So, I started working on a book. It has been a long time since I wrote and lots of things in my life have changed since then. I've hit the wall more times than I've missed it, to be honest. I want to write. I have the story in my head. Unfortunately, there seems to be some kind of block between what's in my head and what magically appears on the screen when my fingers strike the keys!
Feeling frustrated, I talked it out with a few people. The best piece of advice I got was from my mom. It seemed so simple a solution that I hardly believed it would work. In the past, my pattern has been this; I read a book (often a Jill Mansell book) and then I write a book! Well, that pattern doesn't seem to be working for me.
My mom's solution to my block was this...read your book again. See, I'm trying to write a sequel to one of my books. I know what I want my characters to experience. Taking my mom's advice, I sat down with my kindle and began to read my book. Guess what I found?
I may know where I want my characters to go, but I had forgotten where they came from! Can you believe it? I created those characters and their story, but I had forgotten a lot about them.
So, as I sit back this summer and read my book again, I am hoping that my characters will remind me who they are, how they fell in love, and what they went through in order to help me write their next adventure!
Oh yeah, and thanks mom!
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Saturday, June 8, 2013
It's just that simple!
"You should write another book!"
That's all I've heard since I got even a tiny taste of success with my books.
"Sure," I say with a smile.
Like it's that simple!
It's not as if I haven't tried! I have ideas. I have even sat down at the computer with every intention of writing, but when my fingers hit the keys...nothing!
I have ideas. I have a bunch if them. On paper. On my iPad. On my phone. Everywhere there are ideas.
What isn't everywhere? The actual drive to write another book!
So, here's what it breaks down to. What happens when what used to be your escape from life's stresses becomes one of life's stresses?
The pressure associated with writing another book gets in my head and keeps me from writing. I have no idea how real authors manage to live to tell another tale. Seriously, how does James Patterson keep cranking them out? I swear he's got like a million books on the shelf. He even has time to make TV commercials telling us he's going to kill a character if we don't read his books! Where does he find the time and how does he deal with the pressure?
Perhaps the real authors like James Patterson don't feel pressure. Who knows? What I do know is that I really want to write another book for everyone (though no one as much as for my dad). I will keep trying, even if I have to sit down in front of the computer for hours just to get the inspiration!
That's all I've heard since I got even a tiny taste of success with my books.
"Sure," I say with a smile.
Like it's that simple!
It's not as if I haven't tried! I have ideas. I have even sat down at the computer with every intention of writing, but when my fingers hit the keys...nothing!
I have ideas. I have a bunch if them. On paper. On my iPad. On my phone. Everywhere there are ideas.
What isn't everywhere? The actual drive to write another book!
So, here's what it breaks down to. What happens when what used to be your escape from life's stresses becomes one of life's stresses?
The pressure associated with writing another book gets in my head and keeps me from writing. I have no idea how real authors manage to live to tell another tale. Seriously, how does James Patterson keep cranking them out? I swear he's got like a million books on the shelf. He even has time to make TV commercials telling us he's going to kill a character if we don't read his books! Where does he find the time and how does he deal with the pressure?
Perhaps the real authors like James Patterson don't feel pressure. Who knows? What I do know is that I really want to write another book for everyone (though no one as much as for my dad). I will keep trying, even if I have to sit down in front of the computer for hours just to get the inspiration!
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Coming soon...
So, I've decided that I need to branch out and reach a wider audience. My first thought was to try and publish for the Nook. In order to do that I would have to give up my KDP select membership. Unfortunately, that presents me with two problems. First, I just renewed so it wouldn't be until May or June that I could do anything. Second, if I give it up then Amazon Prime members would no longer be allowed to borrow my book. Believe it or not, that is my biggest money maker right now. Obviously I needed to find another option.
Many of the people that I know have expressed interest in having a copy of my book, but they are not a Kindle owner. Some of them do not use or own iPods or iPads either. (I know, right? There are still people like that out there?) Thinking of those old school peeps, I decided to take advantage of CreateSpace.com! Coming soon you will be able to purchase a paperback copy of A Week at the Beach from Amazon.com!
I will be honest, I am not happy with the price. In order to make a decent profit I had to price each book as $9.99. I wish it could be less, but I've got bills to pay, you know?!?!?!
How exciting though!
More details to follow!
Many of the people that I know have expressed interest in having a copy of my book, but they are not a Kindle owner. Some of them do not use or own iPods or iPads either. (I know, right? There are still people like that out there?) Thinking of those old school peeps, I decided to take advantage of CreateSpace.com! Coming soon you will be able to purchase a paperback copy of A Week at the Beach from Amazon.com!
I will be honest, I am not happy with the price. In order to make a decent profit I had to price each book as $9.99. I wish it could be less, but I've got bills to pay, you know?!?!?!
How exciting though!
