Ask the Author: Monica Alexander
Answered Questions (3)
Monica Alexander
When I first decided to write a book, it was literally a pipe dream. I never in a million years dreamed that I'd be published, so I am so grateful for the self-publishing movement. It is the coolest thing to see your work in print, to see that others are actually reading what you wrote, and that they like it! Totally amazing. And knowing what I know now, here are some tips I would share with anyone who is an aspiring writer:
1. Write your book. Just do it. Your first attempt might not be what you end up publishing, but you'll never know what you can achieve if you don't try.
2. Know your genre and commit to it. Read other books in the genre in which you write. See what works and what doesn't. There is a flow to most books and a similar formula to telling a story. Understanding that will give you a good basis for how to structure your ideas to keep your readers interested.
3. Read reviews. See what readers are saying about the books in your genre. What do they love? What do they hate? Reviewers can be brutally honest and unforgiving. Know what sorts of things frustrate them and learn from the mistakes of others. No writer is perfect, but if you know what has irritated your audience before, you can potentially avoid making them in your book.
4. Outline your thoughts. I say this because I do not write outlines before I start writing a book. I have a general idea of the story, notes about the characters and the plot, but I don't have anything formal on paper. I just sit down at my computer and start writing, letting the story flow as I'm creating it. The story may change and evolve twenty times before it's all said and done. That's what works for me, but it's important to figure out what will work for you.
5. Develop your characters. People connect to the characters in a book and their trials and tribulations, so make them deep and interesting and likeable people. Make your readers want to turn the page and find out what happens next. Make them care about the characters.
6. Understand that it will take a while to write your book. Mine are around 300 typed pages, and it takes me a few months to write them and around a month to edit them, which is an involved process of reading and rewriting and changing and fixing and perfecting. It's a tedious process but one that will help you put out a better product in the long run. Remember, no one's first draft is ever perfect.
7. Make your book enticing. Find a great title that will draw readers in. Find an even better cover that will do the same. You can buy images online for your covers that aren't very expensive at all and are completely worth it. I use Shutterstock and Fotosearch. Make sure you also give credit as necessary to the photographers. Write a great description that will draw readers in.
8. Commit to editing. Have a friend read your work, and ask them to be critical. Be meticulous about grammar, sentence structure and the flow of the story. Readers are unforgiving when it comes to spelling, grammar, continuity errors and mistakes that make the book appear sloppy. Do your best to put out a well-edited book.
9. Promote your writing. Social media is the best tool we have available as self-published authors. I use Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter and Pintrest. Find out what works for you, and go with it :)
10. Be okay with negative reviews. I wish everyone loved my books, but that's just not reality. I've learned that what people like in books can be so personal. You might think you have written a compelling story that will keep your readers excited and invigorated, and it might be true with 95% of the people who read your story, but 5% might not like it - and that's okay. Negative reviews suck to read - especially if the person is downright cruel - but try to focus on the positives and all the other people who liked your book.
11. Be so incredibly proud of what you accomplished. There is no feeling like the one when you finish a novel and send it out into the world. It's terrifying and exhilarating and so humbling all at once. Focus on the fact that you wrote a book! Not everyone can say that, so regardless of how well your book sells, because let's face it, we all wish we could be New York Times Bestselling Authors, but so few of us are, and be proud of your work. You are a published writer. You contributed to the literary world, and that is huge.
12. Keep writing. I read this in an article when I first decided to self-publish, and I wish I could remember the name of the author who advised this, because his advice is what I go back to when I wish my books were selling better. He talked about writing for ten years getting a big break. That is a long time to persevere, but had he not done it, he wouldn't have had the success he earned later on in his career. So keep writing. The novel you write that ends up blowing everyone away could be the next one you write, but you'll never know if you don't keep at it. When all else fails, keep writing.
I love the concept that anyone can be a writer these days. It's something I never thought I'd accomplish, because growing up there was such a small percentage of writers who really made it, but now that's just not the case. So write your book. It'll be one of the coolest things you've ever done. I promise you.
1. Write your book. Just do it. Your first attempt might not be what you end up publishing, but you'll never know what you can achieve if you don't try.
