Rubin Johnson: Fiction Writing is Not a Marathon, It's an Ironman Race

Writing fiction is an endurance activity. I say this as an athlete who has completed multiple marathons, a single-day two hundred mile bike ride, and four Ironman triathlons. The training involved pales in comparison to learning to write fiction. Scrap the notion that well-crafted grammatically correct language is sufficient. Drop the idea that readers want well-conceived narrative summary. It’s not enough!

Learn how to hook your readers from the start. Write to compel them to keep reading. Show them how likeable and interesting your characters are. Rope them into your story. Then drive the plot onward and upward as your characters clash and conflict. It’s not the writing; it’s the story.

So far, I’ve penned two near-future science fiction novels, Well Oiled and Cyberbully Blues, of a series I call Mayberry Multisport Adventure stories. The protagonists have been active teenagers whose involvement in athletics explains the multisport label. The adventure tag is self-evident. That leaves the question: Why Mayberry?

My stories are set in Mayberry because of my views of fiction, science fiction, and optimism. For me, there are three relevant parts to fiction: the story, the storytelling, and, finally, the writing.

The story is characters and plot – what they do as well as when, where, and why. Solid likeable complex entities, people who want something and go after what they want, characters with agency are key. In my process, it takes imagination, research, and time to craft interesting characters and a plot that works. Sketching the story takes me far longer than writing the first draft.

Storytelling is how the writer conveys the story. Selecting point of view characters, deciding what details to show – descriptions of settings and people, and the use of foreshadowing, suspense, and pacing – all these elements matter. Good storytelling can’t save a bad story, but bad storytelling can spoil a good one.

The third element is the writing. In my opinion, good writing is like a lamp shining on a page. Readers shouldn’t be pulled away by bad spelling or grammar. Instead they should read clear and concise prose that makes them feel the writer respects their time. Editing, critique groups, re-writing, beta readers, and re-writing some more can improve a piece but still, not even strong writing can save a weak story.

I agree with John Gardner’s notion that good fiction creates a continuous vivid dream. That requires the writer to use words to convey emotion and tickle the senses. Much like coders program computers, a writer programs the reader’s imagination. Good writing illuminates a good story being told well.

For me, science fiction is special. It’s what made me love books. Now that I write SF, my goal is to explore technology’s impact on society by showing how it affects people you care about, specifically, characters in my stories. I write about the future, but to quote SF author William Gibson (he coined the term cyberspace): “The future is already here; it’s just unevenly distributed.” So my futures include existing and new technology, but nothing that violates scientific principles. On the other hand, I push technology, sometimes to illogical extremes.

When technology is pushed, bad things can happen. Nuclear power inspires nuclear apocalypse. But we don’t have to imagine horrible outcomes; we can simply look around – global warming, privacy breaches, cyber-terrorism, and more. There are so many motivations for dystopian sci-fi. Alas, I grew up with space operas, an expression of space exploration’s hopefulness. So my third point: I decided to buck the dystopian trend with optimism, so I stumbled ... into Mayberry.

So for all of you — welcome to Mayberry, an idyllic southern California town of the near future that shows technology’s promise more than its pitfalls. My goal is to imagine what might go right while telling stories that expose the not-so-nice underbelly of a suburban paradise. Even without world-ending catastrophes, technology enables the best and worst of human nature. That’s what I write about.

Since I code and have done multiple Ironman races, both novels have heavy doses of computer programming and triathlon multisport references. I also touch on geocaching and bitcoins. I invent holos – combination cell phone-computers with holographic displays; homebots – household computer-telecom centers, and Stabilization of Life units – a realization of medical technology where quality of life has been sacrificed for quantity.

My first novel, Well Oiled, explores oil extraction issues based on plans to once again drill in my city, Whittier. I set the conflict in Mayberry, in the context of a story of teenaged cousins, Frank and Joey Wilson. They’re smart and athletic but have their challenges. Frank is especially troubled about his father’s mysterious death ten years ago.

My second novel, Cyberbully Blues, a prequel, ends where Well Oiled starts. It is a coming of age story of a technology-challenged teenaged girl, growing up with just her mom. Dakota has to deal with bullying, in real life, and in cyberspace. In addition, this novel offers a positive role model for girls to consider STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math), especially computer science. You may have heard of an organization called Girlswhocode.com, This novel shows how such a group might work.

I am currently sketching out plans for another novel to be set in Mayberry, perhaps a little further into the future – 2045. There is a good bet that a massive cyberattack will be featured.

Buy Cyberbully Blues at Amazon

About the Author:

Rubin Johnson has been focused on writing science fiction for the past several years, building on a career in engineering and software development. He earned his PhD from the University of California at Berkeley after graduating Harvard College. Following his studies, Rubin backpacked for over a year -- first across Africa, and then across Asia. He is an avid endurance athlete having completed multiple Ironman distances including IM Canada and IM Lake Tahoe. When he writes, his Chesapeake Bay retriever, Hunter, is often nearby.

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Chunk, Chunker, Chunking? by Robert James Dellamano

I'm a Chunker. There, I said it. I AM A CHUNKER! "What's a Chunker?" you ask. Does it mean I eat big chunks of food without chewing it, like a caveman? No, and I apologize for that. It means that's my style of writing. Or, more accurately, my style of beginning to write. And now you might be asking, "Alright already, what-is-'Chunking'?!" Chunking is a style of writing taught in an Introduction to Writing course my first year of community college. I don't remember the teacher's name, but she was one of those teachers that stands out (otherwise) for her dedication and enthusiasm for her profession. 

