Mythology - Control

When I was first traditionally published (print pubs in NYC), I learned a lot of "dos and don'ts" for published authors. I have a  monthly forum here at Novel Spaces to ramble on, I mean share my knowledge. The next few posts will deal with some "rules" that I'm happy are getting stomped on by the rise of indie publishing. First up, lack of control.

I was told numerous times to just accept a basic fact, authors only have control over one thing: the quality of their writing. Everything else is in the hands of your publisher. Cover art, distribution, marketing on a national level, even the title of my books would be out of my hands. Not only that, but I couldn't do those things as well as my publisher anyway. Authors could give input on cover art and cover blurbs, but 99.9% of us had no veto power. Distribution and marketing were such that even if an author tried, they couldn't take a hand in those two. Agents told us, editors told us, publishing sales people told us, other established authors told us. Everybody was pushing the Kool-aid. Since I didn't know as much as them, I drank right up.

Six months ago I started on the indie publishing journey, and learned a whole new set of rules. On example: cover art. I was leery of taking a stab at designing covers, because I really believed the old rule. After all I wasn't an artist or graphic designer. Now I didn't do the actually layout and Photoshop, but I designed these covers by selecting the cover art, describing the layout I wanted and writing the cover copy. I think they're fab (bow to Pati Nagle of Mandala Design)

I enjoy having control and breaking the old rules. Or proving that in this new world the old rules are obsolete. Authors can get control of distribution. Enter Create Space, Smashwords, Lightening Source. Oh, and marketing? Most publishers did one or two ads (for romance authors it was typically Romantic Times Magazine back in the day), but that was it. Authors had to do most of the promotion and marketing themselves in reality. So doing my own marketing isn't actually a big change.

I still, of course, control the quality of my writing. But I love writing books I want to write. I'm not writing with someone looking over my shoulder shaking her head. I like the freedom. Ah, control. What a wonderful word.

Next month: Mythology: Writers Walking on Eggshells

Lynn Emery

Writing books with the kind of women we all want to be, and men want to get. Smart is the new sexy!

www.lynnemery.com/books

Buy my books at the Kindle Store, Nook Books, and Smashwords

Writing and Reading During the Dog Days of Summer

As a professional writer and avid reader, I must confess that both can be extremely challenging to pull off successfully during the dog days of summer.

The problem is that within that hot and sultry span between early July and early September, it also happens to be the absolute best time to be out and about. And as I also happen to be an outdoorsy person when the weather is nice, especially compared to much of the other time in the Pacific Northwest where I take up residence, I want to be anywhere but sitting at my desk typing away. Or curled up on the couch reading a book, even a good one.

Not when the call of the outdoors beckons me, much like the urge to go inside and cuddle up to a warm fire when the winter weather sets in. But that's for another blog posting. Here we're talking about summertime and all the joy that it brings, tempting me, such as festivals, fairs, concerts; not to mention barbecues, picnics, parks, the beach, the ocean (I happen to be less than an hour's drive away and cannot help but succumb to this at least three times every summer--usually resulting in an overnight stay or more each time, as my wife often insists.

But mainly during the dog days of summer, I simply enjoy the sunlight, breathing in the warm air, taking walks or runs around the neighborhood, conversing with other outdoor people, most that I may not see at all during the rest of the year when I am usually holed up in my office hard at work to meet the various deadlines my editors never let me forget.

Ahh, but those good old dog days of summer. Sometimes I have little choice but to pretend the weather is not so nice in order to keep writing or reading something I started.

In most instances, though, I prefer to enjoy the heart of summertime for all the wonderful things it presents and let the rest of year take care of itself.

How much writing or reading do you get done during the dog days of summer?

Is it hard or not so?

