How to Keep Your Writing Life Moving during the Pandemic

We are experiencing a unique and scary time. It’s hard on everyone. There’s isolation, loneliness, and disappointment, not to mention fear, stress, and anxiety.

I’m hearing from a lot of writers that they’re having a hard time getting motivated.

I think it’s important during this crisis to keep to a schedule or a routine if you can. Last week, I put makeup and shoes on for two video conferences and a trip for groceries. (Who knew going to the grocery store would be a dress-up occasion!)

Here are some ideas of helping with routines and schedules. I do better when I have a deadline.

1. Write when you feel like it. Try to do some writing every day.

2. Research and revisions count as writing work.

3. Work on blog posts or marketing ideas.

4. Reading in your genre counts as research.

5. Find ways to catch up with others. Video conferencing, phone calls, group chats, and social media are great ways to stay in contact. My two critique groups and my marketing group have moved to Google Hangouts or Zoom. My critique groups give me a monthly deadline, so that helps keep me on schedule.

6. Look for volunteer opportunities and ways to help others. There are many things that you can do from home. My neighborhood Facebook group puts out daily calls for neighbors in need. My church also has a network for people to request assistance. You can use your social media platforms to connect with people and to share information. My alumni association put out a call last week for members to submit thoughts and wishes for the Class of 2020 who had their senior year and celebrations cut short. There are lots of ways you can help.

Let me know what other ideas you have. Best wishes for you and your family! Be safe!

Stuff You Never Get To...

It looks like we’re going to be at home more and more over the next few weeks because of quarantines, self-quarantines, and social distancing. It’s the perfect time to get to work on some of your writing tasks that have been languishing. Here are some ideas…

1. Update your website. Make sure that all your links work and that your content is current.

2. Revise your author biography.

3. Work on book club questions for your novels and post them.

4. Make sure you have a summary/synopsis of all your works.

5. Put together a press kit for your publicity.

6. Work on blog posts for the future. It’s always nice to have a stockpile.

7. Check out your biographies on your social media sites and make sure they’re current (e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, Goodreads, BookBub, Amazon, etc.) Don’t forget the ones that you don’t visit that often.

8. Work on your next newsletter.

9. Create a marketing campaign. Work on all the scheduling and promotions.

10. And don’t forget to write your next story, novella, or novel.

I hope you and yours are safe. And if we can’t visit in person, let’s keep up with each other on social media.

Revision Tips for Writers

My Editing Assistant, Disney

Every author has a different process or style for writing, revising, editing, and proofreading. You need to find what works for you. Try a technique, and if it doesn’t match your style, do something else. Here’s how I do it.

Writing Drafts 1-6-ish

1. I try to write every day, but sometimes life gets in the way. Do the best you can, but don’t beat yourself up. I find if I skip too many days, I lose my momentum and train of thought. I have to go over my outline again and read what I wrote recently.

2. I do write down my word count totals at the end of each session to keep track of my progress.

3. I start plotting on my big white board. Then, I create a Word document with a few sentences for each chapter. I color code clues, romantic elements, and humor. This helps me see visually where things fall in the story. I update the outline as the story changes. I also use this later to help me with my synopsis.

4. I start writing. I usually type directly into my computer, but sometimes, I do handwrite chapters.

5. I make sure that I start the book in the template that my agent prefers, so I don’t have to reformat later. This makes the cover page, chapter headings, indents, and footers consistent.

6. After I have a few chapters, I print the draft and do a quick reread. I make changes, and then I return to writing.

7. I repeat this for multiple drafts of the book.

8. I also keep a master character list for each book in the series. It has basic facts and what books the character or location appears in. I use this as I’m writing to make sure I don’t repeat character names and that I keep the facts straight.

9. When I think I’m done, I print out the whole WIP (Work in Progress) and do some editing and proofreading. My friend, Mary Burton, calls this the “sloppy copy. I break out the red (or pink or purple) pen and look for plot holes and typos.

Revision

1. I run a spell/grammar check to look for typos.

2. I keep a list of crutch words (overused words) or ones that should be consistent through out the book. My editor has a list, I have one, and so does my agent. I keep adding to my list. I use the find/replace feature in Word to hunt out the problem words and remove them.

3. When I think I’m done with the draft (I’m really not), I send it to an editor that I pay to do her magic. When I get her feedback, I update the WIP and print it again. I do another reread to look for any boo boos I made while making changes.

4. Then I submit it to my critique group. Sometimes, I do this before the independent editor. It just depends on the timing and what projects are going. My group reads 50 pages a month and provides feedback. I make any changes to my WIP and then print another copy and check for typos.

5. I have a small group of beta readers that I send the entire manuscript to for feedback. They read the book like a reader would and provide suggestions and changes.

6. I then send it to my agent who is also a great editor/proofreader. Your publisher will also have editors and/or proofreaders. (There are multiple rounds to the revision process.)

7. I make sure to print a copy of the manuscript after each major revision to ensure that I catch any issues I created while making changes.

When the ARCs Arrive

1. When you get through all the changes, the book will be formatted, and the publisher usually sends a draft or an ARC (Advance Review Copy) for review. Read it carefully. This is usually your last chance to change anything.

2. Check everything on the front and back covers.

3. Check all of the headers and footers.

4. Check the chapter numbering.

5. Read the book again.

It is such a good feeling to type “The End,” but it really isn’t. The work begins with the revision part.

