I know I’ve been silent lately, and there’s a reason.
I’ve been reevaluating my writing career. I realized at some point that I stopped being the amateur writer that I was and have been moving towards building a professional career. This blog was started some time ago when I was at a different point in my life and I wanted different things out of a blog. It’s gone through so many changes that it’s kind of a mess. It no longer really represents me.
After a lot of thought, I’ve decided to start afresh.
New Blog
My new blog, Bibliomancy, can be found at alisonjmckenzie.wordpress.com. From the blog description:
Welcome to Bibliomancy, a blog featuring articles and news in the science fiction, fantasy, and horror genres specifically aimed at writers.
If this seems like something that would interest you, I encourage you to go take a look, but there’s no obligation. Thank you for all of your likes, comments, and support. Writing at Midnight will still be here as a resource, but it won’t be updated. Additionally, some of the topics that I addressed in this blog will be readdressed afresh in the new blog, but only those that were very important to me. For the most part, it will be new material.
Thank you and best wishes,
Alison
I’m writing this from my hotel room at Norwescon.
Norwescon is a Seattle convention, which means it takes place about forty minutes away from my apartment. But staying at the hotel a con takes place at is a very different experience than having to commute, and it’s an opportunity I jump at whenever it crops up. I’m sharing a room with friend, coworker, and fellow writer Angel Leigh McCoy, who has been invaluable to me as a mentor and supporter. She is also extremely talented, and I often look to her for guidance with my own work and my writing career. Sharing a room with her is also like having a slumber party with a good friend. We stayed up late last night playing card games and talking about writing and life and giggling about stupid stuff.
By the way, to get to our hotel room from the hotel lobby, we have to walk down a hallway, cross a skybridge, go up an elevator, cross another skybridge, walk down another hallway, over the mountain, through the woods, and so on and so forth. This hotel is labyrinthine. I keep expecting to round a corner and find myself covered in glitter and standing outside the goblin king’s castle.
Norwescon is a sci fi & fantasy con, but my particular interest in it is that it has a lot of wonderful resources for writers. I’ve been wanting to attend it for years, and this is the first time I’ve had the chance to go. There are panels on outlining, on adding historical details to your novel, on publishing, on pacing, on alien exobiology, and on anything you can think of that has to do with writing.
I wasn’t sure how helpful these panels would be, to be honest. But the weekend’s not over yet, and so far:
- I’ve been presented with great resources for building the languages in my fantasy novel
- I’ve realized the major problems with the first draft of my fantasy novel, problems that I have known existed but not known how to tackle, and finally been able to figure out how to fix them. I have drastically changed the feel and the pacing of the first draft, and come up with a complete outline for the second draft—something I’ve been stuck on for literally years.
- Gone over the above outline with a fellow writer who pointed out some mistakes I’d already made—that the first four planned chapters can be cut completely.
- Met a number of awesome people.
- Learned about what I would need to do an audio version of one of my works.
- Figured out what I need to do to fix my novella and uncovered a few places I could shop it to for potential publication.
- Figured out that it would be very useful for me to have a world-building almanac for my fantasy novel that is separate from the novel itself, something I can use as a reference without feeling like I need to actually put all of those details into my story.
- Got to (briefly) see Clinton J. Boomer, who is an incredible person. I’ve been following his writing career ever since I became aware of him through working at Paizo Publishing.
- Uncovered a potential publishing opportunity for my new collaborative project, which I have been working diligently on but have not been ready to completely announce yet. Watch this space.
- Made some big progress on that unnamed project from item #8.
In other news, the horror anthology that has accepted one of my short stories looks like it will be out in May. More information to come.
This isn’t about writing. Not really. It’s not some bit of profound advice on how to be a writer, which can be as simple as writing, or how to write well, which can be as simple as practicing. It’s not really about anything except my life right now. But if I’m going to post about anything, it’s going to be this.
My life isn’t hard. I’d say it’s average, or above average even. It’s not easy, either. It’s just somewhere in the middle.
I want to make that clear. I don’t want anyone to have the mistaken assumption that when I talk about my life, it’s a story of pain and hardship. It’s not.
But I do get frustrated sometimes, and that’s where I’ve been for the last few weeks–Frustration Junction, three miles outside of Goddammit, Mississippi.
It’s little things. Money, car troubles, a leg injury that I can’t explain further than, “I woke up and it hurt, and then I couldn’t really walk for a week.” Nothing heartbreaking, nothing soul-crushing, but it’s meant that I haven’t wanted to talk. I haven’t written anything on my blog that has any real piece of me in it. I haven’t been tweeting or loitering in Facebook. I haven’t wanted to be social. I haven’t even called my mother in days, when usually we’re thick as thieves.
