Waypoint Authors

September 16, 2020 + Author Life, Self, Writing

4S Author: Self

Starting with SELF is appropriate because it’s often the thing authors abandon first. We spend so much time trying to contort ourselves for agents, editors, and readers we completely forget that we’re a very important piece of our stories.

If you haven’t read the Series Kickoff outlining the 4S’s, do that here.

The self has two sections: your physical self and your higher self.

Your Higher Self

Your higher self is not a spiritual thing (although it can be if that’s important to you) but more a way in which you carry yourself. In regards to writing, it comprises your values, expectations, and boundaries. These three areas must be understood if you are to have a hope of building a sustainable writing career.

Values

Define your beliefs. What is the code of conduct in your life? Identify the force that drives your behavior?

We all love to talk about values in a romantic sense. We want to value family and love and kindness, but in truth, we sometimes choose our values based on how good they make us look.

Behind all the posturing, our real values are there, and they are coming out every day in how we behave. When we act in alignment with our values, we feel refreshed, inspired, motivated. When we are working counter to our values, we feel stuck, hopeless, or agitated. Values often change and morph as we do, and they’re not fixed. You can integrate new values into your life that will serve you and your writing better.

My two highest held values are communication and integrity.

What are yours?

If you need help defining them, I’m always happy to chat this out during a Quick Chat.

Expectations

This is not what you expect from others; it’s what others expect from you. And you have more control over it than you think.

Again this comes back to behavior. You set expectations in others with the choices you make. Every time you sit down to write and your kids want something from you, do you get up and do it for them? Or do you tell them to wait until after your writing time? Both of those actions are setting an expectation.

If you interrupt your creative time to cater to others, you’re communicating to them that your writing time is optional and non-essential. They will continue to interrupt you because you’ve indicated that it’s okay if they do.

Boundaries

Boundaries are born from expectations. Let’s continue with the interruption example as I’m guessing it’s a common one, and it’s also a smaller, more manageable boundary to set.

Boundaries are the lines that you will not allow others to cross—a time/action/space you protect, literally or figuratively. I often instruct my clients to create a Nope List for their fiction, which is a list of boundaries you’ll set with your family/friends and your readers. Write out a series of ways you refuse to compromise your goals and values to achieve some arbitrary metric—such as I will never add gratuitous sex into my novel to gain more sales.

How could we set a healthy boundary around writing time with our children? Here’s how I do it. See how my values (communication and integrity) play into my boundaries.

I get up early to write as I have a preschool-aged daughter and I’m a morning person as they say.

I sat down with my husband and daughter and talked to them about my writing. I told them why I love to write—that it gave me purpose and joy. I let them in on my process—I’m most productive in the morning and require quiet, uninterrupted time to get into the flow. I asked them how they felt about my writing and if they had questions about how I was spending my time at the screen. Through their answers, I realized that they didn’t understand my writing time and often felt I was neglecting them to scroll social media and avoid them. So I explained further. We talked about online presence, my relationship with my readers, and my marketing efforts. I walked them through my brand and how I use my time to write, edit, publish, and promote. Once they understood better, we set the expectations around my creative time as a family.

Unless there is pain or blood, my time is MY time. I make sure to hold up my end of the bargain by sticking to the arrangement. I use that time to work, not to flitter around on the internet doing unnecessary things. And when 8 am rolls around, I pack it up and turn my attention to the family. If my boundary is crossed, I gently remind them of our agreement. I offer them an option to solve their problems and follow through with a list of consequences that we predetermined, such as if my daughter can’t give me that time, she has to play or read in her room instead of in my office. If I breach my end of the agreement, they remind me of the time and how I’ve gone over.

This example sounds very hippie, but it took a lot of reminders and a lot of putting my foot down. It’s a long and bumpy road. Slowly, my family began to understand that I respect my creative time enough to defend it, and now they respect it too.

Your Physical Self

I have zero interest in using this space to make you feel like you need to be a certain way or size or shape to be healthy. Health looks different for all of us, depending on our genetics and our environmental circumstances. Our bodies communicate with us about what makes it feel better and worse. Being in tune with that can improve your creativity because what you eat and how you move affects your focus and clarity—in helpful ways and harmful ways.

If you love to work out hard and cook elaborate Keto meals, then do that.

But connecting to our bodies could look like drinking a big glass of cold water before you write because it perks you up. Or take a break from writing to do some stretching in your chair. Or save those cookies for after your writing time because you know sugar makes you foggy and grumpy.

Practice listening to your body.

Whether it’s your higher self or your physical self, it’s about alignment. This industry has enough obstacles to navigate; our relationship with writing doesn’t have to be one of them.

If you need help sorting out your priorities and creating a plan to bring your Self back into your writing game, I’ve got you covered. Let’s chat soon.

If you’d rather DIY yourself through this, we have a workbook for that, which you can find HERE.

September 9, 2020 + Sales, Self, Story, Support

The 4S Author Career

by Allison Martin

There are a lot of paths to publishing your novels, and it can become quite overwhelming to decide which one is right for you. But under all the tech and strategies and marketing your success will hinge on only 4 core thing.

Over the coming weeks I’ll dive into each one a bit further.

Note: This series was adapted from a summer series available through the email list only. For more in depth writing advice be sure you’re on the list.

Publishing is not a linear process. You don’t start as an intern, pay your dues, and climb the corporate ladder until you reach management. I am a testament to this idea having had a wildly successful debut book, a flop sophomore book, a popular third book, then I burned out hard and took a year off, which killed my momentum and then had to start all over again.

I sometimes compare writing and selling fiction to one of those Tilt-o-Whirl rides at the fair. It’s not just ups and downs like a roller coaster but also violent jerks side to side and sometimes spinning you right around.

It’s not easy this career you’ve chosen, but it also doesn’t have to be so damn hard.

Let’s get into the 4S Fiction Career and get control of this wild ride, shall we?

THE 4 S’s

To build a fiction career, you need to nurture these four areas: Self, Story, Support, and Sales.

All four of these categories are crucial and require you to be paying attention because, as I said, it’s not a linear process. There are no ABCs or 123s about it. Each category has its time to shine, and each will let you know when it’s neglected, often by negatively affecting the others.

SELF

The self category is two-sided.

First, your values drive your interests, which guide your experiences that ultimately become the themes of your novels. No matter how hard you try, you cannot take yourself out of your stories. So it’s vital that you understand WHY you write in the first place.

