In some ways, it seems longer than that. My writing life has taken a beating lately with my needing to find ways around vertigo and depression. While I can manage longer on the computer these days, it seems I am not yet fully recovered from the random dizziness that comes and goes as it pleases.

In other ways, it doesn’t seem that long. I have kept up with my writing, though more of it has been longhand than typing. I have even joined a local creative writing course to dust off the student side of writing. I think I have let the learning the craft side of things slide for way too long, and though the course isn’t even halfway through, I am looking for other courses to take after this one finishes up.

Now that I am back in action here, I will be doing more fiddling with the website. It’s still not quite where I want it to be, so hopefully I can get everything sorted with limited hiccups.

I’m also prepping for my Bewitching Book Tours Online Book Tour in June. Please click on the link to sign up and participate!

I’ll do both.

Short answer: Run! Run fast and run far. Get a job – a real job. One that will keep your stress level low and your family fed and housed.

Long answer: People think that writing is easy. And it is. What could be easier than sitting down and typing your thoughts? All it takes is a basic command of the English language and the ability to type. Yes, writing is easy.

Getting published is one of the hardest things in the world to do!

Getting published requires more than just having some basic English skills. It means having above-average language skills. Knowing the difference between you’re and your, or its and it’s. Knowing you can’t depend on spell check. Knowing how to build sentences, then craft those sentences together into interesting paragraphs, and then place those paragraphs in an order that makes sense when read.

It means having more than just a 1-sentence idea. A writer has to create believable characters and situations, has to be able to get the reader to suspend disbelief when the hero is chasing a vampire or ghost. And then there is dialog. People don’t all speak exactly the same, so the characters in a book need to have their own ‘voices.’ A book must also contain description. You can’t just say the character took a walk in the park. You have to make the reader feel as if he or she is in that park, smelling the flowers, tasting the ice cream cone, feeling the breeze on their skin. And don’t forget sub-plots: is the main character going through a divorce in addition to chasing the monster? Is he or she suffering from an illness? Falling in love with the wrong person? About to lose a job? Books are like a house of cards, or a puzzle – fitting different pieces together in the hopes of creating something that is not only interesting, but makes sense.

Okay, so let’s say you’ve beaten the odds and finished a book that meets all the basic requirements: well-written, with a good plot and believable characters. Does that mean your job is done? Heck no! Now you’ve got to find someone to publish it. “But JG,” I hear you say, “Can’t I just publish it myself on Amazon or pay to have it printed?” Sure – if you want to get lumped in with a bazillion other people, 99.9% of whom can’t do what you did – write well. Thanks to self-publishing, the internet is littered with books written by people who don’t have a fifth-grade grasp of English. So, if you want to be taken seriously, you need to get a real book publisher to publish you. And by real I mean a company that actually gives you cash in order to publish your book. Unless you’re just interested in writing for fun, you should get paid for your hours and hours of hard work.

So, finding a publisher. Easier said than done. The book publishers who actually pay their writers get hundreds – if not thousands – of submissions from writer EVERY MONTH. A first-time writer has as much chance of getting noticed as a brown rock at the bottom of a river. So you submit. And submit. And submit. And you keep doing it until someone finally notices your genius. Sometimes it happens with the first book. Sometimes you have to writer 3 or 4 or more before one of them catches an editor or agent’s eye. In my case, I wrote 3 additional novels and countless short stories while waiting for my first novel to get picked up by a publisher. Five years, from the time I wrote it to the time I sold it. After that, things picked up a bit. But my case isn’t unusual. I know writers who’ve sold their first novel in less than a year, and some who waited 10 years before getting that first big break.

So, what’s the point of all this gloomy news? Being a writer is easy. Being a published writer is really, really hard. You need a thick skin to deal with the rejections. You need to continually hone your skills and do whatever you can to be the best you can be. You need to work hard not only at your writing but also your submitting. And you need a lot of patience. On top of that, a dose of good luck is also a necessity.

Is it worth it? Well, I won’t deny there’ve been times when I just wanted to say the hell with it and focus on my photography and music hobbies. I’ve felt rejected and dejected. I’ve wanted to toss the computer out the window and shout to the world, I give up! I suck!

But then magic happens. You get that acceptance letter, the one that says we love your book and we want to give you money so we can publish it. And they do. And then readers send you emails saying how much they like it. And you not only feel vindicated, you feel ecstatic. It’s a rush that lasts for months, and gives you the confidence to write the next book. And the next. It’s like hitting a homerun every day, or a hole in one every time you play golf.

