Goodreads Authors/Readers discussion

Steven wrote: "ok I have some questions for any author or authors that want to answer it.
When starting a story, do you ever just start writing something not knowing where it's going to go? Do you always know ho..."

Oh man! I usually have the story start rolling in my head and eventually it will force itself to spew out, at which time I create a "messy sheet" with a time line where I can plug in the things that I do know - characters I like, things that need to happen, things that need to be said at some point. Once the timeline builds enough where I can see a path to the end, I start filling in the meat of the story and little dialogue. Once I have that I go back and tweak story and add dialogue. THEN I go back and edit, tweak dialogue to give each character his own voice. THEN I got back and edit. THEN I go back and Edit. THEN I go back and EDIT! Did I say EDIT? And it still isn't perfect! Ahhhhhhhhh!

Ok, now I take a breath!

Ginger
www.auroraconspiracy.com

Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions on how to promote an erotic romance (yeah, yeah...I did jump on the bandwagon, lol, but I only decided to after realizing that I THOROUGHLY LOVE the genre, for the most part, anyway...and wanted to write the kind of story I love to read). I published my first novel on Kindle on August 6th and, after my initial facebook posts, I'm sort of at a loss as to what I should do next. I devoted so much time to actually writing, well, when I could considering I have four time-consuming kids, that I didn't put much thought into what I would do afterwards. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!!

Jennifer wrote: "Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions on how to promote an erotic romance (yeah, yeah...I did jump on the bandwagon, lol, but I only decided to after realizing that I THOROUGHLY LOVE the gen..."

There are a ton of sites on Facebook made up of groups of authors who are at all stages and levels of knowledge that are super willing to help anyone! Here is a good place to start... https://www.facebook.com/groups/autho...

www.facebook.com/bookreviewdepot

https://www.facebook.com/groups/57664...

Thank you soooo much!!

One of my main issues with creative writing is gathering the mental energy to do it. It used to be that I had so much mental energy that I would write multiple chapters in the span of one day. I don’t know if I burned myself out all those years or what, but if I’m not all there when I’m writing, I’ll type a few sentences and stop right there. Plus, my chapters are being written within the span of a week or maybe longer. My question to all the other authors is, what are some of your favorite ways of getting back your mental energy (assuming that I’m not the only one who’s going through this)?

I know what you're talking about, though my problem is somewhat different. I started writing while my husband was traveling for work. When he retired my writing went to the basement! I just couldn't do it! So I finally put my laptop on the table mere yards from where he's watching TV and just made myself write. Bad stuff but the habit finally became ingrained and now I can (usually) write when I'm not alone. Maybe something like that will work. Just do it, even if it's bad stuff, until the habit develops. I find I don't write as fast or as much as I used to, but it gets done.

Garrison wrote: "One of my main issues with creative writing is gathering the mental energy to do it. It used to be that I had so much mental energy that I would write multiple chapters in the span of one day. I do..."

When I have that going on Garrison, I stop trying to write the sentences and chapters and just start writing "messy sheets" which is basically good old brainstorming. Spew out anything and everything you can think of - characters, names, behaviors, dialogue bits, places, someone you know you're going to kill off, just keep going for an hour or two, and usually that will get my brain clicking again!

Florence, I'm glad to hear that one can learn to write when not alone! I've been working on it (because my writing always goes to bits during school vacations when husband and kids are all home) but haven't gotten too far.

It's not easy, but it's possible.

The thing I need to get my writing energy is daydreaming: specifically daydreaming about the characters and situations in the story. Once I can see it clearly and hear their voices it is hard to stop writing!

Justin wrote: "I got a question, when almost ready to release your book is it best to release info about it and promote it before it comes out or the day it comes out? I ask cause I have so much stuff in mind but..."

Justin, I think advanced promo is the best idea as well. I did this with my book Win No Matter What: A Guide to Hyping Up Your Life and it really built up a lot of anticipation for the release. I had people asking me where they could buy the book before it was even released. I think advanced promo definitely works the best :)

Good luck!

Thanks for the answers, guys! I appreciate them! :)

Advance. You don't gain anything in this game playing your cards close to your chest. Blow everything out there.

People have to see things over and over and over before they will get interested in them.

Never stop promoting.

