At a recent writers’ group meeting, a
member asked, “What, exactly, is young adult?”
I gave the short answer: “When the
protagonist is a young person.”
That didn’t quite satisfy. After all,
scads of books have a teen as a main character, and those aren’t always
categorized as Young Adult. A conversation ensued about various popular books
labeled as YA.
It’s not as straightforward as one would
think.
I thought I’d ask some YA authors.
“Young Adult readers range from age 13 up. Many of
my readers are adults who prefer the “clean” nature typically associated with
YA. Stories may feature mature themes, but do so without resorting to graphic
sex or violence.”
Felicia Bridges, author of the award winning
International Mission Force series
While Young adult novels are written for
people between 12 and 18 years of age, about half of YA readers are 18 and up. Within
the genre the categories include most of those that are found in adult fiction,
such as Mystery, Romance, Historical, Contemporary, Sci-Fi, and more.
The protagonist is young, usually 14 to
20 years of age. The themes are relevant to teens and their experience. I think
what defines the genre is the age of the main character, although coming of age
novels for the adult market may also have a young protagonist, so that isn’t
the only criteria.
“YA novels give insight into the issues teens are
facing and the steps they can take to battle them. Sometimes those issues
aren’t one the reader has faced personally, but viewing the struggle through a
character’s life tears down judgments. And the world really needs less judgment
and more understanding.”
Sarah Tipton, author of Betrayal of the Band, 2018
Carol Award Winner
Teens have a different set of problems they
are concerned with, and this comes across in young adult fiction. Friendship,
self-discovery, identity, and first love are all things adults can relate to,
but these are in the forefront of teens’ thoughts as they navigate the
turbulent years preceding adulthood.
Young adults are often idealistic and
full of hope, and that is reflected in much YA fiction. It is entertaining and
has all the feels. Some brings attention to issues we should take a hard look
at and can foster understanding.
Recently I followed a conversation in
one of my Facebook readers groups and was surprised at how many people suffer
from literary snobbery and will not so much as crack open a young adult book. I
think they are missing out.
Do you have a favorite YA novel? Share
it. I’m always adding to my TBR list.
Donna Jo Stone writes YA contemporary novels about tough issues but always ends the stories with a note of hope. She blogs at donnajostone.com.
Jill Kemerer and Jessica Patch join me for a Behind
the Scenes look at the Resort to Romance Series—ten contemporary novellas
that all take place during the same Matchmaking Week on Joy Island in the
Bahamas. See the list of novellas at Resort to Romance.
Rose Allen
McCauley writes “Stories from Small Towns with Huge Hearts.” She’s
also the one who came up with the idea to write novellas that take place along
the Erie Canal system. Historic Zoar, Ohio is featured in Rose’s novella,
“Pressing On,” which is one of the seven stories in The Erie Canal Brides
Collection. Zoar was founded by German Separatists in the early
1800s.
The next Novelists Unwind Giveaway will be announced on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at
http://www.novelistsunwind.com. Be sure to enter for your chance to win a
print edition of an amazing inspirational novel.
Meet Johnnie
Johnnie Alexander creates characters you want to meet and imagines stories you won’t forget. Her award-winning debut novel, Where Treasure Hides, made the CBA bestseller list. She writes contemporaries, historicals, and cozy mysteries, serves on the executive boards of Serious Writer, Inc. and the Mid-South Christian Writers Conference, co-hosts an online show called Writers Chat, and interviews inspirational authors for Novelists Unwind. She also teaches at writers conferences and for Serious Writer Academy. Connect with her at www.johnnie-alexander.com and other social media sites via https://linktr.ee/johnniealexndr.
When you start up a blog or already have one created, the
number one thing you’ll want to know is how to get traffic to your blog. After
all, you don’t want your blog posts to get lost in a giant Internet void, and
you’re not writing blog posts for an invisible audience, either. So, what can you do to increase the chances of your blog posts
getting read and discovered? I’m glad you asked!
1.
Original, Valuable Content
First and foremost, you need content on your blog that’ll
get people wanting to come to your blog to read the posts. How do you do that?
Simply put, you have to write posts that offer readers something they need.
That, however, is the hardest part.
What constitutes as valuable depends on who you want to
attract. If you want writer visitors, share tips about writing, editing,
publishing, or marketing that has a different spin on it. If you want home
cooks, unique recipes are the ticket. If you want crafters, provide clever DIY
projects for kids and all seasons/holidays. If you want readers, discuss things
that are in your books (places, myths, your characters’ hobbies, anything that
has to do with your genre or the theme behind your books). Create a list of
ideas and have fun.
2.
Catchy Titles
In order to get someone to click on links to your blog,
you not only need to offer something people would want, but you also need to
use titles that will stand out among other articles and blog posts about the
same topics and catch their attention. Play with the words. Get creative. State
what’s in your post in a fun way. I have a post titled Write with Gaga that’s about writing style.
If your post is a how-to article, include the words “how
to” with a unique description of what you are instructing readers to do, such
as How to Build Blog Traffic the Smart
Way.
If you’re offering a number of tips/advice (a list of
some sort) in your blog post, add that number to your title, such as: 5 Ways to Spice Up Your Amazon Book Pages.
Adding keywords to the titles of your blog posts will
also provide specificity, attract readers, and help with getting your posts
noticed by search engines such as Google. “Amazon Book Pages” and “Build Blog
Traffic” are great keyword phrases that tell readers exactly what you post is
about and likely are entered into searches by people look for that information.
Why not make your posts discoverable by adding keywords to your titles?
3.
Keywords/Phrases
Keywords and keyword phrases aren’t just important in
titles but throughout your post, too, which will increase its likelihood of
being visible, and higher up, in search results. Figure out keywords and
phrases that describe your blog post’s topic and use a few of these keywords/phrases
within the first few paragraphs and in subheadings.
In Blogger, when you are creating your post, there is a
box in the right sidebar labeled “Search Description.” Click on it and add a
sentence or two describing your blog post using keywords/phrases. This acts as
a summary that shows up beneath your post’s title when it shows up in search
results and can increase the odds of people clicking on your post instead of,
or with, other websites.
Also include them in the labels/categories/tags box when
you’re setting up your post so they can be used to organize your posts. If you
have a search gadget/widget to your blog, whatever tags you create will help
your posts appear when a visitors searches for a specific topic on your blog.
These smart techniques are ones that you can do while
setting up your posts, but there are more techniques you can do after you
publish a post to increase traffic to your blog.
Stay
tuned for Part 2 of How to Build Blog Traffic the Smart Way.
Chrys Fey is the author of Write with Fey: 10 Sparks to Guide You from Idea to Publication. Fey is an editor for Dancing Lemur Press and runs the Insecure Writer’s Support Group’s Goodreads book club. She is also the author of the Disaster Crimes series. Visit her blog, www.WritewithFey.com, for more tips.
When I created my blog in May 2012, I signed up for WordPress.org.
One of the unique features of WordPress.com versus WordPress.org is the ability
to select from 54,545 plug-ins tailored to suit your needs.
Note: WordPress.com does not offer the ability to select your own plug-ins.
The Free Dictionary defines a plug-in as an accessory software
program that extends
the capabilities of an existing application. Here, we will cover accessory
software you can add to your WordPress.org account.
My
Favorite Plug-ins
Akismet
Anti-spam
When I first started WordPress, I received lots of comments. Scrolling through the messages, I tried to decipher if the comments were from genuine readers of my blog. Many spam comments were easy to spot since they were selling a product. Or the comments were vague like:
“I bet.”
“This is moving.”
“I agree.”
It can be difficult to determine if these comments are from a real person. And once you post a spammer comment, they will send you more… much more.
I also checked if the comment came from a Gmail, Yahoo
or Hotmail account. Though not fail-safe, I found the comments coming from
these accounts to be genuine.
I spent hours reading and deleting questionable comments. When I mentioned this to my web developer, he recommended Akismet. After installing this plug-in on my WordPress.org account, all the spam stopped. Now, I only receive genuine comments from people who have read my blog — what a difference.
Since adding this plug-in in May 2017, Akismet
blocked 18,743 spam requests. I saved countless hours and no more problems.
Better
Click To Tweet
Another favorite plug-in is Better Click To Tweet which allows readers to share a captivating quote from your blog to Twitter.
The Click To Tweet box looks like this:
I combined the Click to Tweet box with a picture to grab the readers attention. See the blog here:
This helps to get your blog seen on the Twitter
platform by readers who share your quote with their Twitter followers. Consider
adding this plug-in to your blog to reach across platforms.
Yoest
SEO
Optimizing your blog to be found by search engines
helps to broaden your audience. Yoest SEO
prompts you to attain a good SEO rating
using a stop light system of red, yellow, green. When the stop light is green,
your blog is ready to publish. Two criteria are reviewed: Readability and
SEO.
This popular plug-in
has over 1 million downloads.
Readability
I have discovered my readability score turns green
by adding sub headings throughout the blog. The software program recommends
placing a sub heading every 300 words. This breaks up the blog visually which
allows the reader to view your content and
select which sections they want to read.
Readability also checks for
paragraph/sentence length and overuse of passive voice. You can find
suggestions for changes in the Analysis section which we will touch on in a
moment.
SEO
The SEO criteria is determined by various factors from your selected keywords to your meta-description to name a few. A breakdown of what determines good SEO can be found here.
The SEO criteria checks for word length, focus
keyword, meta-description and external and internal links among other things.
You can craft your own meta description in Yoast SEO.
