Ask Carol E. Wyer discussion

Welcome to the group! Carol E. Wyer will be answering questions throughout the day on Monday, July 29th in this thread only. In the meantime, you don't need to wait until Monday to ask a question or you can just say hello here.

Thank you to Dizzy C for the invite. I look forward to participating in discussions in this group!

Lucinda wrote: "Thank you to Dizzy C for the invite. I look forward to participating in discussions in this group!"
Welcome, Lucinda. Lovely to see you here. x

Hi everyone!!! I'll be checking in as I can. I keep thinking year around school will be a fantastic idea. Ages 12 & 6 are keeping me way too busy this summer. Congrats Carol!!!

Morning Carol,
I'm off to work soon but will check back later. I have enjoyed all your books and love the humour in them. Just Add Spice is my favourite to date. I wanted to ask you if you were inspired by any particular writer?

Thank you.
Jane

Hello everyone. I have lots of questions about writing for women and writing in general. My first is, what advice would you give a new author who has finished their first novel?

ShaRhonda wrote: "Hi everyone!!! I'll be checking in as I can. I keep thinking year around school will be a fantastic idea. Ages 12 & 6 are keeping me way too busy this summer. Congrats Carol!!!"
Thank you ShaRhonda. Look forward to speaking to you later. X

Janie wrote: "Morning Carol,
I'm off to work soon but will check back later. I have enjoyed all your books and love the humour in them. Just Add Spice is my favourite to date. I wanted to ask you if you were in..."

Hi Jane,
Actually, I was inspired to write humorous literature by a few people. First off, years ago I rad and loved Candid by Voltaire. I think that piqued my interest in humorous writing.
I have always enjoyed reading and as I got older I enjoyed light-hearted novels as holiday reads. I read all of Ben Elton's works and mother introduced me to Terry Pratchett's books. A few years ago I stumbled across Janet Evanovich's first novel, about the same time I was running through ideas for my first novel and that was probably the defining moment when I decided I would make my writing humorous too.
Glad you ave enjoyed the books so far. Hope they put a smile on your face.

Good Morning! Hi Carol. I am so pleased that you are having a Q&A group on Goodreads, as your readers will be very interested to find out about the writer behind your brilliant books. Books which always bring a smile to my face :)

I would like to ask a question regarding writing. Concidering your own personal experiences with writing and publishing, is there any advice you would give to someone in the process of writing thier first novel intended for publication? I am curious to know what it was like when you wrote your first published work, and how you went about it.

Thanks x

Amelia wrote: "Hello everyone. I have lots of questions about writing for women and writing in general. My first is, what advice would you give a new author who has finished their first novel?"
Hello Amelia,
That is quite a question to answer. I'll do it briefly here and if you want further details, send me an email and I'll elaborate.
Okay, first you must make sure you have your book edited. I can't stress that enough. Hire a proper editor. You do not want to send out a book that has typos in it or basic grammatical errors.
Next, get an appealing cover.(People do judge books by covers!)There are many ways of doing this and you can do it yourself.
Try and get your book read by beta readers in case it warrants tweaks or changes. Listen to their advice. You are too close to your own work to be critical.
Prepare an information pack to promote the book when it is released, or work hard on letters of enquiry to agents and publishers. This means ensuring you have a synopsis of the story, a brief synopsis and biography about yourself. Also include a good photograph of yourself and a jpeg of your cover. List all your writing achievements if applying to agents.
If you intend to publish yourself research all possibilities before alighting on one. Ask fellow authors for their opinions.
If you want to try and get it published by a publisher, again, do your homework and look for publishers who take your genre of work and who are accepting submissions. Read their guidelines properly before submitting.
I realise I have merely touched on this subject but it is a lengthy one and I am more than happy to talk to you in more detail via email.
Good luck with your novel.

Lucinda wrote: "Good Morning! Hi Carol. I am so pleased that you are having a Q&A group on Goodreads, as your readers will be very interested to find out about the writer behind your brilliant books. Books which a..."

