The Working Mommy: What to do with separation anxiety?

This week I’m in New York City, where I use to work in PR, for the Romance Writers of America National Conference. I love being back in the Big Apple, but this does create some challenges at home for my husband. Since my almost one-year-old has started saying “Mommy,” or as she says it, “Mamamama,” it has been hard to leave her. Her normally cheerful demeanor becomes fussy and irritable. And let’s not even go into Oscar, the dog’s behavior. I’ve come to accept that if I’m not in the room, he won’t eat.

So what is a Mommy to do? Many of us still work, and I consider myself very lucky to work from the comforts of my home, with my daughter and Oscar. Now, I’m not pretending to be any expert on the topic, but here is my plan. Let’s call this an experiment and I’ll let you know if it works. Here are my steps to helping child separation anxiety for the traveling mommy.

1. Make sure that your child is with someone that they know.

2. Take time to call and talk to your child. My daughter is about to turn one and it made my day today when I called and she laughed and babbled back at me!

3. Bring your child a souvenir. I got my daughter and adorable bear from FAO Swartz.

4. As a writer, I still have work when I’m at a convention. I have columns, this blog, etc. Take advantage of what free time you might get and work ahead. This way you can afford to take a day or two off when you get home for a play day. Honestly, I could use a play day after this conference!

So, what do you think? Have you followed any of these ideas? Did they work? Share your suggestions in a comment and I’ll be sure to let you know how this little experiment of mine goes.

Happy writing, working or whatever you do as a working mom :-)

Announcements:

I have launched my official writing website. You can visit it at www.NatalieCMarkey.com Thanks to my fabulous brother for doing such a great job. Now I'm sure I'll have some new ideas after this conference :-)

My non-fiction, ‘Caring for Your Special Needs Dog,’ is out. Vets will always be your first resource in pet care, but as owners, we have a lot of power in giving our dog the best possible life. It is currently selling for $2.99 with a percentage going to The Texas A&M Foundation to the benefit of the Neurology Section, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinarian Medicine.

I’m participating, as an author in The 400 Hundred Hours to Four Hundred Days blog tour. The purpose of this is to celebrate the upcoming release of L Carroll’s second book, ‘Four Hundred Days.’ A component of this tour is a social media contest. If you are interested in winning a free book read the rules below.

The goal behind this contest is to spread the word about Four Hundred Days as far as possible to as many people as possible.

Four Hundred Days is the second book in the Lor Mandela series by L Carroll. It’s a captivating trilogy.

Win Nice Girls Does Noir by Julia Crane

To Enter:

· Tweet “Join us on the 400 Hour to @FourHundredDays blog tour (participants add your link to this contest here)

· Leave a comment with the links.

Extra entries

· Facebook about the contest. (+1 entry)

· Change your Facebook Image to the 400 Hours to Four Hundred Days blog tour button for the duration of this tour. (+3 entries)

· Change your Twitter avatar to the 400 Hours to Four Hundred Days blog tour button for the duration of this tour. (+3 entries)

· Blog about this tour. (+5 entries)

· Grab the 400 hours to Four Hundred Days button and place it your blogs sidebar. (+3 entries)

· Youtube about the 400 hours to Four Hundred Days tour. (+10 entries)

As I mentioned, I'm out of town and I'm having some internet issues. You can find the 400 Hours to Four Hundred Days blog tour button at Woven Strands

Contest Ends at 11:59 July 15^th 2011

How a work-at-home mom learned structure from commercials

I thought I was busy writing, scheduling and directing commercials and promotions when I worked at a CBS television staying. I was wrong. I use to say, “if some asks what I do all day since filming a thirty second commercial only takes thirty seconds,” I would hit them. In case you are at risk of my wrath, filming a thirty second long commercial is a major business production. You have to:

1. Know your clients goals

2. Write a commercial that will use words and imagery to convey client’s objective.

3. Secure any props, actors, etc. Schedule the shoot.

4. Action: Shoot the commercial or promo

5. Review the footage

6. Edit

7. Show the client and hope that there are no changes.

The next time you are watching television, you may even be watching now, pay close attention to the commercials. I thought I was busy. I was so wrong. Being an author and professional writer, working from home with my daughter is the best job I have ever had. It is also the busiest and most challenging I have ever had. But this former PR/Communications specialist utilizing old checklists to sift through the day and be great in my current career.

