Today I’m making you a fan of…Working Partners, Ltd.

What is Working Partners? Recently, the company seems to have blossomed into an umbrella for several different companies. But, I first learned of Working Partners as a children’s fiction book packager. You might be wondering what the heck a book packager is. Well, essentially, a publisher may choose to acquire a book or series that has been almost fully produced by a book packager. Meaning the book has been written and edited under the guidance of the book packaging company. In the case of a company like Working Partners, creative in house editors will brainstorm ideas for new books and series. Then, they will come up with extremely detailed plots and hire writers to do the actual line-by-line, chapter-by-chapter writing. In my research, most book packagers have been aimed at nonfiction books, so one of the reasons I was so drawn to Working Partners is its focus on children’s lit. (Another great packager of children’s series is Alloy.)

Reasons why you should love them: For one, if you are a writer, it’s a new market to explore. Work-for-hire can be a great income supplement because of the typically shorter turnarounds. It’s also a fantastic way to learn. If hired, you would be working closely with an editor, receiving feedback and direction. Moreover, what better way to flex your writing muscles? Like performing exercises as a musician or an athlete, it can be good to develop different sides of your craft. Maybe it will be beneficial for you to practice a new tone or voice in your writing without having to think about the plot. Maybe you’ll learn how to brainstorm different ways to convey the same story. Also, last time I received their writers’ information packet, they were offering substantial royalties. A lot of packagers pay only flat fees, so yay for Working Partners being pro-author. (Oh yeah, and their authors receive advances, too, so no worries).

So how does it work, you might ask? Interested writers may fill out the Writers Information form on the Working Partners website. I’ll be honest, I think more and more of the writers chosen are agented now as opposed to unagented. But, I don’t think that should deter you, depending on experience, etc. Editors will select writers for auditions based on their forms. If selected, you will receive an email asking if you would be interested in auditioning for a certain project. The editor will then send a synopsis of the book and you will be asked to write the beginning of the book, probably upwards of 6,000 words, to turn in by a specified date. Usually about 5 writers receive an invitation to audition for any given project and only one is chosen. Unchosen authors are still given about a page letter detailing reasons the editors either liked the sample or disliked. So, either way, it can be a great way to get real editor feedback. The editors are prompt and professional and just because you aren’t selected for a given project, doesn’t mean an editor won’t want to approach you again for a different project for which you might be a better fit.

So now that you’re a fan, where can you stalk?

To read a great Working Partners series, check out the Warriors series by Erin Hunter. (I’ve read one of these books and they really are a lot of fun.)

The Working Partners website

The new adult division, Rights People, and Greenhouse Literary

Interview with Alexandra Kirby, editor in 2006 for Working Partners

Message from Chris Snowdon (Managing Director) on Undiscovered Voices

JacketFlap

(Oops, forgot to set this to auto-post.)

Cartoon courtesy of Inkygirl: Daily Diversions

As I mentioned, Friday on Fumbling with Fiction we’ll be looking at some of the biggest ways that writers can drop the ball, so to speak. And what better mistake to start with than one that I struggle with constantly? Procrastination.

I don’t even want to think of how productive I might be if I never procrastinated. It scares me. If I didn’t surf the web. If I didn’t rearrange the books in my bookcase. If I didn’t look at random people’s pictures on Facebook.

So I got to thinking about why I procrastinate. Because, to be honest, it doesn’t make a lot of sense that like me so many authors love writing, couldn’t live without writing, and yet put off the very act of it with a level of creativity that takes almost as much energy as sitting down and putting words on the page. It’s crazy, right? Have you seen the number of twitter updates a day about procrastinating alone.

Did you know the Free Dictionary defines “procrastinate” as “To put off doing something, especially out of habitual carelessness or laziness.”

What’s more, when I googled procrastination I was bombarded with about a million ads asking me if I suffered from ADHD.

At this point in my research, I’ve got to tell you, I’m alarmed. Because (1) I’m not a lazy or careless person and (2) I have an incredibly long attention span. So what’s going on? I start wondering if maybe I don’t love writing. I start worrying that maybe it’s not my dream. Because I’m not careless with other things. I have a long attention span when I’m watching a four hour Lifetime Original. Do I not care about writing as much as the latest Lifetime Movie I’ve never heard of? Surely, that can’t be true.

