Now Ye're Talking - to a Professional Writer

Boards.ie: Niamh · 21-02-2018 10:20am #1

Elizabeth Rose Murray writes fiction for children and young adults. In 2014, Elizabeth signed two book deals with two different publishers, resulting in three books published in her first twelve months as an author. Her debut, 'The Book of Learning – Nine Lives Trilogy 1' was chosen as the 2016 Dublin UNESCO Citywide Read for Children and 'The Book of Shadows – Nine Lives Trilogy 2' was shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards & Irish Literacy Association Award. Caramel Hearts was published in 2016 to rave reviews and 'The Book of Revenge – Nine Lives Trilogy 3' was released just last week.

In addition to these, Elizabeth writes short fiction and poetry, and her work has appeared in journals across the UK and Ireland. She also provides manuscript reports and online workshops.

If you have any questions about writing as a profession or a hobby, about her books or other writing, now is your chance to ask.

baby and crumble · 21-02-2018 10:43am

Great idea for a thread, I'm one of those folks who think "oh yeah, I'll write a book at some stage" like it's that easy. :rolleyes:

I write a lot for work though, and I struggle with getting into "the zone" of writing. Do you have any tips for concentration that you particularly do? What's your daily writing routine?

Oh, and I've always wondered how contracts for books work, like do you get the money in a cheque so you have quite a high bank balance for ages until in dwindles, etc... or is it like a weekly stipend? Probably a silly question.

CruelCoin · 21-02-2018 10:46am

Hi Elizabeth.

What is the deal with George R. R. Martin? How can his writing output be so slow?

What style of writer are you?
Ciggarette and typewriter, or pumpkin-spice-latte-on-a-mac-in-starbucks

gerrybbadd · 21-02-2018 11:32am

Thanks for doing this Elizabeth.

I've recently started writing myself. I'm 5,200 words into my story. Have the whole thing plotted out in my head. The problem is, I'm not sure my style of writing is very interesting. The language could be a bit bland.

Have you any advice for writers starting out? How did you go about getting published? I'm considering going down the Amazon self publishing route, but I feel this may be a cop out of sorts.

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA · 21-02-2018 11:35am

baby and crumble wrote: »

Do you have any tips for concentration that you particularly do? What's your daily writing routine?

Oh, and I've always wondered how contracts for books work, like do you get the money in a cheque so you have quite a high bank balance for ages until in dwindles, etc... or is it like a weekly stipend? Probably a silly question.

Hi there! If you want to write a book one day, i say go for it. we can never have too many books - and like anything else, it takes time to build skills.

In terms of concentration, I genuinely love writing so I find it really easy to get going and can concentrate for a long time. I used to write every day and work towards a goal of 2000 words a day to build up 'muscle' (concentration, habit, productivity) but now it's so ingrained, I don't need to be so rigid. Over time, my process has changed eg I used to write in silence but now i'm trying to introduce more music into part of the day to make writing less isolating.

But for getting started I would say: 1) give yourself a set amount of time to write every day (even 15 minutes helps form a habit) 2) give yourself a daily goal (eg 1000 words, 30 minutes of writing, a page of something new and a page of something edited) & stick to it 3) Write without distraction (no music, tv, internet, radio).

In terms of the contract, you receive an advance usually paid in three stages - on signing the contract, on delivering the manuscript, on the manuscript being published. So, if you receive an advance of 5000 euro, you would receive it in three installments over the period of a year or to (depending on how quickly the book is to be published). Also, 15% goes to your agent. Then, when the book is published, you start to earn off your advance before you get royalties. The royalty check is once a year and you only receive royalties once you have paid off your advance.

Does this help?

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA · 21-02-2018 11:45am

CruelCoin wrote: »

Hi Elizabeth.

What is the deal with George R. R. Martin? How can his writing output be so slow?

