A lot of people ask me about eBooks – how do I go from Word to eBook. The first time out, my eBooks were a disaster. So I started reading articles and found at least fifty ways to make an eBook, as the Paul Simon lyric goes. The Smashwords Style Guide has been a great help. At this time I distribute through Smashwords, Kindle, Nook, All Romance EBooks, and through my website. Because each distributor has different requirements, I try to work with a file that I can use with all of them.

Before tackling the eBook or any other project I head to the market and buy myself a Mylar balloon. The eBook isn’t difficult, but it is tedious.

A writer/publisher needs fortification before embarking on a big project.

Let’s start with ISBN’s – you don’t need one for Nook or Kindle. Amazon will provide you an ASIN number and Barnes & Noble will provide a BIN ID number. But you’ll need one to take advantage of Smashwords’ distribution to Apple and other eBook companies. You can’t use the one assigned to your print book. If you use two different distributors for your print book, such as Lulu and CreateSpace, you need separate ISBN’s. Smashwords will provide you an ISBN for free, but then your book will be billed as “published by Smashwords.” If that works for you, fine. I want my books to be billed as “published by NTD Magazine & Books,” so I use a NTD ISBN. You can get your ISBNs through Bowker Identifier Services. Buying in lots of ten or a hundred will bring down the price. I could assign an ISBN to my Kindle and Nook eBooks, but then I’d need a separate ISBN for each distributor. Once you purchase an ISBN, they’re yours, and you can’t give them away to your friends. And once you’ve put your eBook together, you’ll need to register it with Bowker.

First thing you do is, ditch the formatting in the Word file. No page numbers, no page headers, no large spaces between chapters. You could type in your table of contents, listing each story or title of the chapter, but you can’t assign a page number. Why? Because every reader gives you the option of making the print larger or smaller, so a page number would be meaningless. And if you have any wide spaces between the chapters, they will become three times as large and look gross in your eBook—and piss off your readers.

Smashwords Style Guide recommends a nuclear method of ditching the formatting. If you changed formats and styles on your document, it may cause such problems as uneven print size in your eBook. So I copy everything on my Word file by hitting “select all,” and “copy.” Then I open up a Notepad, and hit “paste.” This will erase all the formatting. I then copy everything on my notepad file onto a new Word file (I try to label it with the book title and “eBook.” Now I’m ready to format carefully.

On the title page, I recommend Times New Roman or Garamond, and no font larger than 16. So I make my title and author size 16 and bold it. The rest of the masthead might be size 14. Each chapter number might be size 14 or 12, bold. The text will be size 12.

As far as paragraph formatting, you can indent, but the indents should be smaller than they would be in a print book. Maybe about 0.3. But they should be consistent – indent every paragraph. If you don’t indent, then you should have a 6 point leading between paragraphs, and maybe 18 point between scene breaks, and extra leading between chapters. I chose not to indent and have the extra leading. I use a left alignment for the file, except on the title page, where I use center alignment. Why left alignment and not justified? Because when the reader adjusts the print size, justified will give him gaping spaces between the words.

Kindle and Nook require HTML files, and these get converted to eBooks compatible with their readers. So I keep my document open and hit “save as.” Word gives you many options for types when you save your file. Save it as “Web page, filtered.” Not “web page.” It has to say “web page, filtered.” Your eBook will look much better for it.

For your Nook go to www.pubit.com. For the Kindle, you want https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/signin. The instructions for both companies are pretty user-friendly.

As for the Word file that I formatted for the eBook, I paste in the front cover up top above the title page. I then save it as a PDF. Word 2007 and 2010 give you the option of saving your file as a PDF. You’ll need your PDF to convert it into the nice eBook formats. Epub and MOBI are popular eBook formats. http://www.epub2go.com does a decent job of converting your PDF to Epub. For MOBI, PDB, and LIT, I use  http://ebook.online-convert.com.

I heard that http://calibre-ebook.com is another good site to format eBooks. That left me darned curious about how this process works, so I’ve just downloaded Calibre. Whether it’s user-friendly remains to be seen. I will share my experiences with it in a future blog.

After all of that is done, I make a few changes in the Word file, referring to the Style Guide, to ready it for Smashwords.

There’s no more formatting involved to upload my books to All Romance EBooks. Basically, the challenge is to get my covers two different sizes (two more files) to meet ARE’s requirements and upload all the mediums of my eBook.

