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Writers Chat

Writers Chat Recap for November

Writers Chat Recap

Writers Chat, hosted by Johnnie Alexander, Brandy Brow, and Melissa Stroh, 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.”

Come Write with Us: Having Fun with Flash Fiction with Sophia Hansen

Novelist and flash fiction editor Sophia Hansen shares tips on writing short stories—less than 1000 words—in this fun and creative “Come Write with Us” episode. From there, she leads us in developing a story idea based on a character bio and three prompts provided by Story Dice (a free app). These basic ideas are fleshed out with an imaginative brainstorming session by participants who write in a variety of genres. Whether you write short stories or mega-novels, this episode is like an ice cream cone on a hot summer day–fun and refreshing.

Watch the November 5th replay.

Sophia Hansen is an organic author, using no artificial ingredients in her stories—unless absolutely convenient. She writes and edits flash fiction for Havok Publishing and her debut novel, Water’s Break, released in January, 2024 to critical acclaim. Sophia, who resides in the South with her husband of thirty-six years, can be bribed with good coffee, crispy bacon, and dark chocolate.

The Way We Share Truth Matters with Annette Marie Griffin

In a world where truth is becoming more and more relative, people still search for real answers to life’s deepest questions. But instead of looking to the Church or the Bible for spiritual guidance, the go-to source for enlightenment is now Google. In this episode of Writers Chat, award-winning author, Annette Marie Griffin, covers how Christian writers can impact the world by using Google analytics and best SEO practices to ensure their online content reaches those searching for truth.

Watch the November 12th replay.

Annette Marie Griffin is an award-winning author and speaker who has written hundreds of top-ranking articles for Salem Media Group, she’s a columnist and acquisitions editor for StarLight Magazine for kids, and she teaches workshops and training classes at local and national writing conferences. When Annette isn’t writing, speaking, or teaching, she loves making memories with her brilliant husband, 3 adult children, 2 teens, and 3 adorable grands!

Thanksgiving Roundtable: Sharing Blessings

The Writers Chat community counts our blessings while playing “Thanksgiving Roulette.” Our illustrious host, Johnnie Alexander, drew questions from her writing box and posed that question to someone in our audience. We had questions like: what is your favorite Scripture for writing? What mentor has blessed you? Where is your favorite writing place? What lessons did you learn the hard way? Where would your dream writing retreat be? And so much more. Be sure to check out this episode if you need encouragement, laughter, or simply want to see a delightful show.

Watch the November 19th replay.

Disclaimer: The opinions and viewpoints presented by the cohosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and viewpoints of Writers Chat or Serious Writer, Inc.

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

Categories
History in the Making

Behind the Doors of the Grocery Store: INEVITABLE CHANGE Part 2

History in the making

CHANGE —A Spark for Writers Seeking an Innovative Angle for Their stories.

Change can bring new life or dread to an unfolding plot, and it can affect characters in both positive and negative ways.

The grocery store setting can be such a catalyst, having experienced numerous changes throughout the 20th century.

  • 1930s-The rise of the all-in-one market. Excited shopper: The butcher, the baker, and the produce grower are all under one roof! Dejected business owner: My mom-and-pop shop can’t sustain itself any longer
  • 1937-The shopping cart arrived. Empowered shopper: I can choose products myself. Perplexed proprietor: Where do I fit?
  • 1950s-The “International Aisle” appeared. Inconvenience shopper: What are oriental noodles and refried beans? And what happened to my peanut butter and jelly? Controversial shopper: This looks like racial bias to me.
  • 1960s-Trading Stamps went wild. Grumpy shopper: Why does my favorite store offer green stamps when I want blue chips? Smiling shopper: My little girl wants a doll I can get with green stamps.
  • 1952-Bar code patented. Curious Shopper: What are these stickers with unique bars and numbers? Do I need to know? Do I even care?
  • 1960s-In-Store pharmacy. Recovering shopper: The pharmacist helped my husband find the best cold medicine for me. Pharmacist: It’s great to offer another convenience for customers.
  • 1972-The 24/7 grocery stores open. Tired shopper: I may have just put in a night’s work, but the quiet, uncrowded aisles are wonderful. Weary clerk: These overnight hours are hard on my body.
  • 1974-Price scanners. Delighted cashier: I don’t have to punch register keys anymore. I just slide the bar code across the glass plate. Disgruntled customer: The cashier made good money for accuracy in punching keys, now a child could do their job.

As the decades marched forward, stores designated seasonal space for specialty wares to celebrate New Years, Super Bowl, Valentines Day, Easter and Spring, and Thanksgiving.

Halloween grew in popularity and now holds second place in holiday sales. Fall shopper: In addition to the baker’s pumpkin goodies, I can find decorative squash, greeting cards, paper goods, knickknacks, and sometimes costumes. Wide-eyed child: Mom, look at all the candy.

Then there’s Christmas…everywhere you look…arriving as early as October. Even the grocery store climbs on board the marketing sleigh. Beyond celebratory meals and dessert items, the Plan-ahead shopper can choose Christmas cards, themed paper goods, and wrapping paper. For the Last-minute shopper, ribboned boxes of holiday candies and goodies, stuffed animals, and small toys fill the shelves.

Oops-don’t forget the poinsettias.

For the creative writer, change at the grocery store, good or bad, can enhance a scene. Or, if those creative juices are unleashed, the writer could employ market changes to unfold plot or subplots or reveal characters.

So, what plots and profiles might one bring to life at the grocery store?

Plots and Subplots: A kidnapped child or gun-toting robbers; pilfered green stamps or shoplifters; manager’s first store or the struggling mom’s second job. Romance on aisle 10. Characters: Store owner/manager, security guards, delivery men, cranky or curious children, harried shoppers, overwhelmed clerks, student baggers, late night shelf stockers.

So, creative writers, why not explore how the CHANGES behind the door of the grocery store might help you craft an atypical, entertaining story?

Click here for part one, Behind the Doors of the Grocery Store: The Early American Era.

Jeannine

Jeannine Brummett lives in South Carolina with her husband of nineteen years, Don, who shares his three adult sons and three grandchildren with her. Reading is big on her list of things to do, but she also thrives on TV crime dramas, NBA basketball, and marvels at the critters and fowl life that live at the pond behind their house. She loves to sing praise songs, attend Bible Study, and help at a local food pantry

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Marketing Sense

Your First Step to Expand Your Author Platform: Develop a Community Built Upon Service

Marketing sense

Our author platform will never grow until we reach beyond our circle of family-and-friends to those in our target market whom we do not know…yet. Some feel the key to finding that specific group within the world’s population of more than 8 billion people is to YELL LOUDER. Uh, no…

Serving our audience in God’s name is the first step, and guess what? We can serve them long before our book is even published! Hooray!

If this sounds like madness, it’s actually genius, because as we serve, our audience is drawn to our message. They participate, ask follow-up questions, talk amongst themselves, and ask more questions. They want to know how our message applies to their specific situation.

This is called engagement, also known as building community. We want this!

As we create content: social media posts, podcasts, and Lead Magnets to name a few, we’re sharing MORE answers to the questions our audience is asking and helping them solve MORE problems they’re encountering today.

The real impact comes when they apply our message. We don’t offer information only. (You don’t, do you?) Our message must offer change. A synonym for change is transformation.  

Our audience comes to us–or stumbles upon us–and discovers we know what they’re going through. We offer solutions, not as an armchair quarterback but as someone who’s been down the same (or a similar) road. As we share our story and listen to theirs, commonalities spring to the surface that both parties recognize. Commonalities that we already knew existed but that they didn’t (at first). Those common traits, questions, challenges, or fears bind us together in (say it with me) community.

Now we’re not an outsider; we’re a trusted resource. We must do our utmost to earn and protect that description.

They’ll want to dive deeper or discuss a related issue and hear our solution for that. They’ll look to us for guidance, strategies, and encouragement. We can offer this as no one else can because of our life’s journey, which includes God delivering us over and over as we muddled our way through the maze of each problem. Our audience is in the same maze. Christ delivered us in part for our own sake and in part so we could guide them to freedom in His name. Hallelujah!

As they apply the wisdom in our message–which is God’s wisdom–stubborn problems begin to improve. Long-standing challenges shift, becoming less difficult. Their lives begin to change in ways that matter to them. They’ll remember that. They’ll remember us.

This is how we can build an online platform that will last for our ministry’s lifetime and not simply for the lifetime of one book.

This is why we don’t have to start over from scratch with every.single.project. Ack!

Once in relationship with audience members, we earn the right to let them know–periodically–how they can help us. Perhaps they can buy our book, attend our event, give their input on our next book’s cover image…the list goes on and on.

“Oh, no,” some say, “I don’t want to be one of those pushy authors always asking their audience to, “Buy! Buy! Buy!”

Does that thought weigh on your mind? Relax, Padawan (Star Wars reference there 🙂 ).

Remember, these people are in your community, and others are joining them. Why? Because you’ve helped them change their lives. So, they trust you and want to support you. You’re in their community now, too. Cool, huh?

And it all began when you started serving your audience for His sake and their benefit, letting Him bless your service as He saw fit, which, since He called you to write for Him, will likely include book sales. He’s so wise!

Part Two of this series 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.

Website: marketersonamission.com
Facebook: MarketersOnAMission

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Guest Posts

How to Write a Great Story in 5 Steps

Guest posts

People have always had a natural talent for telling stories. It is an essential means of communication and understanding the world, from old stories to contemporary discourse. Everyone has a tale to tell, and putting pen to paper can help you become a better writer and communicator. But what makes a good storyteller? Here are five easy ways to improve your story writing skills.

