Novel Journey readers...make sure to come back next Friday, 10-19, for part two of Karen's interview. She has offered to give one lucky reader a copy of First Draft in Thirty Days. We'll throw names into a hat from comments on today's post and from part two and we'll let the lucky winner know on the 20th.
Please tell our readers a bit about your writing journey.
I wrote my first book when I was ten years old. My first novel was published in 1998 after countless "good" rejections and after I'd made the monumental (and retrospectively premature) decision to write only for my own pleasure instead of for publication. Since then, I've had 42 books published, including novels and novellas, nonfiction and fiction in a huge range of categories, including (but never limited to): inspirational, romance, women's fiction, mystery (police procedural and cozy), suspense, action/adventure, paranormal, gothic, futuristic, horror, thriller, writing reference, children's books and poetry. I've won or been nominated for 55 awards.
Which is easier for you to write? How-to or fiction? Why?
Fiction is much easier to write. I don't second guess myself so much or doubt my own worthiness. However, strangely enough, the premise of Cohesive Story Building came to me literally out of nowhere. It took me under a month to complete and under a month to sell to Writer's Digest Books. I consider myself a layman's teacher of solid, efficient writing, so I never enter writing nonfiction from the frame of mind of "college vocabulary or official writer textbook"—I barely know what authors are talking about when they refer to protagonist and antagonist, lol (okay, okay, I know what they are, but I call them main, secondary and villainous characters—I like to keep it simple). If you're looking for straightforward, easy to understand and infinitely doable, that's the kind of nonfiction I write. I also try to provide reference titles that will be beneficial to all writers, not simply a select or small portion of the writing community.
Describe the process you went through when you recognized the need for your How-to books and the end result?
I do very much consider my writing reference titles something needed, something not currently available.
For my electronic publishing titles (out-of-print), I knew a lot of authors didn't quite know what e-publishing was, whether it was legitimate, and how to navigate their way through the good, the bad and the in-between.
I was also aware that most authors don't know how to promote their books, which is why I wrote my author promotion books. Find out more about my newest, The Power of Promotional Groups . This one teaches published authors—whether traditionally or small press and e-published—how to jumpstart their careers by advertising in long-term, affordable ways within the safety and strength of a promotional group. These authors accomplish together what few can do alone by sharing the cost of promotion and market their releases individually and as a group. It's really a ground-breaking reference, unlike anything else on the market.
My writing reference titles—First Draft in 30 Days and Cohesive Story Building (coming Fall 2008 from Writer's Digest Books, were also written in response to a need I saw in writers' reference. Many writers that I knew—whether published or unpublished—were writing endless pages of a novel, only to find themselves slaving to fix those hundreds of pages. I suspect some of them stumbled upon one of those workshops that cater to writing a novel in 30 days, then spending the next year revising it into something publishable. Having done the same thing myself for so many years, I learned how to make the outline of my novels the first draft of the book—and it's within this outline that I do the majority of my editing. What this means is having a strong foundation for a book before you begin writing it instead of slapping together a story that's weak and painstakingly trying to shore it up so it ends up something decent. Since an outline is only 1/4th the size of a completed novel (in general), it makes sense to do the hard work in revising a book in the outline stage, leaving the easy work of polishing for the first (and many times final) draft. This became the basis of First Draft in 30 Days.
Cohesive Story Building stemmed from my own analysis of how—in my books (and in all the quality books I read)—the cohesion of characters, plot and setting are the essential ingredients to creating a story that absolutely can't be put down. The books that don't have that trinity aren't as strong, and subsequently, not as exciting of a read. Since this was such a huge epiphany for me, I realized other authors might not be aware how pivotal making these three aspects are to a breath-taking story. The method has resulted in turning many of my average novels into something extraordinary—and that's what all writers are striving for.
Please share three of four important tips from First Draft in 30 Days.
There's no wrong way to write a book, but there are ineffective ways of writing.
