Does it make you have warm feelings? Or queasy, sickening feelings?
The other day, I saw a Valentine candy display. I think it was actually before Christmas, because retail stores now jump the gun on every holiday. I’m expecting Fourth of July merchandise to appear any day now.
I spied what used to be one of my favorite treats as a child: conversation hearts. You know, the little heart-shaped mounds of sugar with sweet sayings like “Luv U,” “Be Mine,” and, more recently, “Text Me.”
That got me thinking, which is a dangerous thing: what if we had conversation hearts specifically geared toward writers? Considering the rejections, long hours of toiling alone over pieces, and tortuous rounds of editing, we writers could use a little love. Sweet candy bites with sayings pertaining to our craft might be the encouragement we need to keep going.
I decided to take the idea and run with it and came up with some possible sayings for these Writerly Hearts (see if you can figure out the abbreviations):
UR A GOOD WRTR
LUV UR BK IDEA
U GET A CNTRCT
LUV MY ADVNCE
NO MOR EDITS
U SOLD A BK
CNTRCT W/O PRPSL
UR OUT OF SLSH PILE
MNUSCRPT ACCPTD
HAPPY 2000 WRD DAY
I think these would sell out at coffee houses and bookstores. Who’s ready to invest with me? In the meantime, encourage the writer in your life, even if it is U!
Carlton Hughes, represented by Cyle Young of Hartline Literary, wears many hats. By day, he is a professor of communication. On Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings, he serves as a children’s pastor. In his “spare time,” he is a freelance writer. Carlton is an empty-nesting dad and devoted husband who likes long walks on the beach, old sitcoms, and chocolate—all the chocolate. His work has been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Dating Game, The Wonders of Nature, Let the Earth Rejoice, Just Breathe, So God Made a Dog, and Everyday Grace for Men. His latest book is Adventures in Fatherhood, co-authored with Holland Webb.
By now most of you know I am a big Marvel junkie and escape into the marvel cinematic universe whenever I can. For the past six months, I’ve been binge-watching the Daredevil series on Disney plus.
It honestly has some of the best storytelling on the small screen I have ever seen and I’m not saying that just because I’m a big fan of comics, in college I had a collection of over 3000 comic books. Yes, I am an action and superhero junkie.
While, books and novels both contain conflict in their storytelling, writing for the big and small screens focus on different aspects of conflict.
External conflict
Visual storytelling
Layered subtext
WARNING: The movie clip in the following paragraph is from a fight scene and be considered graphic.
Sure movies and television shows have inner conflict but they express them more visually. The writers of Daredevil masterfully combine both inner and external conflict beautifully, sometimes in a not so family-friendly way. These writers understand the importance and need for conflict in storytelling!
Conflict
First, we must understand what conflict is. The dictionary defines conflict as, “A serious disagreement or argument, typically a protracted one.” By definition conflict is continuous, it isn’t some brief break in harmonious living.
As long as the conflict continues in our stories, they will have the necessary momentum to keep our narrative going and hopefully keep our audiences interested. Many writing coaches describe conflict as the fuel of storytelling.
“Conflict generates drama. Conflict is entertaining. But perhaps most important is this: Conflict concerns struggle.”
Below are six types of struggle found in storytelling according to Masterclass.
Character versus self: This is an internal conflict. Meaning that the opposition character faces is coming from within.
Character versus character: This is a common type of conflict in which one character’s needs or wants are at odds with another’s.
Character versus nature: In a nature conflict, a character is set in opposition to nature.
Character versus supernatural: Pitting characters against phenomena like ghosts, Gods, or monsters raises the stakes of the conflict by creating an equal playing field.
Character versus technology: In this case, is in conflict with some kind of technology.
Character versus society: A character versus society conflict is an external conflict that occurs in literature when the protagonist is placed in opposition to society, the government, or a cultural tradition or societal norm of some kind.
The age-old teaching of show versus tell is more pertinent to screenwriting because these stories are visual. We never want to bore the audience by telling when it is much easier to show regardless of its internal or external conflict.
The audience must see conflict either through action, acting or inaction. The audience needs to know what is at stake and how it affects the character or the world in which they live. There is a struggle somewhere in their life. Ultimately, the struggle will bring change to the character or their world.
Change
Conflict always brings a change in a story, whether internal or external.
“A film isn’t just moments of conflict or activity, personality or emotionality, witty talk or symbols. What the writer seeks are events, for an event contains all the above and more… ‘Event’ means change. A story event creates a meaningful change in the life situation of a character that is expressed as an experience in terms of value. To make change meaningful you must express it in the audience must react to it, in terms of a value values are the soul of storytelling.”
If conflict occurs, the events change things, McKee notes story values are the universal qualities of human experience that may shift from positive to negative, or negative to positive, from Beaumont to the next.”. Below are a few types of conflict change can bring.
Alive/dead
Love/hate
Freedom/Slavery
Truth/lie
Courage/cowardice
Loyalty/betrayal
Wisdom/stupidity
Strength/weakness
Excitement/boredom
This change will be obvious as your story and characters progress from the beginning to the end of a screenplay. Conflict can build scene by scene, story value to story value. Along the way, our characters and their worlds will be changed when they face conflict.
Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at MartinThomasJohnson.com and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.
Our evening was going smooth, or so I thought. My son and daughter-in-love were going out on a date, and I had the grands all to myself. After playing a game, supper was ready and then it was time to start the bedtime routine. Things began to unravel with brushing their teeth. What six-year-old doesn’t like to play in water? Faces washed, hands dried and pajamas donned, we settled in to read books. Seven-year-old Sophea began with a long story. Not to be outdone by his sister, six-year-old Graham wanted to sound out all of the words in his book, too. It just so happened to be about a little train that wasn’t sure it could get the train of toys across the mountain. We cheered each time he succeeded and found out he could!
After prayers and lights out, I sat in the stairway outside of their rooms to monitor little feet that couldn’t stay in bed. An hour later, the house was finally quiet, and I went down to clean up the kitchen. Guess who came down with his monkey? Yep, Graham said, “I’m scared.”
“Ok, I’ll finish wiping the table and will be up in five minutes.”
That was good enough for Graham and off he went to wait. Task accomplished, I went up to Graham’s room and found my grandson fast asleep in his bed. All he needed was a promise that I would be there.
Exercise:
What’s your bedtime/writing routine? Do you keep a record of submissions and a list of houses to query?
Who’s there for you? Who can you seek for assurance when you’re up against a deadline?
Anxiety dissipates when we know we’re not alone.
What will put your mind at ease? Are you patient or antsy while you wait for a response to your query?
What do you need to tackle even when you’re scared? Take a cue from six-year-oldGraham and rest easy.
After Moses died, his aide must have been worried about stepping up to lead. But God told Joshua, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9 NIV)
Sure, rejection is painful, but we can wait confidently with a back up plan of next steps when we know we’re not alone in writing.
Who can you support so they can be confident they can, just like the little engine could?
Pull Quotes:
“The Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Writers Chat, hosted by Jean Wise, Johnnie Alexander, and Brandy Brow, is the show where we talk about all things writing, by writers and for writers!
“Because talking about writing is more fun than actually doing it.”
Writer’s Journey with Sophia L. Henson
Sophia recently signed a contract with Enclave Publishing for her debut novel, shares her writing journey as a “series of encouragement” that began with a love of reading. She went from editing her mother’s autobiography when she was in high school to “editing for food” as a college student. After raising her children, Sophia heard about and participated in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), and decided to “make space to write” at least once a year. You are sure to be encouraged by Sophia’s philosophy of writing and the lessons she shares about her own path to publication.
Watch the January 17th Replay
Sophia L Hansen is an author and editor with Havok Publishing and loves to write In Other Worlds. She’s lived on a tiny island in Alaska, the bustling cities of New York and Boston, raised kids in Tennessee and now resides just outside Birmingham, AL. After 30+ years of marriage, seven children, and numerous pets, Sophia still fits into her high school earrings. You can follow Sophia’s words and worlds at https://www.sophialhansen.com/, Facebook, and Instagram.
Book Chat: Word Painting
In this Writers Chat episode, the team gathers for another fantastic Book Chat, this time on Rebecca McClanahan’s Word Painting. We touched on highlights from this insightful work which breaks down the process of describing the setting, scene, characters, and so much more, into its many facets. Each lesson comes with practical exercises that we know will help fiction and nonfiction writers learn to write more descriptively.
Watch the January 24th replay.
Writers Chat is hosted live each Tuesday for an hour starting at 10 AM CT / 11 AM ET on Zoom. The permanent Zoom room link is: http://zoom.us/j/4074198133
With the arrival of each New Year, we all have an opportunity to experience, learn, and go on new ventures. While most of us groan at the thought of having to learn something new, it is even more difficult for persons with a disability.
After my accident, I had to take up new hobbies due to the limitations I had preventing me from enjoying my old hobbies (gaming, billiards, and playing guitar.) Instead of grieving my losses and focusing on my old life, I chose to learn new hobbies and activities that would benefit my physical health.
• Mountain biking/cycling
• Regular exercise routines
• Healthy lifestyle habits
Businessman Jack Welch once said, “Change before you have to.” Most writers like to write within certain niches and resist change. We like our comfort zones and we hate it when our creativity is hindered.
However, with the new year comes new opportunities for writers also. Winston Churchill once noted, “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.” In life, we each need to learn how to embrace the new.
New
Let’s face it the pandemic forces us to accept “new normals” and a lot of us feel like a fish out of water in one aspect of life or another. Many of us still long for the old ways of life, the glory days of the writing community.
