 ThaWhere did the idea for this book come from?
I enjoy reading military fiction, Christian fiction, and watching a ton of military/war movies and shows. One day I was watching one of my favorite television shows and wondered what would happen if a Special Forces Sniper married a SWAT officer. From there the ideas just kept coming and Clubs was born. How long did it take you to write this book? It took almost two years from the day I started writing Clubs until it was published. When did you know your manuscript was ready for submission? I had a pretty clear vision of the journey I wanted to take my main characters on. The ending came to me rather early in the process, so it was a matter of simply getting my characters from where they began, to where I wanted them at the end. Once the first draft was completed it went through revisions and editing. Only after my editors returned the manuscript, all edits were made, and I read through and did revisions myself was I comfortable with submitting my work. I want it as close to perfection as it could be before it went out into the world. What happened along the way in your publication process? I published Clubs through Amazon so submitting the manuscript was simple. I had to ensure I knew what genre to place the book in and write the back cover description so readers could get a feel for the story and decide if they wanted to give Clubs a chance. As an indie author I maintained complete control of the cover from concept to completion. I worked closely with my cover designer and we discussed all the fine points of the cover to ensure it came out exactly as I envisioned. Once I submitted the book, it was just a matter of waiting for it to go live on the website. What marketing are you doing for this book? My marketing is primarily though Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. My Author page is where I keep my readers up to date on all the latest news about Clubs and the series, as well as interact with my readers. Anything else you’d like to share about your book’s journey from inspiration to publication? The journey to publishing Clubs was a wonderful experience. Seeing a simple idea turn into a thirty-seven-chapter book, then holding the book in my hands, is quite an experience. I loved every step of the process (well, editing not as much) and look forward to repeating the steps from start to finish with the next book in the series. Where can you be found online? Website: https://marthapruett.wixsite.com/author Twitter: @mrspruett09 Facebook: Martha Pruett - Author Instagram: mpauthor Where can your book be purchased? Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KGL5XW3 Thank you, Martha, for sharing with us.
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2/9/2019 0 Comments Committed to Writing Other writers have asked me how I get so much writing, blogging, etc. done. This often makes me feel like a fraud—I don’t feel like I’m doing very well. Comparison can be a dangerous thing. Someone is always more successful or less so than we are, at whatever we think of as success.
But I am committed to writing. Whether I sell it or not is a different subject. However, let’s discuss what works for me. First, set aside time. I’m very blessed to not have to work full time. That means I get up in the morning and write, or do writing related business. Let me explain the latter since it comes in many forms. It could be research for a project or for finding an agent or editor, catching up on reading newsletters or blogs focused on writing, working on a student lesson, submitting or querying projects, updating spreadsheets, critiquing for a client or work to find a client, etc. It often includes time spent on social media, although it’s easy to get sidetracked with that so I try to limit it. I also volunteer for a writing organization and may spend some time on that. The writing part can be fiction or short nonfiction and is 99% of the time done on a keyboard. If I’m in the midst of a novel, that’s usually the most compelling project for me to approach. Nonfiction usually includes blog posts for both of my sites, plus occasional articles for pay. On my writing for children site, I also do book recommendations. Of course, writing any of these can require me stopping to research a needed fact or two. This is another place I can get sidetracked... Whatever I’m writing, I may be at the getting words down part or revising what I already wrote. After lunch I return to the computer to do one or more of the above. This schedule is normal five days a week. Saturdays, I may write, or I may do family things. Sundays, we meet with our local church and usually rest and relax the rest of the day. However, I know many others who write after their full-time job is done for the day. They write in the evening and on weekends. Maybe on lunch breaks. So, if you’re working another job, don’t despair that you can’t also make progress on your writing. If you only writes 1000 words a week, that’s 50,000+ words in a year. Second, I’ve given up other things. I used to sew and do a few handcrafts. I haven’t done them in many, many years. Instead, I write. I used to do scrapbooking—I’d like to say I do it occasionally but can’t remember the last time I did so. Yes, of course, I read books—mainly in the genres I write. I even watch TV via Netflix or watch a movie in the evening. I spend time with friends—mainly my fellow writers—and family. And of course, I cook, clean, do laundry, pay bills in partnership with my husband. (Our children are grown.) Third, I’ve made a commitment to myself to write. What helps me stay committed? Love of the written word. Habit. Meeting with other writers. A regular critique group motivates to bring something to share. A scheduled writing time makes me show up with computer in hand and usually a project in mind. As Tony Fahkry says, “Success requires discipline, hard work, perseverance, tenacity, will, courage and faith.” Until I read that quote, I hadn’t thought much about the faith part. Yes, I believe I’m doing what God would have me do. But I have faith that my writing is worth something as well. Here is another writer’s story on being committed: “Three powerful lessons from my 2017 Writing Challenge.” Your path won’t look like mine or hers. But it’s amazing how deciding to commit to writing makes being committed to writing easier. |
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SM Ford writes inspirational fiction for adults, although teens may find the stories of interest, too. She also loves assisting other writers on their journeys. Archives
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