Reading Keeps Me Writing

Something that I've discovered during this writing process, as I'm sure many of you have during your own journeys, is that the most difficult thing to do is to keep writing. To keep on, keeping on, as I like to say. Those who have been reading this blog know that I'm attempting to write my first novel. Along the way, I've experienced (and continue to experience) moments, periods, where I stray a bit and get distracted by life, work, etc. Sometimes I just don't feel the excitement to write, to edit, and/or to look at those same words all over again. The thing is, I have kept on. I've discovered a little trick that really helps me re-energize, in those moments where the experience isn't quite as fresh. Here's what I do:

I read.

Simple right? Of course it is. That said, simple doesn't necessarily mean it's not extremely successful. (It also doesn't mean it will work for everyone.) When I'm feeling like I need a restart, I pick up a book. Often it's the newest Stephen King. Right now I'm reading his latest, Revival. Reviving me is exactly what it's done. What happens to me is that, after reading his words, and again feeling that feeling you get what a book just draws you in, I start thinking, "Man, I want my book to do that. I want my book to make someone else feel those feels." And then, simply enough, I start typing again. Writing energy returned. I'm engaged and refreshed. A revival, of sorts.

Again, this isn't necessarily for everyone. We've all got our tricks. For me, I've got to be in the right place. Sometimes just seeing another awesome piece of literature can bring me back.

So, do your thing. Whatever it is. Just remember to keep on, keeping on.

Love,
Tom

What Would Harper Do?

Of course I'm referring to the "sequel" to Harper Lee's magnum opus To Kill A Mockingbird that is apparently on its way to us. I wonder aloud (so much so that people in public stop plucking their groceries from the shelves and stare at me) what Harper has to say about all of this. By all accounts, she's quite elderly, blind, deaf, yada-yada. There has yet to be a statement released by her. We're all to assume that she's given the green light on all of this, but... did she?

I can't help but consider the wide spectrum of emotion that this news has brought to us bookophiles of the world... I've seen both outright jubilation and abject horror (once from the same person). Many of us recoil at the sound of To Kill A Mockingbird II: Return of Boo, but couldn't our concerns be eased a bit if Harper herself came out and was like, "Look, guys. Chill. I wrote this. Trust me, I wrote it. Oh, and by the way, it's pretty freaking awesome."

Would that be so hard? That's all it would take, by the way. I mean, if she is actually coherent enough to give the "go-ahead" on the new novel, her second ever, wouldn't she also be capable of issuing one little statement?

What do you think of all of this Harper?

While we're at it, here are some more sequels of classic works that I think would be equally amazing/horrifying to myself and others like me. Fortunately, none of these ever happened.

Lord of the Flies: Part Deux. The Curse of Piggy

Macbeth 2: Dead and Loving It

The Stranger II: No Longer a Stranger

Blue Eggs and Ham: Still I Am

Sleep Tight 'Ya Morons!: A Collection of Bedtime Stories from the Mind of Holden Caulfield

On the Road. Again.

Paradise Found.

Author Panel: Transitioning from #AmWriting to #AmEditing

It's been almost two and half weeks since I finished my first draft. Everything I've read has told me to let the manuscript rest for a while (a week, three weeks, a month, longer) and then return to it with fresh eyes. The thing is, I'm struggling to stay away. All I want is to get back to it, to hang out with my characters again, and to revisit the story that I've been working on for so long. In an attempt to distract myself/get a bit more insight on what others have done, I've spoken to a group of authors about this very topic. I posed the same question to each of them and got a wide spectrum of responses. They each come from different backgrounds and with a range of publishing experiences. Some are traditionally published, some self-published, and some still unpublished. It was great to hear from so many authors, each handling this confusing stage in their own unique way. Every one of them has their "thing", their process. In a way it gives me hope. There's no one right way to make the switch from #amwriting to #amediting.

