Read, Read, Read!

One of the predominate pieces of advice given to authors is to "read, read, read!" I can understand that - we need to read anything and everything, so that we have a storehouse of ideas to fall back on for writing. I found out this week that there is another reason for reading ... to understand a genre. I decided to finally read a couple of cozy mysteries that I had in my Kindle library. What an eye opener!

Kindle is fine - I had no problem reading the books. They were gentle mysteries, which is what I had expected. They were both set in small towns, with that small town feel to them.That was fine too. Both of them had coherent story lines, which was good. But they were so alike that I actually went back to look at the pictures of the authors - both women - to see if perhaps they were the same woman! There seems to be a formula out there - single female, returns home after the big city did not work out, meets up with old boyfriend (who is now married), meets new boyfriend, has a crisis that comes into her life that she must solve (this would be the mystery part of the novel). The stories were good, but not that good. Something to keep in mind when writing my own!

So why else do we want to keep reading new material? One reason might be to see how others write. To see what is good about their writing, and what doesn't quite make the grade. As authors, we want our readers to enjoy our work, to talk about our work (who knows, perhaps Oprah would hear about us!), to recommend our books, and to keep purchasing our books. Longevity, that's a good goal for all writers!

By reading as much as we can, we really get to know the different styles of writing, the different voices that are out there. We have a broader choice in finding and developing our own unique voice if we not only have something to say, but have a consistent way of saying it. We need to see how words are presented, the pictures that they can paint. We need to see how to develop connections between thoughts that are both viable and exciting. We need to retain the interest of our readers, after all!

We need to challenge ourselves - to take material and make something new and different out of it. I certainly do not want my readers going back like I did this past week, to see if I was writing under different names! I don't want my style of writing so close to someone else that my readers cannot distinguish who I am.

I don't mean to imply that reading books should be a personal improvement project. Enjoy what you are reading. If you don't, put it down, and pick up something else. You don't have to make notes ont he writing style, just allow it to seep into your subconscious. It will be there when you need it. You will be surprised at the number of times you will be writing something, only to recognize immediately that there is either a better way of saying what you are saying, a better way to leave a clue, or a better way to connect characters. You will not know why you see this,but you can bet that it is because you have been reading, and the information is stored in your brain, where you can easily access it.

To get you started - 10 Books Every Writer Should Read

(c) June 2012 Bonnie Cehovet

Cozy Mysteries Defined

My chosen genre for writing is the cozy mystery. It just feels right to me. So, how do I describe this to other people? What kind of writing am I doing, exactly? I know what kind of story I want to convey - one that is a good mystery, gentle in nature, and with the kind of story-line that keeps my readers coming back. My main character is not a policeman, or a detective, or anything close to that. She is an everyday person who falls into these adventures ... adventures that sometimes boggle the mind, and sometimes tug at the heart strings. They involve the present, the past ... and sometimes the future. They are real adventures, focusing on real people. My characters are not airheads ... quite the opposite. They are intelligent people who know how and where to go to get the help that they need to solve a crime. And they can recognize a crime when they see on, even if no one else does! Pets ... especially cats ... will show up in my stories. So will the Internet. So will political issues, when appropriate. Whatever affects my characters lives is fair game for my stories! What can you expect NOT to see in my writing? Violence, gore, cursing, explicit scenes of any kind. My readers will need to have a fair amount of imagination themselves, and be willing to become part of the game. it is a game, you know. The solving of puzzles, the solving of crimes. Maybe I need to aim to be a present day, female version of Nero Wolf's character Archie Goodwin. That would be fun! Miss Marple is a bit stodgy, even for me. I would like to have a bit of an edge, like the Snoop sisters. Now, they have class! Then there is the sidekick issue. I am thinking more of a group of women ... women that know each other well. One woman will be the main character, the rest will be sidekicks. Each woman will be allowed to let her light shine when needed, and each woman will have her flaws. Think Fern Michaels' "Sisterhood" series here. I am looking forward to digging in and doing some real work to kick-start this series. Wishing each of you much happiness and success with your writing! (c) June 2012 Bonnie Cehovet

Writing Believable Characters

This is really a continuation on last weeks blog about creating characters. One thing that we need to see in characters, as well as in the story line, is believability. If a character does not seem believable, even in a fiction story, then you are not going to retain the reader's interest, and you are not going to be able to build your story. if you try to do so, your characters themselves will simply refuse to fit together the way that you want them to.

