Now Ye're Talking - to a Professional Writer

Sleepy

Who's your favourite author? And why?

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA

gozunda wrote: »

Hi there. Long question short ...

Do you commit to having the structure of a story before starting to write or allow the story line / structure to evolve as you write?

I write free flow initially, and then the story starts to shape itself around the characters and landscape... but everyone is different. Some people plot and plan every last detail before they write, other are focused on structure - for me, it's the emotional journey of the characters involved and the landscape often becomes a character too. But I always find my story through the writing. As the story emerges, I fill in the blanks. This way, I don't get stuck.

What works for you?

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA

HalloweenJack wrote: »

Hiya, fascinating topic for an AMA as I'm trying to dedicate more time to writing and developing my stories.

It's interesting that you were living in Spain when you went for it as I'm also there and 30 is around the corner.

Was it possible to get in touch with agents from Spain? Do you still live there?

Also, do you know anything about self-publishing?

Thanks for taking the time to do this.

You're very welcome - I hope I can help!
I don't know anything about self publishing but Catherine Ryan Howard is a great go to person for that... she self published initially, and wrote a book about self publishing, and is now a best-selling author of traditionally published crime novels - she's an inspiration but also very knowledgeable so check her out here https://catherineryanhoward.com/

I have lived in Ireland for nine years now, but the internet is your best resource while living abroad. every agent will have a website specifying what to submit and how - think about your style/genre, look at authors similar to you and find out their agents, and that's a god place to start looking. Not every agent takes on every genre, so you can narrow your search this way.

Good luck with your stories and seeking out an agent!

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA

addicted to caffeine wrote: »

Hi Elizabeth:) thanks for doing this AMA

When you got published how did you celebrate?

When you got published and you did the promotional for your book (signings, interviews etc) were you nervous and if so, how did you handle that?

I'm currently writing a book myself, I'm 1700 words into a first draft but I hope someday it'll be published

Congrats on getting to the first 1700 words of your book - keep going!

I'll be honest, I love doing book events, panels and workshops and I do as many as I can - it's a great antidote to long hours alone writing (I freelance too and that's as isolated). But I'm a nervous wreck when it comes to book launches, so I just try and get through those. You get lots of messages leading up to the launch with people's apologies and it really makes you nervous that no one will be there. I have a local launch in West Cork tonight and the apologies are coming through as I type! It's nerve wracking.

I was nervous reading to an audience the first time – I read a poem at a festival and had an asthma attack I got so nervous – but now I know the passages that I read from my book off by heart and they're more of a performance - like anything, I improved over time.

I'm not great at celebrating - I'm usually already onto the next thing so I celebrate by travelling a lot with my writing (residencies, research, time out to concentrate on writing only) and giving my writing the time it deserves. Keep giving yourself little rewards for achieving small goals - it helps you stay motivated too!

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA

Arghus wrote: »

Is there any writer or writers that you feel you've learnt something from the most?

I feel that I learn from everything I read - whether it's something I aim to emulate or aspire to in terms of quality, or whether it's something I don't like and don't want to appear in my own work. I also read really widely so it's difficult to say who really influences me.

As a child, I was inspired by Barry Hines - A Kestrel for a Knave – as it was the first time I'd seen someone of a similar background represented in fiction and this made a big impact.

But there have definitely been some stand-out writers over the years that have kept me falling in love with words again and again, such as... Angela Carter, Haruki Murakami, Margaret Atwood, Roald Dahl, Kate DiCamillo, David Mitchell, Neil Gaiman, Frances Hodgson Burnett, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Stephen King, Philip Pullman, Emily Bronte, Paul Auster, Maya Angelou, Charles Dickens.

And more recently, writers that have inspired me include June Caldwell, Amy Liptrot, Jon Walter, Katharine Norbury, Justin Cronin, Katherine Rundell, Maeve Brennan, Shaun Tan, Angie Thomas and Sinead Gleeson.

But the list is endless and will always grow. All reading is valuable.

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA

Sleepy wrote: »

Who's your favourite author? And why?