Hello Lucinda,
I am so glad you are here. Funnily enough, Amelia has written a similar question that I have answered it below before I saw your question.
As you may know, I initially went the self-published route and I made some (not many!) mistakes along the way. I should not have been so quick to try and get that first novel out. With hindsight my best piece of advice to someone would be ...take your time. You have spent a long time writing your book, take extra time to ensure it is perfect with no errors and then decide how you wish to proceed.
If you submit to publishers or agents it can take months before they will respond due to the number of applications they receive. You need a huge amount of patience. Don't decide it isn't worth waiting and steam off looking for other possibilities.
I cannot stress enough the importance of editing. I hired an editor but it transpired I should have hired a better one! I now have a list of people I would recommend.
Enjoy the whole process. It is not just about writing a book. You need to build a social networking platform and become known, so as I said before, take your time.
I published Mini Skirts and Laughter Lines with YouWriteOn who became FeedARead. They are very good and you can earn decent royalties from them. Their website is easy to use and books arrive on time and are professionally produced.It did not cost much at all. In fact, I was one of the lucky 100 who had free printing during a promotional period.
I published the Kindle version myself but hired someone to format my book for me.
Later, ThornBerry Publishing offered me a contract and have since taken that book and its sequel Surfing in Stilettos.
It was a learning curve and I would recommend FeedARead to those who wish to go that route.
Hope that helps, Lucinda. You are always welcome to email me if you want and specific help. x

Hello. I wondered if you could tell how long it took you from completing your first book to publication? Is that the norm?

Welcome to the discussion, Ann. In total it took one year for the first script. I think that is perfectly acceptable and I know of other authors who take several years. It takes a similar length of time even with a publisher because you have to get it edited, re edited, proof read, formatted, cover drawn and so on.
I spent four months on edits and having it edited by a professional, then six months checking out publishers and agents before deciding to self publish.
Don't be in too big a hurry to publish. I am mindful of that saying "slowly, slowly catchy monkey!"

Everyone likes to say: Write what you know.

So Carol, any confessions??

Hi Will!
Oh dear! Do I have to admit it...I am Amanda Wilson. there I have said it. I have to confess that I draw on my own observations, experiences and those of friends too so a lot of what I write is true and has happened. Yes, even the infamous lolly scene is based on truth!

Carol wrote: "Lucinda wrote: "Good Morning! Hi Carol. I am so pleased that you are having a Q&A group on Goodreads, as your readers will be very interested to find out about the writer behind your brilliant book..."

Thank you so much for the advice Carol.

They say that 'good things come to those who wait' and so i do hope that eventually they will as i am in no particular hurry apart from publication being the BIG goal at the end.
I have planned ahead and so intend to work on book two once book one is down on paper, and then look at editing and publishing whilst the continuation of the series rolls on. I have herd that traditional publishing takes a lot of time, patience, re-writing and it is by no means easy. As someone who is passionate about writing and spured on by the prospect of seeing your work in print, being prepared for a difficult road ahead is to be expected.

After all, no one ever stops learning.

Hello Carol and hope this doesnt wear you out all these questions being fired at you lol. I am so happy that i have been introduced to you and have read quite a few of your books now and am in the middle of Just Add Spice. I love you humour and wit, At what age did you realise you wanted to write?

Hi Carol,

the embarrassing ones continue. (Sorry. perhaps.)

An interview I did last month included the amazing question (yes, really!) 'Have you ever written naked?'.

Carol, have you?

Will wrote: "Hi Carol,

the embarrassing ones continue. (Sorry. perhaps.)

An interview I did last month included the amazing question (yes, really!) 'Have you ever written naked?'.

Carol, have you?"

Best question ever!

Just started JUST ADD SPICE and loved the beginning..did anyone else have a dirty mind? That was a great beginning Carol...cant wait to read the rest...

Good morning, Carol. I just recently launched a contemporary women's humour. I find these type of books do tend to need a particular reader and am now facing finding 'reviews.' How did you find the right type of reviewer for this genre? Thanks.

Thanks for being available to answer questions. I am learning a lot just be reading what you have written to others. Just added "Just Add Spice" to my Kindle. I'm looking forward to reading it.

