Plodding . . . er, Plotting Along
Would you believe that I once wrote a book in six days? Yep. I did. A contemporary romance that was sold and published. I was much younger and much hungrier back then. I was still working as a newspaper reporter and I wrote my novels every weekday from around 8 p.m. until 1 or 2 a.m. On weekends, I was at it all day and most of the night.
Remember that Janet Jackson hit?
"Oh, you nasty boys." Yeah, that one. I watched the video one lazy afternoon on YouTube and remembered how much I liked that song. Always makes me want to boogey. Then I stumbled upon James Taylor's song, "Mean Old Man" and it gave me a chuckle. Suddenly a plot for a new book bloomed in my mind. It happens like that sometimes. One thing leads go another thing and -- BAM! I'm at the computer, pounding keys, and grinning like a mad scientist as I create new characters and plotlines.
A Bit of Fun
It's been a minute since I've released a contemporary, stand-alone romance, so it's thrilling for me to launch BEDDING MR. BIRDSONG on Amazon. This was fun to write. I created characters that made me smile and laugh and enjoy the experience of falling in love (again).
Asking for it...
Authors are used to asking readers for feedback. We send out "advance reader copies" ARCs to people who promise to read our books before they're released to the public and post reviews on Amazon or Goodreads or their own blogs. We don't tell them what to write or that the reviews must be glowing. We leave that up to them and hope for the best. We also encourage people to leave reviews after the book is released because the more reviews we receive, the more the book is noticed by Amazon, Goodreads, etc. and the more people will become curious about it or even realize that we have a new book available. With thousands of books published every month, we need all the help we can get to reach our readers.
Writing reviews is a simple task for me (and, yes, I leave a review on most of the books I read), but it is a dreaded task for some.
Stars and Gripes
You have to develop a tough skin when you're a writer. If you show your work to anyone other than a considerate spouse or a loving parent, then you're bound to receive feedback that isn't necessarily lofty or flattering. In fact, it's amazing how many people are willing to tell you exactly what they find lacking in your writing and storytelling. You don't even have to ask!
