Writing and Publishing News

While some authors find it difficult to discipline themselves when it comes to butt-in-chair, fingers-on-keyboard, others have the opposite problem. They (I should say, “we”) can’t easily leave a story in progress. We think, “I don’t want to interrupt the flow of the story. What if I can’t get back into the mood—recapture the emotion, continue in that groove?” But is sitting at the keyboard hour after hour really the answer? Stay with a scene for too long and it can become stale. You may risk burn-out, not to mention sleep-deprivation.

How you handle this quandary? Do you easily adjust amidst distractions and interruptions? Or do you have to sequester yourself away for hours at a time in order to create the time and space to get it done?

My grandson worked at home for a few weeks while his office building was being remodeled and quickly learned how difficult (read impossible) it was going to be with twenty-one-month-old twins in the house. So he devised a plan that worked. He’d leave the house as usual, kissing everyone good-bye. Then he’d sneak around through another door and enter his office undetected where he could work undisturbed for the rest of the day.

I know an author who was having trouble adjusting to working at home after retiring from a corporate job. So every morning, he’d get dressed and head for a coffee house where he could chat with people. Then he’d head home and get right to work.

Many authors find a time during each twenty-four hours when they can work in peace—before dawn, for example, or (for the night-person) after everyone goes to bed.

But still, you must leave your story many times during the crafting and editing processes—often with unresolved issues. This can be a problem for some, who might say, “What if I can’t remember what direction I was going to take this scene?”

There are a couple of ways to handle this dilemma. One is to make quick notes in the manuscript before you take off with your kids to the park, to get a quick bite, or to engage in conversation with a long-distance friend or relative. When you return to your project, you should be able to pick up where you left off—if, in fact, you can actually remember what those quick notes mean. Oh my!

I’m learning to trust myself. The idea I had while deeply involved in the scene before being torn away from it, might not actually be the best one. Having relaxed some about leaving in the middle of a mystery or a crisis, I often return and tackle it seamlessly, as if I never took the respite. Other times, I look at the paragraph or chapter I’d been working on and create an entirely different scenario than the one I’d planned.

The truth is, adapting successfully to interruptions and distractions can mean the difference between completing a book in weeks or in years.

I’ve been penning fiction now for just two and a half years and I’m learning a lot about the process. I marvel at how a whisper of an idea can develop into a cogent story with the proverbial beginning, middle, and end.

I have to chuckle during the early stages of my stories as I create new characters and sculpt them into likable or maybe detested individuals. I laugh when I move characters or mess with their emotions on a whim. I wonder if other novelists feel a sense of power when they delete a scene, rewrite dialog, or even change the demeanor of a key player in the story.

There are a lot of decisions to be made as a story takes shape. There’s the who, where, why, and how elements, of course. But also hundreds of minute issues to deal with in every scene, every bit of dialog, every innuendo.

And once the story is told, there are details galore that still need attention. Was Savannah already standing when Colbi said that or was she still seated? Did I allow enough time in the sequence for the scene to play out the way I wrote it? Where are the characters standing when the action takes place? Is Rags (the cat) getting enough to do in this chapter?

Some say a story is never finished. This is true when you consider all the possible scenarios for the story you’re writing. You might finish it one day and do a major rewrite the next. Someone else reading it might suggest a very different conclusion or method of reaching that conclusion. I’ve known authors who worked on a novel for twenty years—continually changing the way they told the story.

While that isn’t me—I can finish a novel in a matter of a few months—I still spend a lot of that time massaging my stories. I mold and manipulate the characters, their emotions and their issues until they are telling what I believe is a poignant, important, or entertaining story.

How do you do it?

Learn more about my Klepto Cat Mystery series here: http://amzn.to/1kAI8I2

There are basically two types of writers. There are those who can’t get enough of it—who are so motivated to write that they miss appointments, avoid household chores, and forget to feed their cats because they’d rather be writing. Others struggle to finish a manuscript. Butt in chair is a difficult concept for them to embrace. They arrive early for appointments to avoid writing. They have a wonderfully organized office and their cats are not only fed, but groomed, manicured, and trained.

Do you struggle to complete a piece of writing you’ve agreed to do…that you really want to do? Does life get in the way of the writing you’d like to complete? Are you torn between outside tasks/activities and writing a chapter or article? Try bribery and reward. Yes, bribe yourself to write and reward yourself for doing it.

What are the things you love, love, love doing? What do you really want to accomplish around your house with your job? What obligations mean a lot to you? Use these to bribe yourself to get some writing done. Think about it, don’t you feel good when you finish a chapter or a page of your book? After all, you’ve decided to write it because you want to, right? It’s something you truly want to do. But you’re discouraged because it’s going so slow—because you can’t discipline yourself to sit at the computer long enough without playing games and sending emails to make much headway.

