The Writing Process Blog Tour

Being a writer can be exhilarating, fulfilling, freeing, frustrating and isolating in varying combinations. Every writer has their own rituals, processes and habits.

It's fascinating to hear what works for other writers and how they view their work and methods. 

What keeps us motivated and drives us to disappear into our our minds and pour our souls out through a keyboard for little or no financial gain?

When Gill Hamer, asked me to participate in this blog tour I was delighted to do it. Like any geek, writers love talking about what we do. We learn from and support each other but also want to open ourselves up to our readers, to help them to understand what makes us tick.

Discover some writers to inspire and entertain by touring their blogs and getting to know them and their creative process.

Here's Gill's response to the blog tour: http://gillianhamer.wordpress.com/2014/03/23/the-writing-process/

This week it's my turn:

1) What am I working on?

I have just finished the first draft of the second book in the Sheridan and Blake Adventure series. The next book is called 'Solomon's Secrets' (blurb and preview: http://bit.ly/P79mZE) and I've just sent it off to the printers so I can get copies to my test readers and editors.

The book is a follow up to 'The Bronze Box', published last year and available in eBook and paperback from Amazon: http://amzn.to/1jd0sDE. 

Set a year after the end of the first book, it's not a sequel but throws my hero; Tom Sheridan, and heroine; Sasha Blake, back together into an increasingly tangled web of conspiracy, rivalled only by the increasingly complex nature of their relationship.

2) How does my work differ from others in the genre?

The best known writer of thriller fiction such as mine is Dan Brown, and in the genre generally there are few female writers. 

There is a tendency for these types of books to be 'men's books written by men'. 

Granted, I have been told I'm more bloke than lady (I drink pints and been known to have public flatulence!) but, I like a good edge of the seat thriller.  I also like thrillers to be multilayered and intelligent with a historic context. 

Kate Mosse is perhaps the best known female writer in the genre. I'd wouldn't mind being compared to her one day!

3) Why do I write what I do?

Like most writers, I write what I like to read. My favourite author is the late Paul Sussman. 

Few people seem to have heard of him, which is a tragedy because his writing is brilliant. His characters are vivid and complex, his stories are full of historic references, so it feels like you are learning something. There are complex webs of conspiracy and satisfying relationships, intricacies and metaphors.

I want to be able to write like that. It's going to take a lot of practice!

I also choose historic references and subject matter that fascinate me, which gives me a great excuse to do lots of research.

4)  How does my writing process work?

It usually starts with a spark of an idea, very often with a 'what if'. The idea will marinate, sometimes for days, weeks, months, even years.

Then I'll have other ideas that will brew away in their own little crock pots. The starting point is usually when I mix a couple of things together that feel like they'll fit. 

I day dream a lot, playing out scenes in my head until I find them satisfying enough to commit to words.

I'll start forming a basic plot structure in my head and draw some initial flow charts on big bits of paper with scenes on post it notes.

When I finally feel like I have something solid I write the first chapter and the last chapter. I then write the scenes that I've been day dreaming and jotting in notebooks and juggle them about to slot them in. This starts to give me a solid story arc. 

I think of it like a map; There's a starting point, a destination and various places I'd like to visit along the route. Next I plan how I'll get there.

I always have a wider strategic view of where the story needs to go and will steer it in that direction, but I keep it pretty fluid as I write. Often a character will start talking to me and showing me where they need to go. I like to prod them, make them uncomfortable and connect them to each other in ways they may or may not appreciate!

I'm constantly reviewing the overall structure and the plan for the story and it will slowly start to tighten up as I settle into it's rhythm.

I then go through rewrites. Involve beta readers.Take chapters along to a writers crit group for scrutinising. More test readers and editors until eventually it becomes a proper book.

*

The next three writers on this Writing Process Blog Tour on Monday 7th April, are a mix of bloggers, novelists, non-fiction and short story writers. They represent a great cross section of different writing disciplines:    
  
A brilliant writer I have recently discovered who writes in the same genre as I do.  Laurence O'Bryan is a tireless supporter of other writers.

