Tag: writing

Posted in publishing, writer life, writing advice

Writing Partner: Accountability Unleashed

Posted on by Erin McKnight

Let’s face it: staying motivated is like trying to keep a cat off your keyboard. It’s basically impossible. But what if I told you there’s a secret weapon to help keep you on task and move from WIP to a published novel? Enter the writing partner, your personal accountability superhero!

I won’t lie. I struggle to get up and write most mornings. Getting up early to write isn’t fun. It’s especially hard on the days when the sheets are at that perfect temperature, and, for once, my feline overlords aren’t demanding breakfast at the crack of dawn.

Unfortunately, enjoying the fact that the bed has accepted me as one of its own won’t get the book done. This is where having a writing partner comes in. Leaning on my commitment to them helps me get my lazy bones out of bed and to my keyboard.

A group of fellow writers and I have a standing appointment for writing sprints over Zoom. While we don’t keep track of attendance or make any specific demands, setting aside this time with others helps me stay motivated and on track.

Having a standing date with my writing buddy provides built-in accountability to do the work regardless of motivation. Even when I don’t want to do it for myself, not wanting to let them down gives me the push I need.

Writing partners are not the same as beta readers, but they can also perform that function. Some of mine have served as early critique partners, helping me whip my plot into shape before sending it for wider feedback. They are familiar with me and my writing style, so they know what to look for in my writing and how best to provide constructive feedback.

Having a writing partner provides accountability and support when you struggle to get words on the page. They can give feedback or ensure you show up to your computer that day. Whatever the case, these invaluable individuals are a great addition to any writing process.

Now, it’s your turn! Have you partnered with another writer, or are you still working alone? There is no “one size fits all” solution in writing, but having a writing partner is a helpful tool to help you get from daydreamer to published author before you know it.

Posted in writing advice

CONTINUE TO LEARN

Posted on by Erin McKnight

Albert Einstein said, “Once you stop learning, you start dying.” That’s a pretty serious comment. But it makes sense when you think about it. You become stagnate and stale when you refuse to adapt and grow. This is especially true for authors.

We develop and refine our style with every project we do. My first book and how I wrote it look nothing like what I’m doing now. We need to continue to learn and grow as authors to improve our craft and keep readers interested.

Read craft books.

There are thousands of craft books out there, and more are coming out every day. Don’t feel like you have to stumble around in the dark looking for a light switch. Learn from those who have come before you. A few of my favorites are “Anatomy of Prose” by Sasha Black, “Shut up and Write the Book” by Jenna Morecci and “Show, Don’t Tell Guidebook for Writers” by Ashley Earley. They all have been enormously helpful to me in my journey and development as an author.

Take a course.

This one is actually on my to-do list. One of the best things about our technology-enhanced world is the ability to attend classes and seminars from anywhere. Online learning platforms like Masterclass and Skillshare offer lessons on almost anything from the individuals who do it best. You can find the ones that best suit your needs and go at your own pace.

Join a writing club

Feedback is a critical part of learning. If you never receive feedback on your work, you can’t learn how to make it better. Writing clubs and groups where people share their writing and give feedback are invaluable resources. I know sharing an unfinished, unedited work with people is scary. Trust me. But it is so worth it. Learning from your peers before you spend hours on edits can save you valuable time, energy, and sanity.

Growing your craft is an essential part of being an author. Explore the options around you. Learn from other writers. Share your work with a trusted group. However you choose to do it, keep learning and growing. There is always more to know.

Posted in publishing, resources, writing advice

LESSONS LEARNED: What I took away from the release of my second novel.

Posted on by Erin McKnight

My second novel came out on August 29, and let me tell you – getting that baby up and out felt like a massive weight off my shoulders. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, which is great. Even better than the sales and reviews are the lessons I’ve learned during the process.

1. Skinny Draft

While writing this novel, I discovered that I am a far better editor than a drafter. I was introduced to the “skinny draft” idea about halfway through my first draft. The purpose is to write a draft of your story without worrying about small details that often stall the writing process. Focusing on getting the story right first helped me see more progress faster than trying to get everything in the first time around.

2. Progress Report.

I have to see progress. If I don’t feel like I’m getting anywhere, I get discouraged and want to quit. A lot of writers use their word count to track progress. This doesn’t work for me. It tells me nothing about where I am in the story or how far I have left to go. Switching from word counts to “signposts” for my progress shows me where I am and makes me want to keep going. 

3. Change Up.

Changing a deadline is okay. Yes, there are going to be some that are set in stone. Your editor must have your manuscript by a specific date to complete their work. That’s fine. But as an indie author, I am the one who decides when to start contacting them. The self-imposed deadlines I make to keep me on track are flexible. Life happens, and sometimes you have to slow down. I nearly burned myself out trying to meet some deadlines I set on this one. It’s better to move everything back than burn the candle at both ends and in the middle to meet a self-imposed deadline.

4. Process Evolution.

The way you write evolves. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. There is a reason it is called a writing process. As you learn more and develop your skills, how you approach a project changes. And that’s okay. My first novel went chapter by chapter, trying to make each one perfect before moving on to the next. It made everything longer and harder for me. Starting small and expanding is freeing for me. I’m sure my current process will change again. And that’s okay, too. We all develop and change, so our writing should, too.

