Flooding the market with trash?

I recently read an article about the way self-publishing was allowing the market to become awash with poor writers producing sub-standard work that would never normally see the light of day  This article has plagued me for some time now.  Some good points were made and we have to acknowledge that not all writers are going to be good enough to retire to their country estate and watch the world go by based on the profits from the sales of their books, but should that really be a reason to stop writing?
Both the Prudence books are so far down on the Amazon bestseller list that they are not even a blip on the horizon, so should I just call it quits and find some other 'hobby'?
I have to admit that since becoming a part of this merry band of sub-standard writers I have been amazed by just how many others there are out there following the same path as me. Actually it's a little bit scary just how much competition there is out there!
So what makes us carry on?  We have two, three or more books out there that are going nowhere fast, why write more?  I suppose we have to examine the reasons why we write.  I can't speak for everyone else of course, but here is a little insight into why I will probably never stop.
Firstly it is something I have always done and when I say always I mean just that.  I first started making up stories when I was very young for my two brothers.  I then progressed on to making up episodes for my favourite t.v. shows.  These rarely got as far as being written down (obviously no computers back then - I am that old!), but it allowed me to carry on story time in my head even after 'lights out'!  As I got older I started writing down scraps of ideas for stories on any bits of paper I could get hold of.  I was pretty average at school but English literature and language were always my favourite and my strongest subjects.
I didn't actually finish a complete novel until the mid 1990's after having started the story shortly after I got married in 1981.  I found it the other day, hidden away in a cupboard and long forgotten.  to be honest that is where it should have stayed; it was rubbish.  The story itself was not bad and there were no gaping plot holes or anything like that, it was just that it was very poorly written and most of the characters were a little wooden and 'samey'.  However the very fact that I can look at it now and see my mistakes means that I have grown as a writer; that I have learned along the way and hopefully will continue to do so.  Still, I can not forget the feeling I got when I finally got the thing finished; the excitement, the sense of achievement, it was amazing.
And, that is the feeling I get whenever I write.  That is why I write.  Remember in a previous post I referred to this quote; 'if you can't find the book you want to read on the shelf, write it.'?  That's what I'm doing and I suppose this is the crux of why I'm writing; it's not really for anyone else it's just for me.  If anyone else wants to share the journey with me well that's great, there's plenty of room, hop on board, but if you don't that's fine too, there are plenty of others out there to hitch a ride with.
I think that probably the person who wrote the article that has prompted this post could be slightly missing the point of why most of us write.  I, for one am never going to set the world on fire with my literary genius, but I don't think that has ever been my intention, it is just that it is so much a part of me, so ingrained that I just don't think I could turn my back on it now, or ever.  Even if I did, a lot of my idea's come from dreams that I've had so if I did try to make a conscious effort to stop writing I don't think my sub-conscious would give up without a fight!
So my message today,
as always:

Don't be negative
Keep writing
Stay happy

Kim

The first draft

The first draft - surely the best part of writing?  This is where you can have all the fun; this is where you can get all those ideas down and worry about whether they're right or not later.  This has got to be the easiest part of the whole writing process, right?

Well it should be.  Of course it doesn't always work out that way. In a previous post I mentioned how I deliberated over a particular chapter and whether or not it should be included in the book, now when I look back I realise I should have ditched all the deliberation and just gone with it.  There would be plenty of time during the re-writing and editing process to decide whether it should stay or not.  Sometimes, also you've got to see it in print before you really get to feel whether it's right for the story and you can't do that unless you write it!
The first draft should all be about getting the bones of the story down, getting a feel for the basic outline.  Adding the flesh comes later!  Too much pondering at this stage is a bit of a waste of time.  Just get that first draft done and then you can pontificate all you like!  After all, the first draft is never, ever, ever, ever the final edit, so go for it, write from the heart and let it all come out.

I suppose you could argue that the more time you spend on the first draft, the less time you'll need in the editing, and as some writers seem to find this the worst part  this may be a good thing.  Personally I quite enjoy the fleshing out and fine tuning part.  I find it quite satisfying somehow, although I am still guilty of spending too much time worrying about the first draft.  It's hard not to sometimes.  This is your little creation, you want it to be perfect!
 The thing to remember is that there are lot's of parts of the self publishing process that are really difficult and not a lot of fun - like marketing, still not really doing all that I should here - so we need to make the most of the fun bits.  Enjoy your first draft; no one is going to see it but you; no one is going to judge it but you and you will know best whether you have achieved what you set out to do.

Happy writing!

