P.S. Thanks in advance for not thinking I'm crazy for my characters talking to me. If you went to Lexicon, you should already know this happens a lot!!
While I was writing on my second novel, All About Gwen, today I started thinking about point of view. My first novel, Dust, is written from the viewpoint of my main character, Emily Johnson. I wrote it in first person because when I dreamed the idea for the novel, I was Emily. My second novel's main character is Gwen and while I was writing today I wanted to keep saying "Gwen" instead of "I." I've always believed in listening to your characters and how they want to be written and I'm scared to think that Gwen wants to be written in third person. I think of myself as a pretty good writer because my characters are a lot like me and so they sound like me. I don't write characters that I couldn't see being "real people." I was never an astronaut, and NASA thanks me for that, so I can't write like I know anything about space. My characters act and feel like an average twenty something female because that's what I am. I don't make my characters something that they aren't either. So, when Gwen wanted to me to write her story in third person, I freaked! I wrote 75,000 plus words in first person for so long, that I'm a little nervous bout tackling third person. Should I try a chapter both ways and see which one my group likes the best? Should I ignore Gwen and keep it in first person? I don't know!! Also, should I go back and forth between Gwen and her daughter who is also a main character in the book to see both of their viewpoints? I don't know!! HELP!! Please leave a comment if you have any advice for me=) Thanks!!
P.S. Thanks in advance for not thinking I'm crazy for my characters talking to me. If you went to Lexicon, you should already know this happens a lot!!
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Anyone else doing NanoWriMo this year? I've always looked at the website and thought about joining, but I was always too scared to actually participate. With one novel under my belt, I feel a lot better about heading into November this year. I think what really got me interested this year is that I found a group of local writers who will meet the library by my work and write every Monday together. It will be nice to have others who are going through the same thing and working towards the same goal. I hope to wok on my second novel, All Abou Gwen and finishing it. I have set that as my goal, but we all know it takes longer than a month to write a decent novel. So if I reach my word count next month, I will be thrilled. But I also know that if I don't make it, I will be a whole lot further on that second novel. If I can't get an agent with Dust, which I'm still trying for, I could always pitch All About Gwen in May at the DFW Conference. I will keep you updated on my Nano status throughout the month. I would love some encouragement!! A This weekend I met a wonderful young lady at a Cub Scout campout. I found out that she majored in Journalism from Texas A&M University. At first I felt a little silly because here I am trying to get a novel published, and she has a degree in writing! I quietly muttered," Well, I wrote a novel" and hoped that she wouldn't think I was silly. To my surprise, she didn't laugh at me! She didn't even ask if I've been published! She simply said that she thought it was fantastic and would love to hear more! So, my question this fine evening is....why am I so reluctant to call myself a writer? To tell others about my accomplishment that so many others will never get to say? I just need to buck up (probably a Texas phrase) and be proud of what I've done! Do I have an agent? No. Am I close to having one? I hope. But whether or not I have representation or a book on the shelves of Barnes and Noble, I am a writer. And I think I'm a pretty darn good one! So I shout it from the mountain tops...."I AM A WRITER!!" (That felt pretty good) I ended up making a good friend this weekend that I think will help my writing career in the end, and also a friend that I could really see myself hanging out with. It's crazy that you can meet people in the weirdest places. Mine was at a Cub Scout campout. Anyone else feel the way I do? While attending the Lexicon Writers' Conference this summer, I was drawn to a man who looked a lot like my grandpa. He passed away from cancer about five years ago and he was my number one supporter in everything that I did. The minute I saw Dave Kilby, I knew that I was supposed to be there. I had this feeling that both God and my grandpa were looking down on me and supporting my decision to be a writer. I went up to Dave and told him how I felt drawn to talk to him and come to find out...he lived in Kingwood!! He was there supporting his wife Karen Kilby. Karen approached me later that day and she was the nicest lady ever. She even reminded me of my grandma (another huge supporter of mine). Anyways, Karen has written many articles for Chicken Soup for the Soul and decided to write her own book entitled Becoming a Woman of Purpose A Thirty-One Day Devotional. Just recently Karen held a book signing at the Kroger located at the end of my street, so I just had to go!! I picked up a signed copy for my friend Christiana and me and can't put it down! I look forward to reading each story every morning before heading off to work. I suggest you click on the title of the book and purchase one today!! I promised another sneek peek of Dust to my Facebook friends, so here it is!! If you haven't liked my Facebook page, you should!! Just click here and like my page for updates on what's going on with my writing!!