Michele wrote: "Hello Carol and hope this doesnt wear you out all these questions being fired at you lol. I am so happy that i have been introduced to you and have read quite a few of your books now and am in the..."
Hello Michele, So sorry I haven't been able to get back to you...we had a storm and it took our power out!
You asked at what age I realised I wanted to write, well, my mother would tell you that I had an incredible imagination from about 3 years old but actually started writing when I was at school. Some time when I was 14 or so an English teacher called Mrs Madeley, a formidable lady from Canada, read out one of my humorous stories and announced to the class that one day I would be a writer.
I didn't take her too seriously. It was when I was admitted to hospital at 17 that I began writing stories, and I continued to do so the rest of my life. I wrote mostly for children and when I lived in Morocco I wrote some wonderful tales entitled Humphrey and the Dustbin Cats! In my thirties, I wrote stories for children that taught them French. They were used in schools.
I didn't begin to write for adults until I matured! Although it is still debatable that I have matured sufficiently.
Thank you for your question and again apologies for the delay.

Will wrote: "Hi Carol,

the embarrassing ones continue. (Sorry. perhaps.)

An interview I did last month included the amazing question (yes, really!) 'Have you ever written naked?'.

Carol, have you?"

Firstly, apologies for the delay in responding to your question. It was not because I was mortified but because my power went off.
If I tell you the truth will it change your opinion of me?
Yes, I have written naked. That was because I generally sleep in the nude and if I get up because inspiration hits me, I'll obviously have no clothes on. Of course, if it is cold, then I'll go and find a pullover to wear.
Love your question!

Agnes (BeaderBubbe) wrote: "Just started JUST ADD SPICE and loved the beginning..did anyone else have a dirty mind? That was a great beginning Carol...cant wait to read the rest..."
Excellent! I deliberately tried to make it come across as something it wasn't. Glad I succeeded :D

Lucinda wrote: "Carol wrote: "Lucinda wrote: "Good Morning! Hi Carol. I am so pleased that you are having a Q&A group on Goodreads, as your readers will be very interested to find out about the writer behind your ..."

I think you have exactly the right attitude, Lucinda. I applaud your decision to write a second book while waiting to hear about your first and wish I had written a few more books before I got published. It would have made the load easier.
Good luck with it all and if ever you need any information, just email me.

Hi Carol, glad you're still here after my long day at work! What process do you go through before you write a book? Do you produce storyboards etc before you start or do you just get on with the writing? Thanks x

Hi Carol
I was wanting to know if you would recomend an inspiring author to do a writing course? Or could you recomend any books on writing?

Kathleen wrote: "Good morning, Carol. I just recently launched a contemporary women's humour. I find these type of books do tend to need a particular reader and am now facing finding 'reviews.' How did you find the..."

So sorry for the delay in responding, Kathleen. We had a storm and my power went down. I can only apologise.
Before I launched my first book, I wrote a blog called facing 50 With Humour. I was very fortunate because it got lots of followers and some of them were book reviewers who just enjoyed my posts.
When I first searched for reviewers, I contacted them and asked if they would like to read my book.
I also followed book blog hops and checked every one of the blogs to see if any of the reviewers read my genre. If they did, I sent an email asking them if they would be willing to read my book.
Many reviewers are booked up months in advance so it is a good idea to cultivate your friendships early on.
Often, reviewers of rom coms might well enjoy humorous women's fiction.
There are various groups on Facebook that are worth joining such as Post Chick Lit Group where you will be able to find other authors of similar genres.
It also pays to see who reviews books similar to your own. I check out other writers who write in my genre and see who reviews their works then send a polite email to them.
Hope that helps and once again, please accept my apologies for the delay in responding to your question.

Carol wrote: "Thanks for being available to answer questions. I am learning a lot just be reading what you have written to others. Just added "Just Add Spice" to my Kindle. I'm looking forward to reading it."

Hello Carol. Thank you for your kind comment but I've been sadly lacking in my ability to be able to respond quickly. I think the storms have now passed by and I hope to stay online.
I am so glad you have added Just Add Spice to your Kindle and I hope it gives you lots of laughs.

Eva wrote: "Hi Carol
I was wanting to know if you would recomend an inspiring author to do a writing course? Or could you recomend any books on writing?"

