tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24710546034956851962023-11-16T07:58:38.488-06:00MG. VillescaProfessional Freelance Writer,
Ghost Writer,
AuthorMG Villescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06593874850440071156noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2471054603495685196.post-13345727314589436192018-06-26T10:30:00.001-05:002018-06-27T10:26:12.414-05:00Continued GrowthI am always growing not only as a person but as a writer. I have dipped my fingers into lots of various endeavours. Sometimes I fail and sometimes it all (somewhat) works out.<br />
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In the past few years, I've written another book. (which isn't finished yet) It's been a heart-wrenching story about a young girl named Julie who has a horrible life. It's dark and tormented and it's been extremely difficult to write. I say this because I've taken so long to finish it. Delving into her life becomes somewhat of a burden to me. In my many years of teaching, I've encountered a few Julies and I can't imagine living the life they've had to live. I can get out of it just by closing my laptop but others can't. It's a burden I am looking forward to releasing soon.<br />
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I've also decided to try my hand at freelance writing. It means many hours of hard work and research with little money in return. Getting your name out there and into the field is not an easy thing to do. Every one of the blogs and emails I receive from B2B writers tell me it will get better but I'm still waiting for the "get better" stage that hasn't come. I am learning though and I'm enjoying the work. I also took a professional writing course through AWAI. If you don't know about them and you're trying to get into the field, this course is a nice step into the world of freelance writing. I refer back to my course many times.<br />
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Real Estate. Yes.<br />
That's me. I'm taking a real estate online licensing course right now. I have no idea why I'm taking it but since I paid for it, I'm going to finish it. Maybe it will give me the freedom to quit my full time teaching position, write and sell houses. Sounds wonderful right? It's just all work.<br />
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And to top it all off, I'm writing my books. I have a book that my daughters and I are working on in the evenings. It's a magical book for YA readers. It could become a trilogy so we'll see how that works out. <i>Taking Estrella</i> is a book about a school intruder shooting. I feel that my job right now gives me an advantage to writing something like that. It's a sad issue that seems to be plaguing our youth and it doesn't look like it's slowing down. My other book is the second book to <i>Getting ME Back</i>. It's about what happens to Linda after the first book ends and how she deals with loss and a fairly large scar on her face. I've wanted to write that one for awhile and it's halfway done.<br />
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Well to be fair, all these books are halfway done. I go from one book to another every day. I know I need to just finish one and start sending it out to agents but I haven't done that yet.<br />
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This leads me to today.<br />
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Yes, there is a point for all this explaining I'm doing. I haven't been keeping up with my blogs so here I am. Writing again hoping that my small miniscule fan base hasn't forgotten about me.<br />
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I'm still here. Still growing. Still writing.MG Villescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06593874850440071156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2471054603495685196.post-20927271392870539892012-03-20T10:57:00.001-05:002012-03-20T12:18:29.114-05:00A Night OutI recently went to an area function and met up with a friend I hadn't had a chance to talk to in quite awhile. We spoke at length about my books and upcoming projects. It was a wonderful experience to sit and talk to one of my readers about my books.<br />
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It was humbling to know that someone put the time and effort into reading my books. AND, amazingly, she remembered quite a bit of information about the characters I created. She even gave the books to her daughter who finished reading it in two days.<br />
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She accomplished what I couldn't - the ability to give me a sense of renewed energy and focus regarding my work.<br />
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With all the negatives that go along with publishing a book (you know what I mean, we've all been there), it's nice to have someone say, "Hey, your books don't totally suck."<br />
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Thank you, Susan Ketron, for giving me that renewed sense of perseverance.<br />
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It was a great evening.<br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"> Susan Me</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0bJpuGhXD_TcWj-0ED8d2qf7Hd2T_PTNqFbHcTOTqNDmVvveAVKrnhIXDFji5377E0C7xD1eRWrunovaIJu4hU6qLZFYl-CA4Ch98pel8DiWYE1dMtUPqP2_RbWzpLvT-r8Ih9GdIcTNu/s1600/Me+and+Susam+3-2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0bJpuGhXD_TcWj-0ED8d2qf7Hd2T_PTNqFbHcTOTqNDmVvveAVKrnhIXDFji5377E0C7xD1eRWrunovaIJu4hU6qLZFYl-CA4Ch98pel8DiWYE1dMtUPqP2_RbWzpLvT-r8Ih9GdIcTNu/s320/Me+and+Susam+3-2012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>MG Villescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06593874850440071156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2471054603495685196.post-37524468156879034202012-02-23T16:03:00.000-06:002012-02-23T16:03:50.866-06:00What Literary Agents Do (And Don’t Do) For Writers<span style="font-size: large;"><em>I get about thirty emails a day on what NOT to do or what TO do when submitting query letters, but I thought this article had some very interesting information regarding literary agents that some of the followers might not know.</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><em><span style="font-size: large;">Enjoy!</span></em></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>By <span class="author vcard sc"><span class="fn"><a href="http://www.writersrelief.com/blog/author/writers-relief-staff/" rel="author" title="Posts by Writers Relief Staff">Writers Relief Staff.</a></span></span></em></span><br />
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Querying a good <a href="http://www.writersrelief.com/blog/post/Top-Reasons-To-Query-Agents-First.aspx">literary agent</a> is the first step in getting your novel or book project into the hands of a <a href="http://www.writersrelief.com/blog/post/The-Ins-and-Outs-of-Self-Publishing.aspx" title="http://www.writersrelief.com/blog/post/The-Ins-and-Outs-of-Self-Publishing.aspx">publisher</a>. What is a literary agent? A literary agent is the middleman between you and potential publishers—they are your best hope for getting your book published. But what does a literary agent actually do for a writer? And what don’t they do?<br />
<strong>Writer’s Relief has been helping writers get literary agents since 1994.</strong> We research the best literary agents for our clients’ individual projects, then prepare submissions (including query letter writing, proofreading, formatting, addressing letters, etc.). We also track all submissions to literary agencies so our clients don’t have to. Many writers have successfully connected with literary agents using our services! However, writers are invited to join our client list by invitation only. Please visit our Review Board to <a href="http://www.writersrelief.com/online-writers-submission-form.aspx" target="_self" title="http://www.writersrelief.com/online-writers-submission-form.aspx">send your writing for consideration</a>.<br />
What literary agents do:<br />
1. A literary agent’s top job is to find an editor who likes your book enough to buy it. Reputable literary agents have a wide network of contacts and relationships with acquisition editors at publishing houses. They know what the editors are looking for, and they’re experts at sending your submissions to the right people. Because editors know that submissions by literary agents have already made it through a stringent screening process, agented submissions usually go to the top of the pile.<br />
Literary agents will NOT purchase the rights to your book and then turn around and try to sell your book to publishers. Nor can they promise to sell your book.<br />
2. Literary agents pitch your book project to publishers and try to get you the best deal. It is in their best interest to negotiate lucrative contracts with publishers, as literary agents work on commission (usually 15 percent). They also manage your business affairs with the publisher once the deal goes through—contract disputes, royalty statements, collecting money—leaving you on good terms with the editor and freeing up your time to write.<br />
Literary agents are NOT always attorneys, but they do specialize in book contracts and are well-versed in authors’ rights.<br />
3. A good literary agent will often edit or <a href="http://www.writersrelief.com/blog/post/How-To-Choose-A-Critique-Partner-For-Your-Writing.aspx" title="http://www.writersrelief.com/blog/post/How-To-Choose-A-Critique-Partner-For-Your-Writing.aspx">critique a manuscript</a> and offer valuable suggestions to increase its marketability. BUT you should never query an agent unless you have a completed, professionally formatted, and carefully proofread novel or memoir in hand. (Only how-to and self-help books can be pitched without having been finished first.)<br />
Literary agents do NOT offer line-by-line edits or make rewrites. It’s up to the writer to incorporate the agent’s suggested changes. Agents are not interested in helping you master the art of writing. Their focus is on the business of writing, as in “How can this book sell the most copies?” Read more about how to <a href="http://www.writersrelief.com/blog/post/How-To-Choose-A-Freelance-Editor-For-Your-Writing.aspx">hire the right editor for your writing</a>.<br />
