ELSIE PARK: On Publication Challenges

A SHADOWS OF VALOR Blog Tour Post

Please welcome Elsie Park, newly published author, to the blog! Her debut novel, Shadows of Valor, was published by Jolly Fish Press earlier this week on September 7th! She's here to talk about publication challenges today.

Congratulations and welcome, Elsie! I'll let you take it from here. :)

Thanks for having me as a guest on your blog, Brenda! I’m glad to be here and happy to share whatever I’ve got to give *smiling*.

Is this a fab cover, or what?

The topic you asked me to write on, "Five challenges on the road to publication, and how I met them head on", is certainly a good one. When I read the topic, I thought, “Sheesh, I can only pick FIVE challenges on the road to publication? – LOL. Sometimes it seems like there are a gazillion. But, I managed to come up with five that are at the top of my personal list. For some they may seem miniscule, for others, daunting. Everyone picks and chooses their battles, and these were mine:

1) Taking that first step - Many people say, “Oh, I cold NEVER write a novel!” But I’m evidence that ANYONE can write a novel. As my father likes to remind me: “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” The thought of a full length novel was daunting to me, so I started out with a few scattered scenes. I simply typed them out in no particular order, on a word document and entitled it something to the effect of “Story Idea.” I then pieced them together in a tentative plot. Then I put in a few more scenes here and there. Then I let my mother read it and give me feed back, resulting in her suggesting some more things she’d like to hear about in the story. So I added more scenes. Little by little, the story grew in pages and before I knew it, I had a full-length novel on my hands.

2) Finding the time to write and placing it on your list of priorities - Learning to utilize the time given to me between children, household, school, church, groceries, cleaning, you name it, was a big challenge (and still is). I had to balance my time between my little ones and my writing. This often led to staying up late to type, losing sleep and feeling very tired the next day. But I’d eventually catch up on my sleep and feel that the work I’d accomplished on my novel was worth the fatigue. I didn’t meet this challenge head on, though. Sometimes I actually dodged it, which is why it took me about 6 years to get my final draft done and published. I had set the manuscript aside for months at a time, because of newborns in the house, not having enough money in the budget to send my manuscript to any more publishers and agents, being so tired after a day of being a mother that I didn’t have the energy to stay up late or get up early and write. I’m happy to say that I manage my time a little better now.

3) Rewriting – Paying attention to good and correct grammar is essential in lessening the number of rewrites and for not getting burned out over the entire process. Every time people read the manuscript and have “plenty” to say about it results in yet another rewrite. The thought of doing so causes literal headaches, chocolate fetishes and difficulties in finding ways to get motivated again. The hardest thing for an author to hear is “constructive” (or “destructive”) criticism about their writing. Criticism ruffles a writer’s feathers like nothing else – LOL! BUT, in the end, we admit that many who gave their opinions presented good points, great ideas to think about and wonderful lessons in humility to learn. A smart writer will listen to the readers with an open mind and humble pen. I revised my manuscript probably 15+ times over the six years I worked on it. Each time I revised I wanted to cry that I had to spend days and days changing something I thought had been perfect, but in the end I realized that each version ended up better than the last thanks to all the blood, sweat and tears put into it.

4) Making a good first impression with a great query letter – A publisher or an agent usually doesn’t know you from Adam, so your first impression could very well be your last if it’s not done with professional precision. I think I spent just as much time on my query letters as on my manuscript. If a query looks bad, is sloppy, not typed, has bad spelling and grammar, is printed on hot pink paper and doesn’t follow the guidelines set by that particular agency, then it will get tossed more often than not. The publisher doesn’t have the time to give your unprofessional-looking query the time of day. Make yourself stand out with your good writing, good grammar, and obvious ability to follow directions is the way to get noticed.

5) Not getting discouraged – A key to meeting this challenge head on is drawing strength from yourself, your loved ones and your true friends who give you confidence and support. Also, going to writer’s conferences helps immensely as you meet with authors, both published and unpublished, who share the same goals and challenges and give each other strength and encouragement. Every speaker at a conference is there to help advance your work, and you leave feeling buoyed up and ready to try again. Believing in yourself is key. Believing that you’ve written something that needs to be shared and that people would love to read is essential to getting over discouragement.

I hope these things were helpful and encouraging to readers.

Thanks so much for having me here on your blog, Brenda!

 

Anytime, Elsie! I wish you all the best with your debut!

A little background info...

