I'm not saying that you can't call yourself a writer if you do nothing more than toil away on your manuscripts for hours, days, even years. However, at some point, most people want others to see their work. Though the joy of writing is what keeps us going, behind it is the hope that others will find joy in our work through reading it. Whether you're writing a family genealogy meant only for close relatives, or you're writing a commercial novel for the masses, at some point, writing means putting your work out there...which can be scary.
It's much safer to keep your writing tucked away on your hard drive, or in a trunk under the bed, because exposing it to daylight invites possible judgment and criticism. Some writers are sensitive by nature, but writing is not for the skin-thinned, so where should you start? I started with a critique group, and think a good critique group (consisting of fellow writers) is worth its weight in gold. Other writers are the best resource (IMHO) for pointing out your own strengths and areas for growth as a writer.You can find them through professional writers groups, conferences, and online message boards or blogs. Use the feedback to make your work the best it can be. But you can't stop there.
At some point, you have to bite the bullet and put your work out there. Whether it's querying agents and editors if you aspire to a traditional book deal, or hiring an editor and then self-publishing, no one can read your book if it's not available. This doesn't mean rushing things. Take your time to write, revise, edit, and polish your book to a high gloss. But if writing and all that goes into making a complete novel is Step #1, make sure you eventually push yourself to do Step 2). Put it out there.
Which step are you on? Any tips for those struggling with Step 2?
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
Miss Snark's First Victim Blog Hop
Hi all--Guess what? We’re just about to begin what will hopefully be the first of the Annual Authoress’s Success Story blog tours!
Authoress Anonymous has built a strong and supportive community on her blog Miss Snark’s First Victim:
a community of writers, critiques, hopefuls, agents, editors, and
readers. There, writers can participate in contests designed to help
them practice giving and receiving critiques, polish their hooks, spiffy
up query letters, and gain exposure to literary agents… and, in the
case of some writers, get offered representation or publishing deals!
Over twenty professional authors now owe some part of their successes to Authoress, the incredibly generous people who participate in her contests, and her blog. Those of us who have owed our publishing successes to MSFV (including yours truly) have decided to come together to celebrate both MSFV, Authoress, and to help cross promote each other’s work.
Every day in the first two weeks of August, a different author will
be posting an interview of one of our fellow Success Stories. There
might even be some giveaways, so don’t miss a single blog post! Make
sure to tune in to everyone’s blogs from August 1st to the 15th, and to
follow the hash tag #MSFVSuccessStory this month for more details, tidbits, and info. See you there!
Over twenty professional authors now owe some part of their successes to Authoress, the incredibly generous people who participate in her contests, and her blog. Those of us who have owed our publishing successes to MSFV (including yours truly) have decided to come together to celebrate both MSFV, Authoress, and to help cross promote each other’s work.
| Name | Website | Posting Date | ||
| David Kazzie | http://wahoocorner.blogspot.com/ | @davidkazzie | 1-Aug | |
| Leigh Talbert Moore | leightmoore.com | @leightmoore | 2-Aug | |
| J.Anderson Coats | http://www.jandersoncoats.com | @jandersoncoats | 3-Aug | |
| J.M. Frey | www.jmfrey.net | @scifrey | 4-Aug | |
| Elissa Cruz | elissacruz.blogspot.com | @elissacruz | 5-Aug | |
| Amanda Sun | http://amandasunbooks.blogspot.com | @Amanda_Sun | 6-Aug | |
| Kristi Helvig | www.kristihelvig.blogspot.com | @KristiHelvig | 7-Aug | |
| Leah Petersen | http://www.leahpetersen.com | @Leahpetersen | 8-Aug | |
| Monica Bustamante Wagner | www.monibw.blogspot.com | @Monica_BW | 9-Aug | |
| E.M. Kokie | www.emkokie.com | @emkokie | 10-Aug | |
| Monica Goulet | http://monicagoulet.blogspot.com/ | @MonicaGoulet | 11-Aug | |
| PeterSalomon | www.peteradamsalomon.com | @petersalomon | 12-Aug | |
| Sarah Brand | http://www.sarahbrand.com/ | @sarahbbrand | 13-Aug | |
| Angela Ackerman | http://thebookshelfmuse.blogspot.com/ | @angelaackerman & @writerthesaurus |
14-Aug | |
| Tara Dairman | http://taradairman.com/ | @TaraDairman | 15-Aug | |
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Blog Silence
Out of respect for the senseless loss of lives here in Colorado this week, I am not going to post for this week. Blogging about things like writing tips seems ridiculous right now. I am heartbroken for those who lost loved ones in that movie theater, and I'm angry that it happened in the first place. I get that "guns don't kill, people do," but we sure make it easy when someone can purchase 6,000 rounds of ammo and 4 guns and no one blinks an eye. It would have been much more difficult for him to kill if he'd had to stab each person to death instead. As I live close to both Columbine and the movie theater (and many here are still dealing with the aftermath of the wildfires), I can say that Colorado is a little shell-shocked right now. I won't be online much this week, but my deepest condolences go out to those affected by this tragedy. I hope that everyone takes time to tell their families that they love them, and remember to make every moment count.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Query Critique Winner
The Random Number Generator has spoken and the winner is #2..Feaky Snucker! Congrats! I'll email instructions regarding your query critique. Thanks to
everyone
who entered, and check back soon for another chance to win! I'll be back in a few weeks with another Query Critique Wednesday. In the meantime, check out my new query services link to the right if you need a query critique ASAP.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Wednesday Query Critique Giveaway
It's
Wednesday Query Critique time! Remember to enter by midnight EST in order for your chance to win the weekly query critique.
