The Brutally Honest Author - Part 1

One afternoon I was sitting at the office on my break. I should have been editing, but instead, I was on Twitter. I was scrolling through some writing community questions and it got me thinking—which is always a dangerous thing.

So many questions. So many people wanting answers. Twitter is a bit restrictive and most people try to be nice about their answers. In fact, unless I know someone well, I tend to be rather nice about my answers.

But sometimes nice doesn’t really cut it. And I thought, what can I do differently? How about some no-holds-barred, brutally honest answers to your questions?

So, I put the question out to the writing community on Twitter. Are there questions that you want to ask a writer or author and get a brutally honest answer for?

Thankfully, the community did not disappoint. The questions rolled in. To the point that this may just become a regular series for me. Just keep in mind that when I say “no-holds-barred, brutally honest answers to your questions”, I mean I will more than likely be cursing.

Now, do remember, these are my experiences and opinions only. Others may think or feel differently than me because they've experienced things differently. I'd love to hear your opinions as well, so please do respond in the comments! And if you got questions, ask away and I will try to get to them in the next “Brutally Honest Author” post!

@CJPDouglas asked "How do you make yourself edit? It's such a slog for me..."

I often tell people that I love the editing stage but as much as I love it, I also hate it. It's tough to tear your own work apart and, somedays, it can be hard to convince myself to sit down and do it.

In fact, that's the hardest fucking part, actually sitting down to do it. I moan and groan and bitch about it, until I start the process. As I read through I find myself falling in love with the story, if not my flawed and typo-laden writing. 

As soon as I start actually getting into the editing I find myself eager to see how well I can polish my words. How I can take the block of granite and turn it into an artistic masterpiece. When I rediscover the love for my story I realize how much I want to make this better, make it something that I would want to buy if I were wandering through a bookstore.

One thing I have noticed, when I find editing the hardest is those spots in my manuscript where I really screwed the pooch. Not just clunky writing, but terrible bouts of crappy exposition. I find if I make it through a chapter and I am still hestitating moving on to the next then I have to go back and take a harder look at my work

And after all of this—rinse, lather and repeat. I know I have something good when I find myself getting consumed by the story every time I go into edit. Although I always have that "Oh, dear god, do I have to do this AGAIN?" feeling before every edit session.

@_WARoberts asked "Which do you find better, self-pub or the traditional pub? Or are they both about the same?"

This is such a hard question to answer. Each of them have their benefits and downfalls. I love having full control in self-pub, but it can be such a maze to navigate, especially for first timers. I had no fucking clue what I was doing when I first self-published my novel. How it turned out decently is still a mystery to me. 

What I enjoy about traditional pub is that I have a support network built into my experience. I have someone to do that cover design. I mean, I have a background in graphic design, but I am sometimes at a loss as to what I want to do with the cover for one of my own stories. I am too close to it. And, covers are the first thing people see. It needs to be good.

I think what it comes down to is if you know what you're doing, have access to good editors, designers and formatters—have at it with self-publishing. It's going to be a tough go for most people. Getting reviews, getting noticed, marketing. It's hard.

However, traditional publishing only takes some of this pressure and expense off your shoulders. As an author, be prepared to sell not only yourself, but your books as well. Both are tough, you need to be prepared for tough.

Unless you're one of those rare, lucky bastards who manages to knock out an international best seller for their first novel. In that case, I both hate and admire you.

@JoshMGillingham asked, "Where do your ideas come from?"

Oh man, this fucking questions. First off, as an author, have two answers for this question at all times. Your socially acceptable, tell at interviews answer that is pithy and quoteable. Then have the real answer that you only tell to a few people.

Today we explore the real answer. For me, it starts with a sentence, a couple of words, a random comment, something I see. It marinates in my brain and starts bumping uglies with other thoughts. Before I know it, story ideas start falling out of my ears.

Seriously, I don't often go looking for ideas. They find me. If you keep your brain air conditioned enough (aka - open), they'll come looking for you too. My first novel was inspired by a Santana song and an image it provoked in my mind (Road to Redemption). Another was me thinking about a what if - what if an elder god got trapped in the body of a girl.

Often the end product looks nothing like the inspiration, but all I need is that first domino in a string of thoughts to end up with a story that makes people go "What inspired this story?" By the time it's written the answer is usually "I don't fucking know. It just happened."

Thanks for tuning in for Part 1 of the Brutally Honest Author. In the next Brutally Honest Author post, I will be addressing questions from @NicoleDCarver.

If you asked me a question on Twitter, don't worry. You are on the list. Each question that I have responded to has been added to the queue. I will get to it!