More details to follow!
Monday, April 8, 2013
To sequel or not to sequel, that is the question!
Normally when I finish a book, I finish with the character's stories. I like it that way. It keeps things neat and simple. For the most part that works for me. I can honestly say that when I wrap up their story, I wrap it up nice and neat so that there is no wondering what happens next. Does that sometimes leave me a little sad? Yes. Do I miss my characters? Yes. Do I want to dive back into their world and make something else happen? Not really! If I miss one of my characters, I just read it again and enjoy it like a reader.
However, there is one couple who have been on my mind. When I wrapped them up I didn't really feel like they were done. So now that I am feeling the itch to write again, I am debating whether I should make some new friends or bring a few old ones back for a visit. What do you think?
If you could choose which couple gets a little more of my time, who would it be? Let me know!
As for me, I am not telling who has been on my mind lately! You'll just have to wait and see what I decide to do!
However, there is one couple who have been on my mind. When I wrapped them up I didn't really feel like they were done. So now that I am feeling the itch to write again, I am debating whether I should make some new friends or bring a few old ones back for a visit. What do you think?
If you could choose which couple gets a little more of my time, who would it be? Let me know!
As for me, I am not telling who has been on my mind lately! You'll just have to wait and see what I decide to do!
Monday, April 1, 2013
Where have you been, young lady?
So, it's been awhile.
Friends of mine can attest to the fact that I tend to drop off the face of the earth every now and then, but that eventually I will pop up and let them know I am still around. This past year and a half has been one of those times. I did not disappear. I did not get into a horrible accident and get amnesia and forget that I am Virginia Jewel, Chick lit writer on the brink of success. I did not give up. Here's what really happened...
So, there you have it! Those are all the reasons I have been absent. Admittedly, some of those reasons are pretty lame when it comes to reasons why I have been absent. However, the big one there seemed to overshadow it all and then when you add them all in, it just made for a big break in my productivity and visibility.
I'm not going to address the dad thing. It was, and still is, the hardest thing I have ever had to deal with and live through. I wake up every morning hoping that it was all a sick joke, but quickly realize that it is not. My dad is gone.
The getting freaked out and then complacent thing...let's talk about that. Prior to December 2011, the biggest month of sales I had was probably about 10 books. In December 2011, I signed up to do a free promo via Kindle Select. In 5 days I gave away over 10,000 copies of Nuptials for Sale. The next month my sales jumped tremendously. In January of 2012, I published A Week at the Beach and There's a New Sheriff in Town. In March of that year, I did a free promo and gave away over 80,000 electronic copies of A Week at the Beach. The next month my book sales skyrocketed to the point that I made the equivalent of a year's teacher salary. In one month, I made the same amount that normally takes me an entire year of blood, sweat, and tears to earn! Wow, was I excited! Oh my gosh, was I scared! After that my sales fell, but I was still bringing in enough money every month that I was now a two income household.
The moneywas is nice, I'm not going to lie. It has helped me in so many ways and I have been able to do things for my friends and family that I never would have been able to do without it. But, that money actually translated into fear. The success of the books was great, but as the money rolled in, so did the reviews. I have mentioned on here before how I feel about reviews, but it can be hard to set those cruel (and honest?) words aside when I sit down to write again. What I didn't realize is that I was scared. My dad is actually the one who pointed that out for me. He said that the reason I had not written anything since December 2011 is because I was scared that people weren't going to like it. He said I was scared that what if all those people who read and liked my other books didn't like my new books?
He was right.
Unfortunately, what he didn't know was that having to watch him fight Lymphoma, struggle with surviving chemo, and then eventually sit with him as he took his last breath was a lot scarier than even the nastiest review. I know now that if I can survive all that and come out a much stronger person, then I can get over it if someone doesn't like my books!
So, needless to say, I am back! I'm not writing yet, but I've got some ideas written down and there are things stirring in my head that need to come out. I am ready to write again. I know that my dad would want me to keep this up and I want to make him proud!
Oh yeah...the boyfriend thing. Love him to pieces but sometimes I think to myself, "Fictional men are so much easier to manage!"
:-)
Friends of mine can attest to the fact that I tend to drop off the face of the earth every now and then, but that eventually I will pop up and let them know I am still around. This past year and a half has been one of those times. I did not disappear. I did not get into a horrible accident and get amnesia and forget that I am Virginia Jewel, Chick lit writer on the brink of success. I did not give up. Here's what really happened...
- I got freaked out by my own sales
- I got complacent with my books and book success
- My dad got sick
- I got a boyfriend
- My dad got sicker
- I got a live-in boyfriend
- My dad died
So, there you have it! Those are all the reasons I have been absent. Admittedly, some of those reasons are pretty lame when it comes to reasons why I have been absent. However, the big one there seemed to overshadow it all and then when you add them all in, it just made for a big break in my productivity and visibility.