Writers, like athletes, movie stars, rock stars, artists, etc., are a bit narcissistic. We want to entertain people, we want to make people laugh and cry and hide in fear. And we want to hear people say they love our books. When that happens, there’s nothing better.

So, if all of this sounds like something you’re up for, then sit down and start writing. Because if there’s one piece of advice every writer will give you, it’s this: Write, write, write. And then write some more. It’s the only way you’ll get good enough to get published.

####

JG Faherty has a varied background that includes working as a laboratory manager, accident scene photographer, zoo keeper, research scientist, and resume writer. Growing up in the haunted Hudson Valley region of New York, some of his favorite playgrounds were abandoned houses and Revolutionary War cemeteries. His hobbies include urban exploring, photography, exotic animal rehabilitation, and playing the guitar. In addition to Cemetery Club, 2012 will see two other books published, The Cold Spot and He Waits. His past novels include Carnival of Fear and Ghosts of Coronado Bay. You can find out more by visiting www.jgfaherty.com, www.facebook.com/jgfaherty, or www.twitter.com/jgfaherty.

Many of us, including myself, sometimes seem born to ramble. But when you’re writing, why waste twelve words on something you could have said in six?

Perhaps this isn’t the best pet peeve to mention before NaNo (Padding 101), but waiting until later to mention it isn’t going to make it any less annoying.

An example of what I’m talking about:

Word Wasting: He walked past the rather old and run down establishment and his face showed something akin to satisfaction as he took possession of another traveler’s wallet.

Being Specific: He smirked as he took the young man’s wallet.

Mention the building if you must, but there are still many more direct ways of saying what you want to say.

Be direct. Be specific. Yes, there is something to be said for poetic prose, but not in every single sentence.

Do we really need to discuss this?

Apparently some of us do, because the only reason I come up with these pet peeves is because I’ve seen it in a book I’m reading (or online).

Tenses in writing determine what words you use when you are writing. It decides whether you say:

“I finished with my work.”
“I finish with my work.”
Or
“I will finish with my work.”

To make things simple, let’s not talk about future tense. An entire book written in future tense would be annoying.

It’s perfectly acceptable (if you do it well) to switch tenses from one in one scene to another in the next. Or to even do it mid-scene if you have a present tense work and write in a flash back.

However, one thing you don’t do is switch tense in mid-sentence! How can you expect anyone to read like that when you’ve put:

I am being tricked, but it was all okay. He likes me.

“I’m okay,” I said. I feel like I am floating right now, even though he was also making me a bit angry.

Don’t do that. It’s annoying. Stay in the same tense, at least while you’re still within one sentence. And proof read!

I was hoping for something more specific at the time, but now I see she couldn’t have chosen better words, because if there’s any advice a writer needs, it’s to be persistent.  Persist in learning your craft, persist in following your obsession, persist in seeking publication.  Persist, persist, persist.

I started sending out stories and poems when I was fourteen, and I was rejected throughout my adolescence.  Later, I got a psychology degree, but kept writing. Then I got married and had a baby, got divorced and worked free-lance in PR, and kept writing.  Eventually, I figured out that writing was what I kept doing.

I didn’t do it for the fame or money, because there was none. Pure and simple, writing owned me, and determined every decision I made.  It was the only realm where I was willing not only to give myself fully to the bliss of the task, but also to slog away at the awful bits, like taking criticism, and organizing lists of agents, and rejection.

In my mid-thirties, with five unpublished novels behind me, I started writing what would become the ‘Fear’ series – futuristic, paranormal stories featuring Jaguar Addams, a telepath who rehabs criminals by making them face their fears.  I wrote them fast and furiously, completely owned by this character, this world, these plots. And every single story was rejected.  Repeatedly.

I knew why.  At around 40 pages each, they were just too long.  Clearly, they all wanted to grow up to be novels.  But writing novels meant throwing myself deeper into the pit, and all the while my inner critic – and my mother – were scolding me that this was a waste of time and shouldn’t I be taking care of my family, cleaning my house, getting a real job?

I had a choice to make – keep doing what I did, or walk away.

I kept writing.

Soon after, I met an editor who published the first three.  Now I’m celebrating publication of the fifth in the series, The Green Memory of Fear, and the sixth will come out  later this year, so I’m thinking that was the right decision.  But like all tasks worth doing – marriage, raising children, building houses, changing the world -  I had to allow it to own me without knowing the outcome. I had to consent to both the bliss and the slog.

