An Inside Look at Today’s Book Reviewers

Writers In The Storm is pleased to welcome Big Al, our first reviewer!

Looking at the posts on the Writers In The Storm Blog and reading the bios of the contributors I was reminded of one of my favorite things to say about what I do: “Those who can, do. Those who can’t, review.”

I know, not very original, which is at least part of the reason why I’m not an author.

Assuming this blog’s readers are as accomplished and varied as the contributors, what could I have to say of value? I was told that I’m the first reviewer to guest post here, which means the range of subjects should be wide open, right? The request even included a few ideas. Rather than say a lot about one thing, I decided to say a little on two subjects, the world of book reviewing in general and how to increase your chances of getting your book reviewed.

Today’s book blogger isn’t yesterday’s book reviewer

No matter how your book gets published, unless your last name is Patterson, Roberts, or Grisham, a review of your book in a big daily newspaper or somewhere like People magazine is becoming harder to come by as book review sections are shrinking and even being dropped. However, thousands of people, just like me, are filling the gap. Some differences are obvious (I’m not aware of any book review blog with the readership of the New York Times). Some might not be.

The biggest difference I see is that we aren’t normally professionals. I don’t mean our blogs aren’t run in a professional way (I think most try) or that we make just a trivial amount of money for our efforts (although that is reality for most). But the typical newspaper or magazine review was written by a fellow author or at least someone who was a professional writer. Today’s book blogger, while sometimes an author or a wannabe, is more likely to be an avid reader who can manage to string enough words together to write a review.

What that means is that he or she is more likely to approach the review as a reader, not an author. The concerns of one are not necessarily going to be the same as the other. Issues of technique, symbolism, and deeper meaning may take a back seat to the important questions of “did I like these characters?” and “was I entertained.” Look at any of the bestselling authors that many of your peers look down their nose at – Stephanie Meyers, James Patterson, and Dan Brown all come to mind as possibilities – and look at the number of books they’ve sold. They may not appeal to authors, but they do to many readers.

Think of it as amplified word of mouth

While a review from a newspaper or magazine has a large potential audience, a majority of that audience isn’t a likely reader of your book. In fact, a lot of that audience rarely reads books at all. A review from a book blogger has a smaller audience, but that audience is always going to consist of readers. The more specialized the blog, the more likely those readers will be your target audience.

I like to view a book blog as more like word of mouth, only amplified. And word of mouth is one of the best ways for readers to become aware of your book. One recent example of what readers talking to each other can do for a book is Hugh Howey’s Wool that hit the top of the bestseller lists fueled almost exclusively by word of mouth.

It’s a numbers game

Getting a review from any particular book blog isn’t going to make or break your marketing efforts. Few book blogs are going to give your book the boost that a review from The New York Times Review of Books or Publisher’s Weekly would do. Getting reviews from book blogs is a numbers game. No individual can possibly review all the books that are queried or submitted. But the more bloggers you approach, the more reviews you’ll get to help build word of mouth.

Do your homework

However, I have some hints to help you tip the scales in your favor and increase the chances of getting reviewed by any particular blog. These hints fall into two categories, do your homework and follow the recipe.

Homework involves doing some minimal research on the blogs you approach. Do they have a specialty and, if so, how well does your book fit? Even if the blog says it reviews all genres, if they’ve never reviewed erotica or Christian Fiction, your book probably isn’t going to be their first.

There are tens of thousands of book blogs to choose from. One way to quickly find those most likely to be a good fit is to find a directory of blogs in your genre or other niche. Google “YA Book blog directory” and you’ll find this directory (http://yabookblogdirectory.blogspot.com/) of over 1,300 blogs that specialize in reviewing Young Adult books. Doing the same search on “indie book blog list” you’ll find The IndieView  http://www.theindieview.com/  (a site I happen to run) that has a database of several hundred book blogs that are open to reviewing “indie books” (those that are self-published or published by small presses) with details on genre preferences and links to the site. Any search with your genre, “book blog” and a word like directory, list, or database as search terms will uncover multiple lists.

Just like baking a cake

Once you’ve found a good candidate, a blog that seems to like and review books such as yours, the single biggest thing you can do to increase your odds of getting a review from that blog is, just like baking a cake, follow the recipe or instructions on their submission or contact page. If the instructions say to query first with specific information, don’t send them an electronic copy of your book or neglect to give the information requested. If the blog’s submission instructions indicate to send an electronic copy of your book in a specific format, don’t query first or send an electronic version in a different format. Either of these are likely to result in your request being deleted or filed in the “don’t bother” folder

Now Build that Word of Mouth

Although it may seem too simple, by doing your homework to identify those book blogs that are a good fit before approaching them and following directions, you’ll put yourself ahead of a large percentage of your peers. Now it’s time to go give word of mouth a jump start. Good luck.

