Advice - The good, the bad, and the ugly!

There's a lot of people in the writing world claiming to be experts. Many are. But there are equally as many that aren't. There's also a lot of people who want to offer their advice and opinions. By and large most mean well, but unfortunately there's quite a few people out there who either don't know what they are talking about, or they can only talk to their specific situation and experience. The latter isn't always a bad thing, but it also doesn't make the person an expert on all things writing, editing, and publishing. It makes them an expert on their individual process.

So when it comes to writerly advice, we as writers really need to do our homework. There's some awesome advice out there, but how do we find it? And how do we know if it's really sound advice we should follow?

Research
Google is your friend! Go to sources - publishers, agents, editors, national writing organizations like SCBWI etc. Even still not all publishers, agents, editors etc. are created equal. Just because someone says they are an agent, editor, publisher, doesn't mean they are a good one with good advice. If you can't find anyone else willing to back up the advice you're seeing, be wary of it. There's also wonderful sites like Preditors and Editors that list agencies, editors, and publishers and state whether they are reputable or not.

Get a second opinion
Just because someone says something doesn't make it true. I don't care what part of the publishing process they are in, they may be misinformed or have been given bad advice themselves. Talk to as many people as possible. Get a wide range of opinions before you make a decision on whose advice to follow.

Understand what you are signing
If there is any sort of contract involved READ IT! Read every single word, read it till your eyes bleed, and read it until you have it memorized. If you don't understand something, ask your agent, or higher a lawyer or other professional to explain it to you. Make sure you understand what you are responsible for, how this deal will benefit you, what kind of rights you are signing over, and what each party is getting from this deal.

Ask questions
If you aren't sure about something, ask questions until you feel comfortable with it. There's no such thing as a dumb question so don't be afraid to ask. If someone refuses to answer a question it may be a red flag. But if you aren't sure about something ASK!

Go with your gut
If all else fails go with your instincts. If something feels off then it probably is. If it seems too good to be true, it just might be. There's a lot of people out there looking to take advantage of writers, so be vigilant and trust your gut.

By in large there's a lot of great advice out there online, just make sure you really look into it before you leap and rush into a decision. You'll save yourself a lot of headache in the long run if you take your time and do your homework.

Does anyone else have any suggestions on how to vet the good advice from the bad? Feel free to add them in the comments.

Why the Numbers Don't Matter

Many writers enter contests wanting to know how many submissions there are and what their odds are of getting in. I totally get it. As an engineer I love the numbers game. I love to know the percent chance I have. But here's the thing, in writing contests the number of entries doesn't matter. Let me repeat, THE NUMBER OF ENTRIES DOESN'T MATTER!

I know it's utter blasphemy, but it's true and here's why. When you enter a contest, it's not about the numbers, it's about putting your best work forward. The same as when you query. We don't tend to worry about the number of queries an agent receives so why would we worry about the number of contest entries? Maybe it's because there's a finite number of entries and queries are never ending. But one way or another it shouldn't matter. The reason? Because the goal is to present your most polished manuscript and pitch possible, and to follow the submission guidelines exactly. That's it. If you do that guaranteed your ahead of the pack both in contests and in the slush pile.

That said there's another element in querying and contests that comes hugely into play, subjectivity. The numbers could be in your favor, but if someone doesn't like your submission it wont matter. It sucks but it's the hard truth. You can't control subjectivity, so stop stressing over it! Your manuscript could be error free and you could be one of ten people vying for nine spots but if the contest judge, or agent doesn't resonate with your voice or story concept, that's enough to put the odds out of your favor. The fact of the matter is, not every story is right for every agent, reader, contest, mentor, critique partner, etc. And that's perfectly okay. There's isn't just one path to success, so if one isn't working try another.

I know we like the numbers and we often find solace in them. We feel like it's something we have some sense of control over in a situation we have very little. It's comforting to know the odds. Sadly, knowing them wont change a thing. The best we can do is follow the rules and submit our cleanest, most edited work. We keep learning and growing as writers and one day, we might be that one in a hundred or one in a thousand or even one in a million. But it will be because we worked hard and kept going, not because of the numbers.

Finding the Strength

We all feel it-that nagging voice that tells us we aren’t good enough, that we have no idea what we’re doing, and that we’re wasting our time. That little voice, or even person, that says you can’t do this no matter what you do.

It sucks; especially when you want something more than breathing air.

So how do you pick yourself up and keep moving forward when you feel like you’re at the bottom of a million foot cliff with no way out?

Well, you have two options. You give up or you pick yourself up and find a way.

But how do you do that when your head keeps telling you how much you suck?

