Passion, Puke, and Priorities

by Rob Hines

So… yeah.

I’m late with my article this month. Really late. Like “oh crap, is she pregnant?” late.

But I have a really good excuse.

Um.

Hold on, I know it’s around here somewhere.

Ah, screw it. I just flat-out didn't do it.

Sure, my kid was sick, but it’s 2013. EVERYBODY’S kid is sick. That doesn't work anymore. We had some major home projects to work on, but my wife is a high school teacher so she knows all about due dates, and she doesn't let me miss deadlines. I feel sorry for her students sometimes.

So what happened?

I happened.

This mess of a guy was trying to do a million things at once and decided the writing could wait. Ugh, it makes me nauseous just thinking about it. This passion, this hunger, this thing I want to do more than anything else was just pushed to the back burner for a few weeks while I did…other stuff.

And that’s okay. Yes, I feel sick when I think about the time wasted, but ultimately it’s just something that happened, and I have to recognize that even though it wasn't a very awesome choice, I can get back on track and leave my moment of weakness behind me.

When you’re pursuing a passion, you tend to make it an obsession that consumes your brain all day, every day. I think most of us are thinking about writing all the time, even when we’re not doing it. Especially when we’re not doing it. My mind actually shuts down a little when I’m finally sitting down to write. The words flow and I turn off my brain to avoid over-thinking the process. The mental torture doesn't start until I move on to something else and begin flagellating myself for neglecting the writing. So the answer is just write all the time, isn't it?

Nope. Not possible. I've got a boss that expects me to actually “do my job.” My son doesn't care about my passion. He just wants to play cars. And my wife would like to have her husband around once in a while. While I’m spinning all these plates, I’m secretly loathing myself for not being in front of a keyboard, and I do a lot of loathing.

Writing is a priority in my life, that’s not a question. The question is where it fits and when it fits. To truly bring writing back into the fold and make it stick, I have to make sure I establish an unbreakable commitment to the activity. I can’t have an excuse to let myself off the hook. I need a place where I can always write. I need a time when no one else can divide my attention. I know that place and time exist. I just have to find them.

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How Do You Promote Something Written With A Pseudonym?

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by Kelly DeBie

The rumors are true. I’ve been “writing” a few books for a while now, which is a round-a-bout way of saying that there are some really awesome books that mostly reside in my head, none of which have found their way to paper in a legitimate enough form for me to really refer to them as books.

I started one eons ago now, when I was in an entirely different place and time. Though that book still may end up manifesting in some form someday, it's not a reflection of where I am currently, and I've got other books to write these days.

One of them exists now in a form that I can comfortably call a book. There is a table of contents, a rough outline of chapters, a few completed chapters and a running list of things I need to make sure I include.

When I'm in the zone, I'm pounding out 3,000+ words a sitting.

It appears I'm finally in the place to write this book, and this one will get finished.

The trouble with this particular book is a simple one, but one that will inevitably make getting it published someday much more difficult. It is this: I can't attach my name to it. I can't have it associated with me. I need to use a pseudonym.

This presents an interesting problem.

I have a few contacts in the publishing world, and may have to call in a few favors...but this book is going to have to be completely amazing for a publisher to take a risk on it, particularly when I refuse to associate myself with it directly.

OR

I can self publish, accepting the truth that I will be almost completely limited in my ability to promote it, at least to any of my already established fans, readers and contacts. If I call in favors from the people I know, they will obviously know that I wrote the book. If enough people know, everyone will.

What to do, what to do?

Fortunately, the book is nowhere near done. Once it's done, I will almost certainly edit it for twice as long as it takes to write it. After that I will likely ask a few trusted friends to proof it for me, and depending on what they say entertain the idea of bringing in an editor.

Then I will have to make a decision. 

I suppose that in the meantime, I should start working on setting up a social network presence for this alter ego of mine. I'd tell you what I pick for my pseudonym, but then I'd have to kill you. 

Not really, but you get my point.

If anyone out there has advice for me, lay it on thick and rich. I have no clue how I'm going to do this.

The Most Effective Hand Selling Technique For Authors I've Ever Seen

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by Jody Aberdeen

My first public signing as an author, independent or otherwise, happens at the end of the month.

I don't know what the rules are Stateside or elsewhere, but in Canada, when you're an independently published author and you want to market your book, there's only one show in town: Chapters-Indigo, our big happy national chain of bookstores, kind of like Barnes and Noble, only more awesome! 

(And I'm not saying that just because I work there on weekends and some evenings).

As such, it's rather fortuitous that our fearless leader Carrie Bailey decided to go with this topic this month, and also rather serendipitous that I found myself, two weeks ago, shadowing a fellow independent author who had what I and Mercury astronaut Gordo Cooper like to call "the right stuff". 

What is the right stuff?  You can see Carrie's recent entry for some great techniques, but I'd like to share what I learned from this writer.

Toronto author Yahaya Baruwa is the twentysomething author of his novel (and the first of a trilogy) called Struggles of a Dreamer, having migrated here in his teens from Nigeria to seek his fortune.  Unhappy with the cookie-cutter templates offered by such print on-demand companies as Lulu and iUniverse, Yahaya decided to start his own publishing company dedicated to his own project.

At one point, Yahaya was selling his book door to door in affluent neighbourhoods in Toronto and its suburbs.  He has also marketed an infomercial-style YouTube commercial for his book, offering a free can of Tim Horton's coffee with every book purchase. 

Yahaya has faced every kind of rejection you can imagine: doors slammed in his face, being told off, having his work criticized to his face.  He does his signings predominantly alone, requiring him to travel with his books and banners to faraway places such as my own store out in Milton, about 40 miles away from the eastern side of Toronto.

He has hired teams of marketers to either go door to door or promote his book in their own businesses and social circles, taking 50% as profit for each book they sell (an idea I toyed with a long time ago, but didn't actually implement...kinda kicking myself now for all the lost potential sales I could have had).

For his efforts and entrepreneurial spirit, Yahaya Baruwa has earned close to six figures in revenue over the past two years from Struggles of a Dreamer alone, making him arguably the most successful independent author in Canada.  And he's just getting started.

A Highly Effective Technique

Yahaya's sales technique, which I told him I was shamelessly emulating for my signings for "Convergence",  is the most effective model I've seen.  I had the chance to shadow him during my shift at the store during his signing.  Here's my takeaway:

1. Positioning

- Get your table at the front of the store.  Set up eye-catching props and signage, but nothing too gimmicky.  Yahaya set up his banner on a stand and a small sign on his table in front of his books.  That's it.