Analysis
Section
Example 1: Analysis Section
Recommended suggestions are given in the Analysis
section in three categories: Good Results, Improvements, and Problems. One recent blog post for miraclemann.com
showed the following suggestions:
Example
2: Analysis Section
Good Results:
The text contains 618
words. This is more than or equal to the recommended minimum of 300 words.
The focus keyword appears
in 1 (out of 3) subheadings in your copy.
The meta description
contains the focus keyword.
You’ve never used this
focus keyword before, very good.
Improvements
The meta description is
over 156 characters. Reducing the length will ensure the entire description
will be visible.
The focus keyword does not
appear in the URL for this page.
Problems
The focus keyword doesn’t
appear in the first paragraph of the copy. Make sure the topic is clear
immediately.
These prompts help you to make the recommended
changes to improve your SEO.
Plug-in
Problems You Can Avoid
Using a plug-in can pose a problem for your blog. I
once added a plug-in designed to add a watermark to all the photos posted on my
blog. The next time I checked my site, all the photographs had vanished. My
son’s story was due to be featured on local television the next day. Imagine my
panic. I called my web guy who fixed the problem which took hours to correct.
Lesson learned: be careful which plug-in you add.
Help
Reduce Plug-in Problems
Select
plug-ins with a user base of over 10K. Generally, popular plug-ins will be
updated quickly if an issue arises.
Keep
plug-in use to a minimum — the fewer plug-ins
you use leads to fewer problems. (I have
22 plug-ins.)
Update
plug-ins individually. If you update all plug-ins at once and an issue arises,
you won’t know which plug-in caused the problem.
What is your favorite plug-in and why? Have you ever
had a problem with a plug-in? Post your comments below.
Evelyn Mann is a
mother of a miracle and her story has been featured on WFLA Channel 8, Fox35
Orlando, Inspirational Radio and the Catholic News Agency. A special interview
with her son on the Facebook Page, Special Books by Special Kids, has received 1.4M
views. Along with giving Samuel lots of hugs and kisses, Evelyn enjoys hot tea,
sushi and writing. Visit her at miraclemann.com.
When writing a Christian romance novel, should your
hero be perfect?
I entered a writing contest a few years ago that
required me to submit part of my WIP. My entry didn’t make it past the first
round judges because one of the judges scored low due to being highly offended
that my hero told a lie. The notes from this judge stated that I would never
find a Christian publisher willing to publish my book if my hero wasn’t perfect.
As a writer who studies the writing craft, is very
involved in the writing world, and reads a lot of Christian romance and
Christian historical romance novels, I believe this judge was sadly mistaken.
In the novels I read, the heroes are not perfect, and neither are any of
us in real life. That’s why we need a Savior. The fact that a story’s hero is
not perfect allows the reader to identify and sympathize with the hero.
It makes the hero believable and realistic to the reader. If a reader cannot
connect with our hero, they may put the book down, never to pick it up again.
We certainly don’t want that!
Our hero’s imperfections also serve another
purpose—the purpose of creating conflict in the story, a necessary ingredient
in our writing recipe. The hero may struggle with his or her imperfections,
creating internal conflict. The imperfections could also create tension and
conflict between the hero and his or her love interest or with his or her
environment, creating external conflict. If you like, you can use the
imperfections to create both internal conflict within the hero and external
conflict with a love interest or the environment. Of course, your hero’s
imperfections shouldn’t be the only source of conflict.
You also need to choose your hero’s imperfections
carefully. For instance, you wouldn’t want your hero to struggle with cussing
in a Christian novel. However, remember that as you write, your hero should
change from the beginning of the story to the end, and every story needs to
have conflict that will be resolved by the end of the book. If your hero is perfect
from the very beginning of the story, how will he or she grow and change?
Remember, you want your readers to like your hero, to find your hero
believable, and to journey with your hero as he or she grows and changes
throughout the story. Readers want to be able to root for your hero.
My name is Kelly F. Barr and I am a new columnist here at Almost an Author. I am so excited to be part of this team. I am a historical romance writer, and I will be writing four posts a year here on the romance page and four posts a year on the historical page.
Kelly F. Barr
lives in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She is married and has three sons. She
writes historical romance. She has also been a blogger for ten years, and every
Friday, you can find her Flash Fiction stories posted for your reading
pleasure. She loves her family, including the family dog, books, walks, and
chai lattes.
Presentation is
everything, especially when it comes to the publishing world. And your
presentation of punctuation is crucial to your book’s success. But punctuation
can be tricky, boring, and downright distressing at times. As a writer and an
editor, I completely understand your frustration with grammar altogether. You’d
rather write, right? Right! So let’s continue our 2019 focus on a simple,
easy-to-understand punctuation series that I hope will be a help and
encouragement to you, allowing you more time to write well.
How to Edit Modifiers
Wait a minute, you say. Dangling,
misplaced, or simultaneous modifiers does not fall into the category of
punctuation. Eh, you have a point. However, might I propose that a dangling
modifier has everything to do with commas, and that does point to using the
best sentence structure for good punctuation results. Hang on—and I’ll show you
what I mean.
Whether you write fiction or
nonfiction, take notice. Misplaced modifiers are like the creepy crud of
winter, and certainly not meant to be misused in your manuscript.
Why
We Even Use Modifiers in the First Place
A modifier use in the beginning of
your sentences modifies (or supports) the subject of the sentence. If that’s
out of place, your sentence causes a misreading, which is not nice.
What
IS a Modifier??
A modifier is a word usually ending
in “ing” and is part of a word or phrase. A modifier describes the action or
the subject. Feel better? I hope so!
What
Are Poorly-placed Modifiers?
If the modifier does not describe
the subject
If the modifier cannot be connected
to the subject
If the modifier causes the reader
any confusion about the subject and the verb’s purpose of the sentence
If the modifier happens at the same
time the subject is doing the action
Dangling
Modifier – does not connect to the subject of the sentence
Misplaced
Modifier – is unclear about the action taking place
Simultaneous
Modifier – creates confusion because two actions are happening at the same time
Let’s Dive In!
Dangling Modifiers
Sentence:
[Running down the street], the construction cones guided the cars
Problem:
Well, construction cones can’t run
down the street, so this structure is unclear.
Rewrite:
The cars drove in between the construction
cones lining the street.
Reason:
We made the cars the subject of the
sentence, which it should be anyway, and this is a much clearer sentence.
Sentence:
[After offering a slice of bacon], the traveler was nourished to keep going.
Problem:
Okay, questions. . . Who offered the
slice of bacon? And how can one piece of bacon nourish anyone?? I’d want a
heaping pile! This sentence is uber unclear on so many levels!
Rewrite:
After offering the weary traveler a
plate of bacon, Rudy saw the man’s strength return.
Reason:
We inserted a clear subject,
completed the modifier so that it made sense, and gave the traveler more
bacon!!
Misplaced
Modifiers
Sentence:
The professor wrote a book about his
experience in Prague on Saturday.
Problem:
Hmm, when did he write the book? Or
when did he have the experiences? The action is totally unclear here.
Rewrite:
On Saturday the professor wrote a
book about his experience in Prague.
Reason:
We placed the adverb at the
beginning of the sentence, which establishes the professor’s action. Now we
know what actually happened!
Sentence:
I met with my writer’s group where
we talked about our characters’ actions on Tuesdays.
Problem:
So your characters only have actions
on Tuesdays. What do they do on the other days?
Rewrite:
I met with my writer’s group on
Tuesday where we talked about character action.
Reason:
We moved the adverb to when the group
actually meets, and we adjusted the subject being talked about so that it made
better sense.
Simultaneous
Modifiers
Note: I have to say that this one is my favorite because I’ve
committed this offense myself, and chuckle now when I catch it. This one truly
is a psychological trick, but if we think through each action, this is a super
easy fix!
Sentence:
Taking her shoes off, she put the
milk in the fridge.
Problem:
She cannot take her shoes off and put the milk away at the same time.
Not even if she’s a main character from your latest sci-fi or fantasy
tale—there are certain rules that cannot be broken.
Rewrite:
After taking off her shoes, she put
the milk in the fridge.
Reason:
We made the first part past action,
and made the second part present action.
Sentence:
Hugging her parents, she tore into
the bag of goodies.
Problem:
Again, this is impossible to do both
at once. (No…not even if your character has two sets of hands! It’s just
wrong.)
Rewrite:
Grateful, she hugged her parents before
tearing into the bag of goodies.
Reason:
We set each action up as happening
separately, with the most obvious order happening first. (Thanking and then
opening.)
Using well-placed
modifiers is important because presentation and sentence understanding makes a
world of difference to an editor, agent, publisher, and
readers. That may seem counterintuitive because the writing is equally
important, but it’s the presentation that tends to enhance your credibility as
a writer. (Especially if you self-publish and are doing your own first-draft editing.)
Next month, we’ll look at some more
ways to edit the punctuation in your manuscript, but for now. . .
Please take a minute and join in the discussion! I’d love to hear from you!
What are some of your “pet” dangling
modifiers?
Are there any of these sentences you
would reword?
Tisha
Martin
writes historical fiction and nonfiction but also edits and proofreads for
beginning and best-selling writers, professional editing agencies, and
publishing houses. She has a BA in Professional Writing, an MS in English Education,
and an editing certificate from the PEN
Institute,
affordable continuing education for editors. Active in American Christian
Fiction Writers and The PEN, she appreciates the writing and editing communities.
As Assistant Director of PENCON, a conference for editors, she enjoys travel
marketing and updating PENCON’s Facebook
Page. Connect with Tisha on her website www.tishamartin.com and engage in the conversation.