But, we can choose to live in the past or adapt and press on in our careers and lives. I wasted years trying to play the guitar again, grieving the loss of my gaming skills, and trying to force my left hand to type. When I finally let go of things, I was able to move on and make progress in other activities. Below are a few benefits for the mind and body, of learning new skills from Piedmont health.
It gives you motivation– A new hobby or skill can give you the motivation you need to get out of bed in the morning.
It helps beat boredom- Doing the same thing every day can get boring and sap your zest for life.
It boosts confidence- If you engage in a new skill, you’re going to thicken the brain’s prefrontal cortex,” says Buttimer. “As you develop a new skill, you’ll gain courage and confidence, which helps you override fear and anxiety. You’ll feel more empowered.”
It keeps you healthy– “Learning is great for your brain at every age,” he says. “As you take on a new skill, the mind begins to reshape itself because the physical brain is malleable.
It helps you be flexible- By consistently educating yourself and trying new things, you’ll learn you’re capable of change and growth, which keeps you open to new opportunities in life.
It can benefit others- Think about how your new hobby or skill can help others at work, at home, or in your community.
It can boost your happiness– “When you learn a new skill, you increase your level of happiness,” he says. “It was thought for a long time that a person’s baseline happiness couldn’t be lifted. [1]
While change may be difficult, it can be beneficial and good for writers. Learning and writing new things help writers grow and expand their skill sets.
“Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.”
John Rockefeller
Change doesn’t happen overnight and neither does greatness.
Growth Takes Time
The first time I got on a bicycle after my accident, I fell off of it after moving 2 feet forward. A month later I was biking 21 miles in 100-degree temperatures. Now 26 years later I am biking even further. What if I gave up and quit after falling off that first time?
Trust me I wanted to quit because I was embarrassed and discouraged. But I didn’t and over two decades later I am still reaping the benefits, while learning new things is difficult, challenges can either make or break us.
Learning prepares us for bigger and better things; it strengthens our mentality and physical bodies. Over the last two years, I have gotten into YouTubing and had to learn video and audio editing. Since I began focusing on my YouTube channel it has grown 400% and my creative tanks are overflowing with ideas.
Learning new things gives us new opportunities. Below are a few possible careers for writers to explore if they’re willing to explore new opportunities.
Technical writing
Editor
Magazine writer
News reporter
Social media manager
Blogging
Keep in mind, learning new things helps keep us inspired. Stephen King once said, “When you are consumed by thoughts write. When you are uninspired, read.” By reading we are learning new things and that gives us new opportunities!
Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at MartinThomasJohnson.com and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.
Beginning a new year tends to motivate people to get organized, start new projects, or finish ones they’ve ignored for far too long. It’s a great time to make plans. The trouble comes when it becomes clear that goals are harder to reach than expected.
If you find yourself so discouraged and you’re inches away from throwing in the towel, it might be time to consider a new perspective.
As writers, we tend to focus on the problems in our writing, which is a necessary thing, but what if we focused on the positive instead?
Constantly focusing on weaknesses and ignore abilities is a disservice to our readers and ourselves. Don’t neglect your strong points, the parts you do well.
Where Do You Excel?
Take an assessment.
What is it about your writing that shines?
Are you great at story concepts and plot?
Can you produce snappy dialogue?
Are you a lyrical writer?
Do you create characters that your critique partners and beta readers love? Perhaps you’re good at comedy or evoking an emotional connection with readers.
What are the elements of writing that you enjoy the most?
These are the things that make your voice unique, those natural talents, and it’s easier to improve in those areas than others and make your writing stand out. If you don’t know what your areas of excellence are, consider what your critique partners and beta readers consistently praise.
Instead of trying to be exceptional at all the different skills, aim for mastery of basic storytelling. Then work at continuing improvement in the areas you already love and are proficient in.
What About the Other Stuff?
Am I saying to ignore the weak spots in your writing? Not at all. But you can’t do everything. Bring the basic storytelling skills up to an acceptable level. Learn basic story structure, understand GMC, how to create interesting characters, and how to write dialogue that is clear, along with the other bare bones every story needs. Once an author has achieved a measure of competency in all the necessary areas, it’s fine to lean into strengths.
When You’re Stuck
Are you stuck at a certain aspect of your story? For whatever reason it’s worked before, but this time, the story or chapter refuses to come into focus. Instead of fixating on what’s wrong, look at what worked before. What made that piece of writing stand out?
Too much focus on the things we feel we are doing wrong gums up the works.
Lean Into Your Gift
Not everyone can write poetic descriptions. Comedy may never come easy to you. Not everyone will produce a high-octane tale. Some folks always end up with a quiet story, even after brainstorming ideas for weeks. Maybe those writers were never meant to write the stories that remain elusive no matter what they try. Maybe they were meant to show the world their own unique stories.
Focus on the positives and what you love about writing, the parts of the creative process that draw you. Instead of attempting to write like someone else just because they are popular or successful, let your voice onto the page. Continue to hone skills, improving the most real and beautiful parts of your gift, and see what happens.
Donna Jo Stone writes YA contemporary novels about tough issues but always ends the stories with a note of hope. She blogs at donnajostone.com.
Recently I met one of my long-term friends, a publisher of a well-known book company. Speaking about how I manage author expectations, I said, “I tell every author it is 80% up to them to sell the book.”
“That 80% is the same thing we tell authors, “He affirmed. Are you taking your responsibility for selling your own book? This attitude is critical in any proposal because it will shine through your words.
Editors and literary agents receive hundreds of submissions. You have seconds to catch their attention before they move to the next one. How can you distinguish your book proposal? Consider these seven keys:
stereotype metapher leadership or exclusion
Create an Unforgettable Title
For example, I recently received a proposal from a former nun who wrote a marriage book. The juxtaposition of “nun” with “marriage” caught my attention. While the publisher usually controls the title, I’ve found if you pitch an unforgettable title, it will stay throughout the process. You are the best person to create this title.
Begin With a Great Story
And continue with thoughtful well-organized content. You don’t just throw the words on the page to have this dynamic. Your writing and rewriting will capture attention. Your first sentence and first paragraph must draw the editor to read more. Otherwise, they will go on to the next submission.
Target a Specific Audience
A specific audience that you know and knows you. Books are not written for everybody but to a particular audience. Your proposal identifies this audience.
Write a detailed marketing plan to reach your audience
Practical author plans get attention from literary agents and editors. The operative word here is practical. Eliminate any exaggerated statements or hype because it is an instant turn off to publishing professionals. For example, I’ve seen proposals saying they will have endorsements from Chuck Swindoll and James Dobson when the author had zero connection to these bestselling authors and it was not going to happen.
Identify Five or Six Competitive Books in Your Proposal.
Every book competes and if you understand your competition, you will stand out.
Carefully Craft the First Few Chapters
Craft the first few chapters of your book and include these chapters with your proposal. The sample chapters showcase your writing to the literary agent or editor.
All writers suffer with creative blocks from time to time. You may not find yourself staring at a blank page for days on end, but you’ve probably found yourself procrastinating on a writing project or wrestling with specific scenes you can’t seem to write. When we face writer’s block, in small ways or large, we need help moving past it. There are tons of books and websites that promise a sure-fire cure, but they may not work for you.
Why?
Because not all blockages arise for the same reason. If a writer’s block solution doesn’t address the root problem you are struggling with, it won’t help you.
Writer’s block is REAL. It’s not just a wimpy excuse or your imagination.
It’s not permanent.
It is not a sign you’re a bad writer. All creatives struggle with it at times.
Finally, it’s not our enemy. Blockages are merely an indication that we have some inner issue we need to address, such as a fear, an unhelpful belief, or a bad habit.
With that as a foundation, the rest of this book explains how to identify the particular inner issues we’ve run up against, and then offers techniques to work through them and get back to writing with confidence.
The five common types of blockages
The book covers the five most common types of blockages writers struggle with:
Mental (beliefs and thoughts that sabotage or hinder us)
Emotional (fears, emotional responses and past trauma that hinder us)
Scarcity (feeling that we lack key resources we need to succeed)
Attentional (our focus is drawn away for one reason or another)
Procedural (unhelpful habits and workflow can hinder our progress)
For each of these types, the book lays out information so we can identify our problems and find practical ways to move past them.
Learn, Identify, and Take Action
Within the chapter on a particular type, the book includes the following subsections:
A basic explanation of the neurology at work with this type of issue. (The author does an excellent job of providing enough information to explain things without overwhelming us with too many details and unfamiliar terms.)
A list of physical, emotional, or behavioral signs that indicate we may be struggling with this issue. This was eye-opening! These signals are our subconscious trying to get out attention and deal with something important.
Descriptions of the typical kinds of unhelpful beliefs, fears, habits, etc. that we writers face when we’re stuck in this type of blockage, along with better truths to move past them.
Practical, doable techniques to help us overcome these specific issues.
I’m inspired. Are you?
I have been challenged and inspired by this book. In particular, her explanations of what is happening at the neurological level really helped me understand WHY the various techniques can help. I now have much more respect for some of the creative exercises I used to discount as a waste of time. I hope you are encouraged as well.
In closing, I leave you with a quote from the book that sums up why it’s worth the effort to move past writer’s blocks and continue to write. May it inspire you.
“Neurologically, your brain heals when you engage with, wrestle with, and share your story. If for no other reason than your own freedom and health, your story matters.”
Lisa E. Betz is an engineer-turned-mystery-writer, entertaining speaker, and unconventional soul. She inspires others to become their best selves, living with authenticity, and purpose, and she infuses her novels with unconventional characters who thrive on solving tricky problems. Her Livia Aemilia Mysteries, set in first-century Rome, have won several awards, including the Golden Scroll Novel of the Year (2021).