About BigAl

An avid reader for just shy of half a century, BigAl (who claims not to have a last name) spends the majority of his waking hours sitting at the computer. After working his day job (in front of the computer) his evenings are spent scheduling posts for The IndieView and thinking how happy he is to have never had the urge to become a writer. Then he’ll write reviews for his book review site, BigAl’s Books and Pals http://booksandpals.blogspot.com//, or work on his next post for Indies Unlimited http://www.indiesunlimited.com/ (a website for the indie author and those who read them). Those times BigAl manages to escape the computer are usually spent hanging out with his four grandchildren.

Why We (and Our Characters) Fall in Love: Part Four

NOTE: Thank you to everyone who commented on the two-part blog by Jane Porter. Congratulations to lrtrovi who’s the winner of Jane’s “goodie bag.”

This is Part Four is a five-part series on the science of why (and how) we fall in love based on a four-day workshop Fae Rowen attended on Attachment Styles. In case you missed any of the information, you can access Part 1, Part 2, or Part 3 by clicking on the links. Part Five (on Monday, June 24) will tie all the styles together and throw in current brain research tips that will help you create characters with believable emotions and actions–characters that your readers are hard-wired to fall in love with.

by Fae Rowen

Today we’ll look at the fourth and final attachment style, the Disoriented/Disorganized Style. Don’t be fooled by the name. Remember that your character’s attachment style results from the parent’s behavior. As an infant and toddler, this child survived interactions with the caregiver that were chaotic, frightening, and disorienting.

This child will run toward, then abruptly run away, from the caregiver. The child needs the parent but, at the same time, feels unsafe with him. S/he may run in circle, fall down for no apparent reason, rock back and forth, hit her head against a wall, exhibit trance-like states, or avert his gaze when the parent returns.

The parent’s communication to the child contains “double binds” like “come here, go away” messages that present the child with an unsolvable problem. They give conflicting signals that make no sense to the child. Communication with a disturbing lack of clarity sets the child up for predictable failure. When the parent is internally triggered into sudden shifts of extreme states without reference to the child’s signals, the child’s world becomes dangerous and confusing.

As a result, the child cannot use the caregiver to soothe, because the caregiver is the source of the fear. Secure Attachment is designed around safety for the child. But when the child experiences physical, emotional or sexual abuse, a dis-attached/disorganized attachment style is developed.

Your Disoriented/Disorganized Attachment character is particularly well-suited as a protagonist in a suspense or mystery. Because of their childhood issues, they are particularly sympathetic to readers even before their entire backstory is revealed. Unfortunately, many readers will personally identify with the adult characteristics of this attachment style.

Unlike the other attachment styles, this character has minimal possibility of the flight or fight response. S/he tends to freeze into trance-like stillness and dissociate as a survival mechanism.

Possible Ramifications in Adult Relationships

• Social difficulties
• Attention deficits
• Lack of coherence
• May become aggressive with others or exhibit a controlling style due to danger experienced with out-of-control caregiver
• Unsolvable paradoxes lead to overwhelming feelings most of the time
• Cannot solve problems
• May use the present tense to describe the past
• May have prolonged pauses in speech
• Has the greatest risk of psychiatric disorders
• May experience panic or rage when getting close to another in relationship
• Can experience extreme shifts of mood
• Easily triggered into frustration, fear, or despair when circumstances are unclear
• Inner chaos and turmoil brings a higher level of self-absorption
• Wants relationship deeply, but fears relationship will be dangerous
• May not experience the feeling of true protection even when it is available
• May stay in an abusive or non-supportive relationship because they have not developed “good radar” for danger
• Due to the amount of fear from relational trauma, they are easily triggered by partner to set off intense survival urges
• Flight/fight urges make it difficult to stay and calmly resolve conflicts using effective skills
• May ignore early signals of inappropriate language, touch or behavior and discount any “bad vibes” they have

How can this character heal? It seems not only unlikely, but impossible. Not true. Those with a Disoriented/Disorganized Attachment Style can develop a Secure Attachment Style. The following “repair” messages can be verbally or non-verbally conveyed to build the security necessary for a secure attachment to form.

• I am sorry I scared you.
• Let’s all calm down and talk.
• I will protect you and stand up for you.
• I will be your safe haven.
• You can trust me to be here for you and to keep you safe from the world.
• You can trust me to keep you safe within our relationship.
• I will repair the relationship when disruptions happen.
• I am paying attention to you and what you need.
• Let me give you clear directions.

A competent protector is particularly important to this character, hence the woman-in-danger protected by a Navy Seal or a detective. The black moment will be when your character disbelieves one of the repair messages she’s been given.

Of course, male characters can have this style. They may have developed their “competent protectors” as a child from movies or books or pets. They use clarity to decrease states of confusion. They may be what we’d call “adrenaline junkies” and need danger–or drama– consistently in their lives. Of course, female characters with Disoriented styles can do all of these things, too.

The key is that this character must separate their attachment style from their heightened survival instinct. As their partner assists in this endeavor to return to a Secure Attachment Style, the process of the two of them falling in love will connect with your reader at a much deeper level, because we all know people with this style.

Do you have a character that can be enhanced with this information? How can you use these traits to ramp up your black moment?

Join Fae on Monday, June 24, when she concludes this series. Oh, early next month she’s taking the workshop again to pick up more tips. She’ll be passing those on in Part Five.

Ten Keys to Publishing Success and Survival, Part 2

NOTE: We’re going to put randomizer to work on Sunday and pick one name from everyone who commented on either Part 1 or Part 2 of Jane’s post. The winner of a “Jane Porter Goodie Package” will be announced on Monday, May 20.

by Jane Porter

On Wednesday I talked about the first 5 keys to success. Today I’m going to lay out the last 5 tips.

6. Flexibility is Essential to Survival

I owe this important insight to the stellar Stella Cameron.  I should have figured this one out on my own, but I didn’t.  Instead I spent the past couple of years banging my head against the wall, and then throwing myself against the wall, determined to make the wall move.  I was Jane Porter.  I am nothing if not fierce and tenacious.  I would make the wall move by my determination alone.

The wall didn’t move.  I just got hurt, and discouraged, and the futility of my actions impacted my writing, as well as my sense of self-worth.

We can’t control the industry.  We can only control ourselves, and I wasn’t doing a very good job of controlling myself, and it wasn’t because I didn’t lack conviction.  It was because I’d overdeveloped my muscle and grit, and failed to develop flexibility and balance.

The tough Jane realized during Stella’s fantastic keynote at the Emerald City Conference that great intentions and dense muscle aren’t enough … one has to be able to shift, adapt, evolve.

One has to choose to be flexible.  One has to make a conscious commitment to stretch, bend, yield, experiment.  If traditional publishing isn’t working for you now, experiment with e-publishing.  If what you’re writing now isn’t finding enough readers, take risks and try something new.  If you feel beat up or discouraged by publishing, spend some time focusing on what would give you pleasure, make that a priority.

Make you a priority.  Not you, the writer, but you, the person.

Make sure you’re getting what you need for a wonderful life.  Work out both sides of your muscles and take plenty of time to stretch.  And then stretch some more.  You must be agile to survive.  You must have hope and joy to thrive.

7. Success = Market Knowledge, Business Acumen, & Balls

Some of my biggest mistakes early in my career were in not getting proper market knowledge.  Then I figured out that massive learning curve and started selling, and succeeding.  I got comfortable.  Happy.  I knew what I was doing, I liked what I was doing, all was good.

And then, without consulting me, the industry started to change.  Amazon came on the scene.  The Barnes & Noble and Borders war swallowed up the small B. Daltons and Waldenbooks, and chased away lots of the indie stores.  The battles intensified and then Borders got in trouble, and you know all this … we all know this.

But Darwinian Jane, committed to the Survival of What Jane was Doing Well, was going to continue with Jane’s Plan.  So caveman-like, I pushed myself harder.  Wrote more.  Promoted more.  Spent way too much on publicity because I believed in the books I was writing, and was determined to reach my readers…even though it was harder to find them since trade fiction is still very print dependent.  Less than 50% of my trade readers, read on a device.  Now the romance reader has embraced e-readers.  The romance reader is at the front of the change.  The romance reader loves new things.  But the romance reader isn’t going to pay $10 for a Kindle download of my women’s fiction, and the bookstores that carry trade books are far and few and inbetween in many parts of the country now.

So despite my fierce, focused resolve, my passion, my commitment of time and resources, my trade books weren’t doing what I wanted them to do.  The results weren’t what I’d hoped.  The print runs were smaller, the sales smaller which doesn’t equal success in the traditional print world.

And there lies the problem.

Publishing is switching over to e.  Traditional publishers are pushing e over p.

Jane Porter—the writer—hadn’t.

Thankfully I had an epiphany a few months ago that I’m on my way to becoming extinct.  It was a jolt to the system, but the wake up call was just what I needed.

I’m a good writer.  A passionate writer.  There’s no need for me to give up, die out, or fade away.  I just need to refocus, and relearn the market.  I’ve spent the past four months revisiting my goals, my stories, my themes and see lots of opportunity ahead.  But it meant giving up contracts I’ve held for years.  It meant walking away from ‘a sure thing’, or perceived security for the new Wild Wild West of Publishing.

But its good.  It’s exciting.  And its not as if one has to give up all traditional publishing for new e-opportunities.  You can have both.  You can juggle, balance, risk, as well as stand back and watch…evaluate, experiment, play.

You can do anything you want.  Isn’t that amazing news?

8. Perspective

The great thing about having published 40+ books over the past 13 years is that I’ve been beat up good.  I’m still kicking and smiling.  And best of all, I’ve got some perspective now.

I believe we can succeed.  But success (at least for me) isn’t just about money.   Money is important.  It pays bills, and being paid well gives one pride and a sense of self-worth.  But I also want respect.  Appreciation.  I want my print readers to still be able to find me in a store.  And then I want to write the story that my reader will cherish for years to come.

Clearly, for me, publishing is more than putting a book out there.  I have a whole hierarchy of needs that must be met by my writing, and I didn’t get to this point overnight.

