I published Ruthless back in February 2014 and slowly I have been gathering readers and buyers online. One element of the book I have recently changed in order to improve interest and sales, is the synopsis. Using wattpad, I can see how many users are reading the synopsis and then deciding NOT to continue on with the story. Unfortunately, there have been many. So I went back and reviewed the “hook of the book” and found it was not nearly as catchy and gripping as it could be.

The synopsis is really as important, or perhaps even more so, than the book cover design. It needs to pull readers in- quickly! My synopsis for Ruthless was a little slow and only really got to the intriguing part after 2 paragraphs. I changed it up on wattpad first and then updated Amazon after I saw a significant increase in reads. This is what I ended up with:

Corporate life just became deadly. Succeed or seek salvation…

When career-driven Ruth lands a seemingly perfect job at GlobalCore- a chic yet mysterious global corporation, she prepares to dish out her cold and merciless brand of Human Resource Management. But there is something different about this company… Ruth soon finds herself climbing the corporate ladder but this time as a matter of life or death. She must compete with industrious angels, hell-bent on success, as she struggles with her new eternal occupation that redefines “employee termination”. Follow Ruth as she delivers damning employee evaluations to the most wicked souls that California has to offer. These aren’t the mild-mannered office workers Ruth is used to firing, these employees are rotten to the core, and they won’t be leaving without a fight.

So how does one write the perfect synopsis? First of all, I think keep it short and punchy. Originally, mine was quite long as I felt I needed some real content on the back of the book- not just a few lines. Not necessary. Have a look at some of the more popular author’s books. They are mostly covered with review quotes- not the synopsis.

Secondly, don’t be afraid to start with a teaser line at the top. I used Corporate life just became deadly. Succeed or seek salvation… This will serve to pull the reader in if it is something bold or mysterious and it may also help you when readers are searching for your book online. Often, search engines- whether they be built in to applications like wattpad or Amazon, will only return a snip it of a synopsis or book description. Usually, just the first line or two, so make you point in that first line. Make it interesting.

Don’t give too much away. In my case, I have planted twists and turns throughout Ruthless so it was hard not to give some of those away by describing events in the story. You want to offer a teaser of what is inside so people will actually want to read the book. If they feel like they have the whole story from reading the back, then they are going to just put it down and move on. It is a tricky balancing act but you also don’t want to be too abstract or ambiguous. Aim for something in the middle.

I am about to publish my second book and the sequel to Ruthless so I am beginning to write the synopsis for Heartless now. I’ll publish on my blog soon. I’d love to hear your comments.

I’m a bit of a dreamer. Most people wouldn’t know it mind you because I hide it well. I have always had this uncanny ability to take in what someone is saying to me even though I’m not listening- I’m off somewhere else in my mind.

So recently I have been reading into “How to be more present”. Why? Well, because day dreaming has it’s down sides. Often it will see me reliving an unpleasant event of the past or worrying about something that may not even happen in the future. There is a good case made by tinybuddha.com here.

So I am trying to make an effort to be present and keep myself in the moment, but then I find myself asking- is this at the cost of my creativity and imagination? If I practice being present, will I lose or weaken my ability to day dream? I mean, I’ve had some of my best ideas while my manager at work is rambling on about something I should really be paying attention to.

So I’m interested in hearing from creative crew who have also come across this forked path and chosen to live in the moment. Are you still as creative and imaginative as you once were?

Jennifer Ellis author of In the Shadows of the Mosquito Constellation, recently tagged me to join the Writing Process Blog Tour.

If you are tagged, you are to write responses to the questions below and then tag three other authors.

At the bottom of this post I hope to add three indie author bios and pass the tour on to them. If you’d like to be tagged in this post please leave me a comment and I will contact you and update.

The Questions

What am I working on?

I am currently working on the sequel to Ruthless. At this stage I am going with the title Fearless but that could change. Fearless will continue with Ruth understanding a lot more about her ‘eternal circumstances’ and doing a lot more ass-kicking of bad guys. I don’t want to give too much away for those who haven’t read Ruthless, but there are plenty more twists and turns in the plot line and you won’t see them coming!