- Look good.  Guy Writers, wear a blazer and dressy jeans.  Girl Writers, wear.....whatever you'd normally wear to a professional kind of job, I don't pay attention to such things.  (Probably one reason I'm still single...but I digress).

- Wear comfy but good looking shoes, with insoles if you, like me, are heavy on your feet.  The comfortable shoes rule is important because you should also...

-  Be standing the whole time.  Yahaya had no chair.  It kept him out of the comfort zone of sitting at the table, using his books and props as a fortress to hide from his potential customer base.  Do the same thing.

2. Approach

- Build up your energy before you start.  Could be through meditation, creative visualization, or smoking some crack cocaine (this still being Rob Ford's Toronto and all...for now), but make sure you're in a positive, outgoing, energized mood when you start.

- Meet the eyes of every customer who comes in.  Smile and say hello.  Ask them: "Would you like to hear about my book today?". 

- If they say "no", and most of them will, don't just take it and feel rejected.  Instead, brand yourself in their minds.  Yahaya's method is particularly good.  "That's no problem.  Would you at least remember the title of my book: 'Struggles of a Dreamer'"?  Nine customers out of ten will say yes.

This kills two birds with one stone: you're able to shake off the rejection (which, admit it, is your biggest fear) AND you brand yourself in the process.  

The branding component is especially effective.  Days after Yahaya's signing, I was telling a co-worker at my full-time job about it and she said, "Wait, is this the guy who wrote 'Struggles of a Dreamer'?"  Turns out she had seen him at another store, declined to buy his book, and was asked the same question.  This shit works, y'all!

- If they say "yes", pause your sales pitch and introduce yourself. Shake their hands, get to know their names.   Personal connection and energy is what separates a shitty salesman from a good one.  People like feeling empowered, and few things empower a customer more than a real connection.  And I'm serious: be authentically interested.  Who are these people who have just said "yes" to your book? Don't you want to know? 

-  Prep your elevator pitch for your novel.  You should already have this ready in the form of your cover jacket description.  If you find that what you've written is a little too wordy to be spoken, then reduce it until you're comfortable rolling it off your tongue (and, um, consider doing the same with your cover jacket description in the next edition).  Should last no longer than twenty seconds to say it all out loud.

- Emphasize the now.  Yahaya tells his customers "I'm in the store for today only, and if you buy my book, I'd be more than happy to sign it to you."  Really, if you like reading, how often do you get the opportunity to have the author stand right in front of you to sign it?  It's quite a privilege, even if we ourselves as authors don't think so, and it's a great nudge to buy now.  After all, he's only here for one day.

- Know when to STFU!  Yahaya makes his case in under thirty seconds, then does one of the most critical things in the process:  he hands them a copy of the book....then says nothing.  This is an old rule: you negotiate, then you shut up.  As my Dad says about buying a car: "whoever talks first loses".

Everyone likes to buy, no one likes to be sold. At this point, you've done all you can do: ball is in the customer's court to buy or not buy.  If they say no, take your book back, thank them for their interest and for meeting them, then move on.

(And, of course, ask them to remember your title). 

And if they say yes, thank them for the sale, sign their copy - making sure to spell their names right, for Valen's sake - and shake their hands before directing them to the cashier. 

Understanding What's At Stake

As a bookseller with Indigo, I've seen a lot of independent authors come in.  They don't do well.  They fiddle with their phones, they don't interact with customers (or do so poorly), no eye contact.  They don't smile.  Some of them even get up from their signing tables and parade around the store.  That's why the average independently-published author sells only two or three copies of their books in any given four-to-six hour sitting. 

By contrast, Yahaya brought 50 books with him and sold 40 in a single visit.  The only reason he didn't sell all 50, in my view, was because he showed up in the afternoon and we had to close the store.  At an average of about $10 profit per book (minus Indigo's cut), Yahaya made $400 in a day, or a little under what I make in a week working for 40 hours for someone else at a non-writing job.  

And it's a good book.  I'm really enjoying Struggles of a Dreamer, which I find to be very reminiscent of all the great things I loved about Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist, but told with multiple levels of narrative that, though it took a little while to adjust to at first, I'm now very much enjoying.

Guys and gals, if you set up a signing event, don't waste your time or your venue's time by screwing it up being timid.  Even if it's just for those few hours, you need to evolve yourself into an effective author salesman.  No one's asking you to push something that other people won't want: all you need to do is let your passion for your own story that you've written find an outlet through effective technique, and you'll win.  It takes practice and rehearsal, but you can do it.  

Yahaya Baruwa isn't all that much different from me: in many ways, he's just an ordinary guy with a dream. If he can do it and he's an ordinary guy, why can't you? 

My signing's on Saturday, July 13th, from 12:00pm to 4:00pm at Indigo Milton, 1180 Steeles Ave in Milton, Ontario, about 40 minutes outside of Toronto.  This will be the first of many.  If you live in the area, feel free to stop on by and watch me demonstrate my shameless adaptation of Yahaya's highly effective technique. 

Visit www.strugglesofadreamer.com to see Yahaya's book and learn more about him.

And, of course, once I get everything nice and updated, visit www.jodyaberdeen.com to find more information on my novel, "Convergence".   

Stay tuned for Part II, which I'll write after the signing itself...

Are reviews worth anything any more?

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For a while now, people have been blogging about Amazon's purchase of Goodreads. The fear is that the much-valued independence of Goodreads might be consumed by the retail behemoth, and that GR reviews might be subject to the same censorship as they are on Amazon. I read a blog post, though I can't remember where, that pointed out that Amazon have also bought LibraryThing and IMDB, both of which have retained their own identities and continued on in their own way, albeit with an injection of cash from Amazon to make them thrive. Reading statements from the heads of both Amazon and Goodreads would imply that no one wants to change the current working practices of either organisation - so as yet, no one has any reason to panic.

I think the biggest thing people are worried about is how the purchase might affect the quality of the reviews on Goodreads but what we need to consider is the nature of reviews to begin with. I must admit, I tend to ignore reviews for fiction, but I pay close attention to them for non-fiction. I think it's pretty much because I know how much reviews can be governed by personal preference, and what doesn't work for one reader might work for me. Plus, I always download samples if they're available (or I read the first chapter while standing in a bookstore) so I've got a good idea if the book is the right one for me before I buy. Non-fiction is a different case as it relies on research and knowledge, so if it's been reviewed by others in the same field who say it's full of holes, then I don't want to know.

