The standard advice to new writers is to “write what you know.” But what do you do when the story you want to tell wanders into areas that you don’t know. How do you handle that?

You do some research, of course.

My novel-in-progress, The Thread, required the two main protagonists, Ben and Kiki, to be stranded in the Montana wilderness, high up in the mountains, deep inside Flathead National Forest. Kiki’s been injured and the only way out is to hike out.

I’ve done a lot of hiking over the years but most of it has been in the Appalachian mountains or in desert-like areas of Southern California. Once, when I was fifteen (a long time ago), I hiked in the Rocky Mountains above Salt Lake City. However, I had never been to Montana, let alone Flathead National Forest.

I’ve completed the first draft of The Thread and I’m getting ready to start my first re-write (after NaNoWriMo). All along I’ve been worried that I hadn’t properly captured the uniqueness of the Big Sky Country wilderness, especially the way it would be during the month of October (which is when the story takes place).

When one of the air carriers sent me an email with a sweetheart deal to Kalispell, I jumped at the chance. I’m in Montana right now!

I spent the day yesterday riding around in a Jeep Wrangler deep as deep in the forest as I could get. Today, I drove to a remote area and spent a few hours hiking into the forest.

I found taking notes while hiking when the temperature is in the low thirties to be difficult. I began to wonder if I could use my cell phone as a tape recorder, when I realized I could easily dictate while capturing video. The process worked great.

Here is an example:

Here is another tip. I use Evernote to capture notes whenever I think of something I want to add to my story. What’s great about Evernote is that my notes are available whenever I need them, even on my smartphone. (Yes, there’s an app for that!) The notes can be just about any format from pictures to web pages to rich text, etc. If you take a picture with words in the picture, Evernote indexes them so you can search and find them later.

The best part about Evernote is that it’s free.

Here’s a quick demo video about Evernote.

This is what works for me. What works for you?

In The Trust, attorney Noah Parks leads a comfortable life as a general practice attorney in historic Charleston, South Carolina. That is until he gets a visit from an overbearing Chicago-based lawyer who informs him he’s been named as legal counsel to probate the estate of Leonardo Xavier Cross, a man he’s never known.

The other lawyer, Steven Thomason, has already done most of the detail work, so the job should be simple and straightforward. That’s the theory, anyway.

One of the intriguing items about the will is Noah’s compensation for his services: the mysterious contents of a previously unknown safe deposit box.

Soon things start getting complicated. Primarily due to the deaths of many of those associated with the estate. At first these seem accidental and unrelated. Before long, coincidence can’t explain away the pattern.

The Trust by Sean Keefer

Noah’s scars from previous relationships show as he repeatedly resists becoming intimate with multiple women involved in the case despite their practically dragging him into bed with them.

Breakout author, Sean Keefer, feeds the reader wonderfully complex and deep characters and a plot line that keeps getting stranger and more puzzling. Even though this is a legal thriller, there are no boring courtroom scenes, only straightforward action as Noah and his sidekicks pursue the truth.

I thoroughly enjoyed the journey through the pages of The Trust. It’s a fun, page-turning romp through Charleston and the surrounding countryside. Mr. Keefer does a nice job of pacing and shares just enough clues to keep you guessing along the way.

Here is the book trailer.

It’s been a week or so since I got an invite to Google+ and took my test drive. I loved it immediately. Thinking the newness might wear off and I might become less enthused over time, I stayed quiet for a bit.

However, after a week, I still myself hanging out in Google Plus when I have a few idle moments.

Why?

This initial draw for me was the Circles. In Facebook, I fought constantly to keep my private information private. Every time they introduced a new feature, I would have to search to find out where and how to opt-out. With G+ circles, I get to decide on each post, who will have visibility.

Then I fell in love with the way you can use circles to filter your Stream (G+’s version of FB’s newsfeed). With one click, I can view my family’s posts. Another click and I catch up with my work associates. Click once again and view posts from my fellow writers.

Since the user interface looks like Facebook (after a couple of trips through the wash cycle), I expected the same two-step, ask and confirm, friending process. I was surprised to learn that G+ works more like Twitter in this regard. You simply decide who to follow. But unlike Twitter, people you follow may not choose to share anything with you.

Sharing pictures and videos works pretty much like Facebook, except the size when viewed in your stream is much larger — and G+ doesn’t default to low-resolution when you upload (nor does G+ try to scare you into low-res by claiming the upload will take 10x longer.)

There are many other G+ features. Some I haven’t yet explored, like Hangouts,which are video chat sessions with up to ten friends.

I expected that G+ would replace my use of Facebook over time, which it has to a large degree. But what surprised me is how little time I’m spending on Twitter.

I believe the reason for this is that many of my writer friends are already on G+. I find more than enough social interaction with them to fill the time I have available — and the interaction is richer and more fulfilling than on Twitter.

