Today’s question is: How did you build your author platform? Was it by personal effort or did you have professional help?
Last week’s discussion answered this question: If you were given the opportunity to form a book club with your favorite authors of all time, which legends or contemporary writers would you want to become a part of the club?
Barb Galler-Smith
J.K.Rowling, Carol Berg, Edgar Allen Poe, H.G. Wells, Jules Verne (but only if he can speak English as my French is terrible), JRR Tolkein, J. Michael Straczynski,. I would be totally tongue-tied, but I would LOVE to just sit and listen to them talk about stuff.
Jenna Butler I can never seem to reply on the blog for some reason! But my dream group would be Lawrence Hill, Joy Harjo, Lee Maracle, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Claudia Rankine, and Lorine Niedecker.
Firstly a sincere thank you to all the writers, authors and readers who have dropped by by blog this year – we are 3306 connected people with a love of the written word. My flag counter states I have 189 countries following me and 252 flags collected. That is pretty amazing.
Again it took sometime to decide on what topics I would cover on my blog for 2018. It is always a task not only because once I commit I have to deliver but also that I want the topics/features I choose to be of interest to my followers.
The day and time of each blog post has to be considered – too early in the morning and it will be lost in the morning rush of emails and other notifications, too late in the day and it disappears into the evening chaos of family time. After studying several articles it is best to post on Monday and Wednesday between 9:30 am – 11:00 am, as I traditionally post on these days at 10:30 am I am within those parameters.
Blog Schedule 2018
Monday: Investigation in Genre. A look at the classic genres through to the ‘new’ ever developing genres available to writers. I will be investigating, discussing and hopefully with your help giving examples of genres this year. I would like this feature to be as interactive as possible.
Wednesday: I was given a writing prompt book for Christmas so will be utilizing these 300 prompts. I hope to create flash fiction or short stories from them. And you are most welcome to write one to share too.
Friday: Once a month (twice if I have lots of requests) I will host author interviews. This is open to published and unpublished authors/writers. Whether you have been interviewed by me before or not. I want us to support and encourage each other and get to know the writer behind the story.
Message me if you would like to be interviewed via the contact form on the media kit. You can choose which month to correspond with a book launch, event or special giveaway.
Certainly a non productive writing weekend as I attended a reptile show both days (see previous post https://mandyevebarnett.com/2017/05/08/upcoming-writing-events-add-yours-for-your-location-14/). However, I do have this weekend free so will indulge in as much time as possible writing. This will include a complete revision of the ghost written book project prior to sending back to my client.
I have my writing retreat to look forward and it is getting tantalizingly close – 18th May. Here I can immerse myself completely with no distractions, unless I actually seek them out.
Books:
Her Fearful Symmentry by Audrey Niffenegger. I am thoroughly enjoying this story. The characters are well rounded, there is a connection/distance between the two main characters, which gives the narrative an undercurrent of possibilities.
Reincarnation by Suzanne Weyn (because you all know by now I’m fascinated by this subject)
What are you reading?
I watched this movie, which had a great twist on the subject. I am always intrigued by the variations on the reincarnation theme.
“You cannot hope to sweep someone else away by the force of your writing until it has been done to you.”
“Description begins in the writer’s imagination, but should finish in the reader’s.”
“I think the best stories always end up being about the people rather than the event, which is to say character-driven.”
“Let’s get one thing clear right now, shall we? There is no Idea Dump, no Story Central, no Island of the Buried Bestsellers; good story ideas seem to come quite literally from nowhere, sailing at you right out of the empty sky: two previously unrelated ideas come together and make something new under the sun. Your job isn’t to find these ideas but to recognize them when they show up.”
Well my creative writing took a backseat yet again but I did manage the update my ghost writing project and completed my conference presentation so feel pleased there are both completed.
