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Welcome To Spare Time Novelist

Welcome to the Spare Time Novelist. This web page is for those writers who dream of some day being on the New York Times Best Seller List. Maybe you've dreamed of being the next Robert Heinlein, Nora Roberts, John Grisham, Toni Morrison, Tom Clancy or one of my favorites, Susan Krinard. Or maybe you're striving higher, to become the next Aristotle, Euripides, Machiabelli or Freud. Whatever your choice, there's always a starting point, a place to begin. Hopefully, Spare Time Novelist can be a part of your destiny. These pages are dedicated to YOU, to those of us who need, who feel the urge to tell a story.

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Interview with Author Charlee Boyett-Compo

Victoria Strauss
Visit her website: Here
Interviewer: J.M. De Long
for Spare Time Novelist
Victoria and one of her playful cats

BIO: Author of The Garden of Stone, The Arm of the Stone, The Lady of Rhuddesmere, Victoria Strauss has created an exceptional world of fantasy.

PROFESSIONAL ALLIANCES: She is a member of the Author's Guild and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, where she is also a member of the Writing Scams Committee. Along with other intrepid scam hunters, she help wage a vigorous campaign against the huge variety of literary schemes and frauds that prey on beginning writers. As part of that effort, she created and maintains Writer Beware, a compendium of warnings about literary fraud.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Ms. Strauss for giving her time for this interview. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

(STN) 1. How did you start writing? What first inspired you?

(Ms. Strauss) I read voraciously from a very early age, but I wasn't one of those future writers who spent her childhood constantly writing or telling stories. Once in a while I'd get inspired to do a little scribbling, but not much more than that. I did think, every now and then, about getting more serious about writing (my mother had ambitions as a novelist, and got one book published when she was in her early 20's, so I had an example in the family); but I never really imagined it as a possible career.

Then when I was 17, I had the chance to take a year off between high school and college, and travel to Germany with my family. The catch was that I must either agree to attend school in Germany (no way!!) or come up with some sort of educational project I could pursue over the course of the year. So I thought: Why not write a novel? At this distance of time, it's hard to remember exactly why I came up with this idea, especially since I'd never written anything longer than a short story. I do remember that I didn't expect to write a whole book; I thought I'd give it a good try, and then give up. But it must have been fate tapping my shoulder, because much to my surprise, I loved it. By the time I was only a few chapters in, I knew I'd found what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

I did finish that novel. And a long time later (and in much-revised form) it was published.

(STN) 2. Do you write everyday?

(Ms. Strauss) I try to write most days. I do need time off to recharge the batteries, but I find that if I take off more than a couple of days at a time, I lose momentum. It's best if I keep going pretty steadily.

(STN) 3. How do you feel about Writer's Groups and have they helped you?

(Ms. Strauss) I'm a member of two professional writers' organizations--the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and the Authors' Guild. These organizations provide a lot of information to their members, via newsletters and bulletins, and I've made many personal and professional contacts as a result of my memberships. I've found them tremendously helpful.

I've never been a member of a more informal critique or writing group, mainly because there's never been such a group in any of the various places I've lived. I regret that, because I'd love to have regular face-to-face interaction with other writers--not so much in terms of critiquing my writing (I'm very lucky to have two excellent critics, to whom I show all my work), but because writing is such a solitary pursuit, and it's wonderful to talk and share with other people who are engaged in it. I do contribute to a variety of online writers' forums, where interaction is very lively and a lot of fun (though new writers should be warned to take the information gained in forums like this with a grain of salt: there's a *lot* of misinformation floating around the Internet, and not everyone who participates knows what they're talking about). And though I've never participated in one of these, I know there are some excellent Web-based writers' critique groups, such as the Critters workshop.

(STN) 4. Tell us about your latest book.

(Ms. Strauss) My most recent book is THE GARDEN OF THE STONE (HarperCollins, 1999). It's a sequel to an earlier book, THE ARM OF THE STONE. They're fantasy novels set in an alternate world where technology is rigidly repressed by a fanatical magical elite. The book I'm currently writing (tentatively titled AWAKENING) is a standalone fantasy about a powerful religious tradition, and the conflict that follows when it's discovered that the apocalyptic prophecy that guides the church may--or may not--have been fulfilled.

