Please welcome Erika Marks to Women’s Fiction Writers!

Women’s Fiction Author Erika Marks Shares Her Journey to Publication, Her Indiana Inspiration, And Advice On Persistence, Politeness and Patience

Amy: When I read a book I often find myself wondering how on earth an author got the idea for their story. Your book, Little Gale Gumbo, is set in Maine, but is about a family that has deep roots in the South and superstition (to oversimplify).  Can you tell us a little bit about the story and how these characters came to life for you? 

Erika: First things first: Thank you so much for having me here, Amy! Having been a reader of your blog from the beginning, it’s truly special to be a guest.

The story…Would you believe the idea for LITTLE GALE GUMBO came to me in the back yard of our old house in Indiana? I envisioned a man reminiscing about the two women (sisters) who he hadn’t seen in forever but whose impact on his life haunted him. At that point, it had been three years since my husband and I had had to evacuate New Orleans (where he’s from and where we were living) after Hurricane Katrina, but I still missed the city terribly, and I was very much still processing our abrupt departure from a place that I loved deeply. Out of that continued longing and that sense of wanting to preserve the pieces of  my husband’s and my life there, I began to reshape that initial imagery of the three characters (who ended up being Matthew and the sisters, Dahlia and Josie) to include the rest of the cast of LITTLE GALE GUMBO. Curiously enough, even though food was always a huge part of the story, the setting of the island café didn’t take shape for several drafts, but once it did, so many other things fell into place. It really did become an anchor for the story and the characters.

There’s no question that Camille exemplified the sentiments I imagined so many people who were forced to leave New Orleans after Katrina had felt, being thrust into a strange new place with little but their history and, in Camille’s case, her Creole recipes, her jazz music, her strong belief in voodoo and her devotion to her daughters. Those pieces of New Orleans travelled with her, and served not only to give her purpose in a foreign land, but also provided a way for her to ingratiate herself and spice up a cold climate.

Amy: And, what came first, the idea or the drive?  Meaning, did you always want to be a novelist — or did the story and characters make you want to become published and see your book on bookshelves and e-readers?

Erika: Amy, that’s such a great question. Honestly, I remember from a very young age seeing writing and being published as intertwined. I recall seeing Ally Sheedy’s children’s book (she wrote and published it at something like 13 and under the name Alexandra, I think?) in my local library and I was about that age and thinking, Hmm…I want to do this too! I knew I loved to write but I always wanted to write with an eye towards my stories being put out into the world. Having written over 13 manuscripts before selling LITTLE GALE GUMBO, I can say my thought process has long been the drive first, and then the characters followed.

Amy: Will you share a little about your journey to publication and what the post-publication experience has been like?

Erika: It has been a long journey—a wonderful one!—but a long one. Twenty years, in fact, from the time I submitted my first manuscript (a genre romance called Seasons of the Heart; the title was by far the best part of the thing—cringe!) to the time I got a two-book deal from NAL. Along the way, I tried lots of other genres (horror, sci-fi among them) before settling into my true comfort zone in women’s fiction and I think that made all the difference. Once I found a voice that I could settle in to then I was able to give the mechanics of the craft the attention it needed.

What amazes me most looking back is how the process of submissions has changed. I remember when lots of houses took unsolicited, unagented manuscripts. I remember the days of typing out materials and waiting weeks and weeks for those SASEs to come back. I also remember many lovely, hand-written responses (that I still have, of course!) from agents with morsels of advice and encouragement. I was, and am to this day, so grateful for them.

And then there’s the whole aspect of social media and this idea of building a platform as a fiction writer—something I think all of us who wrote fiction in the pre-internet world never had to think about. But like so many things in the contemporary writing business, I have come to see this development as a wonderful opportunity to engage readers and other writers. In other words, to build a community in what very often feels like a one-man show on a desert island. I am so grateful for that aspect of social media.

Amy: Can you (will you) share with us what you’re working on now?  And, will there be gumbo?  

Erika: I’d love to share! I actually just sent off the manuscript for my second novel, THE MERMAID COLLECTOR, which is due for release in October and I’m really excited about it. It’s the story of a coastal town with a mermaid legend. But on the eve of its annual mermaid festival, two brothers mysteriously arrive to claim the town’s historic lightkeeper’s house, and their appearance sets into motion both romance and revelations for the town’s residents, in particular a free-spirited woodcarver named Tess whose belief in life’s magic is a way to cope with a past heartbreak.

Amy: What’s your definition of women’s fiction?

Erika: Stories that speak to the needs and the dreams and the challenges of women and the people they love. Having just finished writing a novel where the male lead is almost as prominent in the story as the female, I never once felt as if I wasn’t writing women’s fiction when I was immersed in his scenes or in his head. Quite the opposite, I think women’s fiction is lucky in that it can encompass a lot of views and plots and voices, so long as the core of the story is relatable to women’s lives.

Amy: What is your best advice for aspiring authors of women’s fiction? 

Erika: To always keep writing, keep reading, keep submitting. And remember, no matter the zillion numbers of people who are using social media, publishing is still a small community. Courtesy and professionalism are often as well-remembered as your writing by agents and editors. Keep track of which agents offer to see your new project and follow up accordingly. I met my agent through a generous agent at another agency who I queried five years ago and subsequently showed her my projects as I finished them. While they were never a good match for her needs, she and I built up a lovely rapport so that when a project came along that she did feel strongly about (though her list was already full) she referred me to another agent. These relationships take time. Nurture them and be patient. Learn when to put away a project and start on a new one; agents want to know you have more than one story in you.

(Oh, goodness—was I supposed to just give one piece of advice? Sorry!)

Erika Marks is a native New Englander who was raised in Maine and has worked as an illustrator, cake decorator, and carpenter. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband, a native New Orleanian, and their two daughters.

Website: http://www.erikamarksauthor.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/erikamarksauthr

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Erika-Marks-Author/128773427179948

Welcome to post #101! Can you believe it? Had I realized that before now, I’d have made sure to finish one of the twenty drafts I have on hand.  But I didn’t so this is a revised yet recycled post from an old blog. At least I didn’t recycle the mommy blog posts and at least I’m environmentally friendly. Right?