But are reviews even trustworthy? For one thing, there's no way of knowing if the writer of the review knows the author - for good or bad. Non-fiction authors might slate others in their field to boost their own books, and fiction authors might do the same within their genre. Likewise, reviewers might be positive about books solely because they're friends with the author. I do think there are ways to tell - read the review, and see what the reviewers issues are. Are they leaving a one star review because they felt $1.99 was too much to pay for an e-book? See what other books they've reviewed - if they've only reviewed one, it sounds like they have an axe to grind.

My own review policy is fairly straightforward. I'll leave both good and bad reviews for non-fiction, because I want people to know if the content is worth spending money on (and let's be honest, if I've bought a book of knitting patterns and all of them have mistakes in them, then I'm going to want to warn buyers). For fiction, I'll only leave a bad review if it's poorly formatted and full of mistakes. For good reviews, I'll only leave one if it's worth four stars or more. On my blog, I only review books for four stars or more because I want to share books I've loved - I don't want to make space for books I don't feel I can recommend.

What about you? Do reviews influence your purchasing habits, and if so, how?

"Poltergeist" and Online (Book) Reviews

By Molly Field

Note: I wrote this post Sunday night, when all was mostly well and Boston was preparing for its marathon. I considered pulling this post entirely in light of the tragedy, but I didn't. I didn't edit it, I didn't change it a bit. Part of me wants to remember what Sunday was like before Monday became horrible. My heart goes out to Boston and all who are affected by it near and far. 

Maybe I'll change my mind in a year or two, but I believe 5-stars are the new 3-stars. Sort of like how 40 is the new 30 25.

When I first started this blogging-to-be-a-writer gig, I was dewy and not unlike Carole-Anne when she fell through the ceiling in "Poltergiest," the first time, all lush and covered in strawberry preserves and completely unaware for what was coming my way or how the hell I'd just gotten there.

I mean, look at her... I'll wait.

image: (c) MGM Studios

I know, right? JoBeth Williams too; all slimy and ready to be smeared into a sandwich. Ready to be devoured by the Internets and judged and critiqued and not at all ready for the intensity of the drive to compete and self-promote and cross-promote and sell and promote ... myself. Something that I wasn't even charging anyone to enjoy or debase.

Then came along the Facebook blog/fan page; a so-called Must Have. It has done nothing but confuse me. Then I got to know other bloggers and I built alliances with people I didn't really "know" and became just more confused:

image: (c) MGM Studios

How'd they get there like that? How'd I get there like that? All I did was open a Facebook account in 2008 and then started a blog for grins and giggles only to end up BEGGING for Likes of a fan page that sucked more of my life away.

How'd I get from someone who just wanted to write about my observations from my cheap seats to hone my writerly skills to a gut-wrenching search for relevance? How?

Here's how: Comments. The comments felt like a kissing cousin of reviews which are only realized through constant self-promotion. I have a modest minuscule blog with a lovely following that I am grateful to have. I have no ambitions of unseating The Bloggess or anyone else, but as humans, we are all looking for favorable consideration. And that universal, human need for "favorable consideration" can eventually resemble biased and loaded boardroom backscratching book reviews.

really??

image (c) www.fourthgradenothing.com

The yearning for unbiased comments and authentic traffic (not China-based bots selling counterfeit Louis Vuitton bags) and the tiresome skulduggery (promoting, sharing, linking, tweeting) behavior has put into harsh relief an ugly fear: maybe objective reviews don't exist.

My thoughts are my own; my craft is writing, but despite all of this, I have been pulled into a direction which makes me uneasy and brings me back to feeling like strawberry preserves -covered Carole-Anne: confused. Social media has availed me to witnessing the unfortunate phenomenon of outright requests for favorable reviews of self-published books. I've heard tell of authors ranting over objective less-than 5-star reviews. I get where that comes from, because books are like our babies, but not every baby places first in the toddler pageant, and some judges won't be bribed.

I don't at all like being pulled in that direction. It feels forced.

image (c) MGM Studios

Neither does Carole-Anne. This was just before her second trip to the afterlife, this time through a giant flaming hole in the wall. 

My take on any book review is this: it has to be truly amazing for me to give 5 stars; we're talking Faulkner or (see, it's all subjective) say, The Bell Jar, which I read in one night and loved with my teeth; or as compelling as any previous NYTBSA (New York Times Best Selling Author) and even then, eeeeeeven then, you're never guaranteed of its quality, says my publishing rep.  I love Nick Sparks, but do I give him 5 stars? I give him 4; he doesn't make me swoon. Maybe I'm a Classic-ist. Nope. I'm just a good writer-ist; I want someone who will tactfully push the envelope.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I don't know who to trust anymore without Oprah's Book Club. Even the almighty Oprah got burned with James Frey's A Million Little Pieces -- that was just a simple matter of genre, he should have never marketed that book as nonfiction autobiography. Just do what everyone else is doing: "creative nonfiction," but I digress.

I do read reviews now when I go to Amazon for a book, but I didn't used to. I've become a skeptic: I also check the dates for most of the 5-star reviews and am grossed out. Say there's 35 5-star brand-new reviews. Of those 35, 27 are written within three days of release, and some of them are reciprocal. Some are completely over the top IN ALL CAPS I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS BOOK!

Then I like to see what the lower reviews have to say. Sometimes it's totally subjective, "I didn't like the font," or "Not all southerners say y'all." Or "I don't like romance novels, and so I shouldn't have bought this one, but my best friend's cousin wrote it..." Others are really intense: "Georgia bullfrogs don't make calls like that and they definitely don't during the daytime, at least where I live; also, you can't catch a 6-lb rainbow trout in that lake, the limit is 5.5-lbs!!! This author clearly doesn't know what he's talking about," or those reviews written by people with the moniker: "I Will Waste You." Some lower reviews say what I look for: formatting's a mess, dialogue didn't synch up or transitions were weak or nonexistent.  

The proliferation of self-published eBooks bothers me: the quality control is weak. They're like Fan Pages: there are a ton of them and quantity doesn't at all correlate with quality. When it comes to ebooks, quality of the actual product (editing, formatting, etc.) matters to me so much because it's a massive distraction when it stinks. I have stopped reading books when the formatting is wonky or "it's" or "they're" or their ilk are consistently and incorrectly used and/or I get tripped up in the formatting. Don't make me edit this... I was asked once by an eFriend to read an eBook already released, and within the first 11 pages, I experienced about 30 errors and then I started to keep track. I stopped at page 21 when I hit 150 simple errors, including tense and plurality and possession disagreements, bad punctuation, broken sentences, homophones, weird formatting and direct object confusion. I gave up.

