I finally received an email with lots of goodies attached ... my ARC and editor comments. And I have 20 days to read through it all, make my comments, corrections, etc. Yikes! I can do this. Yes, I can. Uh ... right? Fortunately, nothing really big going on at work, so I should have time. I just want to make sure I do a thorough job. So, nobody better bug me! Or ... grrrrrrr. (Just noticed: is it any wonder my editor says I use maybe a few too many ellipses?)
I read and reread the email, and then a few more times to make sure I didn't miss anything. So, this is the skinny: my feedback on the first draft ARC is due March 23rd. Cover should be coming around the beginning of April, so I need to start collecting reviews. If I would like them added to the back cover, that is. Of course, as anxious as I am, I already sent out requests for reviews to several mystery review websites and authors. Keeping fingers crossed. -- Thanks Michael Murphy for agreeing to do one :-) And to Cjung at Over My Dead Body. You both are great for responding so quickly, and settling my nerves since this means my back cover won't be blank! haha
Okay, what next? Well ... (yet another ellipse ... sigh) just have to wait and see! If all goes well and according to plan, I will be seeing my baby in print sometime in June. Then, I'd absolutely love to have a book launch event. Maybe at our local library or perhaps at one of the area bookstores. I'll have to start researching. Hmmm. Yet another task to consider, but such fun!
Update: Yet another thanks goes out to Sand, a wonderfully kind and helpful lady who happens to run the very cool ezine, The Piker Press and also agreed to do a review. Then finally, to Apex Reviews who will take a look and see :-)
All great people who help to make this project a success.
Manuscript is finished ... check. Edits,
Revisions, More Edits, and Revisions ... check. Final read-through ... check.
Now what?
Well, I had two options, both of which I'd taken
before. If I chose option A -- query to agents, it will be a much longer road,
much longer wait, but if it happened, I could get doors to open that would never
be possible without an agent. Or option B -- submit the work to small,
independent publishers who don't require an agent. Quicker, less fuss, but not
the big payoff. Okay, so I'm not so patient any longer. Go with option B.
Besides, I had accumulated a waaaay long list of indies to submit to. It would
be a really long time before I'd run out of "doors to knock on".
I started with 4 or 5, one of which responded
right away and asked for the full manuscript. Turns out this was to be a big
delay in getting Dying to Dream published because this particular pub wants the
suspense they accept to be big on romance. The good part is they were willing to
work with me to get the story to the point where they'd like it and want to
contract.
Two good things happened during this process. One,
I did manage to add some romance. And two, I narrowed down the POV's to three,
which I hadn't realized is such a very big deal :-). The downside was that there
wasn't enough romance, and I wasn't willing to add more, so we parted ways after
almost a YEAR! "Sigh"
Back to square one: This time, I submitted to five
more pubs (that's a total of about 10 submissions -- really low number for me
since the last work I'd written went out to probably about 50!) That was in the
first week of August, 2012. Mainly Murder Press replied right away and said
they'd get back to me after reading the sample chapters. Two weeks later, they
asked for the full (8/22/12). By the end of August they offered me a contract.
(WOW! That was fast.) But wait. I'm not through.
While I was taking time to read through the
contract and deciding what to do, I received an email around the middle of
September from yet another pub I'd queried, offering a contract. By this time,
I'm thinking, what is going on and what a gem of a story I must have written! In
the meantime, MMP is wanting an answer. I'm researching, even reading some of
the books they've published and liking what I see. We go back and forth with me
asking questions about certain things in the contract.
I finally make my decision and decide to go with
MMP. It's a good fit. But the story doesn't end there. Geesh! A couple of days
later, one of the other pubs asks to see the full manuscript. And a couple
months later, yet another wanted to offer a contract! That's 3 out of 5 this
time around who wanted to contract, and 1 that showed interest. The odds don't
get better than that! And the expression, "you snooze, you lose" comes to mind
:-) Sorry, you other guys. MMP caught the fish and I hope they are as happy as I
am.
