by Christa "Wojo" | May 22, 2021 | blog, Uncategorized
The Writers’ Mastermind turns 1 year old today!
What began as a dream has turned into a reality—a virtual space where writers from all over the world can come together and support each other.
We kicked off the mastermind with our first Author Planning Workshop.
Since then, our members have done amazing things. We’ve witnessed the completion of novels that have been stalled far too long. We’ve seen the release of debut books by first-time novelists. We’ve celebrated the successes of our experienced authors.
Most of all, we’ve connected through these uncertain times and made friendships that will last a lifetime.
I’m going to post our story below.
Make sure you take a look at all the Writers’ Mastermind has to offer.
Hello, I’m Christa, and I’m tired of being a struggling writer.
It is a miraculous time in the writing world. Today, the dream of becoming an author is possible for everyone.
But that doesn’t mean it’s easy.
I am a self-published author. I work as a digital marketer, but I hope to become a full-time fiction writer one day.
But I feel overwhelmed and lost. I am not selling many books. I’m not moving forward. I feel I haven’t reached my full potential as a writer.
I know I can learn how to do anything with the resources available online—writing, marketing, publishing, querying, etc.—but that’s the problem. There is too much information.
You can choose from countless courses—if you have hundreds of dollars, and if you can commit weeks or months of your life to finish them. There are webinars and downloads and blogs and podcasts and the list goes on and on. Which path to choose?
I’m suffering from information paralysis. This has prevented me from making decisions and taking action when it comes to developing my fiction writing career.
I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of being a struggling writer. I’m not going to allow anything, especially myself, get in the way of writing anymore.
THE VISION: Writers’ Mastermind Group
Writers are busy. Most have day jobs and families. Many tend to drift, writing and marketing sporadically, never gaining momentum. In a world inundated with information, they need the essentials, delivered in a timely, organized manner that ensures they are learning something new every month and taking the steps that bring them closer to becoming a successful author.
The Writers’ Mastermind is a platform where fiction writers can find actionable information and resources to take them from story concept to published work.
The Writers’ Mastermind is also a support hub where members can attend critique swap meetings, Zoom pow-wows, and fun events.
Our masterminds provide encouragement and camaraderie to writers all across the world who’ve historically been isolated in their vocation. We don’t have to do it alone anymore.
Novices learn from the seasoned authors. Old schoolers learn from the trailblazers. The Mastermind provides a place where writers can network, collaborate, and make connections to extend their opportunities and reach.
Every other month, we feature an expert in a masterclass focused on writing techniques, marketing, querying, or fostering creativity. This includes a short video series with accompanying workbooks, guides, and materials on the subject for that month.
Each specialist will do a live Q&A with the members on a Zoom.
Members are able to access the classes at their convenience and learn at their own pace. Select mastermind calls are taped and available for replay. The entire bank of classes is available to paying members at all times.
The Writers’ Mastermind also holds a writing contest each year to grow our community while providing aspiring fiction writers a venue to showcase their work.
This membership site is at an extremely reasonable rate—with a 30-day FREE trial and then $19 a month, affording writers a huge value for their monthly subscription.
JOIN US!
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Experience all the benefits of the Writers’ Mastermind for 30 days! SIGN ME UP!
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WRITING CONTEST
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by Christa "Wojo" | May 17, 2021 | blog, Member Monday, Member News, Uncategorized
Every other Monday, we will introduce you to a writer from the Writers’ Mastermind. Today, we have Joseph Sale, a novelist and editor (aka The Mindflayer).
Meet Joseph Sale
Joseph is a prolific novelist and editor. His first novel, The Darkest Touch, was published by Dark Hall Press in 2014. He is published with The Writing Collective and has authored more than ten novels, including his Black Gate trilogy, and his love-letter to fantasy: Save Game. He grew up in the Lovecraftian seaside town of Bournemouth.
He edits non-fiction and fiction, helping fledgling authors to realise their potential. He has edited some of the best new voices in speculative fiction including Ross Jeffery, Emily Harrison, Christa Wojciechowski, and more. His short fiction has appeared in Tales from the Shadow Booth, edited by Dan Coxon, as well as in Idle Ink, Silver Blade, Fiction Vortex, Nonbinary Review, Edgar Allan Poet and Storgy Magazine. His stories have also appeared in anthologies such as You Are Not Alone (Storgy), Lost Voices (The Writing Collective), Technological Horror (Dark Hall Press), Burnt Fur (Blood Bound Books) and Exit Earth (Storgy). In 2017 he was nominated for The Guardian’s ‘Not The Booker’ prize.