REMINDERS: These critiques are for those who prefer a private critique versus a public one. Please read my prior post on Query Tips before entering. Also, as mentioned in my big giveaway, I tend to be very direct and picky, but my goal is to get your query in the best shape possible. Finally, the query is only the first step--make sure the entire book is as good as the query before you hit "Send" to an agent or editor. To enter the weekly query critique giveaway, simply follow the directions below. Good luck!
RULES:
REMINDERS: These critiques are for those who prefer a private critique versus a public one. Please read my prior post on Query Tips before entering. Also, as mentioned in my big giveaway, I tend to be very direct and picky, but my goal is to get your query in the best shape possible. Finally, the query is only the first step--make sure the entire book is as good as the query before you hit "Send" to an agent or editor. To enter the weekly query critique giveaway, simply follow the directions below. Good luck!
RULES:
Just
leave a comment telling me you'd like to be entered in the giveaway and
give your email address, using (at) and (com) as follows so the spam
bots don't find you.
I
will use a random number generator to pick the winner who will receive a
query critique through email.
NOTE: If your query involves space monkeys, I might make an exception and do an extra critique!
NOTE: If your query involves space monkeys, I might make an exception and do an extra critique!
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Query Critique Winner
The Random Number Generator has spoken and the winner is #2..Patesden!
Congrats! I'll email instructions regarding your query critique. Thanks to
everyone
who entered, and check back soon for another chance to win!
Also, please keep noting how many times you've entered because I've been
doing extra critiques for persistent folks who have entered 5 or
more times in a row. Good luck! :)
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Wednesday Query Critique Giveaway
It's
Wednesday Query Critique time! Remember to enter by midnight EST in order for your chance to win the weekly query critique.
REMINDERS: These critiques are for those who prefer a private critique versus a public one. Please read my prior post on Query Tips before entering. Also, as mentioned in my big giveaway, I tend to be very direct and picky, but my goal is to get your query in the best shape possible. Finally, the query is only the first step--make sure the entire book is as good as the query before you hit "Send" to an agent or editor. To enter the weekly query critique giveaway, simply follow the directions below. Good luck!
RULES:
REMINDERS: These critiques are for those who prefer a private critique versus a public one. Please read my prior post on Query Tips before entering. Also, as mentioned in my big giveaway, I tend to be very direct and picky, but my goal is to get your query in the best shape possible. Finally, the query is only the first step--make sure the entire book is as good as the query before you hit "Send" to an agent or editor. To enter the weekly query critique giveaway, simply follow the directions below. Good luck!
RULES:
Just
leave a comment telling me you'd like to be entered in the giveaway and
give your email address, using (at) and (com) as follows so the spam
bots don't find you.
I
will use a random number generator to pick the winner who will receive a
query critique through email.
NOTE: If your query involves space monkeys, I might make an exception and do an extra critique!
NOTE: If your query involves space monkeys, I might make an exception and do an extra critique!
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
How Do You Reward Yourself?
When you're writing a novel, I'm a big believer in rewarding yourself for achieving the baby steps along the way. For instance, when I'm in the revision process after finishing my first draft, I reward myself with chocolate after revising each chapter (don't judge). I'd like to say the satisfaction of writing and revising is entirely its own reward, but sometimes I need that extra shot of motivation.
So when I really want to push myself, the reward needs to be bigger, and then I'm way more likely to reach my goal. I don't watch much television and don't have any of those recording thingies to watch shows later, but I have a crazy addiction to Design Star on HGTV--I know, some people have a wild side, and mine is dan-ger-ous. Anyway, guess who hit her word count goal last week with over 30 minutes to spare? This girl. It's on again tonight and I'm sure I'll hit my goal today too, because no way in hell am I missing David Bromstad's pep talks regarding room decor (I'm so badass like that).
Now that I've confessed my sure-fire writing reward, I want to know about you. How do you reward yourself? (It's okay if your method isn't as hard-core as mine. Not everyone can be this cool. ;)
So when I really want to push myself, the reward needs to be bigger, and then I'm way more likely to reach my goal. I don't watch much television and don't have any of those recording thingies to watch shows later, but I have a crazy addiction to Design Star on HGTV--I know, some people have a wild side, and mine is dan-ger-ous. Anyway, guess who hit her word count goal last week with over 30 minutes to spare? This girl. It's on again tonight and I'm sure I'll hit my goal today too, because no way in hell am I missing David Bromstad's pep talks regarding room decor (I'm so badass like that).
