Easily achievable book things to do when it's too hot to write 🥵

Hi friends!

Hoping this finds you well. Here in the northeast, like much of the country, it’s hot. The AC has been on for weeks (and very thankful for it but also, 😥, so much recycled air). I wish for a break for us all.

Beach day!

I know there are people who thrive in the heat. I am not one of them—when the temp rockets into the 90s (and with the attendant humidity soup we get here) I wilt like an unwatered plant and it can be hard to squeeze any good words out of my brain.

So I thought it might be useful to share some ways to keep working on your book without actually working on your book, if your creative juices have sizzled away.

1. Do some research.

OK, maybe it’s just nerds like me that find research fun but I know there are a lot of us out there. If the words aren’t flowing, do a quick search through your manuscript for the [TK]s (or whatever placeholder you use) and spend some time googling or hit up your local library to fill in the blanks. Not only will you make some painless progress but you can also learn some interesting fun facts. Example: did you know military bands in the 1700s had oboeists in them?

2. Read a craft book.

Is there a particular aspect of craft that feels difficult or elusive? Something that you feel you could do better or that your current work-in-progress is lacking? Maybe you’re questioning your structure or unsure of whether your character’s arc of change is solid and satisfying enough. Or it could be that you want to strengthen your knowledge of how different POVs affect a reader’s experience.

Regardless of whether you bring a specific question or not, reading a craft book is sure to influence your vision for your novel and hopefully answer some questions—maybe some you didn’t even know you had.

3. Read a mentor text.

Similarly, reading a mentor text can help you brainstorm new ideas or answer some questions about how to handle a tricky story question. A mentor text is one that illustrates an example of some aspect of story that you want to learn more about—for example, multiple points of view, dual timelines, using present instead of past tense.

Mentor texts are especially helpful if you’re interested in breaking some writing ‘rules’; playing with structure or POV or time, really anything that falls outside the boundaries of a “typical” novel.

You might want to write a specific question or note to yourself on a post-it to use as a bookmark as you work through your mentor text. (Sometimes, as hard as I try, I lapse into reading like a reader, not a writer.) You may want to take notes to remind yourself of how something worked and why something was successful (or not).

Also, you might find that a mentor text turns into a comp title. Bonus!!

4. Research some comp titles.

I have yet to meet a writer who enjoys researching comp titles. (If you’re out there, you could probably have a nifty side job on behalf of your fellow novelists.) However, if you start early and build a list, when the time comes to put your query letter together, having options will feel really good.

To start, think about where your book would be on a bookstore shelf. If a bookseller were to ask your ideal reader what other books they liked, what would their answer be?

Remember that your comps don’t have to be aligned in an obvious or immediate way. Think about your themes, structure, subplots, character arcs…sometimes you can find unexpected connections. This also shows that you’ve thought and read deeply and understand the marketplace and how your book fits into it.

Take an inventory or make a mind map of the different aspects of your book and start searching with those kinds of keywords.

As an additional resource, here’s a video me and my fellow coaches Stephanie Dethlefs and Terri Thayer made about how to find comp titles.

Most of all, be kind to yourself if you need a break. It’s hot, we’re all running around, and all the messages we’re getting is that this is the time of year to relax, take some time, and chill out. If you can, DO! And if you can’t, well, your book isn’t going anywhere, for better or worse.

What I’m Reading: Motor Spirit by Jarett Kobek

This one’s kind of an odd duck. Self-published and only available in print. It comes highly recommended by many people in the true crime space that I trust (Crime Writers On…podcast, Gillian Pensavalle, Sarah D. Bunting)

In fact, from Bunting’s review of Motor Spirit: I want to flick Kobek in the eyeball, a little bit; I want to volunteer myself as the VP of proofreading at his publishing company; and I want to go get started on How to Find Zodiac [the sequel], so I’ll wrap this up with a without-reservations recommendation for Motor Spirit.

Since I am very much in the writing and publishing world, I’m sure much of the same stuff that drove Bunting to want to commit light assault on Kobek will also make me a bit nuts. But still….from what I hear, this guy set out to show solved the Zodiac?! The latent investigative reporter research nerd in me is jumping with joy to get into this!

What have you loved reading lately? Anything you hated? Drop me a line and let me know!

Cheers ♥️

Kerry