Editing - The After Process

Editing your work

So, you've got past the first stage and had someone (or several someones) read through your first draft. Maybe you got some good feedback and have changed some things or re-written some of it. The next step is to get someone to edit the hell out of it. Bring on the red pen of death! (Well, for me it's red ink on the computer, but the statement stands!)

What do you need to look for in an editor? Actually, you're looking for someone who is similar to a beta reader, but this time they need to be able to really tear the books to shreds and build it back up again. A lot of writers will use a professional editor, and I have one of my own, but if you're just starting out as a writer, you may want to have someone who's not going to charge you.

It can be a friend, a relative, someone you know online who has the time and patience to go through your work and tell you where you're going right and where you're going wrong. I know it sounds similar to what you were asking your first reader to do. This time it's different because the editor is only half of the process. See, with a first reader you take their ideas and you weigh up what you want to do with their comments. You also have that choice with an editor, but the relationship is different.

A first reader is someone who will read the piece and tell you anything that they spot whilst reading it through. They won't, necessarily, spend hours going over it and spotting every error. It's one of the reasons I use both. Another is that I like my second draft to be less full of mistakes than the first one. An editor will pour over your work, and not only point out problems, but they'll tell you how to *fix* those problems as well.

For example, I seem to have a problem with run on sentences and not enough commas. (Or I use them all the frigging time instead of breaking up the run on sentences - I call it my on again/off again love affair with commas.) My first reader will not necessarily be looking for those kinds of errors as they read through the first draft. It's great if they do, and some people skip the beta stage and go straight to an editor. That's fine, whatever works for you. I don't for a number of reasons, some of which are that I worry that the beta will miss things and I also believe that you can never have too much feedback before you go onto the next stage - publication.

So, you've sent your work off to the editor, that's it right? NOPE! Once it arrives back, or even while they have it, be prepared for phone calls, e-mails and texts asking about errors or problems. They work alongside you to make sure that they are getting the right idea about how you want your story to go. My editor is a good friend of mine - Kim - and right now is over halfway through editing my sixth book which is due out in July. She recently sent me the first half of the book ready for my corrections and man, did I feel stupid for the amount of red ink and comments on my errors. I had read through it myself before sending it to her (after having a beta read it too) and from the look of the manuscript I was sent back, I failed to spot many, many glaring errors.

It's not just grammatical errors, it's also things like making the character take things too far. Tara is a character I struggle with in that respect. Sometimes she'll whine a little bit too much and Kim will point it out and these things rarely make it into the final draft. The only problem I seem to have with Kim is that she is American and so some of the phrases I use she doesn't know about. I remember that we recently had a conversation about the difference between "paper round" and "paper route". Both us believed the other was a silly way of saying it and made no sense. That's just an example of some of the things an editor is there for.

Now, one thing that Kim is sure to emphasise on a regular basis is that I am the writer. I know the story I want to tell and I know how it's supposed to go. Her edits are, in her words, 100% grammatically perfect, but that doesn't mean they are the right way I want it to be in my books. When we have discussions about plot holes, sometimes I'll think that her answer and insight is the way I should go and sometimes I find a different way that I believe is the way it should go. You want to have a good relationship with your editor. Especially because without them, your work could seem like you don't know what you're doing. As evidence by my problem with full stops and commas.

The good thing about the editing process is that it takes a long time to complete and you can always go back and do more. You can have more than one editor. You can have several giving their input. I don't, but if it works for you great. I would just add one caveat though. Sometimes, when you pull your work apart and build it up again, you hit the point where it is at the top of what it can be and you have to learn when that stage has been reached. If you continue to pull it apart and add and subtract, you're going to end up with a completely different story. That might be what you want, and again, if it works for you, go for it. However, you might feel that the story you were trying to tell got lost in your quest to make it as perfect as possible. Sometimes, it's about knowing when to stop and that is something you learn in time. I know that I reached that stage with The Friendship Triangle and it took a lot for me to say that it was done and was the best way for me to tell that story. I will be the first to admit that it's not my best story, but it's where I started and I feel it's good enough to be out there, so, it is.

So, to recap. Once you've gotten your second draft done, find an editor. You can use the tips I provided in the Beta Readers piece to find one (found here). Entrust them with your work and start the next process of getting your manuscript ready to be published. Editing. It's not always fun, it's not always easy, but it's a necessary stop on the road to getting your book out there. You need to be at a point that you're willing to make changes to your story, and accept that it will need changes. As I said in the Beta Reader piece, the first draft of everything is shit. Remember that and you'll be fine!

Now I need to stop being distracted and start doing some actual work!

Research - The Creative Process

Every writer will, at some point in their career, have to carry out research. It's not the most enjoyable part of the job, but it is something we all have to do. I know that some people prefer to write what they know - I know that to some extent, I do too. However, there will be one story, one piece of information that you don't already know and for that you'll have to do research.

So, where do you start? How accurate does your information need to be? How much research can be done through Google searches and Wikipedia articles and how much do you need to actually talk to someone who knows what they're talking about? The answer to that is not an easy one. It really does depend on the type of book you're writing. If it's a piece on crime procedure, then you really do need a bit more than something you read on Wikipedia. Sometimes, you really do need to talk to a person in that line of work.

