writing partners was in The Write Life. The link is <a href="https://thewritelife.com/find-a-critique-partner/">here.</a> (If it doesn't work, go to their website and search for "find a critique partner.")<br /><br />My second suggestion if you're looking is to decide what kind of writing relationship you need. Here are three options that have been useful to me:<br /><br />1. Accountability partner. Students in my classes often paired up to be accountability partners after the class ended, just because they wanted to keep the momentum going. This just requires an email or text checkin each week: the writers just say, "Here's what I've done," and that's it. For people who need external accountability to do their creative work, this is gold. <br /><br />Here's another <a href="https://writingcooperative.com/an-accountability-partner-protects-your-writing-from-accidental-death-e15ed855c48">great article</a> (from Writing Cooperative) about the benefits of accountability partners. Other places to look: writers' forums, Scribophile, writer's groups in your area. Check out The Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis (<a href="http://www.loft.org/">www.loft.org</a>) and Grub Street in Boston (<a href="http://www.grubstreet.org/">www.grubstreet.org</a>) for like-minded folk.<br /><br />One of my past clients loved her daily checkins with a 5:00-a.m. club. Another student created her own--a group of writers who all checked in each morning (usually bleary-eyed) b before work and family took them over, to report on their writing. You can set these up on any number of online platforms. <br /><br />2. Feedback partners/groups. Beyond just getting the writing done, eventually most writers eventually want feedback on their work. A slightly more delicate exchange, so it's vital to know and trust the writer(s) you're aligning with. Are they kind, truthful, and constructive? Do they actually like and support your writing? Are they able to commit to showing up (are they as dedicated as you)? Are you at similar stages with your book? It's hard to pair with other writers who are just beginning if you are deep in final revision, although I've done it when I have history with those writers already. Again, seeing everyone at work in a class is a great venue for testing this out. <br /><br /><a href="https://www.scribophile.com/">Scribophile</a>, mentioned above, is probably the most well-known avenue for finding feedback partners. You earn points towards feedback by giving it. I tried it for a few months but found too much disparity between my writing experience and those I interacted with. Many of my students are wild about what they've gotten from it. <br /><br />Writer's conferences is another great venue to network and find simpatico groups. Grub Street's annual conference, <a href="https://museandthemarketplace.com/">The Muse and the Marketplace,</a> groups writers by locale and genre and experience to create feedback groups. <br /><br />3. Publishing partners. When you're starting to submit, it's wonderful to pair up with other writers who are also walking that difficult road. I valued my two publishing partners during my endless search for a new agent. We shared resources and encouragement to keep going. I even joined a "rejection" group on Facebook that really kept my spirits up, despite its name. I also found <a href="http://www.querytracker.net/">Query Tracker</a> an encouraging community.<br /><br />Publishing partnerships are perhaps the trickiest of all. Eventually someone in the pair or group succeeds first. It can create jealousy or all kinds of other feelings, so it's helpful to discuss in advance, to know how honest you and others can be about both their envy and congratulations, and how the newly successful writer will continue with the group, or not. <span><!--more--></span><span><!--more--></span>Your Book Starts Herehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568469874356348872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071197508859706097.post-29418606755697819122023-03-24T07:00:00.002-04:002023-03-24T07:00:00.177-04:00Three Tools for Getting through the Post-New Year's Resolution SlumpWe're a few months past the "whee" of New Year's resolutions when anything seems possible. I love setting them, but I also know how to create ones that I will keep.<br /><br />Around mid- to late March, the truth comes out--how many did I actually make progress on this time? If I've used three essential tools, the odds are more in my favor.<br /><br />Because I've written and published thirteen books in three genres, working now on my next two, I've had a lot of practice at success or failure with this. I also know how down I can get when I don't meet my own promises to myself, especially in an important arena such as my writing life.<br /><br />So back to those three tools I rely on. In order of how much they matter, they are: (1) accountability, (2) inspiration, and (3) determination.<span><a name='more'></a></span> <br /><br />You may be surprised that accountability is first on the list, but it's the deal maker or breaker, in my opinion. <br /><b><br />Accountability</b><br />There are two kinds of accountability, as you probably already know: external and internal. (For more on this, read Gretchen Rubin's marvelous book, <i>The Four Tendencies</i>.) External accountability comes from outside of you, in the form of having to show up for someone else or a deadline. Internal accountability is what drives you from inside, just for your own satisfaction.<br /><br />I learned in my years as a journalist that my writing life thrives with external accountability. I do my best when I have a deadline, a show-up date to deliver my chapter or scene to an editor or writer's group or my writing partner. I need people who care that I'm still writing. Best, of course, is a paid deadline. But with books, that only comes with a contract.<br /><br />I appreciated having an agent for four of my books. They helped me set a deadline, and although it drove me nuts sometimes, I kept my promise to them and delivered the pages.<br /><br />Some people find it easier to promise others than promise themselves. Writers who are good with internal accountability usually call themselves "disciplined." Many of us keep plugging away on our own when the project is exciting or new, or the revision is really going well. My norm for internal accountability only is about five weeks. After that, I need external reasons, outside my own head, for showing up.<br /><br />I'm not being negative when I say this: Most writers, without external accountability, will have a hard time keeping going. Maybe you'll last longer than my five weeks, but I'll bet by next month, some of your enthusiasm from your New Year's goal wanes.<br /><br />Since I know this about myself, through many years of hitting the wall, I plan for it. Last week, I signed up for an online class with weekly deadlines. It will keep me writing.<br /><br />I am very thankful for both my writing partner and my writer's group, as well as my editor. They keep me honest. And writing.<br /><br />What's your flavor of accountability? What do you need to keep your promises to yourself as a writer?<br /><br /><b>Inspiration</b><br />Real inspiration is a writer's main energy. Pushing yourself via discipline works for a while but most burn out without regular inspiration. Julia Cameron made a killing on this idea with her book The Artist's Way and her weekly artist dates. She encouraged us to go out and seek inspiration. Mostly, to give ourselves new ideas. To fill the well.<br /><br />I find inspiration by reading good literature. I subscribe to literary journals online and in print. I read Poets & Writers magazine and several other publications. All of this takes time, but it's clear when I don't make time for reading, my well of inspiration begins to dry up. Even if it's just fifteen minutes before bed, it fills the well a little bit.