It's impossible to pick any one author as i love to read many different genres, both fiction and non-fiction, and I'm discovering amazing new voices all of the time..

But the two books I return to again and again are Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and American Gods by Neil Gaiman.

Do you have a favourite?

Sleepy

Douglas Coupland. His prose is simply inspiring though his more recent novels haven't lived up to some of his earlier stuff. Based on the Neil Gaiman love, I'd suggest starting where I did with "Girlfriend in a Coma"

diomed

I enjoy these Ask Me Anything threads.
Recently I asked a professional poker player I know to do a thread and it went well.
I think this thread might be a cracker.

Before I read the other posts I have a few questions.
I do not read fiction, but I have about 1,000 books about racehorses, most of them about thoroughbred horse pedigrees.

I have been a racegoer for about forty years.
Of course I bet on races. That makes it interesting.
Over time my race analysis became, I think, more sophisticated.
About twenty five years ago I became interested in horse pedigrees, and the possibility of picking winners using pedigree analysis.

In early 2017 I finished writing a pedigree analysis program that matched the ancestors in a horse's six generation pedigree (126 horses - 2,4,8,16,32,64) with the horse rating. I proved statistically that some pedigree features give higher rated horses, some features are negative.

My big problem is I used 160,000 horse ratings from books and the internet that I assume are the property of the ratings agencies (about nine organisations).
I have written about 30,000 words on the subject and would like to prepare a "how to breed a good horse using pedigree" book.
I have a few dozen pedigree programs written analysing different things.

In December 2017 I bought a broodmare from the sales in Deauville.
She is expecting a foal any minute. In fact she is about three days overdue.
The sire of the foal she is carrying was not my choice, but the previous owner's choice.
The mare will go to a sire in Ireland I picked in November before I bought the mare in December.
I had compared 2,000 inexpensive mares in the three sales in IRE, GB, FR with 600 stallions (2,000 x 600 = 1,200,000 possible foals) before deciding on one mare / stallion combination.

The new foal from the planned mare / stallion will, I hope, be born in 2019 and hopefully be good enough to race as a 2yo in 2021.

Questions
(1) Is there a standard way to approach people asking for permission to use their information (in this case horse ratings)? Do publishers do this or is it a task for the author?
(2) Is this topic too obscure for publishers? The market for a book might be small.
(3) Is it possible to pay all cost to get a book published, and if so how much?

diomed

I am reading a book that is poorly written.
This book was on my desk for a year before I opened it last week.
The subject matter is something I love, but a quick flick through it told me it was going to be a struggle to read.
Almost immediately the author's favourite phrase grated.
He says "the likes of" on almost every page.
And the structure is terrible.
When I am reading a page I am thinking "didn't he tell me that a few pages back, and in a previous chapter as well?"

Do you give your draft to anyone to read?
How many rewrites do you do?
Are your books checked by a proofreader?

Fox Hound

Have you ever read "The Madman?"

http://https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055716814

what are your thoughts?

Gbear

You've talked a bit about the process of publishing.

I was curious about the stage at which you go to the publisher and what exactly their role is.

Is it a sort of rubberstamping and fine tuning at a very late stage (as you've said you go to your agent after draft number 4) or do they still tear it to shreds at that stage and it's another say, 4 drafts after that, before you get to the publishing stage?

Also, how do you balance reading and writing? Do you ever find yourself worrying about cross-pollination from what you're reading into your own work? Or is it actually helpful and you find value in seeing the perspectives of other authors as you work?

I've just binged Robert Jordan's the Wheel of Time. I'm concerned about intrusive thoughts, if not outright hallucinations.:o

I'd also like to point out what a pleasant and open-hearted tone you've taken with this AMA. It's been really nice to read.

Gloomtastic!

Are bits in your novels autobiographical? Has anyone you know asked you ‘Is that me?’

Do your novels contain naughty bits? How does your family and maybe partner react to them?

Do avid readers make good writers? I’m trying to persuade my wife to take it up.....;)

DunnoKidz

I hear sending out multiple submissions of your story, to different publishing houses is frowned upon by publishers... is that so?
Do new author submissions go in the rubbish bin automatically?

