How to Turn Your Brain into Mush/Write a Book in 8 Simple Steps

Any time my book comes up in everyday conversation, this inevitable question comes up:  "So HOW do you go about writing a book?" (Sometimes it's phrased as: "I don't even know how to start writing a book.")

I'm not sure if they're just being polite, or if people genuinely want to know. So for all you just-polite people, you're about to get yours. Here's how I go about writing a book. Step-by-step.

1) The Idea
I don't know how I get my ideas for books. It's different every time. Sometimes it's sparked by a weird dream (that I have to flesh out and trim down and flesh out again).

Sometimes I have to think really hard with pen in hand until the idea comes.

But most of the time, my ideas come to me when I'm trying to fall asleep at night. They just pop into my head. And usually it's on a day when I didn't write.

2) Planning
I like to do a bit of planning. Sometimes it's as simple as writing a summary of how I imagine the story. Sometimes I go in-depth and plan scene-by-scene the first 1/3 of the story. (I don't like to go any further than that if I'm going into great detail because it kind of sucks the life out of the story.)

Whatever I plan, it's just a guideline. I don't have to stick to it. If I get a better idea as I'm writing, I go for it.

2b) Knowing the Story
This is part of the planning, but it doesn't go into the actual book.

I like to get to know my main characters.

• I do this in different ways, including: filling out a questionnaire about hopes, dreams, fears, and priorities
• having a "conversation" with the character using a blank word document
• or imagining my character in really random situations (Like: how would Ivy Thorn react if she were in The Hunger Games?)

And then I spend a little time building my world.

• For Fairy Tale Trap, I just read a bunch of versions of Beauty and the Beast. 
• For Cinderella and Zombies, I researched castles and gunpowder. 
• For other books, that have not/will not ever hit the shelves, I've done research on: small towns in Virginia, the Civil War, fluke worms, alcoholic drinks and customs, and different views on the afterlife.

As I research, my brain pulls out the elements I want to use in my book and eventually the setting(s) build themselves in my mind.

3) First Draft
I open up a document, imagine my opening scene, latch on to my character's voice, and I write.

This draft is always really crappy. Always. But it doesn't matter what goes on the page, because I'm probably not going to keep it anyway.

What I do get from the first draft is a sense of story, setting, character and character interactions, I get a few cool plot twists and I have a possible ending to my story.

What I don't have is an awesome, logical plot full of tension on every page. That comes during the...

4) Second Draft
This takes more time than all the other stages combined. It's a major overhaul, where I add new scenes and dramatically change the few scenes that I keep.

I make sure the main characters' goals, feelings, and motivations are clear; build setting that matters; and put in as much conflict as I possibly can.

After I build each scene on a notecard, I write: "And things get so much worse when..." These usually make great cliffhanger chapter-endings.

Oh, and the part that takes the most time... once the scenes are completely planned-out, I write the story. By hand.

I do this because the writing is so much stronger when I do it by hand. The voice stays with me, the descriptions are richer, the settings are more complete. I think I save myself from doing another draft by doing it by hand.

5) Critique
I send draft 2, one or two chapters at a time, to my critique group. They're wonderful and catch gaps in logic, unclear writing, typos, and thoughts on the overall story. I love my critique group.

6) Third Draft
I print out draft two and make line-by-line changes with a pen. Then I type up the changes.

7) Final Countdown
This is my final draft, where I read the book like I'm reading it for the first time. (Sometimes I read it out loud.) I do this to make sure the language flows, and I want to catch last-minute typos.

I also like to have a fresh reader go over the book at the same time.

(Note: Because Cinderella and Zombies is so short, I've combined steps 6 and 7.)

8) Prep for Publication
This entails getting my book cover ready, formatting, and putting the book up on Amazon and Smashwords.

Right now, I mostly do my own book covers. I have a friend who pretty much taught me how to make them. He's really good at getting clean, professional-looking images and I turn to him when I need help.

I use the Smashwords formatting guide, then make the necessary changes to put it up on Amazon.

To put it up for sale, I just follow the instructions on the site. They're very thorough.

So yeah... writing a book...it's a process. A regular, novel-length book can take anywhere from 5-9 months.

Any questions?

Fear of Genre Hopping - Fairy Tales and Zombies?

You may or may not have noticed the updated 'Sample Chapters' page. I've included a link to Cinderella and Zombies, which is due to come out later this spring. This book is WAY outside my comfort zone. I didn't even think I liked zombies a year ago.

