I was recently asked in an interview how long it takes me to write a book. It sounded like an easy question and one that should have an answer something like 5 months, 3 days and 2 hours.
Err, not really.
I can’t say exactly how long it takes me to write a book…well it depends on your definition of ‘write’. For me a book isn’t written until its ready to submit to my editor until then it’s still a WIP.
Today I thought I’d share how I work so you can see why I can’t give a straight answer to how long it takes me to write a book.
I’m a plotter. If I sit down for a weekend I can usually get the whole story arc plotted, get to know the characters and do a really rough ‘for my eyes only’ synopsis done. Then I do a fast first draft, for a novella that takes about a week. I can usually get a novel down in 4-6 weeks.
Sounds like I know how long it takes me so far. But then the edits start and this is where things vary, a lot. Some stories are easy to write and the changes I make during the edits are easy and maybe only require a couple of passes. Other stories…well let’s just say they need a whole lot more untangling so the edits take a lot longer.
Do you know how long it takes you to write a book?
26 September 2010
18 September 2010
Nicola E. Sheridan--author of 'Magical Gains'
Today I'd like to welcome Nicola E. Sheridan, author of “Magical Gains” (up-coming release March 2011, Eternal Press), to tell us how she became a writer and the details of her call story.
Little over a month ago, I had an unexpected gem waiting for me in my inbox - an offer to publish my book, “Magical Gains”. My writing journey, I think, has been quite a long one.
I have always been a very imaginative person. As a small child, I was absolutely certain that Unicorns, Trolls and magical beings existed. In fact, when we used to go mushroom hunting (my mother is Polish, what can I say?!) I used to spend the time searching for “Troll Holes”, and fairy houses – and if I couldn’t find any, well I’d make some, so the fairies and troll’s had somewhere to go. So it’s little surprise that as an adult I write Fantasy and Paranormal Romance.
I always wanted to be an author, and I sent my first novel to a publisher at the ripe old age of 15. “Tears of a Warrior” was more of a power-ballad than a novel, written whilst listening to the angst ridden harmonies of the Cranberries. Suffice to say, it was rejected in the most gentle of ways. The publisher very kindly stated that my writing needed to “mature”, but not to be disheartened because I showed great “promise”. They were kind words, but to the fragile teenage ego, quite devastating - I didn’t send another novel out for nearly ten years. I did, however, continue writing, and mostly wrote romantic fantasy to titillate and amuse my school friends.
As school turned into university, and university into work, I kept writing. During a rather frustrating time at work, I wrote an office related ‘thriller’ novel. A veritable monster at 90, 000 words, “After Hours” was a work I was proud of. Gritty, exciting and a little amoral - I was certain it was a work worthy of publication. So, just to test the waters, I sent it to an Appraisal Agency. The response was less than heartening. The Appraiser waxed lyrical about how well I’d created a ‘world’ and believable characters within that ‘world’. He then went onto say, that he hoped I wasn’t going to be disheartened by what he had to say next – and like the proverbial knife in the back, he went on to explain in 7 hideous pages of vitriolic poison how much he hated the story. I was gutted, disheartened and was beginning to think maybe I can’t write. Maybe I’m just crap.
After that, I started writing fantasy again – with absolutely no intention of sending it out. I wrote a tweenie novel to read to my children when they were older. That was a lot of fun, and I rediscovered the joy of writing again.
Inspiration I find, happens at odd times and it happened when I was watching television. An advertisement came on for chocolate biscuits. A Genie was reclined on the bed, looking sexy, and all his mistress wanted was a box of biscuits that never ended... It got me thinking, “What would you do with a Genie if wishes were illegal? Surely the government would find a way to tax magic” - and with that, my Genie Imran was born and the world of “Magical Gains” evolved.
