Don't Read "Fan Fiction" For Research

I saw a post from a teacher a couple of days ago and she was talking about all of the great books she was going to have her high school students read this year. In all of the cases, these books were current "fan fiction" style books. You know the type. These are "fun" and "exciting" reads that appeal to the kids of today. While, getting kids to read anything might seem like a noble goal, this teacher (and all those who were cheering her on) are missing the point.

Now let me say, I am not here to talk about the approach the teachers were taking with their novel selection. I want to focus on this same aspect when it comes to your research as an author.

As you are doing your research to see what makes a great book tick, it is important to not just get the latest book that "everyone is raving about." It is important to look to quality novels and quality authors. Please, do not misinterpret what I am saying here. This is not to say new authors, nor their books, can be quality. I am saying to look to those novels that really do stand out as being great writing.

If you want to research how to be a great writer, you have to READ the great writers. Copying

someone who is just a "flash in the pants" will teach you to be just that.

I am thinking back to when FIFTY SHADES OF GREY came out. It was new. A lot of readers thought it was fun. But when you talked to editors and agents, the book was described as not strong writing. Those who thought it was great often turned to sales numbers to show "if it was really not great writing, then why did so many people buy it?" For many, they bought it to see what the hype was. I did. I read part of it. And then I immediately returned it after seeing the writing. But my "sale" factored into those numbers.

I bring up that book, because a lot of authors turned to that book as a "model" and started trying to duplicate the voice and style. And they received rejections. Why? They were not learning from "the best."

In the case of "fan fiction" these are books that are meant to be quick and fun reads. These are stories that are not going to last. Sure, there will be some that do, but those will be the anomalies.

Can we learn things from these books? Sure. But what we learn is not necessarily going to make us great writers. We might learn a quick plot device, but that would be it.

So, what do I look for when I read the "quality" authors? I look for how they balance narration and dialogue. I look to how the release information, or create a character that we beg to know more of, and how the author can keep us reading because they give us enough to chew on but not all at one time. We look to how the author creates a world we can be immersed in. We read for technique. We are not reading for plot of just the funny character.

As you look over your To Be Read/Researched Pile, really contemplate why it is in that stack.

Did You Verify Your Source?

This one really goes out to those of you who are historical writ4rs, but in reality, this is something every writer should do. Did you verify that the source you are using is someone who truly knows what he or she is talking about?

I started thinking about this yesterday when an author on Twitter was promoting a post he had done on his blog about some topic (don't remember what the topic was). Now let me just say, I did not have thew time to go over and look or to verify, but it did get me thinking of how many people would see the topic, know they are writing about that time era, and then dive over there for the research... without verifying if the person knows squat about the topic.

With the rise of social media, personal websites, and digital information, it becomes too easy to simply "get online" to find what you need for your book. Yes, I fully understand how easy it is to access that, but it is also equally as easy to just write something and claim your knowledge.

Let me also say, I do not believe these people are out there to deceive writers and put out bad information. They truly think they know this material inside and out. Of course, with a little bit of digging it becomes clear that the research they gained, came from other people who were doing the same thing.

Take the time to verify who this source is. Is this someone who is "self-taught" or someone who has actually studied the topic. Are they writing for an organization that has an agenda? For example, if you want information about statistics on gun control, an NRA post, while it deals with the topic, WILL BE a bit biased.

While you are at it, make sure to check WHEN the information was published. If this is out of date information, you are not helping yourself.

Know Your "Dream" Publisher

One mistake I see so many authors make, is simply throwing their story to the wind and hoping
someone will grab it. This happens as well with agents, but that is a different story. With the publishers, however, most of those rejections new authors get is not due to poor quality writing. The issue stems from writing that does not match the voice and the style of the publisher.

SIDE NOTE: I will not use specific names of publishers in this post.

One thing you have heard me say, time and time again here on this post, is that your writing fits with maybe 3 different publishers out there. OK, I might be able to get up to 5, but that is it. Just because a publisher takes contemporary romance does not mean that your story fits with EVERY place that takes contemporary romance.

Now, when I said this is different than agents, knowing which publisher you should submit to does not begin in the research as to where to send your story, which is what you would do with an agent. This starts BEFORE you even think about writing your story.




This begins when you just have a glimmer of an idea for a story.


WHAT??????????

That's right. The common mistake writers have is that they just sit down and start writing a story, not thinking about where their story really needs to sit on that bookshelf in your local book store. They do not think about which publisher it really needs to be with.

