Hey all. Sorry for the weeks with no posting--I was writing and revising a novel due July 1, and since turning it in have been trying to find my head.
Alexis asked: "2)How do you juggle multiple publishing houses? Not in regards to getting the books written, but on the relationship side? Do you keep it to one genre or sub-genre per each house? Does one of them ever try to get you exclusively? How does that all work?"
I am amazed at the number of authors who write for two, even three, houses nowadays. I know authors who write for Dorchester and HQ/Sil; Dorchester and Kensington; Berkley and HQ/Sil; Berkley and St. Martin's; Berkley and Dorchester. And that's just off the top of my head early in the morning.
It has become increasingly common not to be "exclusive" to one publisher. This is especially true in the midlist, where advances and print runs can be low, and authors want to gain the most exposure they possibly can.
Things to keep in mind:
1. Be very careful about the language in your contract. Publishers have an "option" clause, which means that you must submit your next work to them before offering it to others. Now, this option clause can be worded to your liking. The standard wording is "Next book-length work" (meaning anything you write, even a cookbook). Your agent can get that changed to: "Next book-length historical romance by Alexis ..."
For example, I submitted my historical mystery series to Berkley even though I'd been picked up for romances at Dorchester, because Dorchester didn't publish cozy historical mysteries (at that time), and Berkley had the Prime Crime line which specialized in it. Likewise, I submitted my erotic romance to Berkley, because again, they had the line, and Dorchester didn't. Both times I took a different name (Ashley Gardner and Allyson James), both because I was asked to, and because to me, it signals to readers better what kind of book they're going to get. Also, I published with an e-publisher, doing category length erotic romance, when no one in NY was doing it. (Note: e-publishers too have started putting option clauses in their contracts, which weren't there when I started.)
I know of an author who has her option clauses written very carefully so she can publish different subgenres at different houses of her choice, under one name. In fact, most of the authors I know who write for more than one house don't take psuedonyms. When I started, I was rather naive, and I didn't know I could have my option clause so tightly worded that I could take my name elsewhere.
So, if you do wish to publish at more than one house, make sure you read your option clause carefully, and tell your agent exactly how you want it worded. Change option clauses to your advantage, as much as you can. (But be flexible--give and take is better than rigid demands).
2. At some point, a publisher will want you exclusively. A couple of authors I know of who published at two different houses are now exclusive to one. If the publisher wants that, in my opinion, they need to pay for it. It is not to your advantage to write for one house exclusively if you're still getting $5K to $10K advances. You will be tied to their scheduling, and if your books come out too far apart, your income will not be good, and in this reading climate, readers will forget about you!
Now, when a publisher "wants" you, they might be signalling a willingness to publish you well (i.e., good advances, scheduling your books fairly rapidly, good marketing push for your books). They might be investing in growing you. (Or not! You have to be careful. :-) )
It can be an advantage to be exclusive at one house (the "investment" in you). But until you're a guaranteed lead with guaranteed big print runs, in my opinion, it's a good idea to try different arenas.
3. That all said--if you don't think you can juggle two publishers, DON'T! You will find yourself on a crazy schedule, tying to finish two books at once, trying not to make what you write for each house too similar so you don't violate your option clauses, being bombarded with revisions on two books at once. It can be a nightmare.
I hope that answers your questions. In my humble opinion, writing for multiple houses is a great advantage for the midlist and beginning author. You have more exposure to more audiences, and can build a strong base, so that when you are asked to be exclusive (and paid well to be), then your audience is established, and you can move up well. That's the theory, anyway! :-)
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Character creation
I received some good questions on my request for blog topis, and I'll answer each one. I'll start with Laura's on characterization:
Laura wrote: "That leads me to wonder how you go about creating a character. Do you sit down before writing a book and write profiles of each character and how he or she would react to certain situations?"
I'm sure every author has a different technique of character development--what works for some authors doesn't work for others. For instance, some writers use character charts or index cards to keep track of who their characters are and what they look like.