A writer who does little or no pre-writing on a novel starts with an idea—an idea that may or may not be terribly well-developed in his head. Generally, there's a lot or a little brainstorming involved in this process. One day the author sits down and starts writing. Chances are, the first three chapters will come easy because these are the ones he can see very clearly and will have no trouble getting down. After that, things become foggy and he may find that he's often writing blindly, following any road he manages to happen onto in the haze. A draft of a novel will take anywhere from four months to a year or more to write, depending on how many road signs become clear in this writer's gung-ho brand of writing. What does this author do now that he has that first draft? Well, now he starts on the hard part of this whole writing process. He got the easy part of the way and left himself with the torturous work of untangling, organizing, re-shaping, revising and polishing up 300 or more disjointed pages. Many an author who employs this method of working may need to do multiple drafts or revisions to get to an editor-quality manuscript that is consistent and mostly coherent. Also consider that most authors obsess over every word, before they write it, while they write, and after they write it. They're revising and polishing pretty much a ll of the time! I'd venture a guess that writers like this do a hundred percent more work than they really need to.
Now, let's look at how the process of writing a novel should be in the ideal: The author has spent a considerable amount of time—maybe, hopefully, even years—brainstorming on a particular idea for a story. He may have also written quite a few notes on this idea and they're bulging from his story folder. Now, it's time put it all together. He outlines his story in the way that makes the most sense of his ideas and will allow him to begin writing immediately afterward. His outline will probably be approximately a quarter of the size of his completed novel. It includes every single one of his story threads, unfurled with the correct pacing and the necessary tension from start to finish. All of those story threads develop and conclude logically, and, best of all, they're wonderfully cohesive. Because of this guide he's created for himself, he'll never have to face a sagging middle, deflated tension, a poorly constructed story thread or weak characterization because all those problems are fixed during the outlining process. Like a builder does when he's working on a building project, he revises his "blueprint" until it's completely solid. Only then does he dare start the actual work.
This efficient author writes his first draft. With Chapter One at the top of his page, he uses his outline to decide what needs to be in that particular scene. He writes Chapter Two based on his outline…and so on. As he's working, his outline is expanding considerably, taking on layers of richness, complexity, depth and cohesion. He's fleshes out the scenes with characterization, dialogue, introspection, action, descriptions and appropriate tension in all its wondrous forms.
This author worked out the kinks in his story in the outline stage and secured for himself that the writing and revision of his novel are the easy parts of the process. He did his hard work first, so he won't have to rip his novel apart in order to get in the solid foundation he should have begun building on right from the start. Nor will he need to duplicate any part of the process with numerous drafts.
A first draft developed through the use of an outline or some other sort of guide is much more polished than the first draft that most authors dash off the top of their heads. In fact, this kind of first draft is close to a painstakingly crafted manuscript that's been through many drafts and revisions.
The clearer a writer's vision of a story before the actual writing begins, the more fleshed out that story will be once it makes it to paper. Imagine an outline that makes it possible for you to do less work, not only reducing the number of drafts you have to do per project, but possibly even reducing it to a single draft. Imagine viewing an outline as a snapshot that captures everything the novel will contain on a smaller scale. Imagine "airbrushing" the outline instead of the novel. Imagine using an outline so complete, it may actually qualify as the first draft of the novel. Imagine making your muse an assistant to the writing process instead of in charge of it. Imagine plotting your career in such a way as to 1) allow you to accurately predict down to the day you'll complete each book, and to 2) allow you to get ahead of your sales or releases. First Draft in 30 Days provides a six step process for outlining a complete novel over the course of 30 days. It also helps authors plot their careers so they can be more productive.
What is unique about First Draft in 30 Days? Why is it different than other books on the same topic?
There are tons of writing reference books available devoted to how to outline (or how not to outline and still write a book). The thing that makes First Draft in 30 Days unique is that it works well for any writer—in whatever stage of his of his career. Published, unpublished, twenty books already under his belt or not even one. It can used be on novellas or novellas (or anything in-between). It's also so flexible, a writer can incorporate the parts that benefit him into his own way of working.
Of all the traits of the successful writer, the one thing I believe everyone must have to reach goals and achieve success is discipline, and that goes hand-in-hand with efficiency. If writers don't have that, they might achieve a degree of success for one book, but momentum is extremely important to any success, so if writers aren't disciplined enough to keep the momentum moving steadily in their careers, they probably won't succeed in the long run.
