How many times have you edited your work? If you are anything like me, you have scanned over your manuscript too many times to count. It’s what we do. We write it, read it, adjust it, finish it and then come back to it. Upon coming back to it, we fix it, add to it, read it aloud and then send it off to someone else (usually a critique partner) to do the same.

No matter how many times we look at it ourselves, chances are someone else will see something we do not see. My critique partner and I were discussing this topic this past weekend. We shared thoughts on how amazing it is that we can’t pick up on things we write as easily as a fresh pair of eyes can. In her manuscript she chose a very creative name for one of her leading characters. She must have played around with the spelling before she decided on how she would spell it. As I skimmed through her words, I noticed that in some areas she had it spelled one way and then others a completely different way.

She noticed missing punctuation in my manuscript and a few missing or double usage of words.

No matter how many times either one of us checked our work there were still things we missed. I read once that when you are reading your own work your thoughts are filling in the gaps missing on paper. If it is not your thoughts it is easier for you to spot something missing, misspelled or overused. We all make mistakes, but it is better if we have another set of eyes looking for the mistakes we make. Four eyes, six eyes, eight eyes, are all better than two when it comes to perfecting your work.

One day in the middle of reading a great book it happened. My Kindle died. (I hadn’t realized the battery was low). I stared at the black screen and cursed it and myself. Now what was I going to do? I wouldn’t be able to get back to that great book until I charged the Kindle. As I walked into my writing room to retrieve the charger I glanced at my beautiful bookshelf and instantly became sad. I realized that I still loved the traditional book and felt bad for abandoning it. I sat in the chair and thought about all the books I have read and started to make a mental list of why I loved the traditional book. First off, I simply love what they look like. I love seeing them lined up together on a shelf. I love the book cover (yes on Kindle you can see the cover but I still don’t think it’s the same). I love the colors of the covers (I know now I’m sounding “out there,” but I do.) Other than the appearance I love the feel of a book. I enjoy turning the pages. I love being able to see the thickness of the pages I have already read. I like flipping ahead to see how far I have to go and wondering how long it will take me. I especially love how worn out my book looks by the time I’m done reading it. I am always surprised when someone loans me a soft covered book they already read and it’s in impeccable condition. My paperback books are frayed, bent and ripped. Looking at them reminds me that I escaped to a place that someone else created. It’s concrete. It’s there as a reminder for me and as an example for my children. A worn book shows them that it was read and may inspire them to wear out some books of their own.
You see, I love them both. I think I can be loyal to both of them do you?

Characters usually present themselves to me by name first. Once a name comes to mind, I start envisioning my character. I imagine their features, I hear their voices, I think about what their habits may be, how their minds think and countless other things. A great way to get to know your character is to set up a questionnaire. Below is a list of questions that may help you get to know your character better. Try asking your character these twenty questions and see if you discover anything new about them.

1. What is your age?

2. Do you have any siblings?

3. Are your parents alive? Are they married? Are they divorced?

4. If you were sent to a deserted island what three things would you take?

5. Do you have a hidden talent?

6. Do you have a habit you wish you could break?

7. What features do you like the most about yourself?

8. What feature do you dislike the most about yourself?

9. Do you have a hobby?

10. Do you have a guilty pleasure?

11. What kind of music do you like?

12. What is your biggest pet peeve?

13. What is your favorite food?

14. Do you have a passion and if so what?

15. Do you consider yourself and introvert or extrovert?

16. What is your idea of a perfect day?

17. Who is your favorite author?

18. What would the first thing be on your bucket list?

19. If I asked you to write an entry in your journal what would it be about?

20. Tell me something no one else knows about you?

Building a character is fun but takes time. Your reader needs to feel like they know the character intimately and in order for that to happen you must first know the character intimately. Why not give this list a shot and see what you come up with. Are there any questions that you ask that I haven’t listed? If so leave a comment and let me know. I’m always looking for new questions to ask my characters.

