When I was a secondary school English teacher periodically professional development days would come up and I  would be anxious for the break from routine even though I hated to lose the day with my classes. Every now and then, however, a day would come which made the break in routine absolutely worthwhile.

One such day began in the cafeteria of our small school with about thirty teachers sprawled at the tables waiting for the guest speaker of the morning. Our principal introduced someone–I can’t remember whether male or female even–and the day began. What I do remember is these two words:

ANTICIPATORY SET

The speaker showed our group how beginning our lessons with some manner of interest-grabbing device could prepare our students to learn. This might be a question: How much money do you have in your pocket? Did you see [insert popular television show] last night?

Or it might be something you have brought with you: one year I had to teach Marketing which was not in my field but has had a lot of relevance in my life, especially now that I am an author. In marketing there is something that the textbook called the marketing mix. I brought in my blender, set it up on the desk, added paper titles of all the elements that make up the marketing mix, plus water. Then I turned it on. Those lackadaisical grade twelve students came alive throughout this demonstration and my lesson was a hit. (Of course tipping over the blender full of gooey paper later in the trunk of my car was not such a hit with my husband!)

Or the anticipatory set might be something you say. “Come into the bathroom,” I said to my husband and two teen-aged kids, “and I’ll show you a trick.” After the usual amount of kidding and kibbitzing, they followed me and I pointed out that I felt all three of them needed help in learning how to change the empty toilet paper roll for a full one. As they giggled and guffawed, I did the lesson. We all had fun and, amazingly, from that day toilet paper rolls got changed by everyone, not just me.

Our readers need anticipatory sets in order to become engaged in our writing. Volumes have been written on the first paragraph, the first page, the first word even, whether we should start a novel with a question, with a preface, with an action scene–you name it. We writers search long and hard to find that certain something that will lure the fly into our various webs.

Try going to the library or the closest book store and do a study of first pages of books in your genre or not. Which ones use a certain technique that forces you to keep reading? Make note of ten different techniques or books which lure you in and then try each of them out on your work-in-progress or for new projects. Remember that anticipatory set phrase and make sure each opening makes the reader need to read on.

Consider leaving a comment on your own experiences with anticipatory set both in writing, speaking, and life.

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The Loyalist’s Wife by Elaine Cougler

I certainly do.

And just now, I’m having more trouble than usual what with all the posts I’m creating for my book launch, the reading of proofs for The Loyalist’s Wife, and a zillion other must-do items which are all converging in my brain. That being said I have some great links for my readers today.

Lorrie Porter’s blog post, which I finally got around to reading (having been on a 3-day holiday), is a trove of writing-related blog addresses and blog awards which she has received. She chose to answer them all together to the benefit of all of us who enjoy seeing other writers’ links.

Note: When you start clicking on the links you’ll lose Lorrie’s site as she has forgotten to have each one open in a new page. Not to worry. Just use the back button on your browser to go back to Lorrie’s list.

Lorrie mentioned my blog here and invited all of us whom she mentioned to pick an award or all of them and participate.

Here, then, are my responses to the Very Inspirational Blogger Award, the name of which sets pretty well in my brain and I’ll refer to it over and over, particularly on those days when I myself need inspiration.

Favourite colour: Blue. Royal blue to be specific.

Favourite animal: The human animal who married me

Favourite number: The ones with dollar signs in front of them on cheques. Just kidding.

Favourite non-alcoholic drink: My own version of hot chocolate: 1/2 tsp. Quik in a mug of steaming skim milk.

Favourite alcoholic drink: Crown Royal, Diet Coke and 2 slices of lime

Facebook or Twitter: LinkedIn writing groups although I do think there are a lot of amazing writing gurus on Twitter. That’s where I found a lot of wonderful web wizards.

My passions: My family, my writing, my jewelry making

Giving or receiving gifts: Giving, although receiving is pretty intoxicating at times, too

Favourite city: Quebec City dans la belle province au Canada

Favourite TV shows: West Wing, anything which is historical and well done, such as Downton Abbey.

Here are some blogs which I follow at the moment:

The Maiden’s Court

Peeking Between the Pages

Let Them Read Books

Passages to the Past

Live Write Thrive

Oh, for the Hook of a Book!

This Craft Called Writing

Market Your Book by Jan Bear

I do tend to change sites I follow based upon what I need to learn about the book business at any given moment.

Consider leaving a comment with favorite sites you’ve found. I do love the sharing aspects of the web, don’t you?

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The Loyalist’s Wife by Elaine Cougler

Reading books. That phrase just hangs together as naturally as drinking milk or licking a lollipop.