There’s been a lot of talk on the #keepgoing hashtag which is motivating writers to not give up. To do exactly that, KEEP GOING! It’s inspiring to see writers making it and achieving their goals. Even to see the difference one year makes.

Most of the time.

But sometimes those gremlins get in your brain and make you feel like you’re a slacker compared to the rest of the community, that you aren’t working as hard as the rest, and that you just can’t live up to everyone else.

You tell yourself you’re too fast, or too slow, or aren’t on the right path or any other host of things that eat at you from the inside out. You tell yourself you aren’t where you’re supposed to be.

I’ve got news for you…

THERE IS NO RIGHT PATH

YOU ARE EXACTLY WHERE YOU SHOULD BE

There’s only the path you are on and what works for you. Do what helps you learn and grow in the way that you need to in order to accomplish your goals.

Do what you have to do!

Plain and simple.

Find a support system, hone your craft, work at your own pace, and don’t give up. Only you know what’s right for you, so don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise. Have faith in yourself, and stick with it!

Why Each New Book Seems Harder to Write

I never thought the second book I would finish would be harder to write than my first. But now that I've started another draft and it's even more difficult than anything I’ve done before, I often wonder why writing more and more books seems to get harder rather than easier. Of course certain aspects are easier, I know what cliches to avoid, what words to stay away from, how to show not tell and basically how to avoid the "rookie" writing mistakes. But the actual writing of the book, the completion of the draft seems to get increasingly difficult. So I started to think about why that is and came up with the following reasons:

Constantly stretching oneself.

As writers we strive to do better. Our goals get bigger, which means we tend to take on harder more complex concepts as we go. And with those bigger goals the mind often struggles to keep up. We start to wonder if we are reaching too high, if we’ve gone outside the realm of our capabilities. If we are in over our heads. All these questions can cripple the writing process, which leads directly into the next issue…

Self-doubt.

The more we write, the more the brain starts to catch up. The worry increases. We wonder can I really do this again? What kind of mess have I gotten myself into this time? Even worse, we think the rest of the world will discover the truth about us—that we have no freaking idea what we are doing. How long can we really fake it, and when will someone stand there with their finger pointed at us saying haha I caught you? The whole idea is completely daunting. All the self-doubt then leads to undue…

Pressure.

Naturally the more we write the more we expect ourselves to improve. In fact, so do our critique partners and our readers. Constantly getting better is important but it's also exhausting. And the thoughts that we constantly have to be better creep into the mind when writing that first draft. Which makes it ever so difficult to write and even harder to finish. We as writers have to step back and re-allow ourselves to have shitty first drafts. We are allowed to suck, and once we remember that it relieves some of the pressure. But with that pressure also comes the drive to…

Strive for uniqueness.

They say every person has a book in them. And in many ways that first book is easy because the ideas just flow. Not that finishing is easy, in fact finishing my first book was the most difficult thing I’d ever done. But the more books we write, the more we have to pay attention to what we've done in the past, and continue to strive for something new and different. We don’t want to keep writing the same characters in new settings or new characters in the same situations that we've written about before. We want to write new characters with new stories and our readers want the same. We need to continue to push ourselves, but again it’s exhausting.

The good news is, we as writers aren’t alone. We all go through this. And once we diagnose the issues we are having, we can usually get right back into a draft. We can continue to better ourselves as writers and stretch our limits beyond what we thought possible.

So what are some of the things that make your writing more difficult and what do you do to carry on?

Writing isn't Rocket Science... It's Much Much Harder

When I became an engineer and more specifically an aerospace engineer, I thought it would be one of the most difficult things I ever did in my life. I truly earned the pride and joy behind getting to say I'm a rocket scientist. Sure it's super cool to say that now and even more fun to joke about it, but it was a long, long road to get to that point where I could say hey I'm a rocket scientist and I'm smart dang it!

In college, I spent countless hours studying to only get a 32% on an exam which was in fact average. I learned to say D is for DONE in Thermodynamics when I'd never had less than a B as a final grade in a class and in fact I picked up a pair of C's to go with it that semester. I took eight to twelve hours to complete one homework problem, yes one single problem, and no, I'm not kidding! I even struggled to find a way to cope with learning disabilities that I'd only discovered in college. After all that, and countless other road blocks, long nights of studying, and second guessing my major and my life a million and one times, I'm here to say this does not even begin to compare to the journey I've been through as a writer.

