Wednesday, December 23, 2015

The joy of being SELF-published

Back in September, I posted some of the things I love about being a published author—a SELF-published author. It's hard work but rewarding. The good news? I'm the boss of me. The bad news? I'm the boss of me. I'm the author, formatter, publisher, marketing and publicity director, website manager, research assistant...the list really does go on. At times, I wish I could afford to farm out just about everything except the writing. I wish I had a big publisher behind me to mind all those little details that turn my hair grayer than it already is.

However, one of the best parts of being self published is I get to choose. I choose when to publish, what platforms to use, what the prices are, and when to have a sale—which is the joy I'm sharing with you today.

I've had a great year. No, I'm not quitting my day job anytime soon, so by some standards, not such a great year. But I do love what I do, so even when the money barely pays the cable bill, I'm thankful.

To celebrate, all my ebooks are on sale for 99 cents through the end of the year. And The Man, The Dog, His Owner & Her Lover is FREE! Forever. That's right. It will always be free from now on. I'll post about the reasons for this in the future.

For now, you can find more info about all my titles as well as all the links you need to purchase them at the Books page of my website.



Happy Reading! Happy Holidays!
And best wishes for a fabulous 2016.


Candace

Friday, November 13, 2015

Symbolism in Writing

As promised several weeks ago, I'm sharing some notes from the class I taught in Maryland--"Beyond the Basics: Five Ways to Bring Your Writing to the Next Level."

Symbolism is one of my favorite ways to enhance a story. Symbols can convey complex ideas with few words--a great way to "show" instead of "tell."

Symbolism adds another layer, deepens the writer's theme, bypassing the conscious mind of the reader going straight to her emotional core. While some people will not "get" the symbolism, the good thing is that it won't interfere with those particular readers' appreciation of the story. Yet for those who do understand the symbolism, the story is much, much richer.

There are three types of symbols:

  • Common symbols, which are those most people understand--think red means anger or a ring fidelity.
  • Uncommon symbols, those most people don't understand. The language of flowers comes to mind, popular in Victorian times. If you use symbols like these, you'll have to give the reader hints in order for him to understand.
  • Story symbols, which the writer creates in her story. Though not readily apparent, if the writer sets it up correctly, these can be quite powerful. A story symbol that comes to mind is from It's a Wonderful Life when George Bailey is tired from working so hard and he goes to climb the stairs and the top of the banister wobbles loose in his hand. The banister top symbolizes everything about his life that frustrates him.  
So how can the average writer incorporate more symbolism in his writing? Using small details works well, such as the colors your character wears or maybe giving the character an action, like repeatedly washing her hands to show guilt. Or what about the vehicle your character drives? In a recent novel I edited, the main character, in the middle of two investigations and dealing with the death of her husband, heads off to her mountain retreat home to do some soul searching. Her vehicle--a Pathfinder.

So why go to all this trouble? Symbolism often ties the whole work together. It's a great tool for enhancing and clarifying your story theme.

Try it!

Next in the series--Tension. (With a capital T on purpose.)

Friday, November 6, 2015

Thoughts on editing your writing...

I saw this image on Facebook and just had to steal it. It's so accurate. This is me when I'm rereading things I've written: Meh. Bleh. Gah. Wait, I wrote that? That was pretty good. Nope, that sucks. Ugh. This. All. Sucks. What ever made me think I could write???



Yeah, we've all been there. You write something brilliant one night. In the cold light of morning, you hate it. Or maybe, in the cold light of morning, you don't even look at what you wrote last night. Instead, you forge ahead, churning out words as fast as your fingers can reach the keys. Good. Good. Keep going.

Whatever your process, if you've gotten as far as a first draft of anything--be it flash fiction, short story, novel, poem, essay, at some point, you're going to have to edit it. You have to get to the second draft, third, fourth... well, there can be many, depending on what you're working on. Doesn't matter how long you've been writing, whether this is your first first draft or your tenth or your fiftieth, it'll benefit from some revision.

Dr. Seuss said, "So the writer who breeds more words than he needs, is making a chore for the reader who reads."

You--as author--need all those words in the beginning. So....take Colette's advice and "Put down everything that comes into your head and then you're a writer. But an author is one who can judge his own stuff's worth, without pity, and destroy most of it."

Because, as author Shannon Hale says, "I'm writing a first draft and reminding myself that I'm simply shoveling sand into a box so that later I can build castles."

