Kill Your Darlings

Kill your darlings. Have any of you ever heard of it before? In the writing world it is a pretty common saying. Most of us have heard it hundreds of times, if not more.

Stephen King wrote a book called On Writing. In it he says, “Kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings.” That quote has always stood out to me.

So, what is a darling and how do we kill it?

Taken from a blog I recently read, (because I loved how they phrased this) https://thewritepractice.com/kill-your-darlings/

Darlings, in writing, are those words, phrases, sentences, paragraphs, and even chapters that we are often most proud of. We love them, to the point that we almost don’t care if those bits are clear to readers or not. We love them, and we want to keep them.

The problem is they can get in the readers’ point of view.

Now, how do we kill them? We get rid of all of the stuff that isn’t absolutely necessary, even if we love it. It’s a hard thing to do. A really hard thing. We create these characters and build these worlds and then we rip them to shreds to make the best possible story we can. Sometimes it’s painful. Sometimes it makes us want to rip our hair out. But in the end, it is always necessary.

So how did I go from going to the Snake River Writer’s Conference and submitting to Pitch Wars to this? Ha! Good question. Actually, it’s pretty simple.

Jim McCarthy.

A very well-known and successful agent who works at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret as not only a literary agent but also as VP. He came to the writing conference I just attended. I paid for a fifteen-minute consult with him in where he reviewed the first ten pages of my manuscript. I submitted them ahead of time so the fifteen minutes with him was spent solely going over his notes with me.

Long story short, he made a few comments here and there. Clarification things. He said my writing was pretty solid so he didn’t have a lot of advice there. Then we came to the end of the 10 pages and he said something to the effect of, “If you’re willing to move the beginning of the book to here, right here, it will be powerful and potent.”

He explained how I could work in some of the pertinent information I was about to cut, back into the story without doing a lot of re-writing. Then he went onto explain why he thought the change would help my book. Basically, the way I had it written before was so intense that he felt like you couldn’t absorb any of the other important information because we were so worried about whether my character was going to live or die.

He also explained that if I would let the reader know from the beginning that she had indeed survived her suicide attempt and then worked the other information back in in small amounts that it would hook the reader faster.

After our meeting, my head was spinning, to say the least. But I could totally see what he was saying and I could envision how such a change would work.

But then my heart sank, just a little. I love these pages. I love my snarky, damaged protagonist. Could I really cut them?

In the end, the answer was yes. Yes, I can because writing isn’t about the author. It’s about the reader. How can they understand my story and relate to it? What will pull them in and keep them turning the pages?

So, it’s been a little over a week since the writing conference and the process has been painful. But today, I finally did it. I will have to keep working at it to add some of those important things back into my story, but I did it.

Here’s another little piece of advice I picked up from the writing conference. It doesn’t hurt to try it. Save your original manuscript and then make a copy for your re-write. If you don’t love the re-write after you have finished it, you can always go back to the original. You haven’t lost anything. It fit my situation perfect, so that’s exactly what I did.

I honestly have no idea if this book will ever be published. If I will get a request from Pitch Wars or an agent. But I know I’m not giving up. I love this book and I will keep trying.

Also, for the record, can I just tell you what an incredibly personable man Jim McCarthy is. So kind and friendly. One of the first things he said to me was “This must have been pretty hard for you to write.” All I can say is that he got it. Without ever meeting me, he knew how special this book was to me and how hard it was to write about some of the darker parts of my past. He knew.

If you ever get a chance to listen to a class or seminar given by Jim, I hope you will take the opportunity. He taught two classes at our conference and both were full of so much wonderful and helpful information. Things I will forever take with me.

I don’t know if you will ever read this Jim, but thank you. Thank you for not being the kind of agent to laugh in my face, or to say no one will ever read this. There are plenty of those kinds of agents out there. The ones who make an author feel like garbage. But you… you were kind and patient. You took the time to help me with my story instead of just saying this will never work. It was such an honor and pleasure to meet you. And heaven help me, I pray our paths will cross again someday.
Well, until next time. Just remember to kill your darlings. In the end you will be happy you did it.

An Exciting Week

This is a pretty exciting week guys. Not only did Pitch Wars open for submissions but I also get to attend the very first Snake River Writer’s Conference tomorrow AND it is being held right here in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Usually to attend a conference I have to drive no less than 3 hours to get to it. So this is pretty monumental.

Not only that but there are some pretty amazing people coming to teach at our conference. And let’s not forget to mention that the incredible Mr. Jim McCarthy, a very well known agent, will be doing consults and also teaching a class of his own. This conference is going to be EPIC!