A few summers ago we found a mother cat and three kittens on the patio in front of our house.  One of the dogs discovered them when she decided to jump up on back legs to look outside through the dining room window because she was finished looking out the other seven thousand windows in the house.  Of course it was the middle of the night and of course I was awake from then on, as she/we watched the kittens play in the dark amidst the withering flowers and plants succumbing to the fact that I stopped watering the week before (I’m a May-June gardener — after that, it’s too dang hot).  The next day dog #2 and mama cat had a staring match through the window.  I then decided those tiny, wobbly kittens must be hungry and although feeding them would endear me to them for life, I was sure, I used my favorite plastic platter and spread a can of tuna near the rim so the kittens could reach it easily.  That would have been great if the mama cat would have then let them have any.  Which she did not.  When I saw the tiny kitties licking an empty plate, well, what was I supposed to do?  More tuna.  More plates.  I pushed the plates to the two spots where the kittens were hiding and then when I hid, they ate the tuna.

Later that day I rigged the dining room curtain so dog #2 could not wiggle through where the two sides meet. I left the outside lights off so the cats would be harder to see.

Good story, right? I wish. But POOF — the cat and kittens were gone.  I thought mama cat would come back.  My daughter and I decided on a place to feed them where the dog wouldn’t see them.  I researched feral cats and called the local humane society.  Heck, we even named all four of them.  There was no way I was taking in four cats but we decided if one came back — well then our hand might be forced.  No need for all the planning.  The cats were gone for good.  Gone, yes. But not forgotten.

You know, like a dropped subplot.

Dropped characters who have no graceful or dramatic exits and dropped subplots with no imaginable or actual ending are probably my biggest pet peeve in reading and writing.  Everything in literature needn’t be tied up neatly with a bow, but I think there should be a reasonable explanation or an understanding of a character’s departure.  If there’s a subplot we don’t need to read “the end” but we do need to know (or think we know) where something is headed.

A writer friend of my uses spreadsheets to do this.  I’m not quite as organized.  OK, I am no way nearly as organized.  I have scribblings on paper that say “Don’t forget about so-and-so” which is the writerly string on my finger.  Throughout my novel and works in progress I tried to weave different storylines that have beginnings, middles and endings that do not coincide with the beginning, middle and end of the novel.  Some of those secondary endings leave the reason without question and some point to possibilities and allow the reader to surmise, wonder and think.  I relied on my betas  to help discover nuances missed and threads that have detangled.  Since I know what happens in my stories, what doesn’t happen — I’m often too close to it all (shout-out to betas – you know who you are).

With more recent experience I’ve come to realize that if I know that each character has a purpose other than simply to support another character, it’s much easier to imagine a story for that character. It needn’t all be in the book, but if I know it all I can have that character’s arc complete, no matter how short or shallow. Does every character need a full story? No. But if you’ve woven a subplot into the book in Chapter 1 and don’t mention it again, oh, til the middle of the book, I’m just going to itch.  If supposedly vital relationships show up now and again, it makes me twitch.  In real life we may be able to pick up the phone after six months to talk with a friend and it’s like no time has passed, but a reader has only 300-500 pages (typically) to get into the world of your characters, to belt themselves in for the ride.  I know now that for the stories I like to read – and write – weaving is the perfect metaphor.  Sometimes you see the threads, sometimes you don’t, but they are always there ready to poke back out and make themselves know, add to the colorful schema, the artwork, the tapestry — you know — the plot.

I have shelved authors who drop subplots.  It disappointments me so much that I don’t read them again.  No second chances with me – there’s too much out there to read.

I can only imagine it was that way with the cats.  A big wide world to explore and without the lure of more than a can of tuna (it was albacore!) they were not sticking around for more. And just like a book with elusive subplots – I kept hoping they’d come back so I could learn the rest of their story.

How do you keep track of threads and subplots in your writing? Is it scientific? Secret? Simple? Do tell! Have you dropped a character or subplot and gone back to fix it?

When Sarah McCoy and I chose Valentine’s Day as the day for her to come back to Women’s Fiction Writers, it was her idea to make this interview like two friends getting together for a glass of champagne and chocolates.  Have I mentioned lately that she is brilliant?  Not only have Sarah and I been connecting online since before our first interview on Women’s Fiction Writers, but we’ve found we share a love of dogs and a certain disdain for laundry.  Sarah’s new book, The Baker’s Daughter, was released by in January by Crown.

Please show Sarah McCoy some Women’s Fiction Writers love — and today we toast to all of you, our lovely writerly sweethearts!

A Little Author Love With Sarah McCoy and The Baker’s Daughter

Amy: Happy Valentine’s Day, Sarah!  Congratulations on the release of your second novel, THE BAKER’S DAUGHTER.  Since today’s theme is love, please share with Women’s Fiction Writers what you just *love* about your new book (beside the fact that it’s awesome) — maybe something about one of the characters or the plot or setting — something readers can look out for so they can love it too!  

Sarah: Thanks for the kind words and for being my blogger Valentine, my dear! Such a pleasure. I’m sliding that box of virtual chocolates your way.

To your first question: It’s hard to pick a solitary thing you love about one of your book babies, so I’ll choose an aspect unique to THE BAKER’S DAUGHTER: there are a dozen of Elsie’s recipes in the Epilogue. Recipes in novels are not revolutionary, but as a reader, I’ve always found it thrilling when a story-related recipe was included. There’s something magical in that fiction-to-reality crossover. Readers can make Elsie’s German delicacies and taste for themselves the items described in the novel. It’s like a spell: mix flour, water, yeast, and spices, and suddenly, Elsie is alive in your kitchen. You can see her rolling and kneading as you work the ingredients, feel her in the give of the dough, hear her in the clink of the mixing spoon to bowl, and smell her in the baking. You can flip back to the chapters where the characters eat that baked good and taste it with them—tangibly live the scene. I love that about THE BAKER’S DAUGHTER.

