Author: Donna L.H. Smith-Managing Editor

I'm a prairie girl from Kansas transplanted to Amish country, Pennsylvania. I'm married to a wonderful man since 1987, a member of a great church, where I serve as a greeter and on ministry team. On Sunday afternoons, I stand a two-hour prayer watch at our local 24/7 House of Prayer. I also enjoy reading, occasionally reviewing books, and of course, writing. A graduate of Christian Writer's Guild's Craftsman program, and holds both bachelor's and master's degrees in communication. I seek to encourage beginning writers in learning the craft. I am currently the Mid-Atlantic Zone Director of American Christian Fiction Writers and serve as Managing Editor for A3. My debut novel, Meghan's Choice, published in late 2017. Her second novel is in the editing process. She also teaches workshops on writing and inspirational.

Categories
Guest post archive

I Almost Quit Yesterday––Again by Carol Sparks

I quit writing about four times a year. Especially, when I look at the ages of my children, at the dust on our bookshelves, at the number of digits on our bank statement, and at my neighbors’ needs. It’s easy to think about how other people go hiking and watch TV shows. How they answer occupational questions easily. They enjoy regular paychecks. I wonder if I’ve confused enjoyment with calling, if fingers-tapping-keys is, for me, an avocation rather than an occupation.

It happened again yesterday. Funny, it doesn’t happen in the middle of hectic times. It happens when all is quiet. Quiet but desperate.

Desperate for…

  • financial security
  • earthly order through a clean house or an easy schedule
  • recognition—if not in the writing community then somewhere else.

Desperate for all sorts of things…except God.

You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land where there is no water.
-Psalm 63:1-2 NIV

One way or another, God highlights my derailed desperation in those times. Maybe it’s an encouraging comment on my blog, maybe it’s a pep-talk from my husband. Sometimes I read a verse like the one above. But often, it’s a scheduled writing time (that I don’t ignore).

Out of habit, obligation, pre-existing commitment…I don’t know why, but I sit down again. And here, in front of my computer, I meet God again.

I like a good praise chorus as much as anyone, but this—the fingers-tapping-keys—is where I worship most fully. With my Bible open on my left, I again read a section that’s been on my mind. I immerse myself in the Word then I put my words on the page in response; that’s worship.

I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.
Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.  -Psalm 63:3

Maybe the writer’s version would say, “Because your love is better than life, my written words will glorify you.”

If you think you might quit tomorrow…first, know you’re not alone. Then, try these two things before you close that laptop for good.

  1. Work toward worship. Dig into Scripture (Psalm 63 is a great place to start.) or turn on your favorite music. Read some poetry or go for a walk. Do whatever it takes for you, with your unique personality, to reconnect with the God Who called you to this work.

Worship is your truest work, what you were created to do. Worship is no avocation. Worship is the ultimate vocation of every Christ-follower.

  1. Reconnect with your calling. Sit down at the computer anyway. We are, after all, creatures of habit, and sometimes all it takes is the resumption of the habit. When I haven’t written anything in a couple of days, I begin to forget what it feels like, how it fuels me. If merely writing isn’t enough, put aside your current project and write the kind of piece that first drew you to writing.

I hadn’t ridden a bicycle in fourteen years when our family decided to ride the Creeper Trail near Abington, Virginia. I felt awkward trying out bikes in the rental shop, but when we strapped on our helmets and mounted those bikes at the top of the mountain, all the experience of riding flooded back into my hands and feet as well as my mind. I made the eleven-mile descent without wrecking once.

So sit back down at your computer. Write what you love to write even though you have no place to publish it. Let the experience flood back into your extremities and feel the exhilaration of doing something you were made to do! (Not that I was made to mountain bike. My analogy doesn’t go that far.)

When you lean into your calling, you’re practicing another kind of worship.

In those times when I feel desperate, I realize I’ve drifted away from mindful worship in the everyday rhythms of life, and it affects my writing more than anything else. Before I can face that looming deadline, I must face my Savior in worship. Only then does the commitment to writing return, and I know I won’t quit.

At least not today.

Bio.

Carole Sparks doesn’t spend as much time writing (or worshipping) as she would like. There’s this thing called “the rest of life”…maybe you know what she means. Still, you can catch up with her most days on Twitter or her blog.

Categories
Guest post archive

My “Eureka!” Moment in Writing

There​ ​is​ ​a​ ​unique​ ​magic​ ​to​ ​epiphany.​ ​That​ ​“A-HA!”​ ​moment​ ​when​ ​all​ ​of​ ​the​ ​elusives tumble​ ​into​ ​perfect​ ​place,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​picture​ ​is​ ​illuminated.​ ​We​ ​live​ ​for​ ​those​ ​moments​ ​of​ ​sudden, and​ ​often​ ​precipitate,​ ​clarity.​ ​Indeed,​ ​sometimes​ ​it​ ​feels​ ​as​ ​if​ ​the​ ​universe​ ​is​ ​fed​ ​up​ ​with​ ​our ignorance​ ​and,​ ​like​ ​a​ ​weary​ ​and​ ​sighing​ ​parent,​ ​holds​ ​out​ ​the​ ​“eureka!”​ ​to​ ​us​ ​in​ ​a​ ​neatly​ ​wrapped gift​ ​box​ ​of​ ​blood,​ ​sweat,​ ​tears.​ ​Yes,​ ​“eureka!”​ ​is​ ​good,​ ​necessary,​ ​and​ ​with​ ​consistent​ ​work, inevitable​ ​in​ ​any​ ​endeavor.​ ​Its​ ​children​ ​are​ ​confidence​ ​and​ ​momentum,​ ​two​ ​elements​ ​that​ ​must offer​ ​themselves​ ​up​ ​to​ ​any​ ​process​ ​if​ ​there​ ​is​ ​to​ ​be​ ​success​ ​(however​ ​you​ ​measure​ ​it).

I​ ​recently​ ​had​ ​an​ ​“eureka!”​ ​about​ ​the​ ​creative​ ​writing​ ​process,​ ​a​ ​process​ ​that​ ​has​ ​been​ ​a part​ ​of​ ​my​ ​routine​ ​for​ ​nearly​ ​two​ ​years​ ​now​ ​(since​ ​I​ ​began​ ​drafting​ ​my​ ​first​ ​novel​ ​in​ ​December of​ ​2015).​ ​I’d​ ​been​ ​waiting​ ​for​ ​this​ ​one​ ​for​ ​quite​ ​some​ ​time​ ​when​ ​there​ ​it​ ​was,​ ​late​ ​to​ ​the​ ​party, wearing​ ​a​ ​tired​ ​expression​ ​of​ ​amusement.​ ​When​ ​I​ ​finally​ ​could​ ​grasp​ ​it​ ​in​ ​my​ ​hands,​ ​I understood​ ​something​ ​that​ ​both​ ​terrified​ ​and​ ​exhilarated​ ​me​––when​ ​it​ ​comes​ ​to​ ​writing​ ​a narrative​ ​(or​ ​really,​ ​anything)––there​ ​is​ ​no​ ​“eureka!” 

