Writing Tidbits by Delilah S. Dawson

I had the pleasure of meeting today's guest post writer back in January. (See where I blogged about it here.) She's super cool, a Georgia author (gotta support the home state!), and she's into Steampunk. 

And she was kind enough to give us some information on writing! Yay!! I'm not a writer by any stretch of the imagination but I love to hear about the writing process...so I'm thrilled with today's post!

So...here's Delilah S. Dawson!

(Photo from Delilah's Blog, isn't she gorgeous?!)

Writing Tidbits: You're a Unicorn!

As I sit here with four different Word documents open on my laptop, it's hard to remember what my life was like before I became a writer. It's almost as if a switch in my brain suddenly flicked on, and since then, I've been constantly obsessed. If I'm not working on a contracted book in my paranormal romance Blud series for Pocket or revising my YA for Simon Pulse, I'm working on guest blogs, short stories, e-novellas, or the next big, shiny idea.

But if I had to start all over again, here are 10 things I would do differently:

1. Nothing

Hard to believe, right? But I wouldn't change any part of my writing journey, even the mistakes. There's a saying that all writers are unicorns, meaning every person's experience is unique and special. We write different types of stories in different genres. We use different methods of plotting—or just write by the seat of our pants. Some people rely on critique partners or writing groups, while others hire an editor or search out a literary agent. Some people dream of being traditionally published, while others relish the complete control self-publishing can offer. But we all have one thing in common: we want to tell the world our stories.

If you'd like to write a book, there's no big secret to doing so. You start writing and keep writing until you're done, and there's nothing in the world that should stop you. Sit down and write every day, even if it's only ten words and each one hurts worse than a root canal. Take a writing class, buy a book on storycraft, or join NaNoWriMo, which is National Novel Writing Month and consumes hundreds of thousands of aspiring novelists each November. And always remember that all first drafts suck; even Stephen King's first drafts suck. Just get the words out and worry about fixing it later.

I keep a RESOURCES page on my blog where you can find links to all the websites and books I used to become a traditionally published author with four books, three e-novellas, and an anthology under my belt. In 2009, I had a horrible first book and no idea what I was doing. On May 3 of 2013, I'm having a big party in Atlanta to celebrate the launch of the second book in my series. And I don't have a degree in English, an MFA, any shiny awards, or a deep, personal knowledge that I was born to be a writer. I just have tenacity and Google.

If you ever have a writing question, come find me on Twitter, @DelilahSDawson. If I don't know the answer, I can help you find it. After all, we unicorns must stick together.

Thanks so much for having me, Alli! Readers can always find me at my blog, www.delilahsdawson.com, or on Twitter,http://www.twitter.com/DelilahSDawson. 

My next e-novella in the world of Sang is THE PECULIAR PETS OF MISS PLEASANCE, out now with Pocket, and the next book in Sang is out April 30, WICKED AS SHE WANTS. Oh, and if you like artisan perfumes, check out the scents based on my characters at Villainess Soaps!

*I just want to thank Delilah again for stopping by Alli's World. I'm super excited to hear more about the YA novel she's working on, as YA is my heart. Also, I saw this guest post she did the other day and I really liked it too! So check it out! Happy Friday y'all! ~Alli

Guest Post: Ally Malinenko

I have a treat for you guys today! A guest post from Ally Malinenko! She's going to impart some wisdom and advice for those struggling writers out there!

Hope you enjoy the post and feel free to leave us some of your favorite writing advice in the comments! And THANK YOU to Ally for stopping by today!

~alli

Top Five Pieces of Advice for 

Aspiring Writers

(Not from me)

That’s a weird title. I mean what constitutes “aspiring” and not. As soon as you write something are you no longer aspiring? Or is it publication? Does that mean you are officially a writer? Which came first the chicken or the egg? Here’s what I think  - all writers are still aspiring because becoming better at what you love to do makes for a full life….(“full” mind you, not necessarily happy).