That’s when I decided to do some research. There had to be more people out there like me and there had to be another reason.

And guess what? There is!

If you’re a Type A individual like me and can’t help but procrastinate, I think you might be suffering from a case of the care-too-muchs.

See, it’s not that we don’t care enough, that we don’t want to do the work, it’s that we are so afraid of not living up to our own high expectations of ourselves, that we’d rather not start in the first place. We’re sabotaging ourselves.

Maybe you did this in school, when you had a paper that you waited to write at the last minute. Maybe you do this at work. But, caring too much can really get the best of you. In fact, you’d be much better off caring too little.

And when I read about this syndrome, it made so much sense to me. Until I can figure out how to do something perfectly, sometimes I’d rather not do it at all. If I can’t set aside enough time to complete a task or make a solid dent in it, then sometime’s I’d rather not start it.

What excuses do you make? Don’t know the first line of the book? Don’t know where the last plot twist? Aren’t sure the stakes are high enough for your characters for anyone to care?

These are all things that make us put off the work to a point where it can feel almost debilitating. And then when you think of how much time you’ve wasted, it can almost make it worse! It’s an ugly cycle.

So, while I think understanding where the urge to procrastinate stems from is helpful in itself, what can we do about it?

Here are a few tips I’ve learned from looking into the subject that may help:

1. Aim for a C+. This is basically a different way of the common advice of allowing yourself to be bad. Especially in the first draft. But for some reason this clicked with me–probably because I’m still in school. Still, maybe it will help you. Aim low. Tell yourself that your goal is to get a C on your manuscript. That’s your goal! Ok? This isn’t an instance where I’m telling you to aim for a C and then somehow you’re just so magically talented that even when you don’t try your manuscript will be worthy of an A. No, write a C manuscript. If nothing else, you’ll have something to show for all your angst. You can submit a C. You can show a C to your agent and get help on it. You can’t show a blank page. Write a C. Know that you have a C under your belt, then when you have time, polish to an A.

2. Ask questions. I read this as a tip to use at work, but I think it applies here, too. At the workplace, a tip suggested when you’re assigned a project to drop everything the moment you receive it. Look at the project. What does it entail? Compile a list of questions to ask the assigning supervisor, then be sure to take notes during your brief meeting. This advice serves two purposes. For one, when you are supposed to have already started something, but you haven’t and you just now realize you have a whole bunch of questions, it is a huge deterrent to have to go ask those questions this late in the game. Two, the questions help clarify the task at hand, helping you know where to start and how long the task will take. So, in your writing career, typically you are the assigning supervisor. So, unfortunately, the questions need to be directed to you. Therefore, your execution of this tip might look something like this:

You have set aside a chunk of time to write this weekend. Ok, although you don’t have much time prior to the weekend, push your current distractions aside and take a moment to plan. What do you need to accomplish before the weekend starts in order for you to make the most productive use of your time? Realistically, how much time do you have for writing this weekend? What can you accomplish in that amount of time? What do you not know about the project that you need to before you can start? Do you know which scenes you plan to write? What the main conflict in those scenes will be?

3. Finally, my last simple tips because this is running long. Maybe I’ll add some more later because I do have more to share. Limit your time online. You can space out the blogs you read. Maybe read one per day and rotate. Check Facebook once a day. Remember why you are writing and sometimes it can even help to remind yourself about a few of the naysayers who think you can’t get it done. In other words, channel that Type A in you and be competitive.

Most of this week I’ve spent getting prepared for a phone conversation with my agent, which I had…today!

So, in terms of my progress, I guess that’s what I have to talk about.

I set up a phone chat with Dan to go over a couple of concerns I’ve had, mainly that I don’t think I’ll be ready for a manuscript to go on submission this fall. If I really scrambled, I could do it, but I obviously want to put my best work out there and I’m looking forward to use the extra months until January to get my work as close to perfect as possible.