The one thing I haven’t mastered is getting art into the books. Most of my NTD books don’t have interior art, but the magazine does. I’ve got Walter Mitty dreams of getting NTD Magazine on Kindle.

Have you used Calibre? Have you worked with Smashwords?  I look forward to hearing about your experiences.

I'd love to see this magazine on Kindle and the Nook.

Illustrated by Teresa Tunaley

I first became aware of Teresa Tunaley’s illustrations in Barbara Custer’s Night To Dawn magazine a few years back. In fact, I was so taken with Teresa’s art I went to her website and looked at the many pages of fine illustrations she had already done for book covers and magazines. It was no surprise to see the many Awards she has received for her art and website design. When it came time for a new edition of “Jur: A Story of Pre Dawn Earth,” I naturally thought of her for the cover. The previous three editions of my book sported some pretty horrible covers, I assure you. But I felt Teresa had the right technique to capture the scene I wanted. She did!  Let me now introduce you to a very fine lady who has been fun to work with on several projects so far.

Tom: Teresa, to begin, please tell the readers a little about yourself, where you are from, and where you are now living.

Teresa: Many moons ago, I was born in the United Kingdom in a small village called Wigston, in Leicestershire.  In my mid 20’s I had the opportunity to holiday in Tenerife, one of seven small islands off the West coast of Africa (governed by Spain).  I fell in love with the tranquil way of life and found myself spending every summer here…so, after dozens of holidays, I decided in 2002 to move and make it permanent.  So much easier having your Mum, sister and cousins already out here!  They had made the decision to move much earlier than I had.

Tom: How did you become involved in art creations, and has this always been your life’s dream?

Teresa:  I recall painting quite early before my teens, but didn’t take it up as a hobby until much later.  I worked initially in Watercolors and felt quite proud as I sold a few of my paintings to co-workers.  Monet’s works adorned my lounge walls at this time.

I could spend hours in Art Museums; I was fascinated by art especially large pieces painted by the Masters.  The detail even in the background was stunning, fine lace, jewellery and clothing painted so well, every fold was real to me.

I experimented in Oils, Acrylics and left behind watercolors.  Oils became my favorite as it allowed me more time to add and blend.

Tom: Were there any inspirations or artistic influences early on, or later in life. I’m sure you have grown in your fantastic talent over the years. Did you attend art schools, or are you self-taught?

Teresa: No one person inspired me to paint…it was the creation of something new, something entirely familiar or even alien.  To put paint to paper meant you could imagine a scene, in any time, another reality or planet…put yourself and the onlooker right there.  There are no boundaries.

Tom: I’m sure that art is a big part of your life, but do you have other interests? Family and associates, or hobbies that you would like to talk about?

Teresa: Art is a big part of my life because I need to do it.  I have images going around in my head all the time and need to get this on paper…some of my best paintings have been conjured up late at night between wake and sleep and I must say, most of these would be best placed in the Horror Genre lol.

Besides art, I do the normal day to day things around the house…cook, sew and clean.  I don’t dislike any of this but sometime find it difficult to pull myself away from my art.  I could sit at my easel at 9.00am just to touch up one section or fine tune another…before I know it literally hours have gone by.

Weekends I try to spend with friends and family.  My partner Stefano is Italian and paints as much as I do but only in Acrylic.  The lounge is mainly our studio with easels for each of us.  There are canvasses leaning everywhere, the walls are strewn with art.  We sit in the early evening talking about our work and commenting on each others. (Gently, as we are both sensitive to negativity) each to their own we say…we have differing styles but lovely all the same.

Tom: I noticed several Preditors & Editors Awards, as well as other awards listed on your website. Please tell us about them, and how they came about.

Teresa: I had forgotten about these until you mentioned them as they are quite a few years ago… Some have been won for my work appearing in certain publications. Others for the art website that I have www.artstopper.com

My most recent award was July last year here in Tenerife.  I entered a competition along with hundreds of other artists from all over the world.  I produced a lady on a large 1.5 m sq canvas. I painted the contours of her body in various colors which represented the heat source.

Well, I was both surprised and overwhelmed to win the Public Vote award. The certificate hangs in my office, its very special…being recognized as an actual Artist makes me feel special.

Tom: What do you find is the most enjoyable aspect of creating art/covers?

Teresa: The fact that others can enjoy my work as much as me gives me the inspiration to create on a daily basis.