Here's what they had to say:


James Schannep ~ author of the Click Your Poison book series.
@JamesSchannep
http://jamesschannep.com/

No matter what I'm working on, my first draft is terrible. Why? Because I don't let myself go back and edit until I'm done with the first draft. If something drastic changes, I'll rewrite the opener, but usually I press on until I get to the end. My first effort is this hideously deformed beast that only a mother could love. In the meantime, I leave myself copious notes about what to edit. In my Click Your Poison series (an interactive, branching-path narrative with 50+ possible endings) this gets complicated quickly. So no, I don't wait to edit. Otherwise I'd probably forget what I was doing. I keep meticulous track of "parallel paths" so I can go back and make sure they jive. After I've done rewrite after rewrite (as an example, some passes I go through looking for one specific character, to make sure their voice is distinct), I'll turn to beta-readers to make sure the story makes sense. After all, the whole story exists in my head, but readers will each have a unique journey through the book. It's quite the juggling act. But if I've done my job, each story you read will seamlessly flow from beginning to end without any hints of the surgery I've performed to get you there.

Lucas Heath ~ author of Erased, BoX, Betawolf, and the upcoming Sightless.
@LucasHeathBooks
http://lucasheathbooks.com/

My editing process begins as I start writing a book. Instead of finishing a manuscript and sending it to my editor, I send chapters for her to edit while I'm writing, which helps immensely because it's easier for her to spot problems or plot holes. When it comes to my own editing, there are often times when I have writer's block and it's hard to continue on to a new chapter. When this happens, I go back to previous chapters that I haven't read in a while and edit them, which helps fight the writer’s block. When the manuscript is finally complete, I send the entire thing to my editor, with her edits and mine, and wait about a month for her to get back to me with new corrections. I make the suggested edits and then, one final time, I read through from beginning to end to make sure we didn't miss anything. Once I am done, I consider the book finished.





K.M. Zahrt ~ author of Odd Man Outlaw and Thanksgiving with Pop-Pop
@KMZahrt
http://www.kmzahrt.info/#!books/cnec

The writing process varies somewhat from project to project based on a variety of factors: inspiration, time to work on it, research, etc. For book-length works, when a first draft is complete is hard to tell sometimes. On my first novel, Odd Man Outlaw, I wrote the first draft by hand. Then I made revisions while typed the thing up. I guess I would say that was the completion of the first draft. After that, I took two years off from working on it while I was in graduate school, but I wouldn't say I always take time off. For that one, the creative distance was helpful. I took another year off after the third draft before making the final revisions and edits. But, with some projects, taking time off is really disruptive. The novel I'm working on now is that way because it requires more specific research, keeping facts straight. So, it's easier for me if I can sort of stay focused in on it.  I usually do have more than one project going. Right now, I'm working my second novel, but I'm also writing short stories, when the time is right, for a new collection. I'm also a regular contributor to Michiganders Post, where I write mostly nonfiction--personal essays and reviews, so that's usually a little different. Some writers may have a strict process that works for them every time, but for me, each project takes its own trajectory. The process is easier and shorter for some projects; longer, more difficult for others. For short stories, I usually like to get through the full story arc while the idea is fresh in my mind, maybe one or two writing sessions. But that doesn't necessarily mean the final product will be much like the first draft. Some are; some aren't. For longer projects, I may do some editing along the way to help me moving forward, when new pages seem impossible to produce. That can help get me back in the story. The novel I'm working on now is that way. I drafted nearly 200 pages, then revised/edited many of those pages before moving on. Then, oddly enough, I drafted the last 50 pages of the story arc. I'm working on connecting the two sections now, which is a completely different approach to the way my first novel got done. Long story short, it depends.


Jasmine Brown ~ unpublished author
@CinderScoria
http://cinderscoria.tumblr.com/
I tend to be so relieved I actually got through the first draft that I just sort of flop down and do nothing for maybe a week or two. Sometimes you get so freaking sick of your characters and the story that you just want to throw them out the window and not think for a min. You come back to it though, of course. There's a reason you stuck around to finish the book, and that's because you can see it being a book. You always have to keep in mind, though, that the first draft is supposed to suck ass. It's not going to be good. It'll be terrible. Once you accept that, you can face the first draft. Cringing and cursing and possibly crying the whole way, but you can face it. Another thing: there are drafts for a reason. It'll take a while to get through the first one and you'll want to edit as you go. Don't. Easiest thing to do is to make notes and comments on the side for things you want to change. It keeps it neat, and you can revisit later. It's a bit by bit process. It takes forever. A lot of people think the editing is easier than the actual writing. It's not. Might be harder. But it's worth it. Once you're past the first draft, and the second, you can start to see the story turning into a book people want to read. Just gotta keep the faith, I guess.

