Writing in the Silence (or how I am becoming a more productive writer)

It's almost November, so writers of all sorts are scrambling to get ready for NaNoWriMo (aka National Novel Writing Month). If you aren't familiar with NaNoWriMo, the goal is to write a 50,000 word (or more) novel in the month of November. That averages to about 1,667 words a day. It's a fun challenge, and The Photograph was born out of NaNoWriMo. But I am not participating this year. I'm in the middle of revisions for two novels, so it doesn't make sense for me to put those down right now to start something new. But for those who may be trying NaNoWriMo for the first time, I thought I could send some tips your way to help with your productivity.

Three years ago, when I wrote the Photograph during NaNoWriMo, 1,667 words a day sounded terrifying. These days I set a goal of 3,000 words a day (usually in 2-3 hours time) when I'm in first draft stage. I know some of the productivity increase is because I have more words under my belt. The more you do something, the easier it gets. However, I know the biggest boost in productivity comes from writing in silence.

What is writing in silence?

It's exactly how it sounds. I remove all possible distractions and write. Here's the steps I take.

1. I get a drink (usually caffeinated) and sometimes a snack and sit down at my computer in the office.
2. I turn off the wifi on my computer. (If you may be tempted to turn it on, I suggest just flipping off your router)
3. I put my iPhone on silent mode and flip it over so I cannot see the screen. (I'll be honest, nobody calls me, but if they did, and it was an emergency, I could still answer it).
4. I get to work.

It's pretty simple, but it's been super effective for me.  Without distractions, I get in the writing zone quicker. Usually after writing around 1,000 words, I'll get up and take a break for five minutes. Then it's back to it.

Like I said, writing in silence has helped me write faster. If you are trying NaNoWriMo, I suggest you find a distraction free area to write. It will help tremendously.

I do acknowledge that distractions can come up despite your best intentions. This happened to me the other day.

I was on my computer hard at work when Peach jumped into my lap. I don't even know how she managed to land on my lap and not hit the desk. She's crafty. Anyways, momentary distraction. I carefully removed her from my lap (much to her disapproval) and went back to work. Sometimes removing the distraction can be difficult if it's a spouse or a child, but I think you can manage. :)

That's my tip for the NaNoWriMo folks. Enjoy November and good luck! 

What are your productivity hacks? 

Creating a Fantasy World - Learning on the Fly

In case you missed my last blog post, I mentioned one of my future projects is a fantasy series called the Ozais series. I have a first draft written for the first book, and I am really excited about the book. The series originated from a recurring dream I had as a kid. In the dream, my house and neighborhood was under water so we had to canoe from house to house. (Somehow the houses weren't flooded). Anyways, I used this water idea to develop a unique setting for the series. As I wrote the first book, I found myself having to stop to straighten out details and settings unique to the fantasy setting. If I had more foresight, I would have outlined and planned beforehand. (But where's the fun in that?)

For anyone who may be writing a fantasy novel or want to write a fantasy novel, here are a few tools I used to create a fantasy world on the fly.

Maps & Diagrams

My setting is one of the most interesting and complex aspects of the Ozais setting. Although I'm not artistic (see below), I cracked open my notebook and started drawing. They are not works of art, but they help me greatly. If I can picture where a place is and how to get from place A to place B, writing the story becomes easier. I plan on redoing many of these maps and diagrams before I revise the first draft.

Setting Descriptions

Along with the maps and diagrams, I also wrote out detailed descriptions of the various places in my world. Besides writing a physical description of the terrain and weather, I listed the people who lived there and why.

Character List

I usually create a character list for my projects. However, it's usually a one page document with the important names listed and a few defining characteristics. For my contemporary YA, I can keep the characters appearance and personality straight in my head, so I don't need to reference it often.

For the Ozais, I created a document for each major character in the story. Since we meet some characters early in the first book, but we won't see them again until book 2, I needed more details. Plus, there are more characters and it's much more complex. The character sheets make sure my brain doesn't implode with too much information.

Magic System

The magic system in fantasy novels can make or break it. It needs to be clear and make sense in the context of the world you created. This is tricky. I found thinking and planning in terms of cause and effect is beneficial. If my character can do this, what effect does her power have on others? What effect does it have on the world? Why can she do this special thing?

I don't have a specific plan to help you create a magic system, but in my opinion, ask lots of questions and answer them.

Timeline

Finally, I created a timeline for my world. In the timeline, I listed everything that happened day by day during the novel. I also wrote notes on what happened before and after the first book took place. I will continue to add to the timeline. Eventually, it might hang on my wall above my office for reference. Timelines are awesome.