<br /><br />I don't read to numb out anymore(I used to--and it's still great on vacation sometimes). I read to inspire myself. I get ideas from what I read, and I get new ways to structure my scenes and chapters. I ask my past students for recommendations, I ask my Facebook friends, I comb Goodreads. <br /><br />Another key to keeping inspired is encouragement from fellow writers. I cultivate this. I am very cautious, too. I've partnered with great writers who were super critical--and at first, this was edgy and interesting. But after weeks no positive encouragement, I dropped them. I need the "what's good" as well as the "what to fix."<br /><br />Where does your inspiration come from? What keeps your artistic well filled? <br /><br /><b>Determination</b><br />You've got to want to write. Writing is not the fast way to fame and fortune. It's hard. It takes work. And the will to do it has to come out of your core, your heart, your passion. Your desire to write must remain an important element in your crazy-busy life if you're going to produce a book. <br /><br />It comes down to this, for me: Writing has to feed you--and not just the hope of becoming a bestseller and retiring early. The process itself must matter to you. That creates the determination a writer needs to move forward.<br /><br />I find my determination comes best when I write every day. The story itself begins to fill me up. I begin to live it, cherish it. <br /> Your Book Starts Herehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568469874356348872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071197508859706097.post-51067251417331571562023-03-17T07:00:00.002-04:002023-03-17T07:00:00.175-04:00Pros and Cons of Present Tense versus PastThe question of writing in present tense versus past tense didn't even occur to me when I began writing and publishing back in the eighties. Or even when I started writing and publishing fiction in the late nineties. I never thought about writing in any tense but past. It was the norm. Only writers on the very edge, in my unschooled opinion, ventured into present tense.<br /><br />Present tense almost seemed impolite, if I can use that old-fashioned term. The writer, the writing, was pushing into the reader's face, demanding attention over the story itself. I personally thought using present tense for a novel or memoir, for instance, was like shouting the story rather than letting it speak for itself.<br /><br />That was then. Now, present tense is ordinary. Half the books I pick up use it. And as a reader, I can appreciate it; it doesn't feel wrong or awkward or too attention-getting to me anymore. Not at all.<span><a name='more'></a></span><br /><br />Two things have changed. Writers have gotten better with using it. They choose it when it fits the story. The choice of present versus past tense is informed, not just because it's current or cool. <br /><br />We are also a much more immediate culture. Everything is in our face, constantly. Sometimes, way too much. But it makes present tense almost a non-event, compared to ten or fifteen years ago.<br /><br />To me, it still comes down to an educated, informed decision. Not serendipity. Not because using present tense might get your story more immediacy, which you're struggling to get otherwise.<br /><br />To me, stories evolve organically as one tense or the other. I kind of "feel" it when I start writing. But I will go back and forth between tenses if the story isn't working--something the tense isn't the right one for the story.<br /><br />I recently published another short story, "Casting," which is about an American playwright coming to Paris for her play's opening and having a fling with one of the cast, a mime from Australia. I originally wrote this in past tense but it felt clunky to me, like it didn't fit the energy of the story. So I switched it to present tense. It worked much better. I also was nudged, after reading it in present tense, to create a kind of staccato rhythm in the sentence structure. Reading the draft in present tense encouraged this, and it worked. And was soon accepted for publication. (If you want to read the story, <a href="https://barelysouthreview.com/casting/">here's the link</a> from<i> Barely South Review</i>'s fall/winter 2023 issue.)<br /><br />Over the years, I've compiled a personal list of the pros and cons of present and past tense. I'll share it below, and perhaps it will help you if you are struggling with choices for your writing. Note that these are my take on the differences; your experience might be different.<br /><br /><b>Past tense</b><div>feels neutral, almost invisible, to the reader<br />creates a smoother rhythm<br />can contribute to slower pace<br />more tendency to use inflated verbs (other than "said")<br /><br /><b>Present tense</b><div>feels immediate, in your face<br />creates a faster pace, which may or may not be useful to the story<br />rhythm is more jagged, due to the acceleration, which creates tension<br />less tendency to use inflated verbs</div></div>Your Book Starts Herehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568469874356348872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071197508859706097.post-43028603196507679052023-03-10T06:00:00.002-05:002023-03-10T06:00:00.185-05:00Mix It Up--A Sweet, Simple Recipe to Break the Block (Inspired by Alison McGhee)Alison McGhee, writing instructor and author of many wonderful novels including Shadow Baby (my favorite), once taught a very effective exercise in a writing class I attended. I've shared it before in these posts, but it continues to be an easy writer's-block-breaking recipe, so I wanted to pass it along again, in case any of you are experiencing March doldrums and need a lift.<br /><br />My memory of the specifics is a little faint, so I'll give you the basics, and encouragement to let it morph to fit your writing needs.<br /><br />I do remember there were three lists on the whiteboard: people, ages, and objects.<span><a name='more'></a></span> <br /><br />I like to keep a running list in my notebook or on my desktop for each, to use whenever I feel stuck or shy about a new scene. In the first, people, I might write "bus driver" and "server." The second list of different ages, I might write "13 year old," "2 year old," etc. The object list might include "vase," "jackknife," or whatever I happen to see across the room or the garden. <br /><br />If you choose one item from each list, set a timer for 20 minutes, you can write a scene that might astonish you.<br /><br />I went on, after that pivotal class, to expand the exercise. I still find it very effective for getting out of a writing rut.<br /><br />Here's a version that has done well for many fellow writers. <br /><br />Write a scene that takes place in one of these places:<br />in a bus stop shelter in downtown Minneapolis<br />at O'Hare's airport security<br />street-side cafe in Gordes, France<br />laundromat in Gillette, Wyoming<br />riverside picnic area<br /><br />Where there's an argument about one of these objects:<br />penknife<br />silver coin<br />piece of sea glass<br />diaper<br />cell phone that doesn't work<br /><br />And a character appears to change things who is either very young or very much older than you usually write.<div><br style="background-color: white; color: #262c30; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;" /></div>Your Book Starts Herehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568469874356348872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071197508859706097.post-27888602460588296472023-03-03T06:00:00.003-05:002023-03-03T06:00:00.166-05:00Jealousy and Envy in the Writing Life (Does This Happen to You?)I finished a really GOOD novel last month--written by someone else, a writer who is just entering the publishing scene but has done a marvelous job with her first book. It was light and fun, but it touched on difficult subjects such as aging in our society and loss of a child. I wanted to finish my day so I could get back to it each evening. I was very bereft when I read the last page. I might read it again right away. <br /><br />(The novel was <i>Remarkably Bright Creatures</i> by Shelby Van Pelt, if you want to check it out. It may not hit you the same way as it did me, but I loved it.)