Category Archives: Writing

February 17, 2012

Twitter. LinkedIn. Facebook. Google+. Goodreads. Google Groups.

By Judith Gaines

Every day I have more conversations around social media and the best ways to use it to sell brands, promote good public relations and engage loyal fans. It’s more than getting your book sold or noticed by readers, it’s who makes the best taco and where should you get your car serviced. I have a large client list with some businesses deep in the social media mindset and others who are still trying to figure out their smart phone. Does their media savvy effect their business efforts? Yes and no. I’m listening and learning and trying to gauge where to spend my social media time for the goals I have in mind for my writing.

The bottom line: you need to know your end-goal before you lay in a plan to get there. The goal and the plan determines the best tools and delivery methods. Sorry this is sounding like a marketing spiel, but indie authors have to be marketers and PR specialist. You have to cut out time vampires whether it’s a bad habit that keeps you from writing or a line of self-promotion that doesn’t deliver.

The best advice I’ve gotten on the subject is to find what you enjoy and make that your focus. Some writers love engaging in forums. Others thrive on Facebook. I’ve decided Twitter has the biggest return for my invested time, as well as blogging and taking part in blog tours.

What works for me on Twitter?
I use the search feature to find followers who may like what I write and are interested in the same subjects I’m researching. My follows bring them in as followers and soon I have a dialog.

Knowing where my followers live allows me to tweet on their time. No, I don’t look up street addresses, but knowing the country or time zone lets me tweet when they are looking. Carolyn McCray oft tells on the IBC Blogtalk radio show, “on Twitter everyone sees you and no one sees you.” It’s all in the timing.

I skim through my stream and retweet what I find interesting or fun and in turn they may feel inclined to share my tweets with their followers.

Striking up a conversation is fun and helps build a connection. I’ve met so many wonderful writers and avid readers on Twitter and they have been generous in supporting my work. Guys, I couldn’t do this without you:)

Why does blogging work?
You get to show off your personality. It also helps if you have something interesting to share. If you write with passion it will resonate. If you write well, your blog readers may become your novel readers.

Some weeks it’s tough to come up with a topic, and often I write something completely different than what I planned. This week I intended to write about symbolism in novels to help build the plot and characters using WIRED as an example. Then I had a meeting and the conversation came around to social media. Its a full time job in a growing number of companies. I’m also testing out a new 3rd party Twitter app, Timely.is which analyzes your followers and schedules your tweets for times when they may be on the stream. It’s only been two days and so far not much response. I’ll give it a week or two and see if it really gets more new followers and RTs than my own efforts. At times I think gut feeling is stronger than algorithms.

Share what works best for you and the smart tips that make you a rock star in the social media world.

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February 8, 2012

Scraps of the Past

By Judith Gaines

It’s inevitable. As we get older we become less sentimental about the odd bits and pieces we carry around from our past. I’m referring to the box(es) of stuff that has survived childhood and traveled to college dorm rooms, first apartments and finally the closet or attic where you now live.

Every time you move and have to pack these things and carry the box to a new home you weigh its importance to your memories or future.

In my box of “stuff” is a stack of notebooks full of youthful angst, poems and the beginnings of a first novel written the summer after fifth grade. Other bits of interest include petrified chewing gum from my 1st Police concert, a t-shirt from Girl Scout camp plus a moth eaten beret.

Digging deeper (metaphorically speaking) I see stories – the ones I read growing up, the stories I dreamed of writing and an impression of a little girl that wanted to see the world through the eyes of Nancy Drew and HG Wells.

I get the same feeling whenever I walk through a junk store looking for vintage jewelry or a discarded first edition. I can’t help but create a story for the journey the objects traveled. Who owned them? What was the world like when it was new?

These details often find their way into my writing. I think that’s why I love writing about art and have spent so much time learning about its plight through history. Each portrait is the face of someone with a story and the painting itself has its own tale. Landscapes are as much an image of a place frozen in time as it is the artist’s personal expression.

Move through time to Impressionism and Modernism and you see a world that is rapidly transforming to an uncertain destiny.

