What exactly do I write?

Answering this question might be harder than you think. Sure, I know my genre and categories in bookstores. However, there are still lots of people who have never heard of Erotic Paranormal Romance. Not to mention they are thrown for a loop by the word "erotic."

So many people hear "erotic" and think "porn" or "filth." While that is certainly out there, I don't write straight up filth. When asked in person about the content of my books, I'll tell people something along the lines of, "They have graphic violence, language, and sexual content." No one bats an eye at the graphic violence or language, but nearly everyone says something like, "So, it's just a dirty book?"

I cannot express enough how much I would like to slap these people. Scratch that. I'd like to Superman punch them in the face. Ha. Ha. I would also like to add at this time, that the people I encounter online are so much more accepting and intelligent than those I generally run into in person. I only have these bizarre confrontations in my small, Southern hometown and the surrounding area. 

Now, there are plenty of people online who think "erotic" means "porn." But mostly if they are talking to me, they've figured out the difference. 

I've even tried explaining to folks, "It's like watching anything on HBO. My books have the same type of content. There is violence, graphic language, sex, and A PLOT. The story doesn't take a back seat to any of the other elements. I couldn't possibly write about nothing but sex. There has to be a reason for it, for everything." 

Still, I get those blank looks. Or I get questions like, "Why include it at all?"

"Because in real life, there is violence. People speak (especially in private) however they wish to speak. Oh, and REAL PEOPLE DO HAVE SEX. Just because my stories have fantastical elements, doesn't mean I don't strive to give them a touch of reality."

That's normally the point in the conversation where someone says if there are vampires, wizards, or werewolves, the story can't be realistic. Honestly? Did they miss Harry Potter?

Anyway, this has obviously turned into a rant. LOL

What exactly do I write? One of my readers summed it up best. She said, "If Quentin Tarantino did romance, this is what it would look like."

That's probably one of the most awesome things anyone has ever said about my books. Not all of them are violent enough to qualify, but that's still a great explanation. 

I self-publish because I CHOOSE to, not because I HAVE to

Obviously, by the title of my post you can tell that I am aggravated. I am so sick of people assuming that I self-publish because no one would publish my fiction. That is bullshit. Okay, does that clear it up? I'm also sick of those who see I have a few self-pub titles out and decide to send me spam trying to get me to use their rip-off publishing services. I am NOT interested.

Ever since I started self-publishing my backlist titles (along with a few new books), I've been getting spam and insults. What the heck?

I've gotten everything from people wanting to charge me to have my books in print to others slamming me because they think I just "decided" that I could write and started putting out books. What jackasses, all of them.

In case it isn't already clear, I will explain how I came to this decision. And yes, it was MY decision to self-publish, not a last resort after years of rejection. In fact, I never suffered years of rejection. It only took me a few months to find my first publisher.

I was traditionally published for 5 years before I made the leap to produce my first self-published title. This was not a decision I came to lightly. I researched this for quite some time before deciding to give it a try.

Why did I look into self-publishing in the first place? Well, the major thing was I wasn't making enough money to live. My books were selling fairly well, but my cut of the royalties was barely enough to pay my light bill. Yes, I do this for a living, so that was a major factor. Of course I love what I do, but that doesn't mean I can afford to do it for free. 

The second reason? Complete creative control was a thought that made me almost high with anticipation. To be able to tell the story that I want to tell regardless of "formula" was an exciting thought. However, that should not suggest that my stories are not edited. That's another HUGE misconception when it comes to self-published books. Not all are created equal. My books are thoroughly edited by myself at least four times before being sent to my writing partner/editor. She helps me check for plot holes as well as grammar and misspelled words. She is also highly qualified to do this. Though I consider her family, I didn't just pick my best friend to help me. If something doesn't sound right or is obviously wrong, she tells me. And I don't take it personally because I trust her. We work very well together.

So far I have only gotten one presumptuous email from another writer who thought one of my books was poorly edited. I looked it over again and found nothing wrong. Different editors ask for different things when it comes to sentence structure. That doesn't mean one way is right or wrong. If you want to use a semi-colon, go ahead. But most of my editors have asked that I use a comma instead. Oh, and just because you wrote a comic book, that doesn't qualify you to judge my novel.

I also do my own cover art. I hear lots of people getting slammed for this. I'm not just a cheap-ass author who doesn't want to pay a professional to do my covers. I AM a professional. So, why hire someone else to do what I can do at a fraction of the cost? I've been an avid reader almost as long as I've been an artist. I have faith in my abilities to create a cover that is visually pleasing as well as conveys the basic meaning of the story. I take pride and pleasure in being able to do this for myself.

After my first self-published title (Frank and The Werewolf Tamer) was received so well, I decided to self-publish my backlist titles. That's right, I DECIDED to do this. It wasn't forced on me. None of the books I have now self-published were rejected by ANY major (or small) publisher. I chose not to renew my contracts and to put the books back out on my own.

I've spent much of the past year working on this project. If anyone was wondering, this is why I haven't been releasing any new books. I've been working on re-editing, expanding, and re-releasing my backlist titles that are now coming off contract. This takes quite a bit of time and effort. It's as if I'm having to catch up on 5 years of work all at once.

My point is this was my choice and one that is so far working out very well. I was published with 3 different houses before I made this choice, and I still work with Ellora's Cave. I see no reason to burn bridges with a company what has treated me very well. I plan to continue to work with EC as well as to self-publish many more titles. Why? Because being published with them is helping new readers to find my work. It's all about marketing. Everything I do (with regards to my writing) is a business decision. Sure, I have strong feelings about some things, but my feelings are not what dominates my choices.

