Posted on by sarahmichellelynch

How I Wrote a Book In 20 Days: A Diary – PART TWO

READ PART ONE BEFORE READING THIS: CLICK HERE

Please note: I only wrote diary entries on days where I actually completed some writing. There are only 20 entries in this diary but the twenty writing days were spread over the space of a month and a bit. This diary does not include my notes on editing (I don’t want to give away all my secrets!)

***

Day #5

I was at the cinema today and I don’t know whether the film wasn’t consuming enough or whether this book I’m writing is consuming me beyond everything else, but when I got home I was still full of ideas for this WIP. So, I had to write a bit this evening and I have done. Every little helps.

Word count so far: 14,441

Day #6

Today was a Sunday but I wanted to write today, so I did. My husband took our daughter swimming so it gave me a couple of lazy hours on the sofa with my laptop. It’s rare I write at the weekends, only if a book really has me in its grip, which this one does at the moment.

The story’s shaping itself in a way I didn’t expect. My mind’s trying to jump ahead to figure out the next steps but I’m just having to go with the flow of this one. The heroine’s telling me her tale in her own way and things aren’t working out the way I planned when I first started out. But that’s okay because a lot of the heroine’s actions are still working out in a way that mean she’s staying true to herself, it’s just that an unforeseen antagonist has been brought into the equation.

I’m really starting to fall in love with this story now and in the back of my mind, I have a card to play I think will glue readers, making them want to discover more and more. It feels really good to have a lovely chunk of this story already written.

Word count so far: 17914

Day #7

I got down a couple of scenes today that I’ve had in my head for a while. It’s good to get them down finally but discipline also requires that I get down everything in detail, instead of me racing along, merely to experience the scene for myself finally, without giving the reader all the details they need to see it for themselves.

It’s Monday so I am continuing on this writing roll. I’m just feeling it at the moment and as any writer knows, when you feel it you have to go with it.

So this morning I worked on a chap’s book I’m editing as part of my publishing services business. And then in the afternoon I wrote more on my own book.

It feels in my heart that this book is turning out to be one of true love, but somehow I sense strife is right up ahead. But I’m not sure. Maybe this couple have had enough strife already.

I am experiencing the war within me to stay with the characters and not put my own spin on their story. It’s a hard-fought war from the characters’ perspectives.

I’m trying to zone everything else out to listen to them, which means less time on social media. I really despise scrolling through Facebook and seeing posts about procrastination, i.e. “I should be writing but I’m watching wrestling.” If you should be doing something… well, you should. But you’re not. I personally value my writing time so dearly and I cherish it. I love this thing I do so much, I treasure it. I treasure all my moments at the keys. I can’t stand negativity because if I listened to that, I wouldn’t get this book written. All the time my mind is focused on foreseeing the finished product and realising that vision. Always.

I feel that if my day consists of time to write and time doing other stuff, then when it comes to finally getting down to writing, I always appreciate the opportunity to do that much more, having had other things to occupy me beforehand. Time and space away from the keys is as equally important, because you’re writing even then, just in draft form. The best ideas come when you’re in the shower, out for dinner, during a car journey or any other task where the mind is working but there’s no way to get a pen in your hand!

Word count so far: 21976

Day #8

I wrote today. I edited. That’s a successful day. I’m tired now, though. I might watch some TV before falling into a stupor, where I’ll be dreaming up more stuff for my characters to do tomorrow.

(Still avoiding the non-believers on Facebook.)

Word count so far: 24785

Day #9

My word output isn’t what I’d like it to be right now because I’m spending time editing someone else’s work but needs must and as I’ve mentioned before, variety does make me write better when I do get back to writing!

Me and hubby were playing around with book cover designs at the weekend. I have a unique image for the cover and a unique character to try and give personality to with just a bit of text added. We came up with some ideas and I added some text. By Monday I didn’t like the text. Yesterday I fiddled with it a bit and hubby pouted when he saw I’d got rid of all our original ideas, but actually he liked what I’d done and I think the way it is now better suits the personality of the heroine of this book. I will still probably go back and make more amends.

This novel is a spin-off novel from an existing series and so I’m feeling a great deal of nostalgia and trying not to give other familiar characters too much airtime. I don’t want to detract from the story at hand.

