Pioneers...the newest Authors

I decided to devote some time to the publishing process. Mainly because I want to sort my own thoughts and this blog seemed perfect. In the world of writing, there are common avenues authors pursue to publish. The first is the traditional publishing house. When I was young, I wanted to get into a big NY publishing house. That means you need a big NY agent, which I almost landed on my first attempt. However, fate decided that way too easy, so it didn’t pan out. I have since decided that goal is like the proverbial pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Who knows…I may get there and decide the years spent pursuing it left me with a pot that was more the size of the mini skillet I cook my solitary egg in rather than a pot.

Recent years, I have been desperate to leave the publishing house I am with now. It’s mainly politics and boring business that I won’t go into here. But, that has left me looking at the alternative to the big publisher which is the small publishing house. The best reason? You don’t need to wait and wait for an agent to contact you back only to repeat when the agent pursues publishers. But, what I find is that I must still wait for the publishing house. For someone who readily admits to patience issues, this waiting game is quite the challenge. For one house, I submitted, didn’t hear from them in about five months, resubmitted and heard back after another three. They wanted changes to the manuscript. So, I spent about three months changing things (which I agreed would strengthen the story) and resubmitted yet again. Now, five months later, I am still waiting. I know this is normal. Most authors considered a five month turn around quick. But, with the marketing I’m doing and the stories I keep writing, I just want to BE THERE!

The newest trend questions why go through a publisher at all? In the day of technology, why not self-publish straight onto Amazon Kindle and get to it. I watch these authors and they are pioneers. They know how to market. More so, they know how to watch the industry and make adaptions before big changes hit. They are always evolving and growing. More than that, they are ever insistent that this is the way the writing world is changing. Most would agree that Kindle and the Ipad have changed the field of books in many ways. Big publishing houses are going out of business at a scary rate.

So, as an author, do you wait or jump on this new and exciting voyage? For me, it’s kind of like the day of the pioneers. Some jumped in a wagon and crossed the Oregon Trail for the prospects of a better future. Some of these were successful and…if you played that old computer game you’d know…many ended with a grave marker part way through. Others chose to stay back until the paved road was created. Me…I guess I am this third. I’m too scared to venture on my own…for now. But I am also growing very tired of waiting for my life to start. At some point, I wonder when patience turns into silliness and missed opportunities.

On a Schedule

When I was younger, I held the philosophy that I would write when the passion struck me. I remember talking to a college English teacher about writing on a schedule. I feared writing would turn into a chore if I tried. Plus, why bother to try? I was in high school and had all the time in the world to write. Even in college, I held this luxury. In fact, one Friday night, my brother and I went to watch “The Recruit” with Al Pacino and Colin Farrell. I was so inspired to write, don’t ask me why because I was writing The Lord of Nightmares at the time, that I stayed up until one o’clock in the morning writing. It was awesome. My dog didn’t agree. That was also the night we received our first snow dusting. My brother woke him up early to go on a walk in the snow for the first time. This resulted in a hysterical picture of a tired, cold dachshund in the sweater he hated huddling by our front door.

But this is not the point of the post. :) The point is, no matter how hard I worked, life was easy when I was young. I had minimal responsibility. Now, I find myself running to stay ahead of the bills. I am out and about more, trying not to be a complete hermit. I found myself never writing. I think I went over a year. Now, before judging me and saying this is proof I really shouldn’t be a writer, that I don’t have the desire, I must say during this time I felt like a part of me had died. I was grumpy and depressed. I had shut down the most important part of my identity. It didn’t feel right. Yet, no matter how much I tried, I could not find time to write. And, worse, the longer I went without writing the less the ideas came. When I did find time to write, the ideas came stilted.

At the beginning of this year, I told myself I was going to write on a schedule. In fact, the deciding factor to “sell out” came when I heard about my idol Mary Higgins Clark. She was widowed at an early age. With kids to raise, she would wake up early every day, write, and then wake her children. She wrote on a schedule and I loved her writing. So, I finally decided to write. Ten minutes every morning. It seems like such a small amount of time, but was more than nothing. I was writing…and the ideas started flowing again. I still struggle to make writing a priority in my life. Not just marketing, but actually sitting at the computer and writing. I think back to the girl I was and shake my head at the naiveness. That’s the fun part of growing up. Now, I whole heartedly believe in writing on a schedule. We have to make time for the things we love. Otherwise, nothing will ever move forward.

Reflections

My high school reunion is coming up this year. In many ways, I can’t believe it is already that time. But, the event has caused me to think back to my first novel. I wrote The Curse of Atlantis while a sophomore in high school. I actually finished it junior year. When I think about the kid I was then, I sigh. I was that student who didn’t want to be called on. I would rather go through invisible than to gather any sort of attention. For that reason, I didn’t tell many peers about my writing hobby. In fact, many are shocked to learn I wrote my first published novel while attending classes with them. I wrote on the weekends, on holidays instead of going to the greatest parties or events. I went to my senior prom only because my father forced me to. Like I said…I was one of those people. :)

While I am still, for all intents and purposes, an introvert, I look back at that time and never want to go back. In fact, the only time I even entertain the idea is when I wonder what it would be like to go back as the person I am today. After those brief moments of insanity I realize being a teen is not something I would like to relive.

