I’ve written four novels—a suspense story and a women’s fiction trilogy, but for the past year or so I’ve been writing non-fiction plus editing my manuscripts for publication.  Recently, I rediscovered the missing part of my writing life.  Although I enjoy writing articles and blogs and book reviews, I love writing fiction.  And while I like writing short stories, I most love writing novels. 

Fiction writers have different approaches to writing.  Many don’t begin writing until they have a full outline, especially if they are mystery writers, with complicated plots.  Other writers, like myself, just let the story unfold, chapter after chapter.  We have an overall premise in mind but allow the characters to add the details.

So, I’m writing fiction again, but, until two weeks ago, I had one problem.  I had a protagonist and other characters, as well as a location, however—I had no plot.  Well, I sort of had a plot, but I had no subplots, and without at least one subplot, you basically just have a long, short story.  I told this to a writer friend at the monthly California Writers Club.  We had a great meeting as usual and lunch with our speaker, Martin Lastrapes, afterwards. 

Now here is the point of this blog.  (Bet you thought I would never get to it.)  As usual, after enjoying the camaraderie of other writers, I went home from the CWC meeting feeling the urge to go to the computer and write.  And guess what?  Suddenly, out of the blue (or wherever), came the answer to my plot dilemma.  I knew what my subplot was going to be. 

Apparently, being around creative people opens up the creative part of your brain.  How does it work?   I don’t know.  It’s a mystery.

Posted by libbygrandy at 11:24 AM EST

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Okay, friends, back to the subject of writing.  I took a break last week from blogging about writing, but something happened that both pleased and surprised me, and I want to talk about it. 

I found the picture I want for my book cover.

That may not sound too exciting, but it was for me.  I have looked at literally hundreds of pictures on the Internet—through Google and through friends who have taken pictures of the desert.  I knew I wanted something that represented the essence of Desert Soliloquy, the emphasis on “soliloquy.”  I decided I wanted a desert sunset.  There is a kind of peacefulness about the desert and the sky above that I’ve never been able to adequately put into words.  I wanted that effect, and I wanted color that would draw a potential reader’s eye. 

Didn’t want much, did I?

But now you may understand why I was so surprised when I found it.  When I saw the melon-colored sky and mountain in the distance and one lone cactus in the foreground (with room for a title), I knew it was the one.  I went into the photographer’s website, got his email and contacted him.  The cost was more than reasonable (less than $100, depending on size and dimensions), and he understood that I wouldn’t be able to purchase it until I discussed providing my own cover with the subsidy publishing company that I finally choose.

So, one more step toward seeing Desert Soliloquy in print.  I’m excited and a little nervous, which tells me I’m heading in the right direction.

Posted by libbygrandy at 11:19 AM EST

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For you readers who aren’t writers, I have good news.  I’m not going to talk about writing this week.  Of course, I did have something interesting…oops, no, I’m not going to talk about that. 

For those of you who personally know me, you understand that it’s hard for me to not to talk about something that I’m thinking about.  Our three-year-old little Kayli has the same problem.  She was helping wrap a family member’s present at Christmas time and was told not to tell him what it was.  Later that day, she went up to him and said, in a distressed tone of voice, “I have something on my mind, but I can’t talk about it.”  I know just how she felt. 

Having said all that, I am aware that we need to take a break from obsessing on something that we find interesting and enjoyable.  We need to lead a balanced life, and, for me, that’s setting my writing aside and focusing on family.  When my husband and I babysit, we are drawn into the moment.  We set up three-and-a-half-year-old, Jesse’s Nascar track this past week.  As he watched, in excited anticipation, he said, “I so happy!”  I spent a lot of time racing his car.  When I won, he didn’t mind, he just gave me a high-five followed by the fist bump, and I truly felt that I had won something great.

This coming week, having taken a “family break,” I’ll go back to what I enjoy so much—writing—refreshed and full of creative energy.

I hope you all have similar ways to balance your busy lives.  I would lend you Jesse, but he’s busy these days with Tumble Tots, etc.

Posted by libbygrandy at 1:46 PM EST

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As I’ve been blogging about self-publishing, I probably should address a question some of you may have.  I’ve been asked by people who have read my manuscript, Desert Soliloquy, why I’ve decided to self-publish.  They can’t imagine that a traditional publishing company wouldn’t want to publish it.  I appreciated the compliment, but it’s not that simple these days. 

I have gone the traditional route of querying agents and editors, and I’ve gotten some very encouraging responses, albeit no sales.   In today’s economy, agents are having a hard time selling books to traditional companies.  I’ve had two agents who truly believed in my work but couldn’t get editors that they had successfully worked with in the past to read the manuscript.  Why?  The response was, “We are not reading work from new authors right now.  We are only considering authors that we have published in the past, and only those whose sales were good.”  Both agents have semi-retired, in the sense they aren’t taking on new clients.

