We Write Multiple Drafts For A Reason

One of my beta readers gave me some advice about how to weave backstory into my novel. This advice came because of my tendency to dump information into my rough drafts. That's how my brain is wired with writing -- I want to get that information onto the page first.

Admittedly, this draft I'm working on was one in which I had about 40,000 words in the first draft when I mapped out the story itself. Of course, that's not enough words for a book that's targeted at older audiences. So then comes how I want to expand upon and that's when I start spilling out the backstory.

Some might say tossing out that backstory isn't the best way to write, but I don't believe there is a right way or a wrong way to writing those first couple of drafts. After all, writers complete multiple drafts for a reason. It's important to throw stuff out there in the early stages so you get an idea about how the story takes shape in your mind versus how it actually takes shape toward a finished product.

It's that finished product which you need to get right, because that's the product you intend to send to agents, publishers and the general public for their review. Your first draft is never going to look like that finished product, unless you had one of those rare moments in which you got it right the first time (and if you had one of those moments, I'd sure love to hear about it!).

As we learn more from our writing experiences, we believe we should reach the point in which less editing and revising is necessary from the first draft and go through fewer steps toward a finished product. But I suspect most of us forget some of the things we've learned because we are eager to get our story written, that our minds are wired to regurgitate whatever's on our mind. Or we have certain events or characters we really wanted to work into the story, but upon further review, we determined they didn't fit.

And that's OK. We have to remember that writing is a process and completing the final draft takes time. The important thing to remember is that we write multiple drafts for a reason. It starts with putting out the ideas we have into words without worrying about the rules, followed by applying the rules so we have a proper final draft.

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On another note, I am hoping that I will have some more news to share in the coming weeks regarding my upcoming novel. I know a couple of things related to it but want to wait until I get confirmation on them before I make any announcements.

And in the coming weeks, I'll be hosting a couple more Twenty Questions sessions.

Enjoy your week, everybody.

Twenty Questions With Kadee Carder

This week, I have my first Twenty Questions session with one of my fellow authors at Clean Reads: Kadee Carder. Her young adult, science fiction book Insurrection was released last October and her second book in the series will be released in February.

I appreciate Kadee stopping by to talk about her book and her work as an author. I remind everyone that if you are interested in talking about your works, you can learn more about my Twenty Questions sessions here.

So, everyone please say hello to Kadee Carder!

1. How did you get interested in writing?

Writing has always been like a best friend to me. I’ve never been great at public speaking (although I do it quite often) but I’ve found I can write down and sort All The Things going on behind the scenes, and make sense out of life. Writing has been there, in the chaos and in the quiet, and even though we have a love/hate relationship, it’ll always come back, tap me on the shoulder, and wrap me in its arms begging for more.
 
2. What inspired you to come up with this story?

Insurrection blossomed from a game I played with my friends in middle school. The story and characters just stuck with me. Over the years the story has shifted from a girl who ran away from an orphanage and stole a boat, to a story about a girl who had to overcome what she knew about life in order to save the world.
 
3. Tell me about Insurrection’s main character, Saylor, and what inspired you to create her.

Saylor is spunky, loyal, and searching. She fights for her family and loves cheesecake. She’s got a lot more moxie than most would expect of her, and she surprises almost every opponent who would cross her path. To be honest, she started out as a boy character and as I finished the very first draft of the book, it felt wrong. I thought, well, why can’t this character be a girl? Girls need great adventures, too, so I changed up some of the other characters, added a hunky Australian love interest, and Saylor took flight. I think she’s pretty awesome, and I often imagine how Saylor would interpret a situation and then try to have as much courage and tenacity as her. (Do I sound crazy? I’m not too crazy, I promise.:)

 
4. What characters, other than Saylor, did you find enjoyable to write as you progressed with the book?

I am in love with so many characters from this series. As I’ve written the trilogy, each character grew and changed in certain ways. I’ve cried with them, oohed and aahed with them, and been inspired by them. Logan has earned so much respect from me, and Micah is like the best friend anybody has ever always wanted. And Tucker, the love interest, now, he is actually on my mind and is the subject of a spin-off novella I’m currently working on.
 