A​ ​well-written​ ​story​ ​has​ ​the​ ​following:​ ​

  • A​ ​tangible,​ ​developed​ ​setting,​ ​
  • Rich​ ​and dimensional​ ​characters,​ ​each​ ​with​ ​their​ ​own​ ​relationships​ ​(to​ ​the​ ​land,​ ​to​ ​each​ ​other,​ ​and​ ​to themselves),​ ​
  • A​ ​plot​ ​driven​ ​by​ ​the​ ​characters​ ​themselves,​ ​growing​ ​as​ ​they​ ​do,​ ​and​ ​never​ ​falling victim​ ​to​ ​the​ ​many​ ​cheap​ ​cliches .​ ​​

​Each​ ​scene​ ​should​ ​be​ ​compelling​ ​in​ ​its own​ ​way,​ ​depicting​ ​detailed​ ​action​ ​either​ ​in​ ​a​ ​simple​ ​conversation​ ​between​ ​two​ ​human​ ​beings,​ ​or in​ ​an​ ​epic​ ​battle​ ​in​ ​a​ ​war​ ​to​ ​save​ ​the​ ​world​ ​(whichever​ ​is​ ​your​ ​cup​ ​of​ ​tea).​ ​

With​ ​all​ ​of​ ​these moving​ ​parts,​ ​I​ ​became​ ​overwhelmed​ ​by​ ​the​ ​sheer​ ​amount​ ​of​ stuff​​ ​I​ ​had​ ​to​ ​keep​ ​track​ ​of​ ​while drafting​ ​my​ ​story.​ ​

Movement​ ​of​ ​characters,​ ​natural​ ​dialogue,​ ​plot​ ​holes,​ ​pacing.​ ​I​ ​knew​ ​the masters​ ​did​ ​it,​ ​the​ ​talented​ ​authors​ ​I’ve​ ​looked​ ​up​ ​to​ ​for​ ​years,​ ​the​ ​genius​ ​storytellers​ ​that​ ​inspire me​ ​to​ ​create​ ​as​ ​they​ ​do.​ They​ could​ ​keep​ ​track​ ​of​ ​it​ ​all.​ ​

Somewhere​ ​in​ ​their​ ​process,​ ​there​ ​was that​ ​“eureka!”​ ​moment​ ​when​ ​they​ ​could​ ​see​ ​how​ ​everything​ ​could​ ​be​ ​tracked​ ​and​ ​connected​ ​to weave​ ​a​ ​great​ ​tale.​ ​In​ ​short,​ ​I​ ​knew​ ​that​ ​at​ ​some​ ​point,​ ​things​ ​would​ ​finally​ ​be​ ​completely developed​​ ​on​ ​the​ ​page,​ ​the​ ​story​ ​reaching​ ​its​ ​own​ ​kind​ ​of​ ​epiphany.

But​ ​that​ ​is​ ​not​ ​the​ ​way​ ​of…​ ​well,​ ​anything.​ ​There​ ​is​ ​never​ ​a​ ​moment​ ​of​ ​completeness​ ​in​ ​a story.​ ​No​ ​character​ ​is​ ​ever​ ​“finished”​ ​(even​ ​when​ ​he/she​ ​dies).​ ​Just​ ​as​ ​in​ ​life,​ ​development​ ​itself is​ ​perpetual,​ ​evolution​ ​an​ ​unstoppable​ ​force.​ ​If​ ​you​ ​do​ ​not​ ​change,​ ​you​ ​do​ ​not​ ​live.​ ​

Stories​ ​know this​ ​same​ ​truth.​ ​In​ ​terms​ ​of​ ​character,​ ​plot,​ ​pacing,​ ​stories​ ​are​ ​never​ ​truly​ ​finished​ ​and​ ​there​ ​is never​ ​a​ ​“eureka!”​ ​moment​ ​of​ ​completeness.​ ​You​ ​may​ ​finish​ ​a​ ​novel,​ ​pleased​ ​with​ ​the​ ​results​ ​and the​ ​hard​ ​work​ ​that​ ​infused​ ​the​ ​process​ ​of​ ​its​ ​creation,​ ​but​ ​no​ ​writer,​ ​artist,​ ​creator​ ​is​ ​ever completely​ ​satisfied​ ​with​ ​their​ ​work.​ ​We​ ​all​ ​know​ ​that​ ​our​ ​work​ ​is​ ​still developing,​ ​changing.​ ​This​ ​truth​ ​is​ ​the​ ​familiar​ ​ache​ ​in​ ​our​ ​bones. It​ ​sits​ ​in​ ​us​ ​through​ ​the duration​ ​of​ ​our​ ​grandest​ ​endeavors.

If​ ​the​ ​story​ ​does​ ​not​ ​change,​ ​it​ ​does​ ​not​ ​live.​ My​ ​“eureka!”​ ​was​ ​the​ ​realization​ ​that​ ​there would​ ​be​ ​no​ ​“eureka!”,​ ​the​ ​whole​ ​story​ ​would​ ​never​ ​come​ ​together​ ​completely.​ ​It​ ​will​ ​always​ ​be transitioning.​ ​

After​ ​my​ ​first​ ​“eureka!”​ ​moment,​ ​I​ ​had​ ​another,​ ​more​ ​subtle​ ​one,​ ​and​ ​it​ ​has​ ​been my​ ​battle​ ​cry​ ​every time​ ​I​ ​sit​ ​down​ ​to​ ​engage​ ​with​ ​the​ ​page:​ there​ ​is​ ​no​ ​“eureka!”​ ​moment,​ ​and that’s​ ​a​ ​good​ ​thing.​

Yes,​ ​nothing​ ​would​ ​ever​ ​truly​ ​make​ ​full​ ​sense.​ ​There​ ​would​ ​be​ ​characters whose​ ​motivations​ ​still​ ​eluded​ ​me,​ ​pieces​ ​of​ ​the​ ​plot​ ​that​ ​seemed​ ​too​ ​contrived​ ​or​ ​shallow.​ ​Mysteries​ ​of​ ​the​ ​world​ ​ ​ ​would​ ​keep​ ​both​ ​my​ ​characters​ ​and​ ​myself​ ​up​ ​at​ ​night, pondering​ ​and​ ​postulating.​ ​And​ ​it​ ​was​ ​not​ ​just​ okay,​ but​ good. 

Let​ ​the​ ​simple​ ​fact​ ​that​ ​you’ll​ ​never​ ​truly​ ​know​ ​what​ ​you’re​ ​doing​ ​(as​ ​odd​ ​as​ ​that​ ​sounds) make​ ​you​ ​more​ ​confident​ ​and​ ​free​ ​in​ ​your​ ​writing.​ ​It’s​ ​the​ ​only​ ​way​ ​to​ ​write​ ​any​ ​narrative.​ ​Once you​ ​accept​ ​that​ ​there​ ​is​ ​no​ ​“eureka!”–– ​you​ ​accept​ ​that​ ​there​ ​is​ ​no​ ​right​ ​process,​ ​no​ ​right​ ​set​ ​of rules​ ​for​ ​reaching​ ​fruition.​

​Accept​ ​this​ ​fact,​ ​and​ ​watch​ ​how​ ​free​ ​your​ ​writing​ ​becomes​ ​(and​ ​how sane​ ​you​ ​remain).​ ​Never​ ​think​ ​you​ ​know​ ​more​ ​about​ ​your​ ​characters​ ​than​ ​they​ ​do,​ ​and​ ​never believe​ ​your​ ​story​ ​will​ ​follow​ ​the​ ​set​ ​path​ ​you​ ​initially​ ​create​ ​for​ ​it.​ ​It​ ​will​ veer​,​ ​float​ ​off​ ​to​ ​new places,​ ​breathing​ ​in​ ​new​ ​ideas​ ​like​ ​some​ ​beautiful,​ ​fascinating​ ​beast.​ Let​ ​it.

BIO:

Aidan Laliberte is a non-union actor and creative writer living in North Kingstown, RI. He began performing at eight years old when he was cast as Baby Wilbur in a local community theater production of Charlotte’s Web. After secondary school, Laliberte, originally intending to pursue a career in medicine, dropped out of college after one semester and began building a career in performance, more specifically, in film. Laliberte performed both lead and supporting roles in several short and feature-length films. He currently works as production coordinator on a YouTube variety series for one of the world’s largest brands. After years of journaling and dabbling casually in writing (he won several academic awards for his various short stories and essays throughout his schooling), the craft has became more than a frequent outlet, but a creative and career priority. In December 2015, he began drafting his first fiction novel and is expected to finish in the coming months. Apart from drafting his current novel, Laliberte continues to journal every day and write in a variety of formats, including scripts, short stories and essays. He has many projects in development.

