Writer's Write

Jeff Cohen at Hey, There's a Dead Guy in the Living Room in a post entitled "You Can't Fix What Isn't There," wrote a ton of great stuff that I needed to hear. In fact, I read it on the 28th when he posted it, then I read it again yesterday so it'd sink in. I fell into an unfortunate trap that many writers struggle with. I quit writing. Yep. Three weeks ago, I decided to take a quick break from my work-in-progress, and I haven't gone back to it. I've flirted with it a time or two, searching out inspirational photos on the internet, messing with the outline, opening the file only to close it again. But I didn't write any new words. Then that wonderful blog post from a few days ago addressed the same issue. He starts off with this quote:

The most important thing in writing is to have written. I can always fix a bad page. I can't fix a blank one. ~Nora Roberts

(This blank page courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net)

Then Jeff moves on to the potent stuff. He was teaching at a college, and one of his students didn't turn in the writing assignment. When asked why, the student replied that he had writer's block (a thoroughly convenient excuse for not writing). Jeff countered with "No you weren't [blocked]. You just didn't write anything." 

Sit for a moment and let that sink in before I continue. Isn't it grand in its simplicity? Isn't it refreshing to be smacked on the back of the head with that two-by-four of truth? It'll feel better when it quits hurting, as my dad always says.

Then Jeff went on to say to his student, "You were afraid of writing something that wasn't good; you weren't incapable of writing. That's different." 

That's me! I didn't write because I didn't think it'd be any good. Why bother putting it on paper if I'm going to come back tomorrow and delete it all? Now I see that's just an excuse to be lazy.

Read the entire post, because there are more nuggets of wisdom in there that can suck you right out of the writer's black hole. He ends with this awesome news: "The muse is a total liar and can show up whenever summoned." Hah! No more "waiting for the muse" excuse. No more "I have writer's block" excuse. No more "It won't be any good so why bother" excuse. Jeff successfully slashed them all. I have no more excuses for not working. 

He finishes with "If you write something, you can fix it. If you don't write something, well, how's that going to help?" 

Lesson learned, Master Jeff. Thank you for kicking me back into play. I'm going to open my story and reach my word quota for the day.

Has this happened to any of you? What excuses have you used in the past for not writing?

-Sonja

What To Do With a QR Code

During the month of July, I was a guest blogger at Melody Steiner's site, where I focused on marketing. I'm fairly certain not all my readers hopped over there to read my posts. That's okay. I didn't expect it. But my last post over there, about QR codes, was pretty good. I'm re-posting it here today. So if you've already read it, you're caught up. If it's new to you, please leave a comment at the end and share your ideas. Here it is:

If you're a tech-moron like me, you have no clue what a QR Code is. You've probably seen one, though. It's that funky square of black and white gibberish that, when photographed with a smart phone or tablet, takes you to a website about whatever product they're selling. Here's a picture of one:

I took this photo off the blog Marketing Christian Books, posted December 28, 2012. The QR Code is printed on cookies. Little bite-sized yummy cookies. (Excuse me while I go find a snack...) If you had access to one of these cookies in this photo, the QR Code enabled you to get a free trial copy of an ebook. The ebook store that came up with the idea encouraged businesses to hand out the cookies for free in a campaign called "Eat What You Read." If you had the cookie, you scanned it, got your free book, then ate the cookie while you enjoyed your new book.

The company handed out 8,000 cookies and spent $5,000. Their website traffic increased by 45%. Their sales rose by 12%. To them, the investment was worth it.

I don't have $5,000 to invest in cute little cookies, but I can use this example to come up with other ways of using the QR code to generate traffic to my blog, my website, or my book. I could put a QR code on a bookmark that features my name and the name of my book. The absolute minimum size a QR code should be is one inch, so don't put them on pencils or thumb drives. They'd fit nicely on book bags, though, or coffee mugs. Or homemade muffins wrapped in cellophane. 

Do you have any good ideas of stuff to put QR Codes on? Have you tried them? Did they work for you, or are they an out-dated marketing gimmick that's not worth the time? Please share your expertise!

-Sonja

How to Navigate Cocktail Parties

I don't usually post on Sunday's, but I just read this amazing article at Writer Unboxed about how shy people can successfully navigate a social setting (specifically, a cocktail party at a writer's conference). I'll admit, I'd be one tempted to print the article and stuff it in my pocket to take with me to such a social function, but she clearly states at the end of the article not to do something so awkward. So I won't. Maybe I'll just memorize it. Hop on over and read all of Anne Greenwood Brown's awesome wisdom.