So bear with me. I’ll go back to babbling about writing. I even have a new project on my radar.
I’m not gone. I’m still here. Just…quiet.
I’ve been nominated for a few blogging awards before. I appreciate the thought. Honestly—it’s very flattering to have something I’ve worked hard on be called out. However, I tend to not follow through because they honestly feel kind of like chain letters to me (“Answer these questions and tag ten people!”) On the other side, it gives me a chance to let people whose blogs I’m reading know that I appreciate their work.
Also, this one just looked like fun, mainly because I don’t tend to talk about myself much on here unless it has to do with writing. Thanks to Cheryl Fassett for nominating me and for providing such great questions. The nomination’s actually been sitting for a while and I’ve been debating whether or not to run with it. In the end, I decided to go with it.
Here are the fancy shmancy rules:
1. Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog and link back to the blogger who presented this award to you. (Check)
2. Answer the 11 questions from the nominator, list 11 random facts about yourself and create 11 questions for your nominees. (Oh, uh, okay)
3. Present the Liebster Blog Award to 11 blogs of 200 followers or less who you feel deserve to be noticed and leave a comment on their blog letting them know they have been chosen. (No tag backs)
4. Copy and Paste the blog award on your blog (Check)
The questions:
- Are you a blogger at heart or do you dream of writing novels, plays, poetry? What are your writing goals?
I have dabbed in poetry and journalism in the past, but currently focus on mostly short stories and novels. I’m working on getting a few of my short stories published and polishing up my novels for editing and potential publication. Ultimately I would like to have a book published. The primary purpose of my blog is to keep writing always at the front of my mind, even when I’m not at work. - Where have you travelled? Where do you dream of travelling?
I’ve been to various states within the U.S., including Hawaii. I’ve also been to the island Antigua (when I was very young), Italy, and recently, Greece. (I also stuck a toe in Turkey.) I dream of visiting Spain, Jamaica, England, Wales, Alaska, and various locations in New England. I will be visiting New Orleans for the first time later this year, and I’m very excited. - What are your greatest pet peeves?
Oooh, I have so many. A number have to do with driving, but I won’t get into those. That would be a whole blog post. Maybe a whole blog. My writing pet peeves are pretty typical: poor spelling, grammar, and punctuation; people who will accept praise but not criticism; and these people:
- Do you have pets? If so, names please! If not, do you wish you did?
I grew up with many pets, but my apartment complex does not allow pets. As soon as I move, I’m getting a cat. - What super power do you wish you had?
That’s a tough one. I wish I could fly so that I wouldn’t be afraid of heights (it’s not the height—it’s the falling from the height that worries me.) I wish I could teleport (my morning commute would be wonderful). And I wish I could make squirrels appear out of nowhere (I would automatically win every argument.) - What are your favorite books?
Beyond Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings, I’d say The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub, Magician by Raymond E. Feist, and The Book of Atrus by Rand and Robyn Miller. - What are you reading now?
Right now I’m reading Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton, The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, and listening to an audiobook of Phantoms by Dean Koontz. - What is your best childhood memory?
I mentioned before that I had a lot of animals as a kid. I wasn’t kidding. Cats, dogs, horses, goats, guinea fowl, and a spider that lived in our windowsill (I was convinced it was the same spider every year but, more likely, I was naming multiple spiders “Fred”—or was it “Frank”?). Any of my memories of running around my backyard looking at horses and chasing after the dogs would fit here. Also, my grandmother used to take me to the library on Saturdays. Those are wonderful memories as well. - What were you afraid of when you were 10?
Probably hammerhead sharks thanks to a Goosebumps book cover:
I was convinced my floor was going to open up in the middle of the night and my bed was going to dump me into a tank of hammerhead sharks.
- What is your favorite way to spend a day off?
On warm days I like to go for long walks, sometimes to the library. On wet or cold days I prefer to stay at home with a book, a TV show, a movie, or a video game. If I’m watching TV or a movie, I’m probably polishing up my draft of my novella, Mortality, at the same time. The first draft is already written, but it needs some love before my beta readers take a look at it. - Do you have a day job? What do you do to pay the bills?
I’m a video game writer.
The eleven random facts:
- My nerditude extends beyond books and video games. I also enjoy comic books and tabletop roleplaying games.
- I really like Star Trek. A lot.
- I was adopted.
