Posts by Heather Webb
Who among us is without fear? Dumb question, really. I’d argue that fear is one of the single most formative emotions in our lives from infancy to death. It’s what paralyzes us or stunts our growth…or it’s what motivates us. We use it to shape our characters and to make their lives hell as they seek their greater truths and higher selves. But it’s also the emotion that infuses our daily lives as writers. This season in which we celebrate fear, I talked with some authors to find out what it is that frightens them as writers and what they do to silence the negative voices. This is what they had to say:
“I’m afraid that my readers will see right through me and figure out the plot by the third page. But then I remind myself that has never happened, and often some of the things I think are obvious come as a total surprise to the reader. It’s a reminder to me to trust my intuition.”-Crystal King, author of Feast of Sorrow and The Chef’s Secret
“My biggest publishing fear is never getting published again! As difficult as it is to get published in the first place – and it IS difficult – I often feel like the actual hardest thing is CONTINUING to publish once you’ve done it once, or even a few times. So many of the factors that go into a publisher’s decision to buy my book (or any book) are completely out of my control: market trends, how well my previous books have sold, what else that publisher has acquired recently, etc. Every time I publish a book I worry that it could be my last, which would be devastating since I love making books and bringing them to readers. But I try to combat this by meditating on what I really love about the writing itself. Publication may be out of my control, but the words themselves aren’t, so I try to focus on that as much as possible. If I can take joy and satisfaction in the work itself, in the stories I’m telling, the rest fades to the background. It is easier said than done, but I try my best!”- Alyssa Palombo, author of Heavy Metal Symphony and The Borgia Confessions
“I have carpal tunnel that’s somewhat manageable right now, but I’m afraid of the day when doing the thing I love hurts too much. I’m trying to get better about speech to text, so when it becomes too hard to type I can do that. But I do a lot of things to combat the problem now — I try to eat anti-inflammatory foods, I wear braces on my wrists, I use ergonomic keyboards and mice, and I also use other therapies like hand/wrist massage and paraffin wax dip. But fears in writing? I can give list fears all day long. I guess I’m like any other writer: I’m afraid readers will hate my work. I try to remember that not every book is everyone’s cup of tea, and that no matter what, I will please someone, even if it’s just myself. I also lean on my writer friends. Having a good network of people who […]
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I’m at a writing retreat this week and it just occurred to me how often I’m asked about where to go or how to set one up on your own. As a writer, retreats are one of my very favorite things. I get to be away from the family and all of the real-life responsibilities for several days, and relish in taking care of only myself. I get to dig in to my writing uninterrupted, with lots of space to let my mind wander and process my story elements. When I go on retreats with others, I’m often inspired to try new techniques or styles or types of stories. My friends help me untangle a mess in my plot or with a character I’ve been grappling with, and I do the same for them. I also allow for a little fun on the side. It sounds like heaven, right?
There are many ways to make a retreat work for you from pre-arranged sessions to creating your own. Let’s take a look at how to make the most of it.
Pre-arranged Retreats
Scope out the location: Is it drivable or will you need to fly? Is the environment conducive to being productive? This should be a careful consideration. For example, when I retreat near the beach during warmer temperatures, it’s mighty tempting to abandon my writing and spend the day on the beach. For this reason, I often do a beach location during cooler temps. This way, I can walk on it every day during breaks, but I’m not tempted to completely abandon my work and play instead. The same applies to going to a city I’d love to explore more. I don’t want to be pining for adventure while I’m supposed to be getting in my word count. But perhaps these things don’t tempt you. Be honest with yourself about locations that will help you be productive.
Look into what’s included: Obviously you want as much included as possible. Some places will include all meals, others will include just a handful but have other great amenities. Read the fine print so you can plan your budget accordingly.
Decide whether you want programming (i.e. retreat leaders and workshops): Sometimes programming can be terrific and just the sort of inspiration you need to galvanize your writing. I like both kinds of retreats. It just depends on where I’m at with a current manuscript. There are also lots of smaller retreats led by writers or editors that can be just as fantastic as a larger, more established event. Ask your friends, post to forums or group pages, or consult any writing groups you may belong to for suggestions of where to retreat.
Residencies can also be a great way to retreat but often require an application process or extended stay.