What about you? Have you tried Google+ yet? What do you like — and what do you not like?

Back on June 22, Terry Giuliano Long recognized me with a Stylish Blogger Award. She said some awfully nice things:

“Newbie Author” Dax MacGregor is a smart, savvy, extremely talented writer. His superb blog, “First Manuscript,” dedicated to helping aspiring authors reach their dreams, is packed with tips and ideas for writers as well as keys for achieving success. Dax, Newbie’s pen name and alter ego, now has his own new site. Did I mention he’s fun? The ultimate professional, Dax brings a friendly, mischievous smile to the job. What more could we ask? Follow his blog or tweets @DaxMacGregor.

Thank you, Terri, for the kind words.

The Stylish Blogger Rules

1. Thank and link to the person who nominated you.
2. Share 7 random facts about yourself.
3. Pass the award on to 5 newfound blogging buddies.
4. Contact the winners to congratulate them.

Seven Random Facts About Me

1. My recently departed wife, Stephanie, was my best friend. I’m a bit lost right now.
2. My brother Bill and my son Rick are also aspiring authors.
3. As a kid, I grew up living close to Lake Erie. During summer vacations, I fished several times per week. I haven’t fished in decades. The idleness drives me nuts, now.
4. I’m committed to mastering the art of writing.
5. My favorite pastime is golf. I’m not particularly good, but I like the nature stroll, especially in the early morning.
6. As a seventh grader, I appeared on It’s Academic, a TV quiz show where schools compete. I did well. Our team was winning in the final round, until I blew the final question. We lost by ten points.
7. I’m a non-conformist. I like doing things differently. I have a favorite saying: “Normal is overrated.”

My Five Stylish Award Winners

Emlyn Chand

Shortly after I launched First Manuscript, Emlyn noticed one of my articles and asked if I would permit her to republish it on her Novel Publicity site as a guest blogger. Of course, I agreed.

Since that time, Emlyn has helped me immensely. She encouraged me to continue when I could count my blog’s daily pageviews on two or three fingers. She listened and commented as I explored and tried out different pen names. She helped me figure out how to blog and use Twitter effectively. (I flunked Facebook, I still have only a handful of people who “like” me.)

Emlyn is amazing. She leads the day-to-day operations at her company (Novel Publicity), tweets all-day as Novel Publicity and herself, updates Facebook a couple of times a day, reads voraciously (313 books on Goodreads), publishes articles on Novel Publicity *and* on her personal author blog. Plus, she’s written at least two books. I don’t know how she does it.

Oh, and she’s already on Google Plus figuring how to use that to reach more people.

Stephan Loy

Steve is an accomplished writer. He’s a fellow member of the Indianapolis Writers Meetup Group. Steve routinely provides insightful critiques of my submissions. He’s helped me grow significantly as a writer.

Steve has self-published a novel, titled Last Days and Times (four and a half stars on Goodreads). In addition to writing, he’s a graphics artist and a teacher. He’s got a how-to-draw book for children in the works and is presently completing a fiction satirizing the current state of educational reform efforts.

His author site is dedicated to providing information about Last Days and Times (no blog). Steve guest posts articles on the Pen to Paper blog. (Pen to Paper is the other Indianapolis-based critique group.)

Eve Shi

I met Eve through comments that she left on my posts. Eve lives in Indonesia.

Eve writes wuxia, which instantly caught my attention because it sounds cool and I had absolutely no idea what it was.

Eve started her blog in April of this year. But she’s already published book reviews, author interviews, short stories and articles on a host of other interesting topics. I like visiting her blog because there is always something new, creative and different.

Rachel Giesel

Rachel has written a book: The Wonders of Writing,  which is a how-to book about writing and publishing books. She has a website named Writing Wonder with a blog, a writing tools section and information about her book (including a video).

Did I mention that Rachel is seventeen?

She lives in Mason, Ohio — a suburb of Cincinnati. I’m partial because I once lived there, too.

I just wish Rachel would post more often, because I enjoy reading her articles.

Janet Cincotta

Jan is another writer I met via the comments she left here.

Like me, Jan is pursuing writing as a second career. She recently left her day job as a family physician to focus on her writing. (Unlike Jan, I’m still working my day job.)

Her blog, begin…begin again, is filled with interesting posts about writing, about her charity work (she’s spend a lot of time in Jamaica) and other topics.

I’m indebted to Jan because she convinced me to read Story Engineering by Larry Brooks (which provided the education I needed to clearly see my way to finishing my novel).

Summary

Please join me in congratulating these five for their creative blogging and dedication to mastering the art of writing.

Today, Novel Publicity announced First Manuscript as winner of their Traffic-Breaker Award for their recent In Leah’s Wake Blog Tour.

As part of the tour we published a book review and an interview with Terri Giuliano Long, the author.