4. Literary agents are authors’ advocates. They don’t make money unless you make money, so their goal is to get you the best deal. Most reputable agents will make a commission of 15 percent for domestic sales. They offer encouragement and support and help keep you on track with deadlines and rewrites. They can also help shape your career by suggesting new ideas, finding wider audiences, and keeping you abreast of changes and trends in the publishing industry.<br />
Literary agents are NOT tax consultants, publicists, personal bankers, or writing coaches. They often offer moral support, but they are not interested in being your therapist. They will not handle your advertising and marketing. And they’re certainly not interested in being your personal answering service.<br />
It’s up to the writer to take advantage of all the services a good literary agent can offer. As an author’s ally, a good literary agent can make a writer’s life more successful and rewarding.<br />
The submission strategists at Writer’s Relief are also in the writer’s corner, and we offer a variety of services, from full submission services to our free newsletter. Feel free to check out other articles you might find useful when looking for a literary agent for your novel or book project: <a href="http://www.writersrelief.com/blog/post/How-To-Land-A-Literary-Agent.aspx">How To Land A Literary Agent</a>, <a href="http://www.writersrelief.com/blog/post/Nine-Questions-To-Ask-A-Literary-Agent.aspx">Nine Questions To Ask A Literary Agent</a>, <a href="http://www.writersrelief.com/blog/post/Do-You-Need-An-Agent-For-Your-Book-Project.aspx">Do You Need An Agent For Your Book Project?</a><br />
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<div style="margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><em><a href="http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=1016014138&msgid=1719513&act=OFXA&c=392855&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.writersrelief.com%2F" style="color: black;" title="blocked::http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=1016014138&msgid=1719513&act=OFXA&c=392855&destination=http://www.writersrelief.com/">Writer’s Relief</a> (est. 1994) is a highly recommended author submission service. Check out their free publishing leads, calls for submissions, and tips! This article was originally published at the following URL: [<a href="http://www.writersrelief.com/blog/2010/03/what-literary-agents-do-and-dont-do-for-writers">http://www.writersrelief.com/blog/2010/03/what-literary-agents-do-and-dont-do-for-writers</a>/].</em></span></span></div>MG Villescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06593874850440071156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2471054603495685196.post-68693280948660511232012-01-11T16:17:00.000-06:002012-01-11T16:17:04.580-06:00With the New Year Comes PromiseI hope you all had a wonderful holiday break. I know I enjoyed my time off from work and I got a chance to spend some important one-on-one time with my children.<br />
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It is now time to start the new year with gritty determination and a positive attitude. Today, I saw my colleagues face a difficult task with humility and perseverance. I was proud to see them fight back with positive words and questioning attitudes instead of negative talk that does nothing but make your life miserable.<br />
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I realize too that the same attitude I witnessed today must be taken into all other aspects of my life. With the new year comes the ability to see events and situations through a new light. It's a wonderful time of year.<br />
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Set yourself a new goal and persevere. It's a wonderful time to start.MG Villescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06593874850440071156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2471054603495685196.post-15443981534320600102011-11-17T12:41:00.001-06:002011-11-17T12:42:31.301-06:00Patrick DatiAn Interview<br />
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I recently had the privilege of interviewing Patrick Dati. My heart started to pound, the tears threatened to escape, and my questions got lodged in my throat.<br />
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What an amazing survivor. His recounting of the events that changed his life were matter of fact and slightly detached. I could only wonder whether or not I would have the courage to stand up and speak out if something so tramatic had ever happened to me. The strength and the courage that would take would destroy a weaker person.<br />
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But Patrick is not weak nor is he going away quietly. His message is clear: stop bullying, become aware of what is happening around you and don't let your fear and shame get in the way of telling someone what happened to you.<br />
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Read my entire blog @ <a href="http://www.venturegalleries.com/">www.venturegalleries.com</a><br />
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And visit Patrick's website to find out more @ <a href="http://www.youandmecanstopbullies.com/">www.youandmecanstopbullies.com</a>MG Villescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06593874850440071156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2471054603495685196.post-9748330707556609932011-11-03T11:30:00.000-05:002011-11-03T11:30:54.889-05:00Venture GalleriesMarketing<br />
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I am proud to announce that I will be working closely with Venture Galleries, a small publishing and marketing company, to promote my books.<br />
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I met Caleb Pirtle at the Giddings, Texas book signing I recently went to and was impressed with his professionalism and his goals for my books.<br />
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As part of my requirements, I will be writing a blog once a week on their site that will address teenage topics and other book related ideas. I'm excited to be entering into this new phase of writing and hope to continue getting my books more exposure.<br />
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The great news is that he is looking for new authors right now, so if you are interested in joining the team, now is the time to do it.<br />
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You can find more information on Venture Galleries at their website here. <a href="http://venturegalleries.com/">http://venturegalleries.com/</a><br />
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As always, I will continue to post blogs here as well in order to help with publishing and editing those books you keep sending me!<br />
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MG VillescaMG Villescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06593874850440071156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2471054603495685196.post-69500683776618071642011-10-05T16:24:00.001-05:002011-10-05T16:26:37.933-05:00Finding Time To WriteAt the Texas Word Wrangler Festival, I had the opportunity to talk with fellow writers, and I had one questions that I really wanted to ask them:<br />
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<span style="color: #0c343d;">When do you find the time to write?</span><br />
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Answers varied from making the time on Sundays to scribbling something down during work to taking a notebook into the restroom and hiding. <br />
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I teach so, unfortunately, I can't write at school. I have 45 minutes in each class period to teach what I can. It's not enough time to do anything extra. I can't see myself using the restroom and writing at the same time and my Sundays are filled with softball tournaments, games, washing dishes and family time. <br />
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I also found out that most of the writers at the festival happened to be retired. I look forward to the day in which my only job is to write and devote my time to my novels but right now, I have to STEAL time.<br />
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I stay up late at night, I take my lunches in my classroom, I take what I can and still a week will race passed me with nothing to show for it. It is frustrating me to no end. I have four children who require me to be the taxi, the cook, the secretary, the bank and the nurse just to name a few.<br />
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I sit here with guilt heavily weighing down on my heart because I'm typing this blog instead of typing my novel or editing or marketing....but I had to let out my frustration.<br />
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I heard someone say once that frustration can be eased through writing - we will see in five minutes if that's true.MG Villescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06593874850440071156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2471054603495685196.post-87421931920154267512011-09-18T21:32:00.000-05:002011-09-18T21:32:18.668-05:00Giddings Texas Word Wrangler FestivalRecently, my husband and I went to Giddings, Texas for a book signing. I wasn't sure what to expect but I knew that I would use the experience as a learning tool. Being able to look at other author's tables and books was an exciting experience.<br />
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But the one thing that stood out last Friday was the people of their community and the volunteers in the library. It was an amazing sight to hear the people talk of their town in such a loving way. True small town values were present not only in the adults that visited but also in the students from their schools.<br />
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My husband and I left town with renewed faith in people and their compassion and want to do good for others. We truly felt like part of their family if only for a little while or at least until next year came around and we could go again.<br />