Amy: What part of writing a novel do you just *adore* and — although I hate to ask — what’s your least favorite part?

Sarah: I adore the creative process of weaving the narrative together. Finding the right material and matching threads. Piecing it together like a beloved quilt. It drapes over you as you work, keeping you warm and comforted. Sure, you encounter needle pricks, thread tangles, and places where the fabric puckers so you must go back, undo the stitching, and try again. You get frustrated that a yarn is just a shade off, and must be pulled completely out. No choice. It takes time and energy. Your body aches. Your eyes burn. You grow haggard and age without realizing it because all of you is being given to creation. You bleed into it and lose friends to it. The edges are tear-stained. But in the end, when you stand back and stop fussing over the microscopic, you realize, holy, wow, look at that—I wrote a book. It’s a crazy, often OCD-inducing occupation that you either wholeheartedly adore or you stay far, far away from.  I’ve already developed the weaver’s hunchback and so, am not fit for anything else. It is what I do—what I must do.

Amy: Being an author in 2012 means more than writing books — it means social media, social media, social media.  People seem to have a love/hate relationship with Facebook and Twitter and all the others.  What works for you?  And why?

Sarah: Lord have mercy, I’m not sure anything really works! I just jump on the Internet and race back and forth between Twitter and Facebook chatting with as many friends and readers as possible. My social networking has no strategic rhyme or reason. I simply tweet/Facebook for as long as I have available after writing and spending QT with my family (husband and fur-babe, Gilly). I try to keep a social media-writing balance. It’s hard. But I feel guilty when I neglect either for too long.

I took a 2-week hiatus from all social media a few months back and found it awfully difficult. I’d be sitting on the couch after a long day of writing and my inner Twitter chick would chirp, “You could be tweeting right now. You’re too brain dead to work anymore so what are you going to do—watch TV? How is that better than talking to your book friends?” See, the birdie is quite convincing.

I do advocate for the social network blackout when I’m in the midst of writing. I can’t write a stitch when my mind is pinging across Twitter feeds, Facebook threads, and blogs. For the past many months, I’ve been lucky in that I haven’t been in novel-topia, so I’ve been able to chat a lot more than usual. I hope y’all will understand and know where I am when I’m not as present in the social media spheres… it means I’m under that quilt I talked about earlier, eyeballs to my new novel’s seams.

Amy: Is that next for you? Are you writing – or have you finished – book #3? What do you love about book #3? 

Sarah: Yes, I am writing book baby #3! I’ve been working on the first draft in the hours not devoted to THE BAKER’S DAUGHTER release. I’m leaving for my East Coast book tour in two days so I won’t be able to get back to my third book’s characters for a bit. Hopefully, I’ll have some uninterrupted time in the spring/early-summer when THE BAKER’S DAUGHTER tour schedule has eased up. Truthfully, I don’t think I could wait much longer. I already miss that story so terribly. I dream about it and wake up frantically scribbling down conversations and connecting narrative threads. The story has become my new obsession. I don’t usually like to give plot previews of my works-in-progress in case the characters’ story takes a 180-turn or I have to rip the stitching apart and start anew! But I’ll break my own rule for you. It IS Valentine’s Day, and the subject matter seems to beg revelation in honor.

My third novel is consumed by the concept of nurturing—the definition of being a nurturer. What lengths my main characters will go to fulfill their parental desires; what happens when traditional paths fail them; can they forgive and accept one another enough to redefine their dreams? A setting I absolutely adore and a carousel of lively characters help them come to decisions that ultimately govern their future.

Aw, even talking about it makes my heart quicken.

Amy: How do your novel or character ideas come to you? You can tell us if it’s an arduous process – or if you love it!

Sarah: To be totally truthful, I have absolutely no idea how my ideas come to me. I wish I had a more erudite answer instead of the pudding head, “I dunno.” They show up like the seasons.

I have a big oak tree outside my writing office window. It being perpetual summertime in West Texas, I often catch myself staring at in late-August wondering when the leaves will change. September comes. Then October. And with Halloween around the bend, there it stands—green as a holly bush. I start to think the oak tree getup is a masquerade. Then one morning, I look out and voila! It’s head to toe yellow. Autumn. It inexplicably arrives with no forewarning. One day it isn’t and the next, it is. I don’t try to understand the daily miracles—why or how or when they come. I just accept them with appreciation and gratitude. 

Amy: What do you love doing when you’re not writing — although having seen photos of that scrumptious puppy of yours, I think I know at least one of the answers!  

Sarah: Oh, you better believe it, sister. I’m a dog devotee. In fact, tomorrow is Gilbert’s 10-month puppy birthday! He was born April 15, 2011, and I think he’s perfection in fur. As his momma, I’m biased, of course. So, yes, taking care of and spending time with him is one of my favorite non-writing activities. 

I also enjoy traveling with my husband. By my nature, I’m more of a homebody. My husband is the true explorer. He could throw together a backpack in an hour and be ready to hit the road. I’m grateful for his sense of adventure. He’s a wonderful travel mate because his easy-going personality makes even the highest mountain surmountable. While I love discovering new places, what I love even more is the homecoming. But you can’t experience the bliss of coming home unless you’ve left it, right? Each new town I visit and each kind stranger I meet inspire my fiction, so I consider the neurotic pack-n-go process a necessary evil for a grander good.

I also enjoy cooking, theater performances, jogging, Pilates and yoga, watching anything on Turner Classic Movie channel, reading (of course), hmm… what else, what else. Oh, and in the last year I’ve developed a fondness for arts-n-crafts, particularly those dealing with stationery: wrapping presents, creating personalized notes and card stock, embellishing with monograms, etc. It’s incredibly nerdy and bookish. Yet, I’ve found myself drawn to the paper aisles in Michael’s and Hobby Lobby time and time again. A couple Twitter friends (@TooFondofBooks and @Bookgirl96) introduced me to Curly Girl Design stationery, and my world will never be the same.

