I Would Have Written It…

Differently. We all have those books. We’re reading along, there might be some inconsistency in the writing but we’re still in it. Until that moment when we think “No, this that and the other thing needs to happen right here.”

And as writers, our brain sets off like a freight train.

I just had that happen recently in the middle of a book. And my brain is chugging along. I have several ideas that haven’t got the steam on their own, but maybe if I smash them together I can get somewhere.

Spoiler Alert: I’m working through this as I’m writing. I will tell you there will only be generalities about the stories because, whelp. It’s not that I believe someone will “steal” my ideas. You and I could be given the same setting, plot and characters and write completely different stories. It’s because if I write too much or discuss a story my brain is over it and I lose all interest in writing it.

So first off, the book stat I was reading (and DNF’d) was trying very hard to be a mafia romance. And for some odd reason it made me think of a story I had started and stopped quite a few times– it deals with witches & warlock vs mage ability. What’s the difference and what happens when you are one but everyone assumes you are incompetent at the other? This idea is hands down 100% fantasy so obviously no mafia. But warring factions? We can do that.

The part I put it down at was a “meet the head of the family” type of moment and it was not going well. Whelp. Last year I started watching those super short shows– you know the ones. Rich guy drops his wife who is a secret billionaire who is now gonna make his life hell. Ok, so take part of that– the part where they really have NO IDEA who the heck they are dealing withand smash it with witch/mage thing.

I really want a sentient house in there too. I love them. When the house is a character it can go either really really well or very badly for the people involved.

But then I’ve been leaning towards shifter romance, although none of the ones I’m seeing are catching my eye and/or imagination. That might A. Be one step too far or B. Just be a reading thing. I know I tend to not read what I’m writing or what I’m hearing up to write so I might just go back to some old favorites of that type and see if that scratches that.. oh that’s in poor taste.

So. There you have it. My creative brain run around and proof that even the books we don’t finish can be worth it for us.

Ta, my lovelies! I’m off to write a bit now!

Idk

I’m having a problem with follow through on my stories right now. Writing them, that is

And a little bit on reading new books. I’ve thrown a bunch onto my DNF shelf. One of which I dnf’d so hard I mentally started rewriting it in my imagination then flipping it over to a story I had started once upon a time.

So much so that I started looking for the file. But my cloud storage is a confusing batch of storms, none of which I found it in. Which means I should look for it on my laptop. But my desk is full with my work computer and stuff for work and I don’t want to cross that boundary.

Which I get it. I have a whole a$$ house to set up in. And I have too much crap and I get it under control and then it slips the leash and goes out of control and yada yada yada. Just put the work in, and I can have a working solution. I could have the home I want.

And yet something almost always stops me. And that something is me.

I know how I became my own worst enemy in this. Anyone have any suggestions? Because I don’t know how to fix this.

The DNF Dance

At what point do you put a book down and not finish it because of poor editing? I’m not talking about a story that doesn’t click for you, is outside your realm of interest or anything to do with taste

I’m speaking of straight up poor editing. Even down to the sentence level.

I believe I mentioned I’ve been on a reading tear. For this month I am at 15 books completed, not counting the 3 books I reread. (All by Zapata, I really really like her books!) Not all the authors I like are on KU which is where I’m getting most of the books I’m reading. And with 35 books under my belt for February and March, I had to branch out. Found some thru TikTok, and some through recommendations on Amazon.

I’m going to put a few caveats here. 1. I know, I KNOW my writing here could use a good editing or even proofreading. I come here to get things off my chest. When I send things out for “Submission” it has been proofread & sent to my writing partner (Hi Sis!) for editing help. 2. I will not name this author here. She has done something not everyone can do– completed and published not one but 3 books (in the series). 3. To whomever left the Amazon review of how she could get her money back from her editor… I howled. Also felt bad, but snickered too. BUT there is a possibility she didn’t have the funds for an editor, or resources. However, some of the problems could have been spotted with a set of beta readers.

The first hiccup I encountered was the tense. Writing in present tense is hard on the reader, but I could roll with it. Not my first rodeo lol. I don’t generally like the pacing, but the book was under 300 pages so thought I could handle it.

