Life on This Side of Publication: Part Two- To Publication and Beyond!

Last week I shared my experience in query land. Today, I’ll continue with life ‘after publication’…the reality.

Yep, reality, sounds funny, right? 

Think about it, you’ve spent months, even years, living in ‘fantasy land’, then emerge from your writing cocoon in search of an agent or publisher. You’ve either signed a contract or decided to self-publish.  Your book is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble as an eBook or paperback. You’ve tweeted it, shared it, posted, and hyped it up. Anticipation has been growing and your future fans are lining up with dollars in hand for the big release day. Now all you do is sit back, relax, tell your friends and family they are  now looking at a published author, and watch the money roll in. Right?

WRONG!

This, my friends, is where the REAL WORK BEGINS! Yep, I said it! W-O-R-K!!!

Did I fail to mention a lack of sleep????

Sorry, I jumped ahead of myself again. Let’s back it up a bit….

Amazon Rank for October 4, 2012 - #16 Multicultural Romance  (Peaked at #4)  and #41 in African-American Literature & Fiction (Peaked at #17) - Paid Books #3181 (Peaked at #1717)

First, there are the days leading up to the big release. The contract has been signed, the publication date announced, and editor assigned. Your version of the final manuscript has been submitted and now you wait for the edits to start rolling in. A dead line is given. Then you’re off to the races! What happens next?

First you deal with your editor, your new best friend and avid supporter because they are now invested in the project as much as you are. You accept or reject suggested changes, they make sure the storyline is consistent, all the facts have been checked, and the character’s names have not changed. Once you both are satisfied with the results (and let’s face it, you’re a professional now and a deadline is a deadline!) the manuscript is next sent to the line-editor. Their job it is to check everything again…line-by-line, every period, comma, hyphen, exclamation point…yep, all the extremely technical stuff that you and your editor didn't see. And believe me people, regardless of what level of publication you’re at, whether it’s self-pub and you hire an editor, e-pub and you’re working with editors, or even one of the Big Six-traditionally pubbed where thr is a team of editors...there WILL  be errors that make it into the work, regardless of how many eyes look at it…it’s called human imperfection! (I have read three Nora Robert’s new releases this year, all hardback, and every one of them had errors, be it technical, or even storyline, or   what character’s POV we were supposed to be in, and again, this is in books from a TRADITIONALLY PUBLISHED BESTSELLING AUTHOR!)

Once your book has been sent through the ringer, you now have the final read, your last chance to (hopefully!) find any errors and point them out. Final changes are made, then it’s off to publication!

Now what?

You now must figure out how to promote your work. Unless you have a Nora Roberts budget and backing from the Big Boys, it’s up to you to push your book. Blog tours, promos on Facebook , Twitter, Google+, websites…the list goes on and on. In the end, you get what you put in. The more work you do, the better the results. The less work you do…you got it, no results. The truth of the matter is, you can sit at your computer and talk about, copy/past, share, and tweet all day long, but in the end it’s up to the readers to choose your work. Just because you promoted in twenty spots does not me your going to get at least twenty sales for the day.  

So what do you do?

 Me and my manager, Lady Kayne of  Major Movement Inc.,  at my first official meet/greet as a published  author! 

You keep talking about it, keep promoting, and sell not just your work, but yourself as well.

But that’s not all! In the mist of promoting, you now must continue to write…because hey, one book wasn’t all you planed on publishing, right? Whether you’re writing a series, like I am, or you’re selling standalone novels…writing, plotting, and planning the next story doesn’t stop. If anything, your new readers will be craving more of you work!

Congratulations! You are now a published author with fans!!! And fans need to be sated!

Good luck with finding a happy balance between being an author, promoter, wife/father, and parent… and if you have a nine-to-five job, you’ve got to work to pay your bills, and manage all of this wonderful stuff in between!!!

But guess what, after all the headache, the sleepless nights as you struggle to keep your sales rankings up on Amazon, religiously check your ranking every hour upon the hour, even at two A.M….it’s all worth it in the 

end! 

MJ

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Interview with George Geisinger!

Today I have the privalge of interviewing George Geisinger. Mr. Geisinger is a seasoned writer who has written about many subjects that relate to his personal experiences; some are short stories, while others are novels. His passion for writing shows that despite your disability, creativity can find away to enrich your life.

AUTHOR BIO:

George Geisinger studied music education in the early 1970's at Appalachian State University, in North Carolina, but after two years of study, he had a disastrous turn of health, with which he has struggled for a lifetime.  Mr. Geisinger, a naturally creative person, composes music for classic guitar, as well as for piano, writes poetry, fiction, and autobiographical stories.  In the late 1980's, Mr. Geisinger achieved an Associate in Arts Degree in the liberal arts from Catonsville Community College, in Maryland.  He studied creative writing there, and has subsequently published short stories and poetry in literary and “little” magazines over a period of several years thru the 1980's and 90's.  Now, he publishes independently on Amazon and Wordpress

What is your favorite thing about being a writer?

I enjoy expressing myself, and writing gives me the opportunity to go on at some length about what's on my mind.  When I write, I'm the one who's in charge.  I don't have to worry about time or space.  I do the saying, and no one else is directly involved at the time, while I'm developing my expression.  It helps me to organize my thoughts, which is challenging to me, considering my disability.