Amy: The most surprising thing to me about this industry I learned the moment I sold my novel, is that while it would *seem* we are each other’s direct competition, we are each other’s biggest supporters and cheerleaders.  If you could share one thing YOU love about the wide world of traditional publishing, at a time when these publishers (and some authors) are being bashed as they find their way  – what would it be? 

Sarah: Congrats again on your debut novel being published! That’s such a monumental accomplishment. I can’t wait to wave my pompoms overhead for you, Amy Sue!

You’re right about fellow authors. We are each other’s champions! We’ve got to be, especially as women writers. Our writing community is wonderful. I’m daily awed by how much love, support, and genuine friendship I find therein. You, my dear, are certainly a case in point.

Another aspect I cherish in the book business—and this may not be the most PC thing to say living in a read-it-fast, instant download lovin’ world— but I love the paper and glue of traditional publishing. In a recent New York Times Book Review Podcast, Sam Tanenhaus said that publishers are witnessing a resurgence in the popularity and sales of hardcopy books. I kid you not, I was walking Gil through our neighborhood when I heard it and said hallelujah out loud. I appreciate, respect and recognize the luxury of e-books, but there’s nothing like holding your book baby, smelling the ink, feeling the weight of paper, flipping the pages. Those tangibles make it… real.

Recently, another Twitter friend became a mother, and we threw her a virtual book shower. I immediately picked the most gorgeous copy of The Velveteen Rabbit I could find. That story is one of my childhood treasures. A line that never ceases to give me goosebumps is when the Skin Horse tells the Velveteen Rabbit: “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.”

That sums up how I feel about paper books. I love publishing for feeling the same and being a bastion for literature—palpable and virtual.

Amy: Thank you so much for spending time with us again, Sarah.  I’m going to pop the cork on another bottle of bubbly — and find more of those chocolates I love that are hiding around here somewhere! (I like the dark chocolate vanilla creams!) 

Sarah: Thank you for being a sweet Valentine hostess, and please, I’m extending my champagne glass. Pour some of that honey sparkle over here, girlfriend. Cheers!

SARAH McCOY is the author of the novels THE BAKER’S DAUGHTER and THE TIME IT SNOWED IN PUERTO RICO. THE BAKER’S DAUGHTER released on January 24, 2012 and was praised as a “beautiful heart-breaking gem of a novel” by Tatiana de Rosnay, international bestselling author of SARAH’S KEY and a
“thoughtful reading experience indeed” by New York Times bestselling author Chris Bohjalian. THE BAKER’S DAUGHTER is a Doubleday/Literary Guild Book Club selection. Sarah has taught writing at Old Dominion University and at the University of Texas at El Paso. The daughter of an army officer, her family was stationed in Germany during her childhood. She currently lives with her husband and dog, Gilbert, in El Paso, Texas, where she is working on her next novel.

Website: http://sarahmccoy.com/
Blog: http://sarahmccoy.wordpress.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2770941.Sarah_McCoy
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/SarahMMcCoy
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSarahMcCoy.FanPage

Please welcome Sarah Pinneo to Women’s Fiction Writers!

Is Women’s Fiction Headed for Paperback?

By Sarah Pinneo

Dear Sir or Madam, will you read my book?

It took me years to write, will you take a look?

—“Paperback Writer” by The Beatles

But when my agent began to shop Julia’s Child, it was the editors of paperback imprints who showed the most interest. I’d always pictured the book as a hardcover, and not merely because I was having delusions of grandeur. The women’s fiction I’d read for years—Alice Hoffman, Jennifer Weiner, Jodi Picoult—was always hardback. Soft cover, I assumed, was for chick lit and genre romance.

So I decided to (very casually) ask my agent about it. “So…” I said, “is this because I’m a loser, and nobody will ever take me seriously?”

A good agent is one who can answer her authors’ questions without laughing, even on those days when their neuroses are poking through like porcupine quills. “That’s just where the market for this book is at this time,” she said.

And so it was. Two years of effort paid off with a successful sale to Plume, a paperback imprint at Penguin, and an editor who met all the definitions of terrific.

Still, I thought about it. And somehow I decided that the reason my book was destined for paperback was because it was a comedy. But when I looked around, that didn’t hold up. My own imprint had quite a few women’s fiction titles in paperback, including titles by the very successful Sarah Jio. And so did Gallery, including Georgia’s Kitchen by Jenny Nelson. And those weren’t comedies.

And over at Berkley, I found Katie Britton’s Her Sister’s Keeper and Liz Michalski’s beautiful Evenfall. Not a one of those books is genre romance or chick lit. As it turns out, Liz had the same reaction to paperback as I did. “Although I would have loved to have walked into a store and seen my novel in hardcover, the bottom line is that I love even more for people to buy and read it, and if coming out in paperback gives me a better shot at that, so be it.”

So it’s definitely a trend. And once I was able to think rationally about it, the economics driving the trend fell into place. Even in hardcover land, there is a notable acceleration toward releasing the paperback sooner than ever, according to The New York Times. Apparently, simultaneously released eBook prices, at 12.99 & 9.99, are making hardbacks look pricey. Even publishers of award winning literary fiction are now going to paperback 6 or 7 months after the hardcover release, as opposed to the full year that was once standard.

Last summer my galleys arrived, and I took them to a few independent bookstores I know in my area. All galleys are paperback, of course. But on numerous occasions I watched the booksellers’ eyes light up when they got to the imprint information on the back: Plume U.S. $15.00 / $17.50 CAN. “Oh, it’s a paperback!” I would hear. “That’s great.”

If booksellers are delighted by the format and price tag on my book, than so am I. So what if I pictured myself in hardcover? I also picture myself an inch taller, and with pre-childbirth abs, and yet the likelihood that I stay the way I am doesn’t keep me up at night. I’m a practical girl. And a lucky one. And a happy one.

Sarah Pinneo writes about food, family & fiction from Hanover, NH. She was a wall street dealmaker for more than a decade before making the transition from breadwinner to bread baker. You can find her at www.sarahpinneo.com, or follow her @Julias__Child.

They haven’t started writing their books.