- I have a little brother.
- I don’t like roast beef.
- I love The Little Mermaid.
- I have a fear of snakes.
- My favorite superheroes are Zorro and Deadpool. (If Batman gets to be a superhero, so does Zorro.)
- I often have nightmares and trouble sleeping.
- I once took a road trip across the U.S. from North Carolina to Washington state.
- I don’t eat crust on bread unless I have to.
Questions for the bloggers I’m tagging to answer:
- If you could meet any celebrity, who would it be? Why?
- If out of the blue you had to take a completely new career path, something you’ve never done before but always wondered about (like a police officer or astronaut) what would you pick? Why?
- What types of music do you listen to?
- What is your favorite dream you’ve ever had?
- If you could pick any book to be turned into a movie, what would you pick and why?
- If you had to pick a (new) pen name for yourself, what would you pick?
- What are your goals for this year?
- If you could spend a day with any book character, who would you pick and why?
- Do you have any interesting hobbies?
- If you had a chance to study another language, what would you pick?
- If you had three wishes, what would they be?
It was really hard to come up with those questions. Holy cow.
Blogs I’m tagging:
Girl in the Cat Frame Glasses
Words in the Woods
Rosie Oliver
Miss Kitty Roads
Corey M.P.
Sugar Beats
Ashley Catharine Howie
J. Sevick
A Writer’s Journey
Inkless
M. H. Lee
Most of them are focused on writing (except Sugar Beats, which is a fun cooking blog with recipes.) They are all blogs I hand picked because I enjoy them. I could only pick eleven, and if you don’t see your blog up here, don’t be disheartened—if I’m following you, you’re doing something right.
It’s been a stressful, painful month. When it rains, it pours, right? But despite all that, despite my frustration and exhaustion, life is still a beautiful thing. I really don’t have too much to complain about, and all of these frustrations will pass.
Reading is such a comfort, isn’t it?
10. A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson 
Bill Bryson was recommended to me as the sort of writer who could make a 150,000-word book about a piece of thread the most interesting thing you’ve ever read (not that he’s written a 150,000 word book about a piece of thread, or anything, I think). The point is that he’s a very good writer. I ordered his book, The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way, and while I was waiting for it to arrive, I read A Walk in the Woods on my Kindle. It’s a nonfiction about his experiences trying to hike the Appalachian Trail. I found it to be surprisingly refreshing. And it made me want to hike (though nothing as large as the Appalachian Trail, and since I’m not an outdoorsy person, this inspiration will have completely faded by the end of the month). One of the reviews notes that the book becomes decidedly less interesting during the second half. I found this to be somewhat true; the first half was more interesting, but the second half wasn’t nearly as boring as I’d been led to fear. Overall, a good book, and I’m looking forward to reading The Mother Tongue.
More Dean Koontz. When will I ever learn? Actually, despite the fact that Koontz once again has way too many characters and viewpoints, that I was heavily reminded by the movie The Thing and elements of Lovecraftian horror, and that Koontz has a habit of doing everything that my sources on “how to write well” say not to do, overall I enjoyed this book. Mostly the ending. It lagged a little in the middle, and if I hadn’t been listening to it as an audiobook and the narrator hadn’t done different voice for each character, I wouldn’t have been able to keep track of anybody at all. He would introduce a new viewpoint just for once scene, then kill off the character in that scene. Ugh. Great concept, mediocre execution (except for the ending, which I really did like.) It was a good mystery with a good payoff.
12. Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton
This book was no Jurassic Park—which is a brilliant book—but it was fun. It was a quick and interesting adventure. I wasn’t really sure where it was going (except that it was about pirates), and at times I felt like it had been written in something of a rush; parts of it seemed a bit rough and unpolished, but only a little. That’s not to say it isn’t a good book. I’d say it was worth reading. And who doesn’t love pirates?
Previous Updates:
https://writingatmidnight.wordpress.com/2013/01/12/52-books-in-2013-update-01/
https://writingatmidnight.wordpress.com/2013/01/31/52-books-in-2013-update-02/
https://writingatmidnight.wordpress.com/2013/02/13/52-books-in-2013-update-03/
So, a few weeks ago I found this post on io9:
All the Essential Science Fiction and Fantasy Books Coming in 2013
I’m seriously a book nerd. I hoard books. Reading is as essential to me as eating and sleeping (sometimes more essential than sleeping.) So finding this article was kind of like getting a letter that said, “All of your favorite candies will be delivered to your apartment every day for a year for free!” I mean, it was exciting. It’s still exciting. This post came out in January and I’m still freaking out about it.
