Third Time's the Charm

For me, 2016 has been the Year of Editing. If it was like the Chinese Calendar, for every month, instead of an animal, picture a dripping red pen.
Since we're almost to July (I can't believe it!), I'm considering myself a Seven-Month Expert when it comes to book editing. And I've decided to share my tips with you.

If you couldn't tell by the title, there's only three. I like to keep things short, simple, but effective.
1. Go traditional. Edit on your computer first. Do all the major rewrites, sentence tweaking, and flow-fixing.
2. Audiobook it. There are a bunch of programs online where you can transform your words into audio--yay for the digital age! My favorites are the ones that you can download the mp3's and put them on your phone, iPod, what have you. Listen to your words aloud with a notepad (or the word doc) handy so you jot down thoughts.
3. Hardcopy, for the win! Printing your book out, or putting it on your Kindle/tablet is a great way to pick up final typos that you missed by going through #1 and #2. A post I did earlier shows how to get your book formatted for kindle. Or, if you have a tablet, keep it simple and open the document in MS Word, reader mode!
Happy editing!

p.s. I have an exciting announcement coming next Tuesday. Prepare to be blown away!!!

Follies of Familiarity

When I bought my first car four years ago (brand new!), I was enchanted. I wanted to drive Betty, the cyclone-grey Accent, anywhere and everywhere. Love at first sight.

Fast forward to present day. While I still love Betty, when my sisters ask me to take them somewhere, I curse the slow progress of teleportation research. See, driving has become routine, a thing I do every day. On top of that, Betty is no longer a new car. She's four years older with 40,000+ miles on her. Plus quite a few stains and crumbs in the backseat (courtesy of said sisters).
The same thing happens with writing.
Ever wonder where the magic goes? Say you're struck with this amazing idea. All you want to do is plot, plan, and write. The first chapter is exhilarating (after you get past the tricky first sentence/paragraph). Chapter two is great. Chapter three is fine. Chapter four...
And you run out of steam. The "magic" is gone. You don't want to write anymore (or, in my case, edit). In fact, you want to give up. 

Luckily, I have a few tips for combating the Follies of Familiarity. How do I know they work? Last week I got hit with my once-in-awhile dark thinking. Things like...
That all the work I've done won't amount to anything. 
That I don't possess a teaspoon of writing talent. 
That I should just give up and get a "real" job. 
The list goes on and on. I followed the four steps below and the "magic" slowly trickled back. By the time this post goes live, I'm almost 100% sure that I'll be at full strength again.

Now for Those Tips...

1. STOP working on your book. You have a deadline, you say?  I don't care!  But, Emily Layne, you say, you just said a few posts ago that deadlines are good things!  Not if they're draining your love for writing. Sometimes it's better to take a break than to keep pushing something. You'll find after a break that the words will come faster than if you forced them.
2. Read. I usually like to read in my genre (YA fiction) since I enjoy it and because it invigorates me to keep writing. But sometimes, if your lack of "magic" is severe, you may need to venture out of the status quo. Check out classics, childrens' books, even nonfiction if you like! Broaden your horizons.
3. Treat this break as YOU time. I don't know about you, but when I'm focused on a project things start to, well, be "let go." (Sorry in advance if this is TMI!!!) I always have painted toenails. Red, blue, pink, whatever. Since I started editing TWW I've let the polish chip. I did snag a few minutes one day to take it off, but since then my toes have been...naked! THE HORROR! While you're letting your "magic" refuel, refuel yourself too. Take a spa day (my favorite thing)! Take a bath! Do some shopping! If it's for you, then you should do it.
4. Plop in front of the TV for a movie marathon. I'm an action-flick kinda girl (with a weakness for a smidge of romance and period dramas). Not only are movies a great opportunity to sit and not think, but they're also inspiring. Instead of imagining, you're seeing things play out on the screen. You never know what might catch your muse's interest!
I hope these tips help any of you that are struggling (like me). If you have any other ideas or things that have worked for you, please share!

A Deadline is Anything BUT Dead

I'm just going to come out and say it: Writers are infamous procrastinators. 
The thought process goes something like this:
"I really need to write my book..." *Notices a t-shirt is out of place in drawer* "Hmm." *Commence reorganizing entire bedroom*
And this is just one example. Writers have an amazing super power to do everything but write. I can say this because I am a writer.
So, how to conquer this age-old nemesis? 

Easy. Enter in THE DEADLINE.
For some people, this deadline involves a certain acronym that rhymes with RaRoTiSo.
...Okay, it's NaNoWriMo. In fact, Camp NaNo is going on right now, and it's really helping me to get motivated on my THESE WICKED WATERS edits. Well, that and an upcoming trip to RI (I want to have my book totally edited so I can listen to/read it in the six hour car ride).
But if it's not NaNoWriMo season, no problem! Pick a reasonable date for yourself and TELL PEOPLE. This way, you're accountable. Or if you have a pride problem like me, you won't even need to tell people because you're always in a competition against yourself.
Yikes.
Seriously, though. If you're struggling to write, plot, edit, make dinner--it doesn't matter. Set a deadline for yourself, and you'll find things moving along rather quickly.
Good luck!

Book to Kindle Reading: A New Way to Edit

♫ "I've got a new way to walk... Walk! Walk!" ♫

If you don't recognize that snippet of song you either didn't watch Sesame Street as a kid or you weren't born in the 90's.

Regardless, if you're a writer, I've got an exciting and new editing strategy for you! 

Hold onto your hats. Find a sturdy chair. Take off those socks before you lose them!