So that’s my first piece of advice.  Write. Write with abandon. Write with acceptance. Write with forgiveness. Write with the knowledge that you are going to rewrite several if not many times.

Wait. Rewrite? Folks stop me there, especially if we’re talking face-to-face. “I don’t have time to rewrite,” they say.  My reply? “OK.”  I mean, really. Who am I to say that it will take someone four years to write a novel?  That the novel they start won’t resemble the novel they query and the novel they query will only resemble the novel they sell in some ways, but not in other ways?  Saying “OK” may be a copout but it’s also the truth.  It’s OK with me if these folks don’t rewrite their books, but it shouldn’t be OK with them — and then they shouldn’t be querying or even self-publishing.  But that’s not my job.  I’m always eager to send a list of websites or some blog names or links; to recommend books and vouch for online forums.  But the nitty gritty has to come from within, because learning how to write and publish a novel is only the start.  Heck, writing a novel is just the start.

But what if you are at the point of writing that first draft — and you just want to get it out — onto virtual paper so that it’s real and can be “saved as” the first draft of your novel?  Some people are ready to get moving but get so hung up on writing right and being perfect that they don’t make it past Chapter One.  I did that for a long time. I rewrote the beginning of my book so many times that I had a fabulous first 50 pages and nothing else. Mind you — those fifty pages are not part of the novel I sold.  They weren’t even part of the novel I queried.  So I spent months and months and months writing something that went no where.  I wish I knew then what I know now.  And that is — getting the barebones story out is what’s most important.  I don’t get held up in the what if’s and it’s not fabulous.  I just write.  And then I go back.  A gazillion times.

Since writing and querying and selling THE GLASS WIVES, a process, that in its entirety, took five years, I have written one other almost-completed novel.  One that won’t see the light of day.  I have the beginnings of two others and ideas for yet one more (the keeper, I think).

Here is a post that I wrote for Writer Unboxed that first appeared on their site in October 2010, right before I signed with my agent, Jason Yarn.  At that time I’d published one short story.  Now I’ve published three and have had two more accepted.  My goal was to be a published author.

So here’s my best advice for how to get started when you want to write a novel — or when you’re struggling through an early draft.  I even do this in later drafts, but I find then it’s often a matter of trimming, not adding.  We have a lot of lurkers here — who write all different kinds of fiction and some non-fiction and they just want a jumping off point.  We can’t push them — they have to do it themselves — but a little nudge coupled with a smidgen of advice couldn’t hurt.

What color is your balloon?

By Amy Sue Nathan

I wrote, rewrote, proofread and edited my story. Three times. I typed ‘The End’ and then with a writerly sigh and a wink, emailed my fifteen-hundred-word short story to my best reader-friend.

“It’s really good, Ame,” she said over the phone. “But I want, well, I really want more.”

Who did she think she was? Oliver Twist? I replied as eloquently as possible. I was, after all, a writer, wordsmith and lover of language.

“Huh?” I said.

Until that time, my published writing had ranged from six-hundred-fifty to one thousand words. I had never written anything longer. Had she missed those additional five hundred words? Perhaps her version of Word didn’t have a counter.

I printed out my story and stared at the first page. I turned it upside-down, read it with one eye closed and read it aloud. Then, I read it aloud with one eye closed. I knew what the story needed and was up for the challenge but didn’t know how to start. The thought overwhelmed me. Then, because when writing didn’t work, doodling did, I uncapped my favorite, fine-line blue marker and drew a circle around the first paragraph. (I’m that delicate balance of procrastinator meets visual-learner.)

And that’s when I saw a blue balloon.

That first paragraph separated from the rest of the page as deflated blue balloon needing enough air to make it round, but not so much that it would burst. So, with short, precise breaths I exhaled into that first blue balloon and then the ones that followed. I meticulously added detail, emotion and meaning, all the while holding tight to the story so it didn’t drift away.

Those fifteen hundred words became three thousand. And eventually the story was published.

At one time I did not believe I could write more than one thousand words. Then for a while I thought three thousand was my limit. I’m happy someone had the insight, faith and chutzpah to ask me for more.

I’m even happier that I had more to give.

It’s now four years, many blue balloons, essays, stories and one seventy-seven-thousand-word, yet-to-be-published novel later. So, when writing friends and colleagues ask for advice (and sometimes when they don’t ask) I suggest looking at each paragraph as a deflated balloon. Just try it, I tell them. It doesn’t have to be blue. Go wild. Pick any color at all.

And it’s still my best advice to myself. When my writing needs a little (or a lot) of something, I automatically see each paragraph as a floppy, blue balloon. Then, I take a deep breath and huff and puff just enough of the right words to evoke the images and emotions I had truly hoped for.

And then not only is the page filled up, but so am I.

Please share you best advice or tricks for getting started or for just getting through an early draft!! 

Please welcome Shelly to Women’s Fiction Writers!

Women’s Fiction Author Shelly Bell Talks About E-books, Small Publishers and Not Writing To The Market

ASN: Your book, A YEAR TO REMEMBER, will be published by Soul Mate Publishing, an e-book publisher that focuses on romance but encourages overlapping of genres, including women’s fiction. What’s the story in A YEAR TO REMEMBER and what makes it lean toward women’s fiction?

SB: A Year to Remember focuses on the choices which lead Sara Friedman to hit rock bottom and then recover from food addiction. When her younger brother marries on her twenty-ninth birthday, Sara Friedman vows to the wedding guests to find and marry her soul mate within the year. After her humiliating toast becomes a YouTube sensation, she permits a national morning show to chronicle her search.

While the book definitely contains plenty of romance, the story focuses on Sara’s physical, emotional and spiritual journey to recovery. It’s written in first person POV, which I chose specifically to give the reader access to the thoughts of an addict. Oftentimes, the actions of an addict don’t mirror her thoughts.

ASN: How much of “Shelly” is the main character — or any of the characters?

SB: I leave bits and pieces of me on every page of the book and in every character, especially Sara and her best friend, Missy.