-Sonja

Strengthening Your Writing “Muscle”

Today I'm the guest blogger at Melody Steiner's site. Head over and see what I had to say about QR Codes to market your book. And now for the feature presentation, a message from Melody Steiner to you:


For those of you who've missed out thus far, I'm guest blogging for my writing pal, Sonja Hutchison.  By now, you've probably picked up on a theme for my posts:  how to write through the writer's block, those dry spells when you may be struggling with the actual act of writing. The first two posts offered advice on getting out of the writing funk. Last week's post offered more specific food for thought—to think outside the box. Today's post focuses on writing as a discipline. Like any skill, it takes practice, devotion, and consistency to develop.

(Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.com)

Think of writing as a work out regiment. You are building muscles. Your brain is drawing connections, associations, similar to muscle memory. If you are intentional and proactive in your approach to writing, you will become a writing machine. Before you know it, you'll have those books cranked out and each one will be better than the last. But just like exercise, you can backslide. One day, you wake up and don't feel like writing anymore. A dry spell hits, or writer's block, or life gets in the way. And before you realize it, that muscle that you worked so hard to build is flabby and atrophied.

Here are a few tips on how to keep up the "strengthening regiment":

1)     Get up earlier. Set your alarm for an hour or two earlier. If you can't do it every day, just settle on one or two days a week to start.

2)     Take time-outs. During your lunch break at work, or nap time for the kids, find moments in your day to write. Even if it's just a brief few paragraphs or a poem, any progress is good progress.

3)     Replace veg-out times with writing times. Instead of tuning out with the T.V. or video games to de-stress, try writing! It can be equally as therapeutic and twice as rewarding.

4)     Don't be discouraged if you have a bad writing session. Like exercise, sometimes you just have a day that feels like you've made no progress. Two steps forward, and one step backward. In retrospect, you'll see that you are making progress. Sometimes, it just takes a while to see it.

5)     When you "injure" yourself, walk it off and when you're ready get up and try again. It could be a particularly devastating rejection letter. It could be a harsh critique from a writing buddy. In those wounded moments, it's okay to take a break to heal. But when you're finished weeping into a bowl of rocky road ice cream, you have to get up and get to writing again. It's that simple.

Your writing journey is like all those sport feel-good movies. You're Rudy Ruettiger, dreaming of playing football for Notre Dame. Michael Oher. Vince Papale. The Mighty Ducks. Like all of them, the road was not easy. The stars did not just magically align. No. It takes hard work, a lot of tears and sweat. And practice. And shouting. And more practice. Maybe an inspirational speech or two.

I hope this blog series has been informative, inspiring, and helpful to you as you continue your journey. I know it's been helpful for me, as I've been able to take my own advice on multiple occasions this month. Thanks to Sonja for hosting! And please do stop by my blog to read her recent posts as well (you'll see I'm not as disciplined as she is about keep up with my blog). Best of luck!

-Melody

Melody Steiner enjoys the simple things in life—her husband, her kid, and good books about robots and aliens and crazy tech. A sci-fi and fantasy enthusiast, she's managed to mush all her favorite things together into a haphazard conundrum that she likes to refer to as a "novel." She's represented by Nicole Resciniti of The Seymour Agency. You can tolerate her musings by visiting her website, http://www.melodysteiner.wordpress.com or follow her Twitter account: @melody_steiner.

How I Nabbed An Agent

You've probably already heard my good news: I signed with a literary agent: Ruth Samsel at William K Jensen Literary Agency. How did Sonja do that, you wonder? Let me tell you the twelve easy steps, then you can do it, too.

(Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net)

1) Write a book. Yep, all the way to the end. 

2) Edit the book. Start at the beginning and read it again. There are a lot of things you'll be looking for, so get a good book on editing. I suggest James Scott Bell's book Revision and Editing. There are a kajillion other books on editing out there, so find one or two and do what they say. This would also be a great time to find a critique partner, someone who will read the book and make suggestions (including fix your punctuation errors and spelling problems). Many times, a critique partner will also have a novel they need to have edited, so you can swap chapters. You'll learn more about editing as you edit their work, and you'll learn more about your own work when you read their critique of your novel. You can also pay a professional editor to read your book and tell you want needs fixed, but this usually costs a boatload of dollars. If it's your first novel, skip the professional and find several critique partners. 

3) When you think the book is good enough to be published, write a query letter. You'll need a blurb (think of the paragraph on the back of a published book--that's a blurb), a short biography about yourself, and some stats about the book (word count, genre, etc). Query letters are important, so don't rush this step. Check out books on query writing, or go online. There are a ton of examples on the internet.

