It's time once again for my one regular feature! Today I answer your questions! I will answer them as soon as I can after you post them, and all questions asked before midnight Mountain Time will be answered. You may ask anything you'd like—I will give you my best possible answer in comments. ALSO, you may ask as many questions as you want. Some people in the past have felt bad for asking more than one. Don't! Today is YOUR day.
I started a new project back in March. It was shiny and new and I was head over heels in love with it. But just when I was getting into a groove with it, my 4yo son went into the hospital and ended up having surgery. He's fine now but the experience, along with a crazy summer schedule, pulled me out of that world.
ReplyDeleteMy kids go back to school next week and I'm looking forward to getting back into writing but I'm not sure if I can go back to that book.
I've had a couple of plot bunnies nagging me over the summer but I just don't know if I can give up on the book I was loving so much.
I guess my question is whether or not you've ever had to step away from something and if so, how did you get back into it?
Leigh, SUCH a good question. This actually happens to me a lot now. Either I get edits and have to stop on a project, or I get nervous and walk away for awhile, or I go and have a baby or something;)
DeleteIt is SO HARD to get back into a project. All that drafting high is gone, and you're left with the inner editor telling you it's not worth it to go back. It's just a mess. Etc. This actually happened to me with the novel I just finished writing—SOULTHIEF.
I wrote the first 50 or so pages around January, and then I got really sick with my pregnancy and a horrible cough that lasted all of February. Then I got edits from my editor. And by the time I had my baby it had been five months since I even looked at the book!
But I had to finish something. And when I went back to it I knew there was potential there, despite also seeing all the flaws.
The answer? I used plain old force. I hadn't really written for a long time, and I started with a small goal—one page a day, five days a week. It was so hard at first, but when it got easier, I pushed to two. Then three, and so on and so forth until I finally found my momentum again. And not just my momentum, but my confidence in the story and my writing.
Even with the 50 page head start, it took me all summer to finish that draft. It wasn't fun for most of that time, but sometimes writing just isn't fun. But by the end I was happy with the story and glad I just pushed through.
So this is long, but I guess my answer is to push through. It may seem easier to start something new, but oftentimes you'll just hit a road block with that as well. Finishing a book is the goal. It also feels awesome:)
Wow. Sounds like you were the perfect person to answer this question and thanks so much for the thorough answer. I think over the next week I'm going to read over what I'd written along with my notes and hope it comes back to life in my head. Even it it doesn't, I'll take you advise and push through.
DeleteThanks, Natalie!
This is so what I needed to hear right now, too! I was writing full-steam at the start of summer, and then a lot of LIFE happened, and I'm still super busy. Days when I can only write 100 words seem like a waste of time, but I'm trying to remind myself it matters and to keep going. Thanks for this extra push!
DeleteThanks for taking questions, Natalie! How do you decide what tense best fits your story? Do you like a certain tense more than others, and if so, why?
ReplyDeleteI've written in all tenses, but I currently tend to write in first present. I'm not sure why I've fallen into this, but TRANSPARENT was my first attempt at writing it. Before then I'd stuck to third past or first past.
DeleteI chose first present for Fiona's story because I wanted a very close, personal point of view. Fiona is invisible, and I wanted to be as in her head as possible so that people could understand what that might be like. First present also really limits your character's view to what they can see at that moment—and her story felt like it needed that for the plot to work the best.
Now I'm just comfortable there, and my stories tend to be strongly character driven, even when I write paranormal/fantasy. For me, that voice is key, and first person in general makes that shine.
But I totally recommend trying out different tenses. It's good fun and the only real way you can find what works for you. I would have never guess I'd end up writing so much in first present—I started out in third past for my first 3 books!
How do you format the MS pages sent with a query, if pasted into the body of an email?
ReplyDeleteHeather, I just copied them straight from Word. They looked right in my email, so I just put it on faith? Heh. I figured if the agent wanted pages in an email, they knew the hazards of getting them like that. It's impossible to know exactly how they'll transfer. Try not to worry too much:)
DeleteThanks! It's so hard not to be OCD with these things :)
DeleteA day or two ago on Twitter Rae Carson said, "I think every author has an itch to scratch, an element that shows up over and over again in their work."
ReplyDeleteYou've written a lot of novels now. Do you find, looking back at them all, that certain themes or plot items tend to make frequent appearances in your stories?
