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HELP! What do I do with this unruly blob of words?
😫
1) First, CONGRATULATE yourself for attempting to write a novel.
Many attempt, few finish. (BUT YOU WILL).
2) IF you haven't done so already, finish the book before revising.
Write daily or you’ll lose the "vibe" of your characters and their situation, much the same way when you don't keep in contact with friends. It takes awhile to reunite yourselves, but by writing every day, you can delve right back in.
3) Copy and paste the entire work onto another new document. First one should say TITLE/ NANO and then the second TITLE /REVISION 1/DEC 2016. If you haven't done so already, add page number, double-space, and make the whole thing Times New Roman font size 12.
4) Make a folder for this novel. That way any new revisions or anything else you might not be sure if you should save, you’ll have. Here’s what mine looked like for FLIP THE BIRD. (I tag the most current one and rename it with most current month after I’ve worked on it awhile). Why yes, I did work on this book for years...oy!
5) Now comes the fun part or hard work, depending on how you feel about revision. Once I have the first draft done, I'm like "BRING IT ON!" Revision is my favorite. I imagine I'm Michaelangelo with a slab of granite looking like Alfred Hitchcock, but with a plan to make it into David.
6) Read through the manuscript start to finish. FIRST REVISION PASS: Open a blank document and note all scenes/ page numbers/ characters / action. (A "scene" takes place in the same location, for example, the airport. When the location changes, so does the scene. You can have more than one scene in a chapter depending on how long they spend in that location. You can also insert a chapter break or start new chapter.
EXAMPLE:
1) Scene: HOME/ pages 1-11 / Mercer, Dad, & Lincoln/Trapping hawk
**This helps you to see how many pages each scene is and how often your characters are interacting etc. General overview**
OR>>>>
7) SECOND REVISION PASS // Under “Tools” - hit “Track changes” and start making notes for yourself as you go along. Can also write notes for yourself in other colors / highlight / caps like shown below. *I'll go back later to fix, but I'm just making broad notes for myself as I read so I don't lose my train of thought.
8) Third, fourth, and fifth (twentieth...) revision passes: Copy and paste document and label it with new month. Each time you are honing things and putting them in order, but the other versions remain intact in case you accidentally delete something that you want to later take a look at. (See my first graphic above for number one. I have so many versions because I worked on Flip the Bird for years. Sometimes I'll make a sub-folder and say "OLD versions of TITLE" so that I don't have quite so many to view. :)
9) Create a document that says “Thoughts about TITLE” where you can brainstorm ideas and free flow about possibilities. Sometimes odd thoughts will strike you that will work. Other times, you think you’ll never need those ideas but months or years later, you will use them for this story or other stories. Here is one of my “stream of consciousness” plotting snippets.
Example:
10) Create a folder that says “TITLE / FAVORITE FRAGMENTS” - as you write and you’re pretty sure something needs to go but you love that particular line or paragraph, copy and paste it here. That way you can relax knowing you can find it again if you change your mind. PS: I've never gone back into my "Favorite Fragments" folder to take anything back out, but I know when I first started writing, I hated to delete a really cool phrase (but it was overkill or didn't fit the situation), so this helped me get over that. :)
Good Luck! 🍀
Shoot me a question in the comments or email me directly.
Til next time,
KYM
By: Kym Brunner,
on 10/26/2016
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SQUAWK1 Less than one week until FLIP THE BIRD is born. Can't wait until he makes his fledgling flight and lands in hands of readers all over the world.
If you want to read an excerpt or to try your luck at winning a free copy, check out any of the stops on the tour here:
ROCK STAR BOOK TOUR
THE SCOOP:
Mercer Buddie wants two things in this world: a girlfriend and the chance to prove to his master falconer father that he’s not a flake. With hunting season fast approaching, fourteen-year-old Mercer has only a short time to work with Flip, a red-tailed hawk he irreverently named to show his dad that falconers don’t have to be so serious all the time. With humor and honesty, Mercer’s story shows how growing up means making difficult choices…and sometimes, being rewarded in unexpected ways.'
PROFESSIONAL REVIEWS
Gr 7 Up—Scoot over, Don Calame—Brunner is about to join you on your perch. This is not a book for the squeamish. It's about falconry at its finest, but it is also about much more than that. On his way to capture his first hawk, Mercer Buddie meets the girl of his dreams. Unfortunately, she is also the daughter of pro-animal activists. Mercer must come to terms with who he is, who he wants to be, and the belief systems he wishes to espouse and reconcile those with his desire to be with a hot girl. The humor is bawdy, though not quite as ribald as Calame's, and the accounts of hunting and dispatching prey are as honest as the descriptions of what happens when animal rights extremists "save" animals from humans. Brunner also introduces the issue of animal research and why adorable canines may just be the answer to human cardiac conditions. Readers will think deeply about their beliefs and why they hold those values right along with the protagonist. The puns, including Mercer's decision to name his red-tailed hawk Flip, keep an otherwise heavy subject from becoming too grisly. Lovers of Sterling North's Rascal, Farley Mowat's Never Cry Wolf, and Calame's Dan Versus Nature will flock to this tale about a teen and his hawk. VERDICT Get multiple copies for nature-loving reluctant readers.—Jodeana Kruse, R. A. Long High School, Longview, WA
--School Library Journal
"Brunner writes an impassioned story with real-life moral dilemmas. Abundant details of falconry, the result of the author's own falconry apprentice lessons... root the story solidly in a fascinating world new to most readers. An engaging story of a young teen finding what's most important in his life."
—Kirkus
“An exciting adventure into the art of falconry and the heart of a young man.”
—DAVID LUBAR, author of Hidden Talents and Character, Driven
"His experiences with HALT help him realize the importance of understanding the difference between information and propaganda, and the value in thinking for himself."
--BOOKLIST
"Lovers of Sterling North’s Rascal, Farley Mowat’s Never Cry Wolf, and Calame’s Dan Versus Nature will flock to this tale about a teen and his hawk. . . Get multiple copies for nature-loving reluctant readers."
--SLJ
By: Kym Brunner,
on 7/19/2016
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By Kym Brunner
Like Goldilocks, I have had experiences with a small, a medium, and now a large publishing house and want to share what’s the same, different, and unique about working with each. Which one was “just right?”
Here now is a sampling of my experiences, a virtual “publishing smorgasbord”:
THE APPETIZER
The Smallish Publisher: My first book, ONE SMART COOKIE, was published with Omnific Press in June 2014. They are an independent publisher of romantic fiction. Contract to publication (on-demand trade paperback and digital) took nine months.
The Medium House : My second book, WANTED: DEAD OR IN LOVE, was published with Merit Press (part of F & W Media / Adams Media) in July 2014. The book came out in hardcover and digital fourteen months after the contract was signed.
The Big Guy: My third book, FLIP THE BIRD, will be out in November 2016 and will be published with HMH Books for Young Readers (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). Contract to hardcover and digital publication will be sixteen months.
TAKEAWAY: There are many different routes to publication, but no matter whether you choose the traditionally published or the self-published path, nothing quite matches the feeling of holding a book in your hand with your name on the cover. My advice? If going the traditionally published route, work your way from the top down, querying the large publishers, then medium-sized, and finally the small independent houses if the larger houses don’t pan out. Submitting to the top 5 usually requires an agent, but there are many houses that still accept unsolicited queries.
THE MAIN COURSE
Acquisition Process to Publication
The Smallish Publisher: I sent a query via email to Omnific, they requested the full, and then after several weeks, I received an email saying they’d like to acquire One Smart Cookie. I accepted, made a few changes to the contract, and then we began the editing process. There were three rounds of revisions with various editors, each focused on a different aspect. Because Omnific is a romance publisher with readers of all sizes, any negative comments about body size from my sarcastic MC were traded for other types of jokes. Made me more aware of the types of jokes readers might find offensive in all of my novels after that. Omnific being a smaller publisher, the books are readily and inexpensively available via digital text, but for paper copies, they are print-on-demand. This helps save the publisher money so they don’t have a large print run, but these books generally are not stocked by brick-and-mortar bookstores because they can’t return them if they don’t sell after a certain amount of time (generally one season or three months).