My brother, a musician, once advised an aspiring singer, “Don’t do it unless you have to.”

I’d say the same to writers, but then I’d add, if you have to, commit fully.  Learn your craft thoroughly. Keep writing until you get it right.

Most of all, write to serve the story, rather than expecting it to serve you.

***

Barbara Chepaitis is author of eight published novels and two nonfiction books.  Her most recent novel is The Green Memory of Fear, fifth book in the ‘fear’ series featuring Jaguar Addams.  She is also director of the fiction writing program at Western College of Colorado’s Master’s program in creative writing.

Website:  http://www.wildreads.com
blog: aliterarylunch.blogspot.com
facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jaguar-Addams-and-the-Fear-Series/135879429815445

Running from a nightmare stalking her every move, Phoebe Martin arrives in Echo Falls hoping she has finally found a safe place to stop. But trouble has a way of catching up and soon the signs are there.

After a vicious attack in an alley, policeman Aidan O’Bryan is left with Phoebe as his only path to understanding why the Echo Falls werewolf pack – his pack – is being attacked. When another pack member is killed, Phoebe is forced to confront her past before she loses Aidan and everything she has come to love.

Love and duty become one as Aidan strives to prevent Phoebe from becoming the next victim. But with Phoebe just as determined to protect Aidan and her new home, secrets from her past threaten to tear them apart.

Will love give Phoebe the strength to trust Aidan and face her fears, or will her past destroy her future?

*Warning: Contains adult situations and language

Available from:

CreateSpace (Print)
Amazon.com (Print)
Kindle (ebook)
Smashwords (ebook)
Booktopia (Print)

Check Out

*Character Interview with Phoebe and Aidan
*An Interview at Coffee and a Keyboard

Reviews

Phoebe Martin keeps running from her past. Problem is, it keeps catching up with her. She hopes Echo Falls is finally her safe haven from the secrets she holds inside.

After Phoebe is violently attacked in an alley, policeman Aidan O’Bryan finds her to be the only path to understanding why the Echo Falls pack–his pack–is being attacked. When another pack member is killed, Phoebe is forced to confront her past before she loses everything, including Aidan.

I felt drawn in right from the moment I met Phoebe, who was running for her life. I love a book that drops me right into the action, and Echo Falls certainly did that.

I applaud an author who can create a superb villain, as it is something I struggle with as a writer. McDougall managed to make Liam despicable, yet the reader still is left with an ounce of sympathy for him. Challenging to do, yet wonderful when a storyteller creates such a character. McDougall’s strength definitely resides in her ability to develop characters and bring them to life for her readers: Aidan the strong, sexy hero; Phoebe the independent, stubborn heroine who is determined to handle things herself; Will and Elle–husband and wife, leaders in the pack, who accept Phoebe and help her feel welcome; Mia, a member of the pack who isn’t fond of Phoebe and Aidan’s developing relationship.

I would definitely look forward to an Echo Falls sequel, perhaps a story that focuses on one of the secondary characters. If you enjoy a fast-paced paranormal romance, Echo Falls is the book for you.

-Author Cheryl Malandrinos

Holy werewolves, Batman! This novel, though not the first book written by this author but the first fiction title by her, was my absolute favorite shifter story so far this year! I am new to the world of paranormal, just a few months into reading them, but I have fallen in love with the genre and this is a most welcomed addition to my favorites collection!

Aidan and Pheobe. Wow. They are truly amazing characters. I loved how Aidan, the alpha werewolf, took to Pheobe the minute he rescued her. Pheobe’s character was a bit hard headed….I mean come on. Someone, even a werewolf, as sweet and sexy as Aidan….what’s not to fall for? I wanted to yell at her and say, ‘stop being hard headed and let him help you!’. But, that’s what makes the story interesting….see Pheobe TRY to stop her feelings.

I loved the added characters of Elle, Will and Charlotte. While I feel that Mia’s character was definitely needed to round out the group of characters, I did NOT like her. Her attitude and her demeanor really ticked me off on more than one occasion. But, Ms. McDougall really needed her character to round out the group, so I really pushed past Mia’s character.

Blended with these amazing characters is the great suspense. Someone’s hunting and killing off the pack, and it’s up to Aidan,as the alpha leader, to find out who. It started when Pheobe arrived to Echo Falls, and as his feelings for her grow, he doesn’t want to believe she’s the Hunter. The problem is….Pheobe’s holding in a secret. One that could endanger them all.

