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Monthly Archives: September 2015

Pep Talk: Getting Ready For NaNoWriMo – Hannah Davies

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It feels like we only just had Camp NaNoWriMo in July (where did August and most of September go?!) but in just over a month it’ll be National Novel Writing Month. Maybe you don’t know what story you’re planning on working on yet. Maybe you’ve picked but will more than likely change your mind another six times before going back to the same one you chose in the first place. Whether you’re a pantser or a plotter, there’s definitely some things you can be doing to get ready.

PINTEREST

It wouldn’t be a pep talk from me without a mention about Pinterest. This is an invaluable tool for the plotter or the pantser; you can start building inspiration for your story and if you have several ideas, using Pinterest is a really good radar for which story is holding your attention or tickling your muses the most. It’s also great to have a moodboard to fall back on during Nano if you get stuck or lack inspiration.

A WRITING COMMUNITY

This is something that’s really great about Camp Nano. Find some people who will also be attempting Nano. Make sure they’re going to encourage you, and that you can do the same. It doesn’t have to be a Taylor Swift size squad of authors – just a close few friends or peers that can keep you accountable and kick your butt if needs be. Also, remember that you need to be that friend in return.

START WRITING NOW

One of the biggest reasons I struggled with winning in the past was because for the month before November I didn’t write regularly. Try to get into the habit of writing every day or at least every other. Set small goals for yourself so that the bigger goals of Nano won’t seem so cray-cray.

DO SOME PLANNING (even if the thought of it makes you feel ill)

Whether you’re a pantser and just like to see where the story goes, or you’re the kind of writer that has a three hundred year backdated family tree for your characters, a little planning goes a long way. There’s lots of ways you can approach this:

  • Post-its with key scene ideas you have
  • Spider diagrams for characters
  • *whispers* an outline of your story arc if you like that sort of thing
  • Have I mentioned Pinterest?

PLAN SOME MORE (I’m sorry)

This time, I’m not talking about actually considering the main bones of a story, I’m talking about planning your month. Are you going to write every day? Will you fit it in before classes or work, or in the evening. Start thinking about when you write best, when you’re most energetic. If you know that for the first week you’re going to have early starts, plan around them. A little forward thinking will really help you out when you’re in the thick of it.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO TRY SOMETHING NEW

Software and stationary aren’t the be all and end all, but a writer should feel comfortable with their tools. If you’ve always used word but find you’re saving each chapter in a separate document and losing track, maybe something like Scrivener would work better for you. But remember – November 1st is not the time to start experimenting so if you want to try out something different this NaNoWriMo (such as Scrivener or WriteOrDie), make sure you test it out before.

GET READING

There are so many good writing guides out there with practical advice for aspiring authors. On Writing by Stephen King is a great one, and Erica Crouch is releasing a guide to help writers survive their first draft – just in time for Nano! In these prelude months, it’s a good time to start focusing and following the lead of authors who have been there and can offer some great tips.

READ SOME MORE

Read for fun too! They (whoever ‘they’ are) say, ‘read in your genre’. This might be tricky if you’re going to leave it to the last minute to choose a story, but if you continue to read the books you love, chances are your own prose will develop!

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF

I know it sounds cheesy but a healthy body does really lead to a healthy mind. Start getting into the habit of getting enough sleep and drinking lots of water. This increases brain function which naturally leads to novels that are ten times more awesome*. Getting yourself in an endless cycle of writing until 4am and struggling through on energy drinks and junk food is a quick fix and probably not one that will see you through to a victory. Prioritize your health now and reap the benefits in November.

*not scientifically proven

hannahHannah Davies is an English Literature student and a junior editor at independent publisher PATCHWORK PRESS. When not working or studying, she can usually be found creating new recipes, marathoning TV series, or mothering everyone around her.

Hannah writes Young Adult and New Adult titles, generally science fiction, fantasy, or contemporary with magical twists. She’s a sucker for a retelling of any kind and loves to see ancient mythology brought to a modern setting.

Her debut short story was published in the PATCHWORK PRESS anthology Polaris Awakening in May 2015.

Pep Talk: Don’t Quit – Janice Gable Bashman

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I’m often asked at conferences and other speaking engagements: “How do you keep on writing when it is such a difficult business?”