The Medium House: My agent pitched the project to the sole editor of Merit Press, Jacquelyn Mitchard, who read the full manuscript, brought it to acquisitions within the organization, and viola! offered me a contract. After my agent negotiated some of the details of the contract, I signed, and the revision process began. It was relatively painless with only a few suggestions, mostly about expanding the ending. Book cover design followed, and then copyediting a few months later. It was super exciting to see my book come out in hardcover and appear on the shelves in Barnes & Noble. That distinction was definitely on my personal bucket list.
The Big Guy: As with the medium house, my agent pitched senior editor Julie Tibbott, who said she both laughed and cried (mission accomplished!) while she read my manuscript, prompting her to make an offer. After the contract was negotiated and signed, Julie and I went back and forth with four rounds of revisions. She gave me a list of about five scenes that felt “off” and why, but it was left up to me to figure out how to fix those inconsistencies to both our satisfaction. We then moved to the smaller issues, and finally down to word choice. During the last couple of rounds, additional HMH wordsmiths had eyes on the novel to make sure every aspect was the best it could be. I will say this novel was the most scrutinized and fine-tuned of the three. But since I spent soooo much time writing and researching this book (falconry lessons and observations for over a year), this was definitely my Cinderella book, so I was thrilled with the precision tuning. I can’t wait to see Flip the Bird hit the bookstores in November. Feathers crossed that it’s a soaring success. 
TAKEAWAY: The acquisition process can be short or long, but it might be better for your psyche to NOT be aware if your book is under consideration by a publisher. The wait (and sometimes the answer) can be excruciating. Two of my books went to acquisitions but were not acquired at that time, crushing my spirit and making me analyze everything. Eventually other publishers acquired both of those books, so I could have saved myself some of that grief. Of course, I’m sure those pitfalls probably helped me to grow as an author.
The BOOK COVER – How Much Input Did I Have?
Smallish Publisher: I filled out a two-page questionnaire about all the aspects of the book (plot, setting, characters) as well as the feeling I wanted to invoke in the reader. I described what Sophie, my teen protagonist, looked like, as well as her relationship with her man-hungry mother and her adorable Polish grandmother, Busia. They asked what sort of feeling I wanted to invoke in readers as well as any ideas I’d had for how I envisioned the cover. I really felt involved in the process and loved the final cover, which perfectly depicts Sophie frowning at a cookie, which goes fabulously with the title. All in all, I had a lot of input about font, design, and color choices, and couldn’t be happier with how it came out.
Medium House: I was shown one cover for Wanted: Dead or In Love (bullet hole ridden – looked cool!), but others I showed it to said it appeared to be a nonfiction book instead of YA novel. I found a stock picture that I thought fit the main character and suggested maybe incorporating her into the original cover to help make it look more fictional. The next cover was completely different from the first. The art director used the picture I had sent as the main focus of the cover, which was great, but when I asked if we could tweak the font and/or colors, I was told that it needed to go to print. Readers have since told me that they picked it up because the cover was so catching, so there you go. Trust the professionals––they know what they’re doing.
The Big Guy: I was asked to find comps (or comparable) covers that conveyed the feeling I wanted for my book. That was an interesting task and one that I took to heart. I found maybe ten covers and I put a short note as to why I thought they went along with my book. By now I had learned that the art directors have a gift and you can let them work their magic. I was eventually shown five covers for Flip the Bird and was asked my opinion on them. We narrowed it down to two choices and eventually ended up with a cover that perfectly matches the humorous coming-of-age aspect along with a bird named Flip (a red-tailed hawk), while the protest sign shows that there might be some adversity inside the novel as well.
TAKEAWAY: The amount of input I had didn’t depend on the size of the publisher, but rather on the standard procedure for each publishing house. Art directors know what designs make readers pick up books, so while the publisher wants you to love the cover, they also have to make a financial decision and go with a cover design with proven sales.
THE DESSERT
Each of the publishers offered an advance against royalties, i.e. payment made by the publisher, which is offset against future royalty payments. The bigger the house, the bigger the advance, which of course is always nice. Each of the publishers was concerned with the content being appropriate for teens and with sending out the story in the best possible shape. Alleluia for that!
All three publishers had knowledgeable literary professionals who helped guide me each step of the way. That said, I often checked with the Internet or friends who had been previously published if I had a newbie question about some aspect of the revision process before asking my editor. (Your agent may or may not know the answer because each house has its own particular preferences on how things are done).
TAKEAWAY: I have found that I only email my agent and editor when I have a pressing question, and they respond quickly. I’m guessing if you email them every little question, you might be viewed as “needy.”
IN CONCLUSION, there’s a familiar question authors are supposed to ask themselves when considering the size of the publishing house they would prefer: Would you rather be a big fish in a little pond (meaning lots of attention) or a wee fish in an ocean (meaning very little)?
MY ANSWER: I haven’t noticed any differences in the way I’ve been treated by the different-size publishers other than the variances with which any individuals interact with another. For the most part, everyone I’ve worked with has been professional and kind, with a rare, slightly abrasive response. As in every other aspect of my life, I’ve treated others the way I’d like to be treated, and that’s worked out just fine.Have a question or comment? Feel free to contact me at one of the social media links listed below. Happy writing! KYM
Kym Brunner dreams entire novels in her head but needs about a year to write it all down. She wishes there was an app for this. She's addicted to chai tea, going to the movies, and reality TV. When she's not reading or writing, Kym teaches 7th grade full time. She is the author of three young adult novels. She lives in the Chicago area with her family and her two trusty writing companions, a pair of shih tzus named Sophie and Kahlua.
By: Kym Brunner,
on 5/26/2016
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Want to know what that one thing is?
It's very simple: take action. That's it! One small thing that no one else might see, but you know you accomplished. Eventually all the tiny, one-step tasks will add up to you meeting a goal. Here's what I mean:
Everyone has a goal: could be short-term, long-term, subconscious or fully on your mind. Perhaps it's:
· More friends/different friends/ spend time with friends
· A better job/ a more rewarding job/ quit your job
· Leaving an abusive relationship
· Acceptance (to a college, from a parent, of themselves)
· Learn a new hobby/language/skill
The list could go on indefinitely. What’s your secret wish? (Close your eyes and think of something now. Got it in mind? Good. Read on.)
Now....do something about it. ONE THING. Take a single step in the direction of your goal. Right now. Today. It can be anything. Yeah, yeah, I know. You’re too busy. That's always going to be the answer though. Seriously, when aren't you too busy?
WE’RE ALL TOO BUSY – ALL OF OUR LIVES – AND UNLESS YOU MAKE TIME FOR THE THINGS THAT ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU, YOU WON'T REACH YOUR GOALS.
You can:
· Write a letter that you never send (or maybe one you do).
· Send out an application to a job, a college, an award
· Go DO the thing you wanted. Today. At least call and make a future date.
· Send a friend request.
· Research the one thing you wanted to do and sign up for a class.
· Go get a jar right now to put extra money in to save up so you can do that ONE thing
So that’s it - start to blaze that path from WISHING to ACHIEVING with one small step in the right direction. I'll even help you. <push>
Til next time,
KYM
By: Kym Brunner,
on 2/25/2016
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There is a TON of information out on the web about crafting a good query when looking for an agent. Heed the advice and do your homework.
While crafting an interesting query is super important, obviously writing a novel that has fabulous hook, interesting plot, and dynamic characters supercedes all of the letter writing factors in the world. That said, before I was agented, I enjoyed reading queries that actually worked. So, with that in mind, here was my "golden ticket" - the email that helped that first door creak open just a tiny bit, which led to my eventual signing with Eric Myers with Dystel & Goderich Literary Management (DGLM). The book title mentioned in my query letter was eventually renamed WANTED: DEAD OR IN LOVE and was published by Merit Press in July, 2014.