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If you have the chance to be a part of that festival, you should do what you can to attend. We sold our books, made wonderful friends, and were a part of something that will stay with us for a long long time.<br />
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Thank you Giddings Public Library.MG Villescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06593874850440071156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2471054603495685196.post-37090601523828211702011-09-01T13:01:00.002-05:002011-10-11T13:27:09.894-05:00Melva Henderson<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-size: large;">Melva Henderson</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: "Palatino Linotype";">When I first came into the publishing and writing scene, this wonderful individual was a shining light in the chaotic abyss. She quickly and efficiently answered my questions on different sites such as CreateSpace, Shelfari, and Goodreads (even though she didn't know me).</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Palatino Linotype;">It was a pleasure interviewing her and learning that we have many thoughts and ideas in common. </span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Thank you Melva for sharing your experiences and knowledge.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: "Palatino Linotype";">1. Where do you get your ideas? </span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1281864647l/8594531.jpg" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Maggie: The Early Years" border="0" id="coverImage" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1281864647l/8594531.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";"><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";">I normally get my ideas from things in my life or from the lives of others. An idea might come from something I see on the news, in a magazine, or from events described by friends or family. Ideas might come from childhood memories. Some might come from dreams, whether sleeping or daydreaming. For me, sometimes ideas can just pop into my mind as a visual picture.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><br />
</div><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "Palatino Linotype";">2. When did you realize that you wanted to be a writer? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";"><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";">I knew I wanted to write in grammar school. I became responsible for the care of my three younger brothers at the age of 9 while my mother worked. I began babysitting other children at that time as well, and my brothers and the children I sat with enjoyed the impromptu stories I made up on the spur of the moment in order to entertain them. It was lonely during the winter months because we lived so far from town. A wad of modeling clay or a pad of paper and crayons became my mode of entertainment. I enjoyed art, and a story might go along with my drawings as a child. I was always accused of having a rather vivid imagination, and storytelling became second nature.</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "Palatino Linotype";">3. What’s the most critical step when you go from an idea to a book? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";"><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";">The most critical step for me is getting the idea down on paper. I’m not like the conventional writer; I merely begin to write without ever making an outline. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "Palatino Linotype";">4. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";"><span style="color: #990000;">What advice would you give to aspiring authors?</span> <span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";"><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";">The advice I would give to aspiring authors is to write every day, whether they are working on a novel, short stories, poetry, story ideas, bits and quips of nothing, or writing in a daily journal. It makes no difference what they write; they just need to put the words to paper or type thoughts or ideas using the keyboard each and every day. Write, write, write.</span></span><br />
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</div><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";"><span style="color: #990000;">5. Did you go through self-publishing or a traditional publisher? What is better?</span><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";"><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";">I went through self-publishing after years of frustration with enough rejection letters from traditional publishers to fill a landfill. Attempting to engage an agent was equally as frustrating. If you aren’t a published author an agent wants no part of you, and so with traditional publishers.</span></span><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/419j6k7o0FL.jpg" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Red Sky (Sequel to Maggie)" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/419j6k7o0FL.jpg" width="128" /></a><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "Palatino Linotype";">6. What is the biggest misconception about being a writer? </span></div><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";"><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";">The biggest misconception about being a writer is the concept that a writer is an outgoing, social individual who makes wads of money through their craft. To be a writer often requires a degree of isolation, and the monetary returns are far less than one would earn in any other endeavor taking half as long to accomplish. </span></span><br />
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</div><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";"><span style="color: #990000;">7. What did you do before you became a writer? <span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";"><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";">Before I became a writer I worked as an instructor for developmentally challenged adults, which was a very rewarding experience. Before that I worked with my husband for eighteen years as his mechanic’s helper and bookkeeper for his heavy duty Detroit Diesel engine repair service.</span></span><br />
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</div><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "Palatino Linotype";">8. Do you plot out your novel or do you just go with the flow? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";"><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";">I don’t plot out my novels. The novel seems to write itself, flowing from my mind through my fingers onto the keyboard.</span></span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "Palatino Linotype";">9. Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";"><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";">I hear from friends who are my readers, but seldom hear from the readers outside of my circle of friends. Those outside of my circle of friends have commented on my writing style on occasion as being easily read and they find they lose themselves within the story. A write hopes to invoke an emotional response from their readers, and several of my readers have commented that my writing has accomplished that. If a writer can rouse a reader’s emotions, they have accomplished the feat in essence of touching their reader’s soul.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";"><span style="color: #990000; font-family: "Palatino Linotype";">10. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";"><span style="color: #990000;">What do you think makes a good story?</span> </span><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51lyxOGU2pL.jpg" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Return Of The Trogon (Sequel to Red Sky)" border="0" height="200" id="coverImage" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51lyxOGU2pL.jpg" width="129" /></a><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";"><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";">I think the thing that makes a story good is when the story lingers with the reader long after they have put it down. If the story leaves the reader with a sense of having been a part of the story somehow, the writer has accomplished conveying their message and the story has seen success.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";"><span style="color: #990000;">11. What’s next?</span> </span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";"><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";">I have numerous stories still in the works at different stages of development. Next? That depends on the day. Tomorrow the goal might be different. Next in line is always writing, no matter what it is I am writing. Right now I am in the process of compiling a collection of short stories, and working on several novels I would like to complete for publication in the future.</span></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #783f04; font-family: Palatino Linotype;">For more on Melva Henderson or to order her books, please visit:</span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Maggie-Early-Melva-J-Henderson/dp/1449970915/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1305744536&sr=1-1">Maggie: The Early Years by Melva Henderson (Mar 10, 2008)</a></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Red-Sky-Sequel-Maggie-2/dp/1450518346/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1305744536&sr=1-2">Red Sky: The Sequel to Maggie (Volume 2) by Melva Henderson (Aug 22, 1994)</a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Return-Trogon-Sequel-Red-Sky/dp/1451526512/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1305744536&sr=1-3">Return Of The Trogon: Sequel to Red Sky (Volume 3) by Melva Henderson (Dec 1, 1994)</a></span></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>MG Villescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06593874850440071156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2471054603495685196.post-85437061092236155962011-07-21T10:43:00.000-05:002011-07-21T10:43:29.493-05:00Upcoming ReleaseI've had an overwhelming request for a sequel to the book <u>Getting ME Back</u>. Because of this, I've decided to start writing that in November after the release of book #3 <u>The Truth About ME</u>.<br />
