Book in A Week? Are They Crazy?!

By Susan J. Berger

I went to a Boot Camp facilitated by April Kihlstrom called Book in a Week. It took place at The California Dreaming Writers Conference.
 There is a workbook for the course on Amazon. Take a look inside at the chapter headings.
 (I strongly suggest buying the paper copy. I didn't.)
I was most impressed with April. She did her first book in a week in fifteen minute snatches between work, and caring for her children, one of whom is special needs. This is the stuff of fairy tales. But she did it. I only 50% believe this is possible for me, but that's how I felt about NaNoWriMo. And I got a published book out of that. And another three first drafts worth revising.

April's workbook contains a series of excellent questions.
Names can set up expectations. How appropriate are your names for the characters?
For each character:
5 fears
5 physical reactions to fear
5 things he does when he is unsure of himself.
5 things that make them feel safe.
5 things he does when feeling safe.

Things April mentioned:
What stories do you tell yourself about you as a writer?
Focus on the good things about yourself and your writing.
Before starting the writing session, do something nice for your self to make your self smile.
After the session, reward yourself.
Rules:
No editing.
No going back over what's written. (Omigosh! Not sure I can do that.)
No diving into internet research. (WHAT????)

Here's a link to April's Page. Hit page down 8 times to get to her handout at the Austin RWA Conference. Well worth reading.

Why am I doing this? 
I write better under pressure. I have been stuck on the same rewrite for a year. And maybe starting a new book will break me out of my rut. I have an idea for the book. No real plan.
I am aiming for 8,000 words a day. When I do a NaNoWriMo, I do 2,500 a day.

I've taken care of those chores I can anticipate, like writing my blog post for Pen and Ink and for Susan B. James. Taxes done. Bills paid. Will other obstacles appear? Hey this is life. You can't anticipate everything.

Thing is, if I start Book in a Week, I am already a success. The only way to fail is not to try. So I started Thursday April 9th. A friend lent me his house in Ventura. When I finish my stints, I will reward myself with a walk on the beach. I feel so lucky.
I'll let you know how it went. Write on!

It's Nano Time. Quotes to keep you writing

By Susan J. Berger

It's NaNoWriMo time again.   I am following Dawn Knobbe's lead  and using this years' NaNo to make last years novel into a readable 2nd/3rd draft.
She also did a post on inspirational quotes for NaNoWriMo.
If you've never tried National Novel Month, it's a great way to get a first draft. Deadline is everything . You have thirty days to do it.

 

 

This isn't about being perfect. It's about getting the words out. If you get the words out, the story will come. I guarantee there will be lots of surprises.

"Here's the bottom line; writers write. Sometimes words flow easily. Sometimes it's like sloughing through mud. Either way a professional writer keeps writing."

P.C.Cast

 

 "A word after a word after a word is power." - Margaret Atwood

Dory and I have so much in common. I often stop to Google.

“Don't worry about what you're writing or whether it's good or even whether it makes sense.” 

Lauren Oliver

“Remember: Plot is no more than footprints left in the snow after your characters have run by on their way to incredible destinations.”
Ray Bradbury.

 

Advice from a Hollywood NaNoWriMo coordinator.

"When all else fails, throw in a Zombie."

Will you revise after NaNoWriMo? Of course, but right now the trick is meeting the deadline.

 

"There's an old folk saying that goes: whenever you delete a sentence from your NaNoWriMo novel, a NaNoWriMo angel loses its wings and plummets, screaming, to the ground. Where it will likely require medical attention.”
Chris Baty

 

“You can't edit a blank page”

Nora Roberts

 

Happy writing.

 

 

Love is in The Air

By Susan J. Berger

It's Valentines Day week and I'm going to post about love.

My first adult book came out January 29th. It's called Time and Forever. And the book got written because of Pen and Ink.

In 2009 I had put out a request up at Critique connections for new members for the critique group I was currently involved in . I got a lot of responses. Hilde emailed me and suggested we all meet up at her house and see who fit with whom.

Twelve of us met up Hilde's, snacked on food, including her wonderful cookies , schmoozed and read two pages aloud. When I heard Lupe and Hilde's pages, I absolutely knew I wanted to be in a critique group with them, even though I wrote mid grade and Picture Books. (No, Hilde. It wasn't because of the cookies. Really. I love your work. Of course if you felt like making some, none of us would ever say no. . . )

Kris Kahrs felt the same way as I did. She was at that time writing picture books. Kris and I joined a picture book critique group that formed at that meeting. Lupe joined another YA group with my former critique partner Teri Fox And the three of us joined Hilde's Tuesday night group. We were a perfect fit. We each had something special to offer each other. A critique group made in heaven.

Two months in, Kris suggested we start a blog so that we would have a platform once we were published. Lupe, grumped a bit, but went along. I think Kris did the original design of the blog and set it up.

My first post on the Pen and Ink Blog was about the joys of NaNoWriMo. To write the post, I signed up for NaNoWriMo without any intention of participating. On November 3, 2009, my Jewish/Catholic guilt genes surged to the forefront of my brain and forced me to sit down at the computer and begin typing. I had not a single idea in my head. In one month I had a book called Second Chances. The premise was two women in their sixties time travelling back to 1969. I wrote a story I wanted to read and it made me very happy. Of course that was a first draft and it needed work.

I didn't feel I could take the revision through Pen and Ink cause we were a children's book group. I did the first revision on my own. My sister, Kelly and another casual friend both read it and loved it. I was delighted and continued to revise.

In May 2010 I had open heart surgery. Pen and Ink's response. "Well, you may not be writing right now but you will be again and open heart surgery shouldn't stop you from critiquing." Oddly enough, Lupe, Kris, and Hilde all had experience with open heart surgery and they made me see that it wasn't a forever kind of thing. That within a year I would be back to normal and the whole thing would become a memory.

I think I was excused from the blog for three months, but I wasn't excused from meeting. We met bi weekly at my house. And I started writing again and revising.

I bid on a professional critique from one of my favorite authors, Kelley Armstrong and her trenchant advice and the advice of GAP editor Lynda Burch inspired another revision.

In 2012 I sent the book to submissions at Soul Mate Publishing. I got back a letter from Cheryl Yeko saying before we could talk contract I needed to make some changes.  

Contract?! At this point I went to Pen and Ink and asked if I could take my revisions through the group. And they said yes. Even Lupe. And his eyes did not bleed when he read the sex scenes. Kris, Hilde and Lupe all gave me fabulous edits.

I sent the revised book back to Cheryl in June, 2013 and they offered me a contract. There were lots more rounds of edits. Time and Forever came out January 29th. So far the reviews are good. If you would like to take a peek, the first 4 chapters are readable on Amazon.

So, Hilde, Lupe and Kris, you are my Valentines. Thank you all and I love you forever.

Our next big adventure together will be Lupe and Angel's wedding.

Update from NaNoWriMoThe Pep Talks

By Susan J Berger

Yes I am doing it again. The absolutely insane world of trying to write a first draft in a month.

And one of the things that keeps me going, particularly after I have slogged through some swampy part of the manuscript sinking in the terribleness of my plot-less prose, are the Pep Talks

Right now I am beginning week three and these talks tell me I am not alone. Some of the writers whose work I most admire have been where I am right now.

The Pep Talks are wonderful things to read when you need a bit of encouragement. Here are a few of my favorites.

On each of the talks you will find links to their websites and books.

Tamora Pierce

 

 

 

 

                          Neil Gaiman

 

Gail Carson Levine

           

 

John Green

  Meg Cabot

   

  Wendy Mass

There are many, many, more. Happy writing.