Writerly Wednesday: Author Tools

There are so many great tools out there for authors. It can be overwhelming at first, because there is so much information out there. I've compiled a list of the tools that I use to get my writing done. Let me know if you have any questions!

1. Google Docs. Yes, it's pretty much just Word. However, the convenient thing is that you can access it anywhere that you have internet. Back in the day, I used to email documents to myself basically every single day. It bogged down my computer (and my email!). Docs automatically saves your progress as well as prior versions, so if you lose something you can go back and find it. Another amazing perk of Docs is multiple people can be working in a document at the same time. That's especially helpful whenever you are writing with a co-author!

2. Canva. This is a paid subscription service, but let me tell you, it is so helpful. I have a bit of an eye for graphic design, so I use Canva to create all of my promotional images, graphics for social media, as well as business cards and media kits for my projects. You have access to a lot of really cool features with the premium version, and it makes creating great visual images so much easier than if I had to try and do it all on my own.

3. Plottr. Admittedly, I don't use this as much as I would like to. Plottr is a software that you can use to plot out your story. You can do it on a timeline or outline view. It comes pre-loaded with templates for different story structures, or you can create your own. It also has an option to put information on characters, locations, and additional notes. One of my favorite features is the series option! I almost wish this was a web based product, so I could refer to it anywhere instead of just on my laptop. It's great for the price you pay for the software.

4. Loomly. Ugh, Marketing, am I right? When you're an indie author, you are everything: writer, publisher, marketer. Having to balance multiple social media accounts can be very daunting. During our launch for Guns & Smoke, I used a calendar to remind myself to go and post things. Loomly takes a lot of the hassle out of that, because you can schedule posts in advance. I just used it to plan nearly all of my posts for the next month! Again, it is a paid subscription, but it is worth every penny to not have to chase my social accounts all of the time.

5. Spotify. I pay for a premium account, but you don't have to. Spotify gives you access to tons of songs. I'm able to tell my echo to play a specific song, and it will. I use it to build playlists for each of my projects. Spotify offers suggestions on similar songs as well. As a writer, music keeps me in specific scenes, so having similar songs being suggested to build a specific feel for a project is great.

6. Google Calendar. This is super helpful to keep track of your life. I don't just use this for writing stuff. I have a calendar specifically for my personal stuff, as well as for my bookish stuff. I have one calendar that Lauren and I share because it's easier for us to be able to make plans and stick it on a calendar, then get reminders.

7. Google Sheets. I am a super organized person. I need to be able to see things in clean lines, and I use Sheets to plot out our budget and put in all of the calculations so I can be sure that everything is up to date. I also use it to keep track of my expenses, though I am in the process of moving over to QuickBooks. I also have a master spreadsheet of all of my writing projects. It's exactly like Excel, just more easily accessible on the go.

These are the main tools that I use to keep myself organized and feel like my life has some semblance of control. Are there any tools that you use that aren't listed above? Let me know! I am always looking for things to make my life more efficient!

Abbie

Book Review: The Serpent's Curse by Lisa Maxwell

Finally! I got through The Last Magician and The Devil's Thief and began book three!

Let me start off by saying Wow, this book is a beast! I follow Lisa Maxwell on all of her social media accounts, and it took her quite a while to get this novel out. The reason was that the novel was too long and had to be split into two.

Yall. The Serpent's Curse was 750 pages. 7-5-0. Could you imagine how big it would have been if she'd tried to fit all of the plot?

This novel picks up right where The Devil's Thief left off: Esta and Harte are separated, but still in search of the stones that Harte mistakenly sent out of New York City. Not only do they have the giant task of finding the stones, but they also have to figure out how they are going to be able to travel back in time to 1902 with the stones (they can't exist in a time where they already are).

From the beginning of this series, Maxwell has teased a future confrontation with Harte's father, and she does not disappoint. Harte thought he'd never see the man again, but when he shows up in San Francisco, his father is there. The man has a new wife and son and Harte, who has declared himself a bastard from the beginning, immediately sees himself in Sammie, his younger brother.

Esta is on the road, traveling with two characters we met in book two: North and Maggie. They are a young couple who, unknowingly, are working in a network of mageus headed up by the main villian: Nibsy Lorcan. Now, Nibsy is stuck in NYC, but he's up to plenty of shenanigans in an attempt to get back the stone Harte left in NYC.