Second, your brain and body are essential to your career as an author. Feed your creativity by choosing nutrition that clears your mind, movement that invigorates your body, and the spirit of curiosity to be continuously learning.

STORY

Writing a book is easy. Crafting a story is hard.

All the beautiful language in the world does not equal a compelling story, nor does a kick-ass character, a tightly plotted structure, or any other number of things you can find on Google by searching ‘How to write a novel.’

Crafting a story that is both well written and deeply compelling requires a layering of skills that develop over time. You reach this goal through practice, education (formal or informal), and the willingness to repeat/redo/rewrite until you’ve gone below the words’ surface and created an experience for your reader.

SUPPORT

There are many forms of support for a fiction author. The most obvious is your readers.

You need people to read your stories and then talk about them. The talking-about-them part is what gets ignored. It’s not enough to have people on your email list or people that buy your books. You need their support in the form of talking, reviewing, sharing to gain more readers.

The next layer is your peers. You need other authors in your world who love you, your writing, and are happy to help you. Peer relationships are mutually beneficial. They are networks of authors who are in similar places in their careers who help each other. There is a back and forth flow of support. But beware of the Author Whirlpool Effect, which we’ll talk about soon.

The next layer is your mentors. You need people more advanced than you to guide you, help you, and support you because this trip is hard, my friend. Mentors can be generous authors more advanced than you or a coach that you hire to assist you. The mentor relationship is usually only one way. The mentor supports the mentee.

The last level is friends and family. The personal life aspect is tricky, and it’s honestly heartbreaking how many authors I talk to that have ZERO support from their spouses, family, and friends. If you are in a safe space to do so, practicing expectation and boundary setting can be beneficial because a lot of the time, it comes down to not understanding. Your non-writer crew just doesn’t get it. So help them get it.

SALES

Marketing is where so many of us get all topsy turvy on our path to monetize our fiction. The branding, and the websites, and email lists, and social media, and ranking, and ads, and banners, and bylines, and the covers, and the launches, and the fast track to burnout-town!

Your only goal after writing your book is to sell it to someone. Many someones, preferably. In the simplest way possible. This path is called a sales strategy. You need one that fits you, and it doesn’t have to be complicated.

It also gets tricky because your support (readers) is sometimes different than your market (buyers). Wait. What? Yup. The people who hand over the dollars may not be the people who are actively reading and supporting you. For example, your author friend from that Facebook group might buy your book to support you (and expect you to buy theirs in return, which means you’re at net-zero dollars, btw), but they might never actually read it.

You need to do some real work to figure out your market, where they are, and how they respond to different strategies. Contrary to what the gurus tell you about their ‘proven methods,’ it’s not just pumping money into ads, following a framework, being in certain places, or hanging out with certain people.

There are so many traps and false promises on the trail to sales. It’s wild. I’m on a one-woman mission to prove that 99% of what you’re doing to market your books is an unnecessary waste of your time. I’ll tell you why soon.

I’ll be back over the coming weeks to go into more detail on each category in turn.

August 27, 2020 + Self, Story

6 Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Story Before You Sit Down to Write

by Jolene Perry (author)

How do you prepare to write a new book? Many authors have a system they follow to plan, plot, and prepare before they sit down to write–myself included. While there are no real rules for how to write a book, I find that I prefer to have a loosely structured system that works for my storytelling style.

I’ve written a little over 30 novels–maybe around 40. I don’t count. (I don’t count words either, but that’s a post for another day). Now that I have a few stories behind me, I’ve started asking myself the same six questions each time I start a new project.

Want to know what they are and how they help me prepare to write? Read on.

1. Where did the seed of this idea come from? What’s at the heart of this story?

Considering the seed and the heart of our story idea helps us to remember the passion we had when the idea first sparked. Write your answer down, because you’re going to want to revisit it from time to time throughout your writing process.

Knowing the heart of a story keeps us going when we’re feeling unmotivated. It helps us fall back in love with our characters when we’ve had enough of dealing with them, or love the story again when we hate the plot. (Because at some point in the process, we WILL hate the story or get sick of our characters.)

On days when you’re feeling awful about what you’re working on, go back to this answer. Take some time to refocus on the heart, and you’ll be on your way again in no time.

2. What is the book about?

Writing up a short pitch of our story, even if it’s just mediocre, can help us keep our story focused as we write. Sketch out your basic characters, a bit of setting and genre, what’s at stake, and an obstacle or two.

I fall somewhere between a plotter and pantser/discovery writer. I go back to that blurb again and again. This also helps me know if my idea will be easy to sell or pitch, since I know my endgame is to sell the book. This blurb isn’t set in stone, but I’ll often go back to it and tweak as I write. If you want to feel confident in moving forward with your idea, create a pitch that makes your friends/agent/editor say, “I NEED THIS IN MY LIFE.”

3. What is a topic or sensation or feeling I want to explore?

This goes back to the heart of the story, or theme. What do we want to say about the world through our newest project? Are we exploring a particular emotion or sensation? An observation on society or politics? If we had to summarize our WIP in one word, what would that word be?

All of these details help to keep the EMOTIONAL focus on the book on track. And, the emotions we spark in and through our characters will translate into what you want your readers to feel.

4. How do I want my reader to feel when they finish the book?

Asking ourselves how we want our readers to feel when they put our book down will help us to know if we’re upholding the promises we made to the reader with the beginning of the novel, as well as the blurb. Knowing how we want our readers to feel ignites our awareness and helps us keep the emotional stakes where they need to be throughout the storytelling journey.

5. What happened to my protagonist/world before the novel starts, that has shaped who they are?

Our protagonist’s past experiences inform their actions, reactions, and choices throughout the story. The past follows protagonists throughout their arc, and will have varying degrees of influence on everything they do.

The Hunger Games is a great example. Because it’s a post-apocalyptic story, one might say that the big thing that happened before the novel’s beginning is the revolution that resulted in the forming of the districts, which in turn resulted in the formation of the Hunger Games. After all, the games wouldn’t have happened without the war, right?

But take a deeper dive and look at Katniss Everdeen’s past. The poor living conditions in District 12 contributed to her father’s death, which then forces her to hunt for food to help her family survive. Her grit, determination, and wilderness survival skills set her up to win the Hunger Games.

So in this case, both the world’s past and the character’s past shape the story’s events going forward.