1. Know your goals, both long-term and short-term. Prioritize them and keep them somewhere where you can frequently see them.

2. Write a list of tasks to do that will lead you to the goals.

3. Secure anything you need for the tasks. Prepare.

4. Action-work on daily goals and tasks.

5. Review completed goal

6. Edit- does completed goal need anything else?

7. Show the current status to the client (that’s YOU) Look at where you are and where you want to be. Make task changes accordingly.

But what when something doesn’t happen according to the schedule? Yep, this is the area in which I need the most work. Stuff happens, it apparently came with the title of mom. But how can you live without a to-do list? I’ll show you how even the most “must follow the list” person (moi) is making things work.

You may or may not have noticed a shift in my blogging style. I use to mostly write on writing because that’s what I thought writers did when I joined the blogging world. Now, I know better, thanks to having read Kristen Lamb’s latest book, “Are You There Blog? It’s Me, Writer.” The purpose of this blog is to SERVE YOU, not for me to bore you with whatever “writerly” issue is on my mind.

From now on, I’m blogging about what I know and what I’m best at—Time management related skills. Trust me, raising a baby and a high-maintenance dog has trained me to pull time out of thin air. That’s right ladies and gentlemen, I can create time; but it’s a talent I must train and practice with each day. If you stick with me, I’ll share with you my triumphs and my failures, hoping that together, we can navigate the toys and that flying hunk of sweet potatoes along the road from Pen to Publish.

Announcements:

My non-fiction, “Caring for Your Special Needs Dog” is available for $2.99. A percentage of the profits go to The Texas A&M Foundation to the benefit of the Neurology Section, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinarian Medicine. Texas A&M CVM published a wonderful article regarding my book.

I really recommend buying "The Writer's Conference Guide" written by Bob Mayer and Jennifer Talty. This is perfect, especially if you are preparing to go to the RWA conference next week. I'll be there :-)

Blog Mash-up:

Rachelle Gardner- Commonly Confused Words

Lynette Labelle- Questions You Must Ask an Agent Before You Sign

The Writer's Alley- The Makings of a Character

Kristen Lamb- Give a Dry Blog New Life-The Power of Themes

Bob Mayer- If I Build It. They Will Come; If I Write It, They Will Read It

The writing mommy: Genius or insanity?

I’ve always been a hard worker. Whether it was mastering a new dance technique or tackling a math problem in school (this really says a lot about my dedication because to this day, I hate math.) Then my senior year in high school I was obsessed with earning scholarships so I could afford to attend Baylor University. And this continual theme of dedication, boarder-lining workaholic syndrome continued as I went out into the workforce. I became the youngest director in a major advertising agency’s history, worked public relations in NYC and directed commercials and promotional campaigns for CBS Television.

But what does all of this have to do with diaper changes? I thought I was busy but when I had my daughter almost a year ago it didn’t take long to realize that my previous years of hard work were in truth—nothing compared to the hectic, crazy, busy life I lead today. As an author and freelance writer working from home, I’ve learned how to not just be creative with my writing, but also be creative with my time.

Now that I am responsible for someone else, I wake up earlier and go to bed later. I’ve never run a marathon, but I think being a writing mommy is very similar. Endurance and consistency is key. I also am more realistic of my goals. I’ve learned to be flexible and not freak out if I don’t finish the entire to do list.

I’ve always loved to write. When I left the PR/Communications world to become a full-time writer, the decision didn’t shock anyone. Since my daughter was born last summer, I’m always reminded about the joys of taking little writing breaks. It’s amazing what her bright smile can do for a challenging scene I’m struggling with. Sometimes, we even work together as this picture indicates. Personally, I think her laptop is way cuter.

So, is being a writing mommy genius or insanity? Hmmm….it probably depends on what day you ask me! Ha! Just kidding, I wouldn’t trade my occupation for anything in the world. Are you a mommy writer or working from home mommy? Share your tricks, cocktail recipes, or any advice in a comment.