This year is going to be awesome.
All quotes and images are from the io9 article. I suggest going there for the full list. I’ve just highlighted my favorites below.
New Joe Hill!
*happy dance* Heart-Shaped Box is one of my favorite horror novels. 20th Century Ghosts and Horns were both okay. But Heart-Shaped Box was good enough that I will read everything that has his name on it hoping for another one. And NOS4A2 sounds awesome. Doesn’t this sound awesome?
Victoria McQueen, a kid who has a talent for finding things, gets kidnapped by the sinister Charles Talent Manx, who sends children to a strange and horrifying place called Christmasland — and then Victoria escapes, and moves on with her life. Until years later, when Manx kidnaps Victoria’s young son.
New Stephen King!
First, Joyland:
This one is a crime novel set in an amusement park, with ghosts. Set in 1973.
And then the widely anticipated Doctor Sleep, sequel to The Shining, one of my favorite Stephen King books. Am I excited? You bet. Am I a little skeptical? That too.
New Tolkien!
“How is that possible?” you cry. Magic! Pure magic. Except it’s about King Arthur, so I’m less excited. I took a class on King Arthur as an undergraduate and it ruined the stories for me forever. Mostly. But The Fall of Arthur is still worth checking out just on principle.
New Chuck Wendig!
Though to be honest, the plot of Gods and Monsters: Unclean Spirits doesn’t really catch my interest just yet. But what do I know? It’s Chuck Wendig!
New Neil Gaiman, who I don’t tend to like as a writer, but this particular story might be kind of awesome, so I’ll be keeping an eye on it.
Something about fairy tales and bodies of water. I’ll reserve judgement on The Ocean at the End of the Lane.
Other books that look awesome:
The Gun Machine by Warren Ellis
… a detective finds a room full of guns, each connected to an unsolved murder. And this strange discovery leads to an even darker secret — an unholy bargain between the city’s most powerful people and the Old Gods of Manhattan.
Revenge by Yoko Ogawa
…eleven creeptastic stories, complete with Murakami-esque weirdness. In one story, a woman’s heart beats outside her body, causing people to fall in love with her — or want to preserve her beating heart inside a delicate leather bag.
The Demonologist: A Novel by Andrew Pyper
A literature professor who specializes in the literature of demons gets summoned to Venice to witness a real-life demonic event — which he doesn’t believe in, until he’s confronted with overwhelming proof. Soon, he’s trying to save his daughter from an evil demon, and his only guide is John Milton’s Paradise Lost.
God, I like morbid stuff, don’t I? There’s a lot more variety on that main list than what I’ve picked out here. Thanks to io9 for compiling such a great list.
When I was a kid, I always planned on being published as “A. J. McKenzie.” That is no longer the case. I like my first name, so I might as well show it off. Everywhere that I’ve been published, I’ve used it. And when I finally get one of these novels off the ground, I’ll use it there, too.
Alison J. McKenzie. That’s me.
But whether or not I liked my name had nothing to do with why I was going to stick to my initials. My main motivation was that I didn’t want readers to judge my book at a glance based on whether the author was male or female.
And I just accepted that. Like it was okay that our gender preconceptions are still dictating whether or not something is worth checking out. Like by admitting I’m female, I would lose potential readers, so I should just slip into gender anonymity to be on the safe side.
And if you’re thinking, “That sort of thing doesn’t happen anymore!” You’re wrong. It does.
Female Romance Author of 22 Books Actually 80-Year-Old War Vet Called Bill
Quote from the article:
“When he approached a publisher for his books, he was told they wouldn’t sell unless it looked like he was a woman, so Jessica Blair was born.”
That makes some sort of sense, right? I mean, if I knew an 80-year-old man wrote the romance novel I was reading, I might be creeped out (I don’t actually read romance, so I don’t know for sure). But it’s not his age that’s the trouble. If it was an 80-year-old woman, I would just think it was quaint. So why do I think that? Why can only women write romance novels?
I suppose it’s because they’re books targeted at a female audience. Perhaps we believe that only women understand women. But if the writing itself proves that assumption wrong, then what good is it? It’s sexist. Plain and simple.
