Where I'm at in the publishing process, pt. 3

I thought it might be fun to do some documenting of my publishing experience.  Now that it has been three weeks since I signed my contract with Limitless Publishing some fun things are in the works!

Let's recap:

Sept. 10 - received a partial request from Limitless
Sept. 14 - received a full manuscript request from Limitless
Sept. 20 - received an offer of a contract to publish Chasing Forever
Sept. 24 - received contract
Sept. 28 - signed contract and became part of the Limitless Publishing Team
Oct. 1 - received a cover questionnaire, book blurb sample request and synopsis request
Oct. 6 - a new title has been given—Raining Down Rules
Oct. 9 - pre-edits come in and I've been assigned an editor
Oct. 12 -sent back my pre-edits
Oct. 14 received my book release date!!!

Every publishing house has their standards for formatting a novel, and for the most part, I'm sure they are all fairly similar.  That being said, since I've never published a book before I was a little nervous about the pre-edits.  But they came in and, even though I did have a few things to change, it wasn't terribly scary—PHEW!  So here is some stuff I learned:

Double spaces after . ? ! are OUT.  Seriously?  Like when did this happen?  My thumbs are constantly tapping twice on the space bar and I CANNOT STOP IT!  In case you haven't noticed, even my blog posts are riddled with double spaces.  It is ingrained in my brain and my fingers type on autopilot.  I. Must. Resist.

Em Dashes—now I know how to make them!  I kind of felt stupid when I learned the keystrokes to do them, but now I know and will never forget.  On a Mac (which is what I'm currently using) it's SHIFT+OPTION+- and you magically get —.  For the PC you type the word--and then type the next word.

Alright does not equal all right.  So, apparently alright isn't grammatically correct, it's all right.  Check!

There are more than one type of "quotes".  As in smart (curly) quotes vs. straight quotes.  See example below.  What I want to know is how in the heck my novel had both types in it?!?!   Anyhow, they've all been corrected.

"That's a 'magic' sock." wrong (straight quotes)

“That’s a ‘magic’ sock.” right (smart quotes)

Get rid of filler words or over used phrases.  Writing is different than just plain talking.  When we talk we use filler words to help us make our point to to emphasize something.  In writing, we really don't need to do that.  So here are a few words and phrases to search for in your novels or to avoid altogether unless they are absolutely necessary (in dialogue sometimes it's okay):

that
get
just
really
feel

very
actually
make their way
began to / started to
for the most part
just then

There are others out there and check out these links for more, here, here & here.  Search through your novel to find these words/phrases and see if the sentence can work without it and if so, DELETE it.  Or, find another more appropriate word to use in its place.  (Did you notice how my words above sorta look like the bottle from I Dream of Jeannie?)

I was also assigned an editor for my novel which is really exciting.  She's scheduled my book to begin edits on December 9th and have them back to me by December 15th.  So in other words, I have to wait almost 2 months until I begin my real edits.

Patience grasshopper.

Now, one last thing.  Get ready for this...

FEBRUARY 9, 2016

Raining Down Rules will be released to the world and I couldn't be happier!!

Some ramblings on writing

When I first started writing about six years ago, I'm not going to lie—my writing was pretty atrocious.  I head-jumped, wasn't really aware of the proper format regarding speaking patterns and dialogue tags.  Let's not even talk about constantly switching between past or present tense.  Yeesh!  But you know what?  Every project I wrote—whether I finished it or not—got better.  So, my friends, I want to tell you a few things I've learned along the way.

1. You're writing will never get better unless you keep practicing.  Seriously.  The more you write, the more you learn the craft.  You can't expect to go to the Olympics and perform a triple lutz in an ice skating routine of you've never stepped on the ice and fallen on your bum at least once, right?  The same is true in writing.  Whether you're writing your first novel or your tenth, just the practice of writing alone will help you grow as a writer.
   
