The Importance of Proper Research

Librarians, how I love thee!

I spent Friday afternoon at the Hilton Harrisburg for the annual PSLA Conference. No, I’m not a Pennsylvania School Librarian, but I do know a few of them, and so I went to participate as a local author on the vending floor.

What a delightful day!

And back to my first thought… I love librarians. Even more so, I love introverts. We are the most interesting elusive creatures, aren’t we? We’ll stroll by a booth with books, take covert glances, grab a bookmark to study somewhere beyond the author’s line of sight, stroll by a second time, examine a banner, and basically do ALL the research before we finally work up the courage to talk to the author and look at the featured books. (This is, for the record, 100% what I do before talking to someone. Research, so much research.)

Yesterday’s librarians made me smile because if there’s anyone I can relate to, it’s them. One grabbed a bookmark “for later,” and came back after three and a half minutes when she’d gone to Goodreads to view the ratings on my book. She doesn’t buy anything with less than 3.5 stars, so she wanted to check in with her trusty Goodreads pals to ensure she wasn’t about to buy something she’d be disappointed in.

Another sauntered over to my booth after telling me she had just gone online to read the synopsis – probably on Amazon or Goodreads or B&N…even though she just as easily could have picked up the book and read the back cover copy.

Yet a third asked me if I had a rating anywhere on the series that says it’s meant for middle schoolers. (It’s rated 7th-12th grades in online categories.) She was hoping to put my first book in the middle school library, but, according to school policy, there must be a statement confirming it’s meant for those ages. Then she bought a copy anyway – for herself. As a school librarian, her word should be enough. <wink>

Have I mentioned I LOVE LIBRARIANS? I really do.

2022 Wrap Up

Hi, friends! I hope you’ve all had a wonderful 2022 and that you’re anticipating 2023 with high hopes. I’ve been working hard this year and I look forward to continuing on my writing journey throughout the next year. I can’t wait to share with you the YA fantasy that’s on its way next year, but for now it’s a secret, so here’s a summary of what I accomplished on my writing journey in 2022 instead.

Writing Life

Books published: 1
eBooks published: 1
Signings & Appearances: 14
Personal Essays Written: 2
Manuscript words written: >122,000
YA manuscripts finished: 2
Manscripts queried: 1
Queries sent: 74
Query rejections: 40
Query no response: 24
Queries still open: 0
Partial Manuscript Requests: 2 (both eventually requested the full manuscript)
Full Manuscript Requests: 10
Revise & Resubmit Requests: 4
Total accumulative completed manuscripts (2011-2022): 15
Online pitch contests entered: 1
Blog posts written: 6
Books read: 44
Friends’ Manuscripts read: 1
Writing friends made: Never enough!

Personal Life

Family members who got Covid (including yours truly): 3 (out of 4), 2 in July & 1 the week before Christmas
Exchange Students hosted: 1, from Germany!
Money spent on kids’ hobbies: Approximately 1 bazillion dollars, give or take a million
Pets lost: 2 (one chicken, one dog) 😦
Pets gained: 2 (budgies!)
Broadway shows seen: 2 (Phantom of the Opera both times, don’t ask)

People are Predictable

Around this time of year, I usually start compiling my writing statistics, but I’ve got a month or so before I call the year complete, so let’s move to another subject, one that never fails to make me laugh.

People.

People are really funny even when they don’t mean to be. Every single time I take part in a bookstore signing there are always a few specific moments I’ve come to expect.

