Last week The Passive Voice carried an article by Maria Popov about keeping a diary or journal. Writing in her weekly blog, Brain Pickings, Ms. Popov lists names of famous people who kept diaries and what they said in them.
She quotes W. H. Auden, Madeleine L’Engle, Anais Nin, Sylvia Plath, Thoreau, Emerson, and Virginia Woolf. Not all diarists were writers. Others were artists or scientists. The author reports they used their diaries as tools for discipline, teaching the art of solitude and a way to inhabit their inner selves. They wrote about what interested them, or nature, or life and death. Diarists have left behind glimpses of their inner lives and creative struggles.
Probably the most famous diarist was 13-year-old Anne Frank, who didn’t think anyone would care what she had to say. Contrast that with Oscar Wilde, who said, “I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train.”
Keeping a diary seems old fashioned today, and those written by long-dead authors were written by hand and sometimes filled several volumes. It’s strange to think of doing that now, although I’ve read that mystery writer Sue Grafton writes in her journal every day, the one she keeps in her computer.
I kept a diary for a short time when I was a teenager, and then again when my early marriage fell apart, but that was many years ago. I suppose you could say that my novels are my diaries now because details of my travels or places I’ve lived have found their way into my books. Of course, we’re told to “write what you know,” so in a way I’m just following instructions. It also explains, perhaps, why I like to write in first person. I feel the writing seems more authentic and it goes more smoothly.
My two cozy mysteries, which have yet to be published, are written in first person, but then aren’t most mysteries? Think of Sue Grafton, Raymond Chandler and John D. MacDonald.
Yet only one of my romance novels is done that way. It’s THE ITALIAN JOB, which I’ll be republishing within the next month. I did it because I wanted to use a phrase which didn’t sound right any other way. What is the phrase? At the end of a particular scene my character thinks, “I learned a long time ago that I have plenty of faults, so I lean toward forgiving others for theirs.”
How about you? Have you ever kept a diary or journal? Do you now? What kinds of things do you put in it? If I get some good ideas, I may take it up again.
Tags:
The Passive Voice
Brain Pickings
Sue Grafton
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
MENSA REVIEWED MY BOOK
Pardon me if I share some good news this week. My romantic suspense novel, FINDING AMY, has been a slow starter, but I’m in hopes sales will pick up. As a matter of fact, I’m not the only author who found this past summer to be less than stellar.
Joe Konrath, whose blog I follow, has experienced the same thing and, last week, his blog post was about things a writer can do to try to move the needle up the chart. Such as:
1. Write more books. You can inform your newsletter, Facebook or Twitter friends about your latest effort, which is probably the best way to generate more interest in your work.
2. Advertise. I can’t give you any tips on where, but the usual suspects are BookBub, E-bookSoda, E-BookBooster and FussyLibrarian. Some are more expensive than others, so check them out first.
3. Have a sale or use Amazon’s Countdown to lower your book price temporarily to generate some interest.
4. Try a new genre. This is a lot like Write Another Book, but, in case you were thinking about expanding your niche anyway, this might be a good time to try that. It’s even possible you’d have more readers in, for example, New Adult, than your present genre.
5. Use the Pre-order option. Recently Amazon announced it allows KDP authors to use Pre-Order for self-published books, so give it a try. Hachette can’t, but you can.
6. Send a copy of your book to a new reviewer. That’s what I did and the MENSA BULLETIN posted a blurb and cover picture. All Mensa members are allowed to submit books for their monthly column, and fellow members are probably more likely to want to sample your work than the average Joe or Jane.
The above is a tip as well as my “good news” report. Remember too, that every industry has its up and down moments and this slowdown might blow over sooner than you think. Just do what you can and be grateful your career path lets you do what you love every day. As Joe says, “The world doesn’t owe you a living.”
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
WHY SOME AUTHORS FAIL (And How to Avoid Being One of Them)
I’m not a best-selling author. Yet. But the following list of attitudes and behaviors made me think about self-defeating actions that might slow me down in my quest for writing success. Perhaps you’re guilty of one of these too.
