On Pacing

Maybe it’s my background in journalism or maybe it was my training in documentary filmmaking in which my professor drilled into us, “There should be peak and valley and peak and valley, but don’t stay in either too long,” but I live and breathe by pacing. Whether it’s my writing or someone else’s, I cannot abide a scene that drags. You gotta keep that stuff tight, concise. Yes, that dialogue was so witty and deep but it dragged the scene down. How can you tighten it up and still give it more power? Honestly? I often think this is why I have such trouble making word count (and why I dropped an English degree for journalism), I just want to say my character has shoved her way through the door into her office in the morning. I don’t want to talk about the window trim. Because I’m not taking up thousands of words and dozens of paragraphs with details and inner dialogue, I have to come up with action instead. One comment I have always received about my work, from Filter: Book One of The von Strassenberg Saga to Dacie Mae: Midnight Under the Magnolia is, “It reads like a movie.” It’s ironic, then, this quote, because I have the pacing but it isn’t paying the bills. Yet. 😁 If you get bored in your own scene, tighten it up. I can guarantee someone who didn’t write that scene will get bored even more quickly.

Never Will I Ever Again

Probably my most controversial post ever.

I have given away more than 5,000 free copies of my books. Do you know how many reviews I got out of it?

Months and years of toil are worth more than .99
Value your time.

One thing I have learned is: Don’t go back! Just keep moving forward. Fix it in post. I used to keep going back to the beginning, over and over, whenever something shifted in the plot of my WIP. Just keep moving forward and get through that initial telling of your story. You’ll find the further you get in, the more it changes. If you keep going back you’re just stuck in this constant cyclic cyclone of changing and updating and it’s so unproductive. Fix it in post. Just get it done. There’s no point in going back to the beginning before you’ve reached the end. You don’t even fully know your story until you’ve reached the end, so why go back and go back and go back before you fully know your story? It’s an incredible time-waster. The first time through, just let the story out.

When you first start writing novels you think a first draft is getting your story out and your second draft is cleaning up spelling and grammar errors. That’s not what it is. Your first draft is you pushing, dragging the story out of you. The second draft is making it make sense. The third draft is smoothing it out after you made it make sense. The fourth draft, for me, is leaving subtle clues for either that WIP or future installments in the series. The fifth draft is making sure my timeline is solid. Did I start the story on a Wednesday but two days later it’s Sunday? The final draft is prettying it up.

Momentum matters so much when you’re an indie author. If you wait, two, three….ten years between books, you’re going to struggle. If you’re writing a series and you take that long between books, your readers won’t trust you and they’ll wait until your entire series is out before they buy that second book. Also, I like waiting because this gives me an opportunity to go back and leave Easter eggs in earlier installments. My new rotation for writing a indie series is: finish first draft of A, write first draft of B, write second draft of A, write second draft if B, etc….write final draft of A, write first draft of C. When I’m ready to write the final draft of B, I’ll publish A. We all have our quirks. This is mine.

In the past I have tried to build up the hype AFTER releasing a book. We know that starting numbers are important. Trying to do battle against new releases with your five month old book, is an uphill battle. Start strong.

Whoever is cheering you on, let them help you. Don’t try to do it all alone. Don’t feel like you’re asking too much. There are people here who want you to succeed. Don’t be afraid to ask them for help.

I wish I had more of these convictions when I started out. I was impatient. I was excited. I made lots of mistakes. I hope you can learn from them. #mysterywriter #indiemysterywriter

Changing the Order of Things

It used to be, when I began work on a project, that I would begin with the research. This was particularly true with The von Strassenberg Saga. I would spend months and months researching. Then I would start writing and come across something that required more research and so I would stop writing and research and research and research.

And my book would just be there waiting.

And then I would have to reread everything.

And then I would fix all the problems I saw.

Then I would inevitably research more.

Then I’d have to read again.

And then, maybe, I might start writing again.

Maybe.

It was incredibly inefficient and really just a brilliant form of procrastination (which is the true craft of any writer).

These days, research only comes after the first draft. While most of my current projects take place in the present, I’m still plodding along with the next book in The von Strassenberg Saga. All require some degree of research. If I know the basics (were there cars, were there phones, was there electricity in the area at the time, what are the Emmy categories for documentary filmmaking), I leave all the research for the end.

Everything begins with the plot and the characters. Now when I write, I get through the first draft. In the second draft, I’m looking for weak points, perhaps threads that I lost track of that need resolved. In the third draft I’m looking for inconsistencies (what day did we start on, what time did this chapter start at, what was she wearing when she woke up). Fourth draft: plump it up with detail. This is where the research comes in. Sometimes it’s just for the sake of small details (what kind of furniture was prevalent in the 90s, were they still wearing corsets in the 1880s). Small details paint a sharper picture. Fifth draft is for a final check for flow and consistency. Six is for typos and grammatical errors.