What? You think I’ll tell you what it is???? Hmmm…well okay, I’ll FINALLY tell you in my review what the secret is……GO GET YOUR COPY NOW! Ha! Thought I’d REALLY tell you huh? Nope. Seriously though. Get your copy NOW. It’s so awesome! Definitely recommended and beyond 5 Books worthy! I am keeping my fingers crossed that this is just the beginning for books like this from Ms. McDougall.

- ReviewsbyMolly.com

Next, I made use of this extra time by establishing a routine for writing.  I tried writing after coming home from work, but, since my day-job is very mentally demanding, I found that I was too drained to be particularly creative.  Through trial and error, I found that mornings worked best for me.  Being a night-owl by nature, waking up early wasn’t easy for me, but I made it work.

After deciding to kill two birds with one stone, I started a routine alternating writing with exercise.  Three days a week I wake up at 4:00am and exercise for around an hour and a half before going to work, and on a different three days of the week I wake up at 4:00am and write until I have to start getting ready for work.  I normally get between an hour and two hours of uninterrupted writing in during the writing sessions.

The challenge is when the writing days are non-consecutive because in that case I’m spending a good deal of time reading my notes, remembering where I was going and getting my mind into the flow and mood of what is happening in the story.  Some of the writing days are spent re-reading, planning and writing notes.  Some are used for writing back-story that never appears in the finished story, but which I need to have in order to make things feel real and consistent – to find the motivations behind why things are the way they are in the actual story.

And, of course, the most fun days are those when I know I have my mental ducks in a row and I can just write.  I usually stick to what I’ve planned, but, sometimes, I get into a zone and come up with stuff I never imagined I was going to write.

One unexpected thing that I found during this routine of alternating exercise with writing is that I end up testing out ideas, solving conundrums and creating new avenues or even universes on the days I am not writing.  I know there is a good deal of research to show that exercise helps with thinking, but I had no idea when I started just how integral the off-days were going to be for the work of creating a story.

Let me put it this way, if my latest novel made me a millionaire tomorrow, I would not change my exercise/writing regimen.  Without a doubt, creating a routine for writing was the single most important step in making writing an integral part of my life.

***

About James Bottino

James R. Bottino’s life-long interests mix esoteric and disparate fields of study. By day, his foremost influences have been the study of literature and the art of writing. Following these pursuits led him to read anything he could in these areas and to complete every under-graduate and graduate course available to him in the field of creative writing. Following this line, he taught high school English throughout the 1990’s, focusing on the teaching of writing.

By night, when no one was looking, he studied computer systems / networks, computer languages, and operating systems, learning anything he could in these areas, first as a hobby, and, finally, as a career. This mixture of literature and technology served as the inspiration for the The Canker Death’s protagonist, Petor.

James currently lives in a suburb of Chicago, with his wife, daughter, two Australian cattle dogs and far, far too many books and abstruse computers.

You can visit his website at TheCankerDeath.com

Join James Bottino, author of the fantasy and science fiction novel The Canker Death as he virtually tours the blogosphere in February 2012 on his first tour with Pump Up Your Book!

About James Bottino

James R. Bottino’s life-long interests mix esoteric and disparate fields of study. By day, his foremost influences have been the study of literature and the art of writing. Following these pursuits led him to read anything he could in these areas and to complete every under-graduate and graduate course available to him in the field of creative writing. Following this line, he taught high school English throughout the 1990’s, focusing on the teaching of writing.

By night, when no one was looking, he studied computer systems / networks, computer languages, and operating systems, learning anything he could in these areas, first as a hobby, and, finally, as a career. This mixture of literature and technology served as the inspiration for the The Canker Death’s protagonist, Petor.

James currently lives in a suburb of Chicago, with his wife, daughter, two Australian cattle dogs and far, far too many books and abstruse computers.

You can visit his website at TheCankerDeath.com

About The Canker Death

When the reclusive, cynical systems administrator, Petor Fidelistro, discovers that one of his own servers has been cracked late one night, he makes it his personal business to track down the perpetrator. What his search uncovers thrusts him, unaware, into a mad shifting between worlds, time and alien minds.

Fighting to keep his grip on reality, and forcing him to cope with his past, Petor finds himself uncontrollably transitioning between sentient minds that range from semi-conscious to dominant, from beings whose bodies and identities he can control, to those who control him so fully as to be unaware of his presence.