This award goes to the blog participating in the book tour which receives the highest number of votes.

I want to express my sincere appreciation to all those who voted for us, especially my critique team who surprised me last Saturday when they announced they all had voted. Thank you!

As writers, we fuss over the appearance of our blogs so visitors get a feel of who we are. When we publish articles, we take time to choose the best words to communicate our thoughts. The presentation of our work is important to us. Why is it then, that most writers don’t optimize their posts to look good in search engines?

After all, we want people to find our posts, visit our sites and read our musings. So why not improve our chances of getting chosen?

This article is not about search engine optimization (SEO). I’m not going to tell you how to improve your ranking in the search results. Instead, I’ll show you how to optimize the appearance of your listings, making them more enticing and improving your chances of getting selected.

Real World Examples

Let’s look at some sample search results. On Google, I searched for “overcome writer’s block.” I selected these four entries from the results.

Look them over. Which one would you pick first?

I’d be willing to bet you didn’t choose number three. Why? First off, the name of the website, I Do Web Marketing, doesn’t sound inviting (at least not to writers). But more importantly, the description tells us nothing about the post. The author’s well-intentioned effort to welcome visitors is chasing them away before they get there.

I’m a big fan of Grammar Girl. I would have chosen their link (number four) had I noticed. But because the post title is so long, the site name in the title got truncated. As a result, the link isn’t branded and clicks will go elsewhere.

The second entry suffers from the same problem: site name truncation. But in this case, that might be a good thing, since most writers would avoid a site named “Net Profits Today.”

I haven’t criticized the first listing — because Jeff Goins does everything right. So I’ll use his as a model for the rest of us to emulate.

View Your Search Engine Listings

Want to see how your posts are listed in search engines?

Here’s a tip that most don’t know. In the search box at Google or Bing, type “site:” followed by your domain name. Be sure not to leave any spaces.

I’ll make it easy. In the search box below, replace FirstManuscript.com with your domain name. When you click the Submit Button, the results will be shown on a new page.

If you are pleased with the way your posts are displayed, then I’ll tip my hat to you and send you on your way. If not, in the next section, I’ll show you how to make improvements.

Best Practices (Theory)

Now that you’ve viewed your posts on Google, let’s look at Jeff Goins’ search engine listing again, while we explore best practices.

Here are the best practices for search engine listings:

Title:

• Make it relevant
• Give it some pizzazz, whenever possible (the objective is to get noticed)
• Place the key words in the title (the words you expect people to use when they search)
• Avoid long article titles
• Include your site name (place it after your post title using a separator)

Description:

• Short and succinct
• Make it compelling
• End with a call to action, an unanswered question or some unresolved issue that entices them to click.

The Link

• Use permalinks (how-to-overcome-writers-block and not p=153)

Maximum Lengths

Old adage: The nice thing about standards is that there are so many!

Title:

• Bing: 69 characters
• Google: 69 characters
• Yahoo: 72 characters

Description:

• Bing: 185 characters
• Google: 156 characters
• Yahoo: 161 characters

These are real world counts. Officially, Bing reports shorter lengths. Please note these are subject to change without notice, so your mileage may vary.

Best Practices (Execution)

In the real world, putting this into practice is difficult. Which is why many avoid the topic.

In particular, the description is problematic. By default, most of the time, the search engines will select a relevant snippet of text from your post for the description. Most often, they grab the first part of the opening paragraph. The results are normally sub-optimal.

For those of you using free hosted sites (like Blogger.com and WordPress.com), I don’t believe there’s an easy way to set a description for each post. You’ll be stuck with the snippets chosen by the search engines. (Which is one reason I recommend that serious bloggers set up their own sites.)

For those of you not on the free sites, you’re in luck. With a little effort, you can outshine others by providing the descriptions you want listed. If you are using WordPress, you’ll need to install a plugin that allows you to specify a different meta description with each post.

I recommend the WordPress SEO by Yoast plugin. It integrates directly into the edit post page. It displays your post’s listing as it will appear in the search engines, and it allows you to override the title and provide your own description (and a lot more).

Summary

Once you understand the concepts, making your posts search engine friendly requires a little extra work. The return on that investment will be more visitors.

If you have questions, enter them in the comments below.

In her début novel, In Leah’s Wake, Terri Giuliano Long takes the reader through a family’s emotional trauma as one of the daughters, a high school athletic star, suddenly abandons her straight-arrow, team captain ideals for a drug-dealing boyfriend’s party lifestyle.

Leah Tyler, captain of the high school soccer team, has a bright future. Clearly the best player in the state, she’s virtually guaranteed a full scholarship at any number of universities. Her Dad aspires for her to attend Harvard and presses her to ever-higher levels of performance.

