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!

January is the Perfect Time for a Bit of Goal Setting

"The greatest thing about writing is that it’s just you and the page. The most horrifying thing about writing is that it’s just you and the page. Contemplation of that dichotomy is enough to stop most people dead in their tracks."
MIND GAMES [Excerpt from THE CANNIBAL’S ART (not published; in progress). Copyright 2014 Diana Gabaldon]

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It's the time of year to make resolutions...What? Have you already broken yours? ;-) 

As writers, we all have to set goals if we're going to ever finish our stories. So, here's a few idea for you to try out for your writing resolutions for 2015. 

• List all of your dreams for 2015 and then prioritize them.
• Divide your dreams into monthly goals.
• Select small manageable bits for weekly goals that add up to the monthly and yearly ones.
• If you achieve the week's goal, there's no reason you can't dive into another the next week's goal. ;-)
• Recognize the times that Real Life throws you a curve and don't beat yourself up. Remember the goals will be there when you are ready to dive back in.
• Think about trying some writing prompts on the hard days when words are illusive. Charlotte Rains Dixon has a great new book of prompts with suggestions for how to use them.

And if your goal is the dreaded Query, look at these ideas:
Yes, that dreaded "Q" word that strikes terror in the heart of many a good writer. And I'm reaching the point that I need to get serious about it.

Julia Sondra Decker has some great tips.

Another suggestion is to try to write a query for the first twenty to fifty pages of your WIP. Check out agent Kristin Nelson's post on this technique for pitches. And her videos about finding the plot catalyst.

Also, try these questions:

• Who is the MC?
• What does the MC want?
• What's in the MC's way?
• What happens if the MC fails?

 What's your main goal for 2015 or for January 2015? I'd love to hear about it and cheer you on. If queries are in your near future, good luck and happy hunting!

Next week: What it takes to be in the five percent of writers who get published.  

Merry Christmas!

In this week of Christmas, I thought I'd give you a poem.

Christmas Promise

Lit by a star’s glory,
The promise of Christmas
Starts with a baby’s cry.
Its light is the beginning
And with Easter’s dawn,
Arisen and triumphant,
The promise is complete.

~~Zan Marie Steadham
From A Christmas Walk
Copyright 2010

Have a blessed, safe, and happy Christmas! 

I'll be taking next week off! See you in the New Year!

A Writer's Wish List

Like everyone else, I have a wish list. Actually there's two--a personal one and a writing one.

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My personal one might sound a bit grandiose, but then, what are wishes for but the amazing, far-reaching dreams.

• World Peace--Yes, it's an old chestnut, but that doesn't make it any less true.
• Understanding for All--It's a corollary to the first. In fact, it made be the method to achieve the first. For when we truly understand the reality of each other, we can find common ground and common steps for achieving peace.
• Health and Well Being--Since I have some major chronic problems that get in the way of my writing, I'd love to solve them. Like I said in the intro, my wishes are a bit on the grandiose side and this one is no less hard to accomplish than the first two.

And now for the writing ones:

• A finished semi-polished manuscript--I'm nearing this wish and can see the finish line. 
• A query letter that shows my manuscript off to its best advantage--This is a bit of a wild wish. Queries are another type of writing that I'll have to learn from the ground up.
• A series of synopses in varying lengths--Like the query, writing a synopsis is a new step for me, one that is necessary, but daunting. How would you like to tell you book-length story in one, two, three, or five-pages? Let's just say, I'm not looking forward to it. My first attempt showed me that I was trying to cobble two stories into one. What dangers lurk in the next attempt? 
• An agent who gets my vision for MOTHER'S DAY, and sees the perfect market for it. I have to achieve the queries and synopses to get to this wish.

So, there you have it, my very own wish list. For some reason, I don't think Santa will be packing any of them on his sleigh.

What about you? Do you have a few wild and wonderful wishes? Care to share? ;-)

Next Week: A Merry Christmas Poem! 
  

December Tip Week--A Gift for Writers

Here you go! For the writer who has everything except the perfect adjective to describe someone's voice!

Once I saw this list, I realized I had been spinning my wheels trying to get the right word for my characters' voices. So, I'll unveil my character traits here:

• Dean Talley--taut
• Emmanuel Nunez--gravelly, gruff
• Rosemary Talley--brittle, honeyed (yep, same voice!)
• Samantha Smith--small, thin

I'm still thinking about about some of the others. 