“Magical Gains” was a pleasure to write, it took a little over a year, and again, I was certain I had book worthy of publication. This time, however, instead of sending it publishers, I sent it into a few competitions. When “Magical Gains” won Highly Commended Best First Book” in the IP Picks 09 competition, I finally had the reassurance I was looking for. I couldn’t be all that crap if I was Highly Commended! As part of my prize, I was given an editor to mentor me. This was a difficult and tortuous process, but eventually well worth it. I edited “Magical Gains” for six months with the hope of publication with IP. However, as things do, situations change and I found myself with a finished manuscript and no offer of publication.
A little disheartened I shelved “Magical Gains” for a while and began writing the second book in the series “Magical Creations.” It was then that I fortuitously became aware that a friend of mine was also an aspiring author (hello Shona!). She was actually the one who encouraged me to send “Magical Gains” out and told me not to worry about the rejections. On her advice, I sent it out – quite a few times, with vary degrees of interest and response. When Eternal Press contacted me and asked for the full manuscript, I was excited, but it wasn’t the first time I’d sent the whole manuscript in only to have it rejected – so I was cautiously optimistic.
My optimism began to wane after four weeks of no-response. Then, after ignoring all emails for over a week and a half, I checked them. There in the inbox was that magical email we all dream of - “Submission_Magical Gains_ Contract.”
“Magical Gains” is due for release in March 2011 – and the editing process is just about to begin again. It’s strange really, getting a contract is amazing and very exciting, but it’s also changed something. Writing is what I have always done, and loved. Now it is suddenly something more than just a hobby, which is what I always wanted, kind of expected, but never really prepared for!
So to any aspiring author out there, I give the same advice that Shona gave to me. Send out your manuscripts, get people reading them and enter competitions. Firstly, the right editor will never find your story if you hide it in your desk-top. Secondly, rejection isn’t personal (they don’t know you!) but every time you are rejected, revise that query letter and send it out again that same day!
If you would like to see what I’m up to and follow my progress to my release date, check out my blog http://magicalgains.blogspot.com/ or my facebook group. My website http://www.nicolasheridan.com/ is currently a work in progress! Agh!
Thank you Shona, for the invite, and all your advice!
Happy writing!
Little over a month ago, I had an unexpected gem waiting for me in my inbox - an offer to publish my book, “Magical Gains”. My writing journey, I think, has been quite a long one.I have always been a very imaginative person. As a small child, I was absolutely certain that Unicorns, Trolls and magical beings existed. In fact, when we used to go mushroom hunting (my mother is Polish, what can I say?!) I used to spend the time searching for “Troll Holes”, and fairy houses – and if I couldn’t find any, well I’d make some, so the fairies and troll’s had somewhere to go. So it’s little surprise that as an adult I write Fantasy and Paranormal Romance.
I always wanted to be an author, and I sent my first novel to a publisher at the ripe old age of 15. “Tears of a Warrior” was more of a power-ballad than a novel, written whilst listening to the angst ridden harmonies of the Cranberries. Suffice to say, it was rejected in the most gentle of ways. The publisher very kindly stated that my writing needed to “mature”, but not to be disheartened because I showed great “promise”. They were kind words, but to the fragile teenage ego, quite devastating - I didn’t send another novel out for nearly ten years. I did, however, continue writing, and mostly wrote romantic fantasy to titillate and amuse my school friends.
As school turned into university, and university into work, I kept writing. During a rather frustrating time at work, I wrote an office related ‘thriller’ novel. A veritable monster at 90, 000 words, “After Hours” was a work I was proud of. Gritty, exciting and a little amoral - I was certain it was a work worthy of publication. So, just to test the waters, I sent it to an Appraisal Agency. The response was less than heartening. The Appraiser waxed lyrical about how well I’d created a ‘world’ and believable characters within that ‘world’. He then went onto say, that he hoped I wasn’t going to be disheartened by what he had to say next – and like the proverbial knife in the back, he went on to explain in 7 hideous pages of vitriolic poison how much he hated the story. I was gutted, disheartened and was beginning to think maybe I can’t write. Maybe I’m just crap.