“Well,” you say, “that’s one particular situation, and it is romance, after all. You don’t even write romance. You write fantasy and horror and science fiction. So I don’t see why you think it would affect you.” Well, look at J.K. Rowling. You probably already know that her full name is Joanna Rowling and she doesn’t actually have a middle initial. Her publisher thought her book, which would be marketed towards children, would not appeal to boys if they knew she was a woman.1
For another example, look at “James Chartrand.” The name’s in quotes because it’s a pen name. She found that by writing under a male name2, blogging opportunities suddenly opened up. A quote from her blog post on the issue:
Understand, I hadn’t advertised more effectively or used social media — I hadn’t figured that part out yet. I was applying in the same places. I was using the same methods. Even the work was the same.
In fact, everything was the same.
Except for the name.
When I was much younger, I read The Legend of Nightfall by Mickey Zucker Reichert, and it became one of my favorite book. There’s a thief/assassin who is a total asshole, and he’s one of my favorite characters ever because the book is mostly his running commentary on how stupid the other guy is. The other guy is an idiotic prince. The two main characters are dudes. There’s a ton of action and fighting and general manliness. Mickey Mouse is a boy mouse. I totally assumed Mickey Zucker Reichert was a guy.
When I found out she was, in fact, a “she,” I was flabbergasted! I felt like I’d been lied to! If I’d known she was female, it would have changed so much! Except it actually wouldn’t have changed anything. Because when I read the book, I really enjoyed it. The book was a good book. Looking back on it, I do see the “womanly touches” that I missed before, but why should that matter? Why does it? Because somehow, it still matters. Somehow, it still affects my judgment.
And if it affects my judgment, as a female reader who is all about gender equality, who else is affected? Who else is judging books by their author’s gender without even realizing it?
I challenge you to pay attention when you go into book stores. When you’re browsing books, looking at book covers and reading the backs, see if at any point you make a judgment based on the author’s gender.
If you have more than half a brain cell, you know that sexism isn’t dead. If you think it is, try being a female working in a comic book store. Or just try being a female going to a comic book store to buy something. Those cracks that “women don’t buy Magic cards” haven’t been funny for…okay, they were never funny.
It’s not funny because I’m tired of it. I’m tired of the fact that I’m female being called out. Shouldn’t we be over this by now? Why does it matter? Why does it still matter?
And why is there this voice in the back of my head that says I may be shooting myself in the foot if I proudly display my gender?
While I was researching this post, I stumbled across this gem of a blog post: http://fullspeedaheadskipper.blogspot.com/2012/05/sexism-stereotypes-and-female-writers.html
The first sentence is, and I quote, “I don’t like reading books by women.” The author’s argument is mostly about the fact he doesn’t read romance. So why isn’t the quote, “I don’t like reading books about romance”? Because there’s also a style difference. This has some credence to it, I’ll grant that. Just look at the Gender Guesser.3 Now, he talks about stereotypes and why they can be useful. I’m not going to get into that. But I think saying, “I don’t like reading books by women,” is a really bold statement. “I tend to not enjoy books by women” is a statement I’d buy. But he makes it sound like no female writer (except for J.K. Rowling, who he enjoys but puts on a “facade of indifference” so he doesn’t—get this—get stereotyped as a nerd) could ever hold his interest. Okay, he prefers nautical books. They’re mostly written by men. That’s cool. But “I don’t like reading books by women” is straight up sexist. He talks about how it’s okay to admit there’s differences between genders. I see no problem with that. But there’s a difference between “I tend to not like the female writing style” and “I don’t like reading books by women.”
Sure, this is just one guy, but how many are out there who feel exactly the same way who don’t have blogs and don’t feel they need to tell everyone that they don’t read books by women? How many people would pass by my novels in the book store just because of my name?
Part of me does want to go back to the initials, the safe “A.J. McKenzie.” Or start going by “Alan McKenzie.” For the sake of readership. For the sake of sales.
But I won’t. Because I shouldn’t have to.
I won’t.
1Sources:
J.K. Rowling: A Biography
Initials: Why Are Authors So Keen On Them?
2Source:
Female Writers Don’t Get Bylines—And It’s Not Always Their Fault
3Note:
Apparently Gender Guesser thinks my fantasy novel was written by a male.
When I was little, Zorro was my superhero. I wanted to be him when I grew up. (Yes, I’m female. Your point?) I’d watch the old black-and-white Disney show and make up my own adventures with Diego and Bernardo. So when I saw Isabel Allende had written a Zorro novel, I was stoked. And then I was disappointed. She’s an amazing writer, but her approach to the story just didn’t work for me. Maybe it’s because I’m so in love with the Disney show. Maybe it was the fact that she wrote it in the style of a biography or memoir. A lot of the story and action were watered down by the fact that it was told secondhand. And she took some artistic liberties that just rubbed me the wrong way.
