My very first guest appearance on an author’s blog! Many thanks to my friend and fellow writer Ari Meghlen for having given me this opportunity. For any of you who are writers looking for a place to be a guest blogger, I highly recommend her site.
Category: Books
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Kindle Users, It’s Finally Here!
That’s right! Mystical Greenwood is now available in Kindle from Mockingbird Lane Press on Amazon AND Amazon UK!
As a friendly reminder, you can reserve the paperback through Amazon and Barnes & Noble. If you’re in Britain, it’s also available through Amazon UK and Foyles Bookstore. Additional outlets can be found for both versions via Goodreads.
You can also try ordering directly at your local bookstore. That can help get it on shelves for other readers to find. If you belong to a book club, I hope you’ll recommend it to your fellow members! Your reviews will help me and this book immensely. Spread the word!
And don’t forget, if you become a fan, you can order merchandise with the cover art at Deviant Art!
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Order Mystical Greenwood Now!
Yes! I’m very happy to announce that the paperback version of Mystical Greenwood is now available on Amazon!
Mockingbird Lane Press will also soon be offering an e-book version (which can be downloaded to Kindle and Nook)! It should be available in a couple weeks.
Mystical Greenwood will also soon be offered on Barnes & Noble.
I hope you enjoy it! Please read, review (be honest), and help spread the word!
The cover art is also available on Deviant Art! If you’re a fan, you can now buy merchandise!
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Count your Lucky Length
Often when works of fiction are discussed, word and/or page count comes up. When you see books on a shelf, one of the first things you’ll notice, apart from the author’s name and book title on the spine, is how thick or thin they are compared to each other. Some people, like J. R. R. Tolkien, enjoy reading long stories. Others prefer shorter works. What is it about length? Does it matter?
Often when you look at a book’s title page, there will often be a subtitle saying “A Novel” or something similar. “A Novella” and “A Novelette” appear to be less common. Instead, perhaps you might see “A Short Novel”. Furthermore, when it comes to defining types of writers we have novelist, poet, essayist, playwright, short story writer, and screenwriter. There are no set terms that I’m aware of for writers of novellas or novelettes. I sometimes feel novel is an umbrella term under which any fictional work longer than a short story can be labeled. Often, it seems word count is what it really comes down to, as I’ve seen so many sets of word count ranges that are used to define these works. Or is it?
In my senior year at St. Mary’s College, I took a high level creative writing class called “The Novella”. Some of the books we read felt like novels or long short stories. We each had to write a novella, and I started writing that story about neglected pets. It fit into a novella word count range. However, my classmates and the professor felt it should be expanded into a novel. I admit before that class, I’d first imagined it as a novel. Perhaps a work of fiction is what the author believes it to be, and subsequently calls it.
Writing for the stage and screen can be more restrictive, though it’s by page count rather than words. Once at a meeting of the MWA Annapolis chapter, it was stated a page of a screenplay equals a minute of screen time. Thus, an ideal film script should be 100-120 pages. A TV episode script would be 50-60 pages. Plays too it seems have page count limits these days. Audiences, I can understand, would rather not sit in a theater all day.
Some classic plays and films are long. Hamlet is usually abridged when staged or filmed. The 1996 unabridged film version lasted over four hours. Sometimes I wonder what Hamlet’s stage and screen history would’ve been like had Shakespeare written it as two plays, as he did with Henry IV (which has appeared onscreen only as TV films). I also wonder what the movie Gettysburg would’ve been like had it been a TV miniseries as initially planned.
Charles Dickens’s works were first published as a serial (like novelettes or novellas) before being printed as complete books. The serial versions were cheaper, making his novels available to the masses, whom, with a cliffhanger, would be enticed to buy the next installment. The novels of the Brontë sisters were published in “volumes,” but like Dickens’s books, they are only published as complete works nowadays. Some people feel novellas and novelettes have difficulty getting published these days, and if they do, they are usually combined with similar works.
In the end, it all comes down to the writer. It’s up to the author whether they want to define their work as novels, novellas, novelettes, short novels, or short stories. Length is applied in the public consciousness, but maybe it doesn’t have to. Does length and its description on the title page affect the customers decision to purchase or pass? What do you think?