My last agent encouraged me to self-publish, because she believes that my mystery, Desert Soliloquy, is commercially viable and will do well, if I educate myself about Social Media Marketing. 

I encourage writers to go the traditional route first—query letters, etc., but, at some point, self-publishing may need to be considered.  There are pros and cons for both options.  For example, I recently learned that a very good writer that I know, who has had several books published by traditional companies, just had her latest book “shelved” because there weren’t enough pre-orders. 

Publishing.  It’s a tough world.

Posted by libbygrandy at 11:39 AM EST

Updated: Wednesday, 18 January 2012 9:49 PM EST

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As I said last week, many of my blogs in 2012 will be about writing, because that is my focus this year.  Since I'm researching self-publishing, my first advice to those writers considering it—take your time.  Don’t move too fast in your desire to see your manuscript in print and/or in an eBook.

I know writers who have rushed it, been excited to finally see their manuscript in print and then been disappointed for several reasons.  Perhaps their reviews were not as good as they had hoped.  Sometimes, when writers don’t get valuable feedback before publishing, they aren’t aware of flaws in their manuscript.  Readers will often discover plot problems that the writer is unaware of.  A fellow writer, who read my mystery, Desert Soliloquy, had a problem with one aspect of the plot, which was easily fixed—once I was made aware of it.  Critique groups also provide that kind of valuable input. 

Other writers learned, after choosing an expensive package from a self-publishing company (called subsidy publishing) that the services they bought really didn’t help them sell their book.  Some found out that they could have spent much less, if they had researched subsidy publishers.

Some writers, who had the money to purchase editorial services from the subsidy publisher but didn’t think they needed them, were embarrassed at the number of mistakes in their published book.  As I’ve said, subsidy publishing companies print exactly what you send them, warts and all. 

If money is no object, purchase those services, if only for proofreading.

Finally, some writers were disappointed in their low sales.  They hadn’t researched Social Media Marketing. 

I could go on, but you get my drift.  (I know, I know, cliché.)  But in case you didn’t get my….   Sorry.  In case, I didn’t make my point, I’ll say it one more time.  Take your time, especially if it is your first book.  A reader might buy your book, because it sounds interesting, but he or she will not buy your next book if the first is poorly written or not skillfully plotted. 

Trust me on this.  You will thank me later.

One more thing.  I’ve published my article, “I Want to Self-Publish—Help!” on my website http://www.libbygrandy.com under “Writing Articles.”  Hope that some of you find it helpful.

Posted by libbygrandy at 12:04 PM EST

Updated: Friday, 13 January 2012 4:58 PM EST

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Well, here it is, the infamous year 2012.  Is anyone worried about December 21, 2012?   No?  Good.  Neither am I.  However, I do believe this could be a year of profound change.  Clearly, the world is in a state of flux, so we’ll see how things evolve economically and globally.  There’s something else in the air, something I “sense” but don’t have words for (which is very irritating for a writer).

I may be feeling this way because of my plans to publish my mystery, Desert Soliloquy, this spring.  I’ve done extensive research, so I believe that I know what I’m doing, but it’s still a little scary.  The story, itself, is ready for public consumption but will the cover and formatting be what I envision?  Hopefully, all will turn out well.

For you writers, I plan to take you on this personal publishing journey.  I’ll let you know what works and what may not work.  Share any mistakes I make or success I may have.  That is what writers can do for one another.  Writing is a solitary endeavor, but publishing and marketing forces writers into an unfamiliar arena.  My new writing guru, Kristen Lamb, reassures us in the title of her book that: We Are Not Alone, The Writer’s Guide to Social Media.  Thank goodness for that.  We need to share our experiences with one another.

We do that in our weekly critique group and in our monthly California Writers Club meetings.  That is basically why I created a website and a blog—to share helpful information with other writers. Consequently, my blogs this year will be focused more on writing than usual.  Later this month I will post on my website an article I’ve entitled, “I Want to Self-Publish—Help!” 

I do have a way with words, don’t I?

Posted by libbygrandy at 1:24 PM EST

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Well, it’s over, and we all survived, hopefully.  Sometimes I believe that the best time of the holidays is the day after Christmas when you can stay in your pajamas and lounge around, talking.  There’s leftover food, so you don’t have to cook.  You can do absolutely nothing and not feel guilty, because everything has been done.  That’s exactly what our family did, and I loved it!