Categories
Genre Romancing Your Story

Writing Romance 101––Crafting the Heroine

The heroine is the key to any romance. Yes, we women also want a great guy for her to end up with, and we’ll talk about crafting him, too, at a later date. [bctt tweet=”The romantic heroine is the reader’s alter ego. She controls everything the reader feels. #amwriting #writingromance101 #craftingtheheroine” username=”@A3writers @donnalhsmith”] #amwriting #writingromance101 #craftingtheheroine

The great majority of readers of the romance genre are women. The reader identifies with the heroine, and in a sense, becomes the heroine. Readers cheer her on and rejoice in her victories, gets irritated when she gets angry, and we feel her frustration with herself or others when things go wrong. So, how do we craft a heroine your readers will love? Let’s craft a heroine named Susie.

She must be real.

It doesn’t mean she’ll be anyone that could be recognized. All it means is that there are reference points which the reader can slip into Susie’s role, and be able to essentially think like she thinks, and feel as she feels. She’s not perfect, she’ll have flaws, foibles, and insecurities, like we all do.

She must have Realistic responses.

Susie is going to be dealing with things most women never will. She still has to be identifiable, and the readers must be able to identify with her. They won’t necessarily be able to say, “That happened to me.” But you need to get the reader to go along with you. The best way to do this is to have Susie respond the way the reader would. How would you respond to any given situation? That would give you a bit of a clue as to how Susie will?

There must be Conflict.

All romance, up until almost the last page, is the sparks flying between the heroine and the man she ends up with. What emotional inner conflicts can you give your heroine that will create sparks with the hero? What fear does Susie have that could potentially keep her from ending up with her hero? Deciding that is a beginning. Let’s say Susie fears rejection, because several boys dumped her in high school for the head cheerleader. That’s kept her from entering the dating game, so she doesn’t have much experience in dating “etiquette.” What scenes could that bring to mind?

[bctt tweet=”Crafting a heroine is important to any romance. The heroine must be likeable, identifiable, yet human and engaging. #amwriting #writingromance101 #craftingtheheroine” username=”@A3writers @donnalhsmith”] #amwriting #romancewriting101 #craftingtheheroine

How many romances have you read? Leave a comment and let me know.

A prairie girl from Kansas transplanted to Amish country, Pennsylvania, she’s married to a wonderful man since 1987. She’s a member of a great church, where she serves as a greeter and on ministry team. On Sunday afternoons, she stands a two-hour prayer watch at her local 24/7 House of Prayer. She also enjoys reading, occasionally reviewing books, and of course, writing. A graduate of Christian Writer’s Guild’s Craftsman program, she holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in communication. She is also a member of ACFW, RWA, and AWSA. Her debut novel, Meghan’s Choice will be released in late 2017.

Categories
Guest post archive

Why a Pastor Writes Speculative Fiction by MB Mooney

My pastor and mentor, Larry, grimaced at me back in my early twenties. “Why do you like those scary movies and books? They’re disturbing, violent, and weird.”

I grinned at him. “Have you read the Bible?”

God got a hold of my life at the age of fourteen, and I dove in with everything I had, learning, growing. I couldn’t get enough.

I also loved speculative fiction. I read and watched horror, sci-fi, fantasy, superheroes, all of it. Novels, movies, stacks of comic books. I consumed it all.

Now, I love all kinds of stories, but I always felt drawn to the weird and dark ones. Today, as a pastor and author of epic and urban fantasy, I have studied writing, literature, and scripture, and I understand why.

The best of sci-fi and fantasy (even horror) does the same as all great literature – makes commentary on the human condition. Whether it was Verne with the Time Machine or Tolkien with the Lord of the Rings, these stories connect and endure because of universal questions of identity, humanity, or good and evil. Oh, there may be spaceships or dragons or serial killers, but at the heart, they tell us something about ourselves.

As I told my mentor, there are disturbing parts of the Bible that I didn’t learn about in Sunday School. Judah has sex with his daughter in law, who he thinks is a prostitute, and then she gets pregnant with a kid God used in Jesus’ lineage. And in Judges! We would love to forget the Levite who allows his concubine to get raped, and then when she dies, he cuts her into twelve pieces to motivate the other eleven tribes to go to war with the Tribe of Benjamin.

I could go on with stories from David or Lamentations and even the New Testament. They express an important truth. Life is sometimes tragic and violent and disturbing. Is God good in those moments? Can God redeem those stories and the people within them? He can and does. Christian literature, whatever the genre, should show the tragedy and the redemption.

C.S. Lewis said, “Since it is so likely that (children) will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage. Otherwise you are making their destiny not brighter but darker.”

Jesus spoke in parables, stories to teach a point. Often, however, those stories only confused people. His disciples begged him to stop speaking in parables and rejoiced when he spoke clearly (John 16:29). Jesus didn’t speak in parables to fully express the truth but to start a conversation, to hide the truth and see who would dig further than a story into the God telling the Story. (Matthew 13:10-17)

Not to mention, God is a creative God. His people should be the most creative. Speculative fiction gives us new worlds, future technology, and impossible creatures. Sounds like our Father.

And here is where writing speculative fiction, at its best, comes in. Yes, it can entertain, but it should use that wild imagination to begin spiritual conversations. Who better than pastors and Christians to be creative and tell the types of stories that engage the culture?

Tips for Christian authors as they write speculative fiction:

  1. Learn the language. Like any missionary, know your audience. Read and learn to love the best of speculative fiction. Find your favorites and watch for themes and universal emotions.
  2. Be creative. Don’t copy other writers. Pray and wait for those original ideas that make people say, “I never thought of it that way before.”
  3. Kill your fears. Connect with human fears and flaws in your story. The best way to do this? Find what your greatest fear is, and write a story that kills that fear with the truth of faith, hope, and love.
  4. Be redemptive. It is more common to have stories in our culture from an amoral, nihilistic worldview. But if we believe we are created in the image of God, people long for stories of redemption, hope, and moral good. Tell those stories. And be ready for the conversation.

Peace.

MB Mooney has traveled and ministered all over the world. He writes fantasy and non-fiction, works for #CoffeeThatMatters, and pastors a church where he lives in Suwanee, GA with his amazing wife and three great kids.

Categories
Child's Craft Genre

Christmas Picture Books by Jean Matthew Hall

By Jean Matthew Hall

Before our grandchildren came along always read the Christmas story in Luke 2 around the Christmas tree before opening our gifts.

After our children grew up, married and brought little ones into the world I realized they couldn’t sit through that reading. So, I started the tradition of reading a carefully selected picture book with them. Those times soon became my favorite memories of Christmases together.

So, I’d like to share with you some of those titles. You should be able to find them at your local Christian book/gift store, possibly Barnes & Noble or Books A Million. If not, try ChristianBook.com or Amazon.com.

I hope you and your little ones enjoying reading and talking about these as much as we did.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Continue reading “Christmas Picture Books by Jean Matthew Hall”
Categories
Guest post archive

Genre Jenga by Annette Marie Griffin

At any given time, I have at least half-a-dozen stories binging around in my head. That’s just how my brain works. I think in narrative form. That worked well for me as a child; I could captivate an audience of peers with little effort by weaving characters out of thin air and commissioning them to make my friends laugh, cringe, or cry.