There are, however, times when we want the distraction or the excitement of a book when we just cannot read, such as when driving in a car. Listening to the radio puts us at the mercy of whatever stations are available as we drive along and especially on a long trip the stations keep fading out as we leave their signal area.

Some of us resort to CD’s or iPods or the like. Then there are the rest of us. We think hitting the open road is a marvelous time for an audiobook.

For a recent trip to South Carolina, my husband and I hit the library the night before leaving and picked up Bernard Cornwell’s The Last Kingdom. We fell in love with listening. No matter who was driving over those two days we would decide to pick up where we left off in the story. The miles simply slipped away as did the time. I usually drive for two hours and the last half hour I am always looking at my watch.

Not this time.

As I’ve mentioned before on this blog, we loved listening to a good book. So, of course, my writer’s brain began to go off on tangents asking questions.

7 Questions Related to Audio Books:

1. How hard is it to read a whole book for a recording?
2. Do actors do this or is this a special niche job?
3. What is the percentage of published books that make it into the audio book category?
4. Is there a genre or book length that works better?
5. Is creating an audio book something that is only done by renowned authors through their publishers or is the process easily accessible by any author?
6. What makes an audio book great?
7. What are the pitfalls to avoid?

Once again, I am off to learn about something new related to my writing. This time, however, I am asking you, my readers, to share any thoughts you have on making audio books.

Consider leaving a comment about anything but especially about audiobooks.

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The Loyalist’s Wife by Elaine Cougler

Three Ways My Reading Has Changed

1. What I read has changed. I don’t have as much time to read historical fiction as I used to have. All my life I’ve kept journals of the books I’ve read and I would compare years to see what my yearly count was.I still read for about 20 minutes before I turn out the light at night and I read during the day as time permits. Okay, that last part is just funny. Time permits? Not so much. These days, what I read might be edits from my editor, how-to-write books by writers who have gone before, writing magazines–I love The Writer and the Historical Novels Review!, or books in other genres by writers I’ve met in person or online.
2. How I read has changed.Plot. I was such a reader for plot I would forget the characters’ names and have to go back and check them out. Paragraphs of description were annoying and I became a great skimmer for the ‘good stuff.’ I preferred books that got to the details and wove in character, setting, themes, as needed and certainly not obtrusively. I still love to see how it will all turn out but I find myself looking at the writing differently. Rather than rushing through the story I am noticing just how the author wedged in that essential bit of backstory or just why he or she chose third person or first person. I see the plan behind the story like the framework of a house. I notice whether the framework is steel or wood timbers. And I learn for my own writing.
3. How I record what I’ve read has changed. As mentioned earlier, I was a great keeper of my reading record. Now I consider whether the author might be someone I’ll interview on this blog. Shall I do a review on Goodreads? I ask myself. Or will I just let the book and my reading of it quietly die? And I love this change as I’ve discovered amazing people through interviews, reviews, and contacting the author to tell them I had written about them. Just this past weekend I finished Barbara Kyle’s 4th book, The Queen’s Gamble, a great read. And now she has the 5th in The Thornleigh Series out so I’ll put it on my list as well. How did I meet Kyle? I found her writing course online a few years ago, took it, signed up for a couple of her workshops, and now I am a Kyle convert. Just this morning I found that she is speaking at Stratford’s Shakespearean Festival this summer and I’ve marked the date on my calendar.

How have your reading habits changed over the years? What has affected them, having children, working full time, change of jobs, change of circumstance or taste? Consider leaving a comment below.

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The Loyalist’s Wife by Elaine Cougler

Filed under: Authors, General, Readers' Wants ]]> http://elainecougler.wordpress.com/2013/04/17/does-being-a-writer-change-your-reading/feed/ 16 elainecougler photo (9)-25_edited http://elainecougler.wordpress.com/2013/04/10/7-steps-to-picking-out-a-great-historical-read/ http://elainecougler.wordpress.com/2013/04/10/7-steps-to-picking-out-a-great-historical-read/#comments Wed, 10 Apr 2013 14:55:15 +0000 Elaine Cougler http://elainecougler.wordpress.com/?p=2047 ]]>
We all have our strategies for choosing what we read, whether it be historical or not. In the list below you might very well see methods which you use for all kinds of books, as do I. Here are just a few elements which help me choose books I’ll treasure forever.

