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5 Great Newsletters

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In her most recent GOB post, Christie wrote about finding her writing groove.  I agree with her about being open to new ideas in order to improve.  I’m always looking for better ways to do, well, everything — time management, writing, work (other than writing), family, cooking, exercise.  If you’re similarly inclined, check out these weekly newsletters.

Sunday Smatterings  by J.T. Ellison.  J.T. writes thrillers. I was able to meet her and listen to a talk she gave last summer.  She’s witty and writes a mean thriller.  Her newest comes out soon, and I’ve already pre-ordered it.  Her weekly newsletter includes a great section called “Here’s what happened on the Internets this week.”  She links great articles, chock-full of information.  Plus, she’s really into wine, and who can argue with that?

Smittten Kitchen by Deb Perelman.  Deb started this blog several years ago and has published 2 cookbooks.  Here’s the deal –  I love her recipes.  Most recently, I made Hummus heaped with tomatoes and cucumbers (Ok, in fairness, I actually made it three times in one week).  In addition to a number of recipes, her newsletter highlights interesting reads from various places.  Her newsletter, along with her blog is full of beautiful photography, if you’re into pictures of food – which, I most definitely am.

Take 5 With Mel by Mel Robbins.  I’ve already mentioned my affinity for Mel Robbins on this blog.  *This Newsletter is a weekly wrap-up of some of her best advice, along with tips she highlights from other sources.  If you’re new to Mel, this a great place to start.  She’s always spot on and inspiring.

NY Times Smarter Living by Tim Herrera, the Smarter Living Editor for the NY Times.  This weekly newsletter is a cool combination of lists and recommended stuff that covers all areas of life.  For example, one week was “5 Cheap(ish) Things Every Home Should Have.”  It had recommendations on household basics, including the perfect scissors.  Seriously — I love this.  Who doesn’t need a perfect pair of scissors?  Another favorite recent newsletter discussed “Why Your Brain Tricks You into Doing Less Important Tasks.”  Info I can definitely use.

Brain Pickings by Maria Popova.  This is a complex mix – culture, literature, history, The topics are a deep dive, but so worth the effort.  It’s super informative, and really pleasing to the eye.  I’ve also gathered several ideas for potential writing projects.  Popova has said that she spends over 450 hours a month on her blog.  I‘d love to know how she manages her time.

We all get inundated with emails.  Normally, I advocate unsubscribing from everything you can.  These newsletters, though, are the exception.  I think you’ll find the tips they offer most worthwhile.  Happy reading, happy writing!

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Book Shout Out – Daniel Silva’s The Other Woman

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Last weekend, I did something I love to do, but don’t do often enough… I read an entire novel in 24 hours.  I spent my day with one of my favorite writers, Daniel Silva, who publishes a new Gabriel Allon thriller every July.

If you aren’t yet familiar with Daniel Silva, here’s a quick debriefing:

Main character – Gabriel Allon is an Israeli spy and art restorer. Silva has said that he was initially hesitant to turn Allon into a recurring character given the amount of anti-Semitism in the world.  While a depressing reality, he seems to be doing just fine with the character, given this is number 18 in the series and is #1 on every list right now.

Setting – Silva’s plots take readers all over the world.  The Other Woman starts in Spain and takes the reader to Russia, London, Vienna, and Israel, all depicted in impressive detail.  If you check out his social media, he’s occasionally included photos of his research travels.

Research –   Reading Silva’s novels are primers on world events and world history.  He’s actually known for eerily predicting events before they happen.  Silva writes beautifully on topics you might normally avoid because of the depth and discomfort, but he writes them in a way that’s both understandable and lovely.

Author’s note-  At the end of every novel, Silva adds an author’s note explaining where the details are based on his research and where he’s fictionalized.  It’s important because he strings the non-fiction elements seamlessly with the fictionalized. He also shares insight into current world affairs.  Given his level of research and analysis, I’m always interested in his perspective.