Hey, it's fun to play with and, who knows, some of them might stick. Besides, it's only nine days till Christmas and this writer is ready to celebrate! 

Next Week: My Wish List! ;-)

December Mini Book Reviews: J. Bourne, D. Gabaldon, M. Gable, K. Lynne

Yes, this is the first week of December, so I thought you might still need some excellent gift suggestions.

ROGUE SPY Joanna Bourne: Historical Romance

As is fitting for a multiple RITA winner, Joanna Bourne adds another wonderful book to the Spymaster Series. Pax and Cami are two the most well drawn characters you'll every meet. Add the intrigue of spying during the French Revolution, Napoleonic Era and Regency England and you have a setting that showcases them in all their glory.

THE FIERY CROSS Diana Gabaldon: Historical Fiction

In Diana Gabaldon's fifth Outlander Series book, she continues to weave history with fiction with her amazing skill. Her spellbinding story of Jamie, Claire and their family will keep you reading late into the night.

A PARIS APARTMENT Michelle Gable: Literary Women's Fiction

A Paris Apartment is compulsive page-turner that blends fiction with history. I promise the history was new to me. This is a wonderful read and the Goodreads Women's Fiction Book Club selection for December.

 NOR GOLD Kerry Lynne: Historical Fiction

Kerry Lynne as served up another rousing tale in her Pirate Captain: Chronicles of a Legend with Nor Gold. Once again Nathan Blackthorne, Cate McKenzie, and their pirate ship sails into trouble and revenge...and good, old fashioned love. Enjoy! Check out my interview with Kerry Lynne on March 12, 2013.

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Also check out Normandie Fischer's Sailing Out of Darkness, the November selection for the Women's Fiction Book Club at Goodreads.

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December is a busy, busy month and I've got book suggestions and a few different types of posts on tap for you. Be sure and take a break from the hustle and bustle of the season In the Shade of the Cherry Tree. ;-)

November Mini Book Reviews: A. Mulligan, L. Rosenberg, Lorrie Thompson

Lovely November is here with it's rain, wind, cold. Winter is setting in and I need to read. Don't you? ;-)

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CHAPEL SPRINGS REVIVAL Ane Mulligan: Christian Women's Ficiton

Chapel Springs Revival is humorous, charming, and completely Southern fired. Believe me, you will laugh out loud at the antics of Clare and Patsy as they try to revive their Georgia mountain village. The Christian messages of this book are understated and rooted in the faith of the character, not preached to the reader. This is a solid story that will warm your heart.

THE MOONLIGHT PALACE Liz Rosenberg: Historical Fiction

The Moonlight Palace is an enchanting story set in Singapore in the early twentieth century and tells the fascinating coming or age of a remarkable girl.


 
EQUILIBRIUM Lorrie Thompson: Literary Women's Fiction

Sorrow and its effects are the central theme of Equilibrium. The story is an amazing look at how Laura and her children deal with unthinkable sorrow and find they equilibrium from within and in their relationships with each other and their friends. Equilibrium  was the Goodreads' Women's Fiction Book Club for October.

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Next Week: December Mini Book Reviews Part 1. (You know you need those last minute gift ideas. See you In the Shade! ;-)

Advent is nearly here and starts on November 30. Be sure to get ready and take A Christmas Walk. Ebooks are available at Amazon. It makes a great gift for those buddies who read ebooks, too. ;-)

November Author Interview: RITA Winner Joanna Bourne

I met Joanna Bourne at the Books and Writers Forum when I joined in 2008. Immediately, I was drawn to her as an author, teacher, and friend. Over the years she has written some of the best historical romances ever published and I’m thrilled to get to interview her. Her latest Rogue Spy came out on November 4 and I expect it will be in contention for a RITA just like her award-winning The Black Hawk and My Lord and Spymaster. Be sure to check out her blog (there will be a link here) that’s full of info on writing and various research topics she’s uncovered while working on her wonderful books.

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For years he’d lived a lie. It was time to tell the truth . . . even if it cost him the woman he loved.

Ten years ago he was a boy, given the name Thomas Paxton and sent by Revolutionary France to infiltrate the British Intelligence Service. Now his sense of honor brings him back to London, alone and unarmed, to confess. But instead of facing the gallows, he’s given one last impossible assignment to prove his loyalty.

