More Time to Write, Right?

We’ve previously discussed how summers typically affect our writing schedules or outputs, but this summer of 2020 was unique in many ways. Tell us whether these unique factors affected your writing… and whether that was to the “good” or the “bad” in terms of output.

To say that the summer of 2020 is unique is probably an understatement. I’m missing a lot of things that I always enjoy doing.

First, there’s family vacation. We always go to Garden City Beach in South Carolina, but most of the Covid 19 cases are there around the beach. Neither my son nor I wanted to take the chance of anyone getting sick. So, no vacation this year.

I’ve also had to cancel several standing weekly events that I enjoy. No more weekly dinners with my friends, no more church study group, no more Saturday nights with people we’ve gone out with for over a quarter of a century. I feel unsafe to even hop in the car and drive downtown to shop for things I really need, things like chocolate, sandals, or puppy dog treats. I’ve been good and mostly stayed home because I already have lung issues. I really don’t need Covid 19.

So, now I have more time to write, right? Well, not really. I sit down in front of my computer, and if I reach a place in the story that requires a little more concentration I’ll just quit. I tell myself that I’ll do it tomorrow after I get up when my brain is sharpest. And most of the time I do try, but somehow having a whole day in front of me with nothing to do sucks all my motivation away. I have a completed manuscript that needs a final edit before I send it in, but I can’t make myself do it. Apparently, the busier I am the easier it is for me to accomplish tasks. Before I retired I longed for more writing time, but I now plainly see that I should be careful what I wish for.

What about you? Do you do better when you’re busier?

I Heard You Wanted to Write a Book

HOLD UP! I HEARD YOU WANTED TO WRITE A BOOK

ANNOUNCING… STORYTELLERS ACADEMY!!!

Storytellers Academy, is launching March 23, 2020 and is an online course designed to teach you how to SELF-PUBLISH your NONFICTION book.

ASPIRING AUTHORS…. GRAB YOUR FREE eBook!! 

Download herehttps://storytellersacademy.org/mini-course-opt-in

Hi, I’m Paulette Harper

Known as the Author’s coach, I’ve committed my life to helping women who have experienced emotional trauma. I teach them how to change the narrative and turn those painful experiences into impactful transformational stories. 

As an author, my book, That Was Then, This Is Now: This Broken Vessel Restored, achieved national recognition, becoming a finalist in the 2009 Next Generation Indie Book Award. My second book, Completely Whole, was the 2011 recipient of the prestigious Readers Favorite Award. 

In 2017, I also received national acclaim for my book, Secret Places Revealed, winning the Emma Award for Best Inspirational/Spiritual Romance.

I’ve been coaching authors for over eight years and now…… I’m excited to offer our online course:

“How to Write, Publish and Market Your Nonfiction Book inside Storytellers Academy. 

If this applies to you… keep reading!! 

This eBook is only a sample of what to expect inside the course!

ASPIRING AUTHORS it can be yours for FREE! 

I’ve coached nonfiction authors do this process and achieve this goal: 

BECOME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR…. but you must 

• Be willing to implement the program and do the work 
• Be willing to financially invest in the course and yourself 
• Be willing to put in the time to get it done

  

Here are a few things you’ll learn inside this FREE eBook:

STEPS to Mapping out your Story

TIPS for Marketing your Published Book

HOW To decide on a Topic for your Book

 THIS COURSE FOR?

This course is for: those who want to write inspirational, self-help, memoirs, technical, how-to books and transformational stories.  

This course is ideal for: coaches, aspiring authors, women entrepreneurs, divorcees, married, singles with kids, healers, ministers, ex pastor wives and those who have lessons they want to package in a book. 

Download here

https://storytellersacademy.org/mini-course-opt-in

Join our FB group where you’ll find tips and tools to help you get a jump ahead!! https://www.facebook.com/groups/storyacademy1/

For those of you who prefer my premium one on one coaching, I’m accepting clients. Schedule a “FREE” Write to Publish discovery call here: https://Letschatcoachpaulette.as.me

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Beyond the Book: When I First Felt Like an Author

When did you start thinking of yourself as an author?