But then, most of us do not become successful authors overnight.  Most of us have to grapple with learning the craft, with understanding the different markets, with discovering which editors will buy what, or which e–platform will give us the results we want.

So give yourself time to adjust to the learning curve.  Learn. 

Also, to use my friend Sinclair’s expression, know what you bring to the party.  What do you do best as a writer?  Where are your strengths?  What are your weaknesses?  These are ten market things I think every writer should know:

• Be able to identify your Voice
• Find a genre/line/style that suits your Voice
• It’s not necessary to go for the hard sale first
• Conversely, don’t merely reach for low hanging fruit.
• Avoid jumping from manuscript to manuscript, or genre to genre indiscriminately
• Don’t target a genre or publisher you don’t read
• Don’t send a query, or self publish a book, before its ready
• Know your market hooks – hooks still sell books
• Don’t go overboard with market hooks – keep it fresh
• Know when the horse is dead  (i.e., don’t be Cavewoman Jane)
• Don’t try to please everyone

9.  Quality Drives Success

Quality is huge.

Quality is everything.

Our readers deserve extraordinary stories.  Our readers deserve to be delighted, enchanted, surprised, moved, entertained.  Give your readers your very best story, each and every time.  Your readers will thank you, and they’ll repay you with loyalty and making you an auto-buy.

Apply high standards to every aspect of the writing and publishing process:  writing, editing, copy-editing, formatting, pricing, art, covers and blurbing, marketing.

Make quality part of your brand.  You’ll never regret it.  Readers love a success story.

10. The Successful Professional

I’ve learned to weather storms.  I still don’t like them.  I prefer blue skies and bright sunny days.  78 degrees is perfect.  No humidity, please.  But life isn’t like that.  Publishing isn’t like that, either. Therefore we must learn to deal with stress, pressure, and reality, with grace.  Dignity.  And that all important humor.

There are times our careers will fly.  There are times we will struggle.

I have enjoyed tremendous success, and I have had books that just didn’t sell.  I’ve had critical success, too, financial success, and then I’ve had challenges that made me question my sanity and my desire to continue with this career.

Editors can be difficult.  Publishers capricious.  Readers fickle, or critical.  Writers judgmental.

The writing life can be hard on families.  The writing life can be hard on one’s sense of self.  So strive for excellence, and yet hang on to your sense of humor.  Forgive yourself when things go wrong.  Savor the successes.  Protect your muse.   Guard your heart.  Cherish your real friends, the ones that are strong and kind and supportive.

Publishing is a very small world.  Be the writer editors and other writers want to work with.  People talk.  Publishing is constantly evolving.  Editors change houses.   Editors become agents, agents become publishers, readers become reviewers, reviewers become social media mavericks…

We don’t know the future.  We can make predictions but things change.  We know that now.  Ten years ago New York had all the power in publishing.  Ten years ago I couldn’t imagine a world without a bookstore on every corner  (okay, I lived in Seattle with its proliferation of coffee houses and bookstores).  We’ve learned that we’re going to have to be flexible, and adapt.

And we can.

Just remember, we’re in this for the long haul.  And we’re not just going to survive.  We’re going to thrive!

About Jane

The Good Daughter, February 2013

Bestselling author of the  Jane Porter has been a finalist for the prestigious RITA award four times, has over 12 million copies in print.  Jane’s novel, Flirting With Forty, picked by Redbook as its Red Hot Summer Read, went back for seven printings in six weeks before being made into a Lifetime movie starring Heather Locklear.  September 2012 brought the release of The Good Woman, the first of her Brennan Sisters trilogy, followed in February 2013 by The Good Daughter, and book three in the series, The Good Wife, is slotted for release in September.  A mother of three sons, Jane holds an MA in Writing from the University of San Francisco and makes her home in sunny San Clemente, CA with her surfer husband.

Find Jane at:
http://janeporter.com/
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorjanep

Ten Keys to Success & Survival in The Romance Industry

Writers In The Storm is delighted to welcome Romance and Women’s Fiction author Jane Porter in the first of a two-part blog on success and survival.

I first gave this workshop in February 2004, and boy has this industry changed in the past nine years!

I first sold in January 2000 after nearly 14 years, having written 13 different novels which never sold.  Since then I’ve written 43 more books, with 43 coming out this September from Berkley.  All of my publishing to date has been with ‘traditional’ publishing — print first, e-second, for Harlequin, Berkley, and Grand Central.

Many things have changed over the years, but my first 5 keys, or tips, to success and survival in this business haven’t.   In fact, the first five tips are more important than ever.

Let me warn you, I am going to be brutally candid.  But remember, whatever I say is my opinion, and that can change, too, just as our industry continues to evolve and change.

So let’s dive in.  Let’s talk about getting published.  Let’s talk about selling.

What is the secret to selling?

Great writing.

