Writing Advice I'd Give to a Younger Me

Someone asked me on a panel recently what advice I would give to a younger version of myself. Here’s a longer answer to that question…

• Write every day. I know there are so many other interesting things in this world, but if you want to be published, you need to put in the time. And the more time that passes between writing sessions, the harder it is to get back to work.

• Start now.

• Find a group of supportive writers. These folks will be there to help you celebrate and to move on after disappointments.

• Decide what you want to write and read everything in that genre you can get your hands on.

• Pick a few writing books to read. Don’t get so bogged down in the self-help reading that you don’t actually write.

• Perfect your craft. The writing part is fun and easy. The work comes during the revisions. And there will be many of them.

• Don’t let every little comment bother you. Learn what you can from the feedback and don’t dwell on the negative ones.

• Know that the first manuscript you’ve worked on for so long may not ever be published. Many authors have two to three manuscripts in a drawer. I have two abandoned ones.

• Writing is a business. Agents and publishers are looking for books they can sell.

• You will need to do A LOT of book marketing. Be prepared. Be creative.

• Find a schedule that works with your life and try to stick to it. I am more productive if I write every day.

• There are going to be set backs and disappointments. This is a tough business. If you want to see your name on that cover, you need the grit and determination to keep moving toward your goal.

• Find a critique group or writing partner who will give you honest feedback about your writing.

• Don’t rush it. Make sure you are prepared and that your manuscript is ready for the world before you start to query it.

• Invest your time and money in things that will help you improve your writing.

This is a tough business, and there are as many ups as there are downs. Keep the faith and keep writing.

Don't Rush It - Tips for Authors

I am a Type A (ESTJ) girl, and I like action. “Maybe” or “Wait” drive me crazy, but I had to learn not to rush my writing life. Many times, you only get one chance with an agent, editor, or publisher. Make sure you and your book are ready.

Your Work in Progress (WIP)

• Make sure it is formatted like a standard manuscript (12 pt. Times New Roman, Paragraph Indents instead of Tabs, Double spaced, with One-inch Margins).

• Proofread, proofread, proofread. Do a round of proofreading every time you make major edits.

• Print out your manuscript to review. You will catch more errors on paper than you will on screen.

• Make sure all character and place names are spelled the same. If you changed character names, make sure you’ve removed all old references. (And if you write multiple series, make sure the other books’ characters don’t appear by mistake.)

• When you think you’re done, read it again.

• Make sure to build in time for beta readers or critiquers to go through your manuscript. My critique group reads 50 pages a month, so it takes a while to get through a novel. They are not reading the book end to end in a few days like a reader would. I make sure I have a few beta readers who will read the entire manuscript as they would a book and provide feedback.

Querying

• Be prepared. Each agent, editor, or publisher is going to have his/her own process.

• Do your homework. Don’t do a shotgun approach and query 50 agents at once. Target ones who represent (and sell) books like yours.

• Query in small batches and keep a list/chart/spreadsheet of who, when, and the result.

• The agent or editor shouldn’t be the first person to read your book. You need a critique group, writing partner, or beta readers to give you feedback on your writing. Make sure your early readers read your genre.

• Have all of your documents ready. You will need a synopsis, character list, and a list of comps (books comparable to yours). Take the time to prepare these. Make sure that all of your documents are polished and look professional.

• Follow all instructions for the person you’re querying. Some have specific requirements for formatting and what documents they want to see.

• If you’ve had contact with the person (e.g. at a conference or a personal reference), make sure to include that. Don’t exaggerate the connections though. People talk, and they check references.

• Make sure your WIP fits the conventions of the genre. Don’t submit a 250,000 word manuscript for a cozy mystery.

• Know how to describe your work. Agents/Editors will ask you where your book fits. Bookstores won’t know how to shelve a Western, romantic, paranormal suspense with vampires, space aliens, and clowns.

Take your time and make sure you and your manuscript are ready. You may only get one chance, and you need to make it the best it can be. Best wishes with your writing project!

Grit and Grind - Two Tools for Your Writer's Toolbox

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Grit

firmness of mind or spirit; unyielding courage in the face of hardship or danger (Merriam-Webster)

Grind

to work hard; to be fully dedicated; to have no limits (Online Slang Dictionary)

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I often mentor folks who are interested in starting or furthering their careers. One of the frustrations I hear a lot is that it takes too long to get where I want to be or I seem to be spinning my wheels. My advice is often that you need to make sure that you’re putting in the time and effort to gain the experience, knowledge, and connections to move yourself on the path where you want to be.

Grit, grind, and even hustle have popped up in my consciousness and readings a lot lately. And it’s been a good reminder to me to review my goals (life and writing) and my daily routine Am I doing the things that will get me where I want to be?