Self-publishing sounds quite expensive... was self-promoting it difficult?
How socially confident must an author be?

I assume people can't really support themselves, as an author (even less as an illustrator) without having a job to supplement their income... is that correct?
Or does it depend on the genre? and book/series popularity?

I am not a writer (clearly). Was given a chance to submit picture book illustrations, for candidacy review (a long while ago) but I let the opportunity slip through my hands, (no confidence in myself or the process, basically). Thanks for your brilliant AMA!

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA

Sleepy wrote: »

Douglas Coupland. His prose is simply inspiring though his more recent novels haven't lived up to some of his earlier stuff. Based on the Neil Gaiman love, I'd suggest starting where I did with "Girlfriend in a Coma"

Thank you! I shall give Girlfriend in a Coma a go. I always love a recommendation.

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA

diomed wrote: »

I enjoy these Ask Me Anything threads.
Recently I asked a professional poker player I know to do a thread and it went well.
I think this thread might be a cracker.

Before I read the other posts I have a few questions.
I do not read fiction, but I have about 1,000 books about racehorses, most of them about thoroughbred horse pedigrees.

I have been a racegoer for about forty years.
Of course I bet on races. That makes it interesting.
Over time my race analysis became, I think, more sophisticated.
About twenty five years ago I became interested in horse pedigrees, and the possibility of picking winners using pedigree analysis.

In early 2017 I finished writing a pedigree analysis program that matched the ancestors in a horse's six generation pedigree (126 horses - 2,4,8,16,32,64) with the horse rating. I proved statistically that some pedigree features give higher rated horses, some features are negative.

My big problem is I used 160,000 horse ratings from books and the internet that I assume are the property of the ratings agencies (about nine organisations).
I have written about 30,000 words on the subject and would like to prepare a "how to breed a good horse using pedigree" book.
I have a few dozen pedigree programs written analysing different things.

In December 2017 I bought a broodmare from the sales in Deauville.
She is expecting a foal any minute. In fact she is about three days overdue.
The sire of the foal she is carrying was not my choice, but the previous owner's choice.
The mare will go to a sire in Ireland I picked in November before I bought the mare in December.
I had compared 2,000 inexpensive mares in the three sales in IRE, GB, FR with 600 stallions (2,000 x 600 = 1,200,000 possible foals) before deciding on one mare / stallion combination.

The new foal from the planned mare / stallion will, I hope, be born in 2019 and hopefully be good enough to race as a 2yo in 2021.

Questions
(1) Is there a standard way to approach people asking for permission to use their information (in this case horse ratings)? Do publishers do this or is it a task for the author?
(2) Is this topic too obscure for publishers? The market for a book might be small.
(3) Is it possible to pay all cost to get a book published, and if so how much?

Hi there,
This is obviously an area you're very passionate about. I'm afraid my knowledge of non-fiction is limited - and this is really specialised, but I'll do my best to help.
Re the ratings, I'm really sorry but I don't know. You'll have to read up on copyright laws is my guess. Sorry I can't be more help with that one!
In terms of seeking a publisher, you need to seek out books of similar content – horse racing, betting odds, etc – and make a note of who published it. This will narrow your search.
If your topic does prove too specialist, then self publishing is always an option and yes, you would pay full costs. I haven't self published but Catherine Ryan Howard wrote a great 'how to' guide and that might be a good place to start. Or speak to other people who have self-published via social media and see if they can help point you in the right direction.

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA

diomed wrote: »

I am reading a book that is poorly written.
This book was on my desk for a year before I opened it last week.
The subject matter is something I love, but a quick flick through it told me it was going to be a struggle to read.
Almost immediately the author's favourite phrase grated.
He says "the likes of" on almost every page.
And the structure is terrible.
When I am reading a page I am thinking "didn't he tell me that a few pages back, and in a previous chapter as well?"

Do you give your draft to anyone to read?
How many rewrites do you do?
Are your books checked by a proofreader?

