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Great news: my copies for signing have arrived. If you’d like a signed copy, here’s the link to my Etsy shop:
Does It Look Like Her: Signed Poetry Book— Clickety Click!
Copies [unsigned] are also still available through Amazon: Book Clickety Click!
I also had a ridiculous amount of fun creating this self-portrait with my book. 😁
Thanks for all of your support, and here’s to books and poetry! 📔
It’s book-birthday time! 😊So excited to release my little-book-that-could out into the world of readers. It’s available now at Amazon: clickety-click. 🥹📚
Photo: Free Stock at Unsplash.com, courtesy of Laura Adai
For anyone who’d like a signed copy, I have some books en route: I’ll post that link to my Etsy when I have copies in hand, likely later this week or early next, so sayeth the postal estimate. 😉
If you’re on Goodreads, please consider adding my book as a want-to-read and/or leaving some stars and a short review at Goodreads or Amazon—reviews make a huge difference in championing a book and are much appreciated. 💗
A poem from the collection to celebrate book-launch day🎊 :
Alix Encourages a Discouraged Student Who Stays After Class at the Art League
it’s okay
to be tired
of it all and
yet to keep
showing up
in fact, what
they don’t
tell you is
we all do,
it’s how we get
to a breakthrough
Photo: Free Stock at Unsplash.com, courtesy of Ashe Walker
Super excited that my article was published today at Women on Writing! Check out my craft article below, and learn more about my online Leaping Worlds writing class on this topic that starts Friday, February 10 (sign-ups open!) at: clickety-click/class info!
“Six Methods for Sparking Historical and Time-Travel Stories”
By: Melanie Faith
One of many wonderful facets of writing stories set in the past is that initial aha when an idea lands. While that spark’s arrival can be unpredictable, there are tried-and-true ways that authors of historical fiction and time-travel books employ to discover inspiration that sends them running to their computers.
Let’s take a look at six of these methods. Take one (or more!) for a spin today. Glean inspiration from:
Online articles. Many of my students have found their story ideas while reading either primary sources (first-hand accounts and/or articles written at the time of the events) or secondary sources (articles written in later time periods about historical eras). Most newspapers and colleges now have online databases and articles of literally thousands of letters and historical documents (such as birth, marriage, legal, and land-deed records) that can be perused for free or nearly free. If you take classes or teach, most universities subscribe to database services where you can find even more sources, but even a general online search outside of a school’s website can yield a field-day of resources on just about any historical figure, fact, epoch, or related historical topic you can imagine. Once you find an article of interest, you can then refine your search by typing the precise person, place, or event and filter articles, such as by year published/posted to narrow and focus your search. Have a notebook or word-processing document open for taking notes; always list the author and URL and/or bookmark your sources for handy return to this info for fact-checking later.
Photographs. Are you a visual person? Are you the kind of person who loves paging through old photo albums or yearbooks? Then this method is likely going to lead to stories aplenty for you. I remember visiting historical sites in elementary and high school and being fascinated by tintype photos as well as always being the partygoer magnetized by the photo albums on a nearby shelf. Perusing photos for what people wore, how they did their hair, how they assembled (or didn’t) as a group in photos, who was missing from the photos and why, who took center-stage in the photos, whether the shots were made in a formal studio or by a personal camera in the driveway before the prom, all of these aspects of photos intrigued me and created sense impressions and questions that could easily lead to great fiction. Photos are especially great for writing descriptions of indoor and outdoor settings as well as physical details for characters.
Questions we don’t know the answers to at the moment. This is one of my favorites. So often, I’ll stumble upon a document or a reference in a nonfiction book and several questions will pop into my mind about related ideas that didn’t (for good reason) make it into whatever I’m reading. I keep my writing notebook handy and jot down questions that arise from resources. Later on, these questions can lead to exploration into a character’s motivations and struggles that inform their actions and possibly whole scenes can result. A little bit like a magician’s colorful scarf—one question leads to another and another related question that can reveal images, dialogue, cultural references, and more to inspire writing.
Memories. What did you like to learn about most in history classes in school? Conversely, what did teachers never talk about that they should have or you wish they would have? Answering these questions could certainly help with setting and character development if/when you plunk your protagonist in the middle of the era you’ve always found fascinating.