So, do something different. You know the drill, if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. If you don’t like the way something is going, stop using the same methods. Here are some of the things I and other writers have done in order to complete a writing project.

• Sacrifice an hour or more of sleep to work on your project.
• Give up something (TV, clubbing, a nap, etc.)
• Create a schedule and stick to it.
• Determine that after an hour of strict writing, you get to check your email, take a walk, have a rootbeer float, do some gardening, run an errand or…
• Make your work area pleasant—decorate it to inspire and delight.
• Surround yourself with confidence-building items—pictures of family and yourself involved in interesting activities, awards you’ve won, etc.

I’ve been writing full time for decades and I still follow most of these practices. I just looked them over again and I have to say, I follow all of them. I recently remodeled my office (after 25 years). It’s lovely. I love being in here. I have framed many of my published book covers attractively and they hang on my walls. I have photos of family and my kitties around me, and some of the wonderful photography I’ve done (a pair of eagles, a wild horse, etc.) I’ve displayed a large ribbon I won at the county fair for one of my photographs and some of my awards for public speaking are tucked in here and there. Until I did the remodel, I also had a photo of me modeling with my granddaughter for a fashion show, one of me swimming with stingrays, and some memorabilia from my trip to Dubai for a speaking engagement.

It’s going to be hot today—into the triple digits—again…and I want to finish some writing work I started earlier in the week. I also want to get a good walk in. I got up this morning at 4:30 with plans to write for two hours. Then I’ll take my walk while it’s still cool before returning to my office to finish writing.

At some point today I plan to tackle a rather difficult (for me) challenge. I’ve been writing fiction for only 3 years—cozy mystery books. I’ve decided I’d like to try writing a short story. I’m a little apprehensive and a bit nervous. As is human nature, I would typically procrastinate—work on what I know, instead—what is familiar to me and within my comfort zone. So I will be using some of the tactics above today in order to nudge myself to start the short story. I’ll let you know how it goes.

In the meantime, we’re close to completing the work on my first Christmas story in the Klepto Cat Mystery series. I’ve scheduled it for publication October 15. Although, we’re ahead of schedule and I might jump the gun with it. I will be making the announcement soon. Check out all 12 of the Klepto Cat Mystery series here: http://amzn.to/1kAI8I2

And if you are writing a book—no matter where you are in the process—be sure to check out my brand new book, Propose Your Book, How to Craft Persuasive Proposals for Nonfiction, Fiction, and Children’s Books. http://www.amazon.com/Propose-Your-Book-Persuasive-Nonfiction/dp/1621534677

Before I started writing fiction, I had one life—mine. Now, I find myself living the lives of some of my characters, as well. I get into their heads and I imagine what their attitudes/stance/gestures would be in certain situations. I guess it’s a good thing I’m a Gemini who is accustomed to being a sort of dual personality, because when you have a lot of characters to keep track of, it can be confusing.

That’s why it’s so important to know your characters inside and out. Sure, you can jot down each character’s traits, characteristic, mannerisms, etc. on cards or a character log—and I do that. But it’s also important to feel them—to feel like they would feel so you are more apt to have them act or react in the way that’s appropriate for that particular character.

If you can get into your characters’ head, you probably won’t make the mistake of having the meek sister come across sounding like the wicked aunt or the brash neighbor speaking words that are more suited to the teenager.

When I edit fiction for other authors, often I catch some of the characters using the same terminology I see in the narration—the author has put too much of himself into the characters. It’s okay to ease yourself into your story, of course, but it can get confusing when a couple of the characters use the same terms and phrases as the author does in the narration, or when one character sounds too much like another.

It’s tough changing personalities with every bit of dialog. How does one define each character through description and dialog?

I’m sure each author has his/her own technique. I kind of jump in and out of each character as I write—and later as I edit. You could also use one editing session (I trust you will engage in many) to focus on one main character. Concentrate just on his or her dialog, etc. Then go through the manuscript again focusing on another key character. But if you can become that character as you portray them in various situations throughout your story, all the better.

As for an update from the pen of Patricia Fry and the Klepto Cat Mysteries…I expect the formatter to finish book 11 (PAWsitively Sinister) for Kindle this month. I just sent book 12 to the proofreader and I’ve been having fun developing the plot for book 13. Oh yes, and book 7, The Corral Cat Caper, should be in print later this month. Order your copies of the Klepto Cat Mysteries here: http://amzn.to/1kAI8I2.