Then there was the missing word. It bothered me enough that I  went back a few times just to see that Yup ! Really missing a word there.

Chapter four rolls around. We, the reader, are still with the couple on the first meeting. It’s been going back and forth between male and female character for point of view, but I’m chapter four we get.. Past tense.

No. Just no.

I know that fore personally, if I continue reading it I will be doing so in order to find more hiccups. But there’s no reason for me to do this. I am not in a class, needing to give feedback. I am not her editor. I am not a beta reader.

And at 15% in, I’m not that invested in the characters. Which wouldn’t be a problem (taste) but I figured it was short. I could rip through it. Maybe it gets better. But when that chapter bounced the tenses, I hard bounced out.

So my lovelies, at what point do you DNF a book due to technical errors?

If you write and self publish, please know that there are people rooting for you and willing to be beta readers for you.

New Year- New Intentions

Happy New Year, my lovelies! I hope you had a fun, safe New Year’s Eve and are having a great start to 2024.

Last year, I went whole hog. I set goals for reading and a trifecta of types of writing: fiction, letters and this here blog. I wrote them down, had a “Word of the Year” and shared my goals.

Then my year went to Hell in a hand basket. I didn’t know where to turn, and I pretty much had a break down. The good news is I listened to the right people and ended up exactly where I needed to be. I’m starting to remember who I am.

I’m starting to want to write again.

I’m also kinda gun shy about those goals now. So instead of quantifying my resolutions, I’m setting intentions.

I normally run 2 planners, and I use them mostly as. Creative outlet. In addition to keeping track of things, I also throw quotes in there, poems, stuff about the books I was reading. I still have 2, but I created a third out of a notebook. A reading & writing planner. Just for me.

I had made a 2 page book review document for Fantasy books– and it worked really well! I did Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree on it, and I have enough to do a review (forthcoming, I promise!). I also made my own book bingo page and ways to keep track of what I’ve read for the year.

For my wiring, I have a section where I work on what I like to write, what makes me love a story I’m telling. Added to that a stat tracker (word count beginning and end of month ), blog posts (this one is my first to go in! Whee!), and also submission tracking. I had started doing that, but lost the book in the move. I am crossing my fingers tightly that I don’t resub to same markets).

So. I have intentions. Not resolutions. I think doing these things with intention, paying attention to how it goes and what works and what doesn’t, I think that will make all the difference!

At least I hope so!

Here’s to a New Year! May 2024 be kind to all of us.

Things I Never Thought I’d Say

I got a KU subscription and… I like it. There’s a wide variety and no wait time like with Libby. The app glitches on me all the time, but I’m figuring that out (it puts me back, page wise, in the book so I have to find my place again. It’s workable.)

Yes, I still buy books. Ahhh, don’t tell anyone tho. But it feels good to be able to dip in and see if I like an author or not, a book or not, and return it with no hassle or financial hit. And I am finding that I’m a voracious reader lol.

Second thing… I am severely disappointed in both Net Galley and St Martin’s press. I had emailed Net Galley, asking what their position was on the whole St Martin’s press boycott going on (boycotting reviews on their titles until they address the actions of a marketing employee who has not only said atrocious things, has also picked through ARC copies as to who was approved and who wasn’t). Other people explain it more eloquently over on the Klock App. I read an ARC that comes out in January and is a St Martin’s book… And as of right now I won’t be posting anything on it. And that sucks for the author. For all authors publishing within that company. I know I’m small potatoes. That’s ok. I’ll still abide. It would have been nice to get a response from Netgalley, tho. Any response.

Since starting this, I saw an ad for that company on the Klock app and saw one of the authors was Nora Roberts. It makes me sad, so I found a reader email for her and sent an email. But as I said, I am small and she is huge. But I always thought of her as one who would stand up against that type of hatred. All the comments under that ad on the Klock app had to do with the boycott & the marketing employee.

And Booktok is weird. And I love it. First, no it is not all smut. There are accounts that are dedicated to fantasy, mystery, general fiction, sweet romance, spicy romance, all of it. It’s just that what you interact with you see more of. So if you can’t help yourself and keep commenting on genres you hate… It’s going to keep showing them to you. If you scroll on by, they’ll eventually drop off. You can find like minded people there… Even when you read a wide variety. The search bar is your friend lol.

