Two Things

What are the two things everybody needs to know about your job? Interesting question. I'll play along.

The two things everybody needs to know about my job are:

1. It's much harder than it looks. In fact, this is the hardest work I've ever done. It's also the most rewarding, but that leans dangerously close to being the second thing, and I'm not sure I want to go there.

2. Authors don't get paid from the sale of used books, or from the downloading of bootlegged copies of books on the internet, or from sales of books on eBay (which, you know, are mostly used), or for the sale of stripped books (selling these is illegal anyway, but they show up with alarming regularity, so I thought I'd mention them.)

 Authors, in fact, don't get paid for much of anything, with the notable exception of a few cents on the original sale of each copy of their books. Any advances they may have received are exactly that -- advances. Not bonuses, not additional money, but an advance against payment the publisher expects to be coming. Some authors agree to contracts that don't incude advances. Assuming the author has received an advance, the author now has to sell X number of books to loyal readers before the author gets any additional money from the publisher. So while I think most of us understand all about the lack of money and either not being able to or not wanting to spend $7.99 for something you're just going to read and then toss, we hope that all of you understand that while picking up a used book is a whole lot easier on your wallet, it's not so kind to ours.

There is an argument to be made, however, that the circulation of used books builds readership, and that's our ultimate goal, right? Word of mouth is always a good thing. So if you've read one of my books and want to pass it along to a friend, I say go for it! Just please keep in mind that authors don't get paid every time somebody opens a book they've written.

Most importantly, please remember that if you find a free download of someone's book on the internet (other than respected book stores where the author may have opted to give the book away for a certain amount of time) chances are the book has been uploaded there illegally. Please don't encourage people to do this. Don't download from pirate sites!

photo credit: A book is a book via photopin (license)

Writing Candy Apple Dead

Having recently discovered that all the books in the Candy Shop Mystery Series were available in digital format, I've been thinking about the series a lot. I loved writing this series, and I still get notes and letters from readers who love the series, as well. The characters were a lot of fun to work with, and I had a great time coming up with Abby Shaw, her family and friends. 

I based the story in Candy Apple Dead on real-life events, the death of a personal friend that I never believed happened the way the police said it did. My friend, Terry, owned a clothing store in Salt Lake City, and back in the day I was a member of a local band. We were known for wearing matching clothes--clothes that Terry tailored for us in his shop. 

One morning I woke up to the news that Terry's shop had burned down in the middle of the night and his body had been found inside the store. I was devastated. Truly devastated. The police determined that Terry had set the fire himself, but I never believed it, so when I found myself at the start of a brand-new mystery series with a whole new set of characters to create and a new protagonist to work with, I thought it might bring me some closure to solve a case like Terry's. 

Am I suggesting that Terry's death happened the way I wrote it in Candy Apple Dead? No. Not at all. I want to be very clear on that. As any writer can tell you, we might begin with a particular person or situation in mind, but the characters in the book soon come to life, take on personalities of their own, and say and do things the original inspiration would never have said or done. 

People appeared in Brandon's life that never existed in Terry's. The one true character that existed in both Terry's life and Brandon's was Max, the inventory retrieval specialist. No, I didn't end up with the real Max after Terry died, but Terry did give me my doberman, Pride, and I loved that dog like crazy. 

You can read an excerpt from Candy Apple Dead and find buying information here. 

Did working through my friend's death in a work of fiction help? Yes, I think it did. If you're new to the series, I hope you'll enjoy getting to know Abby and the folks of Paradise, Colorado. If you try any of the candy recipes included in the books, please let me know how they turn out. 

Happy Reading! 

Pacing Tips

Blogging about pacing at Dancing on Coals today! Stop by and check it out.

Thinking About Voice

I spend a lot of time thinking a lot about the craft of writing. If you’re going to teach other writers about the craft, you have to think about it. A lot. Lately, the subject of voice has been in the front of my mind. Specifically, what is “Voice,” and why is it so important?

Simply put, voice is you. It’s your unique way of speaking, of thinking, of communicating. It’s your background, where you live, and how you feel. It’s what you know and what you think. Voice is made up of dialect and word choices, but it’s so much more. It’s your unique view of the world.

Voice is important because unless you find and embrace the way of communicating with the world that is uniquely yours, you may have a hard time inviting readers into the worlds you create, whether in fiction or non-fiction, short story or novel.

