Writing tips on the best use of time by Johnny Ray.

There are many ways to use your time as a writer. Sometimes it is under your control and sometimes it is not. A system that was promoted at Harvard earlier is called PERT which stands for program evaluation and review techniques. Basically the system made you establish a program to manage your time. It helps to know how much time is needed to complete each step and how to make sure each part is done in order and not stall the overall project. There are several steps in writing a novel.

1)Conception is where it all starts.
You need to have an idea for your novel. You need to know what you want to say. You need to know who your characters are. Every author is different and some want to know exactly how the novel will play out in every detail. Others want the basic part of the novel and have the freedom to allow their characters to tell the story. In any case, there has to be the spark to get started.

2)Research is where the hard work starts.
Some books require very little research and some require a lot. Many times the research can be a continuous project. Many times a writer can paint himself into a corner. This is why it is I think so important to do the necessary research before you get started.

3)Finally, the actual process of writing the story.
The fun part of writing is actually being able to tell the story. With a proper concept and research completed, this part can go smooth. however, most of the time the problems pop up with new unexpected twist to the plot you would like to add or change. Then there is the problem with getting facts correct. Having to stop to complete more research can really slow down the story telling.

4)Revisions is where you switch hats, going from a storyteller to a writer.
Now, that you have the story completed and all of the proper conclusion attended to, the actual work of polishing comes into play. a few novelist are blessed with the ability to write perfectly, but most have to go back over their work many times to correct the grammar and misspellings. But, polishing is much more. If the previous steps are completed properly, this part will be easy, if not, the revisions can take a long time.

5)Okay, now you wrote it, but can you sell it?
A new novelist can spend more time trying to sell a novel than he spent writing it. This is a whole new process from writing. but, again, if the prior steps are completed properly, the final step can be much easier. thus the reason for completing the program evaluation and review techniques.

Johnny Ray

Drawing for a Free Kindle


The details of a drawing for a free kindle to be given away can be found at www.sirjohn.org/bloglist. To be eligible for the drawing you must e-mail your guess as to which Johnny Ray novel you think will be published first. Please e-mail to sirjohn@wwisp.com

This site also list Johnny Ray's various blogs as well. Writing the various blog post has been interesting. Your comments are always welcome, but because of various spam elements, they will be moderated. I hope everyone understands and wish everyone the best of luck on the kindle give away contest.

Thanks,
Johnny Ray

Another day on the beach, another page, another character to develop.
It is amazing how work goes smooth one day and is interrupted the next day by various factors outside your control. One day the story is so clear and the next day the "what if" scenarios appear. You have to ask yourself, shall I rewrite now or wait and see how this goes. As many writers discover, the struggle comes from letting the characters tell the story or acting like "father knows best" and controlling it yourself. Can you trust your characters? I think it all depends on how strong and realistic you make them as well as how fully you have them developed before you start writing. Yes, sometimes a character develops into a whole new being and a rewrite is necessary, but that can be a good thing. After all, that is why they call it a first draft.
Keeping track of all of the different scenarios can be a daunting task, especially when many of them come to a writer late at night while everyone else is sleeping. It is important to keep track of all of the sub plots and twist that you discover. A character can be like a new friend. Some times it takes a while to fully know and understand the motives, goals and dreams of a character that does not fully understand himself as well.
My suggestion is to take the time to be a friend of your characters. You will be rewarded as well as your readers.


Johnny Ray

The Sir John Majito Espresso

Since I've had so many request for this recipe, I decided to post it here. Feel free to modify it according to your own taste and leave me a comment on how you modified it to make it better.

