The Hardest Writing Job Ever

By Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73

Over the weekend, I completed what I consider to be the hardest thing I've ever written.

I planned an entire novel.

Now, this is not to say I wrote the novel. But I planned it. I sat down with Structuring Your Novel, by K.M. Weiland and thought about things like plot points, and pinch points, and a three-act structure. I wrote a twelve-page narrative of how this story was going to go, and then turned that into a list of 64 scenes.

It was tedious, time-consuming, and exhausting.

"But wait," you will say. "Haven't you done this before? Don't you do it all the time?"

Well, yes - and no.

Much of the other things I have written to date are much shorter. The Hero's Sword series, for example, is almost all novella length. So while I do write a "road map" (that's what I call these things - I'm not sure they are what a literary agent would call a treatment or synopsis, but it's my map to the story) for those, they usually don't exceed five pages.

All of my Laurel Highlands Mysteries stories have been short stories or novelettes (6,000 to 12,000 words). So while I've worked out the story question and key plot elements, I've never done a full-blown road map.

This was different. This was sitting down and saying, "Okay, what needs to happen? What needs to happen before that? How is this scene going to flow into the next one? How does this plot point affect the story?"

I wrote. I changed. I moved paragraphs. I rewrote. By the end, my brain felt like a wet sponge.

Yes, it's harder than writing the actual story. It's still not a true "outline" - I'm still what they'd call a "pantser" at heart (someone who makes it up as she goes). But I think I'm going to be very glad I did it.

I have, on a couple of occasions, compared this to a construction project. You draw plans. You measure. You write up lists of required materials and tools. And you do this all before you start, not in the middle. The purpose is to do everything you can to make sure you have what you need before you start and minimize those middle-of-the-project trips to Home Depot because you didn't buy enough dry wall (I mean, it might happen anyway, but you're doing your best).

You are also trying to make sure that you lay a firm foundation, so your masterpiece doesn't fall in on itself when you're done.

I'm also taking an online scene writing workshop. Based on today's homework, I finished just in time. I'd never be able to complete the work without what I finished last night.

The next step? Write the darn story. That will happen in November as part of NaNoWriMo. My hope is that since I've planned out all of the scenes, the actual writing will go much smoother because, well, I'll already know where I'm going. I might take a side trip or two, but it shouldn't derail me completely. At least I hope not.

So onward! Wish me luck - I'll let you know how I did at the end of November.

Image courtesy of Linus Bohman; used under Creative Commons.

Growing and stretching

by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73

Last weekend, I went to my annual writing retreat with my fellow Sisters in Crime. It was my third retreat and, as always, great fun. Our weekend instructor was Tim Esaias, and he provided not only tons of useful information, but made me laugh so hard Saturday night that my sides hurt. And he let me help with an impromptu self-defense demo Sunday morning, which is always fun.

As I always do, I returned home full of energy and holed myself up in the den to work on the story I'd submitted for critique (that was fairly well-received). And after the weekend, all sorts of things started jumping off the page. I thought I'd gotten rid of them. But suddenly, I wondered why people weren't falling over all of the eyeballs rolling around, and why someone hadn't reported a hurricane with all the sighs blowing through the rooms.

It was eye-opening - and awesome.

Later, as I was still bouncing around about this, I was talking over imagery with my husband, who has read all of my stories. I was looking for the metaphor for the series. And he just said, "Duh, it's the dog, dummy." But isn't that too obvious? "It doesn't have to be rocket science, dear. I'm your target audience. It's fine."

And much later, when I reported completion of the revisions, my husband said, "It's really exciting to watch. You've moved from gifted amateur to a real professional."

The comment caught me off guard. There are days when I really don't feel like a professional. After all, while I've garnered a few publication credits, I still have a day job. I still don't get to get up and spend all day playing with my make-believe friends. I'm still so far away from where I someday want to be.

But when I go back and look at what I wrote three years, a year, or even six months ago, I can see the difference. My first Laurel Highlands story, An Idyllic Place for Murder, was published this month at Mysterical-e. I had to professionally edited, and I know the editor liked it, so it's a good story - and readers have told me they like it. But while I re-read, I found lots of places where, if I was writing the same story today, I'd change things, craft a sentence differently, go for a different visual.

And, in that sense, I guess I am further down the road, a professional. An amateur just writes. A professional studies the craft. She enjoys her publication, but never stops learning, looking for yet another tool for the box. I spent part of the weekend reading Structuring Your Novel, and light bulbs went off as I finally had words and techniques for the things I always sort of "felt" rather than "knew."

Even reading the book is a change. Three years ago, when I wrote my first novel, the word "structure" was a foreign concept. Structure? I don't need no stinking structure. I'm going to wing it! And man, does it show.

So on a rainy Monday morning, I am making a conscious decision. I will not lament where I am not, I will celebrate how far I have come, all while I acknowledge that there is much more to learn.

And maybe that's the sign of a true professional.

The Time has Come

by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73

The Youghiogheny River

By george, I think I've got it.

If you've been following me on Facebook or Twitter, you know that I've had random, episodic scenes coming to me for, oh, the last month or so. The story has, I think, finally come to together.

It is time to move Jim Duncan and Sally Castle from the world of short fiction to the novel. My main project for October will be plotting and writing the synopsis/summary for the first Laurel Highlands Mysteries novel, tentatively titled Every Other Monday is Murder.

I've been reading a lot of Don Maass as the lead-in to this project. Honestly, I feel a little intimidated. Who am I to think I can actually pull this off? But when you wake up with scenes for a story running through your head, well, it's a story begging to be written, right? And I get the feeling that this one is bigger than a short story.

So, here I go. Wish me luck. And check in at the end of October to ask if I'm done (if nothing else, knowing people will be checking up on me will keep me honest).