Lovely, lying, former French spy Camille Leyland is dragged from her safe rural obscurity by threats and blackmail. Dusting off her spy skills, she sets out to track down a ruthless French fanatic and rescue the innocent victim he’s holding—only to find an old colleague already on the case. Pax.

Old friendship turns to new love, and as Pax and Camille’s dark secrets loom up from the past, Pax is left with a choice—go rogue from the Service or lose Camille forever…

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ZM: I’m so excited to get the chance to interview you for In the Shade of the Cherry Tree! Your historical romances are so much more than just romances. The historical accuracy speaks to my historian’s heart and your characters’ intelligence speaks to my mind. How did you come up with the idea of spies in the French Revolution and Napoleonic era as a setting?

Jo: In this era --  from a bit before the American Revolution to the Battlefield of Waterloo -- most of what we take for granted about how we run governments and how we think about personal freedom was decided.  This was a time of Big Ideas clashing. People were fighting over the right to vote. Freedom of religion. Equality under the law. Fair taxation.

Folks on both sides were passionate. People of Good Will disagreed. What better time and place to spy?

ZM: What draws you to the romance genre? Have you ever written any other genre?

 Jo: I’m Historical Romance all the way, though I wrote nonfiction for years before I started writing fiction.

 I want happy endings. I want heroes and heroines. I want brave, clever, principled characters who behave well under difficult circumstances. So I write Romance. Romance is, by definition, generally optimistic and with an upbeat ending.

 ZM: As I said earlier, your characters are full and three-dimensional. Do you have any certain techniques for discovering them?

 Jo: I think the answer to creating rich characters is to give yourself time.  Sit and think about them. Go for long walks and imagine them. When you’re falling asleep, dream about the scenes of the book.

 And then write the story. When you’re writing the characters will reveal themselves by their actions.

 ZM: Many craft books stress that writers must read and read a lot. Who is your favorite author, or what is your favorite genre? What draws you to a book you read for enjoyment?

 Jo: I don’t actually read much Romance genre. I have no idea why this should be the case. Maybe I’m scared that I’ll find myself picking up ideas from other writers. Maybe when a story is similar to my own it comes to jostle in my head too much.

 So what do I read?  I read strong stylists in any field. They have lots to teach me if I can only be sharp enough to pick it up. Dunnett, Sayers, Peter S. Beagle, Bujold, Douglas Adams ...many others.

 But mostly what I read for fun is nonfiction. A good bit of that is the diaries and journals of people in my era of interest. I also read just off-the-wall stuff about the weird, unusual corners of reality.  I’m re-reading Plagues and People right now, with its somewhat off-beat version of history. And I recently finished Travels With Charley.   I’m a sucker for road books.

 ZM: Are you already working on the next book, or is it time for a break? What do you do after the final rush of publication is over?

 Jo: What do I do to celebrate the completion of a manuscript?

A nice meal at a good restaurant. Out for coffee with my betas and my friends and I buy everybody chocolates. And maybe I raise a glass of wine.

No time for a long break though.

As to the next work ...   I’m frantically plugging away on the next manuscript. This will be the Severine story.

I’m at the stage when it seems impossible to write and nothing is fitting together and I am totally certain I will never be able to get it right. This stage starts when I realize I have another manuscript due and I don’t know what it is.  It continues until I get the galleys of the book and know it is now  Too Late To Change Anything. 

ZM: Finally, what questions do wish interviewers would ask, but they never do?

 Jo: I want interviewers to ask -- Do you have a Writer’s Cat?

And I will say that I have a Writer’s Cat who contributes bushels of fur to my efforts and lies across my keyboard when I am particularly brilliant and filled with ideas.

Everyone should have a Writer’s Cat.

ZM: ;-) My toy poodles are filling that function at the moment. Thank you for a lovely conversation and for such wonderful reads!

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Joanna Bourne is the award-winning author of historical romances set in England and France during the Napoleonic Wars, including My Lord and Spymaster and The Spymaster's Lady. Joanna lives in the foothills of the Blue Ridge with her family, a medium-sized mutt and a faux Himalayan cat. She writes Historical Romances set in England and France during the Napoleonic Wars. She's fascinated by that time and place - such passionate conviction and burning idealism ... and really sexy clothes.