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Do You Think About These Things

— Mark Paxson

A couple of years ago, I made a commitment to get more active in local writing groups. I joined one such group. We meet once a month to talk about what we’re doing. offer advice and support to each other, and also organize local events, including a day long conference that was presented this past September.

We are discussing putting on a few events in 2024. Each focusing on different aspects of the writing process. At our last meeting to discuss these events, the President of the group offered up some different ideas. One of them was to focus on “character.”

I wish I had taken notes of what was said about what this event would cover, because I spent the entire conversation thinking “people actually think about these things while they write?” For instance, how to make character drive your story. Do you think about that as you write a story?

Another potential topic was point of view. I kind of get this as a topic, particularly after reading the last manuscript I read for another writer. It definitely had point of view issues, but I don’t know how this topic could be turned into an effective workshop topic.

My approach to POV is to decide what the POV will be when I start writing. Sometimes it’s first person, sometimes third, and sometimes it is multiple POV. One of my novels has a first person POV, but from three different characters’ perspectives in alternating chapters.

Once I decide, I stick with that POV choice and I hardly think about it again as I write. The POV is the POV.

I am intrigued by how different writers approach writing a story. Pantsers versus plotters. Idea boards. Mood boards. Character sketches. Back stories that never make it into the story. Writing from beginning to end versus jumping around. Do you know the ending before you start?

Here’s what I do and what I think about while I write. I get an idea, frequently from a prompt, but occasionally from something I observe or just come up with out of thin air. If the idea intrigues me, I consider whether I want to give it a try. If I do … I just start writing.

I think my typical start is to think of the story in first person, because most of my ideas are about putting a specific person, or type of person, into a specific situation … and then seeing where it takes me. Occasionally, I decide from the outset that third person might work better, or at some point during the wriing, I realize that third person would work better so I convert what I’ve already written to third person and proceed from there.

I almost never know what the ending will be when I start writing. I just finished a draft of a short story. It’s first person and it doesn’t need to be more than that because it’s pretty short and there’s no need for a third person narration. When I started, it was from a prompt, and I had no idea what the story was going to be, except for the prompt to start me off. As I pondered the story, I came up with an idea to go further with the prompt into something, but the end still mystified me.

And at some point, I came up with what I thought would be a great final line, and that guided me towards a potential ending. Except something else happened … I came up with an ending that didn’t match that “great final line,” but I thought this new ending was a better way to end it, so that’s the direction I went in.

But that’s about it in terms of what I think about while writing. I don’t think about “character” and what to do with it. I find a POV and I stick with it. And just see where the words take me.

Maybe this is the difference between being a pantser and a plotter. I’m a pantser, definitely a pantser. Maybe plotters think more about these types of things?

Anyway, do you think about things like this while you’re writing? What do you think about while you’re writing? Do you think while you write? 😉

Facebook Ads

— Mark Paxson

In my ocassional, but neverending, quest to find some promotion efforts that will succeed, A writer friend we talk about occasionally in our video chat has told me that she has success with Facebook ads. After months and months of delay, I finally tried two ads over the last couple of weeks.

My cover artist charged me $25 to design each ad and I spent about $50 to run each ad on Facebook. I won’t claim to be an expert at this point, but here’s my experience.

You have to have a business page on FB to be able to run ads. You can’t run ads if all you have is a personal page.

There appear to be two different ways to create ads on FB. There is the “Create Ads” option and the “Ads Manager” option. As near as I can tell, they create two different types of ads. What the differences are I have absolutely no idea, but the Create Ads option isn’t as advanced or complicated as the Ads Manager option.

I made my first ad with te Create Ads option and that led to a rookie mistake. I believe, without any evidence of course, that the best ad is one that is clickable so the viewer can click on it and go straight to where the product can be purchased. I did not do that with this first ad and when I went back and looked throughout the Create Ads option, I couldn’t see anywhere to make it clickable in that fashion.

No, instead, it appears that viewers clicking on my first ad were given an option to send me a message or to view my business page on FB. The result was that I got messages from several people begging me for free copies of my book and several others who wanted to sell me their promotion “expertise.”

I set my budget for the ad at $8 a day for a week. I have no idea in the Create Ads option how that money is spent. Unlike in the Ads Manager, where it describes it as an auction, the Create Ads option doesn’t say anything about what happens with that $8 a day. (To be honest, I have no idea how an “auction” works when running ads.)

After realizing that I screwed up the clickable nature of the first ad, I burrowed a little deeper into the FB ad mechanism and decided to use the Ads Manager option for my second ad. I found where to make the ad clickable to take the viewer to where the book is available and added the link from Draft2Digital that shows all of the stores where the ebook is available.

