The Writing Life

Unafraid (or Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway)

April 24, 2013 by ReeseRyan

I was at a complete loss about what to cover in today’s post. None of the “U” words I’d been scrolling through spoke to me. I was this close to posting a picture of an umbrella and calling it a day. But then I was reflecting on a motivating video I watched earlier today, and suddenly it hit me. The word for today is unafraid.

Fear has held an unhealthy place in my psyche for as long as I can remember. Fear of heights and water kept me from flying, or learning to swim until I was a married adult and had powerful motivation to do so. Fear of rejection held me back as an entrepreneur, from joining a critique group, and from submitting my work to agents and editors.

Even now–with my debut novel being published this summer–I still peek through my fingers, hesitant to post an excerpt. Feeling both joy and dread that my work will be published. I have many more goals ahead, including a desire to establish a career in magazine writing (in addition to fiction writing). But that pesky, old friend fear perches on my shoulder and whispers in my ear.

You’ll never be good enough. Why set yourself up for failure? What will people think?

But this morning I got the most wonderful gift delivered to my inbox from local writer, Linda Formichelli. In a post on her site, The Renegade Writer, she shared the link to a Skype talk she and her partner-in-crime, Carol Tice, gave on overcoming fear.

The video is a half hour long, but completely worth it for anyone who struggles with fear of failure or rejection. Two of my favorite quotes from the video:

“Fear is natural. Action based on fear is a choice.” ~ Carol Tice

“If you get out there and do what an unafraid person, a motivated person, would do, it will start to change your attitude.” ~ Linda Formichelli.

There were so many juicy nuggets of motivating goodness in the video. Carol and Linda also shared their experiences with fear, and how they’ve dealt with them. Had I heard parts of their message before? Sure. You probably have, too. But we often need to hear a message multiple times, delivered in a variety of ways before it takes root. Then sometimes it’s a matter of timing. We have to be prepared to receive the message. Maybe that’s why hearing it from Carol and Linda, in the manner they delivered it, on this day seemed to flip a switch for me. Maybe it will, for you, too.

During the video I jotted down a new mantra that I am hanging over my workspace:

I choose not to take action (or inaction) based on irrational fears.

Check out Carol and Linda’s fear-busting chat here. What fears do you struggle with? How have they held you back? How did you overcome them?

O is for Opportunity for Authors (or the Upside of Self-Publishing)

April 17, 2013 by ReeseRyan

There have been so many shifts in publishing in the last few years. In fact, take a week off of social media and when you return you’ll find that you’ve missed the latest “big publishing news.”

As an aspiring author, at first I was disconcerted by all of the news, the doomsday predictions. Publishing has always been a tough business. The rapid changes and negative outlooks quickly made it feel like getting published was an impossible dream. But then something awesome happened. Self-publishing combined with the accessibility of digital media created an opportunity for authors that hadn’t been there before. Many authors capitalized on that opportunity, bypassing the powers that be in publishing and presented their fiction directly to readers.

For several authors going indie was pure genius; they netted higher royalties than they could’ve expected in traditional publishing. An elite few–like John Locke, Amanda Hocking, and J.A. Konrath–became the darlings of the indie publishing movement. There are many who will quickly remind us that the majority of self-published authors make a mere pittance, and that indie superstars are the exception, not the rule. Still, a growing number of authors are quietly making a living–and a good one–from the earnings of their independently-published fiction.

Author Marie Force took a survey of indie authors and shared the results. No, not every author is making a killing from self-publishing, but a surprising number are making impressive sales which support them–and their families–quite well. Recently, my local Romance Writers of America chapter hosted a self-publishing panel featuring Sarra Cannon, Catherine Gayle, Ava Stone, and Marquita Valentine–authors who’ve found success in self-publishing. Sarra gives a complete breakdown of how she made it to 100,000 sales here. So what can we conclude about the feasibility of indie publishing? Forbes contributor, Suw Charman-Anderson, came to the following conclusion:

The interesting stuff really happens at the base of the long tail, at the rat’s arse, where a large-ish group of authors are earning enough to live on, but not enough to warrant a mention in a press release. If what you want is to earn a living from self-publishing, the rat’s arse is your target destination. Luck may take you up to the head of the curve, but you can be a happy storyteller earning a decent wage without having to climb up that steep slope to the top. (Forbes)

The latest news in self-publishing? Major self-pubbed darlings, like Amanda Hocking, have parlayed their indie success into lucrative contracts with traditional publishers, while traditionally-published authors, like Jackie Collins, are opting to self-publish their backlists or new works.