I'm not going to address the dad thing. It was, and still is, the hardest thing I have ever had to deal with and live through. I wake up every morning hoping that it was all a sick joke, but quickly realize that it is not. My dad is gone.
The getting freaked out and then complacent thing...let's talk about that. Prior to December 2011, the biggest month of sales I had was probably about 10 books. In December 2011, I signed up to do a free promo via Kindle Select. In 5 days I gave away over 10,000 copies of Nuptials for Sale. The next month my sales jumped tremendously. In January of 2012, I published A Week at the Beach and There's a New Sheriff in Town. In March of that year, I did a free promo and gave away over 80,000 electronic copies of A Week at the Beach. The next month my book sales skyrocketed to the point that I made the equivalent of a year's teacher salary. In one month, I made the same amount that normally takes me an entire year of blood, sweat, and tears to earn! Wow, was I excited! Oh my gosh, was I scared! After that my sales fell, but I was still bringing in enough money every month that I was now a two income household.
The money
He was right.
Unfortunately, what he didn't know was that having to watch him fight Lymphoma, struggle with surviving chemo, and then eventually sit with him as he took his last breath was a lot scarier than even the nastiest review. I know now that if I can survive all that and come out a much stronger person, then I can get over it if someone doesn't like my books!
So, needless to say, I am back! I'm not writing yet, but I've got some ideas written down and there are things stirring in my head that need to come out. I am ready to write again. I know that my dad would want me to keep this up and I want to make him proud!
Oh yeah...the boyfriend thing. Love him to pieces but sometimes I think to myself, "Fictional men are so much easier to manage!"
:-)
Friday, May 18, 2012
Raise your hand if...
Raise your hand if you are attempting to write the next great American
novel?
I know you can't see me, but if you could you would see that my hand is NOT up. Actually, I'm glad you can't see me because my house is filthy and I didn't wash my hair today.
I hope it doesn't make me seem shallow to admit it, but I am not trying to change the world with my books. There is no hidden message in my stories. My characters are not metaphors. The plots of my books are in no way a commentary on what life is like today.
My books are for fun. I write them because I think its fun, and I want people to read them because they are looking for some entertainment.
Isn't that what most books in the genre of chick lit are supposed to be about? I'm not saying that Women's Fiction can't be meaningful or make an impact on the world around us. All I am trying to say is that when a reader picks up, or downloads, a book that is in the chick lit genre, they are not expecting to read a piece of work that will forever be in the canons of literary history. That being said, it cracks me up when I read reviews that say "it's not great literature", or "not a literary masterpiece" about a book that is in this genre.
Maybe I'm missing the point, but I thought that chick lit was supposed to be an escape. I spent several years in high school and college reading "great literature", and while I enjoyed some of them, I don't really want to read them again as an escape from the hustle and bustle of my everyday modern life! When I take the time to sit down with a book, I want to be transported to a place where I don't have to worry about bills that need to be paid, dishes that need to be washed, or a house that needs to be cleaned. I certainly don't want to have to think about how the story I'm reading is a metaphor for some aspect of our culture today, or try to decipher the message behind the story. I just want to melt into the story and live vicariously through the characters.
Am I missing the point? Am I a shallow reader?
I don't think so. I think that some people just don't relax when it comes to what they read. Perhaps they read everything with the same critical eye and fervor that they use when they read "the greats". To each his own, I guess. For me, though, I don't have Great Expectations for my chick lit, except that I expect my next great escape!
;-)
Monday, April 30, 2012
Can I see your ID?
Let me start this post by saying that I am by no means a prude. Do I sometimes err on the side of caution? Yes! But in my opinion, that's the best side to be on. Regardless, I am curious to know what other chick lit fans think about how old you should be before you start reading contemporary women's fiction.
It's not as if there isn't a huge market of teen chick lit out there to satisfy the squishy-butterfly-in-your-tummy feeling that you get from a great male lead. But at what point should a girl step into the shoes of an older woman's romance. Whoa! Hold on there! Don't get ahead of me! I'm not talking about bare chest book cover books. Smut is not the topic here. I'm talking about romance stories that involve characters in their 20's and beyond. Let's face it, a young girl already has enough confusing information about men, love, and relationships. Do we really want them to get lost in the dreamy existence of a book character?
Many of us got into this romance game early on. For me it was the Sweet Valley series, though I never really realized it was "romance". The first real romance book I read was Pride and Prejudice by the Godmother herself, Jane Austen. How was I supposed to not fall in love with Mr. Darcy? How many others had fallen before, and after, me? In fact, go to Amazon.com right now and type "Darcy" into the search tab and look at all the books women have written about that man. Talk about a dreamboat!
