My First Year with Guest Blogger Sophie Oak

Today at 4writers, we are delighted to have author Sophie Oak visit us. Sophie's newest Siren release Bound is now available.
Sophie, thanks for being with us today! I LOVED Bound. I stayed up all night reading it. Can't wait for the next book in the series!
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Special Guest Star Sophie Oak

My First Year

It’s been almost a year since my first book came out, and I thought it was time to reflect on the things I’ve learned over the course of this year. I walked into the publishing business a bright eyed innocent and one year later, I’m not so sure how much of my innocence is left, but I know I still have a lot to learn. In honor of surviving this first year, I thought I would reflect on its lessons, both in and out of the industry.

• Not everyone will love me. That was a hard one to take. Not everyone will love everything I write, and I can’t let that affect my blood pressure. The connection between a writer and a reader is a little like finding a soul mate. When it works—it’s the best thing in the world. When it doesn’t—well, that’s why I don’t look at Amazon reviews anymore.

• Have a really good answer on hand when your twelve year old takes a gander at your new cover and wants to know a) why everyone is naked and b) why are there five football players and only one girl. All I could come up with was a) it was laundry day and b) they were down a player, and she was the only one around.

• Facebook is my friend. Wow, I can really connect with readers on Facebook. I’ve gotten the whole social networking thing down. I tease on Fridays and announce when my books are available and I connect the whole thing through Twitter and my Amazon and GoodReads pages.

• Facebook is my worst enemy. Wow, I can spend a lot of time on Facebook. And why do people think I run a farm?

• Maybe my backyard pool isn’t the best place to skinny dip. I learned that the hard way, and that’s all I’ll say on that.

• Fear and doubt kill my creativity, yet they stalk me all the times it seems. No matter how well my last book has done, I always think the next one will tank.

• This business is just like any other. The grass is always greener on the other side, until you get there and realize that it has its own version of weeds.

• You take a toddler to the potty, but you can’t make her use it.

• Friends are like gold. I’ve managed to find some spectacular ones in the last year of my life. I’ve found plenty of people ready, willing and able to criticize me, but boy, have I found friends, too. I’ve made friends in the past year that I have no idea how I managed life without. They’re creative and funny and ridiculously loyal. Sharing this journey with friends has made it all the sweeter when it’s good and bearable when it’s bad. Cling to the people who love you. They’ll be around when the accolades are gone. They’ll buy the margaritas when someone thinks you’re the worst writer in the world.

I think what I’ve really learned is to remember why I got into this business in the first place. I love to tell stories. Beyond the money and the fans, (and don’t get me wrong, those are good reasons to be in this business) what I really love is creating worlds in my head. I get to live through my characters. In my forty years on earth, I’ve been a rancher, a woman on the run and the Queen of the Seelie Fae. I’ve run a BDSM club, been a famous artist and got elected to be the sheriff of the strangest town in the world. And I’ve gotten to share those experiences with people. I’ve been able to connect on a level I never would have imagined.

Yes, the business is rough. But I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. What have I learned this year? I learned that I’m luckiest woman on earth. I can’t wait to see what I learn in year two.

Bound now available!

Sophie Oak writes erotic romance for Siren Publishing.

You can read the first chapters of all her books at www.sophieoak.com

3 Cornerstones of Success

There are three things I believe every author must possess and use on a daily basis: Inspiration, Motivation and Determination.

For inspiration, I don’t mean story ideas or sudden thunderbolts of fully formed plot and characters. Instead, I mean surround yourself with people who inspire you, in any way you can. Some people don’t even know they’re a source of your inspiration, either, and if you can tell them, it’s a good thing. I had this conversation just the other day with a good friend of mine, Sophie Oak. We were at lunch and I casually mentioned how much she inspires me to do better, write better, be better. Her work ethic, her sense of community and her books are just phenomenal. She had no idea I felt that way and it really made ME feel better for having told her.

You never know when someone feels you’ve inspired them. Tell them. I have a few stories of people who have inspired me in different ways over the years: Shelley Bradley aka Shayla Black sat with me in a bar one time and told me I was a good writer and that she believed I could make it in this business. I carry that with me always. Here is this best-selling (now a New York Times bestselling author!) telling me she liked what I did. Wow. That was so many years ago, but I remember the spark in her eye and the fierceness in her tone when she said it. She meant it. And it meant the world to me. Still does.

Other people in my life are true inspirations: my mom and dad and their incredible love story of 46 years. Even though dad is gone, I still feel his love and presence everywhere. My son Connor, who is ridiculously proud of his mom’s chosen career. He inspires me to be silly and strong and to do all the things that I always wanted to do. My favorite authors whom I don’t know personally, but stalk when I can: Julia Quinn, Julie Garwood, Stephanie Laurens, Robyn DeHart, Amanda Quick. I read their books and they make me want to write. To keep writing. To never give up.