What I’ve learned through bringing Coming Home into the world is invaluable. I could spend days discussing them, but we only have so much time. For my writers out there, how has your process changed? Leave me a comment below to keep the conversation going.

Posted in resources, writer life, writing advice

Authors & Social Media

Posted on by Erin McKnight

Social media is one of the things I both love and hate in this world. Hours magically melt away when scrolling Instagram and TikTok, fueled by serotonin-boosting funny animal videos. On the other hand, nothing else in the world can make me rage face as hard as some of the comments I see on these platforms.

As infuriating as these apps and websites can be, they are vital in building your author platform. It’s one of those necessary evils like taking out the trash or doing laundry.

For every piece of advice for authors on handling social media, ten others say to do the opposite. It comes down to this; there is no one size fits all solution. You have to find what works for you. 

Even so, there are some things to consider before starting your social media journey.

Author Brand

As an author, you are more than an individual. You are a brand. Social media is all about selling yourself. Yes, you want to sell books, but people are far more likely to buy a book to support someone they feel connected to or to help support someone whose content they enjoy. So consider the image you want to portray and find the platform(s) that best help you do that.

Images vs. Videos vs. Text

Every platform is designed to deliver a specific kind of content. You don’t have to do all of them. In fact, trying to could lead to burnout. Instead, think about how you can best get your personality across. Can you make videos for TikTok or YouTube? Only want to do pictures? Instagram or Facebook sounds like a better fit. Twitter is good for short snippets of text. No matter how you want to communicate with your readers, find the platform designed to fit your comfort level and focus your efforts there.

Engagement

This one is tricky. It’s not platform-specific but can help you narrow your focus. One-on-one interaction can be achieved through polls, contests, and a million other things. Think about how you want to form that connection with your reader base before diving into creating content. The platform you pick should align with your preferred contact method.

Organic Reach or Paid Ads

Okay, this one is a little different. Organic reach is the people naturally finding your content when scrolling through their feeds. Paid ads are screen space you pay for to put your content in front of the audience. This doesn’t mean you have to spend money to gain an audience. Every platform has an algorithm to push content to people based on previous history. Research the platform and see if you can find a way to use that data to boost your presence without dipping into your pocketbook.

Keeping these things in mind, I’ve decided to stick mainly to Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. They let me use images to draw interest and keep me from rambling for days on end. I can show my personality and interests in a way that is comfortable for me while promoting my work.

There is a lot more I could go into regarding social media, but I think it’s better to leave that to the experts.

 If you want to learn more about social media and the writing world, read Social Media for Writers: A Complete Guide for tips and tricks on every major platform.

Posted in resources, writing advice

Know Your Genre: Guidelines for Authors

Posted on by Erin McKnight

Genre is a little word with big impact. Knowing the right way to categorize your story gives you insight into what it takes to make readers choose it over others on the shelf.

There are dozens of genres out there. Each one has its own standards and guidelines that set it apart. The most popular fiction genres are:

  • Fantasy
  • Sci-fi
  • Mystery
  • Thriller
  • Romance
  • Western
  • Dystopian
  • Contemporary

We can break each one down into countless subgenres. Check the link below for a more detailed list.

The Different Genres of Books (With Descriptions) | BookSummaryClub

Readers have set expectations for each genre’s length, tropes, and story structure. 

The length of a novel can be a deterrent for readers looking for a specific genre. A romance novel, for example, is usually 50 – 75,000 words. An epic fantasy, on the other hand, can easily be 100,000+. Writing a romance novel the length of Lord of the Rings can make readers raise their eyebrows or even pass on the book. While there is no hard and fast word count rule, keeping your story within the standard helps ensure your audience doesn’t turn away from it without at least cracking the spine.

Does anyone else remember the Twilight craze? Please say yes. I don’t want to feel old. This set off a massive trend of vampire and werewolf romance novels in all shapes and sizes. Knowing what is popular in your genre is essential to ensure it sells. If you are writing a shifter romance, but everyone is reading Christmas stories, it may sell poorly. That doesn’t mean you can’t write it. You may want to wait to hit the publish button or submit it to an agent at a different time.

Every genre has elements that define it. Romance novels have to have a happily-ever-after (HEA). If it does not have a HEA, it’s not a romance. End of story. Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy because they (SPOILERS) die at the end. It is a romantic story, but it is not a romance because of how it ends. If I didn’t know that was how it ended going in and snatched it off of a romance shelf at the store, I would be ready to go on the warpath at the end. 

Genre is making a promise to your reader about what they can expect from your story.

6 Current Trends In Popular Fiction Genres in 2023 | Writer’s Relief – Writer’s Relief (writersrelief.com)–

Knowing your genre and understanding how it works will go a long way in crafting a story your readers will love. It identifies your audience and gives you a roadmap to follow along the way. Do your research, and you will make your life that much easier.

Posted in writing advice

Writing at the Holidays: Keeping Momentum Going

Posted on by Erin McKnight

The holiday season is here again. Bakers are baking. Shoppers are shopping. And writers, well, we are having an existential crisis.