1. Look at the cover, either in person or online. Does it intrigue or annoy you? Are the colours compelling? Personally I like covers to offer a  clue, subtle or not, as to the story/history inside as well as the period. In my post last week I showed a cover for the Henry VIII book by Margaret George. That famous Holbein painting of the man just cries out to be investigated, it is so dominant, so richly endowed, and so much of a closeup. There is no ignoring King Henry.
2. Check out the author. Do you recognize her? Have you enjoyed other of his books? Whenever I see Bernard Cornwell, I know the novel will be historically accurate, gritty, full of battles and brawny characters, but most of all, compelling. On a road trip in January we listened to one of his audio books and the two-day journey’s miles just disappeared so caught up were we. If you don’t recognize the author, move on to the next step.
3. Read the hook on the inside flap on a hard cover book or on the back of a paperback. Only you can tell if the author’s words make you want to put the book back on the shelf or crack open the spine. My new novel’s hook can be found here. I tried to give an overview without spoiling the story for my readers. “When American colonists resort to war against Britain and her colonial attitudes, a young couple caught in the crossfire must find a way to survive. Pioneers in the wilds of New York State, John and Lucy face a bitter separation and the fear of losing everything, even their lives, when he joins Butler’s Rangers to fight for the King and leaves her to care for their isolated farm. As the war in the Americas ramps up, ruffians roam the colonies looking to snap up Loyalist land. Alone, pregnant, and fearing John is dead, Lucy must fight with every weapon she has.” (The Loyalist’s Wife)
4. Check to see if there are any quotations from reviewers on the cover. Do they make you want to run to the front desk, plop down your money, and race to the car to sit right there in the parking lot and begin? Do you recognize the people quoted? Of course if there are no quotations the book could still be amazing but just hasn’t been found. I have lots of excellent books on my shelves with no such quotations. They stand well enough on their own without the crutch of someone’s endorsement.
5. Check the length of the book. I really prefer long, long historical novels which keep me company for weeks at a time. The characters can be so much more a part of my life because I know them so well. McCullough’s Caesar books are deliciously long, a happy circumstance as getting to know all those Roman-named characters like Gaius Marius, Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, and Scipio Aemilianus, full name Publius Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus Africanus Numantinus, can be daunting. For a reader like me who loves the sound of the words and who has studied Latin, this was fine but I needed a big book to get comfortable with them. Once I did I loved the whole series. McCullough is much more than the very talented author of The Thorn Birds.
6. Read the first few paragraphs and see how easy it is to put the book back on the shelf. Look for something which makes you want to read on, be it lovely language, intriguing plot details, characters you want to know, whatever. This is the page the author has been told to spend hours and hours on so it should really grab you. Of course you may see that the writing is not to your taste. Pick up another and try again. Like one of those choose-a-plot books where the reader is in charge of the story, you hold all the power.
7. Finally, I like to open the book in the middle a few times and just read a few sentences, again for the style, the quality of the story and of the writing. If I find nothing that sends me away at this point, the book will be going home with me. I get to lug it to the checkout, stand in line and savour it, and flip open my wallet.

Do you have strategies for book choosing that I haven’t mentioned? Consider leaving a comment below to tell us about them.

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The Loyalist’s Wife by Elaine Cougler

These five ‘must haves’ then are purely my opinion. Your list might be much different from mine or it might even be a lot different. The important element in all this is to please ourselves as readers and hope that if we like our own historicals, others might like them, too.

My 5 Must Haves in Historical Fiction

1. An interesting period in history. This was easy for me to find for my historical series as the American Revolutionary War gave birth to two great countries and while we now have the longest undefended border in the world between Canada and the United States, in the period I’m illuminating, tension was the norm. Even after 1783.
2. Fictional characters who are believable, realistic, and imperfect. One of my favorite series is Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander books partly because of the irrepressible Claire but also because of the imperfect but wonderful Jamie. He, especially, has become an icon in the reading world. If I can’t think of Gabaldon’s name, I’ll say, “You know, the books about Scotland and Jamie Fraser.” Immediately people know the books I mean.
3. Enough history that I learn things I didn’t know about the time period. I loved learning the historical facts about Henry VIII’s reign in all the books I’ve read on the subject. My favorite, which I will never forget, is Henry VIII, With Notes by His Fool, Will Somers by Margaret George. Of course we all have a fair idea of just who Henry was but this book showed me much more detail both in the real facts that I learned and in the fictional conversations between Henry and Somers.
4. An excellent polished writing style. Nothing quite delights me more when reading a fine book than to become aware of the consummate skill with words that the writer exemplifies. A few years ago our son gave my husband and me a wonderful dinner in Toronto which was a fundraiser for Pierre Berton’s childhood home which had become a writer’s retreat spot in the Yukon. Seated at every table were at least two Canadian authors with whom we could converse for the whole evening. One of ours was Lawrence Hill who told me he was working on a new book called The Book of Negroes. Because of the use of a word so denigrated in our society I was intrigued. When I bought and read the book a couple of years later, I was entranced. In the first few pages Hill’s use of language absolutely floored me. It was stunning. Add to that the actual existence of such a book in the slave trading times which are the subject matter and you have an unforgettable work. (Published as Someone Knows My Name in the U.S.)
5. A satisfying and believable ending. Diamond Ruby, by Joseph Wallace was recommended to me and, even though it is a little out of my usual norm of kings and queens and such, I am glad I read it. Wallace writes of the early 1900′s, detailing how Ruby’s life ends as she knows it and taking the reader along on her excruciating journey against the backdrop of organized crime, gangsters, Babe Ruth,and Jack Dempsey. I can’t say more without spoiling the ending but this is a fabulous book.