My worry is that if young girls start reading romance books written about women in their 20's, 30's, and 40's experiencing love, what is going to happen to their relationships? I am not naive enough to believe that all teenage girls are chaste and angelic. However, I wonder if reading books about women who fight, and lose, the battle between what they know they should do and what they actually end up doing is what is best for them? Are we letting them mature too fast in their reading? It seems silly to question it, after all it's just fiction, but I wonder about these things a lot. Kids are growing up too fast. They're taking on responsibilities at an earlier age than they should. I teach ten year olds who know things that I didn't know when I was eighteen! Is it better for them to learn about these things in a book or in real life?
I bring this up because several reviewers have mentioned that 'A Week at the Beach' would be appropriate for a teenage girl to read. I disagree. I'm the author and I disagree. I don't want teenage girls reading the book and making the same choice that Cami makes. Is that wrong of me to not want a group of readers to read my book? I certainly don't think my writing is so amazing that it's going to inspire girls everywhere to go out and hook up. (Oops, should I have said *Spoiler Alert*?) I write stories to entertain women. I like to escape into the fantasy of a cheesy romance because I am aware that real life, and real men, are not like what I read in a book. If the world was littered with Nicks, or any other chick lit male character, then we wouldn't need silly romance books to escape into.
Should teenage girls be escaping into that world? Have they lived, loved, and lost enough to earn that escape? Look what happened when Stephenie Meyer gave them a mash up of several great male characters. The teenage girls came out in droves to chase Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner down the street. Of course, their moms weren't far behind, but frankly being the mom to a teenager automatically gives you the credit you need to escape from reality for a few hours!
So, to those of you who read this blog regularly and to those of you who have just stopped by, what do you think? Should there be an age restriction on chick lit? Let me know what you think!
Oh...wait! I just realized that if they put an age restriction on chick lit what is to stop them from putting an age limit on children's books and YA books?!?! No more Harry Potter? No Hunger Games? No...I can't live in that world.
It's not as if there isn't a huge market of teen chick lit out there to satisfy the squishy-butterfly-in-your-tummy feeling that you get from a great male lead. But at what point should a girl step into the shoes of an older woman's romance. Whoa! Hold on there! Don't get ahead of me! I'm not talking about bare chest book cover books. Smut is not the topic here. I'm talking about romance stories that involve characters in their 20's and beyond. Let's face it, a young girl already has enough confusing information about men, love, and relationships. Do we really want them to get lost in the dreamy existence of a book character?
Many of us got into this romance game early on. For me it was the Sweet Valley series, though I never really realized it was "romance". The first real romance book I read was Pride and Prejudice by the Godmother herself, Jane Austen. How was I supposed to not fall in love with Mr. Darcy? How many others had fallen before, and after, me? In fact, go to Amazon.com right now and type "Darcy" into the search tab and look at all the books women have written about that man. Talk about a dreamboat!
My worry is that if young girls start reading romance books written about women in their 20's, 30's, and 40's experiencing love, what is going to happen to their relationships? I am not naive enough to believe that all teenage girls are chaste and angelic. However, I wonder if reading books about women who fight, and lose, the battle between what they know they should do and what they actually end up doing is what is best for them? Are we letting them mature too fast in their reading? It seems silly to question it, after all it's just fiction, but I wonder about these things a lot. Kids are growing up too fast. They're taking on responsibilities at an earlier age than they should. I teach ten year olds who know things that I didn't know when I was eighteen! Is it better for them to learn about these things in a book or in real life?
I bring this up because several reviewers have mentioned that 'A Week at the Beach' would be appropriate for a teenage girl to read. I disagree. I'm the author and I disagree. I don't want teenage girls reading the book and making the same choice that Cami makes. Is that wrong of me to not want a group of readers to read my book? I certainly don't think my writing is so amazing that it's going to inspire girls everywhere to go out and hook up. (Oops, should I have said *Spoiler Alert*?) I write stories to entertain women. I like to escape into the fantasy of a cheesy romance because I am aware that real life, and real men, are not like what I read in a book. If the world was littered with Nicks, or any other chick lit male character, then we wouldn't need silly romance books to escape into.
Should teenage girls be escaping into that world? Have they lived, loved, and lost enough to earn that escape? Look what happened when Stephenie Meyer gave them a mash up of several great male characters. The teenage girls came out in droves to chase Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner down the street. Of course, their moms weren't far behind, but frankly being the mom to a teenager automatically gives you the credit you need to escape from reality for a few hours!
So, to those of you who read this blog regularly and to those of you who have just stopped by, what do you think? Should there be an age restriction on chick lit? Let me know what you think!
Oh...wait! I just realized that if they put an age restriction on chick lit what is to stop them from putting an age limit on children's books and YA books?!?! No more Harry Potter? No Hunger Games? No...I can't live in that world.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)