There's a scared little voice in the back of my head that keeps telling me that people aren't going to like Fairy Tales + Zombies. Or that the people who loved The Fairy Tale Trap are going to hate my zombie fairy tales and never read my work again. (Have no fear. I'm still working on The Fairy Tale Twist. I promise.)

But should I really let those concerns keep me from writing something new?

I hope to be the kind of author that readers want to be curious about. What will she come out with next? If my readers don't LOVE everything I write, that's okay

Maybe I'll write the time travel romance that keeps swimming around in my head. Maybe you'll hate it. If that's the case, I hope to have the kind of readers who will say, "She's better at fantasy. I'll stick with those."

I think I'll always keep coming back to YA fantasy. That's where my heart is. But I also want to branch out. I want to write stuff just for fun, because I hope other people will also think it's fun.

So. If you think there's a chance that you'll like Cinderella and Zombies, please read the sample chapters. If you like them, leave your email in the comments on the sample chapter page. When the book comes out, I'll email you a coupon for a discount on Cinderella. It's a thank you for trying something new.

Even Villains Fall in Love - Guest post by Liana Brooks

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am excited. Liana Brooks has written a book called: Even Villains Fall in Love. Who wouldn't want to read this?

Seriously.

Let me tell you the story of a little boy whose parents loved him very much. He grew up, went to school, graduated, had a job, and died. The end!

Not exciting enough? Let me try again.

Once there was a little boy whose parents loved him very much, but then they were attacked by a wicked villain bent on on world domination and the loving parents died defending their only son. The boy lived. As he grew up the same wicked man tried to destroy him, but the boy survived, went to school, made friends, and eventually saved the world before settling down to raise a family.

It's amazing what a difference a villain makes!

Every book you've ever loved would be nothing without the villain. Harry Potter would be just another boy at school. Lord Of The Rings would have been about some Hobbits in a village talking for three books. Hunger Games wouldn't exist at all.

A hero can't exist in vacuum. Without a villain a hero can't exist at all. A hero is someone who distinguishes themself from everyone else by doing what no one else is willing (or capable) or doing.

A reader needs a villain too. Many books have multiple protagonists (consider the split narrative of Lord Of The Rings), but the Big Bad Villain unites readers against a common foe. You might be torn over whether you like Legolas or Aragorn better, but you can be united in your hatred of Sauron.

And I think it's time to show the villains a little love.

The best antagonists are well-rounded characters with motives, feelings, desires, and fears. A well written villain is an individual that could almost be a hero, but at some point in life they decided to go the other way. A well written villain is someone we can almost sympathize with.

As the Harry Potter story unfolds the reader learns the back story of Snape, an on-again-off-again antagonist in the series (although not the Big Bad Himself), and who doesn't feel a little bit of sympathy for Snape? He was bullied, he was abused, he was rejected by the woman he loved, is it any wonder that he's now a grumpy middle aged man?

In the end, Snape becomes a hero. He makes the one choice that tips him from the side of evil to the side of good. Some days, the only difference between a hero and a villain is that one choice made at a crucial moment.

In EVEN VILLAINS FALL IN LOVE super villain Doctor Charm is just that kind of villain, one with a choice. He can pursue his plans for world domination, or save the woman he loves who just happens to be a a superhero.

Every story needs a villain, and even villains fall in love, so whose side are you on? Are you a villain or a hero?

I met Liana on Twitter and her tweets never disappoint. She was born in San Diego, California. Years later she was disappointed to learn that The Shire was not some place she could move to, nor was Rider of Rohan an acceptable career choice. Studying marine biology so she could play with sharks seemed to be the only alternative. After college Liana settled down to work as a full-time author and mother because logical career progression is something that happens to other people. When she grows up, Liana wants to be an Evil Overlord and take over the world.

In the meantime, she writes sci-fi and SFR in between trips to the beach. She can be found wearing colorful socks on the Emerald Coast, or online at www.lianabrooks.com.

Follow the rest of her blog tour for Even Villains Fall in Love.

In Case You Didn't Know...

I'm pregnant. Baby Casey #3 is due September 21 and we're SO excited.

Unfortunately, the hormones turn my brain to mush and writing is a lot slower. I'm still making progress on The Fairy Tale Twist, though. It should still come out late this summer. (It'd better. I'm taking a break when baby gets here. A month, maybe two.)

So to everyone who has asked me, "How do you do it?" The answer is: "Very slowly, but I move forward."

I figure as long as I'm moving (and not moving backward), I'm still a writer, right?