Stuff I Learned Recently to Make me a Better Writer/Marketer

At my day gig, we finished annual reviews, and now we’re working on our developmental goals for the next review cycle. (I’m doing an Agile certification.) All this made me think about what I had learned lately about writing and book promo that I can share.

1. From a writers’ group (Guppies) from Sisters in Crime, I learned from Mary Feliz how to make 3D graphics of your book covers with DIY Book Design.

2. I took an online class a few weeks back with Tiffany Yates Martin ( “The Biggest Mistakes Writers Make”) . My biggest take-away was NOT to rush the tension in your scenes. Maximize it, and build suspense for your reader. I went back and rewrote some scenes in my WIP.

3. I learned about the “Air Drop” feature in my iPhone’s camera app. When you select to send a picture option, you can select this (the icon is above the text/email icons) and people (with iPhones) who are nearby you at the moment can be selected. Their names pop up and you can send a picture. I tried it in a restaurant last night at dinner, and it gave me an idea for a future story.

4. I downloaded a free version of Hootsuite. It is great for scheduling Facebook and Instagram posts. One nice feature is the template sizes for pictures. It helps you keep your images scaled for maximum visibility on the different social media sites.

5. Podcasts - Who knew they were so much fun? I have ventured into the world of audio. My favorite is NPR’s “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me.” I listen to that every week. I love the improv and the humor. I also like Holly and Tracy’s “Stuff You Missed in History Class.” They have some wonderful snippets from the past. They are great story tellers, and the topics often inspire some ideas. I also like “Grammar Girl’s” quick and dirty tips.

What did you learn this week that you can share?

#ThisorThatThursday - Welcome, Jodi Rath!

I’d like to welcome mystery writer, Jodi Rath, to the blog today for #ThisorThatThursday. She is the author of the Cast Iron Skillet Mysteries.

A few of your favorite things:  My husband, cats, books, my murder board, all my screens (phone, tablet, monitor, and surface pro), kickboxing bag, yoga mat, cast iron skillets, my business.

Things you need to throw out: hmmm….some would say books BUT NO WAY! LOL  Probably shoes and clothes—I have too much!

Things you need for your writing sessions: murder board (which is really a whiteboard), yarn to map out the plot on murder board, pictures—visuals of places in my fictional village Leavensport, OH, my style sheet or chart of characters, plot points, and settings to keep everything in order, computer, paper, pen, pencil, books for research, my cats, cup of hot or cold tea and dumdum suckers while I work.

Things that hamper your writing: social media—HA!

Things you love about writing: Everything!

Things you hate about writing: Nothing!

Hardest thing about being a writer: Probably the second and third drafts before finalizing for publishing
Easiest thing about being a writer: Planning, plotting, first draft.

Words that describe you: feisty, sassy, determined, motivated, grit

Words that describe you, but you wish they didn’t: a bit obsessive-compulsive, perfectionist, control-freak

Favorite foods: most anything in cast iron skillet

Things that make you want to gag:  oysters

Favorite music or song: 60’s and 80’s music mainly—but I love most music

Music that drives you crazy: country

Favorite smell: pumpkin/cinnamon spice
Something that makes you hold your nose: skunk smell

Things you’d walk a mile for: chocolate or really good New York style pizza

Things that make you want to run screaming from the room: Snakes or alligators

Things you always put in your books: cats and characters that are similar to my family and friends and my frenemies over the ages
Things you never put in your books: abuse of animals

Things to say to an author: “I’m a fan.”
Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: “Write faster or Can I get it for free?”

Favorite places you’ve been: Home
Places you never want to go to again: Most anywhere other than home!

Favorite books (or genre): Mystery
Books you wouldn’t buy: I’m not into fantasy.

Things that make you happy: My husband, my cats, my business which is a lot of research, writing, and art.
Things that drive you crazy: Hypocrite, liars, manipulators

Best thing you’ve ever done: marrying my husband and our cat family
Biggest mistake: don’t believe in them. I’ve done a lot wrong, but I learn from it—so therefore, how much of a mistake can it be. That’s the educator in me talking.

Most daring thing you’ve ever done: race car driving in CA at Laguna Seca
Something you chickened out from doing: I got my brown belt in kickboxing—one away from black and never got the black belt.

About Jodi:

Moving into her second decade working in education, Jodi Rath has decided to begin a life of crime in her The Cast Iron Skillet Mystery Series. Her passion for both mysteries and education led her to combine the two to create her business MYS ED, where she splits her time between working as an adjunct for Ohio teachers and creating mischief in her fictional writing. She currently resides in a small, cozy village in Ohio with her husband and her eight cats.

Let’s Be Social:

The Cast Iron Skillet Mystery Series - Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread Murder

Welcome to Leavensport, Ohio where DEATH takes a delicious turn!