I have yet another question to pose to everyone here and it has to do with pricing. Just a few minutes ago, I logged onto Lulu and slashed the prices of my books in half. They used to be twenty dollars a piece, now they’re just ten. To my way of thinking, I could never justify selling those kinds of books at an unfair price. While I’m making less money, the books are slightly more affordable. My question is, what is a reasonable price for fairly new self-published books?

I self published my own book as a paperback using Lightning Source (for the UK, US, Canada & Europe) and they have a built in system of working out the retail price of the book, and the percentage return to the retailer. I also had a number of books printed in Sydney (where I live) and I used a cost plus system to keep the books as low as possible, and below the retail price of similar books. Later I released the book as an e-book and played around with the price from $5 to $0.99 and have it now at $1.50, which is has been for some time.
I was fortunate that the book was picked up by a UK publisher and it has been reissued under a new title as a hardback. When I asked about the high price, compared to paperbacks, they told me that they had the experience and not to worry. I’m not worrying, but it’ll be six months before I become aware of any sales. It was released on the 3rd July so perhaps I’ll have a nice Christmas / New Year present or perhaps I’ll just drown my sorrows. :-o)

It makes me wonder if Lulu has an ebook feature that I can tinker with. If so, I'm going for it. Thanks for the reply, Geoff!

I am of a mind that you should keep your prices low as possible, simply because you have to compete with other low priced indies. I think the risk to a reader trying out a brand new writer should be minimal.

Agreed. Good luck. AS

I agree, Regina. So it turns out that slashing my prices in half was a good decision after all.

Hi, I just read your thread and thought I would comment. I was at a book publishing conference earlier this year and I learned that an ebook that is priced at $0.99 sells 10 times more than an ebook priced at $5.99-ish. So even though $0.99 or even $1.99 seems like a low price, you will actually win in the end with higher sales revenues. Also, from every thing I've read, it is advisable for new authors to keep their prices low as they are trying to build an audience and get their books into as many hands as possible. Also, don't forget that people read ebooks on smartphone now and you are not only competing in price with other ebooks, but you are also competing with $0.99 apps. If you are selling exclusively paperback/hardback books, then of course, your price needs to be higher to cover production/printing costs. Hope this helps? Stacey

It helps quite a bit. Thanks, Stacey! :)

Garrison wrote: "One of my main issues with creative writing is gathering the mental energy to do it. It used to be that I had so much mental energy that I would write multiple chapters in the span of one day. I do..."

1: Give yourself a break once in a while. Two weeks max at a time should be sufficient. Usually, as soon as I stop wracking my brain for something to say I start getting flashes of inspiration.

2: Read, read, read. And what we write is so influenced by what we read, read the best books you can find. Once you've read from several great writers, you'll start to automatically create your own style which is an amalgamation of all you've read and liked.

3: Go for walks. A little blood pumping and a breath of fresh air can do a brain good.

4: Figure out why you aren't excited about what you're writing. If it's that hard and you've been following the previous tips, there's something wrong. Write a synopsis real quick . . . is that hard? There may be something wrong with the plot. Write a summary of the characters' personalities. If that's hard, they may not be defined or consistent enough.

Hope that helps! :)

Laura wrote: "Garrison wrote: "One of my main issues with creative writing is gathering the mental energy to do it. It used to be that I had so much mental energy that I would write multiple chapters in the span..."

Good info Laura!

Those all sound like wonderful tips, Laura. It's good to know that someone out there is actually giving me permission to not push myself too hard (as stated in the first list item). Thank you so much. :)

Bottom line, you never know when creativity will strike. Just like almost anything, if you push for something to happen, it never will. When you forget about it, or concentrate on something else, suddenly, inspiration will strike out of nowhere. If you've ever seen a movie or something where the protagonist is stuck, on the verge of giving up when all of a sudden, he knocks something over, or he just happens to see something on TV or in a paper that puts all of the pieces together, that's what it's like sometimes. Basically, if you're struggling, let it rest.

Good points, Laura.

Garrison,
I just epublished a book of tips for writers of fiction. One of my favorite that I ran across many years ago is about meditation. I can't meditate to save my life but I've learned to take it easy, relax, do something fun, or whatever until I feel like writing once more. And the book also suggested that when you are ready to write, meditate for 20 minutes first. I don't do that but I suspect it's good advice.