What is a Story?

At its essence, a story is a connected sequence of events. However, a well-rounded story contains these five essential elements:

  1. Setting: Where and when the story takes place.
  2. Plot: The sequence of events in the narrative.
  3. Conflict: The problem or challenge faced by the characters.
  4. Characters: The people or beings involved in the story.
  5. Theme: The underlying message or lesson conveyed.

Famous Examples of Storytelling

Consider Hemingway’s famous six-word story: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” Despite its brevity, it prompts the reader to infer the deeper elements such as setting, characters, conflict, and theme.

Another example is “Cosmic Report Card: Earth.” This short story gives a brief yet impactful evaluation of humanity’s existence. The power of storytelling lies in its ability to provoke thought, even with minimal words.

Similarly, “ThingsFromMars.com: A Portal to the Weird and Wonderful” captures the curiosity and imagination of visitors through its creative narrative. The story behind the brand compels readers to explore a world of quirky and unexpected gifts, making it both engaging and memorable.

Types of Stories

According to author Christopher Booker, there are seven basic types of stories:

  • Overcoming the Monster
  • Rags to Riches
  • The Quest
  • Voyage and Return
  • Rebirth
  • Comedy
  • Tragedy

Each type follows its narrative arc, but all share core storytelling elements.

Steps to Write a Great Story

1. Find Inspiration

Every great story begins with an idea. Inspiration can come from anywhere—your own experiences, current events, or even a “what if?” scenario. Keep a notebook to jot down ideas as they come to you.

2. Brainstorm

Once you have an idea, start brainstorming. Think of plot ideas, character traits, and possible conflicts. This is where you explore the potential directions your story can take. The more you brainstorm, the clearer your vision becomes.

3. Outline Your Story

Outlining is key to structuring your story. Include the main events in the plot, key character developments, and any essential details. A good outline helps keep your story focused and ensures you cover all necessary elements.

4. Write the First Draft

Now it’s time to write. Don’t worry about perfecting it—just write the story down on paper. Avoid editing as you go. The first draft is all about letting your ideas flow naturally.

5. Revise and Edit

Once your first draft is complete, take a step back. Seek feedback from others, and revise your story based on their input. Afterward, edit for grammar, spelling, and punctuation to ensure your writing is polished and error-free.

Examples of Timeless Stories

Some stories have withstood the test of time. Consider:

  • The Tortoise and the Hare: A fable that teaches the value of perseverance over speed.
  • Frankenstein by Mary Shelley: A tale exploring the conflict between humanity and nature, filled with timeless themes of life, death, and morality.

Conclusion

By understanding the elements of storytelling and following a structured writing process, you can write a great story. Whether you’re writing a novel or flash fiction, remember that every story starts with a single idea. Embrace your creativity, and let your unique voice shine through your storytelling.

Story Writing FAQs

What is a story? 

A story is a connected series of events with key elements like setting, characters, conflict, and theme.

How do stories work? 

Stories communicate messages through characters who face conflicts, ultimately leading to resolution or transformation.

What are the different types of stories? 

Stories can fall into categories such as overcoming the monster, rags to riches, the quest, voyage and return, rebirth, comedy, or tragedy.

Evelyn Johnson is a creative writer and entrepreneur with over 7 years of experience in the writing industry. As the founder of thingsfrommars.com, she combines creativity and business savvy to craft unique content that captivates audiences. Evelyn specializes in storytelling, corporate writing, and product marketing, sharing her expertise through industry insights. Connect with Evelyn on LinkedIn.

Categories
Kids Lit

Writing is a Group Activity!

Kids Lit

I recently went to an in-person retreat – one of the few I have gone to since COVID-19. I was hesitant about the person-to-person training, but more conferences are dropping the virtual or hybrid model. Sometimes there are perks for those who show up.

And I remembered how much energy can be generated by like-minded people who have made an effort to drive to rural Iowa to learn and share. Plus my list of “writing friends” just got longer!

Q:    What brings a group together?

A:     Common interests

  • sharing groups who write for specific markets exchange ideas and encourage each other
  • critique group to discuss and analyze manuscripts
  • authors releasing books in the same year who swap launch ideas swapping
  • launch groups focus energy on new releases
  • authors represented by the same publisher or agency
  • subgroups of larger organizations like SCBWI
  • librarians of a particular genre
  • Teachers of a specific grade

Q:     How do you engage?

A:     You bring YOU!

  • support and contribute first, comment on posts
  • build relationships not customers, answer questions, volunteer to help
  • be credible, encouraging, supportive
  • pick 5 individuals or groups of like-minded people and follow them on every platform
  • pick one day a week and comment on every post on one platform

Something new…

I heard about a new group strategy for writers that can assist in publicity and sales but are not with other writers. Since my next book is on trees (specifically the Quaking Aspen), I thought I’d see where the tree lovers are.

INSERT NOV PIX 3

Google: Shot in the Dark

I googled: “groups interested in trees”. I had my choice of several umbrella groups, but I chose one that included national forests. I found not only a blog but also a list of grants and partnerships I might explore. I signed up for the newsletter.

I googled “Quaking Aspen” and one of the first hits was our local Morton Arboretum, 20 minutes away! Which has a gift shop. And library story time!

Selecting one platform: Facebook

I am pretty active on Facebook so I tried the same search “groups interested in trees.” This time I found there were more local to the Chicago area and had volunteer opportunities. And a blog.

Word to the wise: I was excited and did a FB search for Quaking Aspen. I scored a rock music group and a family farm. Not every search was a hit!

Hoped for results: By the time my tree book is published in 2026!) I hope my name is familiar to other writers and maybe even local and not-so-local tree lovers. Stick around to see how this plays out!

Multi award winning author Robin Currie led public library children’s departments as a preschool literacy specialist. With more than 1.7 M copies sold of 40 picture books, she writes stories to read and read again! She is pretty bummed the publication date of her next book was pushed back a year but will use the time to build relationships!

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A Lighter Look at the Writer's Life

What Day is It?

lighter look at a writer's life

What day is it? Although I sometimes find myself wondering what day of the week it is, that is not what I am asking today when I ask that question. Today, I’m wondering if it is national pickle day or national take your cat to work day or one of the million other things that someone deemed should have its own special day. These focus days are good fodder for writers.

There are serious subject matters for some days, and they are important. Days such as National Organ Donor Day and National Grief Awareness Day could generate helpful and weighty articles for magazines. Just remember that magazines accept articles months in advance of the date they will be published so if you are going to write for a special day or occasion, plan accordingly.

Since this is a lighter look at writing, let’s think about some of the fun, lighthearted designated days. January 2nd is National Cream Puff Day. What a yummy idea starter to write about. The second Monday in January is clean off your desk day. I really need to observe that one before I can write about it. April 4th is Hug a Newsperson Day. Now that might get us on the news. National Wear Your Pajamas Day is April 16th. That’s strange, I thought every day was pajama day for writers.

Time to focus and come up with some writing ideas. Peanuts are a good subject. There is National Peanut Day, Peanut Butter Day, PB&J Day and so on and so on. Okay, we have a subject now, what can we write?  How about an article on peanut allergies for a parenting magazine. Maybe another article on the benefits of peanuts for a health pamphlet. Let’s not forget peanut people like George Washington Carver and our peanut farming president Jimmy Carter. One last note about peanuts. Did you know they aren’t really nuts. Interesting enough for an article, right?

If you don’t like peanuts then pick a nut, any nut. I’m sure there is a day for it. Don’t like nuts at all? No problem. Maybe you prefer chocolate, hard candy or fish. They all have a day. No matter what your taste you still have plenty of subjects to choose from and plenty of serious and ridiculous idea generating themes. So, find one and go nuts or not.

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.

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Award-Winning Author

AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR INTERVIEW — FICTIOn, with Darlene L. Turner

award-winning author

Can you share a little about your recent book?

In Yukon Wilderness Evidence,forensic botanist, Dr. Keeley Ash, is called to a crime scene where roots have grown into skeletal remains and she has to help date the tree to determine how long the bones have been hidden deep in the Yukon forest. When she’s abducted by hunters, she hides evidence and vows to bring the criminals to justice. Brett Ryerson arrives to tend to the injured and discovers a woman from his past. When they target and kidnap her before his eyes, he races into the forest to save her life.

Why do you write? Do you have a theme, message, or goal for your books?

I write to share God’s light in this darkened world. My stories always deal with everyday struggles we face. I share about hope, forgiveness, and trust in God’s sovereignty. It’s my hope that readers will be captured by the action-packed plot, inspired by the characters, and moved by the inspirational message.

How long have you been writing?

When I was young, I loved to read Nancy Drew, so I started writing my own version – the “Mindy Dobson” series. I wish I’d kept them as it would be fun to go back and read it (and laugh). This was when my first writing “spark” started. However, I didn’t pick up my pen again until my late twenties. Then more seriously about fifteen years ago.

And how long did it take you to get your first major book contract? Or are you published non-traditionally? How did that come about?

Approx ten years. It’s been a roller coaster ride but God has grown me throughout every rejection. It’s made me work on the writing craft which I will continue to. A writer is never done learning!

Which of your books is your favorite?

That’s a tough one! That’s like choosing your favorite child. I enjoyed writing Yukon Wilderness Evidence. It was so fun to include five-year-old MJ. I also had fun including a Nancy Drew angle in my upcoming book K-9 Ranch Protection. That doesn’t really answer your question, does it? I guess I can’t pick. 🙂

Do you have a favorite character or scene in one of your books?