That doesn't work for me, because I lose charts or forget to look at them. That's just my special style. :-)
My answer to the question is two-part:
1. Do I write profiles of each character: Yes, but...
2. Do I write out how he or she would react to certain situations? No.
Character Profiles
I do write down notes about my characters, but I don't have anything so organized as a notebook or charts or whatnot.
I find it helps enormously for me to write autobiographies for certain characters either before I start or shortly thereafter (I start the book when when I emotionally *need* to start it--the idea grips me so hard I have to write it before I explode. And, um, deadlines creeping up on me force the issue as well.)
I write biographies or autobiographies of my main characters: in romance, the hero and heroine. In mystery, the main protagonist.
I like to start with when they were born and who their parents were. What kind of people were their parents? Rich? Poor? Prominent? Nobodies? Were they happy people or miserable? Does he have good memories of his childhood or only terrible ones?
What were some events in the hero's childhood that marked him? In the case of Madness of Lord Ian, of course, it was his father's abuse that bordered on violence, and being shut away for being "different," plus what he suffered as experimental "treatments" in the asylum. But also he had memories of his oldest brother, Hart, who always looked after him, and no matter what their later differences, the oldest and youngest brothers of the Mackenzie family share a special bond.
As another example, I had a pirate character in an earlier book with several life-shaping moments--when he watched his father be killed, and when he decided to take charge of bringing up his illegitimate half-sister.
Those events will make the character become who he is, as will his social and economic background.
I'm brainstorming a novella right now in which I'm not sure who the heroine "is." The hero was mentioned in another book (his brother was the hero), so I know a lot about him already, but the heroine is an enigma. I haven't even decided whether she will be a "normal" or supernatural character.
I'm mostly visualizing these characters in my head, which is how I always start the characterization process, not writing anything down until I've replayed things in my brain several times. But soon I will start writing out the heroine's biography, and the decisions I make about her will shape the plot. Her decisions (and the hero's) will drive the story.
2. Do I write out how he or she would react to certain situations? No.
I say no to this question because I'm not a big pre-plotter/planner. I wait for the situations to come up in the book, then I channel my character and basically record what he/she says and does, plus of course the reactions of the other characters to them.
This is where the character bio comes in handy, because it's already made me get deep inside the character so I can channel him or her.
That doesn't always mean I get it right the first time! I always read through my drafts two or three times, and I'll think: "That character would never say that," or "She would never use that expression." I make changes accordingly.
The draft gets out the bare bones of my story and characterization, then the second draft fleshes it out and establishes the characters more firmly.
That's not to say that I don't think writing out how a character will react to situations is a bad idea. It might be a great way to get to know them. A similar method is a "character interview" I've seen some writers use, to ask their characters all kinds of pointed and difficult to answer questions. Not only are their answers telling, but also whether or not the character is comfortable answering.
Whatever method you choose, I believe it's very important to get deep into your characters' heads, know where he/she came from and what happened to them earlier in life. Think about them, daydream them, live with them, dream about them, let them blog, grill them... Whatever it takes. :-)
Laura wrote: "That leads me to wonder how you go about creating a character. Do you sit down before writing a book and write profiles of each character and how he or she would react to certain situations?"
I'm sure every author has a different technique of character development--what works for some authors doesn't work for others. For instance, some writers use character charts or index cards to keep track of who their characters are and what they look like.
That doesn't work for me, because I lose charts or forget to look at them. That's just my special style. :-)
My answer to the question is two-part:
1. Do I write profiles of each character: Yes, but...
2. Do I write out how he or she would react to certain situations? No.
Character Profiles
I do write down notes about my characters, but I don't have anything so organized as a notebook or charts or whatnot.
I find it helps enormously for me to write autobiographies for certain characters either before I start or shortly thereafter (I start the book when when I emotionally *need* to start it--the idea grips me so hard I have to write it before I explode. And, um, deadlines creeping up on me force the issue as well.)