As I add details to Jade’s life, I’m thinking about what bits she would carry around. How does a person with amnesia take stock of the past which made her who she is? Fun is in the details and for Jade, there are also clues there for her to discover.

Comments Off   |  tags: , , , | posted in art, Fiction, Impressionists, Novel, Writing

January 27, 2012

Enigma

By Judith Gaines

As I’m finishing the final tweaks on WIRED, I’ve begun research for the Jade Weekes follow-up novel ENIGMA.

If you’ve been following my tweets of late or if you’re a history buff, you’ll have recognized the reference to the WWII German code machine.  Enigma also describes a person of puzzling or contradictory character which is a perfect description of Jade Weekes.

In WIRED, she has amnesia, an unusual depth of knowledge for art and security systems (which makes her an excellent thief) and is haunted by vivid nightmares that can only hint at what may have caused her memory loss.  I won’t give away the plot, but by the end of WIRED she knows her real identity… for the most part.

In ENIGMA, she and John Young will partner to track down a killer and uncover a half century of secrets.  The story will take them across Germany and Austria, follow them as they probe bunkers under Dover Castle and reveal a different side of the war.

The idea for ENIGMA began about a year ago when I came across a news article concerning the repatriation of stolen art from WWII.

Courtesy of Wikipedia-Click image to learn more.

Hitler, once an aspiring artist, was denied entry into the The Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna.  Later, when he rose to power, he ordered master works confiscated from Jewish families and from museums of occupied areas.  He had a clear idea of what he wanted in his Führermuseum, collecting only the best masterpieces and none of the works he labeled as degenerate. The degenerate works included masterpieces by Picasso, Marc Chagall, James Ensor, Henri Matisse, Salvador Dali and Vincent van Gogh… any works of modern influence or impressionism. Rather than destroy the pieces, Nazi officials sold them at public auction and poured the money into their war machine. Since the late 1930’s, these works have changed hands, disappeared and were added to the collections of some of the best museums in the world.  Amazingly, some of them are finding their way back to the descendents of the original owners.

There are so many heroes we never hear about… those who ‘did their bit’ for the war effort. The remnants of WWII are still around us. Stories of German U-boats off the North Carolina shore and spies coming into port to eat and see American movies and perhaps pick up information are still told. If you vacation in Britain, you may find yourself frustrated with the lack of town signs and road markers.  During the war, these were removed so German paratroopers would not know their location. It is a war that has become ingrained in our shared consciousness across borders and time.

Jade understands that. For her, art is akin to time travel.  Looking at a skewed Dali image, she is looking through a window showing his unique view of a world gone mad.

Comments Off   |  tags: | posted in art, art theft, Impressionists, Novel, Writing

January 5, 2012

Book Marketing Insight

By Judith Gaines

What if you could be sure there was an audience ready to devour your next book? What are the hot key words you should use in your book description and marketing to get readers to notice you? Is the trending interest going up or down?

Since there isn’t a working crystal ball nearby, I resorted to more useful Google tools, Insights for Search and Google Trends.

Google Trends
This nifty tool allows you to compare the trending pattern of multiple search terms to compare where the greater interest is trending across Google web searches and news references. But there’s more! It also breaks out the data by geographic region and time.

In my own search for “book, art theft” the trend for both the web and news were high which bodes well for my next two novels. Since I set the region to World, I also know that the United States ranks third in interest behind Egypt and India. By clicking United States under the Region results, I get a sub-region breakout by state and then top cities. Now I’m digging down to where my fans may be and can target their time zones via Twitter. (You may have 2k+ followers, but if you miss their coffee break, they’ll never see your message.)

If I were to use this information to tweak my marketing messages, I would need to be sure to include key words related to my genre/content that trend well in web searches. (Think Ad Words)

Insights for Search
The difference between this and Trends is that Search is analyzing the data over search volume rather than directional trend. The graphs may look similar, but the data gleaned will be more detailed here.
Here’s an example for my search “stolen art”:

I’ve added News Headlines so I can verify I’m actually looking at data related to my subject and not a video game or music playlist. Over the past 12 months, New York, California and Texas have the highest search rate. If you are logged into your Google account, you’ll also see actual numbers.