He is obsessed with Attack on Titan and Community.
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where are you from? Where are you now? What has your life been like?
I’m Joseph Sale, sometimes called The Mindflayer, and I’m from Bournemouth, a little seaside town clinging to the southern coast of England. It’s a strange place, at once beautiful and Innsmouth-esque. Now, I’m a little further north, in the historic town of Winchester, where one of the many alleged round tables of King Arthur resides (I have to say, it’s bad-ass; it’s hung up on the wall of a castle, and makes for a pretty imposing talisman). My life has been a series of incarcerations and liberations; imprisonment in an awful school in which children were being brutalised on a daily basis – then freedom from it. Incarceration in meaningless work, then liberation from it. And finally, the incarceration of my own limiting beliefs and – though hard won – a mental liberation. The strangest and most wondrous thing about my life is that after twenty seven years, it has only just begun.
2. What kind of stories do you write?
I am fascinated by encounters with the divine, the indescribable, the ineffable, the demonic, the eldritch, and how these experiences change who we are forever. As a result, the genres I write in vary greatly, but there is always a theme of the supernatural, or supra-normal. Sometimes this takes the form of cosmic horror, and there is a lot of horror in my work, but fantasy is equally if not more important.
3. What sets you apart from other writers in your space?
This is a tough question to answer without slipping into ego. However, I think what separates my work is style and form, and then the flood of emotion that bursts through that. Most writers, I find, are writing the story as it manifests in their head; they’re “setting it down”, which is awesome. However, because I’m a freak and a weirdo (cue Radiohead song), I’m more approaching the writing from, I guess, a poet’s standpoint: how is X or Y word going to affect the reader? How can this sentence mimetically embody the meaning of what I’m trying to say? For me, language is not a means to an end, it is the end.
4. What drives your writing? What do you mean to accomplish with your stories?
Words are a form of magic, an incantation, and they should be used as such to cast an emotionally healing spell upon the reader. My hope is that, in reading my stories, people will see not only an emblem of their own condition, but a way to become liberated from it, even if momentarily. The Greek word for this is catharsis, and I think it’s certainly my ultimate aim. I don’t always achieve it, but it’s always what I’m striving for.
5. Who are you favorite writers and books? What are your other creative influences?
There are so many favourites it is hard to know where to begin! In terms of big names, I love the phantasmagorical wonder and horror (and also eroticism) of Clive Barker’s mythopeic epics. Barker is surely a prophet, glimpsing a universe beyond our mortal bounds.
I adore the heartfelt, spellbinding narratives of Grady Hendrix. His My Best Friend’s Exorcism is, in my mind, one of the greatest novels ever written.
I’m a big fan of the classics too, and Edmund Spenser is an overlooked genius of the Elizabethan era, whose fantastical epic The Faerie Queene was a huge inspiration for my upcoming project Virtue’s End.
In terms of indie writers, well, now there are so many names I am surely going to miss a few, but I think the indie scene is really where there is an abundance of talent and some of the most exciting literature emerging. My favourite authors here are Christa Wojciechowski (your good self), surely one of the best writers alive today, indie or not: psychological insight, supple and beautiful prose, characters one adores, and fathoms of depth. Ross Jeffery is a phenomenal writer, though I am biased as I’m his editor! I also love Dan Soule, a truly classic horror author; Iseult Murphy, whom I’ve already mentioned; S. C. Mendes, who writes phenomenal occult thrillers; Nikki Noir, who writes erotic, occult horror (it’s as incredible as it sounds); the mysterious Gordon James, a Writing Collective author, and criminally underrated; I also love the YA fantasy epic Hecctrossipy by Bia Bella Baker. She’s a master world-builder.
There are so many more, but to list them all would take up a book’s worth of space!
