The More Things Change...

First some exciting news! I submitted Screwing Up Time to the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest. And I found out that my novel made it to the second round!! I’m very excited. (The winners of the next round will be announced March 20.)

More good news. I’m over 75% done with the second big edit of the sequel to Screwing Up Time. I’d love to have it done by the end of next week, but I’m also having some editing burnout. And even chocolate isn’t soothing it.

Besides fixing plot holes and tightening up the words themselves, I also use the second edit to verify facts. I like to have two sources for each fact. So I’m reading sources that I didn’t read the first time. And I’m always amazed that sometimes ancient texts could have just as easily been written by my next-door neighbor.

The SUT sequel is set in an ancient, but fairly literate, society. Which means that there are a fair amount of primary sources. Though this doesn’t mean that they all have tremendous historical value, they do teach us a lot about people. For example, I was reading the translation of a particular tablet—a loose, condensed translation is “Several years ago we loaned you a certain amount of money for your travels. We have yet to see one coin of repayment.” The translator of this tablet and many others went on to say that he’s translated many tablets where parents complain about their children, businesses try to collect on loans and purchases of goods, etc. The translator comments that while times change, people stay the same.

I think that’s the reason that historical fiction, time travel fiction, science fiction, and even fiction in general is so popular. We see someone in very different circumstances—a king, a concubine, and a soldier who may live under the rule of Amenhotep, Alexander the Great, Henry V, or Genghis Khan—but their concerns are still the same. They want to take care of the people they love. They may be heroes, and sometimes even villains, but they have the same motives and desires that we do. Perhaps that’s why when we read, we can become them for a little while. After all, we’re really not that different. They may eat goat, drink date wine, and wear tunics, but they still want to get the girl and live happily ever after.

Tags

Years ago there was a line of children’s clothing called Garanimals. Each piece of clothing was tagged with a particular animal, and the idea was that if you bought all “hippo” clothing everything you bought would be interchangeable. The ideal mix and match clothing line. Of course, I’m not sure why this would be important. I’m pretty sure most people can figure out how to match a pair of pants and a shirt. Perhaps it was so parents could be sure that whatever their kids picked out to wear would match. But honestly I like it when my kids chose to wear mismatched clothes. I’d say, “Just so you know, most people don’t wear plaids and stripes at the same time.” My child would say, “I like them.” And I’d say, “Fine. I just wanted to be sure you knew.”

Of course, not all tags are silly. Some, like Amazon’s book tags, are very useful. Lately, I’ve been talking to people and discovered that a lot of people who buy books from Amazon aren’t familiar with book tags. Here’s a screenshot if you’re not sure what I’m talking about. (The tag section is located after the "Meet the Author" and "What Other Items" sections.)

Those tag boxes can be checkmarked. (A single book can have lots of tags. And if you as a reader think it should have a tag that you don’t see there, you can add it.) When readers checkmark the tags it helps other readers and authors. It helps readers because they can search for books with those categories. For example, if you like time travel books, you can find a whole host of time travel books by searching for that particular tag. Tagging books helps authors because tags are part of Amazon’s algorithm to present books to readers. The more tags (as well as purchases) a book gets the more the book gets recommended to readers. So go tag your favorite books (and my book too).

BTW, a lot of people have been asking how the sequel is going and when it’s going to be available. I’m not sure when it’s going to be available. (I’m hoping for early summer. I was hoping to have it available sooner, but my family has had one nasty sickness after another since August.) But I’m over halfway through the second big edit. Next, it will go to beta readers. Then I’ll make more edits. After that, I’ll proofread it and it’ll be good to go.

A Guy's Perspective

When I first started writing Screwing Up Time, I realized that I wanted to write it from a guy’s perspective. I’d read enough young adult and teen literature to know that there were very few books written from a guy’s perspective. My thought was that guys would appreciate seeing themselves at the center of a novel and girls would like seeing from a guy’s perspective. Being that I have three sons aged 21 to 15 and they have lots of friends whom I’ve gotten to know, I thought I might be able to do them justice. One of my favorite compliments on the novel is when someone said, “Wow, this is just like a guy wrote it.”

So, ladies/girls, if this Valentine’s Day you’d like to see what life and love are like to a guy, give Screwing Up Time a try. As a Valentine’s Day treat, I’ve included this YouTube file. It’s the song “Boomerang” by Plain White Ts. My oldest son calls it the “The Atom Love Song.” Imagine that the electron is singing this song to the proton--keep in mind the quantum mechanical model of the atom--you know, the 3D version of the atom that shows how the electrons move. (Yeah, he’s a chemistry geek.)