In summation, I followed the advice I had read online, had my query critiqued by my SCBWI pals, and went over it many times to make sure there were no grammatical errors. Here were the things I think I did right:
- Spelled the agent's name correctly (seems like a no-brainer, but I hear this happens frequently)
- Led with an interesting hook
- Told him how I knew of him and showed I had researched his preferences
- Gave a short description of the novel's basic plot, characters, and goals
- Kept my bio short since I didn't have any writing credits at the time
- Included a sample chapter in the body of the email, NOT as an attachment (I've read that agents delete all emails with attachments without opening, worried about viruses).
Dear Mr. Myers,
From inside the mind and coffin of Clyde Chestnut Barrow, circa 2012:I let my anger fester like an infected wound until I reach a place of pure hatred for the son of a bitch who set me up. Someone told the coppers where I’d be and at what time, which narrows it down to about ten or so people, most of ‘em family. Soon as I learn out how to escape this hellhole, I’m going to figure out which rat squealed and I’m going to kill the bastard. Make ‘em suffer too. An eye for an eye my daddy always tole me, and I’ve always been a dutiful son.Even if it turns out that it’s him that did it to me.Your preference for thrillers as listed on the Literary Rambles website (and our mutual secret passion for Survivor!) makes me think we might be a great match. I’m hopeful that my YA paranormal romance-thriller, GANGSTER OF LOVE (devilishly complete at 66, 666 words) gets under your skin and infects your mind.
Following three arrests, seventeen-year-old Monroe Baker must stay out of trouble for a year or face a daunting felony conviction. When she impulsively steals the slugs that killed Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow from her father’s gangster memorabilia collection and shows them to Jack, a boy she meets at a party, the two unwittingly awaken the spirits of the dead outlaws. When Bonnie and Clyde possess the unsuspecting teens, it becomes a matter of life and death for Monroe and Jack, who must find a way to force the dangerous gangsters from their body, sending them back to the grave before they lose themselves completely. But when passions collide, alliances may change. Who will be left to reign as the true gangsters of love?
GANGSTER OF LOVE is a YA with crossover potential that mixes fact with fantasy to showcase the edgy grittiness of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, whose romanticized crime spree of the 1930’s continues to fascinate readers of all ages. The story is told in alternating first-person viewpoints––Monroe and Clyde’s––keeping the suspense high as secrets are kept and truths revealed.
During my non-writing time, I'm a full-time teacher and hold a Master's degree in education. I'm also the SCBWI district co-rep for the far north suburbs of Chicago. I've included sample pages below for your perusal. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely, Kym Brunner
***** Sample pages - Gangster of Love ***** (Check out the actual first pages of WANTED: DEAD OR IN LOVE here:
First Pages )
Thanks for stopping by! KYM
Kym Brunner dreams entire novels in her head, but needs about a year to write it all down. She wishes there was an app for this. She’s addicted to chai tea, going to the movies, and reality TV. When she’s not reading or writing, Kym teaches 7th grade full time. She lives in the Chicago area with her family and two trusty writing companions, a pair of Shih Tzus named Sophie and Kahlua. She’s repped by Eric Myers of Dystel & Goderich Literary Management
Wanted: Dead or in Love, Merit Press, June, 2014
One Smart Cookie, Omnific Publishing, July, 2014
Flip the Bird, HMH Books for Young Readers, Coming Fall 2016
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By: Kym Brunner,
on 1/29/2016
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Hey World ~
After many years––writing this novel, revising this novel, finding the right agent (Eric Myers from DGLM), and then finding the perfect editor (Julie Tibbot from HMH Books for Young Readers)––my dream has finally come true!
I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW EXCITED I AM TO KNOW THAT THIS BOOK WILL BE IN THE HANDS OF READERS COME NOVEMBER 1ST, 2016!!
Whoops, maybe I just did. :)
Want to know what it's about? Sure you do! Here's the brilliant blurb that HMH Books for Young Readers (okay, it was all me except the last line) came up with:
Mercer Buddie wants two things in this world: a girlfriend and the chance to prove to his master falconer father that he’s not a flake. With hunting season fast approaching, fourteen-year-old Mercer has only a short time to work with Flip, a red-tailed hawk he irreverently named to show his dad that falconers don’t have to be so serious all the time.
When Mercer meets Lucy, he falls hard for her gorgeous looks and bubbly personality. He thinks his love life is about to take flight, until he discovers that Lucy and her family belong to a fanatical animal-rights organization called HALT—a group that believes imposing any sort of restrictions on animals is a form of cruelty. Mercer soon realizes that if he wants to keep seeing Lucy, he’ll need to keep his love of falconry and his family’s raptor rehabilitation center a secret from her, and Lucy’s involvement with HALT from his family.
With humor and honesty, Mercer’s story shows how growing up means making difficult choices…and sometimes, being rewarded in unexpected ways.
And not only that, but the hugely talented New York Times bestselling author, David Lubar, read my book and wrote a wonderful blurb that the marketing team artfully displayed across the bottom! Squee!!
So now....with further ado...may I present the book cover to (pant, pant)....FLIP THE BIRD!
ATTENTION MONEY LOVERS:
If you want to win $25, all you have to do is one of the following tasks on RAFFLECOPTER to earn an entry. Thanks for playing!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
By: Kym Brunner,
on 11/14/2015
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I don’t want to harm anyone’s health, but everyone needs a jolt of literary CPR now and then. How to do it?
SUSPENSE. No matter what genre, no matter what age group you’re writing for, it’s suspense that make your readers’ hearts race and their anxiety ratchet up to high as they worry what will happen to the beloved characters they’ve been rooting for.
Yes, action scenes are important to add in occasionally because readers want to watch your characters ACT in some way, but to me, prolonged action gets dull. (That’s how I felt watching 90 minutes of Mad Max racing across the desert and back….zzzz). When the tension never lets up, the suspense goes down. One of the keys to writing suspenseful tales is to rev up the suspicion and then make the character move on to something “normal,” only to have the anxiety reappear. Think ebb and flow.
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In Wanted: Dead or In Love, an impulsive teen girl breaks into her father’s gangster memorabilia case and accidentally cuts herself with a bullet extracted from Clyde Barrow (impulsive character trait /stealing/consequences/outlaws all create suspense). As a result she awakens the spirit of Bonnie Parker in her own body, and then later that night, infects a guy she meets at a party with the spirit of Clyde Barrow (a pissed-off and unwilling companion adds suspense). They have a twenty-four hour deadline (a ticking clock) to figure out how to rid the outlaws from their bodies, or they’ll face changing places forever (possibility of death/crimes to be committed against their will). The reader feels compelled to continue reading to find out which of the four are successful and how all the problems will be resolved (multiple solutions / lots of questions). Whew! Hopefully the reader is breathless and their heart rate increases as the tension builds to the final scene.
HOW TO MAKE A SCENE COME ALIVE? MAKE US WORRY....
Here are a few tips:
- SHOW, don’t TELL us that your character is anxious about something, have them sweat, bite their lips, swallow a lot, look at their watch. In fact, the next time you’re worried about something, check out how you feel inside, notice what you do (drink water, check for texts, pace around your kitchen) and incorporate it into your character’s actions).
- LET US HEAR YOUR MC’S THOUGHTS. We’re scared if your character is scared. Let us know specifically what he or she doesn’t want to happen (if we don’t get to Louisiana in time, we’ll be in their graves and Bonnie & Clyde will take over our bodies!) You’ll need to set these worries up earlier in the book and give the readers small reminders building up to the scene where “it” might actually happen, and then of course, make the worst possible thing happen. Oh no….not that!! Yes, that. Now the reader has to find out what your poor MC will do.
- SET LOTS OF POSSIBLE TRAPS and SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITIES. And then, have your character dismiss them as things that could possibly never happen, but then make it happen anyway. For example, Mr. Nice would NEVER do that to his wife, who happens to be your best friend (oh, but he did) and your character saw it. Now what? Tell his wife, keep it a secret, confront him? Let your character worry and mull over the right thing to do over the course of the next chapter or two before deciding. Make her squirm when she sees her friend and she brags about Mr. Nice and how great he is.
Good luck!
'Til next time,
KYM
By: Kym Brunner,
on 9/21/2015
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These days it seems that everyone is writing a book. Many are writing books on how to write books, or how to sell books, or how to self-publish books, or even how to find the person who can help you to sell your book.