The Value of an Editor

by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73

Apologies for the late posting today. I was going to write about JK Rowling, but something has trumped that post.

Some writers don't like editors. They think that, somehow, letting an editor in messes with the "purity" of their story, as if the editor's goal is to rip everything to shreds and rewrite it to fit their (the editor's) own vision of the story. Or if they want an "edit," they only want a copy edit. Go find all the typos and leave the rest alone, lest you mar my beautiful creation.

I have a word for this: baloney.

I've been blessed to work with three wonderful editors for various projects. I'm working with a fourth for Wedding Bells: Hero's Sword Vol. 3. I will admit to feeling a little nervous when the new editor was introduced. Would he like the story?

Being a professional, he went back and read the first two books. I'm happy to report he liked them, and he liked Wedding Bells, saying it might be his favorite of the three. Yay!

However, that doesn't mean the manuscript didn't come back with suggestions and changes: everything from grammar corrections to suggestions on word choices. Plenty of red marks, that's for sure.

And you know what? All of it resulted in a better, tighter story. I did a lot of nodding as I read his comments. he didn't change my story - he made it better.

I had a similar experience with my first Laurel Highlands story. I submitted it and it got rejected a couple times. I worked with an editor. I incorporated her suggestions/changes. And I sold the story.

That's what a good editor does. It's not about changing or remaking the story. It's about elevating it. Because face it, authors; after staring at your manuscript for days/weeks/months/years, you can't see the weak spots any more. You need fresh eyes to come in a say, "You've used 'hurry' three times in three successive paragraphs; pick something else," or "Strengthen the scene with a little more/less description."

A good editor is worth his/her weight in gold. Yeah, you might have to work with a couple different ones (if you are self-publishing), but when you find one, hold on tight. Your editor is not your opposition, she's your partner. Together, you'll work together to make a great book for your reader.

And isn't that really what it's all about?

Image courtesy of Nic McPhee, used under Creative Commons

Goals for 2013: Update

 by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73

So, a while ago, I posted about my writing goals for 2013. I figured I'd give an update.

Submit my second Laurel Highlands Mystery story. 

I admit, I haven't done this one yet. Mostly because I've been bogged down in other things. See, when I wrote the original list, I forgot a very important goal, which is...

Complete and submit my Black Orchid Novella Contest entry.

How this slipped my mind I have no idea. But it did. The contest deadline is 31 May, so there is time. I'm finishing up review of comments from my critique partners now (yay for critique partners) and should finish this week. Which means I'll have some time to let it simmer again while I work on other things (namely the synopsis for Hero's Sword #5 and started the SFD of Hero's Sword #4). This shouldn't derail me too much, but really, I should just submit that story and get it done.

Read at least one craft book per month.

This one I'm making good progress on. I completed Fiction Attack! and am working my way through Revision & Self-Editing. I usually read a chapter and then apply it, which has been working really well. Next up will be Plot & Structure, also by James Scott Bell. And if you're thinking I'm a huge JSB fan, you're right. If you are a writer, I seriously urge you to pick up some of his books (notably P&S and Revision). He's got a great writing and teaching style.

Complete revisions of Hero's Sword 3 by tax day (4/15).

Ha! One that I completed! Well, sort of. I need to do another read through, I think, looking for more stuff from Revision & Self-Editing. But I did complete another two rounds and trimmed another 2,000 words by the end of March, so I'm going to call this a "win."

Complete the SFD of Hero's Sword 4 by May 31 and first revisions by July 31.

Haven't started - mainly because I was struggling with an idea for book #5. But I've got that now, so I'll probably tackle that synopsis next, which will set me up to start the SFD.

Complete and submit two more Laurel Highlands Mystery stories by the end of summer.

Not started yet. These are generally between 8,000 and 15,000 words (long story story to novelette). I've got at least two ideas sketched out. If I can get two more complete and submitted by fall, that gives me four. A fifth is scheduled to come out in an anthology at the end of the year. That allows me to...

Plan an anthology release of the Laurel Highlands Mysteries by the end of 2013

Not started yet. This is not to say that the anthology will be released at the end of this year - but I will have a plan. I've got decent hopes that I can get the next two sent to Mysterical-e and since they say they like series, there's a decent chance they'll be accepted. If so, the anthology may include a brand new story. Timing of the release TBD, but I can have a plan by year end (especially since one of my targeted craft/business reads is exactly how to make a plan).

So there I am - a little status update. Because part of setting goals is being accountable. So if you've read to the end, thanks for helping me stay on track. I owe you one. =)

The Difference of a Year

by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73

I was going through my email last week, looking for something, when I stumbled on a couple of messages I've kept around for encouragement. They were sent after a workshop I attended in early March of last year. It was a pretty rough experience and left me doubting my ability to cut it as a writer.

Let me set the stage. I had a novel I'd been working on, off and on, for about 10 years. Yes, you read that right - 10 years. But I'd completed the first draft (finally) the previous summer due to a period of unemployment. I'd submitted a part of it for critique and been told it hadn't sucked. I'd lived with it so long, I figured I knew everything about it by now.

Well, I didn't. That workshop made it glaringly obvious that this manuscript had serious problems. And I despaired of ever fixing it. After crying a bit (okay, more than a bit), I put the story away. Faced with yet another rewrite, I just couldn't bear to look at it any more.

But I knew that I had more to learn. About that time is when I started working seriously in short fiction. I read. I attended more workshops (in person and online). And I kept writing.

Fast forward to March 2012:

• I have one book published (the first in the Hero's Sword series), with a contract for three more.
• I have a short-story accepted for publication in an online magazine.
• I have another short story accepted for publication in an anthology.
• I've learned (through workshops and books) a ton about just why that first novel manuscript didn't work.

