Sharon A. Crawford’s latest in the Beyond series
When do you rewrite your novel? As you go along? After each chapter? After a few chapters? Or when you complete the first draft?
If you rewrite after you go along, it can slow down finishing the novel’s first draft. You are constantly changing words, thinking of better words or phrases, deleting scenes, and on and on. You may easily lose your train of thought. The best way here is to keep on writing and if you just can’t come up with a better word or phrase, do as I do put “word” in brackets. Bold or red it if you like.
After each chapter or a few chapters? Yes, and no to rewriting. Most, if not all of us will not finish a novel in one sitting, so you are going to have to go back to it constantly. This will involve reading at least the previous chapter. or at most, the chapters written in your last writing session. During this time, I do make a few word changes or even scene changes. The latter often comes from getting a better idea – either between the last writing session and this one or as I read. Or sometimes the main characters from the Beyond series take over with what they think is best. Dana Bowman,one of the fraternal twin PIs is definitely good at this. But other characters, such as her brother Bast Overture, also speak to me. This can be a good thing because maybe you stopped writing when you reached an impasse or you knew something you had just written didn’t make sense to your plot and/or what your characters would do.
To continue last week’s post on outlining or not. I mentioned that I constantly go up and down the screen to fix inconsistencies. So that means I do some rewriting as I go along there. I find if I don’t fix the inconsistency when I and/or my characters figure out how to do so, it will affect the rest of the plot. SometimesI have to add something – such as bringing in some of the characters’ suspicious’ actions so when I out them as guilty of something later on it doesn’t hit the reader in the face, leaving them wondering “Where did that come from?” “Or “there was no indication of this earlier on.”
So to answer the question, yes, I do some rewriting as I go along – but after I’ve written a few chapters – but I will also do several rewrites after I finish the first draft.
The process is all subjective – whatever works for the individual writer.
How and when do you rewrite your novel?
Comments?
Cheers.
Sharon A. Crawford
Click on the Beyond Blood cover at the top to find out where copies are available.
Tags: Beyond Blood, Blue Denim Press, Characters in Fiction, Charactistics of good fiction plot, Dana Bowman, Fiction Plot and Characters, Novel writing, Rewriting Fiction, Sharon A. Crawford, writing
Sharon A. Crawford’s latest in the Beyond series
Do you painstakingly outline your characters every move and every plot development in your novel before you write it? Or do you jump right in and write from your idea of plot and characters? With a series (like my Beyond Blood series) the second option is modified as you already have your main characters – they just need further development.
I do a little of both and by that I don’t mean outlining to the last detail what is going to happen. I start with an idea and some new characters and start to type in an outline. But something happens as I do this. The darn story wants to be told so I involuntarily switch to writing mode.
Not that I’m through doing outlines. Far from it. I have had to stop and think between writings what could happen next. I say “could” because characters and situations change (like people in real life situations). And being anal and sticking to the original plan is often not in the best interest of the novel. This is creative writing – fiction.
Because a few things happen when you are in creative writing land. You get better ideas and characters like to take over. Listen to them. Some original plot ideas may not work out. Some characters need fleshing out and/or need to be connected to the story more, particularly what I call the “guest characters” as opposed to the series regulars.
I tend to write complicated plots and am constantly going up and down the screen to fix inconsistencies. I do have a list of inconsistencies and also a list of what I call “Balls being juggled in the plot.” The latter refers to what evolves as I write, but they must be worked out in the story telling. Let no story thread be left well, unthreaded.
One thing readers hate is if some plot development is left hanging at the end of the novel. I’m not referring to continuation of series characters’ private lives – for example relationships that have formed in the novel and may continue in your next novel. If Alice and Joseph start dating in your novel, you don’t have to marry them off at the end of the novel. Leave that open-ended one way or the other as anything can happen in the next novel. But if you have a subplot that is a red herring (part of the criteria for mystery novels), you better resolve that one.
So I ask you again – how do you write – from an outline or by the seat of your pants?
Cheers.
Sharon A. Crawford
Click on the Beyond Blood cover at the top to find out where copies are available.
