All in the Name of Research.

I've read some form of this comment dozens of times, from a variety of authors, expert advice givers, etc. "The best way to research a book is to go to the places you're writing about."


That's all well and good, if you are writing about your hometown, or state. But what about someone who lives in New York and is writing about Montana? Or a story set in a foreign country? I don't know many aspiring authors who have an unlimited travel budget. Do you? Exactly. So, this sage advice can feel like a slap in the face, right? Absolutely. But, all you need to do is get a bit creative. It is, after all, your forte.


As an example, I am writing a YA pirate tale set in the Caribbean during the 1730's. The story begins in Cuba and my chances of going there are pretty slim. (Pesky U.S. embargo and all.) And, unless Michio Kaku or Stephen Hawking really can figure out how to break the barrier in the time-space continuum to make time travel possible, I'm in trouble.


Or am I?


True, I can’t afford to visit the Caribbean, though I’d love the chance. And I can’t travel back to the 18th century. Well, that point is debatable. I happen to be lucky enough to live in Washington State, just a couple of hours from the home port of The Lady Washington. (Many of you may know the ship as The Interceptor from The Pirates of the Caribbean: the Curse of the Black Pearl.) The ship is a replica of a tall ship that would have sailed the seas around 1790.


I was able to take a three hour sail aboard The Lady Washington on July 1st. I went with notebook and camera in hand. Watching the crew work together gave me a real taste of what life on a tall ship would have been like. The amount of rigging was mind-boggling, and I couldn’t help but imagine what it might have looked like during a storm. I felt transported back in time. I was inspired.


But, wait – you may be thinking – I don’t have *fill in the blank* near where I live. What am I supposed to do to research my novel? That’s where thinking outside the box will be your best weapon. Sure reading books on the subject/area/technology/whatever is a good place to start. But ask yourself what other resources may be available to you. If you’re setting your story in a place you’re unfamiliar with, do you know someone who has been there? Are you writing about futuristic technology? What about talking to a techie friend who is an authority on gadgets? Try a visit to a local museum/zoo/arboretum with an eye toward observation of flora and fauna. (You don’t have to be writing about tigers, but the movements of the big cats can be borrowed for a creature of your own imagining.)


As you already know, the internet is a great source of information – and videos. Never been to Rome? Don’t know anyone who has either? I went to YouTube and typed in “Rome vacation” and got 4,810 hits. Seeing the sights virtually will give you an idea of the atmosphere, which will lend your descriptions authenticity.


So, if you can’t visit the places you’re writing about in person, find other creative ways of “going” there. Be imaginative and enjoy the research process.

Round One Edits; Realizing Your Story Isn’t “Perfect.”

I received my round one edits from Gypsy Shadow Publishing yesterday morning. I opened the email with a mixture of excitement and dread. Excitement for moving one step closer to the publication of “Honor the Pack” and dread of what changes might be asked of me.



Would the editor want to rearrange my story? Or change the names of major characters? Would I see more corrections than original text?


I need not have worried so much. There are corrections to make, but the majority of those are minor technical errors. And yes, some of those are embarrassingly obvious. For example: I changed “in spite of” to “despite” but forgot to delete “of” leaving behind this gem “Despite of …" – oops.  :-o


However, that is nothing compared to the glaring error in my time line concerning some of the characters’ ages. I edited this story more times than I can count (but it was at least five). I had beta readers who gave me excellent suggestions and feedback. I wanted the novella to be perfect before I sent it out for publication. I thought it was perfect.


It wasn’t.


Do you know what I’ve learned from that? I had a strong story that the editor liked and the small errors were just that – small. Easy to correct. This is NOT an endorsement to send out a sloppy manuscript with an “it’s good enough” attitude. I worked very hard on making this novella the best it could be before I sent it out. Yes, I made mistakes. I’m human. So are editors. They understand a minor mistake here and there. It is their job to recognize a diamond in the rough and help a writer polish it before the world admires its brilliant gleam.


But don’t waste their time. Edit extensively before you submit. Have beta readers go over your work, they will notice inconsistencies and errors you don’t. It's important to be as professional as possible.

After I read through the edits, I understood what the editor meant with her corrections and I agreed with them. So I replied to her email, letting her know that I would have the edits back to her as soon as possible. I was a bit surprised by her reply. She asked if I could add to the ending because it felt a bit abrupt.


I’ll let you in on a little secret here. I ended the story where I did because I was afraid it would be too long for any publisher to accept from an “unknown” writer if I kept going. And now I not only have the opportunity to expand it – the editor requested it of me! :-) It won’t be a huge addition, maybe just a couple of pages, but I’m excited about the scene I have planned.



