I had an excellent meeting with Snow Leopard Publishing’s marketing manager, Christian Lee today for
That English Lady!
Looking forward to receiving the marketing and production plan as a result.
I’m still excited to continue the, so far interesting, fun, and pleasant journey!
I’ll make this short and to the point, as I feel it deserves blurting out…
I’ve signed with Snow Leopard Publishing for
That English Lady!
The fact that they liked my submitted manuscript blew me away. To then go ahead and want to publish it… well, let’s just say…
I’m STOKED!
I’m excited to begin the journey!
HAPPY PLACE!
Part two of Kristen Lamb’s fabulous advice on DEEP POV.
This GORGEOUS image via Flickr Creative Commons, courtesy of Aimannesse Photography
Last time we talked about the history and evolution of POV (Point of View) and why certain types of POV might not be the best choice for a modern reader. We also talked about what is often called “deep POV” which, until I looked it up one day? I thought was just tight writing. Who knew it had a name?
Today we’re going to dive deeper into deep POV.
Wow, deep.
Yes, there are style changes we can make, like removing as many tags as we can and ditching extraneous sensing and thinking words. But deep POV is strongly tethered to characterization. Good characterization. Before we get to that, let’s talk about what we often do when we’re new.
The Fishy Flashback
When we’re new writers, we often don’t understand plotting. We don’t yet have the skill set…
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We all write differently and we all read differently. There is plenty of room for all styles and all tastes. Thank you to my friend and fellow author, Amy Weaver, for posting this totally relatable blog 🙂
One minute: “Oh, I love this.”
Next minute: “Ugh… this is utter crap.”
Three minutes later: “Wait, maybe it’s not toobad.”
Six minutes after that: *Crumbles paper and throws it across the room* OR *Delete… Delete… Delete…*
Every single writer I know has had this moment a few hundred thousand times, if not more. It’s exhausting to question every word we write. It can be excruciating. I tend to pace the floor as I talk out loud (or scream) at my characters, while pulling my hair out at the root.
Pace… pace… pace… scream.
Yes, I know if I chill out, not force it, the words will work themselves out, but of course, it takes me going through the screaming and pacing drama to get me to the other side.
Thankfully, I have random days when it seems all the stars are in alignment, and the rays of writerly-love shine upon me, at the
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My friend and fellow author, Amy Weaver, has some excellent points here. Some of which I needed to hear today myself. So, I hope by my reblogging of this insightful post, you might be inspired, too 🙂
As to be expected, whether they’re full of it or lacking in it, writers tweet, facebook, and blog about inspiration often. I know if I were to go back through the posts I’ve written over the years, I’m pretty sure I have one, two, or five on the subject.
Inspiration means everything to a writer. It’s not only what provokes a new story, but it’s also what keeps the passion going for the story we’re in the process of writing or editing.
The last couple of weeks have been a struggle for me. It’s been hard for me to stay focused and inspired with the story I’m currently editing. I know it’s about mindset, about surroundings, about staying in love with the story, about the passion for the characters– all of that. Every single thing affects our inspiration.
It’s normal to get blasé about a story we’ve been writing, working on, editing, changing, fixing…
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My friend and fellow author, Amy Weaver, has a great point to share.
A while back, I was talking to someone about something I was struggling with in my writing. This person is not a writer, but I thought that was okay. I figured they would at least listen, and maybe (hopefully), give me an opinion or an encouraging word. I was wrong. Here was the response:
“Well, you have your writer friends for that.”
This perplexes me to no end. Do writers have to only go to writers for help and support?
I was at a writer’s conference this past weekend and it felt so good to be surrounded by people who understand the passion, the struggles, and the love of the written word. The camaraderie was palpable and the support never-ending. Judgment? That word doesn’t exist among this group and I have to think that would be the case for most writer conferences and groups.
Here’s the thing– we (writers) have to…
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I completely agree with this take on recent events, extremely well written by my friend and fellow author Pamela Foster.