SHADOWS OF VALOR overview: Taking place in 1300 A.D. England, The Shadow (aka Sir Calan), a knight-spy working under the direction of King Edward I, hunts down and arrests smugglers who defy the law and evade paying their taxes. The Shadow’s duty is fueled by vengeance from a childhood experience against smugglers. Dealing with society at its worst, The Shadow becomes cynical and struggles to reign in his desire to execute lethal justice before turning the perpetrators over to local authorities. He feels his soul turning black with hate in his continual fight against evil. A childhood acquaintance, Lady Elsbeth, enters his life years later, bringing light to his soul once again, but she has a story of her own, accompanied by physical and emotional scars. Calan feel he needs Elsbeth in his life, but in an effort to keep his identity and duty secret, he must deceive her. This creates distrust and uncertainty between them, as she accepts another man as her suitor. But Calan must ask the question: What’s worth fighting for more? His long-standing desire to avenge a childhood friend or the woman who may be his salvation? What entails is a glorious tale full of deceit, greed, inner struggles, betrayal, and most of all—love.

About Elsie:

Growing up in a small mountain town outside of Yosemite National Park, California, U.S.A., Elsie enjoyed playing soccer, playing piano, reading, writing, art and spending time with family and friends. Years ago she spent 18 months in Italy teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. Seeing the castles and old Roman cities only added to her fascination for ancient and medieval culture. In college she studied zoology, botany and criminal justice. She’s worked as a wildland firefighter, security guard and a police officer, but she is currently a stay-at-home mom, spending time with her children and husband. She loves thinking up new ideas for interesting stories and musical compositions to go with them.

Want more information? Want to by Elsie's book? Look here:

E-mail: elsie_rees@hotmail.com

Blog: http://www.elsiepark.blogspot.com/

Twitter: @elsiepark1

Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorelsiepark

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadows-of-valor-elsie-park/1114940696?ean=9781939967077

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18216270-shadows-of-valor

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/

Writing retreat

I've been in a writing doldrums for the past few weeks. Summer has kicked in full swing, and my free time for actual words-on-the-page writing has dwindled to next to nothing. Swimming lessons, horse shows, barbeques, camps and just plain work have taken over.

Vicki (@Morrisonminutes) and I on a break.

A few weeks ago, my writing buddy and I were discussing the need to write without interruption, and came up with this: we needed a retreat. Sadly, neither of us have the vacation time (or the extra funds) for an all-out retreat to the Caribbean, so we planned a one day writing bonanza. A mini-retreat. A get away with our laptops and a quiet space (her office, which is closed on Saturdays) with some coffees and snacks and freedom to think.

So now here I sit, after a day with a good friend, my laptop and my story, after writing away for a WHOLE DAY. Amazing.

2100 words,  twenty pages of editing, a blog post and several cups of coffee later, and I feel refreshed. Organized. Ready to rock.

What a great day! Just what the editor ordered. :)

We'll be repeating this adventure soon. What about you? How do you find the time to write when things get busy? Leave me a comment below. I'd love to hear!

Brenda

Throwback Thursday: What's in a name?

Getting To Know Your Characters...

I was reading through my Overdunne blog this morning and I came across THIS post. Yah, the title is lame, and I'm sounding a teensy bit unstable (life in deployment-land is always unstable), but what I LOVE is re-reading my little blurb about my Flower of Stone manuscript. I shelved that manuscript about six months later and haven't even touched it for at least two years. It sounds fun though (did I write that story?)...maybe I should dig through the piles of virtual files and rework it...

...I digress. So. I'm looking at the blurb and I realize Flower's  main character's name is Ellen. Yup, Ellen. Dependent's protagonist is named Ellen. Two Ellen's, two VERY different manuscripts. Why did I do this?

"Zeus"... named after the god of the Sky

Well, because when I'm writing my first draft I'm just getting to know my characters. I'm a pantser--I don't outline other than very basic, sketchy stuff--and generally when I start a new manuscript I haven't a clue who my characters are. I find out about them as I write. I throw a name down (I guess Ellen is a winner in this case) and keep writing. Sometimes I do little writing-course exercises, like writing a few hundred words on what my character is afraid of or what makes my character feel safe. But generally the story shapes them in my mind as it unfolds.

So my character starts as Ellen, and changes as she meets elves or evil military commanders.

What are some other ideas to define your character and find a name?

* Look at your character from another's point of view. Is she annoying? Helpful? Silly? Smart?
* What are your characters favourite activities?
* Does he or she have any quirks? Any bad habits? Odd or different habits bring a character to life.
* Think about the backstory you haven't written. Maybe a childhood nightmare, a favourite toy, a song or a place she lived a long time ago that influenced her personality.
* Is your character named after a relative? Is she happy about it?