In fact, I'm not even sure I should be comparing the two journeys, or if that's even comparing apples to apples. But having been through both, I can say with full honesty that rocket scientists have nothing on writers. This isn't discrediting any rocket scientists out there or even discrediting my day job. There's no doubt in my mind rocket scientists are smart people, geniuses in a lot of cases, that work their butts off. However, the journey as a writer not only tests your knowledge, your brain, and your ability to think and plan, but it also tests your will, your strength, and your emotions. And it's those last three things that separates writers from a lot of other professions. Because along the journey as a writer, you not only discover things about your characters, your settings, and the stories you construct, but you also are constantly discovering things about yourself - which is simultaneously the most wonderful and most frightening thing there is.

Everyday that I write, I see a thousand paths laid out before me and most of them aren't any better or worse than the next. But how do you choose? And how do you know if you are even on the right path? When do you step back and re-evaluate? I've got news for you, while these answers are never easy, they are a million times easier in engineering than they are in writing.

While engineering doesn't always have one right answer and sometimes doesn't have an answer at all, writing has an infinite number of answers. Writing is only limited by the writer's imagination not by the laws of physics. If you can dream it, it's possible. And as much as we engineers like to think that any dream is possible in the real world, physics unfortunately doesn't always cooperate. DARN YOU GRAVITY!

And even though rocket science isn't easy, it is possible. And although writing feels down right impossible at times as well, it too is possible. But it requires a lot of time and strength everyday to keep putting words one right after another on the page. It takes courage and swallowing down your emotions to keep going when your mind is telling you that you're insane and your heart is saying that it's completely broken. And yet we writers keep pushing through and keep going despite all the fences, hurdles, and walls put in front of us. We find new ways to bust down the obstacles.

So writers, give yourselves a pat on the back, what you do may not be rocket science but it also is by no means easy. And anyone that thinks so, is either kidding themselves, or hasn't given it an honest shot. So keep doing your thing writers. This rocket scientist and writer takes her hat off to you!

Got Voice?

Voice is something that a lot of writers struggle with. I know I did, and still do sometimes. No, I'm not talking about those voices inside your head that won't shut up until you put them on paper. Although, they can be helpful, when they aren't driving you to insanity. But how do you really understand voice? In the past I spent a lot of time searching the web for a clear and concise definition of voice. Sadly, I always came up empty. I could never find a good description that made sense to me. And that's because voice is so tricky. Voice is one of the most subjective parts of writing, because the definition of voice is different for every reader.

So how do you know if your writing has voice? The short and blunt answer to that question is, if you are still asking, you probably haven't found your voice yet. When you find it you know. It's not just a feeling in your gut but everything starts falling into place. It makes sense and everything feels right. But if you aren't sure yet that's okay. There are things you can do to draw out your voice.

1.) Start with someone else's writing
When you read something and it's dripping with voice, you just know it. But what is it about that piece that makes you notice? Sometimes it's the language used, the dialogue of the characters, or just some quirkiness or distinct feature to the writing. But voice really goes deeper than that. It's the essence of everything you write. Your voice can come down to the very words you choose and the manner in which you string them together on the page.

2.) Listen to those voices
Remember those voices I mentioned at the start of this post? The ones that make you feel like a crazy person? Yeah those! Listen to them. Let them speak through you. Allowing those crazy voices to take over helps form your voice. Pay attention when that happens and try to apply it throughout your writing.

3.) Search your manuscript
So how do you find your voice when you aren't sure? This can be tricky. But after finding mine, I'm a firm believer that it's hiding in your manuscript somewhere just waiting to be discovered. Yes somewhere in your manuscript is a scene just oozing with your author voice. You just have to find it. Odds are it's not your first page or even in your second, third or tenth, but it's in there. So where do you look?

Think about your main character, what's important to them, and what defines them as a character. Then find a scene in your manuscript where they are doing one of the following:

• Engaging with a close friend
• Engaging in an activity that is really inside their comfort zone
• Engaging in an activity that induces stress or tension
• Engaging in a scene far outside their comfort zone
• Engaging with the enemy/antagonist

In the first two bullets your character is in their element. The main character is comfortable to act like his or her true self. In situations like this their voice is likely to speak loud and clear, sometimes it even screams. If you can find a scene like that, it shows your character in their natural environment and how they respond in day to day situations.

On the flip side, the last three bullets take the character in the complete opposite direction. It's a situation or event where your character doesn't have time to think and their true colors can really show, meaning their voice is likely to be louder then as well. Taking a character out of their element allows them to really shine or fall flat on their face. Either way they will usually do it in a very distinct way with specific words that define them completely.

4.) Read it and read some more
Once you find that magical place where your character is screaming loud and clear in his or her natural voice then you need to read that scene. Then read it again and again and again. Get a good feel for the voice in the scene, why it's coming out so clearly, and why it works. Hold onto that scene tight, you'll need it in the future.