Announcements:

I finished reading “Are You There Blog? It’s Me, Writer” this week and personally it was a blog changing experience for me. Any writer or anyone with a career that can benefit from a blog (and these days that list keeps growing) MUST READ THIS BOOK. Yes, I used all caps and I meant it.

My non-fiction, “Caring for Your Special Needs Dog” is available for $2.99. A percentage of the profits go to The Texas A&M Foundation to the benefit of the Neurology Section, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinarian Medicine. Texas A&M CVM published a wonderful article regarding my book.

Blog Mash-up:

It may not be a blog, but today at the #WeWrite Twitter hashtag initiated by authors Jennifer Holbrook-Talty and Anna DeStefano the discussion how creatively do you handle backstory? I've always been fascinated with this topic.

A great post by Jennifer Laughran at her Literaticat blog titled, "Selling Yourself, and Selling Yourself Short." A great read if you're getting ready for a conference like I am.

An interesting (as always) post by Bob Mayer at Write It Forward titled, "Selling 1,000 E-Books a Day." This industry is quickly evolving and Bob is always my go-to-guy on great information.

And everyone should read Kristen Lambs topic on "What Star Trek can Teach Us About Great Writing" at her Warrior Writer blog

The writing mom: Becoming the efficient writer

I’ve worked in New York City public relations and CBS Television, both high-pressured jobs, but now I believe the job I’ve had this last year is the world’s most challenging. Being a writing from home mother has both challenged and improved my writing. For almost a year now I have been juggling freelance deadlines, a non-fiction book release and the completion of my YA Fantasy, all while caring for my baby. Caring for my daughter has taught me many things about writing with efficiency and time management.

Probably one thing that has helped me the most is making reasonable day-part goals. What I mean by this is that I divide up my to do list. I have a morning to do list and an afternoon/evening to do list. This prevents me from getting completely overwhelmed and gives me a better chance at accomplishing my goals.

You can create such a list because you know when you can get the most work done. I know that I get the most done between 5AM and 7AM. Because of this, my morning to do list is longer than my afternoon to do list. This really gets my day off to a great start, being able to cross several items off my list before my daughter ever wakes up.

As a writing mom it is smart to always work at least a day ahead, goal wise from where you want to be. Your writing is no longer just dependent on you, you must be prepared to have a poor writing day because you need to care for a sick child. Luckily, my daughter has yet to have a sick day but there are days that she requires more attention then others. I love being a writer and it gives me the flexibility so that I can still be a great mom. By working ahead, I’m able to take longer breaks to play with my daughter when she wants it.

Writing moms must be efficient. When I became a mom and also became more of a plotter. I must know where my story is going because I may have sporadic writing sessions. Being a better plotter has helped me to be more efficient in making my sometime short writing “sprints” worth it. I can’t just sit and wait for inspiration to strike. When my baby is napping I work quickly, making my way down my to do list. I require more focus, which means I have set times when I check in with social media. When I was new at being a writing mother, nap times were so tempting to take over any writing time I get. When you do sleep, get the most of the rest. To make my nights more productive I set an hour aside before going to bed just to read. This slows my brain for the night instead of diving into a restless slumber. A nice bubble bath can also serve as a relaxing evening activity. Let your mind be cleared before restarting the crazy, baby set routine the next day.

Being a writing mom has made me a much more efficient writer. We have to be in order to accomplish our goals. I’ve also hired a nanny to help me part-time. I love this arrangement because I know I’ll get some writing accomplished but I’m still there when a little girls want to give her “Mama” a hug. I am living both words, and for now it is worthy. Plus I never know when she will inspire me or make me laugh, like in this picture of her helping with some page proofs.

Writer mommies out there, what have you learned from being a mom that has helped/improved your writing time and skills? Share your story/advice in a comment below. But first for some announcements:

My book, “Caring for Your Special Needs Dog,” is out by Who Dares Wins Publishing. A percentage of the profits go to The Texas A&M Foundation to the benefit of the Neurology Section, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinarian Medicine. To learn more about the book, which is currently selling for $2.99, click here.