Travis Hightower ~ author of Bastion of Terra: Dreamland, Prime Time Spies, and the upcoming String Theory, Eye of the Tigress, and Tides of Pacifica
@Highspeed0516
http://hightowerdreamland.com/

Once I complete a first draft I often go over the book itself by re-reading it and making whatever updates I can, but then I use author forums and networking with other authors to trade works and critique each other. I do this right away. Once I have chopped away at my story until it becomes THE story, I try to find a professional editor for mechanics only.





Philip Tolhurst ~ author of George and the Dragon and the upcoming Nicholas North - Schoolboy Detective
@PhilipTolhurst
http://www.philiptolhurst.co.uk/

This largely depends on the project; mainly the size of the first draft and whether or not there is a deadline. As I'm self-published, the only deadlines I have to work to are either self-determined or set by publishers of anthologies I'm submitting work to. For example I'm currently reworking a Shakespeare play for an anthology and that's past its original deadline so that has gone straight from first draft into revising and editing. Both my other current projects, the sequel to my début novel and a short story set in the same universe, will go straight to editing once they are complete with very little delay. This is because I wish to publish the short story for free as soon as possible so that I can then concentrate my efforts on the sequel as I have a specific publication date set for the sequel that I do not want to miss. Other projects, like last years NaNoWriMo and the year prior to that, have barely seen the light of day since I wrote them. Last years NaNoWriMo project I intend to split into three novellas. So, later this year, I will return to that, split the work up and then edit each work separately. I'll then aim to publish them via KDP Select at some point starting in the autumn. 


Lynn Almengor ~ unpublished author of Limit Break
@PlaidCoreLynn
http://www.plaidcoreproductions.com/
My novel alternates between multiple-POV’s, so I used a non-traditional writing plan that wound up working better than I hoped. Wanting to make sure that each of my four characters had a completely developed personality and story arc, I wrote their sections one at a time. When each first draft was done, I’d immediately content edit to make sure it was a cohesive whole while it was still fresh in my mind. Then I’d put it aside and start right away on the next character. When I had four complete stories, I put the chapters into the right order and then content edited everything a second time, as a lot had changed along the way. Again, I didn’t wait more than a few days before editing, but only because it had been so long since I’d touched the earlier characters that they felt new to me again.

To all of the participating authors: Thank you Lynn, Phil, Travis, Jasmine, K.M., Lucas, and James. I'm so happy that you all agreed to sprinkle bits of your collective wisdom on the rest of us.

To the rest of you: If you liked this and/or would like to participate in the next go-around, let me know! I'd love to hear from as many voices as possible as I continue on in my attempt to finish my book.

Share this post with your friends and check me out: @RimerTom

That Time I Finished My First Draft

Now what? After close to a year of living and breathing with these characters, I have finally finished the first draft of my (spoilers ahead) Young Adult, SciFi novel. At just under 65K words, I feel pretty good. From what I know, that's pretty much the "sweet-spot" for word count when it comes to YA SciFi, and I didn't even try to hit it. I wasn't constantly checking my WC, it's just where the story ended. I let it happen. Organically as they say. Throughout the process, people told me to "just finish it" and to "just get it done". Well... I did that. I kept on, even when I wanted to stop keeping on, and I finished. It wasn't always pretty (often wasn't), but the story is down, ready to be molded into something much more. It feels great.

Now what?

I've read a lot of articles, many from published authors, regarding this very topic. Almost all of them suggest that the best thing to do is to step away from your WIP for a month or two, maybe more, and then return to your baby with fresh eyes. It'll be as if you're reading it for the first time, they say. Honestly, that sounds a helluva lot easier than I know it'll be.

I've been with this thing almost every day since about this time last year. I've done a fantastic job making it a part of my daily routine. Even if I was only able to write for five minutes on a given day, I would make sure it'd happen. On the busiest of busy days, I'd find time. So, what now? Just step away? I can't imagine anything more difficult for a creature of habit like myself. It's become an ingrained routine.

What if I step away and then can't find my way back? It's a legitimate concern. Am I the only one who has thought of this? What if I lose my touch, man?

