One of the best parts of writing, for me, is creating a world for my characters. No matter your genre, you must have a working knowledge of the environment in which the action happens. That knowledge can only come from doing your homework, or as novel writers everywhere whisper with fear and delight, “Research!”

Whether you write contemporary fiction or urban fantasy set in current and familiar cities, historical fiction with a need to re-create the past, or a dystopian fiction with yet-to-be-realized worlds, there is research required. Ask most writers and a gleam of excitement fills their heart and fear settles in their minds as they anticipate the thrill of discovery and the dread of the dark unknown forest.

Weeks pass and you’re still doing research. Every thread of knowledge leads you to more. You check out books and print….and print….and copy….and print. A month more and you are excited to learn about new countries, customs, histories, legends, famous people, unheard stories, relics, and archeological digs. Wait. What?

STOP!  At some point the writer in you says maybe I have enough research. You realize you have almost forgotten what you wanted to discover and have lost yourself in the finding of everything. Your departure from your novel has nearly cost you the thread of your intent. You, writer, are drowning in research and it’s killing your novel.

I speak from Experience

I’m in the middle of a novella, a prequel to an upcoming series. I know my characters but I’m writing about a time period which is unknown to me, creating events into an older world, bending histories to suit my needs. I needed to do research to bolster my fiction because good fiction is rooted in truth. That’s what sells the story. When I’m doing research I feel empowered as if I am learning magic.

But the truth is research can bog you down and sometimes I have ended up looking like this:

Your work suffers with an overabundance of unnecessary knowledge.

So what do you do?

TIPS FOR MAKING RESEARCH WORK FOR YOU

1. I recommend an outline. Know what you intend to research and leave yourself an outline with specific questions. You know what you want to know. Get those basics out of the way. Do it early before the major writing begins.

2. Once you have the basic info down, stop and begin the writing. When you hit a place in the story where you know you need more information, make a note about it and keep writing. I highly recommend a writer’s notebook for every novel or work in progress. I use it for notes, background information and all my research. I also use it for notations where I need more work. Refuse to let yourself be diverted by “holes.” This notebook will be the “dirt” you need for filler, later.

3. When you reach the end of your project (completion of the zero draft), now you can begin he work of filling the holes and doing the research you need to fill in the gaps.

• The first rewrite is for fleshing out the world, building the framework for your story
• The second rewrite is for rebuilding based on your notations and research
• The third rewrite is for continuity and holes, making the research and the fantasy mesh together (beta readers are needed here).

This is how you keep research from killing your novel and instead you save yourself and your readers from overdosing on information.

How Do You Know When You Have Too Much Research?

When you spend all your time talking about the research and not about your story. When your research is what you crave doing instead of writing. When you’re busy collecting paper on this and that instead of chapter and scenes. If you are honest, you know when you cross the line into the “no man’s land” of too much knowledge. Only you can pull that plug. Just do it. Stick to your outline and your characters’ needs and you’ll do fine.

A Word About Quality Research

Googiing isn’t research. There, I said it. Google is great for telling you what you need to know, then the library is your friend.  HOWEVER…..

DONT LET THIS BE YOUR DESK!

Again, know when you have too much and force yourself to select only what you need. This is what I have for my main research:

My novella takes place in both the past and the present. I need information dealing with Europe from 850 ACE all the way through the Middle Ages. It is easy to get lost in the research.  

One pleasure and one danger is learning a new language for the main character. This is one way to lose yourself and forget what you were supposed to be researching. Tip: Mark the words you want and come back for them. 

Just like a novel with too much narrative or exposition, your novel suffers if you spend too much time doing research. I’ve seen writers abandon projects after months because they have forgotten what the novel was supposed to be about! I’ve seen writers get discouraged, believing they can’t possibly impart everything they have learned. Remember JK Rowling when you begin to feel like this — she kept notebooks of knowledge about characters and histories in the world of Harry Potter that she never used. Writers are supposed to know more than the reader or their characters. Don’t imagine that everything you’ve researched will always make it into your story. Be content to use only what you need and save the rest.

You never know, you might do a sequel, Or a trilogy. Or a series of short stories. Knowledge is never wasted unless it becomes the thing you do instead of the thing you learn.

Is research killing or saving your novel? I hope this will give you food for thought and that you will take time to access your work. Let research work for you instead of you working for it.

I welcome your ideas and suggestions on research. How do you manage yours?

* * *

Did you catch the live Facebook chat I did on Feb 18? If you missed it, you can catch it on my author page here. Sign up for my newsletter (see the sign up in the right hand column) and you’ll be among the first to know about the next live chat.

Speaking of the Newsletter — yes, I’ve been very bad about it. That’s about to change. You’ll get sneak peeks, freebies, free books and all sorts of newletter only information when you sign up.

The newsletter goes out early March!

