Guest Post by Kate Walton: Staying on the Path

Today we have an inspiring post from the fabulous Kate Walton, whom I interviewed back in May. She also made a brilliant parody song for aspiring writers that I still sing to this day. Listen to her words of wisdom, fellow aspiring writers.


First, thank you to Dorothy for asking me to contribute this guest post.  It is an honor.


Quitting.  Throwing in the towel.  Jumping ship.  Leaving it all behind.  Giving up.


Ever want to do it?  If you said no, then you seriously are a super human and far stronger than I.  I’m sure you’ve read or heard, “Publishing isn’t for the faint of heart.”  I know I have, and I truly believed my skin was tough enough, that my manuscripts were good enough, and that I had the iron will to plow through and attain my goal…land a literary agent.  


Then the rejections came. 


They came on queries.  They came on partials.  They came on fulls.  They came as form letters all the way up to the ultra-painful, “After reading your novel, I’m afraid I’m going to pass because…”  And they kept coming until I literally quit, threw in the towel, jumped ship, left it all behind and gave up.  Oh yes I did. 


I just couldn’t take it another second.  And you know what “it” I’m referring to…the agent researching, contest entering, query-revising, query-submitting, query-checking, tear wiping, fist balling, forum reading, blog reading, manuscript reading, and on and on and on.  A writer’s life on the agent hunt ain’t easy, and I was bone crushing tired of it all.  Ache and want filled me up and I overflowed all over my office when I typed on my blog: At the risk of sounding overly dramatic...I think I'm going to take some time off to lick my wounds and do some writer'ish soul searching.


I quit.


That was June 3, 2010.


Time jump with me to June 10, 2010 – a mere seven days later (yet a long 922 days since I completed my first novel. Yes, that translates to 2.4 years).  


On June 10^th I wrote a public letter to The Universe…a letter of gratitude.  In those seven days I received two full requests, and one of those requests ended up turning into an offer of representation from Sarah LaPolla at Curtis Brown Ltd.  I am proud to say I am represented by her (proud and chill-inducing-excited).


You know my ultimate point; you’ve heard it before:  If you want it bad enough then do not give up.  It really is that simple.


Stay on the path no matter how many trolls or witches try to lead you astray.  Shut the inner demons up by doing even more…more writing, more conference going, more class taking, more researching, more revising, more reading, more everything.  If writing flows through your veins and feeds your soul, then it IS your destiny.  Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. 

Interview with Medeia Sharif

Today we're chatting with a fabulous author whose debut novel will be released next year. How exciting! Let's welcome Medeia Sharif.

Hi, Medeia. Great to have you here. Tell us a bit about yourself.

I live in Miami Beach and teach high school English. BESTEST. RAMADAN. EVER. will be my first published novel, but it’s not my first book. I wrote my first book when I was seventeen going on eighteen. It was really bad, but over the years I persisted through several flawed books, rejections galore and representation from different agents.

It's great that you didn't give up. Let's hear about BESTEST. RAMADAN. EVER. Wow, what a title! What’s your story about?

Almira Abdul, a Middle Eastern mutt of Syrian and Iranian origins, is fifteen going on sixteen and she’s fasting for Ramadan for the first time ever. Coinciding with the holy month is her first major crush with a boy named Peter, whom her best friend Lisa also is in love with. She also has a new enemy at school, catty Shakira Malik, a fellow Muslim who trades barbs with everyone. Her dentist father also proclaims that she needs braces. Along with the hectic month her grandfather, who knocks down mailboxes and garbage cans when parking, is teaching her how to drive in his tank-like car.

Sounds original and intriguing. How did the idea of the story come to you?

At first I wanted to write a children’s or MG book centering on Ramadan. I knew I wanted a book with Ramadan in the title. The failed novels that I wrote in my teens and twenties mainly had teenage characters, plus I started reading more YA, so I decided to write a YA novel with a Ramadan theme. The more I thought about it, Almira’s voice became stronger and stronger. I had to write about her.

It's always motivating for aspiring writers to be reminded that even published authors had once had to deal with rejections during the querying process. What tips can you give those of us still querying?

I went through plenty of rejection. In the 90’s I collected mounds of rejection letters and after the millennium my inbox was full of e-jects.

My tips for querying include looking over query samples in books and online. I found a pattern that worked for me. On a side note many times my queries were fine, but my partials and fulls were not. For the writing itself, I advise getting out there and meeting people. I wrote in a bubble for a long time before discovering critique groups, conferences, blogs, and online forums. Another side note is that a writer shouldn’t say yes to an agent immediately. I learned this the hard way when I had two failed relationships with agents before getting my current agent.