Weekly Blog Mash ups: For my first blog mash up I'm sharing some of my favorite people to follow. They know writing, the craft and the industry, If you're a writer, you must follow these blogs.

Write It Forward- Who Dares Wins Publishing

Ending Unplanned- Rachel Harris

Warrior Writer- Kristen Lamb

PW Creighton- Phillip Creighton

Piper Bayard- Piper Bayard

Anna Writes- Anna DeStefano

How training for a conference is like being a professional athlete

I feel like I’m in college again during registration time. Yes, I was the geek that spent days mapping out the ideal semester schedule. I even had back-up plans so if a class filled up. Now I’m planning and reading up on workshop classes for the upcoming Romance Writers of America conference in New York City. This will be my first major writing conference since I turned my part-time writing career to a full-time so I’m excited and nervous.

Like most events in my life, I still relate everything back to my world of competitive dance. And yes, being a professional dancer (I got paid to perform and teach) is like being a professional athlete. I quit that career avenue because of injury, but I learned a lot of still applicable qualities like endurance. So since this is my first major conference I can’t tell you that these steps work, but this is how I’m getting ready for the conference.

Step one: Practice hard. I’m revising, perfecting and practicing my pitch. A great way to do this is by visiting Pitch University. This week they are holding a pitch fest, where you can pitch your book and get actual agent feedback on it next week. Ok, I’m waiting until the last minute as usual, but I will get this in. It’s risk free and lot less scary than having your first big pitch be at conference.

Step two: Study your material. Be prepared and know what you’re doing. I bought “How to Get the Most Out of a Writer’s Conference" by experts Bob Mayer and Jennifer Talty. It’s always wise to learn from people who have done this before. I’m currently reading this book.

Step three: Know the schedule. This is where my college registration OCD comes in. I’ve read the schedule of courses and planned which ones I feel will best accomplish my goals as an author. In addition to just reading the topics, I’m reading up on the presenters as well. It’s always smart to know whom you are working with and what their background is. For example, in dance I always read up on the judges and workshop instructors in advance. It helped to know if they would prefer my character jazz or my lyrical. In writing conference terms, it’s helpful to know if a particular presenter has accomplished my goals and in my areas of interest. I write YA and MG and I’m all ready published in non-fiction. So depending on the topic, I may not be helped as much by someone that only writes a specific subgenre in romance and is only talking to people that want that specific goal. I want to learn from authors that are multi-genre writers. Learning from their experiences would most help me reach my goal to be a multi-genre author.

It’s always wise to read up on whom you will be learning from. You never know what similar interests you might have. After all, because I was prepared going into one of Bob Mayer’s Warrior Writer seminars is how I ended up being a non-fiction author on dogs. That was not my ultimate goal, but sometimes the right moments can lead to greatness.

Step four: Train for endurance. Any athlete must train for endurance and writing is very much and endurance based activity. I have a set routine. I’m up at 5am for my morning workout before beginning my writing day at 5:30am. Any conference is tiring but since I’m use to a jammed packed, daily routine I’m ready for the exhaustion of a conference. Plus, I now feel that writing full-time with a now 11-month-old daughter can prepare me for ANYTHING.

Step five: Take time to relax. If you read my review or better yet, bought and read "Writer Wellness" by Joy E. Held you know the value of adding relaxation to your writing routine. Before reading this book I was only focused on pushing and driving myself for my goal. Though I still push myself in anything I want to accomplish I now realize that by taking time to relax my mind and body actually makes me more effective in how I go about accomplishing my short-term and long-term goals.

Over the next weeks leading up to the conference I'll be writing on conference related themes. I’m exciting to be attending this year’s RWA Annual Conference in New York City. Last year the conference fell over my due date, so I was a little busy. Are you going to conference? Have you been before? How do you prepare? And let me know if you want to meet up. And after the announcements, enjoy some motivational music.