I have to work on one point at a time or I get distracted and start missing things.

When you start expanding a series it gets crazy. That’s a lot of details to keep consistent.

I keep telling myself that next time I’m writing a stand-alone. Writing a series is wildly stressful.

And yet it’s also easier. You just slip back into the scene. You know the main character’s house as well as your own. You know where the piles of laundry are. You know the dog’s favorite spot to nap. You know the third step up to the back porch creaks every time. You know Mama is sitting at the kitchen table reading while she’s waiting for that batch of cookies to finish.

And so, I will continue to drive myself insane with writing a series. But I will not waste time procrastinating with research anymore. Just strip down to the bare bones of the story and get through that first and then hang all the finery and detail on it. The plot’s the thing. And for me, it works better to go in reverse that to try and know everything from the outset.

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Gwenn-Wright/author/B004TZEFDK?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

The Review That Made Me Cry

I wasn’t looking for another review and, honestly, I cringe every time I load the Amazon page for Dacie Mae: Midnight Under the Magnolia. Every time, I’m waiting for that inevitable scathing review. Happily, we’re still sitting at seven, unsolicited five-star reviews. How do people manage to get solicited reviews, anyway? Short of paying for them?

Last month I went to Amazon to get my link and there was a new review. It was so unexpectedly wonderful, I actually started crying. Dacie Mae is my best work yet. It took six years (on and off) to overhaul it and seamlessly add 30,000 words. Mind you, I’ve had two more sons in the past six years. This rewrite was no easy thing. So, to see someone take of their time to not only read my work but to leave such a wonderful, thoughtful review, really touched me. It also happens that on that same day, I was once again telling myself I was awful and not very good at storytelling anyway. Readers, reviewers, you have no idea how important your words are to us who are struggling to bring stories alive for you. Thanks to all of you who take the time to leave thoughtful, constructive reviews. (Please note: this is the last weekend Dacie Mae will be available on Kindle Unlimited.)

“So Unexpected

Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2021

It isn’t often that I will forgo sleeping to stay up late and then wake up early to finish a book that I just could not stop thinking about. I had to know how it ended, it wouldn’t let me rest until I did.

Everything about Dacie Mae captured my attention from the very first few chapters and pretty much insisted that I do nothing but read it (or think about it) from that time forward. It haunted me when I wasn’t reading it and left me finding any little bit of lag in time to pick it back up and sneak just one more page. I devoured it as fast as I possibly could and thought for sure once I finished it, I would be satisfied and would be able to go on with my day. And while the ending did leave me satisfied, I was far from thinking about it.

I am STILL thinking about it.

About Hank. About Henry, about Dacie Mae. I want more and I don’t think my poor brain will rest until I get it.

I love a good mystery that will keep me guessing. I love good characters that stay with you long after their story is over. And I love writing that flows smoothly right off the pages and into your very heart. I got all of these in Dacie Mae. I loved her wit, her southern sass and the town that promises to hold so many more adventures to come. I truly can not wait for more. Ms. Wright is definitely an author I will be keeping an eye on. It’s been a long time since I have been this excited about a good indie mystery writer.”

Amazon Store

Everything is in progress

Dacie Mae: Midnight Under the Magnolia

I am so very awful at staying engaged here and I apologize. Not everyone is on Instagram and I need to honor that. Dacie Mae book 2 is at about 21k words right now, as is Book 4 of The von Strassenberg Saga. I’m also working on a project for traditional publication. Hyperactive? Apparently I am. I write books the same way I read them: eight at a time. It may not seem efficient but if I get hung up or burdened by one story, I can always pluck away at another. I AM behind where I intended to be by now, but not horribly so. It’s just I’ve been overwhelmed with my Scouting and (old-school) homeschooling responsibilities. I’m always overwhelmed in the Spring. I would like to share that my second son, who is a high school senior, just earned his Eagle Scout rank! My third son is still working on his Eagle rank. As a merit badge counselor I have been revisiting some of the merit badge requirements I’m responsible for helping teach and serve as a guide through. It’s just been a LOT of actually important stuff distracting me lately. Even if I’m not typing, I’m always working, plotting, finessing, sorting things out, scrapping scenes. By the time I actually get to the typing, it’s often a breeze because I’ve sorted it all out in my head. I also wanted to say I’m thinking of removing Dacie Mae from Kindle Unlimited soon. There just isn’t enough profit being made to justify keeping Dacie Mae from other platforms.

Haven’t read Dacie Mae: Midnight Under the Magnolia? Here’s an unsolicited review that actually made me cry:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

So UnexpectedReviewed in the United States on January 15, 2021It isn’t often that I will forgo sleeping to stay up late and then wake up early to finish a book that I just could not stop thinking about. I had to know how it ended, it wouldn’t let me rest until I did.