5.) Apply
Now that you've identified your voice and have a good understanding of it, go back to the beginning of your book and rewrite the scene using the newly discovered voice. Often times it doesn't require large rewrites but small changes that pull the character's voice to the surface. Use the language the main character would use and let their thoughts and feelings seep onto the page.

By this point your gut should be churning because everything should start falling into place. If you are still struggling don't despair. It happens to a lot of us. See if you can get a trusted critique partner to take a look at your manuscript and identify some scenes that have great voice. Then use those as a guide to rework the rest of your book.

Your voice is there, now go find it!

How would you define voice? Are you struggling to find yours? Do you have any good tips on voice or blog posts to share? Let me know! I'm always curious to learn more.

Writer Therapy

Writers are crazy. There's no other explanation for it. We write because we love it, but in order to do so, we spend countless hours walled up in a room, locked inside our minds, doing what the voices inside our heads tell us to do. If that's not crazy I don't know what is. So what do you do with crazy people? You send them to therapy of course!

But writing therapy is a little bit different than normal therapy even if it does often involve a comfy chair or couch. There are certain things writers need to do in order to maintain some semblance of sanity. It's not always easy to appear sane (despite being far from it) but here's my top ten writing therapies that help me hide the crazy!

• 10. A Good Book - There's nothing like getting lost in an awesome book. Especially if it's MG or YA, and has some kind of sci fi or fantasy element to it. I can loss countless hours in a good book, and I don't mind that I don't know where the day went. Some of my all time favorites, Ender's Game, The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel Series, Harry Potter and The Hunger Games.

•  9. A Good Movie - Whether it's something I've seen a billion times (**cough cough** Princess Bride and Star Wars **cough cough**) or the latest release at the theater, a good movie is a great way to get my mind off writing problems and open my eyes to a great new story.

• 8. TV - Whether it's reality TV (yes i watch the Bachelor/Bachelorette and Survivor), teen filled drama on ABC Family, my favorite comedies/dramas on the major networks or my old standby SYFY, TV is my savior. When I watch I can just let my couch suck me in and shut my brain off. It's glorious!

• 7. A Drive in the Car - There's something about the quiet hum of my Prius and the road that calms me down enough to allow my mind to flow freely. Now if only I could find a safe way to write and drive at the same time when the inspiration strikes. Time to find a recording app for my phone!

• 6. A Hot Shower - Get your mind out of the gutter right now! It never fails that when I'm stuck and don't know what to write next, Orion, my muse (yes I named him and it's after the constellation) hits me with an arrow when the hot water is pounding over me. I don't know what it is about the shower, and maybe it's because I have zero ability to write anything down, and then have to stop dripping before I can grab my computer, but the muse almost always pays me a visit there. My muse must be some kind of pervert! All that aside, I'm seriously contemplating getting a wax pencil and a board to hang in my shower for these exact moments. The things we do as writers!

• 5. Write Ins - Every week I venture out of my writing cave to meet up with a group of local writers at a restaurant. We eat, we chat, we laugh, we share stories and advice, we help pull the plot bunnies out from underneath the couch, oh and we write! Good times to be had by all and it never feels like work.

• 4. Critique Buddies - Misery loves company and there is nothing like a great critique buddy to lift your spirits when you think you suck. They are always there to cheer you on, help you navigate out of a plot corner, and demand more chapters, which is a nice kick in the ass to get you writing or editing again.

• 3. Facebook - This is my biggest support system. I say I'm writing or I'm editing and not only am I  holding myself accountable for it but I have floods of people liking my posts and cheering me on. You all make writing worth it! Not to mention I can cyber-stalk my friends (ok I swear I'm not really a stalker) and de-stress between writing sessions.

• 2. Twitter - It's a whole world where I can get advice from people in the industry, share ups and downs and commiserate with my fellow crazies (I mean writers). Plus can we say awesome distraction full of fun links and geeky things?

• 1. Friends and Family - Nothing like your favorite people to lift your spirits and take your mind off of things. Plus they think it's cool that I write and always want to hear about what I am up to, which is the best gift a writer can ask for - an excuse to talk about my writing. :)

And if you didn't think I was certifiable before, you most certainly do now. Not to mention you are surely waving a giant nerd card at me, but it's a tag I wear proudly! So now that you have my list, I ask all you writers what do you do for Writer Therapy? And if you don't write, tell me how you unwind and de-stress. I'm always looking for new ways to ward off the crazy!

This post is part of the Writer Therapy blog hop