4) Write a synopsis. You might be able to skip this step, but I doubt it. Again, go to the library or the internet for tips and tricks and examples. The synopsis will be the worse thing you've ever written, literary-wise, but you'll need one.

5) Make a list of agents who represent your genre and are open to submissions. You can go to the library and check out Writer's Guide to Literary Agents, or you can go online to agentquery.com  Once you have your list, put them in order. The agent you'd love to work with the most goes on top, then descend from there. Once you have your top 10, go to their websites and read their guidelines. Don't Skip This Step! If you don't follow their guidelines, they're likely toss the query in the trash and move on to the next one. After all, if you can't be bothered to do things their way, they'll find someone who will.

6) Send queries to those 10 agents on your list. Make a log and keep track of which agents you query, the date you sent the query, and what you actually sent them (some want just the query, some want a synopsis, some want sample chapters, and some will mix and match all those plus throw in some extra zingers like a biography). If they send you a rejection, note on the log when it arrived. You'll want to keep track of all these things so you don't accidentally query the same agent multiple times on the same book.

7) Write another book while you're waiting for the rejections to come in. Yes, you will get rejections. Sometimes you'll get lots. Sometimes you won't hear from an agent at all--that means they don't want to represent your book. But put this waiting time to good use and write another book. 

8) If one of those agents asks for the entire manuscript, send it to them! This is definitely a step in the proper direction. Now's the time to look them up on Predators & Editors to make sure they're a legitimate business (actually, you probably should have done this in step 5, but if you didn't, do it now). You DON'T want to get suckered. Remember: agents make their money when they sell your book. If they ask for money up front, run away.

9) Edit the second book. Use your critique partners again. Hopefully, they'll have a new novel ready to go, too.

10) By now you'll have heard back from those 10 agents. If you get all rejections, pull out your list and query the next 10.

11) Write a query letter for book 2, a synopsis for book 2, and make a new list of agents (the old list will probably be outdated by now). Send out 10 queries on book 2. 

12) Repeat this entire process until you nab an agent. They can be elusive, but don't give up! If you're too stubborn to quit (like me), you'll eventually catch one.

I know I said this was an easy process, but writing it down was the only easy part. It's a lot of hard work, a lot of waiting around waiting for rejections (or acceptance letters, if your story is totally awesome), and a lot of heartbreak when your novels don't attract the attention they rightfully deserve. My history goes like this:

I wrote my first novel back in 2006. It was a fantasy with a spiritual element. I found a publisher (not an agent) who was open to that genre, so I sent it to them. They turned it down. Then I queried a bunch of agents (some of those were duplicates. When I didn't hear from them, I assumed they didn't get the query and I re-queried.) Bummed by the massive amounts of rejections in my mailbox (that was back when it was all mostly paper), I edited the book again and re-queried. While I waited, I wrote a sequel to the book, then a third, then a fourth. By that time, I was getting pretty good at this writing stuff and realized the first book was still really bad and it was no wonder I'd gotten all those rejections. I re-wrote the book (meaning I started from scratch) and sent out more queries. I had a few requests for partials, but no real nibbles. 

With all that rejection, I figured the world wasn't ready for my idea of a fantasy novel, so I wrote a mystery novel. I sent out the first batch of queries, then wrote a sequel to the mystery. (Don't bother querying book 2 of a series if you haven't sold book 1 - that should be a no-brainer, but I thought I'd mention it, anyway.) Many of those queries were to the same people I'd queried on my fantasy series, but some were new. Unfortunately, none of them wanted my mystery books, either. 

I switched to suspense. I wrote a romantic suspense and queried more agents. While I waited, I wrote two paranormal suspenses and queried the first one. 

Through all of those queries, I had a few requests for partials and a few requests for entire manuscripts. I also had requests for cash to edit my work, and referrals to professional editors who would give me a discount if I signed with Agent X. Those were scammers, and I didn't respond to them. 

In total, I have written nine complete novels. Of those, three were completely re-written once I'd mastered another area of my writing craft. In total, I've queried 253 agent (hope Ruth doesn't faint when she sees how many I queried. Many of those are duplicates--they got queried on multiple books over the years). Of those 253, I received 3 requests to represent me. The first two I turned down (the first was a scammer, the second was for personal reasons). But the last one stuck! I'm am so thrilled to be working with Ruth Samsel at William K Jensen Literary Agency. If she checks her files, she'll note that I queried their office on at least two other books, but that's a fun story for another time.