The rest of the novel includes mischevous plans to steal the stones back, illnesses, and even more rampant time travel.

There is alot going on in this novel. If you haven't recently reread the entire series, I would highly suggest doing so before diving in to this one. I would have been completely lost.

My little heart was SO happy though. That slow burn romance that built in books one and two? Yeah. it started RAGING in this book. I CANNOT wait to see what happens in The Shattered City, which releases in the spring of 2022. It's going to be an epic finale to see how all of these stories wrap up.

Thanks, Abbie

Writerly Wednesday: Speed Drafting

Welcome back to Writerly Wednesday! This week I want to talk all about speed drafting. What is speed drafting, you may ask. Well, I'm glad to tell you.

As authors, sometimes it's more beneficial to do a fast draft of your novel, especially if you are trying to publish multiple books in short periods of time. For me, personally, it takes a while to get through a novel. I'm not one who can publish every few months. But, as the saying goes, to publish, you have to write it.

While we were waiting for publication of Guns & Smoke, my co-author and I went on a writing retreat weekend. We found an AirBNB in the middle of nowhere and intended on doing nothing but writing for four days straight. While we didn't think we could finish an entire draft in a weekend, it was a great jumping off point.

What is speed drafting like?

Well, that depends. I'm a plotter. I need to have the story beats mapped out beforehand, and even a loose chapter-by-chapter outline. I personally need some structure. I find that it keeps me on task and gives me a look at the road ahead so I don't get lost in the draft.

We managed to draft the first 40,000 words in the course of four days. It was exhausting but it was also exhilarating. Being able to solely focus on writing with no interruptions or obligations was incredible. This allowed us to really dive into the characters and the story work that we'd done beforehand and figure out some changes in the manuscript. We took our time really delving into the important plot points. After that weekend, we finished the draft within 28 days.

165,000 Words in TWENTY-EIGHT days!

So, what are the pros and cons of speed drafting?

The main pro is that you have a workable draft. You can't fully form and develop a story until you have words on the page. It's easy if you don't know what to do to just make a note of something you want to add later and keep going. Another perk is that you know, roughly, what the story is going to look like. If you're an indie author, you have to be constantly thinking ahead to the next step. We were able to get the cover copy for Leather & Lace written before we ever edited a word. It allowed us the opportunity to think ahead to cover concepts and marketing ideas, even before the book was finished.

Cons of speed drafting include mistakes. Not deeply delving into every single plot point can create a lot of work later. When Lauren did our developmental edits, she realized we were missing a lot of key story structure moments. When rereading the fast draft, we learned that there are a lot of things that will need to be reworked and rewritten. But, at least it's written. Another con is that it's really easy to get sucked into drafting that other parts of your life get neglected. I am very lucky. I don't have a spouse or children, so my time is pretty open. That's not the case for everyone. Speed drafting may not be an option depending on your busy schedule.

What tips and tricks can I give you?

The biggest one: Plot. Read books on story structure, figure out the story beats, do your world building, make sure your characters are well rounded before. you. write. a word. I cannot stress enough how much it helps for me to have the story beats written out and an outline. Now, that doesn't mean the story is set in stone. I allow plenty of wiggle room if the story decides to take a turn away from it.

Last year, for NaNoWriMo, I wrote a 75,000 word draft of a solo novel with only a single character perspective. I have never done that in my life. I would never have been able to write all of those words in the course of a month if I hadn't done my prep work.

Give yourself grace. Remind yourself that you aren't human. While speed drafting is a sprint, your mental health is the most important thing. You need to be sure to take time for yourself. If you find that you can't write one thing or don't feel like writing, take the nap, drink the coffee, do whatever you need to to take care of yourself.

Don't stress if there's a plot point or moment that you aren't sure how to write. In speed drafting, it's about getting words down, not necessarily the words that make it to publication. If you know an action scene needs to happen, but you can't or don't want to write it, just use brackets, like this: [Character A defeats Character B in a duel to the death] and move forward!

Speed drafting isn't for everyone. I still struggle with it myself, but I hope that this has provided some insight into what it looks like and I hope these tips help you decide if speed drafting is something you may want to do.

Check out my post from last week if you'd like some resources on story structure and character building by going here.

Feel free to reach out to me on social media if you have any questions or would like to talk writing! I'd love to connect with you.

Abbie