2. Just like practicing writing, reading in your preferred genre will help you grow in leaps and bounds.  Truly.  Let's say you've chosen to write an epic fantasy novel that includes dragons, faeries, water nymphs and an army of lightening riders who battle to save the kingdom of Valetross before it can be conquered by the evil army of the un-dead King of Scorchio—but all you read is contemporary romance.  Okay, so romance can be in almost every YA+ book, but it has it's time and place.  The more you read fantasy similar to what you are righting, the more your story will follow certain expected patterns.  You'll also learn what is acceptable in terms of novel length, character arcs, etc.
   
3. Get involved on Twitter and other social media outlets.  For Reals.  About six months ago I started actually using Twitter.  I'd been a member since September 2010, but never used it because I didn't understand how it worked.  Since becoming active on Twitter, I've not only secured a publishing contract for my first novel, but I've made some great online friends, learned even more about writing, found links on the internet to help build my craft and learned about so many FREE contests run by writers, agents and/or publishers.
   
4. Writing doesn't have to happen every single day.  Many people will tell you that in order to complete a novel, you must write every day.  I have found that nearly impossible.  If you're a writer who can push out a novel every 30-60 days, I applaud you—you have a gift!  I say write when inspiration hits.  Find a time you feel most productive and write then, you're writing will be better for it.  If you force yourself to sit and write when you're not feeling inspired, the writing will most likely show it.  It will feel flat and can lean toward the boring and not essential side of writing.  That's okay for word count, but when it comes down to it, word count isn't all that matters.

So now, I am off to read through an ARC for a review and then, maybe if inspiration hits, I'll do some writing of my own.

Getting words on the screen

Last fall during NANOWRIMO, I discovered an amazing tool that helps me to push past hiccups in my writing.  I can't take credit for the idea, because it wasn't mine, nor can I give credit where it's due; I don't know who came up with it.  But IT WORKS!  I find on a good day, I can write up to 500 words in my novel in 15 minutes.

To some, that may not be impressive, but at times when you're struggling to get the words to flow, 500 words in 15 minutes is HUGE!

So, here it is, my secret to getting words on my screen:

Word Wars and Word Sprints

You may be shaking your head and thinking, yeah whatever.  But maybe that's only because you don't know what they are.  Relax and be rest assured, I will explain.

First of all, word wars (ww's) and word sprits (ws's) are pretty much the same thing, but some people use one over the other for whatever reason.  And that is okay - you can too!  Here is what they are:

You and 1 or more writerly friends (because it only works if you have a little friendly competition -- not that writing is a competition, because it's not -- neither are ww's or ws's -- it's just for fun and word count, people -- jeez!)  Okay, back to the subject at hand.  You and 1 or more writers meet online - or in person if you have a writers group - and you set a timer for X amount of minutes.

I like 15 minutes because it goes fast and I find myself racing...myself at times.

While the timer is counting down you write.  Write hard and write fast.  Get those keys clicking and fingers moving.  At the end of your set time period, everyone posts how many words they were able to write, knowing some will write 53 and others will write 867.  And that's okay -- I promise!

Whether you write 53 or 867 words, it doesn't matter, it's not about the number.  It's about getting the words on the screen and making progress.  You'll never write a novel if you don't write the words.  Trust me, it's true.

So, if you're looking for friends to do some ww'ing or ws'ing, post on Twitter or Facebook or any other social media outlets you're a part of and start filling your screen with the words.  All the words.

Sticking to an outline

When I decided to try and taken on Nano this past November I figured my best chance to finish the 50,000 words in the allotted time, was to create a basic outline.  Being a pantser, I gave it my best shot and actually came up with something fairly respectable - in my opinion.

I knew how I wanted the story to begin and I knew how I wanted it to end - and that I wanted to have horses involved somehow.  What I didn't know was how I wanted to get from beginning to end - typical pantser style.  The outline I created was scarcely what I would call detailed, but it was just enough to give me the jump that I needed.

Here is a brief example of my outline:

Chapter 1 - Natalie devises a way to kill herself
Chapter 2 - Natalie attempts to kill herself
Chapter 3 - Natalie wakes up in a hospital and is given her treatment options.

I created 24 chapters to help guide me on my writing path for this novel.  Obviously, I didn't finish Nano (boo) but I was well on my way.  Using my outline, I've noticed how much easier it is to find my way through the story.  I'm still pantsing it for the most part as in even though I know what is supposed to happen within the chapter, I don't know who the players will be and how they will help move the chapter forward.