The method involves beginning a writing by mentally vomiting as much information as possible about your subject onto paper. The vomiting analogy is perfect, although unpleasant, because, well, we are calling this 'Chunking', and because the material you're putting down flows out of your mind in bits and pieces (OK - enough of that, right?).

I use the method to get going on my writing. Once I have even the slightest idea of a character, plot line, setting, description, etc., I start to chunk. I throw down on paper everything that comes to mind - rarely sentences, seldom long phrases, occasionally short phrases - but always bullet pointed type bits and pieces, including just one word at a time. Hence, 'Chunking'. 

Then, after much is set to paper, I take a break from it (unless a bit that I think is really important comes to mind). After a day or so, I re-visit what I've chunked. Then, and only then do I start to organize my chunks. And I'm sure I don't have to explain what that means, but I will anyway, because I like to write. Why else would I be here, right?

So now I start grouping things together - character aspects, descriptions, settings, into bigger chunks that relate to each other. Again, the process of chunking. And so the process continues as I flesh out the various aspects of my story, adding things here, deleting things there... until it all becomes one (hopefully) cohesive writing (that isn't just a bunch of random chunks!).

Fortunately for me, I haven't experienced much in the way of writer's block, but on those rare occasions that I do get a little stuck, this method helps tremendously. And this process can happen anywhere - at my desk, in the grocery store, driving (eyes on the road!). You get the picture. 

I think it's also a good way for a new writer, or one who lacks a little confidence, to get started. It's similar to when I think about exercising. I may not want to so I tell myself to at least stretch a little. That way I know I'm doing SOMETHING beneficial for my health. Invariably, once I start stretching, I follow it up with a full work out. I'm sure you get this picture, too.

This method works great for me, so if you're having a bit of difficulty getting started, or keeping going, give this a try. But you can forget about the vomiting part if you want...

Buy Parsen Holt - Slinger at Amazon

About the Author

The author is a graduate of Florida Coastal School of Law who currently resides in southern Illinois. He is an avid nature lover, and a fan of both blues music and the St. Louis Blues NHL hockey team.  His childhood dream was to be a cowboy, and his adult dream is to ride off into the sunset with his best girl. The author urges everyone to spend time/money at their local animal shelter, and to visit the following websites on a daily basis: freerice.com and freekibble.com.

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Critter Control to the Rescue by Jeannie Kaye (@jeanniekaye_)

Are you aware there are varmints lurking in your writing? Even worse, you may have made these pests into pets. Pets you love and adore. But as a writer, you must call in critter control to trap those little guys. You may be asking, “Where are these vermin? How can I find them and delete them from my manuscript?” Ah. It’s tough, but it can be done.

The critters I’m talking about are the pet words and phrases we use redundantly, repetitiously, over and over again. These darling creatures are such a part of us, we don’t even notice they’re loitering in our manuscripts. That’s because our pet phrases permanently nest in our conversations; they make up our normal everyday writing vocabulary. Our beloved pet words and phrases even find expression through our characters.

Yep. These pets have to go. You can keep a few, but savvy readers will notice if you use the same phrase or word too many times, flagging your writing as amateurish. And bad. And weak. Time to euthanize those little buggers.

The problem is, these varmints often hide from our conscious minds. Yet, there are several ways to find them.

Search for Commoners

You might be able to identify some of these pesky pets yourself. Do a search for the most commonly overused words and hit the delete or thesaurus key.

The first pet I had to send on its way was my cute little furry kitten called “just.” I just loved to use just in my sentences because it just seemed to emphasis what I was saying so much more. I was just getting started on this writing journey and was just so excited about pouring thoughts and ideas onto the page that I just overused the word to a point that it just annoyed even me. Of course, I had read that “just” was a commonly overused word. I still use it once in a while/sometimes/occasionally, but now, after a manuscript is complete, I go on a search mission to destroy that furry creature.

Look at the list below. These are commonly used words that will make your writing weak:

• So
• Just
• Very
• Really
• That
• Which
• Quite
• Perhaps
• Was
• Often

Critique Partner

Another way to find these pests is to ask your critique partners to look for overused words. They’ll spot the most frequent ones pretty easily while they’re critiquing your work.

In one chapter, I used the word “little” about eight times. In most instances, the word could simply be deleted. Other times, it could be changed out with a synonym.

Editor

A good editor can find those insidious words that your critique partners may miss. My editor noticed I used the word “gaze” in almost every chapter. It was hard to find an alternative, but in some cases, I simply changed the action and removed the sentence altogether.

Good editors are a must. They are worth their weight in gold. Love your editor well. Send him or her gifts.

Scrivener

If you use an editing software for writers, like Scrivener, you’ll find a tab that lets you see the most frequently used words in the chapter you’re working on and in the entire document. You’ll have to scroll down to find them as the words such as “the” “a” “an” and your characters’ names will be at the top.

Here’s an example of how common words can weaken your writing. The excerpt is taken from my newly released novel, Ever Locked. You’ll see some overused words. After you read it, take a look at the corrected excerpt below it.

Zo’s gaze bore into her. “I really don’t even know who you are anymore, Iris.”

“Neither do I.” Her voice was laden with heaviness. His heart was weighed down by it.

“He’s changed you,” Zo said. “You’re just not the same. Don’t let him turn you into someone that you’re not. Don’t let his ways become your ways. Stay true to yourself.”

Her laugh was bitter, her gaze so full of pain. “Well, perhaps it’s just as they say, you are the company you keep.”

-----

And here’s the corrected excerpt.

Zo studied her face. “I don’t even know who you are anymore, Iris.”

“Neither do I.” Her voice, laden with heaviness, weighed down his heart.

“He’s changed you,” Zo said. “Don’t let him turn you into someone you’re not. Don’t let his ways become your ways. Stay true to yourself.”