I didn’t get any messages for the second ad like I did for the first ad, so I think I got the clickable function right. But here’s where one of the biggest problems is. While FB allows you to preview your ad, all that does is give you the chance to see what the ad looks like. It doesn’t actually allow you to see how the ad works … as in clicking it to see where the click takes you. As a result, I simply don’t know for sure how the ads function.

The end result of this is that the first ad reached 2,205 viewers. The second ad reached almost 13,000 viewers. What those viewers did when they saw the ad is mostly a mystery. I’m assuming that the vast, vast, vast majority just scrolled right on by.

Since the ads ran, after several weeks without any sales of any of my books, I got four sales for the book covered by the first ad and three sales for the book covered by the second ad. I believe there may be a few more that wander in as sales from the different channels get reported to Draft2Digital (not all channels report them immediately). But it won’t be enough to cover my expenses.

Ad design costs of $50 plus ad distribution costs of $100 versus about $10 in revenue. Well, again, the math on this just doesn’t work out.

I know that there are those who can make these ads work. There are secrets buried in the process of making and running these ads. The Ads Manager has different “objectives” for the ads. Maybe if I had chosen a different objective, I would have done better. Maybe if I understood the auction method better I could have tailored the ads better. There are all sorts of tricks to this. Tricks that I’m completely clueless about. I found a lot of the “helpful” parts of the Facebook ad info, to be either completely devoid of any actual help or to be like reading Greek.

So … I guess the thing is that doing something like an ad is for those who really get into the details and learn the ins and outs of how ads work.

Are You Writing?

I think that most of the regular readers of this blog are writers of one sort or another. That being the case, I have a question for all you writers; how’s your writing going these days? Following some of the blogs of this site’s usual suspects, I’ve gotten the impression that writing isn’t going all that well, at least fiction writing, for some of us. I know that I’m in that boat, and I’m wondering how many of you find yourself sharing that boat.

In my case, I haven’t written any fiction since February, and that was mostly revising something I’d started last fall and abandoned. I abandoned it again after adding maybe 10K words. Since then I have managed to maintain my habit of writing an hour each morning by writing two blog posts a week. I’ve also spent the odd moments all spring and summer daydreaming a new story in fits, starts, and lots of dead ends. And I’m still not at a point where I can say that I have an actual story that readers might like to read. With winter looming and with it, nothing better to do than write, I really would like to find that story. The clock is ticking.

So how about you? Are you busy writing away? Great. Motivate us. Please.

Or are you like me, floundering? Are you searching for a story that you can get excited enough about to sit down and start putting it into words? And if you are floundering, do you have any idea why? Have you arrived at a point in life where you are wondering why you are trying to do this? Or is it simply a case of a lack of energy or health? Or is it a lack of motivation i.e. you’ve written books, and you are wondering if you need to write any more? Or are you like me; experiencing a lack of a new and interesting story ideas to develop? Or do you think it’s simply a temporary case of writer’s block? In short, are you desperate enough to write a blog post about not being able to write, just for something to write?

Please share your experiences with your fellow writers in the comments below. Misery loves company.

One Year Later

After a decade of publishing through Amazon’s paperback and digital platforms, I made the switch to Draft2Digital a little over a year ago. I’ve written here about my early experiences and wanted to provide an update.

Back then, I published two new books — a novella and a short story collection. After I got those books up and out there, I decided to republish my earlier efforts as well. So, now I have five books published through D2D.

As I’ve written before, if for no other reason than that my books are now more broadly available, I love the results with D2D. Last week, I spent a couple of days in Portland, Oregon. I made a stop at Powell’s Books and scanned the sections to see if any of my books were on the shelves. I even typed my name into their computer to make sure.

No, none of my books were in physical form in their bookstore, but all of them are available on Powell’s website. Just as they are at B & N, Books-A-Million, Walmart, the Harvard Book Store, Smashwords, and numerous other on-line bookselling platforms. I consider that a success.

Since I made the switch to D2D, I’ve sold 162 books via the platform. Not incredible numbers, but I have no idea whether the old way would have been any better. The last novel I published on Amazon sold fewer than 100 copies/downloads and no matter what kind of promo opportunities I try, nothing seems to change those numbers. So, in the light of minimal sales, why not go out as broadly as possible.

If you’re looking around for something other than Amazon and would like to see your books published more broadly, I encourage you to look into D2D or some of the other platforms that promise such distribution (IngramSpark, for instance). Something needs to be done to break the dominance of Amazon and these companies offer authors reasonable alternatives.

Are We Wrong?

— Mark Paxson

We spend a lot of time around here bashing the idea of rules for writing. Particularly in our video chats. But …

The local writers’ group is hosting a conference in September. I was looking at the speakers. One of them teaches creative writing at a local community college and will be teaching writers how to write a dynamic scene that moves the story along.