I’m also having to (still) constantly remind myself that when I fuck up, it doesn’t matter. It’s just that I sometimes wish readers knew the amount writers put into their work, the research and the heartache and the numerous edits we make before you see the finished product. The writer knows that book inside and out; they’ve conceived it, nurtured it, cried in the night for it, screamed in the night for it to shut up… everything. And we present a pristine book to readers who have no knowledge of the rough-hewn slab of a book we started out with, before it became something shiny and seemingly new. This is a process of extreme demand and at the end of it all, some will love it, some will hate it, some will criticise it because it’s much easier to criticise than to sit here lovingly fashioning something from scratch.

Throughout the writing of a book I don’t really have the energy to read other books but I really try to read magazines or articles because they only require little moments of concentration and still keep you plugged into the real world. With editing being a large part of my day job (reading in itself), I do tend to start feeling bad that I’m not doing the thing I love most (reading for pleasure), but that’s another sacrifice writers make during the process, and one that’s sometimes necessary to get the task in hand done.

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Some days I don’t have time to reflect like this, sometimes I purely don’t want to think at the end of the day, but reflection is so important.

This is my 17th novel I’m carving out of rough-hewn-something-or-other.

(I may be getting a little scared because I don’t know where the story will take me next.)

Word count so far: 27803 (8 full chapters)

TUNE IN FOR PART THREE THIS TIME NEXT WEEK!

Posted on by sarahmichellelynch · 2 Comments

How I Wrote a Book In 20 Days: A Diary – PART ONE

Please note: I only wrote diary entries on days where I actually completed some writing. There are only 20 entries in this diary but the twenty writing days were spread over the space of a month and a bit. This diary does not include my notes on editing (I don’t want to give away all my secrets!)

***

Day #1

So. A bit of back story first.

I’ve had this idea for a standalone novel for some time (months and months, in fact). I know the main character like the back of my hand. I just need the story to go with her. A story to do her justice. But do I make it a love story, or a story of transformation…? These things allude me still on the first day I put fingers to keys to write. I’ve got notebooks full and ideas galore, but sometimes what works in the lab doesn’t work in practise.

So, I start simple. I begin the story with a clear image of a day when the heroine discovers everything she thought she had sorted out – really isn’t sorted out. And somehow, I know in the back of my mind, I’m going to have to take this character to rock bottom to bring her back to life again.

Side characters have been looming in my head for a while but like with all my other books, I don’t always want to have the hero figured out before I write. I want to fall in love with him at the same time as the heroine does and I think that’s what will make the audience believe in their love.

But whether this story is a true love story or something much different… remains to be typed.

Anyway, I am pretty happy to have gotten down the first 1,000 words of this book because they are always the hardest. It means you’re making something that’s previously only been in your head real, and taking that leap of faith is one thing, but writing down their story is also the beginning of the end. And nobody likes to say goodbye to those who’ve kept them company for so long.

Having already written 16 novels, I find it harder all the time to produce new material, to make a story unique. Regardless of everything else, I think story is absolutely key.

I almost always re-read my daytime writing later the same evening, maybe adding a few more details. It’s the weekend now so I’ll leave the story a few days, giving myself time to cogitate the next move.

Word count so far: 1337

Day #2

Writing the second half of chapter one has meant getting down some important points about the problems we need to solve in the heroine’s life. I’ve tackled a bit of backstory to her, too. Not too many details or you bog the reader down in too much information. Drip feed the reader details they need to know, gradually building a picture of the characters as you go. Keep some things back about your hero or heroine. An astute reader will pick up on them anyway.

I found it relatively easy to get this first chapter out and I could write more today but I’m not going to. I feel as though I’ve made a good start and slow and steady is the way. I know I need to save reserves for when I get to the meatier sections – when I’ll not be able to stop myself splurging this story onto the page.

Word count so far: 3715

Day #3

It’s morning.

Last night I took a sketchpad to bed, to write out some salient points of this work in progress. I came up with three ways this story could go. And three genres. And I matched each plot route with a genre.

[Editor’s note: at the time I thought I was writing a piece of contemporary fiction, but as I progressed, I realised the book felt more and more like new adult fiction in tone and in subject matter.]

I hate the idea of being confined by genre in any book, the same way I often avoid notebooks with lined paper inside. The lines make me want to conform to some sort of standard and I don’t want to conform. I prefer to make notes with spider diagrams and/or pictures, maybe I’ll compose bullet points (yes), but on plain, blank paper you can add subsections of notes and subsections of those subsections. (It should be noted that a lot of books I write are in my head already, filed away in a manner of speaking, but writing notes out helps me to put my mind into at least some sort of order.) The thing is, I’d love to live in a world where genre doesn’t matter, but evidently in the sale of books it does. And it’s something which has to be factored in at some point along the way.