Visits to museums or national parks. Almost every community around the world has hidden-gem museums about their town, region, or country with amazing historical resources for low-cost entrance and/or donations. Ditto for university and college archives that are open to the public, to alumni, and/or to the school community. Check websites or contact your local archivist or docents for hours or to email/text to arrange a visit. Want to walk through some history? National parks can be inspiring resources and a great way to take a break from the desk for the day. Take a camera and/or photos with your phone to remember specifics about landscape later. Bonus: jot some sensory impressions and notes while you’re there—details flit through our minds on-site that we are sure we’ll remember …and then don’t.
Reading. Hello, libraries! It doesn’t matter how many books there are about a topic or historical figure or era or time-travel element—there’s always room for more. When I want to write about a certain era, I’ll read through a few recent and/or long-ago books about the topic, to see what’s already been written and where there might be pockets of information missing or where fresh ideas for a different POV or character arise. Reading and leaving reviews for others’ books is also a great way to give back to the literary community while informing yourself and immersing yourself in a time period to inspire your own totally different but equally interesting historical book.
Such a pleasure to have a review of my book at Lesliesvoice.com!
An excerpt from Leslie’s thoughtful review: “Through anecdotes, metaphor, and humor, this author keeps the reader engaged and laughing throughout the book. Yet the serious part of publishing comes through loud and clear, and a brief exercise is given at the end of each chapter to drive home the content.
This book, From Promising to Published, came to me at the perfect time, just before I typed “The End” on my manuscript. I’ve made notes and scribbles throughout the book, a good sign that I’ll be coming back to it again and again. I’m in the middle of preparing all those things Melanie talks about: Author Bio, Cover Letters (including elements and examples), building a web and social media presence, and managing, and even planning for, rejection (something every writer needs). One of my goals for 2023 is to take more risks with my writing life. The author uses swimming as a metaphor for risk. I’m not a swimmer and, in fact, I’m terrified of deep water. But in writing, I’ve gone beyond the ‘toe-tip in the pool’ to mastering the ‘swan dive.’ Next up, the ‘butterfly stroke.’ I many never learn the ‘freestyle.’ To learn what each of those strokes represents in writing, take a deeper dive into this book, and enjoy the ripple effect of taking some risk.
From Promising to Published contains helpful information about identifying a target audience and submitting to literary journals. But beyond that are tips and tricks I haven’t found in other books on publishing; for example, courtesies and networking among authors, protecting my personal space, avoiding burnout through self-care, and my favorite…celebration! A few months ago, I bought a beautiful peace sign paper weight for myself and had it wrapped up as a gift at the store. After typing “The End” following the last chapter (about freedom and peace), I celebrated by opening my gift. It sits on my bookcase as a daily reminder that I was able to achieve a significant milestone in my writing life!”
Read the rest of the review at: clickety-click!
Check out more of Leslie’s wonderful writing and publications here (“Friday Speak Out!: The List-Maker,” here (“My Favorite Chair”), and here (“What I Would Teach My Children”). Also enjoy this great interview with Leslie from Women on Writing when Leslie’s work placed Runner Up in WOW!’s 2020 Creative Nonfiction Contest: clickety-click.
Many thanks to Leslie Cox for this beautiful review and for making the final stop of my blog tour so meaningful! 🎉
My sincere appreciation and thanks to all of the bloggers who hosted my book during the tour and wrote reviews; to Women on Writing for ongoing support, enthusiasm, and kindness; to Nicole Pyles for applying her amazing blog-tour creation skills to my tour and making this such a fun experience that I couldn’t have done on my own; and to each of YOU, dear readers, who have come along on the fun journey of this blog tour and offered marvelous feedback and messages and/or have purchased From Promising to Published.
May your muse continue to shine, and here’s to filling 2023 with wondrous words and publications aplenty! 🎉
Super excited to have reviews of From Promising to Published at Liberate & Lather and at Word Magic!
From the Liberate & Lather review: “I ended my read feeling built up, and options I never thought of were gifted to me. My power to forge along as a writer has been renewed. If you are on the fence about publishing or not publishing, wrestling with imposter syndrome, or needing fresh ideas to get your work in front of many eyeballs, then you want this in your hands.”