Now, when I first started writing, I didn't bother with too much research. I wrote what I knew about already and expanded on that. My first book, The Friendship Triangle needed very little outside knowledge. It was pretty much 99.9% pure imagination. My second book, Blackout, that needed a bit of research and I was able to get the majority of that through my own medical connections. When I started my third book and the Dying Thoughts series, well, I didn't need to know much for the first one, but I knew I would need it by book two.

And so, to the internet I went. Google was my friend, Wikipedia told me all I needed to know. However, I wanted to know a bit more, I wanted to know some of the things that Wikipedia didn't say. I was lucky enough to know someone who worked for the police and so I pumped them for information. The good part about it was that it didn't need to be 100% accurate. It wasn't a thesis on police work and I was allowed some artistic license, but it did need to have a grain of truth in it. By the time I was writing my fifth book, well that one *is* about the inner workings of a crime lab and so I needed to be sure I knew what I was talking about. I needed to do actual, proper and valid research. So, I did.

I brought a couple of books on forensics. One aptly named, "Forensics for Dummies"(found here on Amazon) and I read as much as I could understand and made copious notes. I still have those books because, after all, I *am* a mystery writer. I think I managed it well enough, time will tell of course. However, there is such a thing as "too much research."

I don't mean that you can ever do too much research, I mean that you can include too much research. I'm talking about when you're reading a book and the author has dumped a load of information in there that just wasn't needed. Maybe they felt it was relevant, or maybe they're just trying to show how much they know about the subject. It's a fine line and once again, an issue of balance. You want to tell your reader what they need to know to understand what is going on, but you don't want to tell them SO much that they feel like they just attended a university lecture on the subject. The problem is, if it's an area that you, the writer, are unfamiliar with, it's hard to tell how much is too much.

I have the same problem. I'm writing one of the Dying Thoughts books and Tara catches a case, or the big plot line involves a big case and I don't know how much information to include. Sometimes, I don't include enough and my editor comes along with the big red pen of death and I have a bunch of editing to do. Sometimes I include too much and the same thing happens. The way I look at it, you have to think of it this way. Your reader will generally be reading something they have an interest in. Be that crime, romance, hospital drama, supernatural stuff, I could go on and one. They already have an interest because otherwise they probably wouldn't be reading your book. Unless they're new to the genre and liked the reviews/front cover/blurb in which case, disegard what I'm about to say.

If they already have an interest, then they probably know something about the subject. Maybe not enough to know when you've made something up on the spot, but enough to know when you get something so wrong it might as well have a giant arrows pointing to it. You need to include enough information that this reader who already knows something, isn't going to wonder why you're schooling them on things they already know, or don't need to know. It really is as simple as that.

So, I know what you're thinking, you're thinking, if it's that easy why do people get it wrong all the time? It sounds easy, but it really isn't. This is why. You're not writing generally for those who have an interest because it excludes those readers who have picked up your book as their entrance into the genre and those people will get confused when you just use acronyms. Or if you don't include the process that happens. I'm concentrating on the crime and mystery genre because that's where I mostly write. I remember a conversation in Dying Thoughts, either book one or two, where Tara and Mike talk about what an M.E is (it's a medical examiner for those that don't know) and while I know that the majority of people reading my books - mostly teenagers who like crime novels - will know what that means, there's always the one who doesn't. So, while it may seem like a pointless conversation, it's not.

So, although there can never be too much research done by the writer, the research that makes it into the book needs to be balanced by what they HAVE to know for it to make sense and what is just too much gobbledygook. I know it's something that I struggle with, and I know the same can be said for other writers.

I personally, don't find research as fun as other writers might. I do it because I have to, which as the years have gone by and I've branched out, has increased. I'm close to finishing the two books I've got going right now and before I can start the next two, I have a TON of research to do and it's not the kind I can just Google, I need proper first person experiences. Something I am not too thrilled about. But, it will make the story that much more realist and hard hitting and that's the end game that I'm focussing on right now.

So, to wrap up. Research, sometimes it sucks, but it's gotta be done. Sometimes it's too much, sometimes too little. You gotta find balance between the two or you'll end up with confused readers. Mostly though, you have to know enough to think that people aren't going to question your facts. If they are, then you need to do more. Obviously, this doesn't apply that much to people who create their own universes and play in those. Those writers get to make it all up as they go along. Wish I was talented enough to do that, but alas, Google and Wikipedia are calling my name.

Writing two books at once - The Creative Process

So, you've got not one, but TWO ideas for a book and you can't decide which one to work on first. I know that feeling, I've been there. I worked on one and told myself I could NOT do two at once. It was an insane idea and it would just lead to tears. Do you know what happened? I couldn't get past the 11th chapter of the one I was working on. I was completely blocked and so taking my own advice in regards to writer's block (a piece can be found here) and I put it to one side and started writing the other book I was so desperate to start. That's when the trouble started.

You see, I got to the same point in the second book as I had in the first book. Only, I now had a load of ideas for the first book and wanted to finish it. I also had a load of ideas for the second book and didn't want to risk losing my creativity flow as it were. So I made, what some people would call an insane decision, and I decided to write both. I would work on two chapters from book one and then swap over and do two chapters of book two. And you know what? It worked!