8. Haunted: 11 Tales of Ghostly Horror edited by Monica Valentinelli
Another book of short horror stories! Overall, I’ve had pretty good luck with this lately. This one was no exception. Sure, not every story was a diamond, but they ranged from pretty good to awesome. I enjoyed the read, and there are some authors I’ll be looking up to see what else they’ve written. Also, I really like ghost stories. So I was biased going in.
9. 77 Shadow Street by Dean Koontz
Dean Koontz’s Odd Thomas books are sheer brilliance. They’re amazing. They make me want to read everything he’s ever written. And every single thing I’ve picked up that he’s written that wasn’t an Odd Thomas book has thoroughly disappointed me, from Dean Koontz’s Frankenstein to What the Night Knows. And 77 Shadow Street falls firmly into that category. First of all, there are too many characters. As soon as you start to care about what’s happening to one, it shifts POV. Second, never name a character Sparkle because that is distracting. I never noticed what she was doing because I was too busy going. “…Sparkle?” Third, putting an electronic voice that says, “EXTERMINATE. EXTERMINATE,” is a quick way to go from horror to humor. Instead of being creeped out, I just thought of daleks and chuckled. Totally ruined the entire atmosphere for me. It just feels like he’s trying too hard. Everything I read of his just screams, “Look at me! I’m edgy and dark! Look, damn you!” Does this mean I’ll stop trying to find something non-Odd Thomas of his that I like? No. If you read all the wrong Stephen King books, King comes across as a boring idiot (I tried to read Lisey’s Story and had no idea what was going on for the first two hundred pages. I gave up). Read the right ones, and you’ll be spellbound. So I’ll keep trying. But so far, I don’t have a lot of faith. Though to be fair, 77 Shadow Street did pick up towards the end. It just took 350 pages to get to that point. (P.S. If you haven’t read Odd Thomas, go do that right now.)
One for three isn’t terrible, and I don’t regret reading either 77 Shadow Street or Zorro. But I can’t wait to find something that really inspires me again.
Link to first update: https://writingatmidnight.wordpress.com/2013/01/12/52-books-in-2013-update-01/
Link to second update: https://writingatmidnight.wordpress.com/2013/01/31/52-books-in-2013-update-02/
I recently sent the first few chapters of Mortality out into the great wide somewhere, the wild, untamed jungle of beta readers. It was like sending a young child off onto a spirit journey armed with only a knife and the instructions, “The first thing you kill with your bare hands is your totem,” then sitting on your front porch waiting for them to come home and trying not to worry. Ha. That’s a laugh. I’m worried sick. (I don’t care if that’s not how spirit journeys work, I’m just trying to illustrate a point.)
It could come back to me in tatters, ripped to shreds by the red pen (or the comments feature of Microsoft Word, which is equally merciless). It could be awful. I might cry.
Well, I’ve actually now gotten some of the feedback back, and it’s exactly what I was hoping for: helpful. Yes, it was encouraging, which is great for the ego, but more importantly, I know how to make my story stronger. I know what’s missing. It’s a good feeling.
And I am so, so fortunate to have reliable beta readers. Because finding good beta readers is hard.
Being a beta reader is a huge commitment, and not many people have time for that in this day and age. A good beta reader puts a lot of work into providing feedback. Even finding someone willing to read a 3,000 word short story can be tough. There have been a number of points in my life where I’ve thought, “Well, now I’ve written the first draft. Crap. Now I don’t know what to do. Will someone read this thing for me?”
How to Find Beta Readers
1. Join a local writing group
This isn’t always easy, depending on where you live, but when you find a good one, it’s a valuable as gold. Or diamonds. Or Twinkies.
2. Take a local writing class
Take the class and try to get to know your fellow students. That’s how I was able to put together my current writing group. We’d all taken a class on writing fantasy and science fiction with Philip Athans. Now they’re among the first people I turn to for writing help.
3. Look online
And no, I don’t just mean post on a forum saying, “Looking for beta readers!” Build up relationships first. Make friends, then ask those friends to help you.
4. Join “Critters”
Critters is a online writing workshop. You give and receive critiques. It’s very valuable as long as you stay an active member.
My beta readers are a mix of my writing group, who gets a chapter each meeting, and a few other people that I roped into reading the story in three chapter chunks. Without their help, Mortality would be a hopeless project. No lie. My first draft is pretty solid, but it’s still a first draft. Having outside eyes to point out what I’ve missed, from the smallest grammatical errors to the largest structure issues, is invaluable. I’m thankful to them and glad I found such reliable help.