What style of writer are you?
Ciggarette and typewriter, or pumpkin-spice-latte-on-a-mac-in-starbucks

Re George R R Martin, his books are very dense and huge and the world building is a crucial element - one slip and the whole premise falls down. I'm amazed he writes so quickly at all!

Re my own writing, I'm more a ten cups of tea on a MAC on a train/in an airport. :cool: Travel is crucial to my writing - I thrive on change!

Mousewar · 21-02-2018 11:45am

I wrote a book three years ago. Sent it out to agents. One of them signed me. He sent it to publishers. Lovely rejections letters back. No takers. Agent dropped me then quite suddenly. Found the whole thing quite deflating.
How did you get signed? Did you get an agent first? Did it take long? Did it take long then for a publisher to take you on? Did you have any 'ins' to the industry? Did you do anything special to get your book noticed?

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA · 21-02-2018 11:56am

gerrybbadd wrote: »

Thanks for doing this Elizabeth.

I've recently started writing myself. I'm 5,200 words into my story. Have the whole thing plotted out in my head. The problem is, I'm not sure my style of writing is very interesting. The language could be a bit bland.

Have you any advice for writers starting out? How did you go about getting published? I'm considering going down the Amazon self publishing route, but I feel this may be a cop out of sorts.

Hi Gerry, you're very welcome. Well done on writing the first 5000 words of your novel!

My advice would be for now, don't worry about the quality of language, just keep going and get that story out of your head and onto the page. It's like being a sculptor - you've got to prepare the clay before you can mould it. Once you have your first draft, the real work starts. All good writing is rewriting - but this is a great thing! It's when you can play with the dialogue, the language, the style. if you do that too early, you might cut it out anyway and all that time spent on beautiful prose is wasted!

Also, don't be surprised if what's in your head starts to change on the page - this is natural and can lead to some great plot twists or characters. If it deviates too far, you can always clean it up later. For now, concentrate on getting your first draft down, enjoy the process, and keep up the motivation – attend some writing courses, make some fellow writer friends, go to some events at festivals.

Then, when you complete your first draft, put the manuscript away for a month, print it out and reread as a reader - you'll see plot holes and character inconsistencies, but shaping them is an enjoyable process. Everyone is different but i'm usually on at least draft four of a complete novel (85,000 to 100,000 words) before i even show it to my agent. and i don't worry about typos until the very final stages – it's all about getting the story and characters right first.

Re publishing, I chose the traditional route but many writers start out self publishing (eg Catherine Ryan Howard, Hazel Gaynor) or choose to self publish only. if you self publish, you still need several drafts, an editor, a cover designer, etc. The quality should be just as high, but you pay the costs (and receive a bigger share of the royalties). You have time to research while writing your book. Either way, it's a longer journey than you might expect, but if you keep it all about the writing, you'll love it.

I hope that helps and good luck!

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA · 21-02-2018 12:43pm

Mousewar wrote: »

I wrote a book three years ago. Sent it out to agents. One of them signed me. He sent it to publishers. Lovely rejections letters back. No takers. Agent dropped me then quite suddenly. Found the whole thing quite deflating.
How did you get signed? Did you get an agent first? Did it take long? Did it take long then for a publisher to take you on? Did you have any 'ins' to the industry? Did you do anything special to get your book noticed?

I'm sorry to hear you've had such a disheartening experience, but genuinely, every writer I know has gone through several similar stories until they get published so keep going and keep hope! And good for you getting good rejections - that's such a great sign.

Firstly, let me tell you this... The Book of Learning - Nine Lives Trilogy 1 came close with a major publishing house but in the end it was a no deal. There was no point continuing with the story if it wasn't going to be published, so I put it aside and wrote another book. I decided that it might be the book that got me my agent and therefore, time to continue on. When this next book, Caramel Hearts, went on submission, I reread the first and we (myself and my agent) decided to send it back on submission to different publishers. This was two years later and it got signed right away. So what I'm saying is, don't give up hope.