<br /><br />The next morning, when I sat down to write, I couldn't. I was able to journal up a storm, but writing fiction felt impossible. Like the channel was clogged. I pushed myself but the result was not worth the time.<span><a name='more'></a></span> <br /><br />I took a walk in the snow and thought about it. It seemed astonishing that reading a good book would cause my writing to stopper up. And I realized I was envious. Envious of this bright younger writer who has struck gold with her first book. I struck gold too, with my first nonfiction book when I was a food writer decades ago. But when I switched to fiction, each of my books has been a struggle--to write, to edit, to publish. <br /><br />After all these years, it seemed ridiculous that I didn't know better--that I would let jealousy and envy affect my own writing. But it's a situation many of my students have talked about in the past. Some, even loathe to read because the comparison depresses them. <br /><br />I don't think of myself as an envious or jealous person. I have too much to be grateful for--a lovely life, indeed. But there it was. Undeniable.<br /><br />I let myself wallow for about a day, maybe two. Did a jigsaw puzzle, took the dogs on more walks than they are used to, cooked a lamb stew that filled the house with wonderful smells. Took a long hot bath. Napped. Didn't read or write. Journaled, yes, to get on paper exactly the feelings that were surfacing. This all helped. Perhaps the distance was the most helpful. <br /><br />Since we all go through this, or may, I wanted to share some great tips and techniques I found during my recovery period. And I'm happy to say, I am writing again, happily supporting other writers, and acknowledging the fine line we creative artists all walk.<br /><br />If you have met the green-eyed monster lately, check out these inspiring posts. If the links don't work, search for "writer jealousy' and the name of the publication below. <br /><br />This <a href="https://www.writermag.com/writing-inspiration/the-writing-life/eviscerating-writer-envy/">wonderful article </a> comes from <i>The Writer</i> magazine. It lists workable steps to relieve oneself of envy. The most important step, one which I firmly believe in, is to pay it forward. View fellow writers not as competition but as community. Pay forward your goodwill and support them as they reach their shining star. Replace envy with gladness, as the author said. <br /><br />Another equally helpful article in <a href="https://medium.com/new-writers-welcome/wallowing-in-writers-jealousy-use-it-to-become-a-better-writer-instead-23e324bea620">Medium</a> talked about ways to turn jealousy into compassion. <br /><br /> And an older article from the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1989/11/26/books/envy-the-writer-s-disease.html">New York Times </a>offered other spins on the subject, very worth the read.Your Book Starts Herehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568469874356348872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071197508859706097.post-78704498000060491662023-02-24T06:00:00.002-05:002023-02-24T06:00:00.202-05:00Researching Your Characters--Real or ImaginedThe internet is full of great questionnaires for characters. I love taking a break from the grind of writing a book to play with one of these. I can even put on my journalist hat and imagine interviewing the character--real or imagined--to see what new information I can dig up.<br /><br />This week, pick one of your major or minor cast and spend time getting to know them in a new way. People move stories, illustrate theories and ideas, and rumble in the background of all great literature, no matter the genre. It's up to you, the writer, to get to know them.<span><a name='more'></a></span><br /><br />Fiction writers know this is part of the process--you imagine a character then fill in their life details. But those writing "real" people can also benefit from the in-depth interview. Especially if you are writing someone that bewilders you with their secrets, it's worth the time to see what else you might learn. (One writer learned about her deceased mother, a featured player in her memoir, by interviewing colleagues and friends of her mother. This was a relief because she'd reached a dead end in her own information.)<br /><br />This week, interview one of your main players. Find out new details about them. Start with the very basic questions below (I use them whenever I need to get deeper into character motivation.)<br /><br />Basic questions<br />1. What’s your height, weight, eye color, hair color?<br />2. What do you like or dislike about your looks?<br />3. How old are you really?<br />4. How do you feel about your age?<br />5. What three things are in your refrigerator?<br />6. What sort of work do you do?<br />7. What’s your favorite possession?<br /><br />Then ask . . . <br />1. What's a secret you've never told anyone?<br />2. What do you most regret?<br />3. What book stayed with you long after you finished it?<br />4. What’s forgotten under your bed?<br />5. What do you do regularly even though you hate it?<br />6. Who have you learned the most from?<br /><br />Take good notes. Let your intuition direct this exercise.<br /><br />And memoirists: try to accept flashes or images or ideas that are out of what you might have considered. Your Book Starts Herehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568469874356348872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071197508859706097.post-68428625392387467382023-02-17T06:00:00.002-05:002023-02-17T06:00:00.170-05:00It Ain't Over Til It's Over--The Unfolding of a Story (and How to Hang In There)One of my favorite weekly reads about writing is George Saunders' Story Club. Recently he wrote a post about the time it takes to grow into appreciation of a story, as a reader. He mentioned a Chekov story he'd read in college but didn't really "get" until many years later. Both his own writing and his skill as a reader needed time to mature. A big lesson from this, or at least my interpretation of what he learned was profound: to not discard that which we can't yet understand.<br /><br />I read this before one of my afternoon walks and thought about it for the entire hour. I loved the idea because it was ever-expanding: our appreciation of writing is a skill to be developed just like knowing how to pace or draft good scenes or revise.<br /><br />But the real take-away for me was this:<span><a name='more'></a></span> if you expand this from just about being a more thoughtful and patient reader, learning to appreciate other writers, and apply it to our own work, it implies that we may not see the value in a draft we've created. The key, according to what I took from Saunders' post, is to not discard it out of hand but to hang in there until the piece reaches its next stage.<br /><br />In other words, to have patience in the maturing process of our own manuscripts.<br /> <br />Some writers have no problem with this. They think their work is stellar from draft one. I don't. I usually have to work at patience with my early efforts, to accept that I've gotten words on the page as best I can at that moment, to step back and let the writing grow into its own.<br /><br />How this looks for me: I write my rough draft, trying not to judge its merit. My job is to type, as one author said. Get the words out of my head onto the page.<br /><br />Then put it aside and let it become something I ruminate on. Hold it lightly in my attention, with goodwill and trust that if it's got anything to offer, the shape will begin to come forward. <br /><br />Then come back to it with the same goodwill and begin to explore ways to reshape or expand. <br /><br />Or, equally good, go on to another section and write that, leaving the first one to simmer until ready. This is one reason I applaud the complete rough draft before editing. It allows the shape to evolve. If a writer refines too early, it can become tight and constipated and never find its shape.