Shelfari: The Site for Books & ReadersShelfari Logo

Request Friendship

Erica Spindler

Erica Spindler

I am a New York Times and International Chart bestselling author. Critics have called my stories, "terrific twisted tales,” and "creepy and compelling; real page turners." In 2002, I received the prestigious Daphne du Maurier award for excellence, and am a two-time Kiss of Death award winner. My novels reflect a lifelong fascination with the...more »
  • New Orleans, LA, USA
  • member since Thursday, December 27 2007

Groups

Friends

Erica Spindler’s last login was 4 hours ago. show recent activity »

Books I plan to read

     
 
 
 

Public Notes

  • Kristen H

    kristen h says

    You're welcome. My writing is going okay. For my first Nano ms, The 24-Hour Chain Reaction, part psychological thriller, part police procedural, I've cut 20 K so far and have 50 more to go. (I do have one of my contacts, who's also an editor I later found out in an email, helping me with some scenes, since she's also a romance writer and a police dispatcher. She's helping me with those scenes only.) As for Venom, 1 K cut and 11 more to go for the next writing round-should hit the next 1 K mark sometime this Labor Day Weekend. I hope to finish it by 8/30, have to contact Key West next week for two phone calls.) :-)

    posted yesterday. ( send a note )
  • Kristen H

    kristen h says

    Erica, I just finished Cause for Alarm. I loved it-gave it 4 stars. You're truly an idol of mine in a way. I'll be reading Killer Takes All and one other this fall, around October-November.

    posted 3 days ago. ( send a note )
  • Kristen H

    kristen h says

    Howdy Erica. I just got your note. Thanks for answering. Just curious. I hope to be on the query/synopsis stage sometime this fall. I'm still editing right now. But isn't it true for a first time novelist that the word count should be 60-90 K? My first Nano ms is way over that (currently 142269). Don't you think? Let me know. Good luck with the release. I hope to meet you someday in the Cleveland Ohio next year. Maybe you'll be reading my books in the future. P.S. After I requested Cause for Alarm awhile ago, (since there's only one copy that it's shared between my library and another local library, in which I couldn't renew it), I'll be reading it this weekend.

    posted 6 days ago. ( send a note )
  • Erica Spindler

    erica spindler says

    Hi Kristen,

    Sorry I haven't gotten back to you sooner- been busy writing and preparing for the next release.

    To answer your question, I don't think about word count when I'm writing. I write a long synopsis (50-60 pages) first and then refer to it like a road map during the writing process. This keeps me focused on telling the essentials of the story, or letting the story tell itself.

    I do minor edits as I go along- grammar, etc. I'll do a complete read through once I'm finished, looking for plot holes, accurate pacing, and character development. Then it's off to the editor (well, assistant and agent first, fellow writers if I need further input). They will let you know if the word count is too high and tell you where to cut. On my last manuscript, my editor wanted one of the elements of the story expanded. It felt at the time like I was having to rewrite the whole book, but really boiled down to just a few chapters and slightly changing a few scenes' dialogue.

    Every writer manages their manuscript differently, but all techniques are about focusing on the story in the most effective and concise way.

    Good luck!

    posted 10 days ago. ( send a note )
  • Kristen H

    kristen h says

    HI Erica, I know it's been awhile since I've last dropped out a note. Here's a bit of an update. For my first Nano ms, The 24-Hour Chain Reaction, I finished my third round of editing and will start round four (in which I hope to be my final somehow) and try to get it done by Halloween if not Labor Day Weekend. I'm currently at 142843. That's 19196 words cut. I have 51 K to go. I'll try my darnest to get it to where I want to go without cutting scenes but maybe shortening them somehow.

    As for my second Nano ms, Venom, my eco-thriller, I'll finish it at 100 K today (have 213 K to go), since I couldn't finish it at 90 or 95 K. Technically, it's not 100% finished, due to a gap of 10 remaining scenes I have to write I'm leaving out for now, but will get back to it later. I'm writing the epilogue right now and head straight to editing to cut out 12 K to get to 88 K. Those remaining scenes are scenes are vital and can't be left out, since it leads right into the epilogue. Case in point, this is an unconventional way of editing my novel, when I'll edit to where I left off, write those scenes and edit when done. I still hope to end at 90 K with my final product. I do need at least 10 K (perhaps more) to get it done. I hope to get it done by Labor Day Weekend and query next month.

    I might have a temporarily job lined up, working perhaps twice a week, at a substitute clerical job for my local school district, which has 10 schools in all, which leaves me a day to volunteer at a hospital, and a day for job hunting/searching/interviewing for a FT job, and a day off to myself. I hope to work on my Post-nano stuff after these two are done, or in between stages, before Nano in November, when I'll write my second eco-thriller, Double Exposure, set in Catalina. I wish I can afford to travel right now. Internet will have to do, as I'm waiting to hear more from my contacts-have to make two calls to Key West before 9/1. I'll have to adjust my writing schedule when it gets to that point. Which leaves me some general writing/editing questions to ask you from your writing experience:

    1. For an original draft, what's the most you had with a word count and how many words did you have to cut to get to 60-90 K for final product? (For me, 162039 was for my first Nano ms. 70 K was what I have to work with, with 51 K to go. That's why I'm not going past 100 K for my new Nano ms. And if so, it won't be much. I won't add until I did an edit round.)

    2. How many rounds of editing did you have to get it to a finished product? (For me, round 4 for Nano ms #1, perhaps final if I'm lucky. For Nano ms #2, between 1-2 is what I'm hoping with only 10 K to cut and a little bit more after it. I'm sticking to it. I figure Double Exposure will be around 85-90 K in my mind.)