But when I began writing, I soon discovered story-telling and writing are not the same thing. In writing, there are rules to follow and genres to consider. So many genres. Gone are the days when I can start a story on a fantasy note then morph it into pure romance and end it as a thriller. Why? The ominous bookstore shelf, with its neatly arranged sections, acts as the all-seeing-eye that keeps me on task.

I had no idea how many categories and sub-categories there were in literary fiction until I tried to classify my half written novel. Talk about confusing. Really—an allegorical romance is considered Speculative Fiction? Okay, who am I to question such things. Here’s the dilemma, the characters who are waiting in the long line in my mind to be birthed onto paper tend to have a will of their own. They’re too diverse to cram into one succinct class. And I’ve been told that it is difficult and risky for a new and unknown writer to attempt writing in multiple genres.

That leaves me with the precarious task of mentally shifting and blending my unwritten characters, stories and plot-lines into a common de-genre-nator. That is not working. They’re anarchists.

Unlike my cast of fiction-hopefuls, I am not the rebel type. I see the wisdom in finding my niche, creating a brand for myself, and building a strong platform before branching out. So, instead of trying to make the residents of my imaginarium conform to a genre I choose, I’ll leave them be. They can stay in their own little slots while I pluck a few to move to the top of the heap as submissions.  Whichever brings in a contract first will be the genre I focus on, for a while. I have no doubt the others will get their shot after I’m established. But I’m discovering that a big part of writing game involves timing, patience and balance. Ultimately, I know my writing is in God’s hands and His timing is perfect.

If you are a new writer trying to determine whether writing in multiple genres is best for you, here are a few pros and cons to consider:

Pros:

Creative Freedom: You don’t have to limit your artistic flow and banish your binging stories to the back burner.

Potential To Reach More People: It makes sense that by branching out into multiple-genres you could reach a broader base of people with differing interests.

Opportunity To Expand Your Craft: Since each genre has its own style, flair and rules—writing in multiple genres helps you regularly exercise a well-rounded set of literary muscles.

Cons:

Branding Confusion: If you are trying to introduce yourself to the reading world, you might not want to give them multiple personalities to deal with right from the get-go. It’s kind of like a blind date. You show them your steady-shiny-side first and save the yoga-pants-pony-tail days for when you know it’s gonna last.

Blurred Edges: Even if you are a masterful of keeping all your players in their own genre playing fields, it takes incredible versatility and skill to keep the fields from crossing. The amount of time and organization it will require to do this may be too taxing when you are heavy in the throes of establishing your brand.

Marketing Mayhem:  Be ready and willing to divide your time and efforts between multiple publishers while keeping multiple groups of readers satisfied and content—a literary Sister-Wives arrangement.

Annette Marie Griffin is an award-winning writer and aspiring author. She and her husband John have five children (three grown and two still at home) and two adorable grand-kids. With a heart and passion for serving and protecting kids of all ages, they worked in children’s and youth ministries together for over twenty years and remain active in the community serving kids and families today.

Categories
Guest post archive

Four Ways to Recover from a Writers Conference by MR Shupp

Overwhelmed. Exhausted. Enlightened.

I struggled to stay awake on the drive home from the Ohio Christian Writers Conference, my conference companion and I too tired to even speak to each other. Air1 and 104.9 in the background, I sang along to myself, thoughts drifting to the wonderful time of worship at the conference then to the conference itself. Those three words became the basis of my thoughts.

The OHCWC was my first writers conference. I’d attended writing workshops before, but never a conference with pitch appointments or that many agents, editors, and publishers. I didn’t realize how tired I would be.

Three days of sitting around taking notes, listening to writing workshops, pitching my WIP, and connecting with other writers shouldn’t be that tiring, right? However, I, and I think a lot of other writers, forget how mentally taxing writing is.

As you prepare for your next writers conference or are readying to return home from one, take time to recover afterwards. I’m sure upon your return home, family and friends will flood you with questions: “Did you publish your book?” “Who did you meet?” Your brain will need a rest from all that happens at a writers conference, and questions can quickly become overwhelming.

That recovery time is needed; thus, here are four ways to recover from your next writers conference:

  1. Let your family and friends know that you will need alone time.

Writers conferences are a wonderful time of networking with others. When you return home, you won’t want to be swarmed by more people and questions. While it’s great that your family and friends care to know about the conference, make sure that you tell them before your departure that you will need alone time afterward. Tell them that you appreciate any and all questions about the conference, but to please, save them for the day after you return.

  1. Take a shower.writers conference

It’s a strange yet well-known fact that writers think well in the shower. When your brain is overloaded from all the information you received at the conference, a nice warm shower may be just what you need to relax and to begin processing all you learned.

  1. Drink some tea (or coffee!) and read a book.

You’ve learned so much about writing and talked so much about your own book that it will be beneficial to disappear into the world of another author for a few hours. Curling up on the couch with your favorite drink and taking a break from reality will help you relax and recover from the conference.

  1. Journal your thoughts.

After the OHCWC my thoughts were in a jumble. All the information from the sessions swirled around in my head, and I didn’t even know where to begin sorting through them. So, I pulled out my notebook for writing thoughts, a ballpoint pen, and I wrote. The writing wasn’t pretty. It was hardly coherent. But by the end, I knew where to start formulating my writing plans and knew how to answer the questions others would undoubtedly ask me.

Most of us won’t have much time to relax and recoup after a writers conference, but these four ways don’t require a lot of time. A couple of relaxing hours will go a long way to helping you continue your writing journey.

If you’ve ever been to a writing conference, how did you feel afterwards? What did you do to recover?

Galaxy tights, mismatched socks, and a cup of tea in her T. Rex mug often accompany Megan when she sits down to write. Her passion for story has impacted her life since she and her sister first began enacting stories with their dolls and using their imaginations to create worlds of stories in their backyard. After graduating with her BA in English, she is currently earning a Graduate Certificate in Editing through UC Berkeley. Megan is using her love of story and purpose of serving Christ to write and edit at Literary Portals Editing. Find more about her services at www.literaryportals.com.

Categories
Guest post archive

A Teen’s Take on Writers Conferences by Ashley Schaller

You saw a listing for a writing conference. It looks amazing. You’re excited, then doubts creep in. Am I ready? Will they take me seriously? Is it worth the money? Pitch appointments? I can’t do that!

As a teen writer, I often ask myself these questions when signing up for writing conferences. I’ve had some of these fears and I’m sure many of you have experienced them too. Maybe you’re going through them now. It’s okay. Recently, I went to the Ohio Christian Writers Conference (OCWC). It was wonderful. But, like many of you, I was nervous.

Let’s take a more in depth look at the questions above, and I’ll share the answers I experienced.

  • Am I ready?

The great thing is you don’t have to be. Preparation is good, but not vital. At OCWC there were attendees who hadn’t begun writing yet. But you know what? They left inspired and ready to start.

  • Will they even take me seriously?

Despite the fact that I am years younger than most of the attendees at OCWC, I was treated with just as much respect as everyone else. My writing was taken seriously. I was taken seriously. My fears were put at ease and I was able to socialize without fear of being underestimated.

  • Is it worth the money?

You learn so much, and make so many connections (I wouldn’t be writing this article if not for one of those connections), both with faculty and other writers. OCWC bent over backwards to make their conference affordable. And while it’s ultimately up to you to decide if the conference is worth your time/money, I feel like I got every penny’s worth out of OCWC.

  • Pitch Appointments

These very words inspire anxiety. But, take a deep breath. It’s okay. Conferences like OCWC offer appointments where you sit down across from a professional and talk. A lot of attendees use this opportunity to pitch their books, but if you’re too nervous or don’t feel like your story is ready for that step, you don’t have to. Take this time to ask questions. You can ask about writing, blogging, marketing, or the business side of the industry. Anything writing related. Don’t stress. The faculty are there to help you and answer your questions. At OCWC, I’m not going to lie, I was nervous. But, both of the ladies that I had appointments with were extremely nice. One prayed with me before my session and hugged me afterwards. (She’s the reason I’m writing this).