So, when I finished those books and was happy with them, I decided that to hell with it being insane, this worked for me so I took on another two books to write at the same time. I've stuck with that practice ever since. I'm actually on the verge of finishing books nine and ten, and already I am planning the next two books I will write. It means for me that I get one book from my series written, but I also get a standalone book done too. It doubles my productivity. Or at least it does when I'm not blocked.

It's not easy though and I do have some ground rules that I try to stick to at all times. I mean, sometimes I don't, but that's why I said try! Here they are:

Rule Number One: NEVER write two series books at the same time. Think about it, if I was to write book four in the Dying Thoughts series at the same time as book five, I would mess up the continuity. I would have to stifle what I put into the books to make sure that the time lines matched up and that would limit my options on where I could take Tara and Kaolin. It would also meet writing ONLY Tara and Kaolin and as I mentioned in my "writing a series" post (found here) sometimes that's just not a good idea in general. Some people can do it, but I'm not one of them who excels at it. So that's rule number one.

Rule Number Two: Stick to the plan. I don't mean the book plan, I mean the plan of how many chapters of which I'll write before switching. I know that there are some exceptions to this rule. One is that if you're writing away and feel like you can go further than x chapters then you should. In regards to this rule, I'm talking about when you're blocked after one of your chapters and you think, "I'll just swap over and come back to it another time" - if that works for you, great. It does NOT for me. It does mean that sometimes I will spend longer on one book than another, but it also means that they are generally at the same points in the story. This helps me keep myself grounded in the right plot for the right book. Again, this is a rule that has some wiggle room in it.
 
Rule Number Three: ALWAYS familiarise yourself again before starting the next chapters. I know that this seems like a stupid rule, but it's a simple mistake that people can make. If you've just spent a few hours/days/weeks in universe x, and hop over to universe y with only a vague recollection of what just happened, then you need to familiarise yourself again. If you don't, this can lead to a headache when it comes to the editing process. It can be a nightmare if you've finished your first draft and you send it to your beta or editor and they read it and think you must have inhaled some crack because none of it makes sense. It's always better to have re-read the previous chapter(s) to make sure you're brain is firmly in the right universe before you start adding words.

Rule Number Four: Writers block will happen. Work through it. This rule generally goes back to rule two in that some people will find when writing two books that they get writer's block and then move onto the other book and it flows better. That doesn't really work for me. Usually if I have writer's block for one, I have it for the other too. So, some wiggle room for sure. As a writer, (or anyone expressing themselves creatively) then you'll know that getting blocked happens, it's what you do to move through it that helps determine when you get through it.

Rule Number Five: ENJOY YOURSELF! If the thought of writing two books at once scares you to death, or brings you out in a cold sweat then don't do it. It's not for everyone. Some people find it helps, others just hate the whole idea. For me, it works. Like I said, it keeps me productive and keeps those elusive muses singing. For you, it might be a nightmare waiting to happen and if that's the case, don't put yourself through it.

Those are my general rules. I have other minor ones, but those are the major five that I stick to. People ask me, "don't you get confused?" and the answer is no, never, I have never gone to write my book in universe x and mixed up the plot with universe y, but that's just me. I plan a lot (see here) and I'm slightly obsessive about how much I plan. I do what I do because it works for me and I know of other writers who feel the same way.

The best thing is that I get to play in two sandboxes at once and that is, to me, one of the great things about writing books. You get to create and explore a universe so different from your own and it's great. Now, if you'll excuse me I have some chapters of book two to write so I can finish book one next week!

Writing A Series - The Creative Process

It's never easy to leave characters behind after you've spent however long writing about them, learning about them, getting to know them. For me that was the hard part about the first two books I wrote. I poured so much of my time into creating them that I was sad when the story finished and I had to say goodbye. So much so that I talked with my friend, B and asked her opinion on a sequel. I was met with a resounding "NO WAY!" and then spent the next few days sulking.

The problem was, she was right (don't tell her I said that!) Some stories just end and no matter how much you may hate it, as the writer (or reader) you do have to say goodbye eventually. It was only when I had the idea for the Dying Thoughts series that I realised I could have my cake and eat it too. I could write standalone books like Blackout and then I could have my stories that could go on for several books. And then the seed was sown and the idea born.

I started with an idea and that grew into a book - one I almost never finished because I backed myself into a corner and Tara couldn't get out of it. It was only by luck, leaving the story to sit for a few months, and threats of violence from a beta reader who I'd left in the lurch with Tara, that I came back to it. From there I was able to complete the story. I was so pleased with myself that I decided to go straight into writing number two. That was a big mistake. Don't get me wrong, I love Tara and Kaolin. I love writing about them, and developing them as characters, but I needed time to let the creative juices stew as it were. I had rushed into a sequel and although I had the plot and everything ready for them, *I* wasn't ready to write about them.

I did manage to get the book done, and it's now out for purchase, but I learnt something from that mistake. That if I was going to write a series, every so often, I needed a break from Tara and Kaolin. Now, I know some authors are able to write book after book with the same characters. I know of others who do the same as me, which is write a standalone between them. I also know of authors who will not write sequels and such because after one story, they just can't seem to find a way to do it without ruining it.