After I wrote last week’s blog, I got another early Christmas present, another “writing gift.”  Chicken Soup for the Soul emailed me that they have accepted my story about our dog, Barney, for their animal issue next fall.  They published two of my stories this past year, and it made me very happy.  My writer friend, Kay, also heard from them about her cat story.  She, too, was published by them this year.

This year—it’s almost over.  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and have a Happy New Year!

See you next year.

Posted by libbygrandy at 12:25 PM EST

Updated: Wednesday, 28 December 2011 12:31 PM EST

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I have already received two Christmas presents—the kind of presents every writer wants.  Actually, what every writer prays for.  Two of my writer friends read my mystery, Desert Soliloquy, proofing it for any typos, misplaced commas, etc.  I’ve mentioned in previous blogs that when you decide to self-publish, your manuscript needs to be camera-ready.  They publish the manuscript exactly the way you send it to them.

What were my presents?  The magic words, “I couldn’t stop reading.”  Both read into the night, one until 2:00, because she had to know how the story ended. 

Do you know how happy that made me?  Well, you writers out there know.  We spend months, maybe years, writing a novel.  Our characters become real to us, at least for the moment.  Those of us who belong to a critique group have the story critiqued chapter by chapter.  However, someone eventually needs to read it from start to finish to make sure the story works.  As a writer, you may think it does; you hope it does, but you really don’t know until someone gives you feedback. 

I got great feedback, and I’m more comfortable now moving forward towards self-publishing, probably in the spring of 2012.

I hope each of you receive a special present.  Maybe a loving word or act from someone you care about.  Maybe good news about something you’ve been concerned about. 

Whatever you receive, savor it.  Gifts like these should never be taken for granted. 

Have a wonderful holiday!

Posted by libbygrandy at 11:38 AM EST

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In today’s busy life style and changing society, people often question why I do two things at Christmas, when it appears unnecessary: bake lots of sugar cookies and send Christmas cards through snail mail.  I only have one answer for both questions.  For me, it is the right thing to do.  My family knows that when I use those particular words, it is useless to argue with me.  Call me stubborn, call me old-fashion.  There are certain things that I feel are simply “the right thing to do.”

The next question is, usually, “Why?”

Let’s start with Christmas cards.  For most of my adult life, I’ve kept in touch with certain people only a few times a year.  Maybe they moved away, or I moved away, and we don’t communicate that often.  I’m interested in how their lives are going, and they seem to be interested in how my life is going.  (Facebook provides a lot of that information these days, which is why I love it.)

Anyway, we reach out to one another during the holidays and memories of happy times return.  It is a good, loving feeling, so—as long as I’m capable of writing a Christmas letter and sending a Christmas card, that personal tradition will continue.

Now, what about the question regarding sugar cookies?  I confess that I don’t enjoy baking dozens of cookies.  Mainly, because standing all that time makes my back hurt, so I’m usually in pain on those days.  Why do I do it when there are bakeries out there that provide delicious sugar cookies at very reasonable prices?  Because those cookies were not baked by “Mom,” or “Mamie.”  In the past, I tried buying extra cookies to add to my stash, but each time I heard the words, “Where are your cookies.  We want your cookies.”

Am I the best sugar cookie baker in the world?  No, I’m not.  Am I a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother?  Yes, I am.

Does that answer the sugar cookie question?

For me, it does.

Posted by libbygrandy at 12:59 PM EST

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I love watching the Science Channel, especially when they are talking about quantum physics.  Not that I understand any of it, but most scientists admit they don’t either, so I feel I’m in good company.

One episode talked about time speeding up, and that I understand.  Time is speeding up.  I know that for a fact.  How do I know?  Because I sat down this week to write my annual Christmas letter, and I’m absolutely sure I just wrote my 2010 letter. 

In the past, I’ve never had a problem writing our letter to family and friends.  However, I kept procrastinating because thinking about this past year left me feeling overwhelmed.  So much has happened in the world and in our own lives.  How do you bring it all down to one page?

It reminds me of the difficulty of writing a synopsis for a book that you spent months, maybe years writing.  How do you bring a 300 page book down to a page or two?  Well, trust me, it isn’t easy, at least if you want to make it interesting. 

Finally, I decided not to comment on the world or life, in general.  I just stuck to family news, which fortunately is all basically good.  Everyone is working hard and taking care of one another and trusting that the process of putting one foot in front of the other will lead us to an even better future.

What will I write about next December?  I’m really curious to find out. 

And I’m sure I’ll feel exactly the same way I did this year.  That I blinked, and the year was suddenly over.  Trust me.  Time is speeding up!

Posted by libbygrandy at 1:44 PM EST

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