Do we have to go through 3rd grade grammar again? YES. I gave those books: 2 stars just for making me wade through their garbage; I felt like this:

image (c) MGM Studios

I couldn't believe I was having to tolerate it. But I will always give more than one star because writing a book is hard. I give mostly 3-star to 4-star reviews if I give one at all.

I wish to give or receive a 5-star review if the book truly moved readers, or if we missed the characters when it ended. I've actually said, "NO!" when a book ended (Kate Chopin's The Awakening). If I learned something about myself, if I highlighted amazing prose or use of language, then I will give it 5-stars. If the artwork captivates me, then I will give it high marks. If it is: mostly flawless and gripping, I will give it 5-stars.

Maybe that's why I'll never publish a book: because I can't play the game and I don't want to waste your time. I'm in this gig to get better at it. I think Anita Diamant hit it so far out of the park with The Red Tent, her stunning debut, that she hasn't replicated it since. "She peaked early," said a good friend of mine. I've become so paranoid about loaded reviews that I'll read reviews in newspapers and then read what people say online before buying.

Last week, I learned that Amazon bought Goodreads. Oh. Dear. Now what? Is this the end of the fair review and awesome reader community? I mean, bully for the Goodreads founders, but many people, including this writer for Salon beg to differ. I can't say I'm surprised. I feel like Goodreads just couldn't resist this:

image (c) MGM Studios

So are they still out there? Do fair, unbiased, unforced reviews exist anymore? What do you think? Do you feel like JoBeth Williams with that skeleton at times?



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Introducing Icy Sedgwick

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Icy and I are both new to Peevish Penman.  She interviewed me last week, and now it's my turn to ask her some questions.

1) What is the first book you remember reading as a child?  What is the first book that affected you deeply?

I remember reading the Puddle Lane books with my mother, where half of the text was more 'complex' for the parent to read, with the easier version below for the child, except I kept reading the passages for adults, but I remember reading an awful lot of Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl. Having said that, the first book that really affected me was Colin Dann's A Fox Cub Bold, from the Animals of Farthing Wood series. The ending upset me rather a lot and my mother came into my room to find me in floods of tears. Never read another one of that man's books after that.

2) How did you know that you wanted to become a writer?

It wasn't really something I made a conscious decision towards. Writing was just always something I'd done, and it never really occurred to me not to do it. I suppose I was sixteen when I really made an effort towards it and did a creative writing course at my college, and I've been doing it seriously since then.

3) How do you cope with writer's block?

This is going to sound arrogant but I don't really get it. Mostly because I find that if I get stuck with one project, I just start working on something else until I come up with a solution for the original problem. I don't think there is such a thing as writer's block - I think it's something we try to rationalise, when really it's just that point when you're too burned out to think of anything else. Take a break from writing, or writing that particular project, but your unconscious will still be working on it. Let them get on with it while you get on with something else.

4) I know that most of your writing publicly is fiction, but do you also write non fiction as well?  What are the biggest differences between the two styles for you?

I write academic work and the two are vastly different. Some people have tried to say that writing my PhD thesis is no different from writing a novel and it's utter nonsense. Of course it's different - if I write a novel, I'm making it up as I go along, but my thesis has to be based on evidence and research, etc. Academia and fiction are different disciplines - one requires the suspension of disbelief, and the creation of a world in which to immerse the reader, while the other is more about expanding the knowledge of the reader, and leading them through your thought process to explain your argument. 

5) How do you balance the world of social networking and promotion with the work of actually writing?

You just grab time where you can. I can do my social networking on my smartphone on the way to and from places, or on my lunchbreak etc., and then I can actually write when I have more time to sit down and work out an idea. To me, social networking is something you just always do, the same way you're always talking to people 'in real life', and writing is something I do when I'm sat on a train, or at my desk.

6) One sentence.  Tell me who Icy Sedgwick is.

She's an elaborate ruse!

7) What piece of writing are you the most proud of?

I'm torn between The Midas Box, which was the first short story I ever had published back in 2008, and The Guns of Retribution, which was the first novella I ever had published - and the first book I could hold in my hands that had my name on it. I'd had stories in published anthologies before, but there's something special about having a book with your name on it that is solely your work.

8) What will you bring to Peevish Penman?

Hopefully fun, japes, and a bit of Northern stoicism.

9) You are in a PhD program currently.  What is your goal after that is completed?

Eventually the plan is to lecture in Film Studies, and also to continue to write about the horror and fantasy genres. Unless I become bigger than Stephen King in the meantime, of course.

10) What is the most important piece of advice anyone has ever given you about writing?  What would you say to someone just starting out?

I've had a lot of advice and some of it is good for some people, some of it is good for others. All advice holds some value...it's just not always right for the person receiving it. Personally, I'd say that Lee Child's advice to treat writing like a job, so you just sit down and do it, has been the best for me - it strips away this mystical ethos around the writer needing the right conditions, and the aid of the Muse, to get the job done, and turns it into something practical. I'd probably offer the same to someone starting out...unless I just told them to listen to all advice, ignore what sounds wrong and try what sounds like it might work.

Thanks, Icy!

Introducing Kelly DeBie

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By Icy Sedgwick

Kelly DeBie and I are both newcomers to the PeevishPenman blog so what better way to introduce ourselves that to interview each other? Kelly will be interviewing me next week...

Icy: If you could invite any literary character out for coffee, who would it be and why?

Kelly: Frederic Henry from A Farewell to Arms. The book, the setting, the characters in this novel have always intrigued me. Aside from Shakespeare, this was the first book that really spoke to my soul, and Frederic is such a conflicted and tragic character. He could use a cup of coffee and a friend, I think.

Icy: Did you make a conscious decision to be a writer, or did it just happen?

Kelly: I have always loved to write, though I struggled as a student when I was told what to write. I didn't like being required to write things I wasn't interested in, and developed a mental block about certain styles, namely fiction. About four years ago, I started writing a memoir, primarily because I was struggling with how different my life had become from what I'd envisioned. My husband was diagnosed with cancer while I was in law school, and it changed just about everything for me. I started the blog shortly thereafter, which began as a way to chronicle the events in our family. The blog has evolved away from that, and I write less and less about my family for a few reasons. One, I'm tapping into topics I am interested in. Two, I struggle with people knowing too much about my children. Three, sometimes the stories aren't mine to tell. As my writing has evolved, I've started writing three other books and have recently begun writing fiction at the urging of Molly Field.