She and her husband reside outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with Scallywag, their rambunctious cat—the inspiration for Nemesis, resident mischief maker in her novels. Lisa directs church dramas, hikes the beautiful Pennsylvania woods, eats too much chocolate, and experiments with ancient Roman recipes. Visit www.lisaebetz.com.
In the early 1900s trolleys, otherwise known as “streetcars,” began popping up all over the United States. (For this article, I will use the words trolleys and streetcars interchangeably).
Omnibus
Omnibus, a horse-drawn wagon made to carry more than one family, were already in use and continued to be used during this time. However, omnibuses didn’t follow a track and the ride was often bumpy. Trolleys were larger than the omnibuses and had a more elaborate design, but still began with horses or mules pulling them. They didn’t look as much like wagons and they were designed to carry a fairly large number of people.
Horse drawn trolley
In the beginning, horses or mules pulled trolleys along tracks. Mules were preferred because they had more stamina than horses. These trolleys provided a smoother, faster ride than the omnibuses. Streetcars were used in towns and cities where there were a lot of people, so the streets had to be regularly cleaned of horse or mule manure. The streets in the towns and cities were grated, making it easier for trolleys to provide smoother, faster travel than walking, which had been the main way to get around in the city.
Companies were always looking to improve their trolleys to provide faster transportation and a smoother ride. So, in the late 19th century, operators began trying steam engines and electricity. Some of the first cities to use electric trolleys were: Scranton, Pennsylvania; Montgomery, Alabama; and Omaha, Nebraska.
Electric street car
Electric streetcars followed a track, but also required a cable attached to the roof that would then clip onto an electrical wire strung across tall wooden poles along the track routes to power the electric engine. These trolleys allowed people to live farther outside of towns and cities, and what were called “interurban” lines became popular. The interurban lines connected cities within a state, and even cities from state to state.
Sadly, as soon as the streetcars became popular, automobiles started appearing, and it didn’t take long for automobiles to replace the trolleys in most locations.
However, some places like my hometown of Ephrata, Pennsylvania, still have trolley cars that are now run with a motor and wheels, like a bus. Each Christmas, Ephrata offers a Jingle Bell Trolley Tour for people to ride the trolley around the town and view the Christmas decorations of Ephrata homes and businesses. They also offer a family night that begins with arts and crafts activities and a visit with Santa.
Modern Trolley
So, though the streetcars may not be desired as much as they were decades ago, some of them have been refurbished and changed to still offer a taste of the past to those who want to experience a historical ride.
Kelly F. Barr lives in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She is married and has three sons. She writes historical romance. She has also been a blogger for ten years, and every Friday, you can find her Flash Fiction stories posted for your reading pleasure. She loves her family, including the family dog, books, walks, and chai lattes.
Why do you write? Do you have a theme, message, or goal for your books?
I feel called, compelled, and born to write. I can’t not write. It helps me understand what I’m thinking, feeling, experiencing. Whether poems, essays, devotions, or nonfiction, I write with insights and messages to strengthen, encourage, and comfort.
I also write to influence readers to perceive God. To spark a thirst in others to seek God for the first or the umpteenth time. To encourage readers to catch God at work in ordinary life, in playful and revelatory ways.
A core message is to reveal God as he is, not as we imagine him to be. In two poetry chapbooks, I focused on home, family, and the father’s role in a child’s life. A third explored the dynamics of home, place, and transition. With my current book, Collision, my message is God still heals, but not always as we expect. In spotlighting Jehovah-Rapha, the God who heals, I encourage readers to consult the Great Physician as they work with the medical community. With his uncanny skill in diagnosing spiritual roots of affliction, I hope readers find healing.
How long have you been writing?
Since childhood, with a diary, school essays, and poems.
Tell us about one of your greatest joy(s) in your writing career.
The greatest joy(s) of receiving an acceptance letter from Finishing Line Press for my first poetry manuscript submission; receiving the first hard copy was a childhood dream fulfilled. The ongoing joy of writing and publishing is the power of discovering God and oneself in the process. Then releasing the writing—a vulnerable time—and watching readers, peers, publishers, and gatekeepers react.
Tell us about one of your darkest moment(s) in your writing career.
When I decided to publish a nonfiction narrative and discovered the implications—financial, time, platform, and the unlikely prospect of finding an agent at my age. I felt like all was lost—I’d arrived too late to the game. Because it was an important book to God, me, my audience, and my colleagues, I felt I’d failed.
Rejection is a common experience for writers. How do you overcome rejection? How has rejection shapedyou or your career?
I’ve always understood rejection as part of the landscape on the road to publishing. I viewed rejection as a good barometer of my writing, motivating me to improve. Some lessons learned:
Match submissions to a market’s needs. Be a sniper, searching for the right markets for your material before shooting off a submission.
There are many reasons for a rejection. Don’t take it personally.
Rejection can be God’s way of redirecting your path He has for you.
In what ways has God led you to mentor other writers? Were you surprised when a certain skill or connection led to mentoring opportunities?
The birthing of three new areas of ministry, in the context of missions, converged over the past 20+ years. The timeline:
In the late 90’s: in France, I felt God’s increasing pressure to write for publication. I started with the culture shock poems.
Simultaneously, I felt called by God to focus on reaching the artists in my city, including writers. I also began training in spiritual direction. I was as eager to create, write and hang with artists as to persuade Christian artists and writers to consecrate their gifts to God’s kingdom purposes.
2006: repatriated to the US and joined a writer’s group.
2008-14: when I began publishing my first poetry chapbooks, friends, strangers, and colleagues asked me for advice on writing. I enjoyed helping them take baby steps.
2006-2014: The mentoring role developed to the point of training creatives to minister overseas through their art; working with creatives in spiritual direction.
In 2015: I took a sabbatical with the goal of writing a nonfiction book. When I returned, I switched roles to “Artist at Large,” with the intention of revising and publishing the nonfiction manuscript. I also had a heavy mentoring role, having trained artists in spiritual direction, based on principles I was now writing about.
In 2019: completed a coach-mentoring course, receiving my certificate in 2020.
In 2020, with the pandemic, moved mentoring online. Also participated in emerging online writing conferences, where I found a publisher for my second manuscript.
June 2022: Collision, How I Found My Life by Accident, my first nonfiction book, released!
December 2022, I retired from missions to devote myself full-time to pursue next steps in my writing career.
January 2023: I “met” Norma Poore during the Cultivate Christian Creative Symposium, who invited me to interview for this post and here I am!
And all this surprised me and made perfect sense. I’ve observed at conferences and online how popular coach-mentoring was for writers and speakers and saw a potential lane open for me. God wastes nothing and calls us to consider others better than ourselves. One way I can implement that is to consider other writers’ projects and well-being more than my own through writing, mentoring, and spiritual direction.
Tell us about a facet of mentoring that particularly excites you.
When I see that light in the eyes of someone experiencing an insight or breakthrough. I sense God’s presence and witness transformation—pure gold to me. I’m motivated to listen well and ask the right questions to see the eyes light up with understanding!
What venues/methods have you found most effective for meeting and mentoring writers?
Meeting someone over a cup of coffee or tea in a quiet café that affords privacy. It’s neutral, hospitable, and lends itself to conversation, not a clinical encounter. Second best is over the kitchen table.
I usually come with prayer, prepared materials, and a set of questions, depending on whether it’s an intake interview or a follow up meeting.
Prepare spiritually by asking God to lead and release the spiritual gifts necessary for a breakthrough. To give me wisdom, discernment, and patience in listening and speaking.
I’ve worked out of a church office as well, which lends a seriousness and professionalism that helps in some situations.
Mentoring in action, especially for personalities that learn better by doing than talking. Especially in missions, a ride to the airport could be life changing.
Pray with someone so they can experience answers from the Spirit, not look to me as an “expert” or someone with whom they could form an unhealthy attachment.
Online. I converted 😊 I once thought it impossible to practice spiritual direction or mentoring online, until the pandemic forced the issue. I know its limits but it’s effective especially with mentoring on practical levels. Now I thank God for the technology that allows me to mentor artists all over the world, far more than I could do locally.
Using creative expression, which can so quickly unlock the inner movements of our souls. A form of art therapy.
Have you organized or led groups to support writers? (Retreats, ACFW chapters, etc.) How has that experience helped you to mentor writers?
Except for creating a writer’s group in France and occasionally filling in for the facilitator of my writer’s group, no. But for creatives in general, yes. Retreats, devotional times, trainings, workshops, prayer meetings, church meetings with staff and/or members, consulting work. The experiences increased my confidence, joy, and versatility in caring for and mentoring writers and artists.
Have you organized or directed a writers’ conference? Tell us about that experience, and/or share an anecdote that illustrates how you saw writers being mentored and encouraged through the event.
No, but I’ve attended so many, I saw this from the beginning: my first online writers’ conference with Redemption Press (She Writes for Him). I was quite surprised by the very ‘girlie’ approach, with lots of silliness that wasn’t exactly my style, but it was all very upbeat, positive, and encouraging. When the publisher shared her story deeply and vulnerably, I heard the holy “why” of her heart. I decided she was someone I could work with, who would understand my story, and called after the conference to discuss a manuscript. I ended up signing with Redemption Press for the publication of Collision.
If you speak at writers’ groups or conferences, what are some of your favorite topics to speak about?
Healing: The Three-Legged Stool
Called to Adventure: The Hero’s Journey with Christ
The Art of Forgiveness
Longing & Babette’s Feast
Lament: When your cape is at the cleaners; finding a cape for the chaos; the hot mess hero.