What genre(s) do you write?

I write classic fiction, as well as various confessional autobiographical pieces.  I've been to a lot of psychotherapy, and I've finally found a therapist I can write to: It is my laptop!

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

I've written several books; that is, I've written a plethora of short stories I've collected into book format.  The most difficult thing about writing, for me, has been developing the determination to keep on writing, after I finished one or two book-length works.  Once I got over that hurtle, I've been writing like a house afire ever since.  It's the one book syndrome I found difficult to get past.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

  Let me see... I don't figure out plots ahead of time.  I figure out some kind of hook, or setting for a story to take place, and do the fleshing out from an overall scheme of an idea.

Why do you think people should choose your books over another author?

I think that's a question every writer should ask himself.  I work very hard at making myself understood on the page, and also work hard at being entertaining and amusing when I write.  With a certain kind of reader in mind, I address my public with a thought of conscience and purpose.  I feel a moral imperative to write, and believe absolutely that there is an audience out there who needs to read what I write.

What do you hope readers take with them after reading one of your stories?

In many of my stories, I'd like the reader to come away with the idea that they absolutely don't have to continue practicing any of their addictions, regardless of whatever they might be addicted to, that there is Divine help out there for every practicing addict of every conceivable addiction. In others of my stories, I'd simply like my reader to come away entertained.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

That there is a God, and we're not it.  He is very powerful and caring.  He wants us to ask Him to help us, with the things we cannot do without His help.  That it's alright to trust Him, and that He's Someone worthy of our trust.

How long have you been a writer? 

All my life.  I'm over 60 at the moment.

How much time did it take from writing your first book to having it published?

I did some publishing of short fiction and poetry in the little magazine and literary magazine markets in the 1980's and 90's, but when I started writing my autobiographical stuff, my message, if you will, I went straight to Amazon Kindle, because there's no editor on the other end to say “No,” we won't publish that."  It's left up to the reader to choose for himself.

What other careers have you had?

I've been a disabled citizen all my adult life, struggling to do the most simple delivery driving jobs, or factory jobs on occasion.  I'm registered disabled with Social Security, and live off a pension.

Do you write under more than one name? Why?

I haven't done much with pseudonyms.  Whenever I want to write about myself, I'll make up a name to call myself, and become one of the characters in the story, not the pseudonymous author.  Stanley Hockenschmidt is one of my several aliases.  Another one I enjoy using is Barry Burns.  I'd rather sign my own name to my own work..

Are any of your characters based on real people or events?

Yes.  Speaking of my nonfiction, well, of course they're real people and real events.  Speaking of my fiction, there is always a dose of reality mixed into the fictional setting of whatever I'm writing at that moment.  I believe fiction ought to ring true to the reader.

How would you describe yourself if you were “speed dating” your readers?

I'm a circumlocutionist, not a quick study.

What’s something fans would find fascinating about you?

That I know very well what I'm writing about, and what I'm trying to say, regardless of the fact that my disability has to do with a hampering of my brain function.

What else would you like readers to know about you or your work?

I'm trying my best to be informative, and inspirational, without being pedantic, if I can avoid it.  My father was an unsuccessful Methodist Minister.  I'm not trying to take over his pulpit and finish what he left undone.  I'm trying to circulate my own message, generated by my own calling.

What books or authors have most influenced your life?

There have been so many, it would be impossible to come up with a list.  I've read a lot of classic English and American Literature, as an independent study project for much of my sober life, which spans about thirty years.  When I was first recovering from alcoholism and drug addiction, one of the things I did to organize my thinking was read classic literature voraciously.

How do your family and/or friends feel about your book or writing venture in general?

My family and friends are proud of the idea that I'm doing as much writing as I'm doing.  My brother and his wife have been very supportive, taking me to get a current day laptop, with an amazing amount of storage space, to help me with my creativity when I asked them to.

Where are you from?

I was born in Pittsburgh, PA, raised from the age of 13 in Aberdeen, MD, spent most of my life in the Baltimore area of MD, and now reside in the Tidewater Area of Southern VA.

How do you come up with the titles?

I do my best to settle on one word, or a very short phrase, to save my file shortly after I begin a project, which becomes the title of whatever project I'm working on.  On rare occasions, one of my friends with give me a title that I can wrap a story around.

Has your life changed significantly since becoming a published writer?

No, because I don't remember a time when I wasn't a writer, in one context or another.

Do you work on one project at a time? Or do you multi-task?

I mostly write one story at a time.

When not writing, how do you relax?

I like to go for walks around the hallways of the big assisted living building where I live.  It helps me clear my mind, and it's all contained indoors.  Sometimes, I'll mindlessly flip channels on the TV, or listen to Funk music on my stereo.  

Thank you very much for giving us insight into your life as a writer, Mr. Geisinger! 

To find out more about Mr. Gesinger, visit his blog, or check out his author page on Amazon, where there are dozens of books to choose from!

The Kreative Blogger Award - An Honor of Distinction

 I can’t believe I received a blog award! I am so honored!

When I began this blog two years ago, it was a way to practice writing. I wrote about random stuff, funny events that happened in my life. After a while, I ran out of things to say. When I decided to take my writing career seriously, I delved back into blogging. I realized, not every aspiring author has family, friends, or access to other writers to help keep their dream afloat. Not everyone is able to participate in the big writers conferences, or find a local writers or critique group to guide us in the right direction. Since then, I have made it my goal to blog about my experiences. I hope to help others learn something new, give helpful tips, and offer support to those in need.