A few I know of that are great
Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer’s Association hosts a retreat every March in Colorado Springs on a beautiful campus with mountains as a backdrop. It’s lead by a pro who presents craft talk as well as reads a sample of your work. There’s also a workshop component. Food and lodging is included. You don’t need to be a […]
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If there’s anything I’ve learned in the thirteen years I’ve been writing and in the seven novels published, success isn’t linear. Not in this field. It’s about as up and down as it can possibly be, twisting and turning with exhilarating highs and devastating lows. Trends come and go. Editors, agents, and publishers come and go. One of your books is hot, another is dead-on-arrival. (Most are lukewarm) But a career author gets this—they know they have to play the long game. Ride the waves as they come and keep putting words on the page, keep trying new ideas and new ways of getting their stories out there. Not only because they need to eat, but because they know that every single project can’t be the game-changer or the end-all, be-all. There are hits and misses. They also grasp that everyone has their own path to publication so there is no right or wrong answer. That said, there are some things you can do to help yourself along the way (and some things to avoid to keep your career afloat).
First, I’ll share the pitfalls a career author must avoid:
Misbehaving. I’ve spoken about this before at Writer Unboxed in articles called “Behaving Badly in Publishing” and also “Being a Good Literary Citizen,” so I’ll just give the short version here: Pay it forward when another author helps you out. Don’t make rude and edgy comments when someone makes a mistake or typo in an article or post, and don’t trash an author’s book in a way that is a personal affront. Be kind. People never forget a slight. And above all, be a professional.
Arguing with your editor. Look, it’s your book. You don’t have to do everything your editor asks of you. Their editorial letters really are suggestions; a list of their instinctive reactions about how your story is coming across to them as a reader. You may disagree with them, or even feel offended (we are rather sensitive about our work, aren’t we), but it’s best to ponder the editor’s suggestions for a few days, or even a couple of weeks to digest it all. Chances are, you will find good stuff in their feedback even if you disagree on how to address it. Most editors understand it is your book, and they will hear you out about why you’re going in a particular direction, but ultimately, it’s important to remember that they can choose not to publish it, or worse, not buy your next book because you have proven to be difficult and argumentative. In other words, set your ego aside and learn to take criticism. It’s very easy to be black-balled in our business. I’ve watched more than one friend go down in flames, in spite of earning out their previous advances. (There are exceptions to this rule. Sometimes an editor or a publisher is truly missing what you’re trying to do and it’s a poor fit. If this happens, talk with your agent or other author friends for advice on how to part ways.)
Being narrow-minded. (Is it always Art First at all cost, or Art […]
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There’s been an awful lot of difficult news in the publishing world lately. The year has been packed with releases that were delayed because of the pandemic, making some books completely undiscoverable. Editors are more backed up than usual, trying to wade through enormous piles of submissions that were also delayed. Which, in turn, affects writers as we desperately wait for news—will it sell or won’t it? Most of us are feeling a little malaise, or as Adam Grant called it, languishing, in this article from the New York Times, post-pandemic. (Is it really post? Who knows)
But a little camaraderie among friends and colleagues goes a long way to turn the ship around. In fact, I find I always feel more positive when I turn to my fellow writers. So I did. I asked them how they work through the difficult times—how they get going when things are tough—and this is what they had to say:
“Get back up again. This business will knock you down. Get back up again. It may take months or years to find an agent. The same again to land a book deal. The road will be paved with rejection letters. Soulless form letters. Get back up again. You will finally get the coveted agent/book deal. That book might not sell. Get back up again. Pivot, rebrand, reimagine your books. Your career. Yourself. If you really want to publish… get back up again.” –Aimie K. Runyan, Amazon bestselling author
“First, I lean on my husband—he’s the king of truth with kindness—and he’s always on my side. Then I turn to two wildly disparate sources: 1) A good binge (ER got me through some tough times). 2) The wisdom of stoicism, reaching for some semblance of the four virtues: Justice. Temperance. Wisdom. Courage. Then I open up a random page or two of THE DAILY STOIC BOOK. https://dailystoic.com/daily-stoic-book/” –Randy Susan Meyers, National bestselling author