She laughed bitterly. “Well, as they say, you are the company you keep.”

As I said, gaze was a pet word in the early versions of Ever Locked. So I removed it completely from this segment in both the first and last lines.

Removing the overused word “was” is always tricky and required playing around with the sentence a bit in the second line.

Typically, “just” can be removed completely, as can “perhaps.”

Cutting this section to its most basic elements makes the scene more powerful.

With these tools, you can tighten up your writing, saying, “Adios, amigos!” to your favorite pets that skulk about trying to mar an otherwise beautiful work of art.

  Sweet!

Buy Ever Locked at Amazon

About the Author

Jeannie is a Certified Life Coach, public speaker, and prolific writer.
 After writing her first book at the age of ten, she illustrated it, stitched it together, glued a hard cover on it, and read it to anyone who would listen. The book centered around an anthropomorphic friendless rabbit in search of acceptance. With that, her writing career began. Well, sort of. 

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D.J. Donaldson (@medicalthriller): CAJUN NIGHTS AND THE CHARACTERS WITHIN:

THE MANY LIVES OF A TV SERIES THAT NEVER WAS

LIFE #1

Cajun Nights was my first novel featuring New Orleans medical examiner, Andy Broussard, and his suicide/death investigator, Kit Franklyn.  A few weeks after the book was published, I got a call from my agent with the surprising news that, “There’s been a flurry of movie and TV interest in your book.”  I’d never considered that such a thing was possible. So that was one of the best phone calls I ever had.

Subsequently, a production company headed by the former director of programming at CBS took an option on the series, planning to shape it into a TV show.  As perhaps some of you know, this phase of things is known as “development hell”, because it takes a very long time to make anything happen. So a year went by with no news.  I figure, okay, the thing is dead.  But, the producers renewed their option for another year, which meant I got paid again.  It wasn’t a lot of money, but with that check, I’d made more money from the two option years than the advance I was given on the book by the publisher. 

So more time goes by with no news.  Now, I’m not even thinking about it anymore. Then, while I was attending a scientific meeting in Dallas, I got a call from the agent in Hollywood who was handling the dramatic rights.  CBS had agreed to pay for a pilot screenplay. I wasn’t sure what that meant, but if this guy had tracked me down in Dallas just to tell me that, it must be a big deal.  And guess what… I got another check as an advance on the screenplay even though I wasn’t gonna write it.  I was beginning to love the agent who created that contract.

They chose as a writer someone who’d had several movies produced.  That may seem like something not worth mentioning, but I’d read an article once that said it was possible to have a career as a screenwriter and never have anything produced.  (Yeah, I don’t quite get that either, but it sure seemed like the writer we had, was the better kind.) With her experience and success, I was sure we’d get a great screenplay.

A few months later, a package arrives in the mail.  IT’S THE SCREENPLAY.  I’m so excited, I quickly skim the enclosed letter from the producers: “Read this over and tell us three things you don’t like about it.”  That’s ridiculous, I’m gonna love it.  After all, it was written by a pro.

Well, I hated all of it.  The writer didn’t seem to “get” the relationship between Andy and Kit.  I couldn’t believe it.  The books show that non-romantic love is possible between an unrelated man and woman of greatly differing ages. Though he can’t admit it, Broussard loves Kit like the daughter he never had.  Kit loves Broussard like a father, even though she has a father.  How do I boil all the things I hate down to just three items? Somehow I manage and send my reply back.

As it turned out, the producers didn’t really care about any of my thoughts.  Was I upset?  Not really, because I figured they know TV, I don’t.  And… surprise, when they gave the script to CBS, I got another check.  Now I definitely love my agent.

The producers are sure the script will be approved and we’ll soon be shooting a pilot.  They invite me to watch them film in New Orleans.  They say they’ll even find a bit part for me.  They predict that the series will run for ten years. And they should know. Their show, Cagney and Lacey, ran for seven seasons. Now I’m excited. 

But… later, I get another call.  CBS didn’t like the script. And they didn’t want to see a rewrite with the same story. The producers asked me if I had any ideas.  The screenplay was based on the second book in the series. When I got this call I was sitting at my desk looking at the rough draft of book number three.  I pitched them the story and they said, “Send us a copy by overnight mail.”  This was back before manuscripts could be sent by e-mail. (I know, I can hardly remember those days myself.)

So another screenplay was written, which didn’t fare any better than the first. Thus life #1 of my hoped-for TV series went to a quiet demise.

LIFE #2

A few years later, while I was at the Kentucky book fair promoting book number five in the series, a young blonde fellow bought a book.  We spoke for a few minutes and he moved on.  Later, back in Memphis, I get a call from this guy.  He wants to option the series for TV.  I tell him about my earlier experience with the other producers, who failed, but he’s unfazed.  We strike a deal.  There’s talk about John Goodman playing Broussard.  John Goodman… he lives in New Orleans and he’d be a great fit.  I love it.

Within a few weeks the producer calls to say he’s on his way to Memphis and could I meet him and John Goodman’s “best friend,” at the Peabody Hotel.  (The Peabody lobby is where William Faulkner and his mistress used to have drinks.)  The meeting takes place and I give the best friend a copy of the latest book, which he assures us, will be in John Goodman’s hands within twenty-four hours. That was the last time I ever heard from him or the producer.  So I guess the deal is off.

LIFE #3

In my primary occupation, I taught medical and dental students microscopic anatomy.  One day I get a call from a former dental student.  He’s now a part-time actor who’s been in a couple of notable films.  He says that he and a long-time Hollywood promoter have formed a production company and are looking for material. He remembers that I wrote a few novels and wonders what I’ve been doing since he last saw me. I talk about my work and send him some books.