Financial fraud of elderly villagers in Leavensport, an urban sprawl threat to the community, disastrous dates, cross-sell marketing gone wrong, and another murder? Jolie Tucker is ready to try dating again. Well, she has no choice—since her family auctioned her off to the highest bidder. Her best friend, Ava, has agreed to a double date, but both friends find out hidden secrets about their partners as well as deception by one of the village’s own, who will soon be found dead. This plot is sure to be spicy!

Amazon: http://authl.it/B07Q1K4DN3

All other e-platforms: https://books2read.com/u/bOAYyK

Newsletter link to A Mystery A Month—sign up for my monthly newsletter to receive a free Mystery a Month and a chance to win prizes for those who guess the right answers! http://eepurl.com/dIfXdb

Website: www.jodirath.com 

FB Author page: @authorjodirath

Twitter: @jodirath

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jodi-rath

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard

Tips for Authors Who Collaborate

I am eternally grateful for all of my talented writer friends who have provided ideas and support to me through the years. Writing is often a lonely endeavor, and I believe that writers need a peer group. I’m a part of three writing groups and a slew of collaborative efforts.

Here are some examples of partnering and some tips that could help as you decide on future projects.

Book Signings - There is nothing lonelier than sitting at a table at a book signing by yourself. (You get a lot of questions about the location of the bathroom and whether or not something is on sale.) We can introduce our readers to new authors when we share opportunities. Plus, it’s a party when authors get together and hang out. I often carpool with other authors to events outside of Central Virginia. Road trip!

Anthology Collections - I like to participate in anthologies. I usually write mystery novels, and these projects give me a chance to experiment with short stories. Read the rules/requirements before you submit. We’ve had requirements like all participants will help promote the book.

Make sure you know about your rights. Are they returned after a certain amount of time? Can you republish the story later? If you’re under contract, make sure that any new projects don’t conflict.

Is a contract required? Is there a contract? Do you have to pay for anything? Are you expected to buy and sell books? Make sure that you’re clear on all the legalities and the money before you sign up.

Many times, I submit a story to be part of the collection. It is another writing credit for the author, and you meet and network with lots of authors. I don’t go into these projects with the thought of making lots of money. But, I’ve been fortunate to be a part of several successful anthologies where I did make money either on split royalties or selling copies of the book.

Pay it Forward - I try to support other authors where I can. One easy way is to like, comment, and share their stuff on social media. If you like someone’s book, tell others and leave a review. Reviews do matter to authors. I also attend author events and buy books. One of my author friends always buys a book and gives it away on her blog. There are lots of little things you can do to help others.

Blogs - I do a lot of guest blog posts, interviews, and podcasts. I also have a blog, Pens, Paws, and Claws, where I blog with some fun writers. (I also offer author interview spots on this blog #ThisorThatThursday or #WriterWednesdays on PP&C. Message me if you’re interested.)

When you do Social Media Parties, Facebook Hops, Blog Collaborations, or other joint projects, make sure you understand what money is required up front. Ask about the time commitment. Your time is valuable.

I love collaborative opportunities. Just make sure you have all the pertinent information before you start. And remember, friendship is friendship, but business is business.

#ThisorThatThursday: Welcome, Jayne Ormerod

I’d like to welcome Jayne Ormerod to the blog for my inaugural #ThisorThatThursday author interview. I gave the authors a series of questions in pairs and asked them to tell us about themselves.

A few of your favorite things: Almost all food and wine; a good book on a rainy day; a walk on the shore in any weather; and dogs. If I had a big enough yard, I would be that “crazy dog lady.”

Things you need to throw out: I have a lot of clothes I need to throw out, partly because I bought on-line and the sizing/quality was way off and it was too much of a hassle to return. My spice rack could do with a good cleaning out, too. I used one spice the other day that had a Use By date of 2001.

Things you need for your writing sessions: My laptop. I just can’t write the old-fashioned way. I edit as I go, which requires lots of deleting and moving of text.

Things that hamper your writing: My puppy laying his head on my laptop while I am writing. He is QUITE the snuggler, and my new laptop has a touch screen that is sensitive to dog noses and I’ve found stuff deleted.

Things you love about writing: Plotting!  I love to noodle up a good plot!

Things you hate about writing: The additional 62,000 words needed to flesh out the plot and turn in into a story! 

 Favorite music or song: Carolina Shag music!

Music that drives you crazy: Rap. I can’t understand the words and it always sounds so angry to me. Not relaxing.

 Favorite beverage: Diet coke and wine (not together of course!)
Something that gives you a sour face: Bad milk. (you’d think at my age I’d know better than to smell it after it’s expiration date!)

 Favorite smell: Coq au vin simmering in the oven. Mmm-mmm. Now that’s good eating!
Something that makes you hold your nose: The smell of fish at the fish counter at my grocery store. It literally makes me gag.

