February 26, 2018:

So many projects, so little time. After my first book was published, it warmed my heart to hear comments back about how much someone enjoyed reading it, but to see my first legit review on Goodreads, was in the neighborhood of amazing. Now, I’m being asked when will the sequel come out. Never did I ever think I would be slammed with writing projects, but fast-forward to 2018, and I am. I keep a submissions spreadsheet and, looking back, I realized I sent my first submission to a publisher in 2000. The existence of that spreadsheet is worth its weight in gold. It simply states the title, the date submitted, the publisher, by what method (i.e., online form, snail mail or email) and how long I should expect to wait. 

When I hear back, I do not delete, but strike-through the line (if it’s a no). By doing so, I maintain a record. Over the next seventeen years, I had a couple of magazine publications, one poem, and a few near-misses. No wonder I was on the verge of giving up! I took a year off from writing, but the pull was always there in the back of my mind. My critique partner kept me involved by sending me her work, all the while, encouraging me to write. I owe the success of my first book to her. I may not be an overnight wonder, but I’ve clearly proved perseverance pays off. 

Remember to set goals for yourself and strive to meet them. This week, I’m finishing up the 2^nd revision of Blood Money. My goal is to return it to the editor this weekend. While I’m waiting for the next phase, I plan to revise my story on the life of Davy Crockett. 

Always grow as a writer. Always strive to become better at your craft, no matter what it may be. Always learn, always try, and always submit--or here’s how I sign the majority of my books: Always Believe!

February 20, 2018:

Thursday evening at 6:52 p.m., I received the next revision of Blood Money. I read the editor’s comments, and was both overwhelmed with happiness and gobsmacked with anxiety at the same time. While the editor was very encouraging in saying I did a good job on the first revision, she also stated this would be the last opportunity I would see the manuscript in editable form. She encouraged me to take my time and do my best revising without changing the format. Once she receives it back, the story goes into production.  Once in production, there will be very little opportunity for changes. Wow. The pressure. I’m questioning every word, comma and period. That’s a big responsibility. What if the book comes out and it’s full of mistakes? I’m sure a copy editor (or two) will go through it with a fine-tooth comb, but I’m also sure every writer goes through the nervous stage and the “what ifs?” Saturday, I spent eight hours on this revision and only got through page 101 of 338.  My house needed cleaning, clothes overflowed the hamper, and there was no food in the house. Also, I would have loved being out and about, after a long work-week; but I hunkered down and concentrated on editing. However, Gus received his normal belly rubs at his command. I do have my priorities in order, after all. The payoff of another book to hold in my hands will be worth it. That’s why I do this.

 Five weeks until spring!!

February 12, 2018: What exactly is a first draft? Did you know there are some successful writers out there who can churn out a novel in three-four weeks? According to a chat room in which I recently participated, the best way to do this is to plot the story from beginning to end before you write the first word. Once plotted, write the first draft−completely mindless of typos, misspellings and format. The person conducting the chat stated without plotting the story, her last novel took over a year to write the first draft. Oh my, I thought this was normal; but then again, my adult novel coming out sometime this year (I hope!) was written during my one and only NANO Challenge−where I finished the rough draft (40 thousand words) in one month. Talk about rough copy, it sincerely was. I didn’t stress over typpos, misspeled wordes or fragaments--no matter how hard Word tried to get me to correct them. Lol! 

So for all those of you who ask for my writing advice on how to get started: BIC (butt in chair) and just write that first draft. Worry about how it looks later. My current writing goal, is to find a home for ON A SCALE OF ONE TO TEN−my MG novel on child abuse. This story (along with MOUNTAIN LAUREL−a story about my parents) is dear to my heart, and I hope to find a home for it soon. However, I know all too well if I do not submit to publishers, my chances of failure are 100%.

 Bo watching the dog show. Nothing to do with writing. It just makes me happy. 😆

February 5, 2018:    My wish is to grow as a writer. With every blog I read, every revision from an editor, every rejection from a publisher − these are all opportunities for improvement. In my last revision (BLOOD MONEY - due out sometime in 2018), I learned not all editors appreciate the MC talking to herself. I received the same bit of advice through a rejection of my YA story about abuse. A few words, here or there, work; but telling the story through the MC’s thoughts does not work. Instead, my editor suggested I write the sentence in past tense about her. So ‘not everyone cares what I think, I guess’; becomes ‘not everyone cared about her opinion, apparently.’