In Alaskan Avalanche Escape, I created a “mountain man” named Bertie. He was so fun to write about and his story is a bit of a mystery, so I’m planning on going back and writing his story in a novella. He quickly stole my heart.

Tell us about an award you won that was particularly meaningful.

My book Safe House Exposed won the HOLT Medallion award in the short inspirational category. To win that award was such a blessing!

How long does it take you to write a book?

From concept to final complete manuscript – 3-4 months. That’s for the 55K LIS books. My trade book took a bit longer.

What’s your writing work schedule like?

I normally write from around 9 to 2ish. I find that’s when my best creativity flows. After that I work on edits, social media, memes, posts, etc.

Do you have an interesting writing quirk? If so, what is it?

I can’t say that I really do!

What has been your greatest joy(s) in your writing career?

I’d have to say that moment when my author copies arrive at my door. Opening that box and holding your “baby” in your hands NEVER gets old.

Could you tell us about a dark moment in your writing career?

Rejections. They’re tough, but part of every writer’s journey.

How many times in your career have you experienced rejection? How did they shape you?

Many, but I learned from each one and pressed forward! They say that each rejection gets you one step closer to the “one.”

Where do you get your ideas?

Lots of places. I often have ideas spark from watching scenes in movies and TV. Also, from some news stories and even dreams! Some conversations I overhear can also spark an idea. You just never know.

Who is your favorite author to read?

I can’t narrow it down to one. Jaime Jo Wright, Lynette Eason, DiAnn Mills and many more. LOL.

What advice can you give aspiring authors that you wished you had gotten, or that you wished you would have heeded?

I would say keep on and don’t give up. I know that’s easy to say as there were times when I felt like giving up, but I had many supporters cheer me on. Also, read writing books, go to conferences, and find a writing mentor. These will all help you. Finally, don’t compare yourself to other writers. Everyone’s journey is different.

What are common mistakes you see aspiring writers make?

Giving up too soon. It’s a journey. Work hard at the craft and keep writing, pitching, attending conferences.

Where/How do you recommend writers try to break into the market?

Definitely attend writers conferences and pitch your story to agents and editors. Meeting them face-to-face is the best way to get to the top of that infamous “slush” pile.

Darlene L. Turner is an award-winning and a Publishers Weekly best-selling author and lives with her husband, Jeff in Ontario, Canada. Her love of suspense began when she read her first Nancy Drew book. She’s turned that passion into her writing and believes readers will be captured by her plots, inspired by her strong characters, and moved by her inspirational message. You can connect with Darlene at www.darlenelturner.com where there’s suspense beyond borders. 

Social media links:

Purchase links:

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Devotions for Writers

A Man with a Plan

devotions

Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work… is finished. 1 Chronicles 28:20 (NIV)

David had big plans. The Lord had stirred his heart and emotions to build a magnificent temple to honor God. He was so excited about the concept that he hired stonecutters and amassed materials for the job site. David donned his construction hat and tool belt and headed to work.

God had other plans. David was assigned the role of visionary, and Solomon the task of builder. David’s anointing and authority didn’t change, but his job title did.

Was David disappointed? He pivoted to follow the new blueprint and bring his son on board. He organized the leaders and cast the vision. David explained the succession route and conferred the plan, entrusting the vision into another’s hands.

Exercise:

1 Kings 5 says cedar and pine logs were commissioned and floated by rafts on sea from Lebanon. Chapter 6 outlines the details at the stone quarry and respect shown for the Lord by silencing tools while building on site. The temple was paneled, carved, and lavishly decorated. It took seven years to finish.

  • What idea has God entrusted to you? 1 Chronicles 28:2
  • Write down the details. 1 Chronicles 28:19
  • What pieces of the map do you need to organize? 1 Chronicles 28:1
  • Affirm your calling. 1 Chronicles 28:9
  • How will you rise to the challenge? 1 Chronicles 28:20
  • Whom will you enlist to help with the work—prayer warriors, beta team, cheerleaders? 1 Chronicles 28:21

Does your WIP feel overwhelming? The intricate designs of the temple must have been mind-boggling. Stone by stone, the shape formed into a building and the building became a wonderful sight to behold. You will see progress as your outline morphs into chapters and chapters into a book. You are a writer with a plan that will require all your resources. Be strong and courageous. Set your project into action and let the momentum of steps accomplished carry you forward. Do not let fear, dismay, or overwhelm sidetrack you, for the Lord your God is with you. He will not fail or forsake you but will equip you to finish the work He has established!

What is your next block to set into place?
Sally Ferguson

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.

Visit Sally’s blog at sallyferguson.net

Categories
Writers Chat

Writers Chat Recap for October Part 2

Writers Chat Recap

Writers Chat, hosted by Johnnie Alexander, Brandy Brow, and Melissa Stroh, 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.”

Book Chat: Unleashing the Writer Within

In this round table discussion, we share our favorite highlights from NYT bestselling author Cecil (Cec) Murphey’s book, Unleash the Writer Within. Cec says, “The best kind of writing occurs when it comes from the heart. It’s called being authentic or transparent. Too many writers have an insatiable need to be accepted, liked, or admired, and those needs become more important than being true to their convictions. Be you when you write.” Find out if this book will be your next most-used and marked-up writing companion.

Watch the October 15th replay.

Under- and Overwriting

Author and editing coach Jeanne Marie Leach joins us to share tips on writing fiction–how to avoid the dual mistakes of underwriting and overwriting in your manuscript. In this episode of Writers Chat, she shares some of the more obscure yet impactful aspects of under- and overwriting in order to help you improve your craft.

Watch the October 29th replay.

Jeanne Marie Leach is an author, fiction editor, writing coach, and conference speaker. She loves reading, hiking, four-wheeling, cooking, and scrapbooking. She’s been married to her husband for forty-seven years, and they have a one-hundred-pound Alaskan Malamute, Kona, who loves the snow as much as she does. For a list of books and editing services, visit her website at www.novelimprovement.com

Disclaimer: The opinions and viewpoints presented by the cohosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and viewpoints of Writers Chat or Serious Writer, Inc.

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

Categories
Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

Helping Hands

It has now been over a month since Hurricane Helene tore through north-central Georgia where I live. The historical storm ripped through my community as a category one hurricane catching everyone off guard, including weather forecasters. No one predicted the severity of damage we experienced in the Central Savannah River area (CSRA).

  • Downed power towers
  • Downed cell phone towers
  • Thousands of trees uprooted blocking roads and destroying homes.
  • Loss of water supply
  • Food shortages
  • Fuel shortages

It didn’t matter who you were or where you lived in the CSRA, you experienced loss and hardships. Regardless of your financial status, race, religion, or political preference, people came together to get hot meals from local churches or the Red Cross.

For weeks after the hurricane, neighbors were out helping neighbors by removing debris from their property, sharing necessities, or simply just encouraging one another. So, I decided to use my health and physical abilities to get out and help others in my community also.

There are still people in my region who don’t have power or water. They will be the first to tell you the importance of getting a helping hand.  It will take months to years for many communities affected by Hurricane Helene to recover. It’s okay if people need a helping hand to get through the recovery process.

Helping Hands

I am old enough to know that we all need help at some point. Life was never meant to be a solo journey, but a community experience. We need others in our life to help and encourage us during the hard times.

Being part of the disabled community has humbled me. They taught me the importance of accepting help from them as well as others. I would have never made it through those first few months after my accident if it wasn’t for community. I can humbly share that help from others isn’t a handout, it is a helping hand when we need it the most. At first, my pride kept me from accepting help from others.

Various organizations are part of the Helping Hands initiative; most deal with persons with mental and cognitive special needs. These organizations come alongside persons with disabilities to help them navigate life. We cannot devalue a life because it is not like our own. Pride makes us think we can do things on our own, humility reminds us that we can’t and will need help from others at some point.

My disability is a constant reminder that it is better to be humble than to be humbled by a hardship in life. I have also seen the importance of asking for a helping hand within the writing community.

Writing Help

Most writers start out believing that the writing career is a solo process. I get it, we think since we have the “Great idea,” we can do everything from the beginning to the end by ourselves. It doesn’t take long for us to realize we have a fantasized understanding of the writing process and writing careers. Don’t laugh yet!

Because at some point the pressures and reality of publishing and writing careers break us and we each find ourselves looking for help from someone, anyone who can help us fulfill our writing passions. Writers need help throughout their writing journey from each other and others in the industry. The writing and publication process can be hard and can be discouraging.

You don’t have to be legally blind or have a TBI (traumatic brain injury) like me to learn you can’t do it all by yourself. That is why writers need community to help them on their writing journey. Help them by giving:

  1. Support
  2. Feedback
  3. Advice
  4. Reach
  5. Inspiration
  6. Help others

Recently, I found a typo in something I posted online—being a perfectionist, this mistake discouraged me. Often, I am my own worst critic, especially when it comes to mistakes. 

I shared my disappointment with my writer friend in Georgia. Her advice helped me push past my negative feelings and encouraged me to keep on posting. I was relieved to hear her similar experiences and the truth that, “Every writer misses typos at some point.” So, if you are like me, haunted by careless typos, rest assured you are in good company.

To my fellow wordsmith in Georgia, I say thank you for your help and encouragement. And to all of the other writers who have traveled this journey with me, I can never repay you for your help and guidance.