We know, of course, that physical voice is the way we know who’s speaking when we pick up the phone, or overhear a couple of friends talking. But your soul’s voice is deeper than that. As a writer, our voices are also made up of what we believe is important, what we find funny, how we view and judge others and our philosophies about life in general.

That philosophy of life is where our creative voices begin to differ. That’s what makes Jerry Seinfeld different from Jerry Lewis. What sets the comedian Gallagher apart as he smashes watermelons while dishing on the world in general and stupid people in particular. It’s what made Larry the Cable Guy famous and what helped Oprah soar to heights most of us can’t even imagine.

Compassion for the less fortunate made Red Skelton unique. Mister Rogers had a far different voice from Bozo the Clown. Listen to the Beatles music and you’ll hear how they went from just another long-haired boy band to adult men with deep observations to make about the world, and their views of the world set them apart from songwriters everywhere.

Even within the Beatles, you can tell the difference between a John Lennon song and one written by Paul McCartney. If you know classical music, you’ll know there’s a very big difference between Beethoven and Mozart, between Mozart and Chopin, between Chopin and Brahms.

That’s voice.

Disney has voice. You know what you’re getting when you go to a Disney movie, and you know a Disney movie when you see one, even without the mouse ears to clue you in.

Quentin Tarantino has voice. Spike Lee has voice. Norah Ephron has voice. Ron Howard has voice. If you see a movie with any of these names on it, you know what you’re in for. The projects aren’t identical. No one would have any trouble telling the difference between Splash!, Cocoon, Far and Away, and Apollo 13, but there are similarities in all those movies—and those similarities are voice.

Likewise, Jennifer Cruisie has voice. Susan Elizabeth Phillips has voice. Curtiss Ann Matlock has voice. Anne Tyler has voice. Victoria Holt had voice. Suzanne Brockman has voice. Deborah Smith has voice. Taylor Caldwell had voice. James Michener had voice. Whether or not you like what they do, you always know what you’re getting when you pick up one of their books.

But that’s not true of everyone out there writing books today. If you spend much time judging contests within the romance world, you’ll know that many, many hopeful authors are opting for a “safe” voice in an effort to break in with that first sale.

A few years ago, I judged over 70 contest entries within a very short period of time. Before long, I started to realize that nearly every entry sounded almost exactly like the one before it, and almost exactly like the one that came after it. Those contest entries were so homogenized, it was almost impossible to tell them apart. None of them made a positive impression on me as I read and, in fact, the only detail I remember from that whole pile of entries was that a frightening number of authors had even chosen the same basic plot setup to write about that year. In fact, the only thing that kept me from thinking that they’d all been written by the same person was the occasional use of a different font or header format.

In our rush to get published and do things “right,” some of us are losing the very thing that makes us unique, but it’s that unique voice that might land the publishing contract we’re so anxious to get.

There was nothing wrong with those contest entries. The writing in all of them was pretty good and technically correct in almost every aspect—but “pretty good” writing doesn’t win publishing contracts, although it might win contests because, after all, someone has to be awarded first place, even if every entry is mediocre.

Voice goes deeper than word choice and sentence structure. Voice is life philosophy. You don’t pick up a Janet Evanovich book or one by Donna Andrews if you’re not in the mood to laugh. You know that even when they’re tackling serious subject matter, they’ll treat it with humor.

Their outlooks on life are light and somewhat irreverent, and they write about people who live their lives with the same outlooks. Voice is why one screenwriter gets us smiling while we watch a movie about dying wives and heart transplants, but the next guy sends us out of the theater feeling raw and empty.

Voice is not generic. It is always, always, always unique. That means that if your work sounds like the work produced by the person sitting next to you, you probably haven’t found your voice yet.

This is getting kind of long, so I’ll stop here for today. Check back for more on Thursday!

Writing Powerhouse Scenes

Just a quick heads' up for those who are interested! My alter-ego will ll be teaching a workshop on Writing Powerhouse Scenes at Savvy Authors in January.

Today's market requires that writers keep scenes immediate so readers can be "in the moment" with the characters in your book. Yet writing scenes that happen in the moment is often difficult to do. Too often, we end up with scenes in which there's a delay between the action and the page, or with scenes in which the author resorts to "telling" to explain what just happened.