Christmas comes every year. And so does Easter. And so does Thanksgiving. And so does the Fourth of July. Are you seeing a theme here? Writing holiday books for children is a great way to remain relevant for years to come in both the CBA and ABA markets.
When I first wrote “What Is Easter?” during my lunch hour while working for a Christian magazine back in 2000, I had no idea I’d sell it to Ideals Children’s Books (which is now WorthyKids/Hachette Book Group) in 2003. Nor did I have any idea that 16 years later, it’d still be selling thousands of copies every single Easter Season, making the ECPA (Evangelical Christian Publishers Association) Juvenile Bestsellers List most every year. In fact, it was in Wal-Mart again this year!
Of course, with the success of that little holiday board book, I decided a “What Is?” series might be a good idea.
It was.
Next came “What Is Christmas?” and then “What Is Thanksgiving?”—both of which still sell amazingly well every year. Just this past holiday season, “What Is Christmas?” was part of a collection of “Christmas Classics” board books exclusively sold in Costco! We tried “What Is Halloween?” but it didn’t sell as well in the CBA Market, however, it’s being re-released this year and we’re hopeful it will do much better this time around. In just a few weeks, “What Is America?” debuts, which will hopefully spike in sales around Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, President’s Day, Veteran’s Day, and around election time.
The beauty of writing holiday children’s books is two-fold—both the general and Christian book markets sell them, and publishers need new holiday picture and board books each year. Here’s more good news: successful holiday books have staying power. In other words, holiday books may only sell seasonally, but they tend to enjoy many selling seasons.
Okay, full disclaimer here. Over the years, I’ve also written “Memories of the Manger” “The Shepherds Shook in Their Shoes” “Happy Birthday, Jesus!” “Trunk Or Treat” “Sparrow’s Easter Song” “Little Colt’s Palm Sunday” “Hooray For Easter! A Baby Looney Tunes Book” “My Funny Valentine” and “Ha Halloween!” Some of those titles—though they had an initial good run—are now out of print. But, as mentioned above, many of my holiday titles keep doing well season after season, year after year. And, because I know a good thing when I see one, I have yet another Christmas picture book that just released called, “C Is for Christmas” (Little Lamb Books). I plan to keep on writing holiday children’s books as long as there are holidays on the calendar, and I suggest you follow my lead.
Here are seven tips to help you craft your own holiday children’s book:
Read all of the bestselling holiday books that your title will directly compete against, and be inspired by them, but don’t copy them.
Brainstorm ideas and come up with a theme that will make your holiday book unique. (For instance, in “Little Colt’s Palm Sunday” “Sparrow’s Easter Song” and “Memories of the Manger,” the story is told from an animal’s POV—a colt, a sparrow, and an old dove. The POV in this series made my holiday books unique and fun.)
Don’t try to rhyme your story unless you’re gifted at rhyme because “near rhyme” won’t fly with most editors. (I highly recommend taking Crystal Bowman’s “Rhythm, Rhyme, and Repetition: Mastering the Skill of Writing in Verse” class through Serious Writer Academy.)
Even though we know the ending of most holiday stories, you still need to create a sense of urgency and build suspense as you write.
Think about the illustrations that will go hand-in-hand with your words when writing board books and picture books. You don’t have to provide the artwork but you should create word pictures without saying everything. You want to leave something new for the picture to communicate.
Let the emotion drive your story. To get in the right state of mind, put on some holiday music and jot down all of the words that come to mind when you think about that particular holiday.
Ask God to help you share what He wants you to share. After all, He is the Master storyteller.
Michelle
Medlock Adams is an award-winning journalist and best-selling
author of over 90 books with close to 4 million sold. Her many journalism and
book awards include top honors from the
Associated Press, AWSA’s Golden Scroll for Best Children’s Book, and the
Selah Award for Best Children’s Book. Michelle currently serves as President of
Platinum Literary Services, a premier full-service literary firm; Chairman of
the Board of Advisors for Serious Writer, Inc.; and a much sought-after speaker
at writers conferences and women’s retreats all over the United States.
When not writing or teaching writing, Michelle enjoys
bass fishing and cheering on the Indiana University Basketball team, the
Chicago Cubbies, and the LA Kings.
Michelle is celebrating the recent release of
her books, Get Your Spirit On!, Fabulous
& Focused, Dinosaur Devotions, and
C Is for Christmas, and she’s anticipating the upcoming release of What Is America? (Worthy Kids) and They Call Me Mom (Kregel), a devotional
book she co-authored with Bethany Jett.
Jane Austen created some of
the most memorable characters ever printed on paper. Without doubt, she is one
of the best known and extensively read novelists in the English language. Her
work has been discussed in literary circles, taught at universities, and credited
with developing the modern novel art form.
Jane was an author with acute powers of observation, always alert to human strengths and foibles (she gave this trait to many of her characters too!). One thing she observed, and uses in her writing, is our innate, survival-based need to judge others quickly and by our own standards.
She used our mistaken judgments of others to expertly show us that people often aren’t as they appear. She exploited our snap and faulty first impressions to create archetypes that are anything but cliché.
How often do you form an impression of someone before
you get to know them?
According to Psychology
Today, out brains are wired to make unconscious judgements about others
behaviors. Without realizing it, we make automatic decisions on a person’s
moral character, sociability, and competency.
I’m sure they trace all that
back to our primordial tribal muck.
But for now, with the craft
of writing in mind, look at these examples from Jane’s famous work, Pride and Prejudice.
George Wickham, a lieutenant in the army militia quartered near Elizabeth Bennet’s home of Longbourn, had a pretty face and exquisite charm. He had all the women in the village of Meryton swooning (as well as the female reader) until we gathered more information about our good-looking and charismatic cad. We soon realized he had no scruples and was a master manipulator. He was willing to twist the truth to ruin a woman’s reputation or disparage a former benefactor for his own self-serving profit or revenge.
But George Wickham wasn’t
the only one we all misjudged.
Fitzwilliam Darcy. His hard, rude, proud exterior, and the lies Mr. Wickham told about him, resulted in Elizabeth Bennet telling him she would not marry him if he were the last man on earth. And we all cheered her on. Yet, he becomes one of the most iconic romantic heroes of all time, operating within a strict code of behavior, and displaying courage, integrity, passion, caring, and devotion.
Awareness of the natural process of judging others
can be exploited in Historical Fiction.
Look for negative and
positive traits in the people you are researching to write about or add them to
characters you are creating from scratch. Introduce them as something other
than they truly are. Make your good character do something bad or your bad
character do something good. Then surprise your reader by gradually
transforming them by showing their true nature in their
choices and behavior.
In Pride and Prejudice, protagonist Elizabeth Bennet realized her early judgments were flawed and prejudiced. Jane Austen’s readers had to admit that too. That’s why I say, “Well done, Jane Austen!”
K. D. Holmberg is an author, blogger, and freelance writer. She is a member of ACFW, Word Weavers International, and a founding member of the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild. She is represented by Hartline Literary Agency. A retired flight attendant, she has traveled and lived all over the globe. She and her husband, Keith, love to golf and live in South Carolina. You can find more about her: Facebook @authorkdholmberg, twitter @kdeniseholmberg, and kdeniseholmberg.blogspot.com
In 2018, Rachel Hollis, motivational speaker, popular
podcast host, and entrepreneur, released her bestselling book, Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the
Lies about Who You Are so You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be. The book
was (and still is) wildly popular and widely scrutinized by the Christian media
such as The
Gospel Coalition, Tim Challies,
and Sheologians.
Just last week, in March of 2019, Rachel Hollis released a
new book, Girl, Stop Apologizing: A
Shame-Free Plan for Embracing and Achieving Your Goals, and a whole
new round of criticism has begun.
Although her books
are labeled as the Christian Living genre, the content is apparently far
removed from a Christian worldview.
She allegedly encourages the reader to depend on herself and
her own strength rather than the Lord and His strength. In addition, there
seems to be an expectation that life is to be happy and fulfilling according to
a woman’s own definition of happiness. What’s missing in her books is that
Christ told us to expect suffering (John
16:33) and to live serving others rather than ourselves (Galatians
5:13).
Since I have not read Rachel Hollis’ books, I am not comfortable
weighing in on whether or not her books belong in the Christian Living genre or
not.
But what I am sure of
is that Christian Living and devotional writers have a huge responsibility to
portray the Christian worldview accurately. If you decide to write in these
genres, your work will be under scrutiny.
It is an enormous
responsibility to both meet your reader’s needs and accurately portray God’s
truth. Neither can be compromised or left out of your writing process.
If you write about
God’s truth, but do nothing to address how His truth meets reader’s needs, no
one will read your writing. If you write to fulfill your reader’s needs, but
don’t offer God’s truth, are you really meeting their needs?
What can steps can
you take in your writing process to be sure you are accurately presenting the
Christian worldview and meeting your readers’ needs?
Pray before you
write. Ask the Lord to guide your writing and help your heart to listen to
the Holy Spirit’s leading. This is a daily occurrence. Also, prayer in God’s
presence is the cure for writer’s block.
Use Scripture wisely.
If you are adding Scripture to your writing, study the passage carefully so you
are handling God’s word accurately. Don’t just randomly pull out a verse. Look
at the context.
Read the Bible on
your own. Starting your day in God’s word refreshes your mindset so that
you are thinking from God’s point of view in whatever comes up in your life
that day—including your writing.
Listen to your
readers. Ask them questions about what they are struggling with. This is
where social media is key. You have instant access to your readers. Find out what
problems they have. Listen to their answers with compassion and tenderness.
Talk to your readers whom you meet in person as well.