For that it seems, I have been given this award.

To Ashley Barron, aka, @dcPriya, the lovely woman who has given me this award, I say, THANK YOU! You say that I “move so fast you have to fasten your seat belt,” lol, I guess it does seem that way, huh? When my characters are in my head, demanding to have their story put on paper, it’s nearly impossible for me to focus on even the minor details of my life. Which of course means the moment my family is out of the house, my laptop is on, and my fingers are burning up the keys! You have no idea how encouraging it is to have someone like you constantly RT my tweets and reply to my FB comments. Thank you so much for your support! I hope to continue to be an encouragement to you and anyone else I am blessed to cross paths with. Everyone, please visit her blog, thepriyas.com, and show her some love and support!

Now, there are two requirements in accepting this award. First, I am to share ten things about myself that you, the reader, do not know. Hmm… So let’s see:

10. As a child, I never took the time to sit down and write a story of any kind, not even a diary. Reading was my favorite thing to do.

9. My two biggest followers are my Pit Bulls, Vader and Ivy. No matter where I go, they are there. In fact, I can’t even leave the room without them jumping up to stand in front of me, waiting to discover where we’re about to go. It’s impossible to do though since they are blocking the way!

8. My first writing attempt was in 2005, a Fanfic of the television show, Lost. It was based on a character created to take part in the popular show. That character has since evolved, experienced two name changes, and become the main character of my first novel, A Heart Not Easily Broken, the book I am currently submitting for query.

7. I have read over 50 books in the Star Wars Expanded Universe. Yep, I’m a Star Wars nerd. Since diving into my writing career, I haven’t had time to follow the new books in the series.

6. Before writing, I spent a lot of time playing Xbox games with my oldest son. I was known as the ‘coolest mom’, by his friends. Together, we spent two days beating The Return of the King video game.

5. Speaking of games, I am a Sims addict! I have more fun constructing and decorating the houses than playing with the characters. My hubby banned me from that game because it took up time…such as making sure my house was clean. LOL!

4. I am an excellent chair dancer! Put on the right song and I rock! Ask me to stand up and dance, and well, let’s just say I can do the Cha Cha Slide pretty darn well!

3. I dance in my car with the music blasting and my kids providing back up.

2. My father, Warren Kelly, was the first African-American Fire Chief in the state of Georgia. He held that position for nearly three years before his death in 1985.

1. In 2006, I experienced a stroke and spent two weeks in ICU, and nearly died. My right side was paralyzed for nearly a week. I regained control of my body before leaving the hospital and have made a 90% recovery. My life and family to be a blessing, and I do my best to get better at my craft and make them proud. Writing has become a way for me to continue to heal in many ways. My ability to use my imagination to tell stories has fueled my desire to become an author. My experience has also helped me add an extra layer of heart and emotion into the stories I tell.

So, that’s all there is to know! Now for the next part: nominating six talented people who have encouraged me and I hope will do so for you as well.

@Carmen DeSousa - carmendesousa.com - Romantic Suspense- She has recently published her first book and has been a constant source of encouragement to me in pursuing my publishing dream.

@Minnie Balaguer - Lahongrais.blogspot.com - Romantic Suspense - A comment she made about negative feedback from friends about her writing is what got my attention. Since then, I have enjoyed every opportunity to talk to her. She is proof that despite what negativity you face, if you continue to travel your path, you will find success. She did!

@Abigail Tuniviel -  worldsbeforethedoor.wordpress.com -Aspiring Author, Urban fantasy - A great source of fun on Twitter in the morning. She and I have connected as aspiring authors and coffee lovers. She has an ongoing story posted on her blog. I wish my 'coffee sister' much success!

@Zee Monodee - zeemonodee.blogspot.com - Romantic Suspense - One of my critique partners. Zee has always had an encouraging word. I love the fact that she can't wait to read my second book! Her blog is a constant source of character information at just the right time.

@Chicki Brown - sisterscribbler.blogspot.com - Contemporary Women's Fiction - One of my critique partners. After connecting with her at a local writer's conference nearly two years ago, Chicki has offered me great advice and encouragement to keep me going. Visit her blog for wonderful advice of an self-published author.

@Manuscript Proofing -  manuscriptproofing.com - Proof reading services - The name says it all! Always a constant source of encouragement and wonderful services. This is who I use to proof my manuscripts.

Enough said! Congrats to all my nominees! I wish you all continued success!

MJ

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To Hire an Editor or Not to Hire an Editor…That is the Question!

Editors. In the world of writing, we all need one. The question is when.

During my writing journey, I’ve heard various tales, feedback, and opinions.

No, don’t hire an editor to read your work before submitting. You’ll be wasting money. Let the publisher pay for it.

Yes, hire an editor; it could increase your quality of your product and give you an opportunity to actually find and agent and/or publisher.

Decisions, decisions, decisions.

When it all comes down to it, the true question is: how much money do I want to invest?