[Editor’s note: The thing about NA is that it’s not quite erotica but it does allow some open-door scenes and readers have come to expect sex in my books.]

So… here we go… let’s see what last night’s notes produce on the page today…

***

I got Chapter Two down today. I’m starting to see how the heroine functions, what her shortcomings and her attributes are; how she acts around others and what bits she shows of herself are real or fabricated. We’re getting to the crux of the matter at hand and a certain love interest has appeared in the background. But what happened? He’s from her past so we don’t know much about him yet.

I could write more but I won’t. Later tonight I will probably re-read what I wrote today and sculpt it a tiny bit more. And overnight more ideas will have brewed.

Word count so far: 6618

Day #4

Today’s Thursday, so yesterday wasn’t a writing day because I had an editing project to finish. Sometimes I’ll write a bit in the morning and spend the rest of the day editing, mixing it up. Yesterday I didn’t feel the urge to write, as though the plot needed to brew a bit more, but today I’ve had the urge to splurge a lot. And I have. I’ve now written three full chapters and a bit of Chapter Four. We now have a love interest who’s surfaced and he feels like a big character in this story. Tendrils of ideas are knitting together to create this pattern I’m weaving. The book will be structured in short-ish chapters around 3-4,000 words long so I’m looking between 20-30 chapters but we shall see.

The trouble I often find when I’m writing is that I’m a pattern weaver so I tend to lurch for complicated plots but I know with this story, I don’t need that. I just want to write something simple, because the story itself is very relatable and I don’t want to complicate it. I have a memory for details so another problem is that as I’m writing, a new idea might pop up that corrupts a previous chapter and I know I’ll have to go back and fix that or delete what I’ve just written. It often gives me a headache knowing I’ll have to make these major changes at the end, but it’s necessary to keep on writing otherwise you might lose the pace and editing should be saved for the end (for sure!). I have to give myself a talking to and remind myself that at this stage, nothing is set in stone and it’s just a draft; the most important thing is to get structure down and details can be changed later.

I feel like I could write more today. I don’t allow myself to write late into the night these days but if the urge is there later, I may well write. We’ll see…

Word count so far: 11785

ADDENDUM:-

I did a little bit more tonight (just had to get a little scene out of my head).

(amended) Word count so far: 12629

TUNE IN FOR PART TWO THIS TIME NEXT WEEK!

Posted on by sarahmichellelynch

New SUB ROSA Novels

SURPRISE!!

I’ve written loads of new books since finishing work on the Sub Rosa Series but the characters I spent so much time with in Unbind, Unfurl, Unleash and Dom Diaries have stayed with me, and while I’ve been writing other novels, characters from the world of SUB ROSA have been slowly but surely telling me their new stories.

I can confirm I am hoping to release another THREE books in the saga, taking the total up to SEVEN novels in all.

There are many strong characters in the series and some we haven’t heard from yet, not in their own voice anyway. Some have been begging me to tell their stories for quite some time and in one respect, I’ve held off telling their stories! I’ve known exactly what’s to come and that’s why I’ve put off telling these last three tales.

So the first up to tell a brand-new story is Mark Lutz! If you remember, he featured in Unleash. He’s Chloe and Kayla’s childhood friend. His story WORTH IT will release in December 2018, exact date TBC.

For now I hope this synopsis is enough to whet your whistle:-

Mark Lutz was doing so well. He was in therapy to tackle his sex addiction and everything looked brighter. He was pulling himself together. Then, he had a relapse.

Now he’s at a standstill. He’s lost everything. His job. The love of his life. His self respect. He feels like there’s no point in trying anymore because he’ll only end up failing.

He needs a friend more than anything, someone who genuinely cares. That friend comes in the form of Cai Matthews, who has an offer Lutz cannot refuse.

One of the Sub Rosa Trilogy’s many strong characters, Lutz has a unique story to tell, one of self-discovery, healing and dramatic truths.