Booktok also holds authors accountable. One just spiraled so far out of control they lost their publishing deal AFTER cover art had been released. They even had a special edition box edition signed. Gone. All because they tried to harm other authors release ng at the same time as them. I can’t imagine NOT supporting other authors. The ones I’ve met have always been so helpful and kind to a baby author like me.

So is there anything else I never thought I’d say? Well yes

Merry almost Christmas from the Midwest.

#Netgalley I have questions…

Such as….

Do I get dinged for DNF’ing a book?

Should I still review said book? On why it was DNFed?

When do I start posting about the books? Because  the second one I grabbed…. O.M.G. I haven’t laughed this hard or enjoyed myself so much in a while. I’m loving this book. But it doesn’t publish until JANUARY 2024!!! (I know I can write the review and just schedule it)

Which leads to…..

Hello my lovelies, I just reinstated my Netgalley account. Yay!! Of course, the first book I chose was… Hmmm…. As writers we can learn a lot from it. Do I still give it my honest review? Do I just shrug it off? Move on? I don’t like giving negative reviews, or at least naming the book I’m talking about. And I especially don’t like reviewing a book I DNFed (Did Not Finish).

Life is so nuts right now– full of grief and stress and fear and excitement. But I’m really enjoying this second book I chose. Whew! I was starting to think my romance with reading was fizzling out.

I do have to say, tho, I really like Netgalley’s App. Makes it so simple and easy to read & get the books! Yay!

Libby, the Library & Me

Hello my lovelies, it’s been a while. I’ve been… Going through some stuff, both emotionally and, well, physically. Lots of changes in my life. Most of them not so great, but a natural part of life.

I hadn’t been to the local public library in a long time. I remember going last year, right before I got Covid. So August-ish. I may have gone since then, but that is the last time I remember. And I remember because.one of the books, a collection of 4 essays by Oliver Sachs, I sat in the hallway way more than 6 feet away from my dad who sat in his recliner, and read them aloud to him. That started a habit– we read poetry, a Zane Grey, and a few other books together that way. I treasure those memories.

But between responsibilities at home and time crunch from work, I didn’t go very much. But I still wanted to read and didn’t have a whole lotta money to always be feeding my addiction to reading.

Libby is a reading life saver. A little app that connects you with library books to read on your phone or kindle or other device. I love Libby. Have several books on my Libby app right now and am enjoying them greatly (and 2 that I’m ready to review and will be doing so soon).

Since I have time and space to myself currently, I went to the Library on Saturday. Yes, I am lucky enough to have a Public Library open on the weekends!

It’s easy to forget, or to push to the back of your mind, exactly WHY Libraries are so important. Not only  for the community as a whole but also on a personal level. Even for someone who does read on a device.

Now, my lovelies I’m going to go ahead and make the assumption right now that you know the arguments for WHY Libraries are important at the public level, but if not drop a comment below and we’ll talk about it. No hate, no making fun, just a grown up discussion on the importance of libraries to their communities.

We’re on to the personal, the reader perspective or at least THIS readers perspective. And here we go….my reasons why the library is important to me.

DISCOVERY. Much like how going into a bookstore allows more organic discovery of new authors than shopping online, it’s easy and cost effective to find new authors or genres or just things that catch your eye. I just read my first Brandon Sanderson story and loved it! (Oh wow I actually have 3 book reviews to do! I’d better hurry up and get cracking!)

COMMUNITY. Reading is a solitary hobby, even if we are living with all these characters in our head. We need hits of community, of being social even while being solitary. When I was in the library last Saturday, I saw a table that had a sign that said something along the lines of Sit for a while and Relax. There were adult coloring pages and pencils. One was a sea horse. I love sea horses so I sat. And colored. All by myself, but still feeling like I was part of the community. Surrounded by other book lovers.

And my favorite part of the community aspect is they’re doing a Summer Reading Program for grown ups that is… BOOK BINGO! I was so dang excited you know I’m gonna play! I get to play a game! Using the books I read! And it’s so awesome!!!! I may not take one of the classes. Or be able to show up for the people they bring in to talk about gardening. But a Book Bingo card? I can do that!!!!! I’ve already got 3 books to put on the card! (Yes the three I need to review and/or just talk about.)