Consider leaving a comment with your must-haves in historical fiction. Or any good book. You might even name your all-time favorite if you can. I can’t. I love so many.

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The Loyalist’s Wife by Elaine Cougler

A shot of green amid the March snow.

It’s March, past the middle, and snow should be gone.

It’s not.

So I put in this lovely picture from a butterfly conservatory visit to help me think of spring. And now on to the news of the day.

I don’t know about you but I’m always having to figure out how to do something else on my writing journey. It might be formatting my draft mss to the specifications needed by publishers. Or finding just how to make that movie thingee that gets people interested in buying my book. Just now my questions are more about publishing and marketing as I stumble along that overgrown path.

Fortunately, the Internet is the home of generous and helpful professionals who usually have the answers to my questions.

Here are five sites or posts I’ve found which have helped me on my quest.

1. Market Your Book, Jan Bear’s site is jam-packed with helpful tips, so many that I haven’t even had time to read through all the tabs. I have, however, added her to my file of useful articles I find on the web. I keep updating this file and currently have 199 items gleaned from the web about writing and all its linked subjects.
2. Steal This List is Janis Hubschman’s grabbing title for a ten-point article of pure gold for writers. She also names some of favorite 10-point lists for writers. And don’t you love that she invites us to steal her list? Gotta love it.
3. Jonathan Gunson’s article about something the CEO of Goodreads said caught my eye. Most of us writers would much rather write than market so this simple idea is like shrimp and lobster on the salad bar to me. And it’s so simple. Sorry, I’m not going to spoil it. Click on the link to read the article.
4. Brinda Berry, a frequent commenter on this blog, did a guest post on Gloria Richard’s site. I love both these ladies so this is like chocolate and raspberries all done up in a truffle. But I digress. Check out Brinda’s discovery of a unique give-away for contests to promote her books. This is fantastic and she gives all the details on how to get one in your own hot little hands.
5. Susanne Lakin has a series on Live, Write, Thrive where self-published authors guest on Susanne’s blog about 5 things they’ve learned about self-publishing. If you are thinking of going in this direction, these authors can give you a huge helping hand.

Consider leaving a comment about your greatest Internet find for writers. Or just say hello. It’s all good.

Download your free copy of 10 Ways to Improve Your Writing from the link in the side column!

Graphic by Ron Cougler

We writers are slaves to self-doubt, and why shouldn’t we be? There are about as many gurus out there telling us exactly how to be successful as there are writers hungry for the secret formula.

Along the road to publication are lots of potholes and bumpy stretches. We get passed by transport trucks and smart cars alike as we try to read the map, make the right turn, and keep up with the traffic.

Here are 10 pitfalls and aha! moments I’ve encountered on my journey.