I have been in a funk. It started about a month ago. I don’t talk about my day job too often because the fact of the matter is, out here in cyberspace I like to be known as simply a writer. I, like many other writers have a day job (well sort of- I work from 3:00 a.m to 11:00 a.m). What do I do? I work in a casino. I am what they call a “dual”, which means I am half dealer, half supervisor. I began as a croupier (craps dealer) and learned additional games along the way (black jack, three card poker, Spanish 21 and Let it Ride). About a month ago, I was asked by my superior to train for Baccarat. I knew it was a good opportunity and I wouldn’t be able to turn it down. (Well, I could have, but not everyone is asked so I hated the thought of saying no.) Saying yes to training meant I was saying yes to fourteen hour days. I knew it was a temporary situation and in the end I would be glad I said yes. I didn’t know that it would put an end to writing for a while. You see, I am also a mother of four. My free time had to be spent mothering. I’d wake up at 1:00 a.m. and go non-stop until 8:00 p.m. After the first week, I started to feel blue. I blamed it on lack of sleep. It occurred to me that it wasn’t the lack of sleep or the overload of obligations. It was the absence of writing that was making me feel lost in my own world. For the past ten years I have written daily (occasionally I’d skip a day or two but never a week). The part of me I enjoyed so much was gone. I started to feel like I was no longer a writer. I even convinced myself that I might have to give up on my dream of becoming a published author. I’d stumble upon writing sites such as Twitter and feel like I didn’t belong. I’d attempt to write only to fall asleep in mid sentence. I had a pity party for myself and was about to make peace with the fact that my dream had to be abandoned. I simply no longer had the time (for ten years I was a stay at home mother who waitressed part time) my choice to get a full time job meant that my dreams had to be sacrificed. I spoke these words over and over trying to convince myself that I believed them to be true. Then somewhere in the distance of my mind another voice spoke back. “Don’t be silly,” it said. Being in a funk did not mean that I no longer could write. In fact if I chose to never write again, chances are I’d never come out of the funk. Writing is my first love. It is my therapy. It is my hope for a better tomorrow. It is who I am. I am a writer. I might have other things going on but a true writer always finds their way back. Today I am freeing the funk. I am continuing to do what I love. A writer may do other things but the only thing they want to do is write. Have you found yourself in a funk? What did you do to get out of it?

If you have been watching the news you should have seen the devastation that poured through my hometown and all surrounding towns this past weekend. Yes, Northeastern Pennsylvania watched in horror as the floods swept away homes (my sister-in-law’s was one of them), flooded streets and brought people to their knees. Our bridges were closed. We had curfews. I myself sat on the only open bridge for an hour and a half trying to make it home to my family. I felt as if I was on the set of a movie. It was surreal. It was inspiring?

As I watched the news something the reporter said initially struck me as odd. She was talking about how people just couldn’t help but go out and see what was happening. “It was like viewing a car wreck,” she said. “You know you shouldn’t look but you just can’t help it”. She then went on to say a situation like this was inspiring. Inspiring? At first I felt a little offended (I know the writer in me should have immediately knew what she meant) but because everything was so close to home (Literally. The only thing that saved my street was a makeshift dike built out of dirt by a bunch of heroes) I didn’t like that she used that word. To me, inspiring meant beauty. The word itself even sounds pretty. It couldn’t relate to something horrible, or could it? Of course it can.

As I thought about her broadcast my flooded mind receded and my thoughts became clearer. I began to understand exactly what she meant. Something horrible can be inspiring. Devastation like the one my town recently endured inspired many things. It inspired communities to rally together to help save homes. It inspired newspapers to share heartbreaking stories. It inspired photographers to snap photos so we can remember and others will be able to see history. It inspired me to write this blog.

Writers don’t only write about sunny days and perfect lives. If you want to write about the human experience you have to be able to be inspired by things not so pretty. How boring would books be if there was never sorrow or obstacles to overcome?

Because we observe unhappy situations and then later write about them does not mean that we are freaks or disaster lovers, it simply means that we are interested in writing about life experiences. I am not happy that the flood happened. It saddens me that so many people I know had to suffer. I don’t find joy in writing about their pain but in a strange way I do feel inspired.

Have you ever been inspired by an unfortunate event?

I am super excited to post another author interview. I met Eisley Jacobs on Twitter in one of the writing chat rooms about a year or so ago. She was one of the first ones to welcome me and has always been willing to answer any questions I had (even know she really had no idea who I was). I knew immediately she would be a successful author. (How? you ask. There was something about her online presence that drew people toward her. If she could do that without being published I could only imagine what she would become when her name was really out there for the whole world to see).

Today, Eisley’s books are being sold and I can’t wait to find out how her journey is going.

Hi Eisley, how are you today? I’m awesome! I just drove in from Colorado for a small book tour visit in California. I’m pretty exhausted from driving with four kids, but I’m excited to be here on this adventure!

Let’s start with your name (or pen name) Eisley, can you tell us how you came up with this uber cool name and what made you decide to not use Heather?

Yes, my real name is Heather but coupled with my last name… it’s taken. If my name was Stephen King, I would have to come up with a pen name. It is NEVER a good idea to share your name with anyone, especially someone famous. The Heather that has my name is actually a publishing author. She is not in my genre but when you google her name, she comes up all over the place (along with a PhD who has published a few papers). So when it was time to start the social media road, I knew I needed a name that stood out from the crowd and meant something. Eisley means “strong or firm” and Jacobs means “to hold onto”… so my name means “to firmly hold onto…” my convictions. And that is just what I plan to do when I write. *That is Awesome*

I remember reading on your blog about your book Born to be a Dragon. It sounded really cool. Can you share with us what this story is about?