Further Reading
- Meer, Syed Hunbbel. Differences Between a Short Story, Novelette, Novella, & a Novel.
- Playwriting 101. Chapter 1: The Play’s the Thing.
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Status of Mystical Greenwood
I’m sure many of you are eager to hear the status on Mystical Greenwood. So as a little treat on this Christmas Day I thought I’d share some updates.
To begin with, if you haven’t yet, be sure to watch the book trailer!
Many thanks to Jamie Johnson of Mockingbird Lane Press for an excellent job, and also to songwriter Lee Chapman for the wonderful musical score. Some of you already know this, but Mystical Greenwood includes within its story the lyrics I wrote for two songs. Lee has composed music for both of them. The music in the trailer is for one of those songs.
I’ve gotten through the hard proof round of editing. It sure was a thrill to hold my book in my hands. I do not have an official release date yet, but it looks like Mystical Greenwood may be ready sometime in the coming months! I’ll make an announcement when it’s available. The cover art should follow on Deviant Art soon after the book’s publication.
As you saw from the trailer, when it’s officially released, it will be listed on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. It will be available in both paperback and e-book (downloadable to Kindle and Nook). Be sure to check the Events page for future events. I definitely want to organize a launch party once the book is released.
I’m looking forward to the new year! Once again, I’m thinking of resolutions. Those pertaining to writing include completing at least one draft of a new book (specifically those two that are in progress), and of course making Mystical Greenwood a success. You can help me there by reading it, reviewing it, and spreading the word.
Happy Holidays!
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Another Year
Tomorrow marks this website’s second anniversary. Wow, two years already! Looking back, it’s amazing how much has happened since I created it, much of which I couldn’t have anticipated.
This blog post is my twenty-fourth. I chose to pace myself at one a month, which has suited me fine so I wouldn’t run out of ideas too fast. I’ve discussed personal insights and experiences in various aspects of the writing process as a means to get the word out about myself as a writer, to share my opinions, and to build a following in advance of getting my novel published. All are listed under the site’s Blog page.
My first blog post was referenced in a superbly done lecture series by Professor Jennifer Cognard-Black, titled Becoming a Great Essayist. I highly recommend it for any writer. My post may not have been an essay, and I certainly didn’t think of it as such when I wrote it. But maybe some of those that have followed it meet that level.
I completed writing Mystical Greenwood shortly after creating this site, and by the end of the following year, I signed a contract with Mockingbird Lane Press to publish it. The cover art was completed this summer, and my publisher and I have worked together on editing it.
Two haiku poems were published last winter in the MWA‘s literary journal Pen in Hand, which is available on Amazon (again, my author bio has an old web address). I’ve also done early work on two other novels, which I hope to get back to over the holidays.
My website has been viewed by people all over the globe. Ranked by most views, here’s a list of the top ten countries as of this moment:
- United States
- United Kingdom
- Canada
- India
- Brazil
- Australia
- Ireland
- Spain
- Tanzania
- Italy
I’ve shared my site and posts on social media, and made new accounts to increase the viewing pool. I’ve also uploaded two videos of me reading samples of my work publicly to my YouTube channel.
With Thanksgiving approaching, I’m thankful not only for getting my novel on its way to publication, but to have done well with this website over these two years. I’m also thankful to all of you who followed this site and liked my pages and posts.
Who can say what will happen in the upcoming year? With Mystical Greenwood coming closer to publication, I look forward to it! If you’re reading this and aren’t subscribed or following me on social media, I hope you’ll consider doing so and joining in on this journey!
If you have a website and/or blog, how long has yours been up? Please share some of your own writing and blogging highlights.
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Edit, Revise, Rewrite
Any writer who takes their craft seriously will have edited their work many times over. I can pretty much guarantee that any bestselling novel or literary classic you take off the shelf is not in its first draft. Novels go through several drafts before they are published. It can be said of any form of creative writing too, really. It can even feel at times while you write that you are editing too, and the editing takes over the writing process. Some say to not edit at all with the first draft, to just write it and get it done. Also, others will say that you eventually have to stop editing and move on, otherwise you never will. Both of those sentiments make total sense, but editing is still a vital stage of the writing process.