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It has been a real pleasure reading the reviews (some good and some bad) for the last two books and a special thank you goes out to those who've contacted me on my Facebook page as well as through my website.<br />
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<u>The Truth About ME</u> is taking longer than we expected simply because it has been harder to write. Sexual molestation is hard to read and harder to write but I am trying to do Julie justice by spending a longer time telling her story. I think my readers will appreciate all the work.<br />
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Thanks again to all my readers for sticking with me.<br />
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MG VillescaMG Villescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06593874850440071156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2471054603495685196.post-7972824536670423822011-07-06T10:44:00.000-05:002011-07-06T10:44:35.160-05:00Query LettersI've been diligently rewriting my query letter simply in the quest to fulfill a dream of taking the series into a new level and trying to grab the attention of a larger publishing company. <br />
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I know every author reading this blog is looking, praying, and hoping to land that wonderful contract in which you receive $100,000 bucks, outrageous media coverage, and a spot on the New York Times Best Seller List.<br />
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Well, most of those authors on the best seller list have been through the chaotic uncertainty of creating a query letter. <br />
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In my quest to include the right things in my letter. I realized that there are many people who differ on what exactly should be included in a query letter. Therefore, I've taken the plunge and decided to post my query letter in the hopes to help others, glean something from my mistakes from the followers, and find those brutally honest readers as they tear my query letter apart.<br />
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So Here Goes!<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";">Dear Agent,</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";">Linda Balle, a self-conscious teenage cheerleader, must find the courage to get her life back after a tumultuous relationship with Victor Balentez results in her date rape and the death of her best friend, Lucas Castaneda</span></span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Palatino Linotype";">.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";"> Following a lengthy, heart-breaking trial full of lies and shame, Linda runs from her friends, her family and her life to finish high school in a town far away from her pain.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";">Five years later, after years of plastic surgery and seclusion, Linda is summoned back to the small Texas town. In court, she has the opportunity to overcome her shame and tell the truth—to make sure the very person who dominated her high school years and tore her life apart stays in prison.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";">She must make the decision to continue to run from her fears or to face her demons. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";">Standing patiently in the side lines, Jack Santiago, an often over-looked friend, weaves an intricate web of love Linda can’t seem to avoid—but will Victor be able to let Linda live a life without him?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";">GETTING ME BACK</span></span><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";">, a 102,000 word young adult novel, is written as a first-person point of view narrative with excerpts from Linda’s diary. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";">This is the second installment of The ME Series, but each novel can stand alone even though the characters intertwine. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype"; font-style: italic;">The Bully in ME</span></span></i><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">, released in May 2010, tackles bullying, death and suicides. <i><span style="font-style: italic;">The Truth About ME</span></i>, a novel regarding self-confidence and shattered home life issues is set to release August 2011. </span><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Kristen ITC";"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: black;">Drawing on my own life experience and working as a teacher in middle school have given me a rare insight into the issue surrounding our youth today and the ability to write in language relevant to today’s youth</span>. </span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";">I look forward to hearing from you. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: "Palatino Linotype";">Thank you for your time.</span></span></div></div>MG Villescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06593874850440071156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2471054603495685196.post-48947709815522992562011-04-23T23:07:00.000-05:002011-04-23T23:07:00.908-05:0010 More TipsI promised to have 10 more tips and although they are a little late . . . here they are.<br />
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1. <span style="color: orange;">Write</span> - You should write at least 30 minutes a day. Do whatever it takes to accomplish this goal. If you don't write everyday, you will never finish. Writing a novel is a great accomplishment even if you only sell a few books. Only someone who's written a book realizes the time and effort put in to the project.<br />
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2. <span style="color: orange;">Don't Edit</span> - Now, before you go crazy - I mean - don't edit until you <u>finish</u>. I can't say it enough - finish your book. Many writers will write a few pages then go back every time they write and change and change and change things. Don't do that. Finish the book. Believe me, the editing process is long and extensive.<br />
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3. <span style="color: orange;">Read</span> - Many great authors are avid readers. When I finished my first book, I started to read and view books in a different light. I noticed scenes, dialogue, plot, and chapter structure. Read books from authors you want to be like. Think about their writing styles, word usage, and word choice. Why do you like their books? What makes them different or stand out?<br />
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4. <span style="color: orange;">Save Your Files</span> - a few months back when I finished my book, I saved my copy on a USB memory stick. Unfortunately, my file became corrupted and I lost the file. Luckily for me, I continually saved my files in different places so I was able to go back and find the most current file but I lost about a months worth of work.<br />
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5. <span style="color: orange;">Write What You Know</span> - I'm a teacher, a mom, a wife, and a writer. My array of subjects should be based on my experiences. I should not (nor would I ever) write about decorating or gardening. My skills on those subjects are atrocious and I have NO business writing about a subject in which I have no interest or skill. <br />
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6. <span style="color: orange;">Start Promoting</span> - I know you think it's crazy to start promoting before you finish the book but you really do have to get your name out there and some kind of following. I'm still working on that and I've already written some books. Start a blog, promote yourself, get your name out there. <br />
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7. <span style="color: orange;">Write Where You're Comfortable</span> - I have to write when my kids and husband are asleep. I find comfort with a warm cup of coffee, my laptop, and my characters. I've read that some people rent a hotel room, or go to their beach house, or close themselves off in a room in their house. I don't have the luxury of a beach house so I have to settle for my living room. Luckily, I'm a night owl.<br />
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8. <span style="color: orange;">Website </span>- Get a website and get your name and your book out there. Offer advice or something else. If you're writing a book on gardening, offer seasonal tips or the best places to get plants. Anything you can do to get people to your site the better.<br />
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9. <span style="color: orange;">Brainstorm</span> - My editor and I have had a few dinners in which we hash out all the details and ideas. It's great to have someone who knows the story line and where you're going with the book. It's a way to get a second opinion and get some great ideas that you'd never think about without going over it. <br />
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10. <span style="color: orange;">Join Writer's Groups</span> - Get to know other authors. Networking and asking questions will help you in the long run. I've had several authors call me to pick my brain and I've gladly picked right back. Shelfari, Goodreads, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter are all great tools to start your networking.<br />
