Go for Gold

Tip of the Day: want something fun to eat while watching the Olympics? Try some of these dishes from Taste of Home.

It's nearly impossible not to have Olympic Fever right now, so there's not much else on my mind. A few weeks ago, I mentioned that sometimes being an author feels similar to how an Olympic athlete must feel when they have to wait four more years to see if they can make the Olympic Team. And based on the performance of the gymnastics team so far this Olympics, I'm realizing athletes and writers have even more in common.

No tale of sadness at this Olympics has seemed quite as frustrating as Jordyn Wieber being left out of the All-Around competition in gymnastics. Just watching her break down on national television caused me to tear up myself (which isn't saying a whole lot, considering I teared up during the Love in the Wild finale last week...but still). She was slated to possibly win Gold, but instead made a few minor faults and placed third on her team during the qualification round. Of course, athletes make mistakes and it's incredibly heartbreaking not to get the opportunity to achieve something you've worked your whole life for. It's nothing new. But what's makes this tale particularly frustrating has to be the fact that she qualified for the competition--as I'm sure you've all heard by now--finishing fourth overall, while the top 24 athletes move on to the All-Around competition. However, a rule states that only two athletes from each country can compete, and since she finished behind two of her American teammates she was out. Which just stinks and seems to add fire to her wound. 

It's not that she wasn't good enough--well not entirely at least--it's just that she wasn't better than two of her teammates that day.

So how is this like writing?

How many of you have heard stories of writers not being published, not because they weren't good enough, but instead because a certain publisher might have just bought a similar book... or because one editor wants to aquire the book but can't get it through acquisitions for whatever reason? Or even because what you are writing is not in trend at the moment, even though you know tons of people that still read it. There's so many reasons why books don't get published. Many times it has to do with the fact they aren't very good or sellable, but there's plenty of other times when it has nothing to do with the quality of the book or even the content.

Which can be unfair.

Exactly how I'm sure Ms. Wieber feels completely cheated right now at the rule that seems slightly unfair.

Well at least her consolation prize is that she has a chance to win Gold with her team today (unless it's already happened--in that case if you already know the outcome, no spoilers in the comments. I'm sick of turning to NBC by accident right before an event is broadcast only to learn who already won on the Nightly News....on the same network.)

Happy Olympic Watching!

Outlining Madness #3: Time Keeps On Slipping

Tip of the Day: Taking a long family vacation? Buy Dramamine before you go. It can be tough to find it on the road.

As you outline your new story, think about when the story takes place and for how long. Your outline can be your guide as to how much time will pass in your novel, but the time of year is so important to your setting. For example, here are the last two novels I read:

Men At Arms by Terry Pratchett: Tempers are high as the city suffers through a record heat wave. The summer drought allows people access to subterranean tunnels that are normally underwater.

The Fox Inheritance by Mary E. Pearson: Fake bees used for springtime pollination show how the main character reacts to pain, an important plot point. Later, spring rains cause the main character to use a city-provided raincoat, marking him without him knowing as part of a certain caste.

So think about the time of year and the weather and how it directly effects your characters. Here are some ideas to get you thinking:

1. Tie the weather to your location. Snowstorms in Montana are different than snowstorms in Virginia, and they can both be very interesting. Don't concentrate on making the weather convenient for your characters or putting your characters in a neutral weather season. Let the weather screw them up.

2. Use holidays or upcoming family gatherings for deadlines and tension. My last novel takes place on the Moon underground. No weather, but the book opens with my store-owning family needing sales stock for the Christmas season. Holiday plot possibilities are endless: Halloween, a Bar Mitzvah, a family wedding, Valentine's Day, birthdays ...

3. Where are your characters at a certain time of the year? If your characters are in high school, you may be avoiding summer for a school story, or placing your whole story in the summer to avoid school. Rather than completely avoiding a subject, try to start with a natural beginning. A summer job story might start with the job interview rather than the first day of work, for example. Why does your character need this job?