Severus Snape

Names are directly linked to how your reader will perceive your character. (Think Severus Snape or Willy Wonka) so choose wisely! As your character comes to life and develops a personality, her name may become more clear. In my two manuscripts the names stuck, but in others I've changed characters names half way through, even during final edits!

Now...where was that Flower manuscript...?

Brenda

BIG NEWS!

I have...

BIG NEWS!


So I've been dropping a few hints here and there, and it's been killing me to not share what's going on at the Dunne writing factory. A few weeks ago, a critique partner friend of mine (the terrific Tina Moss) suggested I might want to send one of my finished manuscripts to her literary agent. She had lots of positive things to say about the agency, and Tina and I have similar views on the publishing world, so I thought, 'Why not?' and sent it off.

Well, the agent--the lovely Jennifer Mishler--liked my manuscript. She really liked it. She liked it enough to send me a contract...which I SIGNED TODAY!

WOOHOO!

And so...

It is with great pleasure that I announce I am now represented by Jennifer Mishler of Literary Counsel agency in New York City! How exciting is that? I couldn't be more thrilled to be a part of the fabulous team there. Jennifer and Frances Black of Lit Counsel are exactly the team I was looking for. I can't wait to see what the New Year will bring!

Brenda

Snow Day!

Today is our first 'Snow Day' of the school year. In our house snow days are stay-in-your-pjs, playing-games-and-watching-tv, baking kind of days. They're sitting-by-the-fire-and-drinking-hot-chocolate kind of days.

Because travel is unsafe (there's a half of inch of ice on the roads--rather like a skating rink out there), all pre-planned activities are off until further notice. Who doesn't love a free day off?

One of the projects I'm currently working on, a YA pre-dystopian set in rural Maine, opens in a blizzard. A 'weather bomb' as they sometimes call it. What if our beloved snow day was set in a rural area when the world's oil had all but run out? What if there were no plows, salting trucks and snowmobiles to help us get out of the mess? I've tentatively entitled it 'FROZEN' and I'm about 16,000 words in. Here's an excerpt for your stormy-day reading pleasure...

He’s taller than me, almost three inches taller. He looks like Dad in many ways, just skinnier. Tall, dark hair and freckles. He twiddles a piece of timothy in his hands—hands that likely harvested that very piece of timothy. Hands that have seen more work than some of his friends will see in their entire lives.

“Do you think we’ll ever see Dad again?” he finally asks. I should have seen that coming. Of all of us, he understood Dad the best.

I look away, watching as Smoke paces in his stall, then puts his head back down, looking for more hay.

I don’t want to lie to Frankie. I love my little brother, and in some ways I’m the closest thing to Dad that he’s got right now.

“I don’t know,” I say quietly, and that’s the truth. I don’t know if he’ll survive whatever he’s thrown himself into. And if he does survive, I don’t know how he’ll be able to make it back to us. Anything that can cross the ocean needs oil to do it, and the government wouldn’t risk sending its soldiers in a wind-powered ship. At least I don’t think they would.

“You miss him a lot,” I say.

“Yah.” His voice does that pitch see-saw again.

I don’t reply. I miss Dad, but I’ve learned to live without him. Frankie misses him more, needs him more. How can I help a fourteen year old boy find his way? I’m just a mall-queen turned tom-boy. I put my arm around him and rest my head on his shoulder. Instead of leaning away, like a boy, he leans back…like a man.

We sit there listening to the animals chomping and squawking until the wind begins to blow.

 

Brenda :)

Wednesday Word-tease.

Was reading over my completed manuscript, SKIN, and this little bit asked me to share it with you....so here you go.

The sun has now set behind us but in front of us, beyond the beach, a huge orange moon is erupting from the waves. It slowly peeks over the horizon and then explodes above the ocean like an atomic balloon, up and up until it frees itself from the world and floats alone. I’m mesmerized.

I flick my eyes over to Sam to see if he is seeing this but he’s not looking through the window. He’s looking at me.

“You don’t see a lot of moonrises in the city,” he says.

“No, not like this.”

He’s studying my face. I’m too shy to study him back, so I fiddle with the hem on my skirt.

“I…I never thought to look,” I finally say to fill the silence.

“You should. The moon is important, it orchestrates the tides.”

Ah...but why would the moon be important? Why would Sam care about the tides? And that, my friends, you will have to find out another time.

Happy Hump Day!

Brenda

 

Produce, Print, Sell.