I hope this clears up any confusion. I earn 70% from Amazon sales as compared to 30-40% from an epublisher. (That's just a rough estimate based on my experience.) My books are also listed on Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and just about anywhere else you can think of. I do this all myself. It isn't difficult, so I can't see paying someone to do it for me. This way, if something is incorrect, I can fix it on my own. I keep track of sales quickly and easily, so I know what my paycheck is going to be for the next month. I don't have to wait for a statement.

Self-publishing is convenient and profitable. Yes, there's a lot of work involved, but I love what I do. Why shouldn't I be able to make a living at it? I'm not rich by any means, but thanks to the higher percentages of self-pub sales, I can actually pay my bills.

Everybody wants more happiness, right?

Well, there are several simple ways to boost your feelings of happiness. Most of these involve increasing production of the hormone serotonin. (This is the "feel good" hormone.) Everyone is under stress, no matter what they do for a living. However, writers face a different set of challenges. For one thing, writing is by its nature a very lonely profession. We spend countless hours alone with our computers. No matter how much you might be in love with your PC, it can't talk back and the closest it comes to showing affection is not contracting a virus. LOL

With that in mind, here are a few helpful tips to increase your level of happiness.

Eat oatmeal for breakfast. One cup of oatmeal contains 94 mg. of tryptophan, an essential building block of serotonin. Plus, if you add a banana to the mix, you get extra vitamin B6 a nutrient that helps convert tryptophan to serotonin. Eating this first thing in the morning helps you get off to a "feel good" start.

Snack on carbs. Yes, I used the "c" word. Ha. Ha. Ha. Eating a snack of carbohydrates alone speeds up the production of serotonin within 20 minutes. Don't grab a doughnut though. Go for fruit, veggies, and whole grain crackers. That way you can do something good for yourself and not feel guilty. Or, if it's been a really crap day, maybe go for the doughnut.

Get more vitamin D. Vitamin D is relatively cheap and can be purchased at most any supermarket. Taking this supplement daily can boost your serotonin levels by as much as 26%.

Read a book. This is a great way to keep your stress levels low. If you can only spend one hour a day reading something you enjoy, it will do wonders.

Drink hot chocolate. The combination of calcium and antioxidants in hot cocoa boosts your brain's serotonin output for up to seven hours. Indulging in this treat can make you calmer and happier, plus sleep sounder if you have this before bedtime.

Using these stress busting tips can decrease your chances of headaches, indigestion, joint pain, and even weight gain.

Now, doesn't that sound relaxing?

If you're wondering how I know all this, I researched it. Thoroughly. Now that's just one less stressful thing you have to worry about. You can just collect the information and move on with your busy life. :)

You can't please everybody

The truth of this doesn't make it any easier to handle. As a writer, I always want my readers to be pleased. I want them to enjoy the experience of my stories. So, when you read this post, don't take it the wrong way. I definitely care what readers think, and I always have.

So, what prompted this post? Well, I read someone else's blog, of course. LOL I was reading a blog that had this REALLY long list of reader pet peeves and complaints.

It went on and on about one thing and another that readers hated to see in a romance novel. Some of these were obvious. For example, nobody wants a stupid heroine or a hero who is a total jerk.

But some of them were very surprising. Who doesn't want to hear that the hero is well-endowed? Really? Why would anyone want to read a romance novel where the heroine finally got him naked and was like, "Meh?" Ha. Ha. Ha. Sorry, but that was what I pictured when I read that complaint.

Another complaint that I think is a little nit-picky is people complaining when the heroine puts herself in danger. Okay, I get this in general. Don't go running around with a pair of scissors and a lit match in a dry corn field. But seriously, people expect the heroine to not be in danger in a paranormal story? Many of these stories include danger as part of the premise. If the woman is a vampire hunter, for example, she not only has to be in danger at some point, she will likely put herself there on purpose. I understand not wanting someone too stupid to live, but there must be some danger to move the plot forward. Otherwise, it's boring and goes nowhere.

I had someone complain once that Lilith in my Werewolf Hunter series put herself in danger too much. Um, what part of werewolf hunter did they miss? It is her JOB to put herself in danger to protect other people.

The post I read went on and on about how "I want an average guy instead of a hunk all the time." There are many publishers that address this as a part of their guidelines for submitting a story. Many say that if you want to write about the guy next door, write for someone else.

Same thing about being well-endowed. I've seen guidelines that state the hero is "always gorgeous and always well-endowed.." Period. It is not up for discussion with most publishers of erotic romance.

One reader wanted the hero to be extremely alpha-male and always in charge while another said that type of take-charge behavior came off as pushy to her.

I guess my point is this, you really can't please everybody. Some people will like your stories and understand them and some won't. We all like different things.

Most importantly, DO NOT read posts like the one I mentioned and then try to write. It will kill your creativity in a heartbeat. You can't write and try to keep everyone's pet peeves in mind. If you do, you won't be able to tell the story for wondering if someone will complain about it. You will end up tearing apart every little detail and possibly lose your sanity.

I do my best to entertain. That's all any of us can do.

Positive thinking for writers, and other random advice

Last night, I dreamed about my sister-in-law, Rita. As some of you may know, she passed away very unexpectedly in a car accident just a few months ago. If I learned anything from this (besides how much I miss her), it's that life is very short. You have to decide what you want from life and go for it. You may never get another chance.

With that in mind, here are some positive thoughts (and other random advice) for writers who are striving to reach the top. I'm not claiming to know everything. I'm sharing what has personally helped me. I'm not as successful as I will be some day. (See, positive thinking.) But I've come a long way.