  1. Eye contact: Most people (or, more specifically, most book people) are absolutely, positively terrified of making eye contact. They will do everything in their power to ensure they never lock gazes with the author who is sitting 10 – 20 feet inside the front door. They will look in every direction but at the person who is ready to greet them with a hello and a bookmark. They’ll make sudden conversation with a friend beside them to avoid having to look straight ahead. They’ll twist and turn to face a parent or child behind them. They will do anything and everything to avoid eye contact. I never considered myself intimidating, but apparently…
  2. The Swerve: This one often goes hand in hand with avoiding eye contact. The people who practice the swerve have usually spotted a visiting author before they walk in the door, and they’ve planned accordingly. Instead of walking straight into the store, they swerve directly to the left or right, ensuring they will avoid a well-planned “hello” and gifted bookmark. Sometimes I’ll stand closer to the door to hand out bookmarks and greet people, and you’d be amazed at how quickly they pivot when they want to avoid. (For the record, I never chase anyone down. If they want to avoid me, I let them. As an introvert, I get it.)
  3. The Hesitant Admirer: This is usually a woman, most of the time a young woman. They view the pop-up banner, take in my table of books, see me sitting there, give a hesitant smile and move on. I can usually manage to hand them a bookmark and when they’ve had a chance to read it in a quiet part of the store, they’ll often come back to buy one of my books or talk about other YA fantasies. I always recognize this person because she is inherently me.
  4. Store Questions: “Do you work here?” “Where are the restrooms?” “Do you know if (title of book) is available?” It should be pretty obvious that someone sitting behind a table piled with books and a sign that says “Author Event” or “Author Signing” is not an employee, but what do I know? (Hint: I now always know the location of the bathrooms and where the customer service desk is.)
  5. The Obvious Questions: “Wait. Are you the author? Did you write these books?” Despite the fact that I am stationed directly beside a sign that pronounces author L. Ryan Storms will be in the store during specific hours on a specific date, and it just so happens to be between those hours on that date, people still ask. “Yes! I am the author. Yes! I wrote these books.”
  6. The Other Obvious Question: “Hang on. You wrote all of these?” Friends, I bite my tongue every time. Not to mention, this question will only get funnier with time as my books accumulate. One of these days, it’s going to happen. I’m inevitably going to quip, “Nah, I just wrote half of the first one and someone else finished the rest for me. My name is still on all of them, though. What luck!”
  7. The Talker: This person’s personality varies, but there’s usually someone (and usually a man) who wants to talk…extensively. When the subject of the conversation is publishing and books, I’m game. I could talk forever with new writers about what they need to do to pursue a career in writing. But when it’s movies and weather and experiences that have nothing to do with books or writing, my inner introvert begins to slowly shrivel and die.
  8. The Excited Teen: This one is hit or miss, but when it happens, it’s MAGICAL. (Yes, bold & caps magical.) I write books for teens. Don’t get me wrong – I love when people of all ages read my work, but I am beside myself with glee when I get to speak with excited teens. I’ve had a few interactions in the past couple of weeks that have put a smile on my face. These are the readers I live for. Last week during a signing, a teen girl and I had an extensive conversation about our favorite YA authors and their books. Sarah J. Maas, Sabaa Tahir, Victoria Aveyard, all the goodness. So much excitement. And during yesterday’s signing, a boy by the name of Landon walked past my table no fewer than three times, scoping me out and deciding if he was brave enough to say hello. Finally, he dragged a parent to my table, and the three of us had a lovely conversation about books and reading and how awesome puzzle games are. (Hello, The Room?) We had the best conversation. He left with a signed book and I left with an absolute high. (Thanks, Landon!) And he waved again before he left the store. Connections with young people. It’s interactions like these that reaffirm I’m doing what I absolutely love and connecting with young readers who will grow to be empathetic, life-changing adults someday. These are the world’s creators, the dreamers. And I am so damn lucky to be a part of their journey.

I am sure this list is longer than what I’ve come up with, and maybe I’ll add to it in a future post, but for now, these are the experiences that keep me chuckling through my events. I’m so grateful for every book store patron and every reader who stops by, even if it’s just to ask where the bathrooms are.

Friends, this holiday season, remember that signed books make great gifts. Get out there and support your local indie bookstores and your local authors!

#8pmWritingSprint

Any artist will tell you the key to progressing in an artistic endeavor is consistency. This applies to painting, drawing, digital art, music composition, and yes, writing. Maybe especially writing.

It should come as a surprise to exactly no one that, six months ago, I was deep in a writer’s block. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to write–I really, REALLY did. Putting aside the very unexpected whirlwind that stemmed from my husband’s second cancer diagnosis in four years, I didn’t know where the story was going, I didn’t have a reliable outline, and I had zero motivation to sit down and get the words down. I was so paralyzed by my fear of taking the story in the wrong direction and disappointing readers that I basically took it in no direction.

Fast forward to November, a month when writers simultaneously delight and despair in NaNoWriMo, an attempt to get 50k words written in a single month, and I forced myself to get words written. I still didn’t know where the story was going, but I knew I could definitely bullshit my way through at least 10-20k words with random scenes that would probably find their way into the novel somewhere. So that’s what I did.

Hooray, block over!

If only.

I added 10k words to the already existing 30k I had for a grand total of–drumroll, please–40k. Or less than half the word count needed for this novel.

It wasn’t until January that I really found my motivation again. In chatting with author Margot Ryan on Twitter, who also seemed to be lacking proper motivation, we decided to sprint.