Which brings me to Determination. I just spent a grueling seven weeks writing an entire book. 85,000 words in seven weeks. It’s a hard thing to do and I don’t advocate such lunacy unless it’s the way you enjoy working. But I had a deadline and I was determined to make it. Because I’m determined to sell another book and another and another, etc, etc, etc. I am determined to make this my lifelong career. Some days, determination is all I have that puts me in front of the computer. Especially when I hate my current project. Or I’m bored with it. Or it’s spun into a direction I never intended and have no idea how to get myself out of. But, I sit down, I open my document and I try to kick some novel butt. I might write nothing but crap on that day, but as Nora Roberts once said, “You can fix anything except a blank page.”

The final important key to being a writer is Motivation, also known as Passion. I love what I do. Adore it. Then I hate it. Want to throw stones at it and burn it in a fireplace. Then I’m all gooey for it again. It’s like a bad bi-polar love affair. I’ve heard a lot of authors justify why they’re still in the game after years of trying with little to no successes, constant rejection, constant re-writing and always chasing the brass ball. The golden carrot. The <insert your own analogy here>. Whatever the reason, a writer needs to stay passionate and motivated to write. Even on those days they don’t want to. It’s kinda like going to the dentist. The sooner you do it, the better off you’ll be. Finding that motivation though can be hard. If you’ve ever been kicked in the proverbial teeth by an editor, an agent, a critique partner, a reader or a reviewer, you know just how hard it can be to stand up, dust the tread marks from your forehead, square your shoulders and sit back down to that manuscript. But you will. Because deep inside you, the motivation and passion lie wait. They stir and swim among the dreams of your subconscious. They demand to be let out.

So you do. And when you apply your inspiration, toss in that determination, let loose your passion and motivation… well, then you’re doing yourself proud. You are living.

Happy writing,

Jennifer August 

Short and Sweet Synopsis

I know what you’re thinking. No synopsis is short or sweet. But, they can be. I found that out when I completely plotted my next book in ten days. If I can do it, so can you.

As writers we are all storytellers first and foremost. If you don’t have a good story, I don’t care how clean or cleverly you write. No one will read it. So, being as storyteller gives you the ability to automatically write your synopsis, before you write the book or after. I wrote mine before.

I can hear the crying through cyber space already. I hate doing a synopsis. It’s the worst part of writing and it’s holding me hostage to a story I may want to change dramatically. I won’t do it. You can’t make me.

Okay, you’re right, I can’t make you, but I might be able to help you if you are trying to write a synopsis. I will even go so far as to say, it may layer and give your book more dimension before you write the first word.

First, let me explain why I decided to do a synopsis. If you have ten unfinished manuscripts lying around, ask yourself why. I do, and I did. I have all those unfinished novels because I don’t know where the story is going. I run into a blank wall and had to stop. I had no where to go.

It’s hard to be a hundred pages into a book then come up with the rest. Anyway, it is for me. So I decided I’m not ever starting a book until I know where it’s going and how it ends. This way I have a map. I don’t have to follow it exactly, but I need to know where I’m going.

I’ll admit I love people who can sit down and write a book with absolutely no idea where they are going. They figure it all out along the way and it comes out perfect. I don’t have that kind of luck. If you have unfinished books, the reason may be because you never knew where you were going in the first place.

Okay, to the bones of a synopsis. I start out by saying…”This is a story about Heroine who wants something (her goal) she wants it because (her motivation) and she’d have it if only (her conflict) that’s the first paragraph. Then do the same for the Hero.

Next, how do the Heroine and Hero meet (inciting incident). This is the beginning of your story. Chapter one. Once they meet, what keeps them together (Reluctance and Decision) what do they stand to do (Action they are going to take) This moves the story along and tells what action takes place in the story. What do they stand to lose (the Challenge)? What brings them intimately closer (Relationship builder) What keeps them from immediately riding off into the sunset (Relations barrier) What is the worst thing that can happen to H/H, (Climax gets closer). What do they fear most (Internal Conflict). What ruins the relationship and tears their goals away from them (black Moment) Who caves (who has to change the most in the book Character Growth) How do you want your story to end ( the Resolution).

While this is a very bare bones Synopsis, it’s all an editor or agent wants. And it can help you finish your story. I suggest a few other things that don’t have to go in the synopsis.

Ask your characters a few important questions before you sit down to write your synopsis.

What do your characters regret more than anything in the world – This can be something they did, or something someone did to them or something completely out of their control like the death of a loved one.

What’s their secret? Everyone in every story should have some kind of secret. It doesn’t have to be earth shattering, but we all have them.

What is their biggest fear? What scares them every day? It can be simple, or it could be big. Your story, you choose.

I hope this helps. If you have any questions you can email me at gfoster@grapevinetexas.gov .

Write on
Geri Foster