A Note to Clarify: After mentioning elsewhere that I was attending a meeting for my writing group, I received a confused comment that boiled down to, “But you make fun of them on your blog! Why do you still go to that group?” So I think I’ve been unclear. I’ve had two writing groups. The old one, that I haven’t been a member of for a couple of years, was awful, and that’s the one I’m calling out in my blog as a failure. My current writing group is all kinds of awesome. Current writing group = good. Old writing group = bad.
A friend of mine recently sent me this message on Facebook: “I am really starting to resent Writer’s Digest.”
I asked, “Why?” But I suspected I already knew.
The response, as predicted, was, “I signed up for their newsletters and every day I get another advertisement for a different webinar, each costing around $200.”
That’s exactly what annoys me about them, too. It’s all about really expensive webinars and book packages and workshops and classes. It feels like a “get rich quick” scam, but instead of “get rich quick” it’s “write a book quick” or “get published quick.” Maybe that crap appeals to some people. For me, it’s just a scam to get your money.
Yes, that’s super petty.
But it’s not just Writer’s Digest (and I’m not saying they don’t have good content). And the issue isn’t really the morality behind the company or others like it. It’s about the fact that all of these writing webinars are really expensive.
It seems kind of contradictory. I mean, the writer generally falls into the category of “the starving artist”. Yet we’re expected to drop five hundred dollars for a writing retreat or a convention or a webinar.
I’m not saying I don’t understand why. Of course I do. The teachers have to dedicate a lot of time to that and there are resources that go into it. But it bugs me all the same because I can’t afford it. Super webinar on nailing your mystery novel? Sure, I’d be interested! Oh, seven hundred dollars? Never mind.
And it’s not just that. Freelance editors. Writing retreats. Writing software. Workshops. It would be very easy to invest a lot of money in getting one book published…and then make no money on it. Because that’s the probably one thing you’re likely to hear most as an aspiring writer: you’ll never make money writing.
This is not a rant that it’s wrong to charge money for these things. Of course it’s not.
The real question is, is it worth it? I have spent money for writing classes and the like, and I’ve enjoyed them. But I may never make that money back as a novelist. In fact, it’s very likely that I never will. So is there something I’ve gained despite the money I’ve spent? I’d like to think so. But I can’t help kicking myself. I guess the part of me that loves writing wants to hoard information and learn as much as I can about the craft, but the skeptical part of me can’t help but think, “That’s just ridiculous.”
Of course, there are ways around this. Writing software like OpenOffice, LibreOffice, Storybook, yWriter, or even Notepad or Wordpad. Writing in notebooks and on notepads. Reading blogs and joining free groups to polish your craft. Buying “How to” books for $3 each at the used book store. There are a ton of free resources out there. You don’t have to spend a lot money to write. Or any. I’d be a moron to say you do. But if I had a dollar for every time I looked at an expensive writing event and thought, “Man, I wish I could do that,” I could probably afford at least one those events.
So, what’s the deal? Are we expected to buy into this stuff? Is some executive somewhere laughing at us for spending so much money when so many of us are doomed to failure? Probably not, but it’s hard not to think so.
Here are the questions I try to ask myself before investing money in a resource (especially being on a tight budget):
1. Will what I learn from this fundamentally change my life?
The last writing class I took totally changed how I view villains and put plot together, so I’d say that was worth it.
2. Is this a lesson best taught in person?
In other words, can I learn just as much from buying a book or reading a blog post? Sometimes even if there’s a book on the topic, the chance that I’ll ever get around to it is low.
3. Is this a one time opportunity?
If you don’t do this now, will you ever be able to again? I just dumped a lot of money on a convention that would normally be out of my budget, but a few con vets have offered to show me around. I wouldn’t get that super star treatment normally, and I hope that it will help give me a foothold (if a tiny one—maybe a toehold) in the industry.
4. What do I actually hope to get out of this?
I realized part of the way through my class on writing science fiction and fantasy that what I was really hoping to learn was how to write short stories. And the class turned out to be invaluable for that. But had I fully realized that going in, I might have taken a different approach. Granted, it would have been the wrong approach, because that class turned out to be needed in other ways.
5. Can I honestly afford to do this?
This is about sitting down, looking at your bank statement, and considering what cutbacks you’ll have to make. No matter if #1 through #4 are true, if #5 isn’t, it’s a no-go. That convention I mentioned above? Yeah, I ended up having to borrow money from my parents to make that happen. Yes, I’m 26. Yes, I am shamed. I’ll let you know if it was worth it.