Healthy Writing

Don't move. Stay exactly where you are. Take a stock of your posture right now as you read this post. Are you sitting on your bed hunched over your laptop? Sitting at a desk but slouched down in your chair (my personal favorite)? Or sitting upright, weight equally distributed on both hips in an ergonomically-designed chair? If you are like me, you seldom find yourself in the third position. Your spinal cord is a bundle of nervous tissue. It has several functions but the main one is that it transmits neural signals between the brain and the rest of the body, including pain signals. The spinal cord is encased in and protected by the spine. No wonder that, if you don't take care of your spine your general health can be adversely affected, not just by chronic back pain but general malaise and even depression. This is a bit of a departure from our normal discourse but still very important to all us novelnauts. As writers we spend a lot of time behind our computers or over books and if we don't pay attention to our posture our health will be affected. Here are a few tips. When you sit: Your back should be straight and your buttocks should touch the back of your chair. Your weight should be distributed equally between both hips. Your knees should be bent at right angles. Your feet should be flat on the floor. Finally, be sure to get up and move a bit every 30 minutes. Best wishes for a healthy back!

For the Love of Books

I took a break from writing today to ‘fiddle’ with my books. That’s what I call it when I play with them. I rearrange and reorganize them on my shelves. I dust them and run my hands over their covers. I smile as I remember the particular pleasure one of them has given me. I doubt if I’m any different from a little kid playing with action figures and dolls.

Every genre is represented on my shelves, from the west that never was to the future that never will be. Every kind of cover can be found there, from the garish to the literary. These books hold dreams for me. I remember when I wanted to be John Carter of Barsoom, or Dray Prescot of Scorpio, or Flandry of Terra. I wanted to fly aboard the Enterprise, sail aboard the Nautilus or the Hispaniola. I wanted to ride with the Sacketts. I think it was just yesterday.

Once in a while I feel like I ought to cull my books a little, strengthen the herd by getting rid of the weak. But the few times I've attempted it, I've always regretted it. Even if I don't like a book, I find that I have to keep it around because someday I'll want to refer to it, even if it's just to pan it. I still have some of the first books I ever bought, back when my grade school had a reading program and you could get them for 25 cents each. I also buy books that I once checked out of libraries or that friends had loaned me. I didn't have much money in the old days so I scrounged for reading material however I could. Now that I have a bit more disposable income, I find I enjoy spending it on those pleasant memories from the past.

I love my Kindle and I’ve discovered many great reads that I might not otherwise have found, but it will not, cannot, replace the actual thing for me. I even ‘fiddle’ with my ebooks, placing them in folders by genre on my computer. But it isn’t the same.

I often wonder if mine will be the last generation to treasure books so highly. My students certainly don’t seem to value books. Most people today who see my collection express either amazement or amusement. Not many of them suffer envy. I'm already considered an eccentric because of how much I read and how many books I own. I wonder how long it'll be before I'm treated like the little old lady with 72 cats, how long before I become the: "creepy guy with all the books who keeps to himself?"

I think I might relish the role. And one thing for sure, I’m well suited for it. How about you?

Altered Expectations

Someone once said that disappointment is the difference between expectation and reality. Indeed I’ve seen it first hand multiple times. A week ago I took my mother to the place of her birth. You see, eighty-one years ago she was born in the Dominican Republic. She moved to St. Kitts with her Kittitian born mother when she was about three and became orphaned soon after. Since then she’d never been back though she desired to. Well, a few of her kids decided to make her dream of visiting her homeland a reality.

When we arrived on the island, Mother was touched to tears. It was beautiful. The area we stayed was touristy and beautifully built-up. The people were friendly and helpful. Everything was perfect until we decided to visit the city of her birth. We rented a car and took what was supposed to be a two hour trip to the city of her birth. The trip took four hours and when we got there, my mother became very quiet. A few minutes later she wanted to leave. Back at the hotel, I asked her why she wanted to leave the city of her birth so quickly. She said when she thought of her home city, she thought of a place with beautiful haciendas, lovely homes, nicely paved streets and artistically designed streetlights. Instead the place was a slum. There were dilapidated buildings, poorly maintained roadways, standing water along the roadways and sidewalks, garbage piled up on every corner. Needless to say, she was disappointed. The reality did not align with her expectation.