Seabrooke, definitely! There are things I end up coming back to over and over, whether I realize it or not as I'm writing. A few of them:
Delete1. Food! There is always some kind of "signature food" in all my novels. I love to cook and eat and I think it tends to show:)
2. The idea of "what could have been." I've always been fascinated with how our lives are made up of all these little moments that define us, and I think if one of those things would have been different, our whole lives could be different. Both in good and bad ways.
3. There are often subtle threads of emotional abuse/manipulation in my work. Before meeting my husband, I was in an emotionally abusive relationship. It had an impact on me, of course.
Those are just a few. I'm sure there's more if I could think about it, but I think that's just how it is. Writers pull from their life experiences. It's natural that personal themes would be there—I write about stuff that means something to me! And I don't plan to change that any time soon. I don't think my voice would ring true if I didn't "scratch those itches," so to speak;)
I enjoyed your answer. :) Makes me look forward to reading Transparent! I think about #2 regularly myself; there're so many things that haven't worked out as planned for me, and which were a disappointment at the time, but without that failure I wouldn't be in this place I love now.
DeleteI don't read enough of most authors (or they don't have enough work published) to pick it out but the idea of recurring themes/subjects really appeals to me. I've noticed stuff regularly showing up in my own novels. As you say, often our subconscious puts it in and it's not till after we realize it's there.
So then, a follow-up question: how do you make sure each of your books is unique? For instance, I only just realized after finishing my fifth book that in the last three I've written, the MC has to go rescue her male friend/love interest from something/somewhere. The circumstances vary, but at a basic level it's the same. Clearly this is an itch of mine, but I worry that I'm getting repetitive.
I think recognizing that pattern is the first key, so you you're on the right track! :) It took me several books to find those things as well (TRANSPARENT is my 10th novel, after all), and when you do just be careful to challenge yourself.
DeleteI always give myself something new to discover or tackle in a novel. With TRANSPARENT, is was first person present tense. Also, Fiona is invisible—that was a challenge to write! I challenged myself to write a male MC—I written four since then. HOUSE OF IVY AND SORROW has a thread based on the loss of my grandmother, and that was a new thing for me to face in writing. In SOULTHIEF, which I just recently finished, I created an entirely made-up dead realm, so it has a bit of a fantasy feel and pushed my world building skills. I'm now writing a contemporary that has all these elements I've need to research, from goldfish to Alzheimer's.
So yeah, challenge yourself! It's okay to have similar underlying threads, but try new things in the actual writing—in plot, tense, subject, character, etc. And don't worry TOO much. People come back to certain authors because they LIKE and even expect certain elements. I read Sarah Dessen because I WANT to read about families and romance and all that. It can work for you!
Great advice, Natalie, and thank you for taking the time to answer so thoroughly! I agree with what you say about challenging yourself; I've got plans for a dual POV (scary!) for my next project. Also, about loving certain authors because you know what to expect from them. Again, can't wait for your book to come out! Good luck with the edits!
DeleteIs there a genre you'd like to tackle next? Is there one you wouldn't touch, no matter how much your readers begged you?
ReplyDeleteLin, I've kind of written all over the YA board, but my definite favorites are paranormal and contemporary. In my ideal career, I'd love to go back and forth between those two. I just finished writing a paranormal—and I'm now writing a new contemporary that I'm head over heels for.
DeleteI have also written fantasy and sci-fi, and I like them and would probably write those if begged, as you say. But the genres I couldn't ever write, I don't think, are dystopian or horror. I'm a happy ending kind of girl. I don't like killing characters. I tend towards humor and romance. Dystopian and horror are just a little too bleak for my writing taste. Nothing against the genres—I am just not suited as a writer to handle it.
Thanks, Natalie! Looking forward to TRANSPARENT.
DeleteHi Natalie! I have questions about blogging. I think it's obvious you find blogging worthwhile. I am wondering what the biggest reason is that you see to keep up a blog? I'm a little discouraged with mine lately. Has blogging changed for you at all over the years? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteAngie, my blogging has definitely changed over the years! When I first started almost six years ago (in October!), my blog was just for me. I was talking so much about writing on my family blog that I decided to move it over to its own thing. I used to talk about my projects a lot, and it was just for my own fun. No one commented but my mom and maybe a few friends.