“When it seems to be raining bad luck and I have things I don’t want, or worse, don’t have things I do want, I make a list of things I don’t want and thankfully don’t have. For me, perspective is everything and gratitude isn’t far behind.”—Susan Meissner, USA Today bestselling author
“I get serious about my diet and sleep. I don’t eat sugar I don’t drink alcohol I go to bed at 9 o’clock so I can get up really early and be clearheaded. I’m not proud of this clean lifestyle during stress, I just have to do it.”—Ann Garvin, USA Today bestselling author
“Any author can tell you, a publishing career will be riddled with highs and lows. Still, when the bad news starts to outweigh the good, it can be enough to deflate even the most talented of authors. I’ve watched too many good writers hang up their hats in defeat, and that always breaks my heart. If I’ve learned anything in life, it’s how to take a fall. And how to get back up and try again. To remain motivated, I never lose sight of how privileged we are to write, to publish, and to speak freely. If I ever start to […]
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In the past, I’ve talked about Behaving Badly in Publishing, but I think it’s time for a refresher, a variation on that same theme. And yes, sorry, it’s a little bit of a rant as well as a cautionary tale. There have been several incidents of late where some of the most important, unspoken rules between writers have been broken. I’m seeing hurt feelings and anger and loads of resentment happening and look, we need to stick together as writers. So what are these “rules” you ask? They’re just a few basic principles of being a good literary citizen.
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I’m working on my eighth novel and it’s a confounding one. I’ve never written a dual biographical historical before, especially with two fairly modern “characters” (and with that, an absolute ENORMOUS amount of research). What’s more, this dang manuscript is giving me fits—it won’t let me write it my way or use the tried-and-true process I’ve relied upon in the past for biographicals. The process has completely toppled over and spun around and here I am, working BACKWARD from the END of the book. Though it’s moving slowly, I was completely stuck trying go in my typical linear fashion from beginning to end. I am also being forced to write several chapters in one point of view, and then the other, and afterward, weave them together in a way that makes sense before I start work on another set of chapters. scratches head I just don’t know, you guys.
If there’s one thing that has mostly remained a mystery to me as an author—even after writing eight novels and three short stories—it’s the writing process. The writing process is an amorphous, wiggly, glob with a million arms and as soon as I feel like I’ve caught hold of one, it slips out of my hands. To make it more challenging, we have all of these writerly emotions surrounding our manuscripts so when things aren’t going “well,” we feel like we’re constantly doing it all wrong, that there MUST be a better way to do things.
For example…
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I stepped outside this morning and heard birdsong, smelled melting snow on the air, and noticed the sun felt slightly warmer. Spring is coming, and it couldn’t come at a better time. I hit a pandemic wall last week (I suspect many of you are experiencing similar feelings). The losses nationwide have been incredibly difficult, crippling for some, and to compound all of that, the restlessness has set in.
I’m done being indoors and I’m done being isolated. I’m done NOT seeing my friends and family, not seeing my writer friends. I want hugs and kisses and laughter. I crave inspiration that is difficult to find when your days look like Ground Hog Day.
But that lovely moment this morning got me to thinking about all of the hope on the horizon. The way it can come in the smallest of ways and in the smallest of places, so I thought I’d share it with you.
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I know I’m not alone when I say I have been in a place where the pain is blinding, and the very idea of writing is unimaginable. This is one of those posts. It’s about survival and self-love and honesty. It’s also about finding joy.
My child was in great distress from early fall through the end of the year. I could not see or think or hear. I could only feel, and what I was feeling was intangible and immeasurable. It’s something I’m still grappling with, to say nothing of how I am trying to support my kid, but some days, I still feel as if I’m on a wild ocean current without a life vest. During those months, I also happened to have the largest number of deadlines I’ve ever had in my life. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth, they say and I was—am—grateful for the projects under contract, but—
I had to allow myself the “but.” It’s the first “but” I’ve ever really used since I began my career as a writer. I’ve been a workhorse, doing my share and then some, always finding the bright side of things, even when the going got rough. When the main road was blocked off, I came at things sideways or sneaked under a bypass to find another way. This is who I am. I am one who fails and learns and perseveres.
But.