Aside from Fearless I am also developing a text adventure game using the Wibble’s Quest framework. It is lots of fun and is helping me develop a new style of writing for games (which I love to play). Text adventures have always been a retro favourite of mine- there is nothing like using only your imagination to conjure scenes in which you are interacting.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I like to throw in plot twists like no other. I also try to move my stories and characters into a complete circle with earlier ideas, actions and attitudes being explained or tied in at the end. I like to think my writing style is easy to read and my stories are short but sweet.

Why do I write what I do?

Because it is bursting out of my brain onto my keyboard. I don’t put too much thought into hidden meanings or agendas in my writing, although there definitely are some embedded in Ruthless – as a writer, I don’t think you can help it.

I have always been a fan of action and adventure and so far my stories and ideas have followed the same genre. Ultimately I enjoy writing and that is why I do it. I am not writing for a market (unfortunately for my pockets), I am writing what I would like to read.

How does my writing process work?

I have written some other posts describing my process here, but basically I do a rough storyboard which is drawn around a circle. I call out the important points in the plot e.g.  the addition or death of a character, an action scene or a key realisation.

I then just get down to writing. I know how much a story can change as you write and after an edit so there is no point spending hours and hours storyboarding and getting overly attached to your plan. I like to let my story be fluid and I’ve been known to remove entire chapters because they no longer align with my idea of a character or support the story’s backbone.

After I am about 80-90% complete, I get my manuscript to a good editor and then edit the book based on their recommendations and report. For Ruthless, I used 2 separate editors about 3 months apart.

Who’s Up NEXT Week (or so)?

I’m waiting to hear from any authors who are interested in continuing this blog tour. If you are keen, please leave a comment and I can tag you with a link to your blog.

 

 

 

Wattpad is for anyone with an interest in books. It is reader/writer social media and it is free to join! It is an excellent way to reach your readers and get feedback and comments on your work. wattpad is mainly a YA scene so if your interests or writing genre is outside of that realm it might not be for you. If you publish your work there, you are essentially giving it away for free too. I wouldn’t recommend just publishing a taster either- users on wattpad want the full version and if they only get half of the story, they probably won’t be interested in following you.

I have published a few chapters of Ruthless there and I will be slowly adding more each week: http://www.wattpad.com/47288277-ruthless-chapter-1. Posting on weekends is a good way to pop up on current content searches. I haven’t really had much success with comments and feedback yet but the most valuable feature for me has been being able to track the number of reads on each chapter and my synopsis. You can actually see how many people ‘read on’ which gives you an indication of the strength of your writing.

If you would like to connect with me and give some feedback on wattpad I would LOVE to hear it.

Kelvin Abbott dusted his hands against his stone washed jeans before examining them in the waning light. He’d gotten blood under his fingernails again and now the dirt from digging had mingled with it to create black arcs at the tips of his fingers. He’d have to wash up before he went back inside. Jillian knew better than to stick her sniveling nose in his business but still, he didn’t need to invite questions. It had already taken him two and a half hours to dig the hole- much more time than was realistically needed to burry a junkyard dog. His dim-witted wife wouldn’t know the difference anyway, she’d never suspect looking at the size of the hole. She’d be too stupid to consider that it was the depth of the hole, not the width that mattered. The duffle bag containing the folded child took up no space at all but it had to be buried deep. After the duffle bag was inside, he’d need to cover it with two feet of dirt before adding the stinking dog he’d run down that day. Filling the hole would be the culmination of all his hard work. It would make the thing final – a success.

Kelvin wiped the sweat from his brow with his forearm and straightened is aching back. At forty-four, he was fit and strong enough to be digging holes in the stony earth of Woodlake Californian, but it was still hard work. He kicked the loose dirt from his work boots and moseyed over to the blue duffle bag that was tucked just underneath the house. The bag was brand new – had never been used- on account of the fact he’d bought it just yesterday. Kelvin grasped the black handles and dragged the bag along the ground towards the hole. As he neared the edge, he had to come around and spread his legs on either side, before grabbing the bag handles again and pulling the bag inside. It landed with a wet thud.

Kelvin took two steps backwards, steadying himself with his shovel, wedged in the mound of dirt he’d extracted from the hole. Pulling it out, he pushed the top layer of soil into the hole. He did this until a quarter of the mound had disappeared. Finally he stood back, scratched his head and surveyed the yard.