Use everyday examples
to explain God’s truth. I’ve noticed that some Christian writers,
preachers, and bloggers, as they become more popular with a wider audience,
tend to lose this ability. Use examples from nature or from family and friend
relationships. What everyday life things do you do that your readers do, too?
Elisabeth Elliot was the most amazing writer and speaker. One of my favorite
programs of hers is when she talked about her typical day including her
ironing, cooking supper for her husband, and taking a daily walk to the post
office. I do not have an audience of millions, so I cannot relate to her on
that level, but I can feel connected to her because we do the same everyday
chores.
Let a mature
Christian friend or church leader check your writing to be sure it portrays
Christ accurately. You may think you are explaining things clearly, but how is
it perceived by fresh eyes? You could also take the extra step to be sure your
editor is a Christian. While she is editing for content and grammar, she can also
watch your theology.
Stay humble. There
is a difference between confidence in Christ and what He has called you to do
and a desire to boost yourself for the accolades found in this world only. The
picture of a servant is what helps me with this goal. Christ came to serve. I am
His follower and serving is my goal– serving others and serving Christ. When
Christ is lifted higher, then everything else in this world is exactly where it
needs to be.
What steps do you take
in your writing process to be sure you are both meeting the reader’s needs and
accurately portraying Christianity? I’d love to hear your comments!
Rachel Schmoyer is a pastor’s
wife who is loving her church life. She writes about the hard parts of
Scripture at readthehardparts.com.
She has had devotionals published in the past, but now she is looking forward
to getting her first Christian Living book published. You can connect with
Rachel on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest.
Do you stay up at night wondering which one to choose–apart or a part? I don’t either, but when you’re editing your work, you need to know the difference. These words sound the same, but they have different jobs in a sentence.
Apart is an adverb that shows how two things are separate or in pieces, part of a larger thing.
Example: Apart from the sappy ending, the movie was mostly good.
It can also be used as an adjective to show that something is isolated from something else.
Example: An athlete apart, Michael Phelps has made history with his Olympic performances.
Apart can also be used as a preposition to mean with the exception of or besides and is usually used with from.
Example: We made a side trip apart from the rest of the touring group.
A part is comprised of an article and a noun.
Example: When Anna scored the goal, she felt a part of the team.
Apart is about being separate. A part is about being one piece of a bigger puzzle.
Happy writing!
Hope Toler Dougherty holds a Master’s degree in English and taught at East Carolina University and York Technical College. Her publications include three novels Irish Encounter and Mars…With Venus Rising, and Rescued Hearts as well as nonfiction articles. A member of ACFW, RWA, and SinC, she writes for SeriousWriter.com. She and her husband live in North Carolina and enjoy visits with their two daughters and twin sons. Author of Rescued Hearts , Irish Encounter, Mars…With Venus Rising.Visit Hope at www.hopetolerdougherty.com
What would a mystery be without red herrings? Boring and
short, most likely.
Red herrings are a writer’s primary tool for misdirection.
Done well, they subtly guide the reader into false conclusions while allowing
the writer to play fair and put every vital clue right there on the page in
black and white.
By using red herrings the same way a magician uses sleight of hand, you’ll be able to divert your readers’ attention from the actual to the illusionary.
Jane K. Cleland in Mastering Suspense, Structure, & Plot
Three rules for using red herrings
Don’t make them obvious. Savvy readers can spot
a contrived red herring. Find a way to make those misleading details fit with
the scene. The more relevant they feel at the time, the likely your readers
will take the bait.
Clear up misunderstandings. If your red herring
leads the reader to erroneous conclusions about the fictional people in your
story, vindicate those characters before the story ends.
Don’t leave them hanging. If you mention unusual
details, be sure to show how the sleuth deals with them. Don’t mention Suspect A has a pet piranha and
then never mention it again.
How to use red herrings in your story
To make the innocent look guilty or the guilty look innocent.
Use description to give the reader a false first impression of the character
Provide an early action that gives the reader a false impression of the character. A character who adopts stray dogs will be taken as a nice person, while a character who screams at a cashier will be taken as a jerk.
Use the misconceptions (or outright lies) of characters to sway the reader’s impression. One character’s stated opinion of another may be taken at face value until story details begin to paint a different picture.
Utilize stereotypes. Characters and readers naturally trust the word of a doctor and mistrust the word of a used car salesman. But should they?
To camouflage clues in plain sight.
Hide important clues in the midst of unimportant ones. Readers tend to pay more attention to the first and last items, so those in between may be forgotten.
Make a false clue seem more important than the real one by having a character pay attention to it.
Make the real clue what isn’t there. Something that, in retrospect, should have been there, but wasn’t.
Give clues only experts will understand are important. Any reader that doesn’t recognize the significance will quickly forget about it.
Distract the reader with a bit of action that makes them forget about the clue the sleuth noticed just before. For example, the sleuth is looking at a shop window and trips on the curb, forcing him to apologize to the lady with the yippy dog…
To lead the sleuth on the wrong path
Plant unimportant details that grab the sleuth’s attention and lead him to waste time following them up.
Provide multiple alternatives and allow the sleuth to focus on the wrong one.
Provide clues early in the investigation before the sleuth (or the reader) knows they are important.
Allow your sleuth to misinterpret the meaning of a clue. For example, maybe it isn’t the receipt in the victim’s pocket that is important, but the phone number scribbled on the back.
To lead the sleuth and/or the reader to an incorrect conclusion.
The initial time of death or chronology of events could be faulty, leading to acceptance of alibis that are actually for the wrong period of time.
Characters can apply faulty logic, such as assuming one event caused another when in fact they are not related.
One character can attack another character’s credibility and thereby render their statements invalid (when in fact they aren’t).
A lack of evidence may convince the sleuth to abandon a line of inquiry prematurely.
The bottom line: Your
goal is to misdirect readers, not confuse them. As they follow the sleuth,
they must always see the logic behind her actions, even if those actions were
based on false assumptions. Baffle the reader with too many red herrings or too
much conflicting information and they are likely to set the book aside.
Lisa E. Betz
believes that everyone has a story to tell the world. She loves to encourage
fellow writers to be intentional about their craft and courageous in sharing
their words with others. Lisa shares her words through dramas, Bible studies,
historical mysteries, and her blog about
intentional living. You can find her on Facebook LisaEBetzWriter and Twitter
@LisaEBetz
No two paths
to publication are exactly alike. Over the next few months, I’ll be listening
to middle grade authors’ and sharing with you what I learn from their
experiences.
This month I
visited with author Kate Ramsey about her publishing journey for her debut
middle grade fantasy, Finding Fairy
Tales.
KM:
Can you talk a little about how and why you came to write for middle grade?
KR:
Honestly when I started writing, I hadn’t considered what audience I was
writing for. I didn’t have a target demographic in mind, and was not remotely
marketing-minded. I would echo Maurice Sendak’s sentiments, when he said,
“I don’t write for children. I write and somebody says ‘That’s for
children!'”
C.S.
Lewis’ said, “The third way (of writing for children), which is the only
one I could ever use myself, consists in writing a children’s story because a
children’s story is the best art-form for something you have to say.” This
is the most accurate representation of how Finding Fairy Tales became
a middle grade story.
I
started writing the story I was interested in telling, and it just naturally declared
itself a middle grade novel. I don’t think that I will always restrict myself
to middle grade or children’s work, as there are several stories I do want to
tell that wouldn’t fit that audience at all, but I think it’s where I will
continue to primarily find myself because it’s just what feels natural to me.
The
children’s/middle grade stories I read growing up are still the ones I treasure
and enjoy reading over and over again, and I do want to give something like
that to the world. I love middle grade literature because it’s something that
you may grow out of for a season, as a reader, but then a lot of times you grow
back into it as you get older.
KM: Your book debuts this month. How do you plan
to market it?
KR:
Unless an opportunity I just couldn’t refuse presented itself, I plan on
focusing exclusively on digital marketing. I don’t think there’s anything wrong
with going the bookstore visit route, but it’s just not realistic for me, as
I’m working full time and also running a photography business at the same time
as marketing the book.
KM:
What advice do you have for new writers?
KR: This might seem strange, but I’ve heard a lot of
inspirational quotes that all basically amount to “if you eat, sleep, and
breathe writing, then you’re meant to be a writer.” I know these are meant
to help people learn to pursue their passions, but for a long time it deterred
me from pursuing mine. I think people are different, and some of them feel that
visionary, focused intensity about what they’re doing, and for others it’s a
less emotional process. I love writing and always have, but because I cared
about other things as well, I felt like I couldn’t really be any good at it.
I would say by way of advice, to press on, even when
inspiration is lacking, even when it doesn’t feel like an adventure, and do the
work. If you find that you don’t believe in the story you’re telling anymore,
change directions or do something else, but don’t give up just because it
doesn’t feel fun or exciting anymore.
The other thing that’s been most important for me is
discipline. I found that if I committed to writing each day, even if I wasn’t
“in the zone,” or couldn’t figure out how to tell the story, sitting
down to write something would give me the push I needed. Even
if I wrote 1,000 words and hated every one of them, I came away with a clearer
understanding of what I should have written instead, and new ideas would
present themselves, so it was never a waste. Don’t be afraid to kill your
darlings and don’t be afraid to fight for them.
In hindsight, I probably would have read more books and tried
to educate myself better on story structure and best practices. John
Truby’s Anatomy of a Story and other tools have been
incredibly enlightening, but I read them after I finished writing Finding Fairy Tales. Even
though I think my book is a fantastic story, I have many more ideas now for how
to build more complexity and depth into my future characters and plots.