But as my stress mounted and my deadlines drew closer, I learned a valuable lesson. Sometimes, one cannot see a bright side. One cannot put everything aside and do what needs to be done for work or home or living. One must sit quietly and allow the pain to come. To wash over you, so you may feel it. Process it. Emanate it. In those moments, it is omnipresent, and there is nothing else. You are a vessel of pain. And you know what? That’s okay, because there is no fighting something you cannot control.
I stared at my computer screen for literal hours, days passing to weeks. Weeks passing to months. My brain was foggy, emotion clotted in my chest, and I could only call one word to mind over and over again: impossible. This was impossible, this writing, these deadlines.
Only it wasn’t impossible. It was different. Different in the way that I had come to a new understanding of what my limitations are and what is important. Unforeseen disruptions can be as annoying as a bathtub leaking through the ceiling or a Homer-style tragedy; a disruption that rocks the very foundation of our lives. So I owned it, this disruption. I started to think differently about my work—my writing—and about the list of things I didn’t, wouldn’t, and couldn’t do. How important were are all of these deadlines, in the end? In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, they were at the top of the pyramid in my mind, and I was at the bottom.
I’ll never forget the incredibly inspired, lovely, funny, and ultimately heart-wrenching, keynote speech Ann Hood delivered at a conference I attended a few years ago. She lost her daughter to a virulent case of strep throat at around age 7 or so. She talked about the way the pain paralyzed her and closed the […]
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Managing expectations—is this a thing? I laugh sardonically (or maybe maniacally) even as I write the title. Writers, by definition, are dreamers. We’re creative and our imaginations are dynamic, and naturally, this extends beyond storytelling. We see bestselling books and movie deals and plastic dolls for sale, fashioned in our character’s likeness. We dream of book awards and a place at the altar of literary greatness. Dreams are important. They push us to try new ways to tell a story, again and again, and most important of all, they push us to do our best.
The only problem is, they can also be paralyzing when they fail to materialize and cause crippling self-doubt. At times, we need to be grounded, come down from the castles in the sky, sit ourselves down and have a frank discussion about not only managing our expectations, but about how to avoid the wretched self-doubt that rears its ugly head when these dreams don’t go according to plan. Along the way, I’ve found myself in this position at times, and have come to understand a few grounded truths to live by:
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Raise your hand if you’re working on a first draft. Yeah, me, too. I’m going to let you in on a secret: I used to hate drafting. There’s an expanse of empty white page. There are thousands of possibilities (holy overwhelm, Batman), and it takes an enormous amount of dynamic energy to create from nothing.
That’s what a first draft is all about—creating from nothing. Well, nothing but a few nebulous ideas.
Yet, something has happened to my feelings about drafting over time. Now, after writing eight books, I’ve realized my writing process continues to evolve, and some of the methods I used for my first few novels no longer fit either my skill set, or my schedule. I’m starting to see drafting in a whole new light. Is it still my favorite part of writing a book? No, but somewhere along the way, I’ve found a few ways to enjoy it more, and to speed up the painstaking process of getting something down on paper. I’ve also given myself permission to try new things. Here are some hints for those of you struggling through the shitty first draft:
A deliberate writer or one who labors over the words:
If you’re a writer who simply cannot put “anything” down because your sentences must be well-crafted and your scenes and transitions complete before you move forward, then the trick is to write short. Writing shorter drafts means you can hit goals faster, sooner, and have a real sense of accomplishment that we all so desperately need when writing a novel. (We all need goal posts of some kind.) Once you have this shorter first draft, build upon the essence of the story. I’m a deliberate writer myself, so I tend to have about 80,000 word first drafts. I often add 15-25,000 words in my second draft, and then pare down from there as I continue to shape the story.
Working on a heavily fact-based book, or one with intricate world-building: (i.e. a historical biographical novel or a fantasy novel or sci-fi with lots of “rules” or inventions that govern that world.)
I’m working on a dual biographical novel right now, actually, with two characters whose lives were heavily documented. It’s both fascinating and a little exhausting. Writing without honed purpose means I might get things wrong that could cause serious plot and theme issues later. (Every historical author has run into this at one time or other, getting something wrong in their chronology or some pertinent detail their plot hinges on, and having to backtrack.) Beyond plot issues, I don’t want people who may have known my characters to call me to the carpet and give me whatfor. It makes for a very difficult drafting process.