Icy: Where do you stand on the literary fiction vs genre fiction opposition?

Kelly: I don't honestly think there is a hard and fast line of distinction between the two. It's more of a continuum, and where any piece falls is a subjective determination. Personally, I've been dissatisfied with some of the so-called great works of literary fiction, and drawn in by genre pieces. Much like with the blogging world, where I resist categorization as a mommy blogger, I would resist being called a chick-lit writer. We are writers, and if we write fiction, we write fiction.

Icy: How would you sum up your writing in three words?

Kelly: Intriguing, timely, real.

Icy: Would you consider yourself as a writer who has a message she wants to share, or do you just want to entertain?

Kelly: For me, that all depends on the day. Sometimes I write purely for entertainment. More often, though, I am writing for a reason. I share my life experiences in the hope that someone out there needs to read what I'm writing. I share current events and legal cases because they are important, and far too often people take what the media reports as face value. There are times that I write strictly for therapeutic reasons.

Icy: Has motherhood affected your writing at all?

Kelly: Yes. I didn't begin writing daily until my fourth child was born, and I started doing it to work through my personal issues. Being the mother of four kids forces me to budget my time, forces me to be authentic, forces me to be even more considerate of others with what I write. It forces me to hold back, to temper my emotions, to censor myself when writing about real life. That tempering is also what has pushed me to experiment more with the world of fiction, where I can protect the real people in my life.

Icy: You're also a photographer. How do you find the differences between such a visual medium, and writing?

Kelly: Photography is often simpler than writing for me, yet they both have their challenges. I tend to have more confidence with photography, but have to force myself to make time for it. A well captured image can convey something a million words cannot. Conversely, words can tell us more than what we see at times. They can push us to look further, to examine deeper, to go beyond the superficial. One of the books I am working on is a photographic essay piece on motherhood.

Icy: We always like to share good writing advice, but what has been the worst piece of writing advice you were ever given?

Kelly: The absolute worst piece of advice I've ever received was from someone who tried to limit my work. She wanted me to abandon the fiction writing because it somehow posed a threat to her, which I obviously did not do. As writers, as creators, as artists, my belief is that we should be encouraging each other. We should be helping each other push limits, try new genres, test the boundaries of our creativity. Any perceived threat of competition is just that, perceived. I prefer to work with those who encourage and foster growth, not suppress it out of fear.

Icy: Self publishing - yes or no?

Kelly: I have to say that I have been almost uniformly disappointed with self-published works, primarily from an editorial standpoint. Traditional publishing takes longer, involves rejection and jumping through a lot of hoops, but I think the end result is better quality. When I get to the point where I have something close to finished, I will be pursuing the traditional route.

Icy: What do you want people to know about you?

Kelly: I am real. I am authentic. I don't have ulterior motives. I've been accused of being melodramatic in the past by those who didn't have a full understanding of what the reality in my life is. I don't write about everything, but everything I write is real. I've said many times before that I truly have no need to make anything up. My life is stranger than fiction.

Kelly, thanks for your time!

Authors Wanted: Must Like People

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by Carrie Bailey

Librarians and certain bookstore workers frighten me. Try suspend belief here just briefly as I explain. I've worked as a librarian and in a bookstore, I have a Masters in library science and I love books. Naturally, I shouldn't be afraid of librarians or booksellers, but I am, because the precise people who are attracted to books are often the people who just don't like other people. They're the type of individuals who will dip your toothbrush in the toilet when you're not looking. They'll stick gum on your seat when you go to get your third cup of coffee.

A Mobile Curmudgeon Wagon Where I Once Worked

You're flesh and blood and that irks them on the deepest level. Okay, I exaggerate. I've met some friendly and dedicated librarians, but I've also dealt with individuals who purposefully place barcodes across the faces of the characters on your favorite books, because they don't just hate you, they also hate your books. They only love their books.

Behind that nasty glare, these, the bad librarians are often thinking to themselves, "Books understand me." I can relate to this feeling. I've read a book and though it was like entering the walk in closet of another person's mind, it was also like being welcomed home into that tiny closet and served tea. I was wanted. As a reader, I felt important or somehow privileged to be part of reading experience.

This sort of reading experience is only possible, because at some point in time, there was an author who wrote those books and that person liked people. That author had a general, fundamental, inherent and inalienable love of humanity and individual human beings regardless of how bitter or how smelly they could become. A book is not a pile of loosely bound paper understanding that understands us better than our coworkers or family. It is the blood, sweat, laughter and the love of a great writer.

I don't want to go personally library to library to find the world's curmudgeons and force a hug on each of them (well, I do, but the time involved...). Instead, I can watch Black Books and be enjoy the cantankerous bookstore owner and love him without wanting to change him just as the writers who created the character did. They didn't want Bernard Black to stop hating people or drinking or smoking or frightening the public with his personal hygiene. Why should they?

We love to read authors who love people. We love to read those most who can find something about everyone agreeable and accept imperfections, maybe even ours.

As authors, I think it helps to remember this. It doesn't mean we have to write sappy, drippy, runny love notes instead of books. Rather, we can consider the difference between the last book we read that felt as though the author was indifferent, condescending or even patronizing of our perfectly functional brains,  and the one we enjoyed. Oddly, some horror authors are the most cuddly individuals you could want to meet. Naturally, we want to read their gore, because there is something in it, something special. Whatever it is, put it in your writing and send that special feeling of being understood to all the librarians and bookstore owners the world over, because that's what a great writer does.

Carrie Bailey is the author of The 3 Indispensable Rules for Taking Charge: A Reptilian Guide to Personal Finance and World Domination and blogs on Tumblr. She recently moved from New Zealand to North Carolina and is currently moonlighting in a giant gummy bear factory while working on an Oz book about the glass cat, Bungle.

Why You Should Embrace Writer's Block

by Jody Aberdeen

Peevish Nation, I'm not gonna sugar coat it for you: we're living in the Age of Paradoxical Solutions.

Y'all know what I'm talking about: those bumper sticker nuggets, the pretty pictures of flowers, landscapes, and sunsets that have nothing to do with the words written on them, often in Comic Sans Serif or, if the author is completely shameless, Times New Roman in Bold face. 

And what do the quotes say? Things like "It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything" (props to Mr. Palahniuk for that one) and "Only those who dare to fail greatly can achieve greatly" (word to Bobby Kennedy....hmmm, I actually love that one).   You get the idea.  They don't seem to make sense, but they also do, if that makes any sense? Which it does, even if it doesn't. Right?