1. Not knowing enough about the industry. Why would you launch into a new business without knowing about it? It’s easy to publish these days. However, industry news won’t come to you without a little effort. Two good places to help you keep up are Publishers Marketplace and Publishers Weekly. Some writers’ blogs are good resources too. I especially like Anne R. Allen’s blog (once a week on Sunday) and The Passive Voice (every day).
2. Not Accepting Feedback. If you have a critique group, or Beta readers, or even if you just ask someone to read something you wrote, pay attention to what they say. Not everything others say will be right or helpful, but keep an open mind and at least consider it. And above all, be polite and thank them. They’ll probably never know if you took their advice, but it doesn’t hurt to be gracious.
3. Not using professionals. Most advice these days centers on at least two professionals who can be very useful in making your book better: A cover designer, and an Editor. For proofreading to catch typos or grammar mistakes, you don’t need to spend a lot of money. Your critique partners can help or you can swap chores.
4. Playing the blame game. If your book sales slow down, or no one’s reading your blog, it’s not necessarily because readers are dense. Try to learn how to improve, whether it’s writing better blog posts, adding to your mailing list, updating your website, or providing a new cover or blurb for your book.
5. Believing the Unbelievable. There are no guarantees. You may never get on the New York Times best seller list or be a guest on Oprah, but it’s certainly possible for you to earn enough from your writing to pay a few bills (maybe a lot of bills!) Or even be able to quit your day job. Recently over 500 self-published authors revealed they were doing just that.
6. Giving up too soon. Publishing is a marathon, not a sprint. You don’t have to make millions in the first 60 days after your book comes out. It’s not a product, like food, that will spoil. E-books are forever and you have time to let readers find you.
Keep writing and good luck.
1. Not knowing enough about the industry. Why would you launch into a new business without knowing about it? It’s easy to publish these days. However, industry news won’t come to you without a little effort. Two good places to help you keep up are Publishers Marketplace and Publishers Weekly. Some writers’ blogs are good resources too. I especially like Anne R. Allen’s blog (once a week on Sunday) and The Passive Voice (every day).
2. Not Accepting Feedback. If you have a critique group, or Beta readers, or even if you just ask someone to read something you wrote, pay attention to what they say. Not everything others say will be right or helpful, but keep an open mind and at least consider it. And above all, be polite and thank them. They’ll probably never know if you took their advice, but it doesn’t hurt to be gracious.
3. Not using professionals. Most advice these days centers on at least two professionals who can be very useful in making your book better: A cover designer, and an Editor. For proofreading to catch typos or grammar mistakes, you don’t need to spend a lot of money. Your critique partners can help or you can swap chores.
4. Playing the blame game. If your book sales slow down, or no one’s reading your blog, it’s not necessarily because readers are dense. Try to learn how to improve, whether it’s writing better blog posts, adding to your mailing list, updating your website, or providing a new cover or blurb for your book.
5. Believing the Unbelievable. There are no guarantees. You may never get on the New York Times best seller list or be a guest on Oprah, but it’s certainly possible for you to earn enough from your writing to pay a few bills (maybe a lot of bills!) Or even be able to quit your day job. Recently over 500 self-published authors revealed they were doing just that.
6. Giving up too soon. Publishing is a marathon, not a sprint. You don’t have to make millions in the first 60 days after your book comes out. It’s not a product, like food, that will spoil. E-books are forever and you have time to let readers find you.
Keep writing and good luck.
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE FRUSTRATING
GOOD
#1. First, during the week, I apparently sold copies of both FINDING AMY, my newest romantic-suspense novel, and THE WEDDING GUEST, the Kindle Worlds romance novella. That was fast, although as I said last week, both books were priced at $1.99 at the time.
#2. I had an interesting e-mail from a young woman who is a grad student at an Illinois university, earning her Masters degree in English. Her thesis is on Titanic fiction and she chose my book, COLD APRIL, as one of the books she read. I was also pleased she said she enjoyed reading it.
Since I’m from Illinois myself, I answered all her questions and am sending her an autographed trade paper copy of COLD APRIL.