What I can do is press onward and pay it forward. For those of us who have received invaluable support and advice from other writers who are with us on our journeys, there is an inaudible obligation to help other writers who are struggling on their writing journeys.

Pay It Forward!

Being part of the disabled community, I don’t have a lot of resources to share with others. I do have time, physical health, and experience I can put to use or share with others. One of my promises to God after my accident was, I wouldn’t take my legs or physical health for granted. I would use my abilities to serve Him if He gave me the ability to move again.

God has blessed me with health and abilities beyond most people my age. In a lot of ways, I am in better shape than I was before my accident, and not just spiritually. I can run, walk, and lift more weight than most people half my age.

I have also learned the skills and art of writing during my 20+ years of pursuing the craft. Patience, wisdom, and strength come from enduring hardships and trials, not from living a happy-go-lucky life. So, what better way to show God my gratitude than to pay it forward to others who may be struggling in life or their writing goals?

  • Encourage
  • Share
  • Inspire
  • Advise

Recently, I connected with another writer online who lives in Colorado, a state I will always call home.Not only do we connect on our passion for the “Springs,” we both aspire to use our abilities and craft for a higher purpose. She has already used her abilities and faith to write her inspirational fantasies. Since she recently released her latest books, I decided to offer her some advice to help her grow her social media platforms and pointed her toward a mutual friend to help her with marketing.

How can you pay it forward to others in your community or circles of influence to help others who are struggling?  Sometimes it is the simple things that others need from our helping hands.

Martin Johnson

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.

Categories
Writing for YA

Jumpstart Evocative Writing During the Holidays

Does your prose suffer from overly mechanical writing? Your story gets there, but the scenery is somewhat bland? Or maybe even though you’ve pulled out all the stops, using every technique you know of to employ deep point of view, you still want to add a bit of umph to your writing with sensory detail and emotion? Perhaps your fiction is immersive enough, but you feel you could delve just a little deeper. Here are a few ideas to help sharpen your skills by using the holiday season as a time of observation, research, and inspiration for your writing. 

Human Behavior

The best writers are careful observers of human behavior and make use of their knowledge in both fiction and nonfiction writing. During the holidays, we can’t help but notice exaggerated and intense human behavior, whether in line at the store, in a coffee shop, at church, or at home. Even the casual observer is sure to encounter some interactions during the holiday season that may not be seen at other times of the year, both the positive and the not-so-positive.

We mingle with people who we don’t normally interact with every day. Perhaps these are people we don’t know well, such people as at work parties, school events, or community happenings. This can also apply to people we share a history with, relatives and family friends.

In the young adult arena, change happens fast. What is true of the attitudes, thoughts, and needs of young adults today may be different that it was in the past. Take the opportunity to reexamine any preconceived ideas you may have and use the knowledge gleaned to apply to your teen characters, while at the same time noting the unchanging elements all young people have faced.

The holiday season is different from the regular day-to-day. People are stressed, thrown into unusual circumstances, and as a result, display the complicated human nature in all its glory. Stress brings out all sorts of emotion and behaviors, including in ourselves. It can bring out the best—and worst—in us.

Chronicling the actions around us and our own internal reactions and thoughts can be useful. (Just don’t write down anything you wouldn’t want people to read!)

Unique Settings

If you have trouble describing settings or integrating sensory detail into your work, the holidays are the perfect time to take special note of surroundings. Over the next two months, novel sights and sounds will be plentiful. Music, food, beautiful decorations, all of these things are a treat for the senses. It’s a perfect time to catalog what you are experiencing as you taste your pumpkin pie, experience the texture, temperature, and scent. And a perfect time to think about memories or feelings that bubble to the surface, which leads me to another component of evocative writing, emotions.

Intense Emotions

If you’re brave enough to peel back some layers during the holiday season, you might find a world of emotional experiences to draw on. I feel like I can’t make it through the holiday season without diving headfirst into a sensory and emotional smorgasbord. I’d be hard-pressed to make it through any holiday season without tears of happiness, gratefulness, and grief. Sometimes all three simultaneously. 

Pay attention to the things that put a tear in your eye. Sit in the moment for a little while. Ignore the busyness and listen to what your heart is telling you.

Nostalgia and Connectivity 

Every year I bring out the nativity set my grandmother made for me. Then I tell my children about my grandmother. My youngest daughter never got to meet her because she had already passed away before my daughter was born. Yet I tell her the story every year. This is a perfect example of how we often mine our own experiences, capture the feeling and emotion, and pass the story on. The family stories we tell foster connection, as do the memories we keep.

The holidays naturally lend themselves to digging into our own emotions and tender feelings (fond or not) toward the past. Writers can use personal or collective stories as a springboard to do a similar thing with the stories they write, getting in touch with emotion on a deep level. There’s a reason Christmas stories and movies strive to create a nostalgic mood. It helps connect the audience to the story. For writers of young adult novels, reconnecting to the experiences and feelings of our younger selves can help us write authentic characters in our fiction.

Immerse yourself in a highly emotional, sensory environment, observe others reactions and your own, and take notes. Allow yourself to be inspired. Just make sure that you are also living in the moment and treasure all you are blessed with. Remember, the best material for writing—and for a life well-lived—is to live in the moment fully.

Donna Jo Stone is an award-winning multi-genre author. She writes contemporary young adult, historical fiction, and southern fiction. Many of her novels are about tough issues, but she always ends her stories on a note of hope. Finding the faith to carry on through hard battles in a common theme in Donna Jo’s books.

Donna Jo’s Christian Southern Coming of Age, When the Wildflowers Bloom Again, releases November 15th.
 
Babies are a gift from God, a truth fourteen-year-old Marigold (Mary) Parker knows full well, but the one she carries is the result of assault by her cousin. This secret can destroy her family, and Mary isn’t sure how much of the truth to reveal—or what to do about the baby.

For the latest news on upcoming releases, including her contemporary young adult novel, Promise Me Tomorrow, scheduled for release in 2025, sign up for Donna Jo’s newsletter at  donnajostone.com.

Donna Jo’s Christian Southern Coming of Age, When the Wildflowers Bloom Again, releases November 15th.

Babies are a gift from God, a truth fourteen-year-old Marigold (Mary) Parker knows full well, but the one she carries is the result of assault by her cousin. This secret can destroy her family, and Mary isn’t sure how much of the truth to reveal—or what to do about the baby.

For the latest news on upcoming releases, including her contemporary young adult novel, Promise Me Tomorrow, scheduled for release in 2025, sign up for Donna Jo’s newsletter at  donnajostone.com.

Categories
Book Proposals

Don’t Trust Your Spellchecker

            As writers, many people choose the course of least resistance. It’s easy to leave the spelling and grammar in your manuscript to your computer. Then the machine can mark any of these errors, you can go through each one, save it and be finished with that process. In this article, I want to give you some additional actions to make sure you submit the best version of your material before hitting the send button to that editor or literary agent.

            Book proposals require a lot of work, and anything you send to a publisher should be completely error- and typo-free. Here’s some additional steps every professional writer will take to make sure your submission is in the best possible shape. First, set it aside for a period of time—a day or even a few hours before returning to it and then read every line carefully and aloud to yourself. Why take this step to read it aloud? Because the ear is less forgiving than the eye.

            I will print my manuscript, grab a pencil or pen and read through it aloud. As I see something that needs to be changed, correct the paper version of my manuscript. Take the time to read every page of your proposal aloud. I encourage you to review it multiple times, rewrite and make sure every area is complete and your proposal is error free of typos. Also don’t completely trust the spelling checker and grammar features of your word processor. Yes, these feature help but you should not completely trust them.

Recently an author sent a manuscript that I read. When I informed her that it had numerous typographical or spelling errors, she instantly became defensive and said she had spellchecked it numerous times. The English language has many similar words, which your word processor program will not catch. You will have to read and reread your proposal aloud, in order to catch these types of errors.

Here is an example of two sentences that only a person can fix:

The red book was read.

The read book was red.

Each sentence is technically correct, but which one did the author intend to use? Only a person can make this decision and not a machine.

Throughout the publishing industry, there is all this talk about artificial intelligence. In my view you can use it for some things like research and possibly some initial drafts but at the end of the day, the words have to be done in your writing voice. I encourage you to drastically revise and rewrite anything generated from artificial intelligence to avoid any potential conflict.

Consider also taking your proposal to a critique group of other writers. (If you want to learn more about this topic, read my detailed article at terrylinks.com/critique.

Be careful who you let read your proposal, and always take the feedback of family members with a grain of salt.

Ultimately, you are the only person whose opinion on the proposal counts before you send it to a publisher and get their feedback. Some people tend to absorb every positive and negative word from other people. They need to evaluate the comments, take the good ones, and discard the poor ones (purely a subjective call on your part).

After receiving this feedback, make sure you’ve corrected and rewritten every sentence of your proposal and sample chapter to the best of your ability. This type of detailed approach to your proposal will aid in the reception of your materials at the publishing house. Too many proposals and cover letters arrive with missing and misspelled words. Your proposal will rise above the others if you have handled this concern with care and professionalism.

Terry Whalin

W. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in California. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Billy Graham. To help writers catch the attention of editors and agents, Terry wrote his bestselling Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. Get a free copy of his proposal book (follow the link). Check out his free Ebook, Platform Building Ideas for Every Author. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Connect with Terry on Twitter, Facebook, his blog and LinkedIn.

Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success

Categories
The Picky Pen

Considering Word Choice

Previously, we talked about the need to vary sentence structure to keep your writing from sounding repetitive. In that article, I compared it to word choice. This month, we are going to discuss how to avoid sounding like you are a writer with a limited vocabulary. Go on, break out those words you learned in English class! I remember filling out the numerous pages of activities in those vocabulary books we had in high school, but to be honest, the thesaurus was really my best friend in college. These days, finding replacement words is as easy as highlighting, right-clicking, and going to the built-in thesaurus in Microsoft Word.

There is more to word choice than just not sounding repetitive, though. Choosing the right word depends on several factors.

Questions to ask yourself when considering word choice:

1.    Who is your audience?

The words you choose should be appropriate for the intended audience. If your writing is informational, you are probably aiming at a specific audience; therefore, you will most likely be using technical jargon that those readers will already be familiar with. On the other hand, if you are aiming at the masses, you will use more commonly known words. Your choice of words is obviously going to be quite different if you are writing a piece such as a textbook than it would if you were writing a children’s picture book.

2.    Are your words specific enough for the reader to develop a clear picture?

Be descriptive. This can range from using a specific word to communicate meaning to using figurative language to make your writing more relatable to the reader.

Here are some examples to get you started.

·       Verbs

If you consistently use the word “said” when writing your dialogue, it begins to sound bland. Changing “said” to “squawked,” “bellowed,” or “sighed” lets the reader “hear” the tone being used, as well as envision the speaker’s body language. With a well-chosen verb, you may not even need an adverb, as it provides a visual description without it.

·       Subjects

The same subject in every sentence, such as a character, referring to an author, or using the same pronoun can quickly bore a reader. To keep the reader’s attention, you may want to use a transition phrase or place the dependent clause at the beginning of the sentence.

·       Similes and Metaphors

Use similes and metaphors to engage the senses when describing a scene. This allows the reader to activate prior experiences in order to understand what you are trying to convey. Experiences help the reader to create a vivid image, smell, feeling, or other sense in their mind.

·       Details

I am sure you are probably familiar with the phrase “It’s all in the details.” Well, that is exactly what we are talking about here. Those details are extremely important if you expect to have engaged readers that will return to your writing again and again. The reader does not want to know that the main character ate a hamburger. Instead, the reader wants to be able to visualize tasting that hamburger himself. It is not enough to say that you are standing in front of a mountain. Many people have never seen a mountain, so you need to paint a picture for that reader with sights and smells that they may already be familiar with.

3.    Is your passage too wordy?

I know, you are probably thinking that I just told you in the last section to be descriptive. Obviously, being descriptive often involves using lots of words, but not always. Sometimes, it is just best to be direct. This partially depends on your audience. If you are trying to inform readers who do not have prior knowledge of a subject, you may want to provide more specificity. On the other hand, you might not want to provide so much as to confuse the reader or make them lose interest. If you are writing to a group that is already well-informed on the subject, it may be best to be direct but use more technical jargon. There is a delicate balance to writing that can sometimes be difficult to navigate.

4.    Do your words fit the style and tone of your piece?

The tone of your writing serves to illustrate your emotional position, or feeling, regarding the subject you are writing about. Your word choice, the punctuation you use, and even sentence structure within your piece all convey what we call tone.

The two main types of tone are formal and informal.

·       Formal

Formal writing is typically used for academic purposes or other professional works. This tone is considered informational, or nonfiction. In this type of work, the writing is straightforward and full of facts. Sentences are grammatically correct, including no use of contractions.

·       Informal

Informal writing often sounds conversational and sometimes contains dialogue. Contractions can be used and the writer conveys more emotion.

Beyond being formal or informal, the tone of your writing can be just about any feeling there is.

Examples: angry, excited, friendly, worried, curious, humorous, cold

What tone do you think this piece has?

Word choice can be very difficult. Even if you are not sure which word to use during your initial version, you can (and should) edit and change words when you are done to make the piece flow well. Cut needless words so that your piece does not appear too wordy. Every word kept should express precisely what you want to communicate and should be needed in order to tell a part of the story.

Heather Malone

Heather Malone writes children’s books that focus mainly on Montessori education, special education, and nonfiction. She also dabbles in fiction. Her nonfiction book, Montessori from A to Z, was published in 2023, and her blog on homeschooling students with disabilities using the Montessori method can be viewed at spedmontessorisolutions.com. Her passion is education, which is evidenced by spending over twenty-five years in the field before leaving the classroom to now provide technical assistance to school districts. She lives with her husband and son in Ohio and enjoys traveling to new places in her free time.

Categories
Writers Chat

Writers Chat Recap for October,Part 1

Writers Chat Recap

Writers Chat, hosted by Johnnie Alexander, Brandy Brow, and Melissa Stroh, 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.”

Panning for Sentence Gold with Ann Neumann

When we self-edit, we become like miners panning for gold, sifting through the sediment of first and second drafts in search of glittering flakes. And like miners, we can put our sediment–our sentences–through classifying screens of varying mesh size to reveal superfine prose. Grammar expert Ann Neumann (writing as Cate Touryan) guides us through the “grammar as gold” screening process in this episode of Writers Chat.

Watch the October 1st replay.

Ann Neumann: As a university instructor and editor, Ann has taught writing to homeschoolers other projects, she taught and redesigned the foundational grammar course for UC Berkeley’s editing certificate program. As an author, she writes fiction and creative nonfiction under her pen name, Cate Touryan. Her debut YA novel is slated for release in May 2025. She lives on California’s foggy but beautiful central coast with her husband, her Yorkie, and a rafter of turkeys—as in both a whole bunch of them and in the rafters.

Writer’s Journey: Unexpected Turns with Kathy Brasby

Kathy joins us to share the twists and unexpected turns of her writing journey. She shared how God used past situations, good and bad, for her good years later. She explains how creating a spiritual timeline (an exercise based on Henry Blackaby’s “Experiencing God”) can connect us to our writing. Our journeys, she says, can resemble “flinging paint colors” onto a canvas, then stepping back to see the pattern. In closing, Kathy reminds us that God communicates with our imaginations ~ He whispers into our imaginations.

Watch the October 8th Replay.

Kathy Brasby is a former journalist who focuses on storytelling in both fiction and non-fiction pieces. Her award-winning writing includes five published books. She has created and taught Bible studies for over thirty years. She holds a BA in English and an MA in Theological Studies. Her website is KathyBrasby.net

Disclaimer: The opinions and viewpoints presented by the cohosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and viewpoints of Writers Chat or Serious Writer, Inc.

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

Categories
Magazine, Freelance, and Copywriting

How to Start Writing Professionally: Essential steps for Aspiring Authors

Landing your first professional writing gig can feel like an uphill task if you’re an aspiring author. Things can feel particularly bleak if you’re tied to the idea of landing a creative role and don’t want to take on positions in fields like advertising and content creation.

However, some of the world’s most cherished authors started their careers writing for commercial publications. Kurt Vonnegut famously learned his craft as a copywriter, as did novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald and sports journalist Murray Walker.

Being willing to take on commercial roles helps you hone your craft while working on creative side projects. You’ll master the art of the sentence while working on challenging briefs and are sure to widen your vocabulary while searching for new superlatives for a new candy bar or automobile.

Starting a Freelancing Side Hustle

Taking your first steps into the world of freelancing can be an exciting time. Turning your conjugations, commas, and clauses into hard cash is internally rewarding, too, as all that time spent in English classes finally starts to pay off. However, if you want to be successful in freelancing, you’ll need to treat your writing like a business rather than a creative pursuit.

You need to invest in yourself and your skill set to stand out from the crowd. At a minimum, you should set aside funds for further education and devote a few weeks of the year to attending workshops, advertising your new business, and improving your setup.

If you’re working with limited capital, consider taking a personal loan to cover start-up costs like computers, keyboards, and website domain hosting. Personal loans give you some additional flexibility but must be repaid on time lest they impact your credit score. As such, you’ll want to create a clear budget to set you up for long-term success as an author.

You don’t necessarily need to break the bank on courses, either. Some of the best copy/content writing courses are entirely free, including:

These courses cost you nothing and look great on your resume. They also prove that you’re serious about starting in the world of freelance writing and are aware of wider industry trends.  

Setting Yourself Up for Success

Before you can start charging for your wordsmithing skills, you must ensure you are ready to take on work. This may sound odd — after all, you’ve always found time to write for yourself at home — but things get a little more serious when writing professionally. Start by making the most of super-productive time-management tips like:

  • Scheduling time to respond to emails;
  • Minimizing distractions in your workspace;
  • Planning the day’s activities in advance;
  • Set (and stick to!) working hours.

You’ll also need to invest in upgrading your internet connection. Fiber optic offers the best internet for remote work, as it typically offers a huge bandwidth, fast download speeds, and great upload rates. You don’t want to wait for pages to load for emails to send when you’re up against the clock on demanding projects.

When investing in your setup, be sure to pick up two monitors. This insider’s trick will save you hours every week, as you’ll likely be referring to content from across the web when writing copy for businesses, blogs, and big brands. A second monitor will pay dividends in a short period by meaningfully bolstering your productivity and reducing the amount of time you spend clicking through tabs.

You’ll also need to create a strong portfolio if you want to continue to see the cash roll in for your content creation services. A strong portfolio is essential when applying for roles or liaising with clients, as people will want to see that you have a strong track record of producing high-quality content. Work with a website builder to streamline the process or expand your skill set by creating your own site using a hosting service like Weebly, WordPress, or Squarespace.