Laurence O'Bryan is the author of a series of mystery novels published in 11 languages. The series starts with The Istanbul Puzzle, continues with The Jerusalem Puzzle and then there is, The Manhattan Puzzle, the current novel.

Laurence is working on the fourth novel in the series, The Nuremberg Puzzle. In it the puzzles revealed in the first three novels will be answered. That answer is a shocking revelation regarding why so many people died in the Second World War.

Laurence lives in Dublin. He teaches digital marketing and helps other writers get discovered through his site booksgosocial.com. Laurence lived in London for ten years until his daughter was born.

See lpobryan.com for more

Sandy Bird  - has a blog/journal about her experiences as a Canadian wintering in Florida and exploring the area on her motorcycle.

Sandy is a creative soul who naturally has a talent to create designs and work with colour. As the outside world inspired her, destiny led her to use the creativity that resided within her to design visually appealing messages through print and the web. All the while a hidden writer was yearning to escape. The passion for writing grew over the years in the form of poems and musings until she found her niche as a blogger. 

http://www.thefrozencanuck.blogspot.com

Mirjam Penning ('Penning' is such a perfect name for a writer!) - Is a non-fiction writer and blogger.

Mirjam says:

Slowly I shifted one career for another.

I became an author of non fiction articles about true crime cases. My writing can be defined as 'based on the truth', in the languages English and Dutch. Ive kept a blog since 2006. Currently working on a more professional looking website. An ongoing process.
I got into web content by creating 'simple' websites and editing (web)texts for entrepreneurs. My big project is expanding skills, writing e books and becoming a web content manager.

http://mirjampenning.wordpress.com

Lynne Cobine - Writes fiction and non-fiction and has so far had short stories published. She is a blogger and keen supporter of other writers

Lynne says:
I have a website to help writers to publish their short stories and to raise money for charity.  I am a writer too, and have had articles published online and in printed magazines, but really love creating fiction for people to enjoy.

If you want to discover new writing, and enjoy short stories, this website is a must: http://boxofwords.weebly.com/about-us.html 

Lynne also explains that - Box of Words: is a play on words from the New Zealand expression Box of Birds, meaning very happy.

Enjoy the next leg of the tour!

Bleary eyed Meerkats and the cute to cantankerous tabby...

It's been a fraught week, but finally we have at least got some answers about the future of our jobs, at last I can start making plans!

I'm a day late with my Operation Author: 365 Actions to Succeed as an Author seven actions update because yesterday I spent the day with family in Somerset for Mothers Day and with such lovely weather today I've been pottering around in the garden.

My seven actions this week started with putting a call out to writers to join a blog tour.

I was invited to join by Gill Hamer - http://gillianhamer.wordpress.com/2014/03/23/the-writing-process/

My goal was to get 3 and I got 4, including the brilliant Laurence O'Bryan who has very kindly written a guest post for me previously.

 

Writers might spend much of our lives locked to a screen, pulling stories out of our souls and breathing them to life, but when we do stick our heads up and look around, like bleary eyed meerkats, we're a supportive bunch, and that's really heartening. 

 

So thanks to:

Sandy, Mirjam, Laurence and Lynn for participating. 

 

My leg of the tour starts on Monday 31st so look out for that tomorrow...

 

Other actions:

I've finished the first draft of Solomon's Secrets. Here's the first proof of the cover art:

 

After an initial edit have ordered some proof copies print on demand. 

 

I'm taking a bit of a risk because I really haven't cut much out of the first draft and I am keen to get the opinions of my test readers on the aspects of the story I'm less certain about. 

 

Here's the start of one of the scenes that I've struggled with, as it involves an assault and I can't decide whether to include the scene, or rely on it being referred to later in the story?

 

As a reader, how explicit do you think traumatic or violent scenes should be?

 

 

 

 Another action: 

 

Is there anyone who would be interested in being a test reader/editor? - the more the merrier!

 

While I'm interested in the views of readers my next action is to conduct a straw poll:

 

How many novels in a year is too many to publish?

 

1 - 2

2 - 3

4 - 5

6 +

Other amount?

Comments? 

 

I'd like to hear your views. Some authors are more prolific than others.