I'm sure that if you've read much about positive thinking, most of you have at least heard the term Law of Attraction. First let me say, this has nothing to do with religion. I will never discuss religion on my blog. The Law of Attraction basically states that we all give off a certain vibration. This is a scientific fact, not some mumbo-jumbo. We all vibrate at a particular frequency. Whatever frequency you are sending out into the Universe, you are also attracting more of that frequency back to yourself.

Basically, if you always walk around feeling like crap and thinking about how much you feel like crap, you will attract more circumstances that cause you to feel like crap. It really is that simple. I've seen it at work too many times in my own life to think it's bull.

1. Be proud of your story. If your book has been professionally edited and has great cover art, stop worrying. Provided that you've told a good story, you have done all you can do. Worrying will not sell more copies of your book. If you start to worry about sales, stop yourself in the middle of that thought and say something like, "I am so glad that my sales are up" Or, "I'm so thankful for all the new book sales."

2. If it is your goal (or one of them) to be a highly successful writer, try this exercise. Imagine what emotions you would feel if you were already successful. What would it feel like to sell a million copies? Think about it and write it down. Refer to this list at least once a day. As often as possible, walk around feeling like a success.

3. This is probably the most important piece of advice and it's one that I have to remind myself of often. Keep a good attitude. Being a dick (yes, a dick) sends the wrong signal to the Universe.

4. It isn't possible to be aware of every single thought throughout the day. Here is an easy way to tell what signal you're sending out. How do you feel? If you feel pretty good, you are thinking good thoughts. If you feel awful, find something nice to think about.

5. Never underestimate the power of visualization. If the only spare moment you have is before you go to sleep at night, then do this as you fall asleep. Picture yourself in whatever circumstances that you consider to represent success. Maybe you're at a book signing with lots of adoring fans. Maybe you're on a yacht. Whatever works for you. Take a few minutes, picture this as clearly as you can and imagine what it would feel like to be there for real.

6. If you worry about reviews you are only hurting yourself with worry. If the thought of, "Oh, no. What if someone hates my book?" crosses your mind, stop immediately. Replace that thought with, "I am so grateful for all the good reviews."

These may sound cheesy, but I swear they work. I'm about to take some of my own advice right now and focus on success. Good luck and I hope these are helpful to you.

Sex should be sexy

Have you ever read a romance novel and absolutely cringed when you got to the sex scenes? I'm sure everyone has at some point. Either it was offensive or as I call it "clinical." I'm by no means perfect. However, I keep in mind as I craft a story, what is sexy and what isn't. Sure, this is a matter of personal taste to some extent.

I constantly ask myself and my writing partner, "Is this sexy or is it stupid?" Other people may disagree with the end result, but I don't put anything into my books that I don't think is hot. Ha. Ha.

I was just reading another blog where they asked the question what makes a book a "good read."

http://romancebooks4us.blogspot.com/2012/09/what-makes-good-read.html

Sex is the only thing I could add to the discussion. Wow. That sounded bad. You know what I mean. Yes, sex sells. It is also important in most romance stories, whether highly erotic or not. It's just like real life. If the sex is bad, why continue the relationship? In the case of a book, why keep reading?

For those unfamiliar with the romance genre, it's not all about the sex. But, like my example of a real relationship, it is very important.

I've started reading a few books by very well-known authors and had to put them down because the sex was so awful. One I recall had sex with no emotion in one of the opening scenes of the book. Um, what was the point? This guy hated someone so he wanted to have anal sex with her? What? Okay, so there was emotion, just not a good emotion involved.

Another that stands out as horrific (in my opinion) was a shifter story where the "hero" was obsessed with the way the herione's female parts smelled. Nasty, right? This was constantly on his mind AND he continuously said it out loud. I don't know about anyone else, but if a man had to announce how I smelled every time I walked into a room, I would slap the living shit out of him. That is gross! Every time we got a glimpse into this guy's mind he was breathing her in like he was snorting cocaine, and I might add, not even listening to her. All he could think was some crap along the lines of, "Ah, that sweet, hot, p***y." No, I'm not kidding. It was that bad. To make matters worse, he used this "sweet, hot" phrase over and over again. I had to stop reading because not only did I not find him attractive, but I wanted to murder him with an axe.

I kept thinking, "This is a NY Times Best Selling author? The whole book is about this woman's vagina. Is it actually a character?"

I never want anyone to feel that way when they read my books! As far as what is truly "sexy" I realize that is a matter of taste. However, some things are obviously NOT.

Another thing I can't stand to read is what I call a clinical description. I'm okay with the occasional use of words like vagina and labia. (However, using "vagina" in the middle of a love scene can only be pulled off by a few people and even then on rare occasions.) Those, I don't find off putting in any way. However, reading the word "penis" anywhere in a love/sex scene immediately takes me out of the moment. This word (to me) is cold and clinical. If a medical examiner is making note of someone's dead body and for any reason mentions genitalia, they would use the word penis. A doctor of any kind would use the word penis. But in the heat of the moment to hear a character say "penis" makes me laugh. I'm sorry, penis is a funny word. And to be perfectly honest, the clinical term (in my opinion) makes the hero sound less well-endowed. That's never a good thing, right? Ha. Ha. Ha.

I'm not suggesting that descriptions should be "flowery" by any means. Use frank language, just don't make it sound like your doctor is writing the scene.

I also think that getting overly descriptive with bodily functions is gross, whether during a sex scene or not. A mention once or twice, fine. But all the time? The stand-out example of this is a book I borrowed from a friend. The main character steals people's souls through sex by "swallowing" their essence. She later vomits them back up and stores them in a bottle. You heard me right. It was disgusting! Especially, since there was lots of kissing immediately after the whole vomiting up someone's essence part. No thank you. Oh, and a friend of hers dissolved into a squishy blob immediately after having sex with her. BLEH!