So many issues come into play with book deals - marketing, balance with other books on the list, timing, finance, style, other publications due – e.g. is the book similar to another, more famous author? If yes, it would be unfair to pitch against each other. It's very subjective and you might have written the best book ever, but if the publisher doesn't think they can sell it, they'll pass (think of the Harry Potter scenario!). This certainly happened to me a few times.

The only thing you can control is the writing. Have you written more books? Have you tried a new agent? I don't think there are any in's into the industry other than continuous hard work and improving your craft. I spent two years solid on a book before i secured an agent, then we worked for another year before submitting. The whole time i was writing and submitting short stories, attending festivals and workshops, using social media to meet like-minded people and over time, I saw many people achieve their dream of getting published. The one thing that everyone had in common was this: they didn't give up – and they could say hand on heart that even if they still hadn't signed a deal, they would keep going.

I understand your experience will have been a knock, but keep on writing, give it the dedication and time it needs and enjoy the process and I believe you'll get there eventually. Good luck!

nozzferrahhtoo · 21-02-2018 1:04pm

I read the BFG to my 6 year old girl, then at 7 I have been reading her the "Rose" novels, Harry Potter, a wonderful book I recommend to everyone called "Seraphina and the Black Cloak".

And I am noticing, especially reading the marketing blurb for your own books, that the main character(s) being Orphaned is a major theme in Children's literature.

Why do you think this is such a go-to starting point for a lot of authors? Given the quality of the books I have listed above, it generally seems to work well, but I am wondering why that might be.

[Deleted User] · 21-02-2018 1:40pm

Hi - were you working at something else before writing books full time, if so what did you do and how did you decide to make the move over to writing full time?

Ave Sodalis · 21-02-2018 3:00pm

How do you keep a consistent writing style over a series of books (such as your trilogy)?

For example, a book series I read has 6 books in the original series and when you open them, you can tell straight away from the writing style what books they are. However, a 7th book was released a few years after the last book of the original series was published and it just didn't have the same "feel" to it.

Since you wrote a different book after the first book of your trilogy, how did you get back into the trilogy and not have a different style of writing?

Gloomtastic! · 21-02-2018 4:36pm

nozzferrahhtoo wrote: »

I read the BFG to my 6 year old girl, then at 7 I have been reading her the "Rose" novels, Harry Potter, a wonderful book I recommend to everyone called "Seraphina and the Black Cloak".

And I am noticing, especially reading the marketing blurb for your own books, that the main character(s) being Orphaned is a major theme in Children's literature.

Why do you think this is such a go-to starting point for a lot of authors? Given the quality of the books I have listed above, it generally seems to work well, but I am wondering why that might be.

The majority of Disney movies before Pixar came along were based on orphan characters as well. Be interested to see if there’s a story-telling reason.

Sirsok · 21-02-2018 4:46pm

Thanks for doing this. I find it hard to finish my stories, mainly script writing, I could have a six episode arc, and find in the final third im rushing or dont have enough to fill it. I have the start middle and end, its just the build up to the end that kills my motivation and I start thinking about the next prohect. Any tips on how you stay focused on the one story?

GLaDOS · 21-02-2018 4:51pm

At what age did you start writing for yourself? (ie not school assignments etc)

Mr. Incognito · 21-02-2018 6:24pm

Did you attend workshops or network with other writers or did you very much go solo on the whole thing

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA · 21-02-2018 8:42pm

nozzferrahhtoo wrote: »

I read the BFG to my 6 year old girl, then at 7 I have been reading her the "Rose" novels, Harry Potter, a wonderful book I recommend to everyone called "Seraphina and the Black Cloak".

And I am noticing, especially reading the marketing blurb for your own books, that the main character(s) being Orphaned is a major theme in Children's literature.

Why do you think this is such a go-to starting point for a lot of authors? Given the quality of the books I have listed above, it generally seems to work well, but I am wondering why that might be.