But...face it, eventually, you have to "Kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings," as Stephen King advises.

If this seems a little daunting, take heart. As I've written this post, I've backspaced out nearly as many words as I've typed. Remember, "A professional writer is an amateur who didn't quit." Thank you, Richard Bach.

Because "Writing without revising is the literary equivalent of waltzing gaily out of the house in your underwear," according to Patricia Fuller.

In my experience, the more I write, the more I have to revise, and the more I revise, the better it gets. Up to a point, of course. On the flip side, you can edit a piece to death, stomping all the initial exuberance and life out of it. I know this is true, and Jeanne Voelker agrees: "I edit my own stories to death. They eventually run and hide from me."

You don't want your stories to run and hide from you. You should listen to them, fine tune your ear as you go. It's okay to scrap it, start over, chop off the first chapter, remove a character, whatever.  Because as C.K. Webb points out, "We never end up with the book we began writing. Characters twist it and turn it until they get the life that is perfect for them. A good writer won't waste their time arguing with the characters they create...It is almost always a waste of time and people tend to stare when you do!"

You might as well get used to the stares. After all, you're a writer. 

How do you feel about editing your own work?

Write on!

Candace





Monday, October 26, 2015

The Dreamweavers INK Writers Retreat 2015

I got back last week from a writer's retreat in Deep Creek, Maryland, with my good friend P.J. O'Dwyer who hosted the event. Great weekend. Plentiful dose of writer's buzz to motivate me for a good long while. Lest it seem like all I did was absorb wonderful writer energy from talking all things literary, I did manage to teach a class--"Beyond the Basics: Five Ways to Bring Your Writing to the Next Level." My five "ways" included symbolism, tension, mood, word choice, and being true to your voice. I'm thinking these might be fun to delve into over the course of the following weeks. Stay tuned.

For now, here are a few snapshots from my weekend at the beautiful Memory Maker mountain retreat.

The Memory Maker at night. Sorry I didn't get a picture during the day with the gorgeous leaves!

 
Yours truly reading "Arthur and Me" for open mic night. Oddly, my Maryland friends had never heard of open mic, so there was a bit of a learning curve, but they did well.
 
 
The audience of "Dreamweavers" enjoying the cozy fire--which I am blocking! Patty (P.J.) is taking her own snapshots.
 
 
The gang at the close of a pretty cool weekend!
 

Monday, October 19, 2015

Life as an author can get busy!

I just completed a busy couple of weeks. On September 30, I enjoyed a thirty minute interview with Mike Thomas on radio station KWRE, am730. We discussed my book, Baker Mountain, and my future activities. The conversation turned to the musical and literary career of our mutual friend, the late, great Nick Nixon. Mike played a song, The Girl on Mondale Mountain which I co-wrote with Nick.

I had a successful book signing event at Main Street Books in St. Charles, MO with fellow author Charles Rogers on October 3. It's a great little store. Drop in. You'll like it.

On October 8, 9, and 10, I attended the Ozark Creative Writers Conference in Eureka Springs, AR. A great community of writers assemble on these Ozark Mountain peaks each fall.

Next up is an appearance at Breeze Park Senior Living in Weldon Spring, MO on October 29. The thought occurred to me that I might consider reserving more time for writing. :-)

Doyle

Monday, October 12, 2015

Stick to what you know

At the moment, I'm working on the sequel to On the Buckle, my humorous romantic mystery. This is my second time taking a shot at this book. The first, in 2014, I got myself all organized, did my research (a LOT of research), made notes, and outlined the plot.

This is NOT how I usually work. You see, I'm a panster, not a plotter. I write by the seat of my pants. This method has always produced good, but slow, results for me. I wanted to get this book written quickly, and I truly believed that a more organized approach would help.

It didn't.

I wrote, but I floundered, unable to find direction, the right pace, or enough air. It was like I was stuck in a dingy in the middle of the ocean, in a horrific storm, at night. Without oars. Now, I know that for plotters, that's probably how it would feel to tackle a big project without having it planned out in advance.

The first chapter alone went to critique no fewer than six times. Can't say I was happy with it even then, but I pushed forward, scooping water as fast as I could with nothing but my hands. Diligently, I checked my notes and carried on.

But the writing sucked.