I've had to rearrange a couple chapters, add some and change the direction of a couple others, but for the most part, the outline has really helped to keep me focused on where the novel will go.  I think after I finish "Penelope," and I'm on to my next novel, I will once again use an outline similar to this.

Writing Tips: Opening Lines

Have you ever picked up a book, flipped it to the first page and read the first couple sentences and were utterly bored to tears?  Or perhaps you pushed on hoping the first page would get better, only to find that, no, it didn't.

No?  That's wonderful!  Your scope of reading must be incredible!

Yes?  Well, that's what I'm here to talk about today.  Err...write about today?  Anyway, in writing the novels I have (either started or completed) I've come to realize the EXTREME importance of the opening lines of the book.

I'm sure we've all perused a bookstore looking for our next read only to be deterred by opening lines such as:

Yesterday, my dog peed on my shoe.  I hate when that happens.
or
She woke up feeling exhausted from her restless sleep.
or
I really hope I will ace my trig exam today.

Okay - those are all made up first lines...and they are really bad.  Honestly, would you want to read on using those first lines as the basis of the whole story?  I shouldn't think so.

Alright, so here we're going to get into the opening lines of some of my favorite YA novels.  After reading each one, think about if the lines make you want to read on.  If they do, why?  If not, why not?

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
Locked in darkness that surrounded me like a coffin, I had nothing to distract me from my memories.  Vivid recollections waited to ambush me whenever my mind wandered.

Divergent by Veronica Roth
There is one mirror in my house.  It is behind a sliding panel in the hallway upstairs.  Our faction allows me to stand in front of it on the second day of every third month, the day my mother cuts my hair.

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
She was born Anidori-Kiladra Talianna Isilee, Crown Princess of Kildenree, and she did not open her eyes for three days.

Eve by Anna Carey
Ignoring the letter to Eve in the very beginning....
By the time the sun set over the fifty-foot perimeter wall, the School lawn was covered with twelfth-year students.  The younger girls leaned out of the dormitory windows, waving their New American flags as we sang and danced.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold.  My fingers stretch out, seeking Prim's warmth but finding only the rough canvas cover of the mattress.  She must have had bad dreams and climbed in with our mother.  Of course, she did.  This is the day of the reaping.

Graceling by Kristin Cashore
In these dungeons the darkness was complete, but Katsa had a map in her mind.  One that had so far proven correct, as Oll's maps tended to do.

So here is my advice, take a look at your writing.  Read over your opening lines, do they draw you in as a reader or do they leave you feeling blah?  If you're having a hard time determining the catchyness of your first page, hand it off to someone else and ask their opinion.  It never hurts to get someone else's take on the matter.

Writing Tips: More On Plots

Let's talk more about plots. You know you want to!

Remember the last post I wrote about plots?  Today I'm going to have you read an excerpt by author (and former literary agent) Nathan Bransford on his description of a plot.  His is amazing and really nails it on the head, in my opinion.  When I read through his description of a plot, it just clicks and makes sense.

And now Nathan's excerpt on plots:

Think of a book like a really big door, preferably one of those Parisian ones that are thick and heavy and last hundreds of years. Here's how it breaks down. Bullet point time!

• The premise is what happens to knock the door ajar. Something sets the protagonist's life out of balance. Preferably something really intriguing or like totally deep man.
• The climax is when the door closes. Maybe the protagonist made it through the door, maybe they didn't make it through the door but learned a really great lesson about door closing, maybe the door chopped them in half.
• The theme is how the person opening the door changes along the way.

What's the plot? The plot is what keeps the door open!! Why can't that person close the door?

So basically, plot is a premise plus a major complication that tests the protagonist. It's what opens the door plus what's keeping the door from being closed.

Check out these examples:

GILEAD: An aging man writes a letter to his young son (premise) because he doesn't think he'll live long enough for his son to really know him (complication -- also don't you want to cry already?)

THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET: A young orphan in Paris wants to repair an automaton because he thinks it will give him a letter from his deceased father (premise -- also tears), but in order to do so he must avoid the Station Inspector and enlist the help of a mysterious toy store owner (complication).

A good plot starts with an interesting premise and an interesting door-block. A great plot also implies a quest and a resolution, which is what makes the reader want to read more. We don't like chaos, we want to see order restored, we want an interesting journey along the way, and we want to see the ways a character changes after facing these obstacles.

Read more from Nathan Bransford on his website:  NathanBransford.com -- trust me, you'll be glad you did!  Be sure to bookmark his site too.

Writing Tips: What is a Plot?

As someone who has only recently began to dig deeper in to the realm of writing, I thought it would be interesting to learn more about the basics of writing.  For the purpose of this blog post, let's talk about the Plot.

Merriam-Webster defines a plot as: "the plan or the main story."

Wikipedia has this to say about a plot: "the events that make up a theme, particularly as they relate to one another in a pattern, in a sequence, through cause and effect, how the reader views the story, or simply by coincidence."

One of my favorite people on the web, Nathan Bransford writes this about a plot: [the] "plot is a premise plus a major complication that tests the protagonist. It's what opens the door plus what's keeping the door from being closed."

For today's plot post, we'll focus on the Wikipedia's definition.  We'll get into Nathan's plot tips in a later post (trust me, the wait is worth it!) .

We all vaguely remember grade school English classes where we learned about the basic plot outline, right?  Okay, admittedly, it's been a long time since I've even seen one of those things, so I've found a sample online for us all to look at.

10 points for anyone that remembers what this diagram is actually called...Give up?  I only remember because I've just looked it up (ha!).  The diagram is called "Freytag's Pyramid", now the lights are flashing on - because for me, after reading the name, it totally clicked and brought back memories of reading through Middle Grade books and picking out the "rising action" the "climax" and the "falling action".  None of which I EVER enjoyed doing.  Maybe that's why I'm a pantser now.

Anyway, getting back to the plot.  So, if you follow Freytag's Pyramid, you begin your novel with the exposition.

The exposition introduces all of the main characters in the story. It shows how they relate to one another, what their goals and motivations are, and the kind of person they are.  Most importantly, in the exposition, the audience gets to know the main character (protagonist), and the protagonist gets to know his or her main goal and what is at stake if he or she fails to attain this goal.

The next phase would be the rising action, or conflict.  Generally, in this phase the protagonist understands his or her goal and begins to work toward it. Smaller problems thwart their initial success, and in this phase their progress is directed primarily against these secondary obstacles. This phase shows us how he or she overcomes these obstacles.

Thus, at the end of this phase and at the beginning of the next they are finally in a position to go up against their primary goal. This part begins after the exposition. It consists of a beginnings of a tension or complication that continues with the development of conflict between the characters.

Ah the climax, the turning point of the story, where the main character makes the single big decision that defines the outcome of their story and who they are as a person.  The beginning of this phase is marked by the protagonist finally having cleared away the preliminary barriers and being ready to engage with the adversary. Usually, entering this phase, both the protagonist and the antagonist have a plan to win against the other. Now for the first time we see them going against one another in direct, or nearly direct, conflict.

This struggle results with neither character completely winning, nor losing, against the other. Usually, each character's plan is partially successful, and partially foiled by their adversary. What is unique about this central struggle between the two characters is that the protagonist makes a decision which shows us one's moral quality, and ultimately determines one's fate.

The climax often contains much of the action in a story, for example, a defining battle.

The falling action is where the loose ends are being tied up. However, it is often the time of greatest overall tension in the play, because it is the phase in which everything goes most wrong.

In this phase, the villain has the upper hand. It seems that evil will triumph. The protagonist has never been further from accomplishing the goal.

The resolution is the final confrontation between the protagonist and antagonist, where one or the other decisively wins. This phase is the story of that confrontation, of what leads up to it, of why it happens the way it happens, what it means, and what its long-term consequences are.

Okay, now that we know the technical definition of a plot, the next time we talk about it, we'll get into the fun part, digging into Nathan Bransford's plot topics!