5. What are some of the themes you explored in writing the novel?

As I shaped the story arc for Insurrection, I wanted to zone in on the importance of family, and of believing in something bigger than yourself. Saylor finds she can do much greater things than she ever imagined, and I want readers to feel that as well. Saylor also has to figure out what she really wants from life. Does she want success, money, a family? And when she’s in the middle of all of that searching, everything else is suddenly stripped away and she finds herself creating a home for herself where she least expected it, and that revelation changes her life and outlook.
 
6. What were some of the things you learned along the way as you wrote and edited the book?

Whew! I have learned SO MANY things along this path to publishing Insurrection. Not only have I learned the importance of perseverance along the journey, but also crazy things about the military and electronics and ammunition. I did a lot of research about solar flares, hand-to-hand combat techniques, guns and weaponry, the Army, and secret military bases all over the world. Also… maybe I need to go wipe my browser history real quick. Hold on. ;)

 
7. Do you have other published works (short stories, poetry, etc.)?

I’ve written numerous articles in my university newspaper, The Yellow Jacket, and the local paper, the Brownwood Bulletin. I’ve published a poem in The Gnu, the literary magazine for National University. And I’ve maintained a blog for eight years as well.
 
8. What do you find is the right environment for you to write?

The coziest place to write is wherever I can plug in my headphones and sip on coffee. Last spring I was able to spend two luxurious days writing in the lobby of a hotel overlooking a winding, forested river and I considered moving to the mountains because of that. There’s something about boats and sunshine. Also, there was a ton of free coffee.
 
9. Are there specific programs or tools you find useful to help you with the writing process?

Haha, the internet? Just kidding. Kind of. I LOVE the Grammar Girl website, because she answers any question about grammar in a memorable, easy-to-learn way. http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/grammar-girl

Also, youtube. There are videos for almost any subject. AND I used the street view of Google maps to walk the planet and explore places like Wyoming, Dubai, and Australia. Fun times!
 
10. What have you found to be useful methods for promoting your writing?

Can I get back to you on that? Lol! I learn a little bit every day, honestly. I’ve found a great site called http://sassysuite.com/ where I’ve learned a lot about social media interactions. Brenda, the owner, teaches the importance of the personal connection, and I’ve begun incorporating a lot of her techniques and gained some new readers and friends because of it!
 
11. What are some of the famous books or authors you have enjoyed or inspired you?

Madeleine L’Engle is my favorite author. Her books, “A Swiftly Tilting Planet,” and, “Walking On Water,” changed my life. I highly recommend any of her writing. She will speak directly to your heart.
 
12. Any aspiring or independent authors whose books you’ve read that you liked and want to mention to others to check out?

Maybe he’s not indie, but he’s not well-known in my circle. Remember that little show on ABC called Castle? Well, turns out Richard Castle has several books available and they are awesome. His Derrick Storm novels are my favorites. Action, adventure, and a ruggedly handsome journalist solving crime? Can’t beat it.
 
13. What advice would you give to those who want to write a novel before they actually get started?

How long do you have? Haha! This is a passion of mine.

1) Just write. Forget doubt, forget outcome, forget editing, forget the end result. Just sit and write, and write until you’re finished – however long that may be.

2) Start with great characters. Explore why your characters are amazing, redeemable, wretched, unforgettable, simple, complex, and extraordinary. Who was this character at 7 years old? 14? 21? 48?  We will follow great characters through almost any storyline. Have a great, unique, fresh premise, but create characters we can root for through any situation.

3) In all of your writing and editing, make sure you love what you’re writing. You never know who will read it, so make sure that even if it is only you, you love it. If you’re bored, your readers are bored. If you’re confused, your readers are confused. If you’re enthralled, your readers are enthralled.

If you love it and make it as good as you can, it will find whoever needs to read it to fulfill its purpose.
 
14. Tell me about your work as a university instructor and what it’s like working with college students.

Working as an online adjunct instructor has its ups and downs! Most of my students are non-traditional students, from age sixteen to in their sixties! I absolutely love working with the military students because they usually get all their work done in time and have some of the most interesting stories to write. Because of them I have been able to soar in helicopters with night-vision goggles, tackle Marine boot camp, and tumble from airplanes in mass aerial training exercises. The online environment can be tricky, but I’ve found that older students are more committed students and they desire to learn. Helping them improve their communication skills is a huge blessing to me. My students each bring a unique story and have helped me hone my writing and editing skills. For them and Liberty University I am incredibly grateful. They open my mind, my worldview, and sharpen my abilities.
 