I wrote my first story when I was five. My dad had read me a Little Golden Book about Woody Woodpecker (a cartoon character from back then), and I decided I should write a story myself. I know it was good. It must have been because my dad laughed the entire time he was writing it down. I had to dictate it to him because at the age of five I couldn’t write. He wrote it in pencil on notebook paper and put it in the cedar chest where my parents kept important papers. After his death I found the story and brought it home. It’s one of my greatest treasures.

I didn’t write anything else until my children were grown up. One day my son handed me a manuscript and said, “Will you read this for me? It’s a book I’ve written.” Would I ever! The book was good. It needed editing of course, but for some reason he lost interest in writing and never did anything with it.

For me, though, his story was a pivotal moment. I’d always thought it would be fun to write a book so I thought I’d give it a try. After a rocky start I couldn’t get the words down fast enough. Writing was just so wonderful! I’ll never forget how nice it felt to finish that book. I felt a great sense of accomplishment, but I didn’t really think of my self as an author or a writer.

Nobody much liked that first book so I wrote another and entered it in a contest whose first prize was publication of your book. To my great and utter surprise I won. Still, I didn’t really think of myself as an author. I think in my mind I was thinking you had to be a Nora Roberts to be called an author. All of that changed the day the mail delivered a box of books to my door. I pulled my book from the box and stared at it for a long time. I was an author! I was holding my book with my name on the cover. Yippee! I’d done it. Things even got better when I saw my book on the shelves in the library and at the bookstore.

So, I’d have to say that I first felt like an author when I held my book in my hands. Winning the contest and signing a contract hadn’t done it for me, but the finished product was tangible proof that I was really an author.

The book cover at the top of the page is the cover of that first book. It’s out of print now because the publisher died, and they closed the company. That’s probably a good thing. Let’s just say I’m a much better writer now than I was then, LOL. However, I do still love the story. And interestingly enough, the book was only in print, not electronic format for many years.

Authors, what about you? When did you feel like the real deal?

Beyond the Book: Goals and Wishes

Well, we're almost one week into 2015, and it's only now that I have a minute to slow down and think about the coming year. As you may have guessed, we had a very busy holiday season. I know it's the custom for people to make New Year's resolutions, but I've figured out how useless that really is for me. No, I'm not making resolutions; let's call them goals or even wishes because I don't think that has the connotation of resolutions. So in 2015, here's what I hope to do.

1.Submit the completed manuscript of Flood to my publisher. It turned out well, but because of the holiday season I've been dragging my feet on it.

2.Finish my current, untitled manuscript and submit it as well.

3.Stay on my low carb diet in order to maintain a healthy blood sugar level.

4.Begin a redecorating project or two at my house. Specifically, I want to do something about my kitchen cabinets and countertop. Then I want to overhaul the study.

5.I'm retiring from my teaching job this year, so I need to explore options for my retirement.

There are probably some more things I need to work on, but I think this is plenty. What about you? Do you have any goals or wishes for 2015?

How Many, How Many?

How many points of view do you think should be included in a romance novel? Just the hero and heroine? Or do you like for secondary characters to also have their turn?

In general, I’ve always thought that if you had a full length novel you needed secondary characters’ POV to enhance and move the story along. Imagine my surprise when I recently received a very nice email from a publisher to whom I had submitted a novel. She told me she loved it, but I had to get rid of all POVs except the hero and heroine.

I suppose I could do it, but I think it would weaken the story because a major portion of the novel centers on how the hero and heroine hurt others with their actions. I think having multiple POVs gave a sense of urgency to the story that would be missing without the secondary characters voice.

On the other hand, The Welcome Inn has multiple POV's, and the reviews on it were great.

So, what’s an author to do? I spoke with Karin Gillespie a few months ago, and she said she doesn’t have too many POVs. In her next novel she has four main characters, but she only has two POVs.

Authors and readers, what do you think? Do you like the secondary characters to have a voice?