Can Giving A Bad Review Kill Your Writing Career?

I finished a book last night that started out so strong, yet left me...well, wanting. There were a lot of errors - their instead of there, your instead of you're. But, I can always overlook that when the story is strong enough.

Now, I have no intention of naming the book (which I'll explain why later), but the whole thing got me thinking about several issues with writing and publishing.

First of all, what's with the convenient endings? I've read sooooo many books that just...end. What?! Where's the huge climax, the fireworks, the big bang? This particular book started out with so much violence and action I couldn't wait to read the rest. Then, about halfway through, it just slowed down and never picked back up. I was so disappointed by the the last page I could've screamed!

I've been told before that at times my story slows down. Honestly, I do that intentionally to give the reader a breather. But, sometimes I fear I've slowed it down too much. As long as I don't have one of those silly convenient endings I'm satisfied.

Now, on to why I won't name the book...because I have my own books out there. Yep, I've heard horror stories of disgruntled writers giving their reviewer's books bad reviews as revenge. I'd prefer to get a bad review in earnest, not as payback.

I will soon be reading and reviewing books, yet they will not be under my own name. And, no, I will not review your book if you approach me through this site. Okay, maybe I will for some of my beloved followers, but please don't send others here. However, if you want a book review, feel free to head over to All Things Books.

How do you feel about convenient endings? And more importantly, would you leave your name on a review?

You can walk away from an abusive relationship!

I had started writing a clever blog about writing, and after staring at it for two days, I chose to start over. I heard an interview on the radio today with the author of Heroes for My Son, and now Heroes for My Daughter. The host of the radio show said something about Tina Turner, saying "Don't wait 16 years." He then went on to say how some women may have 35cents and a Mobil card in their pocket and may not be able to leave.

This interview got me thinking about my own experience. It's no secret I stayed in an abusive marriage for seven years. And, those who knew me before (and especially years after) I was in that relationship were shocked to discover I stayed with someone who would treat me like that. My first answer is always because I loved him. I was young, and believed love can cure all. I thought he loved me enough.

But, that's obviously not a good enough reason to stay with someone who would hurt you. I'll tell you a little more - When I finally left my ex-husband and filed for a restraining order, I had only been working at my new job for a few months, I had never paid a single bill, and I had no idea how to cook anything other than macaroni and cheese.

I was terrified of being on my own. Not only would I be in charge of every aspect of the home and family, but I would have to learn how to do things most people at my age took for granted. I can remember the gratification I felt the first time I mailed a check to the mortgage company. Granted, it was late because I was broke, but I did it. That was the first milestone for me. From mailing that single piece of paper out I realized I could do it. I could live on my own, support my children, and make sure we had somewhere to live and food in our bellies.

Was it easy? Hell no! I struggled constantly, dropping major weight because there was only enough food for my three kids. We used space heaters during the winter when I couldn't afford to fill the propane tank, and we didn't go out to eat. But, I learned to cook...quite well, actually. My kids grew stronger knowing they were safe. I grew stronger.

Today, I'm married to a wonderful man, someone who supports everything I do, including my dream of becoming a published author.

What does this have to do with writing, you ask? Not a damn thing. But, now you know a little more about me, and why I don't give up...ever!

Too Bee Ore Knot Two Bee...

Yep, all words were spelled correctly. Soooo, why did I put that in my title? Editing.

We all know spell-check can only aid us in our craft so much; the rest is on us lowly humans. This morning there was quite a fun conversation on Facebook started by Al Boudreau. Can you guess the topic? Yep...editing. The question of the morning (sorry, I'm not going to link to his personal FB page) was how to improve the image of Indie/Self-published work through editing.

There were quite a few great suggestions, which is what really got me thinking about this morning's blog. The first one I'll list is self-editing. Now, if you're anything like me you edit as you write, go back through each chapter as you complete it, then go through the book three to four times before releasing it into the world. And, again if you're like me, you miss several glaring mistakes. (I once used 'waste' instead of 'waist'. Kind of changes the whole theme.)

So, how does one go about hiring an editor? There is always the expensive way - search the websites. I don't know about you, but as a starving author I don't have several hundred dollars sitting around in a bank.

Another option is an English student, or even retired teacher. They'll usually work for for way less.

Or what about those editors just starting out? They're always willing to lower their prices in return for testimonial and credits.

If you're not really wanting to pay (or like me don't have an outside job), the next best option is Beta readers. What is a beta reader, you ask? A beta reader is someone, usually another writer or avid reader, who can read through your manuscript and look at it with an unbiased eye. Face it, when you read your own work your eyes will trick you into seeing words that may or may not be there.
A beta reader can not only catch mistakes you may have missed, but they can help with content editing, as well. I made the mistake of not having a content editor with my very first completed novel. Even though I'd belonged to a crit group, and had a couple of friends read through it, no one wanted to tell me a couple of parts were....well, extremely cliched!

How about using a critique group? I do have to say, though, make sure this crit group is willing to rip your work apart in order to make you a better writer. You want to be a part of a group who is willing to say, "Uh, Christy...that's so dumb. You need to change it."
Okay, maybe you don't want someone to be that rough on your work, but you get the point. You need a group who will go through your book with a fine toothed comb to get rid of all the tangles.

Another option, and one I really like, is crit groups on writer's sites. On Absolute Write there is a Share Your Work section for registered members. Don't worry, this site doesn't charge. But, you have to be registered to get the password for a couple of the forum groups. On the SYW thread you can post the first part of your work, chapter by chapter, and they will offer some great critiques.

Hopefully this post was helpful. Do you have some other ideas for perfecting your manuscript? Do you hire an editor with each book?

At what point do we stop revising?