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Let me know if you have any more tips. I'm sure the readers would find them interesting and insightful.MG Villescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06593874850440071156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2471054603495685196.post-54379560341718997702011-04-15T13:50:00.001-05:002011-05-29T08:12:39.890-05:00Tarrant Smith<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Tarrant Smith Interview - <em>The Darkly Series</em></span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://cache.smashwire.com/bookCovers/edf6e4d915e1d12a53547e051106f9189a959d52" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Cover for 'Bound Darkly'" class="image" itemprop="image" src="http://cache.smashwire.com/bookCovers/edf6e4d915e1d12a53547e051106f9189a959d52-thumb" /></a>Throughout the chaotic realm of publishing black holes, I have frequently found myself relying on Tarrant Smith for her insights in marketing and technical issues. She has a strong and varied following as well as an abundant wealth of knowledge. Tarrant has also agreed to giveaway one signed copy of <em>Bound Darkly</em> (Book 2 of the <em>Darkly Series</em>) to the winner of my choice (which I will take from my followers). </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I was excited when she agreed to be interviewed. This is what she had to say . . .</div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Where do you get your ideas?</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Let me first say, my preferred genre is romance. And although all good stories must have well-rounded characters, in a romance the entire plot of a story hinges on the interaction between the hero and heroine. So my writing process begins with creating a hero and heroine that I can get excited about, characters I want to live with for the next year. For me the old rule of “you write what you know” is true. My character ideas begin with the real people who have moved through my life. Once I have established the emotional inner-workings of my characters, both fey and human, I then rely on my knowledge of folklore, the laws of magick, and relationship dynamics to weave a compelling story line.</div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">When did you realize that you wanted to be a writer?</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I realized I wanted to be a writer while in college. I have to give my English literature professor credit for opening that creative door. She saw a glimmer of skill in my papers and encouraged it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes you don’t see the talent in yourself until someone points it out. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">What’s the most critical step when you go from an idea to a book?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I know a lot of authors who outline their ideas in order to judge whether or not it has enough substance to be a full-length book. I don’t outline or plot chapters. Instead I have a compelling beginning scene which establishes a conflict. This, for me, is critical. If I’m lucky, I also have a twist in mind that will complicate the relationship between the hero and heroine. Then I simply write. The process of writing is definitely critical to the idea developing into a book. Like the reader, I don’t know how the story will end until the characters tell me. </div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">What advice would you give to aspiring authors?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Seek out other aspiring authors who are serious about their writing. Creativity and growth is infectious. The only other advice I would give is… discover your vision, your unique voice and then stick to it. </div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Did you go through self-publishing or a traditional publisher? What is better?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I first tried traditional publishing. I sent queries, submitted chapters and synopsis. But after receiving many, many positively worded rejections, I investigated Ebooks and print on demand (POD). After embarking into the world of self-publishing, I unexpectedly received the coveted publisher’s contract that I had been seeking earlier. It came from a small publisher, but it was very gratifying—a kind of validation from the traditional publishing world. After doing some soul-searching and the nuts and bolts math, I declined it. Keeping creative control of my vision for the <em>Darkly Series</em> was more important than the validation, and in the long run, more profitable than handing my rights over to a publisher.</div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">What is the biggest misconception about being a writer?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The biggest misconception is that writing is romantic and that advances and royalties support us. Most writers have a job and write, rewrite, and edit in their spare time. Its hard work filled with doubt and soul-mining.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://cache.smashwire.com/bookCovers/52b1b38839b5f6b74c052d6343e970619c3db48a" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Cover for 'Enchanted Darkly'" class="image" itemprop="image" src="http://cache.smashwire.com/bookCovers/52b1b38839b5f6b74c052d6343e970619c3db48a-thumb" /></a><span style="color: #b45f06;">What did you do before you became a writer?</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">What haven’t I done! I’ve been a retail manager, dog trainer, checkout clerk, horse trainer and breeder, bookstore clerk, sous chef, waitress, baker, photo lab owner, photographer, website designer, magazine publisher and staff writer, graphic designer, pet-sitter, and yoga instructor. I’m sure I’ve forgotten a few. </div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Do you plot out your novel or do you just go with the flow?</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">It’s a combination of both. I went with the flow for the first book, which provided me with a jumping off point for the second book. A friend suggested using political intrigue as a backdrop for <em>Bound Darkly</em>. By the time I finished book two, I realized that my subconscious had been working on a larger story line for this series. Suddenly I had plot points that I had to accomplish within the next three books. Not wanting to forget a single detail, I loosely outlined the bigger story. </div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I hear from reader quite often. I write about the small town I live in, so someone usually comes up to me in the local coffee shop to ask a question, or say something about the book they just finished. The most asked question I get is whether or not I’m empathic like Jennifer Mackell in <em>Enchanted Darkly</em>. My answer depends on whether an honest answer would make them uncomfortable. </div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">What do you think makes a good story?</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">If a reader is still thinking about a story long after the last page of the book has been read, then it is a good story and one worth telling. Several ingredients contribute to a story having this kind of power; archetypal characters that resonate with the reader, surprising twists that capture a reader’s imagination, and conflicting truths that might challenge a reader’s preconceived ideas. Any number of stories contain one or more of these elements, but a really good story contain all three. </div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: #b45f06;">What’s next?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Well, right now I’m finishing the draft on <em>Kept Darkly</em>, book three in the <em>Darkly Series</em>. Its release date is set for the spring of this year. I’ve already started the beginning scenes in <em>Surrendered Darkly</em>, book four, which I am very excited about. For the present, this steamy paranormal romance series has my full attention. But, like any busy author, I do have other project ideas in the wings just waiting to be developed. <br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">For More Information on Tarrant Smith and The Darkly Series - Visit her site </span><br />
<span class="f"><cite><a href="http://www.tarrantsmith.webs.com/"><span style="color: #cc0000;">www.tarrantsmith.webs.com/</span></a></cite></span></div>MG Villescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06593874850440071156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2471054603495685196.post-31698175179549827512011-03-24T21:25:00.000-05:002011-03-24T21:25:19.211-05:00Important Tips For A Writer<span style="font-size: large;">SOME Tips - By No Means All!</span><br />
At my last book signing, I was approached by several writers who asked me to tell them the number one tip when writing a book. Unfortunately, I couldn't answer their question. <br />
I couldn't narrow it down to just one. Sure I could’ve said something like, “Finish your book” or “Don’t give up” or something they’d probably heard a million times but I don’t think that was what they were looking for, so I promised them a list instead.<br />
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I will list 10 here and add more next week.<br />
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1. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: orange;">Conflict</span> - Something or someone has to have a problem that needs to be resolved. This keeps <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>the reader interested and is vital to the plot.<br />
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2. <span style="color: orange;">Setting</span> - Let the reader know where the story is taking place. Using their prior knowledge about a particular place will help the reader picture their surroundings as they read.<br />
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3. <span style="color: orange;">Character Development</span> - Make sure your characters stay the same - you don't want to <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>introduce a character as being polite and well-mannered and then have them yell at a waiter - unless of course it's part of the story line. You want the characters to be real in the eyes of the reader. Someone they can relate to or someone that reminds them of someone they know or knew. Also, make your characters more than one-dimensional. <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Give them thoughts, emotions, ideals, and opinions.<br />