Two years ago, the thought of an editor reviewing my work scared me. The idea of someone taking my work, ripping it to shreds, and spitting it back at me, demanding that it be re-written because it wasn’t good enough had me cursing the profession. I pushed that thought aside and focused on writing a story that I wanted to tell. Next, I focused on learning as much as I could about sentence structure, setting up the paragraphs, scene breaks, chapter breaks, and POV changes. Then, I built the infamous repeated/passive word list to tighten up my prose. I’ve gone over my list so many times while doing my own edits, I rarely have to pull it up to know what words to avoid. In fact, when I write a scene, I now catch those words and change them before they hit the screen.

However, that doesn’t cover everything. There are still the annoying details of correct grammar usage, using the right word tense, and spelling. Unless you were a serious English major in high school, college, or took a class specifically for this type of detail, there’s no possible way you’ll ever be able to catch every detail. To be honest, no one ever will, even if that’s what he or she does for a living. Why? Because we are all human. And humans make mistakes, whether we want to believe it or not.

A perfect example: how many times have we as readers picked up a novel by one of our favorite big-name publishing houses or New York Times Bestselling authors, only to discover a major editing error? Come on, we’ve all done that. Why? Human imperfection. No matter how many times a manuscript is read, no matter how many attempts are made to dot all the ‘Is’ and cross all the ‘Ts’, humans make errors, especially if it is your own writing.

So, what does that mean for the newbie like me, who is unpublished, or for an author who is self- published?

It means you have a decision to make. How much do you want to invest in yourself?

The investment is not only about money; it’s also about time.

If you decide to use an editor, how do you know you’ve found an editor you can work with? Of course, the first thing everyone looks for is reputation. Word of mouth from other authors in your writing network is great too. Nevertheless, in the end, it comes down to one-on-one communication. Does the editor understand your type of writing ? Do they edit a lot of work in your genre? Will they be able to understand the rules of the genre you’re writing? What timeframe are you looking for? Will it take a few days or a few weeks before they return your work? What type of editing are you paying for?

Type of editing? If this is new to you, then it’s something you must know. There are several types of editing available. What’s the differences?

Copywriter or Copy-Editing:
Their job is to be sure your story is written well and logically structured. Correct grammar and spelling is checked, as well as ensuring the ms fits the publishers ‘style’. They ask questions of the author and check story facts.

Content Editor:
Their job is to ensure your work meets the standards for accuracy and style. They check for spelling, grammar, coherence, consistent style. They also proofread to be sure copy-editing work has been completed.

Proofreader:
In the publishing world, a proofreader is generally the last person to see your ms after it’s been through other editors’ hands and before it goes to print. Their job is to do a final read through to catch any mistakes the first editors may have missed. This is generally the most affordable.

If you are not shopping your manuscript around and have decided to self-publish, you should seriously consider having at least one of these editors review your work. Depending on what phase of your writing career you are in, it may not be in your budget. If you go the proofreading route, then know, you MUST review your work again after the editor returns it. If you don’t and there are issues the editor pointed out and you don’t review them, it is on you, not the editor.

So, what route will you choose?

Here’s what I’ve learned. Agents are meticulous. Not only does your story have to engage them and keep them interested for at least the first three chapters, the quality of your writing has to as well. Sending them an unedited copy - and by that I mean, work you haven’t spent time searching for errors yourself - makes a difference. The cleaner the read, the more focused on the story they will be, not the plethora of errors littering the pages. Taking that amount of time, or money, also lets them know that you, the author, are willing to put in the work it takes to make a better product. With the current economy, every business is looking for ways to cut down their expenses. If you walk in the door offering a product they can spend less money on before making it available for sale, you increase your chances of them choosing your manuscript.

Sell yourself.

Here’s another fact you must remember: if you decided to use an editor…don’t just pay them and expect what they send to you in return doesn’t need to be reviewed. Any editor, especially a professional, will tell you that after they do their magic, it’s up to you, the author, to review your manuscript. Just because they make changes or suggestions does not mean you have to accept it. It’s up to your discretion. But, you still have to re-read your work from beginning to end. It’s up to you to put that stamp of approval on it before sending it out into the world . That requires more work on your part. If you don’t do the work, then you will have to deal with the consequences of any un-corrected errors. The editor’s job is to work with you, which means you in turn must work with them.

I’ve had the opportunity to talk to a proofreader many of you may have seen on Facebook or Twitter, @TJProofs. She shared some helpful information on how to determine what type of editor you need, depending on the amount of work you’ve put into cleaning up your manuscript.

“A proofreader, which is my specialty, is generally the last person you see. They focus on clean manuscripts, after they’ve run their gamut (through a publisher), but many people try to skip the steps. The fact of the matter is, if you are horrible at punctuation, you choose a copy-editor. If you feel you’ve got punctuation licked, but your story needs a scouring for consistency, you may choose a content editor. If you have a great idea, but need someone to go through your MS with a fine-toothed-comb - rewriting sentences for clarity, passive statements, content, and punctuation – then you need a full-scale editor.” 


To learn more about TJ and the services she offers, visit her at www.ManuscriptProofing.com. Other places where she can be found are:

Facebook, Twitter
Blog: manuscriptproofing.blogspot.com
Email: TJProofs@gmail.com or TJ@ManuscriptProofing.com

I hope this information has been informative. Whether or not you choose to use the services of any of the above editors, I wish you the best on your writing journey!

MJ

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I'm Getting Published! (or My New Years Resolution!)