Tags: Beyond Blood, Blue Denim Press, characters, Characters in Fiction, Charactistics of good fiction plot, Fiction Plot and Characters, main characters, Mystery Novels, novel, Novel Outlines, Novel writing, plot development, series characters, Sharon A. Crawford, writing
Sharon A. Crawford’s latest in the Beyond series
Do you join with other authors to promote your books? Or are you the lone wolf? I do both and there are pros and cons for each.
With other authors – to use a variation on an old phrase – there are benefits in numbers. If three or even five authors band together to do a reading or some sort of presentation, it can draw in some readers that might not otherwise attend your presentation alone. Not to belittle your book, but we all have preferences for books we read. In the crime genre there is fiction and non-fiction. So by mixing it up with a variety of sub-genres, you can draw in more people. They may not know you or your books but they will find out. The trick is to be friendly, knowledgeable and interesting. Panels with q and a and a bit of author reading work best I have found. And when readers congregate at the author table at the end, there is a good chance they will be purchasing books. Yours might be one of them. Just don’t push it. And you get to meet a bunch of authors writing in the same genre and learn from each other.
Going it alone is a good idea if you want to focus on a particular subject that your book deals with – that could be writing series characters, especially if some appear in short stories as well as novels. Or if you want to talk about particular issues that are in your book and use your book and its story as an example. Beyond Blood covers child kidnapping, serial killers, fraud and abortion pill issues. Although Beyond Blood is set in August 1998, the abortion pill in the novel is still illegal in Canada.
Lots of fodder for thought there. You may also have a specific type of crime writing workshop and use your book for examples.
Then there is the honey of all solo presentations. When the person in charge of the venue – whether library, cafe, pub or festival – asks you to come and do a presentation. The latter has happened to me a few times with Beyond Blood and yes, I have sold book copies. I will be doing it again Sept. 3 (see the Gigs and Blog Tours page).
Just remember not to come on as a salesperson. You are there to primarily entertain and of course underneath all that, hopefully sell some books. But if you stand up (or sit at a table) like some of these motivational speakers continually pitching their courses, you won’t sell a book.
My thoughts anyway.
What do you think?
Cheers.
Sharon A. Crawford
Click on the Beyond Blood cover at the top to find out where copies are available.
Tags: Author Readings, Beyond Blood, Blue Denim Press, Book Promotion, crime fiction, Fiction Plot and Characters, Marketing your book, Mystery Novels, presentation, series characters, Sharon A. Crawford, Short story collection, writing
Sharon A. Crawford’s latest in the Beyond series
I continue with marketing my mystery novel Beyond Blood into bricks and mortar bookstores. And I keep in mind the possibility of book returns and loss in royalties. So I’m not exactly bombarding bookstores. However, I am plugging along to visit the bookstores on my list. At least I’m organized – after a fashion.
Yesterday I popped into another Indigo Bookstore, this one mid-town going north in Toronto. As usual I prepared in my head what I planned to say.
It didn’t go exactly that way. But it doesn’t help if you (read me) have some health issues acting up when you are talking to the bookstore manager. Mine is an on-again off-again (mostly on it seems) sinusitis infection that sometimes goes down lower to glands. It makes me tired sometimes – I also don’t get enough sleep some evenings because late at night I suddenly decide I have a lot of house-related stuff I just have to do and get to bed late. Obviously it is important to be organized in your personal life as well.
So what did happen? First the manager thought I was trying to get the book in on consignment and said no openings for that until next April. I had managed to remember to introduce myself, my publisher and that the book is not self-published. I also mentioned what other branches in the chain it was in and BB wasn’t on consignments there and they just ordered from the distributer. Still not exactly clear because yours truly forgot one important point. Beyond Blood is for sale on line at this bookstore chain. Magic words. He was interested. I also said I do book signings, but he said that branch doesn’t do that anymore because they don’t get the people like they used to. Different demographic now. We talked about a couple of other branches, but I did agree with him. So he took my business card (with the info – including photos of the book covers and one of me – thanks to my son’s design, and web links to more). I got his contact info.
So, we shall see.