Just the idea of teaching a creative writing class made me wonder and ask the question in the title of this post. Are we wrong about our ridiculing of the rules of writing?

The reality is that all writers are guided by conventions or rules or structures or something similar in their writing. Whether writing to the conventions of a particular genre or following the three act structure or paying attention to voice or countless other things, we all do some of this. Some more consciously than others.

I know that if I do it, it is in my subconscious. I just come up with an idea and start writing and go from here to there and to over there and eventually wind my way to an ending. Without regard to genre needs or three acts or needing a conflict here or a dramatic scene there. I just … write.

But I do know that there are things that I’ve learned in decades of reading books voraciously. That had to do something to me that impacts how I tell a story when I sit down to write. All of the books I’ve read over the years taught me something. They must have. And so, maybe the “rules” have been embedded in my subconscious and I follow them, or at least some of them, without even thinking about it.

But back to that speaker who teaches creative writing. I shudder at the idea of taking a creative writing class. I shudder at the idea of an MFA program. I just feel like those are environments that demand … rules!!

A couple of months ago I participated in a book fair at a local book store. they had an author speak about her writing and publishing process. Throughout her presentation she kept on saying things with the lead in “okay, you have to do x.” I wanted to run up there and tell her to stop. To knock it off.

But maybe there is a point to some of this for some writers. Maybe a lot of writers. Maybe the “rules” need to be stated for some instead of being processed below the surface by others. Maybe there’s something to be said for providing the guidelines and structures for writers and not being so dismissive of the “rules” of writing.

I don’t know. I still think that a lot of what passes for the “rules” is nonsense, but if it helps some writers do their thing, I’ll let it go. Even if I occasionally ridicule those “rules” here and elsewhere.

What Is Literary Fiction?

By Audrey Driscoll

This question came up at the most recent WSW chat session (which will be posted here in the near future). It looks like we will need yet another session to thrash it out further, but I thought I would muddle some ideas around before that.

Here are some irreverent descriptions of literary fiction:

  • Books you have to read in English Literature classes
  • Great literature (they say)
  • The Classics (whatever that means)
  • Long, boring books written by dead guys
  • Long, boring books written by snobs
  • Books that critics write about
  • Books that get awards like the Pulitzer, the Booker, or the Nobel
  • Books that are good for you but no fun to read
  • Books with symbolism and allusions to stuff in other books
  • Books that don’t really have a story, just words
  • Books where you can’t tell what’s going on
  • Books you put on your shelf.

I’m sure you can add to this list.

It’s a lot like the question of what is “classical” music, and where is the dividing line between (hoity-toity, highbrow, inaccessible) music and the (familiar, predictable, head-bobbing) sounds of popular music. A question with no easy answer, it turns out.

And not one I’m about to debate here.

Getting serious, here is a definition from the Wikipedia article on literary fiction: “…novels that are character-driven rather than plot-driven, examine the human condition, use language in an experimental or poetic fashion, or are simply considered serious art.”

The main characteristics of literary fiction are:

  • Character-driven
  • Realistic examination of the human condition
  • Uses language in an artistic way.

It can be argued that literary writing refers more to style than to actual genre. After all, a romance, a mystery, a fantasy, or a thriller can possess these characteristics along with the necessary genre tropes. In fact, such a story would probably be richer and more interesting than one focussed primarily on plot.

There is also the problematic implication that literary fiction is somehow superior to genre fiction, that its readers are more intellectual and sophisticated than those who read for entertainment and just want to find out who did the murder or how the couple will achieve happiness.

I think it isn’t really necessary to classify books by genre unless you are running a bookstore. These classifications are part of the book trade. Even online ebook stores use some form of genre labelling, with “Literature” being given its own slot. I wonder how useful this is, really. Book retailers must make their products searchable, but surely that can be done through tags and keywords?

Genre labels—assuming “literary fiction” is a genre—do tell potential readers what to expect, up to a point. The trouble with this term is it covers a vast territory, everything from serious, slow moving, socially-conscious novels to plotless experimental fiction. Moreover, there’s a lot of genre bending and genre lumping going on, even by “literary” writers.

You want to know what I think? It doesn’t matter. Now that books no longer have to pass the gatekeepers of traditional publishing, there is no need to adhere to the labels of that world. Any book, no matter its genre, can be “literary,” meaning it’s character-driven, presents the human condition in a realistic way, and is written with an awareness of the artful possibilities of language.

Not every book needs to have these qualities. It’s perfectly okay to write and publish books where plot is the main driver and the characters are recognizable genre types. As for language, all writers should use it competently, if not always artfully.