Finding Time for Creative Projects

Leaping into the world of professional writing can help you hone your wordsmithing skills and can quickly turn into a full-time gig. However, when writing professionally, it’s easy to overlook your own creative projects.


Make time for your next novel, poetry collection, or journalism by creating a writing ritual and scheduling a day for creative projects. For example, if you typically work from Monday to Friday, consider dedicating the occasional Friday solely to non-work projects. Doing so can protect your love for creative writing and will help you achieve goals like publishing short stories or landing a creative position in a poetry journal.

Conclusion 

Writing professionally is easier than most writers imagine. However, before you start charging for your services, you need to ensure that you are set up for success. Get the ball rolling by gaining a few qualifications and upgrading your setup. High-speed wifi, dual monitors, and a basic understanding of SEO principles will set you apart from the crowd and help you earn more as a writer

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.

Categories
Kids Lit

Writing is a Group Activity!

Kids Lit

I recently went to an in-person retreat – one of the few I have gone to since COVID-19. I was hesitant about the person-to-person training, but more conferences are dropping the virtual or hybrid model. Sometimes there are perks for those who show up.

And I remembered how much energy can be generated by like-minded people who have made an effort to drive to rural Iowa to learn and share. Plus my list of “writing friends” just got longer!

Q:        What brings a group together?

A:        Common interests

  • sharing groups who write for specific markets exchange ideas and encourage each other
  • critique group to discuss and analyze manuscripts
  • authors releasing books in the same year who swap launch ideas swapping
  • launch groups focus energy on new releases
  • authors represented by the same publisher or agency
  • subgroups of larger organizations like SCBWI
  • librarians of a particular genre
  • Teachers of a specific grade

Q:        How do you engage?

A:        You bring YOU!

  • support and contribute first, comment on posts
  • build relationships not customers, answer questions, volunteer to help
  • be credible, encouraging, supportive
  • pick 5 individuals or groups of like-minded people and follow them on every platform
  • pick one day a week and comment on every post on one platform

Something new…

I heard about a new group strategy for writers that can assist in publicity and sales but are not with other writers. Since my next book is on trees (specifically the Quaking Aspen), I thought I’d see where the tree lovers are.

Google: Shot in the Dark

I googled: “groups interested in trees”. I had my choice of several umbrella groups, but I chose one that included national forests. I found not only a blog but also a list of grants and partnerships I might explore. I signed up for the newsletter.

I googled “Quaking Aspen” and one of the first hits was our local Morton Arboretum, 20 minutes away! Which has a gift shop. And library story time!

Selecting one platform: Facebook

I am pretty active on Facebook so I tried the same search “groups interested in trees.” This time I found there were more local to the Chicago area and had volunteer opportunities. And a blog.

Word to the wise: I was excited and did a FB search for Quaking Aspen. I scored a rock music group and a family farm. Not every search was a hit!

Hoped for results: By the time my tree book is published in 2026!) I hope my name is familiar to other writers and maybe even local and not-so-local tree lovers. Stick around to see how this plays out!

Multi award winning author Robin Currie led public library children’s departments as a preschool literacy specialist. With more than 1.7 M copies sold of 40 picture books, she writes stories to read and read again! She is pretty bummed the publication date of her next book was pushed back a year but will use the time to build relationships!

Categories
A Lighter Look at the Writer's Life

What’s Your Season?

lighter look at a writer's life

Life consists of seasons, and, weather-wise, as I type this post, we are beginning my favorite season: fall.

I live in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, where fall colors are beautiful and abundant this time of year. I would put our fall foliage up against any in the entire world. A couple days a week, I cross a mountain to work at another campus, and the scenery is breathtaking once the calendar turns to October. My wife and I got married in mid-October at the season’s peak, and our wedding pictures are even more special with the brilliant colors in the background.

Next comes winter. I am not really a fan of that one. The brilliant colors eventually go away, and we’re left with barren trees and gray landscapes. Add in snow and freezing temperatures, and I am not crazy about it. The winters here have been fairly mild the last few years, so spring weather comes sooner with its promise of warmer temps and green returning to the foliage.

We won’t even talk about summer. Extreme heat is not my friend. Let’s just say I’m in a relationship with air conditioning, and it is serious.

What about real, everyday life? Do we go through seasons? Absolutely.

If I had to name the season my family and I have been going through lately, I would call it “rough.” I will spare you the details, but it has been comparable to a long winter. I am not complaining, because I know three basic truths: (1) I am still blessed beyond measure; (2) God is still in control; (3) seasons like this one don’t last forever.

Writing falls into this idea of seasons as well. Some writing seasons are full  and creative, when the ideas and the contracts are flying like the leaves flying off the trees. Other seasons are a bit barren, when creativity is hard and the words and contracts aren’t coming. The advice I have for this type of season, just like a rough patch in life, is to hold on.

Just as it can’t be fall all year long, writing can’t be on “high” level all the time. Valleys happen, and we have to learn how to live with them and deal with them. Maybe your current writing feels like it isn’t going well, but you don’t have to be stagnant. This could be the time to brush up on your skills, experiment with a different genre, or write something just for you with no plan for publication. Exercising your writing muscles even without an official assignment is valuable.

It may seem cliché, but seasons do change. Enjoy (or endure) the current season and look forward to the next. Now, let’s go play in some leaves!

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.

Categories
Devotions for Writers

Teaming Up with God

devotions

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28 (NIV)

Our local Fall Festival hosted a Horse Pull. Belgians and Percherons presented muscular bodies and fancy tack. The shaved manes produced a stately sight with harness buckles gleaming in the sun. We watched the massive beasts take their cue to move in line with the weighted sled. They pranced impatiently as their handlers hefted the bar to hook to the stone boat, starting at 2,000 pounds. With one word and a flick of the reins, the handlers strained against the jump when the animals sprang into action. 600 pounds were added to the sled after each round. Six teams narrowed down to four, then three, until the last teams competed for the most powerful title.

Exercise:

In Abba’s Child, Brennan Manning says, “It takes a profound conversion to accept that God is relentlessly tender and compassionate toward us just as we are—not in spite of our sins and faults (that would not be total acceptance), but with them.” (p. 3)

If we understood God as a teammate instead of a taskmaster would that change our approach to working with Him, instead of against Him?

The Black Team of Draft horses struggled against their harnesses and each other. They were jumpy, jittery, and jumbled in their pulls. The Chestnut Team flexed smoothly in unison. They heard their master’s prompts and functioned as one unit, resulting in a beautiful picture of cohesiveness.

The Black Team exhibited wild fear. The Chestnut Team displayed peaceful confidence. Which would you rather emulate?

Look up the following verses and respond.

  • Matthew 11:29-30. What does it mean to be yoked with God?
  • John 14:16-17, 26. How does God team up with us?
  • Hebrews 13:20-21. What will God equip you with?
  • 2 Corinthians 9:8. What does God supply?

Do these verses refer to a tyrant or a tandem ally? Brennan Manning says, “My own journey has taught me that only when I feel safe with God do I feel safe with myself.” (p. 14)

The times when I jump ahead of the Lord’s plan, my self-sufficiency leaves me weary and worn. Instead, I am learning to trust the loving care of my heavenly Father to work in unison with Him, realizing a much better outcome in the daily pulls of life.

How will you team up with God?

Resource:

Abba’s Child: The Cry of the Heart for Intimate Belonging, by Brennan Manning. NavPress, 2015.

Sally Ferguson

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.

Visit Sally’s blog at sallyferguson.net

Categories
Award-Winning Author

Award-Winning author Interview with Maureen Miller

award-winning author

Can you share a little about your recent book?

Most recently, I’m honored to be part of Michelle Rayburn’s A Life, Repurposed Compilation This ReImagined Empty Nest. I’m also thankful to be part of Guideposts’ All God’s Creatures yearly devotional (2024, 2025 released; 2026 not yet released). Most of my work thus far is nonfiction collaborative work, as I love being part of a team!

Why do you write? Do you have a theme, message, or goal for your books?

I write because, much like the quote from Chariots of Fire, I feel I was created for writing. When I write, I sense God’s pleasure. My themes often come from nature as I pray to live with eyes and ears open to see and hear God in His created world. I desire to point readers to God and His son Jesus through my words.

How long have you been writing?

Professionally, since about 2006, but I’ve loved to write for most of my life.

And how long did it take you to get your first major book contract? Or are you published non-traditionally? How did that come about?

Because I write for collaboratives, I answer calls for submissions, adhering to the submission guidelines as best I can and wait to hear if my story is chosen. I’m published non-traditionally too (a self-published children’s book Daisy the Circus Dog), and I discover most of my opportunities through AWSA (Advanced Writers / Speakers Assoc.) and my Word Weaver group.

Which of your books is your favorite?

I think I most enjoy writing devotions for All God’s Creatures (Guideposts) because I get to write about a favorite subject—animals!

Tell us about an award you won that was particularly meaningful.

I recently learned two stories I submitted to the Writer’s Digest 2024 contest won honorable mention. This is particularly special because they were selected from more than 4000 applicants spanning 44 countries. They were chosen for the inspirational / spiritual category, and I know that some who would not profess Jesus read them, which means my message of God’s love and presence in our lives was heard. (That’s why I write!)

How long does it take you to write a book?

My first novel (not nonfiction, but the only book I’ve written by myself) has taken more than fifteen years, and is due to release next year. Titled Gideon’s Book, I call it my “long obedience in the same direction,” to borrow the phrase from the late Eugene Peterson.

What’s your writing work schedule like?