The same thing happens in writing. When we see the cover of a book, when we read the first few words, we have certain expectations. But if that book fails to meet our expectations we become disappointed. I shop for books by authors. I have a certain expectation in terms of the genre and the quality of the writing when I see that author’s name. But sometimes, when an author fails to live up to my expectations for them, I find myself disappointed to the point where future books from that author go to the bottom of my reading list. The same thing happens when I hear a good review of a book and it does not live up to the expectations that I have for it.

Have you ever read a book that failed to meet your expectations based on the reviews or the cover or the blurb at the back of the book or the author? How did that impact your decision to read a book by that author again?

Overcoming writer's block

Long ago, in the Precambrian era before I was a published author, I used to think that writer's block was an affectation trotted out by lazy writers who wanted to bask on their laurels instead of greasing up their elbows and getting down to work. Well, you know what they say about hubris. I've taken many a fall since.

I'll spare you the painful details of my own blood-splattered duels with blocks. What I will do is share some of the techniques I use to knock this opponent of productivity on to the ropes long enough for me to get some writing done.

1. Recognize it.

You may have lots of great story ideas but when you sit down in front of the computer to start working on your novel, you freeze up completely. Your mind goes blank and you cannot think of a thing to write. You wonder if you'll ever be able to write again. Every time you open that blank document, you question your ability to write anything of value. You begin to avoid writing altogether. This is writer's block, and it may last a few hours, a few months, or worse.

2. Understand what causes it.

Writer's block is another name for FEAR. It's the fear of failure, of writing anything that's less than perfect. It's no mystery why it hits hardest after a publishing triumph. The only way to get around this is to give yourself permission to write less than perfect prose. You might have to throw away nine paragraphs for every ten you write. This is normal. Why is it called a first draft? Because it's not supposed to be perfect.

3. Set realistic goals for YOU.

Forget about the writer in your group who churns out 1000 or 2000 words a day, or the one who sells three stories a month to magazines. Setting goals which you cannot possibly meet sets you up for failure and encourages writer's block. Set goals that work for you, even if it means writing for ten minutes several times a day. I've found that writing down my writing schedule helps. When I have a reasonable written plan, I often find myself writing beyond the time I've allotted for it and surpassing my modest word goals for the day.

4. Focus on writing for enjoyment rather than writing for profit.

Worrying about the marketing of the work while I'm writing it is a sure-fire killer of enthusiasm for me - that focusing on the side of publishing I dislike instead of the creative part that I enjoy. If your current project has become a chore, put it aside for awhile. The enjoyment fades when you have invested so much into a piece of writing it has taken on enormous significance in your mind and you begin to think it will never be able to live up to your expectations for it. Try working on something else. When you come back to the original work you'll be able to get back into the flow. If you still can't, there might be a problem with the work itself, and you should be able to recognize what's amiss when you look at it with fresh eyes.

5. Write.

Telling a blocked writer to write might seem counter-intuitive, but it isn't really. The longer you avoid writing, the harder it is to do. You don't have to work on your current project. You can free-associate, write in your journal, do writing exercises. The act of writing anything at all sometimes gets the ideas flowing again.

6. If you cannot make yourself write, take a break.

The break may be a few hours, a few days, or a few weeks. Set a date on which you'll begin writing again. Do not write or worry about writing during your break. Do things you enjoy; read, go for walks, live life. When you return to writing you might find you bring a fresh perspective to it and it begins to flow again.

7. Relax.

The more you obsess over the block, the harder it will be to overcome. Do not beat yourself up. Do not call yourself names. In the privacy of our minds we treat ourselves in ways we'd never dream of treating another human being. We insult, belittle, devalue, batter, despoil and ravage our abilities and our dreams as no one else can. Because the abuse comes from inside of us we believe it while discounting the praise and encouragement we encounter externally. To borrow a line from Desiderata, be gentle with yourself. Every time a self-directed negative thought takes hold, recognize it and stop it in its tracks.

8. Surround yourself with positive reinforcement.

I've found two books particularly helpful: Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way and Steven Pressfield's The War of Art. They're never further than an arm's reach away from my desk or bed. They help me to recognize writer's block when it hits, to understand why it's hit, to stop obsessing and panicking, and to get back to work.