Let's just say there are a LOT of options and LOTS of ways to spend money.
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So many options it's similar to the assortment of goodies offered to kids in Willie Wonka's Chocolate Factory. But which types of professional writing advice are everlasting gobstoppers and which ones are the candy bars that don't have a gold wrapper?
Here's my take on things:
1) Budget "some" money toward developing your craft. Unless your first name is William and your last name is Shakespeare, you probably won't improve your skills without getting some type of industry advice––either through a critique group, a professional editor, and/or books and conferences.
How much money you budget probably depends on where you are in your journey and your personal financial situation. And to be honest, it also might depend on how serious you are about taking your work to the next level. Reading books on the craft is great at a minimal level, but getting concrete advice about your own work is much more valuable. It's difficult to see our own strengths and flaws.
2) What's the best use of my budgeted money?If you can afford it, beginners and pre-published writers should try to attend conferences in order to hear from agents and editors and find out what they are looking for. Also, what they are tired of reading and hearing about. If it's a topic that readers aren't buying anymore, you can bet that they won't want to acquire it either.
Those farther along in their careers might spend more on paying to have their revised WIP get a set of fresh eyes from a developmental editor. I still attend writing conferences, especially the well-attended kidlit conference in Los Angeles, but more to use that as a social springboard to to keep in touch with writers I've met over the years.
Joining SCBWI (for those writing for babies through teens) or a myriad of other writing organizations (Romance Writers of America // International Thriller Writers etc.) geared toward your specific genre is a great idea. You will meet like-minded individuals (either in person or on a forum) and these people will become your confidantes, and hopefully, your cheerleaders.
3) Pay for a Professional CritiqueThere are different ways to do this. First of all, you should be in a critique group (either face to face or an online group) so you can get lots of free advice, as well as give it to others. But sometimes you're just not sure if the advice you're getting is meaningful, especially if all the writers in your group are beginners themselves. I'm not saying it's still not valid––they are telling you the way a reader views things-–but they might be giving advice that's too general (I like it! or It moves a bit slow here), or advice that really isn't helpful (you spelled there wrong).
Secondly, paying for an extra critique at a writer's conference can be iffy. Oftentimes, it's very expensive ($100 for five pages and 15 minutes of face time), but if your material is very close to being published, an agent might request the full and you're on your way. More often than not however, you'll get solid advice at a big cost. Still, I made some contacts that way but never grabbed the brass ring. Plus, they're only giving advice on five pages, which may or may not be your premier
work.
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So I suggest doing your research on finding a developmental editor in your price range that has lots of experience and having them read your entire novel. It's costly (anywhere from $500 - $2500), but you learn a TON and it can make your novel ready to be acquired. Ask lots of questions of several editors and gauge from their responses whether you think you'd be a good match. You might even ask to talk on the phone to them. Ask how much experience they have editing your genre and/or age group.
When I paid for developmental editing twice (both books were eventually sold to traditional publishers, btw), I searched for the right freelance editor and was rewarded greatly by getting excellent advice. **If interested, my amazing freelance editor for
Flip the Bird (coming Fall, 2016 with HMH Books for Young Readers
) was Maria Mooshil. She was an editor for the Chicago Tribune for many, many years and is now doing freelance work. She brought great insight to the motivation of my characters and was a fabulous sounding board of ideas. Contact her for rates and availability at:
[email protected]***
I didn't do this large and more expensive project however, until I was very close to publishing my book and already had an agent. Meaning it might not be worth it if you are still a beginner and have a looong way to go to work on your novel. There's just too big of a window for them to hone in on fixing everything. Don't be surprised if the freelance editor asks for a sample of your work before they accept the job. Like I said, if you're too far off, it might be too big of a task for them to try and help you.
So do your homework, keep on perfecting your craft, write daily, and soon you'll be on the shelves and in the hands of readers! Good luck on your journey. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments section. I hope that soon you'll be jumping for joy when your book is published.
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'Til next time,
KYM
By: Kym Brunner,
on 7/20/2015
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SHH! CLANDESTINE SECRETS FOR WRITING SUSPENSE….
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You want to write a suspense-thriller, but you’re not sure how to keep the pages turning? Here’s what worked for me, and hopefully it’ll work for you too:
1. FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU’RE MOST SCARED OF AND INCORPORATE THOSE EVENTS INTO YOUR NOVEL.
Don’t like to be alone at home at night? Why not? Probably because you’re sure every small noise is something amiss… a break-in? A mouse? A burst pipe? Hate when you come home and the front door is open a crack, making you wonder if you did that or a stranger did…?Every time you realize that your heart is pumping in fear, make a note of it and incorporate a scene into your next book.
2. TEASE BUT DON’T APPEASE
Just when the reader thinks the answer will be revealed, throw a wrench into the plan. Literally. Make someone appear that has a wrench and threaten to harm them, like I did in WANTED: DEAD OR IN LOVE. Or…come up with some other frightening alternative, one that makes your main character run.
3. END CHAPTERS IN CHAOS
Never let the reader turn off the light and go to sleep feeling good about your characters. NO WAY! End the chapter BEFORE they open the door, get out of the way of the speeding car, or ask the micromanaging boss for a holiday off. I don’t mean mid-sentence, but bring the reader to the brink and have a small interruption make them delay for a moment…long enough to end the chapter and propel your reader to stay up past their bedtime.
4. DON’T TROT OUT ALL OF THE POSSIBLE SCENARIOS
Keep the reader in the dark along with your main character. YOU, the writer, know how they’ll get out of this, but don’t make the solution so obvious that your twist is anything but predictable. If the solution will be found in the cemetery, have your character drive past it, always curious about the gravedigger with the limp, but make the actual answer the gentle loving cemetery director.
5. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE SUFFICIENT (AND INTERESTING) SUB-PLOTS TO KEEP THE READERS ON THEIR TOES
No one likes to figure out the answer in the first one hundred pages. While you need to introduce the main goal in the initial pages, add a sub-plot or two along the way that makes the reader wonder what’s going to happen. Keep five plates spinning in the air, and the reader will enjoy watching and waiting for one, or more, to fall.
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By: Kym Brunner,
on 7/9/2015
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Wahoo!! After many years of revision and letting FLIP THE BIRD sit patiently on my computer, it's finally going to be published. I can't even explain you how excited and blown away I am by this news. Anyone who knows me (friends, family, fellow writers) can attest to how I thirsted for this particular book to be published. Yes, I want all of my books to eventually be acquired by a big NY publisher of course, but this book took A TON of research and made me fall in love with the sport of falconry, so it sort of wound its way around my heart.
Here's the blurb from Publishers' Weekly:
I am so thankful to SOAR, Illinois for providing me a place to take falconry apprentice lessons, and to the many falconers (especially D. Troy Moritz) who answered my questions and let me tag along during some of their hunts to fully appreciate the beauty of this sport. Hopefully one day you'll be able to experience this sport firsthand, but if not, I'm excited for you to read about it via my young adult novel. Thanks so much to my agent, Eric Myers, and to Julie Tibbott at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the opportunity to share this book with the world.
I know my main character, Mercer, and his Red-tailed Hawk, Flip, would be super proud too.
'Til next time,
KYM
PS: Here's a video of a falconer working with a beautiful juvenile Red-tail if you're curious. :)
By: Kym Brunner,
on 5/28/2015
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Hey there ~
I thought I'd write a post about something other than writing tips. {{I do give some writing tips for a collective YA author blog I'm on, Uncommon YA (which by the way has 25 amaaaazing YA authors who are superb, funny, brilliant, and write cool books, so please check us out on Twitter and the blog itself sometime: Uncommon YA)}
Now back to today's topics. I love writing and chatting about myself, but yanno, no one wants to chat with an empty chair so writing blog posts for no one seems silly, which is why I usually refrain from doing so on my own blog page.
BUT.....here's the thing: I don't know whether there's an invisible someone in that chair reading my posts, making an invisible connection with me somewhere out there in the world. If so, hello invisible person! *waves
So I thought I'd start showing my normal, everyday side to any readers who might stumble over here. (Okay, quiet those who know me and are objecting to my use of the word "normal" to describe me). In any case, I thought I'd start writing weekly posts about nothing. (Kind of like Seinfeld).