Kim

Dark and Light - creating a balance

I have just written probably one of the most difficult chapters of the Prudence trilogy so far.  I had deliberated over it for so long, but somehow the story just couldn't seem to move forward without this happening; I had to kill one of the characters.  I now feel dreadful!  I invested so much emotional energy into getting this chapter right and I'm hoping that they way I now feel is just an indication that I got the feel of subject as I wanted it.  The whole of the Prudence saga has so far been written from Prudence's point of view and so how this death effected her was really important.  The character in question had been with Prudence since the beginning of the first book and so was someone she had come to rely on; someone she believed would always be there.

How Prudence deals with this death adds to an already sombre mood to the beginning of the last book.  The city and palace of Ealdhun are under siege and food stocks are running out.  Tempers are starting to fray and an air of tension and only slightly subdued panic is beginning to build. Add to this the tragedy of the death of a very dear friend and Prudence's world has suddenly become a very dark place.

Like I said it was important to get the feel of this subject right, but it was also important not to become too depressing.  This is not a gritty true life drama it is an older children's fantasy story and so I felt I needed something to counter the darkness.  It actually turned out to be quite easy to do this. Although as I have said the whole of the story has so far been written from Prudence's view point at the end of the second book it became necessary to write also from another characters perspective.  Prudence and Rupert are separated from Sam and Maggie by a prophecy that leads them on different ventures, and whilst Sam's and Maggie's story is not quite as dark as that of Prudence and Rupert, it is none the less adventurous.  Sam and Maggie also have the advantage of having Emrys the wizard and Bob the dragon with them and the banter between these two will always add a little humour into the narrative. The relationship between Emrys and Bob whilst a vital part of the story also allows me to pit two somewhat eccentric characters against each other.  They both have a grudging respect for the other, but often differ on how things should be done - much to the frustration of those around them.  They are the perfect foil against any dark element in the story.

I hope I have managed to get the balance right.  I have spent so long on this that I have (once again) fallen behind schedule with my writing.  I know, I'm rubbish with schedules!  I really don't know why I bother!  Anyway this is just a little update.  I'm not going to say when I'm expecting to have this third volume ready for publishing because you and I both know that I will not stick to it!
So I will just keep you updated on here with progress reports on this and my other projects.

Kim

Taking the positives from the rejections

Rejection is something that all authors have to deal with at one point or another, but for a new author struggling to get their work recognised it can be so deflating, so demoralising.  We can cope with perhaps one or two by just brushing them aside, but three or four - twenty?  It is so hard not to think 'oh what's the point?' and give up.
So, can there possibly be anything positive to take from the many rejections?  I believe there is.

Firstly, anything that comes too easily to us is never appreciated in quite the same way as something we have had to struggle and strive for.  It's hard at the time of the struggling and striving, but when you finally get there - well that feeling just needs to be bottled!  Remember as a kid learning to swim?  Ride a bike?  Watching all the other kids doing with ease what you're finding so difficult to grasp?
It's the same with anything we desperately want we've got to be prepared to face the obstacles and keep on trying to overcome them: persistence is the key.

Also, remember that you are not alone; others are going through exactly the same struggle, so find some way to connect with them and share their experiences.  Social media is great for this and if you are a self publisher use the forums provided.

But, the biggest way to deal with rejection is to look at all those best selling authors who were at one point in exactly the same position as you.  J. K. Rowling didn't give up and accept the rejections!
Publishers and Agents are like any other business - they need to be able to make money.  It doesn't matter how good your book is, how well written, if they don't feel there is a market for it you're hit with the rejection stamp without a second thought!  It's not always that your work is rubbish, not worthy of print, a lot of the time it's because it's different.  It's not what is trending at the time. This is good!  Be original!  Don't try to be the next J.K. Rowling because you never will.  For me the biggest part of the charm of the Harry Potter books was their originality.  They were just so different from anything else that was about at the time. Their uniqueness unfortunately earned them many a rejection, but in the end that same uniqueness helped them sell in their millions.

Another obstacle to your success as far as publishers are concerned is that you're not already 'famous'.  You don't have a name that will sell.  How many books out there that are written by already 'famous' people would have avoided the rejection stamp if they had been written by you or I?  This may not appear to be a positive, but it is.  It means there is hope.  If you read a book and think, genuinely mine is as good as that,then that is a positive.

And finally, always always always counter any rejection with any positive reviews for your work.  At the end of the day it's what the reader thinks not the businessman/publisher!  If you have a small audience that love your work that audience will inevitably grow.  They will talk.  They will recommend. They will sell your book better than anyone else!

Keep positive!

