Okay so it looks like I fell off the planet. Promise - I'm still here. The last four years have been ... hard. There's no other word for it. Everything is fine. I'm fine, but I've been the caregiver of my mom who has Dementia. Between her needs, work, etc I seem to have lost control of my time. I am still writing and am trying hard to get back to my blog.

In case you weren't aware Phaze and HSWF which where under the Mundania Umbrella have closed. I was smart enough to get my titles back before all this happened. I'm happy to say the three books I sold to HSWF have been picked up by Melange Books and are available through their Satin Books imprint. I have even sold a new title to them called Magical Quest due out in 2022

I have also been lucky enough to find a publisher for my Vespian Way series. I'm now with Blushing Books under the name of Bethany Drake. I have five titles out with them right now and am close to submitting two more. There's Desire's Destiny, Desire's Duty and Desire's Promise. Then there is two in my werewolf series, Tears of the Queen and Legend of the Tears. I have just finished the rough draft of the third book in the series and have plans for a fourth one the moment I submit it.

I'll probably still be sporadic here on the blog. Unless I win the lottery and can hire someone to help me I can't avoid it, but know I'm still here still working hard in the background and am hoping to do better at keeping my blog alive.

Barb:)



Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Writing Down the Bones: The 10 commandments of Fiction Writing - Session 4:


7.) Be Critical of your work: You know others will be so you need to be too. The editing process (not the writing process - while in that process you just write) is where you have to use a critical eye to look at your work. Look at every scene and make sure it moves the story along. Make sure the words you’re using are the best ones to say what you want it to say. Does it flow properly? Are your words concise? Are your Characters likable? Is your villain strong? Is it three dimensional? Are you using all the senses? And the questions keep going...


8.) Develop Thick Skin: The writing world is filled with rejection. Editors will do it. So will readers and reviewers. If you don’t develop a thick skin some of those not so kind words will hurt and make you question your talent. People will cut down your work and sometimes is doesn't make sense. I once got a rejection letter from a publisher that was addressed to my husband. They took the name off the mailing label, totally ignoring the cover letter and cover sheet on the partial I mailed in. I've had not so nice reviews as well. Do they bother me, sure, but everyone is allowed their opinion and I try not to let them get to me.

No comments:

Post a Comment