 

I had an email back from Your Cat magazine about a proposal for an article I sent out a while ago, 'Cute to cantankerous, the perils of owning an elderly cat' - I'd all but forgotten about it! One of my actions is to respond and send over my piece.

 

My final action will be to join the blog tour tomorrow. See you there

 

 

 

 

 

Final chapters, wine, an awards ceremony and a call for writers

There's something very civilised about travelling through the countryside on a train with a fellow writer and chatting about writing, books and exchanging stories.

I'm a day late this week updating my Operation Author: 365 Actions to Succeed as an Author because of our excursion.

My friend and fellow writer Heather Reed was shortlisted for the Exeter Novel Prize for her brilliant crime novel, with a working title of 'Puff of Madness' and I went along to the awards ceremony with her for moral support - and as drinking / shopping / eating partner.

Although she didn't win the overall prize she had a special mention from Literary Agent, Broo Doherty and that made her day.

We celebrated with plenty of wine, we both have a weakness for Rioja!

We did some networking with fellow writers and are going to make connections with Exeter Writers through our own network, Southville Writers. So that's another action from the week.

Heather and I have been in a race to finish our manuscripts this week, and she's beaten me - I still have have half a chapter to go on Solomon's Secrets. So most of my actions this week have been ticking off the chapters. I aim to finish the first draft next week.

We are going to critique and edit each others work, so agreeing how we will do that is another action.

I've drafted a simple cover for the book so that when it's ready I can get a couple of proof copies print on demand for editing - so that's another action.
 

I still need two more writers to be involved in a blog tour. So my next action is to put a shout out:

Calling all writers and bloggers - 

Would you like to take part in a blog tour?

Email me: amy@tomcatdesigns.co.uk for details.

Basically; I put a shout out, links and profiles for three writers on my blog and those writers then put a shout out for me then link to three other writers. The idea is to link up and support other writers and also to help readers to discover new writers.

The deadline for my leg of the blog tour is Saturday 29th March, ready for my post w/c: 31th March

My final action this week was to submit a guest post for a fellow writers blog, a prolific and talented writer of psychological thrillers, Maggie James. My article on not judging a book by its movie is on her brilliant blog:  http://www.maggiejamesfiction.com/2/post/2014/03/dont-judge-a-book-by-its-movie.html

Back to writing Solomon's Secrets. 

I've set up a Pinterest board of images of actors that I imagine when I picture and 'hear' my characters in my head. I look like some kind of Clive Owen, Kate Winslet and Tom Hiddleston celebrity stalker but I find it genuinely useful to have the board up on one of my screens while I'm writing.  

I spent far too long updating it last night: http://www.pinterest.com/amymorse184/solomons-secrets-my-characters/

And finally, here's another snippet from the book for your reading pleasure, enjoy...

 

Marketing your book is like making a pizza and other stories...

There have been some traces of spring in the air in Bristol this week and it's starting to feel like one chapter is coming to an end in my life and another is starting to bud. 

With still no concrete assurances of further funding for Outset Bristol, where I work as an Enterprise Coach with start ups, I'm willing March to be over so I can start making some future plans.

Operation Author - 

365 Actions to Succeed as an Author

I never grow tired of seeing my words in print, which is probably a good sign that I should focus my energies into carving some sort of a path for myself as a writer.

My career has always involved supporting others to find and nurture their skills and strengths, whether in finding work or starting a business, and I have always got a great deal of satisfaction out of enabling others. I'm working towards some blending of the these two aspects that I'm so passionate about. I am a great believer that strengthening communities and enabling people to support each other is the future.

My actions this week have been:

Action 1:

I ran a pilot 'Why Marketing your Book is Like Making a Pizza: A Workshop for Writers' session, which of course included pizza!

There were eight of us on the session and it was a great success. Loads of energy in the room and lots of great ideas flowing. The feedback was positive and I discussed some ideas with the group about running a session on Social Media for Writers and a follow up session to the marketing one where we share our progress and draw up future actions plans together. 

My work with Outset over the past few years has shown me the power of peer support and it's something I want to do more of.

Action 2:

I've agreed to be part of a blog tour so I will be posting my link in that chain next week but I am seeking 2 other writers who would like to participate...