<br /><br />My holiday gift box of new books included a couple that struck me as just weird when I began reading. The style or voice or the slow pace wasn't what I expected. I know the authors are writers I admire; I've read other books by them. So I chose to give the new books the benefit of the doubt. Maybe it would just take time, a kind of learning curve as a reader, to allow a different appreciation of the story. And that turned out to be true.<br /><br />One example was Elizabeth Strout's new novel, <i>Lucy by the Sea,</i> a sequel to <i>My Name Is Lucy Barton,</i> which I enjoyed a lot. Strout uses a certain style of writing to give us the inner world of this character, transported to Maine from New York City in the early days of the pandemic, by her ex-husband, to "save her life." They isolate in a rental house by the ocean. Not much happens, just a lot chapters where we immerse in Lucy's inner world and her peculiar way of viewing life. She's not automatically a sympathetic character; her voice is plain, and Strout uses mostly declarative sentences to show this. Occasionally, an image or a line that strikes me as poetic will appear--and it's breathtaking. But overall, the book drones on a bit.<br /><br />But as I have with other books by this author, I hang in there. I learn stuff. I'm surprised. The read is not what I would call enjoyable because it makes me work. Reading about a dysfunctional character during the height of the pandemic is far from entertainment. Yet what I learn--about writing, about this woman, about a different view of the world--is worth my time and attention.<br /><br />Why shouldn't we give our own writing the same patience and trust that we have learned to give other authors that make us work for it? If we've written something we don't recognize, not our usual style or voice or pace, maybe it just takes time to learn to appreciate what our creative self is attempting. Not to discard it out of hand until it reveals its gift and what it can teach us. <br /> Your Book Starts Herehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568469874356348872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071197508859706097.post-83550578220143211292023-02-10T06:00:00.002-05:002023-02-10T06:00:00.189-05:00Referrals--The Networking of the Publishing IndustryAs in any business world, referrals matter in publishing. I wish I could say that books are bought by publishers on merit alone, that it doesn't matter who you know. But I've learned the hard way that your network, something you may or may not have developed as you wrote your book, is a very useful element when you release that new baby into the world.<br /><br />People help people, and no more so than in this tight-knit industry. A fellow writer commented decades ago that everyone knows everyone else at the agented-manuscript level. While this may not be totally true, the marketplace does operate on subjectivity--which comes down to who you know, and what their opinion is.<br /><br />Of course, there's business smarts too. An editor may love a manuscript but her sales team isn't convinced because of the numbers. But that editor's enthusiasm is still the first spark, the necessary one that starts the process. How does that editor get sparked? Usually, someone presents the book to her, the concept catches her attention, and she reads the manuscript. That someone might be an agent or a fellow editor or even a friend. People helping people.<span><a name='more'></a></span><br /><br />A former student emailed this week with a good question. She has a memoir she's ready to shop to agents. She wants to query an agency she likes but their website lists a few of the agents as "referral only." These agents don't accept unsolicited manuscripts, direct from the author. They require someone they know to vet it.<br /><br />The author would need to know another author who has been represented by this agent, and ask that author if he or she would refer. Then the author would email the agent with this in the subject line: "Referred by [name of published author]."<br /><br />Finding out who is represented by this agent might be the first step. Look at the agency's website for their list of authors. Then check out the author's books, specifically the acknowledgement page, for the agent's name. A bold but not unheard-of move might be to read the author's book then write a fan note on social media or message on Facebook that compliments the author and perhaps even asks for the referral--"I've written a book that I know [name of agent] would enjoy--would you be willing to let me say you referred me?"<br /><br />Better--much better--is to work at developing your own network of fellow authors and reach out to help them, creating the connections you will need later.<br /><br />I did this once with a fellow instructor at one of the writing schools where I taught. I admired her work and let her know, repeatedly. With no agenda other than sending my thanks for a great read. Years later, when my own novel was seeking an agent, I asked this author if she'd be willing to refer me to her agent. She said yes. She had not read my work, but there was the connection from our past exchanges. The referral got me in the door to that agency.<br /><br />I like this approach better because it feels more authentic to me--build the community and connections before you need them.<br /><br />How does a writer, writing in relative isolation, find and build such a community? It takes time and effort. I always recommend:<br /><br />Classes (online or otherwise) are a great first step. <br />Writing conferences. <br />Joining online discussion groups such as Hattie Crisell's In Writing (google her name--she has a Substack newsletter and just started an online community which is very fun and useful).<br />Just reaching out to other writers, even ones you don't know, by reading their social media or websites (and of course their books) in an effort to expand your community<br /><br />I am keenly aware that this part is hard. I also know it took me quite a few years (decades) to feel like I was finally in a community I could lean on for support. It's an important part of the journey, though.<br /><br />Granted, the writing itself is hard enough. Plus so many of us writers are introverts, loathe to engage in what feels like uncreative efforts--the networking required to get a book out there. The only way through it, for me, was reaching beyond my natural tendency to self-isolate to do my creative work. I also had to learn the skill of networking, of connecting, of building a deliberate community. From this, referrals can happen.<br /><br />A very long and roundabout answer to my former student's question, but perhaps some of this will help others too. Your Book Starts Herehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568469874356348872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071197508859706097.post-27128602668975814992023-02-03T06:00:00.003-05:002023-02-03T06:00:00.198-05:00Five Gates You May Encounter as You Plan, Write, and Develop Your BookAn important lesson I learned as I wrote and published my books was this: there are predictable gates, or passages, in the journey. These are places where the writer can typically get stuck. They must be traversed but often new skills are needed. I've seen many books fail at these gates, so it's often helpful to know about them and prepare.<br /><br />Writing a book, as you know, is not just serendipity. We don't just sit down and "let it flow." Rather, we may in the early stages, but once the book becomes its own being, it requires structure and refining to grow into a publish-worthy effort.<br /><br />So this week I'd like to review the five gates and the potential problems that arise at each. Knowing about them lets you recognize where you are, if you're ready to move on, and--at the last stage--when you've finally done enough.