I believe First Draft in 30 Days gives writers every single one of the tools required to obtain both discipline and efficiency in their careers—simply put, there are few other writing reference books out there that offer both. Starting out on your own schedule (or an attempt at doing it in 30 days), you can learn how to make your muse work with you. Superstitiously, writers believe if they don't leave everything in the hands of their muse, the words they covet will be taken away for ever. How to master the muse and making it bend to an author's needs, or—more precisely—to assist is a secret that all writers should be told. First Draft in 30 Days gives writers all the tools required to take the reins and master self-discipline in their writing.
This leads us to efficiency. By using an outline before writing the novel, you'll be able to revise the outline instead of the novel. This allows you to save time, effort, and many, many intense rewrites. You'll also be able to write more "final draft" novels a year, rather than a half dozen that need another overhaul.
I wrote my first book when I was ten years old. My first novel was published in 1998 after countless "good" rejections and after I'd made the monumental (and retrospectively premature) decision to write only for my own pleasure instead of for publication. Since then, I've had 42 books published, including novels and novellas, nonfiction and fiction in a huge range of categories, including (but never limited to): inspirational, romance, women's fiction, mystery (police procedural and cozy), suspense, action/adventure, paranormal, gothic, futuristic, horror, thriller, writing reference, children's books and poetry. I've won or been nominated for 55 awards.
Which is easier for you to write? How-to or fiction? Why?
Fiction is much easier to write. I don't second guess myself so much or doubt my own worthiness. However, strangely enough, the premise of Cohesive Story Building came to me literally out of nowhere. It took me under a month to complete and under a month to sell to Writer's Digest Books. I consider myself a layman's teacher of solid, efficient writing, so I never enter writing nonfiction from the frame of mind of "college vocabulary or official writer textbook"—I barely know what authors are talking about when they refer to protagonist and antagonist, lol (okay, okay, I know what they are, but I call them main, secondary and villainous characters—I like to keep it simple). If you're looking for straightforward, easy to understand and infinitely doable, that's the kind of nonfiction I write. I also try to provide reference titles that will be beneficial to all writers, not simply a select or small portion of the writing community.
Describe the process you went through when you recognized the need for your How-to books and the end result?
I do very much consider my writing reference titles something needed, something not currently available.
For my electronic publishing titles (out-of-print), I knew a lot of authors didn't quite know what e-publishing was, whether it was legitimate, and how to navigate their way through the good, the bad and the in-between.
I was also aware that most authors don't know how to promote their books, which is why I wrote my author promotion books. Find out more about my newest, The Power of Promotional Groups . This one teaches published authors—whether traditionally or small press and e-published—how to jumpstart their careers by advertising in long-term, affordable ways within the safety and strength of a promotional group. These authors accomplish together what few can do alone by sharing the cost of promotion and market their releases individually and as a group. It's really a ground-breaking reference, unlike anything else on the market.
My writing reference titles—First Draft in 30 Days and Cohesive Story Building (coming Fall 2008 from Writer's Digest Books, were also written in response to a need I saw in writers' reference. Many writers that I knew—whether published or unpublished—were writing endless pages of a novel, only to find themselves slaving to fix those hundreds of pages. I suspect some of them stumbled upon one of those workshops that cater to writing a novel in 30 days, then spending the next year revising it into something publishable. Having done the same thing myself for so many years, I learned how to make the outline of my novels the first draft of the book—and it's within this outline that I do the majority of my editing. What this means is having a strong foundation for a book before you begin writing it instead of slapping together a story that's weak and painstakingly trying to shore it up so it ends up something decent. Since an outline is only 1/4th the size of a completed novel (in general), it makes sense to do the hard work in revising a book in the outline stage, leaving the easy work of polishing for the first (and many times final) draft. This became the basis of First Draft in 30 Days.