What a difference a year makes.

The biggest difference in where I was in March 2011 and where I am in March 2012? No, not the books or the workshops (although they have undoubtedly helped). It's something intangible, something I think every successful writer does even if they can't articulate it.

It's perseverance. "Stick-to-it-iveness." A plain-old refusal to give up.

It's changing the mindset from "I'll never get this right" to "I am going to get this right - eventually."

Because honestly? I've wanted to write fiction forever. Really. If you'd asked me at any point in my life what I hoped to be doing in 10 years, I'd have said I'd be a published author (no really, it was part of my answer in an interview in 1998)

And I finally made it happen. Not because I'm talented, or a genius, or the next Stephen King. I just wouldn't give up. Call it what you will - stupidity, stubbornness, whatever.

Am I a NYT or Amazon best seller? No, not yet. Still working on that. And that's something I can't control.

But when I go to Amazon, I get to see a book, an honest-to-goodness book cover, with my name on it. I can control that. I can write and learn and publish myself. And that is pretty freaking cool.

A year ago, five years ago, 25 years ago - I wouldn't have thought it would happen. But it did. And all I really did was show up, keep doing, and stuck to it.

So when my daughter, 12, looks and says, "I'd like to work for a fashion magazine someday, but it probably won't happen" I know what to say.

Keep dreaming, keep working, keep showing up. Persevere.

Because hey, you just never know.

Calendar image courtesy of tanakawho - used under Creative Commons

When Writing Goes Bad

by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73

Confession: My husband and I watch Merlin, that BBC remake based loosely on Arthurian legend (and I do mean loosely).

We started because we were looking for new TV shows we could watch via Netflix or DVR - something to kill the winter weekdays because watching a 2 hour movie when you have to go to work the next day is not practical, especially since we often wouldn't get to start until 9:30 at night or later. And we typically enjoy programming from the BBC.

At first, the show was in that "so campy it was enjoyable" category. Yeah, this is not Mary Stewart's Camelot. I mean, Merlin and Guinevere started as servants, and magic was a crime punishable by death under Uther. Well, um, that's going to prove awkward. But we looked past that and just focused on the 40 minutes of mindless, campy entertainment.

When Uther finally died, we thought, "Okay, Merlin is going to start to come into his own now." No such luck. Okay, Arthur has found Excalibur, the Sword in the Stone. Here we go. Nope.

And for the past season and a half, the writing has just gotten bad. I mean, beyond bad. We're talking atrocious.

As a writer, the flaws just scream at me. Merlin isn't so much a powerful sorcerer as Morgana (whose abilities have been amplified in the TV show) is incompetent. What could be really clever plot twists fall into a rut - Morgana will be overconfident, causing her to overestimate the abilities of her allies and underestimate her foes, while Merlin fumbles his way to success. At least once a show, she gets the upper hand against Merlin and knocks him on his ass.

Speaking of Merlin, the awkward boy coming into his powers was cute at first, but now it's just annoying. He's the most powerful sorcerer of all time, the Druids have foreseen his coming and a new age for Camelot (they've even got a name for him, Emrys), and he's the last freaking Dragonlord, with the ability to command dragons. Yet Arthur routinely treats him like a half-wit, and he's more often dopey than dangerous. As I said earlier, Morgana's plots fail more because of her own incompetence than Merlin's power.

Oh, and Excalibur? Yeah, there's a show where Arthur's sword is enchanted so he will fall in a duel. Okay, this cannot possibly be Excalibur because don't tell me that Morgana has the power to enchant a sword forged in the dragon's breath. And if it isn't Excalibur, just what did Arthur do with it anyway?

The latest travesty is that Guinevere has been brainwashed by Morgana (okay, a stretch but I'll play along) and she convinces a visiting ruler to assassinate Arthur - after about 30 seconds of conversation. Say what? I  know that things have to be compressed for TV, but come on.

The characters have gone from being two-dimensional (which is bad enough) to one-dimensional, if that is even possible. We can fast forward through the boring parts and pretty much tell each other what happened and what is going to happen. Wasn't there an author who said something about trying to skip the boring parts? The dialog is flat, the premises outlandish, and the audience is being asked not to just suspend belief, but toss it out the window. Plots are foiled through coincidence and bumbling, not through any real actions on the part of the players.

All in all, it's become a brilliant example of what not to do as a writer - in any form and any genre. For that reason alone, I recommend suffering through an episode or two. It'll be painful, but you'll see exactly why it doesn't work. And hopefully you'll learn to avoid it.

But really BBC, please - when are you going to release Dr. Who Season 7 to Netflix?

Photo courtesy of ChibiChiii and used under Creative Commons

Goal Setting 101

by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73

I recently attended a webinar with author James Scott Bell about how to make a living selling ebooks (something near and dear to my heart, of course). As I listened, it reinforced something that I think a lot of authors overlook.

While writing may be art, publishing is a business.

Now, I've never started a business in the traditional sense. But I do know one thing: If you start a business venture without a plan, you are sunk. Dead in the water. Okay, you might get insanely lucky, but in general, going in without a plan is madness.

Part of a plan is something that a lot of people think they are really good at - setting goals. The problem is, most people set "pie in the sky" goals that are really more of a dream. A goal is something that is achievable and within your power. A dream, well, anyone can dream. Consider the difference in the following:

I'm going to get published in a magazine three times this year.

I'm going to submit to at least three magazines this year.

The first statement is a dream. I want to be published, sure. But can I make that happen? At the end of the day, no. The editors of the publication make that decision. I may have penned the next Hemingway-esque piece, but if it's not right for a publication, the editor will say "no."