9. Recognize avoidance activites.

Spending too much time online? Suddenly and uncharacteristically consumed with maintaining a spotless house? Schedule your Internet and cleaning time. Set alarms to tell you when it's time to stop surfing or vacuuming and get on with other things, like writing.

10. Take care of yourself!

Eat healthfully. Exercise. Reward yourself for a growing word count. Tidy your desk. Consciously decide what you'll let slide in order to get the writing done, and schedule your catch-up time. This way you avoid the panicky feeling that everything is going to hell in a hand-basket while you scribble away at your make believe world.

Almost every writer suffers from writer's block. Don't let it control you. You will overcome it.

—Liane Spicer

Historical Novel Society Conference

I attended my first Historical Novel Society conference this past weekend and had a blast. The Historical Novel Society has a broad definition of historical fiction that includes historical romance, historical fantasy, and alternate history. Thus, the master of alternate history, Harry Turtledove, not only was there but was also a guest of honor.

I'm not going to name any of the books I bought or heard about at the conference, both because I haven't read any yet and because I'd be afraid of offending an author by forgetting to mention their book, but I will make an exception for Dr. Turtledove because he spoke in his entertaining keynote address about the role of serendipity in finding cool book ideas.

Turtledove was looking through some stamp-collecting materials of his daughter's and found a reference to a false king of Albania who managed to reign for five days before skedaddling right before the rightful king arrived. Turtledove's interest was piqued. He researched wily circus acrobat Otto Witte and decided to write a book about him. However, because Otto's life was too strange to be plausible, Turtledove wrote the novel, not as historical fiction, but as a comic fantasy, Every Inch a King.

What a great reminder to look for story ideas everywhere! And I came home with a cool book I probably would never have heard of otherwise.

The hot topic at the conference was "marquee names." The historical novels that get the big publicity push from publishers not only tend to be set in a limited range of places and time periods, but also they increasingly feature people with "marquee names" such as Tudor, Borgia, and Cleopatra.

Anxiety about marquee names dominated many conversations and some panels. Although most authors wanted to write what they wanted to write, one editor on the "Selling Historical Fiction" editors' panel said outright that an author could not sell a historical novel nowadays without a marquee name unless she or he was "an amazing writer." On other panels, authors revealed that they had included a famous person as a minor character in their novels solely to make them more marketable. Other authors had been pressured by their agents to write a book starring a marquee name so that they could move up from the midlist to the big leagues.

I'm tired of reading about the same people over and over again, and many of the other historical authors I spoke to were as well. As a matter of principle, I no longer buy novels about Tudors, no matter how interesting the books look, and I do buy historical novels that are about everyday people or that are set in less-popular time periods or places.My tiny message to publishers that enough is enough.

Luckily, that editor did not speak for every publisher. I came home with many novels set in ancient times; who knew there were so many recent ones? I also bought many novels published by major publishers that were set in unusual times or places or that did not feature a marquee name.

The HNS conference was particularly fun because there were only 300 attendees. The small attendance made it easier to meet people, reduced the crowds at panels, and allowed you to run into people over and over again.

I could go on and on, but I'll just mention some of the highlights for me. •Having in-person conversations with my long-time friend and mentor Lynna Banning. •Being on a panel and making some good contributions to the discussion. •Seeing the look of excitement on the face of the person who won Like Mayflies in a Stream in the raffle after the panel. •Sitting next to fascinating people at meals and having interesting conversations about topics as diverse as Jewish mysticism and the Civil War. •Attending panels on YA books and talking to people who've written YA, which has convinced me to write a YA novel.

To learn more about the Historical Novel Society and how to join, visit http://www.historicalnovelsociety.org/. Membership fees include two magazines, one that reviews new historical novels and one that features interviews with authors and articles about topics of interest to writers, as well as some marketing help. Next year's conference, to be held in London in September 2012, sounds as if it will be a real treat.


I'll be blogging again on Sunday, July 5. Until then, enjoy your summer!

—Shauna Roberts