Hi Eva,
I would love to advise you but I actually don't know any good courses. I studied English at university and haven't taken any courses since.
I would recommend you go to the Indies Unlimited website for advice on all sorts of things and I shall now go away and ask some people what they would recommend.
Bear with me and I'll get back to you on this.

Melanie wrote: "Hi Carol, glad you're still here after my long day at work! What process do you go through before you write a book? Do you produce storyboards etc before you start or do you just get on with the ..."
Hi Melanie!
It take some months to prepare a book. First, I prepare it in my head and make notes in a book. I begin with a sort of storyboard/diagram/plan with circles and arrows and lots of confused scribbles. Next, I have to run it all through my mind like a film several times before I am happy with the result. Then, I start writing like mad. I write everything out by hand and then begin typing the first draft.
I have lots of notebooks with those initial plans. They make interesting reading because the book always changes a lot throughout the process.
Gosh, sorry that took so long to type. You can now see why I write everything by hand...it's quicker!

Eva wrote: "Hi Carol
I was wanting to know if you would recomend an inspiring author to do a writing course? Or could you recomend any books on writing?"
Hi again, Eva. I've been checking with my fellow authors. We are all of the opinion that writing and then having people review your work is as good a learning experience as anything. I have also had Bird by Bird recommended for you and maybe Julia Cameron's books.
Whatever you do, don't put off having a go at writing. Time, effort and practice will pay off.
Hope that helps answer the question better. If I get any more recommendations, I'll post them here.

Carol wrote: "Kathleen wrote: "Good morning, Carol. I just recently launched a contemporary women's humour. I find these type of books do tend to need a particular reader and am now facing finding 'reviews.' How..."

Thanks for the information. It confirmed what my gut has been telling me. I hesitate to 'bother' busy authors but I'm still getting used to being an author. :)

Kathleen wrote: "Carol wrote: "Kathleen wrote: "Good morning, Carol. I just recently launched a contemporary women's humour. I find these type of books do tend to need a particular reader and am now facing finding ..."

You can always bother me :) Email me at author@carolewyer.co.uk and I'll send you a list of reviewers who have been kind enough to review my books. Most authors are very happy to help each other. (If they are not buried under a mountain of edits!)

Carol wrote: "Eva wrote: "Hi Carol
I was wanting to know if you would recomend an inspiring author to do a writing course? Or could you recomend any books on writing?"

Hi Eva,
I would love to advise you but I a..."

See my latest message below, Eva.

Bother! We are about to have another storm here. Lightning bolt just flew by my window. If the electricity goes again, I might be gone for a while so please be patient. I'll get back online as soon as possible.

Hi Carol... I've made it... Have you ever been afraid that your writing will not be accepted by the public?

Petra wrote: "Hi Carol... I've made it... Have you ever been afraid that your writing will not be accepted by the public?"
Hi Petra,
Welcome! Oh yes. I was worried sick when I produced my first book in case I'd misjudged it.
I think all authors worry that their work is not good enough or will not be enjoyed.
I have been very fortunate to find loyal and friendly readers. They make it very worthwhile and I shall continue to write as long as they continue to laugh at my writing. (In a good way!)

How do you come up with such clever names for the characters in your books?

Fran wrote: "How do you come up with such clever names for the characters in your books?"

Haha! I love this question especially as two of my favourite characters in Just add Spice are named after my favourite follower.
I actually have a list of names. Whenever I hear a name I really like, I jot it down then use it in the right book. However, I also like to play with words a great deal so for example I had Dawn as one character and Cinnamon Knight (play on the owrd 'night' - get it?) as her opposite. You've read the book so you know why I chose Cinnamon now. I can't divulge that here as it would spoil things.
Another little known fact is that in 'Surfing in Stilettos' I chose Bibi Chevalier which means Knight in French.
:)

I have to leave you all for a while and tend to my husband's dinner.
I'll be back later to answer your questions, so please leave them for me.

That's dreadfully domesticated of you, Carol.

Maybe a cook book for husband's next?

More seriously, how do you juggle writing and domesticity?

Will wrote: "That's dreadfully domesticated of you, Carol.

Maybe a cook book for husband's next?