After years spent perfecting her skills, first under her father’s tutelage and later under a demanding coach, Leah feels weary. She looks at the sacrifices she’s made and questions her priorities. She debates whether she even wants to play soccer after high school. Harvard is Dad’s dream, not hers. When an attractive older boy shows interest, she follows him into his world of alcohol, drugs and crime.

On the surface, Leah’s family is All-American. They live in an upscale community. Dad is a successful sales executive. Mom has a private practice as a therapist and leads motivational seminars on weekends. Nerdy sister Justine achieves Leah-type performance in the classroom.

But, in reality, after years of Dad and Mom working long hours to provide the best of everything for the girls and to save for their college educations, the threads binding the family have frayed to their breaking points.

Terri tells the story from the perspective of each of the main characters immersing the reader in a torrent of emotions as the family bonds unravel. When Leah rebels, as all teenagers do, we feel her pent-up emotions, her desire for independence and we understand the thoughts driving her behavior.

Leah’s father watches her duplicate his past mistakes as she trashes her future. We share his frustration and anger as he unsuccessfully attempts to strong-arm Leah from her bad-news boyfriend.

As a therapist,  Leah’s Mom is supposed to know how to successfully navigate family crises. We share her stress as she works to maintain family peace and her humiliation when clients abandon her after her daughter’s problems become public.

Younger sister Justine (my favorite character) is torn between her role as Leah’s confidante and doing what’s right. Her unanswered prayers shake her child-like faith. As her sister’s actions consume their parents’ full attention, the good daughter gets overlooked. Justine first works ferociously to perform tasks others drop and, when her actions go unnoticed, she flips and begins emulating Leah — which still fails to generate much attention.

Being a stereotypical guy, when I realized the book dealt with relationships, I panicked. I thought: Real men don’t read books about families in distress, do they? But by that time, Terri already had me hooked. I had to keep turning pages to find out what happened next.

As a writer, I took lessons on the way Terri made each character real. When I finished the book, I knew the Tyler family better than I know my own. As a parent, I relived the difficult period when you realize your children are no longer under your control and are forced to observe from a distance as they stand hard on the accelerator on the road to hell.

Terri’s storytelling makes In Leah’s Wake compelling; but it’s her characters that make the journey worthwhile. I enjoyed the read and I’m looking forward to her next novel: Nowhere to Run.

Here is the book trailer:

You rack your brain to find a topic to write about that will be interesting to your readers. Then you labor over the words to find the best way to present your ideas. When you are finally happy, you preview your work and proofread it one last time. When it’s perfect you click the Publish Button.

Then you pray that someone actually reads it — and you hope they like what they see and share your masterpiece with others.

But did you make your article Facebook Friendly?

I’m assuming that you already have some buttons or links at the bottom of the article that readers can click to share your post on Facebook, Twitter and other social networks.

I’m talking about what happens when they try to share.

The Problem

Here is an example of the a post that is not Facebook friendly.

Facebook Link with No Image and Poor Description

What’s wrong?

First of all, there’s no image. Images make a huge difference on Facebook — and they really dress up your blog as well.

But even more importantly, the description sucks. It’s a generic description applied to every post on the blog. It doesn’t tell you anything about this article.

If an article that I planned to share looked like this, I’d change my mind. I wouldn’t bore my friends. After all, there’s nothing engaging about this article when viewed from Facebook.

Better

Adding images to your articles is easy. I don’t know of any modern blogging platform that doesn’t make it simple to insert images.

Here is a different post that contains an interesting, related image.

Facebook Link with Good Image but Poor Description

The image gives the post some pizzazz which is a big improvement. But unless the title is really strong, a reader might still choose not to share it.

Best

Here is an example of a post that is truly Facebook friendly. The image is eye-catching and relates to the subject, plus the article’s description gives enough detail to invite the reader to click-through.

Facebook Link with Good Image and Description

Adding an image was simple. Providing a good description is a bit more difficult.

The best way to do this is to attach a meta description to each post that contains the content you want to appear here.  The way you accomplish this will vary depending on your blogging platform.

If you use WordPress on a self-hosted server, as I do, then I recommend you install a plugin named WordPress SEO by Yoast. This plugin makes it simple to compose a meta description when you write your article. Here is a screenshot of as I edit a post.

WordPress Post Edit

The red box highlights the place where you enter your meta description.

If your blog is hosted on WordPress.com or Blogger.com, your options are more limited.

Most of the time, these sites will pass the first several lines of your article to Facebook, which may not be optimal, but should be satisfactory.

But if you are getting the same blurb passed on every post, then you have a fixed meta description configured for your site. This is most likely part of the theme you installed. Fixing this will require that you locate the offending entry in your theme and remove it.

In WordPress, you will need to find a line like this in your header.php file.

If you are going to edit this file, be sure to save a copy as a backup. That way if you mess up, you can recover using your backup copy. Then simply delete the entire entry starting with the “<” and ending with the “>” and save the file.