Author Kate Ramsey started writing poetry at age 7. Her debut middle grade novel, Finding Fairy Tales, is available this month.
Kell
McKinney earned a B.A. in journalism from the University of
Oklahoma and an M.S. in documentary studies from the University of North Texas.
She’s a part-time copywriter, double-time mom and wife, and spends every free
minute writing and/or hunting for her car keys. Connect with her on Twitter @Kell_McK
or kellmckinney.com.
Writers Chat, hosted by Jean Wise, Johnnie
Alexander, and Bethany Jett, 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 Launch Team with Lindsey Hartz
If your book is finished and you’re thinking about a
book launch, whether you are traditionally published or self-published, this
episode of Writers Chat is definitely for you. Lindsey shares a wealth of
information on choosing a team, having influencers, and the difference between
the two, plus several valuable resources.
Lindsey’s background is in corporate marketing, with degrees in business and project management. Asa marketing consultant and book launch strategist for authors and publishers, she creates and implements marketing campaigns for new book releases, backlist books, courses, membership sites, and ongoing communications and marketing strategy for the author’s business as a whole. To get in touch with Lindsey, visit www.lindseyhartz.om
Book Launch Reality, with
Victoria Duerstock
In this episode of Writers Chat, the theme of a book launch continues, as Victoria gives us an insider’s view of the process. She in the middle of a book launch herself, with the debut of her solo project, Heart & Home: Design Basics for Your Soul and Your Living Space.
A multi-passionate creative and entrepreneur fueled mostly by coffee, Victoria Duerstock pursues her dreams with verve and intensity. Wife and mom of three, Victoria divides and conquers the never ending to-do list while working to maintain her sanity and pleasant demeanor. Her debut solo book releases April 16, 2019. For more information, visit www.victoriaduerstock.com
JOIN US!
Writers Chat
is hosted live each Tuesday for an hour starting at 10 AM CT / 11 AM ET on
Zoom. Here’s the permanent
Zoom room link.
Participants mute their audio and video during the filming then we open up the room for anyone who wishes to participate with our guests. The “After Party” is fifteen-minutes of off-the-record sharing and conversation.
Additionally,
you can grow your network and add to the conversation by joining our Writers Chat Facebook
Group.
Deadlines can be overwhelming. But with just a bit of
preplanning, they can be managed without taking over your life. Here are a few
tips to make the struggling and juggling a little easier.
Pray
Make prayer your first step in meeting every deadline. Take
time to ask God’s blessing and direction on every project you undertake. The
time you take to talk to Him about what you are working on will be multiplied
as you write.
Prioritize
Make a written list or keep it in your head, but make a
list. Which projects have the closest deadlines? (Sometimes it comes down to a
few hours difference in the deadlines.) Which can be pushed into next week? All
are important so be sure you don’t let one fall between the cracks.
Plan
Are there any projects that could share research? Even if
not, decide what you need to learn, then set aside a specific time for
research. Doing it all at one time will make your writing time more efficient.
Just be sure to keep good notes as to what information goes with which project. Also, plan some family time in the schedule.
Even an hour at dinner with your spouse, playing with the grandchildren, or
walking in the garden alone will refresh you and make you more productive.
Partner
No, I don’t mean look for a coauthor. Writing is not a solo
occupation. Your spouse, your family, and others are an important part of what
you do. If you have a season of heavy deadlines, discuss it with your family.
Ask them to take some of your chores or to cook a meal to free your time time
to write. Talk to your close friends and your prayer team and ask them to pray
for you during this intense time of writing.
Persevere
Whatever you do, don’t let major deadlines weigh you down.
Stand strong, work according to your devised plan, and don’t give up. Even
though you are alone when you write, you have an audience waiting to hear the wisdom
of your words. You are making a difference. Your words can change the course of
someone’s day.
Now head back to the computer and write the words that will make you a life-changer. Martin Luther said it well. “If you want to change the world, pick up a pen.”
LindaGilden is an award-winning writer,
speaker, editor, certified writing and speaking coach, and personality
consultant. Her passion is helping others discover the joy of writing. Linda
recently released Articles, Articles,
Articles! and is the author of over a thousand magazine articles and 16
books including the new LINKED Quick
Guides for Personalities. As Director of the Carolina Christian Writers
Conference, Linda helps many writers take the next step in reaching their
writing goals. Linda’s favorite activity (other than eating folded potato chips)
is floating in a pool with a good book surrounded by splashing grandchildren—a
great source of writing material! www.lindagilden.com
It’s always fun to see who see the list of the Selah Award
finals every year. Almost an Author usually has a good showing of columnists
who have entered the contest and made the finals.
By far and away, Michelle Medlock Adams has run away with five Selah finalist submissions in the categories of: YA, Children’s Lit, Devotionals and Anthologies. In the Children’s Lit category, she had two entries: C is for Christmas, Little Lamb Books & Dinosaur Devotions, Thomas Nelson. Michelle is our #KidLit columnist. Congratulations, Michelle!
Our magazine columnist, Linda Gilden, made the finals of the Online Articles category with “Personality and the Writer,” published online with Southern Writers Magazine. Congratulations, Linda!
One of our book proposal columnists, (and I might add, former managing editor), Cherrilynn Bisbano, contributed to the Heart Renovation Bible Study, compiled by Katy Kauffman, Lighthouse Bible Studies. Congratulations, Cherrilynn!
And lastly, I’m proud to announce your current managing editor, Donna L.H. Smith, made the finals in the Western fiction category with her second novel, Rose’s Redemption, Hartline. I’m patting myself on the back. (smiles)
2019 Selah Award Finalist
We wish them well! The Selah Awards are prestigious and it’s an honor to make the finals.
The awards will be presented on May 22nd at the
Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers’ Conference.
In my writing
life, work days sometimes drift, without thought for being proactive in
creating an effective work environment. This usually results in either little
or no word count accomplished. Sometimes the effort to create and focus seems
like an insurmountable task.
So how
does one prepare their work zone for what would seem to be a naturally-flowing
production of word crafting? It starts with the realization that the creation
of text, whether fiction or non, is not always a natural occurrence. There are
days it can seem to be more of a supernatural battle.
Why would
that be the case? I believe the answer lies in many factors:
We have not disciplined ourselves to sit and work. Deep inside, we’re waiting for the spirit to move us and then we’ll happily plop into our work station and create the next epic best seller.
We allow distractions. Too much media in the house in the form of videos, music, or other diversions.
Too much on our mind in the form of real-life concerns. Bills need to be paid, kids need looking after, emails need to be answered, dinners need to be planned. It’s important to set aside sufficient time to tend these matters. If little ones are underfoot, perhaps a friend or family member could help out for two hours of uninterrupted writing. Better than trying to write while worrying the toddler is getting into the toilet!! Children are a priority, after all.
If you feel your work is a spiritual calling, perhaps there are forces of darkness fighting your efforts at every turn.
This last
suggestion might surprise some of you. But all it takes is a search for Bible
verses about spiritual warfare to illuminate your mind. There is an unseen
world fighting to keep us from our calling to live for Jesus and encouraging
others in their faith.
Ephesians 6:11-12 “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm.” (NIV)
If you
realize there is a battle for men’s souls occurring, we can learn from warriors
through the years who always prepare to win against the enemy. For spiritual
warfare, here are a few strategies:
Pray
Memorize
Scripture
Play
praise and worship music in the background
Pray
Did I also mention it’s important to pray? Cover your writing time with pleas to heaven to guide your pen and use it for Kingdom glory.
Then carry on.
Elaine Marie Cooper has two new historical fiction
books that just released: War’s Respite (Prequel novella) and Love’s
Kindling. Love’s Kindling is available in both e-book and paperback. They
are the first two books in the Dawn of
America Series set in Revolutionary War Connecticut. Cooper is the
award-winning author of Fields of the Fatherless and Bethany’s
Calendar. Her 2016 release (Saratoga Letters) was finalist in
Historical Romance in both the Selah Awards and Next Generation Indie Book
Awards. She penned the three-book Deer
Run Saga and has been published in numerous magazines and anthologies. You
can visit her website/ blog at www.elainemariecooper.com
Some people say we are living in the “Golden Age of Board Games.”
Board games are a powerful form of storytelling, and including the principles of gamification in your story can help take your novel or creative nonfiction piece from good to great.
To talk about that, we’ve brought together Dan & Connie Kazmaier, board game designers from Calgary who manage Deep Aqua Games, and James Hannibal, the award-winning author of the Section 13 mysteries for kids and developer of the Lightraider games for families.
Join Amy Bowlin & Holland Webb for The Afterword: A Conversation About the Future of Words and All Things Literary.
Holland Webb is a full-time freelance writer and editor. He spends his days writing about higher education, B2B technology, and nonprofit organizations. His clients have let him write for U.S. News & World Report, The Learning House, The Red Lantern, and Sweet Fish Media. Holland’s favorite writers are Malcolm Gladwell, Olive Ann Burns, and Flannery O’Connor. In his spare time … are you kidding, what spare time? You can reach him through www.theafterwordpodcast.com or on Twitter at @WebbHollandLyle.
Amy Bowlin is a veteran teacher. She works with 6-year-olds in literacy intervention and shares with college seniors the art of teaching literacy. Balancing both worlds involves commuting which allows her to listen to her favorite podcasts, “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me,” “This American Life” and “Revisionist History.” When she is not traveling to Greece to work with refugees, she likes to write, hike, kayak and spend time with family and friends. You can reach her through www.theafterwordpodcast.com or on Twitter at @albowlin1.