Everything about Dacie Mae captured my attention from the very first few chapters and pretty much insisted that I do nothing but read it (or think about it) from that time forward. It haunted me when I wasn’t reading it and left me finding any little bit of lag in time to pick it back up and sneak just one more page. I devoured it as fast as I possibly could and thought for sure once I finished it, I would be satisfied and would be able to go on with my day. And while the ending did leave me satisfied, I was far from thinking about it.

I am STILL thinking about it.

About Hank. About Henry, about Dacie Mae. I want more and I don’t think my poor brain will rest until I get it.

I love a good mystery that will keep me guessing. I love good characters that stay with you long after their story is over. And I love writing that flows smoothly right off the pages and into your very heart. I got all of these in Dacie Mae. I loved her wit, her southern sass and the town that promises to hold so many more adventures to come. I truly can not wait for more. Ms. Wright is definitely an author I will be keeping an eye on. It’s been a long time since I have been this excited about a good indie mystery writer.

See on Amazon

I promise to be better at keeping everyone here up to date! Stay warm!

Parallel Lines

The von Strassenberg Saga is a dark and twisty soap opera of a book series. That’s the best way of describing it. You might think I had it all intricately plotted out beforehand. The reality is much more baffling. It just happens. Very rarely do I plan it out, it just happens, and it’s happening again with book 4, The Devil’s Children. There are explosions going off in my brain as I realize what’s happening and wondering if it will all tie together nicely in the end. It always does, so I’m just trusting the process. I had no intention of making Peter and William have these parallel experiences but I’m here for it, it’s brilliant. I just wish I could take the credit but I didn’t PLAN it. It’s just happening. I’m so excited.

Cover Reveal: The Devil’s Children

I know I’m supposed to wait closer to my publication date and there’s supposed to be a lot of build up to this, but listen, people have been anxiously awaiting this book for 7 YEARS and I’m not going to play with their emotions any more than I already have. So, without any fanfare, I give you the cover to book 4 of The von Strassenberg Saga.
The story picks up right where we left off…in 2010. I’d tell you more but it would all be spoilers for any potential new readers. The one thing I can tell you is that when I wrote some of the von Strassenbergs into Dacie Mae: Midnight Under the Magnolia, it was just for fun but now those characters have become a major plot point in The Devil’s Children. I don’t have a release date yet and won’t really have an idea of when until the first draft is complete. Right now we’re at 14,000 words and 90,000 is my goal.
I hope you like the cover! I promise to keep you posted!

New Book Release!

Now in paperback and on Kindle Unlimited! Dacie Mae: Midnight Under the Magnolia is a coming of age story wrapped in a mystery. Filled with slow-burning romance and emotional entanglements, Midnight Under the Magnolia introduces us to the small-town world of twenty-two-year old Dacie Mae MacIver who dreams of making it to the big city one day. When her past comes strolling back into town, he’ll either prove to be the boost her career needs or the unveiling of her deepest secret. Buy here

Favorite Reviews: Filter

This (somewhat ancient) review of Filter: Book One of The von Strassenberg Saga had me laughing out loud. Bunny Cates is delightfully crazy.

“Seriously! OMGosh you guys.  When I finished reading this book, it was like 3am.  I ran upstairs where my Mr. was in his office and tossed the book in his lap, then I just started telling him about it.  When I get excited I talk REALLY fast and I forget to breath.  So, when I was finished, I leaned against the door and fake smoked a fake cigarette with a HUGE intake of air.   He just looked up at me and said “So… you liked it then?”  UGH!!! I could’ve punched him in the face! haha!!!”

CLICK FOR FULL REVIEW CLICK HERE TO BUY

A Thousand Words a Day

A line of dialogue drifted through my head tonight. A line spoken by Tess to Josepha in what will be the fourth book in The von Strassenberg Saga. From that one line the whole story went spinning but the pieces all fell happily into place, not just with this series but with the Dacie Mae spinoff. It felt amazing to open my laptop and have my von Strassenberg Saga playlist looping in my ears as my brain just took that line and ran with it. I ignored all the desperate wonderings, “How will this fit? Where will this go?” And just kept writing through it. Rewriting Dacie Mae has shown me that the magic is truly in rewriting. It’s okay just to vomit this first draft out. With so many different storylines and eye colors and plot twists to keep straight it can be tempting to just stop and check on something but I won’t let myself. As we say in filmmaking, “We can fix it in post.” Let’s finally get this done. A thousand words a day. Ninety days. That’s a novel. With some persistence I can manage a thousand words a day. They may not always be great words, especially if I have to wait until 11:30 at night to write them, but they’ll be words and in the beginning that’s all you need. BUY The von Strassenberg Saga here!