Very soon thereafter he calls me again and says he and his partner “are on fire over these forensic books.”  They believe the series would make a great TV SERIES.  He asks me who I’d like to play Broussard.  I tell him I’ve always believed Wilford Brimley would be perfect.  Incredibly, my former student says that his partner had lunch with Wilford just last week.  He’s sure they can get him to sign on.  With an actor of Wilford’s stature attached to the project, we’ll surely get a deal.

Was all this talk about Brimley just smoke?  No.  Because they actually got him on board.  And what’s even better, my former student and his partner were working with another producer who had a development deal with the Sci-Fi network.  They planned to present my series to the network three weeks hence, focusing on the real and apparent paranormal aspects of the first two books.

On presentation day at the Sci-Fi Network my student calls me just before they go in.  I wait anxiously the rest of the day to hear how it went.  Years later, I’m still waiting.  The only contact I’ve had since presentation day is a big envelope from the producer who had the development deal.  In the envelope is a bunch of stuff I wrote for the presentation along with a note from the producer that says, “Sorry we couldn’t have worked longer on this together.”

LESSON LEARNED

Early in the machinations of the first development deal, I used to caution myself not to spend any time thinking about how great it would be if every week I could watch my characters living and breathing on a TV show.  My thinking was that if I kept a tight rein on my expectations, it’d be much easier on my psyche if things didn’t work out.

But then I realized I was missing out on the excitement of the possibility.  Why not let my mind run with it?  Then, even if none of the deals came to fruition I would still have the pleasure of being part of a great endeavor.  So that’s what I did.  And now, even though I never played that bit part in a pilot and I’ve never seen John Goodman or Wilford Brimley bring Broussard to life, I sure had a lot of fun along the way.

(By the way, if you’re a TV/film producer, the rights are available.)

Buy Cajun Nights at Amazon

About the Author:

D.J. Donaldson is a retired professor of Anatomy and Neurobiology.  His entire academic career was spent at the University of Tennessee, Health Science Center, where he published dozens of papers on wound-healing and where he taught microscopic anatomy to thousands of medical and dental students.

He is also the author of seven published forensic mysteries and five medical thrillers. He lives in Memphis, Tennessee with his wife and two West Highland terriers. In the spring of most years he simply cannot stop buying new flowers and other plants for the couple’s prized backyard garden.

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Barbara Venkataraman (@barbaravenkat): Audiobooks 'R' Us!

Making an audiobook with a narrator is like marrying a total stranger and hoping it all works out. As in a marriage, the participants start out starry-eyed, but soon discover each other's idiosyncrasies and quirks, realizing with a sense of dread that they are now stuck with each other--at least until the project is finished. That's why it makes sense to choose a narrator with experience and a stellar reputation, one who has completed at least one project and done it well. Or you could fly by the seat of your pants like I did. Boy, did I get lucky! After hearing other authors' horror stories and seeing reviews of badly done audiobooks, I realize just how lucky I was/am.

Unlike many authors, I write in two unrelated genres, humor and mystery, specifically, cozy mystery. Ideally, I wanted to find a narrator with the talent and skill to handle both genres. It needed to be a woman (my mysteries are told in first person by a female protagonist) with a sense of humor, someone who "got" my jokes. She had to be able to do a range of voices to cover all the characters in my mysteries and, one more thing, she needed to work for free! Now, when I say free, I don't really mean free; I just mean that I couldn't afford to pay her anything.  I figured I'd have to be the greatest saleswoman in the world to convince a total stranger to spend hundreds of hours recording my self-published, unproven books as unpaid labor, OR, I could find a narrator through ACX (Audiobook Creation Exchange) who was willing to royalty-share (spend hundreds of hours recording my self-published, unproven books as unpaid labor AND split any future profits, assuming there were any).

I started on my quest to find the perfect Jamie Quinn (the star of my Jamie Quinn mystery series). I stumbled through the labyrinth known as ACX and, throwing caution to the wind, posted two projects simultaneously: a book of humorous essays and my first Jamie Quinn mystery. I listed both as royalty-share projects and put them out for audition. I must add here that ACX allows you to choose the qualifications of your ideal narrator and it's enough to make your head explode! First, you chose the gender and the language. Easy enough. Then, you choose the accent, which can range from British to American to Boston, Irish, to Southern drawl to…well, you get the picture. Now come the hard choices. Do you want a voice that's warm? Scientific? Authoritative? Matter-of-fact? Sexy? And so on and so on…I hate to admit it, but I hadn't given any of that much thought, nor did I want to. I hoped I could pick the right one. But what if I couldn't?

I got exactly three auditions, all of them very nice women, none of them Jamie Quinn material. I felt so bad rejecting them. The only thing I'd gotten out of this project so far was a truckload of guilt. Then I realized that I didn't have to wait around, I could listen to the demo recordings posted on the site. There were only a bazillion of them, no problem at all. I realized that many of the demos were repeats as in the same narrator putting herself up for different projects: here's me narrating a romance, here's me narrating a thriller, etc. I listened to many women reading many different passages until I started questioning the whole project and wondering why I always had to do everything the hard way. Sigh. Finally, I heard a "maybe" voice which gave me a little hope, enough hope to keep trying. I kept slogging through until the heavens suddenly parted and I heard an angel sing, only she wasn't an angel, she was Carrie Lee Martz, an actress who did voiceover. Her demo wasn't of her reading a book; it was a voiceover demo in which she showed off her range of voices. She was perfect! Hallelujah! I made her an offer for both books and she accepted them both. Oh, happy day! Then, I had a sobering thought, what if she didn't like the books? I told her to look them over first and then decide. She decided yes. Then we had an e-mail exchange in which I confessed that I'd never done this before. She confessed that she hadn't either. We said we were both game and we jumped right in. We are now recording our fourth book together (when I say "we", I mean the "royal we"--Carrie is doing all of the recording) and I'm not going to say that it hasn't taken a lot of effort, or that we didn’t hit a few bumps along the way--like when I sent her the wrong version of the second Jamie Quinn mystery and she had to re-record the last 5 chapters! But I am thrilled to report that we are very happy with our arranged marriage and we've even started making some money! So, if you’re thinking of making an audiobook, I hope you find the right narrator and that it’s love at first listen.