Excellent tip! What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

Editing. It’s hard on my eyes to read the same project over and over again for mistakes. I’m getting better at putting away a manuscript for longer periods of time. It helps to look at it again with fresh eyes.

I agree. Let’s get to know you on a deeper level. What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

My Blackberry, a bottle of water, my planner, and lip balm.

Quick writing test! Use the following words in a sentence: amphibian, bandages, and rollercoaster.

As the roller coaster spun upside down, the girl’s bandages fell off and an amphibian flew into her mouth.

Ahahaha, whoops! Here’s the part where you thank the people who are supporting you. Who would you like to give a shout out to?


I’d like to thank my agent Marlene Stringer and my Flux editor Brian Farrey. I’m sure that there will be more people to thank from now until my 2011 debut as different players come into the picture.

And finally, where can people find you online?

My website is http://www.sharifwrites.com and my blog is http://www.medeiasharif.com.

Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us, Medeia. And I look forward to the release of your debut novel.

Interview with Eileen Schuh

Happy Friday, everyone!

Sit back and get comfy, because we have another great interview I'm sure you'll enjoy. We're chatting with another possible future best seller, Eileen Schuh.

Welcome, Eileen. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m a journalist by training and trade, but currently I’m an aspiring novelist. My dream has always been to publish fiction. Now that my children are grown, and time and money are mine, I’m pursing that dream with a passion.

How long have you been writing?

I have been writing for half a century. I was 14 years old when my first story was published in Wee Wisdom Magazine—that’s a bit less than 50 years but I was writing for almost a decade before I achieved that milestone.

Do you rely on critique groups or beta readers for your manuscripts?

I have used the Writers Guild of Alberta Reading Service to help me with my manuscripts. Throughout the years, I’ve discovered that my daughter is my most helpful critic. She’s honest but knows how to be gentle. (I have a fragile ego.)


I haven’t joined any critique groups but I’ve tried beta readers. The experiences started out well. We connected on line. However, all three readers vanished before I received feedback. It’s a bit mysterious...

Sounds like a mystery novel in the making, lol. What's the hardest part of writing for you?

Trying to get published is the absolute worst part of writing. It takes so much time and energy. Repeated rejections can devastate self-esteem. I’d rather be writing. However, if I want people to read what I’ve written, I must persist.

Out of the books you've written so far, which one are you currently pitching?

My pre-teen novel, Aerdrie, placed second in the 2009 Bookland Press Literary Award Contest. I’d love to see this timely novel published.


I’m also marketing my adult novel, NORAEBANG. It’s a crime novel that explores Stockholm Syndrome (the tendency for captives to bond with captors) and abusive relationships. An earlier version of this novel also placed well in the Bookland Press contest (in 2007).

Let's hear your pitches.

Aerdrie pitch: Aerdrie is my literary response to law enforcement’s recent pleas for community help in keeping youngsters from falling into the clutches of gangs.


Noraebang pitch: NORAEBANG is an irresistible, tightly knit, intriguing story set in an exotic locale and spiced with a few torrid love scenes. The characters’ inner lives drive the action in NORAEBANG. Their pasts, their emotions, their loves, and their fears are intricately intertwined with kidnapping, drug dealing, murder, and betrayal.

How did the ideas of the manuscripts come to you?

The NORAEBANG characters came to me while I was vacationing in South Korea. They were a bit of an annoyance—downright intrusive at times. It’s challenging to enjoy a gimbap with friends while an imaginary biker gang one table over is chugging Soju and plotting to import cocaine.

Wow! You've piqued my interest. So what's the best tip you can share with other aspiring writers?

Don’t do anything, listen to anybody, or make any decisions that lessen your desire to write. Be strong and persistent and always accept that you have much yet to learn. Above all else—enjoy.

Great advice. Who are your inspirations?

People inspire me. I’m a ‘people watcher’. Always have been. People do the most interesting, unexpected, and totally random things. Strangers as well as...in-laws.

Hehehe. Good point. Let’s get to know you on a deeper level. Can you name three things about yourself people may not know?

1.  I volunteer for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
2.  “Eileen” is Irish and means “Goddess of Light”. In Cantonese, it means “lovely lotus.”
3.  I love yoga. I can do the Tree Pose.

Here’s the part where you thank the people who are supporting you. Who would you like to give a shout out to?