Summary

By making your posts Facebook friendly, you will increase your chances of having your posts shared.

If you have questions, please ask. I can help in many cases. If I can’t answer your questions, I’ll see if I can find someone who can.

When I started writing my novel, being a newbie, I needed all types of special assistance. At first, I suffered  in silence, not wanting to look dumb, and privately searched for answers. Later, in desperation, I started asking for help. To my surprise, I found nearly everyone I asked willing to assist me. Even the FBI.

The writing community has been wonderfully supportive. When I asked questions via comments on blogs, tweets or Facebook status messages, I got quick, helpful replies.

I launched this blog as a response. I felt an obligation to give back in return.

I’m a stickler for accuracy. In my novel, The Thread, FBI investigations play a critical role. So after I’d written about half the story, I started getting nervous. My source for FBI process and techniques were books and movies. But they often portrayed things differently. Which were right?

I searched online for more reliable sources. I found ex-FBI agents who wrote or commented about their activities. That helped a lot. I considered writing to some of them to get my questions answered.

Then I tripped across a page on the fbi.gov website titled Working with the FBI: A Guide for Writers, Authors, and Producers. It started:

We can help: if you are a writer, author, or producer who wants to feature the FBI, we may be able to work with you to create an accurate portrayal of the Bureau.

We’ve been doing it since the 1930s. Most recently, we have assisted the motion pictures “The Kingdom,” “Shooter,” and “Breach”; television programs like “Without A Trace,” “CSI,” “Numb3rs,” “Criminal Minds,” and “The Closer”; and books like Big City, Bad Blood; Lone Wolf-Eric Rudolph: Murder, Myth and the Pursuit of an American Outlaw; and Lightning Out of Lebanon: Hezbollah Terrorists on American Soil.

I wrote to them immediately and asked for help. It took a couple of days before I got a pleasant reply from a person in the FBI Public Affairs Office. She asked what I needed to know. I sent this huge list of questions:

• Do agents typically work alone, in pairs, or in larger teams.
• Are all FBI special agents equal, or are some more special than others? Are the agents in charge of large investigations at some higher level. If so, is there a name for them?
• Who oversees agents? Who assigns investigations? Who decides when to assign more resources to a case? What if help is needed in some other part of the country?
• A lot of times, local law enforcement agencies are involved. What are the rules of engagement? In what scenarios does the FBI request local help? How does this get communicated to the local agency?
• Do agents ever provide updates to higher-ups on progress? I assume there are written reports; but what about in-person updates? If so, who and how extensive? One-on-one with a boss? Or, on large, complicated cases, are there conference room presentations? If so, who attends?

In the opening scenes of my novel, a small, propeller commuter plane is hijacked. The hijackers simulate a crash (in the mountainous Northwest part of the USA). When wreckage cannot be located, the FBI is called in to investigate. My question on this involves inter-departmental issues. Obviously, the FAA and the Homeland Security would be involved. Questions:

• Would the FBI lead this investigation?
• Doesn’t Homeland Security have their own investigating group? If so, who leads, who follows, etc.
• I’m concerned about the transition from Search and Rescue to FBI investigation. At first, everyone thinks the plane crashed. Then there are suspicions that the plane might not have crashed. Finally, Search and Rescue gives up and concludes no crash. At what point should the FBI be notified?

In my story, two of the FBI special agents had an intimate relationship in the past. Each is leading a different investigation. The evidence trail brings them together. Sparks fly. Questions:

• What are the rules relating to dating and intimate relationships between agents? Permitted? Disclosure required? Not assigned to same case? Etc…
• In the above scenario, how would these rules be applied?

My story includes a leak. It becomes obvious that the bad guys have access to FBI investigation details.

• Who would investigate?
• I assume these investigations are not public. If so, what are the rules for “non-public” investigations? (Who has access to the details on these cases?)

A couple of days later, I got an email from a Special Agent with this message:

Is there a good time to call you today regarding your questions?

We arranged a time and the agent spent about 45 minutes answering all these questions and more. When we finished, I asked if I could send manuscript pages for review. The agent welcomed me to send these in when they were ready.

I took pages of notes from our conversation. I had to re-craft some of what I had written. In other areas, I just needed to tweak.

A few minutes ago, I sent off a half-dozen chapters for review. I didn’t send everything, only scenes containing FBI activity.

When I mentioned to other writers that I had a FBI Special Agent assigned to assist me with my manuscript, to ensure I portray the FBI sections accurately, most were surprised. (Some wondered whether having a FBI agent assigned to look over your shoulder was a good idea…)

So, I decided to write this post so that other writers would know about this service.

As I indicated in my opening, I’m in awe of the support available simply by asking.  What unexpected support have you received?

Author Terri Giuliano Long recently self-published her début novel In Leah’s Wake. Terri’s story explores the aftermath created when a teenage soccer star falls for a party-loving boy with a drug-dealing past.