My second concern was that my heart has been split between SCOUT and my new book. I’ve worked on both, but have really been putting my effort into the new book. This was concerning me because, well, Dan hadn’t read anything of it. So, I finally fessed up and he assured me that together we will find the right direction to go in. You guys don’t know what a relief that is. Sometimes it’s comforting to remember there is someone else there who will help make the decisions. After we talked for awhile, asked if I would like some guidance, which I thought was interesting. He didn’t automatically assume I was looking for guidance, I don’t think.  Of course I replied, “Yes, please, help!”

Finally, I wanted to talk a bit about insecurities. Gretchen McNeil sent over an interesting post from Bookends about agented authors’ insecurities. For the most part, the post is common sense but, I know it’s an extremely prevalent feeling among agented writers, especially those without sales, so it’s probably worth a read. I know I was feeling insecure and thankfully in this instance, I think Dan sensed it. He let me know that there was no pressure from his end and that he wasn’t going anywhere. That simple sentence brought a huge amount of relief. And honestly, I think that’s how most good agents feel.

Anyway, tonight and tomorrow I’ll be working on polishing two more chapters of my new book to send off to Dan. He has the first. Plus a short synopsis.

That’s what I HAVE to get done at least. What are you all working on? Anything exciting?

Today I’m making you a fan of…Amy Tipton.

Ok, so I’ve had Amy in mind for my first Make-A-Fan Monday, but I was thrown a little off the trail when I went to dig up some links for her. Last time I checked, she was at Fine Print, but it looks like she has now moved to Signature Literary. Good to know!

No matter!

Because I’m making you a fan anyway.

Reasons Why You Should Love Her: I had the opportunity to talk on the phone with Amy last year and I asked her about a few (good) rumors I’d heard about her agenting style. We all want an agent that will go the mat for us, right? Well, let me tell you, Amy will totally go to the mat for her clients. As a somewhat younger agent, I think this is awesome. She had one client who got her cover art and it just didn’t look right. Naturally, this would be upsetting to anyone, but Amy took the time, really went to bat for her author and got a brand new cover shoot for her client. Win! Another reason to love her is she seems to be quite the editorial agent. I think she mentioned she once went through revisions with a client on the first chapter something like 12 times! Now, that’s dedication to getting your work ready for submission. Finally, and…um…this is crazy, I read in an online interview that Amy had a stroke this year and is still working. So, yes, again with the dedication.

Now that you’re a fan, here’s where you can stalk her for more info:

GumboWriters Interview

Recent Interview at Guide to Literary Agents (post move to Signature)

Great, now if you’re in the market for an agent. She’s looking for fiction and nonfiction, edgy or quirky, commercial or literary–in particular, YA, middle grade, and women’s fiction.

In YA/MG it seems like she leans heavily toward more reality-based, contemporary. Have y’all read Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers? Amy reps Courtney and I just read the first chapter of Courtney’s next book, Some Girls Are–awesome, dark, gritty, can’t wait!

I haven’t blogged for an entire week! That’s the longest I’ve gone without posting and yes, it makes me sad. But I’ve been putting in honest work, I swear. One bit of work has been blog pondering. Yes, blog pondering.

When Fumbling with Fiction first began, I had a schedule that I kept to. Those were the days when I was blogging 7 days a week religiously. I loved doing that, but alas, law school is trying to steal my soul and my crazy over-studied brain needs a schedule to work with. That way it can fit in nicely with my real life schedule and everything will fit together swimmingly. This is the way my mind works. Life with super schedule needs blog with schedule. Equals happiness!

So here’s the new blog schedule. If there is anything you’d like to see instead, then by all means, let me know! (Oh yes, and please excuse my unnatural love for alliteration.)

Make-a-Fan Monday: On Mondays, I’ll be making you a fan of someone of my choice! It will be either an author, an editor, an agent, or a blogger and you’ll love them, I promise!

Weekday Warrioring: I loved everyone sharing their progress with me as we wrote during the week. So instead of every weekday, I’ll be updating my progress and checking in on y’all’s each Wednesday. As usual, I’ll share what I’m thinking about as I write or revise for the week.

Friday Fumble: This *is* Fumbling with Fiction and during the author interviews I do, my favorite question to ask deals with the author-in-question’s biggest “Oops!” moment. So on Fridays, I’ll be exploring the biggest mistakes writers can make, either with regard to craft or the business.

