Hello Reader!
Happy August! I've just come back from a lovely week at our family cottage in Canada, where the weather was surprisingly decent, Dove behaved better than expected, and the internet was out the entire time. Fortunately I'd blocked the week as time off for myself, since I just finished up two projects and was in desperate need of a break. Unfortunately I had planned on finishing getting this newsletter written and perfected before sending it out with a lot more time to go—and I needed the internet for that. It's amazing how many things connect to the internet that we need "just for a minute" when we don't have it. All this to say, there may be more than the usual number of typos or mistakes as I rush to get this to your inboxes at the normal time. Forgive me, I'm only human! Also, we're biting the bullet and starting to look into Starlink options. Anyone use it? I'd love to know your experiences if you do!
I took on 2 editing projects that were due at the same time at the end of July, despite thinking I'd already learned I'm not a fan of doing that. But the stories were great and everything was turned in on time, leaving me more than slightly mentally burned out and looking forward to some time off. WIth no internet, after a few days of rest and reading I was recharged enough to get back to my own writing and made some good progress, which felt really positive. Finges crossed I can keep that momentum going through August!
How is your writing looking right now?
Thanks for inviting me into your inbox this month.
Happy writing!
Anne
MEET THE AUTHOR
I want to help authors celebrate their accomplishments! Do you have a book getting published soon? Email me: I'd love to interview you about your experiences to share with fellow writers!
Tarin Abbott & Murder in the Monuments
Q: What made you decide to write this book? What is its backstory?
A: This story was born of an assignment in a Creative Writing class I took online. I had to come up with 10 pages of a mystery, and I thought about all the situations I’d seen as a banker and bank examiner and figured that would be a pretty good place to start.
I’m from Pennsylvania, near Gettysburg National Park, and have visited there often. I did take a horseback ride through the battlefield, which set the scene in the beginning of the novel.
I’ve written for myself throughout my life, noting things that would go well in a novel if I ever wrote one such as people, places, descriptions of weather, etc. After starting the book for the class, I just decided to keep writing. I made it a point to write a specific amount every day (which doesn’t always happen every day). About halfway through I realized I was closer to finishing than starting, so I just kept going.
Q: How long did it take you to write this book and get it published?
A: It took a year to write (and rewrite, and rewrite, and edit, and edit, etc.). I took part in Sleuthfest in St. Petersburg FL last year. I pitched to two agents, neither of which amounted to anything. At that conference there was great information on how to publish independently, and that sounded like the way for me to go.
At that conference I met an Indy published author who gave me some great advice including visiting the site Upwork (upwork.com). I found a great developmental editor there and she helped me polished the story.
Q: What particular challenges do you face in your writing? What is difficult for you? Do you have any tips for writers who face similar challenges?
A: My challenge is procrastination. I can write for hours at a time, then not go near the computer for days. I did a few things to address the issue:
- First, I took a class. Actually two classes, in Creative Writing which pointed me to great resources, but had definite due dates for assignments.
- Second, I told friends and family I was doing it. One relative in particular would bug me with questions about what was happening with the book and helped me set up my own “murder board”.
- Third, I went to Sleuthfest, a book conference, to meet other authors and take advantage of all of the great information and resources available. One of those resources was Sisters in Crime, which I joined.
Q: Can you talk a little about your editing experience for new writers? What made you choose your editors?
A: The first time I heard of independent publishing was at Sleuthfest. I attended every session regarding publishing and learned several important things:
- I realized I’d need a developmental editor to review the book and suggest places that needed improvement or clarification. She was a vital part of the publication process.
- I would need a line editor to make sure every word was spelled correctly, ever comma and colon was properly placed, etc.
I found my developmental editor on Upwork, which is a great place to find any kind of editing, marketing or other assistance you’re looking for. I invited people to apply for my particular need and basically interviewed them and reviewed their profiles. I hit upon a great developmental editor, who gave me direction and pointed out what I needed to fill in. She asked questions to get me to think about what I was trying to convey, and pointed out characters I needed to develop further.
Q: Are you a traditional or self-published author? Why did you decide this was the path for you?