Before I get too scrambled, I'll get to the point: the best way to ignore Writer's Block?  Embrace it.  With open arms. That's the first step to restoring the flow of words.

I know, I'm advocating carnal sin here for many of you, but the way I see it, the angels have already stacked the deck in favor of productivity and hard work, and at heart, I'm lazy and like to nap in the afternoon rather than do anything productive.

Talent, Skill, and Paradigms

Writers are born with the talent to see stories and images, to think in pictures and then translate those images into words. Writers are developed through proper schooling in the technical skills of language.  Talent and skill are distinct from each other: you can teach anyone proper spelling and grammar, but you can't help someone who isn't born with the talent to see stories in pictures. It's like trying to change a baby's skin or eye color after he or she is already born.

Midway between God-given talent and malleable skill sets lies a third dimension: the paradigm.  I'm borrowing the term from the performance coaching work I'm doing with Bob Proctor's Life Success Corporate school of thought that I've been blogging about chez moi for the past few weeks.  The paradigm is a set of ideas and habits that each person has, and this set is at once influenced by genetics and upbringing and by conscious thinking.  And one major paradigm that nearly all writers inherit is this idea of Writer's Block

That writers sometimes run out of words is a reality, plain and simple.  That sometimes writers can and do go without a flow of inspiration for days, months, even years is historical and present-day fact.  Hell, if you're reading this right now, you're probably quote-unquote "blocked" and spending your time on Peevish Penman when you should be getting back to that novel you've been workin' on.....actually, no, wait, stick around a while, we love you.  

I also don't want Carrie sending hired goons after me for dropping the site traffic (call it caffeine rage, the Wrath of Juan Valdez, or what have you).

So if it's a real thing and not a figment of our imagination, how does embracing Writer's Block clear it? Simple: because it's still a concept, a name, that someone somewhere in the past invented to describe their experience of losing the flow of words.  That person coined the term, and the rest of us started minting that denomination in our minds, our scribbles, and our drunk/caffeinated/stoned conversations with others in the wordslinging trade.

What we should have done was call "Writer's Block" by a different name.  Anything else, as long as it wasn't an image of something stopping us.

Back to paradigms.  We're trained in two things: we experience "blockage", and that we're supposed to hate it.  Because of that, whenever we get "blockage," we stop loving what we do and start hating it. The idea that this is how it's supposed to be is so widespread, we get virtually 100% social reinforcement from our friends and family who think the same way about the loss of flow, even if they themselves aren't writers.

It's in our nature to avoid unpleasantness, so even when we have tight deadlines, we find ways to avoid sitting down at the desk. We go for walks, we spend time with family, we go drinking, we exercise, we watch TV or read: anything to avoid doing that thing that we're blocked on, and of course, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy. 

Trouble is, even throughout this deliberate hedonism, we feel guilty because we're not writing, which further adds to the "blockage!".  It's easy to see why so many writers enter this kind of Zeno's Paradox of never getting to the end of a project: if it's not this, it's something else.

Shake Hands With The Devil

"So, O Eminent One," you may be asking, "how does one restore the flow of words?"  My preferred solution is in three parts.

First, embrace the Writer's Block. Seriously, try it. Open up your arms, nuzzle the blockage against your bosom. 

Guess what? You can't. Why? Because there's nothing there. Writer's Block doesn't physically exist. It's an idea, and ideas can be changed.

(Ten points to Gryffyndor if you actually opened your arms)

The loss of flow, however, is indeed a reality.  How do you get it back?  Well, obviously something threw off your groove.  Review your work and see if you lost a thread somewhere.  If the answer isn't in your work, and nothing's flowing again by the time you finish your review, that's when you get up and go do something else.  And when you do go to do something else, I want you to feel okay with it. 

You might say, "What if I'm on a tight deadline?  What if they need it in an hour?"  I think if that's the case, you'll find a way.  Look back on all those last minute "blockages" and I guarantee you'll find, more often than not, that you succeeded under pressure.  Really, that's what it takes: either high pressure to just crank out anything and restore the flow by force, or just occupying your body and mind for a while elsewhere so that fallow fields in your mind can grow again. 

Feeling guilty for not writing is absolutely unnecessary: it's what you love, but as Peter Cetera says, even the truest lovers need a break from each other every now and then.  (Yes, I just mined 1982's American Top 40 List for material. What of it?)

Re-think your conception of the loss of flow as being "Writer's Block" using a metaphor that empowers you to be able to change it: you need to refuel your inspiration, it's a break in the rain, leaving a field fallow, needing a change your batteries, whatever works.  Then all you have to do is chill.  Go to the gym. Spend time with your family. Go drinking with your friends. Enjoy life!

So yes, Peevish Nation, that's how you show Writer's Block what's what in the most godlike fashion that we godlike creatures can muster: by denying its ability to exist as a concept. 

You're welcome!

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Interview with Clarie Kinton

PPM: Is Dead Game your first novel?

Yes, DEAD GAME is my very first novel.

PPM: How did you choose the title and what have been people's response to it?

Clarie Kinton

When my cousin and I were children we used to play a game called ‘DEAD GAME at my Grandmother’s house – it’s a game that has stuck with me right through into adulthood. Archie, a Lance Corporal is trapped in a land between heaven and earth called Transit playing the game of his life – it’s the same game – the game of life or death.

The title’s been slightly tricky – a few people have said ‘oh is it a thriller?’, which I can fully understand – but thinking on spiritual level the title is very apt and very personal to me.

PPM: Dead Game is a fantasy located in the Persian Gulf  a war hero complete with centaurs and guardian angels... So do centaurs and angels get along or are they natural enemies?

The centaur Emrys is cursed and angel Felicity, a guide to Archie, is also lost in Transit, they are strangely allies and very good friends, as they have only had one another to rely on. They are like chalk and cheese, with lots of friendly banter. At one point in DEADGAME Emrys carries Felicity on his back when she’s injured and likewise when Emrys is in fatal danger, Felicity, using her all her inner strength rushes to his aid and fly’s him out of harms way. Both of these characters are very central, I love both of them to pieces as they were inspired by people I know. Everything in my writing comes from personal experience, emotions and dreams.

PPM: What is your personal experience with military life?

Both of my grandfathers fought in world war II, one in the Royal Air Force flying Lancaster Bombers, the other in the Army as a physical trainer.

In 2003, when I was pregnant with my first child, my cousin was killed in an accident after serving his country with the Royal Mechanical and Electrical Engineers in Iraq.

