Indie Insights: Intro and Hard Work.

We're gonna do a new series on the blog that follows me and my journey as an indie author. Things I do right and I'm excited about. Things I do not so right, the work involved, the ups and downs, what I would do differently next time--ALL OF IT.

And if you have a question or something you'd like me address, please let me know! Here, @NazareaAndrews or nazareanandrews (at) gmail (dot) com

Okay, so let's talk about the work. I knew before I decided to do this--and for those of you wondering, I've been toying with this decision since last May. I told Liz and Auzy in August. This is not a spur of the moment idea.

But what I was saying--I knew it would be hard. I knew a lot of work would be involved--and not just writing and editing, but in promotion, setting up a website, formatting, hiring people to edit and do cover art, and learning what the hell I'm doing.

I had no clue how hard I'd be working. Guys, to put it into perspective--I get up at 7:20 and get my kids to school. Go back to sleep from 8:30 to 9:30/10 am. When I wake up, I make coffee and go through the few dozen emails I get while sleeping. Spend an hour responding to emails/twitter and updating social media--important because dude, they're fun!! And also, you have to be there for people to know you have a book they should read.

After picking kids up from school, playing housewife, I work. My to-do list rarely has less than 12 items a day, a lot of which takes several hours to do. Most days, I work until 1 or 2 am. Yes, some of that is for my position as an editorial assistant. Some of it is housework/mommy stuff.

A huge chunk of it is related to my writing. It took a solid week to organize the upcoming blog tour (which I am so excited about!!).

Here's the thing: I am working harder than I ever have in my life. And this is coming from the girl who worked two jobs and took a full course load her senior year of high school. And I LOVE it!! I'm working with one of my best friends on a story we both believe in and I can't wait to get it in the hands of readers--your hands--and I'm having a blast doing it. There is always something to do, a question I hadn't thought of that needs to be answered, a decision to be made about something.

But, if your wondering if you should self-publish, and your thinking it's not that hard...yeah. No. It is. And one of the hardest parts is self-doubt. Which, lovelies, we will talk about next time.

N~

Multi-Tasking

I wanna talk today about multi-tasking.

I'm a mom. Multi-tasking, for me, is like breathing. Make breakfast, get the kids dressed, pour coffee, put the dog outside. All without breaking a sweat and well before my coffee is cold.

But for a long time, I couldn't multi-task in writing. I had to draft. Or revise. It couldn't be more than one project at a time--I worked on one thing. And when I finished, I'd move on to the next thing.

But things have changed a little. Last week, I worked on line edits for Edge and today I worked on revisions of Stars and when I finish this blog, I'm drafting zbook.

My lovelies, I'm MULTI-TASKING.

So what brought this on? Necessity. Look, I have a book coming out in a little less than two months. Which is WOOHOO, exciting. But I also have five agents/editors waiting on a revision of Stars. And two very (im)patient CPs waiting on more zbook. So, see? I HAVE to work on more than one thing at a time.

And I'm okay with it. I've actually enjoyed the challenge and busyness. It's been fun, even if it did take a minute to get used to.

So, how bout you? Do you juggle several projects at once? Or can you only focus on one at a time? Talk to me in the comments!

Vanishing Boy

Today I want to talk about Vanishing Boy Syndrome. Vanishing Boy Syndrome (more accuarately called Vanishing Love Interest Syndrome--but honestly, I like my name better) is most often seen in book two of a series. Lets look at some noteworthy cases, hmm?

Twilight Saga--In book two, Edward vanishes, leaving Bella to her own devices for the majority of the book. Vanishing Boy Syndrome.

Kushiel's Legacy--In book two, Phedre is stolen by pirates, and Joscilin is left behind for over four hundred pages. V.B.S.

Frost Trilogy--In book two, Jack runs off with the Snow Queen, leaving Katla on her own to rescue him. V.B.S.