Here are a few other benefits of conferences:

  • You learn a lot.

It can be overwhelming, but set aside time after the conference to digest what you’ve learned.

Every conference I’ve attended has books for sale. And, usually, the authors of these books are walking around the same building you are, often teaching classes and meeting with conference goers. It’s totally okay to ask them to sign your book.

  • You never know what connections you’ll make.

This is true with both the faculty and attendees. You never know what friends you’ll make, and who knows, maybe you’ll walk away from the conference with requests for your manuscript.

So, pray about that conference. See if it’s something God’s calling you to do. If the answer is yes, go. Enjoy your experience. Make connections. Learn. And have fun. God has a plan for you and if He’s called you to this conference, it won’t be a waste of time.

Ashley Schaller enjoys reading about reckless, headstrong heroes, prefers tea over coffee, and loves dollhouse miniatures. When not writing, she can often be found curled up with a book.

Categories
Genre Magazine and Freelance

Five Ways to Turn Off An Editor

Normally in these articles about magazine writing, I focus on positive ways to make a difference. From my years in the publishing world, I understand that sometimes a list of negatives can also make an impact. I’m taking a different slant (a magazine writing term).

While you probably don’t know it, if you violate one or several of these methods, your article or query will not be considered but quickly rejected. The reverse is also true: if you avoid all these ways you will give your submission a greater chance of acceptance and publication.

  1. Not Following the Submission Guidelines

Editors have made the effort to tell you what they want for their publication. This document is called the submission guidelines. They will mail it to you if requested or you can find it on the publication website. Use GOOGLE to located these guidelines, read and then follow the editor’s directions. These guidelines will highlight the different types of articles that are wanted and the specifics like word count or whether they want the full article or a query letter. They will also tell you whether they pay on assignment or on publication and how much they will pay. As you know these details and follow them, it will increase your possibilities of success with print magazines.

  1. Not Properly Formatting Your Article

Most word processors will come with a default font like Arial but magazine editors prefer a serif font like New Times Roman or Georgia. Also they prefer the top of the first page to include your name, mailing address, phone and word count and the rights you are offering (first rights or reprint rights). Also proper formatting includes sending a short bio at the end of the article.

If your submission is properly formatted then you gain a reading or hearing from the editor. If it is not formatted, you risk instant rejection.

  1. Wrong Word Count—Too Long or Too Short

Magazine writing is about strong communication in a limited amount of space. It’s not 140 characters like a tweet but it is restricted. It is all about meeting the expectations of the editor. If the editor wants 500 words on a topic, then send him 500 words. If you send 800 words and assume the editor will cut the 300 words he doesn’t need because editors edit. Then you are risking rejection or at best, a rewrite request from the editor.

  1. No Takeaway for the Reader

Every magazine article is ultimately about a single point for the reader. This single point is called a takeaway. If you have written a personal experience article, what is the point of that article that you want the reader to carry away from the article? From reviewing many magazine submissions, often articles are rejected because they did not include this single point or takeaway for the reader. When I worked at Decision magazine, 1.8 million copies an issue, sometimes as editors we added a sentence takeaway at the end of the article. Sometimes it was a statement and other times is was a provocative question. No matter what type of magazine article you are writing, every one has a takeaway. If your article does not, then you risk rejection.

  1. Missing a Key Element in the Story

Magazine articles must have a great opening story or question or quotation. They must also have a straightforward overall structure—a beginning, a middle and an ending. If your article wanders all around without a point or solid storytelling or structure, then again you risk rejection and not acceptance.

The magazine world is all about making a good and lasting impression and forming a relationship. You want to be the writer that the editor reaches out to and asks you to write a specific article (assignment). Every magazine has a “stable” of writers who contribute to the publication on a regular basis. Then when the editor has an idea for his publication, he turns to those writers who have been contributing regularly.

The journey of becoming one of those stable writers begins with a single step—consistent and professional action. Stay away from these turn offs.

________________________________________

Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing, lives in Colorado. A former magazine editor, Whalin has written for more than 50 publications including Christianity Today and Writer’s Digest. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams. His latest book is Billy Graham, A Biography of America’s Greatest Evangelist and the book website is at: http://BillyGrahamBio.com Watch the short book trailer for Billy Graham at: http://bit.ly/BillyGrahamBT His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Follow him on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/terrywhalin

 

 

 

Categories
Fantasy-Sci-Fi

The Highs and Lows of Fantasy Sub-Genres

“Oh, you’re a fantasy writer? I love ‘The Lord of the Rings.’”

“I don’t write that kind of fantasy.”

“What other kind of fantasy is there?”

Does this conversation sound familiar? To some fantasy writers, it might. Although High Fantasy—the category in which J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” falls under—is one of the most common sub-genres of the fantasy genre, there have been an abundance of sub-genres that have made an appearance over the past number of years. Because of this, it can sometimes be hard for a writer to decide which sub-genre their work actually falls under. Here are a few of the most common that might help make your decision clearer.

High Fantasy—As mentioned above, it is one of the most traditionally used. These works are often lengthy with large-scale quests and many characters. They sometimes include a world map, the classic “hero” character, possess fantastical creatures like dragons or unicorns, and may have magic. Other sub-genre categories that may cross over are Medieval Fantasy or Sword and Sorcery Fantasy. Example: J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings.”

Low Fantasy—A story that takes place in the “real world” but has elements of supernatural magic would fall into this category. These can include the “normal kid” who discovers they, or those around them possess some sort of supernatural power. Other sub-genres that cross over are Portal Fantasy, Paranormal Fantasy, and Urban Fantasy. Example: J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” series.

Steampunk Fantasy—This sub-genre is unique in that it marries a historic Gaslight Fantasy world (set during the time that gaslights were in use) but incorporates both fantasy and technology. The technology is often powered by magic, lifting the limits that the Historical sub-genre might place on this category. Example: Shelley Adina’s “Lady of Devices” series.

Dark Fantasy—Sometimes called Gothic Fantasy or Grimdark Fantasy, this sub-genre is meant to be scary. These are the stories that contain ghosts, zombies, and other creatures of the night. Again, this category crosses over into the Speculative realm by remaining close to the Horror genre, but it is still considered Fantasy by many writers. Example: Neil Gaiman’s “Coraline.”

Historical Fantasy—This sub-genre is any fantasy work that takes place in a historical time period. This makes it easy for many other fantasy sub-genres to identify within the Historical Fantasy sub-genre, as well. Example: Diana Gabaldon’s “Outlander” series.

Medieval Fantasy—Inspired by the medieval period, this sub-genre can rely heavily on myths and legends. Depending on the depth and length of the work, this category could include High Fantasy. Another break off from this sub-genre is Arthurian Fantasy, which focuses specifically on the world of King Arthur. Example: George R.R. Martin’s “The Game of Thrones” series.

Paranormal Fantasy—This sub-genre evolved from the combination of the Low Fantasy and the Dark Fantasy categories. Many books in this genre often have a romantic element, as well. Strong themes within these novels are love triangles, vampires, faeries, werewolves and angels. Example: Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” series.

Crossover Sub-genres—Many of these mentioned sub-genres can also have a romantic element or may be better defined as Young Adult. In this case, calling your work either Romance Fantasy or Young Adult Fantasy would work, too. There are also Children’s Fantasy, Comic Fantasy, and Science Fantasy, to name a few more. Keep searching and you will find dozens of sub-genres to describe the fantasy writing genre.