No, I’m not getting published…yet, but I’m putting it out in the universe!

Have you ever done that? Wanted something so bad you think about it, dream it, and talk about it all the time? Has it ever worked for you? A few years ago my husband introduced me to that concept. I'll admit, I am stubborn, hard headed, and often resist change and trying something new. Then one day I took his advice and did it. Man, talk about a life changing experience! As a result, I’ve experienced positive results so I can attest to the fact the saying is true: “Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it.”

That goes for both positive and negative thoughts. If you dwell on every negative thing that could happen in a situation, guess what, it will because that’s what you concentrate on. Why? Because you don’t take the steps to find a way to make what you want happen. Flip the switch from negative to positive and the results will surprise you. Changing your focus from what won’t happen, and putting your time and energy in what ‘will happen’ makes a huge difference. Determination to see your goal reached will help you succeed.

So, along with losing weight - isn’t that on EVERYBODY’S New Years Resolution list? – I’m thinking publication. Do I have my sights stuck on traditional publication? Mmm… not so much. The publishing industry is fickle; too much old school thinking. Today is a new day, literally. 2012 holds so many publishing options it’s not necessary to get stuck in the old ways. There’s E-publishing, Self-Publishing by way of ‘vanity’ publishing, or publishing by way of Amazon.

Decisions, decisions, decisions. I know I’m going to see my book on Amazon…now it’s a matter of how it’ll get there.

And here’s where patience and research comes in.

Since I’m putting all of my positive energy out there, let me share the list of things I want to happen this year, as far as my writing career is concerned:

• Be published by a publishing company.
• Sell a lot of books of course!
• Be interviewed by local radio and television stations.
• Participate in the Writer’s Conference in my city. 
• Continue to make wonderful connections with other authors and readers.

Interesting goals, but all are attainable…if I set my mind to it and follow the steps I’ve learned along the way. Can’t wait to see what my end of the year blog will say. I will definitely follow up to see what I have been able to achieve.

But for now, I continue to push forward. The question I’ve asked myself since completing A Heart Not Easily Broken is this: My MS is done…now what?

One of the most valuable lesions I’ve learned from my critique partners is to not wait to start writing the next book, especially when writing a series. Why? First of all, no matter what publishing route you take, readers will want to know when the next book will be available. Publishers and agents will be interested in the fact your writing a series, because lets face it, series can lead to more sales verses stand alone titles. Before investing in you, and your product, they will want to sample the next book to be sure of the continuity of your storytelling as well as characters. It’s always best to have a second book available upon request. The last thing you want to do is be pushed for time to get something down on paper and have it lack the fire and spirit of the novel that caught their attention. Think about it: when you query, you never do it with the first draft of your story. You’ve gone over it with a fine tooth comb to tighten up the prose as much as possible. That takes weeks, months even. Publishers won’t give you that kind of time to see results. If you lose their interest, they will move on. Why give them that chance? 

I haven’t waited around. After taking two days of down time to clear my head and spend time with the family, I dived back in and started writing the second book in The Butterfly Memoirs: Jaded. This wasn’t the writing by the seat of my pants kind of writing. Completing my first novel taught me a lot about my writing technique, planning, outlining, and scheduling. As a result, it took me twenty days to write the first draft. That was ten days less than the thirty days it took to write the first book.

What did I do differently?

First of all, I took time during the second and third edits of the first book to work on the deep character profiles and story outline. I didn’t rush through the process, only took time to muse over the story as a way to take a break from the first book. Doing so allowed me to go back to edits with a clear head. Having the second books out line completed paid off. There was no down time needed to muse over my characters or decide what type of story I wanted to tell. The day before I started writing chapter one, I found all the pictures I needed for scene references, character references, and put my charts together. From there, I wrote, wrote, and wrote some more.

Another thing I did differently was write my first draft on my laptop instead of by hand. LOL, I heard the gasps out there. When writing my first novel, I used the old school method of writing by hand. As a result I have three-hundred and fifty handwritten pages of my first draft. I wrote like a crazy person, any and everywhere I had a chance. In my car at the red light, while waiting for the kids to come out of after school rehearsals, and yes, even in the bathroom. The second draft was done while transposing the work to my laptop. A third draft was done on the laptop.

This time around, I opted not to write the first draft by hand. Since this first draft was written on my laptop it cut down the places I could write. Writing at the red light was not an option, and doing it with the laptop in my lap in the car while waiting for the kids was not comfortable. So, I had to start a schedule.

Schedule, I loath, but I’ll be darned if my hubby wasn’t right. It really does work!

My mornings start with routine house leaning three days a week. That is followed with checking in on my social networking sites – shout outs, promotions, and making new friends. After that, I allow myself two hours to put in some serious work before the kids get home. After that comes evening family responsibilities, homework and dinner. After eight P.M., if I have a thought or a scene that wasn’t finished in the time allowed, I put in another hour or two. Ten P.M. is my cut off time. It’s time to give my brain a break, watch T.V., or go to bed.

Two days out of the week are dedicated writing days. Light attention is paid to house cleaning, and one hour of social networking. After that, it’s on. I enter my writing cave and stay there for hours, taking a break every two hours to stretch, eat, check in online, or lay down to rest my eyes and brain. By three P.M., I’m done for the day. After six hours of straight writing/editing I am usually pretty productive.  Depending on the depth of emotion of the chapter, or the material to be covered at that point in the story, I may write one to three chapters in a day, an average of thirty pages, or about seven-thousand words. That’s on a really good day.