Matched Trilogy--In book two, Cassia is looking for Ky, who is taken by the Society at the end of book one. V.B.S.


What do we have here? Examples from FOUR DIFFERENT GENRES OF THIS PHENOMENON. And I get it. Taking away the Boy makes it easier to grow the character--there is a conflict right there. How to get LI back?? But here's my problem. By the end of book one, I've already emotionally invested myself in the couple. If you take half of it away, I'm going to feel cheated. I'm going to be angry.
I'm not going to want to read it.
There are pleanty of ways to write a sequel with angst and conflict without depriving your readers of the love story they're invested in. It's more work, sure, but isn't it worth it? Or am I the only one getting tired of Vanishing Boy?

Chime in in the comments! And everyone have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING! We're going offline for the rest of the week to enjoy our families, but we'll be back next Monday with bios and wish lists for #PitchWars! :) See you all then! :) N~

The comfort of the familiar.

So I've been noticing tropes lately. Now, here's the thing. I LIKE a good trope. Like...the romance where the girl falls for her brother's best friend. Or the fantasy where a peasant boy has to do something crazily epic. In my mind, those are tried and true and they WORK.
So what's my problem? Well....they turn a bit predictable. And I'm NOT a fan of predictability. I'm widely read, so I'm not easily surprised. But when I can tell what's coming literally 100 pages before it happens? It's annoying. It makes me want to put the book down.
But look, my point is this: you can use a trope and still give it a fresh twist. Make the peasant with a crazy destiny the bad guy (destined to enslave a kingdom). Kill the best friend and have her fall for...uh...the funeral director? K, AWFUL example, but you see what I'm doing right? I'm taking a familiar story and changing it. And making it UNIQUE.
Because, in the end, inst' that what we all want. Something familiar enough to be comforting, and unique enough for us to sit up and take notice?
So you tell me, guys. What's a trope you've been seeing a lot of lately that your tired of and could stand to see in a new way?

Plot Outlines

Hey all!

A few weeks ago I wrote a post on following Kimberley Griffith Little's video on plotting with 3x5 cards. I promised I'd do it since I wasn't exactly the most "outline-y" type of a person. In fact, I totally winged my first book then kinda plotted but mostly winged the second and only did I vaguely outline my third. And to be honest most of that outline went ca-put. So now, with my fourth novel I decided to go the total outline route. I've tried 3x5 cards before but I couldn't quite figure out how to order them or make them work. It seemed like so much to tackle, but splitting them up into Acts has helped tremendously. For those who haven't seen this video seriously click the link at the top. It seems so obvious but the way in which she breaks plotting down is really helpful and I promise you'll learn something new! So without further adieu, below is my 3x5 card outline for my fourth novel, a YA contemporary romance.

I split them up into three arcs and if I were to go back now I'd probably acknowledge the inciting incidents with colorful sticky notes for reference's sake.

So what do your outlines look like? Post them below :D

Cheers,

~Liz

Critique Partners: Tips and Etiquette

Let’s talk about critique partners and etiquette.

I’ve been around the writing world for a hot minute now. I’ve had enough crit partners I can’t honestly keep track of them all, much less where we connected. And some I’m no longer partners with. So I know a bit about CP’s.

What I know:

      A good CP is worth their weight in gold—seriously. That’s all.

      A GREAT CP will infuriate you when you first read their notes.—Liz won’t speak to me when I hand over her manuscript. And Auzy might infuriate me with his remarks (seriously, he HATED all of my characters in one MS) but he’s been known to be right. Once in a while. *grin*

     The best CP’s are often found without really looking for them—truth? One of my CPs is a dear friend, and one of the few people I complain to, when I need to complain. She’s also spot on about finding issues and knowing how to help me tell MY story better without compromising it. And I haven’t got the first clue how we met. I’ve come to the conclusion that’s okay.

     You don’t need to be best friends—BUT sometimes it happens. CP’s work well when their objective and not a close friend. They also work well when they are. I have some of both, and I like it that way.

