Writing and Publishing News

When people find out what a prolific writer I am, they often ask, “How do you think of something to write every day in your blog?” or “How do you come up with all those story ideas?” I used to write articles for magazines and got the same questions: “Where do you get all of those article ideas?”

Well, here’s the deal: I’ve found that if I think about my blog, for example, and try to plan a post out, I generally draw a blank. But if I sit down at my computer, fingers on the keyboard, most of the time a topic occurs to me fairly quickly. If not, I just start writing. Usually, a spark of an idea will evolve from my scattered thoughts.

Here’s another idea—when you get an inkling of an idea, write it down for future reference. Often, throughout my work day, a term or a concept will occur to me and I’ll make a note. This often becomes my next article topic or blog post.

I’ve found little gems of ideas in emails I’ve received, advertisements for books or services, comments left at the discussion groups I belong to, books and articles I read and questions people ask me about writing or publishing. I also visit other people’s blogs, social media pages and so forth.

If all else fails, I’ll go out and take a walk. Walking in the fresh air is meditative for me and ideas flow easily when the mind is quiet.

Do you have tricks and rituals you use to generate ideas for your blog, articles or the books you’re writing?

I can tell you that having an inquisitive mind is vital to a writer. But I also believe it’s important to reach outside of ourselves—go out and observe others, listen to their concerns, hopes, worries, fears, complaints and joys. Watch how they move, respond, handle life’s bumps and sweet moments. Your writing will be richer for it.

If you’re a working writer, like I am, you probably love the work, but welcome the breaks. I treasure my daily walk—always have. It helps me to clear my mind of the clutter, focus on what needs to be done and see things from a different perspective. I typically return from my walks, lunch with a friend, time with my grandchildren and even vacation trips with renewed energy, enthusiasm and some fresh ideas.

Granted, it takes a lot to get me away from my office. But if I can make myself leave and if I can adopt a holiday frame-of-mind, I will usually enjoy myself and my writing will benefit. By a holiday frame-of-mind, I mean I try to leave work willingly, turn my work brain off and focus on the new task or activity.

The best part of leaving my writing office for me is that I usually bring something back. While out and about, I get ideas for my latest project. I get to introduce one of my books to a new potential reader. Yesterday, for example, I told my mom’s cat’s veterinarian about my new book series featuring this cat and handed out a couple of bookmarks. She showed them to her staff and told them that Smokey is a celebrity. Now that was a fun moment. May even result in some sales.

It’s inevitable! No matter how much you love sitting in front of your computer, you’ll have to eventually leave and pick up some groceries, ship a package, visit someone, etc. And you should go out and socialize, sign up for classes/workshops, attend lectures, exercise in the fresh air. You might as well glean the most from the experience. How?

• Do something that helps to de-clutter your mind and make room for fresh ideas and perspective.
• Relax to the hilt when the opportunity arises so you’ll return more refreshed.
• Put yourself in the moment instead of thinking about what you think you should be doing.
• Look for ideas for your stories or articles everywhere you go.
• Talk about your latest book every chance you get.

I’d love to hear from you and so would my followers. How about responding to these questions so we can all learn and gain perspective: (Leave your response here or email me at PLFry620@yahoo.com )

• Do you take regular breaks from your writing?
• Long or short ones? Describe.
• Do you find it difficult to leave your office and your writing? How do you make yourself take a break?
• Do you run errands, socialize or get some exercise on a schedule or when you feel the need?
• What are your best distractions from writing?
• What causes you to return to your writing most refreshed and productive?
• Do you hire people to help with household/yard/office etc. tasks? How does this serve you and your writing business?

We’ve talked a lot about writing for your audience, staying true to your readers, getting into their heads—so that you are writing what they want/need. But it is equally important to your readers for you to be true to your characters.

In the story I’m currently writing, I’ve portrayed a new character as someone who is dedicated to helping cats and, in particular, the cats in the colony she cares for. When she met with a serious life-threatening incident I have a lot of things going through her mind—many thoughts—and not once did I have her thinking about what might be happening to her precious kitties while she is unable to get home to them.

Once I took some time to become better acquainted with my character and began thinking in terms of “what would she do—what would she be concerned about—how would she react” it occurred to me that certainly, she would be spending some time worrying about her cats.

If you want to create believable characters, you must flesh them out to the point where they become real. The more real they are to you and the more true to character you portray them, the more believable they will be to your readers. And if your readers cannot feel some sort of connection, affinity or even dislike for a character, they will not care much about what happens to him or her. Readers who do not care, will not keep reading.

My blog tour for the Klepto Cat Mysteries starts Monday, February 10, 2014. I hope you will visit our first stop here: http://www.readalot-Rhonda1111.blogspot.com

We’ll both get to see the first review for my latest published Kindle book, Sleight of Paw. And you’ll learn a little about my world of animals, my current family of cats and how some of them inspired me to write this series of books.

Do you think before you hit “send?” Do you proof your emails carefully? Do you check the spelling, tone and clarity of your emails? Most of us do. But are your emails being read? If not, it could be because of what you put in your subject-line.