In the end, it’s up to you, the writer, to decide in which sub-genre you’d like to categorize your work. There is no doubt that your work will likely cross over into a few of these sub-genre categories, but calling your work a Young Adult Paranormal Urban Romance Fantasy will likely confuse the reader. (And make it difficult to market!) Choose one sub-genre to begin your marketing strategy and you can change or add additional categories down the road, as needed.

Categories
Literary Women in Histor

Milady’s Pen for Posterity

The well-born lay woman . . . led a much freer and fuller life than her sister in religion. On her was laid the task of ordering large numbers of servants, of keeping good store of food and clothing, and of physicking if need be the members of her household.
                                                      Phillips & Tomkinson
                                                     English Women in Life and Letters

Last month we touched upon the life of the German nun and first female playwright, Hrotsvitha. Her cloistered life afforded her the luxury of an education, but little other pleasures in a material sense due to strict disciplines imposed upon her monastic lifestyle. Her written works attained an audience in her lifetime and far beyond leaving a powerful impact for God’s truths.

However, most of the words penned by ladies of the time only knew reading audiences within their households and intimate relationships.

The writing life of women in medieval times remained in the upper spheres of the classes: noblewomen, cloistered nuns, and royalty with access to education. Noble-women and higher-ranked members of the servant class managed households and palaces with efficiency and skill, leaving reams of written notes with the record of their days and household ways.

Largely free of the back-breaking menial chores associated with daily living, noblewomen recorded directives to their staff to accomplish such tasks. They drafted daily menus and managed inventories of valuable stores.

But, beyond the business of household management, lettered noblewomen enjoyed applying pen to paper for leisure in their writing life. Prayer journals, correspondence, fictional tales for personal amusement, and literary translations are left to us for posterity. For the most part, few of these women fancied their written words to have any lasting impact beyond their home. They had no thought to edit their work so we in later years have more honest words from which to, not only learn of historic realities, by more accurately judge the character of the writer in her time. These documents are valuable historic treasures referenced by academic elites and non-fiction readers today. When penned, the writers could not have imagined eager audiences reading their words hundreds of years later. Secrets are shouted from rooftops reflecting upon the authors—for good or ill.

Popular non-fiction reading includes the posthumous publication of private letters, journals, and casual notes saved from the past. The most closely guarded secrets of a woman’s life, in life, finds worldwide readers hundreds of years after her death. Do you ever imagine that will be your story, too?

Women writers in the 21st century trade in words daily. Social media exposes our personal and random reflections on our days and household ways to a world-wide audience almost immediately they are written. There is great debate on the wisdom of so much personal and unedited material flooding the digital world, lingering and accessible to whomever forever. How do the stories your random, unedited writings tell reflect upon you and the things you hold most dear? For many of us, mi’lady’s pen for posterity is a cautionary tale.

Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.  James 3:10 NKJV

Your pen is your tongue—outlasting your life and living still when your physical voice speaks no more. Think on these things for posterity.

  • Steward your random writings in labeled files—both hard copy and digital.
  • Be true to yourself in your records—but truer to God.

Journal Prompt: Would medieval ladies have altered their words if they thought the spilling of their hearts would have such a broad platform and be given great weight as historical documents hundreds of years after their deaths? How do you view and value the random notes or private words you write? Why? Into whose hands will your personal journals, letters, and saved ephemera fall one day? What is the historic legacy your personal writings will leave for posterity?

[bctt tweet=”What medieval women, writing in private, left to the public and posterity #journaling.” username=”@A3writers”]

[bctt tweet=”#Women in Life and Letters— #Writing Milady’s Pen for Posterity” username=”@A3writers”]

Reference:

English Women in Life and Letters, by M. Phillips and W. S. Tomkinson Oxford University Press, 1927

Writer-speaker, Kathryn Ross, ignites a love of literature and learning through Pageant Wagon Productions and Publishing. She writes and publishes homeschool enrichment and Christian living books for home, church, and school. Her passion is to equip women and families in developing a Family Literacy Lifestyle, producing readers and thinkers who can engage the world from a biblical worldview. She blogs and podcasts at TheWritersReverie.com and PageantWagonPublishing.com. Connect with Miss Kathy on Facebook.

Categories
Copywrite/Advertising

The Freelance Writer’s Guide to Securing Great Clients

Career success as a freelance copywriter depends on your ability to secure the right clients. If your clients cost you time, wear down your emotions, or pay you a pittance, you can kiss your career goodbye and head back to a cubicle. And who wants to do that? Not I!

Here’s how to secure the best and dodge the worst in clients so you can make a living and have fun doing it:

Avoid people who can’t make up their minds.

My rule of thumb says if a client takes longer than four weeks from initial conversation to an up-or-down decision to hire me, they’re out. I’ve heard all the excuses: We’ve been busy. Something else came up. School started. One client actually told me, “I’ve just been so full of grief because my son’s girlfriend broke up with him that I haven’t called you back.”

If a client is too busy to hire you now, they will be too busy to work with you later. They might be great people with a strong mission, but they’re not ready to employ a freelance writer. Your time is money. Don’t waste it.

Look for clients who know exactly what they want.

The ideal client already knows the project and can send you a brief or talk you through it in 30 minutes on the phone. If it’s ongoing work—the best kind—then they can tell you what they will generally expect you to accomplish every month. They also know if speed, quality, or quantity of work is most important to them.

Your prospect doesn’t have to nail down every detail before a project begins, of course, and additional work is often welcome. But use caution when conversations go like this:

You: What exactly is it you’re looking for?

Prospect: That’s what I expect you to tell me.

End that conversation with a firm: I’m not the right freelancer for you. Good luck in your search.

Anything else is a waste of time.

If they don’t want to pay, run away.

Set your fee, and stick to it. I sometimes quote a higher price than I actually expect in order to give some negotiating room, and in those instances, I’ll drop back to a lower dollar amount if the client asks me to. But I no longer give away work for free. Yet I remain amazed at the people who ask for it.

After 15 years of working for non-profits and schools, it kills me to say this. But I refuse to work for another charitable organization unless there is a marketing company acting as the middleman. As a freelancer, I’ve never had a good non-profit client nor have I had much luck with companies that are one-person operations.

If you want to help out a charity or friend, write them a check, but don’t let have them free work. They’ll leave you unpaid and feeling disrespected.

Does your prospect have a hiring process?

Most companies expect you to send them a resume, a link to your portfolio, and maybe a short writing sample. If the client wants more than that up front, it could be a sign they have grandiose ideas about themselves. As a second step, you might do an interview, take a writing test, or craft an audition article. These shouldn’t take more than an hour to do. If it looks like a major undertaking, the client should pay you for your time.

Whatever process the client uses, make sure that it exists, is formalized, and is fair to everyone involved. Ask yourself: If this company doesn’t know how to work with me before we sign a contract, how will they work with me after we sign a contract?

Can they onboard you like the navy? Or do they toss you a lifesaver and expect you to dogpaddle in the ship’s wake?

If the client expects more than a single project, how will they onboard you? Are you contracting with a marketing firm? Ask what your relationship will be with the client. Contracting directly with the client? Ask whom you’ll report to, how they expect to communicate with you, and what kind of deadlines you’ll be working on.

Some companies have no experience with remote contract employees. Others do this kind of thing all the time. It probably doesn’t matter what their process is, but one needs to exist. Without it, you can spend a lot of time feeling frustrated.

As a new freelancer, it’s tempting to latch onto any job that comes your way even if it’s a volunteer gig or the client seems sketchy. Don’t do it. You’re worth more than that. Plenty of good clients need you. Find them. Do great work for them. And enjoy a long and fruitful relationship with the best.

Holland Webb is a full-time freelance copywriter based in the lush upstate of South Carolina. His writing focuses on making technology accessible to non-techies and selling household goods to urban-dwelling Millennials. He can be found at www.hollandwebb.com.