2. Know your genre and commit to it. Read other books in the genre in which you write. See what works and what doesn't. There is a flow to most books and a similar formula to telling a story. Understanding that will give you a good basis for how to structure your ideas to keep your readers interested.
3. Read reviews. See what readers are saying about the books in your genre. What do they love? What do they hate? Reviewers can be brutally honest and unforgiving. Know what sorts of things frustrate them and learn from the mistakes of others. No writer is perfect, but if you know what has irritated your audience before, you can potentially avoid making them in your book.
4. Outline your thoughts. I say this because I do not write outlines before I start writing a book. I have a general idea of the story, notes about the characters and the plot, but I don't have anything formal on paper. I just sit down at my computer and start writing, letting the story flow as I'm creating it. The story may change and evolve twenty times before it's all said and done. That's what works for me, but it's important to figure out what will work for you.
5. Develop your characters. People connect to the characters in a book and their trials and tribulations, so make them deep and interesting and likeable people. Make your readers want to turn the page and find out what happens next. Make them care about the characters.
6. Understand that it will take a while to write your book. Mine are around 300 typed pages, and it takes me a few months to write them and around a month to edit them, which is an involved process of reading and rewriting and changing and fixing and perfecting. It's a tedious process but one that will help you put out a better product in the long run. Remember, no one's first draft is ever perfect.
7. Make your book enticing. Find a great title that will draw readers in. Find an even better cover that will do the same. You can buy images online for your covers that aren't very expensive at all and are completely worth it. I use Shutterstock and Fotosearch. Make sure you also give credit as necessary to the photographers. Write a great description that will draw readers in.
8. Commit to editing. Have a friend read your work, and ask them to be critical. Be meticulous about grammar, sentence structure and the flow of the story. Readers are unforgiving when it comes to spelling, grammar, continuity errors and mistakes that make the book appear sloppy. Do your best to put out a well-edited book.
9. Promote your writing. Social media is the best tool we have available as self-published authors. I use Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter and Pintrest. Find out what works for you, and go with it :)
10. Be okay with negative reviews. I wish everyone loved my books, but that's just not reality. I've learned that what people like in books can be so personal. You might think you have written a compelling story that will keep your readers excited and invigorated, and it might be true with 95% of the people who read your story, but 5% might not like it - and that's okay. Negative reviews suck to read - especially if the person is downright cruel - but try to focus on the positives and all the other people who liked your book.
11. Be so incredibly proud of what you accomplished. There is no feeling like the one when you finish a novel and send it out into the world. It's terrifying and exhilarating and so humbling all at once. Focus on the fact that you wrote a book! Not everyone can say that, so regardless of how well your book sells, because let's face it, we all wish we could be New York Times Bestselling Authors, but so few of us are, and be proud of your work. You are a published writer. You contributed to the literary world, and that is huge.
12. Keep writing. I read this in an article when I first decided to self-publish, and I wish I could remember the name of the author who advised this, because his advice is what I go back to when I wish my books were selling better. He talked about writing for ten years getting a big break. That is a long time to persevere, but had he not done it, he wouldn't have had the success he earned later on in his career. So keep writing. The novel you write that ends up blowing everyone away could be the next one you write, but you'll never know if you don't keep at it. When all else fails, keep writing.
I love the concept that anyone can be a writer these days. It's something I never thought I'd accomplish, because growing up there was such a small percentage of writers who really made it, but now that's just not the case. So write your book. It'll be one of the coolest things you've ever done. I promise you.
Monica Alexander
Today I just published a stand alone novel, "Playing With Dynamite", so my focus has shifted 100% to the sequel to "Dancing With Monsters" that should be out in October. It's called "Monsters in the Closet".
Monica Alexander
It's no secret to anyone who reads my books that I'm obsessed with music, so most of the time when I'm struggling with a scene, I'll put my headphones in and take my dog for a walk. It forces me to get out of the house and away from my writing for a while. Most of the time it'll help clear my head enough that I can come back to the scene and push through it. But music also makes me think of other stories - the ones in the lyrics of the songs - and sometimes that will spark an idea I never knew was there. It can be incredibly therapeutic and inspiring at the same time.
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