Buy Jamie Quinn Mystery Collection at Amazon

About the Author:

Barbara Venkataraman is an attorney and mediator specializing in family law and debt collection.
She is the author of "The Fight for Magicallus," a children's fantasy; a humorous short story entitled, "If You'd Just Listened to Me in the First Place"; and two books of humorous essays: "I'm Not Talking about You, Of Course" and "A Trip to the Hardware Store & Other Calamities," which are part of the "Quirky Essays for Quirky People" series. Both books of humorous essays won the prestigious "Indie Book of the Day" award.
Her latest works are "Death by Didgeridoo," first in the Jamie Quinn series, "The Case of the Killer Divorce," the second Jamie Quinn mystery, and, just out, "Peril in the Park," the latest in the popular Jamie Quinn series. Coming soon, "Engaged in Danger"--the next Jamie Quinn mystery!

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Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small fee is earned when purchases are made at Amazon through the above link. The views, opinions, and beliefs expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Girl Who Reads. This article was first published at The Editing Pen; republished with permission.

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• The Case of the Killer Divorce by Barbara Venkataraman (dabofdarkness.com)
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Danielle DeVor: Can Romance Be Scary?

I think it can. When you really break it down, love is just as scary as a slasher coming up behind you with a big knife. In fact, a horror film only lasts a couple of hours. Heartache can last for years. If I had to choose between the two, I’d go with the guy with the knife.

But, love and horror make an interesting juxtaposition. Romance always needs high stakes for the main characters to overcome so that love can conquer all. But, if your love interest isn’t exactly alive, well, things get a little dicey.

But, because Constructing Marcus is about Emma, and not really about Marcus, I wanted Emma to be the strong one- even though she had no magical powers. No special skills. She’s just a normal sixteen-year-old girl in the modern world.

Emma’s horror is her mother’s illness. She lives in constant fear of losing her mother, so when she starts to have feelings for Marcus, immediately, she begins to fear losing her one true love. And that is scarier to her than any Freddy Kreuger wannabe.

Think about it: On one hand, you have the love of your life about to go away forever. On the other, you have to fight a scary dude with a machete. Which would you choose?

Read a Sample:

About the author

Danielle DeVor spent her early years fantasizing about vampires and watching “Salem’s Lot” way too many times.  After living briefly in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, she moved back to her hometown to write.  When not writing and reading about weird things, you will find her hanging out at the nearest coffee shop, enjoying a mocha frappuccino.  

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Girl Who Readsd is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small is paid by Amazon when purchases are made using the above links. The views, opinions, and beliefs expressed by guest are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Girl Who Reads.

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Leslie Liautaud: Writing in Real Life

As I’m sitting here writing this post, I have 3 sets of eyes boring into the back of my skull. I can feel them and it makes my skin crawl, like in those horror movie when the girl is walking down the street and senses someone’s presence. She won’t look behind her but starts waling faster and you scream at the screen, “RUN!”

It’s like that. Except that there’s no axe murderer. The eyes belong to my three dogs. And they want to be fed. NOW.

This is the reality of being a writer who works at home. Real life happens and it usually takes precedence over whatever piece I’m working on. The dogs need to be fed. And watered. And walked. And petted. (Let’s face it, these guys are high maintenance and needy!) My kids need rides to school events and sports. And while I’m lucky enough to be a stay at home mom, it means that all “home” stuff falls in my lap. Cooking, laundry, grocery shopping, and house cleaning all fall under this. There are also the every day things we all do: exercising, answering emails, phoning mom to check it.

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In a dream world, I’d have a cabin in the woods I could escape to four days a week, where I’d eat sleep and breathe writing. Or maybe a loft apartment in the middle of a major city with all the creative energy buzzing through the air, pushing me forward as I concentrate on a new manuscript. Honestly, I could easily spend more time daydreaming about writing by the ocean than actually writing.

But I live in Real Life and Real Life makes it tricky to carve out time to sit and concentrate on plot, character development and structure. So, what’s a gal (or guy) to do? For me, this meant turning off my phone and email for one hour intervals, because every phone call and every new message brings on a new set of tasks I need to complete. I close my office door and set the timer. When it goes off, I stop, switch out the laundry, feed the dogs, check my phone and do a quick email check. Then I set the timer for another hour. And so on and so on.

The crazy thing is that this can apply to ANYTHING, not just writing If you’re passionate about playing guitar, you can find a way to carve out an hour. And if you’re lucky, there’s a second hour waiting after that. If you love theatre, take time to read plays. If you love sewing, lay out your pattern and start pinning for an hour. We all have loves and passions and we all have responsibilities that keep us from spending every second on those things. Some of us may be lucky enough to work in our field of passion and some are able to enjoy them as hobbies. The point is, whatever you are passionate about, find time in Real Life to pursue those passions. And there’s always a way to find time.

I’d like to go on and on about all the little things that can be done to reclaim time…such as turning off the TV for an hour or shutting down FaceBook for an hour. I’d give more examples but I have to go. My son is staring at the back of my head. He needs a ride to the movies. NOW.