What’s that? Oh, no no! Not sprint-sprint. (I think we’ve covered this in earlier blogs. Lorraine doesn’t run. Lorraine’s joints will not allow such a thing to happen.) Anyway, I’m talking about a writing sprint. Set the timer, write as many words as you can get down in 25 minutes, take a 5-minute break, then do it all over again for another 25 minutes. Report back on Twitter each time with word count, and boom–sprint is over.

In January, I added 20k words to my novel. Yes, my 40k was now 60k. We’re a week into February, and guess what? My 60k is now 70k. I don’t know what it is about this sprint that forces my brain to work, but suddenly, plot lines are falling into place, characters are setting up perfectly for their next scenes, and everything about this book is cruising.

So apparently, my brain just needs the threat of being judged by my friends and peers. I didn’t want to report back that I’d stared at a blank screen the entire time, right??? I couldn’t possibly let everyone down by getting in only half a dozen words! That would be mortifying! I had to succeed. I had to shine. I had to win. Is this my leftover AP Honors student mentality from high school? Who knows? But it worked.

Accountability apparently really is key to my productivity. And consistency has played a big part because ever since that day, Margot Ryan and I have been running the #8pmwritingsprint every night, where writers at any stage of the game (outlining, writing, editing – whatever!) have joined us to focus on their WIPs in two 25 minute sessions. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The writing community on Twitter is beyond anything I could have imagined when I first joined. I’ve met so many amazing people I’m proud to call my friends.

So if you’re in the mood to write, but you don’t know what, come sprint with us. I promise the looming threat of your peers judging you will kick your brain right into a productive session. If nothing else, we’ll be there to cheer you on! (Because no one in the #8pmwritingsprint actually judges anyone. It’s not a competition. It’s a mini-intensive. Every night.)

Community is where it’s at. And the #8pmwritingsprint has it in spades. Come join us!

2021 Wrap Up

Every year I do a quick summary of what I’ve accomplished in my writing career and sometimes what I’ve accomplished in life. It’s a great way to look back and realize I actually *have* been pretty busy, no, I *wasn’t* slacking as much as I thought, and hey, this year wasn’t so bad. (Covid and cancer aside.)

Writing Life

Books published: 0
eBooks published: 0
Signing events attended: 2
Independent Book Award Entries: 6
Book Awards Won for A Thousand Years to Wait: 1 first place (Young Adult Fiction), 1 second place (Cover Design) , 1 honorable mention (New Author Award), (plus 3 outstanding until 2022)
Online Writing Retreats Attended: 3
Failed In-Person Writing Retreat Attempted: 2
Online Writing Webinars Taught: 1
Personal Essays Written: 1
Manuscript words written: >125,000
YA manuscripts finished: 1
PB manuscripts finished: 5
YA manuscript WIP: 1
Adult manuscript WIP: 1
Manscripts queried: 3
Queries sent: 104
Query rejections: 57
Query no response: 23
Queries still open: 20
Partial Manuscript Requests: 3 (1 from a 2020 query)
Full Manuscript Requests: 2
Total accumulative completed manuscripts (2011-2021): 13
Online pitch contests entered: 1
Blog posts written: 16
Books read: 50
Friends’ Manuscripts read: 3
Blurbs appearing on published books: 1
Writing friends made: Never enough! Writers,Ā find me on Twitter.

Personal Life

Returning cancer diagnosis: 1 (husband😭)
Days spent helping to kick cancer’s ass: 126
Bland Embolization procedures & hospitalizations for husband: 2
Family Covid tests taken: 8 (all negative)
Medical Bills: Infinite
Days spent as 6th grade homeschool/virtual school teacher: 119
Stray animals found: 2 dogs, 1 cat, 1 chicken
Stray animals rescued: 2 dogs, 1 cat, don’t ask about the chicken (I tried!)

Try

Have you ever wanted something in your life so badly you can’t imagine living without it? Have you ever felt that if someone just gave you a chance, you know you could succeed?

This?

Is every writer I know. Every dreamer.

We write, we create. We make real our fantasy worlds, give breath to characters who live only in our minds until our words bring them to life. We pursue our love of storytelling, of words, of poetry, of sound – all without ever knowing what success, if any, our words will bring.

I watch writers around me succeed. (And I cheer, my friends. I cheer!)

But more often, I watch them fail. Then I watch them fail again. And again. Some shove the words away into a deep, dark drawer, never to be seen again, thoroughly convinced they aren’t “the chosen” writer or they haven’t produced “the chosen” work the world wants to see.