I write biographies or autobiographies of my main characters: in romance, the hero and heroine. In mystery, the main protagonist.
I like to start with when they were born and who their parents were. What kind of people were their parents? Rich? Poor? Prominent? Nobodies? Were they happy people or miserable? Does he have good memories of his childhood or only terrible ones?
What were some events in the hero's childhood that marked him? In the case of Madness of Lord Ian, of course, it was his father's abuse that bordered on violence, and being shut away for being "different," plus what he suffered as experimental "treatments" in the asylum. But also he had memories of his oldest brother, Hart, who always looked after him, and no matter what their later differences, the oldest and youngest brothers of the Mackenzie family share a special bond.
As another example, I had a pirate character in an earlier book with several life-shaping moments--when he watched his father be killed, and when he decided to take charge of bringing up his illegitimate half-sister.
Those events will make the character become who he is, as will his social and economic background.
I'm brainstorming a novella right now in which I'm not sure who the heroine "is." The hero was mentioned in another book (his brother was the hero), so I know a lot about him already, but the heroine is an enigma. I haven't even decided whether she will be a "normal" or supernatural character.
I'm mostly visualizing these characters in my head, which is how I always start the characterization process, not writing anything down until I've replayed things in my brain several times. But soon I will start writing out the heroine's biography, and the decisions I make about her will shape the plot. Her decisions (and the hero's) will drive the story.
2. Do I write out how he or she would react to certain situations? No.
I say no to this question because I'm not a big pre-plotter/planner. I wait for the situations to come up in the book, then I channel my character and basically record what he/she says and does, plus of course the reactions of the other characters to them.
This is where the character bio comes in handy, because it's already made me get deep inside the character so I can channel him or her.
That doesn't always mean I get it right the first time! I always read through my drafts two or three times, and I'll think: "That character would never say that," or "She would never use that expression." I make changes accordingly.
The draft gets out the bare bones of my story and characterization, then the second draft fleshes it out and establishes the characters more firmly.
That's not to say that I don't think writing out how a character will react to situations is a bad idea. It might be a great way to get to know them. A similar method is a "character interview" I've seen some writers use, to ask their characters all kinds of pointed and difficult to answer questions. Not only are their answers telling, but also whether or not the character is comfortable answering.
Whatever method you choose, I believe it's very important to get deep into your characters' heads, know where he/she came from and what happened to them earlier in life. Think about them, daydream them, live with them, dream about them, let them blog, grill them... Whatever it takes. :-)
Thursday, June 4, 2009
All right....any requests?
I need to post here again, and I am drawing a blank on topics. I'm contemplating writing about what "being published" means (more than having a book in print), professional jealousy (how to keep it from destroying you, and even how to make it help you), and... I either have too many things to say or nothing at all.
Any requests? Any questions? Feel free to post in the comments and I'll see if I can come up with a post about it!!
Any requests? Any questions? Feel free to post in the comments and I'll see if I can come up with a post about it!!
Monday, May 4, 2009
It's All About Control
Oh my goodness gracious. I haven't posted a while here, because my life suddenly went berserk.
Not only did I have a book release this May, but it generated all kinds of amazing buzz, plus I've been trying to market it a bit (writing blogs right and left).
Plus there have been icky distribution problems (Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie is well stocked at B&N and Wal-mart! Please support them!)
And on top of that.... Page proofs, then copy edits, then more page proofs, plus a ms. or two to finish and submit.
I never knew being an author was this crazed.
I feel like Yoda saying: If you're not afraid now... you will be.
Anyway, it's been an exercise in learning what an author can control, and what she/he can't.
What you can control:
1. Writing your book.
2. Being professional (doing your job; whether that means turning around your copyedits on time, doing market research to find a publisher/agent; showing up to promote your book, etc.)