But I can control the second. I can polish my story, study my craft, and put the work in the (e)mail. After that, about all I can do is cross my fingers.

Some writers may find this intimidating. But I like goals - all sorts of them. Setting a goal - and making it "public" (that is, sharing with others) - keeps me accountable. I set a goal to complete the sloppy first draft (SFD) of the third Hero's Sword book by the end of January and to get my Black Orchid novella ready for beta readers by the end of February.

Since I don't have an editor or a contract breathing down my neck, I needed to set those goals - and share them with my writer friends - to keep me honest. Otherwise, I'd spend my weekends watching horrible TV and thinking, "I can write better than this." And I'm glad to say that I met both of those goals.

But what now? Well, after last week's webinar and reading a lot, I realize that I need new goals, goals that are going to help push me toward my dream of making money off of this fiction thing. And the two most important things (for me) are going to be continuing to write and upping my craft game.

So, in the spirit of planning and goal setting, I announce my goals for the year, in no particular order.

Submit my second Laurel Highlands Mystery story. 

It's written, it's been edited, and it's probably ready to go. Now it's just a question of where (okay, not much of a question since the first is going to be published by Mysterical-e, I'll probably start there). Exactly when I submit will be influenced by...

Read at least one craft book per month.

Any writer who says she's learned all she needs to know is probably full of, well, ca-ca (to put it nicely). That's not me. I'm starting with Mr. Bell's Fiction Attack. And I will pick up his Revision and Self-editing so that I can...

Complete revisions of Hero's Sword 3 by tax day (4/15).

Based on the time from when I submitted Power Play to the publisher to when it came out, I'm guessing the publication cycle will be a couple of months. I sent Storm Clouds off in January, so it'll probably come out this spring. I actually think I can pull this one off earlier, but since a goal should be achievable, I'm going with something I am very confident in (a stretch goal would be to complete the revision by the end of March).

Complete the SFD of Hero's Sword 4 by May 31 and first revisions by July 31.

Based on experience, I can write the SFD in a month. This will also include a treatment for book 5 (since I like to plan at least one book beyond what I'm currently writing).

Complete and submit two more Laurel Highlands Mystery stories by the end of summer.

These are generally between 8,000 and 15,000 words (long story story to novelette). I've got at least two ideas sketched out. If I can get two more complete and submitted by fall, that gives me four. A fifth is scheduled to come out in an anthology at the end of the year. That allows me to...

Plan an anthology release of the Laurel Highlands Mysteries by the end of 2013

This is not to say that the anthology will be released at the end of this year - but I will have a plan. I've got decent hopes that I can get the next two sent to Mysterical-e and since they say they like series, there's a decent chance they'll be accepted. If so, the anthology may include a brand new story. Timing of the release TBD, but I can have a plan by year end (especially since one of my targeted craft/business reads is exactly how to make a plan).

So there you have it - some 2013 goals. Of course, things change, life happens, and goals need to be reset. And that's okay. Because that only means that I am approaching things with intent and purpose. These goals may change. New goals may come up. I'm staying flexible.

I believe it was Eisenhower who said no plan survives first contact with the enemy. But by starting with a plan, I feel like I'm ahead of the curve.

Image used under Creative Commons courtesy of Sean MacEntee

Turning a Writing Corner

by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73

I've always been kind of happy that I can watch TV shows without descending into writing nitpicks. I mean, sometimes you just want to watch a show without obsessing about the details, right?

Well, lately, the husband and I have enjoyed watching old episodes of A Touch of Frost, an old police-detective series from the BBC. We like the BBC and we like mysteries - so this is a good match. We've really been enjoying the show, despite the face that they killed off one of our favorite recurring characters at the end of Season 4 (kill your darlings anyone?) and came perilously close to my #2 pet peeve, killing a dog (they didn't, the dog lived, rest easy).

As a writer of crime fiction, I've been able to turn off that part of my brain. But last night, I think I turned a corner.

The episode starts with Frost facing a pile of bills, having his utilities disconnected for non-payment, and bemoaning "expenses," so he takes in a renter to help cover the costs. But, but, but...

Frost's wife died in Season 1 after a long illness where he had to pay for home health care. We're now in Season 5. He hasn't changed jobs. There's been no mention of pay cuts at work. So why is he only now having financial trouble? Just boom! out of the blue he can't pay the bills? No mention of this before? Really?

Then, a government health official throws an expensive leather jacket over a barbed wire fence to break into a meat packing facility after hours? What mid-level government official does that - no matter what nefarious business he thinks the company is up to?

When I mentioned all this, my husband looked at me and said, "That's really bugging the crime fiction author in you, isn't it?"

And it hit me - I can't dissociate the two parts of my brain. The writer part and the watcher/reader part.

I can't read a book without hitting a clunky part of dialog and wincing, or wanting to applaud a particularly well-written exchange. Character actions, conflict, climax, plotting - all of it gets the authorial treatment. If it worked for me, why? If it didn't, why not?

I can't decide if this is a good thing or a bad thing. On the one hand, it's good because I think it shows I have a new awareness of these things - which can only help my own fiction. On the other hand, I run the risk of over-analyzing everything I read, and potentially destroying the primary reason I read fiction - to escape and not have to think.

But now that I've noticed this, I can't turn it off - for better or for worse. At some level, I know I'll be constantly analyzing the writing, picking apart the things that delight and the things that, well, don't. And I guess that's just part of being in the fiction realm. But one thing's for darn sure.

I'll never look at a critique group the same way again.

What about you? If you're a writer, do you analyze what you read - especially works in your preferred genre?

Image from Flickr used under Creative Commons

Bits and Bobs

by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73

So, I'm looking at the date of my last post, and it was 30 August. That's a few weeks ago. My only excuse is that I've started a new day job and that leaves me with less time for writing and it's associated tasks. Mea culpa. I'll try to be better, but no promises.