I'm going to make a long story short. By November of that year, I gave up after producing less than half of a crap first draft. Took a break, did some reading, started something new and completely different (The Roar of Smoke released in May of this year) which I wrote the best way for me--with no idea what's going to happen next.

Lesson learned. Stick to what you know.

While I regret the time I wasted going down the plotter path, I learned the hard way that no matter what anyone else says is the best way to write a novel, the best way for me is what works for me. End of discussion.

I'll write more about what 'writing by the seat of your pants' means to me in a future post.

Write on!

Candace

Friday, October 2, 2015

So True!

"Every secret of a writer's soul, every experience of his life, every quality of his mind, is written large in his works."
                                                                                                                                       --Virginia Woolf

Friday, September 25, 2015

The joys of being published

This weekend--right now!--I'm at the Saint Louis National Charity Horse Show in Lake St. Louis. Two weeks ago it was Hunter-Jumper week. Now, it's Saddlebred week, and I love it. I love both. My background is with hunters, jumpers, and dressage. They and their shows tend to be fairly subdued. The saddlebreds and their riders, on the other hand, are flashy; the audience, loud. It's a party! So different from what I grew up with.

My book table
As a lifelong horsewoman and dog lover, being here is a little slice of heaven. There are nearly as many dogs as there are horses! That's why I have treats for dogs, horses, and people on my table. Something for everyone. 

You never know who's going to stop by your table.

Anyhoo, this is my second year, and I do it not just because it's the biggest show around, and not just because my books all include horses so the people here are my target audience, but because ever since I started publishing, I wanted to be able to donate some of my proceeds to animal rescues and shelters. This horse show supports Stray Rescue of St. Louis and TREE House of Greater St. Louis (Therapeutic Horsemanship). I donate all my proceeds from book sales at the show to these two worthy charities. That makes me feel good.

But the big joy--that comes from experiences like this: A woman came up to my table and said she'd bought both Raver and On the Buckle while at the show last year. She loved them both but especially Raver and wanted to know if the sequel was out yet!

I wish I could have said YES! But I directed her to The Roar of Smoke, and she bought that to tide her over until the next Horsecaller book is out.

Hey, if you're in the area, stop by and see me and all the beautiful horses.

Candace


Monday, September 21, 2015

Five Reasons Why I Go to Critique Group

Reasons vary as to why writers gather together to give and receive critique. Here are mine.
  1. My husband doesn't want to hear me read chapter 38. Oh, he'd dutifully listen if I asked, but waiting at my critique group are a bunch of writers who won't grimace when I pass my pages around the table. They listen and cheer me on and give me honest feedback. They want my story to succeed.
  2. Writing accountability. It's the kick in the pants, the "Why haven't you been writing lately?" aspect that I need when motivation wanes.
  3. A finely tuned ear. Reading our work out loud is not about an ego trip, as some critique group haters claim. It's about listening to the rhythm and cadence of the sentences as they build one upon another to form a story. It's for catching mistakes and word repetition. After all, one of the single most repeated pieces of advice for writers is, simply: Read your work out loud.
  4. Hanging out with other writers. I'd be lying if I said it was just about the writing. The camaraderie is important to me. Other writers understand the ins and outs of the writing life, from writer's block to rejection slips to marketing woes and mediocre reviews. There is also the creative energy that comes when a roomful of writers gather around the table.
  5. The thrill of the page. Most important to me is the excitement of words on paper, the raw creative material fresh from the mind of a writer. How can I help my writer friends make their work the best it can be? What can I do with the feedback they've given me to create a compelling story? Stimulating discussions ensue. My pulse quickens. This is why I do what I do.
 Writers need to discover the process that works best for them. I've found mine. Come Thursday night, you know where to fine me.

Friday, September 18, 2015

To critique or not to critique, that is the question...and everyone has an answer!

You've heard it: Writing is lonely. It's true. It's not as true as it was before the internet, though. These days, it's much easier to find and join a community of writers and feel a little less lonely as you toil away on Your Great American Novel.

I've belonged to a couple of writers' groups and eventually dropped out, but my critique group means the world to me. The night we meet is sacred, and just about everyone who knows me knows what I'm doing and where I'm going that evening.

But critique groups are as varied as their members, and they aren't for everyone. To help you decide if you should try to find one, I've compiled a list of links to other author's opinions. Be prepared for contradiction. Enjoy!