Perhaps you remember from writing school papers the concept of rough drafts and final copies. Editing enables you to polish a rough draft so that you have a final copy. It is the same with novels. So what chance does a work have without being edited, or without at least one other pair of eyes not your own offering critical feedback? Taking feedback is never easy, but it should be constructive, so you can see it as a way to ask yourself what can be done better.
Going beyond grammar and spelling, the book itself goes through many drafts. Plot points are altered. New ones come in. Old ones are eliminated. It’s same with characters, names, and the elements and rules of world-building. Plot holes are identified, along with anything that does not fit. The problem is tackled, usually more than once. It might be necessary to start over from scratch, using the old draft for reference. Format can change too: chapter titles come and go, length can be altered, and the format of chapter numbers (word numbers, Roman numerals, number numbers) can change.
With Mystical Greenwood, I’ve learned the power and importance of editing. It’s always beneficial to have another pair of eyes look at what you wrote, so you might see what potential readers might say. Whether they’re beta readers, critique group members, or professional editors, their opinions will go a long way. At a time when I thought Mystical Greenwood was good and the plot solid, an insightful and encouraging critique from author John DeDakis showed me that more work still needed to be done. To quote Ewan McGregor’s character in The Ghost Writer, I came to think of it as a case where “all the words are there. They’re just in the wrong order.” Some scenes were moved around and rewoven together as a result.
Originally, I had around half as many chapters that were twice as long, but then I started to wonder if they were too long. I’ve read books with really long chapters and found it to be frustrating finding a place to stop before bed. So about two thirds through a draft, I split those I had in two (excepting the prologue). I also switched from word numbers to number numbers. I once had chapter titles, but grew to dislike them, and after failing to think of new ones, I discarded them altogether. I felt they had become unnecessary.
The main reason I approached Mockingbird Lane Press was its founder, Regina Riney-Williams, has a great reputation as an editor. Over the course of two rounds of editing, I have found her insights and opinions invaluable. She has been constructive and encouraging, and I’m very grateful for her feedback as much as her willingness to take my book on. I’ve learned not only that so much can change through editing, but as a writer to never stop with one draft. To be a good writer, one must seek and accept feedback, subsequently editing, revising, and often rewriting, which must continue with every novel to come.
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Formatting a Manuscript
Writers can certainly have visions of how they want their books’ interior to look when readers open them, with such things as drop caps and fancy-looking fonts for the title and chapters and body. For those who self-publish, it’s certainly up to them what design they want. However, when submitting to agents and/or presses, they’ll rarely accept a manuscript that’s been elaborated as such. It needs to be easy for them to read and edit, similar to how play and film scripts must be easy for actors to read. Design for novels comes later. I’ve found it best to use a manuscript format while writing. It makes it a lot easier to focus on the story. A similar situation I think most people can relate to would be school papers; teachers and professors often give specific formatting guidelines to their students, based on their own preferences.
Agents and publishers will often have their own preferences that they specifically ask for or use later, but there are some commonalities I’ve found in advice and tips already out there, and from my own experience. What follows are some personal observations and recommendations based on some of these commonalities. Note: this discussion focuses specifically upon novels, as opposed to plays or screenplays (both of which I’ve learned have their own formatting guidelines) and using Microsoft Word.
Now, writers can go in manually and adjust, or modify text formats and headings so they can just be chosen. When it comes to the text, Left is preferred, rather than Justified, and no hyphenating (both will come later, with the final layout). Tabs aren’t recommended; instead, format paragraphs so the first line is always indented. The only paragraphs which don’t have to be indented are the first in each chapter. With titles and chapter headings, I’ve learned it’s best to Center and Bold them so they stand out. Italics are used only when there’s a specific need for them, such as for internal thoughts.