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4.<span style="color: orange;"> Interest</span> - Because we are self-published authors, we don't have the luxury of waiting for something interesting to happen halfway through the book. You've got to catch the attention of the readers, agents, or publishers. <br />
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5. <span style="color: orange;">Use Figurative Language</span> - In my first book, I was writing for a YA audience particularly for boys. I didn't want to bore them or scare them away from the book so I felt like I had to "dumb it down." I wish I could write that book again. It's important to use words that <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>create imagery and voice. If you want to describe a car crash - like in my second book - don't just say the car hit the pole or something ridiculous like that. Where were you driving? Who did you pass? Were you speeding, swerving, looking at your phone? What <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"></span>was the character thinking? These are details that readers want to know - they really do. <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Include it.<br />
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6. <span style="color: orange;">Dialogue</span> - When you write dialogue, write like someone would talk. Most people don't go around talking in complete sentences. They use lots of slang, contractions, and don't go through a long diatribe. Break it up into shorter passages when a character is long winded. Give your character some action in-between his/her dialogue. Sighing, pacing, running her fingers through her hair, etc.<br />
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7. <span style="color: orange;">Verb Tense </span>- I wasn’t aware of how important my verb tenses were. I ended up having to go back in and change tense for 15 chapters. If you’re writing about something that happened in the past - stick to past tense verbs. I went from Present to Past to Present. It was hard to do but not as hard as going through and changing 15 chapters. Learn your<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>lesson.<br />
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8. <span style="color: orange;">Dialogue Tags</span> - I know you’re probably sick of writing he said or she said. I like to change it up and give the character action before he says something so that I’m not constantly saying that word. I’ve read many opinions on this though and it seems that some authors will use said instead of anything else because they want the reader to focus on the dialogue. I personally like to change it up. I think it makes things more interesting.<br />
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9. <span style="color: orange;">Metaphors and Simile and Idioms</span>- I know I said figurative language before but using these<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>literary sentences do give your writing more depth and voice. Even if they are some you’ve heard before or read somewhere, use them. <br />
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10. <span style="color: orange;">Outline</span> - I know I recently said that I don’t do outlines at the beginning of my writing but<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>I’ve found myself creating one at some point during the novel’s creation. It really does help - even if it’s not detailed or long. Organization is important. This also helps to give you ideas on what you can add or take out.<br />
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I will add ten more next week. <br />
Thanks to those of you submitting comments, sending me emails, and reading my blog.<br />
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</div>MG Villescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06593874850440071156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2471054603495685196.post-80242695375798483342011-02-28T20:05:00.000-06:002011-02-28T20:05:36.238-06:00Writer's BlockI don't know about you but I get writer's block every now and then. I seem to have a bad case of it right now. Sometimes I can sit down and write until my eyes start to droop but other's - well, I've found out that I can stare at a blank screen for hours....<br />
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Some authors tell me they reread their last few pages and inspiration hits them, others tell me there's no cure. I happen to think it's something in the middle. I had a dream a few months ago that ended my last bout of writer's block. Maybe because subconsciously it had been on my mind. All I know is that it worked.<br />
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Come on dreams!<br />
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What do you do for writer's block? What advise can you add to our small but important member list?MG Villescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06593874850440071156noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2471054603495685196.post-38632017557648768552011-02-20T20:20:00.000-06:002011-02-20T20:20:36.319-06:00Book Cover Design<span style="font-size: large;">How Do I Decide On A Book Cover?</span><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Now that you have a completed your copyright page, purchased an ISBN, and an editor (along with several other trusted people) have gone over your manuscript with a fine tooth comb, it’s time for you to consider your cover.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">This, in my humble opinion is the most important part of your book. The front cover is the first thing a reader or interested buyer will look at. If it looks cheesy or unprofessional – no one’s going to look twice at it. Remember that most buyers only take 2-3 seconds when their scrolling down a long list of possible purchases. It’s not a lot of time to make a sale.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I did a small survey when I was working on my book covers. I, fortunately, had someone I hired to give me more than one cover. He was awesome and I will continue to use him as the designer. I wanted the cover to look professional, clean, and catchy.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I placed three possible covers in front of students, teachers, and librarians and asked them which one looked better. Which one caught their attention and asked them why. Many chose for color, picture on the front, title of the book, whether the cover had too much or too little, some even complained about the font. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I finally went with the cover that didn't show a full face. Have you ever read a book and then went to see a movie? Most times you don't agree with what the producer's vision is when selecting a character. Same with covers. If you give them a person to focus on when they are reading they will not be able to use their own imagination when reading the book. This is what my students have told me anyway.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I also realized (and later found several articles) that found that drawn or painted book covers are often overlooked especially by young adult fiction readers. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">If you’re creating a book cover on your own, make sure you do your homework and have a professional program like Photoshop, InDesign, or find a program online you like. There are several available for free.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Go to the nearest bookstore, library, or browse through the books you’ve purchased and analyze books that are in your genre. Think about what it is that catches your eyes and draws your gaze to that particular cover. Take a look at the best selling books as well. Is it the font? The colors? The picture? What is it about the cover that made you look twice?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Also, be sure to follow the requirements set out by the publisher. Their printers will have specific specs that you need to follow. Many will have a template. I would download it and use it as a guide. Just be sure to delete the lines before you save for publication or they will print. Happened to one of my friends. Not a good thing.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I am interested to know what you, as the readers, have to say about cover design and programs. Post a comment for others or questions if you have any.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">By the way, if you want a quote for cover design, shoot me an email and I will forward it to the right person.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div>MG Villescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06593874850440071156noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2471054603495685196.post-46239015824846639492011-02-06T22:59:00.000-06:002011-02-06T22:59:36.218-06:00Copyright Page and LCCNGetting the Copyright Page Right.<br />
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My apologies to my new readers, I typically post every Sunday but I was unable to rid myself of the migraine that penetrated my brain this week. Finally it has let up enough to think - enough of that and on to more important information.<br />
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The Preassigned Control Number (PCN) program assigns a Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN) to titles most likely to be acquired by the Library of Congress as well as some other categories of books. An LCCN is a control number for the bibliographical record not the book record. The PCN number is a preassigned number given to work that has not been published yet. For a detailed explanation about PCN and LCCN, visit their site. <a href="http://pcn.loc.gov/">Library of Congress</a>.<br />
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Is an LCCN Important?<br />
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Absolutely. You’re going to see, in your search for the truth, acronyms like CIP, PCN, PCIP, EAN, BIP, etc. It's important to know and be able to distinguish which number(s) you must have on your copyright page. You want to register and apply at the Library of Congress for a number in advance so that you aren’t waiting for weeks to publish your book. In my case they gave me a number the same day but I’ve heard of nightmare stories where it’s taken weeks. Be prepared. <br />