By the way, my timeline is different than an outline. My outline was written before the book was written. For me, the outline tells the general steps the characters take to advance the plot. It allows for flexibility and some improvisation. I put together the timeline as I write the book so I can refer back to it. For a timeline example, this character punched that guy on this day, then he took a nap. Two characters get into an argument would be the outline example.

Those are the tools I used to create a fantasy world. For any fantasy authors out there, what do you do?

Marketing on No Budget Part 2 - Author Days

A few months ago, I wrote a post called Marketing on No Budget. I was looking for cheap ways to promote my books. I came up with a few ideas, most of which were local events or options. By far, the most successful marketing idea was the Author Day. The author day is not a new idea, but a relatively new idea for me. Since I write children's and YA, author days are a natural fit. I contacted a few local elementary schools and asked if they were interested in hosting me for the day to talk to the students about being an author. I booked two schools for author days in May.

For one school, I spent the day with second graders. I met with six classes for 45 minutes each. I read from The Adventures of Zelda: A Pug Tale, led a discussion about reading and pugs, and talked about the "author life." I had a blast.

For the other school, I spent the day with fifth graders. I met with five classes for 45 minutes each. I read from the Zelda book and also led a discussion about the origin of my stories and the writing process. Since the students were older, I left more time for Q&A. I was asked great questions. My favorite was "what is your world view as an author?"

Here are my takeaways from the experience.

1. Author days are fun.

I had a blast at the author days. I loved sharing my experience with the students and teaching them about writing. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. I do realize some authors may not enjoy public speaking or teaching kids, but  I have a background in education and working with kids and teenagers, so it fits me well.

2. Author days are exhausting. 

I came home both days wiped. Although I enjoyed the days, all the time up front is exhausting for me. The preparation for the days wasn't bad, but it wouldn't be great to schedule days back to back.

3. Author days sell books. 

For both schools, students in the classes associated with the visit took home fliers about my books to pre-order signed copies. For one school, they simply brought in the order slip with the cash or check. The other school didn't do any cash transactions at school (interesting), so I set up an online ordering and payment option. I set a preorder deadline for a week before the scheduled author date, so I had time to get the books signed. The second grade classes sold more books, but it's hard to say whether it was the grade level, school, or teacher promotion. But the fifth grade still sold enough books to make the visit worthwhile. Both were successful mechanisms to sell books.

4. Author days are a great way to build your platform.

I sent all the students home with a Zelda bookmark with my website information. In addition, my name is more familiar with the teachers. I'm sure some students will read Zelda and enjoy the books. They may even tell their friends, and more kids and adults will know of a little pug named Zelda.

With school out for the summer, author days are on the back burner. I look forward to scheduling one to two author days a month next school year. If you are connected to a school in the greater Cincinnati or Cleveland area, I'd love to come visit!

I'm always looking for more marketing ideas, especially lower cost options.

Have you had any success marketing with no budget?

From One Writer to Another - Know Your Target Audience

I have a secret to tell you. I don't think The Photograph is the best novel ever written. I don't think it's the best contemporary young adult novel that will be published in 2014 or June of 2014. I do think The Photograph is a great novel for a specific group of readers–my target audience. The Photograph is targeted towards girls ages 12-16, specifically athletic girls. The teenagers who fit that demographic are much more likely to enjoy the book than other readers. For instance, the novel has an element of mystery and intrigue in it which may attract readers not in my target audience. If you are a 33 year old man, you may still read and like The Photograph, but the chances are much lower.

As an author, it is important to know who your readers are for each book. The writing in my Zelda books is different than The Photograph which is different than the current project targeted towards an older YA audience. You can't write for every reader. It doesn't work. Plus, the target audience also affects your marketing and promotions. Let me give an example.

My Zelda books have a unique audience. Reading level wise, they are targeted for students in grades 3-5 (ages 7-11), specifically kids who like dogs. However, the secondary target audience is pug owners of all ages and demographics. People love their pugs and love anything to do with a pug, so they buy Zelda books. So in addition to Author Day presentations at elementary schools, I also market Zelda through ##pugchat on twitter (it's a thing) and will be selling books at Pug Fair in September (also a real thing).

Who is your target audience? How do you market to your audience?

My Favorite Parts of the Novel Writing Process

The more I write, the more I learn about myself and my writing habits. I'm currently in three different stages of three projects. My first YA novel is getting ready for release. All major edits and revisions are done. Formatting is done. I need to do one more round of proofreading once I have a proof copy in hand.