Riley providing feedback

How Social Media Analytics Can Help Authors

Analytics and numbers are important. They can tell you a story about your social media footprint and what your readers are seeing (or not seeing). Sometimes, as an author, we get too wrapped up in writing and marketing that we don't watch our metrics and see what they are telling us.

Blog/Websites - I look at my website/blog analytics at least daily. This tells whether or not the site is getting active traffic. My website has a new geographic feature that shows me on a world map where my visitors are coming from. That helps when I want to target ads to my readers. Plus, it's really cool and humbling to see all the readers from different countries.

These numbers will tell you if your blog promotions are working. You can see the date/time when users hit your site. This also gives you a clue for days/times that are best for your posts. Most of my North American readers are active between 7:00 and 10:00 PM. My European readers are active between 12:00 AM and 2:00 AM (my time). 

Over time (and that's the key; you need to build up several months' worth of information), the popular content metrics will tell you what posts and pages draw the most viewers (and which do not). Keep this in mind when you revamp your site. You can also see which types of blog posts are more popular too. Do more of what gets attention. Cut out what's being ignored.

Facebook - As you increase your page likes on Facebook, you get access to more analytics on your fan/author page. Click Insights to see the information. You can see traffic and how many people your posts reached. In the middle of the page, you can see your most recent posts and the number of people you reached organically (without advertising) and through paid ads or boosts. I typically check these analytics before, during, and after an ad campaign or a post boost. 

Twitter - To see your Twitter analytics, click the Tweet Activity link on your home page. It shows the number of tweets (Tweet Count) and your impressions. An impression is a tweet that generates interactions/replies. Change the date range to see information for different time periods.

There are smaller graphs on the site that depict your number of interactions, link clicks, retweets, likes, and replies. This information shows you what type of content is generating interaction. And this can help you reconfigure your content to subjects that create more activity. You will see whether tweets with pictures/videos or specific hashtags generate more activity.

Numbers tell a story, and I think they're important. I just don't recommend you spend excessive time fretting over them. (You have your next book to write.) You will lose and gain followers. It happens. You'll post something that you think is brilliant and get no responses. Then other times, you'll post something benign, and it goes viral.  I look at posts that generate a lot of traffic and try to craft future posts like them. I also at my posts to ensure that they are not all "buy my book." "Social" is the key to social media. Authors who are successful on their social media sites know how to interact, comment, share information, and share others' celebrations.

Happy posting. Look me up on social media.

8 Writerly Things I Learned at Mysterypalooza

Sisters in Crime - Central Virginia hosted Mysterypalooza last weekend. It was our chapter's 30th Anniversary Celebration for Sisters in Crime, and we had such a fun event. Mary Burton, Mary Behre, Tracey Livesay, LynDee Walker, and Mollie Cox Bryan were our panelists, and here are the eight writerly things I learned from their discussion.

1. There are so many different pathways to publication. Every author had a different journey. Several began their careers writing in another genres. And most of the panel had traditionally published. They also had books published independently or with smaller presses. Authors today are often a hybrid. You have to find what works for you and your books.

2. I enjoyed the ladies' talk about their writing lives. Most are full-time authors; though, one does have a part-time job. They described their writing spaces at home, and they ranged from full-fledged offices to a desk in a bedroom and a desk on an unheated sunporch.

3. We had a long discussion of plotters (outliners and planners) and pantsers (write by the seat of your pants). One in the group was a true plotter. Several were pantsers, but there were hyprids or combinations of the two. Some call them hybrids or plotsers. I heard a new term. Some called the hybrids "panty liners." It just proves that not every style works for every writer. Find your style.

4. The Mysterypalooza authors came from different backgrounds, and they often used their past experiences in their work. We had two former reporters and a former lawyer in the group. It's important to be able to call on what you know for your writing.

5. Author professionalism came up several times in the conversations. The panel stressed the importance of acting and looking the part when you pitch to agents, editors, or publishers. Sage advice: Follow all submission guidelines. Do not be disqualified because you didn't follow instructions.

6. Know your strengths when you are pitching to an agent, editor, or publisher. Look for smaller conferences where there are opportunities to pitch your project. If public speaking or selling yourself terrifies you, look for pitch opportunities that you can do via email or Twitter.

7. Work out your elevator speech for your book or series. Write it down. Rehearse it, and know it. Don't introduce yourself as a writer. Describe what you write in one to three sentences.

8. Find a group of writers or a writing organization that you can network with and learn from others. Many have great programs and opportunities.

I treasure my writing groups. I have learned so much from other authors. And these groups have afforded me lots of opportunities for book signings, presentations, field trips -- in addition to the commaraderie of being able to network with writers who are at different stages of their careers.

What Are Your Overused Words?

When I'm proofreading and editing my work, I often am blind to the overuse of some words. I can spot them in seconds in others' works, but not always in my own. So as part of my review, I've created a list of words that are my offenders, and I use Word's search feature to help me find them. When you do that first search, you will be amazed at the number of times they appear in your manuscript.

Here are my repeat offenders...

1. almost
2. appear
3. as is
4. begin
5. down
6. even
7. felt
8. few
9. got
10. just
11. like
12. nearly
13. only
14. quite
15. really
16. seem
17. so
18. stuff
19. that
20. then
21. thing
22. very
23. was

What would you add to the list?