Readers are quick to recognize books they like. Some will keep reading even if the style or content is unfamiliar or uncomfortable, but many will not. That’s perfectly okay too; there’s no shortage of books. Every reader can find more than enough to suit them, and those who cannot are free to write and publish whatever they like.

Fellow writers, do you read or write literary fiction? Do you think it’s a separate genre, a style of writing, or something else altogether? And do you even care?

Photo by Ravi Kant on Pexels.com

Looking For Some Advice

I’m faced with a potential conundrum, one of my own making, and I’d be curious to know what the collective writer/reader wisdom around here might think.

A couple of years ago, I published a contemporary YA novel. It is a story that isn’t necessarily finished and I planned on writing another volume in the tale at some point. And maybe even a third. The story about these characters could go on for some time, if I wanted to let it.

But there are other stories and characters I want to spend my time with. There is, however, an open storyline from what I published a couple of years ago that I want to provide closure to. I’ve now started writing what comes next. Which leads to my question.

The published book consists of three parts that are each in the 25,000-30,000 word range. If I do what I am planning, I’ll be writing a fourth part of comparable length. (There is a slim chance that I’ll end up writing more as I get back into the story, but for sake of this question, assume that I’m just writing one more part equal in length to the first three parts.)

How do I go about publishing that? Do I tack it on to the end of the first book and publish the entire thing? (What does that mean for the people who have already purchased and read the first three parts? I’m assuming they won’t really want to pay for what is essentially 75% something they’ve already read before.) Do I publish the fourth part separately? (If I hit 30,000 words, it can be a stand alone ebook and a slim paperback. But then how do I market it to make clear that potential readers should buy the novel first.) Do I do both? Or maybe none of the above? Or … do I suck it up and write a full novel-length sequel to the thing?

AI As a Fiction Writing Tool

by Audrey Driscoll

As an experiment, I wrote a short story I called “The Green Flash” and then presented its basic elements to ChatGPT and asked it to produce a short story incorporating them. You can read the results in this post on my personal blog.

It took the AI a few seconds to produce its 755-word story. It took me the equivalent of 2.5 standard working days, spread over several weeks.

I did not refine the ChatGPT story in any way. But I reduced mine by a third to make it more comparable to the AI version.

I have to admit, the AI’s version of the story, which it titled “Run for Janey,” isn’t bad. It has an arc, it hangs together, it’s even mildly exciting and ends with an “aww” moment. Many would say it’s a perfectly good story.

A few observations:

  • My prompt didn’t say it was the couple’s 50th anniversary. ChatGPT added that detail independently.
  • I did not specify that either of the photographers took photos of anyone, but I guess ChatGPT knows about Chekhov’s gun.
  • ChatGPT seems to have a positive, sentimental outlook, as well as a sense of humour.
  • ChatGPT doesn’t always show rather than tell, and it doesn’t mind using adverbs or stock phrases (i.e., clichés).
  • The green flash is more dramatic in the AI version.

Based on this rather superficial test, I conclude that AI may be a useful tool for fiction writers, especially those under pressure to produce text quickly. It would probably be a good idea for those writers to work on creating effective prompts and refining their inputs.

Have I done that? No. Do I intend to? I’m not sure. I have admitted that crossing the gap from story idea to a first draft is my toughest writing challenge. It’s obvious that AI can do that easily, but I don’t know how much effort would be needed on my part to revise prompts and repeat the AI’s text generating routines before the results would match my intentions for a specific story. It could be I’d rather stick to using my aging brain.

Take the story in my “experiment.” I think “The Green Flash,” written 100% by me, is a better short story than “Run for Janey” by ChatGPT. If I had started by prompting the AI and working with the resulting text, I don’t know what sort of story I would have ended up writing, or how much time and effort would have been required to produce something I thought worthwhile.

Logically, the next experiment would be to prompt an AI with elements from one of the many story ideas in my notebook, and see if I could turn the results into a real story more efficiently than my current process.

The real question is which method of producing written fiction is more congenial and effective for any individual writer. Some may have no interest in engaging with AI; others may be motivated to try different AIs and learn how to use them effectively.

In the latter case, should the human writer credit whatever AI they use as a co-writer? Or is the AI analogous to all the mental inputs a writer has had over their lifetime, from everything they’ve ever experienced, read, and learned, all the movies they’ve watched, all the conversations overheard. Because really, our minds are repositories of all this stuff, and it’s from these wells we draw the ideas for stories and the words in which we embody them. It could be argued that AIs do the same, only more efficiently.

Writers, what do you think of artificial intelligence as a fiction writing tool? What sorts of writing projects have you used it for?

Feature image photo by Audrey Driscoll enhanced with Canva.