BAD
This started out good, when a friend who lives in Phoenix telephoned to ask if I would be the speaker at a writers’ club where she lives. She’s not a writer herself, but knows some of the members and told them about me.
The meeting at which I was to speak will be held on March 21, 2015, and I said I’d call her back. I postponed the decision to accept because I had a sneaky feeling March 21 was the date of the Spring Arts & Crafts Fair here, and the club I started seven years ago participates. I called the chairman and learned the fair will be March 20 and 21.
“Well,” thought I, “I have a great idea. I can do both. I’ll attend the Fair on the 20th and then DH and I can drive to Phoenix that evening so I can appear at the meeting on the 21st.”
Great idea lasted about twenty minutes. When I mentioned it to DH, he remembered that the spring Arts & Crafts Fair often falls on the same weekend as the Sun City Singers concert and he’s one of the Singers. He phoned the club president and then shared the bad news. That is indeed the same weekend. I called my Phoenix friend and asked, but she’s sure there’s no way they can move the date of that meeting. Woe is me.
FRUSTRATING
Of course my losing the opportunity to talk to writers and, perhaps, sell some books, is also frustrating. However, I was thinking specifically about my Amazon royalties for sales of my books. Yes, it’s nice to suddenly have money show up in my bank checking account, but, most of the time, I haven’t a clue which of my books was sold. The thing is I have eight books listed on Amazon, and the long number they show doesn’t match any numbers I have for my books.
Still, I did receive some money, and, yes, I’m grateful. No sad songs for me. All in all, it was a Very Good Week.
#1. First, during the week, I apparently sold copies of both FINDING AMY, my newest romantic-suspense novel, and THE WEDDING GUEST, the Kindle Worlds romance novella. That was fast, although as I said last week, both books were priced at $1.99 at the time.
#2. I had an interesting e-mail from a young woman who is a grad student at an Illinois university, earning her Masters degree in English. Her thesis is on Titanic fiction and she chose my book, COLD APRIL, as one of the books she read. I was also pleased she said she enjoyed reading it.
Since I’m from Illinois myself, I answered all her questions and am sending her an autographed trade paper copy of COLD APRIL.
BAD
This started out good, when a friend who lives in Phoenix telephoned to ask if I would be the speaker at a writers’ club where she lives. She’s not a writer herself, but knows some of the members and told them about me.
The meeting at which I was to speak will be held on March 21, 2015, and I said I’d call her back. I postponed the decision to accept because I had a sneaky feeling March 21 was the date of the Spring Arts & Crafts Fair here, and the club I started seven years ago participates. I called the chairman and learned the fair will be March 20 and 21.
“Well,” thought I, “I have a great idea. I can do both. I’ll attend the Fair on the 20th and then DH and I can drive to Phoenix that evening so I can appear at the meeting on the 21st.”
Great idea lasted about twenty minutes. When I mentioned it to DH, he remembered that the spring Arts & Crafts Fair often falls on the same weekend as the Sun City Singers concert and he’s one of the Singers. He phoned the club president and then shared the bad news. That is indeed the same weekend. I called my Phoenix friend and asked, but she’s sure there’s no way they can move the date of that meeting. Woe is me.
FRUSTRATING
Of course my losing the opportunity to talk to writers and, perhaps, sell some books, is also frustrating. However, I was thinking specifically about my Amazon royalties for sales of my books. Yes, it’s nice to suddenly have money show up in my bank checking account, but, most of the time, I haven’t a clue which of my books was sold. The thing is I have eight books listed on Amazon, and the long number they show doesn’t match any numbers I have for my books.
Still, I did receive some money, and, yes, I’m grateful. No sad songs for me. All in all, it was a Very Good Week.
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
MY KINDLE WORLDS NOVELLA IS OUT
I’m so excited. My novella, THE WEDDING GUEST, was accepted into the Kindle World, FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FIASCO. It went up almost a week ago and is $1.99.