Categories
Truth Be Told

Your Own Best Advice

by Tina Hunt

Two of my “go to” counseling statements are: so how’s that working for you?; and if your best friend in the whole world was going through this, what would you tell them (what advice would you give them)?—aren’t you worth your best, most loving, advice?

Continue reading “Your Own Best Advice”
Categories
Romancing Your Story

Writing Romance 101 – Five Basic Elements

Love writing

Girl Meets Boy. Lots of problems. Finally, Girl Gets Boy. That’s my new formula for romance writing. Most readers of romance in any genre, historical or contemporary, are women. [bctt tweet=”We women love our plucky leading ladies. There must also be an equally astounding, strong, sensitive, and courageous leading man to compliment her.” username=”@donnalhsmith @a3writers”] #amwriting #writingromance101

Continue reading “Writing Romance 101 – Five Basic Elements”
Categories
Guest post archive

Intro to Technical Writing

Technical writing is a different kind of writing. As a matter of fact, it is a very different kind of writing. It is different from fiction, which primarily focuses on entertaining the reader with intriguing stories and absorbing plots. It is different from non-fiction, which seeks to both entertain and educate by employing fact-based narratives. But unlike fiction and non-fiction, technical writing is never read for enjoyment.

Continue reading “Intro to Technical Writing”
Categories
Magazine and Freelance

MAGAZINE WRITERS WANTED – BY W. TERRY WHALIN

As a long-time writer for magazines and a former magazine editor, there are some basic truths about publishing in magazines. Through writing for magazines, you can build publishing credentials and make a valuable contribution to the publishing world and help many people. If you’ve never been published or rarely published, to enter the print magazine world can be scary. It doesn’t have to be frightening if you learn some straightforward truths.

Continue reading “MAGAZINE WRITERS WANTED – BY W. TERRY WHALIN”
Categories
A Pinch of Poetry

The Music of Poetry

A poet must choose his words for sound as well as meaning. You could call it verbal music.

When you compose music, the composer repeats certain musical tones in combinations or chords. Some of these patterns are then repeated as melodies.

Continue reading “The Music of Poetry”
Categories
Fantasy-Sci-Fi

Teaching Your Characters to Fight Write- Laura L. Zimmerman

Do your characters fight right?

Action is often a big part of the fantasy and sci-fi genres. Your story may not have a classic saloon-type brawl—or a brawl of any kind—but chances are, one of your characters will need to throw a punch at some point, even if in self-defense. This may sound like a simple scene to write, however, that may not always be the case.

Continue reading “Teaching Your Characters to Fight Write- Laura L. Zimmerman”
Categories
Screenwriting

From Script to Stage/Screen 3

In our first article, we looked at how research was vital to prepare any director to present a script onto the stage or screen. Our second article explored the scripting process and how it effects all aspects of any production. Before an audience ever sees any kind of finished product, or really before the first rehearsal even begins, the director is faced with four major responsibilities. These four responsibilities include Research, Scripting, Reality, and Moments. This third column will explore the importance of realism vs implied reality.

Continue reading “From Script to Stage/Screen 3”
Categories
Literary Women in Histor

Hrotsvitha—Lessons from a Medieval Playwright

Until the last century, men dominated the realms of literature, letters, and learning. We read nothing of women exchanging rhetoric and positing thesis among the ancients and classic philosophers of Greece. In fact, the doors of academia and literature largely shut women out in Western culture, relegating them to second class citizenship for a variety of reasons not to be discussed here.

After the fall of Rome in the 5th century, the spread of Christianity allowed greater opportunities for women as readers and writers. Out of the chaos in the dark ages, ordered communities centered around the establishment of Christian monasteries and abbeys—the lifeline of literacy, scholarship, and intellectual life. Cloistered living afforded devout men and women a way to balance devotion, work, and study.

Into this world, Hrostvitha (rose-vee-tuh) was born in 935, a daughter of noble birth in Gandersheim, Germany. She could look forward to many privileges otherwise denied to the greater population of women, including education. Her faith, formed in childhood, put her on the path to the monastic life. She committed her life to the abbey as a “canoness,” a level allowing her free movement in and out of the cloister as a nun. She was schooled in reading and writing in a number of languages. A student of Greek and Roman classics, the plays of Terence captivated her imagination, even though she feared the subject matter would corrupt Christian readers.

Continue reading “Hrotsvitha—Lessons from a Medieval Playwright”
Categories
The Writer's PenCase

Creating Extraordinary Characters––Wrap-Up

The Writer's PenCase

It’s been a L-O-N-G series, but I wanted to especially focus in on different tools you can use to identify your characters’ personality types, by looking at least a couple different tools. I started with the D-I-S-C, but you’ll need to finish it. Just Google the DISC personalities, and you’ll find a wealth of information. [bctt tweet=”Giving your characters unique and individual personalities will make them more interesting, plus your readers will care about them..” username=”@donnalhsmith @a3forme”] #amwriting #characters

Continue reading “Creating Extraordinary Characters––Wrap-Up”
Categories
The Writer's PenCase

Creating Extraordinary Characters –– Part V

The Writer's PenCase

In this series, we’re looking at personalities, how to develop them, and where to look for more information about personality types. As part of this, we’re looking at DISC, a tool used to help personnel in corporations work together better. [bctt tweet=”Are you an Influencer, like the “I” in DISC? #amwriting #characters” username=”@donnalhsmith @A3forme”] #amwriting #characters

Continue reading “Creating Extraordinary Characters –– Part V”
Categories
Romancing Your Story

Writing Romance 101––Part I

So, you think you want to write a romance? It’s a great genre. [bctt tweet=”We all love fairy tales where the prince and the princess live happily ever after, right? Where romance got its start.” username=”@donnalhsmith @genremonkey”]#amwriting #romancewriting101

Think of some of the greatest romances you’ve ever read or seen in the movies or on television. I’m not talking about love stories, although those are pretty neat, too. But a romance is a happy ending, where a love story is not.

Sales of romance novels tops one billion, yes billion, dollars, most every year. That’s a lot of sales. Romance accounted for one-third of the overall fiction market in 2015, the last year stats were available for.

Why? I think most of us are romantics at heart. Especially women, which account for most of the sales of romance stories, no matter what sub-genre––such as historical, suspense, or contemporary. I write historical romance. Westerns are my favorite time period, because I grew up watching many westerns on television. I’ve read many good westerns in the past few years.

My first tip about writing romance––and this may sound elementary––is to read a lot of romance. Over the past several years, since writing became my passion again, I’ve probably read at least 300, yes––three hundred stories where romance was a major element (I’m being conservative in my estimate). I’ve read so much, I know what I like, and what I don’t.

This is important when deciding to write romance. First, know what you like. What time period, what kind of characters you want your two main protagonists to be, and where will your story be set?

But first, read. Read. Read. One of my pet peeves for writing historical romance is the question of: how to get rid of dear-old Dad or the father figure in authority over the heroine? With all I’ve read, I’ve seen two plot devices: 1) Father dies 2) Father doesn’t have daughter’s best interest at heart. Within the second one, the father, or father figure, will “sell” their daughter, niece, or ward, into marriage with a jerk, generally speaking, for money. Honestly, can’t you do better than that?

I decided I would try. It’s a tired plot device to make the father figure a jerk. I don’t like those stories as well. But maybe it’s just me. In my book, Meghan’s Choice, which will be released later this year, Meghan’s father is a good man, but he makes a hard choice. He tells his daughter she needs to grow up and learn to manage money before she marries. A very unique concept for 1871. But he’s a forward thinking, progressive man, and he wants the best for his daughter. We’ll see what readers think.

