January Writing Tip: What It Takes to Succeed as an Author

I hope you've gotten off to a good start on your Writing goals/resolutions this January. I'm whittling away at the few remaining chapters of my WIP. If all goes well, I'll have a completed MS to polish and submit to a couple of contests this year. 

And, by finishing, I'll achieve the first of many hurtles that line the path to publication. Did you know that: the oft-heard stat that only 5% of people who try to write a novel ever finish, has some basis in fact? Try Kristen Lamb's post, "What are the REAL Odds of Being a Successful Author" for confirmation.(Thanks to Kristen for inspiring this post!)

But, there's more to it than finishing. Kristen L. goes on to say that only 5% of those who finish will join a critique group and read craft books to learn how to make that MS better? 

And that only 5% of these will apply the things they learn to their MS.

And that only 5% of those who apply the things they learn and attend conferences where they get a request for pages will actually send them.

How many of these writers will land an agent right away? Yep, 5%.

And how many are willing to gut their novel to make it better? 5%.

What about self-publishing, you ask? Only 5% of them do the hard work of building a social media platform to promote their book and seek professional editing and apply it.

Kristen L. goes on to say that only 5% of those authors will keep writing more books until they click with readers and will seek professional editing to make them better.

After I read all of the stats, I had to take Kristen's advice to control what I can control when it comes to my stories to heart. I vow to:

• Take the decision to write seriously (Check)
• To write the book (Check)
• To edit the book (Check)
• To finish the book (Check)
• To learn the craft (Check)
• To accept critiques and learn from them without getting my feelings hurt (Check)
• Network (working on it)
• Follow through
• Not give up after rejection
• Write more and more books
• Do everything I can to lay a foundation for success

And I vow to listen to good advice like Kristen's and remember that this isn't easy. None of this is easy. And I vow to stay the course, do the work, and write my books. Wish me luck!

 Next Week: The first Mini Book Review for 2015 will hit the Shade. Enjoy!

Hard Nut Scenes

We've all struggled with them. Hit them with all the brain power we can muster. And still, they just lay on the page, mocking us. You know you've had one, or twenty. (That's being conservative. ;-)

You know those scenes that are just not quite right. It's a scene you know you have to have to tell the story you're writing. So, what do you do about it? 

Check out this discussion on the Books and Writers Forum.
Here's a list of the suggestions made by the various writers. 

1. change the venue of the scene
2. explore alternative choices of action
3. give yourself more time
4. change POV for the scene
5. play with phrases to hunt for the kernel
6. pretend it's written and write the consequence scene
7. look for issues in the story that make the planned scene is not viable and decide if you need to  abandon this scene.

Now, which method will work for you? Or me? I have hard nut sitting on my desk right now. It's a booger and I need it to open up. Wish me luck! ;-)

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Useful Links!

I've got a bumper crop of links for you, too!

Check out Anne R. Allen's Ten Commandments of Social Media Etiquette for Writers  There's a lot of good info here.

From Writer Unboxed, try The Art of Creating Memorable Villains Whatever Your Genre

Besides you might be writing crap and that's okay. Read Charlotte Rains Dixon's The Benefits of Writing Crap to find out why.   ;-)

Have you ever heard to start in media res? If you want to know what it really means and how to do it, check out Kristen Lamb's Starting the Story "In the Action"...

Also check Kristen Lamb's post of Character Arcs.

Anniversaries and Such (and a few nifty links)

The cherry trees are in full bloom in Cherry Hill. Enjoy!

Today marks an important anniversary for me. One year ago, I took over the Goals Threads at the Book and Writers Forum from the wonderful S. P. Bowers. I hope I'm helped others keep their writing on track. I know having to check in at the beginning, middle, and end of every month has really kept me on my toes and on track.

It was six years ago in March that a dream introduced me to my two main characters--Laura Grace Chandler and Samantha Smith. I had no clue where they were going to take me, but I'm enjoying the roller-coaster ride. Through their story, I've learned about abuse, social work, foster parents, foster families, foster parent training, Georgia's Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS), and all sorts of other interesting problems in today's world. Along with Laura Grace and Samantha, I've worked through some terrible results of abuse. They and their friends and not so friendly neighbors have spawned at least three more stories. I really had hoped to celebrate this anniversary with a complete draft of FRIENDLY FIRE, but I'm not upset that I can't. A better story is preferable to a premature ending that doesn't do the story justice.

I've been blogging for the last four years and ten months and through that I've made fast friends and learned more about writing than ever knew existed. Thanks to you all!

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And now for this week's LINKS! I love both of these.

Check out Kristen Lamb's Premature Editing post. I've been very prone to this problem lately. I wanted reach a completed draft so badly that I've slashed a few keepers who are starting to bud. Thanks to Scrivener, I've been able to recreate much of what's been cut.

Catherine, Caffeinated's info on Contact Forms  Be sure to check out my new Contact Form on the left. (I promise it works. I tried it out and contacted myself!) ;-)

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Have a wonderful and productive week! Hopefully Spring is finally here. ;-)