about writing Archives - Page 2 of 3

On the Topic of Poor Planning…

April 16, 2014 By JPMcLean 24 Comments

On the topic of poor planning . . . when is a trilogy not a trilogy? When I started writing about Emelynn Taylor and her Gift, I had no idea so many people would love her as much as I do. It’s such a thrill for me to learn that readers want to know if there will be another book.

The answer is YES! I’m happy to confirm that I’m currently working on a fourth book featuring Emelynn…but it’s got me in a bit of a conundrum.

What do you call the fourth book in a trilogy?

The Gift started off as a stand-alone before it grew into a trilogy and now a fourth book is emerging. Clearly my foresight in this area isn’t stellar.

And the ideas just keep coming (some of them fueled by readers!) I can see Emelynn and her covey heading for a heap of trouble, and with the upheaval in the Tribunal, and their secret exposed, there’s no end of potential fodder. That is NOT a complaint; I love writing about Emelynn and I’m quite happy that The Gift Trilogy laid the groundwork for what may follow. The conundrum is what to call it?

Talk about poor planning! Book four cannot, obviously, be part of the trilogy. I could rename it a quadrilogy, but that doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, does it? And what do I do if yet another book comes calling?

I could really use your help. So far, I’ve come up with the Covey Chronicles (yuck), and The Gift Series (yawn).

Your input would be greatly appreciated. In fact, if I use your suggestion, I’ll give you credit in the book as well as my unending gratitude! Give it a thought.

And if you’re curious about what started it all, you can download a copy of Secret Sky with one simple click here. Buckle up…your adventure awaits! (and if ebooks or Amazon aren’t your preference, click on the Bookstore tab for more options. Or click on the covers below:

An Unexpected Windfall

April 2, 2014 By JPMcLean 2 Comments

We recently took a road trip to Naramata to visit friends and join in a birthday celebration. The trip had been planned for weeks, so the details were well organized: ferry schedules consulted, route mapped out, and hotels booked. So imagine my surprise when an unexpected windfall cropped up.

On the day of the trip, I dropped a note on Facebook and Twitter to let folks know I’d be away then packed up my computer thinking I might sneak in some writing time. Lynn, our intrepid house and pet minder, arrived and we were soon on the road with the Cave Master at the wheel.

Shortly after we boarded the ninety-minute ferry to Horseshoe Bay

I went up to the passenger deck, took a quick tour of the gift shop, visited the loo, and grabbed a tea. Then I headed back down to the car deck, settled into the passenger sea,t and pulled my computer into my lap.

My desktop lit the screen and I hesitated. My fingers hovered uncertainly over the keyboard. I’m not accustomed to going directly to Word and calling up my WIP. It’s ridiculous how happy that made me, and for the first time in eons, I just wrote.

With no Internet, there was no pit stop at Facebook or Twitter. No need to answer emails or catch up on reading blogs. As an added bonus, there were no weeds to taunt me, no meals to cook, no dust bunnies playing hide and seek . . . I didn’t even have to drive. With nothing else I had to do and nowhere else I had to be, I was free to simply write.

The No-Internet Windfall

The unexpected windfall came in the form of an “ah ha” moment—the rare kind that makes you stop and take note. Guilt-free writing time is what I strive for each day. It’s why I take care of my email, Facebook and Twitter first; I thought I’d been clearing out the head space I needed to write. But writing on the ferry made me realize my routine wasn’t working.

It also made me realize this “guilt” I feel is entirely of my own making. It has become an anchor and I need to cut the line! I’m going to work on changing my mindset to make my writing time guilt-free. I’m sure it’s easier said than done, but I’m motivated now. I’m so much happier and more productive when guilt isn’t riding on my shoulder.

Does Fiction Require Research?

February 18, 2014 By JPMcLean 8 Comments

Does fiction require research? You wouldn’t think a fiction writer would have much to research—after all, we can just make it up as we go. Right? Well, not with my fiction.

My characters are your colleagues and neighbours. They read the same newspaper as you and borrow the salt from your table in the cafeteria. I’ve anchored the stories in the here and now because my fiction has an element of fantasy and I think it’s easier to believe the impossible bits if those bits are set in familiar and realistic settings.

That requires research.

The research isn’t always extensive and it is rarely elusive, but it’s something I do continuously. In a typical day, I’ll look up things like, Pacific Northwest ocean temperatures in May; bridge clearance heights on False Creek; symptoms of hypothermia; and sunrise and sunset times in Southern California in September.

None of it’s rocket science, but each detail adds to the believability of the whole. For example, I don’t want to describe a flight in the dark when it would have been daylight, or have a character suffer hypothermia when the water temperatures would have been warm enough to bathe.

When you get it right

One of my greatest compliments came from someone who thought I must have spent a lot of time in an area where I’d set a scene. They knew the area well and thought I’d described it perfectly. In fact, I’d never been there, but I’d researched the hell out of it. I combed detailed street maps, contour maps, and a store-by-store layout of the streets. I Google Earthed it (yes, that’s a new verb—see what you can do when you write fiction!) and studied traffic cams until I knew the terrain.

My research isn’t perfect and I don’t use everything I learn, but it’s always interesting. Like the time I needed to know more about whips and found myself in a BDSM site looking at spanking skirts. Not kidding—you can buy those. That was an education!

So my fiction isn’t entirely made up. Some of the details are strikingly real. My job is to make it so believable that you’ll question the impossibility of the Gift and get swept up in the story. And isn’t that whole point of a good story? A great escape, even if it’s only between pages.

And if you’re curious about the details I researched for Secret Sky, you can pick it up for just $2.99 from Kindle with one click right here. And if kindle or eBooks aren’t your preference, click on the bookstore tab for other purchase options (or just click on the covers below).

Something’s Gotta Give

February 4, 2014 By JPMcLean 4 Comments

I’ve never been pulled in as many directions as I have in the past year and a half. They are all good and worthy directions—there are just so many of them! Something’s gotta give.

Writing and publishing the Gift Trilogy set me on the steepest learning curve I’ve ever tackled. Some days, it feels like I’m on the Grouse Grind. I know the exercise is good for me and I’ll feel better when I’m done, but damn if it isn’t a tough climb.

And writing is only part of it. Developing and maintaining an author platform is also important. In fact, it’s critical if you want to connect with readers, which I do. It also helps me connect with other writers and keep apprised of new tools and services in the industry. The downside to wanting it all is finding the time to do it all.

Hence, something’s gotta give

When I started writing, I fit it into the crevices of my life. Soon there were no more crevices and I had to start carving out space. Television was the first thing to go followed by leisurely flips through magazines.

When I decided to publish, meticulous garden grooming hit the curb and home canning was replaced by Trader Joe’s.

Now I’m building my author platform and the cuts continue. I used to be a news junky…not now. I used to have lengthy telephone conversations with my friends…now I send them short emails.

I’m even cutting my precious writing time to make room. I’ve read that the ideal mix is 70/30 with 70% of your time spent writing. Perhaps before I die I’ll get there, but right now, it’s a struggle.

Yesterday I tackled a stack of books that I’d read, but had neglected to put into Goodreads. In fact, I’d been absent on Goodreads for about two months. (My apologies to my Goodreads friends who are getting that dump right now.) Other components in my author platform have suffered a similar fate from time to time. And my platform isn’t huge; there’s my blog, Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads. That’s it.

So bear with me if this blog takes a hit from time to time. I’ll get better at the other stuff and I have faith that it will all make sense one day (hopefully before I die). I’ll be okay as long as I don’t have to carve eating out of my day. Well maybe I can cut that back a bit. After all, I’d like to figure out Google+ one of these days.