Another step closer to my first publication and it feels awesome!! I can’t wait to have a release date to share with everyone. :-)

Next Installment: (To be determined.)

Captured: the elusive acceptance. :-D

Part 1: I am not dreaming – this is real.

As fiction writers, we are subjected to rejection after rejection. Some of them are encouraging, others disheartening. But we keep submitting our work, driven by faith in our talent and the hope that someday that ever-elusive acceptance will happen.


I have, at last, captured my first acceptance for a YA Fantasy novella, “Honor the Pack.” I began this tale last July after a drive home through the mountains from my nephew’s birthday party. The full moon was so large it captured my imagination as I came around a bend in the road and it got me thinking about werewolves. That led me to the idea behind this novella, which I call my “reverse werewolf” story.


I will be writing a series of blog posts chronicling my experiences as I move through the process – from acceptance to the release of my novella as an e-book.


The contract has been signed, and “Honor the Pack” will be available through Gypsy Shadow Publishing (though I don’t have a release date yet). I hope you will check it out.


So, what happens after the acceptance is official and the contract is in your hands (or inbox)?



Part 2: After the Acceptance


After the acceptance, the real work begins.


I am what’s affectionately known in the fiction writing world as a “pantser” or “seat of the pants” writer. While I love this style of writing, and find it works best for me not to plan ahead when I create a story, it did have its drawbacks when that long-anticipated acceptance came through. Suddenly, I found myself in the grip of panic – I didn’t have a “back cover blurb” or a “one line hook” for this story. Why? I hadn’t “planned” the story, so I couldn’t summarize it before it was completed. Then I’d told myself I had plenty of time to work on the summaries while I subbed out my tale. It would take months, possibly years, to get an acceptance. Right?


Never tell yourself you have “tons of time.” Just don’t do it. I had myself convinced I’d be able to go about creating my promotional pieces at my leisure. Funny thing though – life likes to throw stuff at you, eating up the time you thought you had. And so I spent three frantic days working on the paragraph which will be the introduction to my story potential readers will see when they click on the cover image for my novella and the one line hook which will be used in press releases.


Talk about pressure.


Pressure I could have saved myself if I’d just written them before I started subbing out the novella. Learn from my mistake and write up your promotional pieces before you sub. Have people you trust to give you an honest critique (read: not your super-supportive family member/friend who is afraid to hurt your feelings) go over them and tell you if they would want to read your story afterward. These pieces are so important to how your work is perceived – give them your best effort, and give yourself a break by planning ahead (even if it goes against your usual writing vibe).


Another part of the package Gypsy Shadow Publishing (GSP) sent to me was less stressful, but something I hadn’t put a huge amount of thought into. They ask for a detailed description of your main character(s) so they can use it to help them seek out cover images. As part of my writing style, I do not usually give a detailed description of my main characters. I want the reader to create the picture for his or herself. But, I had put a little thought into what the “cover” would look like if it were to have one – yet I hadn’t expected it to because it’s not a full novel. One problem, my ideal cover image would require hiring an artist to create it and because this is a small publisher they use stock images for their cover art. Therefore, my ideal wouldn’t be possible. This time, I didn’t panic. GSP provides its authors with a link to the website they use for finding stock images. I sat down at my laptop and started searching until I found an alternative that I thought would work well. There is no guarantee that what I chose will be used, but I wanted to go the extra mile and give them a concrete image to start from.


What my point is in sharing this is – be flexible. Be ready to provide your insight, but not before it’s requested. I don’t know the policies of other publishers (this is my first publication, after all) but I felt very fortunate to have my input requested for the cover image. But what I had dreamed of wasn’t going to be possible. I had to find another route. In short, have not only one idea in mind have two or three or . . . . ;-)



Next installment: Round One Edits.

Bi-weekly "Site of the Week" -- Which Rules Aren't Made to be Broken.

So, some of you may have noticed that I've begun using a theme for the Site of the Week, since I haven't always had time to post each week. This week's theme, when not to break the rules.

When you're creating fiction, by all means break the rules of gravity, reality and even common sense if you want to. But when you begin submitting that fantastic work of fiction, that is when the rules aren't made to be broken.

Follow them.

Rule number one. In my opinion this is the most important rule -- do your research.  Nothing sends your submission to the e-slush pile/trash can/file 13 faster than submitting it to the wrong market. There are so many sub-genres and blended genres out there these days you can't simply see "science fiction" or "fantasy" under the listing of  acceptable submissions and assume your work is a perfect fit.