Florence Witkop (contemporary, sci-fi and fantasy fiction with a strong sense of place and the ecology)

I find that enough sleep and exercise are key. When I'm sleep deprived (all too often the case) my creativity just kind of dries up, right along with my attention span.

I can't thank you guys enough for your help. These are all good suggestions. :)

I have yet another question for the awesome people here on Good Reads. This one is for authors who use Smash Words. I was recently informed that my e-book Dragon Machinegun didn’t qualify for inclusion in the Premium Catalog. The reason for this is because my paragraphs are in block style instead of being separated by first line indents. According to the Smash Words admins, block style is more suitable for nonfiction than it is for fiction, the latter of which Dragon Machinegun happens to be. The style guide tells the authors how to use a first line indent if they’re using Microsoft Office. Here’s where the controversy comes in. I don’t own a copy of Microsoft Office Word. Instead, I use the generic version, which is called Microsoft Works Word Processor. The generic version doesn’t have a special function to mark first line indents, at least one that I’m aware of. So here’s the question of the day: should I just cave in and buy a copy of Microsoft Office or should I save my money and accept that Dragon Machinegun won’t be part of the Premium Catalog? When you answer my question, keep in mind that I have to be fairly cautious with my money since I don’t make a whole lot of it (in case Microsoft Office ends up being expensive). Thanks in advance for your guys’ help.

Garrison wrote: "I have yet another question for the awesome people here on Good Reads. This one is for authors who use Smash Words. I was recently informed that my e-book Dragon Machinegun didn’t qualify for inclu..."

Get Open Office. It's free, better than Word, and can save as .doc

@LauraSFantasy

Sounds good to me. I like free stuff.

Ditto Laura's comment.

http://openoffice.org/

Garrison wrote: "...should I just cave in and buy a copy of Microsoft Office or should I save my money and accept that Dragon Machinegun won’t be part of the Premium Catalog?..."

You can get MS Office 2010 for Home and Student as a download for less than $100. If you're going to keep doing serious writing, you should get a serious tool. That way, you'll also be able to use the 97% of on-line help posts and instructions that start with, "Open Microsoft Word..."

Garrison wrote: "I have yet another question for the awesome people here on Good Reads. This one is for authors who use Smash Words. I was recently informed that my e-book Dragon Machinegun didn’t qualify for inclu..."

That's another stupid rule that should have been abolished. I always write in block style for both fiction and non. It simply looks better and reads better. This is the 21st century not the 1800's geez!

Another one chiming in for OpenOffice, besides, the whole point of my using a Mac is because I can't stand Microsoft. Anyway, Microsoft products for mac are not cheap, no matter how you plan on using them.

Give Scrivener a try ideal as a writing tool and comes with output formats preconfigured. I now use it instead of Word for nearly all my writing. Tried OpenOffice as well, but Scrivener as a writing tool not just a WP wins hands down. I think its about $25 now via app store.

I've just started using Scrivener, and it's a good tool, but IMO one still needs a word processor -- I'd get both. I have both. I use both.

Once again, you guys have been extremely helpful to me. Thank you all. :)

Garrison wrote: "One of my main issues with creative writing is gathering the mental energy to do it. My question to all the other authors is, what are some of your favorite ways of getting back your mental energy (assuming that I’m not the only one who’s going through this)? ..."

I bribe myself! (Seriously!) I've been known to set timers (the noiser, the better) for 7 minutes or some other odd, quirky time and force myself to move my fingers on the keyboard until it rings. Then I can go get another cup of tea, that chocolate bar, play with the cat...well, you get the idea.

A writing professor once taught us the trick of forcing ourselves into writing by making us type "I can't think of anything to write" over and over again until we actually did think of something else! I can confidently say I've produced pages of "I can't think..." drivel until other words pushed their way out of my brain and onto the keyboard.

If you don't like that, you could try the "sneaky writer" idea. Take a small notebook and pen (or pencil or whatever makes your little grey cells dance) and scribble away whenever you have three minutes here, ten minutes there. My students are all resigned to watching me scribble in between classes. I tell myself I have to write for just ten minutes and it doesn't matter what I write as long as I'm writing something. It's sometimes just junk but sometimes it's a snippet of a scene I've been carrying in my head, or a line of dialogue to get me moving again.