      A relationship like this takes time and respect—Sometimes, it’s easy to forget that. You hand over your MS for feedback and it’s not immediately forthcoming and it’s like, oh shit! They hate it, I’m a failure, I suck and should burn my computer. And notebooks. And pens. And drown myself in chocolate.  *ahem* Sorry. Anyway, that’s not true, right? You wouldn’t be CP’s if, at the essence, you didn’t like their work and vice versa (at least, I wouldn’t be. Why waste my time on someone whose work I don’t support, if I and they can find someone who does?) But just because they love your work, doesn’t mean you should expect immediate feedback. People have lives, outside the bubble of the writing world. And those lives have demands—which you need to be able to respect. Which brings me to the second point:

ETIQUETTE.

So you’ve done what seems like the impossible—you’ve found a CP. Or several. And you’ve sent them some work. And life is all roses and charm and everyone is in love. How do you keep that? How do you make sure to keep a working relationship without stepping on toes, when in essence, the relationship is ABOUT stepping on toes? A few suggestions:

      Give a your CP time frame, and be good about staying within it—sure your CP knows you have a life, but if you say you’re gonna have a query crit back to them that night, don’t be surprised or irritated when they start bugging you after two or three days of radio silence.

      Know what they want—okay, you can read something and see a bijillion grammatical errors and misspelled words and it might irritate you to your little grammar Nazi heart feels fit to die—but if they aren’t ready for that crit, you offering it is wasting everyone’s time. Know what they want from a crit, whether it be big picture or nitty gritty line by lines. If you see something that bugs you that you know they aren’t looking for at the moment, mention it briefly and offer to look at it for them when they’re ready. And then let it go.

     Be nice. You are tearing apart their baby, something they love. The same nerves you feel when their critting, they feel too. So be nice about how you do it—ESPECIALLY if it’s a new relationship. Blunt, ‘dude, what the hell? I’m so freakin’ confused!!!!’ comments should probably wait til you have enough history for them to know it’s not you hating, it’s just…you.

     DON’T. PROJECT. Look, I get it. You care about the project. If it’s a long term CP, you’ve prolly been hearing about it from inception, listened to brainstorming sessions, thrown ideas at it. You’ve probably even read the stupid thing so often you can quote passages. But here’s the thing to remember. It ISN’T yours. This story may be close to your heart because you’ve helped it so much, but don’t project yourself in the crit. Don’t change the voice because it isn’t yours. This is a fine line to walk and I’ll freely admit I’ve struggled with it in the past. Hell, I might still struggle with it, and my CP’s just aren’t telling me. But know your voice. Know the author’s. And if you are suggesting something because it’s not how YOU would write it, step back and let it go.

      Last but not least—don’t overextend yourself. Should you have more than one crit partner? Hells, yes. Like, a million times, yes. Multiple crit’s are essential to improvement.  But know your limit—because they expect and deserve the same crit your receiving. And too many cooks in the kitchen? That’s just as bad as not enough.

So that’s my thoughts. Anyone got anything to add? Etiquette tips to offer, or observations to make? Let’s hear ‘em in the comments! :) And a sincere thank you to all of my lovely CP’s, some of whom are among my closest friends. I adore y’all.  

New Beginnings

After over five years of writing, and six books and more short stories than I know what to do with, I’ve heard thousands of informative nuggets.

Write what you know. Write the story you want to read. Outline. Don’t outline. Write everyday. Write when the muse shows up.

For every writer, there is a different piece of ‘wisdom’ to impart. And some are great and some are less great—for me.

Here’s the other thing I know. For every writer, there is a process. And if your anything like me, there is a different process for every book. I took one month to write my dystopian book, and six to edit it. Stars took nine months to draft (in my defense I had a newborn) and one to edit. Other books had other stats. Some I started with a clear plan, others I wandered around for ages until I figured out where the characters were going.