Plot Structure – When first I started learning about plot structure a few years ago, I didn’t really get it and was skeptical.  I was reading Silva’s The Rembrandt Affair at the time.  After I finished it, I went back, reread it, and outlined the novel, trying to find the plot elements I had been struggling to understand.  And there it was, the three-act structure.  Sure enough, in this page-turning and sweeping novel, at the outset of Act 1, the Inciting Incident, and the end, the Lock-in.  And there in the middle of Act 2, the First Culmination, and at the end of Act 2, the Main Culmination.  And, at the beginning of Act 3, the Third Act Twist.  Over the next few months, I re-read other Silva novels.  The plots were always in depth, varied, and impressive, to say the least, the three-act plot structure was there in each one.  It was a eureka moment for me.  I’ve been hooked ever since – on both anything Silva writes and plot structure elements as outlining tools.

Whether to read a great read, or to learn the craft of writing and plot structure, I recommend you check out Silva’s latest, or any of the many others than came before.  It’s time well spent.

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7 Steps to Find Comparable Titles for Fiction Manuscripts

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Here’s the deal. As you start to work on finding an agent for your novel, you will need to find published novels that are comparable to yours. Agents will expect you to produce a list of 6 – 10 RECENT published works, NOT including outliers (i.e. Fifty Shades of Grey) to which you can compare your manuscript.

Here’s some questions, asked and answered, on this task:

 

#1 Comparable how?

You can compare your work to works of others by genre, character, theme, plot, setting.

Rachelle Gardner, an agent, succinctly narrows it down. She suggests writers ask two questions:

  1. Who are my readers?
  2. What are they reading?

I like thinking about my future readers.  First, it keeps me motivated (As in, they won’t be able to actually read this novel if I don’t finish revising it for them). And, second, it’s good to picture the life you want (me, published, and the reader, reading my novel).

So, picture your reader making a trip to her local bookstore to stock up for her summer reading. Sure, your novel is in the pile, but what else does she pick up?

 

#2 Why? (Whining…) Why do prospective agents want a comparable titles list?

*It helps them know if your novel is a good fit for their list

*It shows you’ve done your homework, and that you know where your work will fit in the current marketplace

*It shows you’re knowledgeable about this business (which, it is, and which you are, right?)

*It shows what kind of author brand you’re working toward.

 

#3 When do you share a comparable titles list?

Initially, you’ll use the list when pitching or querying a prospective agent. Then, it helps your agent sell your work. Finally, it will help publishers and book sellers actually sell the book to readers.

 

#4 What was that? You can’t find any comparable titles because you’re so original?

That’s precious. Don’t be that writer.

In Season 7 of the Real Housewives of NYC, one of the cast members, Sonja Morgan, was developing a new clothing line and was asked what other brands her clothing line could be compared to. She was literally unable to provide a comparison. It was just impossible. It didn’t make her clothing line sound original. Instead, it sounded unrealistic and portrayed a woman who was hard to work with.

 

#5 How to find the comparable titles?

Go to a bookstore and find your genre section. Talk to a book seller or librarian and tell them about your characters, plot, or setting.

Without leaving your home, you can check out the lists available on Goodreads. Use the Amazon search engine. It will provide ample suggestions.

A beta reader can often make a connection that will lead you to a fine comparable title.

And finally, remember what inspired you to write the book in the first place.

 

#6 How to organize this list of 6-10 comparative titles?

Same way you do for any of your writing – in a way that works best for you. I like separate composition books for each part of my writing life. I have one entitled Comps. (And one for this blog. And one for each conference. And…)

Or a spread sheet. Or a word document.

 

#7 What details to include on the list?

Author, title, date of publication, publisher, how you found the book, the type of similarity, agent, editor.

You won’t need every detail for every step of the way. But as your baby book grows up into a full grown novel, you can access this information as you proceed down your publishing path.

 

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2 Things to Consider

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First – A great opportunity!

Pitch Wars – Has anyone heard of this? It looks like a great opportunity!

It’s basically an annual mentoring program for newbies…What?? And, the time is now!