The Architecture of Faith: how we need structure to flourish. The Hero’s Journey and Rule of Life.
What advice do you have for writers as we interact with our peers? What can we do to be better supporters and mentors of our fellow writers?
Cultivate the relationships as well as your ideas.
Become better writers, in craft and professionalism.
Join a writer’s group and enter as a learner and a listener. Develop a thick skin.
Attend a writer’s conference or workshop to build relationships and learn.
“Let each consider others better than yourself.” Listening to others before speaking or promoting your projects.
Do you have a favorite resource or two that you recommend to beginning writers?
The Writer’s Journey, 2nd Ed., by Christopher Vogler
Write His Answer: A Bible for Christian Writers, Marlene Bagnull
Do you have a favorite resource or two that you recommend to writers who are struggling with discouragement?
When God Calls a Writer, by Deanne Welsh
What are common mistakes you see aspiring writers make?
Focusing on themselves in their fears, anxieties, and comparisons.
Ignoring the industry or letting it intimidate them instead of letting God lead them.
Divorcing their writing from the larger writing community and industry, forgetting to see people, forgetting God in the process.
What advice can you give aspiring writers that you wished you had gotten, or that you wished you would have heeded?
Invite God to be your writing partner, to reveal what project and goals to set, where to find the finances, and to enable your success as he defines it.
Set up a realistic writing practice and stick to it. Write, read, revise.
Learn the craft of writing by reading, studying other authors, attending/listening to author talks and podcasts, asking questions.
Join a writer’s group, learn the business of publishing as you learn the craft of writing.
Attend a writer’s conference as soon as you can.
Pat Butler, author, poet, and pioneer in missional arts, envisions a world in which every Christ follower finds and flourishes in the abundant life Jesus promised. Pat cultivates a global network of artists through writing, mentoring, and spiritual direction. She has traveled to twenty-five countries, lived in two, and holds dual citizenship. Currently residing in Florida, Pat walks with cranes, dodges hurricanes, and enjoys her own pillow. Follow Pat’s musings at www.mythicmonastery.org. Collision, How I Found My Life by Accident, is available at Redemption Press and Amazon.
Writers Chat, hosted by Jean Wise, Johnnie Alexander, and Brandy Brow, is the show where we talk about all things writing, by writers and for writers!
“Because talking about writing is more fun than actually doing it.”
Featuring:
Resources and Tools for Writers
Jean Wise and Johnnie Alexander host our first episode of 2023. Johnnie confesses to her Luddite tendencies while Jean keeps us firmly planted in the 21st century by talking about AI possibilities. Johnnie opens up Evernote and an Excel worksheet to show how to keep track of a to-do list and other essentials of the writing business. Jeanie gives examples of AI generated answers to specific questions and shared how AI can spark story/article ideas, plots, characters, etc. Patricia Tiffany Morris gave a spontaneous demonstration of BoredHuman.com.
Watch the January 3rd Replay
Writers Chat Wish List for 2023
Our wish list contains 5Cs ~ Caring, Challenge, Community, Creativity, Curiosity. How can you, as a writer, be inspired to grow in these areas during the upcoming year? What practical steps can you take to care for yourself and others, engage in various challenges (such as writing a haiku a day), participate in community (and make new friends!), enhance your creativity, and follow your curiosity? The Writers Chat team shares ideas and resources that will enhance your writing journey. Start off the New Year with plans and goals for living a 5C lifestyle.
Watch the January 10th replay.
Writers Chat is hosted live each Tuesday for an hour starting at 10 AM CT / 11 AM ET on Zoom. The permanent Zoom room link is: http://zoom.us/j/4074198133
Any gamers in the house? I’m a huge fan of games: the creativity, the challenges, and the competition, of course. I love testing my wits and resolve in unpredictable settings and it’s fun to surprise my kids when I play one of “their” games. I may be a grandma now, but “Grannies are pernownin noobs!”
I started playing Dwarf Fortress after my hubby had been talking it up forever. It’s been around for over twenty years, and was one of the major inspirations for Minecraft, but much more complicated. He watched YouTube tutorials and Twitch streams and conferred with our sons as they all anticipated an upgraded release on Steam. I couldn’t avoid learning about it and was, eventually, hooked.
But Dwarf Fortress is HARD. You are expected to lose your colony several times, regularly even, so much so that one of their mottos is “Losing is Fun.”
Hmph. I didn’t like the thought of that but tried anyway. And I lost. And tried again. And lost again. But with each new try, I started with more experience under my belt, and I developed my own motto: “If at first you don’t succeed, just look how much you learned.”
“I never once failed at making a light bulb. I just found out 99 ways not to make one.”
Thomas A. Edison
Growing as an author is like playing a new game. Unknown possibilities lie before you, but the path is untraveled. How and where do you start?
Choose Your Game
Do your tastes run more towards a first-person POV solo quest (like first-person shooter,) or an ensemble adventure (mmporp-massively multiplayer online role-playing game)? Are you a minecrafter (world builder,) puzzle solver (mystery,) or do you love Stardew Valley? (Sounds cozy to me.) Whatever you land on, make sure you love your story/world. You’re gonna spend a lot of time there.
Once you’ve chosen your adventure, you need to learn how your game works. Study the craft—query a friend who’s had some experience. Or search out tutorials. Don’t just visit the same old sources, but find out where the players are, whether Twitch, Substack, or Kindle Vella. Check out new sources for fresh takes on familiar obstacles.
When I play a new game, I want to know what the goal is and how do I reach it. In the writing game, this means I consider my goal–is this a first draft? Is it a brainstorm session or contest submission? Self-pub or a traditional publisher? Sometimes I’m competing with the game, and sometimes I’m just trying to improve my personal best.
I adapted some tips from this Wiki Walkthrough that should serve you in the writing game.
Stay calm—don’t panic. The challenge may seem overwhelming but if it were easy, you’d be bored already. Try something new, and don’t be discouraged if you falter. Starting over doesn’t set you back to square one. Each restart comes with new understanding and new skills.
Configure your controls the way you like them—your desk (standing or curled up on the sofa), keyboard (clicky?) or notebook with special pens. Then throw in some yummy snacks, good lighting, and a supportive chair. I like to have dark chocolate and mixed nuts in easy reach, as well as a supply of lens wipes. The key is, make your setting work for you.
Learn the environment—Where are attacks most likely to come from? Pay attention to the feedback that urges you forward or sets you back. What activities distract you, and which renew your resolve?
Communicate—Whether you’re playing solo or among strangers, you need a party. Not the balloons, cake, and disco ball kind, but that small contingent of trusted folks who are committed to watching your back and helping you stay on mission.
Practice—Gamers rehearse keyboard strokes to build muscle memory, striving to improve their APM (actions per minute.) Word sprints, writing prompts, and flash fiction are fun ways to strengthen your author game. Learn the rules for your genre; the conventions, expectations, and the tropes, so you can bend—and even break them when it serves the story. Havok Publishing is a great place to read and write flash fiction.
Develop your style—know your voice. Bob Hostetler’s writing wisdom, “God has given you a story that no one else can tell,” set me on this journey years ago.
Join a team—find your tribe. Don’t sequester yourself completely, even if you write in solitude. Find community that challenges and encourages you, the ones that inspire you to start, and start again. Groups like Writers Chat, Realm Makers, and the 540 Writers Community have been a huge encouragement for me.
Strike the earth. No matter how much you prepare, study, and research, you need to commit. To act. To enter the fray.
In Dwarf Fortress, you wield your pickax to break ground. Wield your words. Start your story. Write. This is the first win.
Sophia L Hansen is an author and editor with Havok Publishing and loves to write In Other Worlds. She’s lived on a tiny island in Alaska, the bustling cities of New York and Boston, raised kids in Tennessee, and now resides just outside Birmingham, AL. After 30+ years of marriage, seven children, and numerous pets, Sophia still fits into her high school earrings.
Hey, all! Now that the winter holidays are past, it’s high time to focus on goals for the upcoming year.
#1 Carve Out Writing Time
It takes discipline to sit down in front of a computer (or pick up pen and paper for old-school fans), block out distractions, and tap into the creative juices.
But we must. Because if we don’t make writing a priority, it won’t happen. (You know I’m right!)
Set a goal to write at least three days a week. Pick out a time that works best for you to write distraction free. Rise an hour before the family and type away. Or slate late night after meeting the day’s obligations. I used to write in notebooks while waiting for my child’s practice to end or I dictated my ideas on my phone to revisit later. Identify your best time, set it, and protect it.
#2 Join a Critique Group
Because of my experience with a faithful team of writers, I can, without hesitation, recommend that you set a goal of joining a critique group. Getting regular feedback on your manuscript can prove invaluable. Our partners spot plot holes, areas that lack clarity, and errors in grammar.
Not every group is a good fit. I encountered many mismatches before discovering my ideal team. But don’t give up! Set a goal to find supportive writers like you. If needed, this link provides a list of organizations that set up critique groups.
#3 Devote Time to Create or Maintain a Platform
Writers need a platform to increase visibility and market their work to a target audience. But “platform” poses a huge obstacle for many people. It’s a time sucker. It’s daunting. There are too many options to consider, like Facebook, Twitter, Tik Tok, Pinterest, Instagram, blogs, podcasts, and websites. Where do you start?
Instead of trying to engage in multiple arenas (which can lead to quick burnout), try focusing on one or two. Take time to explore various options. Then, set a goal to post or engage in the media bi-weekly or more. Keep your brand in mind. I found this article addressing platform-building from Denise Wakeman helpful.