Kim

Dealing with distractions........or not

I have been wondering if I'm the only person that this happens to; you get a precious couple of hours to yourself to sit down and actually get those ideas that have been running around in your head for so long into format, but as soon as you do those niggling little voices start..............shouldn't you be dusting, hoovering, washing up, weeding the garden?  Ok, easy solution to that - do all that stuff first!  The trouble with this is then those precious couple of hours you had to yourself have suddenly disappeared and you haven't written a word!
My biggest niggle is the one that insists after a full day at work, and all that entails that I am then too tired to write. I've been looking forward to coming home to do just that and then as soon as I sit down at my laptop the little niggle insists that nah, you're way too tired to concentrate, just give it up.
Too often I give in to the niggle and end up falling asleep.  I then wake up the next morning really frustrated with myself that I've let another evening slip by without doing anything and am determined to not do it again................right?

So, I've been experimenting with a few things to get my focus back and banish the niggle.  Here are some of the things that seem to be working for now:

1. Reading - if I loose myself in a good book, preferably something along the same lines as the stuff I'm writing this seems to silence the niggle.  At the moment I'm re-reading the Harry Potter books to help me get into the fantasy mind-set that I need for Prudence.

2. Listening to some suitable music.  Depending on what is happening in your narrative the right kind of music can be so inspiring.  Music has always been one of the biggest sources of inspiration for me as I believe I may have mentioned in a previous post, and it never fails to stir the creative juices!  Of course, it has to be the right kind of music in order to create the right mood.  For instance, at the moment Prudence is in a particularly tight spot and is about to face a fierce battle to defend the capital city of Ealdhun, so listening to something light and frivolous is hardly going to create the right atmosphere for the tension and drama I am trying to portray.

3.  Going for a walk.  It's summer, which means nice, light, long evenings, so sometimes it's just nice to  switch off and get out in the fresh air - particularly when you've been stuck indoors at work all day.  This is not something I have tried for a while as at the moment nos. 1 and 2 seem to be working pretty well, but it is something I've done in the past to get my focus back.

As you have probably gathered by now if you have read my previous posts, discipline is not one of my greatest features.  Writing can be a terrible series of highs and lows.  It can also be a tad lonely; it's not a 'team sport' and when you hit one of those lows and the niggles start to take over and hold you down it's hard sometimes to talk yourself back into a more positive frame of mind and get you back on track with your writing.

So on that somewhat depressing note (sorry!)  I would love to hear your ideas for keeping your focus whilst writing.

Kim

More reflections and ruminations

I recently ran a promotion for the first volume of the The Chronicles of Prudence series and whilst I was pleased with the result of the promotion it did highlight a few things that I hadn't really noticed about the sales of my books so far.

For those of you who don't know anything about the books it is a children's fantasy story spread over three volumes and is aimed at an age group from about eleven to fourteen.  I would like to also think that like many other childrens books it also appeals to an older audience too.  The story centres around Prudence and tells of her life and struggles from unknown orphan to princess and rightful heir to a throne taken from her father shortly after she was born.  Prudence is a fairy. She lives in a magical world that we in our world would perhaps know best as Avalon; a world that an ancient english king and his noble knights once fought hard to protect from human jealousies and misunderstandings.
It is then, very much a tale based on old english folklore with Arthur and his knights forming a very important backdrop to the story.

So getting back to the promotion, a few things became obvious when I reviewed the sales during this promotional period. First and foremost Prudence seems to be a lot more popular abroad than she is in the UK.  This surprised me at first but the more I thought about it the more I realised that what so many visitors to this country seem to find so appealing about us is our history and heritage, and that this is perhaps what drew them to the book.  However, during the whole three day promotion only one copy was sold in the UK!  Hmmm..............

So, if my theory is correct and the attraction of the book was the quintessential englishness of the subject then is it that we here in Blighty are just a little bit  blase about our heritage?   Is it something we're a little too used to and it's a bit 'old hat'.

Perhaps I'm just over-analyzing and  it was simply that the promotion for the offer on twitter and Goodreads (Both bigger in the US) had a greater reach than other stuff that I did to advertise.  It's very difficult because knowing what attracts someone to your book helps with knowing how to promote it; the more you know the easier it is.  And, when you're a novice like me you need all the help you can get! (Still not liking this whole 'having to promote your work' thing!)

Also it is clear that everyone loves a bargain - me included - so I would just like to say that if you have been living on another planet over the last week and missed all my incessant plugging about the promotion, you may like to know that both the first two volumes of the chronicles of Prudence are available to borrow on kindle for free.  So if you would like to take a look, or if you're thinking of buying the paperback for a little person you know you can check it out before you buy!  How good is that!

Kim

A little Celebration!

As I have just started, within the last few days the final volume in the 'Chronicles of Prudence' trilogy, I thought I would mark the occasion with a little celebratory offer!   From Monday 20th July to Wednesday 22nd July the first volume in the series, 'The Gatekeeper' is available for free download on Kindle.  So if you like a good fantasy story - no excuses!  Give it a go and don't forget to tell me what you think! Love to hear your thoughts!

Kim