3. Taking care of yourself.
What you can't control:
1. Distribution (see "icky" above)
2. Print run of your book (despite the happy articles of the romance market going up; still there are problems with orders and returns, and booksellers are ordering fewer books).
3. Where your book is placed and in what stores.
4. Your cover. (Authors have some say in covers; but more and more publishers are refusing to give authors cover approval.)
5. Reviews. Ya sends out the review copies, and ya takes your chances.
6. Word of mouth. Either readers will like it and tell their friends... or they will not (and tell their friends).
7. Distributors going out of business. Anderson News closing their doors in February was a huge blow to the publishing industry.
8. Bookstore returns. Almost all bookstores decided, at the same time, to get rid of excess inventory, which meant massive returns to publishers. What will this do to authors' sell through (percentage of sales to books printed)? I shudder to think.
As you can see, there is a lot in the publishing industry authors can't control at all. I am not going to pretend it doesn't suck. It truly does suck!
What can we do?
1. It comes back one more time, to writing the best book you can. Cream does rise even with all the many, many problems that have suddenly cropped up in the industry.
2. Get a team of people on your side to get you through. Writing really doesn't happen alone. We like to think we're individual geniuses, but the truth is, it takes a village to become happily published.
A good team can consist of: a great agent; a supportive critique partner or group; an assistant (I don't have a full-time one; though I do have a part-time long-distance assistant who helps with my website and reminds me to enter contests and so forth). Friends--both authors who get what you're going through, and non-writers, who can pull you out of your mad obsession for a few minutes.
Gather your team and give them chocolate.
Take care of yourself and feed your creativity.
Pay attention to what's going on in the marketplace, and don't walk blindly into publication ("I got published; my career is now perfect.")
Stay sane.
I can't say "you'll be fine," but you might just survive. :-)
Not only did I have a book release this May, but it generated all kinds of amazing buzz, plus I've been trying to market it a bit (writing blogs right and left).
Plus there have been icky distribution problems (Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie is well stocked at B&N and Wal-mart! Please support them!)
And on top of that.... Page proofs, then copy edits, then more page proofs, plus a ms. or two to finish and submit.
I never knew being an author was this crazed.
I feel like Yoda saying: If you're not afraid now... you will be.
Anyway, it's been an exercise in learning what an author can control, and what she/he can't.
What you can control:
1. Writing your book.
2. Being professional (doing your job; whether that means turning around your copyedits on time, doing market research to find a publisher/agent; showing up to promote your book, etc.)
3. Taking care of yourself.
What you can't control:
1. Distribution (see "icky" above)
2. Print run of your book (despite the happy articles of the romance market going up; still there are problems with orders and returns, and booksellers are ordering fewer books).
3. Where your book is placed and in what stores.
4. Your cover. (Authors have some say in covers; but more and more publishers are refusing to give authors cover approval.)
5. Reviews. Ya sends out the review copies, and ya takes your chances.
6. Word of mouth. Either readers will like it and tell their friends... or they will not (and tell their friends).
7. Distributors going out of business. Anderson News closing their doors in February was a huge blow to the publishing industry.
8. Bookstore returns. Almost all bookstores decided, at the same time, to get rid of excess inventory, which meant massive returns to publishers. What will this do to authors' sell through (percentage of sales to books printed)? I shudder to think.
As you can see, there is a lot in the publishing industry authors can't control at all. I am not going to pretend it doesn't suck. It truly does suck!
What can we do?
1. It comes back one more time, to writing the best book you can. Cream does rise even with all the many, many problems that have suddenly cropped up in the industry.
2. Get a team of people on your side to get you through. Writing really doesn't happen alone. We like to think we're individual geniuses, but the truth is, it takes a village to become happily published.
A good team can consist of: a great agent; a supportive critique partner or group; an assistant (I don't have a full-time one; though I do have a part-time long-distance assistant who helps with my website and reminds me to enter contests and so forth). Friends--both authors who get what you're going through, and non-writers, who can pull you out of your mad obsession for a few minutes.
