Writers in the Storm

by Rebecca Forster

I have never kept journals. I did not dream of being a writer. I am a disappointment to 90% of the writing community and probably considered blasphemous by some, when I admit my career started as a joke. 

The Joke

I was a travel/fashion executive at an advertising agency in San Francisco. One of my clients preferred to have meetings after hours, and I would to drag my peeved and tired account team to his mansion on the hill. He was a valuable, if thoughtless, client. On top of the extra hours, his wife often interrupted our meetings. 

Frustrated, I asked my secretary, * “Who does that woman think she is?” 

My secretary whispered back, “That’s Danielle Steel.”

I did not know who Danielle Steel was. When I found out, I made this flip remark:

“I could write a book.”

She snapped back, “I dare you.”

Joke, right?  Normal people don’t become published authors. Still, I accepted the dare in the spirit of good fun. I loved research, I wrote heft marketing plans for my clients, so I would apply the same talents to a ‘novel’, satisfy the dare, and wash my hands of my own silliness.  

It didn’t take long for me to realize, that I was on an amazing journey. The end of the road might not be a published novel, but I learned a profound lesson: with the right information, motivation, and spirit real people can pretty much do anything they set their mind to. 

Following are the primary take-aways from those early days.

Attitude is everything.

I embraced the fun of the moment and rejected any expectations of publication. This cleared my mind and left me fearless. 

A specific objective is imperative.

My objective was to complete the challenge with the least disruption to my livelihood and family life. Unrealistic objectives would have hobbled me. Wanting/needing to write is quite different than wanting/needing to make a living writing.  

Discipline is key.

Tennis is fun, but I had to spend a hours learning the game and honing my skills in order to play the game. The same holds true for writing. A fun dare was to be taken seriously. If I wasn’t going to give it my all, I shouldn’t have accepted it in the first place.

Know the market.

With no computers to aid me, learning about publishing was time consuming. I needed a path of least resistance to break in, and I found it in category romance. No agent needed, minimal submission requirements, specific creative guidelines. For someone who did not plan to write the Great American novel, this strategy was tailor made. Understanding your market will save time and heartache.  

Have a personal plan,

I work best in a structured environment, so I assigned myself specific writing hours and goal pages each night, seven days a week. I communicated this plan to my husband who willingly took over household chores because he understood there was an end date. 

Let go.

When I finished the three chapters and synopsis, I mailed the submission and forgot about it.  Did I allow myself to dream that I might sell this ‘book’? Absolutely. Did I become obsessed with that idea? Nope. I went back to working and enjoying my leisure time.  Little did I know, that my life was about to change. My flippant remark, my colleagues dare, and my willingness to go along with the fun was a seed that would eventually bear fruit. But for those weeks between submission and a request for a full book, I barely gave it a thought.

The Possibility

I am now 39 years into my writing career. 25 years as a traditional author, thirteen as an independent author, and one ill-fated year with an online publisher. I have published 41 novels in the following genres: category romance, women’s fiction, rom com, legal thrillers and police procedurals. I’m known for my thrillers. I’ve had five agents, four traditional publishers, and I made the USA Today bestseller list when readers still had to go into bookstores and physically purchase my books. My work has been translated into many languages. An audio publisher bought my most popular thriller series, The Witness Series, and produced it; I have used AI to produce audio of my other books. I taught at UCLA writer’s program, lectured on a cruise ship and to a college class in Albania. I have spoken at philanthropic and writers’ conferences around the country. I have made my living writing for 20 of those 39 years. 

I tell you all this not to brag, but to let you know that the dream is possible. You won’t realize you’ve been living it until you look back. 

One Constant

And then, just when you are sure you’ve got a handle on this business, something changes, and the hard work begins anew. 

Bookstores go out of business and E-books become a thing. Newspaper reviewers are swapped out for thousands of book lovers populating a handful of social media platforms, all of whom have an opinion about your work. If you’re an indie author, you will need to pay for editorial and creative services or learn to be your own cover designer, formatter, public relations professional, and social media maven. You will have to learn how to advertise your work. You will have to write. The only constant is that readers want good books.

The Bottom Line is this:

Writing is for the spiritually bold, the imaginative, those with big hearts, sharp minds, and a tempered ego. Writing is for those with a clear-eyed understanding of themselves, their abilities, and their desired objective. Above all, writing is about challenging yourself for the glorious fun and satisfaction of crafting a book. 

I know you can do it. 

I dare you.

