Cynthia Scott has sold two contemporary  romances, two historical romances and four romantic short stories. A native  Oklahoman, she currently resides in Minnesota, is happily married and the mother  of two sons in college. She  and her husband enjoy traveling and exploring  historic sites. When she isn't writing, traveling or spending time with family,  Cynthia enjoys ballroom  dancing and playing with her Pembroke Welsh Corgi,  Squiggy.  Contact Cynthia via her website at  www.cynthiascott.org 

 

Re-entering the Write Force

by Cynthia Scott

 

At some time or other in a writer’s career, life intrudes to the point that writing has to take a back seat.  Sometimes these intrusions take weeks, sometimes months, sometimes years. Time away from writing can result in a loss of status, information, and that comfortable “in the know” feeling which comes from experience.

Once the problem is resolved, the writer turns back to his or her career and suddenly feels like a novice. Who’s buying? Which editor is at which house? Which publishers have merged? Which imprints/lines are still viable, and what new trends/lines have popped up in the interim? What the heck does the writer write?

Six months ago, I faced this exact situation. I’d published four books, a few short stories and several articles, so I’m wasn’t a newbie. Yet, after my personal intrusion took me from writing for over two years, I sat down at my computer and realized I didn’t have a clue what was happening in the industry. I had lost my inside track and was now on the outside looking in.

What did I do? At first, I panicked. Then I took a deep breath and forced myself to look at the facts. I wasn’t really a novice; I had been through the publishing process, so I was familiar with the process. I simply needed to update my information.

The following are some suggestions for updating information and re-entering the write force.

Research.

With the advent of higher technology, the Internet is a bottomless pit of information. Publishing houses have web sites. These sites contain the latest submissions guidelines, imprints, editorial structures and more. For example, eHarlequin.com provides podcasts of editors from the publisher’s varied imprints. In these podcasts, the editors discuss the specific features of the lines, specifics on what types of stories they’re looking for and the best way to get submissions to them.

Network.

Contact former editors and/or agents. They may have moved up, moved to another house/agency, or simply moved. Ask if and what they’re accepting in way of submissions.

Connect/reconnect with writer friends and with writers groups.

Attend a chapter meeting, a book signing or a workshop.

Be active in the group by speaking up in meetings, posting on the loop/blog and participating in author chats. Ask questions.

Write.

Reestablish the habit of writing on a regular basis. Write about anything; the content isn’t as important as the regularity of the activity. Write in a journal. Write short stories for a magazine, or write some non-fiction articles for a website, but write regularly.

Set short-term, reachable goals and track progress.

Ensure that fingers are nimble and the brain is alert, so that when inspiration strikes, both body and mind will be ready. 

Refresh.

Time away from writing can result in clutter. Refresh, reorganize and rearrange the writing space so the muse has a fresh space in which to work. Clean off the desk, organize supply drawers and reference material. Categorize research and resource information. Prepare the writing space so that it’s easy to work in and free of distractions.

Reorganize.

Once the writing space is clean and refreshed, take a “broom” to the computer. Go through files, web sites, email addresses and “favorites” and weed out the obsolete and irrelevant.

A cluttered computer is a slow computer, which leads to stress and frustration. As with the physical writing space, the technical writing space needs to be easy to work in and free of distractions.

During the clean-out, read through previous works-in-progress and story ideas. There could be a couple of forgotten but viable gems just waiting for the opportunity to be brilliant.

Website.

Bring the website up to date. Technology advances so quickly that even a site created a mere two years ago can look outdated.

Give the site a fresh look with new colors, style and/or content. Check all information for accuracy and ensure that all links work. For inspiration, check out websites of other authors.

If time or skill doesn’t allow personal website updating, contact a web designer. Be sure to discuss content, rates, frequency of updates and method of information sharing.

Promote.

Be globally social. Blogs, Facebook, mySpace, and twitter are just a few of the online social venues. Create a blog or social page and/or attend events on and post to other blogs or pages. It’s a great opportunity to meet writers and readers, and it’s free.

Read.

Ask any editor what they’re looking for and they will each say the same thing: “Read our books, see what we’re buying.” Buy or borrow the latest releases. Go to review sites and magazines, such as Romantic Times, to determine which books (beside the obvious New York Times’ Bestsellers) are a hit with readers. Read and study them not only for content, but for form, style and plot.

Submit.

This sounds obvious, but the importance of submitting work for publication can not be overstated. To be successful, writers must get their works into the hands of an editor. Rejection is a distinct possibility, but only if the work is submitted. Besides, rejection can be a source of constructive feedback.

So, reenter the write force and get your work out there!

 

Good luck to all of you. I look forward to seeing your bestsellers on the shelves in the near future.