6. Do you write in silence? Background noise? Or music? What kind?
I used to write to music, but I generally find that now I use music to kind of “hype up” for writing a specific scene, and the writing itself takes place in silence. Music is a very important part of who I am, I think. I listen to an eclectic range, from Tupac to Avenged Sevenfold to the gorgeous baroque of J. S. Bach and Vivaldi. I wrote the entirety of the final Black Gate book listening to “Et In Terra Pax”, which is arguably one of my all time favourite pieces of music. That was an instance the music was on. Because there were no words to distract me, I could just let the melodies wash over my ears, and hypnotise me into the trance I needed to be in to see and feel the ending of the story.
7. What is your favorite thing to do when you are not writing?
Nerd stuff!! I love to play video games, Magic: The Gathering, and to paint miniatures. But if I had to say one thing: I am a Game Master and have created my own unique RPG system known as Dead World: Desecrated Empires (which for the first time ever is being released onto the world July 2021). We play over Zoom (it was a godsend during lockdown!) and have sessions every week. We’ve occupied this fantasy world for so long, it feels real to us in the same way that a regular holiday destination does to others.
8. Who is your current celebrity crush?
Oh no. Don’t do this to me. Last time I played this game with my wife she almost killed me… Okay, well, they say honesty is the best policy, right? Alexandra Daddario would have to be my crush. I think she’s an amazing actress with charisma overload; she was mesmeric in We Summon The Darkness as a psychopath with serious, serious daddy issues, and in True Detective she managed to make a character who could have been so forgettable absolutely iconic. Why are you looking at me like that? It’s her acting, dammit! That’s the reason for the crush. No other reason!
9. Why do you think it’s important to write fiction?
Where to begin? Narrative is a form of therapy, which is why even people without a creative bone in their body can get a lot of relief by simply journalling, speaking to someone about their problems, or perhaps even going so far as to write a biography. But fiction trumps non-fiction and biography in one key way: it allows us to use the power of imagination to visualise an alternative outcome. In other words, we can, quite literally, re-write the narratives of our lives. It is not easily done, I hasten to add, but when it is achieved, this can be more potently healing than merely chronicling or “reflecting”. Reflecting is key, because it leads to self-awareness, the first step of any true healing or awakening. But in and of itself it’s “dead” because it lacks movement or transformation. Fiction allows us to transubstantiate the stale and rotten bread of our lives into the living flesh of Christ. It is only by taking this final step, of removing the veil and worship of “reality”, that we can transcend our fears and reach true healing. When we do this, we become something greater.
10. Who would be the best writer, alive or dead, to tell the story of your life?
Oh that’s an interesting one! It would have to be someone very good at writing the supernatural, let me tell you! Someone like Barker would probably be a great fit, because he would understand the British cultural elements, the frustrations with the hierarchy and classism of our society, the friendships and loves formed from striving in the gutter, and the encounters with the divine. But equally I think someone like Ross Jeffery would do an amazing job. He regularly visits Bournemouth, so he understands a little bit of the lingo and feel of the place in which I was raised, and he also has a great feel for the supernatural and the spiritual.
11. What are you working on right now?
So many things! I always tend to be two or three books ahead of myself. My next release will be announced in full soon, but suffice to say it’s a short novel called The Tunnel, about a camgirl going up against a gigantic two-tonne killer crocodile on a murder-rampage in London. I’ve got Desecrated Empires, my RPG book, which is now in proofing stage and coming out July time. I also have my occult fantasy epic, Virtue’s End, which may come at the end of 2021, or early 2022. I am still editing this. It’s vast in scope, and undoubtedly the most ambitious and beautiful thing I’ve ever done. Finally, I’m working on a new book which might become a series, quite daunting but exciting. I am not entirely sure what it is going to become yet, but it has supernatural and occult elements…
DARK HILARITY
Tara Dufrain and Nicola Morgan are eleven year old girls growing up in the ‘90s, obsessed by Valentine Killshot, a metal screamo band. In particular, they’re enamoured by the lead singer, the mysterious yet charismatic Jed Maine who bears the epithet “The Cretin”. In Jed’s lyrics, he describes a world beyond the Dark Stars that he hopes one day to reach. The girls think it’s all just make-believe they share together, until a freak, traumatic incident makes this world very real. As adults, Tara and Nicola try to come to terms with the devastating catastrophe that changed their lives growing up, but to do so they will have to step once more into Jed Maine’s world, and confront the man who took everything from them. Dark Hilarity is My Best Friend’s Exorcism meets The Never-Ending Story, a fantasy that explores addiction, depression, and the healing power of friendship.