Tom: Would you say there is anything you find difficult with creating art, or working with authors/publishers?

Teresa:  I can’t really say that I have worked with any difficult authors or publishers.  I have worked with the same people time and time again…after 10 yrs of working with dozens of publishers, I have made many friends.  Perhaps, I have found it easy…I try to paint a cover or design that the Author/Publisher actually wants, not what I want.  I haven’t written the book, the author has.  They want a cover that depicts a scene and I create it.

There are times I get a full script to read but there are also times I only get notes from authors, one or two phrases to explain their needs.  Either way, I’m neither, happy or done, until the client is happy!

Tom: Is there any advice you would like to give aspiring artists and creators who are just starting out, or on their way up?

Teresa: My advice would be…never lose your own style, although you may have to tweak and vary it a little for particular assignments.  Don’t get put off by rejections because they will come thick and fast (they never stop)…It’s only the acceptances that count and when you get one…put your heart into getting it right!

Tom: Are you working on anything special at the moment? And most important, where can viewers find your website, and contact information?

Teresa: I have just completed ‘Eden’s Planet’ for you Tom, which is always a pleasure.  I have constant assignments from SamDotsPublishing. I am currently creating a piece that features strange planets and aliens for Tyree Campbell, scheduled to appear in the next Drabble issue.

I enjoy receiving copies of each and every book or magazine I illustrate. Especially as I live on a Spanish island with little or no reading matter available in English.  I have a huge collection over the years and love to go to my book shelf and pick one up at random, read through the wonderful stories that take me to places afar.

Tom: Teresa, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Your art has really impressed me, and I know it will others. I love the work you’ve done for my books, and I look forward to working with you again in the future.

Teresa: Tom thank you.  I am proud to have been a part of your venture…I still get a buzz when a piece is complete, the author loves it and its ready for print even after creating art for the last 30 years.

Night to Dawn's upcoming release

Recently, CS did away with their Pro plan. They now offer you the option of extended distribution for $25.00. The royalties for Amazon based books are far better – about $5.00 per book and that’s without charging exorbitant fees for your books. CS charges a reasonable price for contributor copies too. Contributor copies cost more through Lulu. With retail sales, I’d get a dollar something per book, and when you’re splitting royalties between two or three people, it comes out to pennies per book. Caveat: you do not get discounts by ordering extra contributor copies through CS. Lulu will discount the contributor copy if you order five or more books, plus they offer frequent specials.

Also, with CS, your book will go up on Amazon straight away, whereas you have to wait six to eight weeks (longer if there is a backup) for Lulu distribution. Promotion and book releases won’t do any good if your book isn’t showing on Amazon and other retailers. Another caveat: CS will format any eBook version for you but there is a hefty charge. I format NTD eBooks myself and get the ISBN from Bowker.

Does this mean I will publish all future NTD material through CS and kick Lulu to the curb? Absolutely not. Lulu does a superior job on the magazine. NTD magazine comes in 88 pages, which results in a narrow spine. Lulu allows you to resize the print so you can read the label off the spine. CS does not allow any print on the NTD spine because in their opinion, the spine is too narrow. Another issue: when I print reviews, I must list three retailers that carry the respective book. I did that with NTD 20, and the magazine is available on Amazon. I don’t mind listing retailers but putting NTD out there with a bare spine gives me the creeps. Especially with the upcoming issue, as I’ve gotten a lot of compliments on NTD 21’s cover. Kudos goes to Marge Simon and Teresa Tunaley for their brilliant artwork.  

The magazine has a lot of illustrations, and I’ve had limited success with putting illustrations in the eBooks. Smashwords does not recommend illustrations at all, and most eBooks look best if you stick to B&W illustrations and one font. NTD has about three different fonts, so I offer the eBook version in PDF format. Lulu carries the magazines and the other NTD books in eBook format for no charge. I just ordered the print run for NTD 21 and got a generous discount from Lulu.  

Some overseas authors prefer Lulu because Lulu will market your book to other countries besides theUSA, where said authors will realize their best sales.  CS does not have a global distribution plan.

This past week, I released two books. Tales of Masks & Mayhem V4, edited by Ginger Johnson and Night to Dawn 21.  One through CreateSpace and the other through Lulu. Which company is better? For magazines, Lulu; for paperbacks, CreateSpace. It all depends on your market and publication.  