Writing during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season is hard. It’s easy to fall behind. So how do you keep things going when everything else is calling your name? There is no one answer, but here are a few things I’ve tried in the past to keep moving forward without losing what is left of my sanity.

  • Schedule Writing Time

I know I’ve discussed scheduling time before, but it is even more important during the holidays. It doesn’t matter how long it is. Maybe it’s 15 minutes right before bed or 5 minutes while you’re waiting in the school pick-up line. Even if it is only a few minutes, the work you get done adds up. It is better to do a small amount of work than lose all the momentum you worked so hard to gain.

  • Set Smaller Goals

You will not be able to get as much done as you usually do without losing your mind. It’s not going to happen. So, pull back on those lofty goals for a minute and set something a little more reasonable. Try cutting your goals in half, or even a third, until the Season of Giving stops trying to give you a migraine.

  • Give Yourself Permission to Take a Break

Okay. I know this is supposed to be about how to keep writing during the holidays but hear me out. Overly stressed people produce lower-quality work. While being Super Writer may make you feel more accomplished now, future you will pay for it. They will have to do twice as much editing. They may even burn out altogether. Let yourself say enough is enough and stop if you need to. Protecting your mental health and well-being will make you a better writer in the long run. Trust me.  

The holidays are crazy. Don’t be afraid to make some adjustments to take care of yourself and keep what is really important in front of you. . . your loved ones.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Posted in writing advice

The Power of the Skinny Draft

Posted on by Erin McKnight

 There are a thousand ways to draft a novel. They can be broken down by scene, chapter, character. The list goes on. They can be told in order or have scenes shuffled around like a deck of cards. A method I’ve learned about more recently is the skinny draft. A skinny draft is a complete draft that focuses on placing the plot elements in the correct order with minimum description. It can contain dialog and locations, but describing the setting and emotion is left at a bare minimum.

I know what you’re about to say. Erin, aren’t we supposed to use description and emotion in our stories? Of course we are. Those are the things that bring a story to life, but that doesn’t mean you have to have every possible detail in your first draft.

A skinny draft is designed to get you to a completed draft as quickly as possible. A lot of writers struggle with feeling discouraged because of the time it takes to complete their first draft. This method shortens that time and gives you a little shot of dopamine to help you stay motivated.

Another benefit of the skinny draft is the ability to learn more about your characters

and plot without having to sort through a massive word count. This can be doubly important for discovery writers or pantsers. Answering the “what happens next?” question can eliminate the need for as many drafts because the plot is solidified much faster.

While skinny drafts can keep you from writing a bunch of words that end up in the trash can, it is not a method that works for everyone.

I used the skinny draft method on my current WIP. It helped me identify issues a lot quicker, but I found that the overall process is going a lot slower for me.

I am an over-writer by nature. (Remember my friend’s wordy bitch comment?) My style tends to include a lot of fluff that must be cut later, but that is also how I learn more about my characters. It is much easier for me to take stuff out than put it in. Without those details early on, I don’t feel as connected to my characters. This makes it harder for me to keep working on it because I’m not as invested in their journey.

 Regardless of your method, ensuring you get to the end is the most important part.

 How do you do your first draft? Have you tried using a skinny draft? What method works best for you?

Posted in writer life, writing advice

Giving Up vs Getting Smart

Posted on by Erin McKnight

I think we’ve all heard the phrase “don’t be a quitter” at some point in our lives. Giving up has this negative connotation attached to it that I tend to agree with. Throwing your hands up in the air and saying “ta hell with it” because something is difficult is never the way to go. But what if you want to explore another path to the same destination?

That’s what I ran into with NaNoWriMo this year. The traditional goal is to write 50,000 words in the month of November. I decided to go non-traditional and set a goal of finishing my first round of rewrites on the manuscript I won NaNo with last year.

It was going to be a heavy lift. I had to remove a POV, add a subplot, and fix a litany of general storytelling issues. The plan was to take the detailed notes I’d compiled during the drafting process and edit as I went. I knew the story well enough to start at the top and make the needed changes as I read through it. At least, that’s what I thought.

A week and a half into NaNo, I realized I was creating more problems than I was fixing. So I had two options; press on to win NaNo and fix it all later, or stop and take everything back to outline to get it right the first time.

I’m very goal-driven. The thought of not reaching a goal is crushing to me, so the idea that I wouldn’t win NaNo was devastating. I reached out to a fellow author friend of mine for advice, and they pointed something out to me. The only reason I was hesitating was NaNo. Not getting through the first rewrite in November wouldn’t impact my publishing timeline. In fact, forcing myself to keep going could do more harm than good because of the additional rounds of self-editing I would need. I wasn’t giving up; I was getting smart.

They were right. Not reaching my goal, while unpleasant, didn’t mean I was a quitter. It meant I was learning more about my writing process and what works best. 

I learned that pantsing of any variety doesn’t work for me. Stopping a process that is not working in favor of a new one, does not mean you quit. It means you learned and adapted. As long as I keep working on my manuscript, I’m not a failure.

Changing course is not giving up. It’s allowing yourself to find the most direct route to your ultimate goal.