Be Prepared

I was thinking about advice last night after a chat with the Twitter #writersroad folks. I've been at this for a while now, and though I don't count myself an expert, I've certainly got a bit of experience in the world of writing. So if I were to give advice to someone just starting out, just getting their feet wet, what would I say to them?

Be prepared.

Novels do not give birth to themselves, magically springing forth onto the earth. Sure some people have lucky rabbits feet surgically attached to their forehead, writing full novels in 25 days and walking into contracts with Big Six publishers after their first drafts, but it is very, very rare. It takes a lot of guts to work through the mechanics of writing a novel. And a lot of perseverance. Pushing a novel through to success is not an easy task, whatever route you take--self published or traditionally published. Be prepared for a long road ahead.

1. Be prepared to work. Writing a novel is work. Long hours at a keyboard. Emails. Phone calls. Networking. Reading. Research. Editing. Editing. Editing. Numb hands and sore butt cheeks. Sweat, tears and more editing. Writing is a 'profession' for a reason. You have to work at it to be successful.

2. Be prepared to learn. When I started writing--really writing--about eight years ago, I thought I knew everything. Sure, I'm smart. I'll just pop a few words down on paper, send 'em off, and voila! I'm an author! Wow, was I an idiot. My education began then and it is ongoing. Every day of this journey I learn something new. How to format a manuscript for submission. How to get my self-published book into Chapters bookstores. How to build a platform (still working on that!). The dos and don'ts of writing--don't start with a dream, a prologue, a mirror, a purple frog...oh my goodness there are a lot of don'ts (my self-pubbed novel starts with a prologue! Oh horrors!)! The dos and don'ts of querying (made tons of mistakes there, too...). How to make an em dash on Blogger (how the heck do you do that anyway??). The learning does not end. The more I learn, the more I realize I don't know. Each step is another door to learning. Embrace it.

3. Be prepared to spend money. Unless you are fortunate enough to have a superskilled and generous friends, a rich spouse, or an inheritance big enough to pay the bills and then some, don't give up your day job. No matter how skilled you are sooner or later you will need to cough up money to pay someone for their professional services, especially if you are planning to self-publish. Good books take money to produce. If you skimp, it will show. HOWEVER, there are also a whole lot of people out there willing to take your money for sub-standard work or fraudulent reasons. Before you give anyone your money, do your research.

4. Be prepared to step WAY out of your comfort zone. The first time external eyes looked at my first manuscript I was an emotional wreck. My first radio interview was insanity (can you believe I used to aspire to be a TV journalist?). And surprisingly, what I view as my best writing so far was also the hardest to write, because it was an expression of some of my deepest fears and required me to take risks. Stepping out of your comfort zone opens your writing to new possibilities. Take a deep breath and go for it!

5. Be prepared for curveballs. This one became very evident to me last month. After self publishing TREASURE, and months of flogging my new manuscript SKIN to anyone who would listen, I was disheartened and on the verge of going the self pub route with that too (and not because it wasn't good enough...but because I hadn't found the right agent yet). As you now know, I took one last chance at the encouragement of my CP friend Tina, and was thrilled to be offered an agenting agreement with Jennifer Mishler at Literary Counsel! Whodda thunkit? Thanks to my 'why not?' attitude, I made what could potentially be my most valuable publishing connection yet (Yay, Jenn!)! Writing is like that. Sometimes the unplanned is the magic.

6. Be prepared for criticism. The most well-known writers are also the most highly criticized. There are people out there who make a living criticizing writers. If you publish anything, in any way, people will comment and not all comments will be good. Those comments will hurt, but keep going. Highly polished manuscripts go through draft after draft of revisions. My self pubbed novel went through at least six drafts, and probably could have gone through more. Be ready to hear bad things about your writing.

7. Be prepared to SHINE! Conversely, the BEST part about writing is having someone read your stuff and tell you they like it! I am a praise junkie. I eat it up. Every single bit of praise fuels me to write more, do better, learn more and work harder. It's even better (and somewhat shocking) when a complete stranger comes up to me and says "I read your book in an afternoon! I loved it! Please write another!" I grin ear to ear and want to shout out to the world--"DIDJA HEAR THAT? She liked it! She really liked it!" What a wonderful feeling!

Most important of all...If writing is your dream, do not give up. Believe in your writing. Be realistic, and ready for the unexpected, but keep writing. Believe in yourself.

And that, my lovely writing friends, is what it is all about.


Brenda

A Beautiful Life

On Monday of this week, my family and I said goodbye to a wonderful lady. My grandmother, Evelyn Flora Corey who passed away peacefully and surrounded by loved ones on January 3, 2013.

My beautiful grandmother and I

She was ninety-six.