4. Not sure when to set your story? Research. Let's say you want to write a story about a farming community. Each of the four seasons on a farm has a different rhythm. Which is best for your story? Even if you grew up on a farm, you might need to brush up on different crops or time periods. Reading will give you fantastic ideas. Maybe your Dust Bowl idea would be best set in the summer, but your modern factory farming idea would work best in the fall.

Have a fun time with this part. Maybe your characters celebrate birthdays in a quirky manner. Maybe they have a unique religious observance people would love to learn about. Maybe they get stuck in a tornado shelter. Maybe your story takes place over several years but Valentine's Day always sucks. Maybe your story takes place in the future when the planet is hotter or colder.

So be specific, do some reading and research, and come up with a definite "when" for your plot. It will add another layer of interest and give you fresh plot ideas.

-- Kate, Miss Perfecting the Pages

Traditional Publishing is Dead? RWA Conference Notes

Tip of the Day: Need to boost your writing output? Pretend you're in the Writing Olympics - time yourself in 1,000-word sprints. Try to beat your own record. Remember, you can always go back and revise. ;)

The Romance Writers of America (RWA) conference is happening this weekend. I'm not a member. I'm not even there. But, boy, am I being flooded with emails about what's happening at this conference.

Interesting tweet #1: "@Jennie_Lucas: #rwa12 holy cow. Stephanie Laurens just said traditional publishing is dead. What an amazing, gutsy speech."

Who is Stephanie Laurens? She's a New York Times bestselling author.

I have to admit, I was STUNNED when I read this tweet. Who would stand up at RWA, an organization who doesn't recognize self-pubs, and say this in front of a crowd of agents, editors, and writers?

Luckily for us, Ms. Laurens posted her keynote online. You can read it here. In her defense, she never said "traditional publishing is dead." Here's the crux of the speech, the part I think you'll find the most interesting:

"So my last words to you are these: Seize the day. Go forth with that same exuberance, joy, and passion in your heart - and write your stories. Seize the day - because for authors there is no danger in this new era. Take your passion and make it happen. Seize the freedom, embrace the opportunity, because one thing is absolutely certain - in all the millennia, there has never been a better time to be a storyteller."

I agree with her 100%. It's what I've been screaming to anyone who will listen. Write with passion. Publish with purpose - in the way that suits you best. I also think she's telling people to get over their hatred of self-pub because it's not evil.

Now back to the other statement I made above about RWA not being self-pub friendly. I have writer/friends who are members of RWA and have long complained that no matter their level of success, they can't get RWA to recognize them as PAN (Published Authors Network) members. It frustrates them as much as it frustrates me as a member of SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators). I have more sales to my name (and far more income) than many SCBWI members, and yet I'm not automatically granted PAL (Published and Listed) membership. I'm fighting for PAL membership. It's a good fight, I think.

Anyway, back to RWA.... Now self-pubs WILL be able to get PAN membership.

Interesting tweet #2: Courtney Milan ‏@courtneymilan
AGMnotes #rwa12 Golden Heart next year will be entirely electronic; $5000 self-pub earnings make you PAN eligible.


Wow. Did you hear my jaw drop on the floor?! WOW, WOW, WOW! I checked RWA's website and couldn't find confirmation of this. It's possible the announcement was a surprise and won't be put on the website until after the conference.

If it's true, and I totally believe it is, then RWA has made amazing strides. I want SCBWI, my writing organization, to do the same. Self-publishing is not a black hole of crap. We work our asses off. We love writing. We love readers. We should get validation too. Hats off to RWA for recognizing this!

Being an Author is Like Riding a Roller Coaster

Tip of the Day: Check out this blog post from author Susan Kaye Quinn about Penguin purchasing the vanity  publisher, Author Solutions.