I used to think the secret to selling was luck, timing, networking…used to think I had the craft down, and yes, much of writing and connecting with a reader is subjective, but that’s what writing is about.  Connecting with a reader.  And if you can’t connect with a reader, whether its an acquiring editor, agent, or the person that is browsing online or picks your book up at the bookstore, then you’re not going to sell…or continue to sell.

1. The Secret to Selling is Craft
   

You have to know your craft.  Craft isn’t optional, and just because you’ve sold a book, or twenty, doesn’t mean you can ever get lazy about learning your craft, developing the creative muscle, honing your editing ability.  In fact, selling that first book or two means upping your standards.  Increasing your appeal.  Growing that readership and you did it by continually pushing yourself, seeking to expand your knowledge base and having very high standards.

So if you’re going to work on craft, what’s essential?

Plot is important, but a great plot with weak characters goes nowhere.  I think characters are key but even more important is character motivation.  What happens and why…

Pacing is also vital.  Good ideas, great ideas, aren’t enough if the reader puts your book down mid way through chapter 4 or 7 or before they reach the happy ending.  Pacing is what drives the story forward.  And pacing is about smart decision making while writing and especially while revising.

Whether you’re trying to get your first book sold, or your tenth, continue your education.  Read craft oriented books.  Attend workshops on topics that focus on craft.  Work with a trusted writer friend in a brainstorming/critiquing/or goal setting session and see how you can help each other grow as a writer.

2. The Secret to Survival is Getting Real

What do I mean by getting real?  First and foremost, I’m referring to Attitude

I put Attitude near the top of the Survival list because attitude is everything.

Your attitude will make or break you.  Your attitude is what will set you apart from other authors.  Attitude is what will get you to the finish line—will define how successful you’ll be.  And attitude doesn’t just happen.  You make attitude happen.  You choose your outlook, the way you cope with rejection.  You choose your friends.  You choose when and if you’re going to keep writing.

Attitude at work:  Be proactive.

I’ve learned to surround myself with only the most positive, supportive friends.  My writer friends are all very real, very giving, but also very tough.  They understand what it takes to make it in this business, they know we’ll all have highs and lows, that our careers won’t be equal, that life isn’t fair—and because we understand the inequities, we get on with it.

And that’s what I’m here to say to you.  Get your head together, get your attitude in the right place, and get on with it.  You have to write and write and write.  And then write some more.

3.    Success & Survival Depend on Goal Setting

Know what you want.  It’s that simple.  It’s that hard.  Know what you want.  Identify your goals.  Define your idea of success.  Be clear.  Be specific.  Be realistic.  And be prepared to work hard.

In terms of goals, think personally and professionally.

Have short term goals, and long term goals.

When I set professional goals, I differentiate between business/marketing goals and craft goals.  I write my goals down.  I pin them up or put them in a place I can see them—some people suggest your wallet—but refer to them at least once a month.  Think about them.  Goal setting works.

4. Success/Survival Require Perseverance & Mental Strength

I’ve written several articles on this—including Getting Game which was published in the Nov issue of RWR several years ago. Mental strength goes hand in hand with attitude but takes it one step further.  You’re not just choosing to be positive, you’re going to push yourself, challenge your capacity to learn and grow, and stop limiting yourself with real or perceived roadblocks.

Roadblocks to success?

–Fear of Failure
–Fear of Success
–Sense of Unworthiness
–Lack of confidence
–Lack of ambition
–Fear of Risk
–Inability to Commit

Okay.  Two bits of advice here—first, confront your fears. 

Second:  deal with them.

Stop pretending they don’t exist.  Everybody struggles with insecurity.  Everybody has self-doubts.  And you know, these things aren’t horrible, or embarrassing.  There’s no reason to feel shame.  The important thing is to acknowledge your fears, and then address them.

We have to stop thinking in terms of what we can’t do, but of what we can.

We can learn.  We can grow.  We can improve.  We can master new skills.  We can be great.  We can be brilliant.  We can sell.  We can be bestsellers.

You know, its okay to cry.  Its okay to hurt.  Its okay to be disappointed.  But what you do with the disappointment is key.

5.  To Succeed Act, Don’t Just React

Be careful not to be a trend follower.  If you begin chasing trends, you’re going to end up reacting to the industry, instead of acting and owning your voice, your vision, your themes, and your goals.

If what you write happens to fit today’s market, that’s awesome.  Take advantage of every opportunity to succeed, but don’t let the tail wag the dog.

You’re a writer.  An artist.  But also a businesswoman (or man).  Find the balance between creativity and industry, muse and bills.  This is where personal goal setting is really helpful.

Make sure you know what you want.

Define success for yourself.  (Is it a pay check?  Is it being in print, in a particular store?  Is it freedom?  Is it challenge?)

Once you know yourself, and what is most important to you, you’ll be able to respond to industry change with strength as well as confidence.  Because you don’t want to merely survive, you want to thrive.  But to do that, you have to be willing to take risks and honor your dream and vision for your books, your voice, and your career.

See you Friday for the next five keys to success and survival!