I was asked to say a few words on behalf of her five grandchildren at the funeral, something quick and light, and so I asked my cousins and my siblings about happy memories they had...snapshots of Gram, as we called her, to help others see how special she was. I also spoke with many different people at her wake--some strangers, some friends, some family. What I discovered was one common thread that we will all remember about this amazing, unassuming lady.

She never complained.

From rough lumber camps to high-profile dinners with Members of Parliament, from near poverty to relative wealth...my grandmother was one of a rare breed of people who always saw the good in her situation. Asked to feed twenty strange men...she put a pot on the stove.  When our children came to play on her antique furniture and prized piano...she showed them where the books were and gave them a candy. Asked to leave her home of seventy years...she walked into the nursing home and embraced the social schedule, going to bingos and bell choirs and waiting patiently for her evening cookie. Her glass was always more than half full, it was overflowing.

She loved life, loved people, and was so very proud of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. People I had never met told me of how proud she was of my book, my letters, my family, the photos I'd sent. While I thought I was neglectful of her, never spending enough time, she was singing my praises to anyone who would listen. I'm humbled when I realize how much she endured graciously in relation to my small discomforts that send me spinning.

So this year, instead of New Year's resolutions that I know I'll break, I'm making a personal goal in honour of my beautiful grandmother. It's a simple one, really. I'm going to try to see the good in things like she always did. The operative word is try here, because I know I will fail. I'm going to try to praise my kids and my husband and my siblings and my parents and my friends...instead of looking for their faults. I'm going to search for the positive when things go wrong. And when life requires me to do something I don't want to do...I'm going to think of the little woman who always recognized that sometimes you've just got to get on with it if you want to find the reward at the end.

She's gone to her reward now, and I am so privileged to have been a part of her beautiful life.

Rest in peace Gram. May your legacy live on in those who loved you, including me.

Brenda

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

I'm taking a bit of a break over the next week or so, but just wanted to wish you all the most wonderful of holiday seasons! I hope you have a perfect celebration, whatever you celebrate.  So until next time...Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and all of the best for you and yours in 2013!

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 :)

Last Days to Order (before Christmas)!

Hi All,

Just thought I'd make a gentle reminder that Friday, Dec 7, 2012 is the last day to order TREASURE IN THE FLAME from my blog (via the PayPal button on the right) for guaranteed delivery by Christmas Eve in Canada. Canada Post can be fickle, so better to be safe than sorry! It will still be available from Amazon and many locations across Ontario and New Brunswick, as well as from Smashwords, iBooks, Amazon and B&N in ebook format.

Also, if time isn't an issue for you, you can still use the PayPal method to the right and I'll do my best to get it in the mail ASAP.

For more info click on the 'Where to find Treasure' button on the left above this post.  Thank you so much for your support!

Brenda

NOTE: You can STILL order Treasure, it just may not make it for Christmas.

Christmas is coming!

Christmas preps are in full swing and I've been having a great time sharing my story with others this week! I hired a PR guy (*cough* my husband *cough*) and he has been a huge help in getting the word out to everyone! He even got me a spot in the local paper!

On Thursday morning I was fortunate enough to have a chance to talk to Drew and Diana at Star 97.5 in Kemptville on their morning show! It was a lot of fun chatting about my book and how it came into being. I even left a signed copy for them to give away, so stay tuned if you live in the Kemptville area! You can find out more here.  I also did a taped interview for 1310 news/ Y101 in Ottawa. My PR guy had suggested I call them and set up a time...so I did so from the side of the road on my cell phone. I was completely cought off guard when the call turned into an interview! Y101 covers most of Eastern Ontario...so if you heard it, please know that I was in my truck on the side of the road as I spoke with them. Yeah, I learned my lesson! Always be prepared when talking to the media! I believe they ran it yesterday, and again this morning.

Today, December 1st, I will be signing books from 11:30 to 2:30 at Mirick's Landing in Merrickville as part of Christmas in Merrickville celebrations.  You can find out more here. And tomorrow I will be doing the same thing at the Jack Purcell Centre in Ottawa (just off of Elgin street) as part of the Ottawa Authors and Artisans Fair. Info is here. I'm looking forward to attending both events-- and maybe get some of my Christmas shopping done!

Also a gentle reminder...If you'd like to buy a book off of my website (Paypal button to the right of this post), the best time to do so is before December 7th. I can't guarantee that the books will get there before Christmas if you order later than that, and I'd hate for it to arrive late!

Hope you are all enjoying the build up to the holiday season. I'm really looking forward to spending some time with my favourite people in the world...my family...as the big day approaches. And maybe even read a book that I didn't write! Any good suggestions? 

Brenda