Recently, I finished Trevor Moawad’s It Takes What It Takes. He is a mental conditioning expert who I heard speak at a Risk presentation at Virginia Commonwealth University. He’s worked with some stellar athletes (including hometown favorite, Russell Wilson) and elite military units. Check out his book. It puts things in perspective. You have to change your way of thinking, you need to adapt, and hard work/discipline are the keys to success.

These truths apply to your writing journey, too. There are very few Cinderella stories where an author pens a book and tops all the charts. If you talk to successful authors, they will tell you that years of hard work led them to where they are today.

Author Brad Parks gave a wonderful closing address at Sleuthfest 2021. He encouraged writers to have a routine, write daily, exercise, eat right, and focus on your end goal. Sitting at your desk for six hours watching cat videos is not writing. He also talked about professional athletes and their routines. He provided numbers of how many athletes are at the top of their professional game, and the numbers are relatively small. He compared that with top tier writers. Writing is a tough industry with a lot of disappointments. Writers need to work on their craft and to write.

One of his tips for avoiding distraction was to type “XXX” in his manuscript when he needed to research something. Then when he was at a stopping point, he would search/find the spots and do all the research at one time. (He called it doing his “exes.”) During this crazy pandemic time, I find myself getting distracted easily, and this tip is on my list to try with my new work in progress.

Literary agent, Jill Marr, and editor, Terri Bischoff, did a workshop recently where they critiqued query letters. Both stressed the importance of writers doing their homework. Query letters and manuscripts need to the be the best they can be. Don’t get excited and start querying too early. You often get only one chance. When you think you’re done, edit/revise it again. The editor or agent should not be the first one to read your manuscript. Also follow the conventions and the standards for content, formatting, and style. Do your homework. Make sure the agent/publisher is a good fit for your manuscript.

Back to my earlier question. Am I doing the things that will get me where I want to be? Decide where you want to go with your writing career. You need to be the professional. Invest the time, energy, and money to hone your skills. Put in the hours (weeks, months, years) it takes to write and revise, read books in your genre, network, and build your platform. Decide what works with your life and responsibilities and focus on your writing life.

Networking - Where Do I Start?

Writing is mostly a solitary effort, and marketing, book promotions, and networking can be a challenge. when it’s not in your comfort zone to socialize or to put yourself out there. And it’s even harder during this pandemic. But being connected is important. Here are some ideas I’ve learned throughout the years to help you meet, connect, and strike up conversations.

Cultivate the Relationships You Have - Make the time to reach out and connect with the relationships you already have. These are your friends, family, and acquaintances. Call, text, Zoom, post on social media, or drop them a letter. Reach out and connect with the people who care about you.

Build Your Social Media Followers - Social media can be overwhelming and time-consuming. Set aside some time each day to connect on your sites. You need to be an active participant. The “social” part is key here. Don’t just post and run. Your readers/followers want to interact with you. Ask and answer questions. Post comments and share others’ information.

Work on expanding your followers. All sites have a “you might know” option where it offers suggestions of who to follow. Find authors like you and look at who follows them and who they follow.

Use Hashtags - Search for hashtags that interest you. Look at the posts and start a conversation with someone new. Follow people who have the same interests. Share and comment on posts you like.

Celebrate with Others - Share others’ celebrations. Be genuine. And don’t hijack the conversation to make it about you.

Allocate Time - It’s easy to get sucked in your sites, and you can scroll for hours. Schedule some time daily and stick to your plan. If it’s too much to do more than one platform, pick one and focus on that. Make sure that you interact.

Don’t respond to comments three weeks later. I check my key social media sites in the morning, at lunch, and in the evening to make sure that I am responding in a reasonable amount of time. Find a routine that works for you. Every hour is probably too much, and once a week is probably not often enough.

Join Groups - Look for clubs or groups connected to your interests. These are great places to be a part of the conversation. And don’t limit yourself to just books. Make sure that you participate in groups in your own community (e.g. neighborhood associations, places of worship, alumni groups, neighborhood Facebook groups, charities, volunteer organizations, etc.)

Find a Writers’ Group - Find a writers’ group for your genre. These offer many opportunities for networking, learning, and special projects.

Volunteer - Volunteer your time. Organizations are always in need of people to serve on committees and to help with events. This is such a great opportunity to give back, and you will meet so many interesting people.

Tag You’re It - Post about public seminars and events you attend. Post about interesting books, movies, and shows. Tag the speaker or the people involved even if you don’t know them. You’ll be surprised at the number of responses you get, and it often starts a conversation.

Post about events you’ll be attending and tag people. After a public event, post pictures (even if it’s a Zoom screen) and tag the panel or the speaker. (Just a note of caution: we have a lot of law enforcement speakers at our mystery events. ALWAYS ask before you take and post a picture. Sometimes there are professional and security reasons, and they don’t want to be identified publicly.)