About the Author:

Leslie Liautaud is the author of Midnight Waltzes (2006), He Is Us (2008), The Wreck (2009), SALIGIA (2011), The Mansion (2012) and Summer Nights and Dreams (2012). She is also the author of the coming-of-age novel, Black Bear Lake (CreateSpace Independent Publishing, 2014).
Leslie is originally from Kansas City, MO where she worked in the performing arts. Currently, she divides her time between between Key Largo, FL and Champaign, IL with her husband, three teenage children and three rambunctious dogs.

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Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small fee is earned when purchases are made at Amazon through the links on this site. The views, opinions, and beliefs expressed by guest are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Girl Who Reads.

Related articles

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Jinx Schwartz: Plotter? Pantser? or Hipster/Googlester?

Some writers outline.

Some have a beginning and end in mind, then outline as they go.

Many have the plot, chapter by chapter, all worked out.

There are as many writing habits as there are writers.

Me? I'm a hipster/Googlester.

Keeping in mind that I am writing the sixth book in a series, I'm a step ahead with my main character, Hetta Coffey, and her sidekick, Jan. All I have to do is:

1. Figure out where Hetta is

2. Why she's there

3. What the problem(s) seems to be

4. What the problem(s) really is

5. How Hetta's going to deal with it (them).

6. Do it all without boring the living hell out of the reader!

Keeping a series fresh, book after book, is a problem in itself. Being a big fan of series, I've been a disgruntled reader on occasion, and the last thing I was to do is disgruntle my readers.

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And therein lies the problem. I can plot and plan to my heart's content, but then, thank goodness, Hetta takes over, sends me into Google research, and then hip-bumps me onto a whole new path.

I admit to being a research junkie, and it has been a road to adventure for Hetta's antics.

For example, in Just Deserts,  Hetta lands a job at a mine on the Arizona/Mexico border , and I was all set with where the story was going. Great. But then, while running off the rails during research (which I'm prone to do) I found a blurb in the news reporting Jihadist camps in Mexico! Say what? Who knew some of the indigenous Indians down south in Chiapas were being recruited? Heck, who knew there were even radical Muslims in Mexico? So, I was off on another trail, because if anyone on the planet can unearth—and become embroiled in—a terrorist plot, it is Hetta.

The problem with being a Googlester is, like Facebook, Google is a giant, time-sucking vortex that I happen to find way to irresistible.

Conventional wisdom says, WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW.  Okay, at my age (don't ask!)  I think I know a lot, but is what I know interesting to others? Probably not. Can I use my own experiences as a launch pad for books that grab and hold a readers attention? Heck, yeah.

I imagine most books begin with authors asking themselves, "What if?"

"What if a young man who finds out he's adopted, and has magical powers?"

"What if, during the civil war, a beautiful young woman falls in love with the wrong man?"

"What if a woman is pushing forty, looking for love in all the wrong places, and buys a yacht as a man-trap." Bingo!

About the Author:

Jinx Schwartz is the author of the award-winning Hetta Coffey series.
JUST ADD WATER, first in the series, introduces Hetta, a sassy Texan with a snazzy yacht, and she's not afraid to use it. JUST ADD SALT, JUST ADD TROUBLE, JUST DESERTS,and JUST THE PITS follow her into hot Mexican water. JUST NEEDS KILLIN' is scheduled for July 2014 release.
Her other books: The Texicans (Texas 1806-1836 Historical Western), Land of Mountains, a YA/TWEEN set in Haiti in the 1950's, and Troubled Sea, a thriller in Mexico's Sea of Cortez.
Jinx spends equal time in Arizona and Mexico.

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Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small fee is earned when purchases are made at Amazon through the link above. The views, opinions, and beliefs of guest writers are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Girl Who Reads.

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Matthew Kadish: The Lazy Author’s Guide To Blog Cross-Promotion

Greetings fellow humans!  ‘Tis I, Matthew Kadish, author extraordinaire and certified evil genius!  For those of you reading this who are not familiar with me, I’m sure that will change once I finish building my doomsday device and take over the world so that I can enact my dastardly plan of subjugating humanity by forcing them to read cheap knock-offs of Twilight written by unskilled fan fiction authors.

But until such time, I shall have to make do with spreading awareness of my brilliance by helping other authors become better at their own essential skills.  So today, I am going to share with you a quick-and-easy way to cross-promote your blog posts across various social media websites.  And not only is this brain-dead simple to do, it is also free!

As I’m sure you’re aware, if you are a self-published author (or even a traditionally published author), much of the work of promoting yourself falls squarely on your shoulders.  Thus, it is important to spread awareness of your content far and wide.

Most authors have a presence on social media that they prefer.  Some like to blog, some like to tweet, some like to Facebook (it’s a verb, deal with it), and on and on and on.  The problem is that authors can get overwhelmed, that they neglect so many other social networks in favor of one, or they spend way too much time trying to update all their social media that it’s almost like a full-time job.  This can lead to authors getting frustrated and burned out.  After all, what good is having 11,000 twitter followers if every blog post you make goes without a single comment?

It should be a no-brainer that if you are spending time cultivating a strong social media presence, you’ll want a way to make your followers aware of your latest projects, releases, and special announcements.  Being the genius that I am, I find that I prefer to spend my time doing one thing that will get me multiple benefits, as opposed to multiple things that will get me one benefit.  Thus, I’ve devised a diabolical way of cross-promoting one’s content across the most important social media platforms in existence!

Well, maybe I didn’t devise it, per say.  But I use it!  So… whatever.  Moving on.

If you have a self-hosted Wordpress blog (and if you don’t, what are you waiting for?), this method is pretty flawless and easy to do.  If you want to use this method and don’t have a self-hosted Wordpress blog, you can easily set one up just to make your life easier.

