Quitters Never Win and Winners Never Quit

If you've ever attended a Weight Watcher meeting or any such support group, you're probably familiar with pearls of fortune cookie wisdom. Aside from "Quitters Never Win and Winners Never Quit" -- which is a favorite of mine -- I was often told, "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got."

These adages might be old, but that doesn't make them wrong.

It's very easy to get discouraged in this business. No matter how well you write, there's someone else who's at a place you want to be and can't get in, or someone who doesn't write as well whose Amazon's rankings tower over yours. You can spend time you don't have and raise hopes you can't afford to raise only to fall flat on your face.

But the old adage is right. Quitters never win, and if you're determined to meet a certain goal, no matter the obstacles that pile in your way, there's nothing preventing you from ultimately reaching it. Don't let the rejections, bad reviews, negative feedback, and so on halt your journey. Most authors have a working understanding of what they do well and what they need to work on. Find yourself a crit partner who excels at something with which you need help. Target your weaknesses and don't blanch when people give you honest feedback. It might smart at first, but learning where you need work and focusing on perfecting your craft will always pay off.

Learn To Live With What You Are

Nearly fifteen years ago, I knew a woman who managed an online fanfic archive for stories devoted to the notorious creation of Thomas Harris. If that name is not instantly recognizable, try this one on for size: Hannibal Lecter.

That’s right, ladies and germs. Arguably fiction’s most renowned cannibal has—or rather, had—a modest fanbase. Heck, parts of those forums might still exist. I don’t know, I don’t check. The woman who ran this particular archive (we’ll call her Clarice just for grins) saw roughly the same appeal in Hannibal the Cannibal as others see in Erik from Phantom of the Opera. The grotesque, the tragic, the star-crossed…and for those of you who have read Thomas Harris’ work, that interpretation is not off base.

What struck me then about this woman was she was very grounded, and she didn’t shy from handing out business cards with her name and fandom association. To some of us, the things we do alone with the glow of a computer monitor is a very private affair…even if we’re not looking at porn or doing anything other than write a scene between our two title characters.

I remember once being very embarrassed showing anyone anything I’d written. Anything. Even an innocuous scene between friends. Therefore, the idea that someone would not only confess to their pastime, but advertise it to strangers was beyond me. Even now, though I have grown bolder and less discerning who knows my dirty little secret, I find it hard to believe I’d do the same given Clarice’s circumstances. Heck, when pushed, I’ll confess to writing “paranormal romance”—despite my vocal assertions that erotic romance writers ought not be ashamed.

Yet more than the labels that come with our craft is the mindset of where we are versus where we need to be. I highly doubt Clarice still hosts that website. It’s likely lost to the Ghost of Internet Past. Regardless, it was a stepping-stone. A place marking where she was in her writing career to where she went. In my case, I got my start in Internet publication in the same vein as so many others: in fan-fiction. I was ashamed to admit it until I stopped writing it, but I’m not ashamed anymore. Regardless of what it means to me now, it meant something to me then. I knew I wasn’t going to do it forever, but when I was at my happiest, I don’t think it would have bothered me. You go from that to the world of actual publishing—with its actual deadlines, actual editors, actual royalty statements, and actual panic attacks—and a lot of what you hear isn’t where you are, rather where you’re not. You’re not agented. You’re not a NYT Best Seller. You’re not making what you want to make. You’re not, you’re not, you’re not.

I think we get lost in the are not’s, and some of us have forgotten to learn to live with what we are, and how what we are builds into what we become. There is no race on this thing. If you love it, you stick with it. If you don’t love it, ask yourself why you do it. Is it for who you are or who you want to be, and if it’s the latter, are you satisfied being what you are, knowing it’s a necessary step to getting you where you want to go?

Blah

Is it just me, or does this time of year suck balls?

I mean it. After the rush of Christmas – I don’t care if you love it, hate it, or just tolerate it – everything seems to calm down back to normal…yet the weeks spanning January through, let’s say, March, are a plain bitch to navigate. Either you have a mountain of work remaining from all the stuff you avoided doing over the holidays or business has slowed to a crawl. I guess this could be tied back to school days; January typically means the end of the first semester and the start of the second, which is nice and all but just lets you know you’re only halfway there to summer break. For adults, it means tax time (which is stressful, regardless of whether or not you look forward to sending in your W-2s) and several months of waiting before it’s nice enough outside to do anything worth doing.