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Along with all those important LCCN, ISBN and CIP numbers, you should also have a disclaimer, website, and publishing information in your copyright page. I also added important information like book, cover, and editor information.<br />
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In order not to mess up my beautifully constructed masterpiece with a copyright page full of errors, I went to the local library and checked out various books. I wanted to see what professional copyright pages looked like and I focused on copyright pages from books that were close to my genre. You can take a look at mine when you see the look inside feature on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Getting-ME-Back-2/dp/0982709854/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297054650&sr=8-1">Amazon</a>.<br />
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Don’t just look at one book either. Take a look at several and see which one fits your book and your message. Also, make sure you add your summary. In our library the first thing the librarian does when showing students a book is that summary in the copyright page. Make it interesting - something that’s going to grab the reader’s attention.<br />
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The copyright page should be a smaller font as well. Take your time on this and make it look professional.<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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</div>MG Villescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06593874850440071156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2471054603495685196.post-86511207421743729422011-01-16T22:33:00.000-06:002011-01-16T22:33:13.494-06:00Getting and Understanding an ISBNISBN<br />
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When I first started writing, I had no idea there were ISBNs and LCCNs and all those other acronyms I've encountered. Feels a little like the military but here's the low down on ISBN.<br />
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First of all, ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number. This unique number identifies the book's language or country, the publisher and the title. It comes in a ten-digit or thirteen digit format. The last number in the ISBN is called a Check Digit - they get this number by adding or subtracting or multipying all the other numbers to check for accuracy. If you want to go into all the fine little details, feel free to look it up. Wikipedia has a good explanation. <br />
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The book's ISBN is important because it allows libraries, booksellers, and universities the ablility to easily find a specific title. ISBNs are sold in bulks of 1, 100, or 1000. You can get one ISBN for about $150 or ten for $250. If you're publishing one book and you'll never write another book or have it made into a kindle or audio, then purchase one. However, I would advise you to buy ten. Simply because it's cheaper per ISBN if you buy in bulk.<br />
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Go through the <a href="https://www.myidentifiers.com/">Bowker</a> site and set up an account. There are other sites who handle ISBNs but I feel safer going to them. They will assign you an account where you can register each ISBN. <br />
The most frequently asked questions is - Do I need a seperate ISBN for audio, e-book, or other format? The answer is yes. When you assign an ISBN to your book and you decide to create an audio book or an e-book, you have to get another ISBN. It's fairly easy to assign the ISBN.<br />
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If you publish through CreateSpace, you have the option of getting your own ISBN or they can assign one to you. But if you decide to publish somewhere else then you can't take that ISBN with you. It's easier to get your own but if money is tight then use theirs.<br />
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Bowker will give you a barcode but CS will put one on the back of the book for you so will other self-publishing companies. There are also online sites that will create a barcode for you for free.<br />
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Be sure to list your ISBN on the copyright page in your book. <br />
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Be sure to come back next week when we discuss the LCCN and your copyright page. Also, check out the new author interview page.MG Villescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06593874850440071156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2471054603495685196.post-36418420779167044062011-01-15T15:23:00.000-06:002011-01-31T13:57:51.663-06:00Doug Hiser - Interview<span style="color: orange; font-size: large;">Author Interview Featuring Doug Hiser</span><br />
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A few years ago, I had the privilege of meeting Doug Hiser during our teacher certification courses. He had already written several books and was (and continues to be) very passionate about the art of writing, creating, and illustrating. He has accomplished so many goals that I thought it only fitting he would be featured first.<br />
This is what he had to say. . .<br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><ol type="1"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><li class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3_L1r4t4ocfzalypZylVpG39sUJQkVP_M8spalNmzejjnYyw48Xwz4bu96MISR-5GxoQML1iEbx5Esk1SSqminFUwEUBliDxMKEvbet0t1KsfYRo_0_Ja5LanrutbxdLeJ6H-bIQxo_Cv/s1600/doughiser1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3_L1r4t4ocfzalypZylVpG39sUJQkVP_M8spalNmzejjnYyw48Xwz4bu96MISR-5GxoQML1iEbx5Esk1SSqminFUwEUBliDxMKEvbet0t1KsfYRo_0_Ja5LanrutbxdLeJ6H-bIQxo_Cv/s1600/doughiser1.jpg" /></a><span style="color: orange;">Where do you get your ideas?</span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"> My imagination is filled with stories and images and if I had the time I could write hundreds of books. I am also a professional wildlife artist and painting takes away half of my writing time. I balance the two fields of creativity. Sometimes I dream stories and parts of novels, actually when I was writing <em>Montana Mist</em>, my new novel out on January 19th on amazon.com, I dreamed the entire final hundred pages, woke up and wrote all day long finishing it that night.</span> </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: orange; font-family: Palatino Linotype;">When did you realize that you wanted to be a writer?</span> <span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">When I was 17 I read Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne and fell in love with "cool" sentences. I wrote a terrible first book when I was 18 and it still sits in a box, still terrible. I began writing poetry and then again at 26 I wrote my second novel, which sat around until 2001 when I did a total rewrite and published it in 2002, <em>Cavern of the Eggstone</em>, a fantasy Young Adult novel.</span> </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">What’s the most critical step when you go from an idea to a book?</span> </span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">"Critical" well Critical would be writing that idea down on paper. You might not get to start right away and then years later you come back and find it written down and BAM -NOW you're ready to write it. Happened to me with my novel, <em>The Midnight Jungle</em>, which I just finished the first draft this May 2010. I wrote most of that idea back in 2004, sat it aside, wrote 2 other novels, picked it back up in 2010 and finished it.</span> </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: orange; font-family: Palatino Linotype;">What advice would you give to aspiring authors?</span> <span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Join a critique group, join a writer's league or group, hang around writers, poets, artists, film makers, creative people and just soak up everyone's enthusiasm about the creative process. Find your passion. Don't write about stuff you know nothing about. Write about what interests you. That intense passion always shows through in your writing.</span> </li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: orange; font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Did you go through self-publishing or a traditional publisher? What is better?</span> <span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Both. POD too. I actually like POD for so many reasons and especially because you keep almost half the profits off each book sold.</span> </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: orange; font-family: Palatino Linotype;">What is the biggest misconception about being a writer?</span> <span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Most people think every writer makes millions of dollars and that writers are all reclusive introverts. Only a very few writers make millions. I make much more now than when I first started turning out books, but it took a while to get a reputation and a following. I am NOT an introvert but an outgoing intense people person.</span> </li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: orange; font-family: Palatino Linotype;">What did you do before you became a writer?</span> <span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">I'm an art teacher and a soccer coach. I am first a professional wildlife artist and a conservationist. I've been creating art long before I ever took writing seriously.</span> </li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: orange; font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Do you plot out your novel or do you just go with the flow?