Born to Be a Dragon is about the epic relationship between two ten year olds… a dragon and a girl. The story encourages kids to “follow their dreams” and never just accept sterotypes.

What inspired you to write this book?

My children were a big inspiration to this book. They love playing make believe and as I watched them one day, Deglan strolled through my brain. I was in a lull with Rings of Time so it was perfect timing.

How are your books selling?

Remarkably well. My totals are still out, but preliminary totals are blowing me away. If the reviews on Amazon are any clue as to how this book is being received, then I couldn’t be more thrilled!

Did I see Born to Be A Dragon was on the top releases right out of the gate?

Yes! In fact, I hit #1 the first day of release in “Hot New Releases” It was a pretty awesome moment.

Do you remember the moment the idea came to you?

I don’t remember the very moment the idea came to me, but I do know that I was watching my kids play when it came.

How did you come up with your character names?

Deglan’s name came from an intense search of my friends children’s names. Declan was the boys name that Deglan came from. Because he was a dragon, I added a G and made it very dragon. *Super Cool*

Does the stories or the characters come to you first?

I’m a pantser writer. Much like watching a movie, the story and characters reveal themselves moment by moment during my first draft. So they really all come together at the same time. In my second draft I fill holes I may have and round our my characters. But for the most part, it’s all a very organic way of writing.

It seems that agents are often requesting middle-grade novels with boy protagonists. Did you try querying this book before you decided to self-publish?

Oh yes, I queried this book about 90 times. Complete with about 70 rejections. I sent the manuscript to two agents (who are friends) and asked them what was wrong. The surprising answer was NOTHING! Dragon books just weren’t selling to the publishers right now. One of the agents told me to sit on it a while and the other said, “if you believe in the book, go Indie.” So I did.

What was the deciding factor that made you decide to self-publish?Having two agents tell me my manuscript was good but it just wasn’t the subject that was selling right now was good enough for me.

Are you happy with your choice?
I am THRILLED with my choice. This has been an amazing journey that I would not exchange for the world!

Can you tell us a little bit about self-publishing?

It’s a hard road. It’s not for the weak willed. You have no one pushing you for a deadline. It’s all you! You have to press on and move forward and enjoy the ride!

Is self publishing expensive?

Amazingly enough this answer is as varied as the author you talk to. Depending on which press you print with, you will have a fee. Create Space was $39. Then there is your cover artist (that could be $50-500). Mine was free because I’ve got mad skilz… Ha ha. I made it with my tablet and pen. Then you have the editor and proofreaders, again varied costs of anywhere from $100-$1000 depending on how large your manuscript is. So it can cost as little or as much as you can afford. However, skimping on any of these costs will show.

I love the cover of your book. Did you work with an artist for the design?

I didn’t actually. I had a first draft of the cover with an island and a palm tree with a dragon tail, foot prints and a hermit crab, but I just didn’t like the concept as much as I liked the full moon silhouette. After searching around for some ideas, I used my tablet and made my own silhouettes and that is a photo of the real moon, edited a little to fit my needs.

You also have several other books in the works. Can you offer their titles and give us a sneak peek what they are about? (I know Rings of Times is one of them)

Rings of Time is indeed ready for a final read through and publish date, but I don’t have one yet. I don’t want to rush this one but it’s almost ready.

Dragons Forever 2 has a working title, but I can’t reveal it yet. It will be released on BLACK FRIDAY 2011.

I also have a YA novel called PIECES OF ME that is nearly ½ done, but has taken a back seat to everything else.

Your blog is phenomenal. You talk about everything from writing to home schooling. Although I don’t home school my children, I have always been impressed by parents that took on this task. Can you share with us what led you to this decision?

We really decided to homeschool out of necessity. The school wanted to hold my very intelligent daughter back because her age didn’t permit her to move forward (born 17 days too late for first grade). And when I went to the kindergarten orientation I was NOT impressed. They were going to teach her the ABCs and her colors… and she was reading chapter books already. It just didn’t work for us. So we started homeschooling and have never looked back. It continues to fit our lifestyle and my children’s needs. They enjoy their tailored learning and the field trips we attend. I don’t know if we will homeschool forever, but right now, it works for us.

Do you read your stories to your children? What do they think?
My oldest reads the YA stories herself but I read the MG stories aloud to everyone. They absolutely LOVE it and will interject their opinions A LOT… and sometimes it’s helps tremendously!