More often than not, they are wrong. More often than not, there are simply too many ways to stumble when it comes to publishing, and it has nothing to do with the writer at all. How many Harry Potters never made publication? No, I don’t mean how many times was Harry Potter rejected. I mean how many other stories are just as marvelous, just as fantastical, just as ready for the eager eyes of excited readers? Dozens. Hundreds, maybe. Perhaps even thousands.

Thousands of manuscripts with talented, good-hearted authors behind their fiery pages, and marvelous minds behind the creation of their worlds. But these stories may never be seen, may never be known. Because in the end, publishing is a business and business is about money.

Oh, how much art has been lost to money!

My heart weeps for the number of manuscripts I’ve known (both my own and those written by friends) that may never make an editor’s desk, and, therefore, may never see the inside of even the smallest bookstore or library.

But, writers.

Do not walk away. Failure is only failure if you stop trying. So, friends?

Try.

The world needs your words.

2020 Wrap Up

I shoot some stats just about every year, mostly to prove to myself that, yes, I *am* actually moving forward in this thing called a writing career.

Given the craziness of 2020 all around, *I* wouldn’t even blame me if I’d chosen to fall off the face of the earth, or hide under a blanket and never come out. But we’re stronger than that here in the Storms household. Which means, nevertheless, we persist.

And persist we did.

2020 Writing

Books published: 1
eBooks published: 1
Signing events attended: 0 – Thank you very much, COVID. (Also, get your vaccine so you can come to 2021 signings. Because they will be happening as soon as I get my vaccine and the world is in a better place all around.)
Independent Book Award Entries: 4
Manuscript words written: >90,000
YA manuscripts finished: 1
PB manuscripts finished: 1
YA manuscripts started: 1
Adult manuscripts started: 1
Manscripts queried: 3
Queries sent: 96
Query rejections: 55
Query no response: 33
Queries still open: 19
Total accumulative completed manuscripts (2011-2020): 7
Online pitch contests entered: 2
Blog posts written: 11
Number of new SCBWI critique group members discovered: 1 (We’re up to 5 in our cozy little group!)
Writing friends made: Never enough! Writers, find me on Twitter.

Happy Holidays, friends! I hope you’re all safe and healthy and happy and that 2021 brings new and great things. (Preferably all good things, no more disasters and viruses, please. 2020 brought plenty of that, thanks.)

Much love to you all, from my house to yours! xo

Santa came to our house. If you celebrate, hopefully he visited you, too!

Do It Anyway

Dear friends,

As this last day of the year fast draws to an end (and my kiddos would be the first to remind me that it’s ALSO the end of a *decade*), I want to talk about something that I’ve been thinking about for a while.

Which is weird…

…because I can’t think of the words I want to say in this blog post.

It has something to do with fear and chasing your dreams and doing the right thing, but my words are all jumbled and I’m not entirely sure I know what any of these things has to do with the others.

So let’s just start with the fear thing, eh?

Recently, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. It occurred to me that when I feel fear, I tend to want to head straight into whatever makes me afraid, and I don’t mean things like rollercoaster drops (no, thank you) or turning and running straight at a grizzly that’s chasing me down (also VERY no, thank you). I mean the kind of persistent fear that creeps into your life and bares its fangs at every turn. The kind of fear that turns into a perpetual state of anxiety that makes you believe you can’t go out (something bad might happen), you can’t eat one more cookie (you’ve had enough, you’ll make yourself sick!), you can’t donate blood (what if you pass out?), you can’t join the gym and workout and do protein shakes like a meathead (your body will rebel – it’s not made for this – you’re a bookworm!).

(Yes, all of those thoughts *really* occurred. Welcome to my brain.)

So yeah, I did the exact opposite of what I wanted to do in each of those scenarios. Instead of running away, I joined the gym and got a trainer & nutritionist and have even been drinking protein shakes for just shy of two months now. They’re gross, by the way, (the shakes, not the trainer & nutritionist – they’re both perfectly delightful), but I’m healthier with the activity and I feel better overall than I have in a very long time.

And I’ve indulged in PLENTY of holiday junk this week. (After many weeks of being REALLY good with diet and exercise, I’m due.) I’ve gone out and done things and seen people and filled my calendar with activities week after week, day after day, even though my introvert self really wanted to hole up in my bed, read a book, and ignore the world some days. Yesterday, I donated blood. Again. For the 3rd time this year. Because it scares the crap out of me and *grits teeth* because. I. can. No fear is going to stop me, especially not my own fear.