</span> <span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">I have never plotted any of my 18 books. I have the inkling of a mood or an idea and I just let my characters go with me following them like watching a movie in my head. When I first start I don't even know what genre it will turn out to be, no wonder I have a thriller/mystery novel, 2 fantasies, a love story-coming of age novel, a nature-love triangle- adventure novel, and so on...</span> </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLr60Lvt2UpgXE0NCoiyGuibQh9XPIJii-3Z5y0lXMguoqfrq-1Pp3QVx3ODotMH9QtdVwXd9YrXL3373QLV_lE22InWsUNc5zQcYSf-wsalA2mnpLhrKEECf9U4k1E2voBIkVyhoLMLpc/s1600/doughiser2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; height: 263px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; width: 175px;"><img border="0" n4="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLr60Lvt2UpgXE0NCoiyGuibQh9XPIJii-3Z5y0lXMguoqfrq-1Pp3QVx3ODotMH9QtdVwXd9YrXL3373QLV_lE22InWsUNc5zQcYSf-wsalA2mnpLhrKEECf9U4k1E2voBIkVyhoLMLpc/s1600/doughiser2.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="color: orange;">Do you hear from your readers much?</span> <span style="color: orange;">What kinds of things do they say?</span></span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"></span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Oh yes, all the time and I love every email. Most respond to my bestseller, <em>The Honey Bee Girl</em>, because love stories always touch people in their hearts and in their memories. I have a website, <a href="https://webmail.brazosportisd.net/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.Art-Escape.com" target="_blank">https://webmail.brazosportisd.net/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.Art-Escape.com</a>, and also I send out a newsletter featuring my artwork, writing news, speaking engagements and more. I get all kinds of requests and comments. I have readers all over the USA, Canada, a big group in Bombay, India, New Zealand, Denmark, Germany, and probably many other places.</span> </li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"><span style="color: orange;">What do you think makes a good story?</span> "Conflict" Emotion, "voice" mystery.</span><span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;"></span> </li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: orange; font-family: Palatino Linotype;">What’s next?</span> <span style="font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Well, let's see, more art shows this year coming up. <em>Montana Mist (Winter of the White Wolf)</em> my 2011 novel is on sale on Jan 19th with my worldwide book launch to drive it to number one on amazon.com Go online and get your copy on the 19th. Watch the movie trailer here: <a href="https://webmail.brazosportisd.net/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDLXoHyCWHQ" target="_blank">https://webmail.brazosportisd.net/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDLXoHyCWHQ</a> I have two finished novels ready to follow in the next couple of years, thriller mystery-<em>The Texas Sugar Pussy Kat Murders</em>, and my epic massive huge awesome fantasy, <em>The Midnight Jungle</em>. This summer I will start working again on a novel I started last summer about the tribe of very small prehistoric people that inhabited the islands of Komodo. The komodo monitor lizards were the largest predators on the islands, still are today, but the people were only about three feet tall according to National Geographic explorers. My novel follows the life of one of the small people, a shark hunter, as he struggles to survive, exiled from his own people, in love with the girl he can never have and taming the wild pygmy elephants that were also once roaming those islands, now extinct like the tiny tribe of those lost people.</span></li>
</ol><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Palatino Linotype;">Thanks Doug!</span></div>MG Villescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06593874850440071156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2471054603495685196.post-26683928114511539252011-01-09T20:29:00.000-06:002011-01-09T20:29:51.891-06:00Okay, I've Finished My Novel: Now what? Editing!You've probably heard (more than a few times) that you need an editor. Well, you're going to hear it again.<br />
<br />
Nothing kills interest more than a novel full of errors. Errors make the reader stumble through a passage, pauses or stops the flow, and causes repeated reading of a sentence. If your first chapter is full of them, interest wanes and most readers (like myself) will stop reading the book. Maybe you're thinking that it's okay because the person's already bought the book but in reality word-of-mouth advertisement is golden.<br />
<br />
So, once you're done writing your masterpiece, find an editor. I don't mean find a friend or a family member or a person who likes to read. I mean find an editor. Someone who will go through your book and know the ins and outs of grammatical rules. I have an English degree. I teach grammar and writing and I'm ashamed to say that I had so many errors in my first book that I seriously wondered if I knew anything about grammar.<br />
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But if you're like me, you write without thinking. You just write.<br />
<br />
It's okay to write and get your next best-selling novel out of your head. It's important for you to focus on the creative aspects and worry about all the little things after you've got the book complete.<br />
Writing for me, as I've said before, was the easy part. Editing and revising is a tedious, horrible, and consuming job - but one that has to be done.<br />
<br />
I was blessed to have an editor that really knew what she was doing. I'll give you her email address at the bottom of the post but I can't stress enough to find someone who knows editing. <br />
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After you find an editor and he/she rifles through your novel with a fine tooth comb, find someone else. <u>Now</u> you can go to those friends and family who are willing to give you honest and sometimes brutal advice on structure and plot. Have them look for errors at the same time because editors are human and they will miss a few things. The more people who've checked your novel before it goes into print - the better. I gave my novel to several people and they found a major error that would have really hurt had it gotten published.<br />
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Beg and plead to those around you to help you read through your novel. Buy them something nice, make them dinner, put their names on the acknowledgements page - anything it takes.<br />
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Here at Greli Publishing we have a wonderful editor. You can reach her at <a href="mailto:skinney@grelibooks.com">skinney@grelibooks.com</a>. Send her a brief summary, number of words, and expected publishing date. She will send you a price.<br />
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Be sure to come back next week when we cover ISBNs.MG Villescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06593874850440071156noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2471054603495685196.post-71278159591948300772011-01-06T10:50:00.000-06:002011-01-06T10:50:25.473-06:00First Things FirstFirst and foremost.<br />
<br />
I've been reading through countless emails that have suggested coming up with a book idea without writing the book . . . then submitting this to agents and publishers. I personally couldn't conceive of doing this. Getting plot, structure, characterization, and dialogue correctly is something you can't just create in a matter of days. Writing isn't easy regardless of what you say or other's say. It takes so much time and effort to create a book. Those of you who have completed your book - my hats off to you. <br />
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Finish the book. Finish the book. During my book signings, I can't count the number of people who have come up to me to tell me they've been writing a book for years but haven't finished. <br />
<br />
If you're like my friends, you generally put the book down then come back to it for a few days eager to start. After a few days you toss it into your very own little slush pile for a few months. When you decide to come back you go to the beginning and make changes without ever finishing the book. It becomes a merry-go-round circus in which you tell yourself next week is that day when I start (in earnest) on the book. <br />
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It doesn't work. Finish the book!<br />
No more excuses, no more changes! Finish the book!MG Villescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06593874850440071156noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2471054603495685196.post-91640786968372543612011-01-05T16:41:00.000-06:002011-01-05T16:41:38.186-06:00Learning To BlogThis is my first post. <br />
<br />
I've been told that blogs are a sort of journal so I will start by saying that I'm excited to share my novel writing, creative outlets and frustrations that come along with publishing a book.<br />
So Here Goes:<br />
When I first started to write I wrote without thinking about my commas, verb tenses, dialogue tags, orphans and widows. <br />
<div class="paragraph">I just wrote. </div><div class="paragraph">I enjoyed it—that is until I finished writing the book. Shocked and excited, I ran around my house like a crazy person. Never had I imagined that the real hard work lay ahead. </div><div class="paragraph"><br />
</div><div class="paragraph">After many weeks of research on the subject I had written about, I decided to create my own publishing company as well as self-publish my book. For anyone who has ever attempted this, this is no easy feat, regardless of who you are and how much time you truly have—this is not an easy thing to do. </div><div class="paragraph"><br />
</div><div class="paragraph">But me, in my wisdom, thought I could do it. Others had so why couldn’t I? I worked up a market plan (which is a necessity) and started on this hectic, frantic yellow brick road to insanity. What I learned on this never ending road, I will share with you. </div>MG Villescahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06593874850440071156noreply@blogger.com0