So let’s talk writing conferences? Why go? They’re somewhat expensive and usually last for 2 or 3 days. As I mentioned before, most of us have quite the travel time getting to them. So why go?

Well, let me tell you a story. When I was a teenager, I had just finished my very first story, a children’s book. Of course, I was over the moon and wanted to get it published so I asked my uncle, who is a published author, “How can I get published?”

He volunteered to read it and help me edit. After all of that was done, I asked, “Now what?”

“Now you need to find an agent,” he said.

“How do I do that?”

“Go to a writing conference,” he replied simply, like it was the easiest thing in the world.

At the time I was so overwhelmed and I remember thinking, how on earth am I going to do that? I’m a kid. You have to have money to go to one of those things. And so I never even explored the possibility.

Many, many years later I made a friend in a book store. She was promoting her new book and when we got to talking and when she found out I was an author, she invited me to go to a writing conference with her.

It was the scariest and also the single most important thing I have ever done in my writing career.

But let me tell you this. Not only did I learn some very valuable information. So much that I felt like my brain might explode. Lol! But I also make connections and friends. And in the writing world, connections and friends can make all the difference.

There are obvious advantages to meeting other authors and rubbing shoulders with agents at these conferences, especially as we are trying to get published. But the friendships we make are just as valuable. We have all had those moments as authors where we feel like we might be going as little crazy, am I right? Or how about those moments when self-doubt sinks in and you just want to burn your book because you just know it isn’t any good. Those friendships we have made tend to be our lifelines during those times. Because we know that we are not alone in this crazy journey we are taking as authors. Our friends boost us and give us just enough drive to push through those moments and keep going.

So, if you ever get the chance to attend a writing conference, big or small, I hope you’ll take it because there is nothing like it in the world.

Lets talk Pitch Wars...

Let’s talk Pitch Wars. Have any of you heard of it? I hadn’t until about two weeks ago. So let me give you a quick rundown, because guys I am VERY excited about this and it opens tomorrow for submissions.

What is Pitch Wars? Straight from the Pitch War Website... (with their permission, of course)

Are you asking yourself how can I get in on this? Ha! I know I was. Here is the link to their website. Hop on over and check it out. And don't procrastinate because the submission window is only open until the 27th.

https://pitchwars.org/

As for myself, I don't really have much advice, me being new to this and all, but the website is full of all sorts of helpful information. Everything you need to know, really. 

I can tell you that I have spent nearly two days combing through the mentors; studying them, reading their wish lists and then compiling my own list of who I would like to submit to. This is something I highly recommend. You are only allowed to submit to four mentors. Don’t waste even one of those chances. Do your homework and make sure they are a good fit for you and your book!

Here's the schedule, so you have an idea of when everything is taking place.

So, I guess that's about it. I hope I've gotten you as exctied as I am. I honestly have no idea if I will be selected but I think this is a wonderful opportunity, so I’m going for it. What about you?

Doing Hard Things...

I’ve been thinking a lot these last few days about what I wanted to write my next blog post about and the thought that popped into my head was about writing a synopsis.

What is a synopsis?

Except, here is the kicker, in most cases it can only be one page long. You have to take your entire book and tell everyone about it in one page. For some, this process may be easy. For me, it is definitely one of my least favorite things.

So why write one? Well, as I’ve found out as I started trying to query agents, most of them ask for four things: a query Letter, the first 10 pages of your manuscript, an author bio, and a one-page synopsis of your book. Not all agents ask for this but so far about half I have looked at do.

It was a very painful process. This is not me whining, this is me telling you that writing my book was easy compared to this. But here’s the thing. It can be done and like writing a book, it will take several drafts and revisions to get it right.

So, what’s my purpose of this post? To let all of you other authors know, you’re not alone and to tell you not to give up.  Do your best and then ask for some help. My first draft ended up being nearly 2 pages long. I looked at it for several long minutes and literally groaned. It seemed like such an impossible task to get it down to just one page. I kept thinking, why am I doing this? What if no one likes my book? What if I never get it published? Then this will all just be a waste of time.

You know what I did next? I took a deep breath and started trying to shorten it. Trying to take out anything that was too wordy or wasn’t absolutely necessary. Why? Because I love my book. And I’ve put a lot of hard work into creating it. I owe it to myself and to my book, to do everything in power to get it published.

My next step was sending it to my editor. She showed me where we could cut some words and what the most important points to tell were. After several revisions and a lot of back and forth between the two of us, I think I finally have it nailed down.