When it comes to font, a small handful are generally preferred: Times New Roman, Arial, Courier New, and probably Calibri and Cambria now. Make it all size 12 (except the book title if you wish). I also turn off the Widow/Orphan Control when setting the paragraph format. Why? Say there are one or two lines left on a page for a brand-new paragraph. It’ll automatically instead go over to the next page, and you have an empty line. Turning off the Widow/Orphan Control prevents that, so a page’s entire space is used. 1″ margins and regular paper size (8.5″ x 11″) are also preferred. Old school would have two spaces after every sentence, but nowadays it’s just one. Some would have the book title on the same page as the first chapter. In other cases, there’s a separate title page, which I personally prefer. I also make it a separate section from the chapters, so it doesn’t have page numbers like they do (which are typically centered in the footer).
In the end, I now think of manuscript formatting this way: it’s a book ready to receive edits as well as an elegant design, just as a play or script is ready to be read by actors. It’s beautiful in its own way, designed to be presented to the publishing world. If you have experiences and/or opinions of your own on formatting a manuscript, please feel free to share them.
Further Reading
- SMF – Standard Manuscript Formatting.
- Dacus, Kaye. Manuscript 101–Introduction & Basic Manuscript Format.
- Hill, Beth. Format Your Novel for Submission.
- Kewin, Simon. 16 Manuscript Format Guidelines.
- Klems, Brian A. What Are the Guidelines for Formatting a Manuscript?
- Williamson, Jill. How to Format a Fiction Manuscript.
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Moving on to the Next Step
Writing an entire book is a challenge, but one I have overcome with Mystical Greenwood. It isn’t finished yet technically as it’s still in the editing phase. But with Mockingbird Lane Press publishing it, it’s more apparent to me than ever that the day will come where I’ll have officially moved on from this one book I’ve worked on for so long. But that means I’m going face a new challenge, which may prove even greater: writing another book. Knowing I’ll have to move on to this next step, I’m already feeling the pressure.
It almost feels as if I’ve never written a novel before. I’ve noticed a similar situation in college: whenever a new semester starts, it feels like I’m back to square one. But in truth, I realize it’s only natural to feel this way, because every semester, like every book to come, will be different. Each new novel will be its own unique experience and journey, but I’ll have to remember the experiences and challenges will be, to a certain degree, similar to those I’ve endured before. I have to tell myself I did it before and can do it again. On the other hand, it may be necessary as well as only natural to feel nervous. I cannot become overconfident or complacent with myself. That fear of failure is what enables me to keep striving try hard, and be conscientious.
However, I find Mystical Greenwood as it is now – almost complete – in the back of my mind. As a result, I keep thinking about it, which isn’t a fair comparison because newer projects will be in their earliest, rough drafts. Sometimes I feel people, when reading a novel, don’t consider the earlier drafts it must’ve gone through. Speaking for myself as a writer, I see a similar problem when starting a new novel after finishing the last one. It’s easy to look at a book, complete or nearly complete, and fear your next one won’t be as good or well-written. On the other hand, that last book was rough once. What I mean to say is, Mystical Greenwood‘s near publication should motivate me to write more, but I can’t compare it to other novels as I begin writing them. The books to come will also take more than a few drafts. A well-polished book doesn’t come instantly.
As I have said before, Mystical Greenwood is intended to be the first book in a trilogy. The next book certainly is one of those up front I need to work on. I have some ideas already forming of what I want to include in the second book, including how I want to end it, but it won’t conclude the story, thereby giving me an early purpose for the third book. At the same time, I want to expand beyond this fantasy realm into other genres.
As a matter of fact, I wrote a manuscript for a high-level creative writing class during my last semester at St. Mary’s College. The class was a “novella” class, but others felt the story I came up was more novel length, which I felt too. Unlike Mystical Greenwood, it was set in the real world, and was about pets that are neglected and abused. It was definitely a first draft that needs rewriting and I want to work on it. We’ll see what happens. I don’t want to overstretch myself by working on way too many projects at the same time, but there are several other ideas I could expand on eventually. I won’t reveal too much just yet, except there is hope. The day will come soon where I’ll be moving on to the next step. I cannot stop at only a single novel. I must write more, again and again.
Andrew McDowell 