Writing on a Schedule, by Olivia Miles

In an ideal world, you pick up a pen when inspiration strikes and furiously scribble three pages of perfect prose and then sit back and sigh. You wake up in the dead of night with a brilliant idea and rush to your computer and let the words just flow from your fingertips. You wait for your muse to appear before starting your next book, however long it may take. While all of the above can happen, this approach is not exactly realistic when you are writing on a deadline or writing more than one book a year.

So what do you do instead? You schedule your writing. I know, I know, it doesn’t exactly sound romantic, but that doesn’t mean it has to be forced, either. (Well, sometimes it might feel that way, but that’s when I remember that writing is work!)

For the next 14 months, I have multiple books scheduled to write, and multiple books scheduled for release. I’ve played with my schedule, rearranged a few things, accounted for a few more, and settled on a monthly plan that allows me to meet my goal. I think the first step to take when scheduling your writing is knowing what you can accomplish in a given time frame. Several writers keep track of their daily word count, myself included, and while this is a great tool for motivation, it’s also essential in planning your projects. Knowing what you typically average per week allows you to more confidently suggest a delivery date to your editor. It also allows you to plan your career for as much as a year or even two years out. In an industry where books are written long before they hit the shelves, knowing what you can produce in a given 12-month time frame can help shape your long-term career goals. 

Of course there are other factors that need to be taken into consideration: revisions, line edits, even blog tours and promotion can eat up a lot of the day and cut into writing time. I'm a planner (in case you haven't noticed) and so I factor time into my schedule to outline - I usually spend a solid three days outlining a project before I start writing. On the weeks where my daughter has school vacations, I have to conservatively assume I will produce absolutely nothing, and on days where I am knee-deep in revisions, I know my word count is going to take a setback. 

Anticipated release dates are also something I take into consideration when scheduling my writing. When I’m writing a Christmas book, for example, I try and schedule as far out from the season as possible, if not the year before. Sometimes an editor will suggest a window for release, and once again, this would factor into the order of projects on the schedule. 

Yes, it would be nice to only write when the mood strikes me, or to only work on the project I am most interested in at the moment, but I just don't think I would meet my goals that way. Maybe I take too much of a business approach to my creative side, maybe I've even taken some of the fun and spontaneity out of the process, but goal setting and project planning are what keep me focused. All in all, I try to be realistically ambitious with my writing schedule, and having a month by month calendar breaks it all down into an organized, achievable system. Without it...I'd be mess!

So how about you, are you juggling multiple books? How do you plan your writing schedule?

Revisions: The Good, The Bad, and The Surprising by Victoria James

This last year has been an absolute whirlwind for me.  Since pursuing publication, I’ve always been able to create my own schedule.  Finding the time to write in between moving houses (more than a few times), babies, ‘real’ work, friends, family, and of course, my DH, was always a challenge-but I didn’t have to answer to anyone. 

My first set of revisions for my first Indulgence landed last month-with a loud thud.  That thud was the sound of my heart as it dropped to the ground-I had 2 weeks.  No big deal, right?  Well, I was juggling a few other projects at the time so the thought of jumping back and forth was overwhelming, even though I knew that’s just part of the job.  Everyone does it, it’s about time I learned too.  Throw in kids getting sick, DH and I getting sick, another set of edits, and two different proposals on the go, I was *slightly* freaking out.

But, I sucked it up, held my breath and opened the attachment filled with lots and lots of red, and blue and I think maybe brown.  And then I shut it.  After a few minutes (and maybe a few panicked emails to Olivia and Jennifer) I opened it again.  I forced myself to read the comments and take deep breaths.  I did survive...and here's the rundown on what I’ve learned the last month:

1)   Revisions aren’t just about what you need to change or where you went ‘wrong.’  They are about deepening the conflict, making motivations clearer, and putting your best work forward.  This is it, your last chance to add, delete, or change something before your 'baby' goes out into the world.

2)   Don't delete your playlist!  I create a playlist for each book I write.   This really helped me get right back into the ‘zone’.  I wrote this book almost two years ago.  It sold last January-but the second I put on the playlist for this book I was transported back and visited with my old friends.  It happens to be a Christmas book, so it was even more crucial to get into the Christmas mood right away.

3)   Editors actually write some nice comments in the manuscript :-)  Since this is such a solitary business, and up until a book releases, it’s very hard to imagine what people will find funny, or touching.  Seeing comments in the margin like LOL, YES! or LOVE THIS totally made my day.  And at a few points during the revising process when I was totally stumped, I'll admit I went back to those spots in the margins where those comments were, and they gave me the confidence that maybe I did know what the heck I was doing.

4)   I loved ALL the revision suggestions my editors gave me.  Yup.  Every.  Single.  One.  Now, maybe not initially, but they were so good and so true to my characters and my story.  I felt like they really 'got' my characters.  I know the book is so much stronger-and had it not been for my awesome editors-I don't know that I would have thought to make those changes.

5)  There’s a lot less cutting, and a heck of a lot more adding than I would have thought.  I was able to write new scenes-and I had so much fun doing it.  It’s a lot easier to write a few scenes about characters that I love even more now, than having to write the entire book! 