Is it perfect? Ha! I have no idea. I’m still second guessing myself about it. I’m not an agent, I have no idea what is going to grab their attention. What is going to make them say, “I need to read this book.”  But that’s what my editor is for. She is from the business side of the literary world and I trust her to let me know what agents are looking for. What is going to be the best way to get an agent to pay attention to my book. If you don’t have an editor, that’s ok. Get a trusted friend to read it for you. Never underestimate the power of a beta reader. But I can also say, that hiring my editor was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Because I know that I can’t do this 100% by myself and I need to draw on her knowledge and know how.

On the other hand, maybe you don’t have the money right now to hire an editor. Thankfully there are other places you can start. We are very fortunate to live in such a technological world, where we can get online and literally thousands of resources are at our finger tips. Including access to our writing communities with millions of other authors who have either gone what we are going through or who are currently going through what we are going through.

So if you love writing and creating, keep going. Don’t give up even when you come to something like this. You’ve put too much time and energy into your craft. Keep going.

I just want to give a huge thank you to my editor, Heidi Brockbank, at Eschler Editing. I really couldn’t have gotten this far without you!

Me as an Author

People often ask me how I get the ideas for the stories I write. The answer can vary from book to book but mostly I try to think of unique situations and what would be the cause. From there I grow a story to answer the ever-present question, what if.

One of the first books I wrote, Timeless Grace follows the story of two sisters who are trying to get to the Salt Lake Valley after their parents die along the way, when the wagon train they are with abandons them along the trail. With Josie the youngest sister fighting for her life, Sara must decide if she can trust the stranger who has stumbled upon them and is she willing to risk her heart along the way. This book all started from the idea of all the pioneers who never made it to their original destination. For one reason or another they stopped along the way and never continued on. The idea intrigued me and from that sprouted the idea for my book.

Forever Tomorrows came about a bit differently. To be honest, I have never given it any thought about writing a book about my life, any part, big or small. It was never anything I wanted to share with others. I wasn’t ashamed, per say, but I definitely didn’t want people knowing about some of the darker parts. Then one night, back in March, I had this dream about this boy and girl who were in a mental hospital together. The dream thing is a little Cliché’, I know. Despite that, I woke up the next morning with this idea. The story of a girl and boy who meet during the most difficult times in their lives. And for days it was on my mind. I started writing it just to get it out of my head but then I couldn’t stop. Without purposely doing it, my own experiences bled into the story. But remember the story is still a work of fiction and it truly comes down to Jesslyn and Daniel, the boy she meets. I did know someone like Daniel once, who became my friend in one of the hospitals I stayed in. He did in fact stand up to some bullies trying to protect me from them, just like Daniel does for Jesslyn in my story. But we were never more than friends. Like I said before, my story turned out much differently. 

I’ve already started drafting my next book and I’m excited to see where this story takes me.  

One thing I have discovered about myself lately, something I seemed to have forgotten along the way, I want to help people. Not just that, but all those who have or are going through something similar to what I went through. I want them to know they aren’t alone. That there can be light after all of the darkness. I want to touch someone’s life for the better. And maybe that’s what really makes the difference in my writing right now. Because before, I wrote because I loved creating. But now that love for creating has been coupled with a love and desire to help someone else who is struggling. 

It has always been a dream of mine to become a published author but now that dream has transformed slightly. Because my goal isn’t just to become some famous author anymore. I just want to reach someone else and touch their lives for the better.

Well, until next time…  

Oh, and I think I forgot to mention that I now have a Twitter account. I know, I know. I’m a bit behind in the times but I’m figuring it out as I go. Lol! If you’re on and want to check it out, you can find me at https://twitter.com/NLLewis1 .

A little about my book.

So, I told you all about how I’m back. Now I want to introduce you to my newest book. The one that I’m shopping around, trying to find an agent for.

Forever Tomorrows is a 72,000 word Contemporary Young Adult Novel. Ha! That doesn’t mean much if you aren’t from the writing world. So, in layman's terms… It’s an average length novel set in present day, based on the life of a teenager. Although I think this book will appeal to young adults I definitely think people of all ages will be able to connect with it in some way. 

The story follows the journey of 16-year-old Jesslyn Ward as she goes through some very dark moments in her life and how she learns to heal and find happiness once more. It’s about pain and sadness. Hope, healing and self-discovery. It gives us a peek into what drives a teenager to try to take their own life. A question I think many of us ask when we hear of such a tragic loss that never should have happened. There are people out there that call it a shellfish act, and in a way it is. But driven by pure desperation, people do irrational things they never would have thought of doing under normal circumstances.