Meantime I keep watch on the other bookstores handling Beyond Blood and also book more library gigs where I can read and present and sell books directly. It is also a good way to connect with readers. I have a new one September 3 on my own at Brentwood Library branch in Toronto. Will get that one in the Gigs and Blog Tours page on this blog shortly and also my website www.samcraw.com. Also organizing one with other Crime Writers of Canada in another library branch for late next March. And there will be another bookstore CWC one outside Toronto in late November.
You have to keep plugging and don’t give up.
But get lots of sleep and scrap those late-night house chores.
Meantime, if you are in the Toronto area, check out the big Indigo Bookstore in the Manu-life Centre. As of yesterday there was still a copy there. Or go to their online ordering. Print copies and e-copies – Kobo – available (among other places) at https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/home/search/?keywords=Beyond%20blood%20and%20Sharon%20A.%20Crawford And if you want e-copies in either Kindle or Kobo go to my publisher, Blue Denim Press, at http://bluedenim.skemantix.com/books/beyond-blood/
Happy reading.
Cheers.
Sharon A. Crawford
Tags: Author Readings, Beyond Blood, Blue Denim Press, Books into Bricks and Mortar Bookstores, bookstores, Crime Writers of Canada, Indigo Bookstore, Marketing your book, Mystery Novels, Sharon A. Crawford, Toronto, writing
Sharon A. Crawford’s latest in the Beyond series
Sometimes we focus on promoting our books through social media only. Sometimes we focus on e-copies only.
Let’s not forget that many books still come in print too. Sure they are available online, but sometimes the bricks and mortars bookstores can be a selling resource too.
And it may not be as difficult to get them to carry your book. Especially if you have a distributor. Especially if you do events with writing organizations that you belong to – and those organizations are sponsoring an event in a bookstore.
Not trying to turn back the clock here. There are other instances of media that didn’t disappear just because something new didn’t come along. Think TV. Think radio. Think print newspaper and magazines. They have just all changed and expanded on how they present. But some variation of the original still exists.
Back to bookstores. First, my Beyond mysteries series are not self-published and my publisher through the distributor (Ingram for those interested) has had my books placed online at various bookstores – Barnes and Noble in the United States for example, and Indigo-Chapters in Canada. But anyone can go in any bookstore and order in a copy of Beyond Blood and/or Beyond the Tripping Point. The bookstore will just order through Ingram.
That’s not exactly in the store, though. Here’s my story on that.
I belong to Crime Writers of Canada. Every April CWC holds the Arthur Ellis Short List party at one of the main Indigo Bookstores in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. As part of the celebrations, CWC published authors are invited to read. Well, not all members, but 12 to 16 or so – first to sign up, first to read. That means Indigo has to order in print copies of these authors’ books. Any not sold at the party go into the bookstore’s section. It really helped that Beyond Blood was available through Indigo Chapters online.
Indigo/Chapters is a bookstore chain in Canada and once in one bookstore (especially a big one), it helps to get the book in others. So I’m doing this now. So far I haven’t had to go into a big spiel to pitch my book – at least with this chain. With other smaller independent bookstores – chains or not – I may have to use the competition angle.
It also helps that I write in the mystery genre. Mysteries and romances are selling well, in Canada, at least.
Meantime, you can get e-copies of Beyond Blood and Beyond the Tripping Point online at my publishers at http://bluedenim.skemantix.com/books/beyond-blood/. Print copies and e-copies – Kobo – available (among other places) at https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/home/search/?keywords=Beyond%20blood%20and%20Sharon%20A.%20Crawford
Cheers.
Sharon A. Crawford
Tags: Author Readings, Beyond the Tripping Point, Blue Denim Press, Book Marketing, Book Promotion, Books into Bricks and Mortar Bookstarts, Books into Bricks and Mortar Bookstores, bookstores, Crime w, Crime Writers of Canada, independent bookstores, Indigo and Chapters Bookstores, Mystery Novels, Print versus e-books, Sharon A. Crawford, writing
Sharon A. Crawford’s latest in the Beyond series
Gearing up for another presentation with other Crime Writers of Canada authors next week. Rosemary McCracken, Nate Hendley, Steve Burrows, and Sylvia M. Warsh and myself will descend on Fairview Library,in Toronto, Canada next Thursday, July 23. I’m being lazy this time round as Rosemary is doing the moderating honours, including coming up with some questions for us authors to reply with sizzling answers to draw in the audience. We’re also going to read a bit from our books.
