Time to Write Rules Reminder

 

Write for one hour each day. Every day. Put on a timer. If you miss a day make up an hour the same week.

This 52 week journey of Time To Write is to help you produce one or two full rough drafts. It doesn't promise your the writing world but it promises you progress. Work on one scene or chapter each week. 52 week could mean 52 scenes or chapters. No editing what you have written. No going back. Not until instructed to do so. And even then it should be brief. If you cannot keep up with the progress set on the Monday Blogs....it's OK..still do your hour and work on your current scene. Be nice to yourself and others. This journey is also going to be a little into self care too. If you aren't taking care of you writing won't happen. Hop on the authorkimturner Facebook page to chat each week to report on how you are doing and to chat more about this year long journey. Believe in yourself. Believe in you story needing to be told. Believe this is going to happen. Never stop writing. It's in you!! Its ....Time to Write

Traditional or Self-Pubbing Decisions

 My thoughts on publishing may be jaded due to my current thoughts on the book world and my own experiences BUT here goes.

Just for the record don't ever pay someone to publish your book. Vanity presses are not the way to go. Some people think this is real publishing and it's just not. Avoid this at all costs. I am traditionally published with a small press. Now at the time, I was thrilled to get picked up by my press because with a full-time day job, kids, and all the details that go with that I was certain if a larger press picked me I might let them down. They seem to push harder for so many books a year. Honestly, I am good for about 1 book a year and that can be a push because I write long. 80 to 100K stories. If I am writing a shorter story I can do about 2 a year. For all those reasons I have been happy with a smaller press. My deadlines are not hard ones though I do have them. I may have more freedoms to write the stories I desire to write. I only get one free book. But I can purchase my books at a 30% discount. That may sound good but my books are long and cost more. And since I am not mass market produced....expensive to buy for Giveaways. I am slowing down on giving away books anymore. Folks if you want my books you'll have to make the purchase. This is a lesson learned. I have spent more sharing books than I make on sales. So be careful. With a small press, they do work hard but resources are more limited so what promo I get it mostly self-done. Small presses have little money to promo when it comes down to it. So don't expect a lot there. And I suppose I sell medium on the note of a small press. My books sell each month but I do not make a lot of money at this. It equals out to about a buck or a little more per book. And mine are in print audio and ebook. Somebody is making money but it's sure not me. I keep telling myself if I had started writing for the money I would have quit a long time ago. But it would sure be nice to earn more so I think my next move is to self-pub anything new since I do have a small following. But with a press I only have to write and edit the book. It doesn't cost me. I mean. I pay nothing to get the story published. A word on covers. I have hardly any control over my covers. Some people think there is full control there. Uhh...nope. I can negotiate what I would like to see and mostly I have liked my covers but I have had to haggle over a few. Some you win and some you lose. Differences with a larger press may be more money. And some say if you are agents even more money...but then the agent gets a cut too. So that remains to be seen but the few who get a grand deal with a bigger press. But I think a lot more pressure on pumping out stories. So it's a trade off in my opinion. But you can get a good number of free books for Giveaways or events. So as I am studying a bit more of self-pubbing knowing this will be my next step there are advantages and some disadvantages. Self-pubbing your are your business. You have to write the story. Pay for your cover. Pay for good editing or you should. And you have to upload it and get it to the platforms where it will sell. And much much more. There is no help. It is all you. Some people like this freedom to choose covers and write what they wish when they wish and publish when they want. As I begin thinking of this for any new stories I wonder if it is worth it given much more goes into it besides writing and editing the book. This is by far not everything to consider on traditional verses self-publishing....get out there and talk to authors who do each. Think hard on what works for you before you jump in. If you decide to self-pub then you can learn it and jump right in. If you wait on a traditional press the decision is do you want an agent who may help you get a better deal with a bigger press. Or are you willing to take on a smaller press and work hard to promote yourself. Well, you have to work hard on promo yourself no matter your choice.

Time to Write Week 26

 

This coming week:
Group 1: Edits chapter 6
Group 2: Writing chapter 26
Group 3: Writing chapter 6

Another week has passed us. Those who are finished and working on edits you should be through chapter five on editing. 

Those who kept writing after 20 chapters you will begin this week Writing chapter 26. Are you getting where you csn wind things down to your ending? Of not its to tske a look at your notebook and begin mapping how you get from where you are to where you should be at the ending. 