Share your querying history, if you're feeling brave. How many have you sent out? How many rejections have you received? Do you keep them? (I kept all of mine, just for fun. Someday they might be worth a fortune to my great-grandkids.)

-Sonja

Marketing 101

When one of my books finally finds a publishing home, I want to be ready with the marketing plan. That said, I've dug through all my old blog posts from all my favorite blogs and pulled out every shred of information I could find on marketing. I'm sharing some of the info over at Melody Steiner's site, but the rest will be here. Today's information comes from Catherine West. She posted this information on August 1, 2011, but I'm going to re-hash it here for you. 

(Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net)

Catherine goes for a more basic approach than some of the other bloggers I've read, but that's good. Sometimes we need to remember the basics. Here are some of her ideas.

1. Good cover. Readers will pick up a book if they like the cover. I realize that some authors have no say in the cover, and that publishers are supposedly experts in coming up with excellent covers, but if you can have some input, go for it. 

2. Good network. This would be the family, friends, acquaintances, and other authors you've got cheering for you in the background. They are the people who will buy your book the day it hits the shelves then tell everyone they know how awesome it was. This is invaluable, because most books sell by word of mouth. Get some of these people to post reviews in their blogs, or on Goodreads, or somewhere where other potential readers will see it and decide they must also read the book. 

3. Accurate targeting. Figure out who your readers will be and how they will hear about your book. Then actively target that group of people. If your book will be enjoyed primarily by women who like sci-fi, find out where they're hanging around (in public or on-line) and figure out how to come to their attention. Be genuine, and don't get in their face, but draw attention to your book if at all possible.

4. Facebook. Mention your book in one Facebook status bar. It'll go to all your friends. Then ask your friends to re-post that status to their home page, and suddenly all their friends have also seen it. You could reach thousands of people quickly, and because the book's been recommended by someone they know, they're more likely to at least check it out on Amazon or the local library.

5. Giveaways. This one's been mentioned in previous posts, but Catherine brings it up because it works. People love free stuff. Even if it's a silly pen with the novel's name on it. Or you could give away your book, or an ebook copy, or a Starbucks card. The key is FREE.

6. Reviews. It's great to find readers for your book. It's fabulous when they write a positive review and post it somewhere for other readers. Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, all these sites have a place for reviews, and people actually read them. Do your best to get some healthy reviews of your novel in these places.

Have you tried any of these marketing devices? Share your successes or failures please. We all need to learn.

-Sonja

*Drum Roll* Important Announcement:

I am thrilled to announce that I signed on with Ruth Samsel at the William K Jensen Literary Agency. I'm absolutely and most definitely looking forward to working with her. 

(This is Ruth. Photo courtesy of the William K Jensen Literary Agency web site)

Yep. I have an agent. That is SO FUN to say, to write, to think... I think I'm still in shock, so don't ask me any hard questions. Send congratulation notes and gifts, if you must.

-Sonja

Write Outside the Lines

When I was a child, teachers told me to color within the lines. So dutifully, I adjusted my artistic style so that no lines were marred by my creative prowess.

When I was a child, people told me to walk on the sidewalks, because that's where people walked. So, to stay safe, I obeyed and walked in a straight line in the designated walking place.

When I was a child, individuals warned me to obey the law, because the law exists to provide order and structure to society, and breaking the law is bad for society in general.

Here is the thing: it's not that I do not agree with these principles. In fact, I very strongly do (at least for the law and sidewalks). But the marvelous thing about art of any form is that for once in your life, you do not have to listen to others. You do not have to do what people tell you to do.

Like everything in life, there are rules to writing. There are guidelines that could help you succeed in your endeavor. There are role models whose examples you could follow if you wanted to walk in their shoes. There are blogs aplenty that discuss the craft, the process, the keys to unlock all your hopes and dreams. And if you are smart and patient and willing to learn from these helpful hints, something wondrous could come of it all in time.

However, there is also room for a different strain of thinking. Maybe your Romantic-Horror-Western won't see the publishing light of day for a long while, but why shouldn't you write it? And maybe your Dawson's Creek-Prometheus crossover fanfic is a bit too weird for mainstream tastes, but who says it isn't brilliant?

The point is, the novels you write don't have to fit anyone's prescribed formula. You just have to be realistic about your expectations. Publishers may not be willing to take a risk on something they don't think there is a market for, but that doesn't let you as the artist off the hook. Everything you write is practice for the book that sells. And even more importantly, everything you write is in some ways a reflection of you. So there is no such thing as a worthless work-in-progress.