Now that I've confessed my sure-fire writing reward, I want to know about you. How do you reward yourself? (It's okay if your method isn't as hard-core as mine. Not everyone can be this cool. ;)
Thursday, July 5, 2012
God and Guns
I live in a town that bows down to the two big G's: God and Guns (I think in that order, but it's not always clear). Needless to say, 4th of July is probably second only to Christmas here in terms of celebration. People wear a badge of pride about crossing the border into Wyoming before the 4th to get the good (aka illegal) fireworks. Competitions for the best fireworks are common place, and authorities often look the other way at the "dangerous" kind. One of the best illegal displays last year was the guy down the block from me--who happens to be a firefighter.
Despite the ban on all fireworks this year (including the town's big extravaganza) due to the worst year of wildfires on record, my hubby and I were sure that someone would shoot off something to mark America's holiday. We were positive that some jerk would endanger others by taking issue with their God-given right to bear firearms or fireworks. We were wrong.
One of the themes I explore in my novels is just what it would take to bring people together and forget their differences, be they political, religious, or otherwise. I'm not sure what the answer was tonight, but the silence was deafening.
Maybe it was the smoke that still hung thick in the air from the fires, prompting an air advisory to stay indoors. Maybe it was the fact that an entire neighborhood burned to the ground less than forty minutes from here, leaving only razed houses and dead bodies in its wake. Maybe the answer, sad as it is, is that it takes something horrific for people to come together.
All I know is that not a single firecracker was heard the entire night. The eerie quiet seemed to symbolize that people realized their families and neighborhoods were more important than anything else. That maybe we have more in common than we, or the media, want to believe. I don't know if I can live here forever, but I found a spark of humanity in the silence tonight. For now, that is enough.
Despite the ban on all fireworks this year (including the town's big extravaganza) due to the worst year of wildfires on record, my hubby and I were sure that someone would shoot off something to mark America's holiday. We were positive that some jerk would endanger others by taking issue with their God-given right to bear firearms or fireworks. We were wrong.
One of the themes I explore in my novels is just what it would take to bring people together and forget their differences, be they political, religious, or otherwise. I'm not sure what the answer was tonight, but the silence was deafening.
Maybe it was the smoke that still hung thick in the air from the fires, prompting an air advisory to stay indoors. Maybe it was the fact that an entire neighborhood burned to the ground less than forty minutes from here, leaving only razed houses and dead bodies in its wake. Maybe the answer, sad as it is, is that it takes something horrific for people to come together.
All I know is that not a single firecracker was heard the entire night. The eerie quiet seemed to symbolize that people realized their families and neighborhoods were more important than anything else. That maybe we have more in common than we, or the media, want to believe. I don't know if I can live here forever, but I found a spark of humanity in the silence tonight. For now, that is enough.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Longhand versus Laptop
Up until now, I've written my novels solely via laptop. Sure, I've mapped out outlines, ideas, and characters in a notebook (okay, so I have notebooks everywhere, and it might be an addiction, but that's a different post), but the actual writing has taken place at my computer. Then I had something weird happen a few weeks ago.
(NOTE: This is not the actual pen used, but I am SO getting this pen one day!)
I had a client need to reschedule an appointment at work, which left me with an entire hour of writing time--except that my laptop was at home. For some reason, I pulled out my legal pad rather than the cute flowered notebooks I usually carry, and decided to write a chapter. The words flew onto the page, and when I typed them into the computer that night, I'd written almost 3K words...in an hour. For me, that's a lotta words, and even though I took shorthand in high school, I also took typing, so I couldn't believe how fast I was. The other strange part was that when I went back the next day to edit, it required way less editing than usual. In the next two days, I easily wrote two more chapters that way. I know there are studies out there about enhanced neural activity and increased memory capacity in writing versus typing, but I'd never tried it out for myself.
Summer with the kiddos has challenged my writing time, but my goal for this week is to get 10K words completed, because I'm excited to finish my new book...and because my agent is waiting patiently for it.;)
Have you tried writing in longhand versus typing? Anyone else notice a difference?
Oh, and Happy July 4th! The Wednesday Query Critique will be back next Wed. 7/11.
I had a client need to reschedule an appointment at work, which left me with an entire hour of writing time--except that my laptop was at home. For some reason, I pulled out my legal pad rather than the cute flowered notebooks I usually carry, and decided to write a chapter. The words flew onto the page, and when I typed them into the computer that night, I'd written almost 3K words...in an hour. For me, that's a lotta words, and even though I took shorthand in high school, I also took typing, so I couldn't believe how fast I was. The other strange part was that when I went back the next day to edit, it required way less editing than usual. In the next two days, I easily wrote two more chapters that way. I know there are studies out there about enhanced neural activity and increased memory capacity in writing versus typing, but I'd never tried it out for myself.
Summer with the kiddos has challenged my writing time, but my goal for this week is to get 10K words completed, because I'm excited to finish my new book...and because my agent is waiting patiently for it.;)
Have you tried writing in longhand versus typing? Anyone else notice a difference?
Oh, and Happy July 4th! The Wednesday Query Critique will be back next Wed. 7/11.
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