I enjoyed the read. Although this is Terri’s first novel, it’s obvious she’s a journeyman when it comes to writing. I know this not only through reading her book, but also by visiting her blog, The Art and Craft of Writing Creatively,  where she provides expert advice.

Terri and I have traded messages in the past, so I asked if she would make time for an interview. I thought she might have some insights for our readers. I was blown away by her thoughtful in-depth responses to every question.

If you are considering self-publishing, she provides a wealth of advice in her answers below. Invest a few minutes of your time. I guarantee a worthwhile return on your investment.

Q.Who is Terri Giuliano Long? Tell us a little about yourself.

A.I’m a wife and mom first. My husband, Dave, and I have four adult daughters, two married, and three grandchildren, with on one the way.

Professionally, I’m a writing teacher. I lecture at Boston College, where I’ve taught creative and nonfiction writing for 15 years. I’ve also written copy for marketing, advertising and public relations, edited technical articles for trade journals, and edited a small trade magazine. In Leah’s Wake is my first novel. These days, other than teaching, or doing occasional marketing or editing work, I spend my time writing. I’m currently at work on a second novel.

Q.How long have you been a writer?

A.I’ve always been a writer at heart. As a child, I entertained myself by making up stories and acting in my own improvisational plays. In high school, the majority of my hobbies and activities somehow involved writing. One day, brazenly, I walked into the editor’s office at the town paper and asked for a job. For a while, I covered sports and general high school news. Eventually, the editor gave me my own column. I was sixteen. That column was my first paid writing job. I earned about a dollar a week – and I knew then that writing was the only job I’d ever want.

I can’t imagine not writing. I’ve been a writer, in one form or another, my whole life. Writing transports me; I lose myself in the process.

Q.When did you decide to write a novel? What compelled you?

A.I’m not really sure. I articulated it for the first time about fifteen years ago. As I’ve said, I’ve always been a writer, in one form or another; it’s not as though I’ve always driven to write novels. I was happy writing news articles and features. Unlike some writers, I actually enjoy writing marketing copy. My bio says, in an alternate life I might have been an international food writer – and that’s very true too.

In grad school, like most students, I focused on short stories. My second year of grad school, I took a novel writing course and developed some of the ideas that later came together in my novel, In Leah’s Wake. Since then, I’ve been hooked.

Q.Tell us about your favorite place to write.

A.Anyplace where I’m not anxious. I apologize if that sounds snide. When I’m anxious, worried about someone I care about, I can’t string two words together. So quiet, peaceful places are my ideal. I’m easily distracted, so I prefer small spaces, with no Internet access.

Like you, I write well on planes. My husband and I have homes in Massachusetts and California and frequently travel cross-country. On a long flight, you’re trapped; to maintain space, most people disappear into their own world – watch TV, read, work on their iPad – so, in a sense, though surrounded by people, you’re alone. I relax and my mind opens up  – I’ve come up with a lot of good ideas, and written first drafts on planes.

When conditions are less than perfect – for most of us they often are – I read. Reading relaxes me enough to write. For others, walking, meditating, listening to music can help.

Q.Are you a Pantser or a Plotter?

A.For the first draft of In Leah’s Wake, I was a pantser. I had no idea where I was going – in writing programs, organic writing is often encouraged. In the revision process, I looked for and developed themes. In Leah’s Wake is character, rather than plot driven, so plotting would have resulted in a different book. In that sense, I think it’s helpful to know who you are and what your goals are. For literary fiction, the goal is to develop and understand character. I hope I’ve done that. The goal of genre fiction, on the other hand, is to entertain. I’m not saying you can’t break rules – plot lit fiction or write character-driven genre novels. But there are conventions. If you break the rules, you may lose readers. We as writers need to understand that – break the rules, but prepare for the consequences.

My novel-in-progress, Nowhere to Run, is a psychological thriller, so I’m approaching that differently, in a sort of hybrid fashion, I guess. I’ve mapped out a partial plot, which I’m using as a marker, and writing organically. While I certainly recognize the benefits of plotting, I feel that sticking too firmly to plot limits the writer. Writing from A to B to C can feel wooden – not only to the writer, but to the reader. Allowing yourself some freedom opens you to new ideas and possibilities. It also makes the writing a far messier process.

Q.Our readers are always looking for writing tips. What one tip sticks out in your mind that most helped you?

A.It’s tough to choose one tip. Forced to, I’d say read. Read voraciously. Reading helps us become better writers. Writers learn to write by reading like writers – reading closely and observing and imitating craft.