Before I say anything...I'd like you to read this article.  It's a long one, but well worth the read.

I read it a few weeks ago, while working on the final touches of my (ah-hem) JUST RELEASED self published ebook, and it struck a chord with me. I think Mr. Vinjamuri hit the nail on the head.

As you probably already know, I've been slowly bumbling along my own journey in the publishing industry, finding my way in the crazy roller-coaster world that goes beyond the act of putting words on a page. I've queried, workshopped, edited, conferenced, tweeted and networked with hundreds, if not thousands of people over the past five or so years, and I've learned a few things and made a few mistakes. And when I decided to self pub, it was a long, looooooooong agonizing decision. It makes me kind of grumpy that it had to be that way, but there are so many factors at work here...the biggest being the stereotype (perceived or otherwise) that self-published authors are cop-outs, cheats and worst-of-all...poor writers. Sue Grafton is not alone in her inflammatory comments. She has thankfully since retracted them in a nice apology statement. But there are many, many others in influential places who feel the same way.

I still want to be traditionally published. Who wouldn't want the creative and financial backing of a big publisher behind them? All of those wonderful professionals working to make my art successful? It would be like an actor with their first starring role, or a painter with their first commission. The writing jackpot, so to speak. So why risk the stereotype and self publish?

Because I want you to read my book. Because I think my book is worth sharing. And because I wanted to figure out how to do it myself.

Self-publishing TREASURE IN THE FLAME is a huge risk for me, but I'd like to believe that it's less of a risk than it used to be. We all know publishing is changing, and I'm of the camp that thinks the change is for the better.

The Oxford Dictionary definition of the verb 'to publish' is this: 1. produce a book, newspaper, etc., for public sale. 2. print something in a book or newspaper.

That's it...produce, print, sell. There's no qualification on who prints, who sells. In it's basest form, publishing actually starts with the author selling her work.

In all other art forms, as Mr. Vinjamuri so eloquently reminds us, there are no gate-keepers of creativity. No one to filter what gets sold and what doesn't. If you paint a picture, and want to sell it, you put it in the local cafe and hope someone buys it. If you produce a demo CD, there's no reason why you can't sell it at your brother's bar. In fact, some of the coolest music and art can be found in back alleys and indie shops. It's how a budding artist gets their start. Someone likes their work, they tell someone else, and so on, and so on...

Conversely, if your work sucks, no one buys it. You move on and become an accountant.

So why is the art of writing different? The proving grounds aren't in the publication process. The proving grounds are in the purchase process. In the sell, so to speak. I know that some traditional publishers out there have already figured this out, and self-publishing makes it so easy for them. The budding artist/author does the groundwork and the start-up, tests the waters, and sinks or swims. She sells her stuff, or she doesn't. No matter what the traditional publisher thinks of the actual artistic merit of the work...a sales record will speak volumes to a smart talent scout.

I've noticed that even some savvy agents have caught on to this and are using Twitter to mine for good writing. In the past week I've seen at least two tweets requesting Twitter users recommend their favorite indie writers. What a super idea! And then this morning I hear that one of my favorite self-pubbed authors (Tammara Webber) has inked a BIG book deal with Penguin UK. Coincidence? I think not. She has unknowingly been my mentor in this process. Her covers, formatting and WRITING are impeccable. She's my self-publishing hero. Good writing, smart publishing choices and sound marketing will win in the end.

So as I step out on this crazy adventure of self-publishing, I can only hope that I'll be one of those with solid writing and smart choices. It's my goal to provide written entertainment in my own unique way. It's an exciting time for self published authors...and I'm excited to say I'm one of them. The producing part is finished, the printing part is happening...and the selling? Well, that's up to you.

What are your thoughts on the evolving publishing industry? Let me know in the comments below. I'd love to hear what you think!


Brenda

P.S. Only a few more days til TREASURE releases in paperback!

HERE IT IS!

TA-DAAAA!

Presenting the fabulous results of Streetlight Graphics cover magic! I am absolutely over-the-moon excited about this. They have done a fabulous job of taking an image and making it shine. A little bit of mystery, little bit darkness, and a whole lot of don'tchawannagobuyit? I love how we managed to stay true to the time period (the story is set in the early 1800s) and yet jazz up the picture with flame-inspired color.

Thank you so much to my father, David Corey, for the image taken at Kings Landing Historical Settlement in New Brunswick, Canada. A native New Brunswicker, I've seen this mill many, many, many times...and it serves as the main setting. Want more information about Kings Landing? Check out this link-- their brand spanking new website. Want more information about my book and when/where it will be released?  Stay tuned!