About Rebecca

Rebecca Forster started writing on a crazy dare and found her passion. Now a USA Today and Amazon best selling author, Forster is known for her legal thrillers and police procedurals. Over three million readers have enjoyed her Josie Bates thrillers in the Witness Series alone. With over 40 books to her name, Rebecca had a long career in traditional publishing before becoming an indie author. Her fast-paced tales of law and justice are known for deep characterization and never-see-it-coming endings.

In an effort to make her work as realistic as possible, Rebecca has graduated from the DEA and ATF Citizens academies, landed by tail hook and spent two days on the nuclear submarine U.S.S Nimitz, engaged in police ride-alongs, and continues to court watch whenever possi

Rebecca has taught at the acclaimed UCLA Writers Program and various colleges and universities. She is a sought-after speaker at bar and judges' associations as well as philanthropic groups and writing conferences. Rebecca is also a repeat speaker at the LA Times Festival of Books.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • Amazon Author Page • Bookbub Author Page

Image Credit

Top image purchased from DepositPhotos.com

by Tari Lynn Jewett

I began the transition from freelance magazine and newspaper writer, to fiction writer right at the cusp of what I call “The New Indie Publishing”. I call it that, because previously the primary way to indie publish was with a vanity press. Today our publishing options as authors are truly amazing.

Small Press and Indie Publishing

My first romcom was published in an anthology, so for classification purposes, very small press. I had no intention of writing for an anthology, or writing romcoms for that matter. I was working on a darker 1920’s historical fiction, but my friend, the late author, Joyce Ward, was part of the anthology, and pushed me to submit. I wrote #PleaseSayYes and was so excited that it was accepted. When the rights reverted back to me, I called on all of my experienced indie author friends for advice on indie publishing. Thank you, you know who you are!

The characters from #PleaseSayYes continued to call to me…the pandemic was in full swing, and I was happy to work on something light and hopeful, something with a happily ever after. The anthology had a Valentine’s theme.  So of course, #PleaseSayYes was focused on a Valentine’s romance. I love holidays, so as the characters talked to me I realized each of their stories should be centered on a holiday, and the #HermosaForTheHolidays series was born. 

Traditionally Published

When I’d ‘finished’ the series...who knows if it’s really finished, one of the characters with an untold story could tap me on the shoulder anytime. But, when I published the 5^th book, another author friend, Claire Davon, told me about an opportunity to write a holiday story for one of her publishers, The Wild Rose Press. TWRP had a submission call for stories with a Christmas cookie theme. I was in. I wrote the story and submitted it, with the thought that if they weren’t interested, I’d indie publish the book. I was thrilled when I received an offer, and now I was working with a real publisher.

Now I was truly a hybrid author.

So, here are 10 things that I’ve learned as a hybrid author.

1. Work Hard

Whether you publish as an indie author, or with a publisher, you’re going to work hard.

2. Choices

As an indie author, you get to choose your editor, cover artist, deadlines, release date, etc. As a traditional author, these are generally chosen for you.

3. Responsibilities

As an indie author, you coordinate everyone who works on your book…unless you can afford to pay an assistant. I’m not there yet, so this is all on me. You also foot the bill for everything up front, so the cost of editing, covers, formatting, etc. All on me. On the other hand, a publisher takes a huge cut of the profits, as an indie author…all mine.

4. Challenge

It’s really nice to get to choose who you work with, and how the work is done, but people you’re paying may not challenge you in the same way that someone who buys your manuscript will, and they may teach you something new.

5. Marketing

Whether you work with a publisher, or indie publish, you’re probably going to have to do all of your own marketing and promo. The publisher may offer resources, but the bulk of the work and expense will fall to you (in most cases).

6. Sales

With indie publishing, you can see your sales, see which advertising strategies are working, or not working, tweak your blurb if you feel it needs it, change your cover, even change the price if you want to. With traditional publishing, it will depend on your publisher how much access you have to sales information, how often you get it, and whether they’re willing to make any changes once the book is published.

7. Schedule

As an indie author, you can turn on a dime. When readers told, me they wanted a story for one of the characters in my 5^th book, even though the series was done, I was able to give them the story they wanted. I shared it in an anthology, and now that I have all of my rights back, it will be given away free when people sign up for my newsletter. As a traditional author, you have to submit a proposal to your editor, and they can say yes or no, if they say yes, it comes out on their schedule, not yours, or your readers.

8. Timing of Releases

You can put out indie books much more quickly than traditionally published books. Your book isn’t put on someone else’s calendar, it’s on yours, so you decide to release your books once a month, once a year, or once a decade. With a publisher, they decide, and yours isn’t the only book on their agenda, so your books may be released further apart…or they may expect you to get revisions done when you planned a vacation…or surgery.

