I’m writing my first sequel. It’s hard. Like make my brain scream and bleed. Hard. For one thing, I didn’t expect the original story to be published. I know. I know. I’m the writer/blogger who says “You can doooo eeet!” And I believe that. I didn’t believe, however, that my first attempt at writing a cozy mystery would live to see the light of day. Sure, I read a ton of cozies. I’m flat out addicted to Janet Evanovich and Gemma Halliday. There’s something about a smart, funny, non-detective woman solving a crime that pulls me in every time. I can totally see myself and a bestie having coffee and deciding how to break into an abandoned warehouse to see if the bodies are in there. Because my friends and I are random, and silly. We are not fearless. But we are curious. When I open a new cozy, I fall directly into the role of heroine and imagine my friends in the secondary character roles. We have a great time in my imagination regularly. You should join us sometime.

Anyway, so, my cozy was picked up along with two sequels. FUN! Then I started writing the sequel and had no idea what anyone looked like or where the buildings were located. Not fun. Who was the mailman again? I didn’t make preparations in advance for a sequel. Sure, I had a blurb pitch, but that was it, very hooky and vague. A great teaser. No details. *hangs head* I had to go back to the beginning and do the work I should’ve done in the first place. Take a lesson from me: If you think you might make a sequel, do the legwork now. After writing my cozy, I wrote a YA SyFy, and two sweet romances. Then I revised the YA SyFy, and scribbled 50K for Nano. By the time my cozy sold, I barely remembered the plot line, let alone any details about the world my heroine lived in.

If you don’t do this already, let me suggest you make a couple charts somewhere. Just in case. For easy reference.

1. List everyone’s first and last names. Their obvious features, hair, eye color, fashion sense, height etc. List their profession. Education level if that’s important. Their family situation and How they related to other characters in the story. Also where they work or live.

2. List the streets mentioned in your story. What’s on which road? Where are those buildings in relations to the other buildings in the story? Your MC can walk a block for lunch. She can’t walk someplace for lunch you mentioned her driving 40 minutes in traffic to during book one.

3. Time frame! When did the other story take place? Be as specific as possible and begin your new story at a point that makes sense from your last story.

You can make these lists/charts as involved as you want, but any details you take the time to document will help you oodles and bundles when you start a sequel. I promise you this. The extra effort now will go a long way later.

I love social media. Have I said that before? One of the fabulous friends I made online last year is a fellow writer and all around delightful lady, Dana Sitar. Dana created a fun new book for writers and she’s here to day to tell us about it. If you’re an aspiring author, or one open to what you might be missing, then this is for you! 

So, Dana, Tell us about A Writer’s Bucket List.

A Writer’s Bucket List is a launching point for all the possibilities of being a writer. Instead of another how-to book, I call it a “Why not?” for the writer’s life. The book is a collection of 99 things I’ve either done to further my own writing career and bolster my creativity, or are on my own bucket list to do so in the future.

I love that you did this. *LOVE* it. What motivated you to spend your time writing a book for other writers?

Thank you! Because I spend most of my time writing or thinking about writing, it’s also become one of my favorite topics to write about. I’m not an expert in the industry, but I realized that I’m in a position to motivate other writers because I don’t seem to have the same fears as a lot of people I talk to. They’ll say things like, “I’d love to be able to do what you’re doing, but my job/husband/kids/mortgage/etc…” I wrote the book as a motivator and inspiration for those writers who are stuck in a place like that, where they can’t seem to overcome whatever excuses society has given them to not be a writer.

I intentionally didn’t write a how-to guide, because so much of that already exists, and I wanted something that tells writers, “Just try something — right NOW!” A how-to guide makes it easy to put stuff off — you get to procrastinate while you read through the whole thing, and then you get to procrastinate because you don’t have the proper tools for Step 3, and you don’t have the money for Step 4, and you don’t have time to learn how to do Step 5, etc. A Writer’s Bucket List says, “Here’s an idea of what being a writer can be — start where you want, and go make it happen in your way.”

Where are you on the Bucket List now? Is there an area you’re stuck on/struggling with?

I’ve crossed off 79 tasks on the Bucket List as of this writing. The biggest chunk I haven’t done are tasks related to traditional publishing — pitching an agent or publisher and having a book published with a publisher. I’d also like to attend a writer’s conference, and will probably wait until I am ready to move into traditional publishing to cross that one off. I’m eager to dive into traditional publishing, to get the experience of pitching and working with agents and editors — but I’m also so impatient! Self-publishing is so much quicker, and I love being involved in every aspect and having total control of the project.

Did you make any resolutions for 2013 based on the Bucket List?

I did! I want to do a lot more professional creative writing this year (right now, professionally, I’m a blogger and a journalist), and publish some things to Kindle to connect with that audience. I want to cross “Write a novel” off my Bucket List. I’ve also been reading a lot more fiction because of putting that on the list, and that is a huge motivator and inspiration to write more creatively.

My other big goal this year, which I hadn’t considered until I put it on the Bucket List, is to find a mentor. I’ve connected with a lot of amazing writers online, and that education and support has been invaluable, but I’m ready to expand that network and find someone with whom I can have a coffee once in a while and take complete advantage of their creativity, knowledge, and experience.

What’s up next for you? Are you writing something now?

I’m polishing a few short ebooks for writers, which are workbooks and guides on various topics. I’ll release those throughout the year. I’m finishing up my first “novelette”, which I plan to publish to Kindle in early Spring. And I just started a YA novel that I plan to finish at least by the end of NaNoWriMo 2013 and maybe try for the traditional pub route in 2014?

Any words you’d like to leave fellow writers with today?

Don’t be afraid of anything. My 2013 focus word is “fearlessness” — that’s both what I am focusing on in my life and what I want to spread to others. I want to encourage writers (and all creatives) to be fearless with me, to take on those projects you’ve been putting off, to try something new and scary that will finally put you on the path to your dreams. Leave fear behind in 2013

Thank you so much for having me at Musings, Julie!

I LOVE having you! Please, come back soon and tell us how it’s going! Congratulations, Dana!

About Dana:

DanaSitar is a freelance journalist and indie author. Her latest ebook, AWriter‘sBucketList, is a launching point for all the possibilities of being a writer, a kick-in-the-butt for those who don’t know what to do next, and a simple guide to help writers forge their own unique career/life paths.

It’s super-mega cold in Ohio. Like do-NOT-go-out-there cold. The yoosh. It’s January. Whatever. Best part about this weather? Reading. Reading under a softie blanky with a hot toddy or cocoa or tea. It’s lovely. And like any decent book addict, I stockpiled for the winter. My Kindle is sparking with joy. My TBR pile is taller than my 4 year old. I am happypants.

Cold days are great for reading. Cold nights are great for plotting. I’m enjoying the awful outdoor temperatures by holing up indoors with projects. For example: I decorated my office last week and only lost a few fingerprints to the hot glue gun debacle of 2013. I also added some new recipes to my repertoire, and I found a new author to pet and love.

Gemma Halliday.

I picked up a YA mystery of hers and devoured it. Next, I went to Amazon for more please.  There I discovered her High Heel Mysteries series which I also swallowed hole. THEN my local librarian pulled out a thriller from Ms. Halliday. *twirls* Finding a new author to read is like discovering my new favorite TV show, comfy sweater or designer shoes on clearance.

Thus far I am clearly winning at winter.