Meantime I’ve been busy organizing more gigs for the Crime Writers of Canada gang. And talk about being lazy – no not shrinking back in doing there, but I am consolidating some of my book promo (and also other CWC authors) with DRUM ROLL HERE….
A new page on this blog Gigs and Blog Tours. It features upcoming gigs, some past gigs that were memorable, blog tours and the like, with lots of photos. Check it out at https://sharonacrawfordauthor.com/getting-around-with-the-beyond-blood-gang-and-friends/.
It is an evolving page, with constant changes/additions. You never know from week to week if it will be the same.
Info on my books and gigs are still on my website, but the setup will change – once my son and I get finished creating a new website for me. This is my writing and editing and instructing website http://www.samcraw.com – old one is still up until the new one gets finished.
Meantime, the photo at the top of this post still connects to where you can get copies of Beyond Blood – e-copies and print.
Cheers.
Sharon A. Crawford
Tags: Author Readings, Beyond Blood, Blog Pages and websites, Blog tours and Gigs, Blue Denim Press, Crime Writers of Canada, Mystery Novels, Rosemary McCracken, Sharon A. Crawford, writing
Sharon A. Crawford’s latest in the Beyond series
As I continue writing my third Beyond mystery book, things are changing with the plot and the characters. That is the big reason why I don’t pre-plot down to the last T. Characters, like real people, change over time and that includes perspective – mine and my characters.
Yes, you read that right – my characters are changing and I’m letting them do so. The main characters of the Beyond series – fraternal twin PIs – Dana Bowman and Bast Overture, Dana’s son David and Detective Sergeant Donald Fielding – have to change and grow. If I want my characters to be real life, they can’t stagnate. This third book has to reflect consequences of what happened in Beyond Blood (the novel) and the four Bowman/Overture stories in Beyond the Tripping Point. BB takes place in summer 1998; those four stories in BTTP from May 1999 to mid-October 1999. The current Beyond book takes place from November 1999 to the beginning of January 2000.
So, I’ve been sitting at my computer almost every weekday, writing, some of the story pre-thought out, much “by-the-seat-of-my-pants.” At the end of the day’s work I type up a few notes about what to cover the next day – not that I will stick exactly to it.
Something just wasn’t working out. I do choose who the murder is before I get going on a novel. But the who and the whys just weren’t making sense here. And there would be some similarities to Beyond Blood. I’m supposed to be continuing the characters’ stories, not copying them.
So, on Tuesday I woke up brainstorming and later put down some changes in writing. Yes, I changed the who-dunnit and of course the why. This made sense and provides a real twist in the story. The other person who I had pegged for the murderer will not be lily-white and will figure into the plot line – not just as a red-herring, but also in a subplot that ties in with the main plotline. I love complicated. And yes there are more twists and turns going on.
But I’m not telling what. I just might change my mind. Or the characters might.
Sometimes I wonder just who is writing this novel.
And it’s not just me that thinks that. When I was interviewed about Beyond Blood a few months ago on the Liquid Lunch for thatchannel.com, one of the interviewers, Sandra Kyrzakos, said I was channelling my characters. Perhaps she is right. See for yourself at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2bBaePIWgY&feature=youtu.be
Cheers.
Sharon A. Crawford
Sharon A. Crawford is the author of the Beyond book series. More info at www.samcraw.com and www.bluedenimpress.com – my publisher – you can also purchase e-books – both Kindle and Kobo from Blue Denim Press. Click on the Beyond Blood Book cover at the top of this post.
Tags: Bast Overture, Beyond Blood, Beyond the Tripping Point, Blue Denim Press, Changing Novel Plot mid-stream, Channeling Fiction Characters, characters, Characters in Fiction, Charactistics of good fiction plot, Credible Fiction Characters, Dana Bowman, Detective Sergeant Donald Fielding, Fiction Plot and Characters, main characters, Mystery Novels, Sharon A. Crawford, Short story collection, writing
Sharon A. Crawford’s latest in the Beyond series
If you want to write some more of that novel, that short story, that essay, sometimes you need to take drastic actions.