Action 3:

Calling all writers! - Who'd like to be involved in a blog tour?

The idea is that on your blog you answer 4 questions about your own writing then post bios of 3 more writers and links to their blogs. They then do the same, posting answers to the same questions on their blog a week later and sharing 3 other writers blogs.

Tweet me if you'd like to be involved @TomCatDesigns and I'll send you more details.

Action 4:

I joined Authonomy and posted some chapters from the Bronze Box 

Action 5:

I've helped some other writers with their market research this week by answering their questions. Viv Oyolu, the fabulous lady who interviewed me recently, is researching some ways her Audiobyte business can support writers.

Here's the interview if you missed it. It's a really inspiring listen with lots of tips and friendly banter:

 http://www.audio-byte.co.uk/amy-morse/

Action 6:

I am now officially a columnist for Prowess Women in Business - http://www.prowess.org.uk/columnists - so I am committed to writing for them regularly. I've just submitted another article so look out for that one.

Action7:

I've submitted a guest blog to a fellow Bristol writer and friend of mine, Maggie James. Maggie is a very talented and prolific writer of psychological suspense fiction. 

Fingers crossed she likes my post and publishes it on her fascinating blog: http://www.maggiejamesfiction.com/blog.html


Update on the next book - Solomon's Secrets:

I've got two chapters to go on Solomon's Secrets so I'm hoping to get the first draft done this week.

I've been thinking about cover art for my books and have engaged the services of my brother who's a very talented artist and musician. I've been doodling myself too, looking ancient symbolism. 

Here's a snippet from the book and a doodle:

Interview with the caretaker - a short story about Tony Benn

In 2012 M Shed in Bristol hosted an exhibition 'Real and Imagined Lives'. They asked local writers to write a short story based on images of people connected to Bristol.

My story was featured in the exhibition and I chose Tony Benn.

This was the image:

And here is the story:

Leaning on his mop in the corner, a portly man in saggy trousers watches the press frenzy as a distinguished visitor comes to the village. A local reporter sees the man, who seems absorbed by all the unusual activity, and she asks him what he thinks about it.
"They say he's some political type from the city," he said. "Dresses well but not too posh. He's been sat in that chair most of the day, talking to all manner of working-class folk and journalists, making promises that the strikes will end and all will be well again. He looks right enough. He's been puffing away on that pipe for ages now. The smell of smoke will take ages to get out of the WI group's wall hanging. I listened a while. He speaks well of normal folk and has a friendly smile that makes a man trust him at his word. I just wish he'd hurry up and leave so I can clean up and knock off for the day, but he looks comfy where he's sat, so perhaps I'll listen a while and see what he has to say."

Rest in peace Tony.

Guest post by best selling author Laurence O'Bryan - Marketing for writers

I am delighted to showcase a guest blog from the best selling author Laurence O'Bryan for:

 

Operation Author - 

365 Actions to Succeed as an Author

Some of my actions this week have been to follow up my shout out for guest blogs and to share the work of fellow writers.

I write in the same genre as Laurence and am a big fan of his work, so I feel really privileged that he agreed to do this post for me on marketing for writers - Hand Selling Books with Social Media.  

Enjoy...

Hand Selling Books with Social Media

by Laurence O'Bryan #1 Best Selling Author on Amazon, translated into 10 languages.

Have you noticed how fast the publishing industry is changing? The signs, lower advances, the rise of independent publishing (please don't call it self publishing) and the pressure on all authors to promote themselves are just some of the signs of seismic change the industry is experiencing.

This is also a new age of hand selling books online. 

I have heard it said that one of the main benefits of a good bookstore is that you can have good books recommended to you. You can also meet authors when they come to the shop to sign their books.

But social media allows me to meet and greet individual buyers and answer their questions too, at a lower cost than running a bookstore. I get about 1000 hits a day between my social media for writers site and my book site  http://www.lpobryan.com. That is mainly because I have 200,000 followers on my social media accounts.

It's taken me three years to build up that total, but I am determined to use the resource to sell books, and not just my own either.

The main benefits of hand selling online are, in my opinion:

• That you can meet people from all over the world and communicate with them individually. Google Translate means you can even talk to people in languages you don't understand.