Okay, I'm done. Ha. Ha. Ha. I need to think about something else now or I won't be able to eat breakfast.

The best way to reach your goals

I'm sure we've all wondered about this before. It doesn't matter if your goals are personal or professional, or a mixture of both. Everyone has wondered how to get there faster.

How am I qualified to answer such a question? Well, I've reached several of my own personal goals. I'm a multi-published author. I've got books with 3 different publishing houses (one of them is Ellora's Cave, that has recently gotten some very good press). I'm not rich by any means, but I'm earning more on royalties each year. (I've been published for almost 5 years now.) I've also started to self-publish some books recently. Yes, I do plan to continue working with a traditional publishing house, as well as self-publishing.

As for personal goals, I will share one of my biggest and most important (to me). I've lost 34 pounds since this time last year! I am so excited about that. It didn't happen fast and there was a lot of hard work involved. I'm still working toward where I want to be. Just like my writing career, my body is a work in progress.

My point isn't to brag, not at all. I've worked hard to be where I am. I may not be on top yet, but I'm getting there. I am proud, sure. But I'm not full of myself.

So, how have I come so far and what has this got to do with reaching your goals?

The very best answer I can give is this: Help others to reach their goals and congratulate them when they do.

Long before I was a published author, I was excited about the prospect of one day writing my own books. I didn't read popular authors and scoff, "Oh, I'm so much better than them. Their writing sucks. Blah, blah, blah." I didn't write scathing reviews online because I felt they were competition or out of flat out jealousy. (Or any other reason.) I've certainly read more than a few books that I didn't like. However, I never felt the need to bash them in public. There are plenty of people who I'm sure loved them.

I approached the task of writing my first book (and signing my first publishing contract) with humility. I am honored that people would take the time to read my books and I am so far beyond thrilled to hear when someone enjoys one of them.

I am happy for my fellow writers when they get a new contract, or a great review. It is exciting to see so many movies based on books too! That gives me hope. Ha. Ha. Ha. I don't sit there wondering, "How the crap did that happen?" I think how awesome it is that there's a chance it could happen to me too! My odds are no different than anyone else's, and neither are yours.

When I was at my highest weight, I was happy for my cousin who started running and losing weight. It hurt to look in the mirror and see an image I was less than proud of, but I never envied her. I was proud of her. I cheered her on and I still do. She's a marathon runner now and I'm so happy for her! I'm training to be able to run a 5k and someday soon, I'll be right there with her.

My point is, whatever your goals are, don't belittle other people who might get there ahead of you. I assure you, the climb isn't easy. No one is ever handed anything, even if it may look as if they are. None of us knows what goes on behind the scenes in someone else's life. You have no way of knowing how hard they worked to get where they are and it may not even be that far ahead of you anyways.

We all have our own battles. Everyone who reads this post is fighting for something. Maybe you want your voice to be heard, like having your book published, or you're struggling to get into better shape. Maybe you are fighting for some cause that is deeply personal to you. My point is, everyone is fighting for something.

In light of sounding like the biggest hippie in the world, we should stop fighting each other and offer support instead. (This applies to personal and professional goals, not world domination. That's bad.) If someone accomplishes something you would dearly love to do, congratulate them. Do it sincerely, not out of spite or with a snide remark. You'll be surprised how great it will make you feel.

What goes around really does come around, whether you believe in karma or not. I put out what I hope to get back one day.

I support those I admire, and those in my field. I don't belittle my fellow author and I don't begrudge all the miles my cousin has ran that I haven't. Ha. Ha. I'll get there soon enough.

We are not competing with each other

Most of us have seen or experienced first-hand this type of attitude, "I'm not going to have HER on my blog, she writes the same type of things I do." Or, "Why would I friend her on Facebook, she writes romance too." Something along those lines, anyway.

The nastiest display of this type are those who feel the necessity to use fake accounts for the sole purpose of leaving scathing 1 star reviews on sites like Amazon. They seem to think that if they can bring their fellow author down or make them look bad that this is a good thing. Is it?

I've never heard of one author's sales going up because another's went down. Even if someone leaves a terrible review and makes a few people change their minds, who's to say they will go after the book of the one writing the review? Especially if no one even knows who they are because they're using a name like "unknown" to bash people.

Here's the way I see it. First of all, the publishing industry is a very small world. Be polite and be professional to everyone you encounter. Someone you are snarky to today might be very famous tomorrow. Maybe you could have been a guest on their blog or been referred to their agent, or some other thing that might have helped you, if only you hadn't been a total jerk.

Everyone has an off day sometimes. There is a difference in having an off day and being a downright bitch. A big difference.

If all your contact with other industry professionals is online, be careful how you word things. Also, don't be afraid to use smilies when appropriate. They go a long way in changing the tone of otherwise flat or harsh words.

Here's something that may shock a lot of people. I do not believe that other authors who write paranormal romance are my competition. I'm not saying we should all hold hands and sing, but we are in this together to a certain extent. There's no reason to be nasty.

The reason I say that is, I've never in my life known a reader who only reads ONE author. Generally, if someone likes a genre, they read widely within that genre. Personally, I love horror and I read lots of authors who write horror. Sure, I have a favorite. However, that won't stop me from reading someone else's work. I also love fantasy, including YA.

For years I didn't read any other paranormal romance. I didn't want it to influence my work. I didn't want anyone to have a reason to compare me to anyone else. While I still don't want to be compared to others, I have started to read within my chosen genre again.