The key to writing a series it seems, is knowing when to stop. I can tell you of books I read when I was younger (and not so much younger either) when I got about halfway through the series and I just thought "this is getting stupid, it needs to end." I can think of two particular series right now that I personally felt ended after their seventh book. The key is not to repeat the same story line, and not to get to the point where the suspension of belief is pulled so tight it snaps. I can also think of several series of books where they are still going strong after twenty or so books - Sue Grafton and her Alphabet Series spring to mind. It's all about balance.

Writing a series is a balancing act in itself and you have to be sure that you don't drop the balls completely. You also have to make sure that you, as the writer, haven't gotten to the point where you're sick to death of the characters and want to kill them all off just to make sure you never have to write about them again. You have to be able to keep yourself happy whilst writing, and also keep the reader happy. It can be a juggling act and sometimes you will drop the balls, but that's where editors and beta readers come in.

My plan when I started writing the Dying Thoughts books was to continue them until Tara left school. At this moment in time, I am almost done and at that point. However, about a year ago I realised that I could carry on this series. I just had to be careful that I didn't overdo it. Things had to change and that's why the next one I write will have had a bit of an overhaul. The same favourites will be there, but the situations will be different. I like to think that I'm doing a good balancing act. I like to think that I am coming up with new ways to write Tara's story and to flesh out her character. You, as my readers, may beg to differ, but at this time, I plan to continue for at least two more books. Once they're done, I may reconsider, but on the other hand, I may not.

So, when you've fallen in love with a character (or characters) and decide to write a series of stories, make sure that you're ready for the workload that comes with it. Keeping a series straight after a number of books is more than a balancing act. It takes a good memory, good planning or both. (A bit on planning can be found here) I have found my own ways of keeping track of everything, and you will find yours too. I also recommend a good editor. Mine keeps good track of everything that's happened so far and keeps me on target. The other thing that helps me is my best friend, B. She's a beta reader of sorts and I discuss every plot I think of putting Tara and poor Kaolin through with her before, during and after I write it. She does my front cover designs and so she knows what I plan to do to them. She, like me, is a great believer in stopping before it gets stupid. I know that if I don't recognise that point, she'll do it for me.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some chapter plans to write and new character notes. My favourite part of a new book - creating new people to interact with.

Inspiration - The Creative Process

A lot of people have asked me in the past, where do I get my ideas? The answer is simple, they're in my head. That's not the answer they want though. They want to know how the answers got into my head and I'm sometimes at a loss to tell them. I can tell you some of the things that inspired me, but I can't tell you about every little thing that gives me an idea and is brought into my writing bubble.

Take for example, my first ever book - no, not BLACKOUT - the other first book. I was thirteen years old and I had a close friendship group. One morning we were walking to school and we all realised we'd had a similar dream the night before. BAM! A book is born. Now you all know that the book in question didn't actually get finished until I was nineteen. Mostly because although I did finish it at thirteen, so proud of myself and thirty-six pages long - wow, wasn't I just a fantastic author! I realised at nineteen that it sucked. It really did suck, like so sucky that I would be embarrassed if the first version ever made it's way into the light. We all know what happened with that so I won't dwell on it.

Anyway, my other first book - yes, now I am talking about BLACKOUT - the idea for that was actually around for several years before I put pen to paper. I can't remember the exact time frame and conversation, but I basically spoke with my best friend about the possibility of "what if life is a dream we have while we're in a coma and when we die we wake up and get to live our actual life?". I know, deep questions for a fourteen year old. I was a bit macabre in those days. There you go, a new story ready to be banged out on paper. I must have been ready to write it though because I wrote it in only ten days - a feat I have ever been able to replicate since.

The idea for the Dying Thoughts series came to me while in the line at ASDA one day and the others all have a story behind them. Maybe one day I'll write a book about how a writer gets their inspiration. Or a writer who is trying to find inspiration. I'm getting off track here. Anyway, my point is that inspiration and ideas don't always come with a lovely story, sometimes the beginning and plot of a story are something we thought about for a while. Sometimes we just start writing and then a book comes out. However, every writer I know has something that helps them stay inspired. Whether it's a book based on people they know, or a person's profession. I personally don't have people I base my plot lines on, but some of my friends have appeared in the books I've written.

Some writers call them muses, some call them inspiration. I don't really know what I call mine. All I know is that around this time - when I'm close to finishing a book - I start to look around me, start to think about what story I can write next. I don't like to not have at least one book on the go. The good thing is I have an idea for the next Dying Thoughts book, it's just finding the inspiration for the next standalone. I write two books at the same time, which I'll talk about another time. I look at what I've written in the past and try to decide where I want to go next. That's the great thing about books - as a writer and a reader - they take you a million and one places that you may never have been before. They allow you to travel alongside them as they tell you their story. It's intoxicating.

I haven't quite yet decided where I want to go next. I have a couple of ideas and I also know for sure where I'm taking Tara next, but that's a piece for another time. I need to decide where I want to meet my new characters, who I want them to be and whether or not I want them to be a completely different genre than I usually write. Don't get me wrong, I love writing in the crime genre, just as much as I love reading it, but sometimes it's good to get out of your own comfort zone and dip your toe in another pond. Maybe that's what book eleven will be.