I am co-hosting the senior residence writing group on Thursday so can escape to the library for a couple of hours before to return to The Twesome Loop. Having found a fantastic cover artist I am thinking of a design for the book cover. It will take some careful thinking to make the cover reflect my characters finding their past selves in an Italian villa, that’s for sure.
I did add more story to my ‘extra’ project – yes I know isn’t four manuscripts enough? Well obviously not because my children’s ‘alien planet’ book has been gaining in word count!
As many of you know I am a multi-genre author and my current WIP’s – are all in various stages of completion. They range from cowgirl romance to thriller to reincarnation romance to speculative fiction, added to that the above kids book. Never a dull moment in my brain, I can tell you.
Do you have multiple manuscripts/ideas formulating or clambering for your attention?
Books:
The Faraday Girls by Monica McInerney
Loved the characterizations in this book, each sister was so unique, so defined. Here is my Goodreads review:
What a wonderful narrative. Lots of characters interacting, conflicts, sibling rivalry and unexpected twists in the plots.
Monica weaves such a artful tale of four sisters brought up by their father – family traditions, a surprise niece/daughter and global travel.
A book I would re-read for sure.
Now onto a book I have been looking forward to. It has started well.
The Other Life by Ellen Meister
Do you have a recommendation for a alternative life, reincarnation or fantasy?
Do you want to hook up on Goodreads? Follow the link on the side bar to my account.
Writing Tips:
Let go of your inner editor. When you sit down to write a draft, refrain from proofreading until that draft is complete.
Proofread everything at least three times before submitting your work for publication.
Print this one out:
You are a writer so own it and say it out loud: “I am a writer.” Whether it’s a hobby or your profession, if you write, then you have the right to this title.
Since my mini writing retreat last weekend, I have not had any time to immerse myself in the revisions for The Twesome Loop, until last night. I took advantage of a couple of hours of peace & quiet in the library prior to my writing meeting. Word count increased by 892 and a couple of scenes were ‘fleshed out’ (actually erotic scenes so literally – pardon the pun!)
I have a meeting with my client whose book I am ghost writing this evening as I requested ‘personal experience’ pieces from her on several topics within the book. These I will include thus ensuring it is her voice.
My book cover proof is still pending for The Rython Kingdom so I have to be patient – although having the new cover available for my readers is paramount. So excited for it to go ‘live’ on the various websites.
Through a facebook page I found a submissions requirement where I can send my steampunk story – The Toymaker. Fingers crossed it gets accepted, it’s only 7790 words.
Books:
I am thoroughly enjoying this book – The Faraday Girls by Monica McInerney – sister’s growing up, finding themselves, drama, love, rejection and a mystery. Set in Tasmania and Ireland it becomes international as each sister flies the coop in search of her path.
My TBR pile includes a book I found in a lovely bookstore while on my weekend escape. The Other Life by Ellen Meister This is the blurb:
If you could return to the road not taken…would you?
Quinn Braverman has a perfect life, with a loving husband, an adorable son, and another baby on the way.
Quinn also has an ominous secret: she knows that another version of her life exists…one in which she made totally different life choices. But she’s never been tempted to switch lives-until a shocking turn of events pushes her to cross over, and she discovers the one person she thought she’d lost forever: Her mother.
But Quinn can’t have both lives. Soon, she must decide which she really wants-the one she has…or the other life…
Doesn’t it sound fascinating? Of course as I love reincarnation, spirits, afterlife and parallel universes it is just up my street, so to speak.
If you have a recommendation for this kind of story, please let me know.
Writing Tips:
Stop procrastinating. Turn off the TV, disconnect from the Internet, tune out the rest of the world, sit down, and write.
Create a space in your home especially for writing.
J.K.Rowling, Carol Berg, Edgar Allen Poe, H.G. Wells, Jules Verne (but only if he can speak English as my French is terrible), JRR Tolkein, J. Michael Straczynski,. I would be totally tongue-tied, but I would LOVE to just sit and listen to them talk about stuff.