In this workshop we'll talk about enhancing scene structure using its basic elements of goal, conflict and disaster in various ways that will keep the reader on the same page as the characters all the way through. The discussions and personalized feedback on your own work-in-progress will help you build powerhouse scenes that never leave the reader (or the editor) feeling left out -- even for a second!

WHEN: Jan 3, 2011 - Jan 31, 2011

COST: $15 for Premium Members

$25 for Basic Members

For more information or to register, click here to visit Savvy Authors

Talking about Conflict

My alter-ego is blogging about conflict at The Rockville 8 today. Stop by and say hello if you have a minute! http://bit.ly/c1PTQc

New Writing Booklet for Download -- and a Drawing to Boot!

Dancing On Coals Online Workshops The Booklet: Dancing on Coals workshop, Mastering Scene and Sequel. You've heard about scene and sequel, and the idea of using it makes sense—but can you use scene and sequel and still maintain the fluid style of writing you prefer? Will using scene and sequel box you in, or can you still fly by the seat of your pants? Learn how to use scene and sequel to create powerful scenes while maintaining your own artistic integrity. The Drawing: Purchase any workshop booklet on the Dancing on Coals website and we'll enter your name in a drawing for a free copy of "In and Out: Putting Characters in Conflict" coming in December. Your name will be entered once for each booklet you purchase. Please enter the code "conflict1210" in the "instructions to buyer" field as you check out through PayPal. Visit Dancing on Coals Online Workshops to purchase booklets or for more information ... and good luck!

The Selling Synopsis

February 2 - 27, 2009

Registration Fee: $40 (includes critique)

For more information, or to register, go to DancingOnCoals

THE SELLING SYNOPSIS: A synopsis is one of the most valuable tools in your writer’s toolbox, but to write a successful one, we need to shift gears and forget almost everything we've learned about writing a great novel. Learn how to show editors and agents that you can put together a compelling story filled with sympathetic characters. That you understand motivation and know how to work with and layer conflict.

In this workshop you'll learn:

How to format your synopsis

How to decide what to include and what to leave out

How to write a functional query letter

How to establish conflict

How to present motivation

How to pace your synopsis to keep the editor hooked

Ready, Set, Go!

Well, I finally finished the revisions on SUCKER PUNCH, and the book has gone into production, so now it's time to ask myself what's next. My other professional obligations are finally a thing of the past, which means I'll have a lot more time to write than I've had in the past two years. This is a really good thing, and I feel almost giddy with excitement when I contemplate all the time I'll have to devote to writing and research. My term officially ends at midnight tonight, and I feel like a runner standing on the starting block, waiting for the starter's pistol to go off. Endless possibilities and (finally!) enough energy to pursue them have me feeling like a kid before Christmas. Turning in SUCKER PUNCH completes my current contract with my publisher, so I'm crossing fingers that we'll go to contract on another book or two in the series. These are the first books I've ever written for which I've needed to know the title before I can write. I've heard of authors who work this way, but I've never been one of them -- until now. Both CANDY APPLE DEAD and GOODY GOODY GUNSHOTS popped into my head without much effort at all. CHOCOLATE DIPPED DEATH and PEPPERMINT TWISTED were both suggested by my publisher, and it took me for-flippin'-ever to come up with SUCKER PUNCH. So far, I've had no bursts of creative genius on a title for the prospective #6, but I guess that should be my first step. I've also been mulling over a few ideas for a possible second mystery series, but I don't have anything concrete yet. That's okay. Now that I know the phone won't ring and interrupt me mid-thought with some crisis that needs to be solved, and now that I have no valid reason to check my e-mail 100 times a day, I should be able to concentrate. At least, that's what I'm telling myself! I'll ... uh ... keep you posted.

What Harlan Ellison said ...

Happy New Year!