1. Should I join a critique group? I believe the answer is yes but there is one caveat which I mention here because of personal experience: make sure the group is serious and understands your genre. I have been told by crime writers never to have long sentences or paragraphs. Since I write historical fiction this advice was useful to me only to a point. Much of historical writer Margaret George’s charm for me is her skilled use of language and at times that includes long sentences.
2. Are conferences worthwhile or would I spend the time better at my computer spinning out my word count? Every conference I’ve attended has been useful and enjoyable, some more than others. Meeting other wannabe writers and talking with workshop presenters as well as keynote speakers has been a joy for me. And I’ve made invaluable contacts. I do make sure the conference ties in to my areas of interest and that it is a sufficient draw for known writers and speakers. Finally, don’t go if you are not prepared to step out of your shell and talk to everyone you can. Get over your nerves and go for it.
3. Is hiring an editor worth the considerable fee I might spend? Of course this depends on the editor but getting someone else’s view about your work, while it may shock you, is much more useful than having your friends read your manuscript. I’ve done both. The second was wonderful for my ego in the early days of my writing but the first was so much more. I hired someone I didn’t know, sent off my deposit and my manuscript and waited. When the editor’s comments came back, I learned a lot and looked at my work from a different perspective. She told me what was good and what needed more consideration. I felt like a real writer.
4. Should a writer embrace social media and build platform as a springboard to making sales when her book is ready to make the plunge? Well, of course. Everyone knows that, unless they’ve been on the International Space Station and incommunicado for about 10 years!
5. When do I put “Finished” on my manuscript and move ahead? I never thought this would be hard but it is, especially for a perfectionist such as I. At first writing, my manuscript in its wondrous-words-on-white-paper glory just seemed stupendous and I couldn’t imagine changing a word. After a few months of letting it lie while I took courses, wrote other things, and generally just ignored my 400 pages, I did a reread. OMG! There was so much that needed rethinking and reworking. Now, though, I am finding it hard to say it’s done. Ironic, isn’t it?
6. Every time a new or different book on writing jumps in front of me saying, “Read me, read me!”, should I? One of my writing friends put it well. Once you’ve read a few of these and taken a few courses, you just have to trust your instincts and spend your time writing. Still my iPad and my bookshelves sport many great titles written by masters and I consult them when I need a shove in the right direction.
7. How many query letters should one writer write before saying “Enough!”? This one is personal taste but I’ve written and sent in over thirty and had one nibble, so far. I keep on keeping on. Terry Fallis, the first self-published author to win Canada’s prestigious Leacock Medal for Humour, mentions he sent out 50 query letters, had one reply—which was a no—until he submitted The Best Laid Plans and won the contest. Then publishers wooed him.
8. And the really big question, then, is should I self-publish? I don’t have the answer for others but I am a member of several LinkedIn writers’ groups, a couple of which address this very subject. If you are wondering the same thing, try joining and watching the chatter which is laced with all the goods and bads of the self-publishing and e-publishing world.
9. Should I spread my wings and guest post on others’ sites? Danny Iny of Firepole Marketing is a great proponent of this technique for building an audience and I learned a lot from his course. (Yes, writers have to be marketers.) I must confess I don’t follow his advice as much as I should but I intend to when I get over my procrastination phase. Oh, wait. I was just on Writania so I guess I am a convert.
10. Will I ever grow some guts and follow my dreams? There was a time in the not-so-distant past when I would have shied away from this one. Remember, I grew up in the days when nice girls crossed their knees and sat quietly waiting to be asked to dance. Well, no more. Now I am out there dancing up a storm with whomever will join me. And all those fears have evaporated as I realize that most of us are the same, afraid to step up, terrified of rejection, afraid to try something different no matter what might be the eventual reward. The answer for me now is, YES!

Imagine your writing journey as a continuum where you edge from left to right as you take the writing courses, write every day, gain confidence in your own voice, and join the amazing writing community out in the real world. Working, trying, talking, you will get to the point of confidence. Oh, not perfect, never-question-yourself confidence, but you will come to trust yourself and focusing on what is necessary will become easier.

It took me, an English teacher, a lover of words and books and ideas, a long time to gain the confidence to step out into the world. First I had to get comfortable calling myself a writer and then I had to act the part. Now, I say it just as easily as telling people I am a teacher. Or a mother, or a wife, or a friend.

My final words on this subject? If you don’t think and act like a writer, no one else will believe you are. Just do it!

If you have thoughts and/or techniques for writers, consider leaving a comment below.

This post first appeared on the Writania site at www.writania.com.

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As I watched and listened to this young woman describe her problem and how she solved it, a wonderful euphoric feeling started deep down in my gut and spread throughout my body and my face relaxed into a broad smile. I knew what my post would be this week.

This young woman mentions her dream of becoming a writer, her searing disappointments, but ends up on a completely unexpected high. She says “to be able to put your words onto a piece of paper…to tell your story…[there is] nothing more powerful…than that.” We writers can all take note.

Consider leaving a comment about your aha! moment as a writer or, indeed, in any of your life’s successes. Have you seen anyone else do a random act of kindness? Have you done one yourself? Apparently the coffee drive through line sees this very often. Has anyone ever bought your coffee order?

Download your free copy of 10 Ways to Improve Your Writing from the link in the side column.