The time is coming for me to step up to the plate: either submit my next novel or publish it through Night to Dawn. A lot more authors are turning to independent publishing, but I’m hearing complaints about the spotty editing found in self-published books. The books on the table are Steel Rose, the novel following Dark Side of the Moon, and Dead Folks Stalking, a short story collection. The child in me insists that since I edit Night to Dawn material, I should be able to edit these books myself, right?

The adult in me hollers, “Wrong!”

After looking at comments workshop leaders made about so-called “ready” material, I decided to send Steel Rose off to an editor. This will include content editing. Editing any book is a big job, and takes time, so I proceeded with work on a sequel and the short stories.

I went through the short stories that had seen publication in small press magazines. There’s a lot to be said for putting one’s work aside and then reviewing it weeks later. When I looked at the tales with a fresh pair of eyes, I saw areas that needed rewriting. Perhaps a paragraph had too much tell and not enough show. So I did some rewriting and sent these off to an editor for polishing.

Good thing I did. The content in these stories was addressed by the editors who published them, but there were quite a few typos. Had I sent these tales to press, the errors would make them look less than professional. Mind you, typos make it to print in a lot of books. Two or three errors in a book may not harm sales, but two or three typos on a page will. “Sunset Kill,” a tale featuring dead nursing home residents who resurrect and feed on their caregivers, had that many on some of the pages. Not any more.

So why couldn’t I see my own mistakes? I think because I consider my stories like family members, and I’m too close to them to edit them effectively. At most hospitals, policy dictates that health care workers not treat family members because they’re too close to their situation. Perhaps the same policy should apply to writers and editors with their own stories.

 A few weeks ago, Julia Jansen offered me the pleasure of reading Dark Moon Presents Zombies. I can’t resist zombie tales any more than I can balloons, and will always make time to read one no matter how many other projects I have cooking. All up, this one was a real treat for zombie aficionados like me. A short story collection, it provides quick reads you can enjoy at the doctor’s office or on a train. Each author offers a unique twist, and I feel compelled to comment on all the stories.

Shannon Farrell tells “Bouvier des Mort” from a dog’s point of view. The dog stands by his ailing mistress and never leaves her, even when she dies and starts to decay. After she reanimates as a zombie, her dog follows her everywhere she goes. When she feeds on people, the dog feeds too. This one sent chills up my spine.

AE Stueve’s “I, Zombie” portrays a meeting between “reformed” zombies – people who have taken an injection to eradicate the virus from their bodies. This makes an interesting premise, and as I read, I kept wondering if someone would attack Dr. Yvonne, the pompous speaker who talks down to the “cured” zombies.

“Thicker Than Law” kept me turning the pages. Author John McMullen brings us into the horrific action from the first page with the threat of the “billies.” ProtagElizabethdiscovers her brother is one of them. Worse, her parents have turned their home into a slaughterhouse, with her as an intended meal. Brrrrrr!

Dennis McDonald’s “Black Friday” gives shopping after Thanksgiving a horrific meaning after multiple people die in a train wreck. Protags Cameron and Scott start the evening dreading a write-up from their boss. Their boss wants everyone ready for the hordes of customers, but the unspeakable greets the salespeople when the store finally opens. Definitely a page-turner.

GK Hayes’ tells “Papa Doc’s Zombie” in the first person by an elderly grandmother who assures her grandchild that her voodoo will protect them from zombies. It left me with a nostalgic feeling as I read about the grandmother’s youth and how she stood up to a voodoo priest. A worthy read.

Kate Putnam’s “The Five Rules” is the diary of Vodoun living in a world overrun by zombies. He talks about the everyday hardships of getting supplies, and that made me care about him as a character. Aside the horrors of becoming a Blue Plate Special for the zombie, I got a sense of Voduon’s depression and loneliness. 

CW LaSart’s “All The Rage” is another tale that takes us into the everyday hardships of a group trying to survive a post-zombie apocalypse. Food is scarce, malnutrition has set in, and as for medical care…well there isn’t any, unless you can get your hands on antibiotics. LaSart turns up the heat by introducing a pregnant character, raising a new problem – how can someone survive with a newborn in tow? Another member of the group, Zak, bullies the other members. His insanity and strength makes him more dangerous than the zombies.