Since I have a fair number of Twitter followers and blog fans in the UK and Canada, I added those two countries to my search and voila, I can clearly see where I have my work cut out for me.

Disclaimer: I do not work for or have any affiliation with Google. I just love how easy they make it to do research and fine tune my work.

Have fun playing and be sure to share any cool tools you’ve come across that helps you write and sell more books:).

***   For other Google tools go to Google.com and click” More” on the top menu and them click “Even More”.   ***

2 comments   |  tags: , , , , | posted in eBook, ePub, Novel, Writing

December 30, 2011

Criminal Fun

By Judith Gaines

Workshops

January is starting off great with an online workshop with former FBI agent Lucinda Schroeder, “Inside the Criminal Mind”. I’ve taken about a half-dozen workshops at savvyauthors.com and the information shared is worth the small fee, usually anywhere between $15-25. Plus, anytime you can get first hand information from a specialist you have a valuable tool to add realism to your fiction.

Research

It’s no secret that my next few titles center on art theft. To that end, I’ve spent some time researching art news, thefts, controversies and the role this has played in modern history. My Google alert continues to send daily links to blogs and news articles from around the web. A predominant trend is the theft of public art for the value of the metal. Scrap yards are on alert for these works, some valued in the 10’s of thousands while the perps melt them down for a few hundred dollars of scrap. Whatever your writing topic or interest, Google alerts are an easy way to get a roundup of information that is current as well as keeping you up to date on evolving stories and opinions.

The North Carolina Museum of Art is also providing invaluable information via their Lunch and Lecture series. Recent topics include registering priceless works for a major exhibition (procuring insurance, security, transportation and installation) to designing crowd flow and security for an exhibition with an expected attendance of over 150,000 people. Again, learning the titles and job responsibilities of museum staff will add depth and immerse the reader into my character’s world. If you look around, I’m sure you’ll find unconventional sources of information for your work in progess too.

Pleasure

Portrait of a Gentleman Wearing a Gold Chain /...
Image via Wikipedia

Again, the North Carolina Museum of Art is one of my favorite places. Their current Rembrandt exhibit, which runs through January 22nd, presents the largest collection of Rembrandt paintings ever displayed in the United States.

The meaning of a painting is affected by the other works displayed around it. In this case, the story of Rembrandt’s life, the evolution of his work and his legacy is well told. For hundreds of years, works by his students have been incorrectly attributed to Rembrandt, but the side by side comparison clearly shows the mastery he commanded. It’s more than the brush stroke which can be taught, or the lighting which can be imitated. There is an intangible quality that places thought and emotion within the eyes and faces of his subjects.

Fun

In keeping with the art theft and criminal mind theme, here’s a bit of fun from Art Series Hotels. The Cullen, The Olsen and the Blackman Hotels in Australia are designed in the style of 3 of their greatest artists. Until January 15th, guests are invited to steal an original Banskey valued at $10,000. Once the steal is successfully executed, the guest gets to keep the art.

“No Ball Game” was pinched December 19th by a guest posing as a hotel employee who even managed to get the staff to help her place the stolen work in her car.

If you want your chance to play cat burglar, there is another Banskey now on the wall, “Pulp Fiction”.

Good Luck.

Comments Off   |  tags: , , , , , , | posted in eBook, Fiction, Mystery, Novel, Writing

December 9, 2011

The Art of Procrastination

By Judith Gaines

I’ve been in a writing abyss for the past 2 months. Any and every word is taking four times the effort to write and I catch myself wondering if the there is a point to the self-inflicted suffering.

It’s the holidays, my day job is overbooked crazy and there are a million other things to take care of at home including folding and putting away 10,000 loads of laundry.

So, it’s time to find my motivation. If I were a method actor, I’d dig deep into the character’s psyche for that lost nugget of hope. So far I haven’t found it. Here’s where I’ve looked:

Read a sample.