About Jane

Bestselling author of the  Jane Porter has been a finalist for the prestigious RITA award four times, has over 12 million copies in print.  Jane’s novel, Flirting With Forty, picked by Redbook as its Red Hot Summer Read, went back for seven printings in six weeks before being made into a Lifetime movie starring Heather Locklear.  September 2012 brought the release of The Good Woman, the first of her Brennan Sisters trilogy, followed in February 2013 by The Good Daughter, and book three in the series, The Good Wife, is slotted for release in September.  A mother of three sons, Jane holds an MA in Writing from the University of San Francisco and makes her home in sunny San Clemente, CA with her surfer husband.

WriterStrong – Creating Nail-Biting Suspense

Writers In The Storm is thrilled to welcome Stacy Green!

This is my first time posting at Writers In The Storm, and I am very excited to be here. Jenny and the gals wanted me to talk about writing suspense, so I’m going to give it my best shot.

My version of suspense goes something like this: bone-tingling, spine-chilling, heart stopping rollercoaster ride. It’s the anticipation of what might happen to the hero or heroine and the fear of what horrible thing might be on the next page. Good suspense means readers keep turning the pages, and that’s what writing is all about.

There are a lot of skills that go into writing great suspense, but I’m going to talk about three vital components you find in every great suspense novel.

Believable Red Herrings.

Everyone wants to know whodunit. And no one wants to figure that out with half a book to go. Which means that once you get your basic plot nailed down, you need to figure out who your red herrings are. Have at least two (if not three characters) who are viable bad guy candidates.

If you’re a plotter, create a new file for each character and jot down why he could have done the deed. I take notes on how he fits into the fabric of the book, and as I progress, I will go back to those files and add more details. Not a plotter? No worries. Try keeping a notebook for ideas of who the RH could be and why. When he or she does something suspicious, jot it down. And when it’s time to work on the second draft, you’ll be able to weave those guys in.

For example, in TIN GOD, I had a separate file for a character called Royce Newton (a murder victim’s husband and possible conspirator in an illegal adoption ring). In that file, I had several sections: connection to victim, connection to protagonist, motive, alibi, reasons for suspicion/dishonest actions, connection to antagonist.

You can create your files to your liking, but the key is to knowing WHY that character could have committed the crime and the connections he or she has to various characters and the plot.

Remember your red herrings need to fit seamlessly into the plot and be a natural suspect, but the character also needs to be well rounded. Very few people are all bad, so showing snippets of decency about your RH will really keep the reader guessing. Any time I read a book with a guy who is obviously all bad without any teeny tiny shred of decency, I know he DIDN’T do it. Because that would be way too easy.

It’s not easy juggling multiple red herrings. Organization is the key. Whatever system you use, make sure you have a separate file for each possible red herring.

Set the Scene.

Why is this important? Because your reader needs to feel immersed in the world you created, and because setting equals mood.

For instance, in one of the pivotal scenes in TIN GOD, the protagonist is in a very bad situation. I used the weather to add to the tension and played up the fear of the lightening, the pelting rain, and the low visibility. We’ve all driven in a thunderstorm, and we know how nerve wracking it is. So it set the perfect mood for the climax of the book.

You can also play up your book’s location. TIN GOD is set in Mississippi, so I used the heat and humidity to layer the conflicts. Nothing makes an argument worse than feeling like you’re being smothered. If you’ve got a winter setting, and your hero or heroine is putting himself or herself in harms way, play up that scenery. Is it so cold their breath is freezing? The sky glowing with the deep purple bruising of an oncoming snowstorm? Are they driving down a road covered with ice and passing vehicles that have slid into the ditch? All of this will help get your readers hearts beating just a little bit faster.

Here is an example from the climax of TIN GOD, where I used the storm to set the stage for the final showdown between the heroine and the antagonist.

Storm clouds chased their escape and swiftly passed the speeding vehicle. Soon they were engulfed in the deep purple and black tempest, driving head-on into its wrath. A coffin on wheels, Jaymee thought as the storm swept the minivan into its embrace. Lightning shattered the purple sky and thunder boomed hard enough to rattle the van windows. They were at nature’s mercy.

But you don’t have to rely on the weather. Use all of the senses: sight, sound, smell, touch, taste. Is the air foul? Are there birds making a lot of racket? Is your character so tense their mouth is dry, or feeling like its covered with cotton.

Here’s an example from my debut novel, INTO THE DARK, where my heroine Emilie makes a daring decision to find her stalker on her own.

She readied her keys, took one last nervous look around, then jumped out of the Acadia. It was only about twenty feet to the employee’s entrance.

Her Nike’s slapped against the concrete as she ran. Blood rushed to her ears. She envisioned a shadow creeping behind her, mirroring her steps until she came to a stop. She grabbed for the door, key at the ready. The lock turned, a loud click in the middle of the night. A whisper of hot night air grazed the back of her neck, a phantom touch. Emilie whirled around so fast her ponytail smacked against her cheek.

Every sensory detail in a scene can be used to up the suspense. You can talk about dry mouth, cracked lips, hot skin, bitter taste, churning stomach, etc. The trick is to SHOW the suspense with description.

