Taste of Kiwi: Blog of Author Shelley Munro

“The middle of the book is often a really crucial turning point for a writer. For me, I usually find myself at a crossroad not sure where to turn with the book. I’ve found that printing out and reading what I’ve written so far helps me reconnect with the characters so that by the time I’ve read through the book, I’m ready to roll with the last half of the book. Another thing I’ve found very useful when editing is to read the book out loud. It helps me catch things the eye generally overlooks.”

Visit Monica Burns’ website.
Purchase Monica Burn’s upcoming release, Assassin’s Honor.

“My biggest tip to any writer is to write consistently. I used to say people should write every day, but if you miss a day or two, the guilt starts snowballing. So, now I just say you need to make writing a habit that you stick with. If it’s a habit, you train yourself into needing to do it, and the only way to finish a story is to write. Nothing else will get you there, so make sure to make time for it, even if it means using a pad of paper and pen in the car while you’re waiting the ten minutes for the kids to get out of school.”

Visit Crystal Jordan’s website at www.crystaljordan.com
Purchase Crystal’s next release, In the Heat of the Night

“I always read when I’m writing – Stephen King calls it “refilling the word well” – and I often re-read my favorite authors and my favorite books. Finding a chapter or scene I love and really analysing how the author put their sentences and descriptions and paragraphs together has given me some of my best writing lessons over the years. Staying open to new ways of doing things and looking at my own work keeps the writing interesting and challenging for me, and hopefully for my readers.”

Visit Sarah Mayberry’s website
Purchase Sarah’s latest release, Her Best Friend

“Have faith in your own story and your own process. When I first started writing I heard talks from authors who’d written practically since they could hold a pencil, and I heard about authors who plotted out entire stories before they wrote a single manuscript word. I, on the other hand, came to writing late, and I start a story, sometimes with as little as a single sentence, and having little if any idea of the path my characters will take to get to their happy ever after. I had to learn to trust that my way was okay. It works for me and that’s the only thing that matters.

Related to this point is not comparing your journey to, and through, publication with anyone else’s. To quote from the Wear Sunscreen song, The race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself.”

Visit Sandra Hyatt’s website
Purchase Sandra’s upcoming release, His Bride For The Taking

“My advice is to keep hope in the mail ie. always have more than one submission out with editors or agents at a time. If you receive a rejection, this means you’ll still have another submission to pin your hopes on, and it will cushion your disappointment about the rejection.

During my pre-published days I found the hope in the mail method worked well for me. I entered contests. I submitted manuscripts to editors and agents. I worked out a plan for each manuscript, and if I received a rejection, I’d evaluate the feedback and move on to the next part of my plan. Since becoming published, I still adhere to the hope in the mail method as much as possible. Having more than one submission floating around really does help cushion disappointment if you receive a rejection.”

You’re already at Shelley’s website. Why don’t you explore a little while you’re here?
Purchase Shelley’s next release, The Bottom Line.

“I believe that to make it as a writer takes a combination of skill, persistence, and luck. William Feather aptly puts it, “Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.” There is no way to predict what will be the right pitch at the right time, so my only advise is the kind no one wants to hear. Sit down, write, and finish. Correct it and send it off. Then ignore it and write something completely different. Then send that off. Don’t get attached to your work. Because that’s what it is. Work. Not your art. Not your baby. Just your work. If you can’t disconnect yourself, I don’t think you’ll be emotionally able to survive this industry. ”

Visit Gail Carriger’s website at www.gailcarriger.com
Purcahse one of Gail’s books – Soulless was trust upon the unsuspecting public Oct 1, 2009. Changelessis due in April of 2010, and Blameless September 2010.

“Don’t fall prey to believing everything you read in Craft books or hear in workshops is the only way to do things. Always remember that what people tell you works, is what works for them – and what works for them might not work for you. You may be different, and forcing yourself to do things in a way that isn’t natural to you will only hurt your writing. Ultimately you have to learn to Trust in yourself, and your own process.”

Visit Sasha White’s website at www.sashawhite.net
Sasha’s latest release, One Weekend is out today at Samhain Publishing!

“Form a network with other writers. This can be in person at local writer’s meetings, or online on forums and websites, or some combination of the two. More heads are better than one when it comes to knowing about new opportunities for authors or hearing about changes in the industry (and there are always changes). It gives you people to bounce ideas off of or to ask questions of that might not be appropriate for editors or agents. It also gives you a social group in this crazy world of writing. As important as it is to have non-writing friends to keep you grounded, you also need people who understand the process you go through every time you sit down at the keyboard.”

Visit Crystal Jordan’s website at www.crystaljordan.com
Purchase Crystal’s next release, In the Heat of the Night

“Go Low Tech

I don’t know how anyone ever managed to write and revise a novel before the invention of computers (laptops!) with word processing. The speed and maneuverability, the way you can lift whole passages out and slot them in somewhere better–it’s fantastic.

It can also be a little paralyzing. When I get stuck and realize I’ve been staring at that blinking cursor on my white screen for too long, I close my laptop and grab a pen and a spiral-bound notebook. (Some of my writer friends go for legal pads or composition books, whatever works for you.) I take my low-tech tools out of my office, curl up on the couch, and think about the scene. Something magical happens! It’s as if being unchained from my computer frees my mind to see the story from a new perspective. I might sketch out snippets of dialogue or notes on character motivation and interaction; I might even write a couple pages of the scene out longhand. But invariably, the change of pace from computer to paper engages a different part of my brain that helps me push past whatever was blocking me, and I discover something new. Then I can go back to my office and push forward.

I could never give up my iBook; I love all its bells and whistles, its cute, sleek styling. But when you need a jolt of creativity, nothing beats plain old paper and pen.”

Vist Louisa Edwards’ website at www.louisaedwards.com
Purchase Louisa’s latest release, On The Steamy Side

“My simple tip for writers is this: write. Write every day. Don’t let your internal critic talk you out of it because you still need to learn this or that skill, or you haven’t got that perfect synopsis yet or the ‘just right’ computer to get started. Tell that fussy critic to shut it. Learn from action. Set up a word count goal and meet it by writing X number of words daily. If you can’t hold yourself accountable, then do a check-in with a writer friend, and be honest when you don’t meet your quota. If you miss your word count, make it up the next day. Keep track of your progress in a notebook. Writing down your daily word count number is a kind of positive reinforcement, and you’ll be amazed at how quickly you accumulate 20 thousand words, 40 thousand, 60 thousand. Don’t get side-tracked by the glittery stuff associated with being an author. Writers write, and if you want to publish, you need to create product.”

Visit Beth’s website at www.bethkery.com
Release, Berkley Heat, February 2, 2010
Sometimes you have to let desire run wild.

Read an excerpt of Beth’s latest book, Release