Ok, so Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, you can count on me to blog. The other two days I’ll leave open for short posts when I feel the need.

Thanks, guys!

Camelot is less a romantic kingdom than a lusty and fragmented realm in this spirited retelling of Arthurian legend, the second novel in Hollick’s trilogy. Over the years, Arthur Pendragon and Gwenhwyfar have accumulated a vast array of estranged relatives, rivals and half-mad adversaries. Among the most formidable of their enemies are Winifred, Arthur’s embittered ex-wife, who’s plotting to ensconce her son, Cedric, as heir to the throne, and Morgause, a manipulative priestess who wants to consolidate her power in the north to become queen of the realm.

Hi, guys! We’re lucky enough to have Heather Hollick, author of Pendragon’s Banner, stop by on her blog tour today. She has written a most fabulous King Arthur based historical fiction series and has also graciously agreed to answer a few of my questions about her writing career.

Hi, Heather! Thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions. First, this is Fumbling with Fiction, so I have to ask, in your writing career have you ever had a big “Oops!” moment?

Several! A few of them were not my fault though! There were two that were highly embarrassing. When The Kingmaking was originally published in the USA the wrong file was sent, so the books were printed from an un-corrected proof file. I gave up counting after the 360^th error, the funniest of which was Arthur’s bread-stubbled chin. It should, of course, been beard-stubbled chin.

And a huge blooper appeared in the very first paragraph of Pendragon’s Banner – Anglican Thegn as in Church of England was printed, not Anglian Thegn as in East Anglian. As we are talking about Pagan Saxons here…. Sigh.

And I will confess we have found three errors in this edition of Pendragon’s Banner – how they slipped in I don’t know. Basically: ignore the date April 456 when you come to it!

Can you tell us a little about the editorial letter you received for Pendragon’s Banner? Is there anything major that changed from draft one to the final draft we can read off the shelf?

Not really I’m afraid as I wrote the Trilogy quite a few years ago now and this edition is a most welcome reprint. The original draft was also part of one entire manuscript which eventually became The Kingmaking and the first half of Pendragon’s Banner. When I submitted it to my agent I had no idea that my novel would make a trilogy!

It seems like writers today are always looking for the next big original idea. What are some tips you have for putting a new spin on a classic tale, like that of King Arthur?

Try to think of something different – something that has not been done before, or perhaps write the story from a different character’s perspective, not Arthur’s. Maybe set it as science fiction, or in a parallel world, or a time slip? All it needs is a good imagination!

I intend to write another serious historical fiction novel next year (after I have firmly established my adventure-fantasy pirate based Sea Witch Series). I am going to write a follow-up to my novel about the 1066 Battle of Hastings – Harold the King. I have been putting it off because I really do not want to write about Duke William of Normandy again (William the Conqueror). I have decided to twist things around, however, and write the story of the men and women who rebelled against him.

Main Website:                www.helenhollick.net
Blog profiles:    www.acorne.blogspot.com
Facebook:           www.facebook.com/helen.hollick
Monthly Journal: www.helenhollick.net/journal.html

http://www.helenhollick.net/culpa41.html –For Heather Hollick’s own hints and tips for aspiring writers.

Man, there is a lot of love for Jane Austen out there, huh? She seems to have the first line to end all first lines. But my favorite line actually comes from Ingrid Law’s Savvy. It goes:

“When my brother Fish turned Thirteen, we moved to the deepest part of inland because of the hurricane and, of course, the fact that he’d caused it.”

It’s funny, raises a host of questions, and has a boatload of voice all packed into one sentence. I don’t even know who the narrator is and I already love her. She’s so fabulously matter-of-fact!

Here are the things that I look for in a first line:

-that it’s not deliberately misleading or tricky; no shock value for shock value’s sake, so to speak

-it showcases an interesting voice that will remain consistent throughout

-it raises a question that I, as the reader, will want answered

If these elements are present, I’m most likely satisfied. Short, long, first person, third, doesn’t matter! A good first line is just plain fun.