After that, I started writing fantasy again – with absolutely no intention of sending it out. I wrote a tweenie novel to read to my children when they were older. That was a lot of fun, and I rediscovered the joy of writing again.
Inspiration I find, happens at odd times and it happened when I was watching television. An advertisement came on for chocolate biscuits. A Genie was reclined on the bed, looking sexy, and all his mistress wanted was a box of biscuits that never ended... It got me thinking, “What would you do with a Genie if wishes were illegal? Surely the government would find a way to tax magic” - and with that, my Genie Imran was born and the world of “Magical Gains” evolved.
“Magical Gains” was a pleasure to write, it took a little over a year, and again, I was certain I had book worthy of publication. This time, however, instead of sending it publishers, I sent it into a few competitions. When “Magical Gains” won Highly Commended Best First Book” in the IP Picks 09 competition, I finally had the reassurance I was looking for. I couldn’t be all that crap if I was Highly Commended! As part of my prize, I was given an editor to mentor me. This was a difficult and tortuous process, but eventually well worth it. I edited “Magical Gains” for six months with the hope of publication with IP. However, as things do, situations change and I found myself with a finished manuscript and no offer of publication.
A little disheartened I shelved “Magical Gains” for a while and began writing the second book in the series “Magical Creations.” It was then that I fortuitously became aware that a friend of mine was also an aspiring author (hello Shona!). She was actually the one who encouraged me to send “Magical Gains” out and told me not to worry about the rejections. On her advice, I sent it out – quite a few times, with vary degrees of interest and response. When Eternal Press contacted me and asked for the full manuscript, I was excited, but it wasn’t the first time I’d sent the whole manuscript in only to have it rejected – so I was cautiously optimistic.
My optimism began to wane after four weeks of no-response. Then, after ignoring all emails for over a week and a half, I checked them. There in the inbox was that magical email we all dream of - “Submission_Magical Gains_ Contract.”
“Magical Gains” is due for release in March 2011 – and the editing process is just about to begin again. It’s strange really, getting a contract is amazing and very exciting, but it’s also changed something. Writing is what I have always done, and loved. Now it is suddenly something more than just a hobby, which is what I always wanted, kind of expected, but never really prepared for!
So to any aspiring author out there, I give the same advice that Shona gave to me. Send out your manuscripts, get people reading them and enter competitions. Firstly, the right editor will never find your story if you hide it in your desk-top. Secondly, rejection isn’t personal (they don’t know you!) but every time you are rejected, revise that query letter and send it out again that same day!
If you would like to see what I’m up to and follow my progress to my release date, check out my blog http://magicalgains.blogspot.com/ or my facebook group. My website http://www.nicolasheridan.com/ is currently a work in progress! Agh!
Thank you Shona, for the invite, and all your advice!
Happy writing!
13 September 2010
Mirror, mirror on the wall...
Julie clutched the edge of the vanity and vomited into the basin. Her knees buckled as her stomach heaved again. Nothing. She dragged herself upright and stared into the dead eyes of her own reflection.
The thin blue line of the pregnancy test wouldn’t be ignored. She flushed it away.
Her hands went to her stomach. She remembered the joy a moment like this had brought when she’d discovered she was pregnant with her son. Not this time.
She picked up the packaging and tore it into tiny squares. She flushed those away as well.
Her unborn baby would soon follow.
When I wrote the final sentence of the first paragraph I hesitated. I was using a mirror to describe someone. I tried to think of another way of doing it and couldn’t. I finished the scene and had another think. That sentence still bothered me but I couldn’t improve on it and thought the scene worked well overall. I sent it off.
Sure enough the online lecturer told me that ‘professionals believe that using a mirror to describe a character is one of the most amateurish things a writer can do’.
I've certainly read some toe-curling examples of the use of a mirror to describe the too-beautiful-to-be-true heroine but is it always wrong?
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