Sentence Structure.

I know, not nearly as fun of a topic, but it really does matter, especially if you’re writing suspense. You never want to have several similar sentences close together anyway, and that mistake will definitely ruin an otherwise suspenseful scene.

Changing up your sentence structure controls the pace, and when your goal is make the reader’s heart pound, short sentences are key.

Lisa Gardner is a master of this. One of my favorite books of hers, SAY GOODBYE, is loaded with tension and psychological suspense. This is just a snippet of how she controls the pace with sentence structure, as well as keeps suspense building for the reader.

Kimberley’s hands dropped in front of her rounded belly. Field kit, she thought again. Quick dash, unzip the bag, reach inside for her weapon…No dice. Kid could pull the trigger of his gun in a split second. And the spider…she didn’t want to think about it.

Another example, later in the scene:

Kimberley’s hand flew to her duffel bag, fingernails scrambling frantically against the nylon surface. Goddammit, why’d she have to zip the bag? She was never gonna make it. The gun leveling, pointing…

See how the different types of sentences ups the tension?

Practice makes perfect!

All of these things are tough to do, because most writers get into a pattern of specific sentences. It takes a lot of objectivity and good editing, but it can be done. Go to an important scene in your current WIP–a scene where you want the reader to have a strong visceral reaction. How is your sentence structure? Do you have a good mix? What about the five senses? Are you employing them? And think back over the story as a whole – do you have enough red herrings (or tricks) to keep the reader guessing and entertained?

TIN GOD
Kindle
Paperback

About Stacy

Born in Indiana and raised in Iowa, Stacy Green earned degrees in journalism and sociology from Drake University. After a successful advertising career, Stacy became a proud stay-at-home mom to her miracle child. Now a full-time author, Stacy juggles her time between her demanding characters and supportive family. She loves reading, cooking, and the occasional gardening excursion. Stacy lives in Marion, Iowa with her husband Rob, their daughter Grace, and the family’s three obnoxious but lovable canine children.

Website: www.stacygreen.net
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Twitter @StacyGreen26

WHO WILL YOU TRUST? Wills in Author Estate Planning

Susan Spann joins us again for the second in her series about protecting your writing and your author rights in your estate planning. Even though many of us don’t like to think about that particular future, it’s an important part of your writing business that no one talks about.

by Susan Spann

Big thanks to Writers in the Storm for inviting me back to continue our new series on estate planning for authors!

As we discussed in April, every author needs an estate plan, including a properly drafted will or trust, which addresses the ownership and management of copyrights and other intellectual property the author owns at the time of the author’s death.

All authors have an estate plan. Surprise! You have one, whether you know about it or not. If you haven’t written a will or a trust, then you’re operating with plan #3: intestacy, which essentially means the estate plan the state establishes by law for anyone who dies without a valid will or trust.

A hint for the wise: option #3 is bad.

Authors who have no written estate plan will find their estates (and copyrights) subjected to the laws of the state (or country) where the author resided at the time of death. In most U.S. jurisdictions, the law provides that spouses and biological or legally adopted children inherit the property and rights of a person who dies. However, state laws vary, and in some places property ends up escheating to the state – which means the government could end up with your copyrights.

Unless you leave a written will or trust, you’re gambling with your intellectual property. Don’t do that.

Take charge. Create your own estate plan.

In most states (and countries), the estate planning choices come down to wills and trusts. We’ll look at trusts in next month’s post. Today, let’s talk about wills.

A will (or a “testament”) is a writing which disposes of property belonging to the testator (the person who wrote the will) at the time of his or her death. The legal name for the property that belongs to a person at the time of his or her death is the “estate” – which is also the reason wills and trusts are called “estate plans.” These documents provide a road map for your heirs—and the state—to ensure that after your death, your property is distributed in the manner you desire.

In many places, if your estate equals or exceeds $100,000 in value, your will must be administered through a probate proceeding. (If you have a trust, there is no probate. More about that next month.)

In probate, the will is administered, and the decedent’s property distributed, by a court or by a court-appointed executor (with or without direct court supervision). You don’t have to have an attorney to probate an estate, but in most cases the executor (the person the will appoints, by name, to handle the estate and its distribution) does hire legal counsel. This is because probate courts have special rules and procedures which can be confusing, especially when the executor is also a grieving family member. Probate lawyers’ fees are generally set by statute (often on a sliding scale, measured as a percentage of the estate).

Authors with small estates (less than $100,000 cash value at the time of death) may find a will sufficient for their needs. This is particularly true where the copyrighted works included in the estate produce relatively little active income. You’ll want to consult an experienced attorney familiar with both publishing and estate planning issues to see what level of income will require your estate to go through probate – once your royalties hit that threshold, you may want to consider a trust instead of a simple will.

A will can contain specific language stating how copyrights and creative works should be distributed, and to whom, and how the author would like them managed after death. (We’ll talk about these options in coming months.)