When Jack and I strapped the leashes of Chesty and Rocca to our wrists, came out of retirement in the lovely tropical country of Panama, and returned to the USA – specifically to Northwest Arkansas – our families and friends were flummoxed.
“You’re moving to the Ozarks? Isn’t that hillbilly country?”
“Well, at least you’ll save money on dental care. Fit right in when those teeth just fall right out.”
“Seriously? The Ozarks? Are you crazy?”
Since we heard the exact same incredulous tones when we moved to Mexico, and when we immigrated it Panama, neither Jack nor I argued with the stereotype, but neither were we swayed. There is no stronger bias than that which is based on unsubstantiated beliefs.
Click on cover to purchase from Amazon.
Besides, we had those two giant mastiffs to worry about getting back onto the passenger section of a Delta jet in order…
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My Writing Process (writing process blog tour).
It is a tale of time travel with a love story mixed in. Emily, an English lady, and August, an American Army Veteran, meet on the internet. Both have had reason to be in a support chat room, but do not divulge too much about themselves to each other right off the bat. August suggests they meet in person, and invites her to visit him in America.This is their journey. Time travelling to prehistory, Medieval times, and parallel worlds, this is their journey of enlightenment for the places they visit and each other. But who is behind the strange willow tree, which entices them time after time to enter its shroud, and what is that shape in the sky that Emily keeps seeing?My work crosses genres, and I think my books offer something fairly unique, in that I am from England myself, but writing/publishing in America. My first four books, The Blue Door Trilogy and their sequel, Twisted Labyrinth, were written in the UK about time travel and the Victorian era in the UK, Such as .which already makes them different to most books published in the US. With my current project I am able to mix the two cultures, I hope with some success.
3) Why do I write what I do?
I have always been fascinated with time travel, fantasy, and “what if?” stories. And that is what my longer works encompass.
However, just lately I have been branching out into short stories and essays. But these are mostly non-fiction. More of a memoir feel.
4) How does my writing process work?
I try to write every day, but I don’t beat myself up if I can’t. Sometimes life gets in the way, and that is all right. Also, sometimes one has to take a step back in order to see progress 🙂
I’m a seat of your pants kind of writer. I allow my characters room to tell me what they are up to next. And I think that if the story turns surprise me, sadden me, or cause me to guffaw, there is a strong likelihood the reader will be effected the same way.
Click here to view Madison Woods’ answers, published last week. For next week (September 10th), I invited three more writers to participate, but only two were available for this blog tour:
Can’t wait to read Gil Miller‘s and Pamela Foster‘s answers!
The first real draft of That English Lady, my new book, is complete. I actually typed “THE END” after chapter fifteen and the Epilogue.
And, as you can see, I have a “provisional” cover. This likely won’t be the final cover, then again…one never knows 🙂 I really just wanted to put a picture in here, truth be told 😉
The much appreciated and continued assistance of my critique group, Northwest Arkansas Writers Workshop, is invaluable to me, especially during the next stage. Cleaning up/editing/polishing. A lot, up to chapter four, has been done, (first time around anyway). I have been trying to keep up with it as I go, so that perhaps it isn’t so daunting to go through the entire book and have to do EVERYTHING all at once. I had to do that with all three Blue Door books and found it rather overwhelming.
I do have a couple more things I would like to add to the first two chapters, (more fore-shadowing, hints, and magical happenings – but NO spoilers for later events!). I am already in the process of that, though. The rest is tweaking and polishing.
So, I think I must crack open a Boston Lager this evening in celebration of completing the first stage 🙂 Long way to go still, but the biggest hurdle is out of the way – finishing the first draft. The editing, I really don’t mind. In a lot of ways I find it as much fun as writing the story, and I get to see my work come even more to life through the process 🙂
Thanks to everyone who has stood by me in my madness of being an author. Especially my husband, Huey. I love you, Honey.
Alice White Author 