• You can engage long term with readers, answering different questions over time and building up relationships.

• You can keep a track of people’s names or identities so you can tell them when your new book comes out or a book from someone you recommend.

• You don’t have to waste time and money travelling around and you won’t get wet if it’s raining.

The downsides are:

• You mightn’t make make strong connections with people, as you don’t get to meet people personally. However I believe it takes more than one physical meeting to make friends with people. How well do book shop owners know most of their customers anyway? Multiple meetings and shared interests are just the start. Long term social media friendships can be as meaningful as relationships with people you meet in a retail environment.

• You don’t get to see people smile. But sometimes people will be more honest with you online, which sort of makes up for this.

And that’s it. There are downsides, for sure, but the upsides, the ability to sell 24/7 x 365 days of the year, with limited cost, are too great to ignore this way of selling books.

So, here’s your challenge.

Can you tell me your experience of hand selling books with social media? Is it better or worse to get a recommendation online? What do you think about the way book selling is going?

Laurence O'Bryan is the author of three mystery noevels published by Harper Collins and is available in 11 languages. His latest title, The Manhattan Puzzle will be in US book stores August 26 2014.

He sells his own books and recommends other writer's novels at his site BooksGoSocial.com. Come along and look at what's available. 

 
 The Istanbul Puzzle





The Jerusalem Puzzle

The Manhattan Puzzle

If you like Laurence's books, you should like this:

The Bronze Box, by Amy C Fitzjohn

 

Marketing for Writers - A guest blog by Clare Sweeney

I am really delighted at the responses from other writers offering their tips on marketing for writers. I have a couple of guest blogs to share with you this week, the first is from the lovely Clare Sweeney (thanks Clare):

"When you hear voices in your head 

or create imaginary lives, 

it’s in a good way"

Advice on #marketing your words

So you have chosen to be a writer, let’s allow it to be a choice rather than a compulsion, a positive commitment to use your talent with words to enrich the lives of others.

Okay, so your way of communicating the joys and sorrows of your existence or simply way you like to play involves taking yourself away from other people and writing things down.

When you hear voices in your head or create imaginary lives, it’s in a good way.

Now, not only have you chosen to be a writer but you have actually managed to get something down, told a tale you’re happy and ready to share. You’ve found your ‘voice’ and this is important as American bestselling author Barbara Kingsolver advises;

‘Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; try to figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer.’

And you’ve done this, you have produced something that only you can say, developed your own style and it doesn’t matter how long it’s taken you. Ernest Hemmingway said;

‘It’s none of their business that you have to learn to write. Let them think that you were born that way.’

The bad news? Unfortunately so far you have only completed half the job. The next bit? This is selling your story after all according to A.A. Milne;

‘Almost anyone can be an author; the business is to collect money…from this state of being.’

Selling. A process which involves convincing lots of people the product you have is exactly the thing for them. Your individual work must now stand out from the crowd and appeal to everyone. 

No wonder this is hard.

And aren’t people who are good at selling outgoing, confident, gregarious socialisers? I’m not sure that sounds like someone who enjoys spending hours alone with their thoughts and a pen.

Thank goodness, with the internet and social media, writers can now create their own ‘brand’ from behind their screen and use their creative skills to reach an audience. Like writing in the first place, it simply takes a little time to learn. But using Social media is a great way to launch a writing career. 

Russian born Ksenia Anske began to tweet about writing and attracted over 50 thousand people before she had even released a book for sale. She now talks to an audience of over 67 thousand and can use this as justification when she approaches bookshops to stock her work. 

Ksenia may be exceptional but look at other authors on Twitter, follow them, see what they have to say and begin to develop your own identity.  

It’s not as difficult or scary as it may seem. Make sure the things you post to the world are consistent with the image you want to promote and like water, you will find a way. One word of caution however, as Harper Lee once said; 

‘I would advise anyone who aspires to a writing career… before developing his talent he would be wise to develop a thick hide.’

Follow Clare's writing escapades: @clarejsweeney

Clare is in the process of constructing a website for her new book. 

Keep a look out for this promising writer.