#FF or #WW - If you want to start a conversation on Twitter, use the Follow Friday (#FF) or Writer Wednesday (#WW) hashtags. Post a meme or a gif and list a bunch of accounts that you think people should follow. People will comment, add other names, and share. It’s a great way to expand your reach and pick up followers.

Ask Questions - If you want to strike up a conversation on any platform, ask a question. Make sure to add related hashtags. Examples: It’s the weekend, what are you reading? It’s snowing here, what’s the weather like outside your window?

Look at the lists online of fun “holidays” and post a picture or a meme for topics related to your book.

Ask for advice or recommendations. People are always willing to assist.

Help Others - People are always looking for recommendations and information. If you can help, reach out to them. Share the knowledge and resources you have.

Tag Your Friends - If you see a post on a topic that would be of interest to a friend, tag that person in the comment with a brief note. You’re helping to make connections.

I love looking at all the “Bookstagram” and “Book Stack” photos that readers put on Instagram. If I see a friend’s book in the picture, I always tag them in a comment. You’d be surprised at the number of times authors didn’t know a reader had highlighted them.

Keep Your Contacts Organized - It’s important to keep contact information where you can access it. You never know when you’ll need to reach out to someone.

When someone gives me a business card, I write on the back where I met them or who introduced us. When I’m back at my desk, I transfer the contact to my email address book with enough notes to jog my memory later.

I also have a spreadsheet where I keep subject matter expert (SME) contacts that I meet. You never know when you or someone else will need the connection. I attend a lot of workshops and training sessions, and the speakers often offer to be a resource in the future.

Just Do It - It is not in a lot of people’s nature to strike up or jump into conversations with strangers. It’s hard, but make yourself try it. Find some online conversations and jump in with your comments or questions. Or start a conversation on your site.

It is difficult, but you can learn to network. And you improve the more you do it.

Mining Story and Promotional Ideas - Tips for Authors

I have been a list maker forever and working in IT for years has just exacerbated that with hundreds of Post-its, work break down structures, and notes written on any nearby scrap of paper.

Last year for my writing projects, I consolidated the hundreds of notes into two spreadsheets that I can sort in a variety of ways.

Ideas - The first is my idea spreadsheet. I come across names, title ideas, weird or funny stories, and tons of true crime and news articles all the time. Having one place to keep this information is helpful when I’m plotting or looking for something to add to a story. If I use an idea, I delete it from my spreadsheet. (Now there are no longer lists of ways to kill people on my desk or white board, but I have found crumpled notes in the bottom of my purse of interesting poisons or other ways to off people.)

Book Marketing Ideas - Book promotion ideas are everywhere. I go to lots of workshops and presentations, and other authors are so gracious about sharing their ideas. I constantly take notes. You never know when something is going to be useful. My big, giant, promotional spreadsheet has a tab for each topic (e.g. promotional services, book bloggers, book stores, libraries, reviewers, bookstagrammers, etc.) I enter the information and a note of where I found it or who recommended it. Then as I plan for my next book, I have a place to start. I update it as I go if things change.

There is also a “my contacts” tab for organizations, alumni groups, homeowners associations, book clubs, etc. that I’m a member of. Many have newsletters or social media sites for news and announcements.

Recently, I added a “hook” tab. I brainstorm things that are in each book and what non-mystery sites would be helpful or possible options for book marketing. For the Jules Keene Glamping series, I have a list of things like Blue Ridge Mountains, Virginia, Glamping, Vintage Trailers, Tiny Houses, and Jack Russell Terriers. I list groups and contacts that could be possible book promo opportunities.

Places to Look

• Write down what other authors recommend (e.g. services, publicists, program ideas).

• Keep a list of all contacts you made such as librarians, bookstore owners, bloggers, etc.

• Subscribe to other authors’ newsletters and see how they present and promote their work. What events or promotional things are they doing?

• When you attend conferences, workshops, panels, or social media parties, make a list of the services and who provides them. If it’s a reoccurring event, you may want to participate in the future. If it’s a service that does promotion or social media parties, you may want to use them later.

• Create a list of bloggers and podcasters who interview authors. When you’re contacting these folks, you may want to do it 3-4 months ahead of your launch because their calendars fill up quickly.

• Make a list of tools that authors and publicists are using for graphics, book trailers, photo editing, etc.

• When you have casual chats with other book people, jot down ideas. People are great about sharing new products or services.

• Use your reading, tv-watching, or social media time wisely. This is where you’ll encounter lots of ideas. Write them down, so you don’t forget.

You may not need a nugget of information at the moment, but it’s a good idea to record it for when you do.

Submitting? Querying? Follow the Rules

When you submit your work for a consideration whether it’s to a publication, contest, or anthology or as a query to an agent, make sure you follow the rules/guidelines. There are certain ways you need to submit your work, and there are formatting requirements. You need to tweak your submission to fit. One blanket submission does not fit all. Don’t give them a reason to reject your work.