[bctt tweet=”In order to write romance, you should read a lot of romance in your favorite sub-genre before writing your own story. ” username=”@donnalhsmith @genremonkey”]Although, let your ideas percolate in your mind as you read. #amwriting #romancewriting101

What do you like about romance? Leave a comment and let me know.

Categories
The Writer's PenCase

Creating Extraordinary Characters –– Part IV

The Writer's PenCase

If you’re writing about corporate culture or your main characters are partners or close colleagues in their jobs, the DISC personality profiles might help you define your characters. Because creating extraordinary characters with conflicting personalities make the best story. Tweet #amwriting #characters

Continue reading “Creating Extraordinary Characters –– Part IV”
Categories
Publishing Perspectives

The Big Five Family Tree: Book Publishers

Publishing Perspectives column

file0001447723702Welcome to Publishing Perspectives!

I’ll be talking about all things publishing. Let’s start with an overview of the publishing world. It may seem like there are a zillion big publishing houses out there, but many are owned by the same mega corporations. Many authors desire to be signed with a ‘major publisher’… who are the really really really big guys?

The Big Five traditional publishers consist of Penguin Random House, Macmillan, HarperCollins, Hachette, and Simon &Schuster. Each of these companies own multiple brands. Let’s take a look at the family tree, or at least some of it. These guys are really big and changing all the time so it’s impossible for this list to be comprehensive and accurate for the lifetime of the internet. But here’s a bit of what it looks like today.

[bctt tweet=”There are a zillion big publishing houses out there. #bookpub #publishers” via=”no”]

Hachette Book Group is a division of Hachette Livre (based in France), which is a subsidiary of the French media company Lagardere. Hachette owns:

  • Little, Brown and Company
    • Mulholland Books
    • Back Bay Books
    • Lee Boudreaux Books
  • Little, Brown and Company Books for Young Readers
    • Poppy
    • LB Kids
  • Grand Central Publishing
    • Twelve
    • Live & Style
    • Forever
    • Forever Yours
    • Vision
  • Hachette Nashville
    • Faith Words
    • Center Street
    • Jericho Books
  • Orbit
    • Yen Press
    • Redhook
  • Hachette Audio
  • Hachette Digital

HarperCollins Publishers is a subsidiary of News Corp. They own:

  • Amistad
  • Anthony Bourdain Books
  • Avon
    • Avon Impulse
    • Avon Inspire
    • Avon Red
  • Balzer + Bray
  • Bible Gateway
  • Bourbon Street Books
  • Broadside Books
  • Dey Street
  • Ecco Books
  • FaithGateway
  • Greenwillow Books
  • Harlequin
    • Carina Press
    • Harlequin Books
    • Harlequin TEEN
    • HQN Books
    • Kimani Press
    • Love Inspired
    • MIRA Books
    • Worldwide Mystery
  • Harper Books
    • Harper Business
    • Harper Design
    • HarperFestival
    • Harper Luxe
    • Harper Paperbacks
    • Harper Perennial
    • HarperTeen
    • HarperTeen Impulse
    • Harper Voyager
    • HarperAudio
    • HarperCollins 360
    • HarperElixir
    • HarperOne
    • HarperWave
    • HarperCollins Children’s Books
  • Katherine Tegen Books
  • Olive Tree
  • Walden Pond Press
  • William Morrow
    • William Morrow Cookbooks
    • William Morrow Paperbacks
  • Witness
  • Thomas Nelson
    • Nelson Books
    • Grupo Nelson
    • Tommy Nelson
    • W Publishing Group
    • WestBow Press
  • Zondervan
    • Blink
    • Editorial Vida
    • Zonderkidz
    • Zondervan Academic

Macmillan Publishers is owned by the German company Verlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck. They own:

  • Bedford / St. Martin’s
  • Bloomsbury USA
  • The College Board
  • Drawn and Quarterly
  • Entangled Publishing
  • Farrar, Straus &Giroux
    • North Point Press
    • Hill and Wang
    • Faber and Faber Inc.
  • Fiewel & Friends
  • First Second
  • Flatiron Books
  • Graywolf Press
  • Guinness World Records
  • Hayden-McNeil
  • Henry Holt and Company
    • Metropolitan Books
    • Times Books
    • Holt Paperbacks
    • Henry Holt Books for Young Readers
  • Imprint
  • Kingfisher
  • Macmillan Higher Education
  • Page Street Publishing Co.
  • Palgrave Macmillan
  • Papercutz
  • Picador
  • Priddy Books
  • Roaring Brook Press
  • Rodale
  • Martin’s Press
    • Griffin
    • Minotaur
    • Martin’s Press Paperbacks
    • Let’s Go
    • Thomas Dunne Books
    • Truman Tally Books
    • Palgrave Macmillan
  • Square Fish
  • Tor / Forge
    • Starscape
    • Tor Teen Books
    • Tor Children’s
  • Macmillan Audio
  • Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group
  • Walker & Company
  • H. Freeman
  • Worth Publishers

Penguin Random House is owned by German media conglomerate Bertelsmann and has nearly 250 imprints and publishing houses so I won’t list them all here! They own:

  • Random House Publishing Group
    • Ballantine Books
    • Bantam
    • Delacorte
    • Del Ray
    • Del Ray / Lucas Books
    • Dell
    • The Dial Press
    • The Modern Library
    • One World
    • Presido Press
    • Random House Trade Group
    • Random House Trade Paperbacks
    • Spectra
    • Spiegel & Grau
    • Villard Books
  • Random House Value Publishing
    • Children’s Classics
    • Crescent Books
    • Derrydale
    • Gramercy Books
    • Testament Books
    • Wings BOoks
  • Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
    • Alfred A. Knopf
    • Anchor Books
    • Doubleday
    • Everyman’s Library
    • Nan A. Talese
    • Pantheon Books
    • Schocken Books
    • Vintage
  • Crown Publishing Group
    • Amphoto Books
    • Back Stage Books
    • Billboard Books
    • Broadway
    • Broadway Business
    • Clarkson Potter
    • Convergent
    • Crown
    • Crown Business
    • Crown Forum
    • Doubleday Religion
    • Harmony Books
    • Hogarth Press
    • Potter Craft
    • Potter Style
    • Ten Speed Press
    • Three Rivers Press
    • Tricycle Press
    • Shaye Areheart Books
    • Waterbook Multnomah
    • Watson – Guptill
  • Penguin Group US
  • Dorling Kindersley
  • Mass Market Paperbacks
  • Digital Publishing Group
    • Alibib
    • Flirt
    • Fodor’s Travel
    • Hydra
    • Listening Library
    • Living Language
    • Loveswept
    • Princeton Review
    • Random House Audio
    • Randon House Large Print
  • Random House Children’s Books
    • Kids@Random
    • Beginner Books
    • David Fickling Books
    • Nickeldeon Books
    • Delacorte Press
    • Golden Books
    • Prima Games
    • Step Into Reading
    • Schwartz & Wade
    • Stepping Stone Books
    • Sylvan Learning
    • Wendy Lamb Books
  • Penguin Young Readers Group, U.S.

Simon and Schuster is owned by the media company CBS Corporation. They own:

  • Aladdin
  • Altheneum Books for Young Readers
  • Atria
  • Beach Lane Books
  • Chicken Soup for the Soul
  • Folger Shakespeare Library
  • Free Press
  • Gallery Books
  • Hooked on Phonics
  • Howard Books
  • Kaplan Publishing
  • Little Simon
  • Margaret K. McElderry Books
  • Merck
  • Paula Wiseman Books
  • Pocket Books
  • Reader’s Digest
  • Ripley Publishing
  • Scribner
  • Simon & Schuster
  • Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
  • Simon Pulse
  • Simon Spotlight
  • Threshold Editions
  • Touchstone

How many of these names are you familiar with? Were you surprised at who owns what?