6. What lie does my character believe, and how do the events of the novel play into, or help destroy that lie?

This may take a while to sort out, and that’s okay! But something in your character’s past has led them to believe something about themselves–and/or the world–that is false. Their discovery that this thing they’ve believed to be true, isn’t true, is what drives your story forward.

Your character’s misbelief can be anything, including:

I am the chosen one
I’m not worthy of love
I will never be enough
I can never go back (to home, an old life, to doing good, etc.)
I must do it all alone (everyone is depending on me)

How your character navigates that lie is what keeps the reader turning pages.

Wrapping Up

These questions are the things that I write up longhand before I start my novel. They’re what I talk to my critique partners about, and how I shape my characters and my story.

If you’re feeling lost, or unsure about how to navigate these questions–either with a new project, or with a novel you’re revising–Allie and I love to talk these details through with writers. Schedule your chat here.

Happy Writing!

August 12, 2020 + Story

Thanks Tips: Kill Your Darlings

by Jolene Perry (author)

Welcome to another installment of “Thanks Tips” where Allie or Jo tackles a piece of vague writing advice and unpacks the meaning behind it. Today’s unpacking? KILL YOUR DARLINGS.

I don’t know quite when this became SUCH A THING but I’m pretty sure we have Stephen King to blame – if not for its origins, then for its popularity.

But what does it MEAN?

It means this: Just because you love it, doesn’t mean it belongs…

Let’s jump in and look at this further.

KILLING A SCENE or even a JUMPING OFF POINT for a story:

The first book I ever wrote, I wrote by accident. I was playing my guitar, my two kids goofing off in their playroom, and this idea of a songwriter, a woman who had just suffered unspeakable loss, had a friend who entered her into a songwriting competition and she won. A few weeks later, she finds herself inside the home studio of a famous man, fresh out of rehab, and unable to write. Of COURSE they had to fall in love. But the first scene I wrote was her learning about her sneaky friend and her being in awe of going to California. The WHOLE premise of the book was this competition, and it didn’t survive edits. Neither did that very first scene, or first few chapters. They didn’t belong in the story. And in the final? She wasn’t in awe of going, she was in dread. Another story I wrote was based on a love triangle, where the young woman doesn’t end up with either of the guys at the end. That’s what I wrote toward the WHOLE time, but that ending didn’t belong once I got there.

Just because a scene is vivid, or the IDEA of your novel came from somewhere specific, doesn’t mean that the spark, or initial scene, will make it into your novel. That, my friend, is one example of KILLING YOUR DARLINGS.

KILLING A CHARACTER:

A good friend of mine sent me a fun romance to do a simple edit on, and we both LOVED her British leading man. The thing is…as charming and witty and FUN as he was…that background didn’t fit the story. Him being from her hometown did fit the story.

Loving a character and/or their backstory, doesn’t mean the particulars of their background is right for the novel you’re writing/editing.

KILLING OUR WITTY, WITTY SELVES

A friend was talking about how sometimes she’ll come across one of her own lines that makes her laugh out loud, or makes her stop and think – holy crap, I wrote that? But more often than not, those small lines either pull the reader from the story, or allow too much of US to print on the pages rather than our characters.

The line has to go.

The main idea behind KILL YOUR DARLINGS is to objectively look at all the pieces of your novel to make SURE they fit with your story. We can’t keep things only because they’re clever or make us laugh or make us smile. We keep what WORKS, what FITS, and what’s NECESSARY to further the protagonist’s journey.

My best advice to know what stays and goes from your own manuscript? TAKE TIME AWAY from your words and try to keep yourself detached when you read again. Still stuck? Allie and I are always happy to give our thoughts.

For details on the types of edits we offer, go HERE, or to schedule a story chat, go HERE.

July 29, 2020 + Pep Talk, Self, Story, Support

Pep Talk: Put a Positive Spin on Rejection

by Haley Walden

Rejection is a normal part of life, but as humans, we tend to avoid it at all costs. If you’ve chosen to be an author, though, rejection is part of the journey. (Might as well rip off the band-aid first, right?)

Our instincts tell us that our very existence is threatened if we’re rejected, so we tend to spend a lot of time and energy building safeguards to ensure we’re accepted at all costs. But when you’re pursuing the author life, shielding yourself from being rejected is actually counterproductive.

Intellectually, we know that rejection is just part of being an author. But secretly, we think and hope that we can avoid it. We do this by creating extra likeable characters, a super watered-down plot, and steering clear of controversy.

The problem is, when we do this, rejection becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Now, you’ve written a boring book, and it’s guaranteed to get rejection…all because you tried to avoid being rejected in the first place.

Cruel irony, huh? The good news is, you can turn rejection into something to celebrate, rather than something to avoid.

For an author, rejection comes in many forms–not just getting your manuscript turned down. Let’s look at a few examples, and how to flip them into positives.

The Dreaded Unsubscribe

Your latest newsletter just went out yesterday, and you’re checking the analytics to see how it did. Unfortunately, you notice that several of your readers unsubscribed. Your mind begins to race: Was it something I said? Why don’t they like me anymore? What did I do to drive them away?

There’s nothing worse than feeling like you struck a nerve with someone who, not long ago, signed up to receive updates from you. Maybe they’ve even bought and reviewed your books. Whatever the case, it stings when readers drop off your list.

Positive spin: Losing newsletter subscribers kinda hurts (like…a lot), but it means you’re actually doing a good job of targeting your ideal readers and filtering out folks who aren’t really “your people”. Rather than fretting over their departure, enjoy culling the list.

Getting a 1-Star Review

It’s devastating to get a 1-star review, period. Most readers attempt to leave better ratings for the author’s sake, even when they don’t particularly enjoy the book. …And then there are the few readers who leave scathing reviews that completely eviscerate your book.

Not gonna lie–reviews like this are never fun to receive. But there is a way to make them feel more positive.

Positive spin: Funny enough, terrible reviews can actually help to attract more attention to your book. They’re controversial and tactless–but they also serve to spark readers’ curiosity. They’ll want to know if your book is as terrible as the reviewer says it is. Allie and I have each read entire series just to see if they justified the complete vitriol spewed by the disgruntled readers who hated them. In the end, the bad reviews of one book can lead to multiple books sales.

A one-star review also means the reader wasn’t your audience, so that gives you a chance to ask some important questions, like:

Who are you targeting, really?
Does your book blurb reflect what’s really in the story?
What were the readers’ expectations vs. what actually happened in the book?
Is your book correctly categorized on Amazon, or are you capturing the wrong readers?

Some authors lean on three-star reviews to help them revise their next stories. A three-star review usually contains a mix of solid constructive and positive feedback that you can use to improve your future work.

Not Getting Your Conference Class Picked

Getting your conference class turned down is a tough blow. You’ve likely put a ton of work into creating your concept and materials, but you didn’t quite make the cut. It’s a little too easy to wallow in self-pity when things don’t go our way, but hear me out: you can flip this on its head.

Positive spin: Perhaps your class wasn’t quite the right fit for this event. Maybe you were really looking forward to teaching this class. Getting rejected from a specific conference isn’t the end! You can take the materials you’ve pulled together and create your own mini-course if you want–and maybe even make a little extra money in the process.

Getting Turned Down for a Blurb

Being an author means putting yourself out on a limb, over and over. This includes asking fellow authors for blurbs in your book. And when an author turns you down for a book blurb, this can feel like a slap in the face. I mean, you would write a blurb for them–so why won’t they do it for you?

Positive spin: Take a step back and think objectively about your book and who you pitched for blurbs. Is the author in question a writer in your genre? Do they have different brand values than you? Are the kinds of stories you write wildly different? Is their life simply too chaotic at the moment?

A book blurb is an author’s endorsement or stamp of approval on your book. They’re likely going to take their books and their audience into account before they agree to a blurb. On the flip side, consider the author you’ve reached out to–are they a good fit for your brand and readers? If not, skipping this particular endorsement actually works out for the best.

Getting Turned Down by a Coach

When you’re seeking a mentor, such as a coach, to help you build your author life, it can be disheartening to get rejected. A good coach will let you know if you’re not a good fit for one another. They don’t want to waste your time or theirs, and your wellbeing is in their best interest.

Still, hearing ‘no’ can hurt. So how do you ease the pain?

Positive spin: There are so many coaches out there, just waiting for the right people to help. If a coach you wanted to work with has decided you’re not a good fit, there’s someone else ready for you. Just take a deep breath and keep making connections–soon, you’ll find the perfect mentor who’s just right for you, your needs, and your goals.

Redefining Rejection

So is rejection a thing to be avoided or something to celebrate? It’s really all in how you think about it.

Your mindset and attitude play a big part in how you handle rejection, too. Let’s look at three common mindsets and how to spin those:

If you’re naturally arrogant, leave your assumptions at the door. Yes, rejection hurts, but there might be a good reason for it. Try to take an objective view of the situation instead, and see what comes up for you.
If you’re naturally self-shaming, don’t assume you did terrible work and deserve this rejection. Don’t beat yourself up. Instead, approach the situation with empathy and think about how you’d speak to a friend if they were in your shoes. This opens the door to real insights and solutions, rather than just folding in on yourself.
If you’re naturally defensive, think before you react. Try not to immediately respond in anger and indignation. Give yourself time to process the rejection, and then evaluate the reasons why you or your work might not have made the cut this time.

Need help reframing rejection or understanding it with a new perspective? We’re here to help. Get in touch to schedule your chat today.

July 22, 2020 + Story, Support

5 Reasons You May Need a Story Chat

by Jolene Perry (author)

A story chat is a one-hour phone or video chat where we can discuss your fiction project. It doesn’t matter if you’re drafting or editing, if you’re stuck on character or plot, or if you’re traditional or independently published. Story chats are meant to give you the confidence, clarity, and support to keep going.

Here are five reasons you might need a story chat:

YOU HAVE A TON OF IDEAS AND DON’T KNOW WHICH ONE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH. It’s always a bit of a guessing game as to which story idea will be the most marketable. We can walk you through your ideas, the strengths and weaknesses of each, and help you realize which project has the best chance of success at this moment in both the publishing world, and where you’re at in your writing career.
YOU’RE JUST ABOUT TO START WRITING YOUR NEXT PROJECT. We can help you make sure your story idea, character motivations, and main plot points are all working toward your best advantage. This will save you time, effort, and energy as you move through your draft. It also will give you a stronger finished product.
YOU’VE STARTED A NOVEL YOU’RE EXCITED ABOUT, BUT THE PLOT AND THE CHARACTERS JUST AREN’T BEHAVING. We’ve all been there. You have an idea, you’re moving forward, but…the details aren’t falling into place, or maybe you’re struggling to find confidence in the decisions you’ve made in your manuscript.
YOU HAVE A FIRST DRAFT THAT YOU KNOW IS A DISASTER. That’s okay! First drafts are notorious for being unruly and wild creatures. We can help you dissect what you have and create your best revision plan to move forward with confidence and with a mind on YOUR vision for YOUR novel.
YOU’RE RE-VISITING AN OLDER PROJECT. Most writers have projects they wrote in their early writing days that need some love. We’ll work through a series of questions, intentions, and goals. Guide you in how best to take the heart of that story and turn it into something you’re excited to share with the world.

More and more of my regular authors are reaching out for a Story Chat before they start their project, or right about when they reach the quarter or a third mark. This saves them time and uncertainty as they move forward, as well as needing fewer editing rounds after they’ve finished. Being put in the position of talking one-on-one about your project, your desires for that project, and how best to move forward, is invaluable.

Allie and I started Waypoint because we saw far too many authors losing their way in their careers and in their stories. Our passion is to guide you toward telling the best version of your idea in your way.

See details and schedule your STORY CHAT here.

If you’d like this same service, but with a little more detail, we recommend a Story Mapping Call where we’ll ask you some questions or request some information before we chat, and then follow up sometime over the next month. Get more info here.

July 15, 2020 + Self, Story, Support

8 Ways Self-Sabotage Disguises Itself to Block Your Creativity

by Haley Walden

Once you embark on building your author life, you’ll find that self-sabotage is an insidious beast. It disguises itself as a number of different, seemingly innocuous feelings and scenarios that ultimately block your creativity. So what do you do about it?

Obviously, we all want to nip self-sabotage in the bud. Anything that gets between you and your books needs to hit the road–right? But the first step to identifying self-sabotage is understanding that it sneaks up on you in disguise. Let’s look at a few of its most common manifestations.

1.Rewriting over and over (and over)

There’s nothing quite like getting caught up in a rewriting or editing loop…while you’re still drafting. (I should know. This is a problem I have.)

But what’s wrong with editing, you ask? Isn’t that productive? Aren’t you just making your story better…something you’re going to do anyway? Well, no…not when it’s serving as a method of self-sabotage.

Under the right circumstances, rewriting and editing can become tools that actually impede your progress toward completing your book. Rewriting is an easy excuse for missing deadlines with your editor or beta readers. It’s deceptive because it makes you feel like you’re accomplishing something, while you’re actually just spinning your wheels.

2. Guilt

Taking time to write can trigger all kinds of guilt, and guilt is directly responsible for self-sabotage.

Without fail, when we try to take time for ourselves–to pursue our own habits and goals–there’s someone else who will need us. It could be a parent, friend, grandparent, spouse, child, boss, or coworker.

When you choose to prioritize your writing, you’re going to feel some guilt for doing that. Writing is, ultimately, for you. If you’re serious about it, you’ll have to push through the guilt that comes with it. Giving in to guilty feelings might feel like the right thing to do in the moment, but I promise, you’ll end up regretting the fact that you didn’t prioritize your writing.

You are allowed hobbies and interests that take up your time. Set the example for yourself and set the example for the people around you.

3. Mistake rehashing

Have you ever found yourself rehashing old conflicts or mistakes and getting caught up in negative thought spirals? …While trying to write? What did you do about it?

The type or nature of the particular mistake really doesn’t matter. But the question is, are you letting it take over your writing time? Are you letting it shut you down?

When mistakes, emotional trauma, and bad memories rear their ugly heads during your writing time, it’s important to learn how to observe them, acknowledge them, then let them go. Past mistakes and trauma create negative habit loops that are hard to break, so this is a situation where you may not want to go it alone. A therapist, coach, or accountability buddy can help tremendously, depending on the seriousness or depth of the thought spirals you’re experiencing.

Denying yourself time to be creative while you heal will create a pile-on effect of even more trauma, so take every opportunity you can to let yourself work on your book. If you’re working through trauma that’s happening now, all the more reason to make sure you’re giving yourself permission to create.

4. Busyness

Staying too busy to work on your novel is yet another way to sabotage your writing journey. I think we can all agree that everyone tends to juggle many different obligations these days. But, crowding out your schedule to the point that you can’t work on your book is self-sabotage.

Busyness looks like many things, beyond the run-of-the-mill home responsibilities and personal tasks. It can also encompass author-y things, too, like obsessing about Instagram, checking metrics ro running numbers, planning launches, and marketing. They’re all busy tasks that make you feel productive, but aren’t moving you closer to a finished book.

Are there many, many valid reasons it’s hard to find writing time? Yes. But these reasons are universal. It’s all about finding the places in your day when you can fit writing in, and then creating the habit.

5. Failing to make writing a habit

…Which brings us to #5. Writing should not be an item on your to-do list (read more about that here). Instead, it should be a consistent habit.

Rather than thinking of it as just another thing to check off your list, you need to make writing a practice that’s as natural as brushing your teeth. If you treat it as an obligation, you’ll be more likely to push it off until tomorrow…and then tomorrow…and then tomorrow.

6. An incessant need for validation (ahem, permission)

If you’re constantly looking for validation at every turn, that’s going to sabotage your work. Essentially, seeking validation too often is immobilizing. It’s a nice way to say you’re asking for permission to follow through on your ideas.

There’s nothing wrong with validation, in itself. The problem comes in when the need is invasive and keeps us from making progress. It’s totally fine to run your ideas by a friend or an editor, but be self-aware enough to recognize when it’s appropriate, and when it might not be. (If you tend to send your work to ten billion beta readers, this is self-sabotage, too.)

Another facet of the constant need for validation is waiting for your family to tell you it’s okay to write. If you wait for your household to step aside and help you carve out your writing time, you’ll be waiting forever. Honestly? You’re going to have to sidestep that innate need for permission and just do what it takes to fuel your creativity.

7. “Marketing”

When it comes to marketing vs. doing creative work, there’s a fine line to walk. Marketing is necessary. But it shouldn’t take away from your creative work to the point of self-sabotage.

Avoiding your daily writing? Cool, cool–you can just spend that time marketing, and you’ll still be accomplishing something. While that’s true, if you use marketing in order to avoid writing, you’ll torpedo your creativity.

8. Poor self-care

Failing to take care of yourself is a sure way to sabotage both your creativity and your health. If you’re not healthy, you’re not going to feel very creative and it’s going to be hard to work on your book. In fact, you’ll be struggling just to get through the day’s normal routine–not to mention working on your book.

Even if you need to take a small break from your creative work on the front end, make an investment in yourself. A sustainable, long-term author life starts with healthy self-care. So get moving, fuel your body with nutrients, and do whatever it takes to get yourself feeling energetic and inspired.

Are you sabotaging your writing?

If you think you might be self-sabotaging, realize it’s totally normal. Every one of us deals with it from time to time. So avoid piling on extra guilt (and thus, more self-sabotage) by acknowledging what’s happening, and seeking the support you need to keep moving forward.

You’re not alone on this path. Finding other authors, or even a coach, who can cheer you on and walk the path with you is immensely valuable.

Need to talk through self-sabotage issues? Do you know you’re sabotaging yourself, but are unsure exactly how? Working with a coach can help you untangle what’s tripping you up, and give you the tools you need to identify and overcome your own self-sabotage habits. Click here to learn more about how coaching with Allie or Jo can help you strategically build an author life that works for you.

July 8, 2020 + Self, Story, Support

5 Author Life Accomplishments Worth Celebrating

by Haley Walden

Author life has its ups and downs, like so many things in life. Let’s face it: writing a book can be a long road, especially if you’re just starting out or don’t write fiction full-time. It’s easy to lose focus on our writing goals, so we need milestones and celebrations to keep our focus and our energy on track.

Sure, there are major milestones worth celebrating, like getting an agent, getting a publishing deal, self-publishing a finished novel, or selling copies of our book. But in reality, it’s the little accomplishments that keep us moving toward those big milestones.

Seemingly small author life accomplishments actually add up to big wins later on, so let’s look at a few that we should all be celebrating.

1. Opening your manuscript document.

Obviously, finishing a manuscript is a major milestone worth celebrating. But sometimes, simply opening your manuscript deserves a celebration, too.

As writers, we get off track for many reasons. Maybe you’re juggling a full-time job, kids, pets, and extended family obligations. You could be going through some health challenges. Or perhaps there are things happening in the world that make it difficult to sit down and get focused on your creative work.

Whatever the case, there will be times when simply sitting at your computer and opening your work-in-progress for 15 minutes deserves a celebration. After all, it’s the little moments like these that add up to a finished book.

2. Being kind to yourself.

How we treat ourselves directly affects our writing, our level of creativity, and our relationships with our readers, editors, and other important people in our lives. If you want to turn out high quality work and have healthy relationships with the people in your circle, start by showing kindness to YOU.

We humans aren’t exactly great at being kind to ourselves. So when you treat yourself kindly–with intention–celebrate that.

3. Thinking (or talking) about your characters, plot, or worldbuilding.

It’s easy to forget that working on your story in your head is part of the writing process. There will be times when it’s hard to carve out time to write, so instead of using those times to beat yourself up, celebrate every effort you take to think through your story.

If you want to take your thought process a bit further, talk about what you’re working on with your reader friends or your editor. See what ideas you can glean from a good plot talk, or a deep dive into your characters or world. Then–you guessed it–celebrate your efforts!

4. Sending an email to your subscriber list.

Hitting send on an email newsletter doesn’t feel like a big deal, but celebrate it anyway. It takes time to pull a newsletter together, and in the process, you’re actively engaging your readers and checking in with them. Nurturing our relationships, whether they’re readers or IRL friends, always deserves a little happy dance.

5. Getting your manuscript back from your editor.

Sure, it’s great to send a manuscript draft off for editing…but what about the joy of getting your edits back? We get it: many writers dread opening that document and seeing all the revision notes. But truly, the editing process is part of an amazing transformation that takes your story from good to amazing.

While editorial feedback may mean a lot of work for you, it also means you’re taking your book to the next level. Putting your best possible story out into the world is worth the effort, though, so let’s say it once again: celebrate.

We all need a reminder to celebrate, once in a while.

If you need regular author life pep talks delivered straight to your inbox, join the Waypoint Weekly. We’re here to answer your questions and cheer you on throughout your writing journey.

As an added bonus, you’ll get our free Fiction Pathfinder to help guide you as you build your author brand. You can get that here.

July 3, 2020 + Story

5 Steps to Pick Your Next Fiction Project

by Jolene Perry (author)

Not long ago, I was invited to be the guest author at a writing retreat. When I put up a poll to the forty-some attendees of the retreat, giving them options as to topics I could teach, the one with the most responses (by far) was – How Do I Know What to Write Next?

This is a multi-layered decision making process, but there’s a short list to help you sort through all your brilliant ideas.

Write up a pitch for each idea.

Doesn’t have to be perfect, but it does have to have the character, the stakes, and an obstacle or two. Sit down with a few people to talk about this list and see where they fall. NO idea is too big or too small or too weird for this list. Everything goes. Keep in mind that the ideas easiest to create a pitch for, are often going to be the easiest to write, AND sell when you finish.

The If I Die plan.

What book would you be devastated to have never finished? What is the legacy you want to leave behind?

What character is screaming the loudest?

If you’re not sure, do your best to sit in a quiet room, by yourself, and let your mind wander. Who keeps popping in to let you know what’s up? What characters or events or settings or worlds keep overtaking your thoughts?

Be smart.

If you’re moving toward traditional publishing, you need to see what’s selling, what’s already been sold, and how your book may fit in to that. If you’re independently publishing, watch trends–one of your ideas might fit right in with an upcoming wave.

Write it out.

Just start writing in a few projects, see which voice grabs you and flows. Consider writing an essay from the main character and their thoughts on the big event in their life BEFORE the story begins, or their thoughts on the events you imagine for the novel. Plot out a pivotal scene or get your love interests in the same room and see who has the best chemistry. Write out your villain’s dastardly plan. Create your magical rules. Jump into each idea for a short time and see which ones light you up.

There is no perfect solution to this, and that’s okay. You may change your mind, or end up with a decision made for you by your publisher or your fans (begging you for the next in a series). Or you may find yourself lost in a new project that just won’t let go.

The secret is to remain open-minded, curious, and be willing to lean into your process.

If you’d like to dig into this a little more deeply, we’ve created a self-guided workbook, Pitch It to Write It, to not only help you pick your next project, but to also seek out the core of the story, and set your novel on the right path before you sit down to write.

As always, Allie and I would love to chat through your projects. You can find information HERE to schedule a call.

And you can click HERE if you’d like to take advantage of our workbook to help you choose your next project, and set it on a solid path to success.

June 24, 2020 + Story, Writing

How to Make Your Villains Multidimensional

by Haley Walden

We’ve all seen it in the movies and on TV: the boilerplate villain, often faceless, sitting in a large leather chair with a fluffy (yet menacing) white cat in his lap. The image is so ingrained in our entertainment that we all instantly understood the joke the first time we saw Dr. Evil in Austin Powers. (Okay, I may be aging myself with that one.)

There are numerous examples of one-dimensional villains in entertainment whose only clear motivation is to stop the heroes or wreak havoc on the world. Yet there’s nothing intriguing about a bad guy who only exists to act as a plot device and a foil for the hero.

As writers, it’s our job to create multidimensional characters who our readers can connect with. This includes villains. Without well-rounded villains, stories lose their resonance. Our bad guys need more than just a rabid desire to win. Why do they want to win? What’s their backstory? What would motivate them to go all-in on the Dark Side?

In my opinion, the cardinal rule of writing multidimensional villains is to humanize them. Let’s talk about how to do that effectively.

**Spoiler alert: I’ll be talking about villain arcs from films and books such as Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, Star Wars, and The Dark Knight. If you don’t already know the stories but don’t want to be spoiled, you might want to click away now.**

1. Give them clear motivations and desires.

In a good story, all of your characters want at least one specific thing. That desire is what drives their actions, reactions, and interactions throughout your story. When you’re working out the driving force behind your main characters, don’t forget to include your villain(s) in the mix.

A villain may clash with the hero, but there should be clear reasons why. In a nutshell, your hero and villain are at odds because they want different things. So what do they want? Dig deep to figure out what works best and raises the highest stakes for your story.

2. Explore their origins.

Exploring your villain’s origin story is another way to hook your readers and make them truly care about the bad guy. In life as in fiction, many individuals who choose a dark path do so in response to common human experiences. The key is in the response.

In The Dark Knight, Joker (Heath Ledger) gives us a glimpse of the horrific abuse he endured at his father’s hands as a child. He allowed that abusive past to fuel his rise to a life of crime and terror, and though the past he has chosen is horrific, that look at his past gives us a greater understanding of why he became Joker.

In the Star Wars sequel trilogy, we’re introduced to Ben Solo (or Kylo Ren), son of Han Solo and Princess Leia and grandson of Darth Vader. We learn that Ben grew up with an incredibly heavy weight on his shoulders, both from the Light and Dark sides of the Force. He carries a legacy of both great good and great evil, but he feels rejected by those who should have loved him and instead embraces his dark heritage.

3. Expose their weaknesses.

Reveal your villain’s vulnerabilities. Everyone has them–even (maybe especially) your antagonists. Weaknesses produce missteps, and most villains make at least one fatal misstep that leads to their downfall.

When you know what makes your villain vulnerable, you can build that weakness into your story. Maybe it gives your hero the upper hand, or perhaps it forces your villain to back down and concede victory. Whatever it is, make it believable–and if it induces empathy in your reader, even better.

4. Uncover their deepest fears.

Fear is a major driving force that pushes evil characters further down their dark path and makes them cling harder to the choices they’ve made. Perhaps your villain started out as a good person, but ended up on this path in response to some deep fear.

In the Star Wars prequel trilogy, we first see Anakin Skywalker as a passionate, hot-headed Jedi apprentice who is scarred by the loss of his mother. That loss gradually turns to deeply-rooted fear as he grows into adulthood and begins having premonitions of his wife, Padme’s death. When the evil emperor promises Anakin that the Dark Side can save Padme, Anakin reluctantly turns to evil. The cruel irony is that his turn down the dark path leads directly to her death, rather than saving her.

5. Reveal their capacity for love.

Despite their capacity for great evil, many villains are fully capable of love–in their own way, of course. Showing your villain’s capacity for love offers your readers yet another opportunity to understand and connect with them.

Think about Severus Snape in Harry Potter. Yes, Snape terrorizes Harry and his friends for years–but he also protects them when push comes to shove. He’s a difficult character to relate to…until we learn that he loved Harry’s mother when they were young. His love for Lily Potter drives his actions all the way until the end of his life, and that helps us to understand the complex mixture of emotional motivation that drives his behavior toward Harry (both good and bad).

After spending years attempting to surpass Darth Vader’s evil legacy, Ben Solo (my favorite “villain”, if you can’t tell) is thrown off-course by Rey, a young Force-sensitive scavenger who crosses his path in The Force Awakens. Though the romantic subplot of the Star Wars sequel trilogy is subtle and nuanced, Ben Solo is eventually redeemed because of his love for Rey, in addition to his love for his parents. He has a tremendous capacity for love, which is what makes him so intriguing as a character on a villain-to-hero arc.

6. Explore potential paths to redemption.

When executed well, I think a good villain redemption arc is one of the best story devices, hands down. As Jenn Bailey said in her recent Storymakers Conference presentation, “Redeeming Your Villain”, it’s not necessarily about making a villain flip from evil to good. Instead, a strong redemption equalizes your villain and your hero in some way.

In addition to Severus Snape and Kylo Ren, I love the redemption of President Snow in The Hunger Games. His arc is a curious one, from cold-blooded villain to eventual antihero. Snow’s role throughout Mockingjay is to slowly reveal to Katniss that the warring leaders of Panem all had similar agendas. Though Snow never truly “comes to the light”, he gives Katniss the tools she needs to determine that incumbent President Coin is no better, and will bring the same havoc and suffering to Panem as Snow did.

How will you make your villains multidimensional?

Giving your villains a greater measure of humanity and nuance makes them more human and believable, both to you and your readers. As a writer, if you can believe in and connect the villain on the same level as the rest of your characters, it will be much easier to bring them fully to life.

If you need someone to talk through your villain’s character development or arc, get in touch with us. We love to hash out character motivations, plot, and story structure to help make your stories more compelling and engaging. Want more info? Get it here.

June 17, 2020 + Pep Talk, Story, Support, Writing

The Benefits of Talking Through Your Book While in the Drafting Stage

by Haley Walden

Photo by Michelle Davis Forrest on Pexels.com

During the drafting stage of writing your book, it’s highly beneficial to talk through your ideas with someone familiar with your genre. This can be a bookworm friend, editor, or even a coach.

As writers, we often find ourselves working in a vacuum, stuck in our own heads. Once we’ve firmly planted ourselves inside our own brains (keep your hands, arms, and legs inside, folks), we become simultaneously too close to, and too far away from, the ideas we’re working on.

Self-isolating during the drafting process can make it difficult to judge what’s happening with our story, plot, and character arcs. Talking through your book can help you get things into perspective and course-correct if needed. A simple conversation about your draft can get your wheels turning, validate your working outline, and help you rework plot and character points that don’t serve the story.

Talking through your book is a lot like therapy. It might take you a little while to figure out what the problem is, but once you nail it, it’s full steam ahead.

Let’s look at a few more benefits of talking through your book while you’re drafting it.

Getting crystal clear on where the story is going

At any point in the drafting process, you have an idea you’re trying to form into a full book. It could be a set of bullet points, full outline, or even a partial or full draft. Talking can help you flesh out the critical points in your story so you can move through your draft without needing a ton of rewrites to the main framework.

Talking through your book will help you gain valuable perspective on where the story is going and whether the beats make sense and work within the overall book or series. Verbalizing your story direction allows you to “see” it from another angle. Getting feedback is great, but simply hearing yourself talk about your book can help you get outside your own head a bit.

Spotting plot holes or other potential problems

Talking about your book-in-progress gives you a chance to find and fix glaring errors with the plot points and character arcs. If you’ve got someone who can sit down with you and point out critical errors in your storytelling, you’ll be able to quickly identify and talk through solutions for those problems.

Discuss what’s going on with your characters and why. What are their motives? How do their choices drive their growth or transformation? How do their interactions affect the story?

Hash out emotional payoffs and reasons for your characters’ specific actions. Talk through whether their specific actions or decisions are necessary to drive the plot forward, and consider what you might need to cut.

Be prepared to receive constructive honesty throughout this process. These conversations are about strengthening your story, so don’t take it personally if you find that something’s not working.