DeleteThen I started meeting people online. I started having conversations with them and making writing friends. I started to blog for those people, to have a dialogue with them and all that. I felt like I wasn't alone in my little writing world anymore. It was awesome. I had maybe 25 blogs I frequented and commented on and it felt like a club.
Then I won a prominent contest on an agent blog, and because of that my readers exploded. Suddenly I couldn't read all the people who were reading me, and it all became scary and new again. I started blogging more about the writing process than my own writing, and people seemed to really respond to that. Thus I got even more followers and felt very...out in the open.
Over the years, as I have gotten more visible, I am a lot more careful about what I say. I even get scared to say stuff at times, which is why there is a lot less content on my blog lately (plus being crazy busy). I've seen so many internet rages in the past six years, sometimes it feels like it's only a matter of time before something I say is taken out of context and I get flamed forever because of it.
So my policy now is to blog when I feel like it. I used to blog everyday, but that sucked the fun out pretty fast. I still enjoy blogging, but I think it has a healthier place in my life than before. It's okay to be discouraged sometimes. With the new media platforms, I think blogging has gotten quieter. People don't comment as much—I've seen a big decrease at least. But it's all good. I'm happy, and I do what I can.
Thanks, Natalie! I wondered if it was just me not getting as many comments. I like the blogging when you want to idea. And I totally understand the fearmofmsaying the wrong thing!
DeleteHi Natalie!
ReplyDeleteWhat would you say is your greatness weakness as a writer is? And what do you do to try and improve in that area?
Jade, I have A LOT of weaknesses, but I think my #1 would be my crushing self-doubt. I love to write—but most of the time I genuinely believe that what I do doesn't matter to anyone else. And sometimes I let that get to me, and it stops me from working or from loving my stories like I need to.
DeleteAs for trying to improve, it's kind of a hard thing to work on, but I think the only thing that helps is to keep writing. I so often want to give up, but that would be letting the doubt and insecurity win. So even when I feel like I'm stupid for trying to do this, I do it anyway. And sometimes those fits of random confidence hit and it's AWESOME.
As for a more technical weakness, I would say setting and maybe prose. I hate writing description, and I've never thought my writing was very pretty. It's simple—it gets the job done—but it won't be winning any awards for beautiful spun sentences. A good friend of mine recently said my strength in writing is my honesty, and I think that's true. So I'll stick with that and try to be okay leaving the pretty words to others:)
Hi!
ReplyDeleteAny advice and/or tips on researching for a novel? I have an idea for a historical novel, just wondering how much research I need to put into it before I should start writing or whether to just start with the story that's running through my head and research as I go. What's your experience with this?
Another thing that concerns me with this idea is writing dialogue that is from a completely different era - I want to be able to make it a.understandable for readers today and b.authentic to the era, any ideas?
Thanks!
Melissa, unfortunately I don't know a ton about researching for historical, except for the fact that it intimidates me to no end. I mean, I have a historical in mind, and I thought, "I'll just research as I go." Well, I have even written a paragraph of it because I had to figure out if there even was an orphanage in San Francisco in 1855 and then two hours later I came out of researching and was out of time to write!
DeleteI think I'll have to wait until I don't have kids for historicals, lol.
So yeah, I would probably say researching some beforehand is a good idea. You have to know a lot of weird details like clothing and language and if stuff is even plausible in that time period before you start.
I think, also, that it's good to read up in the genre. Because I don't think the dialogue used in historical is 100% accurate, otherwise it'd be super stuff to modern readers. Just like we don't write teen speak verbatim, it's a hybrid. It's meant to FEEL old, but it's not completely accurate.
And...that's about all I got there:)
Thanks so much for your imput, somtimes you just need a sounding board, this is the perfect forum for that, so I appreciate you taking your precious time to do these Q&A days!
DeleteI've done some research, but I know I need to do a heap more, simple things like transport at the time, how did they most commonly travel long distances? etc etc. It will also involve 2 countries, as it's a convict story, so England and Australia. Feeling like I should just start the thing and see how it rolls...
Thanks for the tip on the dialogue, a hybrid sounds like a good balance.
Hi Natalie! What character (either in a book or movie) is most like you?