Like me, Sara is an overweight Jewish woman with black curly hair. We’re a dime a dozen in Metro-Detroit! We also both suffer from the disease of compulsive eating, but Sara’s behaviors and distorted perceptions are characteristic of many food addicts.

My younger brother did marry before me and I did admit to my jealousy in a toast. Luckily, it was before the age of YouTube. When I was twenty-nine, I threw a lot of my energy, time and money into a search for “the one.” In a year’s time, I think I went on twenty first dates. It was a difficult time for me. I had just about given up hope when I met my husband.

ASN: What’s your writing process? Do you outline and plan or fly by the seat of your pants?

SB: The idea for A Year to Remember came to me on the drive from my house to the movie theater. I skipped the movie and wrote the outline while waiting in the lobby for my family. The complete story came to me like it was downloaded to my brain. The same thing happened with my current work-in-progress.

I begin with a rough outline of the plot and create basic character descriptions. For some reason, I like to give a psychological diagnosis to each main character! It helps me develop the character’s motivation and internal conflict. For instance, in my current WIP, the heroine has post-traumatic stress disorder. I don’t state that fact in the book, but she acts and reacts in a manner consistent with the disorder. Knowing her motivation and goals aided in the creation of the character’s external conflicts.

As I write, the story changes and grows. I might know that two characters will have an argument, but not know what the basis of the argument is until I write the scene.

ASN: Aspiring women’s fiction authors (and all aspiring authors) have more choices and decisions than ever before. What led you to pursue a small e-publisher rather than a traditional “big” publisher or self-publish? (this might easy be asked as — what was your publishing journey?)

SB: I didn’t start writing with the intent of publication. I felt like I had to write the book. Out of curiosity, I began researching the process of publication. When I completed the book, I queried agents. Although it did catch the interest of a few agents, they informed me it would be a tough sell to traditional publishers.

I’ve met several writers through Romance Writers of America that have gained success through e-publishing. Unfortunately, most e-publishers only acquire romance. Through Savvy Authors, I heard that Soul Mate Publishing was seeking submissions in women’s fiction. Although it’s a new company, several writers praised its founder Debby Gilbert. I submitted my book and she acquired it.

Because it’s a competitive market, traditional publishing houses can’t afford to take risks. A smaller publisher isn’t as limited. As a result, they can acquire books that don’t meet the traditional publisher’s criteria.

As a reader, I’ve been exposed to new authors and wonderful stories I never would have gotten the chance to read if not for the e-publishers. I read a book a day, so it saved me money too!

I didn’t consider self-publishing. While I think it’s a wonderful alternative, I didn’t feel comfortable with it.

ASN: How would you define women’s fiction?

SB: When non-writers ask me what genre I write and I tell them women’s fiction, they have no idea what I’m talking about. I define it as books about women, written for women. I’m not insulted by the categorization, but at the same time, I feel it’s really an industry term. Over the years, I’ve read plenty of books classified as general fiction which may now be marketed as women’s fiction. If calling my book women’s fiction helps it find readers, then I’m all for it.

ASN: What is your best advice for aspiring authors of women’s fiction in this ever-changing publishing world?

SB: Write for yourself, not the market, because by the time you finish, the market will have changed. Don’t get discouraged by rejection. Use it as a learning opportunity. If your goal is publication, consider small publishers and e-publishers. Most importantly, keep reading and keep writing.

Shelly Bell started reading at three years old. In elementary school, the librarian gave her books to test out for the school library. As a teenager, she spent her allowance each week on romance novels, enjoying both young adult category romance, young adult paranormal and single title books, and adult romance.

She received her Bachelors of Arts in Social Work and a Certificate in Women Studies from Michigan State University in 1990, where she interned at both the Michigan State Sexual Assault Crisis Center as a counselor and the Michigan Women’s Historical Museum as a docent.

Wanting to leave the cold Michigan winters behind, she moved to Florida to attend law school at Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad Law Center where she received her Juris Doctor degree. Practicing law since 1997, she specializes in corporate, environmental and employment law as In-House Legal Counsel for a scrap metal company in Detroit. On the side, she dabbles in horseracing and crematory law.

Married to Jason in 2003, they have two children and reside in the metro-Detroit area, where she reads on her Kindle each night when her family falls asleep.

A recovering compulsive overeater, she wrote A Year to Remember to share her strength and hope with compulsive overeaters and food addicts everywhere. A member of Romance Writers of America, she writes both women’s fiction and paranormal romance.

We are all winners because that hookapalooza (as I was calling it on Twitter) was so much fun.  I hope you all enjoyed sharing your hooks and pitches, reading them, and chiming in with comments and good suggestions.  A huge thank you to my darling Kathryn Magendie, author of the Tender Graces novels, Sweetie, upcoming books and a publishing editor of Rose and Thorn Journal, for her words of wisdom and contagious enthusiasm.

Now, without further ado, our winners — who were chosen randomly by one of those random-number-picker-things.

The Winners

Kate Defrise (our brave 1st)

Meredith Jaeger

Carolyn Moncel

Suzanne Anderson

Email me at womensfictionwriters@gmail.com for your prizes!

_______________________

It’s the first-ever Women’s Fiction Writers Random Drawing.  That’s right! It’s unscientific and totally fun!

Share your women’s fiction ONLY hook/logline/pitch – of your work-in-progress, almost-published, self-published or traditionally published novel – and I’ll enter you into a random drawing for fabulous prizes chosen by me and announced next week. (Which likely means I’ve not yet chosen the prizes.)

The best part? This doesn’t have to be your most polished, query-ready stuff.  If it is, great — if it’s not — we’ll help you make it great.  Let’s offer kind, constructive, encouraging comments.  Tell your fellow writers what you like about their words, their premise.  Are you hooked? Why? Not hooked? Why not?  I’ll offer my thoughts as well — even though I’m obviously not entering my pitches. And even though it’s what I do pretty much all day every day when I’m not writing and editing my own work.

THE RULES:

Enter by Wednesday February 1st at 10pm Central Time.

Enter ONE WOMEN’S FICTION hook only.

Keep it short. Around 100 words. (It’s the honor system, I’m not counting the words.)