#4 Educate Yourself
The writing profession encompasses many elements: researching, drafting, and revising; querying agents, publishers, and magazines; organizing book launches, interviews, and speaking engagements; participating in conferences, critique groups, and professional organizations; engaging in social media, podcasts, and advertising; writing blogs, articles, and newsletters. How overwhelming is that?!
#5 Set a goal to educate yourself on one area.
I’ve found it’s best to create an achievable goal with a narrow focus. For example, I need to improve communication, so I’ll educate myself—perhaps through online courses, how-to articles, or conferences—on how to use emails lists and newsletters to reach my target audience.
So, there you have it. Four practical writing goals for any author. What goals are you setting? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!
Elementary school teacher Lori Z. Scott usually writes fiction. Her down time is filled with two quirky habits: chronic doodling and inventing lame jokes. Neither one impresses her principal (or friends/parents/dogs/casual strangers), but they do help inspire her writing.
Somehow, her odd musings led her to accidentally write a ten-title bestselling chapter book series and on purpose write over 175 short stories, articles, essays, poems, and devotions. Lori also contributed to over a dozen books.
Lori enjoys speaking, leading workshops, and visiting local elementary schools to share her writing journey. Follow her on Instagram @Stories.by.Lori .
No matter how long you’ve been writing, you know that your “finished” copy is really nowhere near complete. Once you’ve completed your work, the editing process begins. This can be a painstaking process for writers. Not only do you have to pick apart all of the hard work you put in, but you’re probably putting a lot of pressure on yourself to ensure your story is nothing short of perfection.
Editing is often a long process, filled with self-doubt. You might start to question your abilities, be more critical of your work and your intelligence, and start to feel down about life, in general.
Needless to say, it can all take a toll on your mental health. So, it’s essential to take care of your mental well-being throughout the editing process. If you don’t, you could be at risk of burning out and losing your desire to write and be creative. You might even end up resenting your work.
So, what can you do to take care of your mental health in the editing process, and how can you mitigate burnout?
Establish a Routine
Maybe you have a strict deadline that you need to make, and it’s putting extra weight on your shoulders. Or, maybe you don’t have a timeline in place, causing you to procrastinate and be even more critical of your work. In either situation, a healthy routine can help.
Even if you’re working from home and you don’t have any tight deadlines ahead, a routine can help with:
Reducing stress
Boosting productivity
Reducing anxiety
Giving you more time to relax
Encouraging healthy habits
Having a regular routine will make it easier to get the sleep your mind and body need. A lack of sleep is often linked with stress and depression. Prioritizing a good night’s rest can boost your mental well-being. You’ll also have more time to cook healthy meals, exercise, and socialize with friends and family. These are all things that are fantastic for your mental health and can help you achieve a better work-life balance.
Your daily routine should also include taking frequent breaks. While that might sound counterproductive to the editing process, sometimes stepping away from your work for a short time can make you feel more refreshed and creative when you get back to it. Clear your head by stepping outside for a few minutes, or try some deep breathing techniques to reduce your stress and boost your creativity during your break time.
Be Kind to Yourself
Self-compassion isn’t usually the top priority when a writer is editing. As you start to see more things you want to add or take away from your work, it’s easy to feel down about yourself and your abilities.
However, it’s important to lead with self-compassion when it comes to editing your own work. Self-compassion lets you acknowledge that you’re feeling down, but allows you to be patient and warm with yourself as you work through the difficult parts of the process. It can also improve your health. The more compassionate you are with yourself, the more likely you’ll be to make healthier lifestyle choices that benefit your mind and body.
Finally, be kind to yourself by reaching out for help when you need it. Chances are, you have a great support system out there. Whether it’s family members or friends, people are on your side and they want you to feel good about yourself. Socialize often, spend time in nature with people you love, and don’t hesitate to talk to a mental health professional if you’re really struggling.
When writing is your passion, the last thing you want is for it to become an obligation or something that causes stress. Keep these tips in mind to mitigate the effects of writer burnout during editing, and to enjoy the experience once again.
Amanda Winstead is a writer from the Portland area with a background in communications and a passion for telling stories. Along with writing she enjoys traveling, reading, working out, and going to concerts. If you want to follow her writing journey, or even just say hi you can find her on Twitter.
This month’s edition of Reader’s Digest (Dec ’22 / Jan ’23) included a section near the back called To: Book Lovers, New releases on our wish list, which shared the title, cover image, and a short paragraph about each book.
Two were immediately added to my mental Wish List: The Space Shuttle: A Mission-by-Mission Celebration of NASA’s Extraordinary Spaceflight Program by Roland Miller, a mission-by-mission log of NASA’ space shuttle program, and Our America: A Photographic History by Ken Burns, a pictorial record covering 180 years of U. S. history.
Wow! Both titles intrigued me so! How to choose? Should I purchase one, both, or invest my funds elsewhere?
Your audience asks these same questions as they compare your book with other books and other non-book items. Sometimes they’re comparing apples to apples; sometimes apples to giraffes.
We compete with a bazillion products for our audience’s time.
How can your book get the attention it deserves?
Consider focusing on the quality of your writing, the title and sub-title of your book (as well as the back cover copy), and your marketing plan.
My expertise lies in the latter two categories.
Every author has scads of tasks, but these three rise to the top because they will–or won’t–attract your ideal target market.
Without interested readers, even a perfect book won’t gain traction.
You may wonder, “But what about my website, email, social media, Lead Magnets, and the other seemingly endless items everyone shouts for me to do?”
Yes, those items (and more!) need your regular attention. 🙁
But you’ll want to keep The Main Thing your primary focus. Christ first. Family second. Your ministry and book third. The other things next, listed in the order He identifies.
Beginning next month, we’ll dig deeper into ways to market your non-fiction book.
Let’s address one myth right now. The old, “My book is for everyone” myth. If you haven’t yet released that idea, let it go today…please.
God is the only One who can write a book that fits the needs and answers the questions of women in the armed forces, oncologists recently diagnosed with cancer, homeless veterans with school-age children, entrepreneurs and company CEOs, and so on.
No human being can address every potential issue in a single book.
God’s already done that flawlessly in the Holy Bible. He is the perfect Author. 🙂
I believe every non-fiction book’s audience must have a common thread with each other and for a Christian book, the author needs that same commonality. Our writing is more powerful and more effective when we’ve experienced the issues and/or goals of our audience. This is God’s way.
The experience, pain, challenges, and deliverance should be in our past. How can we guide our audience to a solution if we don’t know the path to freedom? How can we discover that path if we haven’t been on our version of their journey? And how can we assure them He is trustworthy if we haven’t yet been delivered ourselves?
God shapes us for His service tomorrow by applying His principles to our lives today.
Your book must stand out not only from other books on your topic, and not only from other books in general, but from other products whose makers cry for your audience’s attention. You’ll never know what those other products are, but you can make choosing YOUR book amongst all the options a no-brainer.
The good news? While it takes a long-term, focused approach, it can be done. Yay!
So, which of the two wildly divergent book(s) did I choose? In the end, wisdom prevailed. Since I’m not scientifically minded and unfamiliar with the language and concepts of space exploration, I removed The Space Shuttle from my list. While I would definitely enjoy digging into NASA’s mission logs, that book wouldn’t become a new treasure on my bookshelf.
But Ken Burns’ Our America would be an instant treasure. Why? I’m a history buff, particularly American history. I could picture myself getting lost for hours in that one!
It’s the same with your audience. They’re attracted to YOUR non-fiction book for several reasons: they share common traits with you, they enjoy your communication style, your personality, and your sense of humor, and the clear, results-oriented words you use to describe how your book will help them have a better life in ways that matter to them.
In the coming months, we’ll discover how to sharpen your focus, increase your clarity, and attract your ideal target market.
We have lots to do in 2023. Are you in? See you next month!
Patricia Durgin is an Online Marketing Coach and Facebook Live Expert. She trains Christian writers and speakers exclusively, helping them develop their messaging, marketing funnels, conversational emails, and Facebook Live programs. Patricia hosted 505 (60-minute) Facebook Live programs from 2018-2020. That program is on indefinite hiatus. She’s also a regular faculty member at Christian writers and speakers conferences around the country.
Not as well known as “Call me Ishmael,” but equally important are these first lines from adult biographies:
“On 2 November, 1810, His Majesty King George the Third, raving and sometimes violent, was fastened into a straightjacket.” J.B. Priestly, The Prince of Pleasure and His Regency.
“In August 45 B.C., seven months before the Ides of March, a procession entered the city of Mediolanum, modern Milan, in the hot and steamy northern Italian plain.” Barry Strauss, The Death of Caesar: The Story of History’s Most Famous Assassination.
“On the day he was born, he would say, his white-haired grandfather leaped onto his big black stallion and thundered across the Texas Hill Country, reining in at every farm to shout: ‘A United States Senator was born this morning.'” Robert A Caro, The Years of Lyndon Johnson: The Path to Power.
When we know a person we admire, we want others to meet him or her. So it is with writing a biography – we put time and energy and sometimes deep personal interest into the book to introduce the subject to the next generation of readers. Equal attention should be paid to the first lines of children’s biographies. After all, would we want our life stories to begin with: “She was born in Peoria, Illinois in 1948”? SNORE!
For whom?
In any biography, it is important to tell the life story factually but in a way that will be interesting to the potential reader. Since biographies are written for those who listen to board books to beginning readers to advanced readers in middle grades, our task begins with age-appropriate interest, language, and sentence length.
“Jane! Jane where are you?” Jeanette Winter, The Watcher: Jane Goodall’s Life with the Chimps.
Why not?
Inventors uncover the possibility and combine things in a way never done before. Start with what is not possible and let the biography show how that obstacle was overcome.