 Something you’re really good at: Few people know that I took 12 years of piano lessons. “Moon River” is my favorite song to play. It was my mother’s favorite song.  
Something you’re really bad at: Anything athletic.

The last thing you ordered online: Large, thin crust mushroom, chicken, red onion and spinach pizza from Pizza Hut.

The last thing you regret buying: This thing for my dog that is supposed to control barking by squirting citronella oil in his face when he barks too much. I haven’t even opened the package.

 Things you always put in your books: Food and drink.
Things you never put in your books: Putting dogs (or any animal) in danger! I do love it when they burst on stage and save the day, though!

 Things to say to an author: “I didn’t want the book to end!”
Things to say to an author if you want to be fictionally killed off in their next book: “You missed a quotation mark on the second sentence of the third paragraph on page 79.” (Trust me, I didn’t do that on purpose!  Stuff happens during the editing process. I hate it when it does, but it’s a reality of being a published author.)

 Favorite places you’ve been: Perhaps I have romanticized the small town I grew up in, but I love going back to my hometown of Chagrin Falls, Ohio.
Places you never want to go to again: A rock concert. Too many people. Too expensive. Too loud. And WAAAYYY past my bedtime.

 The coolest person you’ve ever met: Sue Grafton. It was the happiest Happy Hour of my life!

The celebrity who didn’t look like he/she did in pictures/video: Jessica Fletcher, the author of the Murder, She Wrote series, mostly because the author was really a ghost writer by the name of Donald Bain. (He also was the ghost writer for Margret Truman’s Capitol Crime series. He doesn’t look like her, either! 😊 )

About Jayne: Jayne Ormerod grew up in a small Ohio town then went on to a small-town Ohio college. Upon earning her degree in accountancy, she became a CIA (that’s not a sexy spy thing, but a Certified Internal Auditor.) She married a naval officer and off they sailed to see the world. After nineteen moves, they, along with their two rescue dogs Tiller and Scout, have settled into a cozy cottage by the sea. Jayne is the author of the Blonds at the Beach Mysteries, The Blond Leading the Blond, and Blond Luck, as well as a dozen other short stories and novellas. Her most recent releases are Goin’ Coastal and "It's a Dog Gone Shame!" in To Fetch a Thief.

Let’s Be Social:

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What Did You Do for Your Writing Journey This Week?

We moved in May, so we’ve been doing a lot of unpacking, rearranging, and house projects lately. (That seems to be all that we do lately.) My work life is in software testing and IT governance. I’m a list maker, and I like to see milestones and progress in all kinds of projects, including my writing. Sometimes, it feels like little or no forward motion has been made. I was thinking about it last week, so I decided to make a list to see what I had actually been working on.

1. Sent the next Mutt Mystery novella to the last beta reader in the collection.

2. Edited a short story for a future anthology submission.

3. Took Tiffany Yates Martin’s “The Biggest Mistakes Writers Make” webinar.

4. Added a new feature to the blog that will start July 17. It’s called #ThisorThatThursday. It will be a fun way to showcase some really cool authors. (I sent them a list of pairs of things, and they have to tell us about each one. Check it out next week.)

5. Sent my cozy WIP to a fabulous editor and beta reader.

6. Am editing my third Delanie novel in hopes of sending that to the editor next week.

7. Read the first 50 pages of a friend’s manuscript and sent comments. I’m excited about her progress on her novel!

8. Learned how to use Hootsuite to schedule Instagram and Facebook posts.

9. Added new folks to my street team and newsletter lists.

So even though I didn’t write 4,000 words a day, I did make some progress this week. What would you add to your list? And if you find yourself off track (or just enjoying the summer), don’t beat yourself up. Figure out a plan and start.

Feedback - Gift? or Something Else?

Through the years at work, we’ve done dozens of 360-degree evaluations and feedback surveys. When I taught, the college did professor reviews at the end of each semester. I used to get butterflies (or bats) in my stomach before I had to read them. (One student didn’t like my red shoes.)

One of our HR folks once said that feedback wasn’t something to dread — but a gift. I valued the comments more when I thought about them in those terms.

It’s hard as a writer to hand over your work. You know the one that you sweated over, nurtured, and loved for months or years. You created it, and it’s part of you. And someone is going to call your baby ugly or poke holes in your plot.

I think beta readers and critique groups are invaluable. You want to catch errors (preferably while you can still change them). You also want to catch story problems before an agent, editor, or publisher sees it and rejects your submission.

I tend to make boo boos when I’m making edits. I try to be super careful, but it’s always good to have another set of eyes go through your draft. I’m notorious for leaving off the second quotation mark.