So what does all of this mean for aspiring and current authors? Though the majority of authors still aspire to a lucrative traditional publishing deal, not landing one can offer some sweet rewards to writers with the talent and determination to forge their own path as indie authors. It’s an exciting time in publishing. There are more opportunities for authors, not less.

What is your take on the indie publishing movement? Do you read independently-published novels? Authors: Would you ever consider self-publishing? Why or why not?

Photo courtesy of CollegeDegrees360.

J is for Journal

April 11, 2013 by ReeseRyan

When I was in middle school I kept a journal. I didn’t write in my diary every single night, but it was always there, ready to listen, ready to help me work through thoughts and feelings I wasn’t quite ready to share with anyone else.

I’m not sure what happened to those diaries, or when they stopped being important enough for me to care. But now, more than twenty years later, I often wish I’d held onto those journals.

Like many writers, I’m completely obsessed with writing instruments. I’m admittedly snobbish about which pens I use. (The disposable pens in my possession serve one purpose–to be loaned to other people.) But my true obsession is notebooks and journals. I fall in love with them as easily as a tween falls in love with the teenage heart throb du jour. I collect them the way the eccentric lady up the block collects cats. I write in them with the frequency of rainfall in the Mojave Desert.

Time and again, I start a new journal, determined to maintain it faithfully. But within a few weeks it becomes one more chore, and eventually it falls by the wayside. Still when I run across another journal, I fall in love all over and the process starts again. Maybe this time will be different. 😉

What about you? Did you keep a journal as a kid? Do you keep one now?

G is for Goals (or Don’t Talk About It Be About It)

April 8, 2013 by ReeseRyan

At the end of 2011 I posted my goals for 2012…on my blog. Right there in the open for everyone to see. It was one of the most terrifying and exhilarating things I’d done, in terms of being open and putting myself completely out there. Later in the year I revisited those goals to see where I was.

Surprise, surprise! I accomplished, or began making headway, on many of the goals I established for myself and then shared with others. It worked so well, why not do it again? At least, that was the plan. But by the end of the year I was hard at work on many of those goals so I kept putting off setting my goals for 2013. While I am still busy working on many of the projects I set in motion in 2012, there are several other personal and career goals I want to achieve this year, but have yet to make any real progress. So, it seems it is time to stop tarrying and bring back the goal list. Below is a broad overview of my goals for 2013.

2013 Goals

Adopt a healthier lifestyle – Joined WeightWatchers today.
Make more time for family & friends
Complete two manuscripts
Edit two manuscripts
Search for agent representation
Publish two books – Already in motion w/ Carina Press
Join or start a group blog – Already in motion. Contemporary Romance Cafe launches May 1st.
Continue progress w/ education – Making excellent progress
Self-publish 1-2 pieces
Submit to at least four contests this year
Pursue freelance magazine writing opportunities
Make time to travel

It sounds like a lot (okay, it is a lot), but I believe it is doable. What about you? What are your goals for the rest of 2013?

B is for Blogging #AtoZChallenge

April 2, 2013 by ReeseRyan

Despite my tendency to blog with great irregularity, the medium definitely appeals to me. However, I needed to rethink how and why I was blogging. This led to a few changes regarding where I was blogging.

So I forced myself to let go of a blog I’d long-held, but that didn’t necessarily serve my purpose anymore. Next, I committed to building my author blog here. The final piece–participating in other blogs–was a bit more complicated.

Guest blogging is a wonderful way to connect with readers, and fellow writers, especially for a debut author, so I’ve been making plans to do that and am truly excited about the invitations I’ve received to be a guest on some wonderful blogs. But I also wanted to be part of a group author blog.

There are lots of excellent group author blogs out there. But I couldn’t find anything that seemed quite the right fit. So it occurred to me that perhaps I should start one. I posed the idea of starting a group contemporary romance blog on the Carina Press author loop and discovered that many of my fellow authors were extremely interested and ready to become founding members.

The Contemporary Romance Café will be serving up contemporary romance from sweet to sizzling. The Café launches on May 1st, and I’m thrilled to be joining my fellow authors in the venture, and to invite some of my favorite contemporary romance authors as guests of the Café.

Are you a blogger? If so, how have your blogging goals changed or been refined? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Contemporary Romance Cafe logo created by Amber Lin of Book Beautiful.