9. Options

You don’t have to make one choice or the other, you can publish both traditionally and indie, allowing yourself full control over some projects, but considerably more financial freedom from others. The nice thing about being an author in 2024, is that we have options.

10. Hard Work

Whether you publish as an indie author or with a traditional publisher, you’re going to work hard. Yes, I know that was number one, but it’s number ten as well

I’d love to know if you’re published, are you indie, traditional or hybrid? Do you prefer one option over another? If you’re not yet published, do you want to publish indie, traditional or hybrid? And why? 

Bonus

WITS is delighted Tari has returned to share her insights. To learn more read her previous post: 10 Things I Learned Indie Publishing my First Book.

About Tari

Tari Lynn Jewett lives in Arizona just off Route 66 with her husband of thirty-five years (aka Hunky Hubby). They have 3 amazing sons, and 2 beautiful grandsons. For more than twenty years Tari wrote freelance for magazines and newspapers, wrote television commercials, radio spots, numerous press releases, and many, MANY PTA newsletters. As much as she loved writing those things, she always wanted to write fiction…and now she is.

Tari writes light, fun romcoms, but she is also working on a historical women’s fiction series set in the Los Angeles area, spanning from the late 1920’s to the ‘50’s. These are darker, edgier full length novels. 

A voracious reader, Tari’s favorite treat is to turn off her phone and computer and curl up with an un-put-downable book. 

She also believes in happily-ever-afters,

…because she’s living hers.

Website • Amazon • Goodreads • Bookbub •

Image Credits

Image above compiled of Pixabay images by BedexpStock,  Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Sara Torda, and BeezeeStock

By Janice Hardy

Every revision is unique and each one offers a different challenge to overcome.  

Some manuscripts are clean first drafts that fall out of your head and onto the page like they wanted to be written. Other stories fight you every step of the way, and you have to whip them into submission to make the novel work. Still others are stories you wrote and revised countless times until they became a tangled mess you gave up on—even though you still love that story and swear you’ll make it work one day.

I have novels in all of these categories and then some.

Most writers will have a draft that’s ready for revision. These will be split between manuscripts no one but you has seen and manuscripts that have been through beta readers or critique partners. How you approach your revision depends on what stage the manuscript is at.

Let’s take a look at a few revision situations you might be facing:

You’re Revising on Your Own

This is a typical first-draft revision with a manuscript you haven’t shown anyone yet, and you want to make sure all the bugs are worked out before you get feedback.

Remember:

• Give yourself the freedom to stink: Yes, first drafts don’t always stink, but a lot of them do, so don’t worry if yours is full of issues and problems. That’s normal. Revision is how you clean up that mess. I like to think of first drafts as brain dumps just to get the story out of my head and onto the page. Once there, then I can turn it into a book.
• Approach it like you’re doing a critique for a friend: Pretend your manuscript was written by a friend. What advice would you give about this story? Where would you cut them some slack? This can also help you be more objective about the work. Taking time off before revising can help give you distance here. 
• Don’t worry about the time it takes to revise: I know you want to get it done and off to an agent, editor, or publish it, but rushing the work never results in the best work, and this can hurt you and your novel in the long run. If it’s worth doing, do it right.

You’re Revising from Feedback

This is a draft that’s been through critiques and has feedback to help guide you in your revision. It might be a first draft or a later draft. The hard part here is figuring out what feedback to heed and what to ignore.

Some guidelines to consider:

• Take every comment seriously: Ask yourself why the critiquer said it and try to see the underlying problem, then decide if it’s a comment that needs to be addressed or not. Not every piece of feedback is useful, even if it comes from a good writer or critiquer.
• If you’re not sure about a comment, think about why you’re resisting it: Sometimes feedback requires edits that scare you, or changes something you love, or even use a skill you’re not sure you have. Maybe that “they’re wrong” reaction is correct, but maybe you just didn’t want to hear it.
• Think about why the critiquer made the comment: Sometimes critiquers spot a problem and know something is off, but the trouble spot isn’t where they see it—it’s actually in the setup, so the resolution isn’t coming through correctly. So if you’re sure the scene is right, look at the scenes that led to that matter and see if you missed something that didn’t set it up correctly. 
• If it’s a clarity issue, fix it, even if you think it’s clear: If a reader was confused, something wasn’t clear. Often, this only takes a word or two, maybe a sentence to fix. Remember—readers don’t know the story like you do, and maybe they put the book down for a week between reads.
• Do whatever serves the story best: Even great ideas can be the wrong ideas if they don’t fit the story you’re trying to tell. 