Blog Stats

I had a spike in viewers today. I have no idea why. But I am grateful. Especially since I'm still trying to figure out this stuff.

It seems like my most popular posts have been the ones I've done on Scrivener. I'm not really surprised on that. In fact, it seems like one of my posts (Scrivener Two Months Later) was linked to another blog on Scrivener. So way cool, so...

Scrivener Tip

In one of my very first posts on Scrivener, I talked about character and location sheets, and how cool they are. And I still think that. But what if you're writing a series of works (novels, short stories, whatever) using the same characters and settings. Do you have to write the sheet each time? Nope. Simply open both projects and drag the character/setting sheet from Project A to Project B. You might have to fuss with the window sizes to be able to do this and you might have to relocate the sheet once it's been dropped if you can't get it right to the correct location. But voila! you can reused sheets over and over (and if something changes in Project B, you can propagate that change by coping from Project B to future projects).

Cool News

I inch ever closer to publication. I think my first public work is going to be the first in my middle-grade fantasy e-book series. I got a cover candidate earlier this week that really knocked my socks off. So beautiful and I think it's really going to resonate with the target market. I cannot wait until I can share it with you - and when I can announce publication!

In the meantime, I have the first in my Laurel Highlands Mysteries series of novelettes out for submission. Unfortunately, I won't hear until October at the earliest - and I may even have to wait until December. It's my first real experience with how slowly the wheels of traditional publishing can turn. I knew it philosophically, but encountering it in real life is, um, different. My first submission responded much more quickly. It kind of cramps my plans for the second story, and perhaps the series in general, but so it goes.

However, more exciting news: my local Sisters in Crime chapter is publishing a short story anthology - and I'm going to be in it! As The Girl would say, "squee!" Publication is a ways off, but the acceptance means I can focus on helping/encouraging others and even more writing. And, frankly, this acceptance meant a lot to me - perhaps even more than acceptance in a magazine would because these are my peers and friends. To not have been included would have sucked.

Speaking of More Writing

I'm mulling over another short story idea, which was going to be a backup if my first anthology story wasn't accepted. This is a story with completely new characters and would be a standalone.

I've finished the second book in the MG fantasy series. I'm editing/revising a romance novella I submitted to a contest back in June (wow, the POV shifts are slapping me in the face in that one - sheesh). I have a second romance novella awaiting revising.

If only I had...

Time to Write

As I mentioned, I've got a day job. It's a good one, tech writing (which is something I'm very comfortable with) in a pretty flexible company. But it does cut into my fiction time significantly. No longer can I just pound out 2,000 words in a day. So I'm coming up with creative options. A lot of writing is getting done on the weekends.

Which begs the question: If you have a day job/kids/school/etc., how to do manage those demands with your writing time?

Clock image used under Creative Commons via Dalo_Pix2

Scrivener, Two Months Later

by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73

Back in June, I published several posts on my experience with Scrivener (here, here, here, and here). At that time, I was still in my trial period phase with Scrivener and mostly I had imported a small project and done some tinkering.

Since then, I've purchased Scrivener and done several full-length projects, including some novellas, short stories, and novelettes. And I've come to a couple of conclusions.

1. Scrivener rocks.

2. How did I get along in Word for so long?

First, a clarification. I said in my Step 2 post that the trial goes by 30 days of actual use. That turned out to be incorrect. It uses actual calendar days. And you can't cheat it by simply leaving it open. It must check the system clock for the date.

I admit I got a little lazy. I was writing the second story using some of the same characters, and I thought "Oh, I know all about these folks." But somewhere along the way, I thought "Wait, does she have green eyes or blue?" Yep, I had forgotten the color of my own character's eyes. I thought I'd have to recreate all my character sheets, but figured I'd check to see if I can drag and drop. Turns out you can. Open both projects and drag from Project A to Project B. Sweet.

For me, the true beauty of Scrivener lies in the fact that it is designed to write scene by scene. In theory, you can do this in Word. But the problem for me in Word was always organization. If I wrote each scene in a separate file, how would I ever paginate and print the whole thing easily? Not to mention I'd end up with literally hundreds of files to store, organize, and name. Jumping between them? Forget it. It was only marginally better if I created a separate file for each chapter.

But writing scene by scene is exactly what Scrivener was designed to do. I create folders for each chapter. Then I can think, "What do I need to accomplish next?" and I write it. Since I recently took a course on scene writing, this is perfect. Instead of getting tempted to think way out in the future, I can concentrate on the scene in front of me. What kind of scene, what is the goal, how does it contribute to the story question?

Writing this way, scene by scene, also makes reorganizing so much easier. I got some edits back on a story that made me realize that not only was I going to have to write new scenes, I had to reorder some of the scenes I already had. In Word, this would have been a complete nightmare. Where did I put that scene? Find it (often by hit or miss method), cut, paste to new document, find the new location, paste.

With Scrivener, this is a snap. The scenes are named and if I've been smart (which I haven't always been), the synopsis tells me that yes, this is in fact the scene I was looking for. Then I just drag and drop it to it's new location. I don't have to worry about pagination. Scrivener does that in the compile process.

The first time I did it, I wanted to weep with tears of joy.

Speaking of the compile process, it rocks too. I submitted a manuscript to a magazine for publication. I hit compile and compared the output to the submission guidelines. I only had to make a few tweaks because the margins, font, and paragraph spacing, as well as the address block at the beginning, was already perfect (headers and footers were where I had to make most of my changes, but only on the second submission).