Gather your team and give them chocolate.
Take care of yourself and feed your creativity.
Pay attention to what's going on in the marketplace, and don't walk blindly into publication ("I got published; my career is now perfect.")
Stay sane.
I can't say "you'll be fine," but you might just survive. :-)
Thursday, April 30, 2009
What a Writer Really Does to Celebrate a Release
I'm slacking here (I know), but I tell a bit about why, and how I get to celebrate my fabulous release week here:
http://www.thechatelaines.blogspot.com
http://www.thechatelaines.blogspot.com
Friday, April 17, 2009
How many books does a NYT bestseller sell?
I plan to do another post on Monday, but for now, I'll turn you over to Lynn Veihl who reveals the numbers of her NYT bestseller from last July.
http://www.genreality.net/the-reality-of-a-times-bestseller
In the interest of full disclosure, her print and sales numbers look much like mine have for several of my recent books. Which tells me that making the NYT list is not so much about the number of copies sold but at the velocity at which they're sold and reordered.
http://www.genreality.net/the-reality-of-a-times-bestseller
In the interest of full disclosure, her print and sales numbers look much like mine have for several of my recent books. Which tells me that making the NYT list is not so much about the number of copies sold but at the velocity at which they're sold and reordered.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Amazon: Egg on Face
Read about the whole Amazon kerfluffle here:
http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6651080.html?desc=topstory
http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6651080.html?desc=topstory
Monday, April 6, 2009
The RITAs
Every year Romance Writers of America announces its slate of finalists for the RITA award, given to the best romances of the year.
And every year there is a deluge of controversy (some years more than others). There are also questions--what is a RITA? Who is Rita? Why were those books picked to final? Why these categories and not those? Why are ebooks excluded? (the hottest of hot buttons right now).
So here is everything you ever wanted to know about the RITA contest but were afraid to ask. (If any of the below needs correcting, please, feel free to tell me [politely...]).
1. The RITA award was established I think about twenty years ago to honor excellence in romance fiction. The award is named for Rita Clay Estrada, founding member and RWA's first president.
2. The RITA was invented to give romance some recognition. At the time, romance got zero recognition, especially category romance. Romances were often not "counted" on bestseller lists (and category still isn't). To let romance authors be recognized as having some talent, thank you, the RITA was developed.
3. Unlike the Edgars, Nebulas, and Hugos, the RITA is a contest, with an entry fee. Books may be entered by either a. the author; b. the author's publisher. (I believe anyone can enter someone else's book but I'd have to ask about that.) Most publishers enter at least some of their authors' books.
4. Non-RWA members are allowed to enter the contest, but they pay a higher entry fee.
5. The entire contest is limited to 1200 entries.
6. Judges are authors who have a. joined RWA, and b. are in the Published Author Network (PAN). Judges may NOT judge a category in which they are entered.
7. Entries are broken down into categories, which are the subjects of many flame wars. In the past, categories reflected that most entries were category romances--as time passed and more and more single-title romances were published in more and more subgenres, the categories changed. Do I think the categories need more work? Definitely. The romance genre is ever-evolving. Imho, the RITA categories are always behind the power curve. I won't get into it, because, hoo boy.
8. Judges indicates the top three categories they are interested in judging and the judge gets a box of books that are a mix of those three categories. Each book is read by five judges and given a score. Judges score anywhere from six to nine books. Scores are anonymous, and are a number from 1 to 9.
9. The top scoring books in each category are finalists. I don't know how the scores are calculated or how they figure out how many finalists there are--it's math.
10. Finalists are called, names announced.
11. Another set of books are sent to final-round judges who again score the books, and the top scorer of each category is the winner.
12. Winners are announced at the big ceremony at RWA National, and the winner takes home a shiny statue.
What does it all mean--why are RITAs such a big deal?