At a minimum, every author needs a will (many states allow handwritten wills, also called “holographic” wills – check the requirements in your state to be certain). Authors should also prepare a list of copyrights, publishers, and contact information relating to every published and copyrighted work in the author’s estate. The author’s heirs will need that information to collect and manage the author’s creative works. Remember—you won’t be there to help them answer the questions after you’re gone.

Even if your state allows handwritten wills, once your works are published you should consider paying for a professionally drafted will (or trust) to ensure that your estate plan manages and transfers your creative works in the manner and to the people you intend.

Authors whose estates exceed the statutory minimum to require probate should also consider establishing a revocable trust, which offers more flexibility than a will and, in many jurisdictions, allows your estate to avoid probate proceedings altogether.

But that’s the topic of next month’s post.

Have questions about authors’ wills? Feel free to ask them in the comments!

Susan Spann is a publishing attorney and author from Sacramento, California. Her debut mystery novel, CLAWS OF THE CAT (Thomas Dunne Books, July 2013), is the first in a series featuring ninja detective Hiro Hattori. Susan blogs about writing, publishing law and seahorses at http://www.SusanSpann.com. Find her on Twitter @SusanSpann or on Facebook.

Writer Quotes at Starbucks

Laura Drake and Fae Rowen were incredibly lucky to get to sit with James Scott Bell during the April OCC/RWA meeting and at lunch. He’s a down-to-earth guy with no pretense. Best of all, he agreed to share a personal look at his writing process–through quotes of well-known authors–to give us a mid-week shot of inspiration.

by James Scott Bell

I collect quotes from writers on all aspects of the writing life. They open up little windows in my mind and help me see things I might miss on my own. I like to review these quotes from time to time. It makes me feel I’m in on a big conversation about my profession, with a bunch of very cool and experienced people. The only thing missing is the Starbucks.

Actually not, as I’m typing this right now at my favorite table at my favorite Starbucks. I’ll just pretend it was Ray Bradbury who bought me that first cup, as he sits down with me and says,

“I do a first draft as passionately and as quickly as I can. I believe a story is only valid when it is immediate and passionate, when it dances out of your subconscious. If you interfere in any way, you destroy it…. Let your characters have their way. Let your secret life be lived. Then at your leisure, in the succeeding weeks, months or years, you let the story cool off and then, instead of rewriting, you RELIVE IT. If you try to rewrite, which is a cold exercise, you’ll wind up with all kinds of Band-Aids on your story, which people can see.”

Thanks, Ray. When I read your work that’s exactly the impression I get, that your incredible imagination has been frolicking around in the fields and having fun. And by the way, thank you for The Illustrated Man, which was one of those life changing books for me. When I read it in junior high, I thought, Man, to be able to write that way someday…

Ah, I see that Henry David Thoreau, looking awfully good for a dead guy, has joined us. First thing out of his mouth is,

“How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.”

Right on, Hank. If there’s nothing of value inside the writer, how can there be anything of value for the reader? And you can’t buy value, like vowels on Wheel of Fortune. You have to earn it by living. Reminds me of something I heard once, that a writer really doesn’t have much to write about until he’s 40. That may be a bit high, but there’s something to it, I think. Live first, write second.

Here’s Barnaby Conrad, the man who started the famous Santa Barbara Writers Conference, and a terrific writer himself. As he drags a chair over, he says,

“Remember, almost no writer had it easy when starting out. If they did, everyone would be a bestselling author. The ones who make it are the stubborn, persistent people who develop a thick skin, defy the rejection, and keep the material out there, trolling.”

Boy, is that ever true, Barnaby. When I wrote my first screenplay, I thought it was a work of pure, natural genius. The first industry friend who read it said, “You don’t have it.” I first thought she meant I didn’t have any talent (as some of my former criminal clients have averred). But she explained I didn’t have it ON THE PAGE. I realized I had a big learning curve ahead of me.

I wrote six full length screenplays over the next two years or so, before I landed with a Hollywood agent and began getting anywhere. Before that, I almost broke a knuckle knocking on doors and getting them slammed in my puss.

Which is why Andre Dubus, who has brought his latte to our table, interjects,

“Don’t quit. It’s very easy to quit during the first ten years.”

That catches the ear of the ghost hanging out with Thoreau, George Bernau, who wrote Promises to Keep and other novels. He was a practicing attorney when he got into a car accident and almost died. In the hospital he took stock of his life, and, as he reminds us,

“I decided that I would continue to write as long as I lived, even if I never sold one thing, because that was what I wanted out of my life.”

If you have the desire to write, then make the decision now that you’ll write – strongly, passionately, with a commitment to your craft – no matter what.

How have you overcome the circumstances in your life that make it difficult to write? What keeps you going in those solitary, stolen hours at your computer?
James Scott Bell is the bestselling author, most recently of the thriller Don’t Leave Me. He’s also the author of numerous books on the craft of writing, including the popular Plot & Structure from Writer’s Digest Books. Visit his website at  http://www.jamesscottbell.com.