ReplyDeleteCatherine Denton
Catherine, man, I'm having a hard time thinking of one! I think it's hard to think a character is like me, but I think I'm gonna go with Lola from Stephanie Perkins' LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR. Minus the tattooed boyfriend:P
DeleteBut yeah, my parents were protective like hers, and I was really creative and stuff growing up. My room was basically a big messy art studio I slept in. And I was also a sensitive kid who took things too hard and tried to act more grown up than I was. And I DID have a major crush on the boy next door at one point growing up. Alas, we did not end up together. But Cricket? He is my FAVORITE YA contemporary boy in existence, so, that might swing me into wishing I were Lola;P
How did you find your critique partners?
ReplyDeleteI kidnapped them and stuffed them all in the cellar under my house.
DeleteShouldn't you be writing? /cracks whip
Not until you feed me again.
DeleteI'll cook for you. All you have to do is touch the raw meat...
DeleteHow do you go about drafting a new novel? If u draft at all. I know some novelist simply start writing without drafting.
ReplyDeleteJosh, do you mean outlining or planning? Drafting is usually another term for writing that first draft, so I'm not sure what you're referring to.
DeleteIf you mean outlining, I don't do full outline. For me, discovering the story in the first draft is what keeps me going. I do make notes along the way, maybe a few chapters ahead of where I'm at, but that's about it.
Where does an editor fit in the publishing process?
ReplyDeleteRebekah, I would say editors are at the epicenter of the publishing process. Whether in small press or big six, your editor is the one who fights for your book during submissions/acquisitions. An editor is the one who buys your book and makes that dream come true. And after that, your editor takes the book you wrote and helps you turn it into the book you intended to write all along. They champion your book in house, get marketing excited for it, turn it into a tangible thing and distribute it for you.
DeleteI know you can do all that yourself, but I'm sure happy to have my editor on my side doing it for me. She has made me a better writer—I've been through four edits with her on my first novel, and I'm working on the first edit of my second novel with her. I had been struggling for over a year with a certain plot element I could not fix, and she zeroed in on it and helped me find the answer. She's a freaking genius.
Anyway, I think I've made it fairly clear—editors are important to publishing. And I think that's true no matter which route you take. Getting outside feedback on your work improves not only the novel, but you as a writer. As hard as taking criticism is, I wouldn't be where I'm at today without it.
Thanks for the response!
DeleteHere's my follow-up question: Did you find an agent or an editor first to represent your work?
I actually had two agents before I sold a book. So yes, I found an agent first. If you want to go a traditional publishing route and be published by one of the "big six" in New York, you pretty much need an agent. It works a little differently for small press. But my agent sold my book to my editor at HarperTeen.
DeleteHow do you separate your novel into chapters? Do you know how many chapters it'll be when you start writing? I tend to write from beginning to end based on an outline of scenes. But then it's hard to figure out what the chapter breaks should be.
ReplyDeleteTess, this is a hard one for me to answer because I naturally write in chapters. That's how I break it up in my head as I write, so I'm not sure how you would go about it if you have a bunch of scenes.
DeleteBut I think maybe try and find places that are good propellors to the next sets of action? Like, you don't want to put it at a natural "end," because that would make it easy for a reader to put down the book at that point. You want it to leave questions open, like a cliffhanger, that pushes the reader to start the next chapter.
I have no idea if that makes any sense. But I would also recommend reading and studying novels and authors that you think do that well. Kiersten White, Stephanie Perkins, and Rachel Hawkins immediately come to mind for me, but there are so many out there who do great chaptering.
Your cellar sounds terrifying. *glances around wildly*
ReplyDeleteWe don't have those in Florida...of course, we have hurricanes. *ponders* Now that I think about it, your cellar sounds pretty good. :) LOL
xo
Hi Natalie, Thanks for offering a Q &A.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to ask a lot of things, but I'll narrow it down:
1) I remember a long while back you were talking about a WIP "Sidekick" ...still writing it?
2) You mentioned before that you don't really outline. So when you first get an idea, do you sit on it for a few days, weeks, months , and then jump in or do you simply just jump in?
3) I struggle with anxiety and depression. Any suggestions for natural ways to aid this? I tend to feel blue at times, I'm usually on "edge" (anxious! overthinking), and I find it difficult to sleep at night. I feel I ought to take medications , but I'm personally really resisting it (I respect others choices, I just feel I am hoping to find another way)...tips for natural supplements that may be quite effective?
