Now Ye're Talking - to a Professional Writer

beauf

Book Covers and flicking through books is one life's great pleasures IMO. I read a lot of ebooks but there something about that discovery with physical books.

Sorry if that's off topic.

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA

Comic Book Guy wrote: »

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.

Books are judged by their covers all the time – I certainly do it. Sometimes, authors don't have a say in their covers while other times they do. Covers need to do two things - attract the reader and represent the story – and usually the designer works to a brief. Hopefully, in the end, everyone's happy.

But if the cover doesn't represent the story and has been designed with more sales and marketing in mind, this can be frustrating as it might attract the wrong type of reader (eg expect historical fiction and get crime instead = unhappy reader) so this scenario can be frustrating.

Otherwise, i don;t ind books being judged by their covers - i don't think it's something we can avoid.

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA

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?

Every writer i know gets nervous still when they hand over a manuscript no-one has seen yet, when their next book is published, when the launch comes around. You just have to learn to trust your instinct and allow the nerves etc to happen (we're only human) but see them as something positive - it's these nerves that push you to do better, to improve to write something of quality and passion. Otherwise, we'd all write any old drivel and think we're amazing!

Also, find your tribe. Find like-minded writers at the same level and/or better who can critique your work and give feedback. You can pay for a service, but you can also build a group of trusted readers who will give constructive criticism, (not just say they like it) that you can build on. This helps with confidence for sure.

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA

DunnoKidz wrote: »

(wow, well done supermouse!)

+1 ^ would love to know this too!

This is a common emotion when writing - I've answered this one above, & hope it helps!

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA

Fuzzytrooper wrote: »

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

It's different with every book but I very little plot usually, to be honest, but i know my characters well and the setting and start from there. However, my next WIP (my fifth book) has been more plotted in my mind, but it's been festering there for three years while i've been caught up with contracts - there was no time spare to write it – but this is the first time it's happened to me.

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA

beauf wrote: »

Book Covers and flicking through books is one life's great pleasures IMO. I read a lot of ebooks but there something about that discovery with physical books.

Sorry if that's off topic.

I completely agree! I love the feel and smell of books. I don't have anything against e-readers and I really have tried to use them but i feel like i'm editing (therefore, working) and so I can't enjoy the story as much, so I stick with physical books. i travel a lot though so I'd love to get over this! Any tips?

diomed

Comic Book Guy wrote: »

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.

If it is romantic fiction it will have a pink cover.
If it is about soccer it will be a guy kicking a ball, and a red cover.

In a store I tend to open a book at a random page and start reading.
Then I open another page and read a few more lines.
If I'm still interested I'll look at the paragraph list.
An index is a big attraction.
The writing style is a big plus or minus to me.

I will read a book on a subject I do not like if the writing style is top notch.
If the subject is really in my area of interest but the writer can not put two words together the book goes back on the shelf.
When a book is rushed to print without editing, polishing, rewriting, it shows.

Very good biographies come from people who keep diaries.
I tend to read biographies and non-fiction.

9or10

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA wrote: »

I completely agree! I love the feel and smell of books. I don't have anything against e-readers and I really have tried to use them but i feel like i'm editing (therefore, working) and so I can't enjoy the story as much, so I stick with physical books. i travel a lot though so I'd love to get over this! Any tips?

I used to think like that - well not the editing, though I did used to edit reports - but I really love my kindle. Read a page, read a hundred, fall asleep after a paragrapph its always got your place.

Plus (these evil capitalists) are always suggesting your next read. If you've already bought the next book in the series its "T"ed up for you when you finish. Plus Kindle will look up a word if you're not sure. I'm reading Patriack O'Brian at the mo and he so loves his archaic and nautical phrases.

beauf

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA wrote: »

I completely agree! I love the feel and smell of books. I don't have anything against e-readers and I really have tried to use them but i feel like i'm editing (therefore, working) and so I can't enjoy the story as much, so I stick with physical books. i travel a lot though so I'd love to get over this! Any tips?

Get on a free and/ or sale ebook list like bookbub. The impulse buy will take over.

DunnoKidz

How long does it take to complete a book, from start to finish?
How many drafts do you go through?
Are you a perfectionist, constantly making changes?... or is that counterproductive to the writing process?
Are editors demanding of changes you would prefer not to make?
What part of writing/being published is the most difficult for you?


(again, thanks for sharing your knowledge and experiences with us)

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA

diomed wrote: »

If it is romantic fiction it will have a pink cover.
If it is about soccer it will be a guy kicking a ball, and a red cover.

In a store I tend to open a book at a random page and start reading.
Then I open another page and read a few more lines.
If I'm still interested I'll look at the paragraph list.
An index is a big attraction.
The writing style is a big plus or minus to me.

I will read a book on a subject I do not like if the writing style is top notch.
If the subject is really in my area of interest but the writer can not put two words together the book goes back on the shelf.
When a book is rushed to print without editing, polishing, rewriting, it shows.