Thanks for stopping by!
Yours Between the Lines,
Sherry

_________________________________________________

****The following items will always appear to keep you posted on activities.*****

WIP (Works in Progress):

– Writer’s Workbook – Learning to Write Everyday – Beginners Volume  (expected April 2017)
– first novel in the Evening Bower series, about vampires and other supernatural creatures (Nov 2017)
– prequel novella to the Bower series (May 2017)
– four-part fairy story (part one complete) (Christmas 2017)

On the Desk: (next reading): A Conjuring of Light by VE Schwab

Off the Desk (book just finished): Stephen Blackmoore’s Hungry Ghosts

Coming Soon: More tips while writing that novel/Interviews/Odd Thoughts

This isn’t the blog I had intended to write last week, but I happened to walk into a couple social media conversations that rankled me so much that I had to change course. I tell you this because as wonderful as social media can be (fun, playful and informative), social media also can be ugly. Besides often spreading lies and promoting bullies, various platforms are places where you can learn how others really feel about people and life while cloaked behind a computer screen. And what I heard both shocked and angered me so much that I’m on a crusade. Stay with me as I explain.

During my usual perusal of Facebook and Twitter, I happened upon three separate conversations by some authors in various stages of book publication. In one case, the writer was asking about finding a book cover and asked where to get a good premade (because couldn’t afford to pay a lot of money). Several others (I can’t tell you whether or not they were all authors or writers), advised the writer to do her own cover and save money. When that was shot down (due to lack of experience or creative juice), another advised to “go to [this place]  and spend $5 because no one gives a crap about the cover anyway. It’s what’s inside that counts.”

That lone comment started a firestorm and where I decided to join the fray.

More comments flew and I offered my input (and I’ll get to those in a moment). About an hour later, I drifted into another online conversation (on Facebook) based on a post by a cover designer/interior formatter/photographer who was asking folks to please give appropriate credit to whomever designs the books. Turns out that this issue had been raging for a while and I’m only now seeing the terrible unfairness and dishonor that’s been happening. This post really riled me to speak out for designers against bloggers and writers who seem intent on denigrating them or belittling them.

First the basics. A book cover is the first thing that folks see. Whether you do an ebook, audio book or print book, the book cover is the first impression and what draws in the reader. A lousy book cover is the first reason why your book doesn’t sell beyond your mom and her book club. So, the first thing a writer needs to do (after finishing the novel), is to plan for the best book cover possible.

Can you do your own? Sure. Should you? Well, if you understand genre styles and fonts, if you know what the successful trends are, if you know what not to do, if you know how to use design programs like Adobe and Photoshop, if you understand templates and the difference between CMYK (for print) and RGB color (for digital/online work), then by all means do your own cover. You obviously are more talented than I am!

But if you are like the rest of us normals (haha), you will need to get a good cover designer. Think of the books that you like. Look at the books that you purchased and see the covers. Do you know anything about your genre? No? That is your first assignment. Go to bookstores, and look at other covers. Go to websites and learn about good cover designs. People like Joel Friedlander of The Book Designer offer wonderful information about book cover do’s and don’ts. In other words, learn something before you wander off to spend money. Before I self-published my first book, Paper Bones, I spent a YEAR learning about self-publishing, including book covers (trends, styles, how-to, prices, pitfalls). In other words, do your homework. It will help prevent your being scammed.

Once armed with knowledge, then it’s time to seek a cover designer. Now be careful. It’s a jungle out there. Shop. Shop s’more. Then shop even more. KNOW what you want. Be prepared to spend money. A lot of money? Not really. A good cover will run you anywhere from about $99 for ebook cover and some extra goodies, to around $400 if you need ebook, print, audio, extra goodies (like banners for social media and print ads). Will you use stock photography or a model? Plan to pay for your own media that the designer will use and for the model’s time.  Premade covers will run the gamut in price from as low as $5 to as high as $200 depending on where you go and who did them. Again, shop.

Finally, if you decide to use a cover designer, check out their work and chose an established designer with a strong resume who will work with you and provide you with a product you will be proud of. This will be the first thing people see about your book. Demand the best of you and your designer and pay good money to see your dreams become reality.

This is where I entered the discussion when it was said no one cared about the cover.

Really???

WRONG. Covers are EVERYTHING. What’s more, the designers who create them spend countless hours planning them, then creating them. Often there are photo shoots to build stock to work from, models to deal with, programs to use (requiring purchase and knowledge how to use), font libraries to keep and know how to use, understanding trends, market demands, dealing with multiple templates from various publishing houses (no one has the same requirements), and individual client requests. In short, cover designers are just as special as the writers. Really.

The sad thing is that writers forget that without the designer’s lovely cover, there is a chance no one will pay any attention to the writer. For this reason, if not for professional respect, every writer owes cover designers recognition for their work. This happens inside the book or on the cover itself (I’ve seen it done both ways).

WRITERS OWE DESIGNERS RECOGNITION.

There is NO exception to this rule.