“People had always known it was not possible for humans to fly like birds.” Wendie Old. To Fly: The Story of the Wright Brothers.
When?
Most people we write about are important to a specific time in history. Begin the story at that moment in the person’s life when their impact on the world is felt. Include a timeline, sidebars, or backmatter to fill in the details of the person’s early life.
“The small boat sped quickly along in the dark.” Yona McDonough, Who Was John F. Kennedy?
What?
People important enough to have published biographies do many interesting things during their lives. Try beginning with the conflict moment that changes the person substantially. It may not be the most famous, but the results of that first moment will affect the later important event.
“It was Saturday and Eugenie wanted to stay at the aquarium forever.”
Jess Keating, Shark Lady: The true Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean’s Most Fearless Scientist.
How?
A compelling quote is fantastic, either from the person or about him/her. However, not everyone has a quote-littered life! In that case, try a detailed description of the scene to bring the reader into the story.
“I want to be a great inventor!”
Anne Renaud. The Boy who Invented the Popsicle.
Who?
Etymology: from Ancient Greekβίος (bíos, “life”) + γράφω (gráphō, “write”). We assume the story will always be about a person’s life, but real events can be observed by inanimate objects like a house or non-human life forms like a pet.
“My boy Peter gathers me inside his coat.”
David Lee Miller, The Cat who lived with Anne Frank.
In 2023 try introducing someone you admire to children in a biography.
Multi-award-winning author Robin Currie learned story sharing by sitting on the floor, during library story times. She has sold 1.7M copies of her 40 storybooks and writes stories to read and read again! Robin is the author of Tuktuk: Tundra Tale, a story of animals in the frozen north.
For years, I dreamed of being an author and seeing my name on a book in a real-live bookstore. Isn’t that every aspiring author’s dream?
A few weeks ago, I got a message from a friend in another state. He had been out shopping and saw my book.
In a discount store. With a price tag about one-fourth of the list price.
Yet another new author experience.
At first, I was a bit disappointed, but I thought about it. Here are the insights I gained:
The book has been out for nearly three years, and, deep in my heart, I knew it could not stay front and center in regular stores forever.
At the lower price, in a well-known discount store with many locations, the book has the potential to reach a bigger audience. We want as many people as possible to read our stuff, don’t we?
I love to shop at this particular store, with an outlet about an hour from where I live, and, in the past, I have noticed other books from my publisher. Now, mine has joined the selection! I’m part of the author club!
To quote the words of a friend of mine who passed in 2022:
It is what it is.
I feel my adventure with this publication has come full circle. I have seen my name on a book at full price in major stores and at a reduced price in a discount store alongside the sales of nearly out-of-date chocolate, oddly-scented air freshener, and rebuilt appliances. What more could I ask?
Carlton Hughes, represented by Cyle Young of Hartline Literary, wears many hats. By day, he is a professor of communication. On Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings, he serves as a children’s pastor. In his “spare time,” he is a freelance writer. Carlton is an empty-nesting dad and devoted husband who likes long walks on the beach, old sitcoms, and chocolate—all the chocolate. His work has been featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Dating Game, The Wonders of Nature, Let the Earth Rejoice, Just Breathe, So God Made a Dog, and Everyday Grace for Men. His latest book is Adventures in Fatherhood, co-authored with Holland Webb.
Recently, I had a local writer friend reach out to me about how she could adapt her book into a screenplay. I get that question a lot; although I am not a successful screenwriter, people for some reason believe that anyone can write a screenplay, just because they’ve written a story or book.
Just because a book is successful and is a good read, doesn’t necessarily mean it will make a great movie. Studios have lost billions by producing popular books that bombed in theaters. Hollywood generally believes that novelists should not write screenplays.
So this year, I want to explore the basics of screenwriting and some of the different conventions, concepts, and features that novelists may not know about. There may be some similarities, but screenwriting has its own unique needs.
Tight writing is a must
A lot more show than tell
While the general rule in storytelling is to always show and not tell, this rule applies more to screenwriting, because screenplays are visual art forms. So in writing a screenplay, writers always must visualize their stories first, this is a basic element of screenwriting.
Elements of Screenwriting
“Screenwriting has no rules, it has conventions to help tell a story.”
Robert McKee
The number one convention of screenwriting is the story is seen. Screenplays are written with characters we will literally see and don’t have to imagine—always write from that perspective. If you cannot visualize your characters on screen, then they won’t parlay to the screen.
Seven tips for adapting a book to a screenplay from the Creative Penn.
Read screenwriting books- Reading some how-to screenwriting books will give you a solid grounding in writing characters, plot, structure, dialogue, theme, etc. for the big screen.
Read screenplays- The reason many screenplays fail, whether they’re adaptations or not, is because the writer simply hasn’t read enough screenplays.
Outline movies- It’s also important to become familiar with movies are put together structurally. Novels may contain some structural tropes within certain genres, such as Mystery or Romance, but screenplay structure is generally much more ‘formulaic’.”
Write an outline of your novel- Once you’ve spent some time on the first three steps, apply the same principle of writing outlines as described in Step 3 to your own novel.
Refine your movie’s core conflict- Take some time to think about the story from the point of view of someone watching it up on screen in a movie theater. What’s the core conflict here that’s going to make them pay money to want to go and see it?
Finalize your outline- Some screenwriters like to write outlines, synopses or treatments of their story before starting on the script. Other’s don’t. But I would strongly advise you have some kind of document to follow while writing the actual screenplay.
Start writing your screenplay- Once you have your outline, it’s time to finally start writing and I’d recommend purchasing some professional screenwriting software first, such as Movie Magic or Final Draft. (WriterDuet is a great free alternative if you’re strapped for cash.)
Screenwriters know the conventions of the art and resist the need for a formula. As I begin this series, I have to address the age-old debate of structure versus story. Not from my perspective, but that of the greats. While screenplays have conventions, never let structure kill your story.
Screenwriting, as with novel writing, is the art of storytelling. The story must dominate your script. However, according to Screencraft Magazine, “novels focus on the internal emotions of the story’s characters, screenplays are the outer emotions of the story’s characters.”
Story Matters
Typically when novelists try to adapt books to screenplays, they either kill their story by trying to use a bad writing structure or they don’t know a screenplay format at all. Either way, their narrative loses its beauty.
Sometimes no matter who adapts a book to a screenplay, the story just does not work as a movie. The readers’ imagination is better than the visuals on the screen. Before you attempt to adapt your screenplay, read the five story elements needed to make a great film from totalstoryteller.com.
A sympathetic hero: Having a ‘save the cat’ moment can help you create a sympathetic character. This ‘save the cat’ term was coined and popularized by writer Blake Snyder.
A vital quest: It’s no joke. There are real stakes to this quest.
Insurmountable obstacles: It seems impossible for the hero to achieve victory, at least as he is now.
Surprising ending: Ingenuity and creativity sees the hero achieve victory through unusual means, finding help in unexpected places or with unexpected allies.
Inevitable ending: The ending is logical. It seems obvious after-the-fact that it would end as it did.
Remember, it is the screenwriters’ job to take these elements and combine them into a visual cocktail to help the audience understand the narrative. It is like combining poetry with painting. Screenwriters need to know the basic elements of screenwriting.
Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at MartinThomasJohnson.com and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.
Our cookie exchange fell flat. Usually boasting attendance of a baker’s dozen, one-by-one individuals backed out. Busy schedules, lack of Christmas spirit, and exhaustion from a hectic season all topped the list of reasons people didn’t come. But most interesting was the pronouncement of baking failures. Mine were included in that category—I tried a new recipe and was less than satisfied with the results.
“I’m not going,” I declared. “The caramel topping tastes burnt.”
“It’ll be good for you to go,” Hubby said, always my encourager.
At the last minute, I relented and grabbed packages of hot cocoa and candy canes to share.
Being with the other gals was just what I needed—we visited, munched on cookies, and worked a jigsaw puzzle together. It was a good reprieve and morale booster.
What if I had missed out by saying my contribution was not good enough?
Exercise:
What have you been labeling “not good enough?”
Could you tweak that WIP from a different angle?
Could you rearrange sentences or paragraphs to flow better?
What could you eliminate to make it more concise?
How do you demean your art when you place it in the “not good enough” category?
What is the difference between excellence and perfectionism?
Is “not good enough” an attack on your personhood?
How can you separate your disappointment in your words from disappointment in your worth?
Will you choose to look at who you are through God’s eyes?
Blessed. Psalm 139:5-6, You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. (NIV)
Secure. Psalm 139:9-10, If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. (NIV)
Wondrous. Psalm 139:14, I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (NIV)
Still have doubts? Ask God for help.
Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:23-24 (NIV)
Avoid missed opportunities by giving your burnt offerings a chance to be redeemed!
Turn flops into fulfillment with fun.
Over 140 of Sally Ferguson’s devotionals have been published in Pathways to God (Warner Press). She’s also written for Light From The Word, Chautauqua Mirror, Just Between Us, Adult Span Curriculum,Thriving Family, Upgrade with Dawn and ezinearticles.com. Prose Contest Winner at 2017 Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference.
Sally loves organizing retreats and seeing relationships blossom in time away from the daily routine. Her ebook, How to Plan a Women’s Retreat is available on Amazon.
Sally Ferguson lives in the beautiful countryside of Jamestown, NY with her husband and her dad.
Now that Christmas has come and gone, most of us are enjoying the new items we received as gifts during the holidays. I remember when I was a kid, I would spend the entire day playing with my new toys, it didn’t matter if I had anything to eat that day, I just wanted to have fun.