We all want our books to be perfect. We want every word, every sentence, every paragraph to crafted with utmost originality, the words to be spelled correctly, our grammar flawless. The novel, short story, or poem has to have some form of emotional effect on our readers, or we never feel like we've done our job.

I self-published my first completed novel last year in the Spring. At the time, I was satisfied with the end result. Since then I've pulled the book from the sales sites and began a process of rewriting. I'm quite pleased with the way the novel is going, but I began to wonder...How much is too much? At what point do we stop revising?

I know I'm not the only one who does this; I've seen countless threads on various writing sites where others advise to set the book away for a few weeks and let it marinate. But...I can't seem to make myself do that. I tend to revise each chapter after it's finished, then go back through several times. After that I give it to a few people for critiques, then back to revising again. But, even though I thought I'd done plenty of revising, I'm back to rewriting the whole damn thing.

How many times do you revise and rewrite each of your pieces of work? Do you tend to over write? Do you obsess over your novels or other pieces when you've finally put it away?

Damn Daylight Savings!

I had every intention of writing an insightful, profound blog this morning. Unfortunately, my brain and my fingers have no desire to cooperate. Therefore, you're getting a grab bag of crap.

First, my friend Christi Corbett posted a great blog this week. She felt similar when she wrote it to the way I feel this morning. Check it out here. It's got too funny videos of sh*it writers and non-writers say. Even half asleep I was giggling.

If you're feeling a little naughty head over to my good friend Mindi Ferrari's blog. She never disappoints. But beware, this is an adult blog.

So you're looking for some writing advice; head here, here, and here.

Finally, I leave you with this...

Have a great day, y'all!

Looking for some kick a$$ links? Here ya go!

I didn't get much sleep last night, but I wanted to get some writing done before I ran a butt load of errands. Did I write? Not yet. Instead, I spent time on some of my favorite sites. Then I thought, "How selfish of me?! I must share with the others!"

So, without further adieau, here are a few extremely informative sites I've found over the past few years.

Nathan Bransford's blog is chock full of great advice. Mr. Bransford is an agent turned author. While he doesn't sway readers toward any specific form of publishing he definitely gives enough insight to choose what's right for you.

The blog for Ampichellis Ebooks is another one of those "wealth of information" sites. I've had the privilege of corresponding with Mr. Brown on quite a few instances. He's extremely professional, and extremely knowledgable. He's also one of the first few agents who switched hats and went for E-publishing.

If you're ever looking for a group to share your pain, or even some really great basic writing advice, head over to Absolute Write. I tend to spend a lot of time in the Absolute Write Water Cooler. There are so many different threads; literally something for everyone!!!! Plus, there's a spiffy little thread called Share Your Work. Exactly the way it sounds. It's a critique board for those chapters, or maybe just paragraphs you need an unbiased look at.

Once you've completed, or come close to completing, your work of art, you can check out Joe Konrath's blog. I'm sure you've heard of him - the self-published author turned best seller. While he's one of the minority, he has some wonderful information for the newbie.

Now that you're ready to start querying, check out Query Shark for the do's and don'ts of query writing. If you're really brave, and have time to wait, you can send in your own query in hopes of her tearing the thing apart....or complimenting it. (Yeah, don't hold your breath) This site will show you how to format a query, what agents are generally looking for, and what not to write.

You've finished the book, and written the perfect query...now what? Head to Preditors and Editors. This site lists agents, editors, and publishers. It also tells you who you can trust and who to run screaming from. They're on the author's side, and are there to protect us from scammers.

Okay, I think I'll go take a nap now. If I missed any important links feel free to share in the comments. Have a great day, y'all!

My top favorite cliches....

I'm an urban fantasy and paranormal romance author. But, for some reason, my darling muse has decided she would make me obsess over a YA idea - seriously?! This got me thinking about the different types of books, which then fed the research of cliches. Here are a few of my favorites (typed with a dash of sarcasm)...

1. The love triangle - The sweet, kind natured boy wants the shy girl. But, so does the bad boy. Every YA book I've read has a similar love triangle. Gotta tell you, in all my years of life I've never had this type of love triangle. Hell, I don't think I've had any type of love triangle. But, it's fiction, fantasy, make believe. Therefore, we allow it, forgive it...even crave it. Need an example? Bella, Edward, Jacob....'nuff said.

2. YA in general - Okay, not so much a cliche as a hot trend. Adults everywhere are reading YA novels, therefore, authors everywhere are punching them out. Why? Is it like reliving our teen years? Don't know about you but I have no desire to do those years again!

3. Immortal lovers - So these creatures - usually vampires, and almost always male - fall for the shy, sweet girl and pledge their everlasting love. Sooooo, this 100 something year old creature who poses as a teen falls for a teenage girl, who just happens to have the maturity to know she wants to spend the rest of eternity with said boy? Yeeeaaah....I thought I wanted to spend the rest of my life with my boyfriend at sixteen - until we broke up and I moved on. Need an example? TWILIGHT! Love the books, love the movies, love the concept, but now, every book is doing something similar.

4. Hot guy/Gorgeous girl - Really? Every main guy is studly, hot, and usaually a jock. Of course, we find out later he's actually insanely intelligent and sensitive. The other side is the female...always so beautiful, yet she thinks she's plain. And the females are almost always shy. Enough already! Not all girls are shy and awkward, regardless of age!

5. Unknown, yet useful magical talents - How the hell did you go through life not knowing you could become invisible? Why is it these talents only manifest themselves when extremely useful and convenient?

6. Happily ever after - Yeah, yeah. People want their romances to be happily ever after, or happily for now. Can't we skip the falling-in-love-in-two-days thing? Can we avoid instant attraction, fall in love at first sight, and spend all of eternity together? I've yet to meet a single person who fell in love quickly and actually lasted.

Do you have any hated cliches? Let me know if I missed any crucial ones...