Tumbleweeds and Coyotes!

Whew! It's hard to believe it's been a couple of weeks since my last post! I just got back from my first time in Texas where their food portions are about as large as the state! I guess its time to hit the treadmill!

Anyway, I travel from time-to-time and those trips take me through major airports across the country. If you want a good cross-section snapshot of differing cultures and personalities - a major airport is the place to do it!

Texas wasn't any different. I got to meet all kinds of people. I got to see two Texas Rangers at a BBQ joint we were eating lunch at. I wanted to ask them about Chuck Norris, but decided it would have been unwise. Instead, I learned of the One Riot - One Ranger story and much more. My colleagues and I spoke about how life was in Texas, where poisonous snakes are as common as the squirrels in my back yard in GA. I even learned what life on a south Texas ranch is like! I was enthralled.

Now to tie this in with writing. I was reminded how one person's reality is impacted by geology and where they live. For me, hearing about life on a south Texas ranch was the stuff of old John Wayne movies. A series of Hollywood props and one-liners. But, for folks living in South Texas, ranch life is a here-and-now reality. That night in the hotel room, my mind wandered, replaying every detail of the stories. I found myself wondering what ranch life in Texas was like. I soon found myself constructing an elaborate fantasy land in my mind of modern ranch life where rattlesnakes, coyotes and the cartel danced among tumbleweeds and dust devils. It was a world where cats and dogs, our feline and canine companions, would chase down and kill a snake quicker than a wheel gun toting cowboy. Fearless. Unrelenting.

Characters. All our stories have them. Traveling reminded me how diverse our world is. It reminded me how our environment shapes and molds our individual realities and each person has their own bubble of individualism and set of experiences that make their reality very different from our own. When writing, I have difficulty conveying that diversity, that individual character. Sure, they have different names and genders and have their own place in a plot line, but sometimes they lack depth.

When you are embarking on a new project, take time to research and flesh-out all the main characters that will appear in your book. Develop a background, life experiences and understand them - get to know them. Even if those details never make it into the book, they will weave their way into minds of readers via good character development. Only then will you truly be able to write about them and tell everyone what it is like being them! It adds character depth and adds strength to your book. If a reader doesn't care about your characters that are driving the plot, they almost certainly will care even less about the book.

So, when writing, don't neglect your characters. They need as much, if not more, attention than the plot itself.  And remember, as Will Rogers once said, always remember to drink upstream from the herd.

Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover! Right?

Not so fast there Slick! A spiffy book cover (also know as jackets) is just as important, some would argue more important, as your content of your book that you've slaved over.

The old cliche, the title of today's post, doesn't fare well in our modern and impulsive world. The impact of a well designed book cover spans both traditional publishing and e-books. It is the first impression a would-be-buyer will see. It is the first kiss, the first touch of the love affair readers will embark on when reading what you have labored over to perfection. At this point, you've polished your manuscript to a high sheen, its time to dress it for the dance!

For those of you that are pursuing traditional publishing, you are familiar with what a query letter is. You are also familiar with how hard it is to condense a full sized manuscript down to 350 words or less while capturing all the goodies to reel in a literary agent! Now, think of doing that through illustration! Creating a book cover is not for the faint of heart. A lot depends on it. So my advice, this isn't something to pinch the pennies on. Get someone who designs book covers professionally.

If you are self-publishing, keep the fact in mind that e-books have different criteria than printed books. Your designer will know this. If they don't, deep six them and move on to one that does!

A good designer will try to capture the essence of your story in one compelling cover. It should convey the atmosphere and  the heart of your book. Its all about imagery. It is what will capture the attention of the buyer. It is what entices them to read the blurb and buy your book. It is a visual representation of months of grueling work on your part! Don't waste it!

Research indicates, in today's fast paced society, you have about 3 seconds to grab someone's attention! Want your book on a display in the book store - you better have a stellar cover!

Here is a link to a video that I found informative and funny concerning book covers.

Remember, just because you've written your book and had it edited doesn't mean your job is done! Your job has just begun!

The Count that Counts

From my other posts, you know I'm a big fan of having a word count goal with each writing session. Over the holidays I had a brief conversation with a writer friend of mine on how to find that comfortable amount of words to settle into.

So, the first thing we need to agree to is that writing a novel isn't easy. It takes time, patience and dedication. It's a commitment of endurance and a commitment to your characters.

There are many reasons for setting a daily word count goal. One, it keeps you on schedule and focused. Without it, your project may linger and ultimately be pushed aside completely! Like I told my writer friend, "Motivation and devotion, no mater how pure, has a shelf-life. The longer you take to complete a project, the less likely you will!" Again, this is where a word count comes to the rescue. It keeps you moving down the road of completion in a steady and measured way.

There are a couple pitfalls to watch out for. To begin with, temper your expectations. A goal is nice, but it can also be a source of discouragement. If you set your count to high and you constantly miss your mark, it can impact the energy that drives your writing. However, setting it to low and you risk a jerky/choppy story arc and underdeveloped plot lines.