I do give my manuscript to trusted beta readers - mainly other authors and my agent, but not until I'm at least four or five drafts in. Then, I will rework for as many drafts as needed to get the manuscript as polished as possible, before handing to my editor.

The structural edits can take two or three rounds, and then the copy edits will be another round, followed by a second round with an external editor. Then eventually, it's time for the proofs – these are checked by me, my editor and an external proofreader.

The editing process is quite rigorous but it's essential and I would hope that all published books – both traditionally and self-published would undergo this amount of editing. My books so far have seen between eight and nineteen drafts, depending on what was necessary.

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA

Fox Hound wrote: »

Have you ever read "The Madman?"

http://https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055716814

what are your thoughts?

No - and the link didn't work for me. Sorry!

Rackard

Who does your book cover designs?
Do you have much input into the process as to what you would like to see or do you leave it up to others?

Also, the inside - do you get to choose fonts or layouts that you prefer yourself?

diomed

If you want to wollow in the trials and tribulations of a writer read On Writing by Stephen King.
I haven't read any of his thrillers, but this was a good read.
The bit where he gets a phone call telling him the paperback rights to a book were sold was very moving.

Sorry for hijacking the thread.

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA

Rackard wrote: »

Who does your book cover designs?
Do you have much input into the process as to what you would like to see or do you leave it up to others?

Also, the inside - do you get to choose fonts or layouts that you prefer yourself?

There is an in-house designer who creates the covers and i love her work. We had an ideas meeting at the start of the trilogy, just after the contract was signed, so it was lovely to have input. Not all authors are that lucky!

Re the fonts. this is decided by the publisher also, but as i have newspaper snippets, diary entries, songs, posters etc in my books, there are multiple fonts used and I did get a say on whether they worked during the proofing.

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA

Gbear wrote: »

You've talked a bit about the process of publishing.

I was curious about the stage at which you go to the publisher and what exactly their role is.

Is it a sort of rubberstamping and fine tuning at a very late stage (as you've said you go to your agent after draft number 4) or do they still tear it to shreds at that stage and it's another say, 4 drafts after that, before you get to the publishing stage?

Also, how do you balance reading and writing? Do you ever find yourself worrying about cross-pollination from what you're reading into your own work? Or is it actually helpful and you find value in seeing the perspectives of other authors as you work?

I've just binged Robert Jordan's the Wheel of Time. I'm concerned about intrusive thoughts, if not outright hallucinations.:o

I'd also like to point out what a pleasant and open-hearted tone you've taken with this AMA. It's been really nice to read.

These days. you get your manuscript as polished as you can before approaching a publisher - there will still be a heap of work to do, but you need to give it your best shot.

The publisher will arrange and pay for editors, cover designers, illustrators (if needed), type setting, printing, and also distribution in bookshops. There will be structural edits, then copy edits, then proofs. The structural edits is the most intense, but every stage is wholly necessary and will help make the book the best it can be. BUt it's not an awful process, it's helpful - I love the editing stage. when you see your story really shape up.

In terms of cross pollination, I don't read the same genre as I'm writing at the editing stage, only because i feel like I'm editing rather than enjoying the book. But when I'm writing earlier drafts, I absorb as much as I can. I try and fit as much reading into every day as possible, but sometimes, after a day of writing and freelance writing, I don't want any more words and so I turn to film for my stories.

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA

Gloomtastic! wrote: »

Are bits in your novels autobiographical? Has anyone you know asked you ‘Is that me?’

Do your novels contain naughty bits? How does your family and maybe partner react to them?

Do avid readers make good writers? I’m trying to persuade my wife to take it up.....;)

My novels are for 8-12 year olds so no naughty bits in those, but sometimes in my short stories - only if it's relevant to the story. I had a short story about a middle aged woman losing the plot in a burlesque joint and joining in - that was fun to write! (It's here if you want to read it! http://spontaneity.org/issue01/flesh-dance/ )

Re autobiography, I slip all kinds of things from everyday life into my stories - from Cedric the shark submarine (based on a basking shark that used to visit us out fishing), to names of locals (Cornelius), to real places (Natural History Museum, St Stephen's Green, National Library) to conversation and incidents like bullying. There's inspiration everywhere if you look for it.