  • Scrabble for iPad (I’ve now won more than 50% of the games played #inyourfacecomputer! )
  • Neverland (SyFy miniseries)
  • Tossing Runes at façade.com until they say what I want to hear
  • Audible books (47 hours of Connie Willis’ Blackout and All Clear)

Being a writer means I have special powers when it comes to creating distractions. Now I have to AIS (Ass In Seat) and get the last chapters tweaked and sent to my editor. Then—and only then—I can relax and enjoy the eggnog.  Granted, I still have a gingerbread house that needs decorating and presents to wrap and 5 pounds of shrimp to pickle, and….and…and…

I never have writer’s block, just procrastination pains. How do you deal with the urge to do nothing?

I’m trying to focus on the prize at the end of the work… being published.

3 comments   |  tags: , , | posted in Fiction, Mystery, Novel, Writing

December 3, 2011

Magically Mundane

By Judith Gaines

In my professional life, I have to focus on message and concision and visuals while usually constrained to 30 seconds.  Yes, I produce those dreaded commercials:)

However, it does lend resources to my writing life.  I’ve learned there is only one best word for each use and it has to be active, visual and interesting. It has to help move my message–my story–forward.

The process takes me back to a high school art class where we were instructed to create art that makes the ordinary interesting and makes the viewer see the content in a new way, guiding their eye to what you want them to notice.

Writing is the same.  We want our readers to see what’s special about our characters and care.  They don’t want a caricature of the same people they see everyday.  They want details and new angles.

When I’m shooting video, I look for unusual ways to frame the shot or change the height from how we would normally see the scene. In my current novel, I have multiple viewpoints looking at the same subject: art theft. Each character is developed not only by their words and actions in their perspective viewpoints, but also by the observations and opinions of other characters.

I like to give my characters limitations either physical or mental which they have to overcome.  I love characters who are clever and notice the details in an ordinary scene that gives them the advantage.  I love love love characters that surprise me.

Case in point: as I’m re-writing the last chapters of WIRED, my sister, and first beta reader guessed who I planned to kill off.  Guess what?  Now he lives!  hahahaha.  Seriously, I’m changing the entire ending to keep the reader guessing until the very last word.  The first rule in making the mundane magical is to do the unexpected.

Happy writing.

2 comments   |  tags: , , , | posted in Fiction, Mystery, Novel, Writing

September 30, 2011

Meandering Thoughts On Readability

By Judith Gaines

Readability is a term which covers everything from font size to writing. Thanks to e-readers, font size is adjustable, leaving authors able to focus on their craft.

I have strong beliefs as to what makes a novel readable.

  • First, the reader should NEVER see the writer in the characters or story.
  • The language has to flow like breathing in a yoga class.
  • Lastly, the plot must unfold with seemingly no effort.  Then the reader becomes entrenched in the story and engaged with the characters.

It’s easy to let your opinions creep into a character’s thoughts or words, but those bits should be removed or reworked in the editing process. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you need to make every paragraph work or keep every chapter.  Try removing parts and working key details into other scenes. Your story will be stronger for it.

Also avoid telling your reader the obvious, such as “she raised her hand up”, of course her hand went up, that’s the natural expected motion.  Only give a direction when it is something unexpected.  Same with “sat down in a chair”. I don’t know anyone who ever sat in any other fashion than “down”.

The breathing flow of the novel is more difficult to master.  There are two techniques I use to help with this process: distance and reading aloud.

Distancing yourself from your work helps you go into editor mode and study without attachment, gauging what needs work and what to cut.  Reading aloud will help you tweak your dialogue to a natural rhythm and weed out the tendency to make your characters speak the King’s English.  Really, no one talks like that… unless of course it is a carefully crafted character trait.

It’s a very deliberate process to make your writing read without feeling deliberate. Step into your character’s shoes, think with their thoughts as you write and let your readers see, feel, hear, smell and touch the action first hand. Cut the mundane and keep your pace moving forward.

And one last thing on the topic… flashbacks are not gratuitous character fill.  The scenes are building the story forward with information and insight the reader needs to be satisfied when they reach the last page.