So what do you think? Like it? Let me know what you think. See the little comment box down there? Click it and type in your thoughts! I'd LOVE to hear them!

Brenda

EBOOK Cover Reveal...FRIDAY!

This week is gearing up to be absolutely fantabulous!

Firstly, I will be attending WriteOnCon for my third year in a row on Tuesday and Wednesday! If you haven't heard, WriteOnCon is a FREE (yup, FREE. I like free...) online conference for writerly peeps who write for the younger crowd--that is 18 or under. As my SKIN manuscript is YA, I've already posted a few snippets in the forums and am getting some amazing feedback. On Tuesday the conference goes live, with free live chats with agents/authors/publishing people, key note speeches, video forums... It's basically a real conference that you follow at home. That means you can sit in front of your laptop, in your pjs, drinking coffee and absorbing information without leaving your house. What's not to love?  Check it out at writeoncon.com !

But that's not all. While SKIN is out there in the big world searching for love in the traditional publishing world, TREASURE IN THE FLAME is nearing it's self publishing debut! To celebrate the awesomeness, I'll be revealing my ebook cover HERE, on Friday! How cool is that?

Do you like historical fiction? Do you like adventure? Romance? Treasure? Magic? Maybe even a zombie? Then hold on to your seat, because  TREASURE IN THE FLAME is coming soon to an e-platform near you!

Brenda

Meanwhile, back at the Ranch

Sir Baas-a-lot says hello.

Although the preps for TREASURE IN THE FLAME's self pub are in full swing, life has not stopped at the Dunne writing ranch. In the works is another YA manuscript-this time an urban fantasy set in contemporary PEI.

I loooooooove PEI. It's one of my favourite places in the world. Miles and miles of red sand beaches, lobster, rolling hills, lobster, friendly people...It's a wondeful place. (Did I mention lobster?)

I also love fantasy. When I read, I like to escape. I like to go somewhere that doesn't involve my day to day reality. But I also like real-lifeish fantasy. You know, stories that you know would never happen, but feel so real when your in them. White, mysterious unicorns instead of pink shiny unicorns farting rainbows. That sort of stuff.

So when I was thinking about what I should write for NaNoWriMo last year, I tossed the idea around of a contemporary fantasy on PEI soil.

Thirty days later, I had 50k words of what was then titled Red Sand Selkie. I've spent the last 8 months or so editing and perfecting it and voila! My newest completed manuscript SKIN is born.

Red sand, secrets...and selkies.

When Ocean O'Malley's family moves to the shores of PEI, she finds more than just beaches and a hot neighbour named Sam. Something is missing. Something she didn't even know existed. And only when she slips beneath the salty waves with Sam does she find out what that something is.

(*cue mysterious music*)

It's a fun story and it makes me want to go back to the Island and plunk myself down on a windswept red sand beach. Can't wait to see what happens next.

Stay tuned.

Brenda

Things are happening!

Sometimes you just gotta make things happen. I've been waiting for something exciting for years, And I feel it in my gut that it's right around the corner. In the meantime, I've pushed through on a goal of mine, and (Yay!) the ball is rolling on my TREASURE IN THE FLAME manuscript! I'm soooooooooooooooo excited! (insert copious exclamation points!!!!)

I'll admit it was a hard decision to make, but I decided to self pub this manuscript, while still working toward traditional publication with two others. I need to DO SOMETHING. Move forward. Advance. Get GOING.

So what's happening right now?

1. I've sent the manuscript off for final proofreading. It should be back any day now (thanks Wendy!).

2. My cover artist is scheduled to start work on my cover THIS WEEK! (Thanks Tabatha and Streetlight Graphics!)

And after that, it's just format, upload and VOILA! Novel is ready for purchase!

Okay, I realise nothing is that easy, and it's not going to happen overnight. But it's happening. And why? Because of me. Because I wanted it to happen. How liberating is that? Sometimes in my life of giving, giving, giving-- whether it be through my work, my kids, my husband's career, or the needs of our farm-- it's hard to remember my own goals. My own dreams. They generally get swept under the rug, and that's okay, because that's the type of person I am. I LIKE to see other people succeed because I held them up.

But every once in a while, it's nice to work on something that's just me. And that's what my writing is. It's me. It's mine. And by the end of the summer, I'll have physical, palpable, hold-in-my-hand proof that my dreams can come true. I can't wait to show you.

Stay tuned! TREASURE IN THE FLAME coming soon!

Brenda