Those of you working on a second book for the year or who are starting your first you should have 5 chapters all done. 

All of you need to spend a little time this week in your writer notebook about this story. Whether Writing or editing are you staying on track? Are things coming together? Have you included items you forgot to include in that first write?

Those of you who are writing a first book. Go back to earlier blog posts this year for more helps at getting started and how to plan write. The only strict rule I should keep pushing is no going back. When writing  and trying to finish the book....if you go back to clean up previous chapters it can bog you down and I know some authors who have written the first 3 chapters 25 times and never finish the book in years.....don't do that. 

I chose to do this blog because the November Nano just never worked for me. I cannot Crunch out a book in a month with working full time and the holidays and as it turns out...too much to do on that app. I don't need one more place to hang out online. 

Push ahead this week with the goals above. But let me push you even more. Write faster this week. Set a timer and log how many words you get in your hour. Then next week can you beat that time? Try. 

Until next week!!

Warning: Speaking Candidly about a few things!

 

Warning! Speaking openly on the things I find a problem in the book worlds.

I do not read reviews. Strange right? Yes I beg readers to leave reviews because they do matter but I often opt out of reading them. My thoughts on reviews are a bit jaded after my experiences. 

When I had my first book published and reviews started coming in it was exciting for a time. That was because friends and family loved my stories. But when real readers wrote reviews some were good and some were not. I have a thick skin but I am truly annoyed by reviewers who retell the whole story in their review and give the story away. I think that hurts sales in the long run. 

And I have a bit of a gripe on the fact that as an author I have to study the writing craft. I have to invest in learning and jump through all the hoops for over a year to release a story that one reader with no experience in the book world can trash however they like. What I dislike is that just because your story isn't a readers cup of tea they can write a poor review but who are they to judge just like the vacuum cleaner they are rating on Amazon. 

And the same. Beware of book bloggers. Some are fantastic to help get the word about your book out. But some can come up nasty on reviews. Same on the world of a blog hop...where you are put on someone else's blog and or several blogs to get word out about your book. This can be fantastic but....beware...if something bad is said you cannot take those comments down. You have no control. 

My other less than favorite is Goodreads. Yes a good place to promote your books but I promise you are at the mercy of subjective readers who don't care if they trash your story. While other do really nice reviews. I enjoy Bookbub better but spend little time either place. I just think Bookbub doesn't end up in a gossip session over something your character said that they find to make fun of about your story. Yes that happened to my first story on Goodreads enough to leave me in tears. So you won't see me on there much. I am a nurse. I have very thick skin but a review should be just that. A nice write up of how a story was enjoyed not a place to make fun of a character or authors style. 

Truthfully I leave reviews with only 1 or 2 sentences. I give 5 stars for a story I love and 3 stars for one that was so so. If I hate a story or find it poorly written I just don't leave a review. Why hurt someone's potential sales or feelings because you subjectively didn't find it a atory you liked. 

I write historical western romance. It's so funny to me the numbers of women who say "oh I don't read books like that." Like its a sin to read something sexy. Sorry even Christians have sex. What are those people abroad of? The label they read a Romance novel? Get over yourself. 

I have some say in my reviews..."while I don't usually read historical novels" and then rate me a 2 because it's not their prefernce. See subjective.

Here is how I tell it on my and my historical cowboys. I love cowboys. I love most historical reads. But I do write cowboys. Cowboy are rough around the edges. They swear and shoot guns and screw the ladies in rhe brothels....if this isn't your cup of tea go read a nice Amish love story. You'll love it much more. 

If you like real cowboys come and hang out with one of my stories. 

So again I gave up reading the reviews a while back. I wish reviewers had to complete a course to prove they are trained but they can give you a 3 star like a friend of mine because my stories had too much cursing and sex and "would have been perfect without all that."

Sorry I don't write sweet either. I am board to tears over a happy little romance with a few kisses and assumed closed the door sexies. Where is the fun in that? I read romance for a reason. I like looking forward to the sexies for the characters. To me it makes the story real. 

Amazon also watches connections to make sure it isn't your friends who are leaving you reviews. I have had reviews removed just because I know someone but they had given a very honest review of a story. This isn't fair either. Amazing also plays with pricing and honest to God if you purchase one of my books please do so through any other bookseller. I am tired of making Amazon rich off my books. 