Consider the emails you receive—which ones do you pay attention to and which ones go in the trash bin? When you receive an email from an unfamiliar address, isn’t it the subject-line that influences you to open it or not? Emails introduced by generic phrases such as, “Good day,” “Please respond,” “Hi,” “Invitation,” or Check this out,” may appear to be SPAM. And if it is from someone you don’t know and have never heard of, seeing the person’s name in the subject-line won’t influence you to open the email, either.

So what does capture the recipient’s attention? Certainly not a hard-sell opening such as, “Discounted Books,” or “Buy Today.”

I recommend thinking about your recipient when sending out an email. If it is someone you know well and email often, anything goes. “Congratulations, girl,” “Let me explain something…” “A night at the movies—booorrrring,” etc. If you are addressing customers or clients who definitely know who you are, you might attract their attention by using your name in the subject-line—“A note from Patricia Fry” or “Patricia Fry announces new cozy mystery book,” for example. But if I’m contacting potential readers who do not know me, I might use something like, “There’s a new cat-related cozy mystery on the block.” If I’m contacting a reviewer of cozies, I might use, “Please review Catnapped, a cozy with cats.”

When you are addressing a potential reader or client, try to touch their emotions through your subject-line: “FREE manuscript evaluation this week only,” or “FREE hair-styling workshop.”

When I hear from potential clients, I may overlook an email with a subject-line saying, “Help me,” “Question,” or, worst of all, a blank subject-line. I am most interested in those that say, “Need an editor,” “Please review my manuscript,” or “Consulting request.”

This week, I’d like to suggest that you pay close attention to your subject-line. Create them to suit the circumstances and the individual. I can almost guarantee you’ll have greater success in generating a response.

On Countdown

We’re reaching a huge milestone in this blog Friday—day after tomorrow. Stay tuned. Have you sent your guess as to which milestone this is? I still have prizes to give away. Check the list of prizes at the February 18^th blog post.

I’m not getting very many correct answers to my question: What blogging milestone is coming up for the Matilija Press Publishing Blog? Here’s a hint. I’ve already reached the 1,000 blog mark.

Remember the prizes are:

• Free manuscript evaluation by Patricia Fry
• A $5 Amazon gift certificate.
• A copy of “Publish Your Book” (print or Kindle)
• A copy of “Promote Your Book” (print or Kindle
• Both “Catnapped” and “Cat-Eye Witness” for your Kindle. (Klepto Cat Mysteries)
• A print copy of “Catnapped” (A Klepto Cat Mystery)

(All books offered are by Patricia Fry. To learn more about me, go to http://www.patriciafry.com or http://www.matilijapress.com)

The first 6 people who guess correctly receive the above listed prizes and they can choose their prize in the order their email or comment with the correct answer is received. So email me directly or leave a comment here with your answer. PLFry620@yahoo.com

I finished another book yesterday. I have my pre-publication readers checking it over and will send it to my proofer as soon as she returns my email. This is the fourth in my Klepto Cat Mystery series and I only started writing these in June of 2012. I guess you’d consider me driven, focused, maybe obsessed… I am motivated.

Motivation for Authors

Hopeful authors come up to me often at writers’ conferences and other activities and events that attract them and ask how they can make themselves sit down and write. They want to write their memoirs or a novel that’s been rattling around in their heads for years. But they can’t find the time or the inspiration to actually do it.

I suggest that their level of motivation isn’t strong enough to spur them on—they don’t have a passion for this project. In fact, most of these people are probably following their passion, which is taking them in a totally different direction. If they truly had a passion for writing a book, they’d probably be doing it—unless something else is getting in their way. What could that be?

Are you a hopeful author? Do you want to write or finish a book and you just can’t find that “round tuit?” Perhaps you can identify yourself among the following:

• You are afraid of something—failure maybe? Or success… Success can change a life to an even greater degree, sometimes, than failure can and most of us are not willing to rock the boat of our life.
• You don’t think you deserve the pleasure you would derive from finally sitting down and writing.
• You genuinely don’t have the time to spend at this period in your life. Look more carefully. Perhaps you simply don’t want to make the sacrifices necessary to create the time to write—get up an hour early every day and write or write after the children go to bed, give up clubbing on Friday and Saturday nights, stop watching those TV shows you’ve become addicted to, etc.

Forty years ago, I made the sacrifices and the commitment to become a full-time writer. Millions of other people have managed their sometimes complex lives so that they can write the book of their dreams. And if you are motivated by the right things, you can do it, too. If you’re not motivated, you don’t share our passion for this work, then maybe it is time you stop talking about writing a book. Perhaps it’s something you will never do in this lifetime. And if that is discouraging and disappointing, then maybe that fact will spur you on to find your genuine motivation.

As a first step, I suggest reading “Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author.” Available at Amazon.com in print, Kindle and audio and at most other online and downtown bookstores, as well.