Today's topic: Driving, Dining, and Divas
DRIVING
I love driving fast (ish). Like around 10 miles over the limit usually....except for when I'm approaching one of the secret "police hiding spots" which, since they're there most Thursday mornings and afternoons on the end of my block, isn't much of a secret. I call myself an assertive driver and rarely text and drive unless I'm at a stoplight.
I love driving convertibles. Although I'm in the Chicago area, we still have approximately six months of top-down weather. To me, it feels like a luxury, quality of life thing. Here's Black Betty, my new VW Bug convertible. Isn't she cute?
DINING
I love to eat out, but more importantly, I love to socialize. If only I had been born to be one of those people who can eat whatever they want and never gain weight. My favorite dining out items are usually finger foods like nachos, sushi, and flatbreads (I'll often order apps for my dinner), but I'm trying to order more salads. (I have a hard time saying no if I haven't made up my mind before walking in and I see something amazing like pot roast nachos.) Yum...I love pot roast. Too bad not too many places serve it. (Invisible restaurant owners who are reading this, take note.)
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| Tonight's spot? Pinstripes in Northbrook - Fab outdoor dining place. |
DIVAS
I'm not one, don't know many, but I love watching them on TV. Reality TV rules my world. I say it's for help developing my fictional worlds (like research - that's what I tell my husband), but we all know it's fun to drink wine with one of my daughters or neighborhood friends and watch Real Housewives of Anywhere squabble over petty stuff, splash wine in the other woman's face, and/or talk badly about her behind her back (but to the whole world). Priceless.
So that's it for today. Go ahead and exit the chair now. Hope you come back next time. (I'll try to get a comfier cushion). Remember: don't drive too slowly if you're in my hood. Ain't nobody got time for leisurely Sunday drives except dogs in car with their heads poking out the window.
Until next time....
xoxo, KYM
By: Kym Brunner,
on 3/31/2015
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I was recently talking with some writer friends and this question came up:
Is it more important for YA authors to potray realistic characters (that may have a dark side) or to create positive role models?
Good question.
There have been some readers who weren't thrilled with the depiction of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow in my YA novel, WANTED; DEAD OR IN LOVE, as being humans with wants and desires all their own. After all, Bonnie & Clyde were hardened criminals from the 1930’s who were in love and committed crime after crime. In my novel, they come back to life within the bodies of two teens, and um, they’re not necessarily typecast as “the bad guys.”
No doubt about it, Bonnie and Clyde did a lot of horrific things in their day and were eventually gunned down for it by a posse of tough crime fighters called The Texas Rangers. I’m not making excuses for Bonnie and Clyde––it was good they were stopped. Gun downed by a posse of sharp shooters? Not sure about that one. Especially when you factor in the time frame when they lived (The Depression), where they lived (the poorest slum in Texas), and their age when they started to commit their crimes (16 for Clyde, 19 for Bonnie).
I think what I tried to show is that most of us––Bonnie and Clyde included––are not solidly “all good” or “all bad.” Many of us make decisions that seem like a good idea at the time that later turn out to be not-so-great. My main character, a teen girl named Monroe, has always lived by the motto, “You Only Live Once,” but when she faces the counterpart to that, “Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time,” she starts to reconsider.
If she could do it all over again, she might say, “Yes, you are in charge of your own destiny. Just make sure it’s the destiny you really want.”
Actual footage taken from Bonnie & Clyde’s death scene in 1934.
So the long and the short of it is...while positive role models are wonderful, I need to trust that teens can "see behind the curtain" and realize that fiction serves many purposes: some to tell the truth, some to make you see the direction you don't want to venture. I did not try to glorify Bonnie and Clyde as heroes, but as teens who made choices that ultimately resulted in their deaths. Definitely NOT something anyone would strive for and I know teens reading my book can figure that out all on their own.
'Til next time, stay safe!
KYM
By: Kym Brunner,
on 2/3/2015
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By: Kym Brunner,
on 1/22/2015
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Hello readers: I'm so excited to bring you my interview of Katie Sparks––a wonderful middle-grade author who also happens to be my friend and amazing critique partner! I had the pleasure of reading this book in all stages––from inception to publication. It's soooo super cute, funny, and authentic - just like the author herself!
Where did you get the idea for Reality Natalie?
About 5 or 6 years ago, I was completely enthralled with all of the reality shows that were popping up on TV. They ranged from singing competitions and talent shows to cooking or bake offs and clothing designer contests. The list became endless. But one thing I noticed was that none of them were for little kids. At the time, I believe the youngest person who could audition for American Idol, had to be 16. However, I knew that despite these rules, some of those watching these shows were kids! From that realization, I thought about a girl who was obsessed with reality television. Thus, Reality Natalie was born!
Describe how you created characters that speak and act so authentically.
I combed through my story several times and tried to find areas where I explained something in my voice instead of how an 11-year-old might see it, and tweaked them. For example, every time Natalie notices her parents look at each other in thought, she wonders if it’s some sort mind-reading skill you get when you are get married.
People always say that kids say the darndest things and it’s true! The hardest part is getting yourself to remember what it was like at that age and to see the world through their eyes. Finding your character’s voice and keeping it consistent throughout helps make your story stronger and more authentic sounding.
What type of revisions did you make after FIREDRAKE acquired it? Were there any you didn't agree with?
My publisher and I went through several rounds of edits looking for various things at each time. The first time around we looked for the global, large-scale edits like red herrings, loose ends or plot points that didn’t work or make sense. Natalie has a blog that she enjoys so I had to make sure the timing for each of her posts were correct and made sense.
At one point in the revision stage, we had a conversation whether or not one of my characters was being too hard or too soft on another. My publisher and I talked it over and I decided to revise it based on some of our talking points. What came out of that is a stronger, well-rounded scene that satisfied both my publisher and myself, and rang true for the characters.
What advice do you have for other middle-grade authors seeking publication?
My advice pertains more to the writing than the act of trying to get published. Middle grade is a tough audience to write for. Your characters are out of the “baby stage” but not quite a young adult. Their main focus is typically their friends and family and the surrounding world around them. It’s also very important to keep in mind the middle grade voice.
What are you working on now?
I always have several projects up my sleeve. It helps me to bounce and back forth between them so I don’t get too stuck on one. Plus, it helps drum up ideas. For me, and I’m sure for many writers, taking a break from one WIP for a bit and then coming back to it later with fresh eyes can really help. Right now, I’m working on a couple new middle grade novels, one possibly with series potential. They are very different concepts; one is serious and the other is more fairy-tale related. I also am trying my hand at a few different picture book ideas. It’s always been a big goal of mine to publish a picture book!
QUICKFIRE QUESTIONS:What do you love most about being published? This might sound cheesy, but I really like seeing my name on a published book. There are a million other exciting things about being published but since I was a little girl I’ve already wanted to experience that moment where I held a book in my hands and this time, my name was it.
Who was your favorite character and why? I relate a lot to Natalie since I share many of her qualities, but I grew to love Robbie Lovelton, a secondary character in the book. He isn’t quite a class-clown, but nonetheless, is a boy in Natalie’s class that enjoys getting on her nerves. Despite his quirks, he is endearing and even funny at times. I’ve even begun thinking of writing a story from his perspective, but that’s just a thought right now!
Where and when do you write? I don’t have a specific time that I write, but I have found that middle of the day works well for me. I also try to carve out time after work at a coffee shop to write. It forces me to focus and there are fewer distractions than home. Otherwise, I enjoy getting up early on the weekend, making coffee and writing before the craziness of the day begins.
Do you have a muse, music, or certain drink you must have while writing? Coffee, coffee, coffee! I wish could listen to music but that ends up being a distraction for me. I’ll start singing the words and totally lose my train of thought!
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| Katie Sparks and her cat, Moe |
Dogs or cats? Why? I love dogs, but I’m going to have to go with cats. I have a very vocal cat, Moe, at home who actually acts more like a dog. She’s crazy, but I love her!