For instance:
Sawyer's Rose sells for $24.95 in Audio on Audible. So by the time Amazon, ACX and Audible have their cut what it left is split between my narrator and press and I get a small percentage of what my press makes. I get about $1.19 a sale. And Amazon owns ACX and Audible sort of...3 cuts before I see a penny go their way. But it is what it is. 

So funny some people assume all authors are making a killing. It's sure isn't me. 

So not to be negative Nellie here but a lot of aspiring authors don't know these things. 

Also sitting at a table selling books. I just hate it and here is why. 

Most often I purchase a table at conferences to sell my books but if I am at a writers conference I already know I am not going to sell many books. That is because everyone is selling and not interested in buying. And on another front if I have gone to a readers conference I am not well known. I get a little exposure but sell little. 

And interestingly enough I have bailed on a table somewhere alone. It is not good for me to sit and stare at rhe walls while folks pass my table snd smile....I have social anxiety. Nope you won't even catch me alone at a bookstore doing that. Maybe with a group of authors but not alone. 

So as I have said. In place little store in reviews which are a necessary evil. And a few other things in the writing world just do not seem right. But here I am still working on the latest manuscript. Write on.

Time to Write Week 25

 

This coming week:
Group 1: Edits chapter 5
Group 2: Writing chapter 25
Group 3: Writing chapter 5

So another week has passed us and I think I got a little preachy last Monday so if I came across strong...then good! Only we can fight and plan for our writing time. 

So this week let's go back to think about the basics of our writing. 

Story arc...take a look at the chapter you are writing or editing. Is there conflict and are the scenes intense enough to keep a readers attention? Is there Suspense and surprise along the way? Always be upping the stakes. If it is boring you...then it will bore readers. Take things up a notch all the way through. 

Character arc for hero/heroine:
Answer the questions.....again. 

Goal Motivation Conflict

Who is your character? 
What do they want? 
Why do they want it?
What is standing in their way?

Those question build your story arc in a way. You character should not be the same man or woman by the end of the story. The character should be changed somehow. You can read more about GMC in a lot of places but Deb Dixon has the best book I have ever read on this that all really belongs to her. I had read the ebook on this but won a hard copy of this book at a writers conference. It's changed my writing for the better I hope. 

Spend some time this week doing a bit of research on your characters. Do you know their back stories? Their beliefs on things? Characters should have the freedom bot to be or believe as you do. That's how they are gaining their own voice different from other characters. 

If you haven't read some of the previous posts this year go back to a few for helps where needed. 

Have a great week and get to it! We are all making progress...any progress is good. 

See at on FB author Kim Turner.

Writing a Blurb

 I must confess. I can write an 100K word novel and struggle for days to come up with a 100 word back of the book blurb that will hook a reader.

It's tough to barrow down a story to two paragraphs of less than 100 words total. My press keeps shortening how long our blurbs can be and I could at times pull my hair out by the roots. At one time they allowed longer blurbs and that seemed easier. 

So what is needed in a blurb?

Introduce the story in a couple of sentences. Describe the hero/heroine and their GMC. Yes who are they? What do they want? Why do they want it? What is in the way? For starters. Who are they at the beginning of the story. And later how they will change. 

What is the story arc? What will happen from scene one through the ending? But don't give everything away in the blurb like you would Ina synopsis. Spell out the conflict that will be faced but maybe not the results of the ending. It's OK to toss in a sentence or two about the bad guy so you can up the stakes. 

What you want is a reader hooked based on what you wrote. Something that has ghe best words in the least number that rattles them to want to know more. That is what sells books. 

So read up on how to write a blurb and also make sure of what your house wants in a blurb. 

Onward.

Time to Write Week 24

 

This coming week:
Group 1: Edits chapter 4
Group 2: Writing chapter 24
Group 3: Writing chapter 4

We are moving right along. Another week is behind us and ahead of us that next chapter awaits. 

This week I want to talk to working moms...because I am one. Full time RN since 1989....yes I am that old. 

But full time moms who are trying to write...whether you work in the home out outside it....this is tough. So I wanted to offer some hints about gaining your writing time. 

When my kids were in elementary school they had to come first. There was homework and activities and meltdowns and skinned knees and birthday parties ....etc. 