Not only will this book help you to get off dead center and start the process of writing that book that’s in your head or your heart, it will clearly show you the way to avoid the hundreds of costly and devastating mistakes new authors tend to make along their writing/publishing journey.

I’m Patricia Fry and I’m on your side.

My story is written and I’m going through some of the processes to make sure it works—that it is believable. I’m trying to respond to questions readers might have, such as How did the stalker know where Colbi was hiding out? Isn’t it too soon after her near death to be left alone? Would a homeless person actually set up housekeeping in someone’s out-building? Would a feral kitten actually become friendly and make a good pet? How did Damon get from here to there?

When you write a book for publication, always keep your audience in mind. If what you write cannot be deciphered, followed or believed by your readers, you’ve failed them.

I find it interesting how much of the author goes into a novel. I don’t think about that when I’m reading a novel, unless I read several by the same author or if I know the author. My daughters get a kick out of my novels because they see pieces of my personality, my dreams, my pet peeves and even my experiences woven into my stories.

And some friends and family are stunned when I write in a vein or attitude foreign to how they see me.

I’ve been writing nonfiction for 40 years, but I guess the author’s personality doesn’t really show up as much in nonfiction writing as it does in fiction.

Yes, I’m making all kinds of discoveries as I work on my fourth novel. One is that I enjoy manipulating other people’s lives—in my stories, that is. Although, there are times when the character seems to have minds of their own. Do you ever notice that when you’re writing?

Do you ever sit and write for 10 hours a day, several days straight. No wonder I’m finishing novels at record speed. I’m a prolific publisher’s dream, I would say. The only thing that slows me down is when I get an editing job in and have to put my work aside. Or when I order a mandatory leave of absence for myself, lest I suffer burnout.

Does any of this sound familiar to you novelists or am I creating a world within this realm that is all my own?

Amazon

Amazon is marketing my books again. Yay! I received an ad from Amazon this morning featuring Cat-Eye Witness and Catnapped first on their list of around a dozen recommended books. I just wonder how many of their customers receive this—all of those who have purchased cozy mysteries with cats? Just those who have visited my book pages? Does anyone know?

As I said yesterday, I’m coming upon a milestone with this blog. On the date that represents the milestone, I will be offering freebies. Can you guess how many blog posts I’ll reach within the next few weeks? Leave a comment here or email me PLFry620@yahoo.com

I promised that today I would talk a little about how I develop my fictionalized characters. Well, one thing I do is try to make them real. I give each of them their own way of speaking and their own behavior patterns.

Sometimes when I edit manuscripts for other authors, I lose a sense of which character is speaking or pursuing some activity. The author assigns the same way of speaking with the same attitude and pet phrases to more than one character.

I let my fingers develop some of my characters. I don’t know if this ever happens to you, but I start typing and it is as if the story emerges from my fingers. I am somehow removed from the experience except as a spectator watching the story develop and the characters’ personalities surface.

Other times it’s pure torture trying to establish unique personal qualities and character flaws—all of which make for a real character profiles, right?

Once I’ve introduced (or I’ve been introduced to) a character, I try to stay true to their character traits as I write. Sometimes I AM that person when I write as him or her. But I still write down not only the description of that person and his or her traits and habits, but also their way of talking—phrases they might use. I do refer to my notes on occasion to make sure I’m not blurring the personalities of my characters.

In my Klepto Cat Mysteries, Savannah is a very different type of person than her aunt Margaret, but they can tune into one another—they can relate. They just speak differently and have separate ways of handling situations and challenges. Savannah’s sister is more like Aunt Margaret in looks, gestures and temperament. Iris is distinctly different as is Craig Sledge.

What’s really fun is developing the purrsonalities of the cats I write about. In story 4—which I actually finished writing yesterday—yes, I’ve completed the first draft. Well, I’ve brought in a kitten—she’s spunky and she’s sweet and she’s going to follow in Rags’s (the main cat character’s) paws as a bit of a kleptomaniac cat.

How does one develop animal personalities? I guess you have to know animals, their behavior, how they differ. You have to care about animals. In my mystery novels, the animals are animals. They don’t talk, except to say “mew,” “woof,” or “meow” occasionally. They do act and react, though, apropos to their individual personalities.

Great News

I received another 5-star review at Amazon for Catnapped and a 5-star review for Cat-Eye Witness. Always good to see. How seriously do I take reviews? Here’s my thing: I brag about the good reviews. I feel good about them. I take them seriously. When I get one that is not so flattering (and I think we all do), I shine it on—I say, “It’s just opinion—that’s all—doesn’t matter.” I do welcome reviews and, in fact, encourage them. Reviews influence readers, not so much by the stars awarded, but because a review brings attention to the book.

Exposure, exposure, exposure. That’s the name of the game, folks.

Announcement

I will hit a milestone with my blog entries soon. And I plan to offer gifts to my blog followers that week. So stay tuned toward the third week in this month. I will be generous.

Can any of you guess how many blog posts I’ve written just in this blog—what count this milestone will reflect? PLFry620@yahoo.com