Start with their name. Names are everything! They reflect our cultural background, our family background, and the times that we were born into. Our name, in a sense, IS who we are. So give your characters names that reflect who they are, and where they came from. If you like their name, but they don't ... change the name! Characters are powerful people! Your characters names need to have a rhythm, a cadence of their own. And it probably is not a good idea to have different characters int he same book with the same name. This ends up somewhere between boring and confusing for the reader. Remember ... both the reader and your character have to be able to accept and relate to the character's name! As I revise my first attempt at a mystery, I decided to start over again on both location and character names. The story line will remain basically the same, but tweaked to remain in the area of possible/plausible.

One thing that I had to remember is that some of the characters from my first book will be carried forward, as I want this to be a series. As the series grows, my characters will grow. To do that, they need a firm foundation, and viable connections to each other. They have to be able to function through varying story lines, which is making me stop and think about what I want them to say and do. My main character I have firmly in mind. I know who she is, how she thinks, how she acts/reacts. The protagonist is another thing. The protagonist in my first story may be my main character ... that seems to work for me. The role of the hero (the person who saves the day) is not relegated to one person in my book. it is a group of friends that function well together. My antagonist - the ultimate "bad guy", is a combination of a single person and the group behind him. The obstacle is not a character, but a belief. it is something that affects all of the characters in some manner. Logic and emotion find their balance in my character's world. The archetype of sidekick for the series I am writing doesn't seem relevant, as the main character works to solve the issues of the story with other people.

Taking all of this into consideration - as well as the story bible that I discussed last week, I feel that I am well on my way to creating a viable story line!

(c) June 2012 Bonnie Cehovet

Building Characters In Writing

I certainly hope that my characters are as strong as those of one of my favorite authors, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. What I do know so far about the main character for my proposed cozy mystery series is that she will be in her 50's, well educated, with a partner whose job takes him away from home a lot. (I am not sure whether they are going to be living together or not ... more than likely not, at least in the beginning of the series.) She will have an interest in the metaphysical world, and will have studied it extensively. She will live in a large city (more than likely Las Vegas), and will have several close women friends that become involved in some way in her escapades.

A bible is in order, so that she and my other characters grow in the series in a comprehensive manner. IOW, elements of their past have created their present, and their thoughts/actions/reactions in the present will build their future. What else can I do to build my characters into realistic, believable entities?

Charlotte Dillon offers a free, downloadable character chart on her site - CharlotteDillon.com. This is an incredible chart that is comprehensive, makes a great deal of sense, and is highly usable. Note: Please give Ms Dillon credit if you are using this chart in a public manner. This is very much like what I did to create the bible for my characters when I made my first attempt at writing a mystery. Her's is quite a bit more extensive, and I intend to use it! Thank you, Charlotte Dillon!

Why am I not surprised - there is also a wikihow on this! How To Create A Fictional Character. There is a ten step process to follow here that makes absolute sense. As with all things, tweak it until it works for you. It provides a good foundation for building your characters, so you aren't spending a lot of time dead int he water about who they are, what motivates them, and how they fir into the story.

Here is another excellent site, from author/editor Lillie Amman - Creating Fictional Characters.

Last, but not least, from fictionfactory.com -Creating Characters.

(c) May 2012 Bonnie Cehovet

Waylaid!

This started out to be a blog on creating a bible for your WIP (Work In Progress) but I go waylaid by a couple of interesting blogs (and a theme connected site!). The first blog is from Writers Write (http://www.writerswrite.com/#writersblog). There is a very interesting conference that was held at St. Andrews University, Scotland. Quite a unique two day conference, entitled “A Brand of Fictional Magic: Reading Harry Potter as Literature”. I am a huge fan of Harry Potter – of the magic, and the underlying cultural references. Sixty scholars attended, and addressed such subjects as Dumbledore and the Socratic method, paganism, food as it denotes British identity, and more. Worth a read!

The site that is thematically connected with this blog is one that has just recently gone live – “Pottermore”, from J.K. Rowling (http://www.pottermore.com/?utm_source=Badger-En&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=03052012-notify&utm_term=+&utm_content=). I have been waiting for this one, and it did not disappoint! There is a “sneak peak” video, and a video message from J.K. Rowling on the landing page. You do need to sign up for entrance into the site – they give you a username to go by – very “Harry Potterish”!