Announcements:

My book, “Caring for Your Special Needs Dog,” is out by Who Dares Wins Publishing. A percentage of the profits go to The Texas A&M Foundation to the benefit of the Neurology Section, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinarian Medicine. To learn more about the book, which is currently selling for $2.99, click here.

Weekly Blog Mash ups: For my first blog mash up I'm sharing some of my favorite people to follow. They know writing, the craft and the industry, If you're a writer, you must follow these blogs.

Write It Forward- Who Dares Wins Publishing

Ending Unplanned- Rachel Harris

Warrior Writer- Kristen Lamb

PW Creighton- Phillip Creighton

Piper Bayard- Piper Bayard

Anna Writes- Anna DeStefano

Social Media: Friend or Foe

Earlier this week I spoke about the benefits of the social media impact to both readers and writers. The biggest impact is the interaction that social media creates. Many authors can be found on social media networks, which allows fans to connect with them and discuss books in forums, chat rooms, etc. This grows the community, making authors more human and relatable.

BUT, and yes there is a big BUT here. There are really two sides to every coin. With all the benefits that come with social media, there are also some downfalls. Today, authors must do more than just write a really great book. In order to become that big fish in the large publishing sea, writers must promote, network and develop a platform. If you haven’t read Kristen Lamb’s books, “We Are Not Alone-The Writers Guide to Social Media” and “Are You There Blog? It’s Me, Writer” then once you’ve finished reading my blog, immediately click on those pretty blue hyperlinks. Seriously, I wish I would have read these prior to starting this blog but I didn’t. And many of you keep coming back to listen to my writerly (yep, I made up that word) rants, thoughts and Oscar stories. I agree with Kristen’s advice to not take on too many social media avenues. She recommends focusing on a blog, Twitter and Facebook. I have done this. In fact, I recently set up my author page on Facebook. You may “like” me here. But, I do take her social media advice a little further.

When I first got on Twitter I quickly figured out my favorite part of this new social media resource. Hands down, Twitter is my number one place for networking and finding craft articles. I could probably jump on Twitter every 30 minutes throughout a day and find at least 5-10 great craft articles or articles in general to read. That timeline is always moving, giving me new, current information to soak up.

While this is a good thing, I quickly found myself sucked into a world ruled by a little blue bird, patrolled by a whale and where writers can’t exceed 140 characters. I found that I was building a great network of people, learning much from their wisdom but the key to my success was suffering—I wasn’t as focused on my manuscript.

I learned from my mistake and I fixed it. I still benefit from the wealth of knowledge from Twitter and other social media sites, I’m just smarter about how I use them. Here is how I manage my social media.

Step 1: Click on interesting links from Twitter as you see them. DO NOT READ THEM! Open a blank word document and save the links you collect throughout the day.

Step 2: Set time limits for yourself when you are on a social media site. If need be, actually set a timer. Only you know the right amount of time to dedicate to social media without jeopardizing your writing. For me, I take a writing break at least every hour on the hour. During my break, I’ll hop on Twitter or Facebook; chat with a few people, retweet some worthy sounding articles by followers I trust and the get back to writing. Again, unless an article really jumps out at me, I save anything I want to read on my word doc.

Step 3: At the end of the day I look back over the articles that I have saved. I then, relax with a Disney mug of hot green tea and learn from my fellow peers. I find that learning something new is the best thing to end a day with. It doesn’t matter how much I struggled with a scene or how many times Baby Markey decided I didn’t need to work that day, reading and learning something new is refreshing. It sends me off to bed to dream of the fabulous, productivity that I will accomplish the next day, thanks to the fact that I’m always learning and improving.

So, is social media our friend or foe? Social media is the school gossip. You know the kid you could go to for all the gossip but you never wanted to give them a reason to dislike you. Social media can be a great resource and a fabulous way of getting you out there. But if misused, it will suck up your time until your goals are a fowl ball flying out of the ballpark and taking you further away you’re your overall goal. I keep a sticky note within eyesight to my desk at all times. On the sticky note is my long-term goal and latest short-term goal. By always keeping those in mind and seeing them, it makes it easier for me to hit the red circle at the top left of my web browser.