THE GOOD STUFF:

THREE random entrants will win, so make sure if you don’t link to your email address that you leave it in the comments.  I’ll choose winners before next Tuesday, notify the winners, tell them about their prizes, and announce it all next Tuesday.  So if you win, and I email you, and I don’t hear back from you by next Monday, I’ll pick someone else.

This is not rocket science. It’s a fun drawing that will hopefully also be inspiring!!

Oh, and the first unpublished author to enter her (or his) hook automatically wins a prize just for being brave. 

HAVE FUN! BE HELPFUL!

Please welcome Erika to Women’s Fiction Writers!

Erika Liodice Tells Us How A Story Became Her Novel And Where She Finds The Writer-Support She Needs

ASN: Your novel, Empty Arms, is about a woman who was forced to give up her baby for adoption when she was a teenager.  How did you get the idea?

EL: The idea for Empty Arms was inspired by a story that my Nana told me over dinner four years ago. She had discovered that her friend’s daughter had given birth to a baby girl when she was just sixteen years old. In order to protect her family’s reputation, she was sent to live at a maternity home until she delivered the baby. Once the baby was born, she was forced to place her for adoption and forbidden to see her ever again. Everyone told her that she would forget about the baby and eventually get married and have more children. But she never forgot her daughter. And it wasn’t until years later that she learned that she was infertile and couldn’t have any more children.

The cruel irony of this story stayed with me for quite some time. Curious about maternity homes and the heartless concept of “forced” adoptions, I started doing some research. I was shocked to learn that my Nana’s friend wasn’t alone. In fact, between the 1940s-1970s, four million women in the U.S. went through similar experiences. I was horrified as I read countless stories of girls who were banished from their communities, physically and mentally abused by their caretakers, and bullied by social workers in order to convince them to give up their babies. The more I learned, the more my interest (and outrage) grew, and eventually the idea for Empty Arms was born.

ASN: As we learn along the way, publishing a book is different from writing a book.  So now that we know how your book got published, how did you write it?  Did you outline? Fly by the seat of your pants?  Did you have a critique partner or writing group?

EL: With my first novel (which remains unpublished), I was a quintessential “panster”, writing as the words and inspiration came to me. And while it was great to dive right into the writing, it resulted in a tremendous amount of rewriting on the back end. Not to mention, that book never saw the light of day.

When I started working on Empty Arms, I wanted to be more efficient with my limited time, so I began with an outline. Having this road map was invaluable. Every time I sat down to write I knew where I was going and what I needed to accomplish. It really helped me maximize the two hour writing sessions I was able to sneak in before heading off to work each morning.

I don’t currently have a critique partner or a writing group, though I’ve tried (and failed) to find both. I hope to one day find that special group or person that I “click” with, but until then I’ll continue to rely on the camaraderie and resources that I find over at the online writing community, Writer Unboxed.

ASN: What’s next for Erika Liodice?

Lots of things! I recently started researching my next novel, which I’m really excited about. Like Empty Arms, it will be a work of “social impact fiction”…but that’s all I can say for now. It’s funny, this book is being born backwards; that is, I already know the title and I can see the book cover in my mind…now I just need to figure out the story!

In addition to that, I’ll continue writing my motivational blog, Beyond the Gray, where I share my journey to publication and encourage readers to reach for their own dreams. This has been my passion project for the last three years because I’ve found that there are so many smart, capable people who are unhappy and unfulfilled by their jobs but are too afraid to go after what they really want. I can relate to those people because I’ve been one of them. My goal is to help those people identify, acknowledge, and nurture their dreams so they can move beyond the gray into an inspired life. A life that is bursting with color.

And last not but not least, I’ll be working on growing Dreamspire Press and hopefully adding some new authors and titles in the near future. All in all, it’s shaping up to be an exciting year!

ASN: How would you define women’s fiction?

EL: Women’s Fiction is…for women by women about topics that stir our souls in a way that other fiction can’t.

ASN: What is your best advice for aspiring authors of women’s fiction?

EL: Never stop growing. I make it a point to attend writing classes, webinars, and conferences and to read a slew of craft books every year to ensure that I keep learning and refining my skills. Unlike other jobs, we writers don’t have bosses forcing us to attend professional development seminars, so the motivation to become a better writer must come from within. Hold yourself accountable to attend at least one writing event each year. You’ll be surprised at how much valuable information you come away with.

A message from Erika:

I’m donating 10% of Empty Arms‘ proceeds to Save the Children, because at the heart of every adoption story is a child. Sadly, there are millions of children around the world who don’t have a family to love them, clothes to keep them warm, food to nourish their growing bodies, a safe place to sleep, medicine to keep them healthy, or a decent education so they can thrive in this world. I’m proud to be supporting this fine charity through the sales of my novel. Together we can help save the children.

www.ErikaLiodice.com

Erika Liodice is an award-winning blogger and author of the novel, Empty Arms (Dreamspire). She is the founder of the inspirational blog, Beyond the Gray, where she shares her journey to publication while encouraging readers to reach for their own dreams. She is a contributor to Writer Unboxed, The Savvy Explorer, and Lehigh Valley InSite. You can visit her at http://www.ErikaLiodice.com or follow her on Twitter: @erikaliodice.

Dreamspire Press is a Pennsylvania-based independent press dedicated to publishing fiction and creative nonfiction by emerging authors.

My sixteen-year-old daughter would be away (and safe and happy – essential for my peace of mind) for two-and-a-half days (my son is in college).  I stocked up on coffee and half-and-half (also essential) and snacks and coupons for take-out.  I replenished the dog-treat stash.  I devised a plan that consisted of reading and writing and watching movies based on books.

What did I really do?

I talked on the phone to friends and watched reality television.

And…it was fabulous!

I guess I needed a break.

Who knew?

The fact is, I knew.

My daughter will be away again this weekend.  Friday I’ll finish a freelance editing project.  I’m waiting for my edits from my editor.  It would be the perfect weekend to light a fire in the fireplace and open up my works-in-progress and flesh out some ideas that are pinging around in my brain.