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/DARK-HILARITY-Joseph-Sale/dp/B08VCYF4QG/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/DARK-HILARITY-Joseph-Sale/dp/B08VCYF4QG/
Connect with Joseph
Website: themindflayer.com
Twitter: @josephwordsmith
Join us in the Writers’ Mastermind
Leave your comments for Joseph Sale below!
by Christa "Wojo" | May 11, 2021 | blog, Self-editing, Uncategorized
By Candace Johnson
If adding “Published Author” after your name is one of your goals, you’re probably itching to polish a NaNoWriMo manuscript or a WIP that is marinating on your hard drive and send it out into the world.
But don’t just run a final spellcheck and pronounce your work ready for publication.
If you are serious about publishing, your first readers should be beta readers.
And just what is a beta reader?
Think of beta readers as superhero partners/readers for your WIP. Correctly employed, your superheroes can save you time and money.
How? I’m glad you asked!
Ideally, you want to assemble a team of beta readers. By getting focused, constructive criticism from multiple viewpoints, you’ll be able to identify (and you’ll have the opportunity to address) potential problems with your manuscript before you spend money on professional editing. Then, when you do hire an editor, you’ll get more bang for your buck. (Learn more at Three Things You Shouldn’t Hire an Editor to Do.)
Each one of your superheroes will have a different strength, and no one beta reader will offer the same level of advice in every area. (That’s why you’ll get the most comprehensive feedback from a team.) Some will be generalists, some will be detail-oriented, but they’ll each see your story in a new way, because
Beta readers approach your manuscript from a fresh point of view.
4 Types of Beta Readers Who Make Perfect Team Members. #betareaders #amwriting #amrevising #writetipCLICK TO TWEET
Here are the types of beta readers who make perfect team members:
- The Workhorse: a reader who is very familiar with your genre—perhaps a reviewer of books in your genre who can let you know if the story is entertaining, has a good flow and interesting characters, and where you dropped the ball if something isn’t working.
- The Expert: a writer with an intimate knowledge of both the type of story you’ve written and the craft of storytelling. This reader/writer can be invaluable when it comes to constructive criticism about the way you’ve told your story and can offer useful suggestions for other things to try.
- The Professor: this is the stickler for grammar. Of course, you’ve already run spell-check and grammar-check programs, but this type of proofreading step will save you time and money when you’re ready to hire a professional editor. (For more money-saving self-editing tips, check out How to Save Money on Professional Editing by Preparing Your Manuscript.)
- The Bookworm: a reader who is representative of your average reader, perhaps a reviewer, maybe just an avid reader, but someone who can let you know about the experience of reading your book. Do your opening pages create a desire to keep reading? Does the action slow down in the middle of the story? Are the characters fully fleshed out?
Now, how does this team do its magic? The short answer is: That’s up to you.
You decide what guidance, if any, your beta readers get.
Do you want to ask your readers to look for specific things, or do you want to let them read the work and give their natural reactions? If you are concerned about a specific issue, by all means ask your superheroes to zero in on that part of your manuscript.
If you prefer to just cut them loose and see what they come up with, you can do that, too. (Hint: most beta readers appreciate some guidance, so feel free to create a list of things that are important to you.)
Through trial and error, you’ll learn who provides the type of valuable critique you’re looking for . . . and who doesn’t.
What is the most valuable skill beta readers possess?
It’s the ability to be honest with you.
This point cannot be overstated. Critiquing a manuscript isn’t a popularity contest, so surrounding yourself with people who will tell you how wonderful your story is and what a great writer you are won’t help you. (Your spouse, parent, or BFF probably won’t be as objective as you need a beta reader to be, either.)
I’m not suggesting you take every suggestion to heart and revise your manuscript by committee, but do give careful consideration to each suggestion, and then reject those that really don’t work for you. If three of your four beta readers make the same observation about your tendency to overuse adverbs, for example, you’ll be wise to go through your manuscript one more time to see how many adverbs you can remove.
