Tag: journey

Amy on writing

Learning the hard way

amywestphalcreates

I haven’t posted or been on WordPress for far too long. And I apologize. I’m still here!

I am heavily absorbed in edits for CAPTURE THE TIDE. I know, still. But this is the reason- I have a real legit editor on it now.

A while back I posted about hiring a service to do a one-off edit. This was a mistake for me. One I didn’t learn until recently.

But it’s okay! I have an editor that I am working with in what I can only describe as a collaboration.

These are the things you want from an editor, and of course I’ve learned this the hard way. As I do.

Step one is developmental edits- big picture stuff

Next is deep edits- pacing, transitions, believability.

The next 2 edits are fine tuning of the overall story and copy editing.

There should be tons of back and forth, a running dialog. Your editor is your team mate and cheerleader. A great editor views your success as their success.

So when looking for an editor that is right for you, ask these questions, allow them to work with you and of course be kind. They know your work is precious to you, and they respect that.

Don’t settle for less.

Cheer, Amy

Amy on writing

A Little R n R

amywestphalcreates

I’d love to say that I’m talking about a little rest and relaxation, but I’m not…

I’m talking revise and resubmit.

It’s not the worst thing a writer can hear, but it ain’t my favorite either.

A revise and resubmit is when an agent likes your work but your work isn’t ready. All agents do a bit of editorial work and coaching. But when it’s more than just a few tweaks, they might request an R and R… if they don’t just reject you.

This is predicated on how much they like your concept and what not. Most of the time, even if an agent requested your full and loved the idea, they will reject you if your writing isn’t up to par.

An R and R is light years above a rejection. Especially when it’s your dream agent.

And here is Amy… between a rock and a For-fucks-sake-do-I-have-it-in-me-to-do-this-again place? Painstakingly rewrite my book, change my POV, remove backstory…Forsake all other things in life like home cooked dinner and laundry? All in the bleeding hope of getting that call, that sweet wondrous phone call, where said dream agent tells me they love my book and graciously want to offer me representation, champion me and ultimately sell my book.

Do I have it in me? I want to, I really want to, but it’s so all consuming, so intense I almost just let it all go. ( you may have noted an absence recently…)

Well I’m still here, that’s a start.

Cheers, Amy

Amy on writing

That’s My Jam!

amywestphalcreates

Finding inspiration through music.

“Where words fail, music speaks.” ― Hans Christian Andersen

I’ve hit a number of writer blocks in the years since I began writing Capture the Tide. And an interesting thing I noticed, about myself, is it wasn’t so much that I didn’t have an idea. But I couldn’t find the mood. I remember driving in my car and listening to the radio. And this song came on, I liked it so much I bought it for a buck 29 on iTunes! Anyway, why did I like it….. as I listened, an entire scene unfolded in my head, it was everything I needed. I simply needed to feel the feeling, hear it, away from the sterile blue light of a computer screen. The intense rawness of new love, of being young and totally impetuous. It’s so easy to forget those feelings when your day’s full of toddlers or you’re feverishly typing notes into your phone between ballet classes and lunch time.

I should note that if you find yourself having those wondrous feelings, enjoy them, please don’t stop to write them down for fucks sake!

Cheers!

Amy

Amy on writing

Pantser or Planner?

amywestphalcreates

This question seems to pop up a lot, here’s my take:

What kind of writer are you? Do you stream consciousness, shoot first and ask questions later? Or are you an airtight, color coded, outliner with a calendar of to dos?

I’d like to say I’m something in between… but I’d be fuckin lie’n if I did. 😉

My first novel came to me as a vague dream and one sentence. I taught myself to write by editing and rewriting the first 10 chapters. What did I learn?

I learned that the voice that is passive sucks, and adverbs suckingly suck.

(I filtered paragraphs through free websites like Hemingway.com and pro writing aid to learn this.)

I came a long way writing those 10 chapters over and over. By the end of 7 years I finished the remaining 21 chapters with a pretty defined picture of where the arcs and ending would take me, a journal of hard to read notes and a hope for what the hell I’d do with this infernal book when I was done.

With all my hard work I decided to invest in a pro editor from skribendi. (Its worth it! And no one told me to say that.)

And now? Working on a query package that will slay em dead. Because if your query’s bla, agents and publishers won’t even turn the proverbial page. (I know this because the internet told me.)

Feel free to share what kind of writer you are through comments.

Cheers to your bestowal of wisdom!

Amy

Amy on writing

Piece of Cake

amywestphalcreates

Happy November my turkey pot pies!

I haven’t been very writerly lately. Been so busy with life, you know how that goes. But it was a kind of a throwback week for me. I made two cakes!

It’s been a while since I’ve had back to back cakes and honestly I felt a bit rusty. They turned out well but I second guessed myself the whole way.

At the end of the day I’m happy being creative. Hope you enjoy!

Cheers, Amy

Amy on writing

Write on, Writer…

amywestphalcreates

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One for my homies…

I’d like to take a moment to commemorate the fallen warriors on my quest to publish my first novel Capture the Tide.

 Photos are captioned. 

HP Pavillion-Don’t ask…
Sony Vio-No idea what the fuck happened.
E machine-Something borrowed, something destroyed.
The Toshiba- greatest surviver, lasted the longest.
Mega Desk- More Mega Desk!
The stick that keeps the fire burning
The IPhone 6- recently retired, grievously injured battery and detrimentsalal crackage
The journal-It keeps masters secrets…

And the ones that keep on keepin on through kids, life, fire and ineptitude, and kids.. Did I mention that one?