“Gingerbread Man” is a nickname for an ex-football player whose would-be career was cut short by an accident that severed his spinal cord. Now a quadriplegic, Andre “Gingerbread” is trying to escape in his motorized wheelchair, with a zombie in pursuit. Will he make it? Author Barrett Shumaker teases the reader with the zombie at first touching, then grabbing, and the suspense builds. 

“Legio Mortuus” features zombies of the early Roman times. Severus, the prefect, makes an effective fighter with his sword, except the enemies he fights are all dead – walking dead. These men are hungry as they show when they fall on a lone person. Beggar and noble alike become fodder for these monsters. Jason Shayer demonstrates great characterization skills, making me hope that Severus escapes. Does he? That’s for you, gentle reader, to find out.

The protag in “Death on the Newsfeed” is addicted to Facebook and his laptop, so engrossed in reading the “shares,” that he ignores the destruction going on around him. CD Carter paints him as a cyber-stalker who cares only about his Facebook characters. I found Kevin somewhat pathetic – he doesn’t lift a finger to get himself out of danger. When the zombies outside break into his home, he ignores them too….

“Sound Set Off” is one of my favorites – David AET takes me into the action from the first sentence. His protag has the same first name, and he is up against it, locked in his house, little food, no water, and a hoard of zombies breaking through his windows. I followed him as he thought of ways to distract them so he could escape, even get away. He makes a great hero, and I kept rooting for him to escape.

“I am a Candle” is told from a zombie’s point a view. This was the first time I read a zombie tale like this, and Roberta Kowald crafted hers well. The narrator portrays herself as lonely, not one of the popular girls, and is dismayed that she can walk the earth. Her so-called friends hold a rite to bring her back to life, but other not-so-friendly zombies come back too. This zombie can think, and I found myself almost hoping she can “bite back” the people laughing at her. 

Kendra Lisum’s “Broken Down Lives” portrays two young children who are seriously hurt…appearing dead, but they come around. As they get older, they start feeding on dead animals and remain four and six forever. Kathryn the mother is newly widowed and struggling to make ends meet, and she deals with the behavior by pretending this would go away. Denial only anesthetizes so long, and Kathryn deals with the budding horror in her own way.

Rebecca Snow’s “Step Right Up” features two monsters – the flesh-eating zombies and the greedy salesman who uses high pressure tactics to get people to buy his “zombie repellent.” As I read through the story, the salesman chilled me to the bones more than the zombies did. By far.

Stan Swanson’s “Hail to the Chief,” the last tale in the collection, makes a great political satire. Zombies invade the White House, and I can imagine having a zombie in the Presidential chair. Not too much blood and guts here, and drugs keep the zombies peaceful, but the satire makes this tale a delightful read. As an aside, I think we already have zombies in the White House.

I told myself I would pick up and move on. The dark side of the moon will rise again, just the way my balloons do. I’m working on another project and hope to have good things happen with my books in 2012. All well and good. Then last night when I came home from work, I was chagrined to read an article posted in the Sentinel Newspaper: “Battle Among Local Porn Authors Heats up on Facebook as Aurora Publisher Goes Mum.”  

Local? Porn authors?  Are you kidding?

I thought reporters were supposed to print facts. Even with fiction writing, workshop leaders have counseled me about the seriousness of libel, i.e. publishing a false statement damaging to a person’s reputation. For starters, most of the authors live outside Colorado, and some live overseas. My editor for Dark Side of the Moon lived in Africa. I’d hardly call this local.

The “spat” the reporter referred to wasn’t just about royalties. Some people are owed thousands of dollars. A couple of authors almost lost their homes because of this. The contracts on a lot of the AMP books had expired, and the publisher continued selling them without paying the authors. Months went by without any reply to emails and certified letters. When you work for someone you expect to be paid. Can you imagine working your butt off at the office all week, only to find out your boss spent your paycheck on furniture? Can you picture going months at a time without a paycheck and without communication from your boss? That was exactly what happened with AMP.

Dark Side of the Moon is SF/H. A lot of other people wrote horror and science fiction for AMP. Some people wrote erotica for AMP. I’m sure that most major retail bookstores have an aisle for erotica books. Does that make them porn? Of course not.