I was there for soccer practice and dance class...always with my phone camera in hand and my notebook or laptop in my bag. Have laptop. Will travel. I learned to write anywhere I was if there was a moment where I could. 

I have had author friends who defend their lack of writing due to family duties and responsibilities. I get it. Some of that is true depending on your situation. Kids do and should come first. But...you shouldn't have to do it all. And you deserve Me time which could be your writing time. 

I am blessed with a husband who cooks most of the time. He also handles the wash and does the trash and yard and car care. He by now has realized if he allows me Writing time I am much easier to get along with. That is not to say I don't do those things. We share and help get what needs to be done finished. 

And both my girls have chores. No they don't always get things done but I hold them to some things that are no negotiable. Little kids can help too and if like me you have teens or grown kids in the home...they should be helping and if not that is your own fault. FIX IT NOW!
Teen and adult kids should not get off Scott free with chores. Give them responsibilities and expect they get things done to help.. they love there too. I do not understand grown children in a home not helping with some of the chores. So they get to game all day and you can't find an hour to write? Nope not happening in my house. I lived home until age 27. I will say I know now I never did enough but I had a job and I paid rent. Sort of. But I didn't sit and freeload. If that is your case. Only you csn change it.

If you live in the house with other people then all the domestic chores do not belong to you. Spread out the chores list and expect things to be done. Nope it's not perfect at my house but I am not a near freak or clean freak by any means. But together we get enough done it isn't too bad. Will you find dishes in my sink? Probably but they will get done. Is there clothes piled in the laundry. Yep. They will get done too. 

Stay at home working moms or stay at home moms in the home. God bless ya. It is probably hard to separate office hours online verses chores if a have an outside job you do at home. And mom who are homemakers it has to be hard to separate house and chores from writing time. 

Scheduling house chores or day jobs at home from writing time might be best. If you have an outside job at home then treat it like you are in the office. 9 to 5 with a lunch break. Or work through and then hit the house chores so you can write later. Or get up early for the writing. 

Stay at home full time moms and homemakers. Schedule the same. Chores like a day job hours and or writing prior to or after that. Maybe you have small children. You will have to get creative. Maybe all you csn get is 1 hour a day in 15 minute sessions of writing. Maybe small kids get one hournof TV so you have 1 hour to write. Plan it out. Sometimes for all of us writing it down and mapping a plan makes it happen better.?

I get home from work around 515. From then until 730 or 8 there are things to do. Supper. Clean up supper. Empty dishwasher. Start and complete 1 or 2 loads of clothes. Feed the pets. Prep for the next day if needed. Pick up a bit. Vacuum here or there. Dust here or there. Sweep here or there. But each evening at 8pm that begins my hour. Time to Write. 

If I don't stop and write I won't get to. So each evening I watch the clock and roll through my chores and play Mom and make sure the girls have what they need. But I have raised two teens who get their own homework and let me know schedules most of the time ahead of time. They also clean their own rooms. They wash their own linens. They do the trash and dishwasher. I won't say it's consistently but they do more than some kids. So once I have ran down the list of things that must be done...then I write with what is left of my brain that day. 

Is it easy? Nope. But I am not one that can get up hours early to write before work. Never gonna happen. With thyroid disease mornings are not easy. So evenings are what I have left. So at 8pm I have a decision to make. Fall in bed and veg on TV or write. 

And sometimes this not my best writing. But I get story down which I may not call good writing but story can be fluffed later to sound better and read prettiest. On my first drafts it is just time to finish the book. The pretty can come later. 

I tell people I really don't like writing. I like having written. I enjoy editing my stories when they are done better. 

So plan how writing is going to worn for you....

Give us some hints about how you do stuff to get to your writing.

Hints on Planning for a Series

 Plan appropriate titles for the series. Ones that are related to the Genre and ones that belong to each hero or heroine who will get a story. It sound simple enough but planning in detail ahead of time will save some aggravation.