The dog lay out in the open only a few feet away, its vacant black eyes staring up at Kelvin as he made his way over. He kicked it in the belly and sent it launching towards the hole. He’d overshot it. The dead dog landed on the edge of the hole but didn’t fall inside. Prickling pins of rage sent a burning sensation over Kelvin’s shoulders and into his arms. It made him stronger and more determined, like a bull that has seen the flash of the matador’s red cape.

Kelvin marched over to the hole, grasping the shovel on the way and brought the edge down hard on the dog’s neck, lopping it clean off. The rest of the dogs body slid into the hole as Kelvin gritted his yellowed teeth in a horrific smile. He then turned the bloody tool in his hands and held it like a golf putter, gently knocking the dog’s head into the hole. He grinned with tight lips and then spat into the hole, before taking a shovel full of dirt and unloading it onto the bloody mess beneath him.

While attending a seminar called ‘Standing out in the crowd’ with Susan May, I got the impression that many of the budding authors in the room wanted to know what steps to take to become an indie author. Although in a number of my posts I provide advice around specific steps I’ve taken, I haven’t yet pieced them altogether so folks can see the whole “journey”. So here it is:

1) Storyboard your idea. There are many ways to do this and plenty of tips online. A storyboard doesn’t have to be detailed but should outline the key points in your plot. I simply list out the important events in chronological order, including main character introductions.

2) Start writing. In my case I started with a fantasy novel but you could be writing a short story, a biography or a novella. The important thing is get to it. It doesn’t have to be perfect yet- you’ll develop your style and technique as you go. Certainly having a good grasp of grammar is important (Google can help) but it is not essential. An editor can help point out your weaknesses in the editing phase later.

3) Keep writing. I wrote a post about finding the time to write. It’s hard when you have a full time job or a family to look after, but you can do it. Keep plugging on until you feel you are 80% completed (for a novel I would say this is the 35-40,000 word mark). Make sure you read over your work and do a self-edit or two. Again, it doesn’t have to be perfect but you might find some clear contradictions or statements that don’t make sense. You may find some of what you have written is no longer needed and can be removed.

4) Find a good editor. People always want to know how to find a good editor. In my case it was luck. There are plenty of web sites offering editing services online. Look at your local writers guild web site, go to a writers group, open the phone book. There are plenty around advertising their services, you just need to find one that is right for you. I suggest picking one that usually edits and/or writes in the same genre as you.

5) Submit to your editor. Now you have some time off from writing! How long depends on how long your submission is- for approx 40,000 words I’d say you’ve got 1-2 months of waiting. Now I suggest you start researching your market and looking at how you will market yourself as an indie author. Social media is a big one and you should really think about setting up a blog or a web site to reach your future readers. You don’t need to spend any money here, there are plenty of free DIY sites (blogger, wordpress, etc). Check out my Author Pimpin with Social Media post.

6) Take your editor comments on board and get to editing your work. This post about how many times you should edit your book might help. Because I had a great editor who I really respected, I basically did what ever she suggested, bar a few suggestions that clashed with my new found style of writing.

7) Finish your book and write a synopsis. I bet you found you had to remove great chunks after your edit. Its funny how what seemed important when we started writing a chapter became irrelevant to the storyline after a few more. For tips on how to keep going until you get to the end, check out my post called How to Finish Writing a Book. Nail a good synopsis that briefly describes your story without giving too much away. The synopsis should draw your readers in.

8) Send your book and synopsis to another Editor (or the same one if that suits). I like to get a second opinion and focus my second edit more on grammar and structure. At this stage, I’d suggest asking others to proof read your work as well. Family and friends are best. Check out my post on the Best Kind of Proofer.

9) Decide if Indie is for you. There are pros and cons for Indie vs. Traditional publishing. The biggest con for Indie as far as I have experienced is – doing your own marketing. It can seem like a full time job. If you don’t market yourself and your books, its very unlikely you will sell any. It takes time, effort and dedication. There are a bunch of other considerations though and its up to you to research them and decide what is right for you.