Every book is different, and unique. I learn something new with every book.

You know what’s not different, though? The butterflies. The giddy excitement of looking at a new word document, of seeing the delicious blankness of it, the big 0 in the word count. Of knowing that I’m starting a new journey and having a vague idea, but really—not a clue—as to where this is going. Of knowing, deep down, the story is awesome. Even while I wonder if I’m gonna do it justice.

That’s where I am. I have a new WIP brewing in my mind, and I’ve spent the past two months finishing and editing Stars, and toying with the best way to tell this story, learning about the characters and the world they live in. And now I’m ready to start.

Q4U: What is starting a new book like for you? 

Pinterest and Inspiration

I love Pinterest. Despite the fact that I'm on a diet and most of the delicious recipes on there, I can't eat, I still love it and spend a fair bit of time procrastinating and repinning.
But here's the thing. I'm *sorta* being productive.

 Inspiration--for me at least--comes from anywhere, and for my new WIP, which I'm starting next month, I've been compiling a playlist that accurately convey's my characters mood, and also...a pinterest board. 

My board contains things that might not show up in the book--like this volcanic eruption and sunset from a church. 

And it has scenes of coastlines, which will play heavily in the story I'm telling.

And of course, there is clothes, like this gorgeous and over the top gown, and the etheral beauty of the wind-blown dress. 

 Mostly, though, I'm not picky. As long as it pushes my creativy, I'm happy and will repin it. So even as I'm sitting in the car wasting time on Pinterest, I can hold up my phone and wave it in Mike's face and say, I'm being productive, babe!!

Do you use Pinterest? If so, feel free to follow me 

Kids and Writing

So, not that this is a news flash, but it's summer vacation. And may I just say, I adore summer, with sticky fruit salad, playing with my daughters, Mike grilling more than I cook, and loooong afternoons writing outside while the kiddos splash about in the pool.
And the beach. And beach reading. (Okay, reading in general.)
You get my point. Summer equals good.
But it also means less time for writing. I've finished the draft of ACROSS THE STARS (everyone watch N~ happy dance) and I'm editing. Which brings me to today's point. (Look, I'm a novelist. Long winded is in the job description)
Yesterday, Liz asked me how I liked my surroundings while I edited. I laughed and said anyway I can get them. With three kids, three pets and a husband, I work when I can and don't even mind much if I'm working to a soundtrack of Backyardigans.
Later, I started thinking about it though. I haven't always edited like this. And I didn't write ACROSS THE STARS the same way I wrote any of my previous manuscripts. Every time, it's been different.
Which brings me back to children. My girls are different from each other. There's sensitive Princess with a strong will, mischievous Monster who likes dress up more than ANYTHING and baby Bug who isn't afraid of anything and wants nothing more than to play with her sisters. Each one is different, and parenting them is different for each one. And no one way is wrong--just like there is no WRONG way to write my books. (aside from, ya know, plagerisim). And the fact is, I might think I know what I'm doing, but when I start the next WIP, it'll be like having a first baby. And that's okay.

Q4U: what is writing (or editing) like for you and does it change project to project?

The End of Days

Okay, so maaaaybe a little dramatic. But, seriously? It has taken me forEVER to write my WIP, Across the Stars. How long forever? I started it last September. Usually I take a month, maybe two, to write a book. This one is going on nine months.
But, it's long and it's awesome, and I wrote it with a baby who hasn't yet turned one. So there is that.
For me, it's such a relief to know by Saturday, I'll have a working first draft. Does it mean I'm ready to run out and query? Well, no. It's a FIRST DRAFT, after all. There is a lot of editing and revisions needed, and I'm excited about that, too.
But I'm looking forward to the break from this world, the three day trip I have planned with my daughters while Mike is working, and the books I plan to read while they splash in the pool (or nap, as the case may be). I'm looking forward to my next project, which I'm going to work on while I give myself a month of distance from Across the Stars before I start editing.
I'm looking forward to the chocolate (okay, not really, cuz I'm dieting) and the happy dance and the omgit'sdone!! feeling and twitter updates.
What do you look forward to when finishing a book?