Happy writing and keep plenty of coffee around for editing:)

2 comments | posted in Fiction, Novel, Writing

September 27, 2011

Nearly Departed in Deadwood

By Judith Gaines

“The first time I came to Deadwood, I got shot in the ass.”—Violet Parker

The best characters are quirky. The best stories are complicated. To make readers fall in love with both you need a healthy dose of character flaws and a unique voice.  Ann Charles accomplishes all this in the first novel of her Deadwood Series, “Nearly Departed in Deadwood”.  Early reviews compare her heroine, Violet Parker, to Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum.  Violet and Stephanie would enjoy a glass of wine together, but really, the comparison stops there.

Ann Charles has created a wholly relatable character, full of despair and optimism, flaws and strengths.  Violet is a lot like us.

In earlier posts on writing, I’ve discussed deconstructing novels to understand how to write effectively. “Nearly Departed” is a well written example of how to build your characters and develop a page turner plot.

Here is Ann’s perspective on writing:

WRITING PROCESS

Overall, I’m what many writers call a “pantser” in the author world, which means I write by the seat of my pants. I get a couple of plot ideas in mind, put together a high-level plot paradigm with all of my subplots listed, work up a few necessary character goal details, wait for that opening line to hit me right between the eyes, and then explore the story as I go. Every time I finish a chapter, I pause to daydream and brainstorm what comes next. I have a general idea of the beginning, middle, and end, but I allow myself the liberty to change things along the way.

If we’re talking about my daily process for getting words on a page, my typical day is pretty normal. I work a full-time day job as a technical writer, so the morning starts out with dragging my butt out of bed around 6:00 a.m., checking email and Facebook/Twitter, and then getting the kids up and moving. My husband gets breakfast going while I get the munchkins dressed and ready for school/preschool. Then I head to work and play technical writer for eight hours, but my brain is constantly dabbling in fiction during long meetings and on “slow” days. I go home in the evening, hang out with the family until the kids go to bed around nine, and THEN I get to start working on writing. I usually stay up until around 1:00 a.m., then crash and start over again when the alarm goes off at 6:00 a.m. By Friday, I’m existing solely on caffeine and sugar and I look like an extra from a zombie flick, minus the craving for brains. Saturday morning, my husband keeps the kids busy so I can sleep in and return to looking somewhat human. The weekend nights are major writing time, too. Then Monday rolls around and I’m back to the weekday grind. Someday I hope I can drop the day job, but that’s far into the future at this point.

 HOW I KNEW I WANTED TO BE A WRITER

In my 20s, after reading romances for well over a decade, I decided that I wanted to try writing a romance of my own. So I did. I wrote it by hand and it was absolutely horrible. I’ll never share that one with anyone. But I sent the first 3 chapters of it off to a publisher, not realizing at the time how bad the story was, and Harlequin’s Mills and Boon division was very kind in their rejection letter. The editor encouraged me to keep trying. That was all the encouragement I needed, and I’ve been working on improving my craft and career ever since. 

ADVICE TO NEW WRITERS

If writing to get published and sell books is what you really want to do, realize that winning contests, finding a publisher (or agent), and becoming a bestseller doesn’t happen overnight. It takes years, sometimes even a decade or more, like it has for me. I have been working to be published for about fourteen years now. Many authors take less time than I have, some take more. Patience is necessary, as is continually learning, persevering, and practicing. And most important—this is an entrepreneurial business. Entrepreneurs are known for living, breathing, and sleeping their businesses. Writing is the same. If your family doesn’t periodically consider staging an intervention to break you from your writing-related addiction, you aren’t working hard enough at it to succeed.

Featured Best Seller for a Day SEPT 28, 2011

Nearly Departed in Deadwood by Ann Charles

Irony is having a big ol’ fiesta and Violet Parker is the piñata.  Little girls are vanishing from Deadwood, South Dakota, and Violet’s daughter could be next.  Short on time and long on worry, she’s desperate to find the monster behind the abductions.

But with her jerkoff co-worker trying to get her fired, a secret admirer sending creepy love poems, and a sexy-as-hell stranger hiding skeletons in his closet, Violet just might end up as one of Deadwood’s dearly departed.

Awards

  • WINNER of the 2010 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense
  • WINNER of the 2011 Romance Writers of America ® Golden Heart Award for Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements!