Lots of writers stick to what they know, and I do the same for the majority of things. The wonders of the internet, however, allow us to research and find inspiration through doing so. You have to know what you're talking about and you have to be confident enough to write it without worrying that you're just doing an information dump. The ideas come and go, sometimes you'll be happy with what you're doing and then the characters take you some place unfamiliar and you're suddenly using Google to find out what the hell you need to do. That's the beauty of writing, the characters, while still your creations, seem to have a better idea of what needs to happen than you, the writer. I think it's a wonderful profession and love being part of it.

Inspiration is not always something you're looking for. Sometimes it finds you. Sometimes you search and search for it and it's nowhere to be found. Sometimes, the old friend "writer's block" comes along and stomps on your inspiration until it's in a million tiny pieces and then you have to put it back together. The ideas though, they never stop coming. The difference between someone who has ideas and someone who has inspiration is one just ignores them and the other develops them into something. This applies to a lot of creative outlets. Artists, designers, crafts, I could go on. They all start with an idea that they then nurture into a creation for others to enjoy.

Now if you'll excuse me, inspiration is knocking at my door and I have chapters to write!

Planning - The Creative Process

If you're anything like me, you plan your books down to the last detail. I know that I get a little obsessive with my planning, but it really helps me to stay on track. I use chapter notes, character note cards and keep a track of the days of the week, plus the pages each chapter corresponds to in my document. I also keep a tally of how many pages each chapter ended up being, as well as the final word count after I finish each chapter. I've discussed word counts before and how they do not make or break a story, but I figured I'd do something about the actual planning that happens BEFORE a story is even started. Here's how I approach a new story.

1. Chapter Plan- What goes into each chapter is written in the chapter plan, or at least that's how I do it. I start with a blank word document and number each chapter. Then I go back and write a little synopsis of each chapter. This can include what I want to happen, any major plot points and anything like that. Once I have this document ready, I print it out and that leads me to the next point.

2. Word Count, Days & Chapter length - I write the projected word count at the top of the chapter plan and as you know from the Word count piece (found here.) Once that is done, I'll note down what days of the week each chapter is supposed to happen on. This gives me some idea of how many days/weeks the story will happen over. I try to include things like school days in the actual chapter plan. Once that is done, I decide how long I want the chapters to be, I usually aim for a minimum of four pages and will then keep a running tally on the chapter plan. The thing usually looks very worn and tattered by the time the book is finished. I also record the day I started the book and next to each chapter synopsis, I'll add which pages in the document they are.
 
3. Character Notes - When you're writing a series of books, keeping continuity is a BIG thing. I make a note of the description and general notes of why and what they do in the story so that I can look back at it later to check out anything I might need to include to make sure I don't introduce a character and give them the wrong hair colour or have them do something they already did. I make sure that with each new appearance I note their actions (just a synopsis) on their note card. Now, I didn't use to do this for the standalone books like Blackout and such, I mean I had some character planning, but nothing to the scale that I use now. Before I even write the first sentence of a new story, I make sure that I have every character that I plan to use written out on my character notes. If a new character pops up, I write down everything I need before I use them.

So, that's how I plan. With a series like Dying Thoughts. I have to be sure to keep a note card for every case that Tara is involved in. I don't just mean the major case that runs through the whole book, but EVERY case that she consults on. I make sure that I don't use the same circumstances too often, or at all if I can help it. As Richard Castle puts it in the TV show, CASTLE: "There are two kinds of people who sit around thinking about how to murder people; psychopaths and mystery writers" I'm one of those, but not the kind that involves burying bodies. I'm just too squeamish for that line of work.

It may seem a little OCD to people who don't write, or even those that do write but don't plan in the amount of detail that I do. However, I have found my ways to be extremely useful and as of yet, I haven't run into any problems with it. It has been refined as the years have passed and I'm sure in a few more years and a few more books, I will have refined it even more. If you're going to extend a story over a number of books, taking place over a number of years and/or months, you do need to plan. For some writers, they can plan in their heads and don't need to keep detailed notes. I am not one of those. If I tried to keep every character detail in my head for all of the Dying Thoughts series, my brain would have started to leak out of my ears.

Now, I seem to have taken my own advice on the writer's block front and need to get back to finishing chapter forty-four. That's if the shiny things don't distract me!

Word Counts - The Creative Process

95255 / 105000 90.72% Done!

Nope, "The End" does NOT count towards your final word count, Joey. Nope, no matter how much you wish it did. I don't know about you guys, but I like to have a predicted word count. I know some authors do it and others just go with the flow. I also know that it's a big thing in regards to Nanowrimo where the end goal is to have over 50,000 words. I do something similar. I estimate that each chapter should be between 2,000 & 2,500 words and tally up the chapter count when I make my plan. The total is then my goal.

Now, it's really easy to get caught up in the trick of worrying about filling space with meaningless fodder to up the word count. I have never, since I started calculating my predicted word count, been below count before. I haven't always kept track of the word count of each chapter. However, like many writers, I've picked up some tricks along the way that, for better or worse, have become my routine with planning. Some of them are great and make sure that I stay on target and keep my continuity lines straight. Others not so much.