This bestselling novel set in the ruthless world of Victorian commerce follows the fortunes of Adam Swann, a scion of an Army family and veteran of campaigns in the Crimea and in India, in his quest to found his own financial dynasty. His struggle to succeed and his conquest of Henrietta, the spirited daughter of a rich manufacturer, drive a richly woven tale that takes the reader from the dusty plains of India to the teeming slums of nineteenth-century London, from the chaos of the great industrial cities to the age of the peaceful certainties of the English countryside.

Favorite thing about the book?

I have a few friends who are very into the world of historical fiction by way of both writing or reading, so I wanted to jump on board and dive into the genre myself. Previously, I’ve been into a few historical novels like Confessions of Nat Turner and Sophie’s Choice and I’m happy to say that God is an Englishman had exactly what I look for–a strong sense of time and place. The book covers the eleven years between 1857 and 1866, a portion of the life of a British soldier in Victorian England. It’s a fascinating time period that probably receives far less recognition than it should. There’s the booming industrial revolution and the arrival of the railroad, rampant poverty, and the ruling British empire. While it feels like a distinctly British book, I find it hard to believe that the discerning American reader would fail to find some parallels in recent US History.

Ok, so you might think with historical fiction, time and place is sort of a given. That’s why I’ve got to mention the characters. There are a ton, but they each feel distinct and add humanity to a business-first period. I would venture to say that the side characters are much more enjoyable than the main character, Adam Swann, though.

What was most surprising about the book?

I’m not sure why but I was surprised that this was a family saga. A sort of family history within a national history.

Favorite Character?

Henrietta. She’s a breath of fresh air in a dense and complex story. I love that she comes up with the logo for Adam’s business–I find it unusually amusing that branding started so early in history.

Obligatory least favorite part of the book?

The length and density of the book is admittedly intimidating–not a lot of white space! Other than that, the pacing of the first half of the book is detailed and sometimes serves to drag the pacing.

After this book you felt…?

800-pages smarter.

Who would you recommend this book to?

The men in my life. My dad, my grandfather, etc. My history buff friends.

Frequenting writing forums I notice that there are various types of aspiring authors. There are some writers who you know aren’t quite there yet, but are working so hard at listening to those more experienced and at learning. Whenever I run into those, I feel like I am certain they will make it. Then, there are those that bust in, say they want to write, but rarely listen or act in way conducive to progressing. Y’all all know the type I’m talking about.

I know so many of the first type of aspiring author from AW’s Purgatory forum and it was amazing to watch these group of authors really dive into the forum to learn, gather information and grow in their craft.

I’ve been thinking a bit about what makes the difference between these two types and I think it boils down to Purpose.

Like in other aspects of life, I think it’s important to act purposefully and with intention. That fact can get easily lost in the crazy, exploratory creative lifestyle, but purposefulness and intention are something I’m striving to bring to my writing.

So I started noticing mission statements in my every day life.

I know a sweet, sweet couple who has a mission statement for their marriage: “To live life adventurously each day.”

My boot camp instructor has a mission statement for her class: “To share the love of Christ through exercise.”

The Coca-Cola mission statement for its stakeholders: “The Coca-Cola Company exists to benefit and refresh everyone it touches. The basic proposition of our business is simple, solid, and timeless. When we bring refreshment, value, joy and fun to our stakeholders, then we successfully nurture and protect our brands, particularly Coca-Cola. That is the key to fulfilling our ultimate obligation to provide consistently attractive returns to the owners of our business.”

Anyway, I know it’s kind of cheesy but I devote a huge amount of time to writing and I do want to pursue my goals purposefully and with intention. And hey, we’re writers, we love themes, right?? Now, here I am trying to think up my personal writing mission statement. I haven’t come up with my mission statement yet, but I’m working on it and plan to share. If you want to work on a mission statement for your writing, then you can start the way I’m starting. Below, I’ve included ideas that I want reflected in my statement. Here goes:

-to actively grow my god-given talents

-to take joy daily in the act of writing

-to be proactive in my pursuit of knowledge about the industry

-to be thankful for the support I receive from writing friends, friends at home, and family

-to take pride in my work, but also to remember to be proud of the work I’ve accomplished

-to share generously the knowledge and experienced I’ve gained (as well as my time) with others in the writing community

What do y’all think about mission statements? A load of bologna? What would you want in your mission statement?