15. I see you are a coffee nerd. Where are your favorite places to get coffee? What are your favorite brews?

All the coffee! We have a local placed called Common Grounds, and they have a Snickers Coffee that haunts my waking hours. On any given day I love Starbucks Breakfast Blend, Kona anything, and Illy brand coffee.
 
16. And you are a pizza lover, too! Where’s your favorite place to order pizza and what toppings are the best?

Ooh pizza. I love a good Margherita Pizza, which is mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, and basil leaves. But again, I can always go for a Stuffed Crust pepperoni from Pizza Hut. No pizzas snobs over here. #cheese
 
17. What do you love about Taylor Swift’s music? Any songs of hers you find inspiring?

T Swift is just the best. She’s so classy and real, and her new albums are especially warm and inspiring. I know it’s a bit cliché, but I love Shake It Off. I mean, turn that song on and have a bad day, I dare you. Blank Space – love it. And Wildest Dreams is just so haunting and bittersweet. Perfect angsty music to listen to while writing a romantic scene.
 
18. Tell me more about some of the late 90’s punk rock you like (favorite bands, songs, etc.).

Ah, you’ve now crossed into dangerous territory on the rambling scale! Let’s talk 90’s punk rock. How much time do you have? Angels & Airwaves, Blink 182, and Bowling For Soup are some of my favorites. Throw in a little bit of Green Day and My Chemical Romance and you got yourself a playlist. I listened to “The Adventure” by Angels & Airwaves in a near loop while writing Insurrection.
 
19. Do you prefer dogs or cats or is there another animal that is better than both?

I have to go with cats, Bob! Dogs are too needy for me. My cat randomly goes on walks with me and I dig that.
 
20. Who would win a battle of superhero skills: Superman, Batman or Wonder Woman?

Now. I feel like this is a loaded question. I’m all about #girlpower, so I’m inclined toward Wonder Woman. But I haven’t seen her movie yet and I don’t read comics and her outfit is not really conducive to serious hand combat. However, I’ve been a Batman fan all my life, so I suppose I’ll give a nod to the dark night for this round!

Thank you so much for having me! This was so enjoyable and you asked some fantastic questions! If anyone is interested, I’ve had readers of all ages, men and women ages 14-67 who enjoyed Insurrection. Feel free to dive in to the adventure!

Insurrection is available for only $4.99 on:

 Amazon Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Insurrection-Kadee-Carder-ebook/dp/B01M8F5YZR/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483582637&sr=8-1&keywords=insurrection+kadee+carder

iTunes iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/insurrection/id1161626745?mt=11

Barnes & Noble Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/insurrection-kadee-carder/1123393886?ean=2940156756322

Kobo (they often have a $5 credit so you can get it free!): https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/insurrection-20?utm_source=indigo&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=retailer

And Volume Two will be available on February 28, 2017! Check out http://www.kadeecarder.com/ for updates and get inspiring blogs directly to your inbox!

Thanks for reading!

~ Kadee Carder ~

Twenty Questions: An Offer To My Fellow Authors

As I've explored ways to promote my upcoming novel, I've decided to make an offer to other authors and writers who stop my blog or have been following me.

A few months ago, I wrote an "All About Me In Twenty Questions" post in which I talked about myself and my interest in writing. I am now offering to do that for other authors to help promote their writing.

For any authors who are willing to participate, it works like this: I'll ask you 20 questions about you, your books you have written so far, your interest in writing and the things you learned along the way.

If you are interested in participating, here's what I need from you.

* Contact me at my author email, bwmorris @ mail.com (remove the spaces).
* Provide me with a link to your author website or blog. If you do not have your own website or blog, you may provide me a link to a Facebook page or to a page with specific details about your book.
* Once I have had a chance to review your website, blog, etc., I will then contact you with 20 questions which you may respond to at your convenience.
* I will answers emails in the order that I receive them.
* Although my novel has yet to have a publication date announced, I am willing to do any "author exchanges" that you offer.
* You do not have to provide me with any free copies of your book, nor does it have to be of the genres I write or read.

I hope this will help others promote their own books and allow me to get to know some of you better.

Thanks in advance for your interest.

Amazing How Far The Journey Has Gone

As the year approaches its end, I look back and am amazed at how far I've come with my journey as a writer.