I'll tell you about some of them another time, but for the purpose of this piece, I'll stick to the word count related ones. Before, when I started a book, I didn't keep track of how many words each chapter had. I still don't do that really. What I *do* do though is keep a running tally of where I am in regards to the end word count tally. Right now in front of me is the chapter plan for book nine. I can see how many pages each chapter is, what pages they are in the document and also how many words I have in total at the end of each chapter. This helps me tremendously at times and other times, it causes me great anxiety and concern.

See, I predict for book nine that I will be at about 100,000 words. Or I did when I first started. I wrote that prediction at the top of the chapter plan. This book in particular hasn't been that much trouble in regards to the total words because the chapters have been using more words than book ten does in the same amount of pages. Now, usually around half way through the book, I'll look at the word count and my prediction and I'll work out if I need to increase it or if I'm on target. Sometimes, I'm over target and I cheerfully tell myself I'm doing a good job. That's not the problem here, it's when I'm under target that I start to get into trouble.

I start to worry, panic even. What if I don't manage enough words? I can't just fill the book with useless words to make it on target, can I? Am I missing a huge piece of plot? Is that why I'm below target? I get myself worked up into a tizzy about it all and the calm and rational side of my brain doesn't get a chance to speak because I'm too busy fretting. I know people who do Nanowrimo have the same issues, but here's something I've learnt when I listen to the calm and rational side of my brain.

Word counts are not going to make or break your story. If you can tell it in 40,000 words and it's fleshed out to the point of it being a good story - people. won't. care. Word counts are just numbers. Sure, it's a good idea to have a target, but not meeting it will not spell the end of your writing days. Some stories use fewer words. Some writer's tell a story in a more words than others. As long as your story is not just "Here''s a character. Stuff happened. Met another character. They got married. Lived happily every after. The end." then I guarantee that you are doing your story justice even if you feel it should be longer. As a reader, I prefer people not to add a chapter just for the sake of the word count. Yes, there are some chapters that may not seem central to the plot, but are still needed, but still, you can't have your character read aloud a really long piece of prose just for the sake of it. And if you do, that shouldn't count towards your word count because they're not your words. (Or they might be, but you get what I mean.)Anxiety about how good your story is, that's normal. But it should be more about the content and the way you've written your tale. It should be able the actual story and not just because you wanted a 50,000 word story and it came in at 49,000. Everyone writes differently and part of being a writer is finding the way YOU want to tell that story. Be that at 40K, 50K, 100K or even only 30K. So, don't fret about the final word count. After all, it is just a number and not a reflection on you personally.

Now, I need to find 2,000 words before the end of the day or I'm done!

Writer's Block

No, Joey, you can not just finish the story with "rocks fall, everyone dies" because you're blocked. It happens to us all. Every writer there is will tell you that at times, they get blocked. I recently found a great T-shirt that I plan to cycle into my "work" clothes that said; "Writer's Block - when your imaginary friends stop talking to you" and I don't think I can put it any better.

I know that some days I will get up and I know exactly what I want to do and how I'm going to do it. If I don't get distracted (see this post) then it's entirely possible that the words will flow from me like a leaky tap and the only thing that will stop me is the need to eat, sleep and take care of other matters. Even then, I have been known to eat while I work and forgo sleep because the inspiration is a plenty! I wrote my second book BLACKOUT just like that. It originally had ten very long chapters and it took me ten days to write. Yes, it took longer to edit and then get published, but I didn't suffer from writer's block then. I knew the story, I knew the characters and the inspiration kept whispering in my ear.

Unfortunately, inspiration is a fickle creature and sometimes I do wonder if it just plan ole hates me. I am a planner when it comes to my writing. I have chapter notes. I have character notes. I have a plan of every chapter and how I want it to go. However, it doesn't always work out that way. Sometimes Tara will decide that no, she does not want to do that and I can piss off if I think I'm going to make her. Or Kaolin will be extra geeky and decide that it's just not her. Sure, my other characters all do similar things but to avoid spoilers I'll stick to the series ones.

So, we all know my routine, I'll sit at my desk on a random day that I haven't been distracted by shiny gifs on Tumblr and I'll tell myself I'm going to write. And I don't. Now, it's not being distracted that does it. It's just plain old being BLOCKED! I don't really know how to describe it to someone who hasn't experienced it (and I'm sure the majority of you have, as either writer's or some other creative outlet.) If I was pushed, I would say if feels like the moment my fingers touch the keys, my brain suddenly pulls the plug on the inspiration bath and it all goes down the drain before I can stop it.

I know a lot of writers who will suffer with it for days, weeks, even months sometimes - and I count myself in with those - and then suddenly...BAM! The inspiration bath is all filled up and ready to go and we're writing again like there is no tomorrow. The problem is that although there are great websites that tells us to do this or that to get unblocked - here's one & here's another - sometimes you have tried all the tricks and there is just no overcoming it. People tell you to write something, ANYTHING to try and get through the block and to be honest that's one of the reasons I've been writing these pieces to help me through my own block.

Still, as a writer it is something you have to deal with. Hell, as anyone who does something creative - artist, dancer, photographer etc. - it's something you have to deal with. So, how do you move forward? To be honest, a number of things have worked for me. Here's a list of some of them:

1. Writing anything you like - no need for a subject, no need for a filter. Just write whatever is on your mind. I do this with posts like this, I also have a LJ and Tumblr for when I just want to write and it not matter so much.

