Remember how we were talking last week about things out of an author's control, and making the best of what we can control? Thanks to my friend and crit/workshop* partner Jen McAndrews, we've got a prime example this week.Jen's book, DEADLY FARCE, was to make its debut yesterday. At least, that's what she was told. Celebrations were planned, calendars were cleared. (She took the day off work. I fully intended to spend the afternoon curled up with DEADLY FARCE, as Amazon projected yesterday would be the delivery day for my anxiously-awaited copy. Who knows the extended world impact?) Alas, launch day came and went with no books. Distribution was delayed.
As you can imagine, the road to publication is long, so for an author, the wait for her baby to hit the shelves can be agonizing. Now imagine being told your wait will be even longer. It's enough to turn a Writers' Butt devotee to sugar!
But check out Jen's new blog, explaining the incubation of her bouncing baby book. The publishers gave her lemons, and not only did she make lemonade, she's having fun with it. (And for the record, this is the kind of wit and humor you'll find in DEADLY FARCE. Seriously, you want to read this book.) You can preorder on Amazon or B&N.This week's tip is: Have fun! Be creative! And don't let the lemons get you down!
Here's the official blurb for DEADLY FARCE:
When Hollywood heavyweight Shepard Brown fears someone is trying to kill him, he asks newly licensed private investigator Lorraine Keys to keep him safe. Friends with Shepard since elementary school, Lorraine knows he can be more than a little melodramatic. Though she agrees to meet him on location in Atlantic City, New Jersey, to review the situation, the last thing she expects is to find truth in his claims. After all, a poisoned pizza? But after getting caught in the center of yet another attempt on Shepard’s life, Lorraine is forced to admit he’s right about the danger—and determined to find a way to protect him while searching for the culprit.
With her meddling friend Barb along for the ride and her boss anxiously tracking her every move, Lorraine must juggle the chaos of a film set, the lure of the casinos, the mutual attraction of a hunky co-star, and a minefield of Shepard’s ex-girlfriends all while keeping Shepard safe and uncovering the identity of the killer … before she becomes the next target.
You can find Jen online on her blog, on facebook, and by following her on twitter.*We will be presenting the following workshops this spring/summer if you'd like to join us!
April: The Hero's Journey in YA RWA YA chapter
May: How to Really Make a Scene Carolina Romance Writers
July: The Hero's Journey in YA RWA National Conference
This week's links:
25 Things You Should Know About Story Structure (Not Enough Words) Excellent
20 Questions to Ask to Know if Your Manuscript is Done (Blood Red Pencil) Checklist
7 Things I Learned from Stephen King (Victoria Mixon) Stephen King is the master.
6 Important Tips for Opening Chapters (The Kill Zone)
5 Questions You Should Ask Your Characters (Time to Write)
5 Attitudes About Publishing You Should Avoid (Writer Unboxed) Timely
4 Steps to Writing Meaningful Metaphors (Write it Sideways) Think backwards
4 Writing Routines You Can Live With (Write it Sideways)
Expanding the World of your Novel (Nathan Bransford) Ideas about extras
A New Approach to the Traditional Group (Kristin Lamb) The Concept Critique
Don't Even Think About Using First Person Unless... (Wordplay) POV
Writing Lessons from The Hunger Games (Children's Publishing) Stakes and Characterization
Avoiding The End (YA Muses) Juxtapose your first and last chapters.
Teen Roundtable (YA Confidential) What have adults forgotten?
Character Trait Entry: Disorganized (Bookshelf Muse) Look! They're describing me!
We All Get Them: Sagging Middles (YA Highway) Trimming the flab.
Game Changer: Inner Dialog w/ Hero and Villain (Story Fix)
DNA of a Beginning (YA Muses) What makes great beginnings great?
Fundamental Check: Scenes (The Other Side of the Story) Do they have what they need?
Outlining Your Novel (Magical Words) One Writer's Method
Now go make some lemonade and WRITE!