When our teenage daughter is in school, I have a more normal writing routine. I usually write from about 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on weekdays (typically 3-5 days a week). I don’t write in the evenings and very little on weekends.

Do you have an interesting writing quirk? If so, what is it?

I keep things that inspire me (including inspirational books) all around. I’m visual and love to see color, texture, patterns, etc. I’m nostalgic and memories evoke ideas, so I keep special things in my office that stir memories. I write in silence, except for my writing partner’s occasional panting and snoring. (Prancer, our Golden, is a good office buddy!)

What has been your greatest joy(s) in your writing career?

The relationships and the best friendships ever. I’ve made so many dear friends through this writing life, and I am so blessed by them!

Could you tell us about a dark moment in your writing career?

I hit send in 2020 on the first draft of my novel and waited. Everyone seemed to write a book in 2020 when we were in the Isolation Age. I grew discouraged waiting to hear back about it, but God used that time to encourage me to “hone my craft” as the wonderful Cecil Murphey says. That’s when I grew as a fiction writer and began pursing avenues for collaborative work. God redeemed the time and brought beautiful things from that discouraging season.

How many times in your career have you experienced rejection? How did they shape you?

Writers should face rejection because that means they are trying and putting themselves out there. I have faced it a number of times too, but I try to learn from what those who’ve said no suggest, whether it’s concerning following (NOT FOLLOWING!) submission guidelines or for some other reason. There’s something to learn in every yes and no.

Where do you get your ideas?

I try to listen to life—kids, grandchildren, pets and farm animals, circumstances… you name it! My ideas come from living with eyes and ears open and a prayer to see and hear upon my lips!

Who is your favorite author to read? I love Cheryl Bostrom, Cindy Sproles, Lori Roeleveld, Corrie Ten Boon, Elisabeth Elliot, and Lynn Austin, to name a few. (There are too many to write!)

What advice can you give aspiring writers that you wished you had gotten, or that you wished you would have heeded?

In the words of Dory from Finding Nemo, Just Keep Swimming! (This hangs in my office!); Ask the Lord to “Establish the work of your hands for you…” (Ps. 90:17), that His favor may rest upon you every day; put on your “armor” daily; always keep a learning spirit! AND… follow submission guidelines!

What are common mistakes you see aspiring writers make?

They throw in the towel too soon. They compare themselves to others rather than discovering their own unique voice. They don’t include God in the equation, and they don’t follow submission guidelines. (Yes, our words are precious but sometimes those darlins gotta go!)

Where/How do you recommend writers try to break into the market?

Attend writers’ conferences and retreats! The connections / relationships / friendships discovered are the most valuable, and God uses others to hold open doors of opportunity. Also participate in writers’ groups (Word Weavers International, etc.) and learn from others while being an encourager to others. Always pray and ask God to use you in others’ lives as an encourager. This is one prayer He WILL answer!

Maureen Miller is an award-winning author featured in more than twenty collaboratives. She writes for her local newspaper, is a contributing writer for Guideposts, and a featured blogger for several online devotional websites. She loves life in all its forms and enjoys it with her husband and their three children and grandchildren on Selah Farm in western North Carolina. She blogs at www.penningpansies.com, sharing God’s extraordinary character in the ordinary, and she’s finishing her first novel, Gideon’s Book.

Categories
Writers Chat

Writers Chat Recap for September Part 2

Writers Chat Recap

Writers Chat, hosted by Johnnie Alexander, Brandy Brow, and Melissa Stroh, 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.”

Writing Winning Articles Every Time—The Pyramid Method with Cheri Cowell

In this episode of Writers Chat, founder and owner of EABooks Publishing, Cheri Cowell, shares the secret to writing articles that get published in this workshop. She unveils the aspects of articles you may have noticed but never “seen” before.

Watch the September 17th replay.

Cheri Cowell is the Founder and owner of EABooks Publishing, the author of four traditionally published books and over 700 articles. In her local critique group, Cheri became known as the article queen. And on a personal note, Cheri and her husband, Randy, own luxury rental treehouses in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.

Come Write with Us—Vivid Settings

This episode of Come Write with Us focuses on the creation of vivid settings. Co-host and author Brandy Brow leads our participants in a series of exercises drawn from the popular book, Word Painting, by Rebecca McClanahan. Learn how to create vivid settings, in either fiction or nonfiction, that evoke feeling and a sense of place for your readers.

Watch the September 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

Categories
Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

Don’t Rush the Process

Earlier this month, my friend suffered a stroke while working. He struggled with the effects of the stroke on his body. After starting physical therapy, he was eager to return to work and his daily routines.

Since I’ve suffered both strokes and a traumatic brain injury (TBI), I decided to share my experience of life after a stroke. Some things may never return to normal and we need to accept our lives have changed.

  • Inpatient
  • Depressed
  • Struggle to focus

As hard as it is to believe, we need to understand there is a reason for the rehabilitation process. It is a time to test our abilities. It is a season to learn how our lives have changed. The hardest part is learning we cannot rush recovery; it takes time to gather and process the information.

It’s a Process

Let’s be honest, no one likes to wait, especially when it comes to life events. We set goals and make plans and hope to achieve them. We are taught that if we put in the work and believe, we can do anything.

And then we are off in a sprint towards our goals. This can be devastating for a person with a TBI or health issues because it puts us at a higher risk of injury. That is why we need to understand the recovery process is a grueling marathon, not a fast-paced sprint.

The rehabilitation process is a systematic way of assessing limitations and strengthening our areas of weakness. Skipping any step in the process will affect an individual negatively in the long run.

My accident humbled me and slowed my life and body down; I had to learn to listen to others who understood my brain injury better than I did. I also needed to trust others and the recovery process.

I learned to take health matters more seriously if I wanted my life to improve. It was clear to me that I needed to slow down to rest my body and my brain. This is also true for writers who are serious about pursuing a writing career.

The Writing Race

If you are like me, you like to be productive as a writer and you understand the need to be proactive as a writer. Isn’t that why so many of us set word count goals for each day?

Unfortunately, some writers focus too much on quantity rather than quality. As a freelancer, I sometimes think I can make more money if I can write more words. However, trying to get more words down quickly can have a negative impact if the quality of the words written is subpar.

FYI, I write using speech dictation software and can write a lot of words in a short amount of time, but my words have to work—they need to be quality content. Clients and their audiences don’t like poor quality or filler words. If our words lack power or influence, then they are useless.

I can also make hasty mistakes by writing quickly and for a perfectionist like myself; careless mistakes are like salt in the wound on top of poor-quality content.  As writers, we cannot rush the writing process or the publication process. Below are some tips to navigate your writing process.

  1. Identify the next step: don’t attempt everything at once.
  2. Give that next step your full attention.
  3. Recognize when it’s good enough.
  4. Take breaks.
  5. Edit later.

I was taught to be professional in my writing at all times. Nothing says amateur like rushing the writing process. Professionals learn the craft and hone their skills. It doesn’t matter if we meet our word count if my words don’t make sense. One of my life hacks is to focus on quality more than quantity.

Quality

if you have ever suffered a health issue or near-death experience, you’ve heard the doctors discuss the “Quality of life” implications and effects that follow life-changing events. I can attest that surviving an accident isn’t always positive if it severely hinders one’s quality of life.

TBI and stroke survivors quickly understand their lives have been changed forever and they must learn to focus on a new quality of life. I will be blunt; my standard of life is not like most people who take simple things for granted.

Many people focus too much on big accomplishments and temporary happiness. The quality of life for a disabled person may be different but is still a valuable life. I try not to focus too much on what I do or don’t have, because I almost lost it all.

  • Health
  • Faith
  • Possessions

This month my friend, who had an epileptic family member (whom I mentioned last month), had another family member diagnosed with brain cancer. This diagnosis came while the family was at the hospital together with the aforementioned family member.

She was so concerned about getting one family back to normal life, that she didn’t expect another to have health issues. Now her doctors are assessing the quality of life for yet another family member after trying to rush through the recovery of another.

Have you learned not rush the process?

Martin Johnson

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.

Categories
Writing for YA

Tips for the Spotlight Shy Author: Written INterviews

I don’t know about you, but I’m not a huge fan of the spotlight. I’m completely comfortable speaking in public as long as I’m the one asking questions, but I get a little nervous when the tables are turned. It’s probably no surprise to you that not all writers are comfortable with public appearances and interviews. After all, writers spend their days with keyboard or pen, choosing written words as a way to communicate.

Written interviews are a natural for authors, but still come with a few pitfalls. It’s wise to avoid the common mistakes and be a good interviewee. Interviewing for blog posts can feel more informal and may be a little less intimidating than other types of interviews. (I’ll talk about those other types in a different blog post.)

Bloggers may offer spots for interviews, book excerpts, guest posts, or book reviews. I’m focusing on interviews, but the same rules apply for these other types of written posts as well.

Where to Find Opportunities

Blogs and Online Avenues

Young Adult book blogs that post author interviews are easy to find by a search of wordpress or other blogging platforms, but the best bet are those with recent entries.

Once you’ve found a blog that fits, look for a FAQ page, a contact form, or an email. Some blogs will provide a link to a google form. If they do, make sure to fill it out completely and follow all the directions.

Authors can also find opportunities for mini reviews in other social media communities.

A note of caution: While there are legitimate marketing companies that use social media platforms, be cautious of those offering to do interviews or features in exchange for a fee. Research and do your due diligence before shelling out any cash.

Don’t be afraid to ask for spots or book blogs or on author blogs. Many are happy to have a guest!