Hi Natalie, I just read your last post about anxiety. (sigh). I'm in that boat now myself and not sure what to do. The trouble is that I've let the anxiety ruin my life (quite literally as in financial ruins, jobless, etc). And I think the regret is the hardest. My NP has highly encouraged me to take antidepressants and antianxiety meds for the 1.5 years and I haven't. Now I'm 31 and my situation is only...more gloomy. Just another 1.5 years and nothing (nothing) to show for it.
ReplyDeleteI think one thing that blocks me is that I'm a very holistic person and meds always freak me out you know? This doc recommends mirtazapine (antidepressant) and lorazapam (antianxiety). He say the antidepressant = more important because that is the core issue.
Unfortunately, I've read a lot about mirtazapine and it seems that it works awesome for sleep (good) but massively leads to weight gain.
So.
I'm afriad that doesn't seem "natural". Ugh. But the other meds he mentioned all scare me MORE (because they are more intense). Also mirtazapine is supposed to make you really really groggy in the mornings (but apparently that fades after a month for most people).
And the loarazapam (antianxiety) scares me from taking it because it seems like a sedative type action and I don't want to be "zoned out" like that.
Meanwhile, my writing either gets not done OR it loses ALL creativity and spark and humor and magic.
This. Sucks.
I wish I could talk to you truthfully to hash this out...I feel regretful for not taking stuff sooner..but reluctant to take these now since they have rotten side effects and the idea of being morning-tired-sluggish for the next month is unappealing.
I have wondered about 5-HTP...but not sure the deets on that (is a natural alternative though, so who knows).
I wish more writers would talk about this. I know some have very vaguely or briefly mentioned it in past (Myra McEntire, Kate Hart, Veronica Roth) etc...
Especially (personally) I wish I could chat to someone (like a writer ) to figure out good ideas to mention to my doc for a med (so I can discuss maybe a different med vs. these ones that scare me) or whether i ought to take the mirtazapine and just gain weight and at least be less anxious...or how to deal with the regret for the life/jobs/money lost and the fact that I am now over 30 and nothing to show for it.
If you are open to chat , let me know (seriously, give me the go ahead and I'll shoot you an email :)
I would love to just briefly chat with an actual writer to bounce this around with.
Thanks for sharing about the anxiety. Just thanks.
Joanne
Joanne, I usually don't answer Q&A questions after the appointed day, but as far as your struggles with anxiety and depression go, I'm afraid every journey is super personal, you know? I'm certainly not qualified to tell you what you should do.
DeleteMedication has worked for me, and I understand your worries over it, but it also sounds like you are having anxiety-related bouts over taking meds. It sounds like you are more afraid of the side effects than maybe necessary, which is common because of course you're already anxious! I personally am taking Wellbutrin, and I haven't really felt many side-effects at all. It's worked amazingly for me, and is much better than dealing with the full brunt of the panic.
You mentioned this idea of being "zoned out" on meds. That is not ever how I've felt on mine. In fact, I can still feel anxiety while on my meds—but the key is that anxiety becomes *manageable.* I am not sent into spiraling crazy panic; it's just *normal* panic as it should be experienced.
Taking meds is up to you, and I only have my personal experience to go on. But I remember being scared until the stuff started working. Then I felt amazing and balanced and knew it was the right decision for me.
Sorry about the Q&A thingy...I just left the comment on this post I suppose in order to avoid it being on a fresh new post of yours where so many other eyes could see it :)
DeleteMaybe I'll mention Wellbutrin to my doc to get his opinion...another writer told me she finds trazodone effective.
Namely I'm :
- anxious, like "on edge" a lot (like my landlords above are very noisy and I always feel like a cat with its back arched ready to fly to the ceiling)
- easily distracted, unfocused
-worry a lot and regret a lot of things
- feel unmotivated or generally overall sad.
My doc thinks maybe I need to fix the depression and THAT will fix the anxiety...but I almost feel like I would worry less about taking a antianxiety med than a antidepressant since some of the antideprssants seem scary.
That said, the "sedative" factor in a lot of antianxiety medds kinda freak me out :)
I might discuss with my doc other options..BUT I think I might seriously consider 5-HTP and GABA ...they are natural,, so that would be nice.
The problem of course being that they will cost a ton more money AND I'm not sure just how effective they would be.
So much to think about.
Thanks Natalie. And again, sorry for posting no this post, I just did it in order to "tuck" this away from the glare of a brand new post you may have.