So here are my top five bits of writing advice from some really great writers all of whom have written YA or MG books cause that’s what I write. And because I needed some sort of format otherwise this would go on for days. 

5. Garret Freyman-Weir – Author of My Heartbeat, Stay With Me, When I was Older and The Kings are Already Here. 

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Read. Really, I cannot begin to describe all the times I’ve met people who tell me that they would love to write, if only they could find the time (as if writing were a hobby, although given the quality of much of what is published, I sometimes think it is!), but if I talk to them at length it quickly becomes clear they do not read. That’s like wanting to run a marathon, but not wanting to run. Reading is the only way to learn how to write. It can’t be taught, exactly. It has to be absorbed.

4. Rebecca Stead – Author of When You Reach Me and Liar and Spy

What tips or advice can you share with young students who hope to start writing?

First: Read. It’s been said over and over, but reading is the most important thing an aspiring writer can do. Read what you love. Read something you think you won’t like at all. Experiment with your reading, but don’t stop reading.

Second: Don’t be discouraged by your first draft. For many writers, the first draft is a pretty terrible translation of what might be a terrific idea. Don’t stop and think, “this is awful.” It doesn’t help. Revision is just as much a part of the job as the first draft. If you aren’t willing to revise, you can’t be a writer.

3. Daniel Handler (a.k.a. Lemony Snicket) – Author of The Series of Unfortunate Events, When We Broke Up and All The Wrong Questions Series.

What’s the greatest or most memorable piece of advice on writing that you have ever received?

“Read everything out loud.”

2. Laini Taylor – Author of Daughter of Smoke and Bone and Days of Blood and Starlight

“Be an unstoppable force. Write with an imaginary machete strapped to your thigh. This is not wishy-washy, polite, drinking-tea-with-your-pinkie-sticking-out stuff. It’s who you want to be, your most powerful self. Write your books. Finish them, then make them better. Find the way. No one will make this dream come true for you but you.”

1.Neil Gaiman – Author of (tons of other stuff but also) Coraline, The Sandman Series, The Graveyard Book

Be wise
Make amazing mistakes
Break rules
Leave the world a more interesting place, and
Make good art

And he said it all quite well here in a now pretty famous commencement speech. 

So there you guy. Easy right? Read. Write. Believe. Don’t give up. Read more. Write more. Believe more. Don’t give up more. 

I don’t think there’s much that I could add to this. I mean, let’s be honest – these are all big fish writers and I’m a bottom feeder – happily and joyfully – but still a bottom feeder. But I will say this: 
When you do start writing don’t give up. Just write. Keep writing. When it’s good keep writing. When it’s bad keep writing. When someone tells you it’s terrible and you should stop, keep writing. When someone tells you it’s perfect don’t change it, keep writing. You know in your heart what you are striving for. One day you’ll wake up and you’ll have found your voice. But it takes work. Be ready to do the work.

Ally Malinenko is the author of Lizzy Speare and the Cursed Tomb

Find out more about Ally Malinenko!

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Fathomless: The Release Party

I know some people don't get it. But it's my obsession. Like my hubs put it, "Some people have drugs or alcohol, we have books." This is true. At least my obsession is beneficial to the brain, just not the pocketbook. I have tried, really tried to cut back on the amount of books we purchase. But my main weakness, in relation to books, is author signed books. There's just something about going to an event, hearing the author speak about the process that went into a beloved read, and then having just a few moments to speak to the author one on one while he or she personalizes and signs their work for me to take home and treasure. There is really not many things in life I can think of that bring me as much shear joy as having that signed copy in hand. And that is why, hubs and I (and occasionally my mama) will drive HOURS to go to author events that last less than an hour. I realize how truly blessed I am that they put up with me and indulge me! It took me 26 years to understand that reading can be such an inclusive hobby and bring immense amounts of happiness, on more than one level! So, yes we do go on lots of bookish adventures and "waste days" just to have precious signed books but man, I have never been happier in my life!