We went to Great America on Monday and I've realized that I don't like roller coasters anymore. I'd  loved them since I was a really little kid and first tall enough to ride. I always wanted to go on the biggest ones with the most flips. But maybe it's something with my age (I'm 36 now) but the thought of getting flipped upside down made my head hurt before I ever got near the ride. I did go on a few rides (small. Think pirate ship turning around type stuff) but even on those I had to keep my eyes closed. Luckily, with 4 kids there was always one who didn't want to go on a ride or one who was too short for it so I could keep taking that kid(s) and do smaller stuff while my husband had to do the big rides. :-)

Anyway, all the roller coaster stuff made me think about this career I have as an author. I've had lots of other jobs. Aside from all the random stuff I did as a young teen through graduating college, I've worked in technical support, was a technical writer for years, and an instructor at a university. All of these jobs were pretty stable. You knew what to expect from day to day. There weren't dramatic increases or decreases. My emotions weren't up one day and down another. With being an author there are A LOT of ups and downs. And twists. And flips. Just like a roller coaster.

You never know what's going to happen and each high is great and each low sucks. I've had times where I was notified hey, you were a bestseller this month! And I'm jumping up and down excited. Only to get a scathingly awful review from a major reviewer the next day. I've been given a national reward for one book and then had promo taken away for another book. I've sold foreign and film rights on one book and then gotten dozens of rejections on a different book. And the upside down flips are the worst. I've gotten close with sales a number of times-- revising several books for different editors (going up the big loop) who loved those books only to have something happen, like others on the review board turn it down, and the project gets passed on (coming back down the loop). It can be rough. It's definitely emotionally unlike any other job I've had.

I guess with time you get more used to the ups and downs and they don't bother you so much. Or maybe it's that I keep trying to flatten the track and not get quite so excited about the good stuff and not so devastated about the bad stuff.


I still don't like roller coasters but it's part of the job.

Kristina, Miss Author in Action

Obviously Not (or Sometimes You Just Need to Work Hard)

Tip of the Day: Proof that the truth can be stranger than fiction -- an entreprenuer from my city -- The Snuggery. What are your thoughts?

One of my pet peeves is when a problem in a fiction work is solved too easily, or too obviously, almost like the author didn't want to work a little harder to find a creative, unique solution that would surprise and delight the reader while adding more to the story.

For example, my 3-year old badminton net was totally falling apart and I had people coming over to my house to play lawn games. Options were:

1. Leave the net loose, flopping in the breeze, with a bent plastic post.
[[This, however, would not solve the problem; equivalent to an author not addressing a plot problem, inconsistency, or factor that the main character herself would not ignore.]]

2. Run to the store and buy a new net.
[[This would be a boooring solution, and could cause an unnecessary scene change (the store) and chapter to get there and back when the action we're getting ready for takes place in the lawn.]]

3. Scramble around the house to find bits and pieces of already owned items to rig up something that adds to the story/characters:

[[Like the shepard's hook pole (from main characters' wedding decorations), yarn rigging (from MC's home knit socks), and barbell pole (from MC's husband's weight set...that he obviously does not use). Plus now there's room for lightning to strike the net and set fire to the drought-ridden yard!]]

Look at all the story possibilities that can be added when you work just a little harder.

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

Dream Land or Bust

Tip of the Day: never stop dreaming!


A few weeks ago, Tina posted that your life won't change drastically after you publish a book. Before she did I was actually thinking how wonderful a little extra money would be. Even though she did bring me back to reality, I still enjoy living in Dream Land, so I'll continue thinking of all the kick-butt things I would be able to buy once I sell any of my books.

Now to be fair, I don't write for money. If I did, I'd have quit many years ago. But on some level money would be nice as a validation of all the hard work. Writing a book isn't easy, so to accomplish that we all totally deserve something fun.

When my time comes, here are just a few things I'd spend my extra Benjamins on...

1.)  A maid: now I'm not talking about a live-in maid or anything. I won't be that spoiled. But a visit from Merry Maids every other week or so would feel like a god send. Because clearly seeing dirty dishes and stepping in piles of dog slobber and hair is not nearly as motivating to clean as it once was, especially after a particularly grueling writing session.