Upon this self-examination, I began looking at my growth as a writer. Everything from sentence structure to plot development to character growth…it all has matured along with me. I have experienced and seen more. I am no longer locked in a room. That can only add to the stories I write. My understanding of the world and how it operates has grown. How could that not reflect in my stories? Bet even my self-assurance has helped strengthened my style.

Life is all about patience. From waiting in line at the convenient store to waiting for a dream to be fulfilled….or a computer to come back to normal after crashing! Everything takes patience. I, for one, lack this trait. Yet, I don’t think growing in the craft is a process one can rush. It’s kind of like baking a cake in the oven. You can yell at the oven all you want, the cake will be done when it gets done. I think there is a reason why so many authors are not in their teens, even though many of them will admit they have been writing that long. Allowing a skill to mature and develop is the most important part. Are there things we can do to help the process? Sure. The cake won’t bake itself. But patience is important.

Would I go back to that person (or writer) I was in high school? Never. Do I ever regret going through that experience? Absolutely not. It is what made me who I am. Am I done growing yet? No. But isn’t the ride the best part?

ECFL Tour is HERE!

I am honored to host the Edgy Christian Fiction Lovers summer blog tour for this weekend! Let me take a moment to introduce you to my books, some great summer reads if I do say so myself. ;)

The Curse of Atlantis

What is it about? What if Atlantis never perished all those years ago? What if it exists on a parallel world, believing in a second chance at life? Two thousand years later, a small child is accused of being Atlantis’ curse due to her ability to transform into a wolf. Their king, wishing to regain power, murders her family, and places her into the army to be exploited in a devastating war. Knowing that an innocent life is in danger, a religious-centered committee calls upon the only man capable of handling such a challenge.

As he hesitantly takes the assignment, he will find himself fighting against the numerous kings who control Atlantis, while performing his job within the army and pleasing the wishes of the watchful committee. Together, these two lost souls will try to find their way through times of turmoil without falling victim to the curse’s short legacy and the child’s forgotten past.

Why is it a great summer read? From the start, this book will bring you into the life of a child who has lost it all and the man who will go to any lengths to save her. This is a father/daughter story that will capture you from the first page. Is she innocently accused or truly the monster everyone believes her to be?

The Lord of Nightmares

What is it about? What if this world was haunted by supernatural beings toying with people’s lives for sport? Madison never questioned events in her life until her friend, David, commits suicide. Years later, a man walks into her life with answers to all her questions, but this is no ordinary man. He is the Lord of Nightmares, part of a supernatural species conducting the ultimate game of wit with human pawns. Madison will find the answers to her questions come at a price. When what is at stake is her soul, Madison has no room for error as she enters a game of wit against the lord, best of his kind. Before the game is over, Madison will come to understand that only one question is worth asking: What will I do to survive?

Why is it a great summer read? This is an examination on the human spirit and the lengths people will go to save their future. This book will make you question “ordinary” events that happen in life. Are they simply tragic, or are we all puppets in a game of wit? The twists and turns in this story will leave you wondering if Madison will ever be the same again.

For more information on myself as well as these books, including reader reviews and buying information, please visit my website: www.bjkurtz.com.

Domino

What makes a story? I am in the beginning phases of my next novel so thought I’d sit back and define my process. It is both exciting and scary. I know…why scary? Picture your first day of school or work or first anything; there is excitement. But there’s also a little fear. What if you don’t like it? What if you can’t do the job? What are the policies and procedures? Everyone else walks around knowing what to expect around the corner. But you don’t.

Writing a story is kind of like that. Typically, right around the time I’m finishing a novel, I will get hit by a new idea. Where did it come from? Who knows. I like to say it is inspiration from God or my Guardian Angel. It could be a movie, or a phrase someone said, or an event in the news. The novel I just finished came from none of these. In fact, it is the first time I really can’t pinpoint the origin. Anyway, that’s not the point. The point is the idea comes and festers. Kind of like a good stew, it has to sit and simmer for a while. I build the idea, mull it over.

The idea for my last novel centered around a large family with a dark past. I had the mystery aspect, I needed the fantasy. Bam: the family can manipulate fate. Cool, right? Excitement courses through my veins. But people have awesome ideas that go nowhere because they don’t have a plot. So, I sit and think for some time. I’m okay as long as I’m finishing up my last story. But, once that story is done, if the stew is still brewing with no results, I get a little worried. What if I can’t make it work? What if I’m all washed out? See…scary. So far, my Guardian Angel…muse?...has never let me down. I really don’t know how to describe this process. But, it never fails. For this story, I was sitting bored at a Young Adults meeting at church—God has already forgiven me. ;) I had been debating about having an “adult” story and a “teen” story that runs parallel. The trick was to connect them. How was I going to do that? How would they be related? Then, as I watched lights form and fade from the passing cars on the street, the idea hit. I felt a physical “click” sound inside. This is the exciting part. Dominoes fall, ideas fly and I can’t get to a piece of paper fast enough. I have to write it down. Not really an outline, just a scramble of ideas. I’m sure if someone from the outside were to look at it, they would not understand. But to me, it is perfect. Changes will still be made as I dive in, but at this point I know the beginning scene as well as the ending scene. I will spend the next year and a half getting from one to the other.