E-zines often contain free web content so you can get a glimpse of the type of stories they accept, give it a read. If you are submitting to another type of publication which doesn't have free online content, see if you can track a copy down at your local library, Amazon, or borrow one from your next door neighbor's cousin's best friend. You may even be lucky enough to find something on your local Freecycle network. If those options fail, and you really want to get published in that particular venue - buy a copy. I know that finding the extra cash can be tough in this economy, but you have to decide how serious you are. Do you really need that extra vente, double-caff, extra foam, caramel mochachino? ;-) 

Rule number two. Read the submission guidelines thoroughly. Every agent, publisher, e-zine, etc. has its own rules of submission. These are published for a reason. Read them. Many of them will also include a link to what the proper formatting they expect looks like, so there is no excuse for submitting anything less than what they are asking you for.

An upcoming speculative fiction e-zine aimed at the YA market, Scape, uses this example which is the most widely used standard manuscript format. However, USE CAUTION, some agents, etc. specifically state what they expect a manuscript to look like and it is not this format.

Rule number three - Proofread before you click send. Spell check is handy. Automatic typo correction is my personal savior. But neither of them are a substitute for reading your submission and making 110% certain that you haven't made a mistake they won't catch - like a misused homonym. (This is a huge pet peeve of mine. Here is a link to a site of homonyms you can use to double check. And yes, I have posted this before, it never hurts to repost a resource like this.)

Rule number four - Proofread twice before you hit send.

Site of the Week - Stella Cameron

Ok, so Stella Cameron is a romance writer (and I don't write "romance") however, I am a strong believer in seeking out worthwhile advice, both in genres I write, and those I don't. Stella Cameron has published over 60 novels and novellas. I don't care what you write, that is a huge accomplishment.

I actually stumbled upon her site through a list of resources for writers. Her article on developing your villians is very informative. I also recommend checking out her article on keeping the reader guessing. She uses this as a reference to a thriller/mystery plotline, but it's equally effective in any genre.

Never stop learning. Never stop creating. Never stop. Never.

Site of the Week - NPR (Novel Ideas)

Once again, the week has flown by. My day planner is a mass of scribbles and moved deadlines for my study goals. Nothing that I wanted to do got done. However, I did begin a new short story tentatively titled "In Darkness." While it's still in the rough draft stage, I'll post the first section here after I wow and excite you with this week's site - NPR.

NPR? You mean National Public Radio? Yup. It's no secret that NPR promotes the works of artists and authors of all types. However, I found a page on their site that goes beyond asking the author about their current endeavor. This page features several very well-known writers (think Jodi Picoult and Scott Turow) and asks them how they write, come up with ideas, edit and overcome the nemisis of every writer - professional or otherwise - writer's block. *shudder*

While the interviews were done in 2006, the insights and advice these seasoned writers provide are timeless.  After reading Walter Dean Myers' interview I was inspired to try something new. He creates timelines for his characters and the world around them before beginning his books. (He spends up to 6 months "pre-writing.") 

I am working on an historical fiction novel and time frame is very important. I think creating a timeline for the era, as well as my characters and how they fit into the Roman world, will help me immensely! Currently, I'm keeping it all in my head - which can get a bit complicated, especially since I am planning to make this a family saga of sorts with successive books telling the stories of this main character's children and perhaps her husband's childhood as well.

So, after browsing the interviews, what inspired you?

Site of the Week - BookEnds, LLC -- A Literary Agency

Just a little reminder, this review is only my opinion. :-) I hope you find it helpful.

I have promised you all a review of an agent blog this week. So, as not to disappoint you,  I offer Bookends, LLC – A Literary Agency 



Bookends, LLC accepts submissions from just about every genre you can think of including; fantasy, romance (historical, paranormal, and contemporary), westerns, and mysteries as well as non-fiction. However, they do show a strong preference for romance. (If you have a paranormal romance, this looks like a good place to submit.)

But I did not choose to highlight this blog mainly as a suggestion for submissions. The content and advice Jessica Faust, the agency’s co-founder and lead agent, offers is solid and straightforward. Faust blogs on a wide variety of topics; from basic submission technique to making the perfect cranberry daiquiri for the holidays, all you under 21-ers ignore that last bit. ;-)

She also responds to questions from aspiring authors. Her advice on how to tell if your agent is "bad" (a.k.a not helping you achieve your goal of publication) is frank and informative.

I would recommend checking out this blog. Bookends, LLC gets 4 out of 5 keyboards. :-)


K. Looney(writer)