Next – I’m cheating – trust your instincts. People – friends, agents, editors – will tell you what you should write, how you should revise your book. Listen carefully. Often, they’re right. Other readers notice things we’ve missed, and provide valuable insight and advice. But don’t let anyone remake your book in his or her image. Don’t let anyone else dictate what your book is about. Stating the case emphatically does not make a critic right. The best editors in the business have turned down books that eventually won prizes and/or sold millions of copies. If you agree with the advice, great – go to it. Don’t let anyone pressure you into making changes you don’t agree with.

Third, have a firm grasp of grammar and punctuation. It’s fine to use simple language. It’s not fine to submit or release a book filled with grammar and spelling mistakes. If you’re unsure of a rule, look it up. About $ 35 a year gives you access to the online database of the Chicago Style Manual – a fantastic resource that I use regularly. When you finish writing, ask someone to proofread. If you don’t know anyone who can help, you might consider hiring a professional editor. It’s well worth the money to correct these mistakes.

Q.What was the inspiration for the concept behind In Leah’s Wake?

A.Years ago, I wrote a series of feature articles about families with drug and alcohol-addicted teens. The moms talked candidly about their children, their heartbreaking struggles. Those stories stayed with me.

When I began writing In Leah’s Wake, our children were teens. Most families struggle in some way during the adolescent years. We’re no different – though, thank goodness, we experienced nothing remotely like the problems and challenges the Tylers face.

As a parent, I knew how it felt to be scared, concerned for your children’s future. That, I think in retrospect, was the primary force that drove me to write this story. My work with families, my personal experiences and my core beliefs – all these things played on my conscious and subconscious mind, and ultimately took shape as this book.

Q.How long did it take from inception to finished manuscript?

A.I wrote the first draft in three months. It was my MFA thesis, so I was under the gun. The writing was dreadful, but it was a breathy process; when I finished, I knew the characters and the novel had a general shape. I spent the next several years immersed in the book, developing the characters. I was with them all day; they took over my dreams. I almost believed they were alive, that Cortland, the imaginary town, was a real place. It was an adventure, and I loved every minute. Total, start to finish, about five years.

Q.You originally planned a traditional publishing route, but ended up self-publishing. Tell us about your experience and what factors led to this decision.

A.In 2006, the book was under contract with an indie publisher. Shortly before the release, problems emerged. Soon after (unrelated to me), the company folded. I sent the book to a handful of agents, received lovely, complimentary responses, but no offers. I really believed in this book. I’d received so much encouragement over the years, from agents, editors, readers, writer friends—I’m grateful, truly grateful to all of them—that I had a hard time letting go. For years, I tried to revise. Eventually, I realized I was writing in circles. The book had changed, but it had gotten no better. Reluctantly, I put it away.

Last year, after several false starts, I finally gained traction on a new novel, my psychological thriller, Nowhere to Run. Like In Leah’s Wake, Nowhere is a family story at heart. I anticipate finishing the new novel this fall. I knew I’d need a platform for this new book, and hoped that self-publishing In Leah’s Wake would help me build one.

A lot of people self-publish today; for me, the indie route was a new, and scary, avenue. It’s been bumpy ride – and the best thing I’ve ever done for myself.

Q.Some self-published authors simply publish their work without doing any real marketing. You’ve chosen to promote your book. Tell us about what steps you’ve taken and which worked best?

A.To be honest, Dax, I’m a case study in what not to do. Until March, other than my website and two ads, I relied entirely on word of mouth. Initially—this is embarrassing, because it’s so silly—I was too self-conscious to promote. I placed ads, with links to my website, and my husband, Dave, sent books to a few people. In December, my daughter Natalie, bless her heart, put a link to my site in her email signature. Gradually, friends and family heard I’d published a book. My sister Audrey posted a link on her Facebook page. My cousin Amy did the same. Two amazing women—I am hugely indebted to both! My parents (I hadn’t even told them) spread the word to extended family, friends.

In March, I activated the Twitter account I’d registered in 2009. On Twitter, I met Emlyn Chand, president of Novel Publicity. Impressed with Emlyn’s blog, I contacted her for help with social networking. Emyln is so creative and smart, incredibly knowledgeable in all aspects of social marketing, and her enthusiasm is positively contagious! She ramped up my Twitter account and built Facebook and Goodreads author pages, among others, and created book a club discussion guide. Novel Publicity also created the promotional trailer posted on your site. Next week, Emlyn begins book club and bookseller outreach, and we’ll do a Twitterview. We’re also considering a “reach for your dreams” program for high schools.

In addition, I have a wonderful traditional book publicist, Stacey Miller, who’s working all the traditional avenues – sending press releases to news papers, radio shows and so on. Putting all the pieces in place takes time, so it’s only now that the book is being actively marketed. For my next novel, I plan to start promoting well ahead of publication.

Q.In a traditional publishing arrangement, the publisher provides experts in final editing, printing, distributing, marketing and public relations. When you self-publish, these experts aren’t there. How did you compensate?