The RITA contest is a peer-judged contest, writers judging writers. It's also a level field (in theory)--books that had low print runs compete against books that are mega bestsellers. Few readers might not have even seen a book with a 15K print run that sat on the shelves for three weeks, but that doesn't mean it was a bad book. The RITA gives that author the chance for some recognition. RITA winning does not necessarily mean bestselling. Bestsellers are a different ball of wax (read some of my previous entries on how a book becomes a bestseller).
Why do authors care so much?
Because of that peer review. We not only want to please readers, we want other writers, people who share our profession, to think we're good too!
Why should readers care?
It's up to readers whether they care or not. The RITA represents the best romances--that were qualified to enter in a certain year of people who bothered to enter. Many authors vehemently don't enter the contest, others vehemently do, others can go either way.
Do you enter, Jennifer?
I do. What the heck? I might win and get a pretty statue. Which is how I ended up with the one in 2007 (shown above). My publishers put a line on my book cover, and we sing la la la.
Do I think some books are unfairly excluded?
Yes, I do. See my above statment about the genre ever-evolving and how the contest needs to keep up. Also method of delivery is evolving (of course I'm talking about ebooks).
I won't go into all that controversy, because it's covered well elsewhere, plus I just don't wanna. Too much stress. The RITA is problematic and problems need to be fixed. Granted.
But there you have it. More about the contest rules can be found on the RWA National website (www.rwanational.org) under Contests & Awards.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Leah Hultenschmidt blogs
My editor at Dorchester, Leah Hultenschmidt, is blogging at Ninc today. Good questions about submitting, getting published, the industry today.
http://www.ninc.com/blog/index.php/archives/meet-editor-leah-hultenschmidt
http://www.ninc.com/blog/index.php/archives/meet-editor-leah-hultenschmidt
Monday, March 16, 2009
Writer's Block... Excuse me, Writer's Attitude
I've been promising a long time I would write about writer's block.
I've procrastinated by finding many other things to write about, and besides, I've been busy.
Or maybe I just had writer's block about it. :-)
This is what happened to me in 2007. In the spring, I turned in a ms. (Immortals: The Gathering, if anyone wants to know), and then
I. Burned. Out.
I didn't want to write anything. For any reason. I turned to reading, went to conferences, got check-ups, cleaned out my house, taught other people how to get published.
This wasn't just procrastination. I had another book due that summer, but any time I sat down to do it... I had nothing.
One big empty blank.
And I didn't care.
I told myself I was watching my career slip away. I told myself I was a wimp. I promised myself all nice kinds of things if I would just get the next ms. done.
I still couldn't write. Oh, I'd might get an idea and sit down and type a page or two, then the computer would be idle for days.
If I had two or three years to write a book, this wouldn't be a problem. I had three months.
And I couldn't be paid to care.
(Actually, I was being paid to care... I'd gotten an advance for signing the contract. But I didn't care.)
By the way, I never call it Writer's Block. I call it Writer's Attitude. If I can trick it, you see, I might be able to conquer it.
Exciting things happened while I had my Writer's Attitude. I made the USA Today Bestseller list for the first time. I was nominated for a Rita. I WON the Rita.
It was wonderful! The stress of the excitement also added to my burnout.
And then... my deadline was less than a month away. Panic set in. What did that do? Yes, made things worse.
It was horrible. Some days I hated myself. Other days, I just didn't care.
My deadline was looming. And guess what I got to reward myself with after that book was done? Yes, another book. In fact, I had deadlines all the way up to Sept. of 2008 by that time.
Don't think that didn't add another stone to the big weight around my neck.
Obviously, I got through it, because the book I blocked, Highlander Ever After, did get finished, turned in, published. The next book, which also terrified me, got finished, turned in, published (it came out last month).
I'm sure what everyone wants to know is how I got through the block.