Favorite recent MG books (besides yours of course!) from past three years: I really enjoy reading the books listed on the Rebecca Caudill list each other. I don’t get to all of them but I try! Some that have really stuck out for me recently include Every Soul a Star, Mockingbird and Out of My Mind.
Favorite MG of all time: Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babitt (turned 40 this year!). I read this book when I was younger and just fell in the love with the characters and the story. Who wouldn’t want to be immortal?
CHECK OUT KATIE'S WEBSITE HERE!
By: Kym Brunner,
on 1/1/2015
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Here are the finalists - Who should win? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter or Facebook - thanks!
ENTRY # 1
ENTRY #2
Entry #3
My grandma is a one smart cookie because she is funny and wise. She helps out on holidays and helps even if no one even asks. Therefore I think my grandma is a one smart cookie.
WIN A KLU COLOR TABLET!
by entering the
MY GRANDMA IS “ONE SMART COOKIE” CONTEST!
1 Lonely Teen Girl
+ 1 Deal with the Polish Spirit of Love
(courtesy of her one smart, spirit-conjuring grandmother, of course)
2 Tasty Boys (and a whole batch of deception)
16-year-old Sophie Dumbrowski’s grandma is one smart cookie. How about yours?
Is your grandmother (alive or deceased) one smart cookie? Does she do amazing things for her community, your family, or her health? Does she go out of her way to make your life better? Does she bake the best cookies in the world? Then tell the world about it!
To enter, all you need to do is submit a picture of your grandmother (alone, with you or your family, in action…whatever works!) and write a one to three sentence caption telling why she’s so smart / wonderful / generous/ (fill in the blank). Winners will be judged on the overall quality of the writing (conventions /word choice), the ability to make a connection to the reader, and having a clear photo that focuses on your grandmother. ENTRANTS AGES 13-21 WELCOME!
Captions should begin with “My grandma (NAME) is one smart cookie because…”
Must be received by January 15th – Winner announced January 30th
WIN A COLOR KLU TABLET* AND
YOU’LL BE ONE SMART COOKIE, TOO!
*donated / no warranty / comes with charger
By: Kym Brunner,
on 12/26/2014
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Dialogue Secrets
Quick! After a person’s appearance, what’s the first thing you notice when you meet someone? If you’re like most of us, it’s what comes out of their mouths. First impressions and all that. But when you read, you can’t see the characters, so your first impressions are made based on what the characters say, not how they look.
Simple concept, right? Not so simple to deliver.
SO…HOW DO YOU MAKE YOUR CHARACTER MAKE A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION?
Give them something to say that is:
· Believable
· Fits their personality
· Consistent, yet unexpected
· Short and natural
1) Believable Dialogue
How do you know if it’s believable or not? Put on your walking shoes and get out your notebook! Head to the spot where the prototype of your character would go. Need to write teens talking together at lunch? Go to a fast-food restaurant near a high school. Want to know what couples say when they’re on a date? Head to a movie theater early and go see latest romantic comedy. You get the idea.
***HINT: LISTEN AND TAKE GOOD NOTES. I promise you’ll forget the words and how they said them if you don’t.
2) Dialogue that fits the character’s personality
There’s a famous writing cliché that says a reader should be able to read a line of dialogue and know who the character is without the identifying dialogue tag.
The key is being the character when you write his or her lines. Imagine YOU are the sensitive butcher who is very observant––seriously! Picture yourself looking out of the eyes of the butcher with your hands on a raw steak and then write his or her lines. A great way for authenticity is to actually observe a butcher talking to his or her customers. Conduct a quick interview if you can, asking his top three concerns about his job. You might be surprised to learn what those things are…and so might your reader.
****HINT: SWITCH INTO THE MINDS of all of your characters (even the minor ones) as you write to create words that only THEY would say.
3) Consistent, yet unexpected? Huh?
Your job is to make sure your characters are real, that they speak the truth (or not, depending on who they are). In real life, characters might keep their thoughts to themselves. Not so in fiction. Characters that are pushed to the brink must speak out––to a best friend, to the cabbie, to the offending party, to the police.
Yes, we want dialogue to be authentic, but it IS a story and it does need to intrigue your readers. So let them speak their mind and propel the story ahead by providing interesting thoughts for your readers to mull over.
***HINT: TO KEEP PACING ON TRACK, use frequent dialogue to break up paragraphs of exposition.
4) Short and Natural
Cut to the chase. No one likes listening to boring blow-hards, so don’t let your characters be one of thosepeople. Remember tuning out a boring teacher? That’s what didactic dialogue and info dumps feel like to your readers. Only include information that’s absolutely necessary for the story’s sake and skip the rest. You need to know the backstory, but keep it to yourself if it isn't essential to the plot.
***HINT: READ ALL DIALOGUE OUT LOUD. Change voices to the way you imagine the characters interacting and it’ll feel more “real.” If you’re bored with the conversation, so is your reader. If it doesn’t sound the way a person really talks, cut it or revise it. Listen to real people and you’ll notice most of us talk in short sentences with breaks for others to add commentary.
So there you have it. Write dialogue that’s believable, fits the characters, necessary, and natural and your readers will come back for more!
*****
Hopefully you’ll find authentic dialogue galore in WANTED: DEAD OR IN LOVE, which features two alternating POVs––one from Monroe (a modern-day teen who becomes possessed internally by the infamous Bonnie Parker), and the other from Clyde Barrow himself (who works hard to take over the body of Jack Hale, a teen male).
And if cultural humor is more your style, you’ll get a helping of Polish spirits along with a bounty of teen angst in ONE SMART COOKIE, a Polish teen who seeks the help of her spirit-conjuring grandmother to find the perfect boyfriend.
Kym Brunner
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Bio:
Kym Brunner's method of creating a manuscript: write, procrastinate, sleep, repeat. She's addicted to Tazo chai tea, going to the movies, and reality TV. When she's not reading or writing, Kym teaches 7th grade full time. She lives in Arlington Heights with her family and two trusty writing companions, a pair of Shih Tzus named Sophie and Kahlua. She's repped by Eric Myers of The Spieler Agency.
Wanted: Dead or In Love Book Trailer:
By: Kym Brunner,
on 11/15/2014
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Have you ever had one of those surreal moments when something BIG is happening and you can feel it in every nerve of your body and you want that feeling to last forever?
Well, that happened to me yesterday when I crossed a line through an item on my bucket list: appearing at Anderson's Bookshop as an author. I felt amazingly lucky to be on a panel with some of the friendliest, coolest, nicest, smartest YA authors around. How had we never met before?
Here are the brilliant authors of some super super cool books (all with an original dark element including: OCD, cults, swamps, body sharing with dead outlaws):
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| LEFT TO RIGHT: Lindsay Currie (co-author of CREED), Natalie Parker (BEWARE THE WILD), Rachel Wilson (DON'T TOUCH), Me (WANTED: DEAD OR IN LOVE) and the other co-author of CREED, Trisha Leaver. |
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| Here, expert storyteller Natalie is beguiling the crowd with her tale about going to GATOR RANCH in the deep, deep, deep South. Ask her to tell you about it sometime! |
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| Some of our fabulous attendees! Thanks so much for coming out! |
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Some other fun tidbits: Shared dinner and sweet treats beforehand with the panel at Jimmy's. Delicious food and nonstop conversation that made my author heart happy. Thrilled to see my book on the shelf. Wahoo!
But the BEST PART OF THE WHOLE NIGHT was meeting Nathalie, Stephany, and her father who had driven over an hour to meet me and buy my book. You girls are both awesome and Nathalie, your enthusiasm for writing blew me away. I know I'll be seeing your name on a book cover one day in the future! Thanks for coming out!!
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| The adorably cute and effervescent Nathalie (left) and her artistic sister, Stephany! |
By: Kym Brunner,
on 11/8/2014
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WIN A KLU COLOR TABLET!
by entering the
MY GRANDMA IS “ONE SMART COOKIE” CONTEST!
1 Lonely Teen Girl + 1 Deal with the Polish Spirit of Love
(courtesy of her one smart, spirit-conjuring grandmother, of course)
_______________________________________________________________________
2 Tasty Boys (and a whole batch of deception)
16-year-old Sophie Dumbrowski’s grandma is one smart cookie. How about yours?