I ask this question a lot during pitch sessions. Where do you see your writing going? Which publisher do you think your writing being best placed with. Answers vary from: "I think it fits with everyone. This is a pretty common plot." to "I really want to be with this publisher, they so rock!" The problem with each of these stems from a writer not knowing his or her market. In the first case, the writer is only focused on the plot (which does have some play in all of this but not as much as a writer may think). In the second case, the writer is just focused on the glamor of a publisher and still, not whether the writing fits or not.

SIDE NOTE: The author who said the second one was pitching a genre the publisher did not represent.

Doing that research of the publishers goes to a much deeper level than plot. Yes, this does have some issue but it revolves more around the writing. As you start doing the research here, take the time to always look at WHO is publishing the story.

When I go to the publisher book signing at the Romance Writers of America conference, I always get similar genre books and keep them sorted when I get home. This way, I can look for those differences

Let's take a look at a few of those ideas:

DEPTH OF PLOT This is not a matter of adding more "stuff" to your story, but more of an issue of the speed of the story. When a writer adds a lot more depth to the story, it will read slower. This is where you really see a huge difference between series and single title stories. This is also where you see a difference between the mass market story and the literary fiction story.

How much back story does the publisher tend to use? If it is a historical novel, how much of the real life history do they bring into the plots, or is it all surface level history.

LAYERS OF SECONDARY ELEMENTS This is very similar to the plot analysis, but it also takes in the number of secondary characters, the depth of the world building, the amount of conflict.

Many publishers are already thinking of books for a series and will often develop plots that have those secondary characters being so much in the front, they almost become sub-protagonists. Not quite to the surface, but enough to set the scene for a later book. Now, I fully understand many of you are already thinking of other stories with other characters, but for the publishers, they are already layering those elements in. Other places, even though they want a series, keep those secondary characters to those who "interact but don't get involved."

The layers of secondary conflict is also an issue. Some publishers like to propel the characters through a story where they have to continually unlock harder and harder conflicts to get to that final resolution. Others want to just keep it simple, focus on building to that one conflict and BAM! solve it.

TYPES OF CONFLICT This is a plotting issue. I could go on and on but I want to keep this pretty broad right now. Some publishers like more external conflict getting in the way of the characters. Others want it only about the characters getting to know each other.

Each type of conflict will mean a different type of plotting and character development. This is directly connected to the issues in the prior two things we have looked at. More in-depth conflict requires more depth of character and plot development.

LEVELS OF SENSUALITY - Yes this is an issue, but it does not just differentiate between Amish and Erotica. This involves when and how the sensuality is added.

I just wrote about this idea earlier in the week. Some publishers want that sensuality to be almost like a character in the story, or the conflict holding the people back. Others simply want the sensuality to be a stage the characters go through.

The language too is a factor. How graphic do the characters talk during their moments together? Even the descriptions of body parts plays a role.

BALANCE OF NARRATION AND DIALOGUE This is connected to the speed in which the read happens. We have all heard, that narration slows a story down, and it does. One thing I always heard from one particular publisher during those spotlight sessions at RWA Conferences, was this issue. We want those fast fun reads. Did they say no narration? Nope! But was this a hint to the authors? Yes.

This balance also happens to be one of the big differences between women's fiction and mass market, or literary fiction and mass market. More narration is a tool used, not for an information dump, but for slowing the reader down to enjoy.

SIDE NOTE: If you write for a publisher who is not a big fan of narration, and you use it heavily for an information dump, understand that your readers are not fans of that. That might be an issue why your #'s are down.

VOCABULARY, LANGUAGE AND SENTENCE STRUCTURE This one is really simple. Do you use big words? Do you use general vocabulary? Are you sentences frequently straight forward Declamatory, Informative, Interrogative or Exclamatory? or do you tend to go for compound, complex sentences with an integration of passive voice to balance the active voice?

I know this sounds strange, but it is a HUGE factor.

STRUCTURE OF THE STORY Let me again say, this is not a plotting issue, but how the story is composed. This is also not an issue of 1st or 3rd person. This gets into things such as:

• Do the chapters tend to be broken up into two points of view on the same topic - one from the hero and one from the heroine?
• Do the stories tend to begin with an info dump or world building first and then move into the character development.
• Do the stories tend to try to start with the central conflict and layer in the characters solving the problem, or do they take it in reverse.

In many ways, this is like how people develop an argument. Is it deductive or inductive reasoning. 

***

So how does your writing fit in with all of this? If you have a particular style and approach you prefer to write with, it is up to you to find the publisher that is your best match. Think of this as a publisher version of MATCH.COM. 

I will also add that you can learn to write this way. If you are like that author I mentioned at the beginning and want to write for a given publisher, then that author NEEDS to change her voice.

AND FOR YOU SELF PUBLISHED PEOPLE OUT THERE...