The excitement of finding somebody who was willing to take a chance on my novel, that runs through my body as I write this (my thanks to Clean Reads for giving me that opportunity!). Not only do I have a publisher who gave me the opportunity, but I've met a few other writers who are part of that publishing family and a few have agreed to be beta readers for my planned second novel.

On top of that, I've got ideas in mind not only for the third book in the series, but a potential spinoff book and an idea for a different novel that would not be associated with the series at all.

With the new year, though, comes the task of finishing whatever final edits are needed to my first novel and what I need to do to promote it. I will say that I have some ideas in mind that should not only allow me a chance to talk about my book outside of the blog, but allow others who have published works to talk about their novels. (Regarding that, I will have more details in the weeks to come, I promise!)

It's hard for me to believe sometimes how far I've come with my adventures in novel writing. I had a chance to meet some good people with the Kansas Writers Association, get some ideas and feedback, learn what it took to craft a good pitch, then try it out during Pit2Pub earlier this year, and explore what tips and advice other writers have. Along the way, I've sampled the works of other authors who have either self-published or had works published by Clean Reads, not only finding out what ideas go through their minds, but how they craft voice, dialogue, pacing and everything else that's important to a novel.

Where the road goes from here, who knows, but that's part of the excitement of novel writing. You never know where the journey in publishing will take you, just like you never know where the journey in writing a novel will take you.

I won't have a blog post next week because I'll be spending the holidays with my family, but in two weeks, I'll let you know more about some of the ideas I have in mind.

In the meantime, best wishes to you, no matter how you celebrate the holiday season.

Get To Know The Six Pack Series: David Spencer

And now for the next character profile in my Six Pack series: David Spencer.

David is 18 years old, has brown eyes and a buzzcut. He has a muscular build and competes on the secondary school's track team, throwing the shot, discus and javelin. He is in a relationship with Stacy Sanders and knows that she is the person he wants to spend his life with. His parents were killed in a construction accident when he was young, so he values any close relationship he develops with another person.

David is shy and quiet, a contrast to his facial features and build that suggest he would be a gruff individual. I relate to David because I'm shy, too, and it sometimes takes me a while to warm up to people. Though David considers everyone in the Six Pack to be his friends, he sometimes wonders how much his relationship with those other than Stacy matter. But he is protective of them and others. He doesn't want to see anyone else get hurt.

As you would guess, he gains the power of super strength. That power, combined with his unwillingness to hurt anyone, sometimes made for an interesting dynamic. I thought it would be interesting to explore the idea of an individual who is physically strong but has a quiet demeanor about him. That made for an interesting dynamic, too. David may be powerful, but he's more like a big teddy bear.

My Thoughts On The DC CW Crossover

Last week was the big crossover between the four DC TV shows on CW (what's been dubbed the DCW Universe by io9) and I thought it delivered what the writers promised, even if CW's advertising was misleading.

CW promoted it as starting on the Supergirl episode, when it was really just the last few seconds of the show when the crossover came into play (though it was teased in a couple of earlier spots), but the writers and producers said that the crossover would actually get underway with The Flash episode.

I thought the episodes of Flash, Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow each delivered in their own ways and the overall storyline arc worked so well that I could forgive some of the minor issues that the episodes had. Trying to balance so many different characters and cover multiple storylines and milestones was a challenge, but I think the creative team behind the DCW Universe pulled it off.

Some random thoughts about the crossover.

* It was great to see the Flashpoint arc started on The Flash addressed in a major way. Starting with Barry Allen having to own up to how much he screwed up the timeline, to getting a good pep talk from Oliver Queen about how Ollie might have done the same thing given how he lost his parents, to Barry coming through to save the rest of the heroes when they are subjected to mind control by the Dominators, all leading up to Barry willing to sacrifice himself to ensure the world remains safe from the Dominators, was great writing and story telling. And that his fellow heroes were unwilling to let Barry sacrifice himself, regardless of what happened, showed how much they valued Barry not just as a hero, but as a friend. Well done, Berlanti, Guggenheim and company.