<span><a name='more'></a></span><br /><br />The stuck point arrives when the writer is ready to move to the next gate. I appreciate knowing this for my own books--when I feel stuck, skill-less, out of energy or ideas, it's often because I've passed through a gate I've been working with for a while and I'm facing the next one, which might require a new perspective, new skills, new energy.<br /><br />These may or may not resonate with your experience. But I also hope they will help a few readers and encourage them not to give up. <br /><br />Five gates on a book journey<br />1. Taking an idea into regular production of pages<br />2. Structuring the flow of the book<br />3. First draft completion<br />4. Revision completion<br />5. Final editing (often with professional feedback)<br /><br />Gate One: Ideas into Pages<br />You approach the first gate as you become full of ideas for your book and begin to get them on the page. An exciting time--the book bubbles inside for a while and bursts forth. The energy of this passage is often easy and free flowing. Sheer enthusiasm can carry you forward. Included in this time are classes, your writers group, feedback, reading to learn. The writer is somewhat innocent about what it will take to further the project. That innocence is very important.<br /><br />If that initial enthusiasm begins to wane--you glimpse how much work a book can be!--you are reaching the next gate. Accompanying this moment is terror: your mother will read it! you may bore readers! you may never get this published! you don't know how to do it, actually!<br /><br />Writing regularly is the key to getting to the next gate, to have enough material to begin to structure it wisely and create a real book.<br /><br />It's hard to say when gate two arrives in the life of a book: some writers want to structure that hot mess as soon as possible. Others prefer to wait. You can do either, but realize you'll probably toggle back and forth until you've accumulated about 90,000 words, or three hundred double-spaced pages.<br /><br />Gate Two: Playing with Structure<br />Tools for structuring abound. Tons of books out there to teach you, plus classes. Save the Cat to storyboarding to Shawn Coyle's story structure grids--they are all methods to move you from random, exploratory writing to a linear organization that effectively translates your book to a reader.<br /><br />Writers who have trouble letting go of the free flow often don't pass beyond this gate. Structuring tells you exactly what you have in all those pages. And what's missing. A good structure tool will give you a road map to the next part of your journey.<br /><br />I call this gate "playing with structure" because it's rarely an instant success. It helps to adopt a playful attitude. To know that your first, second, or tenth try at structure may not be what you end up with. My best results come when I create a possible flow for the book then write to fill gaps. Then test the structure again. Usually it changes.<br /><br />Stuckness in this part of the journey comes as "I hate my book" or "It doesn't feel creative anymore." Structure is that way--it uses the more linear mind. To release yourself, read. Study structure in books you love. How did the author engage you? How did he or she flow the scenes or information? Anything you can learn from it?<br /><br />Once the structure kicks in, is working, you can catch that flow again as you write what's missing. Eventually you have enough for gate three.<br /><br />Gate Three: Your First Draft<br />Once we have a good structure and plenty of workable "islands" written, we are ready to build the first draft. If you have an electronic tool like Scrivener, it's a simple matter of clicking a few keys. Otherwise, you cut and paste, using the map of the storyboard or other structure tool, plus the hundreds of pieces of writing you've completed. This is rough! Irreverent writer Anne Lamott (author of <i>Bird by Bird</i>) calls it "a shitty first draft"--aka SFD. It is that.<br /><br />This gate is a simple one--your goal is just to get that SFD made. Print it out if you want. Let yourself admire the stack of pages. Know that you've taken a huge step. <br /><br />Depending on the genre, most books are about 300 double-spaced pages or more at this stage.<br /><br />The only way writers get reliably stuck at this gate is if they begin revising before the draft is completed. <br /> <br />Gate Four: Revision<br />Revising the draft is next. As a professional editor, this is my favorite gate. It's also the hardest. It requires staring down all my mistakes and figuring out what path my reader needs to take through my book, then weeding anything that doesn't serve the story.<br /><br />Revision reveals many things, including where we've gone to sleep.<br /><br />Skills are needed. You may already be a competent writer but you need to learn revision--they are two different skillsets. Take classes. Read books on revision. Hire an editor or coach to help. <br /><br />Many, many writers get stuck at this gate. Getting feedback from too many friends (writer's groups, etc.) too soon is a sure way to sink. <br /><br />Gate Five: Feedback <br />At final editing, after revision, I always recommend getting feedback. Of course, use your beloved writer's group or writing partner. But also consider investing at a higher skill and experience level than your peers. Find a professional editor or a published writer (in your genre) to do a read-through and evaluation. Get a sense of where you need to focus for the final edit (line editing, substantive editing if needed).<br /><br />Feedback gives you the next road map: where to clean up, how to make it sing.<br /><br />Feedback can also stall you out. I've talked with dozens of writers who received feedback and felt completely discouraged (or enraged). My two cents: step back. Thank the reader, who took time to dive into your book's world with good intentions. Write down the main points of the feedback. Then put it away for a week, maybe two, until the burn dies down. When you can be impartial, neither silently raging at the reader who "didn't get it" or silently weeping at the new problems, choose one item from the list, a small change you can make in an hour or two. Then test it out. Make the change, see how it feels.<br /><br />Nine times out of ten, the feedback is pretty accurate and it just takes getting unemotional about it to see that. Sometimes the feedback itself isn't the fix but it points out the problem and just sitting with that will bring your own solution.<br /><br />I go into each of these gates in my book<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Your-Book-Starts-Here-Nonfiction/dp/0615231381/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321968610&sr=1-1"> Your Book Starts Here.</a> You can use it as a guide for whichever passage you're traveling right now. To recap, here are the five gates and what keeps you moving.<br /><br />The Idea Stage<br /> How to keep going? Build a writing practice<br /><br /><div>The Structuring Stage<br /> How to keep going? Work with a visual map, such as a storyboard, to keep oriented<br /><br /></div><div>The First Draft Stage<br /> How to keep going? Focus on simply getting the manuscript completed--no editing<br /><br /></div><div>The Revision Stage<br /> How to keep going? Let go of what's not serving the book<br /><br /></div><div>The Feedback Stage<br /> How to keep going? Step back, get impartial, then test the advice<div><br style="background-color: white; color: #262c30; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;" /></div></div><span><!--more--></span>Your Book Starts Herehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568469874356348872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071197508859706097.post-28368044142321817982023-01-27T06:30:00.003-05:002023-01-27T06:30:00.186-05:00The Surprising Benefits of "Download" Writing Every DayAt a gathering this past week, a friend was talking up Morning Pages, the stream-of-consciousness writing activity proposed by Julia Cameron in her Artist's Way books. My friend recently rediscovered the benefit of them to her art. <br /><br />"It's basically an effective download," she said. "I don't much care what I write; it's the act of cleaning out that makes a difference when I sit down to write, later."