Like toss all the other work-related stuff into the holding bins. Yes, for some of us one holding bin just isn’t big enough.
That’s what I did (for the most part) the last three days. And not only finished a personal essay that was in an appalling draft state, I wrote some more in my next Beyond novel. I woke up my characters – the fraternal twin PIs Dana Bowman and Bast Overture and my stuttering detective Donald Fielding. I also straightened out some plot inconsistencies, smoothed some other parts, sorted out and included the last bit of info from my police consultant, but also more questions arose for research. Most of it has to do with police procedure and I’ll be getting back soon to my police consultant about that.
Something else happened as I wrote both the novel content and that personal essay. I go lost in my writing, i.e., the world around me continued on – cars driving by, neighbours cutting their lawn, etc. but it was on the peripherals and if I noticed, it was sub-consciously or just in passing to silently acknowledge it way back in my mind.
The phone ringing is another matter. Although I am glad to have the phone working, it did intrude. No, I didn’t answer it; if I did someone would get a nasty earful. I did answer the door because at the time I had the inside door open to let in fresh air.
It was someone selling something to do with heating the house equipment – I was curt and sent him on his way.
The moral here (besides keeping your doors all closed when you are writing) is if you want to write, don’t only says so, do so.
You will get taken in by your story and you might just get somewhere writing it.
The creative satisfaction can only be described as…well the words you write do it more than justice.
Happy writing.
Cheers.
Sharon A. Crawford
Sharon A. Crawford is the author of the Beyond book series. More info at www.samcraw.com and www.bluedenimpress.com – my publisher – you can also purchase e-books – both Kindle and Kobo from Blue Denim Press. Click on the Beyond Blood Book cover at the top of this post.
Tags: Bast Overture, Beyond Blood, Blue Denim Press, Dana Bowman, Detective Sergeant Donald Fielding, Donald Fielding. , Fiction Plot and Characters, Mystery Novels, Novel writing, personal essay, police consultant, Sharon A. Crawford, writing, Writing Time
Sharon A. Crawford’s latest in the Beyond series
Last Saturday I was the guest speaker for an English Conversation drop-in seminar for new Canadian citizens at a local Toronto library branch (Brentwood). From what was discussed by email with the organizers, I was to talk a bit about writing memoirs using the senses. However, I could bring copies of my mystery books to sell.
So armed with memoir writing handouts and my books I arrived early.
And received a very pleasant surprise.
I already knew one of the organizers, Bill, who attended my memoir writing workshop at another library branch. So, from our phone conversations and emails I knew of this plan he had concocted and yes, I knew he was interested in buying my books as well as others – librarians and seminar participants.
What I didn’t know was all the enthusiasm I would receive about my books and being a writer. As I’ve mentioned before, we writers sometimes forget that this is what we do (just like some people are lawyers) so we take it as second nature.
We, or at least I, never forget we do want and need to sell book copies. But I try not to be in people’s faces about it.
The whole two hours was all about my books – characters and plot – and writing, but with a twist. The participants are newly-arrived in Canada and their English varies from good to just learning. Part of these seminars’ focus is on the idiosyncrasies of the English language. So when a slang phrase or cliché came up, Anna the librarian or Bill would ask the others if they knew what it meant so that started a lively discussion. I caught on to this and started to do the same as for some reason I began involuntarily using a lot of slang terms. And near the end I was allowed to sell my books – sold all of the Beyond the Tripping Point short story collection copies I had brought along and half of the Beyond Blood novel copies.
And Bill, Anna (and Lidia, the other librarian who also facilitated this session) want me back to do a guest spot in one of their evening sessions. Not sure if its fiction writing or memoir writing, but I will be ready for either or both and yes, I can sell books.
Lidia also had me sign the contract to teach a different memoir writing workshop for library patrons in the fall. And yes, I can sell books then, too.
