5 Tips for Aspiring Novelists by Mary Kubica - for her Don't You Cry blog tour.

Today I'm kicking off the blog tour for Don't You Cry by Mary Kubica. I'm delighted to welcome Mary to my blog today with her 5 Tips for Aspiring Authors. Don't You Cry is being published by MIRA in e-book on 17 May 2016 and hardback on 19 May 2016.

5 Tips for Aspiring Authors

by Mary Kubica

Writing a book can easily be a daunting task.  It isn’t something that’s quickly achieved in a few days or weeks, but takes months or years to accomplish.  It can feel overwhelming and impossible at times, but here are a few tips that I try to incorporate into my own writing to help turn an idea into a novel.

1. If you don’t have all the building blocks of your novel fully plotted out in advance, that’s perfectly alright.  It’s rare that I know how my novels will end, and because I don’t outline before I begin writing, I’m typically well through the manuscript before I dream up the big twist.  Many writers are discouraged because they had an idea but don’t know how it will resolve.  Don’t let this prevent you from getting your idea down on paper.  You have hundreds of pages and thousands of words to figure it out.

2. Take your manuscript one scene at a time.  If considering the big picture feels too overwhelming (which, often times it does even for seasoned authors), then focus on one chapter or scene at a time.  Know what you want to accomplish in that moment before dwelling on what comes next.  By breaking the process down into smaller segments, it begins to feel more doable and less of a formidable task.

3. Truly love and care about your characters.  They don’t have to be likeable people per se, but you’re going to be spending a lot of time with them, whether you’re actively writing or plotting your novel out in your head.  Make sure these are people you’d like to spend the next many months or years with.  Give them redeemable qualities and be sure that they’re multi-dimensional. The more human you make them, the more they will resonate, so your readers will enjoy their company for the length of your novel.

4. I’ve learned the hard way that if your manuscript is fighting you every step of the way, maybe it isn’t the right project for you.  I’ve abandoned a fully completed manuscript because I felt it fell short of my own and my readers’ expectations, and in hindsight knew this early on in the process but was too stubborn to give up.  It’s perfectly okay to let go of one project and move onto something new if the characters or the storyline aren’t driving you.  Trust your instincts, and know when to fight for a work-in-progress and when to give it up.  Sometimes a clean slate is the best remedy for writer’s block.

5. Be open to editing.  Rely on trusted family members or friends to read your manuscript and give feedback.  Sometimes an outsider’s perspective is vital to discovering the shortcomings of your book.  But most of all, love the process.

About Mary Kubica

Mary Kubica is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of THE GOOD GIRL and PRETTY BABY.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in History and American Literature, and lives outside of Chicago with her husband and two children, where she enjoys photography, gardening and caring for the animals at a local shelter.  Her first novel THE GOOD GIRL received a Strand Critics Nomination for Best First Novel and was a nominee in the Goodreads Choice Awards in Debut Goodreads Author and in Mystery & Thriller for 2014.  She is currently working on her next novel.

Readers can find out more about Mary on her website and follow Mary on Twitter - @MaryKubica 

Don't You Cry
By Mary Kubica
Published by MIRA (17 May 2016)
ISBN: 978-1848454767

Publisher's description

In downtown Chicago, a young woman named Esther Vaughan disappears from her apartment without a trace. A haunting letter addressed to My Dearest is found among her possessions, leaving her friend and roommate Quinn Collins to wonder where Esther is and whether or not she's the person Quinn thought she knew.

Meanwhile, in a small Michigan harbour town an hour outside Chicago, a mysterious woman appears in the quiet coffee shop where 18 year old Alex Gallo works as a dishwasher. He is immediately drawn to her charm and beauty, but what starts as an innocent crush quickly spirals into something far more dark and sinister.

As Quinn searches for answers about Esther, and Alex is drawn further under the stranger's spell, Mary Kubica takes readers on a taut and twisted rollercoaster ride that builds to a stunning conclusion.

My review is coming soon.

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