Inspiration is all around us. We absorb it without trying,
but serious writers are intentional observers and recorders of what they see
and experience. They seek out the new and interesting, and they don’t rely on
memory to keep those experiences fresh. Instead they keep an idea file and develop
the habit or adding to it on a regular basis.
What is an idea file?
A place to keep snippets of writing, ideas, images, story
concepts, random facts, and anything else that we grab because it might be
useful. Idea files are more than a collection of topics for articles we might
write someday. The more varied and compelling the content of our idea file, the
more likely those odd and unrelated bits will come together to spark a
brilliant and unique idea.
What to Collect
An idea file can include almost anything that catches your
interest. Here are some things you might want to capture for your file:
Snippets of well-done or unusual description
Quotable lines
A passage that makes you stop and think
A passage that makes you laugh out loud
Snippets of conversation, real or fictional
Clever plot ideas
Odd or unusual trivia
Notes on an unusual place or person you happen
to notice
Articles on any subject that caught your fancy
News stories
Images that relate to your story world
Images that relate to your characters
Book covers you particularly like
Anything that causes awe
Anything you find beautiful
Anything that strikes a strong emotional chord
(comfortable, jarring, happy, scary, etc)
How to collect
You never know when you will come across
something worth snagging for your idea file. Keep notepads, index cards, sticky
notes, or your phone handy at all times, especially in the places you are most likely
to want them, such as your favorite reading chair.
Snap pictures with your phone. Of scenery. Of
art. Of people. Of a paragraph in a book. Of silly signs or misspelled menus.
Make a photocopy or scan items into your
computer.
Copy and paste website links and content into a
file on your device.
Dictate ideas or observations into your phone. You
can also read poignant passages from a book.
How to store your ideas so you can find them later
An idea file has two components, a method of collecting ideas
and a method of storing them so you can find them later. Once upon a time that
meant a literal file filled with newspaper clippings and notes jotted on bits
of paper. That is still a valid system, but nowadays much of our collection may
be digital.
If you love being organized, you can scan all the analog
inputs and keep all your ideas in one tidy digital space. If that sounds like
too much work, consider keeping separate files for different mediums. There is
no perfect method. The key thing is creating a system that works for you.
Here are some ideas
The tried-and-true manila folder
A tabbed journal or notebook to keep ideas sorted by categories
A program like Evernote to corral and organize your digital collections.
A private Pinterest board to store images, blog posts, articles, etc.
An idea folder on your phone camera roll to easily find all those photos you snapped
Are you intentional about collecting good ideas, or is it
time to get more serious about building your idea file?
What is your favorite way to store and organize your ideas?
Lisa E. Betz
believes that everyone has a story to tell the world. She loves to encourage
fellow writers to be intentional about their craft and courageous in sharing
their words with others. Lisa shares her words through dramas, Bible studies,
historical mysteries, and her blog about
intentional living. You can find her on Facebook LisaEBetzWriter and Twitter
@LisaEBetz
What does “disabled” mean? Generally, it covers everything
from physical limitations, such as blindness or deafness or not possessing
specific body parts; to mental illnesses that impact a person’s opportunity to
live without ongoing treatment and care; to conditions such as Down’s Syndrome
and autism, which are classified as intellectual disabilities.
In many sci-fi and fantasy tales, characters like this can
be hard to come by. Heck, sometimes they’re difficult to find in contemporary
or even historical fiction (and historically, we know that it was quite common
for people to become disabled through disease, war, or accident). So why are
they somewhat of a mythical creature in spec fic genres?
Well, it seems to be a combination of lots of science
fiction including the possibility that all sickness and impairments can be
wiped out; and the notion in epic fantasy that magic could serve as a healing
source. Not that I’m bashing any of this. Would our present lives be better
without cancer? Yes, of course.
But what about the value of portraying characters who don’t
see their disability as a problem? (Just like so many patients, veterans, and
folks managing genetic conditions every day in the real world.)
Personally, I’m all for a blind wizard who’s still the best
mentor to the boy who would be king; a deaf space shuttle engineer who saves
the day; a former warrior with a replacement something who trains the next
generation to kick some serious evil rear.
And intellectual disabilities are even more overlooked – not
on purpose, just simply due to awareness of what these conditions entail purely
not existing on a grand scale in our society. As an adult on the autistic
spectrum, the parent of a son with high-functioning autism, and of a little one
receiving physical, speech, and occupational therapy nearly since his birth –
and as an avid SFF reader – I can concur, there aren’t a lot of fictional
people like us out there.
Right there is another, very good reason to expand what
sorts of characters you write: Some of your readers will be thrilled to see
themselves represented in a medium where they typically aren’t.
So how do you create realistic disabled characters for fantastical or invented settings?
Do your
research. It’s one of the most common phrases
writers hear, but for infinitely good reason. It’s crucial to the authenticity
of a story to find out as many details as you can about the topic at hand,
whether it’s deep sea diving, quilting, alternative fuel sources, or
disabilities.
Don’t rely solely on medical journals or textbook
explanations of conditions. Find real life individuals to interview. Even if
you don’t know someone personally, maybe relatives or friends have family
members or acquaintances who would be willing to share their life experiences.
(And a lot of folks are willing.)
Keep an
open mind. Some conditions or illnesses that
are legally and medically classified as “disabilities” are in fact not seen
that way by the people who have them. And let’s face it, it can be really hard
and even frustrating to feel that writing a “disabled” character must mean writing a downtrodden and
pessimistic personality. Many abled people do assume that the non-able approach
life like this. The truth is, so many of us do not – and wouldn’t it be refreshing to read about a character with
MS or one hand or chronic depression who saw the best and brightest things in
life?
What’s
your ultimate goal? Are you portraying a disabled
character to help others gain insight? Are you writing someone of a victim
mentality, or an optimist? Or maybe you’re starting out with the former, and
showing their journey to the latter. There are already a lot of stereotypes in
art and literature surrounding this topic, so let’s do our best to break the
mold!
Self-published author and blogger Daley Downing is also a stay at home parent, autistic adult, ballet
teacher, and cat lover. She spends her days writing the YA fantasy series
“The Order of the Twelve Tribes,” and wrangling special needs
children.
If I have learned anything from writers conferences and
other instruction, it’s that writers like me need a platform—a presence on
social media, discoverability online, and a horn to toot, so to speak.
That’s all well and good. People have to know who I am, right? Don’t I need to make a name for myself?
The only problem? I am no carpenter. There are times when my
platform looks splintered, downright rickety. I wouldn’t trust it to hold a
person up for any length of time.
Have I mentioned I am really good at beating a metaphor into
the ground?
I admire people who are good at the platform thing–those writers who blog, who post frequently on social media, and who have a knack for getting noticed. One of my goals for this year is to improve in this area, to do more to make myself more discoverable.
The other day I was having a pity party about not having a bigger platform, and I decided to listen to the new Casting Crowns album (Do we even call them albums anymore? Would it be a new release? I am so old), which I acquired a few months ago and have listened to repeatedly.
The first song that came on was “Only Jesus,” about how our only legacy that matters is Jesus and how we make Him known. The next tune was “Nobody,” my favorite, which asserts that we are all “nobodies” trying to tell people about “Somebody” Who can save their souls.
Well, knock me out with a brick, Lord! It’s not about ME–it’s about JESUS. How am I making Him known? How am I highlighting what he has done for me? Getting my name out there really means getting HIS name out there and telling HIS story in a unique way that only I can do.
So I’m getting out my hammer, nails, boards, and the like. I have some platform-building to do. My Best Friend is a carpenter, after all.
Carlton Hughes wears many hats. By day, he’s a professor of communication at
Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College. On Wednesday evenings and
Sunday mornings, he does object lessons and songs with motions as Children’s
Pastor of Lynch Church of God. In his “spare time,” he is a freelance writer
whose work has appeared in numerous publications, including Chicken Soup for
the Soul and several devotional books from Worthy Publishing—Let the
Earth Rejoice, Just Breathe, So God Made a Dog, and the
soon-to-be-released Everyday Grace for Men. Carlton and his wife Kathy
have two college-age sons, Noah and Ethan. He is on the planning committee for
Kentucky Christian Writers Conference and is a year-round volunteer for
Operation Christmas child.
With three seconds left on the clock all Tim could think about was advancing to the state championship finals. He’d spent his whole high school career in anticipation of this one moment in time. How many parties had he missed because of practice and workout schedules? How many hours had he spent muddling through math homework to make a passing grade? How many opportunities had he passed up for this chance? Too many. But it would be worth the sacrifice in just a few short moments.
He swiped the beaded sweat from his brow, took a deep breath, and sized up his opponent. Tim had no doubt he could tip the ball when the whistle blew. But regaining the ball and making the winning basket would take focus, skill, and more than a little luck. The shrill scream of the whistle ignited the passion burning in his muscles and fired Tim into action. He tipped. He grabbed. He dribbled. And … he scored, right as the buzzer sounded! An eerie silence filled the packed gymnasium. Then—an explosion of garbled outcries erupted from the crowd. Tim had made the winning shot … all net, right into the other team’s hoop.
Had Tim invested the hard work required to excel at the game? Yes. Had he made the right sacrifices and set the right priorities to develop his skill? Yes. Had he given his all at crunch time to ensure a win? Yes. The problem? He had lost sight of the correct goal.
Although specifics vary, I think it’s safe to say that most Christian writers share one common overarching goal; we all want our writing to reflect our faith. We want the best of us—which is Christ in us—to shine brightly from the page no matter the genre. So we literally write our hearts out for Him. In the beginning that’s so easy. He is our muse, our driving force, the narrator of all our penned words. But when the work is done and we descend from our writing high there’s often a valley at the bottom of that hill.