What can you do in Pottermore? Lots of things! Explore the Harry Potter stories in a whole new way! Discover new and exclusive writing from J.K. Rowling (worth the bother of registering!). Experience Diagon Ally, the Sorting Hat, and more! Share comments, and help your House win the House Cup! Enter the magical gateway now! I have just been playing on the site – you have to experience it to appreciate it! What fun!

On to the second blog that waylaid me – Anne R. Allen’s recent blog (http://annerallen.blogspot.com/2012/05/who-are-big-six-what-does-indie-really.html) on the “Big Six”, “Indies”, and “Small Presses” in publishing. Quite a well done b log, no matter what she is talking about! As a newcomer to publishing, and much more conversant with the publishing companies in the niche genre that I currently write in (Tarot), I found this whole article fascinating! The “Big Six” are readily recognizable publishing companies. However, the countries they are based in may surprise you (it did me!). She also goes on to mention their imprints, which are interesting.

Allen then moves on to mid-sized publishers – one of which I have actually worked with! For each publisher, there is a sound bite about what genre(s) they publish in.

Also included are sections on Retailer/Publishers, Independent e-Book Publishers, Small Presses, Micro Presses, Vanity Presses, Indie Publishing, and POD Publishing Service Providers.

Great blog, with a tremendous amount of usable information in it!

© May 2012 Bonnie Cehovet

Writing Sites

I wanted to do today’s post on writing sites … places where writer’s can communicate with other writer’s, and find writing resources. Right up at the top on Google was writing.com (www.writing.com). It looked good to me, so I went about setting up a free account with them. Unbeknownst to me, I already have an account there! At some distant point in time I must have had the thought that I wanted to delve further into the world of writing. Good thought, Bonnie. I may actually follow through with it this time, as I am in a different place … cutting ties with on world, and moving into the next one.

I went into my account and set up a sig line … this will show up on all of my site messages and forum posts. For now, just my name and my web site info. I also deleted the 38 messages that had built up since I was last on this site. ;-) Now I am checking out what this site has to offer. I don’t have a portfolio up, but that will come in time. Looking at what resources are offered, I find that this site carries writing submissions in many diverse categories. I can choose to read them, and I can also choose to review them. I can also put my own work up here to be read and reviewed. To me, that is a bonus!

There is also a listing of authors by ranked in the following categories: Most Community Recognition, Most Referrals, Most Credited Reviewers, Most Active Reviewers, and Most Active Raters.

As far as placing my own writing, I find that I can do so as a static item (a single poem, essay, or article), a document, book, or web page, or a product review. There are also many ways to interact, such as message forums, community notes, Madlibs, user polls, interactive stories, survey forms, word searches, and more. There is a classified section, with contests, listings for editors and more. There is a section on copyrights, sections on editing, marketing, literary agents, newsletters, publishing, self-publishing, web hosting, writing classes, and writing prompts.

This is just the tip of the iceberg! I am going to make the time to interact with this site, and see where it takes me!

© May 2012 Bonnie Cehovet

The Next Step - Smashwords

The next step in my personal evolution as a writer is to focus on my mystery writing. I have already made the decision to publish through e-book venues, and that Smashwords is the publishing venue that I will use. My second "brick and mortar" book (in the field of Tarot) will be in to my publisher by the end of May. I have no plans at this time to write anything else in this field, other than articles and reviews.

This morning I pulled up the Smashwords site, to see that the process for submission there is. Scanning it quickly, I can see that it is self explanatory, which is a relief. They begin by posting the caution that no one should update their work without first checking the Smashwords style guide (which they provide a link to). So far, so good. They also note that the publishing page is NOT where you submit an updated version of your work. Kudos Smashwords! I hope people read this stuff! The last thing they ask is that the person uploading the work is the original author or exclusive publisher. Another interesting note is that they do not publish public domain work, or Private Label Rights books.

Then comes the usual - book title, short description, long description, language, whether or not the book has adult content, pricing (you can give it out for free, charge a specific amount, give a certain percentage of the book to be read for free (sampling). Then comes the good stuff - which formats you want to publish in! Kindle, Nook and Palm for me. I may decide at a later date to add others. I will have to think about PDF format. adn am not sure where plain text would come in. Choose your cover image, the title of the book, sign their three item publishing agreement, and you are good to go!

Well, good to go except for the tiny fact that you have to promote your book! ;-) That is for another day!

(c) May 2012 Bonnie Cehovet