Cheers! Amy

Amy on writing

Quid Pro Quo

amywestphalcreates

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I’m drowning here, and you’re describing the water!

-Melvin Udall, As Good As It Gets

This post is about the importance of critique partners and beta readers.

So you wrote a book and had it edited, your mama and your friends love it. So obviously, you’re ready to hit the query trenches.

Wrong…

I learned this one the hard way.

Even your smartest, most well read loved ones are not enough. And your editor? Their job is to clean up your book with out destroying the integrity of your writing. But if your integrity is questionable, you have a problem.

NOT ONE OF THESE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO TELL YOU YOUR NOVEL SUCKS.

So who will tell you your shit sucks? Hopefully your CP will. And perhaps a beta or two who have no need to stroke your fragile ego.

So now that you know you need one, where do you find a CP?

I only have one answer for this, and please advise that this is only my opinion, I advise you to take to the internet. Join a writing group, connect with fellow bloggers on WordPress (👍) and cut a deal.

If you don’t find someone suitable to CP with, you could look up people willing to beta read for a small fee. Or, if you are time and cash-strapped, you could check out the super awesome resource http://www.querytracker.com  that I mentioned in Query, Querying, Queried…and sign up to post in the forums. Here you can not only post your query for anonomous critique, you can also submit your first five pages for a critique too! Just remember to reciprocate.

Write on Writers, Cheers! Amy

Amy on writing

Poetry… in Fiction?

amywestphalcreates

Like reeds on water,

We sway, they cannot break us.

We will only bend.

— Lauren, Capture the Tide

I love haiku, I find it very cathartic. So much that my novels protagonist writes Haiku.

For me, utilizing poetry in my fiction novel offered another level of depth I was searching for. For both my writing and my protagonists character. But how do you take that further? Music, Art, Astro physics? How do you merge your passions and create a deep and believable world full of history and meaning?

I’ve spent a month in the blogosphere and I am still in awe of the incredible artists I have encountered. Novelists, poets, lifestylers, storytellers…..writers. It’s good company to be in. And it got me into some inspired thinking….

Feel free to tell me how you merge your passions in the comments….I love it…..Until then, I’ll be rubbing all my sticks together to see if they make fire🔥

Cheers! Amy

Painting by me.

Amy on writing

Do what?

amywestphalcreates

Picking an editor that’s right for you.

I recently blogged about my querying journey, but how did I get there? Let me backtrack a bit and talk bout editing…

You’ve written a book, now what? Now it’s time to edit. Oh you already did? Ran it through spell checks, reread it a hundred times? That’s nice. You haven’t been edited though.

If you’re serious about launching your book and you don’t find a pro, you are doing yourself an enormous disservice. Even the best writers need a fresh eye.

So what do you do? If you’re lucky, you know someone who will do it for free or a small fee. Or if you’re more lucky, you can rely on critique partners and beta readers to help you work it right. If you’re me, you got Nothing and need to start from scratch.

I researched local editors first. People I could meet in person. I found a few. They had different styles, all valuable but Difficult for me to life manage, so I checked out internet services. There are a lot of those too!

Here is what I learned:

Benefits of In house editor- offer the chance to meet in person or Skype. Together you can go line by line and really get gritty with your work. Time consuming but a great option.

Benefits of Internet services- offers you opportunity to send them your work and they will edit your book using a tracker on Microsoft word, that way you can see every change they make or suggest, always keeping the integrity of your work in tact.

This is what I chose:

I chose the internet. Quick efficient and time tested.

I recommend skribendi, book baby or standout books. Each are excellent. I particularly love the comments and questions from my editor that allowed me To make the change, or take a suggestion, or to note any inconsistencies. And even better? It works with my limited schedule. I will admit that pros on either platform aren’t free. But it’s an investment in your career right?

So what’s your editing process? Tips to share or questions? Let me know in the comments. I love it!

Cheers, Amy.

Painting by me

Quote-Yeats

Amy on writing

Query, Querying, Queried…

amywestphalcreates

Literary agents. How do you find one that’s right for you?

I’m currently querying….

And this is what I’ve learned:

WAITING SUCKS!

In the meantime I thought I’d share my process and some processes I’ve learned.

1- make a list of all the agents that fit your genre, and are accepting submissions.

2- put those agents in order of preference. (I would recommend searching quick responders to get your toes wet, querytracker helps you there.)

3- indicate on your list, the agents submission guidelines, estimated response time and whether the agency is a no from all or free to query another after a pass. You may also note something unique about them to help keep memory fresh.

4- send out batches of 5-10 queries and find something to distract you while you wait.

And how do you organize said list???

If you’re computer smart (not Amy) I recommend using an excel spreadsheet.

If you crazy, I’d just send out emails in batches of 10 to random agents and see what happens…

If you’re me… http://www.querytracker.com

What an amazing resource for querying writers. Querytracker allows you to upload your query letter and select agents from their database to query. It helps you track all the info above plus clues you into a plethora of details about the agent.

And it’s free, unless you go premium for 25$

And if you struggle to busy yourself with something other than your hopes and dreams in the palm of someone else’s hand, you could always twitter and tumblr stalk your favorite agents. Some of them update when they are caught up reading by a certain date. You don’t even need accounts to do it… I wouldn’t know anything about this of course😉

Happy querying! Write on writers, Happy Weekend!

Amy