In late August, potential mentees (newbies) can apply to work with mentor writers to improve their pitch AND manuscript in preparation for an agent showcase in February. And, there’s no fee!

Mentors are categorized as interested in Adult (there are 47), YA, or Middle Grade. Each mentor has a blurb listing what they’ve written, what they’re interested in, and their favorite books.  After researching the mentors, potential mentees can apply to work with 4 of the mentors during the submission window in late August. The application process includes the usual suspects – query, first chapter, synopsis. The mentors announce their choices in October.  The mentors and mentees then work together to revise the mentee’s pitch and manuscript. In February, there’s an agent showcase where the mentees can pitch their work. Last year, nearly 60 agents participated and over 50 writers got representation! Even better, many writers got book deals!  How cool is that?

There’s also a great resource tab on the website – full of articles on Queries, Pitching, Submissions. Even though there’s no fee to enter, they do have a gofundme page that seems worthy of a visit! If this is something that sounds interesting, check it out in the link!

 

Second – Inspiration!

Don’t we all feel like it’s hard to fit everything in each day? I found inspiration in an amazing scientist who fits a lot of writing in her already impressive and busy day.

Dr. Jess Wade is a postdoctoral physicist. In addition to her regular academic work, she has set out on a project to bring attention to other female scientists who should be receiving more recognition.  She is writing a Wikipedia entry for each of these accomplished scientists in the hopes of motivating other young women to enter the field. And…get this—she’s written 270 Wikipedia pages in the past year, with no apparent intention of slowing down!

I’m just saying…there’s time for what we prioritize!

Write! Find a Mentor! Submit that manuscript!

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The Great Gathering

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Hours after returning home from Thrillerfest in NYC, I attended a weekend celebration of my high school class reunion.  It was a fun and exhausting weekend.  Before leaving on another adventure the next day, my husband and I tried to recover with a movie.  He choose the perfect reunion movie – Grosse Pointe Blank, a 1997 thriller/dark comedy.   Unfortunately, not long after the movie started, I started seeing them – plots points.  Soon after, I was reviewing my structure notes from Thrillerfest and outlining on my laptop.  Relaxing? Maybe not.  Fun? Oh, yeah.

The protagonist is Martin Blank, a disillusioned contract killer.  He botched a job and has to satisfy the client by killing someone in Detroit, his hometown on the weekend of his class reunion.  He returns and rekindles his romance with Debi, his high school sweetheart who he dumped on prom night. The antagonist, Grover, a competing assassin, follows him to Detroit, wanting to kill Martin and steal his contract.

2 subplots richen the main plot. First, Martin has never explained his abrupt departure from high school.  No one knew why he left or where he went.  Second, Grover, his competitor, wants Martin to join a killer’s union to prevent accidental contract cross-over.  Martin isn’t interested, and so Grover rats him out to the NSA, who also want to kill Martin.

After Debi sees Martin kill an unwelcome guest at the reunion, and everything unravels, Martin finally opens the contract  for which he was sent to Detroit and discovers that it’s Debi’s father.  As Martin says, “dumb f***ing luck.”

One of the first sessions I attended at Thrillerfest was Steve Berry’s The Six C’s of Story Structure.  As Berry says, story structure is everything.  After the crisis, the goal of Act III is to resolve the subplots and main plot  as close to the same time as possible, leading to the conclusion.  This makes sense as the subplots should be vital to the resolution of the main plot.  In Berry’s novels, such as The 14th Colony, this happens when all the characters get to the same place.

In Grosse Pointe Blank, after Martin has lost everything, the crisis occurs when he discovers Debi’s dad is his target.  In the rest of Act III, Martin goes to protect, instead of kill, his target, along with Debi.  Grover and the NSA team show up.  Like in Berry’s novels, all the characters are in one place.

As the killing ensues, the subplots are cleared up, leading to the conclusion.  Martin explains the reasoning for his departure on prom night, again declines Grover’s request for a union, kills Grover, and kills the NSA team.  He asks Debi to marry him and receives her father’s blessing.