Sometimes, learning to write outside the lines is a therapeutic process. Sometimes, it is a quest for answers. At other times, it is a compelling story and compelling characters that drives you to put pen to paper. As you move forward in your writing journey, remember that it is a sign of maturity to experiment from time to time, to write outside the box.    

Melody Steiner enjoys the simple things in life—her husband, her kid, and good books about robots and aliens and crazy tech. A sci-fi and fantasy enthusiast, she's managed to mush all her favorite things together into a haphazard conundrum that she likes to refer to as a "novel." She's represented by Nicole Resciniti of The Seymour Agency. You can tolerate her musings by visiting her website, http://www.melodysteiner.wordpress.com or follow her Twitter account: @melody_steiner.

The All-Mighty Maya

When I was a child, one of my all-time favorite TV shows was Space 1999. Looking back, it was cheesy. But at the time, it was the best thing that ever happened to a little girl. It had everything: action, romance, technology, and an alien named Maya. Oh, wow! What a heroine! Maya could change her shape into whatever the plot called for, anything from an eight-foot-tall acid-breathing monster to a tiny honey bee. Most of the time, the show terrified me, but it was worth it to watch Maya in action. 

Also, she was in love with Tony, the best-looking male actor on the set. My girly heart swooned over Tony and couldn't wait for the next episode to see how Maya and Tony would save the colony (which was on the moon, adrift in space--I did say it was cheesy). When an episode came around that featured some of the other stars being the hero, I was disappointed that Maya and Tony weren't the ones who saved the day. After all, as the only shapeshifter on the moon, she was the most powerful, most versatile hero on the cast. 

     

(Maya photo courtesy of IMDB. Maya and Tony photo courtesy of wikipedia)

I tried re-watching an episode of Space 1999 last year, just to see if I could recapture that magic I felt as a child. Nope. Total failure. My adult mind was not impressed. Same thing happened when I tried to re-watch The Bionic Woman, Wonder Woman, and Charlie's Angels. Those action-packed shows that delighted me when I was young were a major disappointment to me as an adult. But I've gotten off track already.

What I wanted to point out was that love of character. It works in books, too. When the reader loves a character, they want more. There's nothing better than a series of books featuring a beloved main character, especially if you know there's no end in sight! (It's frustrating to know that book 4 is the last book, there will never be a book 5, and there's no talking the author into a book 5 because she signed a contract to do a new series which can't possibly be as good as the original... but I'm off track again.)

As authors, it's our job to create the characters that readers will love. It shouldn't be hard, as we all know what traits we like in our friends: honesty, humor, kindness, unlimited cash/generosity. Our characters should also be intelligent, attractive (not necessary physically), clever, and resourceful. Just like Maya. She also had the whole "mysterious" thing working for her. When the plot goes wonky and the hero is in a sticky jam, she'll use everything she's got to get out of it. If it comes too easy, the reader is bored. Maya may be cowering in a corner with a man's protective arm around her in the photo above, but I guarantee that a few seconds after that shot, she squared her shoulders, got that look in her eye, then kicked some villain booty.

The hero should also have a flaw, some fear or lack of understanding that stands in her way of reaching her objective. Once she conquers her inner flaw, only then will she be able to achieve her outer objective. I can't remember any flaws Maya had, but if you need an example, just think of Superman. He's got the whole kryptonite, sentimentality for human life, and love of justice (two of which are not flaws but are used as if they were by the villains out to get Superman).

These few sentences about building great characters shouldn't be hard to accomplish, yet many people fail to create lovable characters. It takes practice, work, and just a bit of fairy dust to pull it off. Please share your favorite characters (TV or book) from childhood and why you loved them. Knowing what YOU loved in a character helps the rest of us build great characters.

-Sonja

10 Marketing Methods

I haven't sold my first book yet, but I want to be ready when it finally happens to me. It's bound to be soon, since I've been at it for so long and invested more than enough hours... but enough whining. When I sign my first publishing contract, I want to know what's expected of me as far as marketing goes. So I've dug into my collection of blogs (I've been saving them for YEARS) and pulled out everything I could find on marketing. I'm also blogging on this topic every Saturday at Melody Steiner's site, so head over there for more great posts. Today's topic comes from Joan Webb  She posted this on August 1, 2011, and I'm blatantly copying a bunch right out of her article. She listed ten specific marketing methods that worked for her. I'll list them, then comment.

(Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net)

1. "Mail gift copies of the book (with a personal letter) to strategic ministry and business people that you know." I'm guessing she writes non-fiction and her books have a special place in ministry. However, even fiction writers can network this way. For instance, the local public library might appreciate a free copy of your book. You could also ask to do a book signing and/or a public speaking gig at the library to promote the book and drum up some sales as well as library check-outs. 

2. "Create a website and start to blog regularly. Share guest blogging with friends and colleagues." I know this works because I've tried it. I've been a guest blogger at Melody Steiner's site before, and she's been at mine. We've both noticed an increase in blog traffic on those days. The key to blog posts is to have content that matters to the readers. If you're just blogging about the weather and the condition of your kitchen sink, no one will come back for more. 

3. "Cooperate with your publishers' team to do interviews." Ooh, I'm so ready to have a publishing team! But even without a team, I'm capable of setting up radio and newspaper interviews on my own. Local stations and newspapers like to do local spotlights. You don't need a publicist to get an appointment.

4. "Join social networking like Facebook." This also includes Twitter and Pinterest. I'm not a huge Twitter fan, but I do it anyway. I've found Pinterest can be a lot of fun and a huge time drain, but it's worth it.

5. "Consider doing a blog book tour. You will enlarge your online base." 

6. "Develop a contact list and email regular newsletters." This is one of those things that I've heard mixed messages on. Some say that newsletters are a waste of time. Others swear by them. One of my favorite authors sends one out quarterly, and I always read it. If she can do it successfully, I should be able to, also. Can't hurt to try, right? When you do those public speaking things, put out a sign-up sheet and see how many people show interest.

7. "Distribute business cards with the name/cover of your latest book." This is an inexpensive and easy thing to do. It takes seconds to hand one over. The hard part, for me, is introducing myself to a stranger in the first place.

8. "Get a 2-3 minute video (some call it a book trailer)." Again, I've heard mixed reviews on this idea. You can put it on You Tube, your own website, your Pinterest board, even in a guest blog spot. You'll need to find a healthy balance on this one, though. You don't want to spend lots of bucks creating a super-duper book trailer, but you also don't want to go cheap. Quality counts.

9." Speak/share on your book topics.... speaking, teaching, presenting, and facilitating workshops equals marketing." You don't have to do large speaking engagements, either. You could conduct small classes on freeconference.com on a weekly basis, if you can find enough people to make it worth your while.

10. "Do book signings." I think this got brought up previously, but it can also stand alone. They can be disappointing and humiliating if no one shows up, but they can also be fun and productive. Increase the chances of success by inviting two or three other local authors to join you. That way, if no customers show up, you still have great people to talk to and commiserate with.

Did anything in that list stand out as something you'd like to try? Share with me your successes and failures at any of these endeavors, or just add your two-cent's worth for the group's benefit.

-Sonja

Good love stories

I'm not a huge fan of modern romance novels, mainly because there doesn't seem to be a ton of romance in them. It's mostly sex. Call me old-fashioned, but I don't care for those stories where the hero and the heroine take one look at each other, the hormones start coursing, and they jump in the sack as soon as the plot/structure says they've been apart long enough. That's not love, to me. That's lust. Love is an action: patient, kind, gentle, giving. There will definitely be feelings involved, but love is more than a physical attraction and a surge of hormones and an available bed.

 (freedigitalphotos.net)

I read a great love story that wasn't really a love story at all. Patricia Wrede  wrote a trilogy called The Far West. It's fantasy, with an alternate Earth history, where magic is normal and the wild west is untamed (because of said magic). The heroine is Eff (Francine). The story begins when she's five years old. In book three, she's closer to twenty-three (if I did the math right). There was a tiny thread in the second two books that involved a young man who was smitten with Eff. In book three, he proposed. She turned him down. *SPOILER ALERT - AVERT YOUR EYES IF YOU PLAN TO READ THE BOOKS* At the end of book three, a young man she'd been friends with since the beginning of book one proposed, and she easily accepted. SPOILER ENDED* It felt like a natural and wonderful turn of events, in my mind. 