This novel is very close to my heart, being based on true life events that I experienced growing up. That being said, it is still a work of fiction. Many of the supporting characters are completely fictional. The events in this story happened so long ago, that although I remember several people from this story, it would be impossible to remember every nuance and detail of their characters. And I do have to put this out there, in case any of you do get the chance to read this book, the ending is 100% fictional. My happy ending came in a different form and with a completely different prince charming. One that I’m still married too. But with all the stories I write, I like there to be a little bit of a love story. This is Jesslyn and Daniels story.

In the writing world, we create what we call pitches for the books we write. Pitches are meant to be a short summary of your book that you can quickly “pitch” to an agent or someone else to let them know what your book is about. I’m going to share my Pitch with you now. Just know, it is still a work in progress like all things, it may need some work.

After months of abuse, sixteen-year-old Jesslyn Ward decides that she can’t take it anymore. When her suicide attempt fails, she finds herself admitted to a mental health facility. Things are made worse when her self-absorbed mother moves out of state, abandoning Jesslyn in the hospital. The road to recovery isn’t easy and just when she thinks things might be getting better, she is forced to face the secrets she has been hiding. With the help of the staff and the new found friendships she has formed, Jesslyn finally begins to heal. In the end, she discovers that family isn’t always blood and that in the darkness of times you can still find hope and happiness. Based on real life events, this is the story of abuse and pain, healing, and self-discovery. 

Have I interested you in my book yet? I hope so. If not, don’t worry. It won’t hurt my feelings. But if you do want to keep reading, here’s a little excerpt. One that I hope you love as much as I do. Because really, this is what my book is about. Finding hope in the darkest of times.

 He leans back in his chair, folding his arms behind his head and tipping his head back. “You know, when I first got here, I thought this place was for the truly insane. People who hear voices and things.” His eyes flick over to me and then move back to the ceiling. “Then I watched the kids coming through here. Kids like me and you. Kids who have truly screwed up stuff happening to them and they just don’t know how to deal with it.” He leans forward resting his elbow on the table. His gaze locks on mine. “Maybe that means there is hope for us after all.”

“There is always hope,” someone says from behind us. I turn to see Darren leaning against the door frame. He pushes off and walks towards us. “I read this quote once and it’s always stuck with me,” he says pulling a chair out. He turns it backwards and straddles it, resting his forearms on the back. “It said, Staying positive doesn’t mean you have to be happy all of the time. It means that even on hard days you know better ones are coming.” He rests his chin on his arms, watching us. “Essentially, that's what hope is, isn’t it?”

Well, that’s it for tonight. I hope you have all enjoyed my post. Have a good night and I’ll talk to you soon.

I'm Back...

The title says it all. I'm back. But from where you might ask?

To make a long story short, back in 2014 I was very active on the web and actively trying to get my book Timeless Grace published. In the writing community I was attending as many conferences, classes and writing gatherings as possible. Then suddenly I was gone. No more blog posts, no more updates on my author Facebook page. I was just gone.

It was hard time to say the least. I went through several surgeries when my left kidney failed and had to eventually be removed. Then my right kidney began to decline. Not only that but we had two dear family members pass away within six months of each other. It was a difficult few years and I'd be lying if I said I didn't go through some depression in there as well. As a result, my writing was put on hold for a while. 

But I'm happy to say I'm back now. My health is doing great and my creative juices are flowing. Not only that, but I'm excited to share that a few months ago I completed another book. It’s titled Forever Tomorrows. After spending the summer editing and revising, I took the leap and it is now on submission to a few agents. I'm taking my time, trying to be selective in order to find the perfect one for my book and hopefully, fingers crossed, they will find my book the perfect fit for them.

I'm not going to go into too much detail about it at this point because I want to take the time later on go a little more in depth when I tell you about it but suffice it to say I'm more excited and passionate about this book than I have ever been with anything I have written before. This is one I will fight for. It's one I believe in. One that I think could change other people lives. Or at least I hope it can.  

That's probably enough for now. But know that I’m hoping to get on here at least a couple of times a week to write a little something. I can't say that I'm some incredible blogger, because I really am not. But the most important thing to remember is this blog is about my writing journey. It always has been. Good or bad, it will all be one here. So, for now, I just wanted to say hi and tell you all I'm happy and excited to be back. 

I hope you all will continue to follow me as I continue on this crazy journey and hopefully, we will all learn a little something along the way.

Until then my friends, keep dreaming because if there is one thing I have learned over these last few years, just because our dreams get put on hold, it doesn’t mean we have to give them up.

Good night everyone.