How I Survived Post-Manuscript Blues

by Karen M Davis

There is a rumour that writing and depression go together. In fact some documents I have read state it is a fact. Is it any wonder? Writing is an isolated profession. You are alone in a room with a computer and imaginary characters for endless hours, sometimes going without exercise, direct sunlight, enough sleep. Not to mention the ever-present pressure of the deadline looming forebodingly in the back of your mind.

But I'm not talking about depression while writing. That is a whole other subject. I'm talking about post-manuscript depression... When your precious manuscript has left you and is in the hands of others... the publishers. Does anyone else out there worry will it be good enough? Could I have done more? I do. It seems hard to let go of the baby I've been working on for so long, yet at the same time, I know if I had to read through those pages one more time it could be detrimental to myself and anyone around me.

I have just finished my third "Lexie Rogers" novel, Fatal Mistake, and I have to say I found this book harder than the others. Or maybe my memory is fading... Wanting to make it better than the last, I devised a complicated plot that speared off in many different directions to eventually come  back together. Well that was the plan, and after many hours re-plotting, tweaking and slowly going crazy, thankfully that's what happened. Since Fatal Mistake is the third in a series I also had to keep revising my first two books to ensure continuity of characters and storyline. For example, I thought I'd killed off someone's father in the second book but was not sure so I had to read it again and discovered that I didn't. This happened many times - even though I took notes - which was time consuming and draining.

I found that deadline drawing closer with too much left to do so, after a mild panic, I did what I had to do and locked myself in my study, hardly left the house, did no exercise and hardly spoke to anyone other than those who live with me. I  lived on frozen dinners and did minimal housework - everything  I promised myself I would not do - until it was finished. What choice did I have? No one could write the book for me...

Then, to my surprise, when the manuscript was sent off I felt flat. Which was not at all what I had expected. Now what was I going to do? I thought. What was my purpose? I could start another manuscript but I knew I needed a break.

So I made a list...
   
On my list were things I could now do since my work was done. Firstly, I would not feel guilty for having time out. I could relax... spring clean...go for long walks... and catch up with much neglected friends and family. So that's what I'm doing, although it does feel weird. However, ticking off items on a list gives me a sense of accomplishment. I intend to enjoy my down time because before I know it the first edits will be upon me and it will be back to the computer.

What do you like to do, or how do you reward yourself once your hard work is done and the manuscript you are working on is complete?

I love to love... to sit and relax by reading a book.

I love to laugh... at my crazy animals.

I love to learn... about social media because I am sadly lacking.

                 

Writing to a Deadline

with Karen M Davis

Writing to a deadline can be very scary indeed. Some people thrive on pressure but I'm not one of them. I don't like pressure at all and if I get behind in my writing schedule I worry... about everything. I can become overwhelmed with the task ahead of me and that's not a good thing - for me, or anyone.

So to avoid pressure I try to be organised; to allow myself plenty of time for the unexpected so  hopefully there's no need for panic as the deadline draws closer. Of course this is easier said than done. Life has a habit of getting in the way. We have to deal with kids, family, housework, work and social commitments, sickness, computer meltdowns, and the list goes on.

I remember Belinda Alexandra, a very successful author, once said to me that there is a huge difference between just "playing around "with your book and hoping it gets published, to actually being published, and then wearing the expectation to produce another work of art as good, or hopefully better, than the last - and all in a set time frame.

I could relate to her words as I'd just signed a two-book deal with Simon and Schuster. Sinister Intent, my first novel, had taken me over four years of "playing around" to write, and the only pressure to complete it was of my own doing. Now I was contracted and my second novel, Deadly Obsession, was due in nine months. The pressure was on and I felt it... I wrote day and night constantly feeling guilty that I was neglecting my family, while worrying I wouldn't finish on time and that it wouldn't be good enough.

As it turned out I had to ask for a month extension, which was no problem for them, and then it was done... Big sigh of relief.

So what did I learn from that experience? Well I suppose I learned to just keep writing. Finish one story and start the next so I have a head start.

I am currently writing my third crime fiction novel and my deadline is June. Since this is the third in the series of "Lexie Rogers books" many of the characters are the same, therefore I'm having to constantly read over my first two books, checking details to ensure continuity. This is time consuming so I'm trying to allot a minimum of so many hours "writing time" a day.  Some days it might be one hour, others four, depending on other commitments. I don't count words as many writers do because I'm not always writing, sometimes I'm researching, revising, editing. School holidays has hindered my schedule.  As much as I love my family I find it hard to concentrate with a house full of teenagers and a husband off work, so February is going to be busy. I want to be well and truly in front of my deadline to avoid last minute panic.

Do you work well under pressure, or are you more like me and need plenty of time to get it just right?

I love to love chocolate





I love to learn new things

I love to laugh at anything

Blogiversary - Successes!

with Cassandra Samuels


Welcome to day four of the Breathless in the Bush Blogiversary. I really hope you are all having a great time with us.


Today we are going to have a little fun playing, Do You Want to Build a Hero? Did you just start humming that Frozen song? Basically, I will suggest a feature/characteristic and you get to tell me what you think the hero should have e.g. how tall, what colour eyes, occupation, etc. Get all your friends involved because there will be a nice little prize announced tomorrow, but you have to be in it to win it.
(Check the comments section below to find out the winner of  yesterday's $20US amazon voucher.)

But first today I thought I might spend a little time reflecting on the successes and achievements of my fellow bloggers. It’s been a big year for many of us, so here goes.