Wordpress comes pre-installed with a plugin called “Jetpack.”  This offers Wordpress users a series of wonderful little add-ons to their blog which can make it look really professional, increase functionality, and make the blogger’s life easier all-around.  So the first thing you’ll want to do is activate this plug-in.

Next, when you go to the Jetpack control panel, you’ll see lots of options available to you.  The one we’ll want to focus on is called “Publicize.”

What the Publicize plugin does is it allows you to link major social networks with your blog, so that when you post to the blog, that content is cross-posted to all the linked social network accounts immediately.  The social networks supported are:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Tumblr
• Path
• Google+

Those are 6 of the major social networks in existence.  Hopefully more will be added in time, but for now, these are the ones the plugin supports.  All you need to do is connect to your account for each network and grant permission for Wordpress to post to it.  You just click the “Connect” button and enter your information.  If you’re already logged into the network you’re attempting to connect to, you just have to click a few approval buttons to complete the process.  It takes mere seconds to get set up.

Once you’re done, whenever you publish a new blog post, it will automatically get published to ALL the social networks you’ve set up in the plugin.  I personally use Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Google+, so those four services get my content automatically as soon as I publish something on my brilliant blog.

Is good, no?

You can also set it up to post to a Facebook page as opposed to your personal account, in case you were wondering.  So if you have a fan page for yourself as an author, you can update that as opposed to your personal profile.

Once you get the easy cross-posting set up, all you have to worry about is updating 1 service (your blog) and growing your followings on all the services you feel are important to focus on.  This is not only a great time-saver, but it will help you to reach a broader audience and create a wider appeal for your work as an author.

If you want more tips on writing or marketing your material, please feel free to check out my personal blog at www.MatthewKadish.com, so you can see an example of how I’ve set this system up myself.  But I feel I should warn you, once you go Matt, you never go back!  Only visit me if you are okay with becoming obsessed over a middle-aged bald man with a superiority complex.  If that does not frighten you, then stop by and check out my other articles.

Until then, happy writing!  And here’s to cross-promoting your content the lazy way!

About the Author

Matthew Kadish is an independent author and world-recognized evil genius. When he isn't writing or being evil, he enjoys relaxing at the beach and videos of puppies. Much like Scottish cuisine, most of his literary works have been based on dares. He currently lives in Las Vegas and always bets on black, because Westley Snipes has yet to steer him wrong in life. He is the most talented author ever. His mother tells him so every day.

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Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small fee is earned when purchases are made at Amazon through the link above. The views, opinions, and beliefs expressed by guest writers are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Girl Who Reads.

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Gert Loveday: Writing Together

In National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) 2006 we sat down at our computers 6000 km apart and started to write a novel. Gabrielle wrote 1500 words and emailed it to me, I wrote the next 1500 words and emailed it to her, and so on we went, 3000 words a day without changing a thing. We had no idea when we started what the story would be. We had only a few characters' names and the setting of the book, and to our amazement an extraordinary story unfolded. At the end of a month we had the first draft of a novel we called Crane Mansions: a novel about the redeeming power of cake  and Gert Loveday was born. We had so much fun that we have continued this freefalling approach ever since, producing five novels, and every time we have been astounded at what seems to have come from nowhere. Our second novel Writing is Easy got as far as a serious reading by two well-known publishers. When it wasn't taken up we decided to release it ourselves as an ebook.

We can thank the Canadian writing teacher Barbara Turner-Vesselago for our start. Her Freefall workshops unfailingly bring out the writer in everyone. It was from Barbara that we learned to jump without a parachute. There's nothing quite so freeing to the imagination being confronted with a twist in the tale that you never envisaged, and having to take it in your stride and go on. And always, you find you can.

What are the ingredients for two writers to be able to cooperate in this way? In our case it was common tastes formed by a lifetime of shared reading, and the exposure to Freefall. But basically what it takes is the willingness to let go of what you want the book to be, to be able to enter into it without preconceptions. You do have to have a shared view about the tenor of the book. If one is aiming at high drama and the other at slapstick comedy, it's not likely to work.

Buy Writing is Easy at Amazon

We'd recommend this to any writer as an exercise. Commit yourself to it for a month, NaNoWriMo style. Choose a voice, a setting, a main character or two. Then go for it. No corrections, no negotiation. Just see what happens.  At the end of a month you'll have a manuscript. Then the work begins.

Be sure to come back on Friday for an excerpt from Writing is Easy.

Gert Loveday is the pen name of sisters Joan Kerr and Gabrielle Daly. Gabrielle’s background is in nursing, medical research and music, while Joan is a widely-published poet and short fiction writer. Since 2006 they have written several comic novels together. 'Writing is Easy', which was shortlisted for a Varuna Publisher Fellowship in 2011, is the first to be published.  Gert Loveday (http://gertlovedaywriter.blogspot.com.au) writes with authority on peculiar diets, exercise regimes, body makeovers, extreme fashion, gurus, pigeons, religion, poetry, politics, the health bureaucracy, gourmet cooking, reality TV and literature from the Norse Sagas to Jeffrey Archer, with a sharp eye for character foibles and the pricking of pomposity.

Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small fee is earned when purchases are made at Amazon through the link above. The beliefs, values, and opinions expressed by the contributing author are own and do not necessarily reflect those of Girl Who Reads.

Anne Maro Slanina: The Adventures of Annie Mouse

My writing stems from both my personal life and my life as an educator.  I am a reading specialist and have taught remedial reading for many years. I also specialize in social-emotional growth in young children.  As someone who prepares people to become early childhood teachers, I have been passionate about teaching about “Bibliotherapy,” using books for social-emotional growth and healing.  My professional career and my writing career are very closely intertwined.