(STN) 5. Do you have a special place to write? Typically, how much do you write a day?

(Ms. Strauss) I have an office, which is usually much too messy! About half my desk is given over to cushions for my cats to sleep on; they keep me company as I write.

I'm a rather slow writer, for someone in my genre. In a single writing session I may produce anything from a negative word count (on days when I'm revising heavily) to about 2,000 words. Mostly it's a smaller number: between 300 and 1,000 words a day. It takes me two to three years to complete a 180,000-200,000 word novel, including research.

(STN) 6. How much do you re-write? How many drafts do you typically have?

(Ms. Strauss) I re-write constantly as I go. I begin every writing session by looking over the work I did the day before (and sometimes the day before that and the day before that...), and I re-read and revise every chapter at least once after I finish it. I'm also constantly going back through and adding or changing things as they occur to me. Writing is a cumulative process for me; I don't feel confident about proceeding unless I feel good about what I've already done. This does slow me down, in terms of total production, but the advantage is that once I'm finished I don't need to do a lot more work.

So in a sense I have about a thousand drafts--I estimate that you could probably fill two extra books with all the words I write and then throw away. But since I never print anything out until the last word is written, and thereafter revise only at my editor's request, you could also say that there are just two drafts.

(STN) 7. Do you use an outline? If not, how do you keep your story and characters together?

(Ms. Strauss) I use a detailed synopsis, which I create before I start writing. For the novel I'm currently working on, which I anticipate will be around 200,000 words, my synopsis runs about 30 single-spaced pages. When I write it, I envision myself telling the story to a friend, late at night by firelight; this helps me to make it as complete and dramatic as possible.

Though the synopsis is complete, in that it covers the main characters, the basic plot progression, and the most important incidents, it also leaves a lot out. For instance, I may decide that a character must travel to a certain city to meet an old friend who gives him unexpected news. So I know where he goes, who he meets, and the general focus of their conversation; but I don't know how he gets there, or what happens on the way, or exactly what he and his friend say to each other. Often, in the process of working this out in the actual writing, I'll find that incidents need to change, or that completely unexpected new characters and themes emerge. This leaves room for invention and inspiration, so that I don't feel too tightly bound to a rigid scenario--in fact, my finished books often differ substantially in the details from the synopsis. But because I've carefully worked out the basic story in advance, I never go too far off track.

I also spend time, before I begin writing, developing the key principles of the fantasy world I'm working in (this is essential, for a fantasy writer) and doing brief character sketches for the main characters.

(STN) 8. What drew you to your genre of writing? A specific author, influence?

(Ms. Strauss) Growing up, my favorite reading was fairy tales, myths, and legends. It just seemed natural, when I began writing myself, that I'd work in the same genre.

(STN) 9. What authors do you like to read?

(Ms. Strauss) There are so many wonderful writers, and I read very widely--it's hard to pick a favorite. But recent books that impressed me include THE HOURS, by Michael Cunningham (a beautifully-realized literary novel), ENGLISH PASSENGERS by Matthew Kneale (an incisively satirical novel about a misguided exploratory expedition to New Zealand), KUSHIEL'S DART by Jacqueline Carey (a wonderfully-imagined and distinctly different epic fantasy), THE BLACK CHALICE by Marie Jakober (a riveting historical fantasy about magic and the old gods), and GATHERING BLUE by Lois Lowry (a fascinating allegorical fantasy for young adults).

(STN) 10. Do you enjoy meeting your readers and are you able to do this often?

(Ms. Strauss) Yes, I enjoy meeting readers very much. Unfortunately I don't get to do it often enough--I do try to attend writers' conferences, but time and money and distance limit this. However, I love to hear from readers via e-mail.

(STN) 11. Who is your greatest support?

(Ms. Strauss) My husband. This sounds awfully corny, I know. But I really couldn't manage without him. He doesn't understand the process of writing, and rarely reads what I write, but he gives me unlimited space in which to do my thing, and listens patiently to all my problems and doubts and triumphs. He's my mainstay.

(STN) 12. E-Publishing is becoming a big part of the publishing world. What are > your thoughts on e-Publishing?