10) If Indie IS for you- then transfer your manuscript into the revenant self-publishing document template. It could be for eBook or print. I would focus on one first and see what is involved. If going with Amazon, you need to decide your book dimensions first and then download the relevant template. You could always start with a template when you start writing but I didn’t, it was easy enough to copy and paste each chapter into the template chapters. You can fill out the Title, dedication and acknowledgement sections. Don’t delete the blank pages in between because these are pages in your book now. There are a bunch of people that can help you with formatting. Just like editors, their services are advertised all over the place- you just need to look. I did all the formatting myself, which did take me a while but it cost me nothing 🙂 Once you have transferred your chapters, your book needs another good proof read- but this time, you should be checking formatting, page numbers, line spacing etc while you read through the story.

11) Design a book cover. Again, this is something you can do yourself or you can pay someone to do it. Doing it yourself requires the right tools (e.g. Illustrator). I did it myself but that was risky. Your cover is the first thing people see so it MUST look professional. You can buy covers online or hook up with a designer and tell them what you want.

12) Sign up for a “publishing site” account. In my case, I used Createspace but you could use Smashwords instead (note: these sites use different templates so make sure you’ve used the right one). You don’t need to upload your book yet but you can do if you like. It will be subject to an automated check which takes about 24 hours. You can fill out all the details about your book like the synopsis, title, whether it is part of a series etc. You also need to choose your distribution options and your costing model. This requires a bit of thought and I suggest researching other books similar to yours online to see what is an acceptable price. You need to consider whether you are publishing print, ebook or both and the prices should differ depending on the medium. You might also want to think about your Tax situation. In my case, because I wanted to sell my book on Amazon.com and I am an Australian, I had to do some work to get a TFN in the US. Check out my post here for help.

13) Upload your book and cover image then wait for approval. Once you get it, use the virtual reviewer to see how your book is laid out (Createspace has a virtual page-turning software). This is important as your book needs to look like a real book- not just a manuscript. Content should be on the right pages and blank pages should split out your title and dedication pages from your chapters. I recommend (and I did this) ordering proof copies. If you are publishing a print book, you can have copies sent to you so you can feel it under your fingers and flick through yourself. It is a cause for celebration when you hold your first book in your hands!

14) Publish that sucker! Once you are happy with it- press the big red button and release it. Sometimes this can take several days to appear in “stores” but before then you should be able to order “author copies”. You may want to sell these at a book launch or some such cool event.

15) Finally, market yourself like a demon! Send out links to buy copies of your book on social media, come up with promotions and opportunities to promote yourself as an author. Contact local papers and radio stations and offer to speak at events. This is the hardest part  so be prepared. Don’t expect to sell 1000s in the first few months. You can also look at “special” offers available through your publisher such as KDP Select (for eBooks). You need to research this stuff before you sign up. There are plenty of opinions online- here is one of mine.

So there you have it. If you want to see the product of my journey, you can order a copy Ruthless from Amazon in print or eBook. I’d really appreciate your support.

This is a simple poem about “climbing the corporate ladder.” I am addressing this ‘theme’ in the Ruthless sequel at the moment. I can’t say that I’ve reached the top myself but I have seen the results of others getting there and finding it is a dark place. I definitely feel like I’m somewhere on the stairs right now. I’m considering my next steps carefully.

We’re set upon a winding path the minute we are grown.

We’re led to believe it’s ours to choose and travel on our own.

In actual fact most routes we follow were paved long ago,

by trending fads, society, our family and so –

They guide us into rivalry and lead us to a contest.

We learn that the journey is really about proving we’re the best.

The pathway ends where stairs begin, the goal to take us higher.

If we continue, we’ll reach the top, but our legs will surely tire.

As we climb, the air grows thick, making it hard to see.

We ignore our concerns and stay the path while we struggle just to breathe.

A simple step is harder now, almost an impossible feat.

We stagger on but the dizzying height has really got us beat.

At the top we can move no more but we’ve succeeded where others have failed.

We are the best- superior, blind advancement has prevailed.

Be mindful when you choose your path that each step is your own.

Perhaps when pushed you’d rather take the path that is overgrown.