I suppose it’s a little of all the above for me. After NaNo 2011, I made the conscious decision to take off December. I had exhausted myself completing my inaugural NaNo project and wanted to spend the busiest family-oriented month focused on editing and catching up. Now the holidays are over (finito for eleven more months) and I’m already behind on 2012 goals because it took a million years for my muse to return to me. Apparently, “use it or lose it” applies even to short breaks. Short, planned, deserved breaks.

Keeping momentum going is important, even if you’re not bothering yourself with being overly productive. If you find you’re currently struggling to get the words on the page—either because you took a break or because this time of year sucks and no one should be asked to do anything—I say cut yourself some slack. I can’t think of anyone who genuinely likes January. Focus on small goals. A few words here or there. A book read. An article written. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s using “it” (whatever your particular “it” might be) almost always works to get you back in the groove, even if you have to fight to get there. And sooner or later, you’re right back where you were, wondering how you lost your footing to begin with.

What does 2012 look like for you?

While the rest of the world might still be fighting hangovers, I rang in the new year with a head cold and eight different kinds of cold remedies likely canceling out one anothers' benefits, simply because I'm a big baby when I'm sick. Still, with the worst of the plague behind me, I am, like the rest of the world, turning my attention to 2012.

As with any milestone, the changing of the calendars can be bittersweet. We look to those goals we might have fallen short of accomplishing, yes, but the chance to start fresh is not one to be taken lightly. If you met your goal, fantastic! If you weren't able to reach that goal, take a deep breath, forgive yourself. Tomorrow's another day, today's the start of another year, and it's time to look at our new goals.

Happy new year to all. Hope you're rested. The break is officialy over.

Prepping the Resolutions

I'm one of those people who loves Christmas in the weeks preceding, but is ready to pack up the decorations and shove them into the nearest closet once the festivities are over. And now in the remaining week of 2011, it's time to set your 2012 goals.

You have a week. One. Most people aim at losing weight, paying down debt, quitting smoking, getting more exercise. While all fantastic goals -- and while one such target sits on my "to do" list -- I found it very beneficial last year to set a writing goal for myself. Something to aspire to in the months spanning December 2010 to the present. And it just happened to be one of those resolutions I fulfilled, and damn if that's not a good feeling.

So I hope everyone had a lovely holiday, but it's December 26, and time to at least think about where you want to be next year, when it's a week from 2013. What do you want to have accomplished? And how exactly can you get there?

Life's like something or other.

I’m not a fan of coconut, nor am I particularly keen on stringy caramel. The sort of caramel you get when you buy a Milky Way or a Snickers; I’ve come to the realization I like caramel depending on the form it’s in. Solids are good, stringy gak-like substances remain rather nasty, in my humble opinion.

Anyone here remember that popular movie from the 1990s? Bit saccharine now, if you go back and re-watch, but it remains an entertaining piece of American cinema. There was a line about a box of chocolates, life, and not knowing what to expect. Fortune cookie wisdom as it may be, there is a good amount of truth in the anecdote.

The publishing world comes with its coconuts and its peanut butters. Time, patience, and perseverance seem to be the key in success. You might have all the Internets gabbing about your latest release, only to receive dismal sales numbers. You might spend a lot in promotions, including merchandise such as bookmarks and print copies, but wait years before you make back the cash you invested. You might take yourself for an emotional roller coaster ride in writing the book, yet watch it get largely ignored by your readers.

Then again, you might write something fluffy and trivial only to have it be a sales dream come true. The truth is, you can’t know what’s going to do well. If there was a recipe for a success, believe me, we’d all be millionaires. All you can do is hope your work resonates with those who read it, enough that they come back for more. It might take years to develop a loyal readership; in the meantime, relax, unwind, and remember for every bad chocolate you eat, there’s one of a different flavor with your name on it. You just need to know when to suck it up and chew or spit it back out.

Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock

This is it, folks. My last post of November. NaNoWriMo’s winding to a close, local radio stations have begun their solid playlist of nothing but Christmas music, Black Friday is now 2011 history, and many of us in the western hemisphere have exchanged our shorts and tank tops for sweaters and snow-boots.

That’s right. We are one month – one freakin’ month – away from kissing a whole year goodbye. Is it just me, or didn’t we just yesterday start proclaiming Happy New Years and checking off those goals we wanted accomplished by the end of 2011? We have less than a month until Christmas arrives, and if your family is anything like mine, that means time in December to do anything writing-productive will be preciously sparse.