...Blank...

I decided to write this week’s blog about writer’s block. It's scary. Since I can’t tell you why a conversation or a book will spur an idea, I also can’t tell you definitively how to fix it when ideas stop. Why pick this topic? I found myself not only blocked in my current story, but also for this week’s post. So, it seemed fitting.

No worse feeling exists than for every fiber itching to write but remain unable. July is monsoon month in Arizona. Don’t ask me why, but I bet if some program could calculate the total words I write throughout the year, it would show a dramatic spike in July and August. When the clouds plow over the mountaintops, the day turns dark like night, and the rain starts to pound the roof….nothing drives me faster. Currently, nature is working and I am not. I stare at a blank screen and nothing comes. Or I force a scene only to feel like pounding my head on the delete button over and over.

What are my typical causes? 1) Stress. My writing takes a hit in May and December when teaching consumes life. Nothing came during the year and a half of my master’s degree. 2) A problem within the story. This common problem has ranged from plot issues to the wrong point of view, and even the wrong setting. In the story I just finished, I almost didn’t write one particular scene. In it, I wanted the main character to have a confrontation with a former friend. I originally had a scene picked out for her amongst her friends. Only, it felt stifled. My first, impatient response was just to skip the scene. But, then I simple switched it to a conversation between her and the boy’s grandmother. Everything not only clicked into place but also created avenues and links I hadn’t even planned before. In another story, I wrote about eighty pages before coming to a complete standstill. I gave the partial manuscript to a good friend who read it and told me the point of view was wrong. I was telling the wrong story. I agreed that’s the reason for the block. 3) I block when out of practice. I haven’t written for a while and it becomes hard to get everything going again.

The cure? For the first and third, I have found the same cure: schedule time to write and make it a priority. Even if it’s not perfect, it’ll get easier/better. If nothing comes? I have been advice to write “I don’t know what to write” over and over. Never had the guts to try it, but let me know if it works! For the second, I have wonderful people who can talk me through. I think every writer should have this: whether it be family, avid readers, or other writers. Sometimes, we need outside help. Everyone has antidotes relating to their specific writing process. But, no matter what, remember to breathe and have faith everything will come back….remind me of this next week as I try to push through my current block!

Write!

I'm going camping for the holiday weekend...so here's this weekend's blog post a little early!

I was talking with a friend of mine at church last weekend. He’s an aspiring writer with the same dilemma: to finish a book. Ideas weave in and out of his mind, and yet he hasn’t written a novel. I love the coincidences in life because, for the first time in my career, I almost fell into the same whirlpool that prohibited him.

Let’s say you are an aspiring writer (if so than YEAH!). Then, most people, like me, will tell you to go to conferences and read books on the craft. We do this with the belief that you will learn the most from other writers. This is absolutely true. But, you will go to these conferences and you will meet hundreds of people who will have their “fool proof” method for writing a breakout hit. They will talk of procedures, characters, story plots (all of which stop my creativity dead). But, before you can focus on all this, they will tell you to do your research. You see, you will sound silly if you don’t know what you are talking about.

In the fantasy genre, I don’t have this pressure as much as let’s say murder mystery. I recently went to a local Sisters In Crime meeting (long story) in which a forensic expert discussed how a bullet will actually stop upon hitting water. So all those spy movies where the hero gets injured by a bullet passing through the water…yeah, the woman giggled at the idea. So, as an author you need to be prepared. They will tell you that you need to know your genre’s trends and styles. Everyone will agree that a fantasy book doesn’t read like a romance and a romance doesn’t read like a who-done-it. They will recommend books on craft and don’t forget the research!

There is nothing wrong with this advice. In fact, I have offered it to writers. But, what did I tell my friend? Just write! I got stuck in this drama within my own head last week. I wanted to research life on a frigate to enhance my scenes. I then thought of all the other things I should research as well. Finally, I asked myself. What is driving my story: the research or the characters? For me, the answer has always been characters. So, I wrote the prologue. And, you know what, ideas started to click and flow. Will I need to research more before I’m done? Probably, but now it will be necessary.

I recommend the same thing to those learning the craft of storytelling. How are you going to learn if not by examining your own work? Authors can sell millions of books telling you how best to write, but you need to find your own style. Find it and strengthen it with the advice from these books. Don’t let them tell you how to do your style, only how to improve it. So just jump in! The water’s nice in the pool of creativity.