4 comments | posted in Writing

September 6, 2011

Interview on “The Platform” with John Rakestraw

By Judith Gaines

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf

Listen to
internet radio with John Rakestraw Talks on Blog Talk Radio

Comments Off | posted in Writing

August 26, 2011

Let’s Talk About the Weather

By Judith Gaines

August 26, 2011

 
The skies this morning were mostly clear, however, the air remains thick with tropical moisture. A hot wind scatters sun burned leaves. This is late summer in North Carolina. Two months of scant rain is forcing trees to drop shade while occasional “cool days”, as in under 90F, lets you imagine chilly football games and Halloween costumes. This is hurricane season.

Just days after a rare earthquake felt in tiny to moderate rumbles from Toronto to South Carolina, we’re bunkering down for Hurricane Irene. I’m fortunate to not be in the direct path; rather my neighborhood will experience stiff 50 mph winds and rain. That’s normal for an old-fashioned thunderstorm in this part of the country.

Now here is how it relates to writing. Hold on to your laptops….. your characters experience earthquakes and weather. Shocking, I know.

I’m a weather junkie. If disaster is falling from the sky, I’m glued to the Weather Channel and taking pictures. Freak 2-foot snowstorm? Documented. Standing in the eye of Hurricane Fran… got that too. Just think how powerful your hero’s scene would be if he/she crawled through a wind savaged parking lot, trying to rescue their loved one? How do I know they’re crawling? Have you tried to stand up when the wind speed is over 60 mph?

As writers, we can use our real life experiences during extreme conditions and situations to tighten the tension in our stories and add realism that draws in readers. Add details that involve the senses. How does the air feel on their skin? What color is the sky? After a hurricane, the sky is amazingly clear, and the tropic induced sunset is breathtaking. That’s the reward for surviving nature’s battering.

A snow storm plays a critical role in Perfect Copy, while the conclusion for my WIP, Anatomy of a Lie, is shaped by a hurricane. Take a moment to think of where in your story your characters could be helped or hampered by weather conditions. Have you described your character’s frustration, joy, the forces shaping his/her actions?

The eye of Hurricane Fran moved through central NC, right over my apartment. Power went out around 11pm as winds intensified. From my upstairs window, we watched green flashes silhouetting the bent trees as electrical transformers exploded. During the night, the steady howl calmed, drawing myself and neighbors outside to see the damage. Trees lay across cars, but it was too dark to make out much more. We were standing in the eye. Moments later the east side of the side began to pass over and dump over 16 inches of rain and $2.4 Billion in damage. I lived without electricity for a week, grateful for a gas stove and water heater:)

Rain, sleet or snow… weather facts have built-in drama.

Outer Bands of Hurricane Irene, Central NC

Comments Off   |  tags: , , , , , , , | posted in Fiction, Writing

August 19, 2011

Left Brain Exercise: eBook Formatting

By Judith Gaines

Digital Book World recently held a webinar roundtable about ebook formatting. The information shared was presented in a ready to implement manner, laying out what readers want and expect from ebooks and how to enhance their experience. (Remember, it’s all about the reader:) If you’re not familiar with this group, you should spend some time on their website. It’s crammed with industry trends and information for authors and publishers.

There are multiple approaches to formatting your novel for digital publishing, but its the reader you should keep in mind when laying out your cover, acknowledgments and the body of your novel. A straight translation from your print version to digital simply won’t make the cut. Formatting is a necessary, left-brained task.

A few weeks ago, Cameron Chapman wrote this great post on how to create the various ebook formats using Sigil and Calibre.

I’ve formatted by hand in MS Word, but I’m planning to give these programs a try with WIRED. I plan to add links to various Art Crime sites for readers interested in learning more, as well as giving some background on the artworks mentioned in the novel.

The Indie Book Collective offers monthly author webinars, including ebook formatting with live demonstrations. Learn more on their website, along with other useful tips on Indie publishing, or subscribe to their blog which updates often with insider tips and author advice.

If you know any links to other formatting tutorials or sites, send them this way. I’ll post and share.

Have a good week!

Comments Off   |  tags: | posted in eBook, ePub, Fiction, Novel, Writing

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