You're right - well spotted! It is common for middle grade books to have protagonists that are orphans and the reason is twofold – 1) it gives the characters depth (we relate to difficult situations and loss at all ages) and 2) it allows for adventures. If you have a fantasy or adventure story, the parents would stop all the fun - they'd ground the kids, or take their wands off them, make them go to bed instead of running around on Dublin rooftops at 2am, and it would hinder the action.

c.p.w.g.w · 21-02-2018 8:44pm

Misread the Title as "Professional Wrestler" and got excited...:(

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA · 21-02-2018 8:55pm

glasso wrote: »

Hi - were you working at something else before writing books full time, if so what did you do and how did you decide to make the move over to writing full time?

This is another great question! I have had various careers including primary school teacher and lead writer for the world's biggest poker company and i've lived in various countries so I'm used to change.

I was writing while working and over time, had short stories published in journals and shortlisted in competitions and I tried my hand at writing a full length novel. t was terrible (and binned) but I loved it and felt incredible satisfaction. I decided to save money while honing my writing - lots of submissions, lots of workshops and festivals – and then I set up as freelance and took the leap. I moved to West Cork and worked before and after work at my books - it took two more years to get a book deal so i supported myself through freelance.

I still freelance now and I earn my living through events and festivals, creative writing workshops, reader reports, social media clients, and technical writing. I do earn royalties from my books bit not enough to live on,but i enjoy the variety that each day brings.

Is this something you're thinking of doing? I'd be happy to answer further questions if it will help!

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA · 21-02-2018 8:56pm

c.p.w.g.w wrote: »

Misread the Title as "Professional Wrestler" and got excited...:(

hahahaha - maybe i could give it a go and call it research?

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA · 21-02-2018 9:00pm

Ave Sodalis wrote: »

How do you keep a consistent writing style over a series of books (such as your trilogy)?

For example, a book series I read has 6 books in the original series and when you open them, you can tell straight away from the writing style what books they are. However, a 7th book was released a few years after the last book of the original series was published and it just didn't have the same "feel" to it.

Since you wrote a different book after the first book of your trilogy, how did you get back into the trilogy and not have a different style of writing?

The story is so real in my head, it was easy to fall back into the same style, even after writing another book that was completely different. I did make life difficult for myself by not making enough notes about the world I'd built, so when I wrote The Book of Shadows, I had to reread The Book of Learning; something I promised myself I would never do, seeing as you can't change anything at that point and you'll always find things you can improve upon!

However, it turned out to be a good exercise because i could see where I'd developed as a writer. Sometimes, like with the instance you describe, a writer can develop so much in their own writing style that it can come across as a different voice. I don't think I'd be brave enough to do more than three books in a series.

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA · 21-02-2018 9:08pm

Sirsok wrote: »

Thanks for doing this. I find it hard to finish my stories, mainly script writing, I could have a six episode arc, and find in the final third im rushing or dont have enough to fill it. I have the start middle and end, its just the build up to the end that kills my motivation and I start thinking about the next prohect. Any tips on how you stay focused on the one story?

This is so common so don't worry! It's difficult to keep motivated when you've held the story in your head for so long - our ideas are bigger and faster than our typing.

The way I get round it is I write really fast first drafts (I call them draft zero because they're so terrible) and this means 50,000 words in 30 days. Although the draft really is awful, it means I have a full-length manuscript to work from and the best writing is rewriting. So keep going and try to get to that finish line, then put it in a drawer for a month before reworking it.

Some ideas to stay motivated:

Long walks - they really help you switch off from the inner critic and also help you iron out problems and by the time you're sat down, you're raring to go
Small goals - even promising yourself half an hour or 500 words means progress and usually leads to more
Write out of sync – add scenes from future parts of the book, or lists you can write out later, or even write the end; you don't have to work chronologically and it can help you flesh out your story when you have scenes to link together
Write a one-line pitch for your script and check now and again to see whether you're on track. It can be helpful to remind you why you started the project in the first place
Make a soundtrack - this is something new I'm trying but it makes sitting at the desk more pleasurable and distracts the inner critic.