The point here is – no matter how you organize promoting your books, you may miss something – often something pleasant and rewarding – not just book sales, but that magical connection with others who are interested in writing and your books.
Meantime I’m preparing for two gigs with other Crime Writers of Canada members coming up June 11 and June 12. See my website www.samcraw.com and go to Beyond Blood for a list. More on that in next week’s posting.
Cheers.
Sharon A. Crawford
Sharon A. Crawford is the author of the Beyond book series. More info at www.samcraw.com and www.bluedenimpress.com – my publisher – you can also purchase e-books – both Kindle and Kobo from Blue Denim Press. Click on the Beyond Blood Book cover at the top of this post.
Tags: Author discussions writing, Author Readings, Beyond Blood, Beyond the Tripping Point, Brentwood Library Branch Toronto, Dana Bowman, English Conversation and books, Fiction Plot and Characters, Marketing your book, Memoir Writing Workshops, Mystery Novels, Sharon A. Crawford, Short story collection, toronto public library, writing
Sharon A. Crawford’s latest in the Beyond series
Last weekend one of my stops at the annual Toronto Doors Open was the MZTV Museum of Television & Archive in the Zoomer radio complex.
So what does all this have to do with book marketing? Especially as it wasn’t even in the actual radio studio.
It was the accidental run-ins with someone I know and someone I don’t (but quickly did). I looked up from the exhibit and saw a familiar face from my gardening club. We looked at each other and started talking. She asked how I was and what I was doing. And so I said I write mystery books and have two in the Beyond series out now. I might have mentioned then about doing readings with other Crime Writers of Canada authors or maybe that came later.
Immediately she launched into a possible speaking engagement for me – not with the gardening club, although one story in Beyond the Tripping Point is set in a garden centre. My gardening friend also sometimes goes to a local Toronto Heritage Club, which meets once a week and is looking for speakers. It may be a bit of a stretch for mystery writing with novels set just north of Toronto (I did tell her where they were set) but there are possibilities for heritage to connect with mystery and maybe even my Beyond series. One is the location (which is fictitious but based on what’s there – I used to live there), so might be able to do a comparison fiction and reality heritage of the area. There is also the topic of the history of mystery fiction set in Toronto and written by Toronto authors, which could lead into my Beyond books. At her request, I gave her my business card which has photos of the two Beyond books on one side with the publisher’s name, and the flip side my headshot, contact info and my mission statement for all my writing and editing – “We make words sparkle.”
And with speaking engagements comes the possibility of selling books.
The other one was a chance encounter outside the Zoomer Complex with a lady who asked me if I knew who was in the photo in the window. Although I could name only two people, we started talking. She seemed fascinated and very respectful to be talking to a writer – something we writers often forget as we take our writing as second nature. We talked about mystery writing, my books, the radio personalities and shows on 96.3 classical radio and the tour we had both been on inside there. We continued our conversation on the bus. She is interested in buying my book at a bookstore and possibly going to one of the library readings I’m doing with CWC in June and July. I gave her my business card and we said the usual “nice to meet you” when I had to get off the bus at the subway station.
So, sometimes by keeping your mind open and attuned to marketing your books, but not pushing it, opportunities can pop up in unusual and unexpected places.
And for some excellent author etiquette for book promotion, read my friend and colleague Rosemary McCracken’s post on her blog Moving Target
Etiquette on the book front
Meantime, I’m preparing for those future readings and presentations. Check my website www.samcraw.com under Beyond Blood for my upcoming gigs.
Cheers.
Sharon A. Crawford
Sharon A. Crawford is the author of the Beyond book series. More info at www.samcraw.com and www.bluedenimpress.com – my publisher – you can also purchase e-books – both Kindle and Kobo from Blue Denim Press. Click on the Beyond Blood Book cover at the top of this post.
Tags: Accidental Book Promotion, Author Promo Etiquette, Author Readings, Author Speaking Engagements, Beyond Blood, Beyond the Tripping Point, Marketing your book, Mystery Novels, MZTV Museum of Television & Archive, Rosemary McCracken, Sharon A. Crawford, Toronto, writing
Sharon A. Crawford author 