The morning of Saturday, May 25th I woke before
my alarm. By 6:30 a.m., I was in the truck headed for the ferry. I was
excited—but not nervous. This surprised me. I’m used to talking to one or two
people at a time, in a few hours I would be talking to a room full. But the day
wasn’t all about me—there were other panels, other panellists.
Here’s what I heard…
Panel 1: Moving from
Idea to Draft
-When conducting research, experts (such as police officers)
are helpful—especially if you send them an introductory letter stating what
information you want to collect.
An attendee asked:
If your story is based on a true event, how do you avoid being legible?
Answer: Mask the
facts and consult with a lawyer.
There was discussion about plotter or panster. Most present
did some type of outlining before writing.
Advice: -Write the
first draft then fix it.
There was discussion about how to make the outlining process
easier.
-mind mapping
-mind mapping using Post-it notes
-mind mapping using a whiteboard
-mind mapping using the computer program Scribner
Editors have said that…
-readers want to be in a place
-readers want to learn something
While researching, the Internet provides only a broad overview; therefore, consider purchasing books and consulting experts.
An attendee asked:
Should an author be able to play with the facts?
Answer: The author
should ask herself, “Could this happen?”
If the answer is yes—go for it.
-In writing scenes, instead of trying to account for every
minute only write the important scenes.
-You should start the scene with one set of feelings and end
it with a different set.
-Beware of sagging middles.
-Each scene should move the story forward.
Food for thought: An
eight-year-old said, “I like this book. I just think the author told too much
of it.”
Panel 2: Handling
Common Problems in Plot, Character, and Style
-Beware of using local places as the setting for negative
events.
-If you’re becoming bored with the story bring in a bad boy
or girl.
-Read (lots of) books like an author. When you encounter
characters ask yourself why you like/dislike them.
-Feel free to build a character that is a composite of real
people.
When building a character start by asking yourself:
What do they look like?
How do they act?
Where do they work?
Then go deeper…
What are their hopes, dreams, fears…
-Once you understand your character outside and in you can
bring them to life on the page.
-When you’re working on a series develop a character bible
for each character—main and minor.
When building a character
-avoid making them too quirky—you want believable characters
-avoid making them too stereotypical
-be careful how you age your character
-ensure that there is continuity
-secondary characters shouldn't overshadow—if they begin to
reign them in.
-don’t have too many characters. Ensure that each has a
purpose.
-find your own style
-your words should flow naturally
-use your own voice
-aim for rhythm in your writing
-as the writer matures so does her writing
-don’t let your setting take over
(much thanks to Kay Stewart for taking this photo)
Panel 3: Marketing
Your Work
I sat down feeling confident. I looked out at the attendees
and immediately felt nervous. All those old stories about how I couldn’t read
began attacking me. I was tired so I tripped and fell over some words. This
made me feel embarrassed. Still, I knew I wanted to be there; I wanted to be a panellist. This is an important part of building my author career. It’s
just hard for me—that’s all. But it’s been my experience that the more I
challenge myself the easier things become.
I plan to share my speech with you—in a future post, so
watch for that.
Robin Spano spoke eloquently about Twitter, Facebook, and
Goodreads. She said that Twitter allows participants to interact with one another and, for this reason, Twitter serves as an excellent tool for networking.
She explained that Goodreads has a blog and is an excellent way to promote the books that you've enjoyed reading.
Since Robin spoke I’ve had an opportunity to become more
involved with Facebook. I like it because through it I feel like a
member of a community.
Twitter and Facebook are more immediate—brief messages sent
quickly—than blogging. But what works best for me is having an opportunity to
think before I write. I also like having a home base where I draw readers while engaging with them online. Blogging also helps escape the "time-suck" that other forms of social networking create. Basically, I used my panel time to promote the virtues of blogging.
One of the marketing ideas Phyllis Smallman recommended, which I hope to eventually
use, is Skype. Imagine being able to do an interactive presentation to a
global audience.
Award winning author, Phyllis Smallman, lives on Salt Spring Island, B.C. but spends the winter months in Florida where her books are set. Her fifth book, Highball Exit, comes out in the fall of 2012.
"Smallman...is at the top of her game in this fast-paced tale." Globe and Mail
Phyllis Smallman writes...
Marketing Creativity
It
doesn’t matter if you paint, knit or write books like I do; you need to be able
to sell your product the same as Kraft needs to sell their cheese. How do we go
about that? Here are some quick tips that may help you.
1.You
need to be able to speak about your work so go to Toastmasters and learn to be
a great public speaker. You’ll have fun
and it’s the quickest way to put yourself at ease in front of an audience. More
than that, they will become part of your marketing platform.
2. Have
a good talk with yourself and decide what type of marketing you are most
comfortable doing. For me that means
not hand selling books at fairs, festivals or signings, but I’m happy to hand
out bookmarks.
3. Build
a platform with a community of like minded people. Join guilds, art groups and associations to increase your fan
base and provide new ideas and marketing opportunities. I belong to Crime
Writers of Canada, Mystery Writers of America and Florida Writers Assoc.
4. Give
stuff away. In my case, I put up free
short stories where e-books are sold.
When you download a short story of mine there is a few chapters of one
of my books attached at the end. Bitty And The Naked Ladies has been
downloaded about 30,000 times. Write articles about the work you do and offer
them to on-line magazines. This is a way to get your name out there and gain
authenticity. If you give people
information, you create fans and followers. My articles have appeared in Omni
magazine and in Spinetingler.
I
send out a newsletter once a year, when I have a new book out, to update
readers on what’s happening and to remind them that I’m still writing. I
include any new publishing events, awards or books. For instance, I won a
bronze medal from Independent Publishers this spring. That will go in my fall newsletter to announce my new book, Long
Gone Man, coming out in Sept from Touch Wood. To receive newsletters,
which you can use as a template, go to www.phyllissmallman.com and I’ll add you to the list.
This
is the most important point. You want
people to like you. Don’t annoy them. Don’t over-send things to them, don’t
over-invite them to events, don’t over social media them and most importantly,
don’t always make it about you. Be nice.
Mystery Mini Chats followed the panel discussions. It was an opportunity for readers and authors to engage in dialogue about books.