The first books in the “Wedding” series were written by Lucy Kevin, which, as many of you know, is a pen name for Bella Andre, one of the super stars of self-published Romance novels. A few other authors have written novellas for this world, and royalties are thirty-five percent. Bella also has another World, titled, GAME FOR LOVE, which is also open for new books by other writers.
In addition, there are Worlds created by H. M. Ward, Barbara Freethy and Hugh Howey, and, if you write for one of them and yours is accepted, you can boast about being in great company. At least, I am. LOL.
The World Licensor sets up his or her World and a new writer must use that, but the story created can add new characters and plots and belongs to the author. I was lucky that the Wedding series is set in San Francisco, where I lived for twenty-five years, so it was fun.
The Kindle Worlds team is also working on creating new Worlds, so authors should keep watching the site for chances to be published in one of them.
THE WEDDING GUEST is my second book (FINDING AMY is the other) to be priced at $1.99, but that’s unless you get AMY at only 99 cents for one more day. It goes to $1.99 on the 22nd and returns to its usual price of $3.99 on August 25. But THE WEDDING GUEST will always be only $1.99. And worth it if I do say so myself.
The heroine is a financial advisor and the hero comes to her because his twin 85-year-old aunts are also clients. He, too, invests with her, and of course they fall in love. But, when a problem arises, she thinks he was passing on illegal insider information. Read my 27,000 word novella to learn how they are able to come to their HEA ending.
Plus, if you like THE WEDDING GUEST, a review on Amazon will be appreciated. Thank you.
The first books in the “Wedding” series were written by Lucy Kevin, which, as many of you know, is a pen name for Bella Andre, one of the super stars of self-published Romance novels. A few other authors have written novellas for this world, and royalties are thirty-five percent. Bella also has another World, titled, GAME FOR LOVE, which is also open for new books by other writers.
In addition, there are Worlds created by H. M. Ward, Barbara Freethy and Hugh Howey, and, if you write for one of them and yours is accepted, you can boast about being in great company. At least, I am. LOL.
The World Licensor sets up his or her World and a new writer must use that, but the story created can add new characters and plots and belongs to the author. I was lucky that the Wedding series is set in San Francisco, where I lived for twenty-five years, so it was fun.
The Kindle Worlds team is also working on creating new Worlds, so authors should keep watching the site for chances to be published in one of them.
THE WEDDING GUEST is my second book (FINDING AMY is the other) to be priced at $1.99, but that’s unless you get AMY at only 99 cents for one more day. It goes to $1.99 on the 22nd and returns to its usual price of $3.99 on August 25. But THE WEDDING GUEST will always be only $1.99. And worth it if I do say so myself.
The heroine is a financial advisor and the hero comes to her because his twin 85-year-old aunts are also clients. He, too, invests with her, and of course they fall in love. But, when a problem arises, she thinks he was passing on illegal insider information. Read my 27,000 word novella to learn how they are able to come to their HEA ending.
Plus, if you like THE WEDDING GUEST, a review on Amazon will be appreciated. Thank you.
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
BOOK PRICE REDUCED
The e-book version of my romantic suspense novel, FINDING AMY, was free for five days back in April. After that, it cost $3.99. Now, thanks to Amazon Countdown, it’s going to have a lower price for several days in August. So if you didn’t get it before, here’s your second chance for a bargain.
From August 19th to 22nd, FINDING AMY will be only 99 cents.
But wait, that’s not all. From August 22nd to 26th, it will be priced at only $1.99. On the 26th, the price will go back to $3.99. So you have two chances to get a bargain if you act soon.
FINDING AMY is my latest, and one of my favorite, novels. Besides the romance between an American woman and a British gentleman (and I do mean Gentleman!), it’s set in two cities I’ve visited and have fond memories of, London and Paris. Actually, I was a visitor to both cities more than once, especially London, where my relatives once lived, in addition to friends.
I love to write romance, but I don’t write erotica. Sure, sometimes my characters go to bed together, but I prefer to close the door and let readers imagine the love-making in any way they like. Remember GONE WITH THE WIND? In one scene in that film, Rhett Butler carries his wife, Scarlett, upstairs with the promise, “This is one night you’re not going to shut me out.” The first scene the next morning shows Scarlett waking up with a big smile on her face. Use your imagination about what made her so happy.