I also have a very vivid memory of being a young child who was very confused by some of the strange things adults said- and apparently didn’t mean.  For instance, when my mother learned that one of my infant cousins had died, she announced, “Your aunt lost the baby.”  My three-year-old self quickly jumped up and said, “Let’s go find her!” I could not understand why no one else agreed with me.  “What was wrong with these people?” I thought.  I threw a tantrum because I could not make anyone understand that we should not be sitting around helplessly. In addition, I thought, if they were going to act like this, I had better never get lost because no one would ever search for ME!

As a mom of two sons, I witnessed this same confusion on my own sons’ faces countless times. One incident was so traumatic that it became the inspiration behind Baby Brother Goes to the Hospital, my second book in the series.  Each of the first four books in the series features an incident where Annie misinterprets an event that happens in her world. Thus, each is intended to be read with an adult so that children can express their own misunderstandings and communication can be enhanced. It is surprising how often parents discover that their angry, hostile child is behaving that way because of one of these misunderstandings. That is my purpose behind the first four books in the series.

After my son moved to Arizona, I decided to make a road trip out to see him and his family. This was my first encounter with Route 66. As I traveled, I realized what a wonderful bonding experience a road trip could be for a family and began writing a chapter book- what eventually became my sixth book, Annie Mouse’s Route 66 Family Vacation.  The underlying message of this book can be summarized as, “Put all your worries and cares behind you, hop in the car, communicate and bond with each other, while learning about our wonderful country!”

Buy Annie Mouse's Route 66 Family Vacation at Amazon

Each time that I traveled the Route, I learned many new things and have tried to incorporate many of them into the companion Route 66 Annie Mouse books.  In the first-published book, Annie Mouse’s Route 66 Adventure: A Photo Journal, Annie shares her trip through actual photographs.  In the just-released chapter book, Annie Mouse’s Route 66 Family Vacation, the complete story of Annie’s adventure, from Illinois to California, is told. Both books could be used as travel guides while taking an actual Route 66 trip; the reader could follow along finding the various family-friendly Route 66 landmarks across the country.  Families could also share the stories together, taking a “virtual” trip while parents and/or grandparents reminisce about their own nostalgic anecdotes.  However, in each book, Annie continues to be confused by adults’ language and things she sees and experiences in her surroundings.  She, like all young children, needs consistent guidance from the adults who love her.

While I began writing about a “cross country” trip, in the process of my own travels, I actually fell in love with Route 66.  I hadn’t wanted to complete the books until I experienced everything Route 66 had to offer.  However, I STILL have not experienced everything Route 66 has to offer, in spite of the fact that I have taken the cross country trip numerous times! The Route is constantly evolving and there is always something new to see and more wonderful people to meet.   “Annie Mouse” will be having adventures for years to come! I hope you’ll come along for the ride!

The launch party for Annie Mouse’s Route 66 Family Vacation e-book will be March 15th from 1-3, Eastern time. Please join me for the party.

Amazon international page for Annie Mouse’s Route 66 Family Vacation:  http://authl.it/B00IK9XH1M

About the Author:

Anne Maro Slanina, Ph.D. is the author of The Adventures of Annie  Mouse children’s series.  She is a professor of early childhood education at Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania and previously taught in K-12 classrooms for many years.  You can learn more about Anne on her website: www.anniemousebooks.com

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Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate;  a small fee is earned when purchases are made at Amazon through the above link. The views, opinions, and beliefs of contributing writers are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Girl Who Reads. 

I Want to Write on @Amtrak with #Amtrakresidency

Yesterday morning while checking my news feeds I saw a headline about Amtrak giving free rides. I love to travel and, hey, free is always good. Turns out it isn't just anyone they are giving free rides to. They are giving free round trips to writers. How cool is that?

I've only taken a US trip by train once. When I was 14 I took Amtrak from Gainesville, GA to New York City. It was an exciting trip and I vividly remember my train ride.

I remember I was reading a Babysitter's Club book, one of the "special editions", about them all going to New York City.

Unfortunately, we traveled overnight and missed out on much of the scenery. Unfortunate also for me because I had an aisle seat and my best friend who rode next to me would shove me off her if I slumped her direction (mind you, she slept with her pillow leaning on the window).  We did get a little more daylight travel than we were suppose to because there was some issue during the night that had the train delayed.

We stopped in Washington, DC to change engines and almost got left behind. Our history teacher Mr. Benton took a group of us off the train to look at station and the doors he thought we could leave through were blocked off so we had to go back through the station. By the time we made it back to the track, the train was already moving out. Running to jump on a moving train - pretty priceless for a 14 year old. It was like something that would happen to a character in the books I read. I also didn't realize how large the train was until we got on several cars away from our car.

I remember playing cards and pooling what was left of our spending money to buy snacks in the club car on the return trip. I remember we couldn't find the dining car, though I remembered how good the food smelled when we were taking the "long walk" to our car after leaving the DC station on the trip up. I remember trying to walk in a straight line on the way to the bathroom and the fear of noticing the tracks beneath us as we traveled from one car to another.

It has been 23 years since that train trip. My memories of the week spent in New York City are just a big blur, but the train ride, which was suppose to just be a means to an end, stands out.

The thought of writing while riding around the country on a train would be a dream. It would be so conducive to my writing style. I wrote Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour in a weekend. I'm just waiting for a free weekend where I focus on nothing but putting together the next book. A round trip would give me the time I needed to do just that.

Amtrak - If you are reading this, I hope you will accept this as my application for your Writers' Residency program.

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the blogger behind Girl Who Reads and author of the how-to manual Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.

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