Gifts are useless if we don’t put them to use, isn’t that why we want them in the first place? What good is a new car or bicycle if we’re not going to go anywhere on them? We have each been blessed with gifts; some material, others physical. Even the simplest things in our lives can be gifts.
Disabled persons have unique gifts that most people don’t understand. Unfortunately, most of us don’t consider them gifts, because they make us different from average people.
Experiences
Expectations
Encouraging stories
In the brain injury community, there is a saying, “Every brain injury is different.” There are different forms of brain injuries, each with different effects on the body and mind: concussions, strokes, traumatic brain injuries, and acquired brain injuries. Each of these affects the individual’s ability to function. For the last 25 years of my life, I’ve learned to appreciate each day for the gift it is.
Gifted?
Most people look forward to and expect big things in life, as I stated before persons with disabilities understand that the simple things in life are a gift also. If you have ever gone through a health struggle, you have experienced this realization that we take for granted so much in life.
What most people take for granted, disabled persons cherish. We all have different gifts and abilities that we must learn to appreciate and celebrate. Even within the writing community, there is a diversity of experiences, voices, and even types of writing.
5 Basic Types of Writing Found in Literature
Narrative writing
Descriptive writing
Persuasive writing
Expository writing
Creative writing
It is common for these categories to overlap as writers attempt to convey their message, but their purpose for writing remains. A writer’s goal is always to communicate, but these are the different ways we flex our writing muscles.
“Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and the only thing you have to offer.”
Barbara Kingsolover
If you have ever broken a bone in your body, you know how quickly your muscles weaken; you also experience the agony of being limited to certain actions. A flexible writer is like a flexible muscle.
Flexible writers have the ability to flex their writing muscles and different ways to convey a specific thought. The gift of the written word is often taken for granted by many people.
Let me encourage you by saying this, if everyone wrote and communicated beautifully through this art, we would all be jobless because no one would need us.
“Writing is a hellish task, best snuck up on, walked on the head, robbed, and left for dead.”
Author Amory McDonald
Writers Write
In the early days after my accident, I spent a lot of time wanting to walk again, but I wasn’t able to even attempt it. It was then when I first heard the word ambulatory, which is the medical term for being able to physically move on your own.
If you’ve ever watched little children learning to walk, you know they don’t start out walking, they must first learn and be trained to walk.
Stages of learning to walk:
Creeping
Crawling
Stepping
Pulling up
Cruising
Each phase is meant to build up a child’s strength and muscle memory, the gift is when they finally pass each stage of the process.
A writing career works the same way; writers must first learn the craft and then begin writing. Writing a lot is the only way will build our muscles. But, as Jerry B Jenkins teaches, “Don’t start your career by writing a book or a large project, even the best writers have to start somewhere.”
Every writer must build their writing muscles, even if they are gifted!
Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at MartinThomasJohnson.com and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.
It’s incredibly exciting to have a new story idea. The characters develop in our mind and seem to be itching to plunge right in and share their story. All the important parts of the setting are complete in our imagination and will flow onto the page. After all, the setting is simply the stuff surrounding the characters. All the author has to do is establish a time and a place.
Sounds simple, right?
It’s not always so.
As writers, we are often immersed in our own story world before we create it. We take familiar elements and weave them in, using past experiences to provide a backdrop for novels.
Because we’re so familiar with certain environments, we risk making the unconscious assumption that our reader knows exactly what we’re talking about. We forget to add little details that bring the story world to life for readers who may not have previous knowledge of our chosen setting.
This can be a particular challenge for authors of young adult fiction, because it’s tempting to skip over details for the sake of word count, but without a firm setting readers can’t get oriented.
Put It On the Page
Make sure there is enough description and detail of the surroundings, the clothing, and the items in your setting to evoke a sense of time and place. Just not so much that the reader will become bogged down and lose interest. At the same time, give enough of the necessary descriptions, pertinent details, and explanations to ground the reader firmly in the story world.
I told you it wasn’t as simple as it sounds!
Why Time Markers Aren’t Enough
Often in novels, a date is indicated at the beginning of a chapter. This is a good starting place to help orient your reader, but the author needs to go a little bit further. Readers expect an immersive experience that walks them through the story, and unless a date has events attached to it, it can be quickly forgotten.
Unfamiliar Settings
Sometimes a story comes into being in a setting completely new to the author. If the region, country, or environment is one the writer isn’t familiar with, it’s best to do the required research, and then have fact checkers go over your manuscript for inaccuracies, both large and small.
Many readers won’t like stories that play fast and loose with inaccuracies vital to the plot of a story, but even little things can be an issue, such as having a species of trees growing in an area that they would never grow, using figures of speech incorrectly, not understanding the customs of the culture, and so on.
Dialogue as Part of Setting
Use dialogue and sayings consistent with the time or the region where your story is set, but without going overboard! Nothing screams “I don’t know what I’m talking about” as much as misused dialogue and obvious mistakes with commonly known details of the region.
Vocabulary
Language is constantly changing. Along with dialogue and how your characters speak, the author’s word choices help establish setting. Words like “ridicule” and “rotund” evoke certain eras, and probably wouldn’t find their way into contemporary, but would be perfect for a story set in the 1800s. The opposite is true. Contemporary vocabulary shouldn’t show up in historical fiction.
As always, there are exceptions. For instance, unusual word choices can work for a quirky character.
Update Your Info
An author may have the utmost confidence they understand their setting. Perhaps their novel is set in another country, and they have lived in that country. Personal experience lends authenticity to the narrative, but make sure you’re working with updated information. In certain settings and fields, things change quickly.
Start With Research
Misplaced details stick out like a sore thumb. The easiest way to ferret out these types of mistakes before they end up in a published book is to get a few readers who can fact check for you. That’s not to say that fact checkers are a substitution for research. Fact checkers are your last line of defense, and like proofreading, they may not catch everything, especially if the gaffes are excessive.
So how much setting detail does a story need?
Whatever it takes to keep the reader grounded, interested, and reading!
Donna Jo Stone writes YA contemporary novels about tough issues but always ends the stories with a note of hope. She blogs at donnajostone.com.
I used to cringe when I saw the mail or email from one of my publishers. It probably contained a royalty statement and experience told me many of those numbers would begin with a minus (negative balance). I’ve written for many different traditional publishers and have had this experience from a broad spectrum of types of books including how-to, self-help, biographies, gift books and children’s books.
When your book sales are off, it’s a natural tendency to want to blame someone. Maybe my editor has left and my book was orphaned inside the publisher with no champion or advocate. Maybe my publisher didn’t market the book to bookstores. Maybe they changed the title between what was printed in the catalog and what was published. Or _(fill in the blank). I’ve had all of these things happen to my published books. Good publishing involves a cooperative process and working with many different people. Much of this process is outside of the author’s control.
I’ve also learned there are many pro-active steps authors can take to change their situation.
1. Take 100% responsibility for your own success.
In The Success Principles, Jack Canfield makes this the first principle. Over ten years ago, I heard this principle and adopted it in my publishing efforts.
2. Be active in the promotion and marketing of your book.
As the author, you have the greatest passion for your book—way beyond anyone else including your publisher. The great promoter, PT Barnum said, “Without promotion, something terrible happens—nothing.” Consistent promotion of your book is important.
3. Be Generous with your book.
Reviews sell books but many authors have few reviews for their book on Amazon or Goodreads or Barnes & Noble. Give books to people who are willing to write a review. If they’ve never written a review, give them a tool to help them like with this form.
4. Ask for others for help.
“You do not have because you do not ask.”
New Testament, James 4:2-3
If you need endorsements, ask but make it easy for them to say yes (offer to draft it). If you need social media promotion, ask but create possible posts. Here’s an example of a page, I created to help others help me spread the word on my latest book.
5. Take the long view of publishing.
Publishing and promoting a book is more like a marathon than a sprint. With the huge volume of published books, someone has to hear about your book seven to twelve times before they purchase it. What actions can you take every day to give your book this exposure? My Billy Graham book trailer has been seen over 11,500 times in the last five years.
6. No matter what happens in your life, keep going.
In Perennial Seller, New York Times bestselling author Ryan Holiday writes,
“The hard part is not the dream or the idea, it’s the doing.”
If there were a simple formula to create a bestseller, every book would be a bestseller. There are practical actions every author can take. Each part of the publishing process has challenges and as writers your persistence and consistency is critical. As #1 New York Times bestselling author Jerry B. Jenkins wrote in the foreword of my book, 10 Publishing Myths, “Only one of a hundred writers literally make their deadlines.” If you meet deadlines with quality writing, it’s an easy way to stand out from the crowd. I wrote 10 Publishing Myths to give writers realistic expectations and practical steps every author can take to succeed. Today, you can get the 11th Publishing Myth as a free e-book.
When you point a finger at others because your book is not selling, just remember: when you extend your pointer finger, four more fingers are bent back toward you. Take action today.
What actions can you take today to continue to build your sales potential?
I’m sure you’re aware of all the Christmas romance movies that Hallmark airs on television before Thanksgiving into the New Year. Christmas romance novellas and novels also show up on bookstore shelves and on social media sites and can easily been found on Goodreads and Amazon between Thanksgiving and Christmas. So, what is it about romance stories that take place during the Christmas holiday that glues people to the television set or to the pages of a book?
I believe there are three reasons people, and particularly women, can’t get enough romance stories set during the Christmas holiday, and we’ll look at these one at a time:
1) The Magic of Christmas
This is a secular concept where you can make a wish upon a star or send a letter to Santa to get what you’re looking for. Christmas has been touted as a time when dreams and wishes come true, if you just believe in Santa Claus delivering your much wanted item to your door while you sleep on Christmas Eve, or believe in wishes coming true simply because Christmas is advertised and promoted to be magical. I already mentioned the Hallmark movies, but there are classic movies that include Christmas romance as well, such as White Christmas and Miracle on 34th Street. All you have to do is believe in the Magic of Christmas and you’ll find love.