I usually tell the story about the Magic Pencil. It’s about how when I was young I’d look at a pencil and think it was magical. I imagined all the words the pencil could write, all the stories it could create. Then I thought of all the magic pencils out in the world and all the books they had written. I wanted a magic pencil of my own so I could create that magic. Of course, I realized the magic wasn’t in the pencil, but I never imagined I could possess that magic. I had always thought it belonged to others. Until one day I realized that magic was inside me.

In order to keep on writing when it’s such a difficult business, you have to hold onto the magic you feel when writing. It will lead to inspiration and a desire to continue creating stories.

But as we all know, there’s more to it than magic. You also need to:

  1. Remember Why You Are Writing—You write because you love to write, because you have something meaningful to say. Write the story you want to tell and the story you would want to read, the story that makes you feel excited. It takes a long time to write (and research) a novel and you need that excitement to sustain you. When writing PREDATOR, I had to research bog bodies (how they were preserved and how the people died—most were murdered) and the Benandanti mythology (an actual folkloric belief that certain families of Italy and Livonia were werewolves who fought against evil). Then I had to figure out how to give the Benandanti mythology a new twist and combined it with a modern scientific approach to mutation and the science of transgenics. Once I figured that out, I created a story that was fast-paced with lots of action, romance, and suspense, so that I could make the book a fun read, not only for myself but for my readers.
  1. Believe in Yourself—Believe that you can write what you set out to write and that you are good enough. Have faith that you can do it, even during those times when it seems like your goals are out of reach. They are not as far away as you think.
  1. Remember that Publishing is a Business—Try not to take rejection too personally. There are dozens of reasons why your book may be rejected. Don’t automatically assume it’s because you’re a horrible writer.
  1. Be Persistent— Push through the tough times. Your first novel may not get published; the second or third may not either. Look at it as a learning experience, time you have put into mastering your craft. Then buckle up for another great ride and write the next book.

As Andre Dubus said in the following quote, which I have taped to my computer monitor:

“Don’t quit. It’s very easy to quit during the first 10 years. Nobody cares whether you write or not, and it’s very hard to write when nobody cares on way or the other. You can’t get fired if you don’t write, and most of the time you don’t get rewarded if you do. But don’t quit.”

janice bashmanJanice Gable Bashman is the Bram Stoker nominated author of Predator (Month9Books 2014) and Wanted Undead or Alive, with New York Times bestseller Jonathan Maberry (Citadel Press 2010). She is publisher of The Big Thrill (International Thriller Writers’ magazine). Her short fiction has been published in various anthologies and magazines. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Mystery Writers of America, Horror Writers Association, and the International Thriller Writers, where she serves on the board of directors as Vice President, Technology.

Pep Talk: Suck It Up – Bethany Crandell

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Feeling blue about this whole ‘writer’ thing, eh?

Well, if you were hoping for a delicate, stroke-your-hair kind of pep-talk over a bottle of chardonnay and some scented candles, than I’ve got some bad news for you.  I’m not here to soothe your writerly woes*. In fact, the only reason I’m here is to tell you the truth about being a writer…and exactly why you can’t quit.

Here’s the skinny: Being a writer sucks.

It sucks to fall face first into a plot hole you can’t seem to climb out of.

It sucks when agents (finally!) respond to your toiled-over query with a generic, “It’s not right for me,” email.

It sucks when yesterday your manuscript was a brilliant, future best-seller and today it’s little more than a 12 point, double-spaced pile of horse sh*t.

It sucks when everyone you know is getting a new agent/deal/sale/option.

It sucks that no one in your real life understands why you’re so stressed/anxious/depressed all the time.

It sucks that SUBJECTIVE has become a four letter word.

See…it sucks.

Except for when it doesn’t.

Like that day when your characters finally kiss. The giggles that escape your blushing cheeks the very moment your fingers pause on the keyboard and their lips press against the other’s for the first time doesn’t suck at all. In fact, it’s pretty amazing.

And that feeling you get when someone not related/married/in-debt to you reads your book and tells you they loved it…that doesn’t suck either. Not at all.

And of course there’s that indescribable sense of accomplishment that comes when you type those glorious words, THE END, and it finally dawns on you that you’ve done something huge; something that is completely unique and born solely from your own imagination. Something that no one else in the world can claim as their own. That most definitely does not suck.