Be open to trying different things. Hook up with some NaNoWriMo participants this month, and scribble away with them. Nobody has to see what you're writing, and you just might find a few kindred spirits along the way.

~Susan

Steven wrote: "ok I have some questions for any author or authors that want to answer it.
When starting a story, do you ever just start writing something not knowing where it's going to go? Do you always know ho..."

I generally know where I'm going but I don't outline. I just go with it and the twists and turns surprise me as I hope they will surprise readers, but outlines can make the twists predictable. When I wrote "Three and a Half Virgins" I kind of knew what the characters would be like, but I didn't know what the main surprises would be until I got there.

Julie wrote: "Okay, okay! I admit it! I'm utterly lacking in confidence. I'm terrified my book isn't good enough, that it won't stand up to critical eyes.

But what else can I do? I can't give up on myself, can I?"

Just write it. I write humorous novels and I know from my years as a Playboy editor that humor is very subjective. The main point is to please yourself with the writing and hope others will like it based on your own opinions of it. You have to be thick-skinned and not worry about criticism. It comes with the territory.

Karen B wrote: "need advice from published authors:
My daughter has her book release, book release reception and first book signing next week. (she is 23) Is there anything specific that you would recommend that ..."

Karen, just get as many people there as you can and hope that they tell their friends to attend as well. It ale depends on whether your daughter actually wants you to help.

John wrote: "Steven wrote: "ok I have some questions for any author or authors that want to answer it.
When starting a story, do you ever just start writing something not knowing where it's going to go? Do you..."

I have a sense of the ending but I don't pre-outline. I let the story tell itself in the first draft, and the surprises that I give myself are often key characters and scenes that really make the story. It takes a few years to refine it (really, years) into the final product. I used an outline to check that I had kept all the subplots in balance in the final few revisions of The Calling. I'm doing the seat-of-the pants flight with what may be the fifth book in the series and enjoying it. Check back in a couple of years to see how it turns out.

I never know how it ends. Never. I may start out with an idea, but it never gets there. It is as if we set out in the car to drive to Los Angeles, and wound up in Houston.

I will start out with single word or short phrase "scenes". They might not stay as final scenes, or remain in that order, but they help me plan what comes next in my writing. I write a bit, then I sleep on it. I try to write at least 1000-2000 words a day. I do have a couple of friends who "beta read" for me but in all honesty if they were to ask how the story ends I probably couldn't tell them until I got there!

I wish I could outline. I think it would be faster and more efficient - I spend a great deal of time cracking my head on the desk trying to figure a logical way out of the hole my characters just dug - but, for me, it just doesn't work. I have a vague idea of where things are going, but have no idea how my characters will get there - hence the head banging. Yet, get there they do.

That's funny Jacqueline. I actually love having to try and dig my characters out. But I can see what you mean. Sometimes outlines are definitely needed. I recommend pausing and doing some mental outlining. It usually helps.

Steven wrote: "When starting a story, do you ever just start writing something not knowing where it's going to go...?"

Given what I write (thrillers and intrigue), I can't not outline. I'm usually moving multiple people through multiple countries, usually with a ticking clock, and many of them have to get to the same place at some particular date and time. There's no way you can shotgun that. There's still room for the characters to surprise me, but they have to keep to some kind of schedule.

Lance wrote: "Steven wrote: "When starting a story, do you ever just start writing something not knowing where it's going to go...?"

Given what I write (thrillers and intrigue), I can't not outline. I'm usually..."

In several of my books, I have several characters doing different things in different places in the same time frame but only for a chapter or so. It's difficult to write! I can't picture writing a whole book like that without an outline. I'm beginning to see how different genres lend themselves to different writing techniques.

Remember Kipling? He said, there are nine and ninety ways of writing tribal lays. And all of them are right!

Any way you get it written is the correct way. If you need to use a steel burin on the flanks of a late-model Dodge Caravan, fine. There are manic outliners. There are people who plot it all out with swooping lines on a white board, color-coded for each character. There are people who just get into the car and drive, hoping to arrive somewhere interesting.

I am on a blog with a number of other writers, and we recently did a series about how we each begin a work. If you want a wide variety of accounts of how to do it, here is the first post -- there are about 6 or 8 others in the series: http://bookviewcafe.com/blog/2013/10/...