The sneak peek is taken from about halfway through the book. Emily keeps being recognized everywhere she goes and she has no idea why.... I decide to load up on sugar and caffeine - I’m going to need it to keep me awake. Making my way over to the cashier, I notice the two women from the bathroom staring at me. I pretend that it doesn’t bother me, but I having that watching feeling gives me the willies (just like at Yellowstone). I pay for my candy bar and soda and head for the door - the two women following right behind me. I make it to the car, but before I can get in, I feel a hand on my shoulder. “Do I know you from somewhere?” I spin around and find myself face to face with Norma and her friend. “I don’t think so, not unless you’ve ever been to Vegas. I’m just passing through on my way to Colorado. I don’t want any trouble.” I climb into the car and lock the door. Norma motions for me to roll down the window. “Well, Stacy here was in a peep show in Vegas a few years back. What was it called?” “Boobs, Boobs, Boobs was the name of it. I made good money, but got tired of showing my boobs all day long. But now that I think about it, it’s not really that much different than I’m doing now.”Stacey gives a little laugh and lights up a cigarette. “No, that’s not it. I’ve seen you before somewhere recently; I just can’t put my finger on it.” “Well, I was on a local channel for getting lost in the Grand Canyon a few days ago. Maybe that’s where you saw me?” “No, I don’t watch anything on any local channels.” “Well, it was nice meeting you ladies, but I really need to get on the road.” “I remember! I saw you on some late night talk show when I was working at the Downtown Inn just last night!” Norma lights herself a cigarette too and looks like she’s not going to offer up anymore information. “A late night talk show? Are you sure it wasn’t someone else you saw? I think I would’ve remembered being on some talk show.” She takes a few more drags before she realizes I’m waiting for her to go on. “Well, you weren’t on the actual talk show. The host, whatever his name is, shows funny YouTube videos on his show. There was one of you trying to fight off some bear and the guy said that the ladies name was something like Erica Longston. I can’t remember exactly, but I’m pretty sure that’s what he said.” “Well, my name isn’t Erica Longston, it's Emily Johnson.” “That was it! He said Emily Johnson of Las Vegas, Nevada. That’s you! Didn’t you say you lived in Vegas?” “I was on a YouTube video? How is that possible?” “Maybe one of them campers had one of them fancy cell phones and took a video of you. You know what? I had a guy a few weeks back that wanted to video tape us on his cell phone. I picked that thing up and threw it out the window. I didn’t need anyone seeing my business on no internet. He got so mad and just stomped out the door. Too bad, cause he was a really good tipper.” “Girl, I get that all the time. There are some nasty men out there. If only their wives knew what they were up to.” Norma and Stacy both shake their heads and look at me. I have no idea what to say. I’m not sure if it comes from the shock of what Norma and Stacy just said, or that I was featured on a late night talk show. I pull a wad of cash from my purse and hand it to Norma - I hate to think that these nice ladies have to do this for a living. “Well ladies, I’d like to stay and chat, but I really have to make it to Rawlins by tonight.” I roll up the window just as Norma and Stacy realize what it was that I had just handed them. The look on their faces was priceless as I pulled out of the parking lot. It feels good that I can help someone out like that. I saw this image while thumbing through some websites tonight and I thought it fit me perfectly. I either have a day job that gets in my way (even though I love it) or I have two little boys and a husband to take care of 8. Sometimes I wish I could just stop everything I'm doing, freeze time, and just allow myself to get these edits done. Am I just making up excuses? Am I trying to make myself fail so I can just say, "Oh well, I tried"? I've had a ton of hits on my website lately, one day was over 150!! I am grateful to all of the awesome writers I've been interviewing for allowing me into their world, but when I told my husband about it, he said, "That's great honey, but when are you going to start being the one people want to interview about your book?" I simply replied, "When I find the right agent that can see my vision for my career." But then I got to thinking, what if that never happens? What if that agent never comes around? And then I started thinking, how will I ever know if I don't finish these edits and put myself