Is my schedule perfect? Nope, and it’s not set in stone. But I can truly say for the last few weeks it has worked wonders. I’m not mentally worn out, my house is cleaner, and my family happier. Not to mention there are less burnt dinners. LOL! If I stay on this path, I’m sure I will find reasons to continue putting my positive thoughts into the universe and see the results I’m looking for.

So, what are your writing goals for 2012? What dreams do you wish to see fulfilled? What path are you taking to make it happen? I told you mine, now share!

Happy writing!

MJ

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My Straight Jacket is Purple…How About Yours?

I know, it’s a crazy statement, but as an author we all have an element of crazy in us somewhere. How can we not? We have to balance our lives, family, and day to day responsibilities with the art of storytelling. We create lives, personalities, likes and dislikes. It’s like giving birth without the added weight gain and late night bottle feedings.

Or is it?

If they all came like this, I'd want one!

If we don’t watch it, we drink coffee, eat snacks, and are glued to our computer screens for hours on end. Thus the weight gain. Late night bottle feedings come in the form of waking up in the wee hours of the night, turning on the bedside light or computer to jot down notes or write a scene that’s been plaguing us all day.

How do we stay sane? Where do these fictional people come from? Why are we not wearing straight jackets?????

My best guess is because we’ve learned to blend in with the rest of society. Thankfully people are intrigued by our stories and want to be entertained. Thus the reason why the straight jackets stay tucked in the corner and the psychiatrist keeps the crazy pills at bay.

But, all jokes aside, it is my opinion that writing is the truest form of self-expression, of healing, and finding a way to cope with whatever ails you. Whether you write in a diary, a memoir, take the experiences of your life, or pull from those around you. No matter what avenue you decide to take, writing can help you make it through.

How well you write is another story.

I love to create the characters in my stories. As an only child I spent a lot of time playing with my baby dolls, stuffed animals, and Barbie’s. Each had a name and a voice of its own. I spent hour after hour making up stories and creating adventures to entertain myself. Each story had a Happily Ever After. From time to time I would get the tape recorder (remember that ancient form of electronics?) and make cassette tapes of these little adventures to share with my parents. They of course thought they were funny. Little did I know that form of storytelling would eventually lead to me putting stories down on paper.

I still use a recorder – digital that is – and the stories are the ones from my books. No dolls allowed; I leave that to my daughter. Now the stories are not about princess riding horses and marrying the prince. Now it’s stories dealing with real life experiences. Not all are my own, but they are real, they do happen, and there is heartbreak and pain. But through it all there is happiness and love.

As I create the heroines in my stories, I’ve come to realize something. In each character - as different as they are - there is an element of me. The woman I once was, the woman I am, the woman I secretly wish I could be, and the woman I aspire to become. Multiple Personality Disorder at its best. By telling these women’s stories I’ve found a way to work through the pain in my past and find happiness in my family and the ones I hold dear. 

Along the way I've made friends I never would have known, and gained knowledge I never would have attained. In short, I’ve not only learned how to become a better writer, I’ve learned more about me. Writing has allowed me to make a mark of my own outside of being a wife and a mother. After thirty-six years I have finally discovered something I love, something I’m good at, and something that unless I actually lose my mind, no one can ever take away from me.

There’s not a morning I don’t get up with an idea in my head and am anxious to get down on paper. Seeing my first story, A Heart Not Easily Broken, go through various stages of evolution over the past two years has taught me so much. I can already tell the difference in my writing of the second book. I’ve reached the end of Act 2 and my characters are alive inside of me, and their story is as close to my heart as Ebony and Brian’s. Once the first draft of the story is completed, I will still have a ways to go. Adding too, taking away, fine tuning, and finessing…it’s all the part of telling a story the way it should be told. With heart, care, and attention to detail.

Can't believe I found purple shoes to match! LOL!

To all of you who are on various stages of your writing path, I wish you the best journey. Write your heart, write what you feel, let those characters out and onto paper. Just do me a favor, watch your back. If you don’t tell the story right, the men with those special white coats just might change their mind and take you for a ride!

By the way, my straight jacket also has butterflies! 

To learn more about the main characters of A Heart Not Easily Broken, read the Chapter One excerpt.

Until Next Time, Write On!

MJ

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Finding the Correct Genre For Your Prose

 *The original post was done June, 7, 2011, but I felt the need to share it again. Since this post, things have changed. I have found an editor which I love dearly, and the series itself has changed from a three book series to a six book series, The Butterfly Memoirs. Also the ms title has changed from The Healing Heart to A Heart Not Easily Broken. It fits the theme of the story so much better. Please feel free to post your thoughts!*
  
This week I started edits for chapter three of The Healing Heart. This is going to sound weird, but after learning about the craft of writing, I've done what a lot of writers swear never to do: re-write my first story.

*Audible gasps of horror from hundreds of writes as I type*

"Why on earth would you re-write your first story?????"