As the story unfolds, Petor gathers clues in a twisting mystery that sends him shifting between the mourning child Nanzicwital; the golem giant Faskin; the lascivious, female ambassador Desidia; and Nokinis, an insane prisoner with whom Petor battles for mastery of his own memories. As he struggles to make sense of what is happening to him, Petor finds himself embroiled in the tumultuous upheaval of a ubiquitous society that transcends life, itself.

What Reviewers Are Saying

5.0 out of 5 stars Cliffhanger after cliffhanger! I couldn’t put it down!, September 3, 2011

This review is from: The Canker Death (Kindle Edition)

The Canker Death by James R. Bottino is a mystery, a spiritual awakening, a suspenseful and funny book with complex characters and worlds. This book reminds me a bit of Roger Zelazny’s Chronicles of Amber series and also reminds me that good ideas are still out there amidst the plethora of over-worked, tired concepts prevalent in our world today.

How did the author slip in symbolism and deep themes all the while entertaining us with the “full monty” of sex, drugs, rock ‘n roll and stuff that explodes? I’m not sure, but by the time I’d finished The Canker Death, it made me laugh, cry, hang on by the seat of my pants, and shout “SEQUEL!!!” (although the book does stand well on its own.)

Also, while reading, I found the Vitruvian Man map full of symbols, character names and concepts to be a provocative and neat little extra feature. I highly recommend this original tome!

- Amazon Reviewer RIBH

Monday, February 6
Interview at Book Marketing Buzz

Tuesday, February 7
Guest Post at As the Pages Turn

Wednesday, February 8
Interview at Pump Up Your Book

Thursday, February 9
Guest Post at The Book Connection

Friday, February 10
Interview at Paperback Writer

Monday, February 13
Guest Post at Literarily Speaking

Tuesday, February 14
Guest Post at The Story Behind the Book

Thursday, February 16
Spotlight at The Plot

Friday, February 17
Character Interview at The Plot

Monday, February 20
Interview at Beyond the Books

Tuesday, February 21
Interview at The Writer’s Life

Wednesday, February 22
Spotlight at Celtic Lady’s Book Reviews

Thursday, February 23
Review at Martha’s Bookshelf

Friday, February 24
Guest Post at Everyday Adventure

Monday, February 27
Spotlight at Blurbs N’ Bytes

Wednesday, February 29
Guest Post at InkyBlots

James Bottino’s THE CANKER DEATH ONLINE BOOK TOUR 2012 will officially begin February 6th and end March 23rd. Thank you for your support!

Here is the list of authors and titles being given:

Quiet Fury: An Anthology of Suspense by Darcia Helle
Into The Light by Darcia Helle
By A Thread by Marty Beaudet
Losing Addison by Marty Beaudet
The Secret of A Spicy Jalapeno by Charlie Courtland
The Dream by Maria Savva
Fusion by Maria Savva
Ladies and Gentlemen… The Redeemers by Michael Scott Miller
Harmony’s Passing by Joel Blaine Kirkpatrick
Breathing Into Stone by Joel Blaine Kirkpatrick
The Guardian’s Apprentice – Beyond the Veil Book One by J. Michael Radcliffe
Bloodstone: The Guardian’s Curse – Beyond the Veil Book One by J. Michael Radcliffe
Trevor’s Song by Susan Helene Gottfried
Nexus Point by Jaleta Clegg
Wretched Moments with a story by Jaleta Clegg
Rotting Tales with a story by Jaleta Clegg
The GNAW Project by Cynthia Meyers-Hanson

These are all signed, print copies! You can find more information on the contest, the prizes, and the participating authors on my contest page: www.QuietFuryBooks.com/contests.html

The contest is open to everyone 16 and older, anywhere in the world. All you have to do is fill out the form on the contest page. So why are you still here?

I’ve been working with my friend and graphic designer Scarlett Rugers who designs fantastic covers, and talked to her about what I wanted. After a little back and forth about ideas, she came up with this:

She’s done a full cover for the print version of the book as well, and I couldn’t be more pleased.

The best thing about working with Scarlett has been her patience. To be honest, I started working with her and didn’t know what I wanted. With her questionnaires and our conversations, she created a cover that not only reflects the story but the themes within the story.

With Echo Falls finally settled with a great cover, I am finally turning my concentration fully over to the next installment: Fading Echoes…