Of course there will be days when you think the struggle isn’t worth it anymore. You will scream to the heavens that it’s not fair, or that life would be so much easier if you didn’t want this so bad. Thing is…you do want it, bad, and no matter how hard you try, you’ll never be able to shake that desire because being a storyteller is in your DNA. It’s literally part of the fabric that makes you who you are; it’s sandwiched right there between the color of your eyes and your disdain for Lionel Richie. And even if you abandon your notebook forever, you would still be crafting stories in your head and in your heart. So the way I see it, you might as well get them on paper because at least then there’s a chance you’ll get paid for them. (Seven-figure deals…obviously).

So, my fellow writers, do yourself a solid and suck it up. I promise it’s worth it.

 

*(And for the record, despite my above bluntness, I am not that friend who will tell you that your butt looks big in your jeans. Although…come on, we both know that just because you can get into the jeans doesn’t mean they actually fit.)

bethany crandellBethany and her husband Terry live in San Diego with their two daughters and a chocolate Labrador who has no consideration for personal space. She writes Young Adult novels because the feelings that come with life’s ‘first’ times are too good not to relive again and again. Bethany eats too much guacamole, thrives on tear-inducing laughter, and is still waiting for Jake Ryan to show up at her door

Pep Talk: Never Forget Why You Write – Katie Sise

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You write because you love to write, and don’t ever forget it: It’s what makes you a writer.

I understand wanting to be published, because it was the thing I wanted for so many years, just like maybe you do now. But the further I get into publishing, the more I realize how important it is to remember that I write because it’s my love. So wherever you are on your way to your publishing goals, this post is to remind you to always remember your love of writing, because it’s by far the most wonderful and precious part of the process, and it deserves to be protected.

Writing the story is where the joy is: Putting pencil to paper; watching the plot unfold; and creating characters from scratch. When you catch yourself feeling dissatisfaction with something you’ve believe is lacking from your writing career, (like having an agent or a publishing contract), focus on the joy of writing and the luxury of being able to do it every single day.

It’s all about the writing.

I bet, if you’re like me, that you’ve felt the desire to write since you were a child. Maybe you’ve been writing every day since you learned how. Just think about how pure that desire is. Creativity is like that – it’s a mix of love and joy, and sometimes even spirituality. Writing makes us feel connected. So don’t mistake being published as the thing that makes you a writer. You’re a writer because you write. If you’re continuously putting pencil to paper to create stories that you love, then you’re just as much of a writer as I am, or any other author whose name you’ve seen on bookstores’ shelves.

I’m not saying that being published isn’t a worthy goal, because it is. Having ambitious goals can create great things, and you must be the one to set those goals for yourself. But finding the value of where you are now in your creative process is one of the greatest things that writing has taught me. And if you’re thinking: easy for you to say, I promise you, I’ve been there. After college, my practical college roommates landed great jobs and law school admissions while I stocked potato chips on the shelves of Wal-Mart for my Uncle Doug’s potato chip company so I could save enough money to move to New York City and become a writer/actress. (My hair smelled like snack food for three months straight.) It was a long but great road to getting published, because I got to write the whole time, every day! No one could stop me from writing! And no one can stop you!

Another thing: I need this post just as much as you do.

That feeling of, “I’ll just be happy when I get there,” is a force to be reckoned with, and sometimes, in the moment of looking for that next big thing that would make me happy in my career, I forget about the thing that actually makes me happy: the writing.

So lets make a promise together: every time we convince ourselves that we need an outside show of approval, whether that’s getting an agent, getting published, or having a book made into a movie-musical starring Neil Patrick Harris, lets take a deep breath, honor the present moment, honor the true value in creating, and honor our true love: writing.

Then lets write.

 Katharine_Sise_242Katharine “Katie” Sise is a New York City based author, jewelry designer and television host. Years ago, at age twenty-four— after dropping a rare and very expensive bottle of champagne on her way to deliver it to Robert De Niro’s table—she realized she needed a way to fund her acting and writing career that didn’t involve balancing a tray full of cocktails. Katharine’s first book, Creative Girl: The Ultimate Guide for Turning Talent and Creativity into a Real Career (Perseus/Running Press) was published September 2010. Her YA novels The Boyfriend App (2013) and The Pretty App (2015) were published by Balzer and Bray. She lives in New York City with her family.