A. That’s another great question. Lately, I see a push to get as many books on virtual shelves as possible. Apparently, having a strong backlist increases sales numbers. That may be true. Nevertheless, writers need to be patient – this is a challenge. It’s exciting to finish a draft. In that first flush, the work glows; every word seems perfect. You can’t wait for someone to read it – as a result, some writers put work on Amazon or Smashwords before it’s ready.

Unless you have an outstanding grasp of language and grammar, I suggest professional editing. The truth is, we all make mistakes – even writers who’ve published for years. After you’ve spent a certain amount of time on a manuscript, you stop seeing mistakes. I’ve read and reread my novel; I asked family members and friends, independently, to proofread; my writers group read it, and an editor read and proofed it – yet, last week, Dax very kindly pointed out three typos that every one of us had missed. It happens.

Publishing a novel with three minor errors is not the end of the world – most books, indie and traditionally published, have a few. Egregious mistakes make us look unprofessional. Agents and traditional publishers will likely reject the work; if you self-publish work rife with grammatical or technical errors, you’ll open yourself to criticism and heartache.

After you’ve finished your draft – of a story, a novel – take a step back. Let it sit. Try to gain some distance and perspective. Stephen King waits six weeks, then rereads and edits. Wait at least six weeks, and then reread, beginning to end, take notes and revise. Better yet, ask someone you trust, a family member or friend, to read your work and give you honest feedback (it won’t help if they tell you only what they love). A good critic will evaluate your work honestly – and push you to produce your best possible work.

While you’re finishing your final edits, look for a cover artist. You can probably create a cover yourself, but unless you have design experience I don’t recommend it. Covers sell books. You may need to give the designer ideas, so be sure you’re clear about your book’s theme. Take the time to get it right. This step will help you write your book description – which, like query writing, is a tedious, time-consuming process.

When your manuscript is ready to go, pay someone to format your book. Again, you can do this yourself, but be careful. Be sure you know proper formatting – when to indent, how to create proper margins, etc. A manuscript that looks perfect on your laptop can look entirely different – and messed up – on a Kindle or other e-reader. So it pays to get it right. If you use Smashwords, they’ll give you a list of people who do this. Mine cost $60.

Next, before your pub date, mobilize your networks. Spread the news to family and friends, send copies of your book to anyone who might be interested in reading, and ask them to spread the word. When the book is out, ask family and friends to post reviews.

If you can afford it, hire a publicist, and work hard with your publicist to promote your book. Over a million books are published each year, the majority of which sell very few copies. If you’re a name author or received a hefty advance, your publisher will promote you. The rest of us, unless we take PR into our own hands, will receive little or no notice.

There are various types and levels of promotion, so you need not spend a fortune. If you can’t afford or don’t care to hire a publicist, do the work yourself. Create a website; build your social network, contact reviewers and bloggers; reach out to book clubs. Stacey Miller’s book, How to Market, Sell, Distribute, and Promote Your Book: Critical, Hard-to-Find Information for Authors and Publishers, available through Amazon, offers a wealth of information. You can also find information online. Check out Seth Godin and Jon Konrath’s blogs. It’s hard work, and it takes time—as long as a year or more, I’ve been told—but it can be done.

Q.One last question: What has been the biggest lesson learned in your journey to write In Leah’s Wake and get it published.

A.Market, market, market. Have I said market? Again, start before you publish your book.

In 2009, 288,355 books were traditionally published, 764,448 indie or self-published. This was before the e-book explosion, so I can only imagine the numbers now. For your book to stand out, you have to make noise. While this is changing, it’s hard for indie publishers to garner reviews. My traditionally published friends were interviewed on radio and reviewed in places like USA Today and People. A radio spot or review in a large circulation paper or magazine generates interest and gets people talking. Few indie publishers land those major spots or reviews. If you hire a publicist, as I strongly recommend, you’ll have help with the work, as well as with generating creative ideas, and you won’t feel so alone.

Develop a strong social marketing plan. As writers, we have to engage. Readers are on the Internet – whether on blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads or some other network – talking about books. If you’re visible, maybe they’ll talk about your book. Really, though, these networks are about community. Even if you can’t directly link social networking to sales, you benefit from the mutual support.

Self-publishing was a good choice for me. I don’t regret it. If this is an avenue you’d like to explore, go for it! This is an exciting time for publishing – with tremendous opportunity for writers. Whatever choice you make, whether you decide to self-publish or hold out for a traditional publishing contract, hold onto your dream. You can make it happen!

Don’t ever give up!

I hope you’ll forgive the blatant self-promotion, Dax – please subscribe to my blog, “The Art and Craft of Writing Creatively.” You’ll find all sorts of tips and information on craft, as well as inspirational posts.

I want to thank Terri for making time for our interview. I wish her the best of luck. I am confident that In Leah’s Wake will be successful, and I’m looking forward to Nowhere to Run.

Here is the book trailer: