Exciting News and Finishing Your Novel

As you may know, most authors aren't able to keep the working titles of their books. Publishers usually title them. Well, this week my publisher let me know the title of my new book that is coming out in June. The title is . . . Cold Justice! I love it! The title fits perfectly. As the release date nears, I'll tell you more about my new romantic suspense.

Now to get back to today's blog.

What is stopping you from finishing your novel?

Could it be writer's block?



No time?

Or could it be something else, something you haven't identified nor do you want to? Could it be that you don't want to finish?



Don't look so astonished. I've had it happen to me. But before we delve into this weighty subject let's look at the excuses of writer's block and no time.

Writer's block . . .
The dictionary says writer's block is a psychological inhibition preventing a writer from proceeding with a piece. Wow. That tugs on the I-don't-want-to-finish thread, doesn't it.? Hang on to that thought. We're going to talk about it, but not now.

Most people think they have writer's block when what has really happened is they have written themselves into a corner, and they don't know what do to next. A good way to avoid this pitfall is to know how your story needs to end. And a good way to do that is to write an outline.

This outline can be as detailed as you need it to be to keep you on course. Some people write a synopsis of their story and that's enough to keep them on track. Is a synopsis or an outline a cure? No. I had outlined one book, and as I started writing, I came across some wonderful information about a secondary character that was an actual person in history. It was fascinating, and I just knew my readers would want to know about this character. But pretty soon I had written my story into a corner. That's when I realized the secondary character had hijacked my novel. I had to delete several chapters. Once I did that and stayed close to my main character and the outline, all was well.

Another reason you may have writer's block is you need to do more research. Research can open your mind to more possibilities for your character. So if you think you're suffering from writers block . . .

1. write an outline,  
2. check to see if a secondary character has hijacked your story, 
3. or roll up your sleeves and do more research.

No time . . .
There are many ways to write around a busy schedule. I have a good friend who is writing a terrific story. She has four little children and is expecting her fifth. She's on the go every day, but she loves to write and has her laptop with her most of the time, writing whenever she can. I also have a friend who works a full-time job, has a family, and also does charity work, but late at night she sneaks off to her computer and writes her stories. Now, I know there is a time and season for everything and maybe the time isn't right for you to work on a novel, but for the most part if you really want to you can find the time to write. The "no-time" excuse is just that . . . an excuse. If you're serious about your writing you'll make the time.

You don't want to finish . . .
So you've been working on this story for say . . . five, ten, twenty years. You keep revising, you even start over several times but you can't seem to close the deal. Your problem could be that you're a perfectionist, you're afraid, or you don't want to say good-bye to the story and characters you've grown to love. In short, you don't want to finish. The thing you need to remember is . . . you can't sell, you can't progress, you can't grow as a writer until you realize that no book is perfect, everyone is scared, and you can write another story peopled with characters that you love. You can't really cure this ailment until you make up your mind to do it. Face the problem and then get on with it.

With each book you write, you learn. I had written over eight novels before I sold my first. And guess what? I have sold four other books and my publisher is interested in almost all of the novels I've written. I have to go back and fix those first ones, but I'm very hopeful that most of my stories will find their way to book stores. I know other authors who have had the same experience. Once they sold they were able to sale their other stories. So, keep writing, keep working, and don't give up because some day you'll be able to sell your books. 

Be diligent and finish that novel. You deserve to grow, to learn, and to succeed.

I know that I've posted other blogs about this subject, but I know many writers who struggle with this issue. I find it very sad. I couldn't possibly list all the reasons why people can't seem to finish their novels. Please share reasons you know that stop writers from finishing a novel. If we work together we might help other writers leap over this hurdle.

Diligence: Finishing Projects

Do you have projects that are half finished?

I have a couple of unfinished projects and every time I walk past them, they call to me, wanting my attention, but I don't have time to finish them, so I turn my back and walk away.

The two projects on my desk in my library/sewing room are

a photo album for my grandson and a warming pad.

The photo album I started way back in 2008. How do I know the date? Silly me, I put the year on it. Do I feel guilty and like a slacker Grandma? Yes!

The warming pad is a recent project. All I need to do is sew it, fill it with rice or wheat, and it's good to go.

Now I bring up unfinished projects because my goal this month is to have more diligence in my life. If I'm going to become more diligent I need to get the lead out and finish projects I've started or get rid of them.

This week I plan to finish that photo album and get that warming pad sewed. Now that you know about my intentions, I'm pretty much stuck and have to get these two projects done.

I started this post by asking you if you have unfinished projects. Come on, fess up. If I'm committing so can you. Take the challenge with me and finish those projects this week unless they are enormous and need more than a week. In that case commit to working on that enormo project until it's finished. Give yourself a deadline of when you want to have it completed and then get busy.

Because I'm in the finishing mode, Thursday's blog will be tips on how you can push through and finish that book you've been writing for years.

Our goal is to have more diligence and finish things!!!



In case you're interested . . .
The other day I was watching Glenn Beck. This year he has challenged people to work on one value a month. He's using values that George Washington tried to live by. Yes, that George Washington. If you want to learn more about Glenn's challenge check out Being George Washington. Glenn has a free monthly tracker you can download and keep track of your progress. Plus, he has baseline items that you can work on to help you achieve your goals. Pretty nifty.

Diligence in Research

When I wrote the synopsis and outline for my new romantic suspense due to come out in June, I first thought of what peril I could throw my characters in, how they would react to it, and where I could set parts of the story. But I didn't realize in making an exciting and adventurous novel that I would have to do a TON of research.

Holy cow! I've done research for all of my books, but this one was intensive. I had to research



flying planes,



boats that are ocean worthy,



and Alaska.

But that was just the tip of the iceberg. I had to research the ins and outs of border crossings, Native Alaskan tribes, and local law enforcement. I could keep going, but I think you get my drift. This novel was research intensive.

A writer needs to be diligent in doing research and seeking out the best available information that will strengthen your novel. Reliable sources are a must and there are several ways you can get them.

Internet . . .
The Internet is an author's best friend when researching key elements in a novel. When using the Internet, I try to get at least two reliable sources for whatever I'm researching. And here's a handy tip: always cut and paste your information into a Word document (or whatever word processor you use) with the url. This is key. That url will be your best friend if you ever have to back up what you've written.

Library . . . 
There have been times when I've had over fifty books checked out as I'm writing a novel. I remember when I wrote a book that took place in Rome 1 A.D. I constantly checked out one book for over two years. It was a pain, but I couldn't afford to buy such a book and it was a gold mine of information. I had to diligently mark my calendar when the book was due and even then sometimes I'd forget and have to pay a fine, but that library book strengthened the novel with rich detail I couldn't find anywhere else.

People . . .
Even with all the reading I'd done on piloting, boating and Alaska, some of my best research came from actually talking with a pilot, a boat enthusiast, and someone who actually lived in Alaska. They were able to give me human touches that I just couldn't get from books or the Internet. They were able to tell me what real people do, not just what is in textbooks.

Diligence in research can really payoff because it makes your book real.

How about you? What are some of the sources you use that helps you with research?