On the matter of the chasing your dreams thing, this year has been one heck of a whirlwind. I made the decision in October 2018 to publish A Thousand Years to Wait in 2019, and publish I did. The book launched on April 30th and I could never have imagined the kind of support I would receive from friends, family, and perfect strangers. My love for all of you is so much more than you could ever know. The year was filled with events, signings, and yes – even an audiobook that literally happened in less than a month from conception to finished product. And still, each of you stood by my side and helped make my dreams a reality.

Did I think I might fail? Certainly. Was I terrified of doing so? Hell, yes. Still am.

But what’s that thing I mentioned about fear? Oh, right. Do the thing that scares you most.

Honestly, if it scares the hell out of you, you’re doing something right.

Huh. I guess that’s it. That’s what I’ve been trying to say and that’s the lesson for 2019. Onward and upward. My wish for you in 2020 is that you find what terrifies you, and you tackle it anyway.

Love and hugs, friends. I believe in you.

Dreams (via pixels.com)

12 Books—Month 5

This month, in my Twitter-Friend Book Review, I chose Katrina Ariel’s Wild Horse Heart. I first glimpsed this book when Katrina and I became friends on Twitter and I was lucky enough to read some of her other work as a critique partner long ago. Since I already knew I enjoyed her writing, I bought a copy of Wild Horse Heart and jumped in.

Given my love of horses, this book was an obvious choice. A light contemporary romance, Wild Horse Heart is a story about taking big chances, starting over, and learning to love yourself. It was an easy read and I finished it in about two days. Plus, let’s take a moment to talk about this gorgeous cover art, shall we? Love.

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Ariel obviously enjoys the outdoors and her love of nature shines through in her work. The descriptions of landscape in particular had me itching to get in the car and start driving westward once more, longing for fresh air and wide open spaces.

If you like romance, enjoy a little Hollywood escapism, and love the idea of stepping out of your own life and into a new one, this is the perfect read.

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My horse is a Standardbred, a retired racehorse. My sister has a mustang, just like those in Katrina Ariel’s book!

Who’s Who? Volume IV

Twitter is a blessing and a curse in one, but following the right people makes all the difference. Here’s a list of some of my favorites to follow. Get them on your list, too!

Maria Stout (@MariaStout) – I’m a writer, so I really enjoy following other writers, especially upbeat ones who give their all, cheer on others, and never let life get them down. Maria checks all three of those boxes. When I met Maria at the Philadelphia Writer’s Workshop two years ago, we blathered on about how excited we were to be there (‘blather’ is accurate for both of us, right Maria?), and we’ve stayed connected ever since. Also, I like to keep up on the buzz. No, not the gossip. The buzz. On top of being a teacher, a writer, a mom, and a wife, she’s also a beekeeper.

 

Piper Drake (@PiperJDrake) – I started following Piper because of her role on Writing Excuses, a writing-related podcast I enjoy immensely. Piper was a guest host for a year and I really related to some of the insight she shared on the show. Plus, her romance books are full of heroes with dogs, and everyone knows the way to my heart is with dog hair and drool. Piper doles out tons of great advice when it comes to balancing a day job with writing, the roles of agents and editors, really beautiful and mouth-watering food, and of course – all things Corbin J. Drake. And who wouldn’t love to follow that?

 

Geraldine DeRuiter (@everywhereist) – Because every good Twitter account needs a healthy dose of feminism, Geraldine should top your list. She’s smart, quick, and covers a range of topics from travel and politics to television and current events. Journalism, feminism, and opinionism at its finest! (I desperately wanted to share one of her wittiest moments, but I think this one already says it all.)

 

Jennifer Lane (@Metal_and_Earth) –Ā  Jennifer is a fellow eastern Pennsylvanian and Indie Author who recently released her second novel, Stick Figures from Rockport. (Yes, I wrote about that one just recently.) She’s fun to follow and when she posts things like this, she makes me feel so much more normal inside…

 

E.K. Thiede (@ethiedee) – A writer after my own heart, Emily is a blast to follow on Twitter. Much like the other ladies on my Very Female list today, Emily’s Twitter will give you a hearty does of feminism. (Insert cheer! We all need more of this.) There’s rarely a tweet of hers that I don’t instantly ā€˜heart’ and if I manage to refrain, it’s only because I don’t want her thinking I’m a creepy stalker.

 


Don’t see yourself listed here? Don’t despair. There are so many amazing people to follow on Twitter. Hang around! You might be in my next issue of Who’s Who!

Also, if you missed my last Who’s Who? and you want to discover more great people to follow, click here!