At first I got questions from some like, "Checking out the competition?"

"No," I said. "I'm going to read something I enjoy."

If you don't make the time to read, then you shouldn't take the time to write. Reading the works of others is what makes us better writers. You might be surprised what you learn just from reading someone else's book. I sincerely believe that every time I read Dean Koontz my ability to describe things improves. That man can paint a picture with only a sentence. Now THAT is a neat trick. Reading his work is not only entertaining, it makes me a better writer, even though we aren't in the same genre.

There are also those who try to narrow the field by discouraging as many new authors as possible. This could range from an outright attack or simply trying to make them feel bad about themselves and their work. That is outrageous. Please, don't let anyone do this to you if you're a new writer. Hell, if you're not a new writer, don't let anyone do this to you.

For some reason, people like this think that if there are less books out there, theirs will suddenly sell more copies. While this might happen accidentally if the market is sparce, there is no way to know for certain. Besides being cruel, this behavior is flat out stupid. Your work should stand out because of the quality of entertainment you provide, not because it was the only thing available.

My point is, we aren't in competition with one another. Regardless of the genre you write, all writers have a lot of things in common. No matter how much you may like to share with your friends and family, there is only so much they understand. Or care to hear for that matter. Ha. Ha. No one knows the industry like someone else working in it.

Does anyone remember the line from Lord of The Rings, "To be a ring bearer is to be alone?"

Well, for the most part, to be a writer is to be alone. We spend countless hours at a keyboard, making entire worlds come to life while our own may be neglected. We live out dreams in our heads and put them onto paper for the world to see. We put emotions into words.

Why alienate each other? We're really not so different.

The more exposure the better, right?

If that first line conjures images of a mad flasher in a trench coat, don't worry. That's not the kind of exposure I'm talking about. I'm talking about getting exposure for your books. How can anyone buy something they've never heard of, right?

Now if you're like me, you don't have much money to spend on advertisements, even the cheap ones. Most of the time, I have NO advertising budget at all. But what I do have is time. I've been taking the advice of that editor who said that the very best advertisement is coming out with another good book.

I've got some pretty good evidence that she was right. Not that I doubted her. What she said made perfect sense to me. However, I see people advertising the same books sometimes when they haven't written anything new in years. I realize there are all kinds of reasons why something like this might happen. Don't misunderstand me, I'm not insulting those individuals. Not at all. I'm offering my opinion based on what I've personally experienced. That's all anyone can do.

Now, from my experience, after a year, sales trickle off on new books significantly. (Of course, sales trickle off before that, but that's when I've noticed the biggest drop.) However, each time I have a new release, sales increase for all my books. This increase continues to grow sometimes for several months.

This brings me to my next point, self-publishing is TOTALLY worth it. I've gotten more exposure with Frank and The Werewolf Tamer (my first self-pub title) than with ANY of my books with a traditional publisher. How much more?

In less than 2 months, Frank and The Werewolf Tamer, (including some free downloads offered as promo), has been downloaded roughly 2,000 times. Not all of those were free. Not even half.

My very best-selling book with a traditional publisher did not reach 2,000 sales for the YEAR.

That's what I call exposure!

Now, having said that, I made more money off the book with a traditional publisher in the first 6 weeks than I have so far with Frank. That was due in part to higher prices on the books and the fact some copies of Frank were offered for free.

I'm pricing my books as cheaply as I can and still earn a living in order to reach a larger audience. I've run some 99 cent promos, but I can't afford to leave my books priced at 99 cents. Writing is my only job. I need to earn a paycheck.

I'm sharing this in the hopes that it might help those who are still wondering what to expect with a self-published book. I believe the exposure is worth the time. People are enjoying Frank and The Werewolf Tamer and they are telling their friends. That's fantastic! I've never gotten so much word of mouth endorsements on a book before. How do I know it's word of mouth selling more books and not something else? Because I haven't done anything else. I haven't spent one single dime on advertising for Frank and The Werewolf Tamer.

I've done some guest blog posts, but that's it. Several authors were kind enough to let me be their guest and I'm sure that continues to help. My point is, it didn't cost money. You don't have to spend a fortune to sell books.

I'm sure this is great news to everyone who has to pay for marketing all on their own. Wait, that would be everyone. Ha. Ha. Ha. Sorry to burst that bubble. Even big names still pay for much (and in some cases all) of their marketing. Those banners with your book and smiling face right beside your name in HUGE letters, not to mention like 100 free copies, only happens in the movies.

How to get your novel started, Conclusion

Conclusion

By this point, I hope you have started your novel and realized that you can write a book. Here are a few final tips.

You need a basic knowledge of grammar, but writing a novel is much different from writing a paper for class. You don’t have to worry about proper or “professional” grammar. Write as you speak. If you were writing an informal letter to a friend would you use a colon? Probably not.

“That” should not be a major part of your story. Can you use “which” instead or eliminate the word all together?

Don’t forget to write as you speak. If you can’t find the words, think of how you would explain/describe the same thing to a friend.

I hope this information has been helpful to you. I wish you happy writing and many sales!

Character Outline

Here's the outline I promised in yesterday's post:) I hope it helps you to better understand your characters. Please, don't feel like you have to answer every question. I never do. Actually, I've only used an outline on a few characters. The rest ... I just knew and didn't need to ask.