The hardest thing about blogging to me is coming up with interesting things to say. I mean, I'm quite sure you don't want to hear about how I spent my New Year's Eve. As New Year's Eves go, it was nothing to write home about. New Year's Eve is one of my least favorite holidays anyway, and last night, since I'm fighting a cold, I sat home covered by a blanket and didn't even stay awake until midnight. I haven't made any official resolutions because I'm tired of making resolutions and not keeping them. I'll just keep plugging away at being a better person. One thing I know for certain -- 2008 is going to be a busy year. I'll be traveling to Houston at the beginning of March, Minneapolis at the end of March, Los Angeles at the end of May, and San Francisco at the end of July. I'll be speaking at a writer's conference at Park City in October, and somewhere in between all that I need to find a way to visit the kids in Florida at least once. Speaking of the kids . . . I sent Christmas presents to Vanessa and Abigail at the in-laws house in Missouri via Fed Ex ground, and they still haven't arrived. Now, admittedly, I was pretty late getting them off, and they're not actually Christmas presents as much as tide-them-over-until-we-have-Christmas-in-January presents. But still . . . The whole point of sending tide-them-over gifts was to have them arrive in time for Christmas so the tiding over could begin. When I discovered that sending them Fed Ex overnight would completely drain my checking account, and two-day was almost as bad, I had to settle for ground which, according to my friendly Fed Ex guy, meant they should have been delivered about four days ago. That wasn't really possible, though, since the Fed Ex site says they didn't even leave the state until the day after Christmas. According to the site, the packages are currently on the truck for delivery and would have been delivered yesterday except there was a weather delay. I just hope they actually receive their gifts before they're ready to come home. On the book front, PEPPERMINT TWISTED, the third book in the candy shop series, is in book stores and available to order online now. GOODY GOODY GUNSHOTS, book #4, is with my publisher and in production. I have a terrific idea for the fifth book and I'm busy researching for it now. I can thank my niece's husband for this idea. He was explaining how he hurt his hand skiing the day before Christmas, and before I knew what was happening, I was plotting a murder. Obviously, my Christmas was a lot more interesting than my New Year's! And now, before I sign off for today, I'd like to thank you all for reading about Abby and the folks in Paradise in 2007. I wish you all the best in the coming year!

Give a Busy Person a Job ...

Maybe one of you can explain something to me. Why is it that the busier I am, the more I get done? Doesn't it seem like the opposite would be true? Shouldn't the opposite be true?

I have a deadline in less than two weeks, and no, I'm not ready to send the book to my editor yet. I have every intention of getting there, though. I just may run a bit short in the sleep department before I'm through.

A year ago, I agreed to teach an online class this month, which requires that I post two "lectures" every week and answer questions as they arise. There have been lots of questions this month, and I'm not the kind of teacher who answers briefly. I want to make sure I've explained myself clearly, so I tend .... I won't say I tend to ramble, but I do try to be thorough.

I've had some family issues to deal with. Nothing, thank God, having to do with my kids or the Incredible Miss Abigail, but still troublesome, and they've led to more phone calls in a day than I'm used to taking while I'm supposed to be working.

Two weeks ago, the galley proofs for PEPPERMINT TWISTED arrived on my doorstep with instructions to read the proofs carefully, check for typesetting errors, and return the package to my editor in NYC by last Friday.

I'm heavily involved in the administration of a non-profit organization, and the president is out of town this week, which means that in my spare time I've been drafting statements and approving things I generally don't get involved with on a daily basis.

So why is my writing humming along so well? Why can I write two chapters a day without really breaking a sweat (now that the cooler in my house is fixed and the temperature no longer hovers near 100 inside.) Why do I get so much more done when I have a lot to do?

This isn't the first time I've noticed this phenomenon at work. Years ago, while working at the Evil Day Job 50-60 hours a week, I consistently wrote 3-4 books every year. I was one of the most prolific authors I knew. I wrote through everything that came my way -- family issues, surgeries, moving, kid troubles -- and I never seem to have any real trouble getting a book done. That's not to say that my manuscripts always arrived sharp and crisp on the morning of my deadline, but I wasn't ever far off.

Then (joy of joys) I quit the Evil Day Job to write full time, and what happened? I suddenly developed "issues" that had never plagued me before. With all the time in the world to write, I suddenly found myself spending less and less time at it. A thousand excuses presented themselves every day and, unlike the excuses that came my way when I worked the EDJ, these suddenly seemed Too Important to Ignore.

Don't get me wrong ... I haven't been a complete slug since I quit the EDJ and became a fulltime writer. Every so often, a month like this one comes along and nudges me back on track. But what I don't understand is why it's so damn easy to slide off track again, and why I never feel myself sliding until I'm avoiding my work in progress to catalog my DVDs -- again.