Many and much thanks to hubby for bringing home the bacon while I pursue my dream. Thanks to my daughter, Renita, for her careful and considered critiques, her enthusiasm, and her encouragement. Thanks, as well to my other daughter, Tracy, and my son, Chris, for their ongoing support. My family, my friends, everyone in my community—wonderful fans who are proving to be as persistent as I am. I can’t forget to thank Cheryl K Tardif, my cyberspace pal and my book marketing coach.

And finally, where can people find you online?

My website is http://www.eileenschuh.com I have several interesting features on my website. Aside from the usual (my bio, excerpts from my novels, etc.), I have the popular “Did you know...” page. As well, I get lots of traffic to my article “I met a man with empty eyes...”


I invite everyone to visit my blog for a light-hearted and quick read. I update it often. I’ve written on topics as diverse as my Quest to Quit Smoking, writing tips, and interviews with authors. I’ve also posted some great guest blogs. http://eileenschuh.blogspot.com


As well, people can find me and the opening chapters to my Adult crime/romance novel FIREWALLS on the Harper Collins Authonomy website. http://www.authonomy.com/ViewBook.aspx?bookid=18428 Drop by for a free read. Leave a comment. Vote for me if you like.

Eileen, thank you so much for letting us chat with you. It's been great getting to know you, and I wish you much success with your books!

Interview with Jenn Johansson

Today we're chatting with a wonderful aspiring writer named Jenn Johansson.

Jenn is 31 and lives in Utah with her husband, two sons and a boy puppy—she says this may or may not have something to do with why she enjoys writing male characters so much.



Welcome, Jenn! Tell us about your manuscripts.

ORACLE is YA Sci-Fi and INSOMNIA is YA Dark Paranormal.

Great titles! Here’s the part where you pitch them. What are your stories about?

ORACLE is about Lexi, a teenage girl who has telekinesis and hates it. At least until she meets a group of people from another world and has to help them save those on Earth who are just like her. INSOMNIA is about Parker, a teenage boy who watches other people's dreams when he falls asleep at night. Pretty cool, until he realizes his little "gift" is going to either make him go crazy or die from sleep deprivation.

Both terrific premises. I've always wanted to have a dream gift. So how did the ideas of the stories come to you?

Honestly, I'm not sure. I think they just evolved over time. A flash of an idea, the boy who sees other peoples dreams, then it is all about asking questions. What then? Until you come up with something really cool.

Are your manuscripts complete or still works in progress?

ORACLE is complete and currently on submission. INSOMNIA is in the works.

For INSOMNIA, do you have a word count goal, and how far along are you at this point?

INSOMNIA is intense, so I don't want it to be too long or it's exhausting. I'm aiming for between 60 - 70k. Right now, I'm just over 30k.

What is your next step?

When INSOMNIA is finished and all sparkly, I'll probably start querying agents. Right now, editing is about as far away as I feel comfortable planning for.

Do you have a critique group/partner or beta readers, or do you self-edit?


I do all of the above. I do a serious amount of self-editing, then I send it to beta readers that are part of my critique group. Every step is essential for me to get to the finished product.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

I have this moment in the middle of writing every book where I'm just aching to hit the delete key about a million times. I just have to get past it and believe that when it's finished, I won't feel that way anymore. So far, it's working.

Good advice. Perseverance! Any other tips you’ve learned about writing you’d like to share?

No book is perfect of the first go around. More than half of writing is being a good editor. No matter what you write, be willing to revise and revise until it's exactly what you hoped it would be. Another thing--get out there. Writers conferences, writers groups, anything, just meet other writers and learn from them.

Yes, self-improvement, self-exposure, and self-promotion. It's all good! Do you have an idea of your book’s cover art?


I gave up the delusion that I'd have any say in this a long time ago. I do hope they use photography and keep it dark. I don't think illustration would be a good fit.

Who are your inspirations?

Orson Scott Card, Piers Anthony, Tom Clancy, J.K. Rowling... this list could really go on and on. A recent book that really influenced me was, "I Am Not A Serial Killer" by Dan Wells. It's an awesome exploration of good vs. evil.


Let’s get to know you on a deeper level. Can you name three things about yourself people may not know?

Let's see... I swim, I sing... and I shouldn't be allowed around any activity remotely gym related. Trust me, people get hurt.



LOL, okay. So here’s the part where you thank the people who are supporting you. Who would you like to give a shout out to?

My writer girls and my family. Without them, I'd still be on page 1.

And finally, where can people find you online?

blog: www.jennjohansson.blogspot.com
website: www.jennjohansson.com
twitter: http://twitter.com/JennJohansson

Thank you so much for chatting with us Jenn. I'm crossing my fingers that your publication journey is a successful one!