Very good biographies come from people who keep diaries.
I tend to read biographies and non-fiction.

Yep - pretty much agree with everything here! A book will always have been edited and rewritten, but it can still feel not ready and rushed when you open a book and start reading and it shows right away.

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA

9or10 wrote: »

I used to think like that - well not the editing, though I did used to edit reports - but I really love my kindle. Read a page, read a hundred, fall asleep after a paragrapph its always got your place.

Plus (these evil capitalists) are always suggesting your next read. If you've already bought the next book in the series its "T"ed up for you when you finish. Plus Kindle will look up a word if you're not sure. I'm reading Patriack O'Brian at the mo and he so loves his archaic and nautical phrases.

I'm really trying to like e-readers and this gives me hope! Thank you!

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA

beauf wrote: »

Get on a free and/ or sale ebook list like bookbub. The impulse buy will take over.

Ha! You could be right - but it's the physicality of it that I find difficult. It really does feel like I'm working on edits.

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA

DunnoKidz wrote: »

How long does it take to complete a book, from start to finish?
How many drafts do you go through?
Are you a perfectionist, constantly making changes?... or is that counterproductive to the writing process?
Are editors demanding of changes you would prefer not to make?
What part of writing/being published is the most difficult for you?


(again, thanks for sharing your knowledge and experiences with us)

Hi, and you're very welcome - these are great questions!

Drafts: each book is different but I'm a fast and messy writer so I have at least eight drafts before it goes to my agent or publisher and then there'll be editing rounds so there might be as many as nineteen drafts for a book.

I'm not a perfectionist until the very end - i find my story through writing so i like to explore and trial stuff. but the last three drafts, I'm extremely meticulous with everything, then there's the copy edits and proofs, so during those final stages being a perfectionist is crucial because if there's a mistake, it'll be in the book.

The editorial process is really enjoyable and any suggestion by an editor is to improve the book - it doesn't always mean they're right, and so you might have discussions, but often it means you probably haven't expressed something quite right or you haven't laid enough clues leading up and you need to add something in to make it work. I always think, if an editor has picked up on it, so could a reader – or multiple readers – so it's always worth considering. And if you disagree, it clarifies why you've put that scene/those words into your novel.

the most difficult bit for me now is the in-between stages. I love the first few messy and unruly drafts, and I love the editorial process, but i find myself impatient now during the middle stages. This is new and I think it's the result of being published. But I know it's just excitement towards the story so I manage to tether myself. Also, by the time the proofs arrive, I can't bear the sight of the manuscript any more and that's when I know I'm done!

Gbear

Not to steal your thunder or anything Elizabeth, but I thought some in this kind of thread might be the sort of people that would be interested in a series of lectures I've found on youtube by Brandon Sanderson at BYU in Utah.

He's a fantasy author and one of the best selling and best respected in the genre around at the moment.

I can't say there's anything earth shattering in them or a magic solution that makes everything click into place for writing, but I think there's value in having writing processes laid out the way he does, even if you're not fixated on fantasy.

It might be something handy to have for some here if they're writing something and what he's said spurs you to ask the right questions of your work, or better keep some important aspects of how to write well at the forefront of your mind as you're going along.

They're all here:
https://www.youtube.com/user/zmunk/playlists

I don't believe there should be any issues vis-a-vis copyright but feel free to correct me.

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA

Gbear wrote: »

Not to steal your thunder or anything Elizabeth, but I thought some in this kind of thread might be the sort of people that would be interested in a series of lectures I've found on youtube by Brandon Sanderson at BYU in Utah.

He's a fantasy author and one of the best selling and best respected in the genre around at the moment.

I can't say there's anything earth shattering in them or a magic solution that makes everything click into place for writing, but I think there's value in having writing processes laid out the way he does, even if you're not fixated on fantasy.

It might be something handy to have for some here if they're writing something and what he's said spurs you to ask the right questions of your work, or better keep some important aspects of how to write well at the forefront of your mind as you're going along.

They're all here:
https://www.youtube.com/user/zmunk/playlists

I don't believe there should be any issues vis-a-vis copyright but feel free to correct me.

Sounds good! Not stealing thunder at all.... there are a lot of resources for aspiring writers out there and that is a GOOD THING! Go have a peek everyone

Boards.ie: Niamh

Thanks for all of the great questions folks and most especially to Elizabeth for patiently and thoroughly answering all of them. I think we'll close this one up now and let her get on with the busy job of writing!

Elizabeth's newest book, The Book of Revenge is available in Dubray books, Easons and all good bookstores (as well as Amazon).

In my own personal opinion, the Nine Lives trilogy is well worth a read. I'm half way through The Book of Learning for the second time so that I can read the second and third books. If these had been around when I was 11 or 12 I would have been very pleased with them - I'm pretty happy with them now tbh

Thanks again to everyone who participated in the AMA.