Adrien-Luc Sanders's Blog

Hi. I’m about to get all up in your Kool-Aid. Bear with me for a bit, because I have some things I’d like to discuss about your author brand, and you may not want to hear them.

Most people don’t think of their author brand as a thing that can be quantified. Instead it’s more of a trait; just like Mirabel has red hair and Sally can’t sleep until she’s brushed her hair for exactly four hundred and seventy-three strokes, Lucy writes historical romance with a BDSM twist and Janice always finds a w...

@smoulderingsea: Keep in mind that while you want to write marketable books, if you constantly pander with fan service your book will lose depth.#editortips

@smoulderingsea: Sometimes the thrill is in denying readers what they want, which makes the gratification that much more satisfying later.#editortips

@smoulderingsea: Writing historical for the modern audience means finding the right voice. Not too modern, but don't try to be too stuffy either.#editortips

@smoulderingsea: Don't be afraid to...

@smoulderingsea: Don't open your book with a history narrated in omniscient voice. This detaches the reader from your characters and story.#editortips

@smoulderingsea: Even if your characters struggle with it, they need to make decisions. Their decisions about key things tell us who they are. #editortips

@smoulderingsea: In your story, failure needs consequences. We have no reason to care about character struggles if the outcome doesn't matter. #editortips

@smoulderingsea: Stories need a black m...

@smoulderingsea:Fiction writing can have its poetic moments, but it's not poetry. The same storycrafting and prose rules don't apply. #editortips

@smoulderingsea: Don't be afraid to explore tangents that weren't in your outline. You may discover a depth you never intended. #editortips

@smoulderingsea: When solving a problem in a scene, discard the first answer that comes to mind. It's likely the most predictable/obvious. #editortips

@smoulderingsea: Your story is not a precious secret. If you in...

@smoulderingsea: Story borked beyond repair? Trash every draft. Start over with an outline using only the details important enough to remember. #editortips

@smoulderingsea: You'll always miss something when you proofread. Try reading backwards to force yourself to really see the words. #editortips

@smoulderingsea: If, when self-editing, you find yourself making the same correction repeatedly, keep a list of your common tics to avoid later. #editortips

@smoulderingsea: When world-building, ask yo...

@smoulderingsea:If you think there's no sex, foul language, or violence in YA or even MG, you don't read enough. #editortips

@smoulderingsea: There's a fine line between being an online personality and going over the top. I edged across it today. Try not to yourself. #editortips

@smoulderingsea: The image of the frazzled, sleepless writer is just that: an image. If you don't take care of yourself, your writing suffers. #editortips

@smoulderingsea: Have a life outside your writing. Experience fue...

@smoulderingsea: Just because an agent or editor says they like X book doesn't mean they won't like yours if it's not like X. Tastes vary. #editortips

@smoulderingsea: If you send a rude follow-up at 12:01am the day after a response deadline, some might think twice about working with you. #editortips

@smoulderingsea: That's not to say there's anything wrong with a follow-up email. A polite inquiry or quick reminder is rarely an issue. #editortips

@smoulderingsea: Don't ever assume anything in pu...

I'll be honest: I never meant to write LGBT fiction. Tobias just happened to like men - and happened to like Sean. I'm hugely into genre fiction, especially science fiction, cyberpunk, dystopian, etc. The fact that some of my characters happen to be gay is no different from the fact that some of them happen to be straight, bisexual, trans, Japanese, Irish, Hispanic, or half-Afri...

@smoulderingsea:A query is not a synopsis. It should be a brief, interesting sales pitch, not a methodical blow-by-blow of the plot.#editortips

@smoulderingsea:There is no One Truth of Publishing. It's more like a lot of little truths, many more variables, and a strong dash of WTF. #editortips

@smoulderingsea:The time you spend agonizing over rejections or worrying over query responses? Won't change anything. Use that time to write. #editortips

@smoulderingsea:Don't tell me why your book would s...

@smoulderingsea:Anxious and eager aren't really synonyms. Anxious implies a state of distress, but people often use it as impatiently eager. #editortips

@smoulderingsea:Make sure pronouns are consistent with singular and plural. If you say "Mark and Jenny ran," it's "they ran," not "he ran." #editortips

@smoulderingsea:Struggling for something to write about? Look around you. Common experience makes a great foundation for the extraordinary. #editortips

@smoulderingsea:Don't accept all writing ad...