Now I'm off to well, tackle another set of revisions for my January book! 

Now that my release is about a month away, I have a new focus for my anxiety-release day and reviews!!!  I break out into a cold sweat just thinking about it...Maybe I’ll be back to write a post on that-if I survive ;-)

Taking the Heat (Part Two): Revisions by Olivia Miles

For the second installment of my Taking the Heat series, I am discussing...revisions! There comes a point in most writers’ careers where they will be asked to make revisions. In the submission phase, this is fondly referred to as an R&R, or a revise and resubmit. I have heard stories of people receiving these and seeing them as a rejection, or seeing no point in doing the revisions, assuming it will just lead to another rejection. This baffles me. Yes, this is a business of rejections, but if you don’t try, you will never get ahead. But I digress, a revision letter is just that: the editor (or agent, or what have you) sees promise in your story and wants to help you make it better. They have taken the time to not only read it, but also to comment on it. This type of feedback is golden. The first partial I sent to Harlequin came back with an R&R/full request. Did the manuscript ultimately get rejected? You bet it did! But I sold the next submission, and I learned a lot from that first revision letter.

Revisions at any stage are a learning opportunity. The process forces you to look at your own work more critically, to see it through an objective person's eyes. The feedback, while often specific to plot points or conflict in the specific manuscript, can typically be extended to future projects as well. Before I wrote this post, I tried to think if I have ever been given a suggestion or note that I wholeheartedly disagreed with and I decided I never have. Each time, the editor has come back to me with keen insight and fresh perspective. They haven’t been staring at this manuscript for months as we (the writers) have. They can step back and see the areas for improvement. Take it for what it is: this is an expert in the industry, a person who has read hundreds, if not thousands of books in this genre, supporting you in this endeavor and sharing ideas based on their extensive knowledge. That is quite an opportunity.

So what do you do once the revision letter arrives? Here are some things I do:

1.      Read the entire letter and then put it aside. Come back to it later, after you have thought about the feedback. 

2.      Read the manuscript as it currently stands from start to finish, making notes as you go along. In many cases, it will have been months since you last visited with this particular book, and your mind has probably been very focused on another project. You will need to remember the little details, not just the big picture. 

3.      Go through the revision notes and decide which points to tackle first. I tend to work chronologically as the book progresses, but everyone has their own system. 

4.      To track or not to track? It’s always a good idea to ask the editor if they’d like to see the marked-up manuscript, but also consider how you work best. Tracking changes can be very messy (though colorful). 

5.      If you start to feel overwhelmed, just stop. If you start to feel like you have ruined your book, just stop. Come back to it. 

6.      When you think you have finished making all the changes, take a few days off and come back to the manuscript. Read it again from start to finish as it stands in its revised state. Chances are high you will make even more changes as you go through it again.

7.  Go over your revision letter again. Check each off each point to make sure you addressed it.

8.   Repeat Step 6.  (Yes, I know that re-reading your own work by now can lead to thoughts of hating the book altogether, but trudge through. You owe it to yourself.)

With any set of revisions or notes, there is also usually feedback on what IS working for the story. I realized recently that this isn’t simply flattery--this is a very, very useful tool. Don’t just learn from where you went wrong; learn from where you went right. And do it again. 

Happy revising!

What Skeleton is Rattling in Your Closet? by Jennifer Faye

This post came to me as I was hit with a set of editor-suggested revisions for my latest story. I noticed a similarity between this set of revisions and the ones I previously completed for another story.

The biggest thing I noticed was that I had laid the ground work for my H/h’s backstories, I’d hinted at it, I’d teased about it, but I failed to swing open that closet door and let their skeletons and the ghosts that haunt them into the full sunlight.

It was all there in my head. I’d plotted and outlined. Their backstories were all neatly filed away, but I failed to put it on the page. <sigh>

I think perhaps I was hesitant because I’ll admit it. <raising hand> Hi, my name is Jennifer. And I’m a recovering contest junkie. There I publicly admit it. *G* Anyway while I was entering contest after contest, I heard a lot of “too much backstory.” I’m betting a lot of you have heard the same.

The thing is the comment was meant for the opening chapter, which is the average length of an entry in a writing contest. However, if you hear something long enough, I think it subconsciously sticks in your brain. For myself, I must have computed: backstory = bad.

Not true!

I’ve got to retrain my brain into believing that the pertinent part of a character’s backstory is my friend—in reasonable proportions. However, keep in mind that you don’t want to bog down the reader in the opening chapter. But you want to disperse the background information as it pertains to the character in their current situation.

Our backstories mold each one of us. Think about your past and how it affects the decisions you make today. For example: if you hated peas as a child but you were made to sit at the dinner table until your plate was picked clean, even if it meant sitting there for hours, you probably don’t eat peas even now as adult. Even though as you’ve grown and matured and most likely your tastes did too, I’d be willing to bet you still don’t like peas. The mere reminder of being miserable at the dinner table will keep you from giving those green little marbles a second chance. Sure, this is a simplistic example but you see what I’m saying. Your past is always with you and will in some way help influence your future.