One month. How close are you to your yearly goals? Did you meet them, exceed them, or were they just a hair out of reach? Most people will make idle goals they really intend to see through—lose weight, get a handle on their spending habits, and so forth. I’ve done every cliché resolution one can muster and have decided, rather than disappoint myself, to apply my resolutions to things I know I can and should accomplish if I just keep on keeping on.

So check your watches. Mark your calendar. If there remain things you needed to accomplish in 2011, the clock is ticking. 2012 and a whole new set of goals will be here before any of us can blink.

The Importance of a Creative Nap

For the first time in what feels like longer than it actually was, I did nothing all weekend.

Well, that’s not entirely true. I did put “THE END” on my NaNo project, which ended up 15k more than I planned, but still 10k short of the actual NaNo goal. At any rate, I’m calling it a win. It was my novice venture into the national writing month, and I consider it an overall success.

As well as draining beyond belief. Can you say holy cow? I’m ready to sleep until 2016. I'm sure other NaNoers agree...whether or not you've crossed the finish line. I definitely have new-found respect for those who make this an annual event, as I hope to do...though I must say, the thought of going through it again right now? Yeah, I'll need a year before it sounds feasible.

Which brings me to my point. Writers, if you need a break? If you've been working day in and out for the past however long? If you've forgotten what the sun looks like? Push your chair back from the computer and go on a walk. See a movie. Take a nap. Do something for you that you don't consider work.

For as much as I harp about constantly getting the words out, it is important to treasure your downtime. It’s been forever, as I lamented to the hubs over the weekend, since I read a book just to read it. I’m always writing or editing; reading for the sake of entertainment and relaxation does not come easy anymore.

During this holiday week, to all who celebrate, make sure to take some time for yourself. If you’re anything like me, you’ll need your rest if you want to meet your goals.

On your mark, get set, WRITE!

Tomorrow begins National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, as it’s more commonly called. And for the first time ever, I intend to participate. Why? Well, why not? It’s our month, after all. A month for writers to celebrate the joy that is writing—and get a manuscript ready in what seems to be record time.

During NaNo, the idea is to just write. Get the words on paper. Don’t stop to edit, the only thing you have to beat is the clock. Write until you can’t feel your fingers, and then rest up because tomorrow brings more of the same. The word count goal is 50k, and though my ambitions aren’t quite as high, I’m not cutting myself any slack. 50k/30 days = approx. 1667 words a day. Yes, this is a daunting task…especially to those of us with jobs, children, and other interruptions. However, it is likewise not unattainable, and if you tackle it with the idea of 200-300 words here and there throughout the day, the goal is easy to come by.

Regardless if you participate in NaNo, the principles behind the month-long event are those to keep in check at all times. Writing the novel is key to everything else. Editing comes later. Don’t think. Just do it.

Feeling hot hot hot

I can’t really speak for my fellow authors, but I believe the following to be generally true: you might love writing, but that doesn’t mean you love writing all the time.

Shocking, I know.

Some people seemingly can write all the time, and I envy them. Some people have the time and energy to sit down and fire off manuscripts left and right. On Facebook, I will occasionally see an author celebrating three releases within two weeks. How in the world do they manage to pull that off?

I’ve had it pointed out to me that many of the most prolific authors are those who routinely produce novellas. This doesn’t make it any less impressive. The fact anyone out there has the time, talent, and drive to produce that amount of material is damn near mind-boggling.

Personally, I can’t keep it up forever. I might be on a hot streak for a few days, even weeks. Then I take one day off and suddenly a month’s flown by and I’ve relied on the “I’ll write tomorrow” philosophy. Tomorrow comes and I’m more interested in reading or surfing the net than doing work. Ultimately, I pull myself out of it, but once you break a streak, it’s annoyingly difficult to get back on track. Like exercising. You go strong for a few days and then decide to skip your 30 minute workout, and suddenly your NordicTrack hasn’t been used in months.

Getting any writing done is an accomplishment. Be it 100 words or 10,000 words. Of course, you’re allowed to take breaks or decide you don’t want to worry about it one night. My suggestion, though, is if you’re on a hot streak, try to get a small amount written every day just to keep the juices flowing. Don’t take such bouts of inspiration for granted, ‘cause all good things come to an end. That’s not to say it won’t come around again, because it will. There’s just no telling how long it’ll take.