Cohesive Story Building stemmed from my own analysis of how—in my books (and in all the quality books I read)—the cohesion of characters, plot and setting are the essential ingredients to creating a story that absolutely can't be put down. The books that don't have that trinity aren't as strong, and subsequently, not as exciting of a read. Since this was such a huge epiphany for me, I realized other authors might not be aware how pivotal making these three aspects are to a breath-taking story. The method has resulted in turning many of my average novels into something extraordinary—and that's what all writers are striving for.
Please share three of four important tips from First Draft in 30 Days.
There's no wrong way to write a book, but there are ineffective ways of writing.
A writer who does little or no pre-writing on a novel starts with an idea—an idea that may or may not be terribly well-developed in his head. Generally, there's a lot or a little brainstorming involved in this process. One day the author sits down and starts writing. Chances are, the first three chapters will come easy because these are the ones he can see very clearly and will have no trouble getting down. After that, things become foggy and he may find that he's often writing blindly, following any road he manages to happen onto in the haze. A draft of a novel will take anywhere from four months to a year or more to write, depending on how many road signs become clear in this writer's gung-ho brand of writing. What does this author do now that he has that first draft? Well, now he starts on the hard part of this whole writing process. He got the easy part of the way and left himself with the torturous work of untangling, organizing, re-shaping, revising and polishing up 300 or more disjointed pages. Many an author who employs this method of working may need to do multiple drafts or revisions to get to an editor-quality manuscript that is consistent and mostly coherent. Also consider that most authors obsess over every word, before they write it, while they write, and after they write it. They're revising and polishing pretty much a ll of the time! I'd venture a guess that writers like this do a hundred percent more work than they really need to.
Now, let's look at how the process of writing a novel should be in the ideal: The author has spent a considerable amount of time—maybe, hopefully, even years—brainstorming on a particular idea for a story. He may have also written quite a few notes on this idea and they're bulging from his story folder. Now, it's time put it all together. He outlines his story in the way that makes the most sense of his ideas and will allow him to begin writing immediately afterward. His outline will probably be approximately a quarter of the size of his completed novel. It includes every single one of his story threads, unfurled with the correct pacing and the necessary tension from start to finish. All of those story threads develop and conclude logically, and, best of all, they're wonderfully cohesive. Because of this guide he's created for himself, he'll never have to face a sagging middle, deflated tension, a poorly constructed story thread or weak characterization because all those problems are fixed during the outlining process. Like a builder does when he's working on a building project, he revises his "blueprint" until it's completely solid. Only then does he dare start the actual work.
This efficient author writes his first draft. With Chapter One at the top of his page, he uses his outline to decide what needs to be in that particular scene. He writes Chapter Two based on his outline…and so on. As he's working, his outline is expanding considerably, taking on layers of richness, complexity, depth and cohesion. He's fleshes out the scenes with characterization, dialogue, introspection, action, descriptions and appropriate tension in all its wondrous forms.
This author worked out the kinks in his story in the outline stage and secured for himself that the writing and revision of his novel are the easy parts of the process. He did his hard work first, so he won't have to rip his novel apart in order to get in the solid foundation he should have begun building on right from the start. Nor will he need to duplicate any part of the process with numerous drafts.
A first draft developed through the use of an outline or some other sort of guide is much more polished than the first draft that most authors dash off the top of their heads. In fact, this kind of first draft is close to a painstakingly crafted manuscript that's been through many drafts and revisions.
The clearer a writer's vision of a story before the actual writing begins, the more fleshed out that story will be once it makes it to paper. Imagine an outline that makes it possible for you to do less work, not only reducing the number of drafts you have to do per project, but possibly even reducing it to a single draft. Imagine viewing an outline as a snapshot that captures everything the novel will contain on a smaller scale. Imagine "airbrushing" the outline instead of the novel. Imagine using an outline so complete, it may actually qualify as the first draft of the novel. Imagine making your muse an assistant to the writing process instead of in charge of it. Imagine plotting your career in such a way as to 1) allow you to accurately predict down to the day you'll complete each book, and to 2) allow you to get ahead of your sales or releases. First Draft in 30 Days provides a six step process for outlining a complete novel over the course of 30 days. It also helps authors plot their careers so they can be more productive.
What is unique about First Draft in 30 Days? Why is it different than other books on the same topic?