Is your grandmother (alive or deceased) one smart cookie? Does she do amazing things for her community, your family, or her health? Does she go out of her way to make your life better? Does she bake the best cookies in the world? Then tell the world about it!
To enter, all you need to do is submit a photo of your grandmother (alone, with you or your family, in action…whatever works!) and write a one to three sentence caption telling why she’s so smart / wonderful / generous/ (fill in the blank). Winners will be judged on the overall quality of the writing (conventions /word choice), the ability to make a connection to the reader, and having a clear photo that focuses on your grandmother.
Captions should begin with “My grandma (NAME) is one smart cookie because…”
ENTRANTS AGES 13 - 21 WELCOME! TELL YOUR FRIENDS!
Must be received by January 15th – Winner announced January 30th
WIN A COLOR KLU TABLET* AND
YOU’LL BE ONE SMART COOKIE, TOO!
*donated / no warranty / comes with charger
10" touchscreen tablet with 4 GB memory
By: Kym Brunner,
on 10/13/2014
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HOW DO AUTHORS REALLY FEEL WHEN THEY READ REVIEWS?
Naturally, if every bit of it is glowing, we cheer, nod, and say, "This person is brilliant!"
But what about when part of the review isn't all party cakes and rainbows?
Well for me, I'd say I have a LOVE-LEARN relationship with reviewers and reviews.
Some authors I know stopped reading reviews because it makes them sad/angry/vengeful or (fill in the blank). And ain't nobody got time for that, right?
But not me.
I can't wait to read them. I purposely didn't call it a "love-hate" relationship because that's not usually the way I feel when I read reviews about my novels. (Unless of course it seems like the reviewer has a personal vendetta against me from my high school days, or they only read the first two chapters....then I might not be so forgiving.)
And to be perfectly honest, maybe I do hate it a
little when I read negative things. After all, it did take me two years of writing and revising to finish the book, so it's human nature for some comments to sting a little. But overall, I think of it as a learning experience. Maybe because I've been a teacher my whole life...?
So here's the scoop:
I LOVE when reviewers read my books, flattered they spent their precious time choosing my book to read. I LOVE when they LOVE it and share their view of it with the world.
So...to that effect, a giant thank you to book reviewers, librarians, and friends who post reviews for my books on Goodreads, Amazon, and/or Barnes & Noble.
What I might not love is when they spot flaws in my characters, world-building, plot, or endings. But there are things I don't love in other books I've read, so why wouldn't others feel the same way about mine? The trick is to try and objectively view the review as if it weren't about my book, and to realize that the different tastes in reading material is what helps keep novels diverse.
Easier said than done.
Here's what I do when I read a review:1) Look at the final, overall rating to prepare myself whether it will be meh, good, or great.
2) Read it quickly once and react however I'm feeling (but don't share that with anyone).
3) Read it a second time, but this time, I read it as if my editor is giving me advice about things I need to address.
4) I note the things they liked and/or disliked.
5) If more than one person said the same thing, I'm definitely going to try to make sure that, in the future, those same flaws have been addressed.
If you're a reviewer, do you worry about how you phrase a negative review, or is it more fun to dish it dirty and not think about the author? Is there any sort of etiquette involved?
And if you're an author, do you read your reviews? Why or why not?
Til next time,
KYM
By: Kym Brunner,
on 9/22/2014
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After her daughter narrowly survived a man she met in an online role-playing game, Kelly wrote a breathless young adult thriller with the hopes of helping others spot and unmask internet predators.
When a Nampa, Idaho, police detective said to Margo Kelly’s daughter,
“It is your job to tell others—your real everyday friends that you go to school with—tell them what happened to you, so nothing like this can happen to them.” … she agreed.
“My daughter is my hero,” Kelly said, “for being willing to share her personal choices, conversations, and feelings in order to help others, regardless of the negative judgment she might receive as a result.” Additionally, Kelly realized if she wrote a novel about her daughter’s experience, they could help more people avoid the trappings of internet predators. Who R U Really? is primarily a work of fiction, but the essence of the plot is what happened when Kelly’s daughter was nearly abducted. The fictional elements are based on what has happened to young women across the country on a too frequent basis.
“Inspired by her own daughter's terrifying story, Kelly has painted a realistic picture of how a smart girl can get caught up in something dangerous online,” said the School Library Journal. “Guaranteed to give readers goosebumps—particularly as events heat up toward the end. … A good choice for families to read together.” (http://www.bookverdict.com)
According to the Fall Preview issue of Kirkus Reviews, “Thea’s mistakes, while frustrating to encounter, are frighteningly plausible, and the relationships among characters are well–fleshed out, especially between mother and daughter. Kelly’s first novel is a suspenseful page-turner with multiple suspects, a little bit of romance, and a strong but not overbearing message.” (www.kirkusreviews.com)
Who R U Really?will be published in hardcover and e-book versions by Merit Press (F+W Media) on September 18, 2014.
More about Who R U Really?
When Thea discovers a new role-playing game online, she breaks her parents’ rules to play. And in the world of the game, Thea falls for an older boy named Kit whose smarts and savvy can’t defeat his near-suicidal despair. Soon, he’s texting her, asking her to meet him, and talking in vague ways about how they can be together forever. As much as she suspects that this is wrong, Thea is powerless to resist Kit’s allure, and hurtles toward the very fate her parents feared most. Who R U Really? will excite you and scare you, as Thea’s life spins out of control.
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More about Margo Kelly
Margo Kellyis a native of the Northwest and currently resides in Idaho. A veteran public speaker, she is now actively pursuing her love of writing. Who R U Really? is her first novel. Margowelcomes the opportunities to speak to youth groups, library groups, and book clubs.
Follow her online:
Twitter: @MargoWKelly
Scheduled Appearances:
September 26, 2014 – 5pm – Book Signing at Hastings in Meridian, Idaho
September 27, 2014 – 4pm – Book Signing at Hastings on Overland in Boise, Idaho
October 3, 2014 – 7pm – Book Launch Party at Hyde Park Books in Boise, Idaho
October 11, 2014 – 4pm – Book Signing at Barn
By: Kym Brunner,
on 9/12/2014
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YAY! You're published...now what?
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After the exuberance at signing my first contract ebbed a bit, I set my sights on what it would be like following the novel’s release. I didn’t worry too much about the logistics of it, but I had imagined that over time, I would become pretty well versed on how things would progress.
I wasn’t.
Partly because there’s a lot to learn and experience, but also partly because, for everyone else involved, it’s not their first time to the publishing watering hole and they don’t know how much (or in my case, how little) you know about the after party. While it’s only been two months since Wanted: Dead or In Love (Merit Press) came out and even shorter since One Smart Cookie (Omnific Publishing) was released, I’ve already learned A LOT since then. Here we go:
5. YOUR PUBLISHER WILL PROMOTE YOU, BUT…you have to promote yourself. A LOT. Your publishing house has tons of authors on their lists, with more books being released each season, so keep on tagging them in your tweets and status updates and it works to doubly promote them and you. It’s a good thing.
4. YOU HAVE TO FIND YOUR OWN WAYS TO GET THE WORD OUT – no one wants a blowhard that says “Buy my book, buy my book!” all the time, so think hard about alternate connections to your books and make it fun. Run promotions that get readers involved. Make connections with librarians, appear at functions near your home (so it’s not too expensive)….just get out there and be visible and friendly, not pushy.
3. GIVEAWAYS CAN GET YOU NOTICED…but if you offer a gift card along with your book, many people will enter for the money, but not your book. Something to think about.
2. YOUR FRIENDS ARE EXCITED FOR YOU, BUT MIGHT NOT BUY YOUR BOOK. And that’s okay. Not everyone is a reader. Try not to get too disappointed and don’t hold grudges. (But hopefully they won’t mind if you don’t buy their kids’ Boy Scout popcorn either…) Just kidding!! Okay, maybe not. See how hard it is NOT to be disappointed? JBut to my wonderful friends, family, and fellow scribes who have supported me by coming out to my book launch events, purchased my novels, or spread the word, you’re the best!! I can’t thank you enough!