My critique group reads fifty pages from each submitter a month, and sometimes, it’s hard for them to remember scenes, clues, or red herrings after several months pass. I always find a beta reader or two to read the entire draft like a reader. Family members are great, but they often don’t give you the nitty gritty feedback that you need.

It took me a while to get used to critique group. All of the feedback and suggestions were overwhelming at first. Sometimes, I’d get notes and suggestions from nine different people with nine sets of different ideas. I took notes while they talked about my submission, and then I’d wait a day or two to go through all of it. I print off a copy of the submission and make all the notes on that copy. It’s easier to see contradictions in the suggestions. And just because someone suggested something, doesn’t mean you have to change it.

When you look for a critique group or beta readers, make sure they are made up of people who are familiar with your genre or subgenre. They will know the conventions and preferences of the readers. You can get value from readers of other genres, but you have to be careful. Most of their feedback is centered around what they know, and conventions for a cozy mystery aren’t the same for a romance novel or a spy thriller.

A good critique or beta reader will point out typos, plot holes, confusing items, and inconsistencies like a name that didn’t get changed in all instances or the fact that your character ate lunch twice in one chapter.

I have certain phrases or words that I tend to overuse. I make a list, and I search for them when I’m editing. But readers are great for circling over-used words. Somethings are spotted better by others who aren’t as close to your manuscript.

Writing is hard work. You’re putting your creation out there, and you don’t know how readers will react. I love my early readers and value their comments and ideas. And they help me deliver a better book.

What Books Influenced You?

I acquired my first library card when I was four, and I knew that this was something. I had the power to choose books and take them home to read. My grandmother always said that books were your friends. I have a lot of friends. Just ask the movers. The majority of the boxes from the last move were filled with books. I was thinking about all the books that have influenced me as a person and a writer over the years, and I started making a list on one of my long commutes. Here’s what I’ve come up with so far…

Childhood

• Bible Stories

• The Monster at the End of the Book (Grover is still my favorite Muppet.)

• Green Eggs and Ham (I checked this out of the Woodstock Elementary Library as often as I could.)

• Charlotte’s Web

• The Biography of Walt Disney

• The Wind in the Willows

Elementary/Middle School

• The Crooked Banister (and all the other Nancy Drew books)

• The Hardy Boys series

• Agatha Christie’s books

• The One-Minute Mysteries (There’s definitely a pattern here.)

• Stories by O’Henry

• Alfred Hitchcock Mysteries

• The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

• Anything by Edgar Allan Poe

I started reading scary or woo woo stories in middle school. I read Jaws one summer and avoided the beach. Then I checked out The Amityville Horror from the library and started it. I woke up in the middle of the night, and the cover was glowing. I threw it out in the hall and promptly returned it to the library. (I think the light was bouncing off the foiled cover, but I wasn’t taking any chances. I still don’t know how it ends.)

High School/College/Grad School

• The Great Gatsby

• The Sun Also Rises

• To Kill a Mockingbird

• Animal Farm

• Hamlet

• Gulliver’s Travels

• The Great Gatsby

• The Bell Jar

• Pride and Prejudice

• Jane Eyre

• Wuthering Heights

• Their Eyes Were Watching God

• Poetry by Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, and Gwendolyn Brooks

• The Scarlet Letter

• The Call of the Wild

• Oliver Twist

• Moby Dick

• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

I have a BA and an MA in American literature. (I got to go to school to read books. The perfect setup.) The best class I ever took was Dr. Magnuson’s “Detective Fiction.” He introduced us to the literary conventions, the genre, and a variety of authors. And that’s where I fell in love with hard boiled, detective novels.

I also took children’s literature as an undergrad, and it was fun to see how things had changed since I was in that demographic. By then, Nancy Drew had undergone a makeover, and she now drove a Mustang and dated boys other than Ned Nickerson. YA was just starting to evolve then, and it has exploded over the years.

What’s your favorite genre? What’s on your list?

Writing (and Life) Advice from the Fuzzy Muses

My two crazy Jack Russell Terriers (Terrors) are great companions and guard dogs. They protect us from countless squirrels, birds, and joggers. Each has a bed in my office, and they help me plot mysteries and listen while I talk through dialogue (if they’re not napping).

Here are some things I’ve learned from them.

1.    Enjoy what you do. If not, find something else to spend your time on. There are way too many interesting things to see, eat, sniff, or bark at.

2.    Don’t waste a beautiful day inside. Go outside and have some fun.

3.    Wag and make friends. Relationships are important.

4.    Don’t sit at your desk too long. Everybody needs a break.

5.    Just go for it. If you want something, grab it. They don’t waste time over-analyzing things.

6.    Bark if you really need to, but not too much.

7.    Make sure you nap when you need to. You need to recharge.

8.    Live in the moment. Don’t stress about what has happened or what might happen.

9.    Play hard. Life shouldn’t be all work. EVERYTHING is a game to a Jack Russell.