But I think I’ve cracked the code. Chunk the book into acts. For each act, write a scene outline following the chronology of the character’s life. Under each scene, I’ve bulleted the facts I need to cover within that scene. This allows me to draft a section much faster, as I don’t have to keep stopping to look things up. Will I have to verify these facts later? I will, in a later draft, so I’ve left page numbers and sources in the margins to help me track where I found the […]
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During my time as an author, I’ve come to discover something pretty cool.
Writers have a super power: we’re excellent jugglers.
The vast majority of us have at least one other thing we’re juggling alongside our writing time: family, full or part-time work, other hobbies and skills, or even multiple writing projects at once. We’re good at this juggling, even if it’s incredibly challenging at times. I’d even go so far as to say we LIKE being that busy. The demands on our time keep the brain on full-throttle and this can be great for creative endeavors.
Among friends and colleagues, I’m notorious for having trouble saying “no” to things and I have to constantly remind myself of this mantra: just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. I often get myself into a pickle because I tackle a project with gusto and don’t know how to do “just enough”. I want to nail it. Really bring home a win, even if it means spending way more time on something than I envisioned or than I need to. Often, though, I’m enjoying myself…until I realize I’m not. I’ve taken on too much, again. Next comes the stress, the lack of sleep, and the irritability or resentment.
After watching me go through this during one particularly brutal meltdown, my husband sat me down and gave me a talking to, and one thing he said really stuck with me, even now, years later. I keep coming back to it. His advice, amazingly, set me free in many ways. It helped me manage the load better and taught me how to listen to my own needs before bending over backwards to help others. I knew I had to share it with you all here at WU because we could all use some writerly hacks, amiright? Yet his golden piece of wisdom is so simple:
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I’ve been watching this show called The Bold Type about three young women who work in different departments of a fashion magazine called “Scarlet”. One of the women is a stylist, one works in the social media marketing department, and the other is a columnist. It isn’t the best show you’ve ever see, but it’s fun, the characters are endearing, and the show surprisingly strikes a real chord at times about women’s issues and also questions of identity. I just finished an episode in which the columnist is struggling to write about an assigned topic. She keeps avoiding it and when she finally sits down to write, the words are all wrong. They’re phony and don’t ring true and she becomes blocked. She soon comes to realize it isn’t just writer’s block—it’s really an emotional block of some kind. Through the course of the show, she realizes she has to face her fears to unlock the words, dig deeply to make it an article worth reading.
I started three different articles for this month’s post and abandoned them all. And as I stare at the cursor on my screen two hours before this post needs to go live, wondering what in the world I can say that feels authentic, that would be worth reading, at last, I exhale. What I need to talk about is my own fear, and what’s happening behind closed doors in my writing life, even if it lays bare the sort of emotions authors don’t put out there all that often once they’re published. Perhaps because we’ve grown accustomed to the rosy social media posts announcing all of our successes, or the little things that make us happy in our day-to-day lives. Painting a picture of ease and good fortune to save “face” and all of that.
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I wanted to write about this topic today, because I find both as a writer and as a freelance editor, voice can be difficult to explain to someone and yet, what often draws a reader into a new book, is both the author’s voice and the character’s voice. In other words, it’s an incredibly important skill set. Author voice, in particular, feels a bit like a moving target so that’s what I’d like to dissect here. What is it, precisely, and how does one hone their own?
AUTHOR VOICE
WHAT MAKES YOUR VOICE UNIQUE
Read MoreYesterday I was listless, sitting at my desk, trying to brainstorm topics to write for this month’s post. It wasn’t that I lacked ideas, but they all felt so plebeian in light of what’s happening out there. So I stared at a blank document, for a long time. I went for a walk and returned to the document, and stared. For a long time. What did I usually write about, I kept asking myself. How can I share where I am in my writing life in a way that’s meaningful, now, today, amidst all of this—when I can’t even write? Finally, I began—where each day should always begin—with a gratitude list.
Right now, I’m:
And witnessing one of those moments of generosity yesterday is what inspired this post. After I swallowed a lump in my throat, I went looking for beauty. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that I found beauty where I often shelter, and find solace.
In the words.
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