Yes, I know this is why you go this route, and that is the best way for you. If you have a style that simply is 100% unique and 100% different then yes, take that route. But please, you cannot blame the publishers for not being open to that voice of yours. This is an issue of YOU not doing your market research and sending a product to them that was not what they were looking for.

AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO BRING IN SPEAKERS FOR YOUR CONFERENCES AND WRITING CHAPTERS. 

This is a full workshop I teach. Just send me an email and I am happy to help all of you out!

Reading For Research

I stress this all of the time to new writers interested in writing in the romance genre. They need to read romance. They need to even be more specific by reading romance in the sub-genre he or she is interested in writing. This also applies for any author interested in writing for a particular publisher and even more so if they have a particular editor they have wanted to work with. This is about research. This is about getting to know that voice and style.

Too often, writers begin a novel in a genre but really have not done that research. They write going off of what they "think" they know, and not what the genre demands, or what the market is currently looking at and selling. Guessing at the nuances of the genre is not going to get that book sold.

Now, before I go any further, I know that some of you are thinking that if you do that reading, you are likely going to "copy" those authors, or "lose your own voice." This is far from the truth. I have talked about this in the past, but I will repeat it again. Every genre has unique stylistic elements that need to be included. Regency romances will have specific ways the characters will act and behave. New Adult will have specific themes that show up. Inspirational romances will have certain stylistic approaches with how the "faith elements" are included in the story. Do this wrong, you turn off the reader.

When you are doing this research, make sure that you are not just looking at plot lines. The focus is on the style. Yes, there will be times when the plot elements are key. For example, how soon you get the characters interacting with one another, or when you decide to amp up the romantic element. The real focus is on the voice.

Let's look at this rhetorically and, more specifically, using the concept of Ethos, Pathos and Logos. I am only going to look at the Ethos piece here. Ethos talks about the credibility of the speaker as well as the ways the speaker (or in this case the author) makes a connection with the audience (or reader). If the reader is looking at your story and it sounds like something they are used to acquiring, editing or simply likes to read, they will be more likely to "buy in" to you project. Using a similar voice will do just that. Again, this is not an issue of plot, but voice.

Of course, plot elements can turn off those prospective editors and agents. I will use myself as an example. There are simply plot lines that I do not like to read or really think work. A couple of these include: adultery, the women and road trip piece, and the dating a hot guy in a band. I personally do not like these topics, so when I read a premise, read a synopsis, or even start reading the story, those ideas are already turning me off. This means that the story will have to be 200 or 300 times better just to overcome those initial thoughts I have.

So, how do you know this stuff? It takes reading. It takes a lot of reading. It takes a lot of dissecting those novels just to figure out those trends. If you do this a bit more, you may find greater success when you submit those projects to editors and agents.

Interpreting Data

Data driven business models are some of the new trends right now. This strategy has really been around for a long time, but it is really at a peak right now. Even in publishing, decisions are being made constantly based on numbers that some computer has crunched out. While data is certainly interesting to consider, it is always important to stop and consider one big concept.

WHAT OTHER VARIABLES ARE THERE

In publishing we always look at data for sales all of the time. It is these numbers that the editors use to determine your next contract, advances, sales and so forth. But we have to be cautious when looking at these numbers.

Let me give you a quick example.

One author I worked with back in the early 2000's had a fantastic story. Editors loved it. We were totally excited about this book being released. But... when it came time to get her next book signed, the publishers came back arguing that "the numbers just were not there." So what happened?

The month her book was scheduled to be released was the same week Borders collapsed. Over 50% of her sales were gone just like that. Add in the fact that so many buyers were also feeling cautious about buying anything due to the housing bubble.

Now, can we 100% say that this is the reason her sales were low? No. But what we can say is that these numbers had to be considered as a variable in the equation.

When authors who are previously published send submissions to me, I am always interested in knowing the data behind those previous sales. Most of the time, the only thing that I often hear is how high the rankings are for this book are on Amazon. Sure, these are numbers, but tell me more. Often, those additional numbers can give us a bigger picture.

There are two things I want you to take away from this today.

First, if you are looking at numbers from the outside, make sure to not limit your thoughts to just those numbers. Look at all of the variables before you make any decision.

Secondly, if you are going to use numbers and data in your submissions to editors and agents, make sure to provide a complete picture (if those numbers really demonstrate your success).

A FOLLOW UP...
I wrote this post yesterday, and later in the day, found an article that came from Publisher's Weekly that continues with this same theme on book sales of FIRE AND FURY. Good read and another thing to always consider when it comes to Data Interpretation.

FIRE AND FURY ARTICLE

Russian Hacking, The Internet and Professional Writing

No, I am not going to launch into politics here and start taking sides on the Russian hacking thing going on right now. But, I do want to take a look at how the latest revelations that came out this last week have to do with quality professional writing.