1. What is the character’s name?



2. How old are they?



3. Who were their parents?



4. Where were they born? Did anything unusual happen?



5. Where do they live?



6. Are they single?



7. Do they have a job? What is it?



8. What was their childhood like? Are there any brothers or sisters? What is the relationship with siblings?



9. What kinds of relationships does the character have? What kinds of friends? Enemies? Why?



10. Does the character have any bad habits? Sexual appetites?



11. Describe the physical appearance of the character. Skin color? Height? Weight? Physique? Tall or short? Fat or thin or muscular?



12. Hair color? Eye color?



13. Do they have an accent? What kind?



14. How do they walk? (strut? swagger? etc)



15. Does the character have any disabilities? Distinguishing marks? Tattoos? Disfigurements? Why? How did they get these scars?



16. What kind of jewelry or ornamentation does the character wear? Rings, earrings, necklace, medallion or piercing?



17. What class of person is this? Wealthy or poor? Honest or rogue? Soldier or leader? Merchant or laborer? Teacher or student? Highborn or lowborn? Educated or ignorant? Rational or superstitious? Religious or skeptical?



18. What kind of clothing does the character wear? Fancy or plain? Expensive or cheap? Elegant or simple? Describe the clothes.



19. What kind of weapons does this character carry? Why? What do these weapons accomplish? How much training has your character had in the use of these weapons?



20. What powers or abilities does this character have?



21. What’s their best quality?



22. What’s their worst quality?



23. What does your character believe? What does he or she know? What does he or she need to know?



24. What is this character’s weakness? Fatal flaw?



25. What are they afraid of?



26. What makes them angry?



27. What do they dislike?



28. What do they like most?



29. What do they want?



30. What do they need?



31. What do they most need to learn? What do they most need to say? To whom?



32. What’s their worst fear?



33. Do they have any regrets?



34. Do they have any special talents or abilities?



35. What do they dream about?



36. If they could do one thing with their life what would it be?



37. What is the problem? Why is it his or her problem? Why does this problem hurt?



38. What is the essential emotional problem that this character must face and resolve?



39. What one word best sums up their personality?

How to get your novel started Part 4

This is going to be a very long post.

Writing your book

By now you should have your book planned. You should have a working outline and at least some idea of a title. We’ll be discussing:

How to create memorable characters
Setting and description
Transitions

Transitions

Transitions are the key to making your writing flow. They’re what makes your book “readable.” Transitions are words and short phrases which are normally found at the first of a sentence. They are to ensure that the reading experience is smooth and effortless. (Don’t use them too often though, or your editor will kill you. Seriously, they have a dungeon for people who use these words too much.)

Here are some examples:

Furthermore

On the other hand

So

For example

Otherwise

Because

Afterwards

Then

And

But

Basically

Later

While

In the meantime

Nevertheless

Equally

Apart from

Indeed

In fact

In conclusion

While writing, try to use transitions often to help readers follow your train of thought. Notice I used the words “and” and “but”? Forget what you learned in school about never using these words at the start of a sentence. One shows that a further supporting statement is about to be made and another shows that an opposing statement is about to be made. And if anyone doesn’t like it, tell them to see me. Ha. Ha. This goes back to writing like you speak. (As long as every sentence doesn't begin with "and or "but.")

Writing with Flair

Of course, like I’ve already said, the best thing you can do to add flair is to write like you speak. A straight-forward conversational style will ensure that your work reads well. If you’re a good conversationalist, then you’ll probably be a good writer.

Writing this way is also the quickest way to get your book finished. I mean, how many times are you speaking to someone and pause for weeks in between? Never right? If you know what to say, you have less trouble finding how to say it.

Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind as you write:

Try to avoid clichés. These are tired phrases like “he ran like the wind” or “she wiped the floor with him.” They are often seen as lazy writing, simply because they have been used so much. They’re a little bit like the tomatoes you left in the fridge for too long, they’ve lost their freshness. (And could possibly be growing mold.)

Vary the length of your sentences. This is to avoid monotony. You also need to suit the pace and tone of what you’re writing. If you’re writing an action sequence, for example, your sentences should be shorter and more precise. Just like the uppercut your character is about to throw.

In particular avoid long, long, long, long, sentences with lots of commas. Use full stops.

Besides length, vary your sentence construction. Normal sentence structure is subject-verb-object. To maintain pace and readability, it’s best to maintain this most of the time. But sometimes it’s alright to change things around a little.

Avoid repeating a word within a sentence or two. Unless you’re doing this deliberately for effect, it is unpleasant to read. You also don’t want to go overboard trying to avoid using the same word again. For instance, don’t call a cow a bovine quadruped to avoid using the word “cow” again.

Avoid using a long word when you could use a short one instead. Use the longer one if it’s the only one appropriate. This has nothing to do with the intellect of your readers, so don't be offended. Writing simply flows better if it isn't bogged down with lots of loooooong words. I hate to read something where the author obviously threw in a bunch of big words just to make themselves or their point seem more important.

Use adjectives and adverbs sparingly. Adjectives are describing words like hot or cold. Adverbs normally end in “ly” and tell how something is done. (Poorly or splendidly.) For example, instead of saying a vast amount of water, say an ocean. Or instead of she yelled at the top of her lungs, she screamed.

Avoid using old-fashioned words. Even for comic effect. Words like quoth and perchance should only be found in Shakespeare.

Keep punctuation simple. All you should need for the most part are full stops, a few commas, and question marks. When writing for a general audience, most people could give a rip if you know how to properly place a colon or a semi-colon. Some people even find them distracting.

Use figures of speech to bring your writing to life. The best known figures of speech are metaphors and similes. If you can do this with an original flare, it will help the reader to see the character or situation in a whole new light.

With a simile, the comparison should be explicit. No, I don't mean raunchy. A comparison is obviously made.

I like to give unusual similes. Like someone growing on you like a fungus.