So. Go to your library. Poke around. Get books or do classes or go on a computer or just do you. But go.

And also use Libby if you’re able to. It’s worth it.

Books: Starting stopping and in-between

Normally, when I DNF (Do Not Finish) I never go back. Either something annoyed me, or I didn’t connect, or something was there that I knew. I’d never go back to try again.

I’d find a new home for the book, a friend, the used bookstore, a home.

Right now I’m second guessing myself. Because I started a book and put it down in the first 50 pages. Went to the Tiky Tok to watch some videos (none posted) then I picked up a magazine. Started reading.

Then I just gave in and started a different book. But that first book, it had some good ideas. And it’s physical, so I flipped forward. And it does get good. I just don’t have the patience right now to wait for 100, 200 pages for a book to get good.

That’s one of the biggest differences between genres for me. Between Fantasy and Romance. Except that’s a lie. There are Fantasy writers that grabbed me by the throat and haven’t let me go even during the first book of theirs that I read.

Some even have complex world building. And the one I put aside has enough that I want to read it… Just not right now. Which is confusing because I’m used to either ripping through or DNFing with no regrets.

It’s a reader’s conundrum. How do you deal with it?

Quarter 1 Writing Goals

For 2023 I had some goals. Mostly related to writing. So far, I am failing at every single one of them.

1. Write and finish a novel

2. Submit short stories (these are already spot polished and ready to go)

3. Blog every other week

4. Read 150 books

Well, as you can tell from my blogging history this year (up till recently) I have failed on that one. I have written exactly 1 paragraph in the novel I started. This past week. As for books I’ve read… I am at 29 so far.

So I have a few options here. I can hang my head in shame and give up because I’ve already sucked at it and I’m going to keep sucking obviously. But that’s not ME talking, nor is it anyone I love. It’s that tiny, tinny voice in my ear that tells me I’m never going to do anything. I’m not a good writer I’m not pretty enough talented enough… I’m not enough of anything.

Or I could remember that I wrote my stories, published and otherwise, for me. That I enjoy writing them. That it helps me work through ish, even if I’m never a writer making money at writing. Art isn’t about money, or shouldn’t be.

And that might be my problem. Coupled with having been sick off and on (mostly on) since Thanksgiving, I haven’t been able to even think about actually writing. But lately, I’ve been thinking about my story. About where it needs to go and what the story actually is.

Because originally it was going to be a spicy romance. Because that sells. But it doesn’t sell a book to me. Even tho I’ve read romances since forever, I have never written one explicitly. Or am explicit scene. The closest I’ve come is a sweet romance. Although I have written at least one spicy scene, it’s not in a story that’s going anywhere right now.

And that’s ok. The last thing on my mind right now should be writing for cash. Although with prices going the way they are it’d be nice. It’d be helpful. But I need to get in a different mindset because apparently that one strangles me creatively.

So. I wrote a paragraph this week. And for me that’s a big deal. And that’s ok. I’m not in this right now for anything other than me. Of I find homes for my stories that’s wonderful. But I need to get back to writing for that first reader.

Me.

Pacing & HEA in Romance

I recently read a “Rom-Com” that clocked in at almost 600 pages. It was pretty good— I blazed through the first half, then got to what I thought was the HEA… But I still had hundreds of pages to go through.

I’m not going to name names or give titles. But there were at least 3 points where the HEA could have been achieved and the reader be completely satisfied. Meanwhile, the actual ending… Left a lot to be desired. Definitely NOT a situation I want to ever be in with a SO. Nope. Not even a little.

Does everything need to be tied up with a big red bow? Not really. But what I was given at the end of this book was 2 characters sicker than dogs and about to go (albeit temporarily) long distance. In a romance.

Now, if your readers have stuck with you for that many pages… I don’t know. Maybe give the a firework ending. Or give us the epilogue where they are reunited.

Because this hot mess that we were given? Whelp. Any of those other premature HEA endings would have been better.

As a writer I am taking from this to make DANG SURE that the payoff is worth the slog.

How’s you’re reading going?