Romance, in my opinion, should always make us happy. I’m happy writing it and I hope you’re happy reading it. It’s one of the reasons being a writer is the greatest career available.
Oh yes, one more thing. The cover of FINDING AMY has had a slight change. It’s a bit brighter than before. I hope you like that, too. And, please, if you enjoy FINDING AMY, write a review and post it on Amazon. Thank you.
From August 19th to 22nd, FINDING AMY will be only 99 cents.
But wait, that’s not all. From August 22nd to 26th, it will be priced at only $1.99. On the 26th, the price will go back to $3.99. So you have two chances to get a bargain if you act soon.
FINDING AMY is my latest, and one of my favorite, novels. Besides the romance between an American woman and a British gentleman (and I do mean Gentleman!), it’s set in two cities I’ve visited and have fond memories of, London and Paris. Actually, I was a visitor to both cities more than once, especially London, where my relatives once lived, in addition to friends.
I love to write romance, but I don’t write erotica. Sure, sometimes my characters go to bed together, but I prefer to close the door and let readers imagine the love-making in any way they like. Remember GONE WITH THE WIND? In one scene in that film, Rhett Butler carries his wife, Scarlett, upstairs with the promise, “This is one night you’re not going to shut me out.” The first scene the next morning shows Scarlett waking up with a big smile on her face. Use your imagination about what made her so happy.
Romance, in my opinion, should always make us happy. I’m happy writing it and I hope you’re happy reading it. It’s one of the reasons being a writer is the greatest career available.
Oh yes, one more thing. The cover of FINDING AMY has had a slight change. It’s a bit brighter than before. I hope you like that, too. And, please, if you enjoy FINDING AMY, write a review and post it on Amazon. Thank you.
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
JOKES ABOUT OUR LANGUAGE
But first, a correction. Last week, I said there was one self-published book among the nine Rita Award winners. I was wrong. There were two. The second was TAKE ME, COWBOY, a romance novella by Jane Porter. It turns out Tule Publishing is her own imprint. Congratulations, Jane.
* * *
Language guru Richard Lederer is at it again, making fun of our English language, so here are some jokes to get us through a long, hot summer.
1. Bad spellers of the world: untie!
2. Every time you make a typo, the errorists win.
3. If “Pro” and “Con” are opposites, is Congress the opposite of Progress?
4. Have you heard about the dyslexic, agnostic insomniac? He stayed up all night, wondering if there was a “dog.”
5. My girlfriend texted me, “Your adorable.” I replied, “No, YOU’RE adorable.” Now she’s crazy about me and I haven’t the heart to tell her I was just pointing out her typo.
6. The A.P. Style Guide is now accepting “over” in place of “more than.” A number of people have replied, “More than my dead body!”
7. A linguistics professor lectured to his class one day: “In English a double negative forms a positive. In some languages, such as Russian and Spanish, a double negative is still a negative. However, in no language can a double positive form a negative.” A voice from the back answered, “Yeah, right.”
Have a great day.
* * *
Language guru Richard Lederer is at it again, making fun of our English language, so here are some jokes to get us through a long, hot summer.
1. Bad spellers of the world: untie!
2. Every time you make a typo, the errorists win.
3. If “Pro” and “Con” are opposites, is Congress the opposite of Progress?
4. Have you heard about the dyslexic, agnostic insomniac? He stayed up all night, wondering if there was a “dog.”
5. My girlfriend texted me, “Your adorable.” I replied, “No, YOU’RE adorable.” Now she’s crazy about me and I haven’t the heart to tell her I was just pointing out her typo.
6. The A.P. Style Guide is now accepting “over” in place of “more than.” A number of people have replied, “More than my dead body!”
7. A linguistics professor lectured to his class one day: “In English a double negative forms a positive. In some languages, such as Russian and Spanish, a double negative is still a negative. However, in no language can a double positive form a negative.” A voice from the back answered, “Yeah, right.”
Have a great day.
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