out there? I do have an agent that asked for a full manuscript after I've edited it, but I keep putting it off and making excuses for not sending it. Well, now it's time to get it done. So I'm sorry in advance for putting myself and my dreams first for a change, but I need to be a writer at work. I need to see this through. I promise to myself that by mid-September, I will have sent Dust off to the agent I want. all of my friends and family need to help me keep this promise. I need you now more than ever!! I had the pleasure of listening to Jeanette pitch her second novel to a group of agents at the Lexicon Writers' Conference in Denton, TX and what I loved most about her is that you could just hear the passion in her voice for both her books and writing in general. I think that She has a huge career in front of her and I am so blessed to have been able to interview her. So, here it is!! 1. What is Flying Solo about? Flying Solo is about a strong, vivacious, daring 1960s housewife who is seeking a way out of a really bad marriage. All set in New Orleans and the French Quarter, readers are immersed in the colorful traditions of Mardi Gras, the delectable Cajun specialties of beignets and crawfish etoufee. French Cajun Nora Broussard Greenwood was born with the wanderlust. Her adventurous spirit doesn't fit the sedate expectations of catholic 1960s New Orleans suburbia. On a whim, she takes flying lessons to become a pilot. Experiencing the freedom of flight is liberating. However an illicit affair with her pilot instructor forces action. When she confronts her ruthless husband for a divorce, she is cast out sans her children and threatened with her life. Desperate to get them back and gain liberty, she steals her husband's plane. Trials and tribulations erupt as she navigates the turbulence her life has become. In a bizarre twist of fate, she serves as caregiver to her lover's sickly wife as a means to survive; hoping he will decide she is his soul mate. But is that to be? Nora must make the make the most difficult decision of her life in order to get things back on track. 2. What do you like about self-publishing? What do you find difficult about it? For me, I feel there is a slight difference in self publishing and Indie publishing. Readers need to understand that difference. In self-publishing, an author uses a generic imprint of the self publisher for their book, for example CreateSpace, which uses the imprint BooksInPrint.com When you are Indie Published, you are published through a small press, usually one that represents a small group of writers. Indie publishers are not members of the “big six” publishing houses. Editors or managers of the press take a closer look at your work. You are not submitting queries through a literary agent admist thousands of other people. Because of that, previously unknown writers with a solid voice have a chance for their work to be seen. Many great books are published this way. FLYING SOLO is a great example of that. I had hawked it to hundreds of lit agencys and publishing houses, only to receive their standard rejection letter. I even submitted my query letter to The Query Shark online for review, only to have it be chewed up and spit out voraciously. So for me, publishing through AgeView Press gave me an opportunity. My case is a bit unique in that I own AgeView Press. AgeView features about three authors at the moment and are taking queries from others. When you Indie publish, your book carries the imprint of the small press. The road to Indie Publishing or self publishing however isn’t easy. Because it is easier for many books to get out there, the market is flooded with some books that probably should have stayed on someone’s computer. The quality is not up to national standards. Some books are poorly edited or packaged. My advice to wanna-be writers is that they do their homework. Spend some time in a book store purveying the books that are best sellers. Look at how they are written, formatted, and packaged. Then, get yourself a professional editor before you hit, submit! And if you can, get with a small press or Indie publisher. Your work will have more clout. 