There are tons of writing reference books available devoted to how to outline (or how not to outline and still write a book). The thing that makes First Draft in 30 Days unique is that it works well for any writer—in whatever stage of his of his career. Published, unpublished, twenty books already under his belt or not even one. It can used be on novellas or novellas (or anything in-between). It's also so flexible, a writer can incorporate the parts that benefit him into his own way of working.
Of all the traits of the successful writer, the one thing I believe everyone must have to reach goals and achieve success is discipline, and that goes hand-in-hand with efficiency. If writers don't have that, they might achieve a degree of success for one book, but momentum is extremely important to any success, so if writers aren't disciplined enough to keep the momentum moving steadily in their careers, they probably won't succeed in the long run.
I believe First Draft in 30 Days gives writers every single one of the tools required to obtain both discipline and efficiency in their careers—simply put, there are few other writing reference books out there that offer both. Starting out on your own schedule (or an attempt at doing it in 30 days), you can learn how to make your muse work with you. Superstitiously, writers believe if they don't leave everything in the hands of their muse, the words they covet will be taken away for ever. How to master the muse and making it bend to an author's needs, or—more precisely—to assist is a secret that all writers should be told. First Draft in 30 Days gives writers all the tools required to take the reins and master self-discipline in their writing.
This leads us to efficiency. By using an outline before writing the novel, you'll be able to revise the outline instead of the novel. This allows you to save time, effort, and many, many intense rewrites. You'll also be able to write more "final draft" novels a year, rather than a half dozen that need another overhaul.
To be continued...
Thanks for the great and informative interview. I'll look forward to part two next week.
ReplyDeleteKaren's book will definitely be added to my TBR list.
Thanks. this definately has me thinking. I'm only just starting on my second novel. I'm pleased with how my first turned out, but the process by which I got to the end was pretty disorganized. I'd like to be a bit more of a planner this time.
ReplyDeleteAlso wanted to say that I think it's cool to meet and author who has done such varied work. I often hear how and author has to be "branded"-- find her niche and sort of stay there, but I definately feel like I have a variety of stuff in me!
Fascinating! Thanks for the interview. I want to read her book and use her methods, hopefully to become a better orgainzed novelist.
ReplyDeleteMarion
www.marionkelleybullock.blogspot.com
Thanks for joining me today--and hopefully next Friday, too, Sheryl. : )
ReplyDeleteJanet, I've never been able to keep myself to a single genre. Luckily, I write for so many small press publishers, none of them expect me to stay fixed in one spot--especially since my reviews and award nominations (and even a few wins) tell them and me that it's more than okay to diversify. I suppose writing in so many genres stems from a life-long habit of *reading* in so many.
Marion, if you and other viewers would like to take a sneak peek into the First Draft in 30 Days world, check out my website with a ton of bonus extras: http://www.firstdraftin30days.com.
Great interview! Looking forward to next week! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteGreat interview. Perfect timing for me, since nanowrimo is next month. I want to write a first draft of a novel to add to my book arsenal.
ReplyDeleteYou've convinced me! I am in the midst of plotting my third novel and I want it to be a much more detailed outline than my last two, which took me FOREVER to rewrite.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for the second part of the interview!
As a SOTP writer her comment about "pre-writing" struck home!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to part 2.
I've bought the book FIRST DRAFT IN 30 DAYS and tried using it, but there's a learning curve. Still, I'm hoping to develop fast-writing skills.
ReplyDeleteCheryl
Thanks for dropping by, Cyndy, Melissa, Judy and Cheryl--by the way, I've always believed that if a writing method enhances what you're currently doing, it's working. It won't work the same way for everyone.
ReplyDeleteHad to put in my two cents' worth about writing methods like to nanowrimo, basically the kind where you just start slapping something down until you end up with a book. To me, if a writer starts something without a solid foundation, the only way to fix it is to tear it apart and ultimately start from scratch. You can't rewrite something a hundred times and hope to make an unworkable story workable with a bad foundation to drag it down each and every time. Do it right the first time, and you'll have a quality story to show for it--that's my motto! And that's what First Draft in 30 Days is all about. Believe it or not, you'll save yourself a ton of work by doing it right the first time. I don't write over 10 books a year by slapping something on a page without knowing first that it's utterly solid. But more about this in Part II of my interview. : )
ReplyDeleteThanks, Karen,
ReplyDeleteNot only for the informative interview, but for all your helpful personalized comments.