OK, confessional over. That just was to lead into the most recent bookish event hubs and I attended...the release party for Georgia author and University of Georgia graduate Jackson Pearce's (JP) most recent YA novel, Fathomless held at the Barnes and Noble on Northpoint Parkway in Alpharetta. (BTW, they often host book signings and whatnot so if you are in the area check them out!) Fathomless a retelling of "The Little Mermaid" fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson. (I'll have a review up for the book later this week.)  In this post I just wanted to share with you some of things Jackson spoke about at the the release and some photos from the event.

Jackson Pearce

Talking about her Fathomless inspired

bracelet, it was an anchor

and adorable and her sister's. :)

Let me preface by saying that Jackson was hilariously entertaining during her talk, so we laughed a lot and really had a great time. For example, she told us about a school visit she had where they introduced her as the author of Fat Homeless (instead of Fathomless...ohmygosh! Ooops!) Jackson spoke about the challenges to writing Fathomless. First, she said writing Sisters Red and Sweetly had the perk of being based of Grimm fairy tales because the Grimm tales have many different versions and there are less variations of the Hans Christian Anderson tale, "The Little Mermaid." It was also a challenge because everyone is familiar with the Disney version of The Little Mermaid, which Jackson assured readers she is a fan of, although due to Ariel having all those sisters with different colored hair JP was concerned about the Mer-Queen's fidelity. (HA!) The original tale and Disney are similar up until a point, in the original the prince never realizes the Little Mermaid is the one that saved him. There is actually a girl from a near by temple that comes out to him while he is recovering on the beach and the prince falls in love with her and she turns out to be a princess so things work out pretty good for them. JP said she feels sorry for that temple girl because this is really her love story and the Little Mermaid is a home-wrecker the Prince doesn't even love! Jackson indicated that she really wanted to tell the story of the temple girl.

Challenge number two came in with using ocean girl lure. JP wanted her mermaid to be melancholy but it was hard to make them be sad with they don't remember why they are sad. JP said she knows how she wants you, the reader, to feel when the book is done. She shared with us a poem she wrote when she was child and it began, "Sadness is the color brown..." The point being you can pick a color and describe how that color makes you feel. It seems like it would be a pretty good exercise to get creativity flowing. Maybe. (This challenge makes more sense after you've read the book.)

Clayton must have said something because

he has both Jackson's and my

attention!

The last big challenge Jackson faced in writing Fathomless was that it is the third in the series and she had to remember the rules she created in the first two books. She talked about how adding one line the previous book caused her to have to rework this one.

Jackson shared with us that the there will be another book in this series, a retelling of the Snow Queen (YaY!), but it is still untitled at this point. And then she took some audience questions. (My notes are a little sketchy so I'll do my best to make sense of them for you.:-) Jackson told us that fairy tales are fun to write but writing two books at once is hard. In response to a question about how much of herself she puts into her characters she said that, everything she writes is a product of who she is but how you read it is a product of who you are. (For some reason this struck me as profound.) She used to work for a company that had "Beer Fridays" but said as a writer, everyday is "Beer Friday." (She said not really cause that didn't really work out to well for Hemingway!)

This section of her Q&A had more tips for writers. Jackson said that social media lets you know you have readers but it doesn't affect her writing. She talked about when she was waiting to get published and her stories of rejection. She said (paraphrased), "Until you get published you are afraid that you actually suck. Until someone wants it. It gets easier each book." And her message to young writers, "Keep writing books! It's not a waste of time. Sometimes you have to write a crappy book."

I've heard this before, several of my fav authors got rejected several times before they got published. That is just the nature of the publishing world. If you are a writer, use that as encouragement. So what, you wrote a crappy book, now you can moving on to writing a GREAT book!

My collection of Jackson Pearce (signed!) books.