Good question. I've read interviews and blogs of various authors - both published and non-published - who say they will never touch their first story again. Many felt their writing sucked, or because the story line wasn't strong enough. Most said it was due to rejection letters from publishers, or because their agent kept wanting to change what the story was about in order to fit their personal tastes.  That's something I refuse to do. Don't get me wrong, if an editor or agent had suggestions on what to change to make it a stronger sale, and I felt it would stay true to the story without taking the heart out of it, then yes, I would do it. Since I don't have an agent or an editor,  I'm relaying on my amazing critique partners to point me in the right direction. But change it completely? I don't think so. That's a decision I will make on my own.

And I did.

The reason why had nothing to do with fitting inside the neat little box of traditional romance stories. I am confident about the stories theme.  It originated as a form of personal therapy because of issues my family dealt with at the time. It was a way to keep my sanity without loosing it. My desire to write it and do it justice  inspired me to learn about writing. My determination and enthusiasm for this project has far outweighed my other creative form, floral design. I've studied the art of floral design for several year, it's a talent that I can do with my eyes closed. But now my love  of reading and storytelling has completely taken over. I feel so strongly about the story and the characters that what started out as therapy turned into a three book series.  All three books were written in a nine month period from start to finish, each a minimum of 350 pages.  And those were all typed without an outline. I'll never do that type of writing again.

Once I joined a critique group, I just knew I was well on my way to becoming a published author, whether by traditional means or self publishing.

Boy was I wrong.

The first and biggest thing I learned from my new critique partners when the began reading my story was this:  they had no idea what genre I was trying to be in.

'ROMANCE!', I replied.

I mean obviously. I said I wrote romance so I was, right?

Nope.

I was told my book came across as YA/Romance/Multicultural Romance/Chick Lit/Woman's Fiction. I needed to pick one in order to establish my genre.

My mind was completely blown. My writing spirit crushed. I didn't want to write YA because my story was going to contain adult romance themes. I wanted to write a maturation plot about an eighteen-year-old female who was learning life lessons about love, heartbreak, friendship, surviving tragedy and becoming a stronger woman because of it. But I needed to keep the theme of romance. And if this was YA, I would have to edit the love scenes down or out of the story because they're a key part of this young ladies road to discovering herself. Her emotional attachment to the hero and what devastates her in the key part of the plot. YA was definitely NOT what I wanted.


So, diving deeper into the many, many facets of the romance genre, I discovered Chick lit/Women's fiction.  I figured my story would definitely fit in here. But what grown woman would want to read about and eighteen-year old discovering her independence? (Okay, I admit, as a grown woman, I've been caught up in the Twilight Saga, have read all the books twice and own them all and can't wait for the last movie to come out, but that's definitely YA.)

SOOOOOOOOO.... what to do, what to do.

The first thing I did was put that story aside and went to work developing a whole new series. This one specifically for the Romance genre with Multicultural themes and adult h/h. It took a few months to write the story, but I struggled along. I fell in love with the h/h, brought the characters setting closer to home, but I still struggled on finding strong goals and conflict to catch the reader.

But then I did something that changed my writing career. I took a Writing Workshop.

Author Valarie Clark gave a workshop at the local Community Collage back in February. I had seen the advertisement for the class a year ago around the same time. But my budget wouldn't allow it. And I'm glad it didn't. I don't think I would have appreciated the significance of the class as much as I did this go round. One of the biggest things I learned from her was finding your writing platform, the over all theme that made my story stand out from the rest. And lets face it, there's a ton of wonderful, and not so wonderful, romance story's out there. Where could I possibly fit in?

And then it hit me. My first MS. The story that motivated me to begin writing. The Healing Heart.

I spent an evening FB chatting with one of my critique partners, discussing story themes, (remember that night Erin? lol)  All of a sudden, I've got it. Woman's Fiction/Romance with Multicultural characters.

Or at least that's what I think it is. LOL.... stay tuned for more updates!

Digital Audio Recording Device + Editing=??????

It's the end of the week and I'm still editing chapter two of The Healing Heart. I should have been finished by now, but life has caused me to spend less than three hours a day editing and has slowed me down. Oh well, when you have a family of 7 (plus 2 dogs) and responsibilities that are more pressing than writing, it can't be helped.

The week started off with typing up chapter two from my handwritten manuscript. (Yes, to all who haven't read my last few blogs, I decided to go 'old school' and hand write my MS without using my laptop.  I had my reasons and I'm glad I did). I followed my editing process outline and moved quickly. Then came the emergency trip to the dentist. And my daughter's volunteer work at the library. Coincidentally, the library is where I had the chance to sit in one spot for a great about of time and actually get some work in. Then came the trips in and out off the house for various reasons which brings us to today......On my plate, a trip to have blood drawn and the dreaded eye doctor for two of my kids, an appointment I'm seriously dreading. Every time we go, we end up waiting an hour just to be seen. Sigh. It's gonna be a long day.

So what does this have to do with a Digital Audio Recording Device?

An article I read on self-editing suggested, as we all have learned, reading your MS out loud is a good way to hear what you've written and helps find mistakes that need to be corrected. I've tried that before, but it never fails I rarely get through the whole thing without having to stop for some reason. The article also suggested recording yourself reading out loud. Here lately, I seem to be recording everything I can. I recorded my Writer's Workshop class I took back in February with author Valarie Clark. And I recorded the GRW meeting with guest speaker Suzanne Brockmann in April. Why not record myself?