Now, of course, I can't help thinking, if I'd
known what a great thing this novel of mine was, would I have gone the agent
route and caught a bigger fish of my own? Well, I'll never know, and that's not
how I'm gonna play this act in my life. No sir. I'm gonna drink the wine and
enjoy the ride!
I often think about this. I know I've written posts about it. I keep coming back to it, the topic of characters, because every so often situations will remind me of just how important characters are. Characters wear so many hats in the story. They are the navigators who mapquest the plot, screenwriters who create the dialogue, artists who paint each scene and overall, the entertainers who hold the readers' interest.
So, assuming you agree, how much time and care do you give in creating and developing your characters? Do you give them the attention you devote to other elements of your story? After all, the plot, no matter how much action, drama, or romance it might have, will be nothing if the characters are one big yawn. Let's face it. Stiff, unemotional dialog is a bore. Characters who do what's predictable are a bore. Not exactly a page turner. Right?
What to do ... I have thought about this a lot, practiced it plenty when writing my novels, and I'll try summing up what I've learned, what works for me, at least.
1) Map out the characters -- develop a list of traits for them, think about how they might react in various situations.
2) If you struggle with number 1, think of people you know, characters from tv shows, etc. and if one matches how you would like one of your particular characters to be, develop the traits and actions from that.
3) Give each character his or her unique way of talking or acting. Maybe some particular way of phrasing his/her words, some movement or gesture that's unique, a quirky look ... anything that makes the reader take notice and keep reading!
4) Get inside their heads! Be each of your characters as they take the stage and think how they would react, what would they do. By doing this, you keep the action genuine and believable.
5) Create pictures. If you are artistic, draw pictures of your characters. Or use photos you think match them. Then, keep notes about each one -- what they are like (see #1 info), what they do, etc.
These are just a few of the tricks I use. Maybe they will be useful to you. Maybe you have other ideas you could share and post here :-) In any case, enjoy writing! The pure pleasure of creating a story is what it's all about. So, enjoy!
He always manages. Why would this one be any different? I am referring to Stephen King's recent work of art, 11/22/63, a close to 1,000 page fiction account centering around JFK's assassination. Of course, those of you who are familiar with King's work would know that this is by no means close to what one would predict such a story might be about. Au contraire, mes amis. King throws time travel, romance, a little touch of horror, and what would be expected, his usual crafty, humorous style that is so unique to KIng's writing into it.
I have to say the sheer versatility of his talent still mind-boggles me. An author who jumps from horror to writing touching stories like Stand by Me ... well, after all, it is Stephen King I'm talking about. Right? Okay, back to the JFK retelling. Most who have read this would probably say there is no way you could predict how it would end. In my mind, I decided there was only way it should end, but true enough, I really couldn't tell if it would go that way, even right up to the last few pages. Lots of twists and turns made for a true page-turner. And there's something about his style, the weaving of his words, the authentic references to the late fifties, early sixties from music to dance to everything, and the colorful, entertaining characters, the oddities like the Yellow Card Man, the endless details that seem to stoke the fire of curiosity, make you go on reading rather than bore you to tears, all of that makes me sigh and say, "um, ah, now there's a satisifying read!" Trite as it may be, I truly felt like I traveled back to Dallas and the early sixties. I was right there with Jake/George.
King sets the scene with the main character, Jake, aka George, who leads an unfullfilled and troubled life. It's no wonder he decides without too much hesitation to go on an adventure, taking him to another time and place. More than once, but always beginning in 1958. But the ultimate journey would take him across several years, all the way to 1963. And how can he refuse? After all, he will save the world, so to speak, become a hero, if all turns out as planned. What better quest than that. Right? But as they say, or as Stephen King says, the past is obdurate, stubborn and resistant to change. So, anything can happen ... and will. Just read it and see.
Worth the purchase and your time invested? Yes. Most definitely. Of course, I was lucky to purchase this at $3.99 for the eBook. It's much more, now. And my thoughts on those priced at $9.99 and up, when you can purchase the trade PB or even HB for just a few dollars more, well, that's a whole other post topic!
Have a great day, and enjoy reading :-) 11/22/63 by Stephen King
It's been awhile, but I thought a refresher on helpful websites might be in store. Maybe one or both of them will work for you.