I have lived by an RAF camp for the past seven years and forged very close friendships with RAF families. Seeing both men and women, who I know and love, leave behind their loved ones and children and go off to war-torn countries to fight, other than filling me with immense pride, really inspired me to finish DEAD GAME. Some of the men and women have never returned.

PPM: Do you identify as an aspiring writer?

Yes.

PPM: A good aspiring writer?

Yes

PPM: What advice would your main character give you about trying to sell your novel?

Archie would say to charge in like a raging bull to a red rag and just keep telling everyone about it and it’ll sell itself once word gets around – that’s what he’d say!

PPM: Are military related stories common within the fantasy genre? Do they have wider appeal or generate more support within a niche?

I don’t know of many military stories that are within the fantasy genre to be honest. I’d like to think DEAD GAME has massively appealing to every person out there, because we’ve all loved and lost someone at some point in our lives.

I loved writing DEAD GAME – it was like a tonic initially, a healing process during my bereavement and quickly became a necessity. It didn’t take long before it became habit. I couldn’t imagine my life without writing now. I’m part way through DEAD GAME’s sequel WAITING GAME, which will be out next year. But foremost I am a mother to my three small children who are desperate to write and make books like Mummy.

PPM: A portion of your sales goes to "Help for Heros" and "SSAFA Forces Help," is that just a clever ploy to sell more books or do you really care about these causes? And what are they?


Yes, £1 from every book sold goes to Help for Heros & another £1 goes to SSAFA Forces Help. I DO worry that people will think it’s a ploy to sell more books. First and foremost I am a writer, secondly I’m a fundraiser, I always have been, it just seemed the natural thing to do given the topic. My second novel is also going to the same charities. I’m under no illusions… people will only buy DEAD GAME if they like to read or know someone who does and if it’s good they will spread the word. Sincerely these causes are so very dear to my heart. When my cousin passed away these charities where phenomenal with my grieving aunt and uncle – I just can’t tell you how supportive they were. If only half a dozen people buy DEAD GAME –the message of hope in DEAD GAME will be out there and I will have raised something for the cause.

Claire Kinton's inspiration to write Dead Game was ignited following the tragic death of her cousin, who served in Iraq with REME. After six years of living by an RAF camp with husband Gareth, Claire has forged close friendships with families whose young men risk - and all too often lose - their lives serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. For some young minds it is not enough to say ‘He’s gone to Heaven’, they need to know why, what happens next, how long will they be gone? Dead Game strives to put forward one answer to death and at the same time teaches us; we are what we think; love never dies and that the human soul continues eternally. To buy Clarie's book or support the causes mentioned in this interview visit: http://www.clairekinton.com/default.html

Interview conducted by Carrie Bailey

Three Brave New Writers

In this Writer Wednesday Interview, three writers share their recent successes and insights on the path toward their first publications. All have have recently begun the road to publication with either recent contracts for their novels or contributions to publications with multiple authors.

Cassandra Carr:  Cassandra Carr is the pen name for an author who writes erotic romance. She has a thing for hockey-player heroes and has finished one erotic romance titled Talk to Me, which is currently making the rounds in the query stage, and is writing her second book, while also producing some short stories to get characters out of her crowded brain.  Her WIP is an erotic romantic suspense set in a burlesque club. The hero is a DEA agent and the heroine is the club owner and once-a-week dancer.

JM Kelly: J.M. Kelley, After a lengthy break that included adventures in accounting and coffee distribution, she returned to her passion for writing and began to piece together a story about life in small-town Pennsylvania. The result of this epiphany is Drew in Blue, a contemporary love story set in the fictional Appalachian town of River’s View.  JM is a member of the Romance Writers of America, The International Women's Writing Guild, Pennwriters, and the South Carolina Writers Workshop. She'd be happy if you'd join her at www.jmkelleywrites.com.

Liz Borino:  Liz Borino is the debut author of Expectations. Up until now she’s kept her stories to herself, but this only child is all grown up and wants to share them with the world. She began her quest for publication and after some heart breaks she signed with Lazy Day Publishing and couldn’t be happier.

PPM: JM, is the pen really mightier than the sword?

JM:  Yes. I'm a weakling. I could gouge out an eyeball with my awesome purple gel pen long before I could wrestle a sword up into the air.

PPM: A lot of people are taking their writing more seriously due to underemployment and the recession... is that a common motivation?

Liz: I decided to take my writing seriously when I realized that this story and others I would write could inspire people to take their dreams seriously. Maybe something that I write will give someone hope or courage. 

JM: I'd started working on my novel before I lost my job, but I think the sudden excess of free time was a real motivator to get cracking and finally write down the nuggets that had been floating around in my head for so long.  I've always dabbled in writing, but I guess I never really thought of taking it anywhere when I was younger - that whole self-esteem thing rearing its ugly head.

Liz:  The excess of free time is actually a hindrance for me and my writing. I find I take it more seriously when I have to schedule around other commitments.

CC: I had a baby in Dec 2008, but I decided to write in late 2007.  Since then I've done other contract work and kept up with the writing but there have been times when I'm too busy to write much.  So, I joined a writers' group (my local RWA chapter) and set goals.  

JM:  Emotionally, being unemployed takes a toll, but being able to pour out the uncertainty and fear in your own writing is cathartic. I do feel fortunate to have been given a window to really focus on something I've always wanted to do, and more importantly, see it through to the end.

PPM: Liz, do you think it’s a good idea to date a writer?

Liz: Hmm, I guess its a good idea to date a writer if you like talking about things that really haven't happened…

PPM:  When you finished your manuscripts, how did you know they were ready to query?

CC: I queried too soon on my first MS and got nothing but rejections from agents.  Since then I’ve started a second, revised my first manuscript and query letter, and some editors have expressed interest.

JM:  My first round of queries was a disaster of epic proportions. Drew was NOT ready to query. I shudder to think about it now. I hope they at least got a good laugh before they deleted the horror.

Liz: Ha, well, if I'm honest, I had the writer’s narcissism at first. I convinced myself it didn't matter that I had a lubriciously high word count, every publishing house would want it....no, not true. 

JM:  Luckily, I went to the Pennwriters conference, learned some important points, figured out what a query should really look like, and took an intense second look my manuscript.  Of course, after that I still managed to blow a few queries.  Once, I forgot to attach my manuscript and emailed NOTHING.

Liz:  It only took three agent form rejection letters before I reevaluated and did some intense editing. When I found out most publishing houses were looking for under 90,000 words, I seriously considered giving up because I that meant I'd have to cut out 40,000 words.  I would say the entire process took about 9 months after the MS was finished.