I'm not blocked now (knock on wood). The joy came back. It's still here. I'm booked solid until mid-2010 with writing now. Yay!
How I Got Through Writer's Attitude without Losing My Job or My Mind
1. I know: I should have stopped beating myself up and started giving myself positive messages (it's ok to be blocked, relax, if you don't want to write, don't stop yourself doing something else.)
I flunked Positive Messaging. I beat myself up the whole ride.
2. I couldn't trick my muse (or give it positive messages). So I tricked the left side of my brain, the non-creative one.
Tricks that worked:
Taking laptop (without Internet) to a coffee house or library, and making myself write X number of pages. No leaving until they were done. I could write anything, as long as it had something to do with the novel that needed to get done.
Getting plenty of sleep. Stress is exhausting, and you can't write when you're exhausted.
Exercising. See sleep.
Cutting back on committments that have nothing to do with writing (conference appearances, volunteering, speaking). I like to "give back", but I was doing so at the cost of my own creativity.
Tricking the Right Brain
I still had to get my muse going so I had something to say when I was rested, in shape, and had freed up my time.
1. I let myself be a bad writer. I never believe that what I write is brilliant; I always believe it's crap. I feared that now I was a "bestseller" and a "RITA winner," had to be brilliant. People told me that all this meant I was already wonderful, but I had sold the books/won the prize for books I'd written nearly two years before. Who says I could do it again?
I allowed myself to be bad--or actually neutral--until I got the words on a page. To paraphrase Nora Roberts: you can fix bad writing, but you can't fix a blank page.
2. I fed my muse. I indulged in books I loved, watched DVDs, did non-writing creative things like music and art.
3. I looked for wisdom from other authors. One author (and I'm sorry, I can't now recall who it was), suggested this exercise:
Write a scene that you won't turn in, that you won't show anyone. Make it as erotic or dramatic, or whatever, as you want. Let yourself go. Never, ever show this scene to anyone! No one will judge it; no one will see it. Do whatever you feel, without inhibition.
This one helped me a lot. As I wrote my scene (which nooooo one gets to read, evah), I felt the walls I had built between myself and my stories crumble and fall.
I read it back--it was good! It had that heart-squeezing, gut wrenching emotion I had completely blocked from myself. (But no, no one gets to see it.)
I realized how inhibited I had gotten: I thought I had to be briliant all the time. Result: I second-guessed every word, every scene, every line. I worried so much about everything I wrote that I couldn't write anything.
When I wrote that scene I wasn't going to turn in, would never be published, would never be seen even by my husband . . . suddenly it was all about the story, the characters in that room, and the feeling.
The head shut up, and the heart came back.
So, I'm hoping that sharing these thoughts might help someone else break through.
The happy ending for me was: When I was halfway through the book after the burnout book, the joy of writing came back. I just went for it, let my heart tell the story. My editor loved it, RT gave it a fantastic review, and it's selling well.
If anyone else wants to share how they got through writer's block, please do!!!
I've procrastinated by finding many other things to write about, and besides, I've been busy.
Or maybe I just had writer's block about it. :-)
This is what happened to me in 2007. In the spring, I turned in a ms. (Immortals: The Gathering, if anyone wants to know), and then
I. Burned. Out.
I didn't want to write anything. For any reason. I turned to reading, went to conferences, got check-ups, cleaned out my house, taught other people how to get published.
This wasn't just procrastination. I had another book due that summer, but any time I sat down to do it... I had nothing.
One big empty blank.
And I didn't care.
I told myself I was watching my career slip away. I told myself I was a wimp. I promised myself all nice kinds of things if I would just get the next ms. done.
I still couldn't write. Oh, I'd might get an idea and sit down and type a page or two, then the computer would be idle for days.
If I had two or three years to write a book, this wouldn't be a problem. I had three months.
And I couldn't be paid to care.
(Actually, I was being paid to care... I'd gotten an advance for signing the contract. But I didn't care.)