(Ms. Strauss) I think that the only thing we can say for certain about e-publishing is that all the current predictions will turn out to be wrong. This is such a fast-developing field, and so little is known about its utility, its commercial viability, or the directions in which it might develop that long-term prognostication is like reading a crystal ball.

E-publishing appears to be making substantial inroads in academic, reference, and textbook publishing. And there are a good number of independent e-publishers of fiction and nonfiction that have established themselves online. But as an alternative to print-published trade fiction and nonfiction, e-books have a way to go. The audience just isn't there at this point. Dedicated e-book readers are still too expensive for the average person, and most people don't enjoy reading from their computer screen or from a handheld. There's an enthusiastic core audience for e-books, but it hasn't yet spilled over into the wider reading public, which still, overwhelmingly, prefers printed books.

The content isn't there either. There are plenty of offerings from public domain projects like the Gutenberg Project and from independent e-publishers (though the quality of the latter is very variable, and the offerings are disporportionately concentrated in romance and science fiction/fantasy). But only a small selection of what's put out by commercial publishers--which really is what most people are interested in reading--is available electronically. The existence of multiple formats causes confusion, and the commercial publishers' efforts at digital rights management can be awfully cumbersome for readers. And prices are often much too high. Most people, when surveyed, seem to feel that an e-book shouldn't cost more than a mass-market paperback. But even the independents often price above that, and as for the commercial publishers, who want readers to pay the same for an e-book as they do for a hardcover, the pricing is absurd.

All of these things, right now, are seriously hampering the development of e-publishing as a viable mainstream market for trade fiction and nonfiction.

(STN) 13. In your opinion, is e-Publishing a good place to start for an unpublished writer?

(Ms. Strauss) That really depends on what your goals are. Right now, for better or worse, if you want a traditional writing career (wide availability, the possibility of a large readership, reviews, industry awards, professional respect, and at least some level of income), you still must print-publish. For trade fiction and nonfiction, e-publishing is still a niche market. With some widely-publicized exceptions, most people in it don't earn; they don't have many readers; and they don't receive wide professional acceptance. This is not a value judgment: it's just the way it is.

(STN) 14. Do you think e-Publishing will ever replace the good 'ol book?

(Ms. Strauss) Not anytime soon. In their current state, e-books don't offer any major improvement over print books. Sure, they're new-tech nifty; they're also more portable and more quickly available by download, and you can do cool things like search and annotate them. But in my view these are added features, not qualitative improvements--and anyway, the disadvantages cited above do a lot to cancel them out.

The print book isn't broken--it doesn't need to be fixed. One industry analyst recently said "E-books are solving a problem that consumers don't have", and many consumer studies confirm this. The real potential of e-books, I think, lies in such things as multi-media features and Web interactivity (and also in the ability to constantly update electronic content, which is not especially relevant to most trade publishing, but is one of the things that's given e-publishing a foothold in the reference and academic markets). But these aren't really being exploited by publishers, which so far seem to be limiting their efforts to attempting to duplicate the print book experience as closely as possible in electronic form (this goes for the much-heralded development of electronic ink, which--awesome technology though it is--will essentially make an e-book *even more* like a print book). As long as publishers are stuck in the duplicate-a-print-book mode, I don't believe that e-books will ever become more than a somewhat less appealing alternative to print.

(STN) 15. If you could have done anything at all in your life, what would it have > been? A secret ambition?

(Ms. Strauss) I think I'd like to have been a horticulturalist. I'm an avid amateur gardener, and I love to work with plants. Really and truly though, there's nothing in the world I'd rather do than writing.

(STN) 16. You have a wonderful website. Do you use other methods of marketing your > work?

(Ms. Strauss) I'm not good at public speaking, so it's hard for me do readings and public appearances where I have to stand up before an audience. I try to promote my work in other ways--by maintaining a byline for book reviews and articles and columns, by attending writers' conferences, and by participating in opportunities such as online chats and this interview.

(STN) 17. What are you currently keeping yourself busy with outside of your writing?

(Ms. Strauss) Gardening is a big part of my life, even in the winter (I have tons of house plants). I'm an exercise freak, and spend a good bit of time working out. I also give substantial volunteer time to Writer Beware (see below).