If you have been following the story lately, we have found out that much of the "meddling" in the election came from a disinformation campaign. It seems that the Russian government, through the use of social media simply started to shape how the US population thought about things going on in the world. Their approach was simple. Through the use of well-placed hashtags, great lines and fake accounts, information spread like wild-fire.

Now, here is the twist that I want to look at. Why it spread?

The answer is quite simple and also quite frustrating. There are a lot of people out there who believe in the power of technology and seem to think that when we see it on the Internet, it must be true.

We all remember this commercial and laughed at it...

But, the scary thing is, we continue to do this.

The reason this approach taken last year worked so well is essentially due to the over-all ignorance of the American people and their use of technology and the Internet. Yes, I fully admit I am using a hyperbole here, but this is what we are seeing. We get something and we simply "SHARE IT".

My father does this all of the time. He also has a lot of issues with computer viruses on his computer. He gets and email from someone, who has also passed the information on and immediately wants to share it. Of course, while he opened that email, he infected his computer with a virus. But, he got it from someone he trusted? Yes, but without taking the time to investigate the initial source, the "sharing" did its damage.

As someone who teaches research writing at the college level, we spend a great deal of time discussing getting quality information for our papers. We talk about doing your research and not simply relying on a "gut instinct" or even what many junior high and high school teachers taught our kids that "If it ends with an .edu or a .org,, or a .gov, then it can be trusted." The problem is that anyone can use those endings. You still have to do your research.

I am seeing a lot of the same things in the publishing community. Writers get out there on their discussion forums, their Facebook groups and even in their writing chapters and groups and simply just "share information" with each other without taking the time to really do the research and trust what they hear. 

The writing community really seems to be notorious for this type of information transfer. Someone hears news about an editor, agent or publisher decision and immediately the information begins circulating like wildfire. You get that information and immediately trust it because it came from your critique partner or your chapter president and they can always be trusted.

But where did they get it from.

When I get information like that passed on to me, I immediately go to the source. Not the one I just heard it from. I do my research.

I tell my students and writers to always question the source. This is not questioning it because we think it is flawed in some way. We are questioning to insure the authenticity and the quality of the source. 

Are you doing this? 

We Are Living In A Digital Age - Use it!

I spent the weekend working through a ton of submissions, and, as usual, I found myself rejecting a ton of authors who cannot read, or simply believe they can just ignore the rules. Of course, I do believe the real issue is that these authors, who seem to believe they have a grasp on technology, really have no clue how to use the tools in front of them.

As all of you who follow this blog know, I represent ONLY romance and women's fiction. That is it! The information is out there for my agency, like it is for every other editor and agent in the business. We take the time to keep up our websites. We take the time to post, every now and then on social media what we are looking for. And yet, authors do not seem to take the time to use the tools in front of them. Instead, they dive on website clearinghouses that claim to have the most information on editors and agents, click on an email and then madly start sending submissions to everyone on the list. They do not take the time to read or research!

Are you getting a feeling that this is a rant? Yep, it sure is. But I do want to take this beyond those people who probably have no business being in the publishing industry because they cannot do their research. I want to talk to those of you who do your research on the editors and agents.

The present world population has more access to information than any other generation before. You can take virtual tours of museums in foreign countries. You can access primary sources that had once only been available to people who were high ranking professors and major universities. Use these sources! Quit relying on asking quick questions on those social media groups you are part of and then running with that information. Quit tapping into Wikipedia and thinking this is the end-all-be-all of research. Look for real information! Look for research from people who know their stuff, and quit using the research from the people who claim to be experts.

So who are those people who "claim to be the experts?" I am going to target the historical authors on this one. These are the people at conferences who (yes, I know I a stereotyping but you will get the idea). These are those people who are "retired" but have spent the last "x number of years" really digging deep into this research. They are the people who will throw out dates and states left and right, and proclaim their expertise. Probably not a good source.

Here is another example. I think the world of the people who do the SCA re-enactments. The Society for Creative Anachronisms is a great group of people. But, far too many are people who simply have "learned their history" from other SCA people who claimed to have been experts. Not always the best source.

I don't care why type of writing you do, it is your responsibility as an author to present accurate information to your readers. Don't make things up. Don't just run to a "sourcebook" or Wikipedia for that crucial information. Use the tools in front of you. Trust me, it will make a world of difference.

What Should You Be Writing?

Is your writing not going well for you? Do you feel like you are spinning your wheels and no matter how hard you try, that story just doesn't do what you want it to? Maybe you have finished the story and are sending it out to editors, agents, or even getting reviews and nothing is looking positive. It may simply be because you are in the wrong genre.