Start with fresh mint(six leaves) and crush it in an eight ounce glass with a muddle stick to release all of the flavor possible.
Take a lime and squeeze all of the juice possible into the glass.
add a shot or two of Rum (Spice Rum the best)
add a shot or two of espresso coffee, if not available try Kahulla
add syrup, or brown sugar to adjust sweetness to your taste preference
add ice
Stir, don't shake
top off with club soda.
add a lime as an ornament

Enjoy

Staying on Track
One of the great things about being a published author is the deadline. The one incentive an unpublished writer doesn’t have. While many authors busting their behinds might not agree, the fact is, it makes you keep your butt in the chair and write. Also, I’m sure there is a different feeling when you hope you might sell a novel as compared to knowing you have it sold already.
So, how does an unpublished writer keep working and producing at a fast enough to compete with those that are published? Sometimes you just have to fake it until you make it. The advantages of not being published however mean that you don’t have revisions or publicity you have to worry about. Of course, some of that time is wasted on sending out query and other material attempting to find an agent or publisher.
Every agent is going to answer different. The best answer is to work as hard as you can everyday and have no regrets later. Progress, it is all about the progress forward.
Johnny Ray

Developing alternate streams of writing revenues


I remember the days when I thought writing would be so easy and take so little time. Like many people I thought I would be the next overnight sensation. Well, six novels later, I’m still waiting on becoming discovered. However, I’ve learned a lot along the way.
Lately, I’ve discovered many other ways of making a living as a writer. Yes, not like being known as a famous novelist, but satisfying the needs to have your work read. I never knew the demand for article and content writers was so high. Maybe you don’t make as much per article as you would like to, but I’m sure over time, the efficiency in turning out articles will improve. It is a way to work on your own schedule which is great.
The various social media outlets like facebook, u-tube, tweeter, etc. can also add to your popularity and hopefully make your novels sell more when they do come out. A point that I think can never be underestimated. And then there is the affiliate marketing programs you can receive income from off of your web sites you develop.
If you plan on entering these additional arenas, be prepared to spend some time in learning web designing and marketing. The competition can be fierce, but friendly at the same time. You will find everyone wants your link and traffic. It can be a win-win situation.
To finalize my point, I think to attract a top agent and publisher; you may have to create your own name recognition and following. Let’s face it, the one way to make sure an agent stands up and wants to take you on, is to become famous.

Johnny Ray
www.sirjohn.org

It is amazing the amount of work that goes into a novel. It is also so amazing that an author never know if he has a salable product until he is finished. Now, it is interesting to see how some authors obtain sales before they ever start. If other authors have information on how to do this, it would be great to hear from them.

Writing contests are interesting in many ways. The feedback can be great or terrible, but in any case can give you a point of reference as long as you are true to yourself and not allow another person’s point of view ruin what you have good working for you. Again, at other times, if you hear the same criticism coming from several people, you might need to ask yourself if you are the one being bullheaded.

In deciding how to react to criticism I think it helps to really know your own style of writing. What makes it different from or similar to other writers? In order to stand out, I think we all agree it has to be original in several ways. How do you approach point of view? Is it different from others or a copy cat of many others in the marketplace? What is particularly different about your voice? Can you identify it? If you can, perhaps you can expand on it.

The one item I noticed from most people doing reviews in contest is that it appears to be coming straight out of a text book of how to judge. The problem is that most of the great authors that are best sellers never play by those rules. If you don’t think so, simple obtain a few of the top sellers and do your own review. Point of view jumps are very common. Writing in a passive voice is very common. I hope you understand what I’m saying. These authors are very aware of the rules, but don’t listen to them. Their object is to tell the story and make it interesting. They get away with breaking the rules because they can.

I’ve also heard that the main reason to enter a contest is to get in front of a certain editor. It is hard to believe that an editor is not looking for the next book that will make money for the publisher. There are other ways to get in front of them. While they say they are not taking submissions, they are still interested in looking. And when it comes to getting in front of an agent, they are almost always open for submissions without going through a contest.

And the last part in deciding if the contest route is good for you is the cost. With the money spent on entering many contest, the same money could possibly be spent with a professional coach that could help polish your novel and give you a wealth of knowledge to advance your career.

Still I know it is exciting to see your name on the list of finalist or as the actual winner. I have won before on a contest and walking up on stage is very exciting to accept your award. But when it comes to actually getting you published, I still have my doubts. And as many aspiring writers will still enter some contest hoping for the best.

With all of this said, the pathway of each author will be different. And in truth, it might take a little of all of the efforts to find the magic bullet. Still it is a business decision in how to spend your money and your time every author needs to address.

Johnny Ray