(STN) 18. You are a big part of the 'Writer Beware' which you founded. Can you tell us how this idea came about and your goals for this organization?

(Ms. Strauss) My path to publication, while not easy, was pretty smooth. I never ran into any disreputable agents or publishers, as many other writers do. When I first went online about five years ago I was shocked, and then angered, to discover how common it is for writers to be defrauded by fake agents and publishers. I began to research literary scams, just to find out more about what was going on. Then one day I was checking out the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America website, and saw a call for a volunteer to create a section of the site devoted to warnings about literary scams. It seemed a perfect match between their need and my interest. That's how Writer Beware was born.

My goal for Writer Beware is to provide a well-researched, constantly updated resource on as wide a variety of literary frauds and pitfalls as possible. Although it's sponsored by a speculative fiction organization, Writer Beware aims to serve all writers, in all genres and at all levels of expertise. For the beginning writer just thinking about searching for an agent, there's an exhaustive section on literary agents. For established writers facing the new challenges of the electronic marketplace, there's a section on electronic rights. There are also sections on book doctors (a.k.a. freelance editors), subsidy and vanity publishers, writing contests, electronic publishing, print-on-demand-based publishing, and copyright; a Case Studies section that takes a detailed look at how a number of specific writing scams actually worked; a writers' alert section; and an overview section, which provides a general look at all the issues Writer Beware discusses, plus information on legal recourse for writers who feel they've been defrauded.

In addition to the site itself, I maintain a large archive of information and documentation on specific agents and publishers. Currently I have files on over 200 agents, a number of freelance editors, and nearly 100 publishers. This information, sent to me by hundreds of writers, allows me to provide accurate and factual answers to the many questions I receive. Writer Beware is also assisting law enforcement officials in several ongoing investigations.

(STN) 19. I receive many questions from Spare Time Novelists visitors asking about a certain Publisher, Literary Agent, etc. Is there a place on the Internet that they may go to check on these people?

(Ms. Strauss) They can check out Preditors and Editors, an independent website hosted by SFWA that provides lists of agents and publishers with "not recommended" notations to indicate agents and publishers about whom P&E has received complaints. P&E is located at http://www.sfwa.org/prededitors/.

They can also write me at beware@sfwa.org with specific questions, and if I have information in my files, I'll pass it on. They should also visit Writer Beware (http://www.sfwa.org/beware/) for general information on how to recognize non-legitimate practices.

(STN) 20. Many of the visitors to Spare Time Novelist are beginners. What advise would you give them?

(Ms. Strauss) Talent is important. So, to a certain extent, is luck: your ms. landing on the right person's desk at the right time. But as important as either of these is perseverance. Given the first, perseverance will more than likely eventually bring you the second. If your first book doesn't sell, write another. If your hundredth query letter is rejected, send out the hundred-and-first. Keep writing, keep trying, no matter what the setbacks and frustrations--and remember, every single successful writer at one point went through what you're going through.

Publishers
Publishers Guidelines
Literary Agents
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 I've had losts of questions about Publisher Guidelines. I've gone to several of the publishers sites on the internet to see what their specific Guidelines are. The guidelines listed below are mainly for the Romance genre. I will be updating this list with other genre guidelines soon. Mystery, Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror will be my next update. Please, if you know specifically any Guidelines for publishers, please let me know and I will add them to this list.

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This is a short list of Literary Agents from various areas of the internet. I will be adding to it gradually.Spare Time Novelist (This list is from many sources on the Internet and I appreciate every last one of them! Thank you for answering my questions!)
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Issue: 03 Year: 1998
Editor: J.M. De Long
© 2000 J.M. De Long
Writing for Children



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THE STAGES OF BEING A WRITER
by Gail Sattler