Part II

1. When I started thinking of questions to ask you for this interview I went back and reread the opening pages and I was struck with the subtle hints you gave that Mitch was interested in Detective Constable Wozniak. First, did you pick her last name for any special reason or is it just a coincidence that it makes me think of Steve Wozniak, the only other person I’ve ever heard of with that name? Did you always know that Mitch would be interested in her or did this evolve by itself? (By the way, I love the unexpected ending with this subplot.)

I’m vaguely aware of the Wozniak of whom you speak, but I actually chose the name as a tip of the hat to a friend of mine with the same last name.  I liked it for its ethnic suggestiveness and sound.  I’ll admit to being pretty lazy when it comes to making up the names of most of my characters.

I originally pictured the two detectives as both being men, and only when I started writing the scene did it occur to me that my assumption had been unintentionally sexist.  Detectives aren’t automatically male, after all, so why were mine?  Once I’d made that change, then I liked how easy it was to write the two detectives more distinctly.  I suppose if I’d really wanted to show I wasn’t sexist, I would’ve had the female be the gruff one and the guy, the compassionate soul.  But I personally think one of the assets women often bring to a workplace that has traditionally been male-dominated is their desire for fairness, as well as humanity and sensitivity.  So I ended up having a ‘good cop, bad cop’ pair on my hands that I could use later on (in the interrogation scene), but the idea of having Mitch become interested in Christine just developed organically as I went along.

As should be obvious by now, I’m not a big planner when it comes to writing.  When it comes to characters, I generally don’t feel that I know who each one is until I’ve written them for a while.  I didn’t have a good read at all on young Ray, in No Brother of Mine, until he started taking care of Rex, the Wonder Dog.  That relationship crystallized the boy for me, after which he was easy to write.  For Game Over, I was writing a scene involving the three main characters where a major, shocking revelation by one of them is shared with the other two.  The way I’d imagined the scene in my head, before writing it, was that all three were in agreement and they went from there.  As I was typing it, however, one of the three characters rejected the revelation!  Every time I tried to have her say something like, “OK, where do we go from here?” it came out gibberish.  My inner editor was telling me that she wouldn’t buy the ‘revelation’ that the other two had swallowed, and so I had to take the story in a different direction.  When that happened, I knew I’d found that character’s voice and she wasn’t to be trifled with!

2. Matt, you are a staunch self-publish/e­-publish author. Can you tell us why? Would there ever be a scenario where you might accept traditional publishing, with an agent, editor, or big publishing house?

I knew this was going to be the hardest of your questions to answer, Elaine, so I’m glad you didn’t put it at the top or it might’ve scared me off!  The short answer is, I self-publish because I fear rejection and loss-of-control in equal measure, and the current Information Age allows self-publication in ways that authors even twenty years ago couldn’t have imagined.

My wife believes I should send No Brother of Mine to publishers because, as she puts it, “What do you have to lose?”  The fact that I haven’t done that, as of yet, shows that I must think there’s some risk involved.  My primary fear is that I’ll be provided with professional assurances that my writing is in fact crap, or at least substandard in some significant way.  I know that some egos can quite happily wallpaper a den with their rejection letters, but I’m afraid that mine wouldn’t take any such assessment so well.  It’s a stupid stance to take, and I may eventually amend it.  But so far I’ve held fast to my position.

The second irrational fear I have involves losing control of my characters and stories.  I’ve read just enough horror stories about unknown authors signing contracts without fully understanding just what they were giving up to want to avoid that, at any cost.  I absolutely cringe at the thought of Mitch, Ray, Sarah and the rest of my ‘babies’ being co-opted for some crap movie in which the final act involves a car chase through the streets of Los Angeles while terrorists hold Dodger Stadium hostage.  On the other hand, as my wife points out, that summer blockbuster version of NBoM starring Russell Crowe, Mark Ruffalo and Emma Stone might just drive millions of people to seek out the original source material – where they can then be disappointed by the lack of car chases!  Seriously, I’d love to see a movie made of my story, as I think it’s a lovely tale that could be translated to the screen with ease.  But chances are it’d be gutted and unrecognizable by the time it got there.

Along the same lines, I don’t doubt that a professional publisher and/or editor could make No Brother of Mine a better book; it just wouldn’t be my book.  Right now, every word, every punctuation mark and every strange choice of chapter title reflects my sensibilities and is delivered in my voice.  I can hand a copy of NBoM to anyone and say, “I wrote this.”  I’m not sure that would still be true if someone wiser and better-paid than me had the final say on its contents.