One small nitpick about compile and chapters: If you don't name your chapters (e.g., Chapter 1, Mary Goes to the Store), you'll have text you need to delete - either the placeholder text you used for your folders or "unnamed document." As I don't name my chapters (hell, I have a hard enough time coming up with a title for the entire story much less for every chapter) this is a little irritating, but minor. I would love it if Scrivener would be smart enough to drop that paragraph if the folder is not named.

Project targets are great if you have a target word count. For example, I recently wrote a short story that had to be 6,000 words or less. By setting the project target word count, I knew that if I'd reached the 5,000 word mark and was only 2/3 of the way through the story I was in trouble. Session targets are great if you are doing things like 1k1hr or have a target count for the day.

Some things I've learned:

1. Don't shortcut and skip the character or location sheets. They will really make you think about everything you introduce in the story, including such important things as character conflict. They will also keep you from forgetting that the house is supposed to be white with blue trim, not blue with white trim. Because you will forget. Trust me.
2. Don't import a Word document that is hundreds of pages and thousands of words. I tried. It was messy. Just don't.
3. Scrivenings are your friend. Using those, I can read an entire chapter (or any other selection) end-to-end. And I can make any changes right there, I don't have to jump back to the individual document.
4. Take the time to familiarize yourself with the Preference. Because it turns out yes, you can set the default font and spacing so you don't have to do it for every project. Every. Single. Document.

I know I have not completely used all the features. I've barely touched the cork board or made full use of individual scene statuses (although I have set them religiously). But I know one thing's for sure. Any other tool I may use is going to have a pretty high bar to meet. So worth the $45 USD.

And I don't think I'll ever use Word for authoring again.

Update: For more information on purchasing Scrivener, or downloading a trial version, go to the Literature and Latte web site. Scrivener is also available for purchase through the Mac App Store.

When the Muse Sings

by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73

Sometimes, the must sings sweetly, leading us down the path of creativity. And sometimes she bellows, like a fierce wind at our backs.

Fellow writers, I'm sure you know what I mean.

So, I was on vacation last week. Despite the best of intentions (and we all know what those are used to pave), I got nothing written. Yesterday, I spent most of the day running errands and putting post-vacation life back in order. I did get 700+ words written, though. I was informed that equated to approximately three standard manuscript pages (always a good thing to know).

But it was a far cry from my pre-vacation output. Had I lost something? Had the specter of impending employment (yes, a "day job") scared away my muse?

Well, as of 3:53pm EDT, I have written over 2,000 words. Not including this blog post. That equates to ... a lot of pages.

So what happened?

Honestly, I'm not sure. Maybe I just found my groove again. Maybe it's because I reconnected with my story. Maybe it's because I don't feel like melting into a puddle of goo from high heat and humidity.

I don't know. And I don't care. All I know is my muse is singing. It's as captivating as Ella Fitzgerald singing the blues.

Sing, baby, sing.

Featured image courtesy of Whitfield-in-World. Use under creative commons license.

Squirrel Syndrome

by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73

Or as one might call it "Ooo shiny object! Must go play!"

So here's the deal. The first middle grade book I wrote is off in search of cover art. I know that in the world of self-publishing (or even publishing in general), a key to success is having another book ready to go. So that's what I should be doing, BUT...

An idea for another romance is tugging at my mind and heart. That's where my writerly attention has been and I'm just getting into a good groove, laying down 1,500-2,000 words per day. BUT...

I just got feedback on the story I submitted to the Music City Romance Writers "Minuet of Love" contest last June (no, I didn't make the finals). And some of it is really good. Some I would have caught if I'd done (yet another) read through things I've learned and become aware of in the intervening time. So I want to go and fix it.

See where this is going?

I know I'm not the only writer who feels the distractions of the "shiny new object." But really, I know if I succumb to that feeling, I will never get anything done. And I have to get things done. I mean really now. I can't always rely on someone else's deadline to keep me on task.

So I make a resolution. I am going to finish the "crappy first draft" of my current work. Then I will write the "crappy first draft" of the next middle grade book. After that, we'll see what I do.

Why not make a "to do" list of six things? Well, life is unpredictable. Swim season is coming to a close, which means my kids will be around a lot more. And with school approaching, there's going to be shopping that needs to be done. With so much probably distraction, planning my next five things is most likely an exercise in futility. I learned as a project manager it is ususally a bad idea to have concrete plans more than a month or two in advance. Because stuff happens. Count on it.

So I have my goals. Finish this draft in the next two weeks (I'd say week, but I'm going on vacation next week and I know there will be lots of distractions there). Then finish the next draft and choose my next goal. This will work.

But -- ooo, shiny!

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Updates on My Doings

by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73

So, it's been a busy week.

I received feedback on the ebook I sent out a couple weeks ago - the one I continue to call Young Adult fantasy because I think that's the most accurate genre (what else would you call a book targeted to the 8-10 age range about a girl who gets transported into a video game? Okay, maybe children's fantasay.). The publisher was very positive and is looking for cover art. Look for updates here soon.

I'm still slowly importing my novel into Scrivener scene by scene, which is giving me a great opportunity to examine the story in a new light. I just completed a "How to Make a Scene" workshop, so the work is very topical.

I've also had an unexpected non-fiction opportunity. On a whim I sent in my resume for a blogger position for The Motley Fool - and they accepted me! I put up my first post today. So if you've got an interest in investment/finance news, check it out. I will probably post weekly or bi-weekly, depending on if I've got a good blog post idea.

And I'm chugging away on a new romance story. By the way, did you see the news about how educated women read romance? I've discovered that it is an unexpected pleasure for me. Perhaps what was lacking all those years ago was an actual story and not just sex on the page.

Finally, I'm trying to work out this newsletter thing. If you read this blog, would you subscribe to a newsletter?

I Is an Author Now!

by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73


Today was an important milestone in my writing career.