By contrast, if you’re self-isolating to crank out your draft (we know it’s tempting), you might miss things that aren’t serving the story well. You might also end up self-sabotaging your process because deep down, you know something’s not working…you just don’t know what it is.

Exchanging ideas for story and character direction

Sometimes, we just need a sounding board–someone who is willing to let us bounce ideas around until we figure things out. Other times, we want suggestions, tips, and possibilities for our characters.

Beyond just swapping ideas, talking about our draft gives us a chance to geek out the ideas we’re excited about. For example, I did a plot call with Jolene for book two of my epic fantasy series, which I’m currently drafting.

At the time, I was feeling stuck and unmotivated, even though I had a thorough understanding of most everything that needs to happen in this book. Just spending an hour on the phone to talk about my ideas completely overhauled my view of the story, boosted my confidence, and got me excited to work on the manuscript again.

Validation

…And that brings us to the part about validation. We all need it. We all want it. So we might as well acknowledge it. (Yes, I want someone to tell me I’m awesome. I’ll admit it.)

Sometimes getting our ideas validated is all we need to get the extra boost we’re looking for during drafting. You might be doubting yourself now, but once you talk through your draft, you’ll find that you probably have the story a lot more under control than you realized.

Need to talk through your draft?

As authors, editors, and storytelling experts, Allie and Jo can help you navigate your story development and take it to the next level. We offer coaching calls, including our popular Author Mapping Call, to help you get clear on your story and where it’s headed. Get more info here.

June 11, 2020 + Editing, Story, Support

Hiring a Developmental Editor: What You Need to Know

by Haley Walden

Throughout your story creation process, you’re going to come to specific waypoints that will direct you toward your next steps. Working with a developmental editor to flesh out your worldbuilding, characters, and plot is one of these important stages.

All authors have their own nuanced approaches to writing and no two processes look the same from start to finish. But having an extra set of eyes (or two) on your book will get you out of your own head and give you the perspective you need to make your story the best it can be.

Before we dive in, a bit of clarity: a developmental editor deals with your overarching story elements such as your worldbuilding, plot, and character development. They take an objective view of a book from start to finish and offer directional advice on adjustments an author can make to sharpen and refine the story before it goes to a line editor (who deals with edits to the text itself).

There are thousands of editors for hire online these days, so you need to know how to vet your prospective developmental editor before you hire them. Here are a few things you need to be on the lookout for, based on my experience so far.

1. Strong reviews, social proof, and solid work.

It’s crucial to know who you’re hiring before you sign an agreement with any editor. Take time to do your research online and look for reviews from other authors who have worked with your editor of choice. (Bonus points if one or two of your favorite authors in your genre have worked with them before.)

Looking at an editor’s reviews on their website alone is good, but it’s not enough. Dig into social media to see if you can get a well-rounded picture of the editor. Can you pick up on the kind of rapport they build with clients? Little details can clue you in to what it’s like to work with them, so pay close attention.

Make sure you pick up a book or two that your editor of choice has worked on, as well. It never hurts to take a look at the finished product (caveat: if it’s an indie book, keep in mind that the author has the final say).

2. Clear communication of terms and process.

Once you’ve begun communicating with your editor about the possibility of working together, find out what their project terms are and what their process looks like. Your timelines will need to sync up with your projected publication date. You’ll also want to understand exactly what you’re getting from your editor.

Some developmental editors offer hybrid edits (like developmental and line editing), while others only offer editorial advice (as described in the intro). Your developmental editor will likely leave feedback in your manuscript, as well as provide an editorial letter which outlines their impression of your story and some specific guidance on its major elements.

Don’t be afraid to ask your prospective editor for a sample of their work. Most editors are happy to provide either an example of a past edit or a sample edit of your first 10 pages to give you an idea of how they work, and whether you’re going to be a good fit.

3. Firm grasp on character development, worldbuilding, and plot.

Developmental editors need to have an inside-and-out understanding of your major story elements so they can provide guidance to you on what’s working and what’s not. That level of know-how comes from a good combination of instinct, knowledge, and experience (I like to call that “story intelligence”).

Your editor doesn’t have to fit a specific list of prerequisites. They just need to know a good story when they read one—and how to make that story great.

4. Solid understanding of (and experience in) your genre.

Genre writers, take note: you’re going to want a developmental editor who knows your niche. If you’re a YA fantasy writer, for example, you don’t want to hire an editor who works primarily with adult contemporary. Or, if you’re a romance writer, an editor specializing in sci-fi probably isn’t going to be a good fit.

There are absolutely editors who work cross-genre, though, and have a well-rounded understanding of each genre they work in. Your only rule here is to make sure you hire someone who understands exactly where you want your story to sit.

5. No coddling.

Every writer hands their draft manuscript over to their editor, secretly wishing they’ll hear something like, “I really don’t know what you could do to make this better. It’s amazing as it is, so PRINT that sucker now!”

…Nope. As an author, you’d do a disservice to yourself, your story, your characters, and your readers by hiring a yes-person to edit your work. Every writer needs a developmental editor who will handle their story with equal measures of respect, kindness, and constructive honesty.

A developmental editor is an investment in the growth and refinement of your book. Their job is to partner with you to take your story from good to incredible. That means they can’t just tell you what you want to hear—otherwise, the process won’t be as transformative or valuable as it should be.

Remember how Tom Hanks said there’s no crying in baseball? Well, there’s no crying in developmental editing, either. (Okay, maybe a little crying. Or a lot. …It’s your story, so do what feels right. Fetal position optional.)

6. Respect for your final say as the author.

While a developmental editor is a tremendous wealth of information and experience, there will be times when you don’t agree with specific pieces of advice or direction. This is a normal part of the editing process, and there will be times when you, as the author, choose to table suggestions from your editor. (That applies more to self-published authors, as they have more say in their process. But don’t be afraid to push back or open a discussion with your editor at a traditional publishing house.)

Finding a developmental editor who respects your opinion and doesn’t take ownership of your story is worth its weight in gold. The ability to exchange ideas and opinions on story direction without taking those viewpoints personally makes for a productive and healthy relationship with your editor. And, if you plan on publishing multiple books over the years, it just might lead to a long-term partnership.

Looking for an editor? We can help!

If your book is ready for a round of developmental or line editing, Allie and Jo are here to help. Check out our editing services for more information, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions! We’ll be upfront if we don’t feel we’re a good fit, but we’re always excited to work with new authors.