I have been doing some critique work lately with authors and had the chance to read two different pieces from the same author. The first story was...OK. Nothing amazing. I tended to find more things to pick on within the story and never really left satisfied after reading it. Was it bad? No. Was it amazing? No. It was just there.

But then I read another story from this author and it was amazing. It was a different genre and this author clearly rocked it. The voice was there. The writing was not forced. Wow!

After talking with the author, I found that the first story was an attempt at doing something new. This made a lot of sense. The reality of the situation is that the author simply was not comfortable with that new style and was still learning it. The other, the author had mastered.

So, with that in mind, what should you be writing? The answer is quite simple. Look to  your own bookshelves.

Now, I know that there are many of you who claim that you read everything out there. The odds are, though, that you do gravitate toward one genre more than another. In other words, if you walked into a bookstore, consider the shelves that you tend to go to first. Consider the aisles that you gravitate to. That is what you should be writing.

So, why is that? Because you full understand the genre. The wording, the styles, the nuances are all things that are running through your blood, so when it is time to write that genre, your brain already has the tools to make the writing successful!

I know that there are also some of you out there who believe that writing in the genre you read would tempt you to plagiarize stories and you would copy more than create your own story. This really is not the case. There will be common tropes, but you simply will not steal ideas. Another way to think of this is what your major was in college. You gravitated to the areas you knew better than others. Sure, you may have had some great teachers in other disciplines, or had classes you really loved in other disciplines, but your strengths really came out on the courses you understood.

I want to also add that authors should also consider doing this when they are deciding which publisher they want to write for. Look to your shelves again. The odds are you tend to read a select group of publishers and shy away from others. So go there!

Now, go out and do your research!

.

Researching Your Genre

If writers want to improve their writing, one of the best things they can do is to research their genre. This is not so much an issue of taking workshops or reading books. This is all about reading extensively in your genre. I would also add that it is important to read genres from the publishers that you want to submit to. The more you do this, the more you will understand the nuances.
Here is the thing to consider. You should not be reading to just get the plots. You need to take the time to read and see if you can spot patterns in the writing. This may include things such as how the back story is put forth by the author. How long the paragraphs are. How much world building is included. And even take a look at the type of characters and tropes that seem to be showing up.

It is also important to understand that things change over time. Sure, reading the classic authors is fun, but things change. Read those new authors that are coming out. This is going to give you an idea of what the editors are now looking for. Reading the established authors may give you a wrong idea. Remember, they are established and can pretty much get away with a lot of things because they already have a following.

I teach a workshop called Dissecting the Novel. This is really what you need to do with your reading. Don't just read for pleasure, but really take the time to dissect that story. Pull it apart. Examine the pieces. Do this on a regular basis, and then go back to examine your own writing. This might give you an idea of what is working and not working in your own stories.

Don't Just Read The Great Books, Read the Garbage Too!

When we first start writing, we are often drawn to some of the great authors in our genre. We want to "be just like them." In fact, this happens with a lot of different disciplines (teaching, art, sports and so forth). We want to learn from the best. In fact, I have spoke about this same concept several times here on the blog when we talked about critique partners or deciding on workshops and classes you want to attend. However, when it comes to learning from other author's writing, or say my son wanting to watch Michael Phelps and learn from observation, that approach might not be the best.

The problem is that with many of these people who are really good at what they do, their talent is really coming naturally. They have likely moved past that clinical approach beginners take when it comes to their craft and we just aren't going to be able to see those small little nuances that make that huge difference in the final product.

There is also another problem we face by trying to learn from these people. As beginning writers, we are often in awe of this person and their craft. As we read their novels, we are "swept away with the story," or "we fall in love with their heroes." You know what I mean ladies. When you first read Diana Gabaldon's OUTLANDER you ran around dreaming of Jamie and wondering why your husband couldn't be more like him.

But how can we learn if we don't look at the best?

When I teach writing classes at the college, I often get students who ask me to provide examples of what I mean when I talk about something like "writing that is rambling" or "transitions that lack fluency." I have to say, coming up with an answer to this is harder than you think and the reason is simple. I don't look to provide examples of the bad writing, I try to provide the good examples, much like writers do when they go to the amazing writers for guidance. But, I have found the solution. I use their writing.

When we see something that isn't working, it forces us to really study that writing and determine what is going on. Learn from it! What  is it that the authors are doing that are not working for you? What techniques are they using that are working against the story or making the connection between the author and the reader not quite right? But more importantly, what would you do to fix the problem.

The idea is simple. If there are things that are bad in their writing, you need to find a way to NOT do what they are doing in their story.