1. SALES TAKE A WHILE TO ACCRUE. While there will (hopefully) be a nice spike when your book first comes out, it takes time for word of mouth to build. Keep buzzing about your book because you might think everyone has heard, but many haven’t. Everyone needs reminders and fresh news about your book and appearances. Slow and steady wins the race.
So there you have it…and the learning curve doesn’t stop there. What was something that surprised YOU about the publishing business after your debut came out?
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Kym Brunner dreams entire novels in her head, but needs about a year to write it all down. She wishes there was an app for this. She's addicted to chai tea, going to the movies, and reality TV. When she's not reading or writing, Kym teaches 7th grade full time. She lives in the Chicago area with her family and two trusty writing companions, a pair of Shih Tzus named Sophie and Kahlua. She's repped by Eric Myers of The Spieler Agency.
Wanted: Dead or in Love, Merit Press, June, 2014
One Smart Cookie, Omnific Publishing, July, 2014
By: Kym Brunner,
on 8/24/2014
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At the SCBWI-LA conference earlier this month, executive agent Laura Rennert from Andrea Brown Literary Agency wowed us with her knowledge about how authors should build successful careers.
She suggested that we view ourselves as being the CEO of our own company, which would make your agent your COO. After reviewing who her authors are, she develops very systematic plans for each of her clients and says we should do the same for ourselves.
Basically, you need to think about who you are as a person, who your readers are, and what your books are about, then build your brand and marketing efforts upon those ideas. So here are my thoughts on each of those topics:
Who am I as a person?
- teacher/ author
- outgoing
- always striving to be humorous
- am intrigued by things unique and unusual
- laid back and easygoing
Who are my readers?- teens
- smart adults who dig YA
- librarians? reviewers? teachers?
What are my books about?
- everyday teens on the brink of something new
- often suspense & plot driven
- falling in love
- humor + heart
- something unusual or quirky such as:
- Bonnie & Clyde, Polish superstitions, falconry, space camp.
So based on those bullet points...what's my plan?
I'm going to try and formulate one now:
I'll focus on writing blog posts, running contests, and appearing at events hoping to showcase my sense of humor, my knowledge of suspenseful writing, and showing my love for things that are quirky. Hmm....I think I like it. At least for now.
Laura Rennert did mention restructuring now and then as you go along. Figure out what's working and continue doing those things, while at the same time, weed out the strategies that weren't so successful. What works for one author might not work for another, so don't lose hope. It may take years to develop, but keep working and hopefully you'll see sales rise and offers increase. (*see me grinning with sparks of hope in my eyes)
Now it's your turn to be the CEO of your book company. Write down the three categories listed in bold above, along with your bulleted lists that represent you, and then come up with a one-line plan. I'd love to hear what it is, so please share in the comments....
By: Kym Brunner,
on 8/10/2014
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Find a connection to something famous and make it your own! Make sure you either own the rights to the pictures or give photo credit. You just might find readers who appreciate your sense of humor.
Thanks for the idea, Veronica Rundell, a friend and book reviewer, V's Reads, who graciously shared her pictures from Chicago's Museum Campus!
Got any other ideas?
By: Kym Brunner,
on 7/16/2014
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| Courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos/Stuart Miles |
I was blessed with the opportunity to write an article for
Chuck Sambuchino's "Guide to Literary Agents" column for Writer's Digest. Considering how many hits Chuck's blog posts get, I was in debut author heaven. After being given the okay for a guest column with the freedom to choose the topic, I excitedly detailed how I came about writing multiple POVs for
Wanted: Dead or In Love, my YA novel about Bonnie & Clyde taking over the bodies of two modern day teens (which resulted in four POVs interspersed in the story). I figured readers might wonder how and why I chose to write it in alternating POVs, and so I gave (what I hoped was) the interesting background about my thought process.
Before it appeared online however, someone at WD changed the title of my article from "Cracking Down on Multiple POVs: Surrender and Nobody Gets Hurt," to "You Should Write From Multiple POVs if Your Story Demands It." Perhaps mine was too long or they felt it wasn't catchy enough. Although I thought my title with the criminal undertones was clever and fit my article, I wasn't upset.
No biggie, right?
I didn't think so....until I saw the list of comments on the Writer's Digest Facebook Page that linked to my article (which has since been taken down). People were writing angry comments that my post was nothing but a promo for my book and didn't give advice about whether or not to write from multiple POVs. The thing is...I hadn't intended to do that.
I left one short polite reply on the Writer's Digest Facebook page explaining that my original title had been changed and basically, sorry for the misconception. (I'm not sure if my comment caused them to take down the post or if the fury of the commentators did, but either way, it's probably a blessing for both of us).***Editing to say that on the webpage itself, there were lots and lots of wonderful comments by readers. Definitely the lovely outweighed the grumblers. Thank you, positive readers! :)
Here's the thing: the title gave readers a different expectation. And I guess, looking at it from their perspective, I can see why they might have had some sour feelings. They wanted a checklist or guidelines of when you should use multiple POVs in your story and when you should stick with a single POV. I'm not sure there's a right/wrong answer to that question, except to say that uh (ahem) you should do it if your story demands it.
That said, I guess I learned that blog post titles have more significance than I knew. With that in mind, I decided to create a few guidelines for choosing blog post titles:
1) CRAFT A CATCHY TITLE - it's important that you make readers curious to see what your article is about. If you're tweeting a link to your article, you only have a split-second to catch a reader's attention. "Write a Title That Fits" wouldn't have been as interesting as the one I chose for this blog post, although it would have reflected the content.
2) DELIVER WHAT YOU PROMISE - the title should reflect the content. No one likes bait and switch. Yes, it should be catchy, but it can't promise something that you don't deliver. Make sure the reader gets what he's coming to your blog for, or they might not come again.
3) REFRAIN FROM GENERIC "GRABBER" TITLES - there are many tweets that say, "Check this out!" or "You won't believe what you'll see by clicking HERE." Yes, we are curious by nature, but when you've seen enough of those, you stop following the link. No one likes surprises THAT much.
Those are all the rules I can think of at the moment (except maybe if you host someone as a guest on your blog, don't change their title without running it past them first.) :)
If Chuck Sambuchino or anyone from Writer's Digest reads this article, I want to reiterate how grateful I am for the opportunity to post an article for your organization. Hopefully the readers that left those angry comments will surrender their feelings and no one will get hurt. :)
Care to share any other guidelines that I missed?
'Til next time...xoxo, KYM
By: Kym Brunner,
on 7/2/2014
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If I never publish another book, I will forever treasure the moments that I am experiencing this summer with the release of my debut novels: WANTED: DEAD OR IN LOVE from Merit Press, and in a few weeks, ONE SMART COOKIE from Omnific Press.
Maybe it's because it took me ten years to get here that I now cherish this moment so much, but I've come to realize that the difficult journey might be what is making this reward all the more precious.
I have acknowledgments and dedications in my books to thank all the hundreds of supporters and writers and friends who made my dreams come true, but still felt I needed to share this glorious night with those who couldn't be there in person.
Here are some pictures from one of the best writer days of my life thus far––billed as "A YA AUTHOR EVENT" at Barnes & Noble––when I was actually part of the panel instead of an attendee. Woot!! The other three authors were not only cordial, but funny, sweet, and super smart too!
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| Barnes & Noble Window Display in Arlington Heights, IL |
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| The four of us who presented: me, Stacey Kade, Elizabeth Fama, and James Klise (they were all awesome!!) |
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| A few members of my amazing SCBWI writers' group: Terri Murphy, Terry Flamm, me, and Mike Kelly |
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| The adorable Ruby clan - family friends and super supporters! |
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| My good friend and colleague, Pam Lily - who was with me when I got the original "call" from my agent! |
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| FORTY MINUTES INTO THE PRESENTATION - about 60-75 of you in all! |
THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT!
You seriously have no idea how much it meant to me to see all of you!
Thanks for taking time out of your busy lives to come cheer me on.
Giant thanks also to the B&N managers, Ralph & Amy, who were wonderful to work with!
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