<br /><br />Life is hectic for her. She can get so overwhelmed, "bottled up inside" from news chaos or family trauma or her satisfying but all-consuming job. She gets up early to get in those daily pages. They empty the detritus from mind and emotions, let her process stuff that ultimately distracts from work on her book.<span><a name='more'></a></span><br /><br />I haven't looked at <i>The Artist's Way</i> since I first read and studied it. But I did integrate my version of the daily download into my writing routine. This winter, I journal each morning by the fireplace, before anyone else is up.<br /><br />It's often blather. It doesn't matter. Just the act of letting myself release the images piled up in the past 24 hours clears the way for scenes I'll write later. (Often the emotion I process in those journal pages will show up in the scenes, too, as if I've gone to an effective therapy session and come away with a new understanding beyond my own hot mess.)<br /><br />The convo with my friend about Morning Pages got me thinking about why some of us writers can't even do this small download. Our words become too precious, even those destined for only our eyes (our journal). Another friend says she's sick of the blah-blah about her life, writing down the boring details, so she doesn't (and she doesn't work on her book much, either). But what if you weren't concerned AT ALL about the word, just the practice? Like visualizing a Mi-Box pulling up to the side of your brain, you're just dumping out to make room?<br /><br />For those who have trouble with writing anything right now, for whatever reason, I wanted to encourage relooking at the Morning Pages idea. I also want to share three tried-and-true techniques for lubricating the process. These aren't mine, but they have worked for me every time I get totally stuck. <br /><br />1. Linkage <br />I learned the technique called "Linkage" from a friend, who said it came originally from writer Stephen King. It might even be in his book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Writing-10th-Anniversary-Memoir-Craft/dp/1439156816/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1351882737&sr=1-1&keywords=on+writing+stephen">On Writing</a> (an excellent book, by the way).<br /><br />The trick to Linkage is to stop each writing session in the middle of a sentence. You can do this in your journal, as well as with whatever writing project you're working on.<br /><br />It's not easy, especially for closure freaks like myself, to stop before I finish a thought, close my file, and end for the day. The unfinished sentence drives me NUTS. Which is the point. I can't wait the next morning to open the file or my journal and begin writing or typing.<br /><br />If this sounds like fun, write "Linkage" on a note to yourself and put it near your computer or notebook. When you are writing later today, or tomorrow morning, try stopping in the middle of your last sentence.<br /><br />See if it works to get you writing the next day.<br /><br />2. Two-Inch Photo Frame<br />Have you read Anne Lamott's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bird-Some-Instructions-Writing-Life/dp/0385480016">Bird by Bird?</a> (If not, get thee to a library or bookstore and find a copy!) <br /><br />On Anne's advice I purchased a two-inch photo frame, without any photo in it. I put it on my writing desk. Anne's story: She told herself she only had to write as many words as would fit into that frame's opening.<br /><br />I used this technique for years. Like Linkage, it's a mind trick that really works. <br /><br />Embarrassing that we need these, but if we do, they keep us writing. I'm willing to swallow my pride and try them. Are you?<br /><br />3. Kitchen Timer <br />I own five kitchen timers plus all the various alarms on my phone. Sometimes I use the mechanical version, other times the electronic. I use them to keep me writing.<br /><br />I learned about this from a freewriting partner with whom I wrote each week. We set the timer for half an hour to start, then wrote until it went off in the next room. By the time we'd done this routine for about a year, we were up to ninety minutes on the timer. The rule was that we could do anything that had to do with the book during that time, not just free write. I allowed myself organization time and list-making as part of the writing session. But mostly I liked to keep myself writing for the whole ninety minutes. It gave outer accountability, as an exercise in a class might.<br /><br />When I do this at home, I set my phone alarm to some great music that won't startle me. I start with twenty minutes and tell myself I have to keep my pen moving or fingers on keyboard for the entire time, even if I feel I am writing nonsense. Most times, I will keep going after the timer rings.<br /><br />A caveat: Writers are sometimes nervous about deep dives into their writing. It's akin to going under general anesthesia. We lose any awareness of ourselves and our surroundings. This can be quite uncomfortable if you're new to it--and, as one working mother told me, "What if I forget about the kids completely?"<br /><br />The kitchen timer is the answer. It gives you a comfortable limit for your writing session. Knowing that I have to take the puppies out in 30 minutes makes me really focused with my writing for that amount on the timer. Your Book Starts Herehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568469874356348872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071197508859706097.post-32779517486221336522023-01-20T06:00:00.002-05:002023-01-20T06:00:00.175-05:00Revision Checklists--Super Handy Tools for the Final Stages of Your Book Project<i>I'm reprinting this post from 2012 because I get more questions about it than almost any other. Enjoy!<br /></i><br />This month, my novel-in-progress reached a new level: final revision.<br /><br />Only a few steps remain before it's ready to send off. These final steps are key: If they go well, the "whole" becomes much bigger than the sum of its islands, or parts.<br /><br />Most writers feel a sense of urgency at final revision. As the book comes into its own, you can see the good objectively. You've been asking yourself, Is it publishable? for a while. Now you can answer with a hopeful YES!<br /><br />And this urgency is the danger zone in final revision. We are understandably impatient: It's been a long haul. Get it done, already!<br /><br />Shortcuts look tempting. Skip a few steps, get it out the door into other hands. Contact that agent, editor, publisher--now! Capture their attention--before your courage flies away or the publishing window closes.<br /><br />As a professional editor for over twenty years, my job was to put the brakes on--calm the over-eager writer, and remind them what's at stake. What do you stand to lose, if you rush through these final steps?<span><a name='more'></a></span><br /><br />Well, for one, most agents and editors only give a new writer one look. Final revision catches those glaring problems that brand you as an amateur. Editors and first readers are trained to spot these and have an easy excuse to reject a manuscript.<br /><br />So, take the time to make it right. When you feel this urgency--as I am now--remember that this is the most important time to not rush. <br /><br />Make your checklist and check it twice. Take a few extra days to go through the manuscript and make sure it sings.<br /><br /><b>Making a List, Checking It Twice</b><br />Years ago, when I began publishing books, editors had a checklist they used to help writers through final revision. Writers were expected to know their topic and produce a decent manuscript. Editors made that manuscript clean.<br /><br />Then most editors exited the publishing world. They took their checklists with them. Now writers have to create their own (or hire a freelance editor to do this work for them). <br /><br />Publishers are so busy watching the bottom line, there aren't the same systems in place now. If you doubt this, think of the last book you read and the number of typos in it.