It’s called waiting.
In the wilderness of waiting there are plenty of distractions that can lure our attention away from the goal. During that seemingly long stretch of time between a finished piece of work and the payoff most of us will encounter pitfalls like rejection, discouragement, comparison, self-doubt, and worse. We’ll talk more about each of those things in future posts. But above all else if we can learn how to focus on the right goal, no pitfall will ever entrap us.
So let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith … and our writing. He’s busy at work during that waiting wilderness—molding and making us into who He has called us to be. The wait may seem like a monotonous and irritating waste of time, but I love how Pastor John Piper describes the silent work of God’s sovereign hand; “God is always doing 10,000 things in your life, and you may be aware of three of them.”
The famous and inspirational book Chicken Soup For The Soul ONLY became a became a best-seller and award winning series AFTER a whopping 144 rejections! Chicken Soup’s author, Jack Canfield wrote, “If we had given up after 100 publishers, I likely would not be where I am now.” He went on to say, “If you have a vision and a life purpose, and you believe in it, then you do not let external events tell you what is so.”
Annette Marie Griffin is a award-winning writer who speaks at local women’s group meetings and women’s retreats on the topic of biblical womanhood and finding our identity in Christ. She is the Operations and Events Coordinator at a private school for special needs students and is the editor of their quarterly newsletter. She has written custom curriculum for women’s retreats and children’s church curriculum for Gateway Church in San Antonio, Texas where she served as Children’s Ministry Director and Family Program Director for over twenty years. She and her husband John have five amazing children and two adorable grands. She’s a member of Word Weavers International, ACFW, SCBWI, and serves on the Board of Directors for The Creative Writing Institute.
March is a memorable month for me; it marks my
greatest fight and biggest victory to date. It is the month I had an accident that
nearly killed me while in college.
The doctors told my family and friends I would never
walk again. I had to fight to relearn the basics of life. Those victories
affect every aspect of my life. I don’t label myself as an overcomer, but a
survivor.
Because I’ve learned that there are many battles we
face in life. No matter what part of the country you live in, you’ve probably
been facing a turbulent weather pattern.
More than likely it will intensify during the month
of March; March is a month of change as we transition from one season to
another. But, if we hold on, spring is just around the corner and all of this
crazy winter weather will be behind us.
Historically March covers two significant changes in
history, the Ides of March, the death of Julius Caesar and a turn in the Roman
Empire—and St. Patrick’s Day, in memory of the Catholic missionary credited
with bringing Christianity to Ireland.
With the opposition we face in life it’s no wonder
we’re drawn to stories about overcoming the odds and love conquering all. We believe
there’s hope in the face of adversity. Perhaps, this is why we’re drawn to
movies about struggle, maybe there really is a pot of gold at the end of the
rainbow.
Hollywood has cashed in on stories of struggle since
the golden age of film. War stories and its sub-genre of the love story encourage
us to fight for love against all the odds.
Against
the Odds?
Hence the rise of war films. This genre examines the dynamics of warfare. Intense battles and combat scenes are the core of these dramas. Originally these visual life-like historical depictions became popular in the heydays of film.
Over time Hollywood has turned out realistic
accounts of history to either glorify the acts of war or to be a voice against
it. Whether factual or propaganda, audiences are drawn to stories of strife,
especially when they overcome the odds.
The irony of war films is they can emphasize the
inhumanity of war or romanticize the tragedy of it. This has given birth to
many sub-genres. As Robert McGee points out, “Although wars are often the
setting for another genre, such as the love story.[i]”
In
most cases, this genre’s theme runs deeper than combat and blood and guts. The
setting works for themes ranging from love versus hate to good versus evil and
miraculous stories of survival.
Deep
inside we are all battling something, we are all hoping for a breakthrough.
Everyone wants to be a winner, although no one is really a winner in a war;
because everyone loses something. That’s just how life works. In the real
world, the odds are against us.
The Real World?
One
of the things I learned a few years ago at a writer’s conference was to make
our stories messy because life is messy. The boy doesn’t always get the girl,
the disease isn’t always cured, and no one always hits the jackpot. We’ve all
seen movies that were so unrealistic that they’re laughable. How do studios
expect us to believe a 68-ton tank can launch itself over a car or an obstacle?
Remember,
it is important to keep our fictional worlds believable, especially when set in
the history of the world. Here are a few of the biggest red flags I see when
reading a script.
Too convenient: everything is
conveniently laid out in our story at just the perfect time.
Defies the laws of physics or nature:
even in films, these laws should stay intact unless you’re writing a science
fiction movie, even then keep it somewhat believable.
The one answer fits all solution: what
works in one situation doesn’t necessarily work for every problem.
Remember conflict drives a story and
develops our characters.
Our
ultimate goal is to bring our audience into our stories. Show them the hurt and
the struggle, and then show them the answer. In war films, the answer isn’t
always winning the war, but the fight.
Set
the stakes high, but make them believable, this is drama—storytelling. Robert
McKee points out, “We must also create emotional authenticity. Authorial
research must pay off in believable character behavior.”[ii]
When
we see our character’s actions and reactions, we can imagine how we act or
react in the story. One of the main problems I see in a lot of Christian films
is the world is too neat and positive. There isn’t a need to fight and when
conflict does come; God intervenes miraculously and saves the day against the
odds.
What’s the solution? You tell me.
[i][i]
McKee R. (1997). Story: Substance,
Structure, Style, And The Principle of Screenwriting (Kindle edition) pg 80.
[ii]
McKee R. (1997). Story: Substance,
Structure, Style, And The Principle of Screenwriting (Kindle edition) pg 188.
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 Spiritual
Perspectives of Da Single Guy and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.
Where am I in my writing journey, you ask? Well, I’m a little more than two years into what I’ve called “re-entering” the writing world after a nearly ten year hiatus. And I’m happy to say that while I’ve still got a long way to go before I meet my biggest personal goals, I’ve made a lot more progress than I initially thought possible in this short time period.
I’ve become comfortable with my blog and Facebook writer page, despite the almost paralyzing trepidation and confusion I felt when I first realized I needed to make these things a reality. I post and engage regularly with readers and writers from all over the country and different parts of the world, and found that I enjoy doing these things much more than I ever thought I would. I’m also pleasantly surprised at how blogging and posting regularly has helped me maintain discipline as a writer. My handful of followers can always be counted on to give me a boost of confidence when I need it most, or help me out when I have questions that only other writers seem to know the answers to.
Highlights in my day include those emails with lists of open calls for submissions. I click on them excitedly, wondering what writing opportunities await and drumming up ideas as I scroll through the links. Knowing that there is a market for subjects I’m writing about – from mental health to genre fiction — keeps me encouraged. The favorite posts on my Facebook feed are those from writer pages posting similar opportunities or encouraging writers of all experience levels to share their work or boast about their good news or accomplishments.
Now I’m at the point where I actually have a few publishing credits to brag about, and each acceptance email or kind word from a reader is validation that tells me I’m on the right path. I can finally say with confidence that yes, I am good at something. I can thank someone for a compliment without feeling guilty or embarrassed. I can tell others I’m a writer without feeling like an imposter.
But the best part about writing is the opportunity to encourage others. When I write about mental health, I think about myself back in the days when I was experiencing full blown depression or anxiety, and I hope I can bring comfort and light to someone who may be experiencing the same thing. And when I share my writing milestones, I hope I’m encouraging other writers too.
Stacy Alderman has recently had her writing published by Heart and Humanity, HrStryBlg.com, and Hometown Odyssey. She has completed two correspondence courses with The Institute of Children’s Literature and self-published two novels in 2016. You can find her on Facebook and WordPress at Quirky, Confused, & Curvy.
When Stacy’s not writing or reading, she’s probably watching Penguins hockey or (thinking about) traveling. She lives with her husband and fur kid near Pittsburgh, PA.
March is a conflicted month for me, it marks both my
toughest fight and greatest victory. The 31st of this month marks 22
years since my accident that left me changed forever—disabled.
My world was turned upside down in an instant. One
minute I was returning to my car after buying my mother’s birthday card, the
next I was waking up a week later in intensive care.
My family and friends surrounded my bed. The next
few days I would learn about what happened after leaving the bookstore, about
the truck that T-boned my Mustang, crushing the right side of my head.
About the witnesses who rushed to my aid after the
accident and how they were sure I was dead. I’ll never forget the moment one of
the best neurosurgeons in the world explained to me how he had removed a part
of my brain and I would never walk again.
After weeks of in-house therapy, I was transferred to
a rehabilitation hospital. It was there I received the care and attention I
needed from trained specialists and other T.B.I. (traumatic brain injury)
survivors.
Although I wanted
to give up, I was told to take it slow and listen to my therapists. My family
and friends continued to come and support me.
A month later I was transferred to a transitional living center where I
could be observed in a normal setting. That’s where I learned I had limited use
of my left hand.
I learned the importance of support groups. Family
and friends are great, but people with disabilities were essential to my
recovery. In the 22 years since I’ve learned support systems aren’t just for
the disabled.
Support?
The dictionary defines support systems as, “a network of people who provide an individual with practical or
emotional support.” Our family and circle of friends are support systems in its
most basic form. They are the first ones to support our hopes of a writing
career.
They’re where we first receive love, help, and
advice. Older family members and friends have experienced the trials of life we
will eventually face. When the storms of life come, our support systems are
there to encourage us.
Each stage of life will bring us different systems
uniquely qualified to help us grow. Throughout my life, I’ve experienced many
supportive networks.