Today’s Soundtrack: Lego House by Ed Sheeran

February 13, 2013 by ReeseRyan

One of my biggest discoveries of the 2013 Grammys was Ed Sheeran, who performed with Sir Elton John. I adore the ability of singer/songwriters to pack a powerful, emotional story in the relatively small space of a song. Sheeran is a talented storyteller, though he tends to weave stories that are dark and tragic.

Source: sbtv.co.uk via Reese on Pinterest

Today I am ironing out some kinks in the storyline of my current work-in-progress which features a hero and heroine who have dark, tragic events in their pasts that have shaped their lives and define their relationship. So making Ed Sheeran’s + the soundtrack today just seemed natural.

I often think of my life having a soundtrack. Do you? If so, what’s playing on your soundtrack today, and why?

Because the Longest Journey Begins with the First Step

January 13, 2013 by ReeseRyan

I know what you’re thinking. That’s one of those lame pieces of advice well-meaning friends trot out when we’re bitching and moaning about how hard life is, or why we’ll never obtain some goal. A career change. The ideal relationship. Going back to school.

Our friends mean well, but the truth is, for a moment, even if it’s the tiniest moment, we just want to smack them. To make them understand why our case is the exception to the rule.

But there’s a reason these lameisms continue to rear their unwelcome heads. It’s because they’re true. Plain and simple.

This particular thought–that even the longest journey begins with a single step–came to me while on a journey of my own.

It was sunny and warm, more than 75° in the middle of winter, here in North Carolina.

I set this space up months ago, and I’ve been meaning to post something here for just as long. But every time I intended to post, something else would come up. I’d be overwhelmed with work, or school, or writing my next book. Or maybe the thought of sharing my intimate thoughts and feelings with you was a bit intimidating.

Whatever the real reason, my delay caused me to miss sharing with you all of the wonderful moments I’ve experienced as part of this journey to publication thus far. But no more.

I committed to not only starting the blog, but revealing those earlier experiences.

Is there something you’ve been meaning to do, but just haven’t gotten around to it? What is holding you back?

The One I Want

September 7, 2012 by ReeseRyan

The past month has been one filled with activity and excitement. One submission of my manuscript led to another, and another. I still had a few queries out to agents for my manuscript. However, I spent the past month focused on submissions to digital-first publishers.

I haven’t given up on finding an agent, and subsequently, a traditional publisher. And I know I have only submitted queries to a handful of agents thus far. But in light of the rapid changes in the publishing world and the encouraging success of many self-published authors (including a few in my local RWA chapter), I wanted to explore digital-first publishing. It’s a choice I’m glad I made.

Over the past month I submitted to five e-publishers: Entangled, Entranced, Carina Press, Crimson, and Red Sage. The results? Two rejections, one request to turn up the heat level and resubmit, and two offers. Not bad, methinks.

I thought long and hard about my two choices. I obsessively researched both options. I talked to amazingly generous authors about their digital publishing experience. All of which confirmed the choice my gut had already made. So I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve accepted a two-book deal from Carina Press–Harlequin’s digital-first imprint.

One of the most enticing prospects about working with Carina Press is the prospect of working with Executive Editor, Angela James, (who made “the call” herself). She’s passionate, knowledgeable, no nonsense, and high-energy. I took her amazing “Before You Hit Send” a year or so ago and it helped me improve my manuscript and become a better writer. I’m thrilled to have her team behind this project.

I’m nervous, but excited about my journey to publication. In fact, I don’t think I’ve really taken the time to breathe and savor this first step yet. Maybe I’ll do that next.

A Different Road

August 6, 2012 by ReeseRyan

Romance University collaborated with an emerging digital publishing house, Entranced Publishing, for another pitchfest. So, I thought I’d try my pitch again.

I’m glad that I did.

I got some great feedback on my pitch, and my first request for the full manuscript. Totally doing my happy dance right now. (Envision Snoopy dancing as Schroeder plays the piano. Now imagine someone far less graceful doing it. That’d be me.)

I’ve still been submitting to agents, but this second experience with a digital publisher has opened my eyes to this latest, and quickly growing publishing medium, as a viable option.

While I prepare to submit my full manuscript to this e-publisher, I will be researching and submitting to a few others.

Sometimes our journey gets altered a bit, but a new and exciting road can still get us where we want to go. Have you ever been faced with the option of altering your journey to get where you wanted to go? Do you regret that decision or did it work out better than you imagined?