So whether you’re at a reunion full of wonderful people, watching a movie, or plotting your novel’s Act III, think of the great gathering as the place to tie up loose ends.  Thanks to Steve Berry for an informative presentation and to my classmates for a most enjoyable reunion.

 

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Conference Prep: Business Cards

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One thing I learned from my first conference was to Bring. Business. Cards.

Wait…Even if I’m a newbie? Unpublished newbie?

Yep. Absolutely.

Writers, Bloggers, Publishers, Agents, Editors, Booksellers writing conferences and they all have business cards to share. It’s fast. And best of all, those little cards are just about you.

Make your business cards for where you’re at now and where you’re headed. You can change them as your writing career evolves. For your next conference, get some cards printed. What do you want people to know about you? And, what do you want people to remember?

What to include?

*Your name – make it prominent.

*The best way(s) to get in touch. If you don’t check your email, don’t include it.

*Your social media – that you use.

*What you’re writing and have written – your title(s), series, genre.

*Your logline.

*An author photo.

*Cover art.

*Your website.

*Marketing opportunities – are you offering something free on your website for signing up?

Only include what works for you. This card is about you.

 

Where to get them?

There are a plethora of options. Seriously – google it.

I used moo.com the first time around. Loved the cards and the service. They also send a cool case in which you can gather all the other cards you collect. At Sleuthfest, the lovely Jenny Bent also had her cards from Moo and had it on her pitching desk like a little traveling rolodex.

 

This time I went to my local printer who does a ton of work for my other job. It was more expensive, but they designed it for me and delivered it to my office. The first time around I had my website listed, but I haven’t developed it, so I took it off. I added the GOB blog since we’re excited to meet some other newbie writers and talk about this blog.

Whatever you decide to put on your cards, and wherever you decide to get them, just make sure they match your goals for the conference and reflect the writer you are today and the writer you’re aiming to be.

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Conference Prep: Setting Goals

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Going to a conference? Awesome!  What do you want out of it? Networking? Meeting agents? Editors? Pitching? Skill building? Meeting writers? Published writers? Mentors?

Time to set some goals!

Christie, my GOB blog partner, and I are both attending Thrillerfest in NYC next week. This is only my second writing conference, but after attending Sleuthfest in February, I was excited to register for my next one.

When I attended Sleuthfest, I was a bit overwhelmed. There were more opportunities than time would allow.  Even though I knew what my main objectives were, it was easy to get distracted.  Setting goals before a conference is a great way to get the most out of the experience, especially for newbies.

The SMART method is considered the go-to for goal setting. Goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

Ask yourself why you’re going to conference and what you most want out of the experience.  Then, make sure your goals are SMART:

Specific.  Networking is readily available at conferences, but ask yourself what kind of networking do you want to do.  Looking at the list of presenters and attendees and doing some research in advance will help you identify when you want to focus your efforts.

Measurable.  How many other authors, agents, or editors do you want not only meet, but develop a relationship with?  Are there other writers you’ve previously met who are attending and with whom you’d like to connect?  Make a list.

Achievable.  Are there more than one session at a time you want to attend?  Meet someone planning to attend one of them and agree to share notes and handouts..

Relevant.  Plan in advance.  Look at the sessions and the presenters and choose what sessions will be most relevant for you.  It’s easy to put this off and feel overwhelmed as you’re quickly trying to decide what sessions to attend.

Time-bound.  By its very nature, a conference is time-bound.  Set some follow-up goals for the days after the conference.  For example, if your goal was to network, or meet mentor authors, follow up within three days of getting home.  Or, within the three days following the conference, write thank you notes to presenters with whom you want to connect.

I’ve been asking myself want I out of my Thrillerfest experience and how I want to feel on my way back to SD.  Right now, the answers are too many and not specific.  I’m going to put pen to paper and specify some SMART goals.

