Get Rid of the Blahs and Get Your Writing Life Organized

My living room and foyer look bare without all of the holiday decorations. It doesn't help that it's gray outside, and we're expecting a bunch of snow tonight. Winter is my fourth favorite season. It seems that January is the time that I start to count down to spring. It's just blah, and I want to hibernate.

You may be stuck inside, but there are lots of things you can do to get your writing life organized and kick start your creativity. Here are some ideas...

1. Clean off your desk. Get rid of the clutter, so you have a place to work.
2. After you clean up your desk, work on your electronic files. I bought an external hard drive, and it's where I store all of my archived photos. At the beginning of each year, I migrate last year's photos to free up space on my computer. And don't forget all the old photos on your phone.
3. Look at your blog, website, and social media sites. Do they need an update? It's a new year, and it's time for a new look. Nobody revisits a site with outdated content.
4. Look at your biography - especially on your social media sites. Is it current and consistent across your platform?
5. Organize your book marketing supplies. I designated shelves in my office closet. It's where my posters, flyers, bookmarks, prizes, and extra books live now. I'm all ready to go for my next event.
6. Make sure that you back up your electronic files regularly. It is devastating when you lose your work. There are lots of backup and storage options these days. Make an investment and ensure that your work is secure.
7. Look at your author photo. Is it current? It may be time for a new one. It surprises readers when you show up at an event, and you look fifteen years older than your photo.
8. Organize your calendar. I have way too many electronic calendars, and it was difficult to keep them all in synch. I bought a pocket calendar, and all my writing commitments go there.
9. Dig out an old project. We all have those files of unfinished work. Maybe it's time to give it a new life.

I hope you enjoy your weekend. Here in Central Virginia, we're expecting about eight inches of snow. It sounds like a writing weekend to me.

Confesssions of Binge Writer - A Style That Works for Me

It's the last day of 2016, and folks are getting their resolutions ready. I have a confession. I am a binge writer. I try very hard to write every day, but I don't always work on my current WIP (work in progress). I write on weekends, holidays, vacations, and during lunch. Life and my day job get in the way sometimes. I write something every day, but it's often blog posts, marketing materials, or guest blogs/interview questionnaires (or performance evaluations, executive summaries, or project proposals).

When I start a new short story or novel, I try to keep working on that project until I have a solid first draft. I start out as a plotter with an outline (that's often color-coded), then as I write, I turn into a pantser (one who writes by the seat of her pants). I tend to go where the story and characters take me.

I don't revise it until the first draft is completed. My friend Mary Burton calls this the "sloppy copy," and it is. I comb through a printed copy for plot and grammatical errors. I also look for other inconsistencies. When I'm done, I change the view in Microsoft Word to 25%, and I look at chapter lengths to make sure that none are too short or too long. Then I reread the last paragraph of each chapter to make sure it compels the reader to keep reading after her bedtime. I learned long ago that you don't want to provide the reader with a convenient stopping place. There needs to be a reason to turn the page.

After my third or fourth draft, I'm ready to submit it to my critique group. They're all mystery readers and writers. I admire the folks in this group who can submit fifty pages and continue to write the manuscript. I like to have the whole novel or story drafted before I submit it.

I then submit the manuscript to a private line editor. She also reads a lot of mysteries, so I appreciate her insight. When those revisions are done and I've checked it one last time, the work is ready for submission.

I've read a lot of "how to write" books and blogs over the years, and I know that I should write every day. I an envious of those who have a word count goal and stick to it. But I've come to the realization that I have to use the style and techniques that work for me. So for now, I write when I can. Sometimes, I take a break to network, learn new things, do marketing, or have an adventure. But even if I'm not writing, I find something interesting that I add to my idea file - bits of dialogue, character names, setting ideas, and interesting places to hide a body.

So figure out what your style is and what helps you meet your goals and deadlines. Other writers' ideas are great. Try them, but if they don't fit your style, try something else.

Are there any other binge writers out there? Happy writing and happy New Year!

What's in a Character Name?

Naming characters, even minor ones, takes some thought. There are lots of hidden meanings and information that can be transmitted by names. Here are eight things I've learned through the years about choosing monikers.

1. If you give random characters names with little or no significance, be sure that you don't over use the choices. I always end up with too many Bills, Bobs, and Mikes that I have to change during revisions.

2. I keep a character master list that's in alphabetical order. It's actually a Word table, and I add columns for each book in the series. I can track which names I used in what book. I can also easily see which characters return in later books. And it helps me locate names I've already used, so I don't have repeats.