6. What is the fun factor?
This may seem like an unimportant point, but it’s totally not. If two things would be valuable, you can only afford one, and one is fun and the other is not, which would you choose? Remember, as much as writing is work, it’s your hobby because you love it. And if you’re not loving it, you’re doing it wrong. The amount of weight this point bears is subjective, but for me, it’s critical. If I can’t honestly say there’s a good chance I’ll thoroughly enjoy what I’m getting into, I’ll find another way to get that information.
7. Is this the best bang for my buck?
If there’s an expensive class being offered called “Nail Your Romance Novel!” and a reputable website has a high-rated free webinar on exactly that, you’ll feel pretty foolish paying for the class. Before deciding to invest in something, do some research. Don’t just jump at the chance because this webinar’s $50 off a normal price of $600. I know, I know, sales get me, too. Just stop and think before putting in your Paypal information. Another way to look at this one is “How can I do this better?” If you can’t come up with a better, cheaper solution that is actually realistic for you given your motivation and time needs, then investing in the event may be a good idea.
8. Is this a good idea for networking?
Honestly, class A and class B might cost the same and contain the same information, but if class A is taught by Joe Shmoe Writer, and class B is taught by Super Famous Writer, class B may be your better choice. Like any industry, it’s all about networking. Through your teacher, you could gain access to a lot of resources that may eventually end up being the difference between a book deal and…well, no book deal. This requires you to be somewhat proactive though. If you’re the wallflower at the back of the class, don’t expect Super Famous Writer to remember you a week after class gets out, much less eight months later when you’re looking for advice. (This is coming from someone who tends to be the wallflower. Don’t be me.)
Basically, just be smart about it. Remember that some of these fantastic deals that get emailed to you may not be such fantastic deals. Sit and think before enrolling. And this doesn’t just apply to webinars and conventions. That new software you’re thinking of buying? That typewriter you’d love to drop $800 on because you like the sound of the keys better than a normal keyboard? That editor who you’d love to hire but is way out of your price range? Invest wisely.
To get you started, here are some resources:
Software
LibreOffice—A free office suite similar to OpenOffice but, rumor has it, better maintained. Don’t quote me on that. I still use OpenOffice.
OpenOffice—A free office suite.
Storybook—Free novel writing software.
yWriter—Free novel writing software.
Evernote—
Google Drive—
Books
Used Books—I prefer to buy most of my books used, but it’s not always feasible to go to a used book store. So I buy a ton of books used online at Amazon. Usually the book is like, one cent, and then I’m just paying four bucks shipping.
Library—I have a great library just down the street, and I keep forgetting it’s there. I can request books online and have them held for me. Don’t forget your local library.
Borrowed Kindle Books—Don’t forget, if you have Amazon Prime, you can borrow a Kindle book each month. You can also loan Kindle books to friends.
How to Write a Great Story—Free Kindle ebook.
How to Land (and Keep) a Literary Agent—Free Kindle ebook.
Smashwords Book Marketing Guide: How to Market Any Book for Free—Free Kindle ebook.
Blogs
StoryFix—Good blog with a free newsletter.
Writer Unboxed—Good blog with a focus on fiction writing. Also a free newsletter.
WordPlay—More helpful advice. Lots of free resources.
Classes
Creative Writing—”Delve into the world of creative writing and hone your skills and knowledge on the craft with Creative Writing: A Master Class eCourse.” Apparently, there may be some trouble accessing the textbook if you don’t have an iPad.
Start Witing Fiction—”This unit looks at how characters might be drawn and how setting is established. It works on the different levels of characterization, from flat to round, and how character and place interact. It also works on the effect of genre and how genre can be used.”
Writing What You Know—A course on descriptive writing and observation.
Introduction to Novel Writing—”The full Novel Writing unit offers MA Professional Writing students the opportunity to develop a sound creative writing structural foundation on which they can build a novel.”
Writing for Children—A course on writing children’s books.
Intensive Grammar Workshop—A course on improving grammar.
Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy—”Whether you’re trying to write for the first time, or have been at it for a while, you’ll probably find some useful tips here. The course is intended mainly for younger (high school and middle school) writers, but it covers fundamentals you can build on no matter what your age.”
Other
Podcasts on Writing
Pikes Peak Writers—Free online writing community. “Join us to improve your craft, learn about the business of writing, connect with other writers, share successes and failures, and grow as a writer.”
Writer’s Digest—Free digital newsletter (though they do offer a lot of paid resources as well.)
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