I’ve been a part of quite a few anthology projects, and in addition to formatting requirements, there are themes, story type, genre, and word count specifications.

In these examples, the stories were rejected (even though the writing may have been good).

• For a mystery anthology, we had paranormal, science fiction, and horror submissions.

• On a cozy mystery anthology project, we had people who submitted stories that weren’t in the genre, even when the guidelines provided a definition and what not to include (e.g. foul language, graphic violence, etc.).

• For another project, the protagonist needed to be an amateur, female sleuth. Two people submitted stories with male detectives.

• One short story anthology had a requirement of no more than 5,000 words. We received multiple stories that ranged from 7,000 - 10,000 words.

The same applies to agents or publishers. Each has specified on his/her website how they want to receive your work. Make sure your cover letter is polished and be sure to submit all the items requested. Some may ask for a synopsis, a few chapters, or the entire manuscript.

Before you submit anything, make sure your work is as polished as it can be. Typos and formatting issues detract from your work. You want your submission to be as professional as possible.

After you have edited your work, make sure you do another read through to catch any typos or formatting issues. Read all of the submission criteria again to ensure you’ve covered everything.

Good luck with your queries and submissions. It’s a lot of work to customize each one, but it’s worth it.

Watch out for These "Characters" in Your Writing

As you revise your work, BOLO (Be on the Lookout) for these “characters” that can slow your plot down or drag your story into the mundane.

The Sports Commentator - Look for places in your story where you do a lot of play-by-play action either in narrative or in dialogue. These are spot where you tell something and then something else, and then something else happened and then something else happened. Show the reader the action. Don’t be a commentator. There are other ways that you can move your story forward.

The Weather Person - It’s nice to know what is going on around your characters, but don’t interrupt the story to interject several paragraphs about the weather. Figure out ways to sprinkle it in without derailing the action.

The Collector - Look for sections in your writing where you do data dumps. You do not need to tell your reader everything at one time. These are usually long paragraphs with way too much information. Figure out ways to break it up and disperse it throughout the story. It’s too much for your reader, and it bogs down your pace.

Sgt. Friday - Look for spots where you list “Just the facts, ma’am” like Sgt. Friday in Dragnet. These are sentences where you describe everything about a character in one paragraph. It probably is important information to share, but not all at one time. Make sure you spread it out, so it doesn’t read like the facts on a police report. (In case you haven’t seen Dragnet: Almanac: Dragnet - YouTube.)

The Historian - Backstory is important to your work, especially if you write a series, but you don’t need to stop the action for a history lesson. Figure out ways to sprinkle in the information, one or two sentences at a time.

The SCUBA Diver - Details and descriptions are important as you introduce characters and new situations, but be careful not to dive too deep. You can sidetrack your readers easily when paragraphs get bogged down in the minutia.

Many times, I don’t notice these creeping in until I start revisions. My critique group and beta readers are really good a pointing out these problem areas. Your writing will be stronger if you can avoid these pesky characters.

Happy writing!

What to do When You're Not Motivated to Write

Every writer hits a block from time to time, but the pandemic and all its struggles have taken a toll on everyone. I attended a writers’ event this week, and over 75% of the people there said that they haven’t felt or been motivated to write recently. It is a struggle. Be gentle with yourself. Write when you can.

I decided early on in the pandemic that I was going to use my normal commute time to and from work for writing time. It provided some bit of normalcy for me, and I have a daily time that I work on writing and revisions.

Here are some ideas. I hope they help you.

• Schedule some writing time daily or weekly. Know that that is your task for that amount of time.

• Find your writer friends (e.g. critique group, writing buddy, writers’ group). The support and encouragement is invaluable.

• Many writing groups are hosting “write-ins” or “check-ins” where you talk about your goals and work on your writing. Some groups do this on a virtual call and others with social media posts. It’s a daily check-in on your progress. It helps to have encouragement and to know that you’re not alone.

• Set a writing goal with a deadline. Nothing makes me move faster than a pending deadline.

• Work on other writerly tasks. Update your website or social media pages. Update your biography.

• Find a writing friend and check in on each other weekly. I have two critique partners, and we do this almost weekly as we provide new pages or edits to our chapters.

• If you don’t feel like writing, try doing some research or outlining for a future project.

• Exercise or at least move around. Do something you enjoy (e.g. walks, dancing, yoga, hula hoop). Take care of yourself.

• Check in on a friend. Reach out to to someone and see how they’re doing.

• Find ways to volunteer. If you can’t do it in-person, a lot of groups are looking for people to help with at-home projects.

I hope you and your family are safe and well. We will get through this together. And when we’re able to gather again, we are going to have the most stupendous celebrations and book events. Take care of yourself. And Happy Holidays!