    That's all I can think of for now. If more comes up, I'll let you know. I'll look forward to your answers, your advice and any tips you have for me.

    posted 2 weeks ago. ( send a note )
  • Kristen H

    kristen h says

    Hey Erica. Here's a bit of an update for you. For my eco-thriller, I've reached 50 K yesterday afternoon for Nano's finish line and will continue on to at least 90 K. (I might go to 100 K and stop there, depending where I am with the storyline at 85 and then 90 K and 95 K.) With 10 days left of Nano, I'll get as far as I could and see where I am to head into early August. I hope to get it done by 8/15 before I edit (1-2 rounds) and query. As for my first Nano ms, I'm still editing it. I'm at 144 K with ways to go. 18 K cut and 52 K more to go. I probably won't get this done by Labor Day Weekend but I'll see. That's it for now.

    posted 1 month ago. ( send a note )
  • Kristen H

    kristen h says

    Thanks Erica. I appreciate it. Show vs. tell is one of my weakness. I'm working on it. Yes I might have to kill some scenes, here and there, and characters. It's still 460 pages. But I've cut a little over 200 words so far in three editing sessions. I have a long way to go to see how far I go by Labor Day Weekend. A work in progress in deed. BTW, I'll be hitting 25 K today for my July Nano ms. I have at least 60-65 K left to go to finish my novel in the next 21 days. :-)

    posted 2 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Kristen H

    kristen h says

    Hey Erica. I picked up Cause for Alarm today and hope to read it real soon. As for writing, I've hit the 15 K mark with 85 K more to go (going for 90 K for leeway and room to edit later back to 85 K). As for editing, I now have 52 K left to go with 18 K cut already. Slowly but surely, I'm getting there. I hope to start cut away 100 or more words this week if I can. I'll keep you posted.

    posted 2 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Kristen H

    kristen h says

    HI Erica. Here's an update. I hit the 5 K mark this morning for my eco-thriller for JulNanowrimo. As for editing, well, I've been editing twice to get back to the swing of things, but haven't reached my 1000 word goal. Maybe it'll take some time. Have a happy and save 4th of July (I'll be partly working tomorrow) and thanks for being my friend here.

    posted 2 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Kristen H

    kristen h says

    Hi Erica. I'm still waiting to hear from my library on Cause for Alarm-but I'll let you know. Thanks for the well wishes. My goal is to cut out 2000 words, starting tomorrow, when I edit twice, and to aim for 2500 words for JulNanowrimo, when I write 3 x a day. I'll be working on both as well as my pre-Nano ones. I'll keep you posted.

    posted 2 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Kristen H

    kristen h says

    Hey Erica, it's been awhile since our last note swapping. My editing has been on and off slow and sluggish at times. I'm a bit behind but know my deadline of the 4th of the July to get it done will be dashed. So starting next week, I'll be editing my Nano novel twice in July to move it forward. Maybe I can make it before Labor Day Weekend, while I'll start my second Nano novel for JulNanowrimo, next week, an eco-thriller called Venom, set in the Florida Keys. I'm still in the research stage and the premise is about the need for venom to make anti-venim, poaching and endangered species. My set word count goal is 85 K. So I'll keep you posted on both novels in progress. Although I have worked a cutting some words here and there in a few chapters, I still have 53 K words more to go. P.S. I've requested Cause for Alarm at my library to read from your own books, and will request Killer Takes All and Bone Cold to read in November.

    posted 2 months ago. ( send a note )
  • NAJAND BIZAKI

    najand bizaki says

    thanks for your acception. I dont know your information but want to search them soon

    posted 2 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Kristen H

    kristen h says

    Hi Erica, it's going slow. I won't make the deadline this Friday (my 32nd birthday) but will try to get it done by 4th of July. My original plan of 250-1000 words per chapter isn't working. So I devised a new plan of taking 1000 words and divided by how many pages per chapters (i.e. chapter three had 13 pages, so I had to cut 77 words, which is done for the third round). I hope to go to all 33 chapters of my ms for the third round, while I'll cutting and revising dialogue and making it better. I'll be careful to be diligent and not obsessive. (I normally edit as I go when I write my novels other than the norm of doing it afterwards.) Hopefully fixing dialogue and adding descriptions of the last things I have to do in editing. I'll keep you posted Erica.

    posted 3 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Kristen H

    kristen h says

    HI Erica. I'm struggling with the editing right now. I've added words instead of subtracting them, when I fixed my opening dialogue. I still have some spots to work out. My 32nd birthday is 2 weeks away-I'm not sure if I can get it done by then... maybe 4th of July. It's so painful to edit. Tips?

    posted 4 months ago. ( send a note )
  • rowanthea

    rowanthea says

    Will do. Just finished 'Killer Takes All'. Twist upon twist at the end. Loved it. Keep up the good work.

    posted 4 months ago. ( send a note )
  • rowanthea

    rowanthea says

    Erica. Just wanted to tell you I love the strong female characters you create. I spent the day in New Orleans celebrating my twins 11th birthday. We had a wonderful time, the weather was perfect. So what is next on the agenda for you?

    posted 4 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Kristen H

    kristen h says

    Thanks Erica. I hope so. I keep you posted.

    posted 4 months ago. ( send a note )
  • Kristen H

    kristen h says

    Hey Erica, I just wanted you to know that tomorrow afternoon, I'll be starting round 3-hopefully my final one. If I can fix my plotholes, show more than tell, and cut 250-1000 words a page, I can make it a better novel to reach 90 K for my word goal. Cross your fingers. I'll let you know how I'm doing in the weeks to come. My goal would be to get it done by my birthday on 5/30, when I'll turn 32!

    posted 4 months ago. ( send a note )


© 2008 Tastemakers, Inc. | Portions of Shelfari.com are Copyright © 1996-2008 Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy