A Million Tiny Steps

I'm paraphrasing Jane Friedman here, when I say:
"Success takes a million tiny steps."

People always ask me what's the hardest part of being a college fiction writing teacher.  Is it all the tedious marking?  Having to read beginner attempts at writing in genres you don't want to read?  The long hours teaching at night, at the podium?

I don't teach that way (at the podium.)  I'm a desk-sitter.  But it's none of that.

By far, the hardest part of being a writing instructor is telling my students about the industry.  And in particular, that they aren't going to knock it out of the park with their first book - the one they are writing in my class.

It's hard, because they don't want to believe me.  Always, they point to one or two authors who make it to the bestsellers list on their first book.  "So and so did it - why won't I?"

What they don't know is that the book on the best-seller list - that author's "debut novel" - is most likely NOT the first book the author wrote.  Industry stats tell us it will likely be their 4th book written.  (3.6 is the average, for a traditionally published author.)

My own story works as an example.  My first novel published, Rowena Through the Wall, was a bestseller (yay!)  But it wasn't my first novel *written*.  It was my third.  And before that, I had 24 short stories published, which won me six awards.  (Six awards, students. Before I even tried to get a novel published.) 

Each one of those short stories, each of those awards, was a tiny step.

About that first novel: it was horrible.  So horrible that if anyone finds it on an abandoned floppy disk and tries to read it, I will have to kill either them or me.  It was a Canadian historical/western/romance/thriller with a spoiled, whiny heroine who was in danger of being killed. No shit. Even I wanted to kill her.  The second book was also horrible, but less horrible.  It was a romantic comedy with a "plucky heroine" (gag) and several implausible coincidences that made it into an unintentional farce. 

By the time I was writing my third and fourth novels, I got smarter.  Apparently, I could do farces.  Why not deliberately set about to write a humorous book?  And while you're at it, how about getting some professional feedback?  Take a few steps to become a better writer?

I entered the Daphne DuMaurier Kiss of Death contest.  Sent the required partial manuscript.  Two out of four judges gave me near perfect scores, and one of them said:
"If this is finished, send it out immediately. If this isn't finished, stop everything you're doing right now and finish it. I can't imagine this wouldn't get published."

One more tiny step.

That book was The Goddaughter.  It was published by Orca Books, and the series is now up to six books.  (Six steps.) The series has won two awards. (Two more steps.)

I'm currently writing my 18th book.  It comes out Fall 2019.  Last summer, for the first time, I was asked to be a Guest of Honour at a crime fiction festival.  It may, just may, be my definition of success.

If you include my comedy credits, I have over 150 fiction publications now, and ten awards.

160 tiny steps to success. 

Conclusion:  Don't give up if your first work isn't published.  Take those tiny steps to become a better writer.  Take a million.

WHY WRITERS DRINK

Below are the 8 stages of birthing a novel, and why fiction writers drink.

 THE STAGE OF:

1  JOY – You are finished your manuscript.  Damn, it’s good!  The best thing you’ve written, and it’s ALL DONE!  Time to open the Glenlivet.

2.  ANGST -  You submit manuscript to your publisher.  Yes, even though they’ve already published 5 of your novels, you still don’t know if they will publish this one.  Will they like it?  Is it as funny as you think it is?  Is it garbage?  Glenlivet is required to get through the next few days/weeks.

3.  RELIEF - They send you a contract – YAY!  You are not a has-been!  Your baby, which was a year in the making (not merely 9 months) will have a life!

Glenlivet is required to celebrate.

4.  ASTONISHMENT – The first round of edits come back.  What do they mean, you have substantive changes to make?  That story was PERFECT, dammit!  This is the 15^th draft, not the 1^st.  Commiserate with other writers over Glenlivet at the Drake. 

5.  CRIPPLING SELF-DOUBT – The changes they require are impossible.  You’ll never be able to keep it funny/full of high tension, by taking out or changing that scene.  What about the integrity?  Motivation? And what’s so darn bad about being ‘too slapstick,’ anyway?  This is comedy! 

Can’t sleep.  Look for Glenlivet.

6.  ACCEPTANCE – Okay, you’re rewriting, and somehow it’s working.  Figured out how to work around their concerns.  New scene is not bad.  Not as good as the original, of course (why couldn’t they see that) but still a good scene.  Phew.  You’re still a professional. 

Professionals drink Glenlivet, right?

 7.  JOY – They accept all your changes!  YAY!  You love your publisher.  All systems go. This baby will have a life. 

Celebrate the pending birth with a wee dram of Glenlivet.

 8.  ANGST -  Are they kidding?  THAT’S the cover? 

Welcoming Author Alison Bruce - Co-Author of HAZARDOUS UNIONS!

It is my pleasure to welcome Alison Bruce to Bad Girl.  All her books are wonderful,  but this one is my personal favorite.  Together with Kat Flannery, here are two compelling stories of living through the hell of war and finding a bit of heaven. Enjoy!

I was recently asked, “What was the best advice you were ever given?”