Many thanks to Angie Clay. Check out Angie’s awesome Ignite & Write Subscription Boxes, inspiring podcast, and self-care products.
From the Word Magic review: “Melanie’s goal is to demystify the mystifying process of publishing and she succeeds in this by giving a step by step, logical sequence of milestones and how to accomplish each goal. The chapters are coherently arranged for easy navigation. The author also advises that not every tip will apply to every reader, and they should feel free to pick up on the ones that most suit their situation. One piece of advice I liked was this: say you are a writer/author right from the start, not an imposter, and cling to that knowledge.”
Many thanks to Fiona Ingram at Word Magic. Check out Fiona’s amazing books and her wonderful series website: clickety-click!
I’m honored to have my craft article featured today at Editor-911 as the next stop in my book tour for From Promising to Published.
An excerpt:
“How can we step back a little to create a gentler schedule?
Tip 1: Refrain from the immediate yes, however tempting. Pause for an hour (or even a day) when a great opportunity lands to think it through, step by step.
Break down the opportunity’s required components and guesstimate possible time investments. Factor in your current energy level and health (yours and family members) before taking on a promising project.
Visuals help: physically open your calendar and pinpoint exact hours in your schedule when you will do the work involved. If you don’t have a lot of successive empty spots in your weeks ahead, you already know the answer.
Last week, I had a fantastic short-term gig land in my inbox. My first instinct was to leap on it. Yes, yes, yes! Sign me up!
Then, it occurred to me: a project like the one offered requires 2.5 to 3 hours minimum per day, 5 or 6 days a week…”
Read the rest at: clickety-click!
Many thanks to talented writer, book publisher, and educator Margo L. Dill!
Check out Margo’s awesome online writing classes, including Manuscript Draft Editing Package with Consultation (For Novels, Short Story Collections, and Memoirs), Children’s Novel Draft Editing Package (For Novels for Children Ages 9-12), and Writing a Novel with a Writing Coach: One-on-One Instruction, and Margo’s books and editing packages, sure to inspire and support your writing projects! Sign up for her free newsletter: clickety.
Thrilled to have my craft article, “Bountiful Betas: Benefits of a Beta Reader and Tips for Finding One,” featured today as a guest post as part of my book tour for From Promising to Published at Elle Backenstoe’s blog.
An excerpt: “Beta readers can save authors a lot of time and frustration trying to figure out elements of our own work that can be hard to pinpoint—such as why a certain character feels flat or why a scene that started so well deflated within a few short paragraphs.”
In which our author couldn’t resist posing with these wintry, rectangular beams of sudden sunlight.
One more week of enjoyable stops on my book-blog tour; thanks for all of your messages, positive feedback, and support during this tour.
Kickstarting this week with a fun interview. Stay tuned for some info-packed craft articles/guest posts ahead about beta readers and the art of not taking on too much!
It was a real joy to chat with Jill Sheets recently about the art of pacing, not giving up too soon, photography, forthcoming writing classes, my lack of athletic prowess, and From Promising to Published, among other topics.
Many thanks to Jill Sheets. Check out more of her awesome interviews with writers and blog-tour posts at: clickety-click.
Ever wondered how to find an editor to assist on your writing project? Thrilled to have a craft article I wrote featured at Beverley A. Baird’s awesome blog today. Stop by to get advice on finding a best-fit editor for your manuscript.
An excerpt: “It can be invaluable to get an impartial view on our writing with the in-depth, personalized feedback a freelance editor provides. Editors catch inconsistencies, scope for grammar and structural problems, note unintended repetition and filler words, red-flag plot holes, mark underdeveloped dialogue or characterization, and much more.
Where do you find a freelance editor anyway?
· Ask a librarian. Many libraries host readings or writing groups as part of their community outreach. Plus, librarians dig a good information search and have a wide network…
· Check your favorite indie author’s website. A sizable portion of authors take on editing projects.
· Check the Acknowledgments section of your favorite recently published books.”
Read the whole article with oodles more tips at: clickety-click!
So happy to have two wonderful new reviews of my book, From Promising to Published!
Check out this review from Glenda at The Mommies Reviews: clickety-click.
Along with this review from Beverley A. Baird: clickety-click.
Many thanks to Glenda and Beverley! Check out more at: http://www.themommiesreviews.com/ and https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com/.