Marilyn Forsyth has had an amazing year. She was a finalist in the Valerie Parv Award this year but due to some very exciting news she had to bow out of the competition; the reason being that she has accepted a contract with Harlequin Mira for her Pearl Farmer story (not yet titled) which she pitched at the Romance Writers of Australia Conference last year. Hurrah! We are so excited for Marilyn and for you because you will get to read it sometime early next year!

Dee Scully has also had an amazing year. She has overcome her fear of contests and submitted to two RWAus writing competitions…one of which she won - The Ripping Start. Squee!! She was also a finalist in the 2015 Valerie Parv Award. This particular achievement is very close to her heart seeing as, way back when, this was the contest that gave her the fear of competitions in the first place. Now, with more confidence and having developed her writing skills she is showing all of us to never give up.

Enisa Haines has come a long way this year. Working on the blog and Facebook has given her confidence in connecting with social media, and she is less intimidated now. She really has created some wonderful blog posts for us this year and is currently working on a very exciting manuscript which she plans to submit to a publishing house when it is completed. Stay tuned.

Sharon Burke is the newest member of the BITB Blog. It has been over 10 years since she was an active member of "Breathless in the Bush" and RWA, and she has decided to return to romance writing because she's missed it. She has previously had a short story published. Her goals for this year are to be published in romantic short stories and to begin researching an idea for an historical romance based on her own relative.

Karen M Davis has also had a very busy year. She and two other authors went on a wild author road trip and visited readers up and down the coastline from Sydney. If you met Karen at one of these please say hi in the comments. Karen is currently working on a new book not connected with her previous series (Sinister Intent and Deadly Obsession). We can’t wait to learn more about her new book this year.

Our lovely reviewer Miranda has given us a plethora of fantastic book suggestions and reviews this year. Our TBR piles are groaning under the weight but we wouldn’t have it any other way. She hopes to bring you many more book suggestions in the future so keep coming back and checking out her blog posts.

As for Cassandra Samuels? Well, I have had a very steep learning curve going on since my debut book, A Scandalous Wager, was released last November. I am hoping to have a new book available for you all next year. I have been working on many new story ideas and am excited by the prospect of having them available for you to read in the future.

Thank you all for your support of the Breathless in the Bush blog; it really does keep us motivated.

Do You Want to Build a Hero?

Now let the fun begin. How tall should a hero be? Leave your suggestions in the comments but keep coming back because the rest of my prompts will be in the comments.

What's in a Name?

with Karen M. Davis

Choosing names for your main characters is very important, so it's necessary to get it right. Of course choosing a name is a personal choice. I figure since I'm going to be typing my main character's name an awful lot during the writing process I may as well like it. I also think it helps to endear the character to the reader if they have a pleasant name. The same could be said for an unlikeable character – I like to give them an unpleasant name to suit their personality.

I like a strong, masculine name for a hero and nice feminine name for a heroine. Having a heroine named Gertrude would certainly put me off, as would a hero named Eugene. (No offence meant to the Gertrudes and Eugenes of the world...it's just a personal thing.) I don't like it when characters have similar-sounding names like Molly, Dolly and Holly. It can become confusing.


Another thing that can become confusing is having too many characters' names starting with the same initial, such as Bill, Ben, Bob, Bernie. Names also need to apply to the age and class of the character. Clearly the names Joan or Shirley would be more suited to a 60-year-old woman rather than a newborn baby. The same applies in reverse. A newborn may be called Summer or Indigo, but it would not fit well with an older lady.  Though of course some names are recycled and come back into fashion. Others are eternal and could fit any age, such as Elizabeth and William.

Be careful not to have a character's name too similar to a known personality or actor. Or a last name that will be associated with a TV show or movie e.g. Brady (The Brady Bunch) or Gilmour (The Gilmour Girls). I did this unintentionally when writing Sinister Intent. I used a little-known actress's name for one of my characters, although I didn't realise this until it was pointed out to me by my editor. I had never heard of the actress (or so I thought); the name just popped into my head. Although I have to wonder if I had heard her name before but my subconscious conceded that I'd come up with it myself?

In Jennifer Bacia's book, Creating Popular Fiction, she talks about choosing the right combination of names for characters. She suggests making sure last names match with the first name, and to keep in mind that first names capable of abbreviation should still sit well with the chosen surname (otherwise Gerald Perry will end up as Gerry Perry). She warns to employ unusual names with care. They can give a character distinctiveness but can also detract from the authenticity of the character if they are too outlandish, are hard to pronounce or have confusing spelling. Long names or tongue twisters can become tiresome and annoying and can give the appearance of being artificial and contrived. 

Author Tara Moss has a strong lead character in her Makedde Vanderwall series. Yes, the name is a mouthful, however she is referred to as Mak, which makes it much easier to read but also keeps the name distinctive, I think. I suppose the same could be said for a plain name like Jane or Anne, or extremely common names like Sarah and John. Do they suit a strong feisty character or would they be more suited to a minor character? Or do you give a minor character that might only appear once or twice a name at all? Can they just be referred to as "the secretary", or "the workman"?

I think discussing the topic of choosing characters' names could go on forever. However, at the end of the day it comes down to personal choice, the time frame being written about, and common sense. Though knowing a few basic tips on what might work better and what might not certainly can’t hurt.
 

What do you think?

I love to love this summer weather so I can lie by the pool and read to my heart's content...

I love to learn all there is to know about writing...

I love to laugh at silly things...

Karen is the author of Sinister Intent and Deadly Obsession.