Sequels, Part Two, Taking Joy in Writing

Two weeks ago, we discussed sequels. Why they’re hard to write, how to avoid sophomore novel pitfalls, etc. And while it was great to hear everyone’s thoughts, I still had a lot of anxieties. But that’s where a good writing friend helped, and I thought you all might benefit from her wisdom. (Thanks, Sharmon.)

As I listed all my worries about having my readers like book two as much as book one, she said, “Of course, not all your readers will like it as much.” That stopped me cold. Of course, I knew that in my head that people have different favorites, but to have her say it aloud really made me stop and think. Then she asked me about all the big series I’ve ever read from the Chronicles of Narnia to The Lord of the Rings to the Harry Potter books. She asked me if I had favorites. I did. And they weren’t the same favorites that others had. For example, I thought The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe was okay. But I really didn’t like The Last Battle. On the other hand, I loved The Magician’s Nephew and The Horse and His Boy.

She reminded me that certain stories appeal to certain readers and there’s no getting around that. I can’t write a book that will make everyone happy. (Oh, right. You’d have thought that I already knew that.) She reminded me that the best thing I can do is to have fun as the novelist. If I have fun with the story and take joy in writing it—that is the thing that readers will latch onto. That’s what they crave. A good story.

I think that’s the lesson to writing anything from a short story to a novel. We must take joy in the telling. And when we lose sight of that, we begin to lose our ability to write.

What about you, readers? Can you tell when a writer is taking joy in the telling? And writers, what do you think?

Ten Things You'd Probably Rather Not Know About Me

David Powers King recently gave me the Kreative Blogger Award. (Thanks, David!)  For the creative blogger award I'm supposed to share ten things about myself and then pass the award on to six other bloggers. (It was very hard to chose only six.) So without further ado, ten things that you'd probably rather not know about me.

Ten Interesting things about me (some fall into the “don’t try this” category).

1. When I was a teenager, I was swimming in the ocean, saw a sea turtle, and grabbed on for a ride. It was amazing. Until he pulled me out to sea and decided to dive to the ocean floor.

2. I drove a car home from school (in Los Angeles) with my eyes closed. It was okay though because my best friend told me when to turn, when to slow down and when to stop.

3. I’ve been a runner for 29 years. (With some months off here and there when I was pregnant; puking didn’t mix so well with running.) And I actually hate running, but it feels so good when I stop.

4. I’m face-blind. I recognize people by their height, shape, hair color, facial hair, etc. When my husband shaved his beard and mustache, it took weeks before I didn’t have a split-second of panic, thinking “who is that stranger,” every time I saw him.

5. My family calls me the “orchid whisperer” because my orchids bloom prolifically. But the truth is that I don’t do anything except ignore them and give them leftover ice cubes for water.

6. I can tie a cherry stem into a knot with my tongue.

7. My favorite junk food is honey-mustard pretzel pieces. They make me happy...until I realize how many miles I have to run to cancel out my indulgence.

8. Clowns and circuses really creep me out. I still can’t figure out why face paint and demon-possessed eyes makes people laugh. Oh, and those weird wind-up monkeys that bang cymbals...they’re creepy too.

9. I still have nightmares about missing a final for a college class. I graduated a long time ago.

10. I love office supplies. Post-it notes, triangle-shaped paperclips, red pens (I must have at least 12 at a time.), highlighters, push pins (even though I don’t have a cork board.), floral binder clips, etc. One of my favorite pastimes is going to Staples and redeeming my store credits for more organization supplies. Bliss.

Six Bloggers to Whom I now Pass on the Award:

1. The Golden Eagle

2. Melissa Pearl

3. Margo Kelly

4.  Patti

5. The Insect Collector

6. Misha Gericke 

Don't forget there are only a few days left to enter the contest to win a free e-copy of Screwing Up Time at Novel d'Tales. 

Sequels

If you’ve been a writer for long, you’ve probably heard whispers about the “sophomore novel.” If you haven’t, it means the sequel. And it’s often talked about in hushed tones because it’s a scary thing to write. I know because it scares me even as I write one. But I’m not alone, many authors struggle with it.