**It is highly recommended you read Unbind, Unfurl and Unleash before this novel**

The series should be read as follows:

UNBIND

Chloe meets Cai as she starts a new job in London. Their chemistry is undeniable but forces outside of their control threaten to pull them apart, including a mystery seemingly unsolvable. Purchase now

UNFURL

Cai’s life prior to meeting Chloe comes under scrutiny and we finally learn all the secrets behind his motivations, his actions and his deceptions. Purchase now

UNLEASH

Chloe’s best friend Kayla has somehow been dragged into the Sub Rosa mystery and its tentacled influence. A brand-new love story unfolds, but will Cai’s family tragedy get in the way? Purchase now

The Sub Rosa Series uncovers the deadly secrets of a famous magazine editor and her nephew.

While Jennifer Matthews runs the world’s most prestigious fashion magazine, her photographer nephew Cai has too many demons to count.

Living in the public eye has taken its toll but so far the Matthews have contained their dark truths. It’s when journalist Chloe meets Cai that secrets threaten to spill out in the most destructive ways . . .

What results is a highly charged erotic journey featuring Chloe and Cai’s romance, and then that of her best friend Kayla, as she gets dragged into the Sub Rosa mystery too.

More details about WORTH IT, coming soon . . .

Never miss a new release by signing up for my newsletter! Alternatively follow me on IG, Twitter, FB or Amazon!

Posted on by sarahmichellelynch

Looking For #Poetry

Hey everyone!

Long time no speak.

This is just a short broadcast about an upcoming project of mine.

Basically, I am looking for poems above the 100 word mark. They must (sort of) be in line with the theme “Poems to My Younger Self”.

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Please visit my dedicated page on this site: sarahmichellelynch.com/poetry-project for all the details. You’ll find everything you need to know right there and hopefully, most of it covers all the questions you may have!!

This is all for charity. So please consider contributing if you are indeed a poet or budding poet, even!

Thankees xx

Posted on by sarahmichellelynch

Leeds Book Signing, 2018

I am pleased and excited to announce that I’ll be attending the Leeds Signing Event on March 3rd next year. That’s a Saturday! So put it into your calendars and be there.

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As you can see there are lots of authors signing on the day and there will probably be some even attending as readers – so do not miss out! There is also a 1920s themed ball in the evening, which all being well, I will be attending.

I am super excited to be working with the enthusiastic ladies behind Hourglass, which is the team behind this event and two events I attended previously (Peterborough 2015 and Leeds 2016).

To find out more about the 2018 event and buy tickets, click here.

To pre-order my books so you can avoid disappointment on the day, visit this form and fill out your requirements: click here.

Please be advised I expect to publish a few more books between now and then but I will let you know as and when they become available on the form.

To never miss a release, make sure you sign up for my newsletter! Here’s the link: http://eepurl.com/bWYDuf

Cheerio for now,

Sarah x

Posted on by sarahmichellelynch

York White Rose Book Signing – and if you didn’t manage to make the trip . . .

How has it already been and gone? The White Rose Book Signing passed by in the blink of an eye but was a very enjoyable day nonetheless! I am so rubbish at getting pictures. At some signings I get loads but at others, I just seem to forget! Anyway, this is one of the few piccies I got:

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I had some brilliant table neighbours including Melody Winter and NM Silber, plus I met a lot of people I’d only previously conversed with online, so it’s great to put faces to names finally! The day had a really great atmosphere overall and was very smoothly run by the brilliant team behind the event (L Chapman, Krissy V, Jennifer, Samantha and numerous others helpers and volunteers).

I did unfortunately sell out of some books on the day, and I know that some readers had tickets but couldn’t make it, or were unable to visit for other reasons. Though I do love signing and handing the books to readers in person, I know we’re all spread far and wide and it’s not always possible for readers to join our events.

Never fear, you can get signed books from me anytime. Just visit my form and I’ll wing some signed books to you, lovingly packaged up and stuffed with goodies. Visit THIS FORM for more details on how to order and pay.

I guess it’s back to writing then now…

Sarah x

 

Posted on by sarahmichellelynch

HETTY – out now!!

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I am so excited to bring you this new release!

Here are the details . . .

HETTY, an Angel Avenue spin-off
Standalone contemporary/new adult romance

Blurb

“We were just meant to be and fate in all her conniving, wicked glory, wouldn’t have had this union any other way.”

Hetty is determined not to be a victim but she doesn’t see that in some ways, she still is. When something doesn’t go how she wants it to, she finds it incredibly difficult to overcome, and continually avoids situations outside of her control.

It isn’t just love that will change her, though. Oh, no. Cue a series of events which will shape the woman she will be ever after.