I also enjoy some aspects of the self-publication process.  I like figuring out what the cover should look like, and then finding some friend who can help me make it a reality.  I’m not good at promoting my books, although my wife does her best to make up for it!  I just recently made my hundredth sale on this book, approximately nine months after it was released.  That’s certainly not anything a person could live off of, but fortunately I don’t have to support anyone on my book revenue.  I do have a growing readership, though, and can imagine the day when I might have several hundred pre-orders for the next novel, whenever that might be.  In that scenario, I’d feel that I was being well-read and could take considerable enjoyment from such modest sales numbers.

So is there a scenario where I’d be willing to eschew self-publication for the Big Time?  Sure: it’s the scenario where I get to retain all control, and the publishers and I split the profit in some reasonable fashion.  I’m just not confident that I’m likely to find that, assuming that the book’s even good enough to warrant a publisher’s time in the first place.

3. Your book is well edited, Matt, which is not always the case with self-published authors. Do you use a professional editor and, if so, how expensive is that? Sorry for the snoopy-type question!

Once again, thanks for the compliment, and your question isn’t at all snoopy.  No Brother of Mine is actually my fifth book, as my first three publications were all non-fiction.  Having said that, NBoM is the least-edited book I’ve written so far.  In the past, I’ve always enlisted friends and family to edit my second or third drafts, at which point they’re often able to find more than the occasional typo or example of poor writing.  My routine prior to No Brother of Mine had been to sign up three or four volunteers for that activity, knowing that at least one of them would likely get busy and not be able to finish it within the time frame I’d set aside for editing.  That had worked well in the past, and I’d planned to do the same for my second novel.  However, I think I’d depleted my supply of willing victims by then, thanks to so many previous book projects.  Still, my daughter Tammy provided edits on most of the chapters from her faraway post in Australia, and my good friend and co-plotter Julie sent me feedback and corrections on the first four chapters of NBoM.  My wife Vicki also reviewed an early draft but apparently didn’t find much to quibble with (which is always a good sign!)  This, however, left me in the rather terrifying position of publishing a novel with chapters that had really only been thoroughly edited by its author.  I did find several small errors after I’d done the initial print run, but they’ve long since been fixed for both paper and eBook versions, such that only the very earliest buyers ever saw those original typos.

I’ve been told in the past that I’m a fairly decent editor, as that was something that even the Human Resources department at my software job used to ask me to do on some of their publications.  I think it’s true that some writers can’t edit their own work all that well because they tend to read the words the way they’d intended them to come out rather than how they actually appear on the page.  I’m fortunate enough to be able to spot most of my own errors as I type them, and a lot more on the first pass of editing.  However, even by the sixth or seventh draft I’ll still miss the occasional mistake, or worse yet introduce a new one in the editing itself.

It’s therefore a bit of a hit-and-miss proposition for me, but I’ve never been able to justify the expense of bringing a professional editor on board.  My best guess is that the services of an editor who’d significantly elevate the quality of my work would run into the thousands of dollars, which would far exceed the amount of profit I typically see on a book project.  Hence it’s not anything that I’d consider unless I start selling a lot more books in the future.  And yes, I realize that could be a classic chicken-and-the-egg scenario that I’ve just described!

4. Can you describe your marketing plans for your books, both this one and the first one? Are there things you have learned that are making a difference? To what extent do you use social media for marketing your writing?

Marketing is such an important part of the process, and something I seriously suck at.  As silly as it sounds, I often feel as though promoting my own books is a form of bragging, which I’m very reluctant to do.  However, I recognize the need to ‘get the word out’, as it were, and so I tried something with No Brother of Mine that I’d never done before: I created a 1-page flyer for it and distributed roughly 400 copies of it around our neighbourhood.  It was an idea that came to me out of the blue, and I almost didn’t try it.  It seemed ridiculous that people would want to buy a book simply because a piece of paper about it arrived in their mailbox, and yet I got respectable results.  I needed to sell one book for every 50 flyers, give or take, in order to break even.  I ended up moving nearly three times that many copies, which qualified as quite the success in our household!

I’ve also put lots of material about the book on my blog, Twitter and Facebook.  I include quotes from readers who’ve thoroughly enjoyed NBoM, of which there have fortunately been many.  Since my followers and friends in those circles number in the dozens rather than thousands, however, social media isn’t exactly lighting up my sales charts.  I also need to try to get the book into some of our local bookstores but haven’t yet been brave enough to attempt that.  It’s that whole fear of rejection thing again.

