publishing
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In case you missed it, you can find the other three entries here: the beginning, inspiration and outline. Now we’re looking at characters. For me, characters are where the story really comes alive. The better I know my imaginary friends, the better the story works. There’s a lot of advice on how to get to…
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Ah, outlining. How you are so controversial! There are three kinds of authors: The Plotter, The Pantser and The Plantser. Fear not, I will explain these terms. The Plotter: these folks write a dedicated outline, to one degree or another. Some have a rough map of big plot points, like a one page synopsis that…
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Being an author can be an awkward life. There’s so much work that happens long before you can point to an actual book for sale that I’ve considered claiming a career in something more straightforward, like being an international spy or llama psychologist. How do you explain the journey of writing a novel? “Well, I…
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That’s probably the big news, having a birthday. Wheee! Many thanks to my family, for making it a memorable day. Lovely gifts, and plans to watch the Perseid Meteor Shower one evening this week. In celebration (or acknowledgement) of the occasion, I’m setting some goals for the next year. Goals Before my next birthday, I…
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This is a follow-up to a previous post, found here As I mentioned before, I’m normally a ‘pantser.’ Someone who has a vague, hazy idea of how the book might go, and discovers the whole of it during the writing. A process I love, by the way. No shade on pantsers. I just had this…
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Maybe it’s my anxiety squirrels having a moment, but is there a good way to call up, say, the local police or fire department to ask questions about how to plot a crime? It can be really hard to find accurate information sometimes without sending up some concerning flags. Telling them, “I swear, I’m an…
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I’m not as active on social media as I could (probably should) be. I pop in and out like a demented jack-in-the-box because my energy levels vary wildly… and because life has forced my feral house goblin self to be social for the last two weeks and *gasp* leave the house. That said, I’ve heard…
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I originally posted this on Threads, but wanted to compile it all into one blog post so folks could find it easier. Let’s begin at the beginning, as they say. What’s An Author Referral? It’s when an agented author recommends you to their agent. It’s not a guarantee of an offer of representation or even…
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One of the hazards of being an author, other than potentially getting yourself on a list somewhere due to your internet search history (seriously, it’s for a BOOK), is the weird things people say when they discover you’re a writer. “I would write a book, but I don’t have the time.” This doesn’t sound like…
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In case you thought that anxiety ended once you signed with an agent, allow me to introduce the next stage of publishing: going on submission. Step One: Depending on your agent, there are revisions to go through. Personally, I freaking love how editorial my agent is. I knew when querying that it was something that…
Melissa Charles author 