I'm sick of you and your stupid face

I began working on a book just after receiving my very first contract in 2009. It was a paranormal romance, one with characters I enjoyed, a plot I felt was fun and innovative, even if it was a bit darker than what I typically wrote. I choked out the first 12k or so before hitting a brick wall. I didn’t understand my main character, her motivations, and every word I wrote felt forced and, well, wrong. So I shelved the project and sank into a stagnant writer’s block that lasted about 9 months. Oh, I’d get a few words written here or there, but overall, I couldn’t get a move on it or anything else that fell on my lap.

In July of 2010, I began a new day job—one with about 150% less daily stress than my former. Gradually, I dragged myself out of the funk, picked up this book, blew off the dust, and decided to start writing again. In October, I became distracted with another project that took about 6 weeks to write and decided to make itself a series rather than a standalone. In December, I decided to either make it or break it with that first book, gutted the beginning, rewrote scenes and changed my characters. Last night, I finally typed the epilogue.

Accomplished? Ecstatic? Excited? Yes. I’m all of these things.

Above else… I am so freaking sick of this book, it’s not funny.

Now, don’t get me wrong: I’m very proud of the book, proud of the story, and will happily work on it during the editing process and whatever else comes next. But in terms of writing it, I’ve carried these characters for two long years. Even the days when I didn’t write them, they were still with me. Imagine spending 730 consecutive days with the same people who are doing the same thing—or worse, slowly doing something they should have already accomplished. I’m just tired of carrying them with me day after day. Sure, I still have a ways to go, but the first part in a larger, longer process is behind me, and I got to say, aside from accomplishment, I feel relieved.

This is a natural reaction. I’ve felt it before regarding stories I love, and I’ll feel this way again. Getting tired of your plot or your characters is not a warning it’s a bad story. It’s just symptomatic of waking up day after day with more of the same. You just have to decide whether or not it’s worth it to you to keep pressing on with a certain project, or taking a break and hoping some time away will give you renewed energy. Although if you’re anything like me, not writing doesn’t mean not working; I worked on this book every day, whether or not I wrote a word. Now, even though it’s hardly the end, I can at least take comfort in the fact that the characters are where they need to be.

So don’t fret if you can’t stand the sight of your main character’s name. It might just mean you two need some time apart to find the love for each other again.

Ready, Set, Goal

These are both exciting and frightening times with the multitude of changes occurring within the publishing industry. New houses seem to pop up over night while brick and mortar book stores are closing across the country. Self-publishing is no longer the red-headed stepchild. We have options now that lean away from traditional publishing. But all these options can be confusing. So before dipping your toe in the waters, I would suggest formulating a clear set of goals.

Now these goals aren't set in stone. They will likely change over time. And they can be extremely personal. What is right for you might not be for me. My goals still include acquiring an agent and a NY contract and I have always planned on the slow and steady route to achieving this.

I think each of us have mentioned the importance of a back list. Most authors do. But until recently, I could not speak from personal experience. The second in my Watcher's series released mid-April and I did indeed see a spike in sales on the first book. Multiply that by five, ten, or twenty book and suddenly you are looking at a substantial check.

Many an author has toted the phrase I don't want to keep all my eggs in one basket to explain their reasons for subbing to multiple pubs. And if it is a small or relatively new house, I would totally agree. Because while this writing thing is something most of us are compelled to do, we are ultimately in it to make money. But I would argue that once you have attained an editor at one of the bigger houses, it is really in your best interest to develop that back list.

Borders, Bitter Much?

Yesterday, Jaime mentioned her struggle in trying to decide which route was best for her, agent or no agent. This very personal decision is getting even harder to make with the ever changing publishing industry. And these changes are not exclusive to the Big Six. With the influx of so many smaller e-pubs and indie houses, many are scrambling to fill editing jobs. Others are growing so quickly that they seem unable to keep up and their authors are getting lost in the shuffle.

I doubt there has been a bigger eye-opener than the shut down of Borders stores. Just where I live, the three closest to me have closed, along with a couple hundred others around the country. This was taken at a Border's in Chicago.



Rumors only a couple years ago speculated Barnes and Noble was headed for the same outcome and then they came out with the Nook. While many still seem unsure of the future of digital publishing and e-readers, I wonder if Borders hadn't hid their heads in the proverbial e-book sand, would they be on firmer ground now? It certainly made Amazon the giant it is today.