I got my first rejection letter. I think I'm going to throw a party.

You might wonder at that reaction. A party? Really? For a rejection?

Yes, a party. I mean, I did submit to Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. I was aiming high. Yes, the form letter rejection was addressed to "Author" so I know they probably have to send a billion of these per issue. It's not like they crafted this loving, supportive personal letter to me.

But I'm going to celebrate. Why? Because this was the first time I ever did something like this. I'm pretty sure editors at Ellery Queen read my submission. My name is out there. Lots of people write something. Few ever bother to send it out. Fewer still are successful.

And this is not final. I have more stuff. And I will keep sending it out and looking for places to submit.

Publishing is not a sprint. It's a marathon.

And I'm just getting warmed up.

(PS: If you know of a great place to submit short fiction - meaning short stories or novelettes, anything under 15,000 words - let me know in the Comments.)

Scrivener Step 3: Starting to Write

by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73


Note: I am using Scrivener for Mac. If you are using Windows, allow for differences.

I finished the tutorial. I created a project, and set up my character and location sheets. Now I'm ready to write.

At the heart of Scrivener, at least the fiction projects, are Chapters and Text documents. Chapter documents can contain text or just be a "holder" for Text documents, which are usually scenes. In this way, Scrivener forces you to write scene-by-scene.

At first I didn't think I was going to like this. After all, when I get in a groove, I don't want to stop. On second thought, and after using Scrivener to prepare sample scenes for a project, I like it.

The reason? Simple. The mantra in writing is that every scene needs to move the story forward. Every scene needs to contain some conflict, or tension. If you don't consciously write scene-by-scene, it's easy to lose sight of this. So now when I sit down, I can focus on one particular scene. For example, "here's the scene where she meets the man who is going to be her mentor." And all of my thoughts focus on that scene, instead of wandering off into something three chapters later.

This scene-by-scene structure will pay off later as well. I've often had to restructure works and had to hunt for the scenes. I'm sure you know the feeling. "I need to move that love scene in the hot tub. Now was that chapter 7 or chapter 9?" If you're writing by scene, you can zero in on that love scene and drag it to the new location.

This is probably why Scrivener recommends not using "Scene 1, Scene 2," etc. Give your scenes meaningful descriptions. I also used the Synopsis note functionality. That way I know "Love scene in the hot tub" is actually the scene I'm looking for - and that's pretty cool. The ability to drag a scene is also much easier than the old "cut big chunk of text, paste to second document, find new location, cut text again, paste to new location" work flow in Microsoft Word. I mean, that might not be bad for a 5,000 word short story, but for a 90,000 word novel it's exhausting.

The actual typing in Scrivener is rather like any word processing program, so there's not much to say. It's got a default font and single paragraph spacing. You can change that if you want because it'll all be standardized when you compile your project (that's the term Scrivener uses for creating the final manuscript).

Because people have asked about learning curve, I'll say that I think it's not very steep, especially if you are starting a new project (like I am). I'm sure there's more to learn if you import an existing project (written in Word or something else) and they'll be some to learn upon compilation. But I think anyone can get the basic content-creation work flow down in a few hours to a couple of days.

I'm going to get writing now. If I learn anything stupendous, I'll blog again, but expect my next Scrivener blog entry to be about compilation. That will take a few days.

Updated 6/16/12: I forgot about one really cool thing. You can assign a status to each scene: First Draft, To Do, Finished, etc. This way you can see how much needs to be done. Also, if you're further down the story, and you suddenly think, "Oh man, I need a love scene in the hot tub in Chapter 3," you can put the text document for the scene where you need it, leave it with a status of "To Do," and keep on motoring where you are, so you don't break the creative groove you're in. I like that - better than a post-it note. =)

Dangers of Character Love

by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73

I'm in love. Not just with my husband - with Trooper First Class Jim Duncan.

Don't worry, he's not a real person. He's a character - my character, my protagonist from a series of short stories. In my mind's eye, he looks a bit like a younger Mark Harmon.

I love Sally Castle too. She's another character, Duncan's sidekick. Or maybe a secondary protagonist. Not really sure what you want to call her. And, she looks a little like Angie Harmon, one of my favorite TV attorneys (maybe that says something about me and the name Harmon).

I've written a story about these two. Actually, I've written several. And they are giving me heartburn as a writer right now.

Recently, someone suggested that maybe I just need to "give up" on these characters and find some new ones. But I can't. See Jim and Sally are begging, no demanding, that I write their stories. I started a project for this fall fully intending to create some new characters. But I just couldn't get going on it. The voice was all wrong. And in my writer's ear, I heard Jim and Sally talking to me. In an outraged tone, they said, "Why are you trying to give away our story?"

(This is where you start thinking of calling the men in white coats. Unless you're a writer, in which case you completely understand.)

I gave Jim and Sally the story. It flew out of my fingers. It's still a shitty first draft, but it's a good story (I think). So is the one I'm working on - their first story. Even my editor said I've got something good here, with good characters. Jim Duncan is a hard-working, divorced man just trying to do a good job as a Pennsylvania State Trooper.

And there's the rub.

See, once you write from the POV of someone in law enforcement, you've gone into the genre of "police procedural." I so did not want to go into this genre. Procedurals are hard. You have to get the details right. It's a lot of research, a lot of work to make your character not only likable (which I've done according to the editor), but realistic. And thus the heartburn.

Yeah, I could walk away and tell Duncan that I just can't write his story. That I'm not good enough. That I don't want to be in his world. Some would say just take him out of that world, but I can't do that either. He'd be a fish out of water - and I can't do that to him.

And somehow, I think Jim and Sally would find a way to exact their revenge if I did.

Have you ever fallen in love with one of your characters?