What if I'm forever remembered as "That-Guy-Who-Wrote-a-First-Draft-and-Then-Never-Got-Back-to-It?"

I don't think I'd ever be able to forgive myself.

BUT, I will step aside. I will heed your wonderful advice, oh wise authors of books past. I will try and do something else.

I'll let you know how successful this all is. If I was a betting man... I'd give me a week. I should be able to stay away from it at least that long, right?

Right?

 

Find me on twitter, sharing my experiences writing my book, @RimerTom

That Time I Passed 50,000 Words

It finally happened. That elusive 50,000 word marker that seemed to be miles away when I started writing this thing, is finally here. I'm not participating in NaNoWriMo, mind you, but 50,000 words is still a huge checkpoint along my way to finished manuscript-dom. If you remember correctly, I took almost the entire summer, and most of the fall, off from my novel. I returned to it very recently with a second wind. A fresh set of lungs.

I read a quote recently... and I can't remember it verbatim or track it down anywhere... but it went something like this: Writing a first draft is a lot like tossing a bunch of sand into a pile, so that you can build sandcastles later on. I have no earthly idea who said that (probably some crazy person) but it really resonated with me. So much of what I'm doing right now is just getting the story down, making sure things happen when they're supposed to and that characters are in position, when they're supposed to be in position... saving the day whenever it is they're supposed to be saving the day. That kind of thing. My daily routine is always to re-read whatever chapter I was working on the previous day, just to get back into the story, only stopping along the way for minor edits to said chapter. Then I move the story forward. That's my mantra with this first draft. Get it down. Get it down. Get it down.

Okay. So, here's my "pile of sand":

 

Annnd, here's my "sand-castle":

 

No wait... that's not right. HERE is my "sand-castle":

Better. Probably not quite that old, though. That' s a really old book right there.



 

Still lots to write, but I'm making progress. I actually just passed 51,000 words if we want to get technical. 37 chapters, out of a probable 49 or 50, done. 200+ pages. Not too shabby, Tommy. Not too shabby. 

 

Please keep checking back for more updates and find me doing the Twitter thang @RimerTom

 

#amwriting

 



Why I Stopped Writing My Book... and Why I Started Back Up Again.

I never really had any sort of writer's block. I'd been motoring along quite regularly, meeting weekly goals I'd set for myself in terms of number of words a day, chapters in a week, etc. I was blogging, interviewing, and educating myself on the publishing world. Figuring I knew what I'd need to do once the book was done, how to get it published. All that. Everything was pretty freaking awesome in Tom's-Book-Land.

And then I... stopped. Time happened. I can't pinpoint any one reason that I stepped away so suddenly, I just didn't have any time. Things got busy, I kept putting it off and then, I just stopped. My wife kept asking me when there'd be more time for my book and to let her know if I needed time to just step away and write, but it didn't happen.

And then the doubt starting creeping in. The second guessing of whether or not this was even really a worthwhile endeavor, Why am I even doing this? Is my idea really original or new? It's cliche, isn't it? My protagonist sucks... I don't even like her.

And that was it. My life rolled on, I worked all summer. Went away on vacation right before school started up. The teaching thing happened again come September. My book, the one I'd spent so much time on (36,000 words worth) was done. Forgotten. This blog, naturally, went with all of that. I'd moved on.

I mean, I can't say in all honesty that I ever completely stopped thinking about it. It was always kind of there... more of, I wonder what would have happened to those characters had I continued writing. Where would the story have ended up? That kind of thing.

Jump forward a few months. I'm sitting at my desk last week and I decided to start reading my old "book". I got a couple of chapters in.

Hey, this actually isn't all that bad. I mean, that thing there sucked... but, that one, yeah, that's pretty damn good.

I couldn't let it go. I read through all 140 pages, all 36,000 words... didn't make any edits. Just read. The next day, I wrote the next chapter. The first chapter I'd written in months.

My book was alive again. The story. The characters.

I have to finish this thing.

And so we're back at it, me and my novel. I've written a couple of new chapters and this sucker is rockin' again. I won't claim or promise that there won't be more bumps in the road. Hell, I might even get hung up and stop again. I probably will. But, I will finish it. It's going to take me a long time, but I. Will. Finish.

