Dead Bunnies

Hello Void!

I would like to invite anyone who reads this blog to enter the comp I have been running on social media. 

So, my novel will go to print in the new year and I am getting a lot of people giving me sketches of dead (or just cute) bunnies. I would love it if you guys submitted some too!

Originally, I was going to use them on the cover, but I have received too many, so I will be using them on the chapter pages. Everyone that enters will be in the acknowledgments. And I might even throw in a free copy of the book!

Entre via my email a(dot)m(underscore)cullens(at)yahoo(dot)com(dot)au 

Hugs
AMC xxx

How to write a book - Idea Generation

After all my crazed ramblings about publishing and such, I thought I should go back to the beginning. How do you actually write a whole book?

Images thanks to Pixabay

It seems daunting and in some ways it is, but mostly all it takes is persistence, a little ink and paper and love/hate. But what are the actual steps you need to take to write a book, you ask? Worry no more, I'll try to shed some light on the subject! I will not put these in any particular order because, realistically, you need to find what works for you.

Today I am going to talk about coming up with ideas. "Where do you come up with all these ideas, Adelise?" I am actually asked this all the time. And I am sorry to say that they just pop in there! Don't get me wrong, I have used tools before, but nothing beats my imagination.

A huge part of "writing" includes sitting and just thinking. Quite often my husband will see me sitting there staring out a window and he will ask what I am doing. "Writing," I always respond, even if there is not a pen in sight.

“The scariest moment is always just before you start.” 

― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

Daydreaming

Do you ever just sit there and daydream? What do you day dream about? Write that! Yes, that! If you enjoy something so much that you sit there in a daze, ignoring life over it, then you would probably buy a book about it. And others probably would too. 

If you are still stuck or you are just not a daydreamy type of person, try some music (movie score are really good) - something without lyrics so you don't get tempted to sing along. I find that music can really help get those creative juice flowing.

Stationery

Sometimes, if I am in a bit of a writing slump, getting some nice stationery can really help. I love writing long hand and there is not much that gets me more excited than a blank notebook. Go out and treat yourself. By a new notebook, some nice pens and/or pencils and just start writing words down. They don't have to end up in the final draft. There are some really good online stores for stationery too. Typo is probably my favourite!

Meditation

I know that may seem a little hippie of me, but I find meditation to be a great catalyst for idea generation and a nice way to snuff out doubt. If you haven't tried any meditation before I would suggest guided meditation. Do it while no one is around. Just give it a go, it won't hurt!

Writing prompts

There are SO many websites and Facebook pages and Tumblr feeds and Instagram accounts out there for writing prompts. Like a few of them and check them out. Find a prompt that sparks something (or one that doesn't) and have at it. There are also writer's wheels, but I personally don't want to get into them because I do not understand how they work! #shame

Reading

Yes. Reading. Reading other peoples work is often great for coming up with your own ideas. Plus, if you don't know what is out there, what is being written and how it is being done, how can you expect

to be able to come up with your own masterpiece? Writing without reading is like a painting not seeing colour. You must read. Now, I am a very slow reader. I manage to read maybe twelve books a year, but at least something is still going in, something is still being fed into my imagination.

Questions

Ask questions about everything. Do like Stephen King Do. (lol sorry I had to write that. Go watch Zefrank on YouTube. So many laughs.)

Anyway ... Yes, ask questions. "What if" questions, like: What if I had a pet helper monkey and one day I came home and he was baking a cake and chatting on the phone to my mother using my voice? (don't ask yourself that question. There is no story there... or is there?) Or What if I woke up one morning and realised my consciousness had bee swapped with my dog's? These sorts of question can lead to a story.

There are so many ways to come up with ideas, but when it boils down to it, you have to find a way that works for you. If you get totally stuck you can always just ask your friends what to write. or you can always take this great advice: 

“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” ― Toni Morrison

Hugs

AMC xxx

To edit or to not edit ...

This is the week I am finally sending my manuscript off to the editors. 

For any author (noob or expert) I think this is a daunting task. This will most probably be on of the first times a professional would have read your baby. This is not like giving your book to your mum to read ... My nerves are shot.

So, I am going to answer a few questions to shed a little more light on the dark underground of the editing world. Well, there is really no "dark underground" most of the editors I have spoken to have been super nice people. Once again, they are just people.

When I spoke to editor recently about how nervous I was/am she said something really sweet that I want to share with the void. "Think of me as an old friend who has your best interest at heart. My intentions are good: to support you while you bring your MS up to the best level it can be ..." And that is exactly what you want to find.

Can't I just edit myself?

By all means, please do! Multiple times. I have rewritten my manuscript at least fourteen times, not to mention all the additions, subtractions, character changes, etc. that have been done. But this doesn't mean that your MS is "publish ready."

All manuscripts MUST be edited by a professional. If you can't afford the prices (which can be expensive) try to work something out with your editor. I have worked out a kind of payment plan with mine, something that works well for both of us. 

What about editing software?

No. Just ... no. Computers are good, but nothing will ever replace or replicate the flow human writing. 

When should I have an editor look at my work?

As soon as you haven't fiddled with it in a few months and you are starting to think about self-publishing it. 

If you are going to go for traditional publishing, DO NOT get your MS edited. You can get it assessed or get a mentor, but do not have it edited. Agents and publishers like it a little bit raw, because they have their own editors there waiting to have at your MS. 

If you are self-publishing, this will be one of the last things you do. Think of this moment as "time." Time to get your cover art done. Time to organize your marketing campaign. Time to get all your social media up and out there. Time to work on your website. (Yes! You MUST have a website!)

In this time, I am working on my cover and organising myself. I am working out a better schedule to optimise and balance my writing vs my other authorly duties.

Which type of editing should I use?   

There are a few different types of editing, but mostly they boil down to two main types: Copy Editing/Proofreading and Structural/Developmental Editing.

Copy Editing and Proofreading is the bare bones of editing. It generally includes fixing spelling errors, punctuation, grammar, style, omissions, repetitions, repetitions, typographical errors. Sometimes a CE or PR will include one revision, but not always.

Structural/Developmental Editing is the meaty edit. This is where the editor evaluates the novel as a whole. They look for plot holes and problems in the structure and organisation. They pull you up on logical/illogical consistencies. They may also do their own reconstructing. 

This is the one that we fear. The one where (we have all heard the author horror stories) they tear your MS apart. But if you have a look in most successful author's acknowledgements, you will often see a thank you to the editor. A good author knows that their work needs work. We are too close to it. It is our baby and we always look at our children with rose coloured glasses on. 

But it is the one a MS must have before being published. 

Who or which editor should I use?

My main suggestion for this on is to shop around. Send out emails and see who you seem to have a little rapport with. You need to feel comfortable with your editor as you may be working with them for a long time. 

It is also a good idea to go with someone that has been recommended to you. That way you know that they are good at their good before you spend all the money.


I hope I have helped. 

Hugs
AMC xxx