Evolving Process

I'm about to celebrate my seventh wedding anniversary. 
Which, really doesn't matter to y'all. Except that on my second anniversary, I started writing after a two year hiatus. And so I'm looking back on the past five years and how I've grown and changed as a writer since then.
When I first started writing again, I had no idea what I was doing--I struggled to find my voice, and a style. But I did have a story, and in a very lame (not to be read) way, I told it.
And the next project was similar--more of my voice and style were defined, but it was still floundering. That went on for another two books while I wrote short stories and learned the market and what I liked and what I didn't and what worked for me. I figured out how to write in MY style and voice, how much planning was best for my process and how much was too much. I learned how I like to edit--and how much time I need to devote to querying/agent research.
By the time my anniversary arrives, I will have written six books in five years. And my process now is completely different than it was five years ago when I started working. The evolution in my writing--both my process and my writing itself--has amazed me. Every time I do a rough outline or half a synopsis in preparation for writing, or when I read over a passage and thing OMG, I can't wait til I start revisions! I have to laugh a little, because of how far I've come in five years.

And I can't help but wonder how far I'll go in another five years.

Q4U: Looking back over your own journey, how have you grown and changed?

Relationship Depth

I read a book recently that got me thinking about relationship depth. Or, ya know, lack thereof. In this book (which will remain nameless) the entire relationship was based on looks and sex appeal. After four hundred odd pages of ‘he looked like Adonis, leaning over me’ I was quite tired of it all. Not that there isn’t something appealing about Adonis, especially when he’s leaning over you. But that aside—isn’t there MORE?

Look at your favorite couple in any book and list a handful of things they love about each other? Is it a crooked smile, the unflinching loyalty, the stupid collection of action figures one collects? A sarcastic sense of humor or a running inside joke—any number of things can deepen a relationship between characters.

Or, for that matter look at your relationship—after the initial attraction, what is it that makes you love your significant other? Is it her quirky habit of always hanging a foot off the bed, or his off key singing in the shower and fear of your driving? Her dancing while she cooks—burns—dinner?

Here’s the crux of the matter—if ALL the character ever thinks when looking at the love interest is how bad he wants in her pants, or how sexy his butt is, then it gets boring quickly, and it doesn’t turn into a believable relationship. Sex appeal is lovely and all, but there needs to be more.

When writing today, look at your characters, and how they interact. What else do they have besides a physical attraction? Once past the lust, what makes them love each other?

Beginning

This blog was supposed to be about how we write a novel, and it was pretty sweet if I do say so myself. Then I found out this was going to be one of the first posts for the Rejects. So in light of launching the new site, I’d like to change this from how do we write a novel to how do we begin one.

It’s the same thing you say? Que Sacrilege!

Okay, it’s true that they have a few similarities. The beginning of a novel and how to write one can have things like creating characters, conflict, and building worlds, but that’s about it. Writing one will also include things like outlining, editing, beta reading, editing, and did I mention editing?

So what does it take to begin one? Some will say you need to love the story. It’s close, but personally I don’t think that’s quite right. Yes loving the story about how a young wannabe knight with a laser blade and an honor blurred space cowboy team up together to destroy an evil empire helps, but so does hating zombies so much that you want to blast them all back to hell. The one thing they both have in common is passion. And that my friend is how you begin a novel—with passion.

You see, passion will get you through the best and worst of a novel. The easy part is getting the idea and writing that so important first draft. But it’s passion that will keep you going when you’re trudging through that 3^rdor even 4^th run through of editing your baby, and if you’re like me, it’ll get you past that dreaded world building (I hate world building). Without passion for your novel, it could wind up in the drawer as it attracts the vile dust bunnies.