The long or short of it?

As I edit and rewrite portions of my latest project, The Goose Parade of Old Dickeywood, I made the decision to shorten chapters, some of the longer ones now divided into four or five chapters. Long chapters bug me, and make me tired, both in my own writing and when I'm reading other books. Shorter chapters give me a chance to grab another cup of hot tea, take a walk, and perhaps do a household chore while I mull over what I've just read. I like that.

Instead of having long chapters with endless scenes separated by some sort of spacer, I whacked away at my own pages and made new chapters where it seemed obvious to do so.

I wonder how you feel about it as a reader. As a writer. As an editor. As a publisher. Does it matter?  Please give feedback in the comments section.

Margaret Millmore's Doppelganger Experiment revisited

Margaret A. Millmore is back to talk more about her novel, Doppelganger Experiment.

Margaret was born and raised in Southern California and moved to San Francisco in 1991. She currently resides there with her husband. She is the grandniece of Irish author Benedict Kiely and the second cousin of Irish author Sharon Owens. She’s written two flash fiction stories for Bay Area artist Kenny Mencher (The Welcome Home and Untitled-Luke N. Goode). She and her husband are avid travelers and would love to live outside of London some day.

Welcome back, Margaret. Has San Franciso affected your writing?

I’m not sure how the environment has affected my writing, but I enjoy using the city as base for my stories.

How many books have you written?

I’ve written three books in total, but only one is currently published.

Give a short synop of your published book.

Doppelganger Experiment:

After more than four weeks in a coma, Jane woke up to find several things wrong; she didn’t remember the last three years, she was married to a man she didn’t know, and frightening dreams were infiltrating her sleep. But were they dreams or memories? As she struggles to recapture a life she doesn’t remember she discovers clues that lead to flashes of memories and the discovery of horrific experiments that end in murder... and something worse than murder.  A psychological thriller based in San Francisco.

Is it available in print, ebook, and Kindle formats?

Both formats are available.

What do you think is the greatest lesson you’ve learned about writing so far? What advice can you give other writers?

Nothing is more exciting than a good review, it lifts your spirits and justifies all the hard work you put into your novel. However, there are always bad reviews, and they can be devastating…if you let them…

For the first few months after Doppelganger Experiment was published, I was receiving 4 and 5 star reviews, pure heaven. But then I began to receive some ‘not so good’ reviews, needless to say, it was pretty disheartening. I think as human beings, it’s instinctual to lay blame on anyone but ourselves, after reading the reviews, I wanted to do just that. But I couldn’t, I wrote the book, I made the mistakes and they were mine, I owned them and it was up to me to fix them.

I did the only thing I could think of, I asked my publisher to pull the book, have it re-edited and then I too went through it with a fine tooth comb and made additional edits and revisions. I also published 2 star reviews on Amazon and Goodreads (2 stars as to not skew the existing review status); I did this so that the readers would know that I heard them, that I respect them and that I wanted to make it right! Is the book better now? I truly hope so. I think I’ve learned a great deal from this experience, and I hope it’s made me a better writer.

Good for you, Margaret. I applaud you.

Where can folks learn more about your books and events?

They can check my website and follow me on Facebook and Twitter

www.margaretmillmore.com

http://www.margaretmillmore.com/featured_authors

http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100002915649470                             

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/margaret-millmore/4/a6b/6a9

Margaret, thanks for coming back and sharing that story with us. Folks interested in the first interview with Margaret will find it in the archived blogs.

Buy links:
http://www.worldcastlepublishing.com/margaretmillmore.htm
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/margaret-millmore?store=book&r=1
http://www.amazon.com/Doppelganger-Experiment-Margaret-Millmore/dp/1937593207/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318857839&sr=8-1#_

Learning from every book I write

Good cold morning from eastern North Carolina. The coffee pot is gurgling and I'm looking forward to editing/rewriting more of my latest project, The Goose Parade of Old Dickeywood, a novel about lifelong friendship. Even though I have four novels published in the Logan Hunter Mystery series, and each one was challenging in some way, I struggled with Goose Parade for months and months, sometimes frustrated enough to walk away for a while.

I was trying to write Goose Parade in first-person point-of-view, like the Hunter series. But it just didn't work. I made posters of sections I wanted in the book. You know, the lessons learned from geese? So once I divided the book into Honk, Rotate, Drag, Uplift, and Protect, I thought I'd be home-free. HA!

I have learned that not only can I not force characters to do something in the book that's out of character for them, I can't force the plot either. One morning as I stared at the pages, my mind as blank as my billfold this time of year, it dawned on me that I can't tell this story in first person. I must tell the story of all four major characters in this book.

It truly amazes me at how much of a learning process EACH book becomes. I am once again enjoying the process and moving on with what I hope will be my best work yet.

Have you had a similar experience? Do you learn something new with each book you read/write? Please share you experiences in the comment section for a chance to win a free copy of Genesis Beach, my first novel.

Blessings to All!

As 2012 breathes down my neck, I want to thank all of you authors and industry experts who graciously took the time to answer questions about your writing habits and tell me and the wonderful followers of this blog about your books. With the economy still ailing, I hope I helped you in some small way with book sales, or at the very least, visibility. Many readers are looking for good books, but aren't quite sure where to find them. This blog gives authors a chance to entice, and I must say I've purchased a number of the books mentioned this year. But that's not the best part, in my opinion.

I've met so many wonderful people all over the world, some who've become cyber buddies, and others I've had the privilege of meeting in person at book signings, conferences, or quite by accident. As 2011 winds down, I extend my cyber arms to hug each of you who stop by this blog. I hope you will continue to drop. At the present time, I'm working hard to complete The Goose Parade of Old Dickeywood for its 2012 publication. I'm also writing scenes for Punch Street, the next Logan Hunter Mystery. My book shelf is filled with research on a medieval ancestor of mine, and I plan to write an historical mystery about him ONE OF THESE DAYS.  

Please stop by and keep us informed about what you're reading or writing. I am inviting all who enter here to guest blog on my site during 2012. I'd love to know what readers look for, what reviewers have to say, and how editors and publishers pick through the masses to find gems.

Enjoy the last days of 2011 and plan to celebrate 2012 every day in some way. We have so many blessings in our lives. I count you among mine.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!