And yes - all good writers are avid readers, so being an avid reader is the best place to start.

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA

DunnoKidz wrote: »

I hear sending out multiple submissions of your story, to different publishing houses is frowned upon by publishers... is that so?
Do new author submissions go in the rubbish bin automatically?

Self-publishing sounds quite expensive... was self-promoting it difficult?
How socially confident must an author be?

I assume people can't really support themselves, as an author (even less as an illustrator) without having a job to supplement their income... is that correct?
Or does it depend on the genre? and book/series popularity?

I am not a writer (clearly). Was given a chance to submit picture book illustrations, for candidacy review (a long while ago) but I let the opportunity slip through my hands, (no confidence in myself or the process, basically). Thanks for your brilliant AMA!

Hey, you're very welcome - I'm enjoying answering the questions!

Multiple submissions are fine these days unless a publisher asks for an exclusive or you're under contract - then, your publisher has to have first refusal. But the publishing world is slow and so when my agent sends out my submissions, it's to multiple publishers at once. If a publisher does not accept manuscripts on multiple submission, it will state this on their website.

All submissions are read by publishers - though not necessarily the whole submission. It is clear from early on whether a manuscript deserves more attention (eg bad spelling, terrible grammar, no story, etc) but nothing is rejected without being given some attention.

I haven't self-published and it's not something I intend to do, but yes, it does involve a lot of cost. But however you publish, you need to do lots of self promotion such as blog tours, social media, events, radio interviews, newspaper interviews, etc and it can be time consuming. I give myself a set period of time after a book launches to do these things, then return to the writing when I reach the cut-off date. Otherwise, you'd never write another book!

As for money, I know a few authors living on their royalties, but most have other jobs and supplement their royalties through festival events, workshops, teaching, freelance writing, reader reports, etc. I don't need any more than four hours a day for my books anyway, so I like the variety. I grew up in Thatcher's Britain so working hard is a natural state for me anyway, and I also have a low boredom threshold, so I'm not sure I'd enjoy just writing - I'd only find ways to fill my time. Plus all those life experiences feed into your stories - they're valuable.

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA

diomed wrote: »

If you want to wollow in the trials and tribulations of a writer read On Writing by Stephen King.
I haven't read any of his thrillers, but this was a good read.
The bit where he gets a phone call telling him the paperback rights to a book were sold was very moving.

Sorry for hijacking the thread.

Not hijacking at all... I'm glad you mentioned this book because it's brilliant. I reread it every year. Another great book on writing is Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert. These are the two books I always recommend to writers, new or experienced. They're readable, human, honest and inspiring.

diomed

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA wrote: »

Another great book on writing is Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert.

Bought it just now.

9or10

Thanks for doing the AMA.

(It's here if you want to read it! http://spontaneity.org/issue01/flesh-dance/)

Loved it . Reminded me a bit of that Conal Gallen story.

Good Luck

supermouse

AMAZING AMA, thank you so much for doing this!

I write a blog and for a female empowerment community and would LOVE to get published some day - It's one of my life goals. However, I often feel twinges of doubt on my writing skills, how do you deal with the nerves and the lack of belief in your words?

DunnoKidz

supermouse wrote: »

AMAZING AMA, thank you so much for doing this!

I write a blog and for a female empowerment community and would LOVE to get published some day - It's one of my life goals. However, I often feel twinges of doubt on my writing skills, how do you deal with the nerves and the lack of belief in your words?

(wow, well done supermouse!)

+1 ^ would love to know this too!

Fuzzytrooper

How much of a plot do you have in your head before you start writing? Do you typically have an endpoint in mind?

Comic Book Guy

Is it frustrating that a book might literally be judged by its cover?

Not being flippant just that a casual reader might go into a box store and outside of the recognising an author's name may initially select a book by its look and a quick read of the synopsis.