Enter three men, each with a lesson to deliver. One, an unassuming father figure. The next, a lover. The last, a friend from a different world to hers.

Hetty’s journey is a surprising, exciting and humbling one which may draw tears of laughter and of sadness from the reader.

**This novel does contain some details which would spoil the Angel Avenue duet if you haven’t read it yet, but Hetty is a brand new and fully resolved standalone in itself, which can be read and understood without reading the other books.**

Buy Links

Universal link: http://mybook.to/Hetty

Early reviews

From A Book Lover’s Emporium Book Blog:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I absolutely loved this book from beginning to end and everything about it. Hetty is a great character, one you’d just love to be friends with. I connected with her straight away, she made me laugh out loud with the things she came out with sometimes.

Hetty hasn’t had a great past, but it’s made her into the person she is today and I love her for it! What will she do when someone she least expects shows an interest in her? Will she ruin that like she thinks she has ruined everything else in her life? That is for you to find out!

This is a standalone but within a series. The author has done a fantastic job with this as you really do not need to read the others to get into it. I know this, as I haven’t read the others YET…but I will definitely be one clicking them. I recommend that you do the same, you won’t regret it!

From Passionate Page Turner:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is a truly beautiful story that made me connect with Hetty immensely. For those of you that have read the Angel Avenue series, you will already be familiar with Hetty and her background. Whilst it is a feature within the book I would recommend reading the series first to get the whole picture and be in the “moment” as Hetty’s background unfolds.

In this book we met Hetty at a crucial point in her life, having set her mind on a career she is waiting to find out if it is plausible. A series of events turn Hetty’s life and plan into chaos, and due to her previous experiences she is not equipped to cope with the changes. Hetty is at a low point in her life, not willing to believe in her self and her skills. She is floating around until an unlikely anchor comes along and grounds her. In Hetty’s mind she feels that she is not good enough and risks letting her past ruin her future, what she does not realise is just how strong she really is. Hetty grows and develops as a character, she is strong enough to keep going and to help others.

When I finished the story I felt numb, there is no shockers, no cliffhangers, no twists. Its just a story that ends exactly where it should. Hetty will hold a place in my heart, capturing the essence of self belief and what a person can overcome.

Please do not miss out on my introductory price of 99 pennies.

Grab Hetty at this price now while you can!

hetty teaser 2

Posted on by sarahmichellelynch

Meet Hetty . . .

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Ta-da! Here is the cover of my upcoming novel, Hetty, releasing MAY 1ST.

In case you missed it, here’s a gander at the blurb again:

A novel proving art transcends all which divides us as human beings.

“We were just meant to be and fate in all her conniving, wicked glory, wouldn’t have had this union any other way.”

Hetty is determined not to be a victim but she doesn’t see that in some ways, she still is. When something doesn’t go how she wants it to, she finds it incredibly difficult to overcome, and continually avoids situations outside of her control.

It isn’t just love that will change her, though. Oh, no. Cue a series of events which will shape the woman she will be ever after.

Enter three men, each with a lesson to deliver. One, an unassuming father figure. The next, a lover. The last, a friend from a different world to hers.

Hetty’s journey is a surprising, exciting and humbling one which may draw tears of laughter and of sadness from the reader.

**This novel does contain some details which would spoil the Angel Avenue duet if you haven’t read it yet, but Hetty is a brand new and fully resolved standalone in itself, which can be read and understood without reading the other books.**

*****************

All will become clear when you get your mitts on this book! Including why I chose this cover art!

There’s still time to sign up for read and review, but you’ll need to sign up before MAY 1st so make your interest known asap. CLICK HERE to register your interest.

Until then, keep a beady eye on social media for teasers . . .

Posted on by sarahmichellelynch

THE RISK – Now Live!

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Blurb:

The highly evocative Nightlong series concludes . . .

Love may be the greatest risk
The harshest lesson, or
The sweetest salve.

Love may also be the one
True way to overcome
Pain,
Sadness,
All of our grief.

I want to chase love
But the risks in this instance
Are massive and the odds
Favour no one.

Doom seems our fate,
Tragedy looms, inevitable
Murder taints the air we breathe.

Will love triumph?
Or was this never about love . . .

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Grab your copy now . . .

AMAZON US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MURJBFY

AMAZON UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01MURJBFY

UNIVERSAL LINK: http://mybook.to/nightlong3

Buy Book One

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Buy Book Two

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