Hello from Down Under
Recently, after a twenty-year hiatus, I took up writing again with the intention of publishing a novel. I came into the industry completely blind. I thought writing a book was just that – writing a book. How wrong I was.
I had a lot to learn. When I finished writing my novel, I did four rounds of self-editing. I googled as much as I could about what to look out for in my writing, what I should omit, what I should add. Before my research I knew nothing about the concepts of show don’t tell, redundant words and using all of the senses. I remember writing this unspectacular paragraph:
The view was breathtaking. We had a better viewpoint of the river from here and could see how it was contained between the cliffs before widening again.
When I revised it, it became this:
I sucked in a breath as I examined the view. There was a mixture of undulating hills and craggy cliffs making their way down to the river, their sharpness changing to a delicate softness as they met the horizon. Shadow and light played off the dips and curves of the hills, reminding me of paintings of naked ladies by French artists from years gone by, voluptuous and sensual. The cliff faces varied in colour from a steely grey to a rich rust. The shadows defined their sharp edges and ruggedness. The river cut its path between them, contained by the ancient layers of sedimentary rock, before widening out again.
Like I said, I had much to learn.
After self-editing came beta readers. Another concept that was foreign to me; people who read your novel and tell you where improvements can be made i.e. something that confused them, parts where they found the story slow, or a particular part they enjoyed. I studied hard, made a list of questions I wanted answered and found some readers. Their feedback was invaluable. Then came another round of self-editing.
It took FOUR months to get to this stage.
Editing Wow! Who would have thought there were so many different types and so many editors to choose from. More research was on the cards. Then came ordering a cover – in line with best sellers, writing a blurb that would draw readers in, designing a website (what a challenge), setting up social media accounts, creating a newsletter, joining promos and newsletter swaps to get subscribers, being active on all platforms, setting up a pre-order, finding a proof reader. AND THE LIST GOES ON.
I read other author’s posts and learnt as much as I can from their successes and failures. There are many great resources and a whole bunch of authors who are helpful. Some days I go to bed with my head spinning, not having written a single word.
So, when I thought all I needed to do was write a book, I was completely wrong. Being an indie author is so much more than that.
Regardless of the hard work, when someone reads your book and enjoys it, it is rewarding. What is even more rewarding is knowing that I have turned out a quality product.
If you would like to give a first-time author a go, please click on the link below.
***
BLURB
One van. Two hearts. Thousands of kilometres.
Jesse’s a self-made billionaire who yearns to get away from his empty life and the money-hungry parasites who inhabit it. The plan? Go to Australia, tell no one about his money and find himself. Instead of finding just himself, he finds Evie, who is everything anyone should aspire to be. Now, what he aspires to be, is hers. But to be hers, he needs to tell her everything.
Evie has left her past behind. She has rebuilt herself, and her life, into one of happiness. After she meets Jesse, while volunteering at a cat shelter, memories of her past filter back in. She is stronger now and wants to trust him. But after all she has been through, is trust even possible? It feels like a never-ending push and pull battle.
The quest to find a cat a forever home leads them to travel across the country together. Can the close quarters drive them to open up to each other? Or will it drive them apart?
Jesse’s a self-made billionaire who yearns to get away from his empty life and the money-hungry parasites who inhabit it. The plan? Go to Australia, tell no one about his money and find himself. Instead of finding just himself, he finds Evie, who is everything anyone should aspire to be. Now, what he aspires to be, is hers. But to be hers, he needs to tell her everything.
Evie has left her past behind. She has rebuilt herself, and her life, into one of happiness. After she meets Jesse, while volunteering at a cat shelter, memories of her past filter back in. She is stronger now and wants to trust him. But after all she has been through, is trust even possible? It feels like a never-ending push and pull battle.
The quest to find a cat a forever home leads them to travel across the country together. Can the close quarters drive them to open up to each other? Or will it drive them apart?
BIO
Cynthia Terelst is a contemporary romance writer who likes to share a little bit of history, some Australian scenery and a whole lotta love. Cynthia does not shy away from difficult topics, as she feels that they should not be ignored.
She lives in Queensland, Australia, where the sun shines at least 283 days a year.
EXCERPT
I turned my board to the incoming waves, waiting for the prefect set. As soon as I saw it, I paddled hard. I stayed ahead of it with enough time to compose myself.
Popping up, my feet settled firmly on the board. My stomach lurched as the momentum of the wave spurred me on. I took the right shoulder and rode the wave in. Exhilaration soared through my body, mixed with a sense of being. I was lost in that moment of becoming one with Mother Nature. All other thoughts left my mind.
The wave petered out, and I paddled back to the line-up. Sitting, watching, waiting. The constant breeze in my ears and the sound of waves breaking relaxed me. Lulled by the gentle rise and fall of the swells I thought about Evie.
She was one of the most complicated people I’d ever met. Whatever she had been through had made her strong and independent. But underneath she was all doubt. I could see her trying to be brave, but that could change in an instant as her insecurities took over. I felt like it was a fight between Nick and me, and I didn’t even know the guy. I didn’t know how to beat a ghost. But I would. I would figure it out, and I would gain Evie’s trust, bit by bit.
SOCIALS
No comments:
Post a Comment