Love that begins as friendship is so much more satisfying to a reader. I just finished reading the last Sookie Stackhouse novel by Charlaine Harris (there's 13 of them). Most of the reviewers on Goodreads didn't like it because *MORE SPOILERS* Sookie didn't end up with Eric. She ended up with Sam, a man she'd been friends with throughout the entire series. It was a beautiful finale (aside from the fact that Sookie and Sam had sex before they even had their first date, something I absolutely hate but got used to in the Sookie books because that seems to be what readers want) *SPOILER ENDED

Do readers really expect a sex scene in with the romance? Or do authors just cram in one or two in order to sell the book? Many of my books have a bit of romance, all of which begin as friendships, and none of which end up between the sheets. I've heard that adding a sex scene would attract more attention, but I can't bring myself to do it. (On a side note, I tried to write a sex scene once. I was so embarrassed I had to delete it.) To add one more problem to the pot, badly written sex scenes turn what's supposed to be a powerful emotional experience into a laugh fest. My husband once I read a book and wondered aloud if the male author had ever seen a naked woman, much less got her into a bed.

Here's my question for you, loyal readers. Do you care if there's a sex scene in with the romance, or would you prefer a sex-free romance? Does a friendship matter in a love story, or is lust the true selling point? Share your opinions please.

-Sonja

Writing through the deserts

I'm a guest blogger today over at Melody Steiner's site, and she's guest blogging at my site. Here's what she has to say about deserts:

 (This desert brought to you by freedigitalphotos.net)

There are times when every good writer goes through dry spells during the writing process. Think of writing as a journey, and those dry spells are the deserts you have to cross to reach your destination. How can you slog through them? How do you survive?

Remember, the key to survival under most circumstances is this: be prepared. We can apply this to writing as well. You need a "survival kit" that includes your basic writing needs. You need to find a way to communicate with the world outside your head. And you need to think creatively about your surroundings and utilize your environment to your advantage. Here are some of the things you could include in your writing "survival kit":

1)   A thesaurus and/or dictionary.

2)   Mood-setting music.

3)   A fresh notebook.

4)   A book of poetry.

5)   Your favorite pen/pencil.

You can add or cater these to your tastes, but I would recommend that you avoid including items that could distract you. For me, the Internet is a major distraction, so whenever I want to get real writing done, I retreat to a place where I can't even access Internet.

So, you have your survival kit set up and nothing magical is happening. What now? Well, every survivor tries to make contact with the outside world, either by smoke signals or flares, or by trying to get to a working phone. As writers, we have to do this as well. If we're struggling for inspiration, oftentimes help comes from the people around us. Talk about your ideas to trusted friends or critique partners. Ask them for their thoughts on that one scene that just isn't working. Remember, you're in the desert now, so you might not always like what you hear. Be open to trying something a little bit different. Who knows? Great things could come of it.

My final piece of advice to writers walking through the desert is this: While you puzzle through that boring scene or search for inspiration for your next novel, remember to look at your surroundings. I'm not talking about physical surroundings here. I'm talking about where you're at emotionally, artistically, and spiritually. You may find that even in the desert, there is beauty. Even in the desert, there is respite. Even in the desert, there is hope.      

-Melody

Melody Steiner enjoys the simple things in life—her husband, her kid, and good books about robots and aliens and crazy tech. A sci-fi and fantasy enthusiast, she's managed to mush all her favorite things together into a haphazard conundrum that she likes to refer to as a "novel." She's represented by Nicole Resciniti of The Seymour Agency. You can tolerate her musings by visiting her website, http://www.melodysteiner.wordpress.com or follow her Twitter account: @melody_steiner.

 

If You Ever Get a Bookstore Appearance

A few authors out there just want to see their book in hand with their name on it, but most of us also want to SELL our books. That means book store appearances (I hope). The September issue of Writer's Digest has an awesome article called "Going Public: How to Ace Readings, Signings, Interviews & More" by Elizabeth Sims. She has awesome things to say about all those venues, but I want to discuss the part of the article that deals with bookstore appearances. She has nine tips for making sure your bookstore event is successful, even if no one shows up. I'm going to quote her nine tips word for word, then offer my own commentary on her tips. Read on:

 (photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net)

1) Know that you'll be judged by your own cover. This one's a no-brainer, in my book. If I'm a professional writer, I will dress like a professional. Showing up in cut-off jeans and an old T-shirt just won't do it. I can think of exceptions, though. If your novel is steampunk, I think it'd be fun (and thrill the crowds) if you dressed in steampunk costume. Elizabeth also reminds us to check our breath. 

2) Arrive early. That way, you'll have time to make sure everything is in place, meet the manager, find the restrooms, get bottled water and cough drops into place, and mingle with the crowd that's gathered. If everything is as needed, then you've got some time to relax. If nothing's been done, you have time to help get it set up. Don't be a diva and demand a bunch of stuff from the manager--he has a store to run and employees to oversee. Whenever possible, be good to the manager, and your chances increase for a second appearance.

