All The Words
| Hi Everybody! How are you all doing? For me, so far this NaNoWriMo has been a next level success! Last week I told you all that I was finishing up another book in the Cinders In Midnight Glass series. Welp, it’s done! *Throws confetti* Now, I am already moving on to starting another sweet, LGBTQIA+ romance in the Comfort Food Romance series! Can I get a whole additional book done this month? Place your bets! I’m only kidding. Well, mostly. The thing is, I know I’m a mutant writer in this massive amount of words done way. This is NOT the way most writers go about their work. This is extra NOT the way I suggest anyone has to even attempt to go about their work. So, how do I get some of these ten thousand plus word days? |
Making It Work
| The number one thing I do to get so many words written is something I have told you about but bares repeating. I get out of my way. Not second guessing your every word as you write allows you to get into that flow state of the story where the characters are doing all the work. That’s the other thing. I know most people will tell you the only way to write a lot and do it fast is to have a detailed outline. Lies. I mean, don’t get me wrong, that may be true for a lot of people. But anytime anyone tells you there is only one way to do something creative, they’re wrong. There are as many ways to accomplish something creative as there are people creating. So, I make my way work for me. Usually, I have a page of random notes about a story and that’s how I start. Those notes often include strange things that are useless to anyone else like, Little Mermaid in space (The Lost Chapter novella’s notes page said this) or something equally as random that only makes sense to me. I almost always know the major markers of the story. What’s going to happen at the halfway point, the quarter mark, the three quarter mark, and the end? My secret is, even as a pantser, I know those things. Just not a whole lot of stuff that leads us from one of those points to another. The other thing I use to my advantage is my raging and chronic insomnia. Yep, your girl is massively sleep deprived and has perpetual dark circles under her eyes. We’re talking four or five hours a night on average. So, if you were me, and this was the way your brain was — a jerk who wouldn’t let you sleep — what would you do? A long time ago, when I was still a bitty little kid, insomnia stalked me then too. Back then, I could sleep for days once I was finally out, but getting there was a lot of work. Now, I can’t stay asleep either… if I ever find whatever fate decided I just shouldn’t sleep I am going to punch them. So, instead of sleeping, I have done a lot of homework and collected a few letters after my name. And I write. A lot. It helps. Even as the rest of the world around me slips through their dreams, lost to the depth of the night, tucked in their beds, I delve through all the waking dreams in my head of characters, places, and stories that only exist in that twilight place. Basically, don’t do what I do. I will never give you suggestions about process because mine makes no sense. For National Novel Writing Month, though, hoo boy does my particular brand of odd come in real handy. |
Reviews!
Have I let you all in on the secret of reviews?
I’m pretty sure I haven’t.
The secret of reviews is, they are so important for a writer!
I’m not talking about some professional publication somewhere being nice to some author or another.
When was the last time you heard of someone focusing on what one of the pro reviewers said about a book? I know I haven’t heard of that in a long long time.
But what DOES matter to an author, as in metric butt load of mattering, are the reviews from the readers.
Most of us know of goodreads, but in case you haven’t, people talk about and review books there.
Well, those reviews on that platform, and the vendor platforms, where anyone might stumble across your title are HUGE for writers.
The first way it’s a big deal is that it helps us get our books seen by more people and those that do see it trust that its good enough to read.
But the second is that there are some things we can’t use, some lists for readers, and some sales and things we aren’t allowed to do or take part in unless the book has a certain number of reviews.
Yes, reviews. Not just sales.
So, on behalf of all the authors everywhere, thank you for leaving reviews on the books you love!
And that brings me to the best part of the fact that the first reviews are coming in for Heart of Cinders, book 1 in the Cinders In Midnight Glass series. (If you have read Before The Fire that’s exclusive to the newsletter for you then you know Heart of Cinders continues that story)
| So far, and we’re only a handful of reviews in, the readers love the book and I’m so happy! The not so hidden secret to putting books out into the world is that as much as writers want everyone to read the stories and love the characters the way we do, it’s terrifying!But once it’s out there, all I can do is hope I’ve done a decent job of getting the characters and stories in my head on the page in a way that you enjoy. Sharing my stories with all of you is the goal, but having you love them is the real win. And thank you so much for telling people that you do! |
Coming Along
| So, Heart of Shattered Glass, book 2 of Cinders in Midnight Glass is coming soon. And you already know I I’m continuing to work on the series. A Comfort Food Romance, Brewed Anew, is coming out in 2022, and there will be more after that in the series. I also know that more and more libraries are stocking the books, so if you want to read the stories for free, check your local library or request they get a copy. Libraries do ebooks too! |
Surprise
This section was an exclusive surprise for my newsletter subscribers, so if you want to be in on the secrets, sign up!
Ta da!
I have yammered on this week and have been writing a metric whack load for NaNo, so I hope you’ll all forgive my absolute inability to finish the chapter of Voice In The Forest this week.
All my plans to give you another chapter ended when I knew I needed another few lines to finish it, opened the document, stared, and forgot how to sentence!
NaNo can do strange things to my brain.
Hopefully I will function a little better and get that chapter to you next week, but I know I will keep working on my NaNo goals and keep you updated on all things wordy.
As always, happy reading!