3. How did you feel when you first held a published book with your name on it? I am so glad you asked that question. I will never forget it. I had submitted all the files for the galley proof. Clicked, submit! I knew it would be about two or three days. When I drove up to the mailbox, I could see that a package was hanging from the gate. All of a sudden, I got really nervous. This was it. Scary!!!! It was actually happening. I was almost afraid to take it out of the box. I mean you have read it and re-read it for months, but here it was, an actual book. With your name on it!!! As I quickly undid the package it was exilerating. I was an author. But for me? As I took a closer look, my helium big balloon full of ego got shot right out of the sky! There was a mistake, not only on the back cover text, but the fore-matter was missing a page. Gah….and the editor had missed some typos. Double…GAHHHH!!!! I was not there yet. That’s why they call it a PROOF. It had to be resubmitted. So, that experience provided a reality check. Make sure you have a professional editor! Now that the finished copy is out there…..yes, it is thrilling every time I see it and sign a book. 4. What advice do you have for writers who want to self-publish a book? Write away! Don’t keep that long-held story inside. Let it come out. But in the process, show your work. As you write, get the manuscript draft finished, but then put in the hands of various reading groups and writers groups. Let them critique it. Use a wise owl approach in receiving their criticisms. But let people see your work before you go to print. Then, rework the manuscript. Get a professional editor. Then, self publish or find a small press. And don’t forget, that the publishing is the easy part. Now you have to sell your book through extensive book marketing and packaging your image. That is the hard part, no doubt! Network, network, and network some more. Be patient, it takes months of work to get the buzz and word of mouth out about your book. 5. What's something that you would like your readers to know about you? Although I am a nurse by trade, to pay the bills, I am well established as a writer and story teller in the healthcare world. It took years of publishing in the periodicals and professional journals of nursing, to finally realize what I loved to write about in the genre of fiction – strong, independent women. I only wish I had gotten started earlier. I wasted years writing and publishing for other people. Not writing what I am passionate about. I finally gave myself permission to do just that! Out on my sheep farm, is where I have written several novels and scripts. I the mother of four children, including two Navy pilots. My book, is dedicated to the independent joie de livre of my daughter. My youngest son, who I watch as he battles Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy is my muse for writing. He lives with me in a Victorian farmhouse out in the pastures of northeast Texas with our sheep, chickens, donkeys and sheep dogs. 6. Where can my readers find your books? Signed copies of my books can be found at: ARealBookStore at the Villages at Allen and Barnes and Noble Booksellers at University Village in Fort Worth Print and ebook versions can be found at: AgeViewPress http://bit.ly/SV41zx Amazon. http://amzn.to/NPd0W4 Amazon UK http://amzn.to/Nv0XYj Hey everyone!! I have another great interview with an awesome lady I met at the Lexicon Writers' Conference this past July. I love following her on fb at Judy Serrano Author because she is always inspiring. I hope you guys enjoy the interview and go check out her fb page and books!! 1. When did you know that you wanted to be a writer? I have been writing since I was a little girl. I think I always wanted to be an author but never really pursued it until I went back to college a few years ago and started my series. I was writing novels as early as 12 years old. I never expected to get published or make a living at it. When I finally saw my books in print it was startling. It was like I always knew that this was what I wanted. I wish I had gone down this road a lot earlier in my life. 2. How did you come up with your Easter's Lilly Series? I started out writing a book about a good marriage, if you can believe that. I have been successfully married for a long time and wanted to share some of the "tricks of the trade," so to speak. Somehow along the way in the dark passages of my overactive psyche, Lilly was born. Once I started living life through her eyes it was like an addiction. I got deeper and deeper with her and her crazy life that I found myself with four books in almost no time at all. I am not sure how many books I will have in this series altogether but book four is scheduled for release in December. Is there any truth to my Lilly series? The fact that my husband is Mexican and the series is about the Mexican Mafia is a complete and total coincidence. It is... I promise. 3. What is your favorite part of the writing process? Creating. I didn't even have to think about that one. I love to create. I don't outline like many of my wonderful author friends do. I sit in front of my Macbook, place my fingers on the keys and the voices in my head are released in a rush of fury. (That's what I love too!! We have the same writing style!!) 