When deciding on a word count goal for a project, there are a few factors you should think of. When do you plan to have your writing sessions? Yes, it's important to have a set time slot each day. What is your targeted length of your book? Do your fingers dance across the keyboard or do they peck like a blind and deaf woodpecker with rheumatoid arthritis? Do you have any experience in writing novel length stories? Finally, you must be honest with yourself when evaluating your enthusiasm for your project.

For me, I set my goal at 1,500 words per day. There are days when I struggle to hit that mark. But, there are many days that I far exceed it. Use it as a guideline to keep you moving in the right direction. Never use it as a stopping point. If you're in the middle of a suspenseful part of the plot, or a budding romance between your superhero and arch villain, don't stop just because you hit word count quota! Keep going! Writing isn't a hold-that-thought activity.

Now, what happens on those days you don't hit your goal? This happens. For me, if I don't write, I begin experiencing anxiety and the slow burn of guilt. A condition I can only reverse by writing. I also have some favorite blogs I follow and read myself. It all helps to keep me focused and motivated.

I know some who claim they don't need a word count. I'm sure there are exceptions. For the vast majority of us, however, not having one leads our projects to the dusty shelves of neglect.

Good Luck! I know you can do it! Just remember to have FUN! You're already doing something most have only dreamed about - WRITING!

Another Round!

So, you've done it! You've done what so many people say they want to do, but never do. Finished your first Book! Congratulations! Now, the real work starts. Editing. Editing. Editing. Now, there are some folks that love the editing portion of writing. They love refining and making that diamond in the rough sparkle. They analyze every nook and cranny of the manuscript.

Then there are those that loath the editing process. They approach it as a necessary evil, a thorn that needs to be removed. They slug through the whole editing process at glacial speed.

It's about attitude! Change it if you fall into that second camp! Your characters deserve the added attention.

But what needs to be remembered, is that just because you finished your draft, it doesn't mean you've finished your novel. A novel isn't finished until it is in fit-n-trim shape. Think of the editing process as cross-training for your manuscript. Conditioning, strength training and cardio are going to be needed for the marathon your manuscript is going to have to embark on. It is going to be going through the process of finding an agent, a publisher and getting published. It needs the training to stand on its own. You won’t be there to hold its hand. The editing process is where you set aside your personal affinity for your work and scrutinize. Does that story arc, regardless of how much you like it, really, really, really work? Or is that character that you love so much really pulling their weight? If not, well, it’s your job to shape them up!

So, fellow pen-warriors, drop down and give me 50! Don’t stop until your manuscript is a lean, mean, rousing machine! Then, refine it, drop it in a tuxedo and send it out in the brutal publishing world.

Distractions

There are days I sit down at my computer and, simply, struggle. I have a lot to write about. From my other posts, you should know I feel there are stories to be told everywhere. Sometimes getting the creative flow flowing can be a challenge. Today, even as I post this, is one of those days for me as we deal with an instance of identity theft.

Distractions.

They're everywhere. They lurk in the shadows of the over occupied mind. They hide in our overstuffed email inboxes. Sometimes, they use those closest to us to carry out their diabolical subterfuge. Their objective is to keep writers from shedding the light on those untold stories. They want to silence our characters' voices.

Distractions act to disrupt the flow of creative energy. It is that energy that acts as the window of our imagination. The incessant ringing of the phone, the constant blip tones of new emails and the daily to-do lists all serve to fog that window.

One day of not writing leads to another. Before you know it, you've gone a whole week, perhaps more, without one keyboard stroke. The characters you have been writing about, who you had grown to love, are now strangers on a yellowing page. Your connection with them, severed, lost - DEAD.

When I decided to start writing, I was fortunate enough to read ON WRITING by Stephen King. In it, he explains how important it is to write everyday, among a host of other important insights. Writing is a craft that needs to be practiced.

Keeping his advice and the obligation I owe my characters as my guidepost, I write everyday. My goal is 1,500 words a day. There are days that getting to 1,500 is a Herculean effort. But, then there are those days that I'm skipping happily to a prolific 5,500 words.

So, as King suggests, set out a routine and block time for writing and practicing the craft. For me, it's in the morning before the pressures of the day set in. Having a designated place to write helps a lot too. Have a goal each day. It could be completing a particular plot line, added depth to an otherwise flat character, something that keeps you moving forward. For me, I pair a specific goal with my word count target of 1,500 words.

Then - read. I've said it before. You learn from reading. All those mechanics we sometimes get mired in are demonstrated in a good book. Pay attention how its written. The structure, the flow, character development, everything is there for you to learn from. Oh, yeah, you kinda should enjoy it too. That's important.

So, now you have some basic suggestions. Get the glass cleaner out, clean off that window and get to it soldier! Before long, you'll find your fingers dancing across that keyboard to the beat and rhythm of what writers are called to do - writing.