2.) Portrait-orientation computer monitor: of course after just recently getting new monitors, I saw that there are now ones that can be turned to portrait orientation. Why oh why did I not see these before? These would be perfect for a writer!



3.) A trip: really nothing in my life is complete without travel involved. So I would totally reward myself with a trip. Preferably to a continent that I have never been. Machu Picchu in Peru is sounding particular good to me right now.

4.) Debrands Ice Cream Sundaes: in my city we have one of the best chocolate shops out there, but they can be a bit pricey. They make sundaes that are to-die for. If in my Dream Land, I also wouldn't have to be worried about calories, then I would totally get one of these every week. Actually, I'd probably get one once a week, regardless of the calories--and make myself actually get off my butt and exercise--that's how good these are.

5.) Doggy Day Care: my dog's been through just as much torture as me during difficult writing days, since my office turns into a doggy obstacle course with paper thrown all over the floor, the poor guys needs a bone thrown at him--in more ways then one. We tried to get him a dog playmate, which didn't fair very well, so I think he'd enjoy a day out every week. And it might help me feel slightly less guilty every time I see his sad face when I leave in the morning. And if he's away from my house once a week, maybe there would be less hair on the floor and our Merry Maid wouldn't have to visit so often.

So back to reality and back to work, so all these dreams can come true!

But in the mean time, what would your Dream Land look like?

--Emily, Miss Querylicious

Outlining Madness #2: Is This Plot Any Good?

Tip of the Day: Check out The Interns Query Tips (Twitter hashtag #querytip) and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/note.php?saved&&note_id=484093844953373.

So, I've been outlining plots and I keep wondering: do I have this down right? Because I have a habit of outlining important plot points with one sentence. In my last novel, my main character has to find her boyfriend, who is guarding a high security facility. So my outline says something like "She finds boyfriend, has him sneak her into facility." But then I started writing and realized that there was no way in hell she'd ever get her boyfriend alone. He's a 17-year-old security guard. He's outside of a heavily guarded factory. He can't follow a distraction and go off alone. He at least has to have a partner. So my main character couldn't get in the facility without interacting with the partner. Now I had a new character and had to rewrite the last 2/3 of my novel because I didn't think through that one sentence.

So after you write your outline, study it.

Do have any huge, multi-chapter events summarized in one sentence, such as "they escape"? I'm outlining by scene now, and I realize that what I now think is one scene may end up being two scenes. But I need to look for those red flags where I may have to hammer out more logistics or I'll end up with six scenes.

Is there always adhesive for the main characters in every scene? James Scott Bell uses this term in his popular craft book Plot and Structure. Basically, you should never have a point where any of your main characters could simply walk away and be okay. They have to be stuck to the plot: have so much at stake that they can't change their minds and leave the book.

Make sure reactions are realistic. Once something big happens, make sure you've left room for your main character to react. Big events should change your main character's direction. When she has a huge setback, don't start the next scene as if nothing's happened.

Think about how you can increase the tension between characters. Your characters should not be getting along. Best friends, family, lovers ... put them at each other's throats. Don't rely on your main character starting arguments because she doesn't know what's really going on, though. I like to think of ways the person the main character thinks she needs the most will turn against her. I may not use it, but it's a great exercise in torturing your characters. If you have a character who only exists for moral support, get rid of him or her (or change him to create more tension).

So I think I might list out my characters and write a note about how each of them is making life worse for my main character. This will give me lots of great plot ideas.

Here's a great tip from Rhonda Helms's plotting class: Resolve your subplot before you resolve the main plot. Don't try to wrap them both up at once, and especially don't outline this by writing something like "last chapter: tie up all loose ends." Decide how to resolve each subplot and where, and resolve the main conflict last.

Any other ideas to solidify your outlined plots?

-- Kate, Miss Perfecting the Pages