One of Those Days

by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73

It's been one of those days.

If you're a writer, you know what I'm talking about. Those days where you look at the story and think there is no way you can ever fix it. Then every word you've ever written starts to look like horse manure, and you think, "How the hell did I ever think I could be a writer?" and "I think Panera is hiring, so maybe I should apply and be content making paninis for the rest of my life."

Yeah, those days.

My friend Amy would call it the "gremlins" coming out to play. Call it gremlins, call it insecurity, call it stalling, call it writer's block - whatever you like.

All I know is it nearly reduced me to tears this morning.

While the irrational part of me is thinking that the job at Panera looks pretty good right now, the rational part of me know this is just part of the game. And what I need to do now is step back.

I've closed the story. I'll finish this blog, and the only other thing I will write today will be the newsletter article for my taekwondo school.

After that, the rest of that Caramel Delight ice cream and a few episodes of "Dr. Who" sound really good. Or maybe I'll lose the my misery in Never Tell a Lie by Hallie Ephron (which is excellent, btw). A few games of Doodle Jump. Whatever it is, it won't be writing.

No, I'm going to resist to take immediate action on the idea I had in the dentist's chair regarding my WIP. I'm going to let it stew, let it percolate. Age, like fine wine or cheese.

Some might call it stalling. But I recognize it for what it is: A sign that I've been working to hard and I need to chillax. That happens you know.

That ice cream is calling my name. But what about you? Do you have those days? What do you do about it?

Romancing the Writer

by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73

Not that long ago, I wrote about a little exercise I was doing to stretch my authorial legs - namely writing a romance novella set in Puerto Rico (a very romantic place, if you ask me).

Well, a week later, I think I'm almost done. The first draft was completed before the weekend. I'm now on rewrite #3 - the point where the changes are small tweaks, not major insertions or deletions.

I do plan to read it once more just to make sure my timeline hangs together (I had to start a notepad file to keep track of the days). But I feel perilously close to the "fiddling" stage. You know, where I'm making changes just for the sake of making changes. And that's really a bad place to be.

I've been asked "how do you know that you're done?" I'm not sure I really have a good answer to that. On one hand, you're "done" when your publisher says so. But in another way, I kind of feel that it's similar to defining pornography. Nobody can give a very good definition, but we all know it when we see it.

That's where I am. I'm not "done" yet, but I'm tantalizingly close. I feel it more than I know it.

And here's the most surprising thing: I've really, really enjoyed writing this novella. It may never go anywhere. But I've had a lot of fun. It's all about character, which I love. I mean really, there are only so many variations on "boy meets girl," right? So with a few minor details, one romance is a lot like another. That means that if you don't have good characters, you're dead in the water.

When I'm writing mystery, there's a lot of "who did what, when, why, how" puzzling that has to be done. No, that guy couldn't have done it, because of this thing I said he did in chapter 1. And the girl couldn't have been there at that time because I already said she was 100 miles away. Keeping track of those threads can be maddening.

So writing a story without those details has been refreshing. Yeah, there are details. The story still has to hang together. But it doesn't feel as technical. I've got a little more freedom. I need to worry more about whether a characters actions are consistent with her personality than whether or not I already alibied her four chapters ago.

So what's next for this story? Not really sure.

But I'm definitely going to go look up those contest rules again.

Updated 5/24/12: I pushed "send" on the entry today. Ack!

What's the one thing you've tried and enjoyed more than you expected?

Today's Paranoia: Head-Hopping

by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73

So, this morning, as usual, I check up on my Twitter feed. Saw a couple blog posts about head-hopping, and how it's bad (and of course now I can't find the links - maybe it's time to start using lists on Twitter).

Update: Couldn't find both articles, but this one was the tipping point.


Update 2: Found the other one at writersforensicsblog.com

So, of course I read theses posts before I start my day's work, and now I'm paranoid. I'm seeing head-hopping everywhere.

For the uninitiated, "head-hopping" is the practice of switching point-of-view (POV) multiple times, especially within a scene. It's kind of disconcerting for the reader. Even in third-person voice, you have a main character (MC). That MC is the one who you see the story through - at least in the main. Think of Harry Potter. Third-person POV. There are other characters, but you mainly see the action through Harry's eyes, which means the story is processed through Harry's brain and thoughts (there is this concept of third-person omniscient, but I digress).

Some people find it difficult to write in third-person for this very reason. Sure, there are challenges with first-person, namely you cannot write anything that the person speaking (normally the MC) doesn't know directly, even if you the author knows it. But maintaining consistent POV is pretty easy.

I've written third-person. I'm pretty comfortable with it. I've even written stories with multiple POV and my readers (one of whom is the aforementioned editor) had no problem following the story. So I kind of think of it as a strong suit of mine.

But after this morning, I am freaking out with this particular romance project. Am I head-hopping? Am I confusing my reader? Because here's the thing.

When you write a scene with two people in it, especially a romantic tension scene, you can't totally ignore the feelings/thoughts/emotions of one of the players.

I mean really. You just can't. You can't talk about how the heroine gets all mushy inside when the hero looks at her and then totally ignore how she affects him. How he gets all hot and bothered every time he brushes her skin. I mean, you just can't! If you want romantic tension, you need to get both actors involved, otherwise you've got bupkus.

So, while I firmly believe rules are meant to be broken, I'm having a little bit of anxiety here. And there's not a lot I can do about it except look for the really egregious places where even I can spot the head-hopping and get rid of it.

Because in the end, it doesn't matter if I think what I've done is completely clear. It matters what my reader thinks. So on I trudge. This is the part of the story where I think "OMG, why did I think I could do this?"

I know it's just a part of the process. I'll get over it. But in the meantime, I'm still feeling a bit paranoid.