Said reporter emailed me for an interview. He contacted other authors around the same time, and most refused to comment or didn’t respond. Here’s why I didn’t respond. The publisher has a teenage son in school. Teenagers and children can be cruel, and I was afraid classmates might read the article, and bully and tease her son. I know about bullies – bullies went after me in grade school and high school, and I would hate to see that happen to someone else. I can’t speak for others, but the lack of response must have teed this reporter off good. So he resorted to yellow journalism. Worse, his editor went along with it. I guess this reporter and his editor must have fallen asleep during the lectures on ethics.

I’ve interviewed several other AMP authors on my blog: Sharon Bidwell, Jefferson Dane, and Cynthia Vespia, and heartily recommend their books. I’m also reading Dark Moon Presents Zombies, edited by Julie Janson, and will be posting the review on my blog soon. Stop by and check out their websites.

 I signed a three-year contract, and Dark Side of the Moon went live on October 8, 2008. I had a great editor. AMP had over a hundred authors, and I admired Sandra for being able to run the company and work full time for a police academy. Because I was starting to publish books under the Night to Dawn imprint, I had hoped to learn something about publishing.

 I never knew of any serious problems until several months ago. Perhaps I should have seen the red flags, but denial is a wonderful place to be when you’re busy watching over sick family members, working on other projects, and putting books out in print. I haven’t blogged for some time because my mother once said, “If you can’t say something nice about someone, don’t say anything.” I was worried that people reading might consider me “just another author ranting about her publisher.” And lest anyone gets that impression, I would like to direct them to Piers Anthony and Celina Summers, among others. My mother, you see, also advised me to “tell the truth and shame the devil.”

 I started reading several emails of people demanding their rights back, and I thought, whoa! I don’t recall getting any royalty statements for Dark Side, let alone royalties this year. I didn’t get any statements during the spring and summer. Naïve person that I am, I thought the book didn’t sell. As I said, denial can be a comfortable place. Maybe the book sold and maybe it didn’t, but I’ll never know without royalty statements. Most of the other authors report they haven’t gotten royalty statements or payments. Perhaps I am just another author at that.

 Sandra posted an email informing everyone that she was suffering from depression and back pain, and was trying to get treatment without medical insurance. That didn’t sound right. If you work for the police, you work for the government. My heart went out to her because some people in my family suffered from depression. By then I was missing my statements, but because she was sick, I went easy on her. People offered to take over various projects for Sandra. She refused.

 I realized my contract would expire on October 8, 2011. According to my contract, the rights revert to me on that date, so I sent Sandra a certified letter around the middle of September requesting that my rights be returned. No answer. I sent multiple emails to her on the AMP site (the sites where authors and publisher communicate). Nothing. October 8 has come and gone, and the book remained for sale on the AMP website. So I contacted the third part sites myself and got the book taken down. The other authors did the same for their book. No author should have to do that. For those new to publishing, it is the publisher’s job to list and remove books from third-party sites.

 I enjoy exposure for my work. Another publisher has shown interest in the book, and offered to print it in paperback with a new cover. However, Sandra posting the book could take away sales from the new publisher. On October 9, the AMP website was shut down. Last night, the site went back up, and Dark Side was listed. This afternoon, I checked again and Dark Side is gone. Other authors have reported contracts expired for months, yet AMP continues to list their books. No offer to renew the contract, no communication.

 At the moment, my heart is bursting with gratitude that she removed my book. She also has a book by another author whose book I want to publish. The contract on that book expired too, but I dare not touch it until the book is removed. Alas, the letters to the third-party publishers and watchdog sites has taken me away from other projects.

 I would give ten cents to the poor to find out what motivated Sandra, what was she thinking when she continued listing books with expired contracts. Why didn’t she accept help when people offered? Publishing is, after all, is a business. I’ve met some great people at the AMP site and through Night to Dawn. However, if my health should prohibit me from doing my job, I will walk away with my head held high and memories intact. That’s exactly what Sandra should have done.

But workshop leaders told me the manuscript needed something more. The one-dimensional characters had to go. The villain was all-evil, with no saving graces.  Even Dracula had his sympathetic moments. I took a figurative slap on the wrist because my villain turned from a medical professional into a monster who wants nothing but blood. Where’s the conflict?

There wasn’t any. Shame on me.

At the conference, the workshop leaders preached the merits of Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass. I got the workbook, started reading it, and got a strong awakening. For starters, my protag Alexis whined too much. Granted she has serious problems, but don’t we all? Not many people sympathize with a whiny character. So I’m whittling down the whining as I go through each chapter.