Your beta readers’ input allows you to go back and do minor (or even major) revising before you spend your hard-earned money on professional editing . . . which means your editor’s time can be spent on helping you polish the remaining rough edges instead of trying to explain why your character’s motivation doesn’t make sense or your middle chapters lack action.
And now I’d like to offer a few words of advice to beta readers and the authors they critique:
First, to beta readers:
If you’re asked to be a beta reader, approach the manuscript like a teacher: point out what works for you and what doesn’t, and explain why you feel that way. The writer trusts you to understand that this is a draft, and she’s looking for constructive criticism. She might not incorporate all your suggestions, but merely the fact that you’ve pointed something out and had a great explanation will make you an invaluable member of a team . . . and there might be chocolate chip cookies involved, although I can’t promise anything.
Next, to the authors:
Your beta readers are not professional editors or writing coaches, so don’t expect them to do the heavy lifting. Do be clear about your expectations and your timeframe, and remember that they are unpaid volunteers and are making time to read and critique your manuscript. If their advice proves helpful, they can be invaluable to your writing career, but even if you reject some suggestions, thank them profusely for their time, both in person and in writing in your acknowledgments. And, if possible, offer to pay them back by being a beta reader for their manuscripts in exchange.
In my experience as an editor, one of the most common mistakes writers make is believing their work is ready to publish when more revising and editing are necessary. This often leads to higher editing bills because your editor will have to make edits that beta readers might have pointed out to you at no (or low) cost! So start now to line up a group of beta readers who are willing to give you their honest assessment about every aspect of your story.
Have you used beta readers?
I’d love to know how their comments helped you with your next round of revisions. Have you ever used beta readers at multiple stages of revising your manuscript? If you’ve been a beta reader for another writer, did you find the experience helped you with your own writing?
Happy Writing,
Candace
Look forward to Candace Johnson’s masterclass
in the Writers’ Mastermind
SYSTEMIZED SELF-EDITING
Get access to this class and all the benefits of membership with your free trial.
Candace Johnson is a professional freelance editor, proofreader, writer, and writing coach who has worked with traditional publishers, self-published authors, and independent book packagers on nonfiction subjects ranging from memoirs to alternative medical treatments to self-help, and on fiction ranging from romance to paranormal. As an editorial specialist, Candace is passionate about offering her clients the opportunity to take their work to the next level. She believes in maintaining an author’s unique voice while helping him or her create and polish every sentence to make it the best it can be. Learn more here.
by Christa "Wojo" | May 4, 2021 | blog, Uncategorized
Are you having trouble finding fiction writing critique groups that actually help you?
One of the most effective ways to become a better fiction writer is to get feedback from fellow authors.
Introducing THE CHAIR (beta)
What is THE CHAIR?
The Chair is a weekly live Zoom call with 5 writers. Each writer will submit a short story or excerpt for feedback.
Each week, one writer will take The Chair. They will read their story or excerpt out loud and then receive feedback from each writer in the critique group during the meeting.
Objectives:
- to get comfortable with expressing yourself in front of an audience
- to check flow by reading out loud
- to receive insight and feedback from four of your peers on structure, plot, character development, style, and more
- to gain insight on what to do and what not to do by reading the others’ work
Submission Requirements:
2,500 words
open genre
Details:
Groups will be kept to 5 people.
Each round of THE CHAIR will take 5 weeks.
The time and day will be determined once participants are finalized.
Save your spot for the first round now!
Cost:
FREE with your membership in the Writers’ Mastermind. (Not a member yet? Sign up for your 30-day Free Trial).
Are you ready to be in THE CHAIR?
Apply now
email me at christa@letsgetpublished.com
or use the form below
by Christa "Wojo" | Apr 27, 2021 | blog, Motivation
by Christa Wojciechowski
For all the things we humans talk about, we are far more interesting for the things we don’t talk about.
A small fraction of our thoughts are ever said out loud. The rest of them ricochet inside our heads.
We step quietly around uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, judgements, and observations. Gaping holes yawn where there should be understanding. Giant elephants crowd the room but we refuse to acknowledge them, even when they’ve stepped on our feet and are crushing our toes.
We’re all silently screaming.
That’s why we need writers now more than ever. To speak the unspeakable in the form of fiction. To seek understanding and let us know we’re not alone.