I sent The Adventures of Zelda: Pug and Peach (the third in the Zelda series) to the editor a few days ago. In a few weeks, I'll get the edits back, revise, and work on polishing the manuscript for release.

I am also about 20,000 words into a first draft of a brand new YA fantasy novel.

Through this process, I've learned my favorite parts of the novel-writing process. I love the early stages of a novel. I spend time creating a broad outline of my novels before I start writing. Even though writing the words for the first draft are difficult, I love experiencing the story take off in unexpected directions. My first draft is about getting the story down, getting the words on to the page.  Immediately after I finish the first draft, I go back and put in more details into the story about the characters, the setting, etc, especially in the early chapters.

I set the manuscript away for roughly a month after the first draft and then return to it for the major revision stage.  These middle revision stages are the toughest. After I complete my own edits and revisions, I send the novel to beta readers and an editors. I wait for comments and the revisions with questions looming in my head– Will they like the story? Did I miss a big plot hole? Did they see that part coming? It's a bit nerve-wracking for me.

If I survive the middle round of edits and revisions, I don't mind the final stages of polishing and formatting. I enjoy the mindless nature of getting words formatted for ebook and paperback form after the tough revision stage. Of course, receiving the first paperback proof copy is a joy (even when I notice a typo or error).

What are your favorite parts of the writing process?

The Pitch for The Photograph

I am excited to announce my contemporary young adult novel, The Photograph, is moving on to the second round of the Amazon Breakthough Novel Award in the YA category. In round one, judges evaluate the submissions based on the pitch (think Amazon book description). I started as one of a few thousand, but now I am one of 400 in the YA category. In round two, novels are judged by content of the first few chapters.

I am super excited to make it to round two, and to celebrate, I am sharing the pitch with you! Here it is....

The Pitch

Sixteen-year-old Rachel Brandt is excited about her six-month anniversary with her boyfriend, Brent, getting her driver’s license, and competing for a district championship in her first season on the varsity basketball team.

But when Rachel stumbles across a photograph of her parents, she can’t shake the feeling that she is meant to find her mother, whose identity is a secret her grandparents have closely guarded. All Rachel knows is that her mother disappeared around the time her father was killed in action in the Gulf War a few months after she was born.

Her discovery of the photograph sends Rachel on a search for her mother against her grandparents’ wishes and propels her life into a tailspin. She never imagines her search will reveal a series of lies that jeopardizes every important relationship in her life and ultimately lead Rachel to question her identity.

The Photograph is a contemporary young adult novel that follows Rachel’s search for her mother through the backdrop of her basketball team’s quest for its first district championship in twelve years.

From One Writer to Another - Marketing on No Budget

I want to start off this post by telling you that life is good. I am happy. I love the move we made from Cleveland to Cincinnati. It was definitely the right move for us. I have no doubt. I say this because moving isn't easy and it isn't cheap. Neither is a quality editor or book cover designer. These facts have left me with nothing in the budget to spend on book marketing for the next few months. With no money to spend, I am forced to be creative and get out of my comfort zone to market and sell my books. I need to sell books so I can continue to pay for a quality editor and book cover designer. It's an endless cycle!! (At least until I get the next few books published) For indie authors, there are many paid opportunities to market your books. Bookbub is one of the most popular. If you are approved and pay the appropriate fee, your book is featured on a daily email that is sent to thousands of voracious readers. Bookbub is at the top right now for book promotion, but there are other options. The Fussy Librarian, Kindle Nation Daily, or Pixel of Ink are other options. You can buy twitter, facebook, or goodreads ads. All of these can help your book sell, especially in a hot genre. Of course, children's books don't do as well with these promotions because of the audience even if I had some money to spend.

So what if you need to market books on little or no budget? 

It's time to start hustling. No really it is. That means carrying your books everywhere you go and asking strangers to buy your books. Now, if you hate talking to strangers like me, this might be a terrifying option. But I think local marketing–working with people you can meet and see is a good option. Here are a few ideas:

Book Signings - Set up a book signing in your local coffee shop, bookstore, or ice cream shop. (Who doesn't want to eat ice cream while they get a book signed?) Spread the word to everyone you know. Print out postcards and hand out to strangers. (It's easier to hand someone a postcard then to ask them to buy your book) Use facebook events (perhaps the only useful function of facebook) to promote. Make sure you have plenty of books on hand, cash for change and a square reader for credit card payment. Then have fun! Even if you only sell ten books, the event only cost you minimal time and no money. And now you have ten new readers.