In the market for a class to brush up on your craft? Then this course offered on the Writers' Village site is worth a look. This 14 week course is a free introduction to the Writers' Village Master Class. Learn to add energy and suspense to your stories, build characters, and so many more effective strategies. With several weeks of modules emailed to you along with a writing manual, you have a great start. -- Writers' Market Class
If you don't like to travel the path most taken or follow the herd or, in other words, you'd like to find a way to self-publish, but not through Amazon Kindle or Smashwords ... then this might be for you. Indie Isle will help you publish, sell and promote your stories free of charge. They provide the ebook formats and the promotional tools to market your work. One of the most attractive features is that you get 90 percent of the profit. Yes. I said 90. Not 70. Once you've published your books, you get a web page to promote them. Nice. So, check it out: Idie Isle
Enjoy!
Almost ten years ago, I had this dream. Someday, hopefully in the near future, I'd write a story good enough to be noticed and wanted by a reputable publisher. That was in 2004. Fast forward to 2012, and I made the dream a reality. I had queried before on other work, submitted to publishers and agents alike, by the hundreds. Some wanted to see more. Some gave me a polite rejection. None wanted what I had to offer.
Then, I had this idea. I would write a story in the most unique fashion, using any particular skills/knowledge I had to make it different. The result: Dying to Dream, a mystery with paranormal and romantic elements. But that wasn't all. I wanted to make the characters and setting something special. I know French. So, the story takes place in Louisiana. Tante Louise, a peculiar old aunt who dabbles in voodoo, doesn't hesitate to blurt out a phrase or two in French. The street names of my imaginary town, Saint Toulere, are in French, such as Tant Pis, which means "too bad" and is an appropriate label since the street's buildings have a certain history. And I didn't stop there in creating this unique nature for my work. Each chapter has a quote from classic poets and authors about ghosts. After all, there are ghosts in my story. Marin, the main character, dreams the dreams of spirits who need to communicate a message to her. In other words, she becomes them.
So, I had my story completed. Next, I wanted to query some small, independent publishers, and I really expected to be bogged down with querying to dozens and dozens before any resulted in a contract. However, I did feel strongly about the work and that it certainly would eventually have its moment in the limelight. Maybe in another ten years! And then ... it happened ... so very quickly that I was stunned. First, one and then another offered a contract. I actually had to choose! That amazed me even more. I decided to go with Mainly Murder Press. It seems like a good fit.
So ... Dying to Dream will make its debut in June, 2013. I can hardly wait, but have much to do beforehand. It's been a long struggle with lots of heartbreak and perseverance on my part. Still, I made it and life is good. And if you have time, head on over to check MMP out. They have many really cool books! And they even undercut the prices on Amazon. An extra plus :-)
A year ago I published a post about eBooks and Kindles and Amanda Hocking. It sparked a discussion, and now, I guess, it sparked a nomination for Most Fascinating Blog in 2012 for the Creative Writing category. (Look to the right. -->) It's nice to be recognized. In fact, every once in awhile, to receive those pick-me-up moments, no matter how big or small, makes me feel goosies and the push to trudge along in my writing endeavors.
So, I say thank you as I rub my arms to smooth away the goosies and put myself back in front of the keyboard, fingers flexed, WIP in front of me ... and ... WE'RE OFF AND RUNNING!
P.S. If you are so inclined and would like to read the post, here is a quickie link to get you there.
To Kindle or Not to Kindle - That is the Publishing Question
And then, if you, too, feel the "spark" of excitement, inspiration, or whatever your spark is, please consider raising your hand or glass or flag or ... you get the idea, and vote for me :-) BUT NOT UNTIL JULY 23RD ... because they won't let you before then.
** Update ... obviously there was a glitch in the voting process and it has been extended until August 10th. Still a bit tricky to do. You need to create a Google+ account and then click on comments under the Creative Writing Award post where you will find a list of the nominees. The rest of the directions are there. I personally think people should get a prize just for successfully navigating there way through that maze to vote!