Decide how many books and then write a two sentence blurb for each. This will help you keep a distinct story and character arc for each story in mind as you begin. I am a panster and I write scenes out of order but when planning a series you gotta keep up with happenings in each books. Because by book 4 you won't remember which brother had green eyes. Some authors map out by a Calender when each story will happen. Maybe a paragraph about the general idea of the series would help. But the general idea on any story is that it could stand alone even though a part of a series. Plot big happenings for each story. You need major cool conflict to keep readers on edge and wanting that next story. Create the setting that continues to pull the various characters together throughout the series. There may been to be a central conflict in the series that readers know is happening all along. As with writing any story. You want that central conflict but be careful of too much in backstop dumping in any book for the series. Each story needs its own arc as does each character. I keep mentioning in some of the helper posts to put those characters through heck.... up the antenna on everything as you write. Toss in ever awful thing that could happen to toss the hero or heroine into a tailspin they may never get out of. Readers will be hooked! Here is a map of how you can pull together a series idea: Do this for each book in the series: 1) Introduce the story: what is the story about? What is the call to action for the hero/heroine? What has happened that will send your hero into the point of no return? Thinks about story and character goals, motivations and conflicts. 2) Toss in the Mystery of your novel. What is the new reality for the character hero/heroine? Who are the characters you will introduce to move the story forward? And what major event will be introduced to cause challenges? What happens to set the main character into a tailspin of unknowns in trying to reach his/her goal. 3) Let the Action begin. Begin building up what the characters must go through in order to reach their new goals. You need to add one or more high action events to peak reader interest. Things need to get crazy and then simmer there for a bit. Seeming to be resolved but wait....nope. 4) Let further conflict hit with a bang. But now more than ever what is your hero/heroine gonna have to do to complete their goal? More major events need to happen now. This is where you can toss in major twists and where the main character may just lose it all. 5) Then comes the conclusion. Make sure to tie up all story lines. Don't leave readers hanging. The hero needs to find resolution that didn't come easily. Bring a powerful ending and a what's next for the hero. You hero should not be the same person at the end of the story that they are now. This is all sort of simple but those 5 steps csn be answered for your series of books. It might make it easier to keep up with each idea in your series Bible or notebook about your writing.

Time to Write Week 23

 This coming week:

Group 1: Edits chapter 3
Group 2: Writing chapter 23
Group 3: Writing chapter 3

Writing is hard. If you have had trouble pushing to keep up on this blog ask yourself why? Why do you wish to write? What are your goals for your work?

Sometimes you have to ask yourself what are your reasons so you can find the motivations that make you sit at your laptop and grind through a story. 

Let's go back in time. When was writing first something you loved? When did that passion first hit you? We will all have different answers. Some authors have written since very young and for some this is a new avenue. 

I loved reading and writing from first grade and kindergarten but I never wrote long stories. Only what was required for school but I kept journals and notes and wrote ideas. By about age eight I wrote poetry and I always loved an assignment in class to write something. Anything. While all the other kids moaned and groaned I grabbed my pencil. 

By age 12 or 13 I was reading romance novels. I had discovered those early I suppose. Funny many of my discoveries were on my maternal grandmothers shelf in her small hallway. And I always loved to read....until I was in nursing school. 

That was the end of reading for fun. Imagine a med/surg book about 8 inches thick and for one test being assigned 500 to 1500 pages to read and that was only in the first book of the 6 to 8 we had to purchase. There was no time to read during nursing school. And when I finally did graduate it was a couple of years before I would even pick up a novel. 

But I did rediscover my passion to read as I gathered my life back after college. It wasn't until my girls were old enough to get their own bath though that I thought to myself I always wanted to write and publish a book and now it's time. 

I set my mind to it and I think that was 2011 and 2012. I jump through hoops and by 2015 I had a contract. 

I am sure we all have stories like that even though each one is unique. But I will challenge you now to think about...why are you writing now and what are you goals for now? Five years from now? 

If you don't finish the book this year along with us...will you next year or the next? Uhmmm...that would maybe let 3 to 5 years pass and you have produced nothing. 

Maybe you should ask your own GMC about your writing life. 

Who are you? 
What do you want?
Why do you want it?
What's standing in your way?

Seriously you have to dig deep if you are not accomplishing your writing. Only YOU can change a lack of progress. Only YOU can nature and grow your writing. 

I guess the question here is:
Do you want it bad enough to work for it?

For some of us yes. I have had to put my foot down with my husband and girls here and there to say I AM WRITING NOW. 

I have skipped TV...I only watch a few series here and there. I give up things to write. What are you giving up to make this happen. 

We all have all kinds of excuses. It may sound harsh but those are no longer allowed. It is up to you to find your writing time...so get to it. 

It's TIME TO WRITE!!