In summary: Save links you find from social media sites. DO NOT READ THEM. Set a time limit for yourself on how long you can be on social media sites and stick to it. Finish your day by reading and learning from the articles that you saved. And go buy Kristen Lamb’s books!

Announcements:

My book, “Caring for Your Special Needs Dog,” is out by Who Dares Wins Publishing. A percentage of the profits go to The Texas A&M Foundation to the benefit of the Neurology Section, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinarian Medicine. To learn more about the book, which is currently selling for $2.99, click here.

Weekly Blog Mash ups: For my first blog mash up I'm sharing some of my favorite people to follow. They know writing, the craft and the industry, If you're a writer, you must follow these blogs.

Write It Forward- Who Dares Wins Publishing

Ending Unplanned- Rachel Harris

Warrior Writer- Kristen Lamb

PW Creighton- Phillip Creighton

Piper Bayard- Piper Bayard

Anna Writes- Anna DeStefano

Social Media: The author/writer impact

I’ve been thinking a lot about social media lately. I recently read “We Are Not Alone-The Writers Guide to Social Media” by best-selling author Kristen Lamb. And I’m currently 44% (thank you Kindle) through her latest book, “Are You There Blog? It’s Me, Writer.” It’s safe to say that my blog will soon undergo a makeover. But, I digress. To the point, why is social media good for the literary world?

Social media makes authors more human. Before the days of Twitter and Facebook and the other ways to connect to people, fans would send snail mail to authors. This would mean a long wait for a response, if any came. Now, when you read a book that you love you can follow the author online and interact with them. This makes authors accessible and well, human.

If you can’t make your favorite authors book tour, don’t worry most participate in blog tour these days. In my opinion, Mundie Moms has one of the best chat forums, where fans can chat and interact with authors during a live chat.

Some authors are very active on Twitter. Cassandra Clare even hosts character questions from time to time, where fans can ask a character a question and they will answer via Clare. Many authors also use social media sites, like Twitter to post teasers to their upcoming books. This serves as great marketing tool to generate buzz and excitement around the release.

Thanks to social media, book trailers have become popular and viral among the young adult and middle grade genres. And book reviews take on a whole new life and they can spread and be posted on multiple avenues, making the age-old-marketing tool of word of mouth more powerful then ever.

Social media connects readers that share a love for a series. There are no boundaries. If you follow my blog, then you probably know that I’m The Mortal Instruments Examiner at Examiner.com. For the release of the fourth book in ‘The Mortal Instruments’ series, ‘City of Fallen Angels’ I hosted an online video chat for fans to discus expectations as we all waited for midnight in our various time zones. It was so interesting because I had people join in on the chat from Saudi Arabia, Spain, Chile and other places outside of the US. I live in Arkansas and one book brought such a diverse group together. It was amazing!

Social media has raised books to an almost movie status. The growing communication tools brings effective marketing tools for authors but also can be a curse by taking away from actual writing time. On Friday I’ll discuss the bad side of social media. Until then, what positive influence has social media had on other industries? In what other ways has social media helped the world of writers and readers?

Announcements:

If you find social media interesting and want to learn how to use it, I recommend following Kristen Lamb’s blog. You must also read her books (see her blog for details.)

My book, “Caring for Your Special Needs Dog” is out. It was because of social media, that I was able to connect with families across the nation, that are living with a special needs dog. It currently is selling for $2.99! A percentage of the profits go to The Texas A&M Foundation to the benefit of the Neurology Section, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinarian Medicine.

What is a happy ending?

I read a lot of craft books when I decided to turn the ideas in my head into novels and there always was so much emphasis on that first chapter. I agree that the first chapter is very important. It is what sets the tone. It is what potential agents/publishers see. But what about the end? Will we be stoned to death if we don’t write that picture perfect ending, where are hero and heroine ride off into the sunset? What about cliffhangers? Is there a cliffhanger that is too much? Right now I’m thinking about endings a lot since I’m currently polishing the ending of my YA fantasy. And I’m not the only one. Recently I saw my friends at #WeWrite discussing endings as well.