One of the things I’ve learned in the wake of Game Over and No Brother of Mine is just how important the proverbial back cover blurb is for hooking readers’ interest.   My first novel is very hard to sum up without giving away many of the surprises in it, and so creating a short, intriguing description proved very difficult, to say the least.  NBoM, on the other hand, was dead simple:

When Mitchell James answers his doorbell on a quiet Monday evening, he’s not expecting to find two detectives standing on his porch.  And he’s certainly not expecting the pair to begin asking him questions about his brother, Ray, who he hasn’t seen or spoken to in 20 years.  But when the detectives go on to tell him that they believe Ray’s dead body may be lying in the morgue, Mitch’s comfortable little world is rocked.

As the shock of that news forces Mitch to re-examine memories from a painful childhood, he begins a journey to discover the truth about what has actually happened to Ray since their falling out so long ago.

Will the secret the two brothers share come to light now, after being buried for all those years?  What part did it play in setting up the events of the present?  And after working so hard to keep that secret from ever coming out, will Mitch have no choice but to watch its discovery destroy his own future?

Now who wouldn’t want to read that as soon as they could in order to find out what went on between the brothers that caused such a dramatic rift, as well as to learn if the body in the morgue really does belong to the younger one?  I came up with that blurb in less than an hour, whereas the Game Over description took days and still never really delivered the goods.  I think No Brother of Mine’s catchy hook resulted in quite a few sales, including most if not all of the purchases that came as a result of the neighbourhood flyer.

Still, I would have to say that promoting my books has definitely been my weakest area.

5. What are your goals as far as writing?

Well, I love goals, and I always have lots of them.  With my novels, I try to explore themes, philosophies and possibilities that I find interesting.  At the same time, though, I’m always striving to tell a compelling story.  As a reader, I’m afraid I get bored with stories very easily.  If something feels ‘written’ rather than natural, I tend to be turned off.  If the dialogue isn’t believable and realistic, I lose interest.  If I can predict what’s going to happen in the next fifty pages or simply don’t care enough to keep reading in order to find out, then the book usually gets put away unfinished.  So first and foremost, anything I write has to completely hold my interest as I write it before I’ll ever believe it’ll hold anyone else’s interest as they read it.

I’ve set out in each novel so far (including the third one that I’m writing now) to strike a balance between events and characters.  As anyone who’s read either of my novels knows all too well, I’m not a big one for descriptions.  I can’t bring myself to spend much time talking about the clothes worn by my characters, the décor of their homes, or the types of cars they drive.  I know of authors who not only do all of that for every scene in their books but do so with the most delightful and fascinating descriptions you could ever hope to read.  Unfortunately, I don’t have that skill nor the desire to develop it, at this point in my growth as a writer.  I want things to happen, and the people to be interesting.  So those are the two main drivers in my books.

Beyond that, though, my goal is to tell stories that open up like a piece of origami as you go along.  I’m very proud of my first novel, Game Over, for a variety of reasons – having eventually finished it, after abandoning it for 18 months previously, for example – but there’s one aspect of it that I love more than anything else.  Without spoiling anything, I’ll just say that Game Over is a story that appears to be about one thing, only to turn out in the later stages to have been about something else entirely.  Not only that, but a revelation in the final chapter encourages the reader to regard the narrator in a completely new light.  That’s the sort of thing I absolutely love as a reader, when it’s done well, and I was thrilled to try my hand at it in Game Over.

At a higher level, my goal with my writing is to slowly build up a body of work that I can be proud of.  I’d like the readers of my novels to experience a consistency in my fiction in terms of style and sensibilities, while being able to expect a variety of genres and subject matter.  I’m not a big fan of sequels, I’ve discovered.  I want each story to stand on its own and not simply be part of a larger saga.  Personally, I love getting to the end of a book and feeling that there are no unanswered questions left except the big one: “What happens next?”  If the author has hit the mark, then the reader is so invested in the characters and their lives that she’ll feel that she knows where each of the characters will go after that final page.  And that’s what I aim for.  Shortly after No Brother of Mine came out, one of my friends very enthusiastically tried to convince me over lunch that one of the characters from the book went in a very specific direction after the story concluded.  He was adamant about it, and had examples from the book to back up his thesis.  It wasn’t what I had envisioned for that character, but eventually I just smiled and said, “If that’s what you think he did, then that’s what he did.”

Anyway, I’ve finally run you out of questions!  Thank you so much for the opportunity to talk about my book, Elaine.  Your questions were wonderfully insightful and really made me think.

Consider leaving a comment for Matt or myself or peppering Matt with questions about his writing process. He shines at explaining all of it! You can find  his book for sale on Amazon.

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