: )
Great interview. Lot's of great advice. Looking forward to part 2.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
I'm for anything that will help me actually finish something. She' right when she says that the first three chapters come easy and the rest is a jumbled mess.
ReplyDeleteKelly wrote: Not only for the informative interview, but for all your helpful personalized comments.
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure, Kelly. Thanks for listening.
Carol wrote: Great interview. Lot's of great advice. Looking forward to part 2.
Thanks for dropping by, Carol.
Tim wrote: I'm for anything that will help me actually finish something. She' right when she says that the first three chapters come easy and the rest is a jumbled mess.
Tim, this is exactly what used to happen to me every single time I started a book (before I was published). I just started writing one day--didn't do any pre-writing, any outlining--and slam! I'd get to chapter 3 and I'd have literally no idea where to go from there. My mind was a complete blank. So I'd set it aside and only now, years later, am I actually returning to some of these manuscripts, outlining them and turning them into something great.
Here's an idea what to do if you become stalled at Chapter 3: Take a look at Chapter 5, page 96 in First Draft in 30 Days. There's a section called "Outlining and Writing in Tandem." When I first started using an outline (which was NOT natural for me at all), I used this technique to help me get going. Basically, start your outline--better than just writing the story cold, get as many chapter drafts written as you can. If you hit a roadblock, switch to writing the first scene you've outlined in your story. If you can return to the outline after that, great. If you can't, write the next scene you outlined.
Doing this helps your mind really focus on your characters and the plot, get to know them better, and it should help your mind to brainstorm enough that you can push forward in the outlining.
After you've used this method a few times, you should get the point where you're able to outline straight through without writing a word of the actual novel (which is really your goal and what I've learned to do always now, instead of outlining and writing in tandem), but this might keep you from losing steam. See the section in First Draft for more details about this process.
If your outline is flowing, don't break it up with the writing. See the outline through. Your first draft actually writing the book will be 100% better and stronger because outlining helps you work the kinks out of your story. Only if you lose your enthusiasm for the story or hit a roadblock (can't finish the outline at any point) should you use the writing and outlining in tandem. Get back to your outlining exclusively as soon as you can.
See everyone next week for Part II of this interview. : )
I wanted to add that I have another forum coming up, talking about writing and my writing reference titles from Writer's Digest Books. Hope some of you can join me:
November 10, 2007, all day: Karen Wiesner will discuss First Draft in 30 Days in the Cobblestone Main Street Community College. Karen will also participate in a Q & A session with forum members. Those participating in the discussion will be entered into a drawing to receive a free copy of First Draft! Karen will also hold a contest for an autographed copy of the book! The forum will be held here: http://www.cobblestone-mainstreet.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=210. You must be registered at the site to participate. To register for Cobblestone Main Street, go here to create an account http://www.cobblestone-mainstreet.com/forums/register.php.Your membership will be approved within 48 hours--so please make sure to register well before November 10th!
I have lived the "inefficient" method of writing and end up frustrated with rewrites so this intrigues me. Please enter me in the drawing for these books. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteinteresting stuff. Thanks. :)Marci
ReplyDeleteGreat interview! Thanks.
ReplyDeleteWriting very much has been a journey. I too was a stop after chapter three person. I tried NaNo. Didn't finish but found I could get past chapter 3. Then I tried another story, alternating between writing and outlining, as I guess chap 5 of Karen's book recommends. Still didn't finish but got further yet. Next I tried another story, doing several things: first three chapters, story outline, write some more, plot synopsis, still alternating between them all. I finished my first draft, and I'm revising it.
ReplyDeleteI had to get there in steps. I now know that I can finish, and that's big. Each time I get a better sense of what works for me, and how much pre-work I need to do before writing. I guess reading Karen's book might have shortcut the process.