But instead I’ve made plans with friends and have episodes of Downton Abbey to watch.

While I’d love to know that I’d hunker down with the laptop and get a lot done — I have much coming up (those edits, mind you, and I can’t wait!) and it’s not often I get a weekend to myself.  So I’m thwarting the should and embracing the could.  While I can!

S.J. Drum uses a pseudonym and a logo instead of a photo.  It’s something I’ve never considered but it’s certainly an interesting twist and it works for S.J. — and her readers!

Please welcome S.J. Drum w/a Clara LaVeaux to Women’s Fiction Writers!  

Author S.J. Drum Discusses Romance vs. Women’s Fiction, Pen Name vs. Real Name and Says To Never Give Up

ASN: Welcome to Women’s Fiction Writers, S.J. — or should I say, Clara LaVeaux, as that’s the pseudonym you use on your novel, A LIFE BEYOND YESTERDAY.  So, the big question: Why are you using a pseudonym when S.J. Drum is a mighty fine name?  And how did you come up with the name Clara LaVeaux?

SJD: Many authors choose to use a pseudonym when they ‘hop genres’, write a story outside of their usual category. Because I intend to concentrate the majority of my time writing Urban Fantasy for both adults and young adults, I felt I should use a pseudonym for A LIFE BEYOND YESTERDAY, as it falls under a very different genre.

I chose Clara LaVeaux as my Women’s Fiction pseudonym because I wanted a strong, feminine name. ‘Clara’ is a play on my birth name, ‘Sara’. ‘LaVeaux’ was chosen because of my ties to Louisiana, where I lived directly after graduating college. I miss the sultry summer nights and crawfish boils of the south and have always loved the way Cajun’s tend to spell words with ‘veaux’ tagged onto the end.

A LIFE BEYOND YESTERDAY is published by e-publisher Eternal Press.  What makes A LIFE BEYOND YESTERDAY more women’s fiction than romance?  Can you tell us a little about the story?

I love reading both Romance and Women’s Fiction, but the genres are distinctly different.

Romance is a genre where the plot revolves around a hero and heroine’s relationship. The plots normally go something like this: Will they get together? Maybe… Now they can’t. Then there’s a struggle. Finally, they’re together and it’s a ‘happily ever after’ ending.

Women’s Fiction is more about the heroine’s journey as opposed to a romantic relationship between her and the hero. While many Women’s Fiction novels–including A LIFE BEYOND YESTERDAY–have strong romantic elements, the story remains strongly focused on the main character’s emotional growth and how she navigates considerable life changes.

A LIFE BEYOND YESTERDAY follows Amelia Gauge’s journey as she reinvents herself while adapting to sudden single motherhood and discovering an ability to love she thought had died with her husband. Amelia’s story explores the guilt of a former stay-at-home mother forced to concentrate on herself–and what she wants out of life–while navigating a new-to-her world filled with deceit and hidden danger, a movie star suitor, big money, and even bigger hearts.  A LIFE BEYOND YESTERDAY will be released on February 7^th, 2012 and will be available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Fictionwise and through the Eternal Press publisher’s website.

ASN: What was your journey to publication?  Did you find Eternal Press or did they find you, and what was it like working with them?

SJD: I’d love to tell you I wrote the manuscript, blanketed cyber-space with query letters, and immediately received a “YES!” Wouldn’t that be wonderful? *Insert hysterical, eerie laugh.*

The truth is, for most authors, the road to publication is very, very long. I spent nearly a year writing, revising, having others critique the manuscript, revising again and self-editing before I sent out my first batch of query letters to agents and editors.

After I received a few responses that went something like: “I like the premise, the writing was solid, but the beginning didn’t draw me in…” I sat at my desk and contemplated setting a few items on fire, or possibly placing my laptop atop the gravel in my driveway and running over it repeatedly with my SUV for daring to allow anything but acceptance letters to enter my inbox.

When I calmed down, I realized these rejections were actually good. They weren’t form letters, they were personalized responses from agents/editors who didn’t HAVE to take the time to give feedback. So, I highlighted my first chapter, took a deep breath and hit ‘delete’. Then, tweaked the second chapter to become the first and sent out a new round of sample pages.

I was offered a contract with Eternal Press somewhere around 8 months after sending my first batch of queries. I liked their cover art and the books I’d read that’d been published by Eternal Press were suitably edited. For me, the decision was an easy ‘yes’.

ASN: What’s your best advice for aspiring authors of women’s fiction, especially in this changing publishing climate?

SJD: Don’t worry about tailoring stories to what’s “hot” in publishing. Unless you already have a polished story that fits the bill, by the time you go through the entire story creation/writing/polishing/querying process, something else will have become the most popular theme and you’ll have missed the boat.

Write what’s in your heart, write it well, then throw it out and write it again, only better.

Don’t jump directly into self-publishing. There is nothing wrong with self-publishing, but don’t look at it as an easy/quick fix to the querying process. So many authors are tempted by this and later can’t figure out why they haven’t gone the way of Amanda Hocking and raked in millions.

For the majority of writers, to put out a quality book that’ll stand out from the rest, you’ll need a professional, freelance editor (around $800 for an 80,000 word manuscript)* and a good graphic artist to design a book cover (around $200+)*.

Most of all, remember, writers write. It’s what they do. If you want to be a writer…start writing and never give up!

As S.J. Drum, I am a writer of Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance Novels. Under the pen name Clara LaVeaux, I write Contemporary Women’s Fiction with strong romantic elements.

I have a terribly expensive and utterly useless BA in Studio Arts with a minor in Psychology.

I currently live near Yellow Springs, Ohio with my husband and two small children. When I’m not changing diapers or writing, I enjoy scuba diving and have been known to make an elephant do a headstand.

Link to A LIFE BEYOND YESTERDAY on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13188450-a-life-beyond-yesterday

Website: www.SJ-Drum.com

Blog: http://SJ-Drum.blogspot.com

Twitter: AuthorSJDrum

*These numbers are based on S.J. Drum’s experience. Prices vary widely within the industry.