Print Magazines and Newspapers

These are more “one and done”. You can find contact information in the byline of a particular columnist, or in the publication’s masthead. Make sure the contact information is up to date before emailing the columnist. Unless you know the person, I suggest sending a businesslike query at first contact, introducing yourself and explaining why they should feature you or your work.

After Getting the Interview or Post

Before responding with your answers, read over the directions and make sure you understand what the interviewer is requesting. Stick to the agreed-upon topic. Pay attention to due dates, word limits, and include any requested additional information such as excerpts, author photos, book cover images, book quotes, buy links, and social media links.

If you need to reschedule, notify the interviewer as soon as possible.

Make the Best Use of the Opportunity

Use all your writing skills to produce quality copy, answering the questions clearly while still staying within word limits. Try to let your own unique voice shine through. Remember, this is an opportunity to introduce yourself to future readers and fans! Once you’ve written out your responses, use a spellchecker, a grammar checker, and do a final proofread of your work before sending it off.

Understand that your responses or article may be edited or that there may be follow-up questions. Be sure to respond to any correspondence, taking note of deadlines. Keep in mind there may be a lead time, and exercise patience while waiting for your interview to be published.

If the interview is for a blogger—depending on the type of post—engaging commenters by replying to their comments can be a great way to make connections with new readers.

Let Your Fans Know

After the interview is published, you can get mileage out of the article by sharing a link on your social media. Another idea is to post a lead-in link on your blog or in your newsletter.

Are you an author of young adult fiction looking for an interview opportunity here at Almost an Author? Contact me at donnajostone@gmail.com

Have any tips to add? Leave a comment!

Donna Jo Stone is an award-winning multi-genre author. She writes contemporary young adult, historical fiction, and southern fiction. Many of her novels are about tough issues, but she always ends her stories on a note of hope. Finding the faith to carry on through hard battles in a common theme in Donna Jo’s books.

The first novel in Donna Jo’s young adult series, Promise Me Tomorrow, is scheduled for publication in 2025.

Her short romance, A Wedding to Remember, released Feb 1st, her adult 1960s inspy romance, JOANN: Apron Strings Books 5, released May 15th, and her Small Town Christian Domestic Suspense with Romance, The Key Collector’s Promise, released September 6th .

Stay in touch and receive the latest news by signing up for Donna Jo’s newsletter at  donnajostone.com.

Categories
Book Proposals

The Hardest Element to Find on Your Proposal

The most difficult element to find in your book proposal is something that is missing or not there. I encourage you to read this article to the end because in my conclusion, I’m going to give you a free tool to make sure your book proposal isn’t missing any elements.  

Currently most submissions to editors and agents are electronic.

One of the consistent failures of authors is to include their physical address and phone number. At Morgan James Publishing, we receive over 5,000 submissions a year and each one are sent a letter of acknowledgement in the US mail. Countless times I have to ask authors for their address and phone number because it is missing from their proposal submission. If you are missing this information, you could be asking for rejection.

Some submissions are still sent through the mail.

It is presumptuous to assume because you invested in an overnight package that the publisher is going to put postage on your manuscript and return it to you. A publisher who receives thousands of unsolicited proposals and manuscripts each year will not invest in the expense of returning such documents. Instead they will be discarded. Only if you include return postage for a letter response or an email address will you be able to receive the rejection or personal feedback from the editor.

Because of the volumes of proposals, publishers are not going to devote their financial resources to returning those without a SASE. The cost is too prohibitive and unnecessary. It is the author’s responsibility to provide the publisher with an email address or return postage for their submission. Neglecting this detail is a dead giveaway that you are unpublished.

Also don’t expect a personal response—even if you met an editor at a writer’s conference and used that information in the introductory paragraph of your cover letter. I have taught at many writers’ conferences, sometimes almost one a month. I have met literally thousands of new people. It’s hard to keep all of those details straight. My schedule was fairly typical for an acquisitions editor in the publishing industry.

No editor likes to write rejection letters, yet it comes with the job description.

Remember also that the editor isn’t running a critique service for your proposal or manuscript when it is rejected. They would like to give a personal response with each rejection, but with the volume of submissions, it simply isn’t possible. If you do get a handwritten note or any sort of personal feedback, realize the encouragement and positive nature of this small sign from the editor—and do take it to heart. If they write, “This one isn’t right for us, but you should keep trying,” then keep trying with a different book proposal.

It is ironic to me that year after year at writers’ conferences I see the same writer trying to sell the same book proposal to the same editors. I admire persistence, but in some cases persistence is taken to ridiculous lengths. If a publishing house turns down your proposal, move on to another publishing house. Some writers work hard on marketing a single nonfiction or fiction book proposal or manuscript and repeatedly walk with great anxiety each day to their mailbox to see if it is accepted. Instead of this single focus, I suggest you turn your attention to another book proposal or a magazine article (something shorter where you can be successful and published). As you take this type of action it will make waiting much easier.

During my years in publishing, I sent proposals to a variety of publishing houses, either personally or through an agent, and some of these proposals have not been sold or contracted. Instead of continuing to push them into the market, I’ve tucked them into a folder and pressed on to another proposal or idea. From my perspective, the world is not limited to a single idea or a single project. You will have far greater success as a writer with multiple projects in the works, instead of continually focusing on a single proposal. When you mail a stack of proposals to publishers or agents, give yourself a few days of rest, then begin writing another book proposal to send out into the market.

During my years of running my own freelance business, I commonly had five different books contracted at any given time. This idea made some writers’ heads swim. They wondered how I kept track of the various projects. I simply staggered the deadlines for the various books and worked on a new proposal and a current manuscript all the time. It gave me a steady stream of work and income. It also meant that when I completed a manuscript or a proposal, I started on another one. You may work differently, but I encourage you to have multiple ideas and multiple proposals in various stages of completion so you will increase your chances of success and publication.

Understand the importance of including a self-addressed, stamped envelope or an email address for a response.

And if you don’t want your proposal or manuscript returned, then be sure your cover letter clearly states this information. It’s a key secret to your success.

In the opening to this article, I promised to give you a free tool to send a complete proposal and not miss a critical aspect. I’ve created a free book proposal checklist. Just follow this link, get it but most importantly read it and use the information for your submissions. I wish every author the greatest success.

Terry Whalin

W. Terry Whalin, a writer and acquisitions editor lives in California. A former magazine editor and former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 nonfiction books including Jumpstart Your Publishing Dreams and Billy Graham. To help writers catch the attention of editors and agents, Terry wrote his bestselling Book Proposals That $ell, 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. Get a free copy of his proposal book (follow the link). Check out his free Ebook, Platform Building Ideas for Every Author. His website is located at: www.terrywhalin.com. Connect with Terry on Twitter, Facebook, his blog and LinkedIn.

Book Proposals
Categories
A3 Contributor Book Release

A3 Author Book Release: The Key Collector’s Promise: A 1980s Suspense with Romance at Our House on Sycamore Street

From the Publisher

When young real estate agent Sandra Lejeune rece​ives an anonymous letter threatening her family, she leaves her ​home in Cypress Bend, Louisiana and travels to England, inten​ding to warn her estranged mother. But first she has to find her.​ Sandra starts her search in the Suffolk coastal village of Ede​n Cove, untangling memories and mysteries along the way. W​ho sent the letter? Her father’s shady business partners? The ​private investigator Sandra previously hired? Or someone else en​tirely?

She came to warn her estranged mother of danger. But will the cost of unraveling family secrets be too much to bear? If you love domestic suspense with romance, you’ll love The Key Collector’s Promise. 

Award-winning author Donna Jo Stone delivers a tale of domestic suspense infused with family drama and a dash of southern charm. You can purchase The Key Collector’s Promise: A 1980s Suspense with Romance on Amazon, which released on September 6, 2024.

The Key Collector’s Promise is part of the Our House on Sycamore Street, a new multi-author, multi-genre series set in quaint and quirky Eden Cove, an English seaside town with plenty of spirit. With stories of redemption and salvation behind every door, you’re sure to find a new tale of romance, intrigue, humor or heart. All you have to do is knock!

Donna Jo Stone writes southern-flavored novels for the inspirational and general market for adults and young adults. Her stories are often about people facing tough times. Not all of her books have romance but when they do, the romances are sweet. No graphic language, sex, or violence, just plenty of heart-tugging emotion with endings that leave readers with a sense of hope.

When she’s not writing or reading, she spends her time hanging out with family and friends, and occasionally visits bookshops and fabric sales. 

You can learn more about Donna Jo by visiting her at donnajostone.com.

Categories
Writers Chat

Writers Chat Recap for September Part 1

Writers Chat Recap

Writers Chat, hosted by Johnnie Alexander, Brandy Brow, and Melissa Stroh, 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 Procrastination with Brandy Brow

Co-host and author Brandy Brow leads the Writers Chat community in a discussion on procrastinating, which she defines as “intentional avoidance.” We talk about the reasons we as writers procrastinate even when a deadline is looming and share tips on ways to prevent procrastination from becoming a problem. In a bit of a “plot twist,” however, we also talk about the positive results that can come from recognizing and even accepting our procrastination tendencies.

Watch the September 10th replay.

Brandy Brow, Writers Chat co-host who freelance edits and writes flash fiction and short stories for the general market, plus articles and devotions. Her fiction explores the highs and lows of human nature and ranges from normal to strange. She loves to help writers improve their craft.

Disclaimer: The opinions and viewpoints presented by the cohosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and viewpoints of Writers Chat or Serious Writer, Inc.

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