There are some helpful blogs out there to aid you in your quest to be a better writer. Unfortunately, you might need to wade through some mediocre ones before you find the jewels. When you find one dedicated to helping writers become better writers, you’re in luck. Take Nancy Kelly Allen’s blog (http://nancykellyallen.blogspot.com); her purpose is to provide tips to writers and those who teach writing. I recommend this blog because I can speak personally about how it has helped me. Anything that helps me grow as a writer, I’m going back for more.

Parting words: revise, revise, and revise some more − then put your manuscript up for a week or so. Look at it once more with fresh eyes before you ship it off to a publisher.

January 29, 2018:  Market/Target Age

My goal last week was to take my Young Adult story - ON A SCALE OF ONE TO TEN - down to Middle Grade, or ages 8-12. Did I succeed? Nope, it’s definitely a WIP (work in progress). I read several MG and YA books, looking for comparisons, likes, and differences; and lately, I’ve read several chapter books, to get in the right mindset of the character and to grasp a better understanding of how the authors play with words.

There are many articles out there that address age-appropriate books. One bit of helpful advice I found: Bookstores have a shelf for MG and another for YA, but there is not a shelf in-between.

However after that, the information turns gray. Apparently, there are upper MG or lower YA. Another article suggested a good target age for MG is 14 years old, but then, another one stated a writer should aim higher or lower as 14 years old represents change, hormones, on the cusp, etc. I guess there’s no real set-in-stone rule when it comes to writing MG or YA, other than one publisher recently stated the YA market didn’t “take off” as it was anticipated. Since my story, SCALE, cannot jump from YA to Adult, my goal of taking it down to MG seems to be my only option. How do I accomplish that? The most obvious is to make sure my Main Character is involved in age-appropriate scenes, i.e., year of school, activities, and angst. I also read the MG character isn’t necessarily involved in edgy activities, but can certainly have a parent who is a drunk, on drugs, etc. That’s all fine and dandy, but my MC’s best friend is a victim of child abuse, and don’t even begin to tell me that doesn’t happen to MG age children…and younger. Child abuse can happen at any age, and at the end of my story, there’s a list of agencies that offers assistance. The message is important. The story is edgy. The age is fluid, but I must narrow it down to one genre and the way to do that is to read, read, read what the market is selling. Middle Grade it is.

(Blood Money-due out in 2018)

 January 22, 2018:  Hello again and Happy New Year. I took a little hiatus from my blog to concentrate on writing. I received the first-round edits of Blood Money on New Year’s Day and spent almost three weeks revising. This Editor provided great feedback and instructions, so it became a labor of love. Here are a few tips they provided:

Find and correct “reached (I’m guilty of writing she reached out her hand and caressed his face. Of course she did. Better: she caressed his face.); felt (Wrong: She felt as if she could cry. [That is wrong for so many reasons-better to show the action instead of telling it.]); he said/she said (replace with action to show who is talking-as in: she turned to face him.); that (so many “thats” can be deleted and won’t change the meaning), to him, for her, and at her (normally found at the end of a sentence and not needed, as she smiled at him.). And did you know blond refers to him, while blonde refers to her? Ditto for brunet/brunette, and fiancé/fiancée.  

Blood Money is my adult mystery, started in 2009--the first of three in the Baker Manor Series. It has gone through many changes; however, the basic plot remained the same. Every revision makes me a better writer. And now, while waiting for the next round of edits to come back, I will use the same revision tips with book # 2 in the series. After that, my goal is to outline the third and final book in the series. Then, I begin the revision on my manuscript on child abuse. One editor recommended I take it from young adult to middle-grade. I will take my own advise I gave yesterday to a wannabe writer: BIC (Butt In Chair, step one to being a writer).

December 18, 2017: I’ve said this already a couple of times, but I continue to be amazed at how many closet writers have come forth since my book was published. To them, I always take a moment and encourage them to never give up. I’m reminded of what my critique partner repeated over and over: a winner is a loser who tried one more time. To anyone reading this who enjoys writing, I repeat what I know works: write and revise (and repeat), work with a good critique partner, market research, and submit, submit, submit. Be ready for the rejections--if you are afraid of rejections, there are many blogs out there that deal with this. Go read as many as you need. Pretty soon, you’ll understand why rejection is important to a writer; but equally important is to read what IS selling. If you write children’s books, read as many as you possibly can. If adult is your preferred genre, read all the best-sellers and then some. A good writer is a good reader--not to plagiarize, but to understand what the public is buying; also, you glean an understanding of what publishers want. This would be a great time to repeat last week’s advice to writers: plan, perseverance, and patience! My 3 “p’s” to publishing.

As Christmas approaches, it’s easy to get caught up in shopping and events; but the real reason for the season needs to stay front and center. I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and the gift of the Savior’s birth.