Many of the author's that I've interviewed on this blog have told me that's the hardest part. Above all else, just finishing a story, a manuscript... that's the toughest thing to do. So many people have the ideas, but don't have the time or the drive to get it done. The desire? I don't know.

I've got it now. That desire. I've got a new plan of action too. More of my focus now will be on the novel and a little less on this blog. That's not to say I won't be giving blog updates here or there... just not as many. I'll be tweeting out more regular updates if you're interested. The thing is, if I'm ready to write and I have the time, I really should be giving it all to the story... not to interviews or blog posts about nothing really of much importance. You'll hear from me, but... less.

So, let's do this. Let's go finish this book. Only some twenty-ish chapters and say, oh... thirty to forty thousand words to go. I think. Sort of.

Not so bad, right?

An Interview with Matthew C. Martino, author of Lets Fly

Well, I've finally got my own book back on the tracks. The, as of yet, un-titled, YA sci-fi novel that I've been writing got an additional three chapters this past weekend after an extremely long hiatus. Hopefully this summer brings me much closer to finishing this thing, but honestly, who knows.

Right. Enough about me, let's meet our newest author interviewee. Today, we are speaking with Matthew C. Martino, author of Lets Fly.



-Thanks for joining us today, Matthew. For starters, what do you want our readers to know about your book, Lets Fly?
MATTHEW: A pleasure, Lets Fly is not just another aviation book. I was looking to cut out the corporate and ‘geeky’ style that other aviation books approach by using a simple approach and using layman terms which make the book readable by pretty much anyone.

-This isn’t the only book you’ve written, right?

MATTHEW: No it isn’t. I also penned a book for aspiring business people which I dubbed Go For It. This one I wanted to aim mainly at young people. The target market remains open to anyone who has an interest in starting their own business.

-How did your own life experiences/interests help in writing Lets Fly?

MATTHEW: When I was a little boy in Africa I used to spot planes and then I moved on to collecting model aircraft. once moving to the UK. My journey towards my first flight really drove me to writing the book, as it seemed impossible at times.

-You were born in Zimbabwe, eventually relocating to the U.K. Can you share with us anything about your childhood and growing up in Africa?

MATTHEW: Growing up in Africa obviously isn’t the best kick start, however I got good life values including being polite, well-spoken and respectful and these are ethos I can use in my day to day life. Also growing up in Zimbabwe made me able to use the little that I can to get far.

-The majority of our readers are new authors looking to make it big. Talk to us a little about any roadblocks that you have encountered in the publishing world and if there’s any advice that you can give to the rest of us.

MATTHEW: I think the biggest roadblock will be proofreaders, editors and publishers telling you your book is no good. Don’t let this get to you and although self-publishing is an option, I would recommend you still send your manuscript out to publishers as they will better your content. My other advice is to invest in marketing your book.

-You’re also an actor?

MATTHEW: I have had a few moments in front of the camera but I now fancy my chances behind it.

-Are you currently working on any new projects? What’s next for Matthew Martino?

MATTHEW: At the moment I’ve been having a bit of a time out from producing films. I’m working on forming a new arm of Lets Fly Academy which will retail pilot books and equipment. I’m also in talks to back some film organizations for initiatives to assist young filmmakers.

-Anything else at all you’d like to share with us about Lets Fly or any of your other works?

MATTHEW: I would like to ask any feedback or input regarding Lets Fly, Lets Fly App and Lets Fly Academy, I made this trio to better life for aspiring pilots and aviation geeks so I would like to know what information or resources they would like me to add to make it more useful to them.

-Brief teaser for Lets Fly:

Lets Fly: ‘Get your wings and let your career take-off’

-Where can we buy Lets Fly?

MATTHEW: Lets Fly is available on Amazon, Book Depository, Good Reads and other aviation book stores.

http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/matthew+martino/lets+fly/9775442/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lets-Fly-Matthew-Martino-ebook/dp/B00CWM4L2W/r

http://www.bookdepository.com/Lets-Fly-Matthew-Martino/9780957604506

 

Great stuff, Matthew. Looking forward to reading more from you and learning about how your life lead you to the skies. Thanks for sharing Lets Fly with all of us!

 

More to come soon, folks. Find us on Twitter @BookTalkGuy and @RimerTom