After I recovered from my accident, I attended a few
survivor groups and then later felt led to get serious about my faith. I began regularly
attending church again. It was there where I met my mentor and soon after
attended my first Promise Keepers men’s conference.
It was at that conference I realized I wasn’t the
only man who was broken. Along with more than 60,000 other men, I learned we
needed each other. I learned the power of encouragement. For over a decade I
consistently attended men’s rallies to be refueled and eventually joined the
movement as an ambassador.
I often shared my story of struggling with being
disabled and about my previous life and battles with substance abuse. This
eventually led me to join another support group, one for persons with addictive
personalities. I’ll never forget what was said the first day I attended.
The group leader stated he was glad to be born a
predisposition to become an alcoholic. Because if he hadn’t become one, he’d never
realized just how broken he was. “Everyone is broken and has problems, but not
everyone realizes it or can accept it. We all need help in one way or another.”
My disability was a wake-up call to my need for
help. Over the years I’ve watched people come and go who didn’t take their
addictions and brokenness seriously. It was all fun and games for them. But I
had learned it is no laughing matter.
As a youth I attended youth rallies and conferences
for fun, I never realized how serious the getaways were. While conferences and
groups can be fun, it’s more about encouragement and education.
Fun
and Games?
Anyone who’s pursued a writing career for any amount
of time, you know it’s not a luxurious or easy journey to start. And not for
hearing stories of other writers who have faced the giants we face ourselves,
most of us would be content just to give up and take a different path.
Fortunately, we have lots of opportunities to get
the support and training we need to continue our journey when the going gets
tough.
local writing or critique groups
online writing communities
social media writing communities
online training and education
writing mentors
writers’ conferences
By
the time this article posts we will be officially in conference season. It’s great to gather together with our friends and colleagues
who we don’t get to see often. And it’s fun to meet new people and network with
industry people we may never meet otherwise. I finally got to meet one of my
writing mentors at the last conference I attended. I also made more friends who
live in my area who continue to support me weekly.
Keep
in mind that like other support groups, writing conferences are for training,
encouragement and making sure our careers/dreams are supported.
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 Spiritual
Perspectives of Da Single Guy and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.
Blackwell Tactical operator and former criminalist Samantha Willis discovers
forensic evidence to prove her friend has been murdered. But before she can
gather the evidence, an explosion erupts and a fiery inferno traps her in a
building. She helplessly watches the evidence go up in flames and prays that
she can escape before the encroaching flames take her life.
Or an act of revenge…
Firefighter and former Navy SEAL Matt Griffin knew his friend’s death was no
accident, and he arrives at the building to gather his own evidence. But he
sees the building engulfed in flames and discovers a familiar car parked in the
lot. Sam, his former girlfriend, had to be trapped inside. Despite his
training, despite his captain’s protest, Griff takes off without a threat
assessment, risking his life to enter the building and drag Sam to safety. When
he does, he can’t help but wonder if the fire was set to destroy evidence or if
it was set to kill Sam. Either way, if Sam survives, he vows to hunt down the
answer.
Why do you write? Do
you have a theme, message, or goal for your books?
I started writing when I was diagnosed with a chronic
illness that kept me chair bound. I’m a type A personality and not one to just
sit. I had to do something. I’d always said I wanted to write a book so I did.
I found out how much I loved writing and kept going. Now I’m blessed to have
made writing a full-time career. I don’t have an overarching theme or goal in
mind when I start a book, but I see at the end of each book mythemes are often
about trusting God.
How long have you
been writing?
I have been writing for 16 years now. Wow, where did the time
go?
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?
I seriously wrote with the goal of becoming
published for six years before I received my first contract, and that is such a
fun story. At the 2008 ACFW conference when editor Susan Downs took
the stage to award a contract for the Heartsong Presents Mysteries imprint, I
sat back and said, “Man, it’s too bad Susan didn’t like the book I submitted.
It would be so cool to learn of your book contract in front of 500 fellow
writers.” Susan started describing the writer who would receive this contract.
She began with vague clues and grew more specific. Imagine my surprise when I
realized she was talking about me. I turned to my critique group sitting next
to me and learned that they had known about this. Some since April. Ditto for
my agent, of course. They knew, because I wasn’t planning to attend the
conference and they had to put things in place to get me to attend.
How long does it take
you to write a book?
On average I write three thousand words a day, but can write
up to ten thousand. So I can write a rough draft in two to three weeks. Then I
have two weeks or more of editing. But before all of the writing begins I do a
lot of planning and create an outline so I know where the story is going. I’ve
learned if I don’t do this, I end up cutting a lot of what I write and that
makes me less efficient. Trade length books take me longer as they have more
intricate suspense plot lines that require additional work.
What’s your writing
work schedule like?
I usually work six days a week. I’m an early riser and start
writing after a few cups of coffee and answering all my emails. Then I turn off
email, the Internet, and focus on getting my word count in for the day. I track
my words written, so I make sure I write at least three thousand words. At noon
I take a break for lunch and check email again then get back to writing. If I
have my word count in, I keep writing anyway as some days my health doesn’t
allow me to work and these extra words keep me on task. I do take short breaks during
my writing to do household chores or ride my exercise bike. Also, I manage
TheSuspenseZone.com and work on that first thing in the morning on the weekends.
And lastly, this all changes when I have a book release. Writing stops then, and
I focus on the release.
Do you have an
interesting writing quirk? If so, what is it?
Hmm, I don’t think I do. Unless
talking to my characters is a quirk. LOL
What has been your
greatest joy(s) in your writing career?
I have to mention two things. It’s a blessing beyond measure
to receive emails or letters from readers telling me a book has touched them or
encouraged them in their faith. And also, Fatal Mistake recently won the Carol
Award and that was a career achievement I never thought I would accomplish. I
was unable to attend the conference, but I can still feel the excitement as I
watched it live on my TV and how my husband and I gaped at each other in
surprise. What a blessing for sure.
What has been your
darkest moment(s)?
I don’t think I’ve had what I consider a dark moment, but
challenges abound in a writer’s life, and my life is no different. I have had
my share of rejections, bad reviews, and mean emails from readers. And after I
contracted my first book, the line folded and it wasn’t published right away.
It eventually was published and was the first book I held in my hand. Sadly,
that joy was soon replaced with sadness when I discovered the publisher put a
different author’s photo in my book instead of mine.
Which of your books
is your favorite?
That’s like asking me to choose which of my daughters is my
favorite. It’s not something I can do. I often think the favorite book is the
one I am currently working on as I learn with each book I write and try to make
each one better.
Who is your favorite
author to read?
I can’t possibly choose one as there are SO many wonderful
writers out there. I do pretty much read only romantic suspense, but right now
I am reading books for the RWA Rita contest and loving a historical romance
that I am reading.
What advice can you give
aspiring writers that you wished you had gotten, or that you wished you would
have listened too?
I think the most important thing for a beginning writer is
to listen to critiques of their work and be teachable. To realize writing is a
craft and needs to be practiced. So write, write, write, and seek out ways to
learn to do better at your craft, and continue to learn no matter how many
books you have written.
How many times in
your career have you experienced rejection? How did they shape you?
I’ve had my share of rejections. I’m not sure how many, but
by the time I’d received any rejection, I was already writing my next project.
I never received any feedback about why a book was rejected except for my first
submission to Love Inspired Suspense so the rejections didn’t offer a way for
me to improve. I took that Love Inspired Suspense rejection and reworked the
book based on what they were looking for, had my agent resubmit it, and sold
the book. So that was a great experience. The other rejections just made me
more determined to do better and succeed.
Do you have a
favorite character or scene in one of your books?
This is really like asking if I have a favorite child. I
write all of my books as part of a series. I think I have a favorite when
interview all of them before the series begins, but as I start each book and
delve into the characters in that book, those characters become my favorite.
Where do you get your
ideas?
I get ideas from things happening around me, from the news
stories, and from a forensic magazine I subscribe to. I take the basic idea and
start asking what if questions until a story is formed.
What are common
mistakes you see aspiring writer’s make?
In today’s writing world, I think the biggest mistake is
self-publishing a book before it’s ready. Many new authors think when they
finish the manuscript it’s ready for publication, but every book needs to be
edited and proofread. There is no author who can write a book in solitude and
write the best book possible. So bite the bullet and hire an editor and
proofreader. Next to hiring a good cover designer, it’s the best thing you can
do to succeed in indie publishing.
Where/How do you
recommend writers try to break into the market?
I can only speak to the Christian market, but writers have
more opportunities than ever to become a published author. The best way to
break into the traditional market is to either get and agent or attend writers’
conferences where you can pitch your story directly to editors who don’t accept
non-agented submissions via email. If you want to indie publish, learn
everything you can about the indie business, and please know, just because you
publish a book, it doesn’t mean it will sell. It takes a lot of work to bring
your book to the attention of potential readers so be prepared to work hard.
SUSAN SLEEMAN is the bestselling
author of over thirty-five novels with more than one million books sold. She
writes romantic suspense novels that are clean with inspiring messages of
faith. Readers love her series for the well-drawn characters and edge-of-your-seat
action. She graduated from the FBI and local police citizen academies, so her
research is spot-on and her characters are real.
In addition to writing, Susan also
hosts TheSuspenseZone.com. She has lived in nine states but now calls Oregon
home. Her husband is a retired church music director, and they have two
beautiful daughters, a very special son-in-law, and an adorable grandson.
To learn more about Susan’s books
sign up for her monthly email that includes exclusive excerpts, giveaways, and
other goodies. http://www.susansleeman.com/susans-newsletter/