You are also somewhat of a humanitarian. (Yes, she does it all). You have visited other countries. Have you brought your books with you? Did any ideas get inspired while traveling?
I have brought books with me, but mostly to read during my down time. It’s amazing what you “find” when you aren’t stuck in the writing mode. So I bring my ipad and read through my manuscripts to see what I find.

I have a few ideas for YA/MG novels from visiting the beautiful Ethiopia. We will see how they pan out as the years go on. I go back in March to Ethiopia (See the WHAT A LOAD OF CROC? Post) and plan to bring at least two books with me for the teachers at the orphanage. They love reading and will enjoy the Dragons Forever Series.

What advice do you have for aspiring authors?

Believe in yourself. Believe in your writing. And do the work. Nothing is perfect and always accept criticism with grace and dignity. Try hard to just say THANKS and not give excuses. Take EVERY critique and really chew it over. REALLY, you may not find value to it today… but come back to it and REALLY debate with yourself as to if the advice is valid. You will be surprised what a couple weeks can afford your attitude. Your critique partners just want to HELP you they do not want to bring you down. Oh and get several crit partners… VERY important.

Okay, before we end our interview I have a few more quick questions.

• I often ask other writers what their favorite word is. Mine is BELIEVE! Can you share your favorite word with us?I don’t know if I have a favorite word! That is a new question… and one that I’m not sure I can answer! I really try hard to mix it up and make sure I don’t repeat the same words. I even throw my manuscript through a script checker to make sure I don’t use the same word 1,999 times. But I do love the word twinkling and trembling. Not that I overuse them

• Do you have a writing spot?
I don’t really have a writing spot. The couch with my laptop is where you will most often find me. However, I love going to the “office” to write too. Sometimes I am more productive when I leave my element.

• What time is your favorite time to write?
At night after dinner. Usually the kids are all settled down doing other stuff and I am able to really concentrate on my characters instead of the dishes, homeschooling or life.

• What are you reading right now?
Right now my books (yes plural) are The Clearing, by Anne Riley (YA), Bridger, by Megan Curd (YA) and The Secret of Spruce Knoll, by Heather McCorkle (YA). I also just put on my list Frindle, by Andrew Clements (MG) and Sept 20th the next Secret Series book comes out, You Have to Stop This by Pseudonymous Bosch (MG).

• Do you have a favorite author?
C.S. Lewis was always my favorite author and will continue to be.

Eisley, thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions. I truly hope that your writing career takes off to levels you never imagined.

Is there a thought you wish to end this interview with?
Believe in the impossible and look for it to happen!

Eisley can also be found on Twitter. Follow her @EisleyJacobs
Visit her at http://www.EisleyJacobs.com

Leave a comment and let Eisley know what you thought of her fantastic interview.

Out of the darkness comes a fist to your face.
Smashing against flesh
Distorting
Mangling
Upsetting
Laughing at your inability to stay fresh
You fall to the ground weak and unable to rise
A leg from somewhere delivers a kick
Smashing your soul
Rattling
Pounding
Destroying
Unsympathetic that you now feel sick
Curled up and sobbing you shield yourself
“No more, no more, please let me be.”
Pleading
Cursing
Screaming
“Why? Why? Why don’t you believe in me?”
You wait for the next impact but it never comes
Peeking out of a bruised eye you scan the room
Alone
Confused
Wasted
The fist uncurls and out stretches a hand
Get up!
Fight Back!
Toughen up!
Rejection stands before you wrapped in dark clothes
Clueless
Crazed
Suspended
Slowly you rise. You are ready to confront
“Why do you hate me what did I do?”
“My child, my child, do you not see? Acceptance without rejection wouldn’t be the same.”
“I am here to make you better not cause you shame.”

1. Patience

2. Imagination

3. Other Writers

4. Belief

5. Persistence

6. Inspiration

7. Dedication

8. A Writing Spot

9. Alone Time

10. Emotions

What did I miss?

There once was a writer who couldn’t write

She sat and stared morning, noon and night

Her thoughts were empty, her pages were bare

She sulked. She cried. She cursed the air

“I give up! I will do this no more!”

She stomped. She scowled. She let out a roar

She abandoned her desk and stepped outside

Her confidence was shot, her brain was fried

She took a stroll to clear her mind

What she found, she wasn’t expecting to find

A bird with one wing was attempting to fly

He wouldn’t give up. He wasn’t prepared to die

As she watched the helpless creature a thought crept in

A story was evolving. Her wheels were beginning to spin

If he refused to give up, so must she

The one winged bird help set her mind free

At the end of her masterpiece reads a simple letter

To my flightless friend, you mended my mind, you made me better

May you fly one day in another land

May your flight be far, may your wings be grand