<br /><br />Many new writers believe this is their agent's job. In today's super competitive market, agents don't bother with manuscripts unless they're clean. They don't want to babysit a new writer, unless they have great interest in that writer's book. Don't risk this.<br /><br />Some of these will be no-brainers. Others may be unusual. Use them all or whichever ones you need.<br /><br /><div><b>Checklist #1--Continuity Check</b><br />This first checklist requires lists of location, players, and objects. Make the lists, then scan quickly through each chapter to check that item of the list. Important: don't get sidetracked into other edits while doing this, or you'll lose your place.<div><br />1. Verify physical details about each major location: List the locations in your book and check consistency on details such as number of rooms in a house, placement of doors, and anything else that might have shifted unexpectedly as you wrote.<br /><br />2. List main characters' names (including narrator) and write down their physical descriptions. Check each chapter to make sure everything is consistent. (My elderly mother once read a novel where the main character's name changed from Emily to Amanda mid-story. Obviously the writer didn't do this step.)<br /><br />3. List major objects, such as cars, favorite possessions, and anything else the reader will keep track of. Scan to make sure these are consistent throughout. (I once inadvertantly changed a red Fiat to a blue Honda halfway through my book--and luckily I caught it at revision.)<br /><br />4. Verify place names. Make sure these are spelled correctly (if real places) and referred to consistently throughout the book.<br /><br />5. Check for unconscious repetition of similar scenes. My last novel had five breakfast scenes, all with blueberry pancakes. Easy to vary that, once I noticed it. <br /><br /><b>Checklist #2--Table of Contents against Chapter Titles, Subheads, Exercise Titles, and Page Numbers<br /></b>1. If you've titled your chapters, go through them and compare to the table of contents--you'd be surprised how often these are not matching.<br /><br />2. If you've used subheads (section titles) and these are listed in the table of contents, check them.<br /><br />3. In nonfiction books, authors use exercise boxes, titled sidebars, and other pull-outs--verify these if listed in either a table of contents or appendix.<br /><br />4. Finally, make sure everything listed in the table of contents corresponds to its correct page number there.<br /><b><br />Checklist #3--Beginning and Ending of Each Chapter and the Book as a Whole</b><br />1. Read the last sentence or two of each chapter. Then read the beginning sentence or two of the next chapter. Add an image or other repeating note to link them. (This was taught to me by one of my instructors in the MFA program--and it made my first novel a page turner, according to many readers, after it was published. A very simple step but essential.)<br /><br />2. If the point of view (who is narrating) changes between chapters, check the first paragraph of each new chapter to add identifiers (so we can tell who is speaking).<br /><br />3. Look at the opening two pages and the final two pages. Do they echo each other in some way--via similar image, location, who is present, topic? If possible, strengthen this "echo."<br /><br /><b>Checklist #4--Sentence and Paragraph Lengths</b></div><div>1. Print each chapter and lay it out on a bed or the floor, so all the pages line up and are visible. Squint at the pages until they become a visual blur. Look for blocks of text without any white space. Then look for blocks that are too similar in length, whether short or long. Break all of these up more. They will feel visually monotonous to the reader, even if they are full of action. (Thanks to novelist Alex Chee for this tip.)<br /><br />2. In key chapters (in all chapters, if you have energy for it), do the same with your sentence lengths. Break them up, vary them. Avoid sleepy rhythms.<br /><br /><b>Checklist #5--Final Spell and Grammar Check</b><br />1. Run spell check (and grammar check, if you use that) one final time after you've made all the above corrections.<br /><br />2. Read the manuscript aloud to yourself one last time, to catch anything spell check and grammar check doesn't. Use a yellow highlighter to mark places that still sound awkward. <br /><br />3. Check the homonyms that often get misused: they're, their, and there; your and you're; to, too, and two. If you're not sure which is correct, get help.<br /><br />4. Check all dialogue--make sure opening and closing quote marks are in place. Make sure quote marks are outside the punctuation at the end of sentences. (Correct: "wow," she said. Incorrect: "wow", she said.)<br /><br />After you fix everything you find, I recommend one more pass through the checklists. I'm always surprised at how editing (even just one more time!) can place the manuscript at ground zero again. <br /><br />They will save you embarrassment and hopefully keep you from rejection as you begin to submit and publish your book.</div></div>Your Book Starts Herehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568469874356348872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071197508859706097.post-11422982549668696412023-01-13T06:00:00.002-05:002023-01-13T06:00:00.194-05:00What Are You Reading Right Now? (And Why That Question Is Vital to Your Book)One of my favorite winter traditions in our book-loving family is the box of books we give each other for the holidays. Sometimes they come from a book-loving sibling. Sometimes from the give-away at our local recycling center or the free library down the street. Or sometimes they are bought new (or used) online.<br /><br />In December, I posted a question on Facebook and got very lucky. I asked: What's your favorite novel, one you'd recommend? I got dozens of responses, and not just novels. I made a list. Some I'd heard about but an equal number were new titles. I spent a few hours online and found most of them.<br /><br />Last year, my sister was the gifter and she sent five excellent books. This year, our gift box held fifteen titles. Our shelves are well stocked, so after the holiday, I choose an equal number of books we've already enjoyed to rehome. And begin choosing my first new read.<br /><br />I got derailed by a surprise from another relative: three super-intriguing nonfiction titles. I allowed myself one. Soon, I'll browse our shelves.<br /><br />The mix is always eclectic. Classics alongside prize winners alongside indie published but well loved. All genres. With a nice stack of movies on my Netflix queue, this will get me through winter.<br /><br />What's the purpose of reading, if you're a writer? <span><a name='more'></a></span>Most of us know. Books, written by others, can inspire and educate. Some writers are nervous about reading other authors when they're neck-deep in their own writing. In past classes I've taught, there's often a question about this: Will reading cause me to inadvertently plagiarize? Will I steal someone's idea or writing style without knowing it? <br /><br />The other concern I often hear is about discouragement. If I read something fabulous, then try to work on my own story, it's hard not to notice the gap. There's a wonderful video by Ira Glass about this (here's <a href="https://www.thisamericanlife.org/extras/the-gap" target="_blank">the link </a>if you haven't seen it). We live in the gap between our taste, our aspirations, and what we are able to produce, as we practice our art. To not fall into the gap is a terrific and ongoing practice. As we get more skills and confidence, we are able to celebrate and appreciate another's work without letting it denigrate their own. <br /><br />I acknowledge the weight of these concerns and at the same time I have to say this: most serious writers read. Some read a lot. Some have a practice of warming up before they write by reading something from a favorite book not their own. Some switch genres--read a poem when they are prose writers. They do it for the creative nourishment it brings.