We've talked a lot here about the changes in publishing. The decisions can be overwhelming, and not just for those getting started. I talk with my crit partners all the time about where to go from here. None of us have the answers. We're just going to have to hold onto our seats and hang on for the ride. Cause I think it's only going to get more wild.

"Which seat can I take?"

If you’re at all in tune with the Internet, you’ve probably at least been asked to watch Rebecca Black's “Friday” video. For those of you who haven’t heard, “Friday” has been deemed by online critics as the worst song in the history of music—and the music video makes the popular Robin Sparkles video of “How I Met Your Mother” fame seem nearly Shakespearean. And yet, for all its bad press, thirteen year old Rebecca Black has received praise from such popular naysayers as Simon Cowell and there are talks of a record deal.

Imagine now that you are a struggling musician living from gig to gig while having to support yourself with a day job that takes hours away from the creative process. You could be the next John Lennon, but no one would know it, because so much of what is sensationalized these days has little to do with talent, rather exposure. Because Rebecca Black’s mother shelved out two grand so her daughter could make a music video, the feed went live and—love it or loathe it—it generated a response. I wouldn’t be surprised if the girl signs a record deal that goes platinum. As Taylor Swift has effortlessly proven, talent has little to do with success.

It’s easy to become disheartened with your own writing when you see the literary equivalent of Rebecca Black selling like proverbial hotcakes at various presses. Rejection is one thing, but knowing you’re better than what is being accepted can be damn near crushing. The sad reality is publishing is a business like any other. In the case of erotic romance, some pubs might focus more on the erotic aspects of a manuscript rather than the romance, and being they see the sales numbers on the other side, sign on authors because they know what sells. It’s frustrating as an author, especially if you’re serious about what you do. Yet publishers have to keep their best interest in mind as well; if you don’t sell your manuscript to one, ask yourself why. If your rejection letter comes with more than just a form thank-you-for-your-interest-but-sorry note, take what the editor says to heart. You may not have enough heat to make it into some places, whereas your book could find the perfect home elsewhere.

Dealing with rejection in the light of the plethora of bad out there is difficult, and one of those times you have to ask yourself what you’re doing this for, how badly you want it, and how many times you’re willing to hear “no” before someone says “yes.”

New Year's Resolutions

Every year I come up with a few resolutions. Sometimes they're personal (I need to exercise more) and sometimes they are work related. This year will be the year of social media and name branding. At least for me.

What is name branding, you ask? Like any other commodity, your name is your brand and many readers, if they like your work, will buy your next book just because your name is featured on the cover. I didn't realize the importance of this until after my first release, so for those aspiring writers, I say start now.

1. Get a website or blog. I know the website can be an expensive expense, especially if you don't even have a contract on the table so I would suggest starting with a blog. Set one up. But don't just stop there. Actually use it. Blog about the trial and tribulations of an aspiring author for example, anything to draw readers.

2. Then Tweet about it. Facebook it. Get your name out there. But you have to be careful. Don't flood the market or you can turn people off, which you don't want to do.

3. Join author groups. Not only is this a good place to meet other authors and learn the trade, authors are in affect readers. You can make some wonderful friends who will grown to be your greatest companions.

Now for me, I have done all the above but unlike my fellow Muses, I am kind of a social introvert. So back to my New Year's resolutions, blogging, Twittering, and Facebooking, I'm going to do all three more consistently. Really:)

What does 2011 look like for you?

I heard or read somewhere that making New Years resolutions, while good in spirit, usually leads to depression when said resolutions fall flat. Yet every year, I’m moved to make the next year a better one, and therefore pledge to make improvements on some aspect of daily living.

My pledge this year is to complete two of my WIPs. Seems attainable now; after all, I have a head start and a whole year ahead. Right now, I’m fairly optimistic.

It also helps with this sort of resolution to have a plan in effect, rather than just hope and wait it comes to fruition. I have a plan by which I intend to tackle my WIPs and get them into some workable mode to send to pubs. I also have a plan to lose weight, but that’s for another blog. Point being, the main reason resolutions fail is the unrealistic expectations set and the lack of preparation. Saying you want something or you will do something is just the first step. Make sure all your bases are covered.

What about you? Authors, aspiring authors…do you have resolutions? A goal? A race to a personal deadline? And do you have a way to get there?