I admit, the thought made me nervous. After all, have you ever listened to yourself after leaving a voice mail and thought, 'Uh, I sound awful?'. God knows I have. But I sucked it up, realized nobody was going to hear it but me and hit the record button...and laughed when I pressed play. I can read aloud just fine, no problems there. But listening to myself say a curse word??? ROTFL! Some people should not curse and I swear I'm one of them! Thank good my MS has very little profanity. Reading the parts that showed the h/h impressions of sexual attraction to one another was even worse. *shakes head* I can only imagine what it will sound like when I get to the chapter with the love scene. *grimaces* My hats off to the voice actors who make a living bringing characters to life in audio books! They deserve every penny!

All jokes and embarrassment aside, I found the technique has actually worked. Even though I haven't been able to sit down at my laptop and make the actual changes as I listen to my MS, I have been able to make mental note of what needs to be changed. How? By taking my MP3 player (what I used to record) with me everywhere I've gone, and listened. I made mental notes of where I stumbled over a phrase because the wording didn't flow. I was able to notice repeated words a lot faster than if I had been staring at the screen all day. I noticed areas that could use a little more description or a little more emotion because something sounded like it had been left out.

Being forced to LISTEN to what I've written instead of READING it for the hundredth time made a huge difference!

Everyone who's edited knows it can be hard to have spent all that time with the characters in your head, translate your thoughts into words on screen, and then read it back WITHOUT your mind automatically filling in the blank because you know exactly what you intended to say. No matter how many times we read and re-read our work, it's not until a critique partner reads it and leaves comments that say, "uh, what does this mean?" that you realize all this time it sounded right to you. If you critique partner had to ask, what about future readers????

What a difference a pair of fresh eyes can make! And I don't mean putting in a fresh pair of contacts, because I did that this week too!

Using your EARS forces you to LISTEN to what's coming next and not SEE it. You'll be surprised to note where your brain thinks the scene is going to go vs. where it actually does. It made a huge difference in my editing this week.

So, as I prepare to wake up the kids so they can get ready for their appointments, I plan to make another recording so I can take it with me. During my dreaded hours at the eye doctor I will be listening and making notes so when I get home, I will be able to jump right into editing and get this darn chapter finished! (Oh great, I sound even worse saying darn!)

Editing by way of a digital audio recorder may not be your style, but give it a try at least once. You may be pleased with the results.

Finding Creative Ways to Edit While Running My Household

*This blog was originally posted on May 30th, but the information is still relevant. As a mother/author, I'm always doing something! Every day my responsibilities change, especially since the kids are back in school with during school and after school activities. I must find some creative way to keep writing in order to meet my goals!*

"I can do this, I can do this..."

The past week had me finding creative ways to edit my MS while juggling my responsibilities of being a mom, wife, drill Sargent (to my kids), taxi driver, chef, book keeper, personal shopper, errand girl, doctor, veterinarian, housekeeper, psychiatrist....and oh yeah, an aspiring author. In short, being a mom and wife who's four kids are now home for summer vacation.

Did I miss a job?!?!?!?

It's funny to realize how much I do in a day when it's broken down and written out that way.

Nothing is ever set in stone. I made a schedule before the kids got out of school last week and have tried my best to stick to it. How has that gone? Mmmm...not so great. So far, the only consistent part has been me waking up, making up the bed and staying on the kids about getting chores done. All of the other job titles are being managed by order of importance, but lets face it ladies (and gents), if your a mom or wife, that's a job that never gets a break. Unless the kids are visiting Grandma or your hubby's asleep.

But you know what, I have no complaints. I love my husband, I love my kids, my cousin, and I love my life. All I have to do is keep my mind focused on my goals and prioritize.

And be creative!

This week, found me editing in one of the most unlikely places. The laundromat. Yep, I said it, the laundromat. With a family of seven, it's a momentous task to haul all the clothes to the wash house. And believe me, I do not handle that task alone! I have at least three of the four kids with me and everyone has their assigned task. And when the clothes were in the washing machine and the kids were sitting down with snacks, books, and drawing paper, I pulled out my laptop. Earphones came in handy as well as a playlist of instrumental music to listen to when I edit. I managed to get nearly two hours of work done before it was time to pack it up and start folding clothes. Sweet!

The next thing I did was pack up my laptop and take my daughter the library. She's got her first job volunteering in the kids section, four hours a week. What better place to edit without being disturbed? Even though my other kids go with us, they also have stuff to do.They are enrolled in the summer reading program. Once they meet their reading requirements, they will get a free book to add to their personal libraries. They also get free prizes every week for bringing in their reading logs. There's also the option to log onto the Internet, play computer games or read a book. My oldest plays chess with other kids or meets with friends from school. Yep, you've guessed it, we're a family of nerds who hang out at the library. It's our favorite hot spot!

Now, here's a thought.....When I've edited my MS and am ready to share it with the world, I will have a path to chose, do I go self-pub like my critique partners Chicki Brown and Erin Kern (who's books are currently on sale on Amazon)? Do I try Indie Publishing or go for the big publishing houses? Decisions, decisions, decisions.

I'd love to see my name in print and have a copy at the library. And then I figured it out. I'm gonna have a copy of my book printed and sneak it into the library, put it on a shelf and take a picture. That will be good enough for me!