Every writer gets a rough critique at some point, and it’s only natural to ignore words that hurt or sap your confidence. The danger comes when you consistently ignore the very advice that can help you just because you don’t like it. If you’ve been revising novel after novel (or the same novel multiple times) and don’t feel you’re getting any better, maybe there’s a reason. 

You’re Returning to a Manuscript You’re Revised Before. A Lot (AKA: The Frankendraft)

The more troublesome manuscripts are those you’ve revised over and over. You’ve changed so much you often forget what story you were trying to write in the first place. These revisions require a slightly different approach than a typical revision. Until you decide what you want, you won’t know the steps to take to get there.

And then there’s the Frankendraft.

A Frankendraft has been cut and stitched together so many times the scenes no longer work together, and the story is either so deeply buried or so watered down that it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense anymore.

Often, there’s not much you can do with a Frankendraft, so be prepared. Some are so terribly flawed that it’s best to be merciful and pull the plug. But there are steps you can take to bring this monster back to life.

• Say goodbye: Accept that the Frankendraft is dead and put the manuscript in a drawer. You got into this mess by revising it over and over, and it’s time to start fresh. The idea could still work if you approach it like a new novel, not a revision. 
• Kill some characters: Hard as this will be, eliminating characters can go a long way toward stripping out what’s unnecessary. Pay particular attention to characters who have their own stories and might be hijacking the main plot. 
• Trim the fat: Figure out what’s needed in the story and what’s not. What’s the single most important goal in the plot? What events are critical to resolving that goal? If you have a lot of subplot and character arcs for multiple characters, this could be bogging down the story. 
• Pick five elements and plot from there: What are the five critical events that have to happen to resolve the core conflict? Who are the five (or fewer) critical characters necessary to achieve those goals? Start at the core and work outward, and think really hard about every element you add back in. Is it truly necessary? 

You’re Revising from Multiple Drafts

If you’ve been revising for a while, you might have several drafts that explore different directions. This is especially true if you weren’t sure how the story might unfold and needed to write a draft or two to figure it out. Problem is, you’re now faced with several drafts that all contain scenes and ideas you like, and you have no clue how to merge them all into one draft.

• An outline is your friend here: The first thing to do is identify what you want to keep and what can go, and an outline of the story you want to tell is the easiest way to do that. Then, create a new file and put the novel in the order you want it in. It’s okay if the transitions are missing, or things don’t make sense. Once the scenes you want to keep are in place, you can start smoothing the flow so it all fits together.
• Rethink your favorite scenes if they don’t fit: Forcing a scene can create a stumbling block for readers—it doesn’t flow, it doesn’t quite make sense, it doesn’t advance the story. Ask: Does it advance the core conflict in some way? Does it offer new and relevant information? Will readers miss something important if it’s not there (be honest)? If not, let it go.
• Beware of revision smudge: Revision smudge is bits and pieces left behind that reference something no longer in the story, and it gets into every revision. Reading these scenes feels right to you because you remember what those bits all mean. But when you look closely at the current draft, you realize the details refer to a part of the story you cut three versions ago.

Use the Right Revision Plan for Your Novel

What a draft needs differs depending on which draft you’re on and what the manuscript needs. Approaching one of the less common revisions often requires a different tack than the average draft—and a little more effort to make it work. But the results can be worth it if it turns that mess of a manuscript into the book of your heart.

Workshop Heads Up!

I’m presenting a workshop on Creating Stronger Conflicts in Your Romance Novel on June 15 during the Wanna Write Romance 2024 Virtual Conference, June 13-16. The conference is free, and there’s a paid upgrade for additional goodies and a whole extra day of sessions. You can register here.

What type of revision do you usually face?

About Janice

Janice Hardy is the award-winning author and founder of the popular writing site Fiction University, where she helps writers improve their craft and navigate the crazy world of publishing. Not only does she write about writing, she teaches workshops across the country, and her blog has been recognized as a Top Writing Blog by Writer’s Digest. She also spins tales of adventure for both teens and adults, and firmly believes that doing terrible things to her characters makes them more interesting (in a good way). She loves talking with writers and readers, and encourages questions of all types—even the weird ones. 

Find out more about writing at www.Fiction-University.com, or visit her author’s site at www.JaniceHardy.com. Subscribe to her newsletter to stay updated on future books, workshops, and events and receive her ebook, 25 Ways to Strengthen Your Writing Right Now, free.

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Image Credits

Top two images purchased from Deposit Photos.