3. It is often confusing to readers to have the same or similar names (even similar sounding ones) in the same work. My friend, Kathleen Mix, creates an alphabetical list of characters for each of her books. Her rule is that only one character gets a name that starts with a particular letter. (Example: A: Alice, B: Bob, C: Cherrie...)

4. I try to make sure that my names are age appropriate. If you Google ​popular baby names by year, you'll see the top names of each year. If a character is in her late 40s and American, Michelle, Jennifer, Heather, and Laurie are all good choices.

5. My friend likes to make all of her character names unusual and unique. She's had multiple editors ask her to change them. It's usually okay to have one unique name or spelling, but multiples often attract the attention of editors.

6. I name my minor characters after friends and family. Sometimes, I sneak in famous names from pop culture. My coworkers often find their names sprinkled through my books.

7. I like to pay homage to literary greats. My sleuth, Delanie Fitzgerald, is named after F. Scott Fitzgerald. Her firm is called Falcon Investigations. I named that after Dashiell Hammett's ​The Maltese Falcon.

8. I also Google names to see if the meaning fits the character that I'm describing. I look for connotations that the name has to make sure it fits my character.

Best wishes with your writing and your character names.

15 Things I Learned about Writing Short Stories from Art Taylor

I had the pleasure of hearing Art Taylor speak recently at our Sisters in Crime - Central Virginia meeting about crafting short stories. Here's what I learned.

1. Edgar Allan Poe is not only the father of the American mystery, but the father of the American short story.
2. For detective stories (whether it's a murder, caper, or puzzle), it all hinges on the clues.
3. Every word counts.
4. Character descriptions should be part of the single effect of the story.
5. The plot drives the detective story.
6. Think about what you can suggest without explicitly saying it.
7. Every story needs conflict. There should always be an escalation of conflict in the story.
8. Always up the ante. Shovel on more grief and conflict.
9. Check out he Art and Craft of Fiction by Michael Kardos and riting Fiction by Janet Burroway.
10. Narration is the stage direction and description is the scenery of the story.
11. Exposition is telling. It is a way to provide information, but it should be done in small bits. What does the reader need to know?
12. When you're revising your story, look at everything and ask, "Does this need to be here?"
13. Use jump cuts. (Jump the action to the next scene.) You don't have to describe every detail of every day.
14. Watch films and how the stories are plotted. This can help you with pacing your story.
15. Look at your draft. Can you cut the first and last paragraph? You should strive to start your story closer to the action.

27 Things I Learned about Writing at the James River Writers Conference

I had the pleasure of being a part of two panels at the recent James River Writers Conference. I also sat in on some other great sessions. Here's what I learned about writing...

1. Write first; edit later.
2. Practice. Practice. Practice. Keep writing - no matter what happens.
3. Your editorial voice and your writer voice have to be in harmony. It was recommended to just write during the first few drafts. Go back and fix things later.
4. Read your work out loud to find issues with your dialog and pacing.
5. You and your work are your brand.
6. Your brand is your promise to your readers. They expect a certain type and style of writing from you. That's why if you switch genres, many publishing houses want you to use a new name and develop a new brand.
7. Finding your own voice is key. It has to be your story.
8. Your job is the writing.
9. Know who your audience is.
10. You need to balance the creative and the business sides of your writing life.
11. Find your tribe - a group of authors who support each other.
12. Turn off the TV and write.
13. Writing should be your focus.
14. Take care of yourself.
15. If you're having trouble pacing your novel, take a screenwriting course or workshop. Screenwriting has a tight timeframe to work with, and pacing is key. It will also help with dialog.
16. Marketing and what's hot in the industry are lways changing. Do not write to what is currently in vogue. It will have changed by the time your work gets published.
17. Create a mailing list. This is the most valuable tool for an author.
18. Make sure that your blog is on your author website.
19. Be able to describe your book in an enticing way. Make sure you have practiced your elevator speech.
20. Publishing is a subjective industry.
21. While you're querying, make sure that you're working on your next book.
22. Make connections. They are important. Get to know bookstore owners, librarians, bloggers, and readers.
23. Market your book heavily during the presale period. Don't wait until its launch.
24. Don't over-extend yourself. Your job is to write. It's okay to say no.
25. Do your research.
26. Keep writing. Make sure that you're always working on your next book.
27. There is no magic secret to writing. You will know what works for you.

My Fan Girl Moment - I Met Nikki Giovanni

I had the pleasure this month to meet and hear Nikki Giovanni speak at the Library of Virginia's Literary Awards Luncheon. She received the well deserved Lifetime Achievement Award.

Nikki Giovanni is a Virginia and national treasure. Here's what I learned from her discussion.