Author Days - Author Days consist of visiting a local school, usually an elementary school, reading to the kids, talking to them about being an author, and signing books. Kids can purchase copies of books in advance and you can have them signed ahead of time to save time. This is a great idea for fellow children's book authors. I also think YA authors should consider visiting middle and high schools. I am sure teachers and students would find value in the visit.

Local Events - Find out what is happening in your area and set up shop with a table to sell books. On my end, I am going to have a table at the Cincinnati Pug Fair (yes it is a real thing!) I am also looking into a table at a Farmer's Market and children's events in the area.

Workshops - I like teaching. My workshops are either writing or faith based. I've led the workshops at community centers, churches, and libraries. I always end up selling books in addition to my fee for teaching.

Those are a few ideas I am currently pursuing to market books and gain new readers. This type of marketing takes more time, but I believe the personal connection pays off in the long run.

What are your ideas to market books on no budget?

Also, I wanted to give a quick thank you to all of my wordpress followers. The number continues to increase. I hope you find value and some laughs here with my blog. If you want to join my street team, you can sign up here. The Street Team knows first (before the blog!) about new writing projects, promotions, and the opportunity for free advance review copies.

Writing With No Theme in Mind - A Zelda Pug Case Study

When I began writing The Adventures of Zelda, I had no theme in mind. I knew I had a story to tell, but I didn’t know where the story would go or what readers could learn from a pug named Zelda. As the first book came to life, themes and messages began seeping through the pages. Zelda’s first book is a story of a new beginning- a second chance. In the background of Zelda’s adventures and humorous endeavors is a story of love, family, and friendship.

As an example, let’s take Zelda’s encounter with Vacuum in chapter three of The Adventures of Zelda: A Pug Tale. In the chapter, Zelda perceives Vacuum as a threat to her home and to Hannah. Zelda knows she has to take action and so she manages to rip off Vacuum’s arm and hide it in the basement. Zelda’s love for her family drives her to take action against Vacuum.

When I started writing the vacuum chapter, I had no idea this sort of message would seep through the words. I just wanted to tell a funny story about a pug and a vacuum. A good story can become great when a writer manages to insert themes and messages behind the story (intentionally or unintentionally).

I think most writers are like me. (But I could be completely off base). We write a story and as the story comes to fruition, themes begin to infiltrate the pages. The story takes a turn and forgiveness becomes important in the novel even though it was never in the outline.

For the writers out there, do you write with theme in mind?

For the readers, what themes do you see often in the books you read? 


What theme spoke to you when you read the Adventures of Zelda?

Marketing to Readers: A Book Launch Review

On January 2, I released the second book in my children’s series about a pug named Zelda. The launch of The Adventures of Zelda: A Second Saga was very successful and so I wanted to talk a little about what went right and what I could improve for the next book launch. But before I talk about any of the book launch, I wanted to thank you, my readers, for making this launch successful. You bought books and spread the word about Zelda and I am so thankful for your help. I hope you enjoyed the Zelda books!

What Went Right

The Pug Love - Prior to the release of the second Zelda book, I contacted a few pug celebrities and asked for their help in promoting the books. As a thank you, I sent them copies of the first or second Zelda book. Their social media presence was a tremendous boost in getting the word out to new people about The Adventures of Zelda.

The Social Media Blitz - During launch week, I hit social media hard with promotion. Facebook and Twitter are my primary social media networks so most of the activity was there. I tried to tie the promotion with fun pictures and facts about the book and Zelda. I also used a Facebook event on launch day to spread the word about the launch and post updates. I think the push went well and people generally enjoyed the posts because I posted creative content instead of telling them to buy my book every hour.

The Launch Page - I carefully crafted the launch page with information about the book, a fun picture of Zelda and the book, along with links to read the first chapter of the first book for free. It was a quick and easy look into the book for new readers.

The Zelda Photo Shoot - I took some pictures of Zelda (and Peach) with copies of the paperback books. Zelda was great- she is a photogenic dog. (Peach not so much). People love pictures of pugs and it was a big hit.

What to Improve

Book Launch Party - Originally, I planned to do a local book launch party at Sweetie Fry (the ice cream / french fry shop where I work). The launch party was going to be a couple hours and along with the opportunity for people to buy books and have them signed by me, I also was planning on doing a couple giveaways. I thought it would be fun and a great way for to engage with readers. However, my schedule ended up imploding on me and I couldn’t find a good time that worked with basketball. So I tabled the idea with the plan to do it for the next book release.