4. What advice do you have for other writers just starting out? Don't worry about what other people are doing. Some writers outline, some sit and let the characters take them for a ride. Some authors self-publish and some go traditional. The only way you're going to find your own voice is to stay true to yourself. It will be much more satisfying to follow your own heart. And don't ignore the voices in your head. They're a story just dying to be tapped into and freed for the pleasure of your readers. 5. Where can my readers find your novels? The easiest place to find my novels are at Amazon.com barnesandnoble.com BlackRoseWriting.com http://www.JudySerrano.com There are a few select bookstores that carry my books, like Hastings in Greenville, Texas and any Barnes and Noble will special order it for you, if it's not in stock. Thanks so much Laura for letting me visit with you today. There are free first chapters available on my website and I invite you all to take a sneak peek. It's not your standard "cookie cutter" romance. Lost in the dark, you may not find your happily ever after.... Thanks so much Judy for taking the time to share with us!! Good luck and keep writing!! Do you ever feel like this? I'm actually going through this right now. A good friend of mine posted this on my facebook page and I felt like I just had to share. When you chose to write a book, you plow into it with all of the excitement of a three-year-old on Christmas....and then reality strikes and you hit the editing portion of your dream. A lot of the words that you felt were so important, aren't so important anymore. The stuff that made you laugh so hard, barely make you chuckle now. Editing is hard work, but it's necessary. You wouldn't want to put something that you had slaved over for months, or even years, with mistakes. Can you fix them all? No. We're only human. But editing is a major part of writing. So...I will keep trucking on and trying my best to edit Dust. I will probaly end up hiring a professional editor if needed. But for now, my eraser and I will be best of friends. I thought I would share with you a little of what I've been editing. I hope you like it and I welcome any comments you might have!!
Making my way down the highway, I start to get a little nervous. I’ve never been white water rafting before, and from what I’ve seen on the internet, it looks a little dangerous. I guess it could be worse; I could be sky diving! After a few miles, I pull into a little whole in the wall rafting place on the side of the road. I figure no one will recognize me in a place like this (boy was I wrong). Walking up to the front desk, I’m shaking inside. I might actually lose my breakfast from this morning - oh wait, I forgot to eat something. This revelation makes me even more nervous. If I do die today from falling off the raft and drowning, I’ll be going to heaven on an empty stomach. What would my mother think if she were here right now? The one thing she always stressed when I was younger was the importance of a healthy breakfast. There are only four other people in the little make-shift waiting area. I take this as a good sign that it’s going to be a slow day for white water rafting. They all seem to know each other and don’t even look up from talking when I walk by. Score one for the home team! I might just make it through the trip without anyone being the wiser. “Hello, and welcome to the Rafting Company. The names Monica and I’ll be your rafting guide today. Is this your first trip down the river?” “Yes, it is. How could you tell?” “I can spot a first timer from a mile away. You’re not going to lose your breakfast are yah?” “I didn’t eat breakfast.” “What? Didn’t your mother ever tell you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day?” You’ve got to be kidding me! “Listen, I’m a little nervous about this whole rafting thing. It’s safe, right?” “Of course it’s safe! I’ve been working at the Rafting Company for about four years now and I’ve only fallen out about five times.” “Five times? You’ve fallen out of the raft five times?” “Oh yah, and that’s pretty good. The guide before me had fallen out at least a dozen times!” “I’m not sure if I can do this.” “Sure you can! The weather’s supposed to be really nice out today. Plus, it’s a full boat today and everyone’s a beginner! That group over there has known each other since elementary school.” She points to the group in the waiting area. I decide to walk over and introduce myself. If I’m going to die today, I might as well know the people who are going down with me. |
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