In fact, I just finished reading the sequel to a novel that very well-received and sold lots and lots of copies. The sequel was a good book, and I enjoyed it. But not nearly as much as the first book. I’ve read a lot of sophomore novels over the last year and asked myself why the good ones worked and why the poor ones didn’t in hopes of learning to avoid the pitfalls. Here’s what I’ve gleaned.

I suspect the reason that sequels are hard for most writers (at least this is the reason it’s hard for me) is because we’ve rung every bit of punch from the story in the first book. And this isn’t wrong. It’s what makes a great book. By the end, the secrets are told. For example, when the reader finishes Screwing Up Time, he/she has seen what it’s like to travel through time. You can never go back to not knowing. And the novel’s world building is complete. You know Bodiam Castle pretty well by the end of SUT. You don’t wonder what the halls smell like or how cold the air feels during the winter nights. And you know the characters. You’ve seen Mark and Miranda’s strengths and weaknesses. You’ve seen them grow.

That daunting task to a sequel writer is to find new secrets, new worlds, and new character growth. That’s why JK Rowling’s books are/were so amazing. She found new secrets (or secrets that kept growing). She wrote about new worlds/places like the Ministry of Magic, the house belonging to the Order of the Phoenix, even the nightbus (which I loved), etc. And she found new ways for the characters to mature. Because of that, we loved Rowling and her novels. She gave us a rare gift.

That’s the task of the author who writes a sequel, to give the reader new secrets, new worlds, and new growth—without sacrificing the chemistry, tension, and relationships of the first novel. Wow...that sounds impossible. Time for some chocolate. 

I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences, so please comment!

N.B. Yesterday I won a blog award. (Thanks so much, David!) I’ll put the award up next Tuesday and share ten things about myself. 

Short Stories Vs. Novels

I’m now 7000 words into the short story, which makes it a long short story since it’s not done. The other day, I was reading an article by a famous novelist who released a short story about her famous characters between the publication of one novel and the next. Her fans did not like it. They complained. But as the author listed the complaints, it occurred to me that the complaints were because the readers didn’t understand the difference between a novel and a short story. They had “novel-type” expectations of a short story. And there’s no way an author can satisfy those types of expectations. A short story can’t be a novel. So I thought, since I’m working on a short story, that it might be helpful to reader and writers to discuss what the difference is between a novel and a short story. Especially since I’ve had the same confusion.

When I was in junior high, my teacher assigned our class to write a short story. I started off with a bang. Then, twenty pages or so into the “short” story, I realized that I had no hope of finishing it. And instead of the teacher saying, “My dear, here’s what you need to do.” She said, “Twenty pages? Wonderful. Don’t worry about finishing the story, just turn in what you have.” (Now maybe she said this because she didn’t want to read another twenty pages of junior high penmanship—I lived during pre-PC days.) When the teacher handed back my “short story,” I’d gotten an A. At that point, I realized the assignment was about putting pen to paper, not writing a short story. I was bummed. And I never learned how to write a short story until I got to college.

I was anxious when I took my first fiction writing class—was I going to write another long mess without an end? Then, I discovered something. (Clearly, I wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer or it would’ve occurred to me sooner.) A short story has one plot point and a limited number of characters. Ah, that was my problem. Every time I’d written a short before, I wasn’t writing a story, but a novel. (Or a novella, but that’s a whole other discussion.) So what’s a short story? According to Poe, who some call the originator of the short story, a short story is a narrative that can be read within 1 ½ to 2 hours (depending on whether you have to get more chocolate—okay, I added that part) and is limited to “a certain unique or single effect.” In other words, you have to have a limited number of characters and the whole story has to lead to a single purpose or conclusion. The “effect” may be the resolution of the plot that’s developed, or it may be an exploration of a character, which is common in modern literary fiction (and may be really boring to read).  This means that a short story can’t be as intricate as a novel—not as many twists, not as much character development, etc.

Think of a short story, especially one where the author is writing a short about characters that already live in a novel, as a love letter to the reader. The author is giving you a snippet of the characters’ lives while you wait for the next novel, something to tide you over while the hard work of writing the next novel happens. It’s something to remind you that the characters aren’t sitting around doing nothing while you wait for the next book.

If any of you have thoughts about the differences between short stories and novels or expectations of each, I’d love for you to share them.

N.B. The information about Poe came from Abrams’s A Glossary of Literary Terms.
A new blog, Novel d'Tales, is hosting a giveaway and my novel, Screwing Up Time, is the prize. Check it out.