Kindle Editing, Your Book in e-Print

Instead of sitting in front of a computer or printing out your book for a different perspective, consider downloading it to your Kindle app. (DISCLAIMER: I use this method for plot and typo editing, not in-depth line editing). This way you can read wherever you like without fear of flyaway pages!

A lot of blog posts say how great Kindle-editing is, but they don't explain HOW to get your book into Kindle format. Follow the steps below and you'll be reading on your Kindle (or tablet) in no time!

1. Make sure you have an Amazon account. Don't worry, it can be one of the free ones.

2. Format your Manuscript. I advise saving a different version of your book for this step. For example: These Wicked Waters.Kindle. You'll want to make this version very simple. Get rid of page numbers and any unnecessary spacing (shame on you who use "enter" instead of "page break!").

3. Go to ToePub. You should see this page:

Make sure "Mobi" is selected. Then press upload. Attach your book. When it's finished, download the converted version. Keep it somewhere you'll be able to find it again.

4. Remember that Amazon Account you made in step one? This is where you'll need it. To get your newly converted book onto your Kindle/Kindle App, you need to email it it your Kindle App. Here's how you get it: 

Log into Amazon ➡ Click "Your Account ➡ Under "Orders" click "View Your Kindle Orders" ➡ Select the "Your Devices" tab" ➡ There you'll see three optional Kindle accounts with their corresponding emails. Make sure you select the one with the device name correlating to your App ➡ Open your email, paste your Kindle's address in the "to" field ➡ Attach your Mobi formatted book ➡ Send ➡ Refresh your Kindle App an in a few minutes you should see your almost perfectly formatted book sitting on your shelf!

5. Congratulations! You're finished. Now you can edit anywhere, anytime, and however you like!

Get Outside

It's currently winter in my part of the world (though you couldn't exactly tell by our temperatures lately). 
Colder weather typically sends people scurrying inside to cuddle under blankets and next to fireplaces. I'm all for warmth and cocoa, but sometimes, you need to brave mother nature and vacate the house.

There's something about fresh air that awakens the senses--especially cold air. In fact, early in my writing career, when I was typing a lot of my novels in the wintertime, I'd sit on my front porch and write. I'd bundle up in a coat, hat, gloves, fuzzy blanket, and stick an electric heater nearby.
It helped get me out of a writing "rut" while te fresh (and chilly) air sparked my imagination.
So are you finding it hard to pen the right words? Or maybe you're just having a hard time finding motivation to write? Well, get outside!
You don't need to be crazy like me, lugging your laptop out in 30 degree temperatures to type. Go for a walk, explore the world around you. Trust me, you'll be richer when you return home than if you'd just been snuggled under a blanket.

5 Beauty Tips from a Writer

Writers are such beautifully mysterious creatures. With an idea in their head and a far-off look on their face, it's no surprise they turn heads as they walk down the street (and likely bump into someone, they're so busy imagining). 
Want to get that "writer" look coveted by fashion magazines and celebrities worldwide? Just follow these five steps:
1. Only get a few hours sleep--four at the most. Doing this will get you those dark circles and wan look writers showcase. Those undereye bags are an outward sign of a night spent tossing and turning while new book ideas pranced around in your head.
2. Make sure you rest your chin on your palm for at least thirty minutes a day. This process will guarantee a red mark on your face depicting time lost in thought while plotting. That red mark is the sign of work being done!
3. If you're going for an old-fashioned look, rubbing the sides of your fingers in ink is a must. If you've seen Little Women you know what I mean. If not, go see it! I recommend watching around Christmas-time.

4. Type as much as you can, at least until one of your hands is sore and you constantly have to massage it. One of the great experiences of writing--finger fatigue! By doing this exercise daily, you will join the elite ranks of writers who shake their hands and flirt with carpal tunnel.
5. Stare into space often--squinted eyes is a plus. Pre-mature wrinkles? Who cares! With your eyes like this you'll get the air of mystery and aloofness that causes people to whisper things like, "Who is that?", "Does she have something in her eye?", "Wonder what she's thinking about?" 
And there you have it! The five steps to unlock the hard-won beauty that is a writer. Enjoy.

Killing Me Slowly: Queries

If you've ever written a query, you know how painful they are. Summarizing your 80,000 word book in 250 words is no easy feat. Plus you have to make it interesting!

Ugh.

Nonetheless, I spent last week working on my query for Underland. Which put me in a terrible mood.

                             

Which is also why I didn't do a blog posts.

The words were not flowing. At least, not the way I wanted them to. So I turned to the Internet, the familiar of writers all over the world. I typed in "examples of successful queries," and boy did I get a lot of results! Mixed feelings at this. Yay, success! Boo, my query sucks!

                                      

But I didn't give up. I kept reading and writing and taking frequent breaks to mope. Not the best method, I know. Though, through the negative bits, it was a learning experience that I can now pass on to you. And lucky you, you get only the positives...

How To Write a Query Letter (According to Emily Layne):

1. Don't look at your book for awhile (this way you'll only remember the important parts).
2. Read examples of successful queries on Query Shark and Agent Query Connect.
3. Write your entire query before you go psycho-analytical on it.
4. If you start to get frustrated, take a break.
5. If you really like your query and think it's perfect, take a break.
6. Give it to someone to review. A lot of websites offer free query critiques.
7. Edit then let it lie for a few days.
8. If you read it again and like what you see, you're ready to hook an agent. Good luck!

A long list, I know. But a query letter is the most important thing you'll ever write--besides the manuscript of course. Except the only way your MS will see the light of an agent's eyes? That's right, your query.

                                 

So take the time, and make sure it's perfect!

Oh! And don't forget about my contest going on. A $15 gift card to Barnes & Noble could be yours!