1) Daydreams of writing: Wouldn't it be nice to write a good book some day?
2) Formulating a plot: Making notes, dreaming plots, forming characters
3) First draft: The actual writing, which ended up taking all your waking hours, alienating friends and family and even the dog feels ignored.
4) Tenth draft: You've changed it so many times and read it so many times you don't see it any more.
5) Submission: Seach the markets, print it, package it, faint over the cost of postage.
6) Waiting: Pacing, getting personal with the mailman/maildeliveryperson. You've worn a path to the mailbox.
7) Form letter rejection: How could they do this to me? How could they not love it? Along with disappointment and denial, insult, that they didn't say why they didn't buy it.
8) Rewrite/edit/critique: Determination to make it perfect, often includes classes, courses, workshops, critique groups/partners, etc.
9) Continuing submissions: Each submission brings a new edit. See (8)
10) Personalized letter rejection: A better rejection, but still a rejection. See (7)
11) Request for entire manuscript: Jump for joy, elation, followed by (8) then see (5) less the searching, followed by (6)
12) Rejection of entire manuscript: See (7), but it's personal this time.
13) Request for revisions on entire manuscript: See (11) only worse
14) Rejection of manuscript: See (10) then (7) only worse.
15) Continuing submissions: See (9) then (8) then (6)
16) Finally - that first sale!: Elation. Utter disbelief from family, including dog. Followed by an expensive dinner and other applicable celebration activities. Then (17)
17) Deadlines: See(1) thru (16) except you know the name of the person sending you those letters, or the voice on the other end of the phone. Is it all worth it? Every solitary minute!

THE FOLLOWING IS TRUE:

Dear Ann Landers,
After following your columns about assorted frauds and rip-offs, I would like to caution would-be writers about scam 'agents'and 'publishers.' I am an officer in a large professional writers organization, and lately, we have seen a proliferation of con artists who promise to make best sellers out of aspiring authors. Getting published is hard enough without these sharks cruising the waters.

The facts are as follows: Any publisher who asks a writer to bear some or all of the cost of publishing and marketing a book cannot be considered a real publisher.Real publishers pay writers for their books, not the other way around. Any publisher that actively advertises for writers to submit manuscripts should be viewed with extreme wariness. Naive writers have been known to pay these fraudulent 'publishers' thousands of dollars to see their work in print. Sad to say, they receive a few copies of poorly made books, or nothing atall, for their money.

The same thing goes for 'literary agents' who advertise for clients, especially those who troll the Internet looking for new writers to scam. These 'agents' charge 'reading fees,' along with fees for photocopying, promotion, travel expenses---anything they can dream up to bilk authors out of money.

Would-be writers also should be aware that any 'agent' who pushes an 'editing service' or 'book doctor' is probably receiving a nice kickback from those same editors or book doctors. Scam artists are ripping off inexperienced authors to the tune ofmillions of dollars every year. A warning in your column could save many an aspiring writer from learning a cruel and expensive lesson.----M.A.M., Pro Writerin MarylandRepublished with permission from the author of the letter."


WRITING ISN'T ONLY ABOUT BOOKS:


Acquisitions Editor
Advertising Writer
Agent's Assistant
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Columnist
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Editor-in-Chief
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Character Names

Below is a list of sources for finding names, as well as a series of questions and tests that will help you find *the* name for your character.
Sources:
1) Baby Name Books -- You can find these in most book stores. The ones that give you the meanings behind the names are the best.
2) Writer's Digest Character-Naming Sourcebook, by Sherrilyn Kenyon with Hal Blythe and Charlie Sweet -- available in bookstores under Writing Reference, or directly from Writer's Digest.
3) Newspapers -- Obits and birth announcements are a great source for names.
4) Phone Books -- Great for finding last names.
5) Grave yards -- Did you know John Lennon and Paul McCartney got the name Eleanor Rigby from a headstone? A wonderful source for finding names common to a particular region/era.
6) The Bible -- Perfect for naming an older character.
7) Start a collection of names. When you hear an unusual name you like, jot it down and keep it for future use.