By the way, I never call it Writer's Block. I call it Writer's Attitude. If I can trick it, you see, I might be able to conquer it.
Exciting things happened while I had my Writer's Attitude. I made the USA Today Bestseller list for the first time. I was nominated for a Rita. I WON the Rita.
It was wonderful! The stress of the excitement also added to my burnout.
And then... my deadline was less than a month away. Panic set in. What did that do? Yes, made things worse.
It was horrible. Some days I hated myself. Other days, I just didn't care.
My deadline was looming. And guess what I got to reward myself with after that book was done? Yes, another book. In fact, I had deadlines all the way up to Sept. of 2008 by that time.
Don't think that didn't add another stone to the big weight around my neck.
Obviously, I got through it, because the book I blocked, Highlander Ever After, did get finished, turned in, published. The next book, which also terrified me, got finished, turned in, published (it came out last month).
I'm sure what everyone wants to know is how I got through the block.
I'm not blocked now (knock on wood). The joy came back. It's still here. I'm booked solid until mid-2010 with writing now. Yay!
How I Got Through Writer's Attitude without Losing My Job or My Mind
1. I know: I should have stopped beating myself up and started giving myself positive messages (it's ok to be blocked, relax, if you don't want to write, don't stop yourself doing something else.)
I flunked Positive Messaging. I beat myself up the whole ride.
2. I couldn't trick my muse (or give it positive messages). So I tricked the left side of my brain, the non-creative one.
Tricks that worked:
Taking laptop (without Internet) to a coffee house or library, and making myself write X number of pages. No leaving until they were done. I could write anything, as long as it had something to do with the novel that needed to get done.
Getting plenty of sleep. Stress is exhausting, and you can't write when you're exhausted.
Exercising. See sleep.
Cutting back on committments that have nothing to do with writing (conference appearances, volunteering, speaking). I like to "give back", but I was doing so at the cost of my own creativity.
Tricking the Right Brain
I still had to get my muse going so I had something to say when I was rested, in shape, and had freed up my time.
1. I let myself be a bad writer. I never believe that what I write is brilliant; I always believe it's crap. I feared that now I was a "bestseller" and a "RITA winner," had to be brilliant. People told me that all this meant I was already wonderful, but I had sold the books/won the prize for books I'd written nearly two years before. Who says I could do it again?
I allowed myself to be bad--or actually neutral--until I got the words on a page. To paraphrase Nora Roberts: you can fix bad writing, but you can't fix a blank page.
2. I fed my muse. I indulged in books I loved, watched DVDs, did non-writing creative things like music and art.
3. I looked for wisdom from other authors. One author (and I'm sorry, I can't now recall who it was), suggested this exercise:
Write a scene that you won't turn in, that you won't show anyone. Make it as erotic or dramatic, or whatever, as you want. Let yourself go. Never, ever show this scene to anyone! No one will judge it; no one will see it. Do whatever you feel, without inhibition.
This one helped me a lot. As I wrote my scene (which nooooo one gets to read, evah), I felt the walls I had built between myself and my stories crumble and fall.
I read it back--it was good! It had that heart-squeezing, gut wrenching emotion I had completely blocked from myself. (But no, no one gets to see it.)
I realized how inhibited I had gotten: I thought I had to be briliant all the time. Result: I second-guessed every word, every scene, every line. I worried so much about everything I wrote that I couldn't write anything.
When I wrote that scene I wasn't going to turn in, would never be published, would never be seen even by my husband . . . suddenly it was all about the story, the characters in that room, and the feeling.
The head shut up, and the heart came back.
So, I'm hoping that sharing these thoughts might help someone else break through.
The happy ending for me was: When I was halfway through the book after the burnout book, the joy of writing came back. I just went for it, let my heart tell the story. My editor loved it, RT gave it a fantastic review, and it's selling well.
If anyone else wants to share how they got through writer's block, please do!!!
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