• We all get old. Otherwise, we die young.
• Don't hold things in.
• Build a community. Relationships are important.
• She decided as a young girl to be happy. She controlled her outlook.
• She was friends with Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou. And her stories of friendship were priceless.
• She talked about her speeding tickets on I-81.
• Read something every day. (She likes the comic strip "Pickles.")
• You have to let people know you love them while you can.
• Keep writing!
• You have to write your story.

9 Things That Helped Me Improve My Writing

I've been writing for a while, but I'm still considered a debut author.  I've had three short stories and a novel published, and I'm working on the second in my Delanie Fitzgerald mystery series. For me, the writing part of the project is easy. The time-consuming part is the editing and revising. Here are nine things I learned to help me with my writing.

1. I joined a critique group. It was important for me to have other mystery/thriller writers and readers review and comment on my drafts. I have learned so much from this group. It is extremely helpful to have a group of beta readers provide commentary before you try to acquire an agent or publisher. You will be surprised at what you missed in your self-edits.

2. I stopped reading "how to write" books and started writing. I tended to get bogged down in the books, and I never got around to writing with a purpose. I had a stack of "how to write," "how to publish," and "how to plot" books. The only book about writing that I really learned a lot from was Stephen King's On Writing. That reference needs to be on every writer's shelf.

3. Publishing is a business. I hired a private copy editor to review what I think is my final draft before I submit it to my publisher and his editors. It is an added expense, but the feedback I get is well worth it.

4. When you're writing it is important to be consistent with terms and usage. Is it Internet/internet; a.m./AM, tv/TV? I keep a style sheet and use the search feature on my word processor.

5. It's also important to keep your descriptions and facts straight, especially when you're writing a series. I keep a table of all of my characters (mini-biographies) and locations. I add a column for each book, so I can track who is in what book. I write down all the details (e.g. eye color, hair color, likes, etc.), and this helps me round out the picture, even with minor characters.

6. When I'm revising, I look at the size of each chapter. If some are too long or short, I try to balance them out.

7. I also look at the last paragraph of each chapter when I'm revising. Do they compel or encourage the reader to keep reading? If you end a chapter with a character going to sleep, it slows down the action, and your reader may see it as a good stopping point. You want them to keep reading.

8. When I'm writing, I tend to overuse some words and phrases. I keep a list of words to watch for. When I'm ready to revise, I search for these and rewrite where I can. Beta readers are another great way to find these terms. They will tell you if you tend to repeat things. (My worst offenders are "just," "only," "that," and "in a few minutes.")

9. Pay attention to your dialog attributions (e.g. he said/she said). Readers tend to skim over "said," and the repetition doesn't bother them. It stands out to readers when you try to be creative and avoid using "said" (e.g. replied, retorted, noted, stated, etc.). Use synonyms sparingly, and stick to "said" most of the time. Also, if you have two characters talking, you don't have to use "said" each time one speaks.

I hope these help you on your writing journey. Drop me a note or a comment and let me know what works for you.

Tips for Making Time for Social Media

I never imagined how much time is involved in book marketing and building (and maintaining) your author platform. I work full-time and write part-time. Life gets in the way sometimes, but I make sure I build in time for the care and feeding of my social media sites. Here are my ideas for writers.

Social is the key word. You need to have a presence, and you need to be active on the sites you choose. But, you can't do everything, and all platforms may not work for you and your books. Decide what sites you and your readers like. And know the demographics of each site. The Pew Research Center has a good overview of each of major players. For my readership, I focus on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, and Goodreads. I occasionally post on LinkedIn, but that's usually about my IT life.

Lists in Facebook (Interests) and Twitter are a big time-saver. This helps me stay organized. The list gives me a newsfeed of just the accounts I select. There are a lot of posts out there. This helps me see just what I'm interested in.

Create a daily schedule for your social media time. I get up at 5:00 AM, so I check my sites during breakfast. I often check on them at lunch. In the evening while watching TV, I spend time catching up on posts. You need to respond to comments and participate in conversations. Social media doesn't work if you don't post or if all your posts are "buy my book."

Schedule Facebook posts (author page) and tweets to happen when you're not usually active (during the work day or in the wee hours of the morning). I've picked up followers from different time zones this way. I'm an early bird, but a lot of readers are night owls.

Look for blog/social media support groups. There are also quite a few hashtags that encourage support for writers and bloggers. I have joined several online groups, and we share each others' content and engage with posts.

For your social media to work for you, you can't just be a poster or a reposter of others' content. That's a good start, but you need to comment, like, and share. The interaction is what increases your reach.

These are the things that work for me. How do you manage your social media?