I’ve been blessed with exceptional, award-winning covers. I chose my designers carefully and I conveyed my wishes well, but I also listened and learned from each different designer. I continue to read and learn about covers despite the fact that I don’t design. I want to know what works so when I do my next book, I have some idea what I need besides what I want. This helps my designer as much as me. But I never forget that they are the designers, not me.

In the end, when the book is done, I give my designer (interior designers/formatters too!), all the respect and adulation I can. I acknowledge them by displaying their copyright of the work.

And that’s my final point. THEY own the work. Did you hear that? THEY OWN the work. Yes, they provide to you and you own the book cover for your use and sale. But they designed it. They created it. They are the copyright owners. You USE it.  Got it?

Say thank you by giving designers their due. Honor them. Respect them. Cherish them. They take our words and make pictures for us. That’s magic. Honor them and they will honor you.

Here are some wonderful designers that I have worked with who might work with you.

Sean Foley, designer of my award-winning cover of Paper Bones.

Pro Book Covers,  with Travis Miles, designer of my award-winning cover of By Light Betrayed.

Robin Ludwig Designs, designer of my award-winning cover of Midnight Assassin.

Cover Me Darling, owned by Marisa-rose Shor, designer of my latest two releases, The Book of Now and Breaking the Glass Slipper (hoping they will win awards this year).

Pink Ink Designs, owned by Cassy Roop who did the striking interior formatting for The Book of Now and Breaking the Glass Slipper. She is also an excellent cover designer.

Castelane for the Prose, designers of book trailer for By Light Betrayed, also provide full service book designs.

* * *

Say, did you miss my live chat? You can watch here on Facebook. More of those to come. Plus I have plans to appear on You Tube regularly.

Thanks for letting me vent. Stay tuned for more rants and raves and information on writing, self-publishing, and other oddities.

Yours Between the Lines,
Sherry

Award season is upon us! The Director’s Guild, the Screen Actors’ Guild, The Emmy’s, the Oscar nominations…awards galore.

Indie Authors, take notice. Awards aren’t just for Hollywood or Broadway. You need to be interested in them too.

Now, I’ve heard the outcries: They cost too much so they must be a scam.  I don’t write to win awards. Who cares?

First, yes, applying for awards can get expensive. What are you paying for? The judges who participate and review hundreds of applicants’ books. You are also paying for the time to collect the information and do the administrative portion of the website and winners packets. Money is used to give every applicant a fair shot and to manage the rewards afterwards.

Second, you don’t write to win awards. Agreed. You do write to be seen and heard. And one of the ways to be seen is to be an award winner. Those who do win awards elevate themselves into the second layer of writers. Imagine when your readers see, “award-winning author.” Once you win an award (from an established competition) that tag line is yours. And even small awards count. For example, one day I hope I might land a bestseller title (Amazon, USA or NYT), but until then I keep trying to win a prestigious award for each of my books. It helps my readers see that I’m a chance worth taking.

And that goes into the “who cares” category. Readers do care. When they are scanning for a new book and they see you are an award winner, they will stop and give you a second look. Maybe you don’t care because you are a bestseller. Why not add to your recognition with an award that screams quality on top of your sellability?

I’m going to give you an EXTRA REASON to apply for an award. When a librarian is looking at two books and one has award sticker on it and the other doesn’t, your award sticker may be the deciding factor to be carried or not by that library. I’ve seen it in action. Additionally, at book signings, people will stop when they see award stickers and will ask about the book(s). So, go for the visual and be seen!

For what awards should you apply? There are lists upon lists out there for the Indie author. I’ll give you my favorite and the reputable ones. You can google Indie Author Awards and see if there are others you want to look into. Do vet them before applying though, ok?  I’m not going to give you the requirements here but I will tell you that I know these are good and the links work.

Next Generation Indie Book Awards – Deadline Feb 17 – ACT NOW

The Independent Publisher Book Awards – Deadline Feb 25  – ACT NOW

Independent Press Award – Deadline Mar 31

National Indie Excellence Award – Deadline Mar 31

Global Ebook Awards – Deadline Apr 30

Readers Favorite International Book Awards – Deadline Jun 1 (early registration Apr 1)

Kindle Ebook Awards – Deadline May 1

(You’re too late this year for Eric Hoffer and eLit Book Awards but make a note for next year!)

* * *

I encourage every author to consider a couple award entries every year for each newly published work.  Check the categories and eligibility requirements and then go for it!

And the award goes to…..?

You could surprise yourself and end up an award-winning author, too.

_________________________________________________

****The following items will always appear to keep you posted on activities.*****

WIP (Works in Progress):

– Writer’s Workbook – Learning to Write Everyday – Beginners Volume  (expected April 2017)
– first novel in the Evening Bower series, about vampires and other supernatural creatures (Nov 2017)
– prequel novella to the Bower series (May 2017)
– four-part fairy story (part one complete) (Christmas 2017)

On the Desk: (next reading): waiting on my next book

Off the Desk (book just finished): Prince Lestat 2 by Anne Rice

Coming Soon:  Interview with new folks and more about upcoming giveaways, plus more commentaries.