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Writing Tools: White Boards

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I love organization and productivity tools.  And, I really love hearing what tools work for other people and why they work.  So, in this (first) episode of Writing Tools, I’m revealing my deep and abiding love for white boards.

I have three large white boards on the wall in my office. I bought them from Amazon.  I’d have three more if I had more room!  Of all my organizational tools, these are my current favorite for two reasons.  One, they’re infinitely adaptable to whatever project I’m working on (revising and editing right now).  And two, they allow the two sides of my personality (organized/precise versus laid back/creative) to battle it out.

Sometimes, I’m free and loose with my notes:

character

This is my character sketch whiteboard, as of this morning.

IMG_1150

This is my note (on the left) and timeline (on the right) whiteboard.

 

Other times, I’m measuring the actual size of my sticky notes to make sure each of the eight sequences have equal space and can fit the all correct chapter notes.  This photo below is a relaxed version of my outline.

outline

As my work in progress evolves, so do my writing boards.  Before I erase and remove sticky notes, I always take a photo with my ipad, so I can go back and find any notes I may need.

So, fellow writers, what tools work for you? I’d love to hear about it!

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Off Track

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Anyone else struggle to stay on track with their writing? (I seriously hope this is a rhetorical question!) Well, I have many, many times. Here’s 4 of my current favorite tools for staying on track:

1.That nagging feeling that can derail you? Name it.  You choose the name.  Call it by the name of your nemesis (Devlin, if you’ve seen the movie Just Go With It) or your least favorite food (Eggplant Parmesan).  Right now, I’m calling it Resistance, from Matthew Kelly’s book Resisting Happiness.  Once I recognize that I’m starting to veer off course, I call that feeling by its given name, which allows me to be more objective about it, making it easier to defeat.

2. Mel Robbins is a productivity superhero. I subscribe to her weekly newsletter Take 5 With Mel and follow her on Instagram. I’ve also try to implement her 5-4-3-2-1 rule from the 5 Second Rule, which is basically a way to snap yourself into action. She always has good advice and a good kick in the pants. Check her out.

3. I remember the reality of time. I know it will pass regardless of what I do with it. And I want to be on the other side of that time passage with some writing accomplished. It’s a much better feeling than the alternative, which I’ve experienced too many times. So, get working, especially knowing it’s just Resistance!

4. Start each day with a positive message. Here’s mine from this morning, particularly apt as I’ve been whining about not having enough time to write.

“If you can’t find the time to write, that’s just nonsense. My friend Mary Higgins Clark had five kids and was widowed-that’s a woman who had no time to write. And she still used to wake up and write and then get the kids up. There’s always time to write. You can skip the TV show you’re watching, you can wake up an hour earlier, you can write during lunch – you always have time to write. If your life is so full of other things that you don’t have time to write, then writing isn’t a priority and you’re not a writer. There’s nothing wrong with that, but face that fact. Don’t tell me you don’t have time to write.”- Harlan Coben.

Just writing this has given me new motivation for my looming writing project. Better get to it before Resistance tries to pull me in a different direction – again.

If you want to get a positive message to start your day, click the Follow button on Game of Books Blog , and we’ll send you a morning reminder to stay on track!

 

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Hi, there!

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Hi there! I’m Cathi, newbie writer and now blogger! Last February, I left my cozy, snowy South Dakota home to attend Sleuthfest, a writing conference in the south Florida sun. It was there I met Christie, and we immediately clicked, both being in similar stages of our writing careers, namely first novels completed, or in the revision phase, and determined to make a go of not just writing but pushing beyond into the publication world. We bonded over easy, engaging, and humorous conversation about writing and life, and this blog was born.
I’ll readily admit that I know little about Game of Thrones, but it’s fitting since what I don’t know about the Game of Books is far greater than what I do. What I do know is that I love learning more about writing — the craft of it, the business of it, and the people involved in it. Between Christie’s home in Florida, mine in South Dakota, and the occasional trips we share, we’ll cover a lot of ground in our endeavors. We’re excited to share some of those conversations here.

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