Starting a book is hard, sticking with it is difficult and finishing it can seem impossible. There are going to be times during the writing process where you think, I shouldn’t be a writer, I hate this book, I’m wasting my time.

If you can push through those negative thoughts and let someone else be the judge of your work then you will probably be pleasantly surprised. It’s natural to doubt your abilities and your work at different times – writing a novel is hard work, it’s tiring and it opens you up to public scrutiny. The closer you get to finishing a book, the more you will unfairly judge your work, in preparation for readers potentially doing the same.

In this post I hope to give budding author’s a few sanity-saving tips for limping through  tough times so they can keep on keeping on.

Tip 1: Do not pour over words or paragraphs trying to make them perfect. They will never be perfect because perfection is in the eye of the beholder. Hopefully you will have many more eyes on your work in the near future. Worry about neatening up sentences and choosing more appropriate or interesting words during your editing phase.

Tip 2: Can’t think of a name, place or brand? Just move on. I like to mark places in my book that I need to revisit (maybe I want to do some research first or I have just got a complete mind-blank) with a double question mark (??). If you spend hours sitting there, not writing because you are trying to think of something that in the greater scheme of your novel is probably quite inconsequential, then you are not going to finish your novel in a reasonable timeframe. The longer you are writing a novel, the more worn down and exhausted you are going to become in the process, which leads into my next tip.

Tip 3: Stay positive. It is ok to criticize your work but ultimately, it doesn’t really matter what you think. What matters is what your readers think, so try and keep things light and upbeat in your head.

Tip 4: Worn out? Stressed? Beating yourself up for not getting enough done? Give yourself a break. Sometimes the best thing to do is to have some time off and give yourself permission not to think about your novel. Come back to it when you feel more refreshed. You’ll lose out on some quantity but you will win some quality.

Tip 5: Don’t take yourself too seriously. Hopefully you are writing a book because you enjoy it, not because you are desperate to be the next J.K Rowling. Take the pressure off and write for kicks!

Tip 6: Feedback is your friend. Get as much as possible. The best source of feedback is a good editor who can make plot line, POV and characterization suggestions. I think it’s best to get an editor looking at your work when you feel you are about 80% complete. I’d recommend letting a family member or good friend have a read of your first 4-5 chapters before then though. When it comes to feedback- the more the merrier, as long as you are not pandering to everyone’s suggestions and consequentially sacrificing your ideas or writing style. My rule of thumb is Editor = Obey, Friends/Family= Consider.

So I hope that helps a little. For those authors who are wallowing in the muddy mire of self doubt, writers block or burnout right now, I say- “keep going! You can do it! The result will be worth it!”

Goodluck.

Step 1) Ask yourself – Is this what I really want to do? There is a common misconception that being a writer is going to launch you into J K Rowling-like fame and make you filthy rich. You must work on the assumption that this is not going to happen to you.

Step 2) Confirm you have actually written something of length or a volume of stories/articles  that mean you have the dedication needed to stick with it. Oh- and make sure other people have read some of this work.

Step 3) Don’t do it. Now now, I am not suggesting you wouldn’t be a fantastic writer and that you couldn’t make money or achieve success, what I am suggesting is that if you haven’t already done it by now, perhaps writing should be/remain your passion and not a job.

Of course I am targeting this post at people like myself- someone who studied an unrelated discipline (computer science in my case), has worked for many years in a non-writing industry and has now discovered that they might just have some talent and passion for writing. If you are a 12-20 year old reading this and you are considering writing as a career- I say go for it! But for the rest of us, who are tempted by a career change, I encourage caution.

I enjoy writing immensely and that is why I spend my weekends (usually only about 8 hours at my local cafe) doing it. My work week is spent making money doing something I am trained for and have spent many years getting good at. I’ve often found myself day dreaming about what it would be like to be a full time writer but I know my visions of casually typing up a novel over an all day breakfast are unrealistic. The truth is- once something becomes your full time job, it means there is an added pressure to be disciplined in order to make $$.

My sister bought me an awesome book called So good they can’t ignore you, by Cal Newport and it has really opened my eyes on this subject. Your job, doesn’t have to be your passion and vice-versa. Throwing yourself into your new passion and forcing it to be a job can cause it to stop being your passion. Think about it.