However, a good friend of mine reminded me to mention that as well as the skeletons, you should not forget the importance of a character’s Ghost—the unhealed part of the backstory, which is going to directly influence your story. These are the things the H/h long to keep hidden and will do everything in their power to hide, but you must unearth them if the reader is to understand and sympathize with them and their choices.

For example, Casablanca’s ghost is Rick’s affair with Ilse. NOT his backstory of being a gun runner.

Not all backstory is equal!

It’s the stuff that will make a difference that you want on the page.

So don’t be afraid of those ghosts in the closet—at least not the ones belonging to your H/h. *G* Embrace them. Swing open that closet door and air out those ghosts. They are your friends. They will help make your H/h into well-rounded characters. They will provide motivation for the H/h actions. And they will provide you with a beginning for your character arc.

BTW, this is my very first blog entry. Hope you enjoyed it.

Mechanics on Monday...Revisions!

Last week I turned in my third book to Entangled. It was the first book I’ve actually had a deadline for. Was I worried? Nope, not me! You see, I thought this was going to be a fairly ‘easy’ book to write. Why did I make that ridiculous assumption? Well, because about three years ago I had finished this book, and despite it being rejected by my current agent, and an editor, it had received really nice feedback. I still loved the characters, the story, the message. I genuinely thought, how hard could it be to revise an old manuscript based on what I know now?
Turns out, it was the most difficult book I’ve written.

I thought more than once while writing it that I really had no idea what I was doing. I was a sham, an imposter, an idiot.  I didn’t think I would ever get it done.  I’ve been to hell and back with this manuscript. Believe me, I’ve whined and complained and cried about this manuscript. Poor fellow Hot Pink Sister, Olivia Miles, had to endure many emails filled with my endless speculations as to why I just wasn’t getting it. I consumed more bags of Kettle Chips while re-writing this book than I have during my entire life (I believe I even wrote them into a scene). I think my DH even asked, one night when he ventured into my office, looked at my desk filled with empty coffee mugs, sheets of scribbled notes, and an empty glass of wine, if I was re-writing WAR AND PEACE. Obviously, that comment wasn’t well received. :-)

Well, here I am, a few months later, book turned in, still alive. Barely. It seemed like every day I had a new epiphany, a new idea as to what needed to be done.  I’ve concluded that sometimes, it’s just easier to scrap the entire darn thing and start over. That is what I essentially did. I just wished I had known that was the path that I needed to take right from the beginning. Most of the scenes were the same, the characters, the setting-all the same. But I had to re-write. Based on my voice, on how I’ve evolved as a writer, I just had to do it.

So, I’ve put together a little list. Maybe you’ve got an old manuscript out there that you just can’t seem to leave tucked away in a drawer. Maybe you have characters that are so vivid, that you can’t help but want to revisit them. Here’s hoping this list can help you save time...and sanity as you revise an old manuscript:

1) Delete: Seriously. Scrap it. Be ruthless, be brave. The delete key is your best friend. If I could count all the hours I spent staring at dialogue and description that just didn’t ‘feel’ right, I’d be weeping. I would look at chunks of this book and wonder what it was about certain scenes that just weren’t working. So, I’d try and tweak. And it still didn’t work. What worked? Chucking the darn thing and re-writing it. In my voice. Now.

2) Face the Heat: Take all the comments you received on the manuscript (if it was previously rejected) and figure out how you can incorporate that feedback. I knew right away what needed to be done to my heroine. Her motives were contrived in the previous manuscript, so I needed to figure out (before I started revising) what I was going to change in order to make her more true to herself. And I did. And the conflict is that much stronger.

3) It doesn’t have to be goodbye forever: I know, it hurts to say goodbye to the words you worked so hard to write. Even if they were a while ago. It’s still painful. So, I started a separate file where all my precious deleted words could go to. It stung a little less. I’ll let you know the whopping total deleted words at the end of this little post.

4) Dig Deeper: Now, maybe this doesn’t apply to you. But when I look at my earlier work, I see more surface writing. The characters were not three-dimensional. In my head, they may have been, but it didn’t really translate onto paper. I think writing deep pain and hurt made me...uncomfortable. It still does. But I’ve learned that it needs to be done. I still have issues writing love scenes, because usually the love scene has deep emotion attached to it. I need to turn off the inner-editor and let the emotion seep onto the page. Usually wine helps me with this :-)

5) Step away from the manuscript: I know, I know, if you’ve got a deadline, you can’t take time away from writing! But, I spent so much time staring at my manuscript blankly that I might as well have been sleeping. Taking some time away from it can lead to interesting solutions when you’re busy doing mundane things like groceries or laundry. I had so much dialogue bouncing around in my brain after leaving my manuscript that when it was time to get back to my keyboard, the words just flowed.

Okay, so that’s it! My little list of the things I’ve learned. I’m by nooooooo means an expert, but having just gone through this painful process, thought I’d share. The book’s been submitted, so now I wait to hear what my editor thinks of it...hmmm...perhaps a post on waiting should be next?  Do you have any tips or tricks you'd like to share?

Oh, and what was the final deleted word count? 43,409. Ouch.