CC:  Mine took me nearly three years to complete and it only got finished because at one point I said "It's just got to be done. I have to move on." 

PPM: How has connecting with other writers helped you?

Liz:  Connecting with other writers online has been nothing short of incredible. They cheer you on when you have successes and console you when you get a rejection. I feel so lucky to be working in a time when I have the gift of the internet to connect with these amazing people.

CC:  I've found other writers, whether in person or online, to be an INCREDIBLY supportive group. Sure, you're a little jealous when you hear that one of your friends has signed a book deal, but you also feel like you're almost a part of their success. You nurtured them through tough times, you supported them in their dream - you may have even critiqued their book! Even small things like the #amwriting hashtag on Twitter is a source of inspiration to those of us who are sitting there at your computer, all alone, feeling like you're on an island.

Liz: I've never felt as though I were competing with any of them. I truly believe, and I think most would agree, there's an abundance of success in this world, even when it doesn't feel like it.

PPM:  Tell us a little about your books?

JM:  Not even two weeks ago, I was still querying agents and publishers, trying to entice them to look at my first novel.  Now, I’ve inked a contract with Lazy Day publishing and Drew in Blue will be available as an ebook on December 1, 2010.

Liz: My novel is called Expectations and it's story that started with a simple question:

What happens when what we want for ourselves and what our families expect are at odds? It was truly inspired after reading the Secret and deciding to construct my life exactly as I wanted it and try to block out outside influences.  It’s also being published by Lazy Day Publishing. I got the email two days ago and everything has just been falling into place since then.

PPM:  Cassandra, you’re currently contributing to a writing manual for the writer-secret-society.  What can you tell us about that?

I believe my section will be about how to get thrown out of the group. I imagine it will cover topics such as plagiarizing other members' work, stealing peoples' thunder, or generally being a non-supportive meanie.

PPM: Have you disguised any real people in your writing?

CC: In one there are personality aspects of many different actual hockey players, but you wouldn't be able to read the book and say "That's so-and-so" because I took one trait from one guy and another from another guy etc to make my character.

JM: I think a lot of my friends would say that I infuse a lot of me into my main characters. Which, considering those characters' self-esteem issues…

PPM: What has been the highlight of your writing careers so far?

Liz:  My biggest success thus far has been receiving an offer from Lazy Day Publishing on September 17. Just knowing that my novel will be coming out on December 1 is an incredible feeling. And truthfully, Lazy Day has been my first choice publisher.

CC:  I think I've had two best moments. The first was when I got the letter from the Chicken Soup people telling me they wanted to use my personal essay in their book. It wasn't a lot of money, but as of that moment, I was a published author. I didn't celebrate, per se, just told my friends and family. When the books came-you get ten copies as part of your payment-I held one in my hands and then flipped to my story and read it on the page. Then I went to the back of the book and read my bio and thought "Wow, I look like a real writer!"

Liz:  The first thing I did was call my best friend and then my aunt, who was the first to read the book, in its original unedited form. I did celebrate that night with citrus chicken and a sangria.

CC:  The other best moment was at a conference this year. I had three agent/editor appointments. At this time I was pitching my contemporary romance. At my first appointment, which was with an agent, we got along great - we clicked. She was so nice!

My next appointment was with an editor. She was also very nice and asked for a partial. Then there was my third appointment. This was also with an editor who was with a publishing house, which had published a line similar to my premise and had success with it.  As soon as I sat down I said, "Hi, you guys published [name of novel]." She said, "Yes, we did." I said, "I have something similar." She was hooked and impressed that I knew her house had published that novel-obviously I hadn’t had time to do research on her since I was at a conference. she asked for a full immediately and whether or not I had an agent.

Two of these editors still have the MS. The one I clicked with ultimately rejected it but gave me specific reasons why. Since then I've made changes based on her suggestions and plan to contact her to see if she'll read it again. Doesn't hurt to try! I also plan to query her with other projects. I say if they like you keep sending them stuff!

PPM: What resources or advice can you recommend to new writers?

JM:  I've always been an avid reader, as well. That probably helped me learn how to construct a novel. 

CC: Meghan Records on Twitter - She is an editor at Kensington who does #askeditor chats on Twitter and I've learned SO MUCH from participating in her chats.

JM:  Janet Reid is a must-read. Anyone who is nearing the query process must visit the Query Shark and read EVERY entry. What you take away is invaluable. http://queryshark.blogspot.com/

CC: Yes, if you want to get your query letter torn to shreds (but in a good way, as long as your ego can take it), you can post it here and get feedback. It made mine way better.  And QueryTracker - There's no way I would be able to keep all my querying straight without this tool - and it's free!

For the mechanics I took a lot of English courses in high school and college. When I decided to do this as a career I actually took an online community education course in romance writing. I figured it would be taught by some local person but the instructor was Lori Wilde, who has published forty romances. After that I took a community education course on getting published and one geared toward fiction writing in general.  I thought the community education courses were great - they were cheap and the information was really spot-on.

JM:  Agent Scott Eagan of Greyhaus Literary Agency has a very informative blog I'd recommend as well. http://scotteagan.blogspot.com/

Liz: Oh God, I still don't feel prepared to write a novel. No, seriously, there's no magic piece of advice or any kind of education or preparation that can train you to write a novel. For me at least, the process of writing articles and short stories is so much different than that of writing a novel. I think it's one of those things you just have to jump in with both feet.

JM:  I don't know that I've ever learned to write either! But I've always had an overactive imagination. Seriously, when I was a kid, I didn't pretend I had the flu to miss a day of school. I faked heart attacks. I'm a natural-born drama queen who managed to channel it into writing.

But there is one book I'd recommend: Stephen King's On Writing.

Liz: That book really taught me a lot, too.

JM:  That old boy knows how to tell it like it is. The line: “Do not come lightly to the blank page” is the most powerful piece of advice offered. If you don't have passion and dedication, you don't have much of a story.  And get a book like Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss and brush up on the basics.

CC:  Also, Karen Fox's List of Publishers, Nathan Branford’s Blog, Carina Press Blog, Cyndi Myer’s Market News Blog…do you see a pattern here?

JM:  When I really want to stalk authors, I go to Murderati it features a group of very interactive, very smart, and incredibly lovely authors who allow us to have a glimpse of their own writing lives.

CC: And Dear Author is a good website in general, but their first page critiques are fabulous, especially for new writers.