Marketing to Moms - Since the Zelda series is a children’s book, I wanted to find a good method to market to moms and families. I researched a few family sites and children’s book sites, but nothing fit in my time frame, budget and goals. Granted I didn’t spend enough time exploring this area. Future ideas include connecting with local schools, libraries, and book stores.

Reviews - My goal was to have five reviews up by launch day on Amazon by sending out some advance review copies. I completely failed at this one. I only have four as we sit right now. I didn’t get the books out in time or contact enough people to review my book which brings me to the last point. (PS If you read either Zelda book, I'd love your honest review at Amazon, Goodreads, or Barnes & Noble.)

Better Planning / More Time - I could improve the book launch if I planned better and gave myself enough time to set up promotions, reviews, and more. I wanted to get the book launched in early January because that time of year is great for book sales. People have Christmas money to spend and are loading up their kindles. But by pushing the deadline, I was strapped for time with Christmas and the holidays to get everything done in time.

Overall, I am happy with the launch. I sold almost as many first Zelda books as the second which means I have new readers and fans. Hopefully they enjoy the first book to pick up more in the series. I am really thankful for those that helped promote the launch and everyone who bought books the first week to push Zelda up the Amazon charts. It’s exciting to watch. And as always, I am learning more and more about this business and how to find new readers and make them happy with a good book.

From One Writer to Another - Busting through the Tough Moments of the Writing Life

The path to a "successful" writing career is tough. Anyone who tells you otherwise is lying or one of the very lucky few. (and I mean few). Reaching your goals as an author takes time and hard work. And many times, in the middle of working your way to those goals, you want to give up. You want to throw in the towel and try something else. But, it is the authors who make it through those rough moments and keep writing who are successful. Today's post is to highlight those rough moments in a writing career and encourage you through them. I press through the tough times and when I do, I catch glimpses of light. And I know if I keep writing and working, the light will grow.

1. Starting - The hardest part about writing for me happens every day when I try to sit down and get words on the page. I must fool around for 20 minutes every day avoiding the inevitable: writing. I have a hard time starting, but I force myself to do it every day or hour I set aside to write. The funny part is once I get rolling, once I have a paragraph or two down, the words flow and I'm in the zone. But, sitting down every day is a struggle.

The good thing is I have acknowledged this problem and have tools in place to help get me rolling. First, I put Scrivener in Full Screen mode on my mac. That way, I can't see emails or notifications coming through on my computer. If I'm feeling super distracted, I will turn off the wi-fi on my computer. I also turn my iPhone over so the back is up. I can still hear it vibrate for texts and phone calls, but again don't see notifications coming through. Finally, I set a timer for 20-30 minutes with a word count deadline because I know deadlines help my productivity.

My encouragement comes every session I am able to exceed my word count goal and fight past my starting problem. I know every word I write is a step closer to another book being on the market.

2. Waiting - An author spends lots of time waiting. If you submit query letters or manuscripts to agents, you wait for weeks (or months) for responses. When you work with an editor, you wait for the edits to return to you. Or you wait for your designer to finish you book cover. Finally, you wait for your book to be published- with traditional publishers it could be a year or more. Even with self-publishing, you are at the hands of Amazon, Kobo, Smashwords, etc to put your book up for sale. It can be torture sitting around and waiting for the next step in the process.

My advice is to stop waiting and write something else. Every day you wait for your manuscript to be returned with edits is a day you could have worked on your next novel. Honestly, most of the time, I have too many projects I want to write and not enough time to write every day. Unless you are banking on your one book to be a bestseller (hint - not a good strategy), write while you wait.

3. Rejection - Somebody isn't going to like your book. Agents will reject your query. A bad review will pop up in the Amazon review. All of these will happen so prepare yourself for it and make a plan to counter the rejection. For the person who doesn't like you book, ask them why. Maybe you can learn something to help your next book better. For the rejected query, ask the agent what they are looking for or why your novel didn't fit their criteria. Or if you love your project, hire an editor and publish it anyways. Rejection is going to happen so don't let it discourage you. Instead, focus on what is working and the fans you have.

If you want to make writing a career, you need to survive those tough moments. Writing is a long-term strategy. You keep building up your catalog of books, improving your craft, and bringing in more fans of your work. Each book is another step in the direction of success- of making enough money from your writing to support yourself or your family. Keep reading, learning, and writing, even when you feel like you will never reach your goals. You can make it.