3) Be charming no matter what happens. We've all heard the horror stories of signings where no one showed up. I dread the day when I face that scenario. But even when no customers show up, there's still book store personnel. Even when things go wrong, being polite to the staff is the only right thing to do. If they're busy, don't bug them, but if they have the time, treat them well.

4) Take command of the clock. It's your hour. Use it wisely. Elizabeth suggested this schedule:

10-15 minutes: Read, with intro/commentary

10-15 minutes: Talk about your book and yourself

10-15 minutes: Q&A, thanks to audience and host

10-15 minutes: Sign books, kibitz, wrap up, and go

5) Read well, lively, and little. After you've introduced yourself in an entertaining way, read a portion of your book. Avoid parts with lots of description, use vocal inflections properly, and most of all, don't rush! Going too fast will lose them all. Try practicing ahead of time in front of an audience of loved ones. They have to sit still and listen because that's part of being family. 

6) Keep them listening. After the reading, tell the audience why they need your book. Will it change their life? Or share a bit about how you came up with the idea for the book, or some of the research you did for the book, or amusing stories related to the writing of the book.

7) Always take questions at the end. Do this before the book signing part. If no one asks questions, have a few prepared ones handy that might jump-start other questions.

8) Adapt your talk to your audience. If you have a tiny crowd, make it more personal by arranging the chairs in a circle and sit with them (as opposed to standing over them like a power-hungry overlord). Ask them what they're reading, what they like in a story, what they'd love to find on a bookshelf. If no one shows up, get friendly with the staff--they're bound to have a ton of information that'd be relevant (like what types of books sell the quickest, what customers routinely ask for, what kinds of covers attract readers, etc). You can also ask the staff about their own reading habits.

9) Sign properly. Make eye contact with each person who wants your signature, ask for the correct spelling (never assume!), and sign the title page (as opposed to the inside cover).

If I ever get to the point in my career where I'll do book signings in book stores, I'll keep these tips in mind. And pass along any successes or failures to you. Is any of this helpful? Did you learn something new you'd never considered before?

-Sonja

Marketing via Public Speaking

While I wait for an agent to snatch me up for representation, I'm devoting some time to the study of marketing. I realize, once I actually sign a contract with a publisher, that most of the marketing will fall to me. Unfortunately, I'm not a marketing-savvy person. I think I'd rather poke myself with a fork than try to sell my own book. But it's something I must learn to do, so I'm going to share my learning efforts with all of you. I'm also blogging on this topic over at Melody Steiner's site, so hop over there every Saturday and check out what I wrote. 

(This public speaker is brought to you by freedigitalphotos.net)

Today's topic is public speaking. I'll admit, I'm pretty good at it. I actually enjoy doing it, despite my shyness and fear of crowds. I don't get asked to do it a lot, but when I do, I jump at the chance. It's a dandy way to sell books, too. After an audience hears you speak, they feel they know you better. When they know you, they want to know you more. They buy your books (if you've got them available at a back table). This all hinges on you having something to say and an engaging or entertaining way of saying it. If you bore them to tears, kiss the book sales good-bye. You also need to walk into the situation with the goal of bringing worthy content to your audience (as opposed to selling a truck-load of books at the back table). I'm not sure what advice I can give on public speaking, since it comes fairly natural to me. I try to be myself and interject enough humor to keep the crowd engaged. (If your jokes aren't funny, don't tell them. That doesn't work well at all.) The one bit of logic I hear all the time, and will therefore pass on to you, is this: IF you don't enjoy public speaking, don't do it. Find a different way to market your books. If you enjoy it, then go for it.

How do you find speaking engagements in the first place? That's the $100,000 question. You could advertise on blogs, on church bulletin boards, and on the radio. You could make phone calls to ladies groups (or men's groups, or kids groups) at local churches and tell them you're available. You could print out flyers and staple them all over town. Oh, the library would be a good place to staple one of those. You could schedule a book signing at a local book store and use it as an opportunity to speak (providing you have someone show up for the book - that's a bummer when you're there with only the book store staff). You could call civic groups (like the Lion's Club or Elk's Club) and volunteer to speak on a topic that would interest them. There are quite a few ways of drumming up public speaking engagements, but they take time and effort. Again, if you're not comfortable with all that, find a different method. 

Jack Cavanaugh said this: "When you're writing, you're not marketing. And when you're marketing, you're not writing." Find a happy balance that you can live with and don't feel guilty about what's not getting done.

Anyone have more to share on public speaking as a marketing tool? Please share your expertise with the group.

-Sonja