Metaphors are used more artfully. They are often referred to as imagery. These figures of speech should evoke vivid images in the reader’s mind.

Here is an example from Red, book one in my Werewolf Hunter Series.

The beautiful summer day had begun to turn as ugly as my mood. Through the doors to the balcony, dark clouds could be seen gathering. Technically, it was still spring, but when the temperature reached nearly eighty degrees every day, I called it summer. That’s the only thing about Florida I wasn’t fond of; I did not deal well with the heat. But, you can’t have everything, and living in the middle of nowhere, with almost no neighbors, I was probably surrounded by some of God’s best art work. As I walked out onto the balcony, surrounded by deep red roses, I marveled at the fact that there were people who did not believe in the existence of a higher power. I watched the storm clouds rumble and swirl, looking like a bruise mingling with the blue of the sky. I had the urge to get a blank canvas and some paint. Yes, God existed, and he was an artist. In my opinion, anyone who doubted that need only watch one sunset. Every day the countryside around me was painted with the same masterful hand in a slightly different portrait.

The first few rain drops began to fall around me, making the roses look like bobbing little red heads as the rain bounced from their petals. I closed my eyes, tilted back my head and let the rain wash away the bad memories.

No, this book isn’t about religion. Lilith just happens to mention her belief in God during this segment. The question is, could you see the rain bouncing off those roses? Could you picture the storm spreading across the sky?

Another quick note: Don’t work too hard to come up with figures of speech. It isn’t worth it. Besides being a waste of time, if the comparison you make isn’t completely obvious, the result could be unintentionally comical.

Similes and metaphors should be used sparingly. But if you come up with a few good ones along the way, they can help to make your words more easily understood and make your book more fun to read.

Tips specifically for fiction writers

Characterization

Characterization goes hand in hand with conflict. These are probably THE most important parts of the story. After all, you can’t have conflict without characters. The reason people enjoy fiction is because at some level we are able to identify with one or more of the characters. You start to put yourself in their shoes and keep reading to see how they work things out.

And if you had characters without a conflict, you’d have a really boring book. Think back to one of those cheesy old scenes in a black and white movie where two characters run toward each other across a field of wildflowers. Boring right? Who are these idiots and why aren’t they having an allergy attack from all the pollen? If everything worked out right and bad things never happened to good people, it would make an extraordinarily dull read.

Everybody wants and occasionally has strokes of good luck. But we also have setbacks. That’s just part of life. And though readers do read to escape reality, you shouldn’t leave it completely behind. Everything doesn’t always go right and this should be true for your characters.

If everything is always perfect in the lives of your characters, readers won’t be able to identify with them and won’t be the slightest bit interested in what happens to them.

Most truly great fictional characters have been flawed in some way. All of them have problems (conflict) and work to overcome them. For fiction to be successful, it is essential to have characters who have flaws as well as strengths and who experience conflicts and failure as well as success.

Character and conflict interweave to form the plot.

Example: Werewolf Hunter Series – Red

Lilith Mercury is a werewolf Hunter who is not exactly human. Marco Barak is an alpha werewolf looking to change people’s perceptions of his kind, and snag a new alpha female in the process. After a passionate encounter in his club one night, Lilith can no longer deny her attraction to the wolfman. Her job is to kill him, but it breaks her heart to think of causing him harm. Once The Wizard Council agrees to hear Marco’s proposal for the enactment of the werewolf code, things might change, not only for werewolves, but for Lilith. Soon they will both discover that anything worth having is worth fighting for.

PLOT SPRINGS FROM CHARACTER

So, how are you supposed to create these memorable characters from which your plot develops? First, you need to get to know them and I suggest doing so before you start writing. You need to know what makes them tick, their strengths and weaknesses, background, hobbies, etc.

Picture someone in your mind, a character perhaps. Not a celebrity or someone you know, but someone you’ve made up. If you don’t have anyone in mind, then make someone up right now. I’ve found that it’s easier to write in response to a question, so I've got an exercise to help you develop your character.

The exercise will follow this section in the next post.

If you do this exercise, by the time you get to the end, you should feel like you’re getting to know this character. Some of the questions may not apply to your character and that’s fine. This is just to help you get an idea of who they are. You don’t have to know the answer to every question and some of them will even be answered as you write the story.

Now think of a problem this person would want to avoid more than anything. It could be based on their worst fear or their dislikes. Think how the person involved would attempt to resolve the situation. What would they do and what would be the consequences of their actions?

The better you know the characters, the easier the outline and the story will be to write. If you are familiar with your character’s personalities and backgrounds, any one of these can be used to create conflict.

Creating well-rounded life-like characters is important. You might want to complete the questionnaire for all of the characters in your book.

Keep in mind that for your book to be successful, the main character or characters must also be someone readers will find likeable, at least on some level.

Here are some more ideas for creating likeable and memorable characters.

1. Show their softer side – have them do something kind.

2. Make them the underdog – people always root for the underdog, so make the odds stacked against them.

3. Put them in big trouble – the more trouble your character is in, the more the audience will be drawn in.

4. Make them good at what they do – even if they are an assassin, let them take pride in it. (maybe even be the best in the business)

5. Give them a dark past – this could tie into their regrets. We’ve all done things that we regret, having this in a character also makes them easier to identify with.

6. Give them a sense of humor – this not only makes the story easier to read, but makes the characters more believable. They don’t have to be a comedian, they just need to not always take themselves so seriously.

7. Give them flaws – real people cannot identify with perfect people. Give them a drinking problem or a fear of heights … something to overcome.