I was speaking to one of my authors recently and she was venting over this book she just picked up. She couldn't understand why the editor would have ever wanted to print this particular book. She also couldn't figure out why reviewers were apparently saying this book was great. So I took a look at the story. I had to agree with my author. This story really wasn't that good. But what we did do was spend the time dissecting what the author might have been thinking when she wrote that novel. We tried to determine what the editors and reviewers were thinking. It was this dissection that gave us a better understanding of the editor, the publisher and even what seemed to be working. We also had a chance to reflect over my author's writing and identify things she was doing that worked.

Reading the bad stuff also gives us a chance to reflect on things that don't work for us as readers. Seeing this in someone else's writing forces us to become hypersensitive to those strategies in our own writing. If we don't like it in other books, then let's not put it in our own stories.

So, if you want to really learn, start reading those bad stories. Read the stories that get 1 and 2 star reviews. Figure out what they are doing...

and then don't do it in your own writing.

Primary Documents Are A Must For Great Historical Writing

I see a lot of historical romances and historical women's fiction projects and far too many of these demonstrate to me the lack of research the authors did. The result is often a story that is lacking in depth and comes across as really being a flat and trivial read. It is a shame too, because the premise of many of these stories might have been really good, but the projects are brought down because of the lack of quality research.

I know there are a lot of "source books" out there that summarize a lot of history. On the surface, there is nothing wrong with these books to get a quick bit o information about a time period. In many ways, this is similar to going to sites such as Wikipedia, About.com or Answers.com. But these sources are far from strong enough to really give you the depth for your stories.

We are fortunate to be living in a great technological age where many primary sources are now being digitally scanned and available to the general public. These are the sources you need to be using to get an accurate picture of the time period of your story.

Bronwyn Scott has just finished up a great series about the Grand Tour and the rakes who take these
adventures. She stumbled across a great primary source of letters and journals written by these guys who took the trips. These are primary documents of people living in Venice, Florence and Sienna during that time. Talk about a great glimpse into the past!

This might seem like a lot of work, but it is amazing how that depth of research comes through in your writing. The voice of your story will change drastically. What is more important is that your readers will appreciate the work you put into it.

Reading For Research Is Crucial

The problem with many authors is the fact that they love reading. Every chance they get, their heads are probably in the latest book from the TBR (To Be Read) stack that sits next to their bed. But here is the issue. They love to read so much, that it becomes difficult to actually grow and learn as an author.

Let me explain.

When we read, most of the time, we have shifted our brains to that "relaxation" mode. We want to escape from the grind of the day and diving into the latest novel is great. We aren't really thinking about anything other than how we get that character out of the latest trouble he or she got into. If you are reading (or watching) Outlander, many are thinking how HOT Jamie is.

But, as authors, we need to do much more. We have to read for research, and this can be tough.

When we read for research, we turn off that relaxation mode, and move into a purely objective mode. Now we start to study the technique of the author. Now we study the plots and characters. The focus here is to determine what authors are doing, why they are doing it and the impact on the everyday reader. We try to figure out what the editors were thinking (not in a bad way) when they signed that book and sent it to press.

One of my authors did this right after the last RWA Convention. She took her entire box of books she collected from the conference and dumped them on her bed. She then proceeded to sort through the books, objectively tracking what she saw:

• Common themes
• Common plot elements
• Hero types
• Heroine types
• Covers
• etc.

But she took it a step further. She started sorting and cataloguing the publishers the editors and even what was said on the back cover blurbs.

Her goal was simple. She wanted to identify if there were indeed patterns in the buying and publishing trends with this latest collection of close to 200 books. There was!

This isn't to say she isn't going to go back and read those books for pleasure, but that research is crucial. We use it to keep track of what is going on out there, but also a check for whether or not we are on the right track with our own writing.

Are You Researching Your Editors And Agents?

All editors and agents are not alike. Sure, what they do is essentially the same thing, but there are vast differences between the approaches each take, as well as what they like and don't like in terms of a manuscript. Knowing those differences can be the single factor that makes or breaks that pitch session at an upcoming conference.

During the weeks (but hopefully you have been doing this longer) coming up to a conference where you know you will be pitching, you should be spending a great deal of time researching and reading. You want to take the time to learn all you can about those editors and agents. Your goal is to find patterns in their thinking. This is all done through not just what they state they acquire, but also the books you hear them talk about on social media and in other things they may write. You will also see this in the types of books they acquire.

The goal is to look for patterns.

Does the editor or agent tend to acquire stories where the motivations of the characters are really filled with drama packed back stories? Or, do they like stories where the entire focus is on just the hero and heroine struggling with personal issues. If it is a romantic suspense, do they lean toward the political stories or the dark and grim underbelly of the world stories.

You will take a look at the level of depth the authors have taken with character development or plot development. This can be seen in the balance between narration and dialogue. How much do we really know about the characters? Is the world building creating a fully 3-D world, or is this just "Small town, USA"?

Knowing this will tell you if your story is even going to work with that editor or agent. Just saying you have a pitch appointment is not enough. It has to be one where you at least have a chance getting past the door,

I will also add that this is going to also apply to those situations where the editor or agent is acquiring for the publishing house or the agency. Let's say you are pitching at RWA Nationals and meeting with Flo Nichol. Your story might not fit with what Flo represents, but it might fit better with someone like Linda Fildew, or Pippa Roscoe. When you pitch, it is up to you to demonstrate to Flo that your story will fit with all of those people. Your job is to make it very clear that your story fits.

I say this every year and I will say it again. I don't care if there are editors and agents there to listen to your pitches. If the person is not a right fit, you will not see a contract. Sure, you may get a token "send me something" but don't expect the contract. Your story didn't match before the pitch and it will not match after the pitch.

Reading For Research

A lot of people wonder why I read romances if this is something I represent. There is a thought that if I have been reading romance all day, why would I want to pick up another story in the same genre? Wouldn't I want to escape from it?

Well, yes, there are times when I simply cannot read another romance and yes, I do read other things. But reading what I represent gives me a chance to diagnostically read the stories. I am not so much reading for pleasure, I am reading for research.

As an author, it is crucial to read for research. When you read a story and find yourself enjoying it, you need to stop and ask yourself why. The odds are, it is not simply because of the basic storytelling elements of plot, characters, and setting. There is probably a lot more going on with the story that draws you in. You can do the same thing with the stories that don't work for you. What is it that the author is doing strategically that isn't working for you.

This same level of research should be done when you are investigating new publishers or agencies. I have said this numerous times here on the blog but authors need to determine what the voice is of that publisher or agency. Each of the places have vastly different.voices and styles. Your job is to find out what they are really looking for, beyond the genre and see if your writing is really fitting that style. If not, you can either, learn it and adapt your writing, or find a place that better fits your style.

As an agent, this is what we do with our clients' manuscripts. We determine exactly where the best places are to send a project. We do not just simply send it out to everyone without doing that research.

Get To Know Your Favorite Authors

If you have been hanging out here with me for a while, you know how much I stress the need to do your research. This means to make sure you get to know the publishers and agents and learn all of their unique traits. As a part of this research too, it is also important to make sure to research your favorite authors.

We all know that many of the strongest writers out there read extensively. Sure they read for fun, but they also read for research. In other words, the more they read, the more they begin to identify what makes their favorite authors tick. For beginning writers, this is even more important.

When you read, make sure to have the critical thinking portion of your brain on a slow simmer. Sure, feel free to read for pleasure, but also pay attention. Don't just focus on the plot and the characters, pay attention to the techniques the writers are utilizing to tell that great story.

I do understand that many times you will find authors doing things with their writing that "violate all of those rules" but in those cases, there was likely a reason for it. Think of Hemingway. He understood grammar well, but to get across certain ideas, he would frequently violate those rules.

Now don't get me wrong, I am not saying to do whatever you want to do with your writing. What I am simply saying is to pay attention. Learn those tricks and then find a way to integrate those ideas naturally into your stories.

Scott

A Tidbit For You Historical Authors

I love historical romance. I love the fact that not only can I read a story for the characters and the plot, but I can also learn a little bit at the same time. I guess that's why when I taught history, I would always bring in the "real people" and not simply a discussion of dates and wars. I want people to know that real people got us to where we are today. It was amazing how quickly the students in my class were hooked. But the question now is, can the same be done with historical fiction.

You bet.

But to bring in the real good fiction, you need research. Now, those writers out there who have been doing this for some time already know how to do much of this, but for those of you just starting out, here is one big hint. Go for the primary sources.

Too often, I read submissions that seem to have relied only on what we call "source books". Essentially, these are books that have done nothing more than give you the broad picture of what happened in that time period. In many ways, I like to think of these as the Wikipedia of sources. Not necessarily accurate and if it is accurate, it is likely such a broad picture you really don't get much.

Primary sources, on the other hand, are documents and material coming right from that time period. Getting your hands on maps from that time period. Reading original newspapers or letters from that time. If you get the history books (yes I am stressing books here and not quick internet searches), go for the ones written by the experts who have devoted their lives to that one period of time.

This does not mean that you have to include all of that material in your story, but the added knowledge you have will add that additional level of "voice" you may have been missing originally. If you immerse yourself in the time period, your readers will sense that with your stories.