Naming a character is dependent on a lot of factors, not just how good it sounds. Ask yourself the following questions about your character before choosing a name:
1) How old is my character? Certain names have gone in and out of style throughout the generations. During the '70's, the most popular name for girls was Jennifer. Now the trend is toward more unusual names/spellings. Often, children were named after famous people popular at the time. For older characters, more traditional or Biblical names are common.
2) What is my character's ethnic heritage? Whether your character is a native of the US or an immigrant, culture/nationality plays a big role in the naming of children.
3) What is my character's religious background? Like nationality, religious background also affects how children are named.
4) What part of the country was my character born? Names that are popular in the South, aren't necessarily as popular in the West. Some names scream "Texan!", while others are more likely found in Minnesota.
4) Does my character come from a small town or a big city? In small towns, traditional names based on heritage and religion are still quite common, whereas in the more liberal, larger cities, the uniqueness of the name is more important.
5) What does my character do for a living? At one time, peasants had no last names. They took the names of the crafts they performed, the work they did, or the town or village the lived in.
6) What role does my character play in my story? Is s/he the villain? If so, you might want to chose a name that is not so pleasant sounding. Also, choosing a name based on its meaning can have the added benefit of summing up a character's traits or meaning to the story.
7) Is a middle name, or a nickname important to my character? I write about the South and the Southwest. Middle names are important. It's a common practice to refer to someone by both first and middle names, as is giving someone a nickname. For my Hispanic characters, I take into consideration the tradition of giving a child the mother's maiden name as a middle name.
When naming my own characters, I take these questions, then begin digging through all my sources. I make a list of all the names I like that fit the answers to my questions. I usually wind up with a list of about fifteen names. From there, I look at the meanings behind the names when I can find them. That usually narrows down my list to about six to ten names. From there, I give them a little test.

The Hero/Heroine "Sigh" Test:
Some names look great on paper. But have you ever read them aloud and winced? They just don't sound right. They don't evoke images of passionate, romantic people. Some even sound downright silly, and the last thing you want is for your reader to break into a fit of titters when the hero peers deep into the heroine's eyes and whispers her name. So, I "sigh" my hero or heroine's name aloud. Think of that name and its variations -- pet names, nick names -- whispered seductively into the character's ear. If you giggle, cross the name out.

The Villain "Snarl" Test:
Similar to the "Sigh" Test, some names when "snarled" take on a sinister quality. Think of your hero or heroine spitting out the name in a fit of anger, and say it outloud.

When naming characters:
Try to avoid similar spellings/sounds. Especially with characters who often appear in the same scenes, such as your hero or heroine. Don't name your hero James and your heroine Jane. They look and sound too much alike and are too confusing to the eye.
Don't go too far overboard with unusual names or spellings. You want your character to stand out, yes, but you don't want your readers to be constantly mispronouncing the name. Also, by the time you finish writing your story, your characters should seem like real people, and just like children, you don't want to curse them with an impossible name.
Keep a diary of names that you've already used.
By the time you've gone through all these questions, sources, and tests, you should have the perfect name for your character, if not two or three. Now, leave the final decision up to the character her-/himself. A well-developed character will let you know if s/he is comfortable being called that name.
Keep writing...

THE FOLLOWING IS TRUE:

Dear Ann Landers,
After following your columns about assorted frauds and rip-offs, I would like to caution would-be writers about scam 'agents'and 'publishers.' I am an officer in a large professional writers organization, and lately, we have seen a proliferation of con artists who promise to make best sellers out of aspiring authors. Getting published is hard enough without these sharks cruising the waters.

The facts are as follows: Any publisher who asks a writer to bear some or all of the cost of publishing and marketing a book cannot be considered a real publisher.Real publishers pay writers for their books, not the other way around. Any publisher that actively advertises for writers to submit manuscripts should be viewed with extreme wariness. Naive writers have been known to pay these fraudulent 'publishers' thousands of dollars to see their work in print. Sad to say, they receive a few copies of poorly made books, or nothing atall, for their money.

The same thing goes for 'literary agents' who advertise for clients, especially those who troll the Internet looking for new writers to scam. These 'agents' charge 'reading fees,' along with fees for photocopying, promotion, travel expenses---anything they can dream up to bilk authors out of money.

Would-be writers also should be aware that any 'agent' who pushes an 'editing service' or 'book doctor' is probably receiving a nice kickback from those same editors or book doctors. Scam artists are ripping off inexperienced authors to the tune ofmillions of dollars every year. A warning in your column could save many an aspiring writer from learning a cruel and expensive lesson.----M.A.M., Pro Writerin MarylandRepublished with permission from the author of the letter."