<br /><br />Sometimes when I am completely stuck on a chapter or a story, I will grab a book from the holiday stack and open at random. I'll read a few paragraphs aloud to infuse my brain with a completely different rhythm. It works to shake loose my stuckness and I can begin again.<br /><br />I don't worry about idea or style theft. I know my work, my voice, is uniquely my own--as is the other author's. Here's an example: I'm reading a new novel by Swedish writer Fredrick Bachman--<i>The Winners.</i> Bachman begins most chapters not in any scene or action. He delivers a kind of dispassionate exploration of a theme that the chapter will illustrate. For instance, "mothers." As a reader, I'm fascinated with this. It's so different from traditional novel structure. How does he do it--and get away with it, without losing his reader? I learn a lot from this. I'm also reading <i>The Year of the Puppy</i> by Alexandra Horowitz. She uses short chapters, alternates between science/research about dog behavior and the ongoing story of her adopted dog, and always ends a chapter with something undecided. A cool structure to learn from too.<br /><br />So, in essence, we read to learn. Like an artist going to a museum to muse over paintings, we read writers we admire to expand our ways of approaching our own writing. This month, consider asking reader friends about book recommendations and welcoming some new titles to your bedside stack or shelves. <br />Your Book Starts Herehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568469874356348872noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7071197508859706097.post-3751917646283274472023-01-06T06:00:00.002-05:002023-01-06T06:00:00.184-05:00Writing a Series--If You're Called to Connected Stories, Some Important TipsEvery now and then in my classes, a writer would ask about series. it takes a dedicated soul to even consider a clutch of books and plan for their overarching purpose. Most of us have enough challenge with just one, right?<br /><br />But the question is a good one. There are indeed certain tips or techniques for those who are tempted to try two or more books using the same topic or characters. <br /><br />I wasn't going to be one of those, but the characters in my first novel wouldn't leave me in peace after it was published. One of them, the narrator's father, made it into a few short stories (notably the just-published <a href="https://rappahannockreview.com/issue-10-1/contents/breathing-room-mary-carroll-moore/">"Breathing Room"</a> which I mentioned last post). He was challenging and interesting to write, and I felt he had a lot more to say than just one novel, or as it turns out several short stories, allowed. The young narrator of Qualities of Light also intrigued me, and I was especially taken by her love interest. So I began to wonder: what might happen three or five years down the road with this family? How might they be same, different, tragic? <br /><br />That's usually what launches a writer into series land.<span><a name='more'></a></span> <br /><br />One of my students back in 2012 was Steve George, who was writing a series of mysteries that featured an "average guy" main character with great handyman skills. A freelance business writer, he'd started two novels that fizzled out because he was "writing about things I knew very little about and it caught up to me." He likened it to climbing out on a limb too far. But from this beginning Steve's "Handy Mann" series was born. Steve lived in the same house for more than 30 years and did a lot of work on it, so his main character became a do-it-yourselfer. And not just for sleuthing out solutions to house repair problems.<br /><br />In one of the series, Steve says, "I decided it was time for him to upgrade his basement. I sat in my basement and imagined tearing down the ceiling and walls and floor and thought: What if Handy found something unexpected during his demolition? What if it was something a previous owner didn’t want him to discover?" That led to a new story to tell. <br /><br />So, if characters or a place or a time/era or a particular unsolved situation keep you interested past the original book's creation, here are some suggestions from series writers.<br /><br />* Each book must have a clear beginning and ending--it must be a satisfying story in its own right, without its prequel or sequels. Even though it might make marketing sense to leave a reader hanging, main story problems need to be resolved by the end of the book. One author friend put it well: "Instead of keeping the current problem hot on the stove, give the reader some conclusion or wrap-up--it doesn't have to be complete, just answering main questions--then introduce a new problem to carry into the next book."<br /><br /><div>* Many readers will go for individual stories and not read the earlier ones, so you need to establish the place, time, and characters completely in each book. Bring in what's relevant to that story, maybe not everything revealed in past books in your series. I think of prolific Canadian mystery author Louise Penny, of the Armand Gamache series fame, who introduces us to the village of Three Pines and the main players in her opening chapters, but always in a new way. Consider that your reader may only read that one book, so don't keep them in the dark.<br /><br /></div><div>* At the same time, don't feel you have to have every character from earlier books show up. Choose the ones who will be important to the current story. Readers of the series may wonder, "What happened to Joe from book 2?" If that's a concern--Joe was a big part of that story and this one follows close on its heels--give enough to satisfy but not derail.<br /><br /></div><div>* Some series writers draft ideas for more than one book all at once. I don't. I usually have no idea what the sequel will focus on until I begin writing it. Sometimes it starts out as a story about other people, in the same location, and not until revision do I realize it's a sequel to another story. I think that's fine--whatever works for the writer, as long as it serves the story. <br /><br /></div><div>* What element holds your series together? Is it the evolution of a character, how a town reacts to an ongoing change, the effect of an era? My interest was in the character evolution question: I wanted to continue an aborted love affair and I wanted to "grow" the escapist mother by forcing her to face what she avoided in the first book. What's the unfinished business that can carry through your stories? <br /><br /></div><div>* Penny creates a world (Three Pines village) that readers love. What world in your series compels the reader to return and immerse themselves?<br /><br />Unless you are very well established, don't expect your agent or mainstream publisher to applaud the idea of a series. The success, in their terms, hinges on the first book. But many series writers go for e-books or indie publishing and do well. If you feel called to series writing, do it!<br /><br />And what about memoir? Can a memoir become part of a series? Some experts suggest considering a collection of anecdotes, similar to an essay collection, instead. Check out this article from <a href="https://www.writermag.com/improve-your-writing/nonfiction/memoir-versus-essay-collection/">The Writer.</a><br /><br />Some helpful links on series writing (if any link doesn't work, search for the name in your browser):<br /><br /><a href="https://www.nownovel.com/blog/how-to-write-book-series/">Now Novel's ten tips</a><br /><br /><a href="https://blog.reedsy.com/how-to-write-a-series/">Reedsy's five tips</a><br /><br />Some interesting ideas from <a href="https://www.wattpad.com/469803504-write-like-a-pro-writing-a-series">Wattpad</a><div><br style="background-color: white; color: #262c30; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;" /></div></div>Your Book Starts Herehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568469874356348872noreply@blogger.com0