One last word of caution. Be careful of those people and groups out there that seem to think they know everything about a subject. I have bumped into some "history hobbiest" that have only been learning their "knowledge" from other hobbiest. In the end, this is worse than that game of telephone we all played at camp. The information is far from accurate. Go for the real stuff.

Have fun researching. Week is almost over. How much writing did you get done this week?

Scott

The Publisher You Want May Not Be The One For You

I am sure I have brought this up before, but I think it is worth re-stating again. Your story does not fit at every publishing house out there. Genre and word count are not the only factors when we look at where your story best fits. It is all about the voice of your story.

Every writer needs to take a long period of time to assess where their niche is in this world of publishing. In all likelyhood, your story only fits at about three publishers and that is it. I know that is a difficult thing to here since it limits your market, but it is a reality. Your writing voice simply is not suited for all of the publishers out there.

The same goes for determining if your story is a single title or a series romance, and I am not talking about a 3 book series here but the concept of category romance. I don't know how many times I have seen 100,000 word category romances come across my desk.

Before you even think about sending your story out to a publisher, make sure to really study that line. Is your voice (not the plot or the character type) similar to the lines that you are interested in. Look at everything. paragraph structure, dialogue, levels, character development and so forth.

Now, if you aren't happy with the results of your search and you really want to write for another house, you need to start some serious research. Figure out all of the twists and turns of that house and then start studying your writing. You may have a huge amount of re-writes in front of you.

Best of luck everyone!

Scott

Researching Current Writing Trends

Every now and then, I take the time to pick up current books out there to do some research. No, this is not to see the type of plots people are choosing. I take the time to see if the style has changed in a particular publishing house. To be a successful writer, it is crucial that you do this every now and then to insure that your writing isn't stuck in a time period that has been left in the dust.

Sometimes I get submissions from writers that were successful in the 80's and early 90's. For some reason, they stepped away from the business and now are trying to jump back in. Although their writing is great, it is like picking up outdated books. The voice is just not that of the present day. Why? The writer didn't go back and see HOW the writing was working today.

One publisher I work with loves stories that move fast. Now, when I say this to an author, they hype it up with action for the characters. When I revisit the "style" of that house, I see what the publishers are describing. In one case, I read the first two chapters and all we gained, in terms of information, was the hero finding out he acquired a piece of property and a ward. That was it! So how did we get 20 plus pages of material? It was all dialogue. There was no backstory, no scene building, nothing. I went back and examined the material even further and found that the paragraphs were descriptions of the action the character was doing. This was a change from the last time I read this author's work.

Now, this might just be a coincidence, but it may be a trend. When you stumble across things like this, it is crucial to pick up a couple of other books by A) the same author; and B) by other writers with the same editor. See if there is a pattern.

I have to stress, that I am not saying to "copy" other writers, but to learn from these writers. I am also not saying that what the authors are doing is either good or bad. It just happens to be the way it is.

Research is important. Read a book, not for pleasure but for dissection purposes. See what you can discover.

Oh, and one other thing. Pick some of those newer authors. The established authors often have enough of a following to allow them to violate some of the rules.

Scott

Summer Reading and Professional Writing

So you are composing your summer reading lists right now. Many of you have already made that list and are hitting the book stores in terms of that huge list. Before you do that though, I want you to stop and think about something. Why not kill two birds with one stone. Why not take the time to read the authors that have just come out with books in your genre and research what they have done.

Now I know what you are thinking. I want a break from the research. Yeah, yeah, what ever. The problem with that line is that you have been doing that all year. As a writer, it is beyond crucial to take the time to understand what those publishers just bought and what it was about the voice a particular author had that propelled them to buy the book. This is the key to really improving your craft.

Too often, writers tell me when they do this, they aren't enjoying the plot any more. They want to just sit back and enjoy the ride. Yeah, yeah, what ever. I'm talking professional writers here. It takes time to dissect what the other person is really doing. If a writer has inserted a totally cool secondary character, study what he or she was doing. It is more than the plot that you are looking at. It involves the voice, the description and the like.

When you do go out there and research writers, find the ones that are new to the line. Don't go running to the established authors that are now on book 20. These are the ones you use for the "enjoyable" summer read. Go for the new ones. These are the writers that are more like you. What was it that they have that you might be missing. You can find it.

Right now, I am still on the quest for the perfect "women's fiction" story. I love these books that reading clubs clamor over. That people talk about and want to share. You know the type. The books that make you say, "let me read this to you." For that reason, I am diving all over those books this summer. I also have my collection of romances sitting here on my desk, but the serious research focus is the other stack.

Summer reading though? I am hanging out in Tuscany right now with A Thousand Days In Tuscany. I do this to punish myself. I do this to remind me that I would give anything to be over there working. So if you are listening Harlequin Modadori, I am available! Of course, I won't be picky.