2) The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
When people are generally happy and will give you a cheerful greeting on the street. When people are feeling more generous and are more willing to lend a helping hand or provide something for someone in need. Nonprofit organizations send out flyers or have tables in store foyers seeking donations to help the needy. Christmas music is played over store loudspeakers or via church bells in the local town, and on the radio. Most people think of a chill in the air and the beauty of a freshly fallen sparkling white snow on the ground, and snuggling by the fire in the fireplace drinking hot chocolate. So many wonderful happy pictures are painted in her minds through the music, movies, books, and advertisements of the Christmas holiday, when even the Grinch and Ebenezer Scrooge find room to be generous, loving, and happy.
3) Jesus Christ, the Savior
To those who know and believe the Word of God, this is the best and most important reason to celebrate Christmas. We believe that God sent His one and only Son to earth around the time that Christmas is celebrated. Why? Because God saw that people needed a Savior – a way to be reconciled from their miserable sinfulness to God, the one who is the only source of true love. Jesus Christ – the true meaning of Christmas, the one who not only brought and offered love, but who is the very embodiment and example of real, true love. He came to live among us and show us how to love one another and how to live with the hope of one day spending eternity with Him, Jesus, the one who laid down his life for each and every one of us; the one who showed us that real love is sacrificial and priceless, and this is the kind of love we all hope and long for.
As a believer in Jesus Christ, I have found The Nativity Story movie, written by Mike Rich, directed by Catherine Hardwicke, and released in 2006, from which I used a picture above, to be my absolute favorite Christmas movie of all time. Though it does not include a typical romance, I think the way Mr. Rich depicted the relationship between Mary and Joseph was so perfect and touching. So, if you’re looking for inspiration for writing a romance story, you might want to consider watching this movie and paying attention to the interaction between the characters of Mary and Joseph.
No matter which of these reasons is your reason to seek and enjoy Christmas romance, they all have a “feel good” sentiment, which is what romance readers want. That’s what I believe makes Christmas romance stories so popular—all people want to be accepted, loved, and happy. So no matter which of the reasons above is your reason for watching Christmas movies, listening to Christmas music, or reading Christmas romance novels, you will find the magic of Christmas is love.
Kelly F. Barr lives in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She is married and has three sons. She writes historical romance. She has also been a blogger for ten years, and every Friday, you can find her Flash Fiction stories posted for your reading pleasure. She loves her family, including the family dog, books, walks, and chai lattes.
As the year draws to a close, it’s a good idea to prepare for the year ahead. This post will help you turn fuzzy ideas and wishful dreams into a more actionable writing strategy for the year ahead.
To create next year’s writing strategy, begin by answering this simple question—Why do you write?
Step One: Know your why
Open your journal or get a blank piece of paper and free write about why you write. Just write anything that comes into your head. Don’t stop to think or correct. No editing. No wordsmithing. Keep your pen or pencil moving until you fill the whole page (or more than one page if you’re on a roll).
When you’re finished, read through what you wrote and highlight the key concepts that capture your most honest answer. On a fresh page, summarize the most important reasons you write. This motivation will inform the rest of your writing strategy.
Step Two: Clarify your vision
Considering your writing motivations from step one, answer the question, “What is my vision for this time next year?” If you could look back at the end of next year and see that you’ve been successful at furthering your writing dreams, what are the key areas of growth or achievement that you would have accomplished?
Or, to look at it another way, imagine what you would love to accomplish by the end of next year. Describe the main things you’d like to finish, master, or figure out.
Defining your vision will give you something to shoot for. If you lack a concrete vision, it’s much more difficult to make progress or prioritize your goals.
Step Three: Where are you now?
Before creating writing goals for the coming year, you need to know where you’re starting from. So, where are you now in your writing journey?
Reflect on what you’ve accomplished this past year.
What important skills or lessons have you learned?
Have you taken a scary step forward?
What writing goals have you achieved?
What projects are still a work in progress (but progressing)?
How have you held firm to your key writing motivations?
Take a minute to congratulate yourself on the progress you have made. It’s important to pay attention to the milestones along the way if we want to stay motivated to accomplish our big writing dreams.
Next reflect on the main disappointments of the past year.
What hasn’t progressed like you’d hoped?
What didn’t work so well?
How can you pivot from that disappointment?
How have you strayed from your key writing motivations?
Step Four: Make intentional and realistic writing goals
Finally, it’s time to craft your writing goals. Use the information in the first three steps to create goals that will help you get from where you are now to where you’d love to be by the end of next year.
When crafting your writing goals, consider these factors.
They should stretch you or challenge you.
But they must also be realistic, not so far from where you are now that you’ll never meet them.
Goals are based on outcomes you can control (and there’s an awful lot you can’t control). They should be focused on your efforts, not the hoped-for results of those efforts.
They should specific enough and clear enough that you can tell when you’ve achieved them.
Finally, they should include a deadline.
Examples of writing goals
Example 1: I want to make the New Your Times Bestseller list. This is not a good goal. Why? This statement doesn’t include a date and it’s probably not realistic. The primary problem, however, is that you cannot control the outcome. Even if your book sells really well, it may not be selected for the list.
Example 2:I want my new book to hit the top ten bestseller status in an Amazon category by June 30. This goal is better. It includes a date, it’s easy to see whether you succeed or not, and it’s potentially within the realm of possibility. You still can’t fully control this outcome, but you can hire experts or follow their proven strategies to make it a potentially achievable goal.
Example 3: I will finish a revised version of my next book manuscript by May 1. This goal is specific and is based on an outcome you can control. It has a deadline, and success is reasonably clear. (Finish is a little vague, but if you aren’t prone to fussing over a manuscript forever, it might suffice.)
May you have success meeting your writing goals for 2023!
I hope you will take some time in the next few weeks to think through these steps and come up with some specific writing goals that will help you achieve your writing dreams.
Lisa E. Betz is an engineer-turned-mystery-writer, entertaining speaker, and unconventional soul. She inspires others to become their best selves, living with authenticity, and purpose, and she infuses her novels with unconventional characters who thrive on solving tricky problems. Her Livia Aemilia Mysteries, set in first-century Rome, have won several awards, including the Golden Scroll Novel of the Year (2021).
She and her husband reside outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with Scallywag, their rambunctious cat—the inspiration for Nemesis, resident mischief maker in her novels. Lisa directs church dramas, hikes the beautiful Pennsylvania woods, eats too much chocolate, and experiments with ancient Roman recipes. Visit www.lisaebetz.com.
Did you know Charles Dickens’ full name was Charles John Huffam Dickens? I didn’t, and Dickens is one of my favorite authors. His classic stories of life in England in the 1800s were full of wonderful characters, some of which the stories were named after – Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickelby, and David Copperfield to name a few. But, there is also Pip, Miss Havisham, Fagin, and many more, including Little Nell.
Little Nell is the beloved little girl in Dickens’ novel, The Old Curiosity Shop. Charles Dickens published a weekly serial in 1840-1841, called Master Humphrey’s Clock. In it, he published two novels, one of which was The Old Curiosity Shop, along with short stories. The Old Curiosity Shop was such a popular feature of Master Humphrey’s Clock, that readers in New York stormed the wharf when the ship bringing the final installment arrived in 1841. Then The Old Curiosity Shop was published in book form later in 1841.
Charles Dickens was born in Portsmouth, England. Dickens’ novels tell of the injustices of the times he lived in, often featuring the brutal treatment of the poor in a society that was divided by levels of wealth.
Dickens’ family also faced poverty and Charles was forced out of school at twelve years of age to take a job in Warren’s Blacking Warehouse, a shoe-polish factory. He was treated badly by the other boys working there. Then his father was imprisoned for debt. The humiliation of these two circumstances hurt Dickens profoundly and became his deepest secret. However, they obviously provided an unacknowledged foundation for his fiction.
Charles Dickens published 15 novels, one of which was left unfinished at his death, The Mystery of Edwin Drood.
I would like to call your attention back to Little Nell because there are three statues of Charles Dickens in existence – one in Sydney, Australia, one in his hometown of Portsmouth, England, and one in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The one in Philadelphia is the oldest of the three. It was created in 1890, and is the only one that also depicts one of his characters, Little Nell from The Old Curiosity Shop. Before it was moved to Philadelphia, this statue won two gold medals at the Chicago’s World Fair of 1893 and crossed the Atlantic Ocean twice. It was sculpted by Francis Edwin Ewell, who was the one to send it to Philadelphia.
There are two interesting things about the statue being placed in Philadelphia: 1) Charles Dickens, in his will, stated he did not want any memorials, and 2) the fact that the statue is in Philadelphia, a city that Dickens disliked. He said, of Philadelphia, “it is dull and out of spirits.”
Funny that, despite Dickens dislike of Philadelphia, the statue has become a symbol of the neighborhood, and both, Nell and Dickens are crowned with flower wreaths frequently, including each year on Dickens’ birthday, when a party is held and there are readings and dancing.
If you are a Dickens’ fan, like me, I also highly recommend the movie, “The Man Who Invented Christmas” from 2017, and I’d love to know which of his classic novels is your favorite.
Kelly F. Barr lives in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She is married and has three sons. She writes historical romance. She has also been a blogger for ten years, and every Friday, you can find her Flash Fiction stories posted for your reading pleasure. She loves her family, including the family dog, books, walks, and chai lattes.