Hope this helps!

weldoninhio · 21-02-2018 9:12pm

I’ve only recently started writing again after many years. Did a poem over the summer for a local competition and got shortlisted and published in a local anthology. Where would I find other poetry competitions? I’ve no idea where to look or what to be entering. I wouldn’t mind progressing onto short stories also, but I’ve no idea where to start.

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA · 21-02-2018 9:14pm

GLaDOS wrote: »

At what age did you start writing for yourself? (ie not school assignments etc)

I fell in love with poetry when I was about seven years old and I began writing back then. I loved writing epic poems and short stories that filled entire notebooks. I had a poem published when i was eighteen, but then life took over - school, work, making a living. I grew up in a poor family and didn't even consider writing as an option – I knew I wouldn't be able to support myself.

I only returned to writing when I was about thirty and living in Spain; the internet had become widespread then and it opened up a world of access to authors, journals etc and meant I could submit my work and chat to like-minded aspiring writers at the same level.

Moving to Ireland was when I realised it might be something I could do for real - it was a real eye opener and life-changing. And by this time, I'd also had lots of different careers and built up skills to be able to create a life where i could work and write and attend festivals. People ask would i change it if i could go back in time and start writing earlier, but no - I wouldn't have had the necessary skills.

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA · 21-02-2018 9:21pm

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

Did you attend workshops or network with other writers or did you very much go solo on the whole thing

I think it's so important that you find your tribe and that you build your skills - writing can be pretty solitary and like anything, you need friendly support at times. At my recent launch, I did a Q&A and one of the big topics was how supportive writers are towards each other; people certainly helped me along the way, eg introductions to people, links to competitions, etc and I will always do the same. Its amazing to see other people's successes and to celebrate them.

I've attended lots of workshops and conferences and festivals and continue to do so, as well as teach at them. I recently did Sinead Gleeson's class on the essay, and last year I attended a Wanderlust travel writing workshop. It's all about acquiring new skills, seeing from a different perspective. I don't believe that once you publish a book you're an expert - we should always be learning and changing. I can't recommend the literary festivals in Ireland highly enough, or workshops like those at The Big Smoke Writing Factory, Inkwell Writers and the Irish Writers Centre.

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA · 21-02-2018 9:27pm

weldoninhio wrote: »

I’ve only recently started writing again after many years. Did a poem over the summer for a local competition and got shortlisted and published in a local anthology. Where would I find other poetry competitions? I’ve no idea where to look or what to be entering. I wouldn’t mind progressing onto short stories also, but I’ve no idea where to start.

Congratulations on getting your poem shortlisted and published - that's an amazing achievement. And welcome back to the writing world! :cool:

There are various places to check out writing competitions. My favourites are:

https://www.aerogrammestudio.com/
http://paulmcveigh.blogspot.ie/
https://www.writing.ie/
https://angelatcarr.wordpress.com/

They each list comprehensive submissions to journals, competitions etc and writing.ie also has lots of writing related articles. Good luck!

weldoninhio · 21-02-2018 9:53pm

I'm a Professional Writer, AMA wrote: »

Congratulations on getting your poem shortlisted and published - that's an amazing achievement. And welcome back to the writing world! :cool:

There are various places to check out writing competitions. My favourites are:

https://www.aerogrammestudio.com/
http://paulmcveigh.blogspot.ie/
https://www.writing.ie/
https://angelatcarr.wordpress.com/

They each list comprehensive submissions to journals, competitions etc and writing.ie also has lots of writing related articles. Good luck!

Thanks a mil.

gozunda · 21-02-2018 10:40pm

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?

HalloweenJack · 21-02-2018 11:09pm

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.

addicted to caffeine · 21-02-2018 11:57pm

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

Arghus · 22-02-2018 2:02am

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

Now Ye're Talking - to a Professional Writer

Comments