2. Reading works you enjoy - I'm not suggesting that you read a book and use the plot device they have used, but sometimes for me reading a book I enjoy by an author I love can help me. It can show me that I'm not alone in the fact that I'm stuck. EVERYONE gets stuck sometimes.

3. Resist the urge to delete & totally rewrite - I've done this sometimes and let me tell you, it can work, but I find the majority of the time I totally start a chapter from scratch, I end up in the same place. And it's not always a better chapter either. You need to judge whether you're blocked because it happens or if you have blocked yourself into a corner. If that's the case then sometimes you need to do a little extra research or if need be, rewrite. BUT be sure you know where you're going. Keep a back up of the original piece in case you decide you hate the new one.

4. Step away for a while- I know that makes it sound like a new way of distracting yourself, but sometimes stepping away helps deal with the frustration of it all. I know that I have taken a step back and then gone back and I can end the chapter and eventually the book. I even once put the book off my in progress pile and went back to it years later. It's now one of my published works and I feel it's better for it.

5. Talk it through with someone - I am lucky that the majority of my close friends have read enough of my books that when I sit there and say "HELP!" they are willing to talk it through with me. Many a chapter has been finished due to this.

So, those are the tricks I employ. They may work for you, they may not. The big thing here is that you won't be blocked forever. You won't be unable to ever find a way out. It's in you somewhere and you just have to have the patience and foresight to tease it out gently. Or with pliers if it really won't come out, but I recommend you asking someone else to do that for you.

Most of all though, you should enjoy what you do. Writer's block is a hazard of the profession, we all get it, we all hate it. Don't give up on something you love just because you can't finish it right now. Take a breather and remember that it's within you somewhere to finish this chapter.

Good luck and remember no chapter should end with "rocks fall, everyone dies" - unless there has just been a rock slide or something in which case, go for it!

Distracti...oooh! Shiny things!

I'm going to write, I tell myself, I am NOT going to be distracted and I'm going to use the time while my carer and her daughter are out of the house to write. Then something shiny comes along and my attention is elsewhere. I'm sure a lot of you have experienced something similar. I know that I have my priorities in life, as most people do. As far as work goes, my priorities are something like this:

1. Uni work - it has to come first because otherwise I won't get my degree and it'll have all been a waste. I generally don't have difficulty sticking to this priority because there are deadlines and such that I *have* to stick to or else I'll fall behind. The added bonus of having a good work ethic in that regards is that I don't generally fall behind unless something pushes me. For example, ill health pushes me behind, which I'm sure you'll all agree is a valid reason.

2. Book work - I ranked this as number two because it does have it's own deadlines, but they are more fluid and flexible than the deadlines associated with number one on the list.

3. Hobbies (i.e Ukulele & Crafts) - I'm sure you're all aware that I do play the Ukulele and I also do cross-stitching in my "spare" time. Again, ranked lower because although there are some deadlines, they are usually set by myself and not some anonymous person who will get mad if they are not finished.

That's my working deadline list. Now things don't always go to plan. I have a weekly schedule that I try to stick to throughout the week, but things like getting sick or Miss D not being at school changes that schedule. For the past couple of months, since I have been unable to drive, my schedule has gone out of the window. Normally, I would dedicate Monday and Tuesdays to my uni work and for the most part that is still the case. I do half the work on Monday and the rest on Tuesday and that works for me. I'm usually done with uni work by the afternoon and depending on how I am feeling depends on how I spend that time.

Now I know you're all thinking that it gives me a lot of time to write and how come I haven't finished my two works in progress yet. If life were simple and things always went to plan that would be a good question...it would also mean a boring life, but that's not the point. Say that I write off the Monday and Tuesday afternoons, class them as free time. That means I would be free to jam on my Ukulele or stitch to my heart's content. I have other hobbies sure, but those two are the main ones. It doesn't work like that. Usually on a Wednesday I'll sleep late. I've been doing that for a number of years since I got sick and it's classed as my "day off".

So, it's a day off and I don't have to write, correct? I mean, I'd still have Thursday and Friday to do some writing and I could use the middle of the week to do something that isn't considered work. It's usually what I do. I'll either put a show on and stitch or I'll try and hammer out some videos or tunes on my Uke. So, we're onto the last two days of the working week. Thursday and Friday - what do I do on those days? Normally, I'll get up on a Thursday and I'll tell myself; "Joey, you HAVE to write a chapter today!" Normally, I aim to
get four chapters written each week, two of each book. However, since I had the relapse, I've been letting myself get away with two chapters a week. I know what you're thinking, a chapter on Thursday and a chapter on Friday. Easy! What am I complaining about? 

I hate to break your bubble, but as many writer's will attest to, it's not that easy. Plus I'm not complaining. I'm simply saying that despite giving myself that pep talk every Thursday and Friday, it sometimes doesn't work. I feel guilty doing other things. I get distracted by something online, something on Facebook that I must share with the world. A funny GIF on Tumblr. A friend wanting to talk on the phone. It may not be true for everyone, but it doesn't take much to get me off the writing path.