By the way, Alexis grew up in a strict religious family. During her treatments, she falls in love with and beds down an alien lover. Whaaaaat? This goes against her religious beliefs, not to mention her mother’s feelings. In my rewrite, Alexis will have to fight with her conscience before she agrees to love this fellow.

Maass encourages the writer to think of his protagonists’ defining quality. Then he prescribed the writer to write a paragraph in which their protagonist does the opposite. Okay, in Steel Rose, Alexis loves her mother and would never do or say anything to upset her. As the book reads now, Alexis doesn’t mention squat about her alien romance, knowing her mother would get angry. For my rewrite, Alexis will tell her mom, “Hey, it’s my life, and I’m the one who has to live with him.” Just thinking about this makes me respect Alexis more.

I just did the same exercise with a secondary character. After I rewrote the respective chapter, I saw a big difference in the way it read.

With the chapter on antagonists, I softened villain Laurel a bit, and gave her an extra dimension. Now I’ve got to do the same with another antagonist. I will need to work those exercises a lot more before doing the chapters with the villains.

After I’ve walked – there’s no running here – each chapter through Writing the Breakout Novel, I will revisit Autocrit for help with proofing.

Has anyone else worked with the Breakout Novel workbook? How did it help you?

Giant is having a special where they double the dollar coupons next week, but most of the groceries on my list I needed this week. The thought crossed my mind that I could postpone purchasing some items with dollars off coupons until next week. Then I got to thinking about my buddy’s advice. I don’t use much gas to go to this Giant, but it’s a dicey area for getting nabbed by Mylar balloons.

Right away, as I walked in, a large Disney character balloons tried to get at my cart. I had to run. I think I burned some serious calories fleeing from balloons.

Another work buddy did me a big favor, so it crossed my mind that she would love getting a daisy balloon. The daisy went into my cart. That balloon has her name on it, I told myself.

I picked up food to make for the Aid for Friends. Our church bulletin reported that food supplies had run low, and alas, the recipients do not have the funds or health to go to the store. Some of the recipients are homeless. So I decided to help by cooking a few meals.

I decided to do all my purchasing today, and never mind the dollar-off coupon deal. Good thing I did. After I finished shopping, the daisy started nuzzling my ear. What? I asked.

There are more balloons like me, the Mylar daisy whispered, and you know full well you want one for yourself.

Not this time, I told him. I am watching my budget.

Of course, you are, the balloon told me, and you’re helping other people. That’s great. Don’t you think you should reward yourself?

Oh, well, uh. More rustling from ahead of me. Another daisy waltzed over to my cart. I admit, I badly wanted that daisy. As I approached the register, the Disney character balloon jumped at me. Next time, I’ll get you, he said, smiling.

After I paid for my groceries, I said to the cashier, “This store is mighty dangerous with its balloons.” He laughed.

If I had gone back next week for the double dollar coupon sale, I might have saved on the respective items, but spent more on balloons. My coworker gave me good advice about shopping at one store.

Putting the manuscript aside was the best advice anyone gave me. When I went back to it, I found a lot of inconsistencies and need for line editing. The big thing was repetition. One chapter was cluttered with “that.” There is nothing wrong with using “that” or “was” but those words shouldn’t clutter the pages. In this, Word has been a staunch alley with its “find” and thesaurus features. Since I’ve gotten into publishing books and marathon revisions, I’ve made peace with Word, and I’m starting to appreciate its assets.

But let me not digress. The more revisions I make, the more I see that need to be done. Writing comes naturally, but introducing characters that people love can be difficult. The body language needs work, and I’ve seen that with others’ manuscripts. I found research helpful, and even more, the critiques I get from my writer’s group. Reading out loud enabled me to catch problems if I stumbled over sentences.

Some days, the revisions come easy, especially after a good night’s sleep. Other days, it might take three or four of my best curse words to do the job, especially when life gets in the way. On the bad days, I try to remind myself I’m making progress. And if later, an editor should suggest revisions, I will consider that person a good friend. It is better to fix the problems before the manuscript goes to print, than to have a reviewer or reader comment on them later. 

That said, I have to wonder how Jonathan Maberry and other great writers get through the revision process. With deadlines, you have to move fast. I can edit fast – I have to sometimes for the NTD tales – but revising comes slow. Perhaps if necessity was involved, I’d speed up my revisions.

I’d like to hear about your revising process. What was most difficult? What has helped you?