More seriously, how do you juggle writing and domesticity?"
The serious answer, Will, is that I don't. I am completely reliant upon Hubby's good nature and if the house gets neglected or I forget to prepare dinner, or worse still, buy any food, he picks up the pieces.
He's getting fed up of it now though,so I do all my writing at night and housework duties in the day. Yes, I look absolutely dreadful!

Hi Carol! Not sure my post will appear - I've tried and failed once. My question is in regard to social media, the necessary evil :), specifically Twitter. Would you recommend people to follow back en masse, or build relationships with followers? Also, how much time would you see as time well spent on Twitter, per day. Sorry, two questions.

Sheryl wrote: "Hi Carol! Not sure my post will appear - I've tried and failed once. My question is in regard to social media, the necessary evil :), specifically Twitter. Would you recommend people to follow back..."
Hi Sheryl,
Receiving you loud and clear! There are many who believe that a writer can waste far to much time on social networks and I have been guilty of that in the past.
I streamlined my networking a few months ago and now I schedule all my useful tweets for the day rather than hang about tweeting randomly. I leave my twitter feed on if I am not working and then can see what fellow authors are up to and retweet if necessary but don't allow it to take over my life.
As for followers, well it is up to the individual but you should be building up followers who are going to become your readers and who will buy your books so although you should follow fellow authors for mutual support, you shouldn't follow back everyone who follows you. My feeling is if you get dropped by someone because you don't follow them back, then they weren't the right sort of follower for you.
I regularly clean up my twitter follower list by using 'Unfollow' a programme that allows you to get rid of people who have dropped you.
Hope that is sufficient info on the subject. We are after all, authors and need to use these websites to assist our sales and to get our names known but not to keep us so busy we don't have time to write. :)

Hi Everyone

Thank you for your great questions! We are now closed for the day but if you want to leave any other questions here Carol will try to find some time to answer more in the next day or two.

Thanks again!

Hi Carol: Wow! I'm late to this shindig. I do have a question, however. I am also a writer, but am not known for my sense of humour. Alas! You seem to be able to write about serious subjects and make them funny and entertaining. Is there a trick you use to find the humour and them to get it into words so readers can have a chuckle while they learn something?

Yvonne wrote: "Hi Carol: Wow! I'm late to this shindig. I do have a question, however. I am also a writer, but am not known for my sense of humour. Alas! You seem to be able to write about serious subjects and ma..."
Better late than never, Yvonne. (Hubby constantly tells me that because he is always late to everything!)
I wish I had a clear answer for you but my humour comes from a defect in my personality. I am unable to cope with serious situations for long and have to find something to distract me from them. It began when I was stuck in hospital for months and then home in bed paralyzed after a spine procedure went awry. I was in danger of becoming severely depressed but found humour in everyday events at the hospital. There is a lot to chuckle at if you look for it. I started to jot them down in letters to send to friends back at university and the more they enjoyed my letters and wrote back, or visited me, the more I searched for humorous events. (e.g. I overheard the nurses giggling about a man who came into hospital with a long copper pipe attached to a certain part of his anatomy. The pipe was so long and heavy that he fell off the trolley they used to wheel him into A&E!)
I also studied Shakespeare at university and although I have forgotten most of what I learned, one thing has stuck with me was his use of humour juxtaposed with tragedy to heighten the tragedy or throw emphasis on it. (Example - the gatekeeper's scene after the horrible murder of Duncan in Macbeth.)
Humour works well if interwoven with serious or tragic moments. The trick is to not overdo it. It brings relief from situations or difficult scenes and can force the point home better than being serious all the time.
I find people remember your serious messages better if they have laughed throughout the book.
That sort of answers your question, but not entirely. If I had a trick, I would most definitely share it with you. All I have though is a ridiculous sense of humour. Want to borrow my large red clown nose to use while writing? That might help.

Thanks, Carol. I once heard of a very young couple (at the hospital in the small town I lived in) who had a serious problem. It was her first time and she panicked, resulting in a spasm that made it impossible to disengage. They were brought into ER still stuck together. You can imagine the jokes that caused. Imagine the embarrassment.

And I am so glad you are mobile again. That must have been so frightening. You have a strong spirit. And look where it led. You, now a famous writer and humorist. Yay!