8. Give them someone to love – it could be a lover or their child, or even their dog. But everyone, no matter how bad they may be, needs someone to love. Yes, this applies even if you’re not writing a love story.

9. Let them have something in common with the reader – this could be a nosy neighbor or a boss who’s a jerk. Just as long as it’s something that a lot of people can identify with.

10. Make them rebels – this goes along with being the underdog, just do it with attitude.

Of course, you don’t need to use all of these for every character, but you should use some to make the characters easy to identify with and realistic.

Show, don’t tell

I didn’t invent this phrase. It’s used in lots of writing classes. And it’s probably the best piece of advice I can give you.

Don’t just tell them what’s going on in a scene. Describe it. Show it to them. Try to think of your novel as a movie. Rather than just telling your audience what happens, show it to them in a few vividly portrayed scenes.

Show scenes through the eyes of a viewpoint character.

Don’t include asides which can only come from the author.

Have as much dialogue and action as possible.

Keep reportage and reminiscence (flash backs) to a minimum.

Write most of your story in the character’s presence.

Avoid having characters tell one another about events – if it’s important show it happening instead.

Why the words you choose are so important

People don’t just want to see your world. They want to hear it, feel it. They want to take in the sights, taste the food, hear the music. They want to be able to feel the changes in temperature and observe the animals.

If you can’t describe the place like you’ve been there, the reader will know the difference. They can only get as deep into the story as you do.

Setting and description

Try to include these in the dialogue. Blend them into the narrative. Avoid a three page description of a dirt road. (Seriously, I read that once.) Rather than stop a story in its tracks to provide a full description of the setting, give a few well chosen details and let the reader fill in the rest for themselves.

The character outline can be found in the next post:) I may have to do that one tomorrow.

How to get your novel started - Part 1

You have to make a commitment to put time and effort into creating a written work. But that doesn’t mean you have to be a slave to your keyboard. The best writers are the ones who also have experienced life and you can’t do that behind a computer. At the very least, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you completed a novel, and at best, your life may be changed forever.
Please don’t let the prospect of writing a work of novel-length fiction scare you. If you dwell on it, you can talk yourself right out of your dream. I will guide you step by step through the process of forming your ideas. I’ll share some of my own tips and techniques which anyone can learn and apply.

So, who am I to tell you all this? My name is Tracey H. Kitts. I have been writing stories pretty much since I could write. My first novel was published in August, 2007 with New Concepts Publishing. Since then I have had 15 full-length novels, 3 novellas, and 1 short story published. My books were released first as ebooks. The majority of my stories have also been released in print form as well.

Now 2007 may sound very recent to you for me to be teaching a writing class. The truth is I’m not new to writing; it's something I've always done for my own entertainment. However when I decided to write my first novel I completed books one and two in my werewolf hunter series in 3 months. That includes the time it took me to self-edit the work. What’s more, it only took me five months to find a publisher. I may not be a household name yet, but I’m doing what I love.

The purpose of these posts (or class if you want to call it that) is to help you achieve similar or maybe even greater results. However, you can’t get there until you learn to organize your ideas. That’s what I’ll help you do. For a complete bio on me and information about my books, you can check me out at http://www.traceyhkitts.com/.

You can find my books through my website, http://www.ellorascave.com/, http://www.newconceptspublishing,com/, Amazon, or many other ebook retailers.

I’ll start by giving you a brief overview of what you can expect from this class.

 I’ll share with you some of the direct and indirect benefits of writing a book.

 I’ll debunk some common myths about writing and show you how you can write a book.

 You’ll learn how to create an outline for your ideas.

 You’ll learn how to brainstorm effectively to generate new ideas.

 By the end of this course, you should have all you need to start writing your novel!

Also, don't worry about the fact that I write romance. This course is for everybody. It's not about how to write romance; it's about how to get your novel started, no matter what your book is about.

We'll discuss genre later on and why a clear determination of genre is so important. You may think that a sci-fi, paranormal, comedy, romance is the greatest thing since sliced bread. But trust me, your editor will not.

This post is to give you all a general overview of what will be covered. Naturally, I'm bound to add more as we go:) It's what I do. Ha. Ha. Ha.

If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments.

In the next installment we'll discuss (among other things) why so many people think they can't write a novel. I'll also give you your first writing exercise. Doesn't that sound exciting?

Writer's Block? All you need is a good hammer.

First, I'd like to say that I don't believe in writer's block. Really. I believe that life happens. We've all got bills to pay. Most of us have children to take care of, pets, and God knows what else. Thinking about all of those things often leaves little time for creativity.

In this post, I'll share a few tips that have never failed to help me when I'm having trouble concentrating. These are just a few short "tricks" that work for me. In the next few weeks, I'll be offering a writing class here on my blog. I'll answer questions that are posted in the comments, so help me spread the word:)


This class will be all about How To Get Your Novel Started! So many people have asked me how to start that I actually put together a class from all my emails. I figured, why not share that information with everyone else? So, get ready. There will be more to come.


In the meantime, here are a few ideas to help spark your creativity.


This is my favorite. Take out a dictionary. Close your eyes and point to 3 words. Write them down. Now, give yourself 5 minutes to write a paragraph that includes all 3 words. I've started novels this way! (And actually sold them to publishers where they went on to sale very well.)


Something else really simple, listen to music. Beethoven and R&B are my favorites, but everyone has their own "sound" of inspiration.


The third thing that helps me most often is a Baby Name Dictionary. I'll read through (or point at random) and then read the meaning of the name. Often times I can come up with a character's whole personality just by knowing their name.


I hope these tips were helpful! Tune in for more in a few days. I'm hoping to start the writing class after Thanksgiving!