Tough question. The first thing that popped into my head was: “Never drink mixed drinks and beer on the same night.”

Then I reread the question and saw it was “best writing advice.” Still a tough question. I narrowed it down to two things. One was more of a life lesson and is about why I keep writing: “Life is too short not to do what you love.” The other was given me by Melodie Campbell. Let me tell you, up there in the important life lesson is, have a good friend and beta reader who teaches how to write comedy.

 “What’s the worst thing that can happen?”

This single piece of advice has helped me fill out my plots, juice up a scene and, sometimes, get through the day when I’m getting bored standing in line at stores.

Let’s face it, in life we want everything to go smoothly. We strive not to make stupid mistakes and, when we make them, we pray no one notices. Not so in fiction. As authors, we plot horrible, embarrassing, often life threatening circumstances for our protagonists. As readers we eat that up. The last thing we’re looking for is “Boy meets girl. Boy and girl fall in love. Nothing gets in the way of them getting together, including themselves.” Not only does it make for a boring story, it doesn’t even ring true. Maybe, in real life, she won’t be kidnapped by aliens and he won’t have to join the space program to save her, but something stupid will happen that will get laughed about years down the road. If they last that long.

The second part of Melodie’s advice is, “What is the funniest thing that can happen?”

Crime writers might substitute “most likely to make the protagonist the next victim.”  Adventure authors might go for “most life threatening.” I don’t write comedy, but I do adhere to the belief that “life is too important to take seriously.” Funny things happen in the worst circumstances, and almost always happen when you do something stupid. In HAZARDOUS UNIONS: Two Tales of a Civil War Christmas, Maggie does something particularly daft when she agrees to go riding without changing into appropriate clothes first.

Master Sergeant patted me on the shoulder. "I'm going to let you ride Chalk. He's mine and the calmest mount I've ever had. No need to be scared."

I just nodded. I wasn't scared of horses. I was very appreciative of their efforts in pulling plows and carts and enjoyed feeding them apples as a reward. I was a bit nervous about riding.

My, cavalry troopers were efficient at saddling those big brutes.

Master Sergeant laced his fingers and crouched down. "Just put your foot here, and one hand on my shoulder. I'll throw you into the saddle. You just have to grab the horn and swing your leg over."

I followed the directions and was rewarded by the exhilarating sensation of feeling light as a feather as I was effortlessly tossed up. Then my crinoline, not being designed for saddles, popped up like an umbrella in a high wind.

"Master Sergeant, what the hell are you doing?"

I pushed my skirt down and saw Captain Stone, red-faced and fists clenched, and Master Sergeant looking very, very pale.

It gets worse, but you’ll have to find out for yourself.

Bestselling western romance authors, Kat Flannery and Alison Bruce take you on an exciting journey with the release of HAZARDOUS UNIONS, Two Tales of a Civil War Christmas.

www.alisonbruce.ca

 Reviews:

“You’ll sigh with pleasure as you finish each story” ~ Caroline Clemmons, author of Bluebonnet Bride

“Stories that play on your senses like a sonata. A must read!” ~ Jacquie Rogers, award-winning author of Much Ado About Madams

“Wonderfully entertaining and well-written, with engaging characters…delightful!” ~ Charlene Raddon, author of To Have and To Hold

Twin sisters separated by war, bound by love…

After the death of their father, twin sisters Maggie and Matty Becker are forced to take positions with officers’ families at a nearby fort. When the southern states secede, the twins are separated, and they find themselves on opposite sides of America’s bloodiest war.

In the south, Maggie travels with the Hamiltons to Bellevue, a plantation in west Tennessee. When Major Hamilton is captured, it is up to Maggie to hold things together and deal with the Union cavalry troop that winters at Bellevue. Racism, politics and a matchmaking stepmother test Maggie’s resourcefulness as she fights for Bellevue, a wounded Confederate officer and the affections of the Union commander.

In the north, Matty discovers an incriminating letter in General Worthington’s office, and soon she is on the run. With no one to turn to for help, she drugs the wealthy Colonel Cole Black and marries him, in hopes of getting the letter to his father, the governor of Michigan. But Cole is not happy about being married, and Matty’s life becomes all about survival.

Two unforgettable stories of courage, strength and honor

Title: HAZARDOUS UNIONS

Genre: Historical Romance

Authors: Alison Bruce (www.alisonbruce.ca) & Kat Flannery (www.katflannery-author.com)

Publisher: Imajin Books (www.imajinbooks.com)

Purchase link: http://www.amazon.com/Hazardous-Unions-Tales-Christmas-ebook/dp/B00EXA735I

 

Alison Bruce has had many careers and writing has always been one of them. Copywriter, editor and graphic designer since 1992, Alison has also been a comic book store manager, small press publisher, webmaster and arithmetically challenged bookkeeper. She is the author of mystery, suspense and historical romance novels and occasionally helps Melodie out of technological worst case scenarios.

Website: http://www.alisonbruce.ca

Blog: http://alisonebruce.blogspot.ca

Twitter: https://twitter.com/alisonebruce

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alisonbruce.books