However, it's not all shiny things and bad news, sticking to my schedule sometimes helps me to hash out the chapters I'm working on. They mean that sometimes, on one of my non writing days, I'll open the Word document and BAM! Two chapters and I'm still going. It just doesn't always happen like that. Even when you discount the editing process and all the other things that go along with preparing a book for publishing. You still have to take into account the distractions along the writer's path.

If it were only as simple as to open a document and type, well then there would be a lot more books in the world. Every writer, at some point in their career, will get distracted. Sometimes it's with these kinds of posts where we wish to share our experiences with others. Sometimes it's with something out of our own control like family issues. And sometimes it's just with something that makes us laugh on the internet. Be patient with us, and if you're a writer, be patient with yourself - it'll come better when you don't force it.

Now, I'm going to go and write Chapter Forty-Thr...ooh! Shiny new GIFS!

How's the writing going, Joey

That's a question that gets asked a lot, people want to know where I am on my books. They want to know how I'm doing with my word count and if I'm ever any nearer to finishing them. Those that know me, or follow my blog or Facebook page know that a lot of what I do comes in fits and starts. I know it's been mentioned on this blog before that I am disabled - it is in fact on the side bar under "About Joey Paul" - so that, of course, has some impact on the amount of work I am able to do on any given day.

The past few months I have been suffering with a relapse from M.E, which is a condition I, along with many other people, have. It has impacted my day to day life and in turn has impacted the amount of time and energy I am able to put into completing my books. I've been a writer since I was young, but only really considered it as a career once I had no other choice. Don't get me wrong, I love to write. I love making characters and I love giving them a voice and telling their story. But, looking back at my life and the choices I have had to make, I do wonder if things would have gone differently if I hadn't gotten sick when I did or if I hadn't been forced into medical retirement at the age of nineteen.

I would probably still be in that same job - let's for argument sake say that because I loved it at nineteen, nothing had changed - and I probably wouldn't be writing. I started my first "book" at the age of thirteen and my friends who read the original still laugh at how unbelievable *bad* it was. Hell, *I* still laugh at it! (As well as cringe inwardly!) When I was first diagnosed and my life had settled into the pattern that comes with being chronically ill, retired and, well, bored, I picked up that first book and I took it to pieces. I mean, I took every line, every sentence, the whole plot and changed everything I could. It came out with a similar story, but the plot was different, the characters were not the same and the whole thing was just BETTER! Now, I wouldn't call it my strongest book, but it is still on my list of released books because doing that, picking it apart and making it better - that's what made me begin my career as a writer. It's what showed me that I could do this and that all the story lines in my head could become actual books. I've never really looked back from that moment.

So now I ask myself, had I not had that moment of boredom and clarity, would I even be writing today or would I have just started watching day time TV and bored myself to death? The answer, I don't know. I like to think that writing was the career I was meant to take. I like to think that everything happens for a reason (though not always good ones) and I would like to think that in that moment, when I was told I could no longer work a "normal" job and I turned to writing, that I answered my true calling. Yet, I am no different from the thousands of writers out there (though it's probably closer to millions) in that I do suffer from writers block. I have it right now, which is one of the reasons I am writing this piece. It was at the forefront of my mind and although I know what I want to happen in chapter Forty-Three of <i>Destination: Unknown</i> (that's book nine for those not in the know.) I just can't seem to get my fingers to type what my brain pictures. Writers block is a devil on my shoulder telling me that I'll do it tomorrow...or next week...or next month - you get the picture. I keep putting it off because I think "It's not like I *need* to finish it now!" and I don't. Book nine is not due out for another couple of years, and I could just leave it unfinished. What's the harm in that?

Well, a friend of mine linked me to a blog post telling writers everything "25 things to make [them] a better writer" and I read it. Number 25 was "FINISH YOUR SHIT" - exact quote there laides and gentlemen. So, I could put it off for another week, after all, as I always tell myself, uni work comes first. Therein lies the problem. I don't have any uni work due until the week after Easter so I need to get on with it. The other problem is that if I don't write it down now, the real definition of writers block may come along and steal my ideas from my brain. It happens all the time. I'm lying in bed, and I have this great idea for my next book. I tell myself not to worry about writing it down just then because I'll remember it. Do you know what happens? I forget the whole thing by morning. It happens all the time and I never seem to remember that I've forgotten in the past and should just get my lazy butt outta bed and write it down. Things to learn I guess.

So, the whole point of this is when asked "How's the writing going, Joey?" I never really know what to say. Sometimes it flows, sometimes I literally can not type fast enough to keep up with myself. However, sometimes you get stuck when you can't think of the words to describe the scenes in your head. Other times, the words don't come no matter how desperate and ready you are to write them. And other times, the ideas are stolen by the Sandman while you sleep.

How's the writing going? Well, I'm still plugging away and I won't stop until I finish, but it's a long process and a painful one at that (sometimes). So when you ask someone how the writing is going, refer back here as to why they may have a pained look on their face. Writing is an art in itself, and like all art - good and bad - it takes time. It takes a piece of the artist with it and sometimes we don't always get that piece back. Still, it's a career I love and wouldn't change for the world. I'm not in this for the money, I'm in it for the joy of bringing characters to life and being able to create whole worlds with my words. That, dear readers, is worth everything in the world.

- Remember you can follow Joey on this blog or on her Facebook Page to be up to date with all news concerning Joey Paul and her books!