My take on endings? I believe every ending needs to accomplish some arc. For example, when I decided that I wanted to write my YA fantasy series as a trilogy I created an outline for the overall series and then outlines for each book. The series has its overall plot arc, each character has their overall arc as well. Then each book has a purpose or something that it is out to accomplish. Another example, the big question to my heroine in book one is, who is she? At the end of book one readers will know the answer to the question, as will the heroine. So book one accomplishes its goal.

But (of course there is a but here) by answer the BIG question in book one it opens up other questions giving the reader a hook, AKA cliffhanger to keep reading.

A great example of this is Cassandra Clare’s ‘The Infernal Devices’ series. In the first book, ‘Clockwork Angel’ we are introduced to Tess Gray who at one time believed who she was but is thrown into a world where she discovers that she really doesn’t know who she is, or what she is at all. Spoiler, Spoiler, Spoiler. We learn, like Tessa that she is a downworlder. That is a fact, but neither of us, the reader or Tessa know what she is. So one question is answered only to open the door to other questions.

Some people don’t like cliffhangers. I hear readers complain, talking about how much they hate them. But by hating them, you’re proving how effective they are. As The Mortal Instruments Examiner at Examiner.com, I cover news stories related to the popular YA series by Cassandra Clare, ‘The Mortal Instruments’ and ‘The Infernal Devices.’ Clare is one of the best writers at cliffhangers and her latest book, ‘City of Fallen Angels’ really leaves the reader on the edge of their seat. It was my job to report the fan reaction to the book and for every reader that complained about the ending I would ask, “Will you read the next book?” The answer was always the same, “Yes.”

We read for entertainment. As a writer I want my readers to finish a story satisfied that the spent the time reading it. I want them to feel some accomplishment of the character’s journey but still leave them wanting for more. It’s good writing and smart marketing. So do I believe in writing a picture perfect happy ending? In the end—yes. I want the girl to get the guy and for the bad guy to get his comeuppance, but they will have a rocky road getting there.

What do you think about endings? Please share your comment below.

Announcements:

My non-fiction, “Caring for Special Needs Dogs” is out by Who Dares Wins Publishing. A percentage of the profits go to The Texas A&M Foundation to the benefit of the Neurology Section, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinarian Medicine. You can get it for $2.99 on Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Help special needs dogs find their happily ever after.

Plotser Vs. Panster: Why I'm changing my style

A major topic among writers is how we plan and write our stories. Are you a plotster or a panster? This means do you plot out your story in great details prior to writing or do you, as the term implies, fly by the seat of your pants and just let the story come to you as you write.

How do I write? With my YA fantasy that I’m wrapping up, I was a big panster. I had a very rough outline that identified the main story arc but I had no plan on how the story was going from point A to B. The flaw I found it this writing style is that the revision proves has taken so long. I’m not talking revising grammar; I’m referring to revising plot structure and character arcs. Because I wrote with the flow, the story failed to flow naturally.

Now as I prepare to embark on my next fictional project, a middle grade dystopian I am handling things differently. I have outlined the story in great detail. I have left no room for mystery, I know exactly where the plot and character arcs are going. The benefit of this level of planning is that I believe I will be able to write the story quicker and more efficiently. I’m also planning to work on some character interviews prior to writing. This means that I will literally where my reporter hat and interview the main characters so that I can better understand their goals, motives and personality.

Though I enjoyed the process of just letting my creative juices flow with the panster style that I used to write my first fictional manuscript, I plan to not write this way again. Writing styles vary by writer. What works for me, may not work for you. How do you write? Are you a panster or a plotster? How do you prepare for the next project?

Announcements:

My non-fiction, “Caring for Your Special Needs Dog” is out by Who Dares Wins Publishing. It is available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. A percentage of the profits go to The Texas A&M Foundation to the benefit of the Neurology Section, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinarian Medicine.

I’ve talked about the amazing writing community before. Writers are fortunate to have so many resources and groups easy to find. If you haven’t, join the revolution on Twitter at #MyWANA. This is a group of writers helping each other. It was started by social media expert, Kristen Lamb. I’ve also recently found the YA Sisterhood on Facebook. This is another great resource for YA writers.