* The 100th episode of Arrow didn't devote much time to the crossover plot, but boy, did they ever find a clever way to tie in the Dominators storyline to the ongoing saga of Oliver Queen and the other characters who originated on Arrow. By far, the best scenes were those between Oliver and Thea, in which each of them saw things differently at first with this "reality" in which they were united with family and loved ones they lost, to the point that Oliver was fine with Thea staying behind so she could be happy. True, they shifted quickly back to her joining with Oliver and the others to escape, but it led to a satisfying fight scene in which Thea, Sara and Oliver each get to vanquish a personal demon, and then they, Ray and Diggle having to escape from a spaceship (something I don't think anyone could have anticipated on Arrow when it first launched) only to be rescued by the Waverider was so cool.

(By the way, Thea has been nothing short of awesome this entire season, from being the perfect conscience for Oliver in reminding him about his duties as mayor, to her refusal to give up on Quentin Lance and his battle with alcoholism, to her whole arc in the crossover with the touches of how much she wants to come out of retirement to fight aliens and being the one who figures out how to launch the alien cruiser to escape. She has become my new favorite character on Arrow, because she's been so well written this season.)

* The Legends episode wasn't centered around the LoT cast, but it's understandable. Still, they managed to find enough to give the Legends their due, as they have to go back in time to get more information about the Dominators, plus you had the subplot with Martin Stein realizing he now has a daughter he doesn't remember (one that came from him telling his younger self to not ignore his wife). I do think the Stein storyline with his daughter was a bit awkward, but never saw it as Stein wanting to erase her from history as much as it was Stein finding it hard to relate to her knowing how her existence came to be. We shall see how things get resolved on Legends now that his daughter will be a recurring character.

* It would have been nice to have Supergirl featured more, but when you consider she's the one who could mop up the bulk of the situations the heroes found themselves in, it's understandable. It only leads to the issue of some fans being unsatisfied because the most powerful of the heroes gets shortchanged. This was the case in the animated Justice League series, in which the criticism was that "Superman is a wimp" because the writers kept having him taken out of battles so they can give other characters their due. Here, the case was "Supergirl is a bench warmer" in which there are several instances of people not trusting her or feeling awkward around her, so she's off to the side in important scenes. With that said, the writers still found enough ways to get her involved, ranging from her having fun in the training sessions (in which the other heroes learn how much she lives up to her billing as Supergirl) to the interplay between her and Heat Wave (the antihero of the Legends and the one person you figure Supergirl would hardly consider to act like a "good guy"), there was plenty to enjoy about her involvement. We'll get to see a Supergirl crossover with The Flash later in the season, but they planted some seeds to make you want to see the eventual Supergirl crossover with Arrow.

* Having the crossover end with a moment between Ollie and Sara was a great reminder about how this whole thing got started. Had it not been for the success of Arrow, there would be no Flash series. And if it hadn't been for the popularity of Sara's character, there might be no Legends of Tomorrow. And all of that was what led to Supergirl becoming reality and the DCW Universe being what it is today.

* The Ray Palmer "she looks like my cousin" line about Supergirl was a great "geek out" moment, tipping the hat to Brandon Routh (who protrays Palmer) and his previous role as Superman.

* And, of course, the crossover had to close with Ollie and Barry, each relating to what they experienced and how much better they've become for it.

I haven't been this thrilled with live-action superhero material since The Avengers hit the screen. Some minor issues aside, the crossover delivered and then some.

Get To Know The Six Pack Series: Linda Russell

My profiles of Six Pack series characters continues with Linda Russell.

Linda is 18 years old and is black (African-American) with straight black hair and brown eyes. She became best friends with Stacy Sanders in secondary school. Linda is fascinated with technology and has always wanted to explore what it's all about, but given her status as a "middle achiever," she was often dissuaded from pursuing that interest. She is energetic and enthusiastic, but is often impulsive. She is friendly and outgoing, but when she talks, it can range from one-liners to endless babbling.

Linda is a talented sprinter in track, so it's only natural that she gains super speed. She is, by far, the most fascinated with the powers the teens develop and believes they can be a means to achieve greatness. She's driven to prove herself to a fault, given that everyone from her parents to her professors told her she needed to "know her limitations." But she has a good heart and is loyal to her friends.

I'm like Linda in that I am sometimes impulsive and tend to babble. But what I like most about Linda is that she's one of those people who believes she can be so much more than what she is told by others. I also think she provides some needed lightheartedness in a story that deals with some dark material.

And I think there are more people out there who are like Linda than even I may realize -- the type of person who has big dreams but gets dissuaded from doing so. I think it makes Linda a sympathetic character, one that I hope people will relate to for more than just her personality.