A: I’m a quasi-indy published author. I got overwhelmed after the developmental editing and realized I didn’t know what I didn’t know. I talked to a few self-publishing services and decided to go with Xlibris. I contracted with them to do the final edit, set up the book for printing, handle the distribution and assist me with the marketing. I maintain full ownership and control over my manuscript, which was important to me.
Q: Can you describe your publishing experience for writers who hope to publish one day?
First, I want to express how careful you must be if you are going with self-publishing services. Read the reviews, negotiate the costs, know up front exactly what you want to accomplish.
I needed help getting across the finish line and marketing the book. I was able to purchase a package that gave me the assistance I needed. I stayed on top of everything, sending the manuscript back several times during editing. I also designed the cover myself with help from my tech savvy daughter and some great software.
The next time I may just do it myself the whole way through. I like to write, and I edit as I write. The process post development with XLibris gave me a blueprint of what I needed to do when. I also learned a lot about marketing and placement for the book. It did cost me a few bucks, but it gave me an education in book publishing that I would have paid a lot more for from a college!
Q: What is one piece of advice that someone gave you that you'd like to pass on to other authors?
A: Write it, just write it. There are a bunch of ways to finish it, but none of that matters if you don’t write it first.
But wait—there's more! Tarin also talked about email marketing for authors in our interview. Check out her ideas here.
You can find out more about Tarin and her books on her website
What Revising Your Book Can Look Like
Writing several letters for developmental editing clients over the last week made me realize that revising is something I’ve never talked about here. What do we do after we get the comments, notes, letters, etc. back from editors, beta readers, colleagues, and anyone else we’ve asked to help us with our manuscript? What does a manuscript revision or rewrite look like?
The obvious answer is that it looks different for every writer, but there are definite strategies I recommend no matter what.
Revise from the Top Down
The best suggestion I can offer is to start by organizing your revision and then working from the biggest changes down. When you’ve decided what changes you’re going to make, write them out (start in general terms if that helps) on a sheet of paper—almost like an outline. Start by seeing what the biggest changes are: do chapters need rearranging or removing, do characters need stronger motives or deeper backstory? Then go to changes like subplots that need work; dialogue that needs editing; more showing vs telling; etc. Your instincts may be to do the quick, easy changes first, but those can get overwritten by big changes late. So start big and work your way down.
Character Revisions
Personally, I always recommend looking to your characters first. They will help you more than you expect. So if the question has to do with motives, believability, depth, etc. don’t jump right back to the page. Jump into their heads. Ask them why: why do they have the trust issues? Why do they need to kill the other character(s)? And keep asking why. Building and deepening your characters isn’t just about the characters themselves, it can help you discover ways to reveal them on the page. That side story your beta reader thought didn’t contribute anything and you should get rid of? You might discover that by adding a little to it, the story actually helps your detective discover something crucial about their suspect and motive, therefore deepening the reader’s understanding of all of your characters.
Where Does My Book Really Start?
We all think we know where our story starts. But does it? If you were to tell someone about your idea, would you give them all the backstory first, or start with the bang? That inciting incident that jumps your characters into action? Or the fallout? The incident has occurred and your characters are figuring out their new normal, which of course will be anything but normal! This can be 1, 2 or more chapters past where you started your first draft, so don’t be discouraged if you get suggestions about cutting early chapters to start later.
My Reading Shelf
Emma Southon, my go-to historian on anything ancient Rome, has a new book out! This one covers everything about slavery in the Roman Empire you never thought to ask. Not Built In A Day looks at the different ways people became slaves, lives of slaves (different places, different jobs, vastly different experiences) might be freed, and the incredibly bizarre laws that made slavery essential in order for Roman economy to work. Southon's wit & humor make this heavy topic easier to read—and if you are at all interested in anything ancient Rome this is a topic you need to understand to build on anything else Roman.
Who can resist a good fake dating romance? In April Asher's romantic comedy The Cupid Dilemma wedding planner Addie is better at dealing with wedding disasters than HEAs & her business is starting to reflect it. Rock star Nix & his band are getting hot, but he's got song-writer's block and neeeds a Muse, ASAP. Sparks fly when the two meet and a fauxmance might be what they both need to succeed—as long as actual feelings stay out of it. Cute twist of light Greek mythological figures as characters, including Addie having a puppy from Cerebus' latest litter. And I thought a malinois was a lot of work!
