Categories
Time Management

Finding Balance

I believe life…or rather, living the life you really want to live…is all about finding a good balance. It’s about finding time for exercise, eating right, getting enough sleep, working enough to feel fulfilled, helping others…finding the perfect blend of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual energies to feel healthy and whole.

But often it’s really tough when there are only 24 hours in a day (and at least seven for me have to be spent sleeping for me to function!) When you’re juggling a full-time job AND your career as an author AND your personal life as a wife, mother, grandmother, etc. —well, life can feel unbalanced sometimes. When we need to do keep up with marketing our books on top of it all, how are we possibly supposed to find time to WRITE, must less to be reasonably happy?

Continue reading “Finding Balance”
Categories
Screenwriting

The Setting

One of the most overlooked components of a story, especially in screenwriting, is the story’s setting. Perhaps, it’s because some writers find the concept confusing and don’t know what to do with it.

Unfortunately, many aspiring writers mishandle an important aspect of the story. Setting is much more than simply what is happening in the background of the characters’ lives, in most cases it is key to shaping their lives.

  • Physically
  • Mentally
  • Socially
  • Spiritually
  • Politically
Continue reading “The Setting”
Categories
My Writing Journey

Thanks, Tony Robbins

“Janine?” Where are you?”

I don’t know why my husband asked me that. He knew where to find me– in front of the computer, squirting eye drops in my blurry eyes.

Yep, I’d spent another all-nighter spiffing up my manuscript. After twenty-two years, a renowned publisher had asked to see the whole thing. As I pounded the keyboard, giving Answered Prayer a final twice-over, I wondered how many nights I could go without sleep. (It was four, minus a couple two-hour naps.)

My writing journey started in the summer of 1996. I had purchased a set of “Personal Power” cassettes from Tony Robbins. At the ripe-old age of thirty-eight, it was time to figure out what I wanted to do when I grew up. For thirty days, I walked the high school track and let Tony’s voice seep into my head:

“The past does not equal your future.”

and

“Decide today who you will become, what you will give, and how you will live.”

I got the message. I wanted to become a writer. And not the kind who pens killer grocery lists on the back of the electric bill.

I went back to college, took a couple of computer and creative writing classes, and began my writing journey.

I wish I could say my first book was good. Calling it bad is a compliment. I still cringe when I think about it. If you’re a writer, you understand why. Your first book, though a labor of love, is fraught with newbie errors: POV changes mid-paragraph, a plot so crooked it rivals a dog’s back leg, and characters so boring they put themselves to sleep.

But it was my start…

With the love of God and 19th-century westerns deep in my soul, I began the second book. And for the past twenty years Cassandra Jane Pickett and her ruggedly handsome (of course) love-interest, Matt Atkins, have visited agents and publishers, in hopes someone would see their worth and give them a shot. (Well, yes. I revamped and edited their story so many times, it barely resembles its auspicious beginning).

But I’m happy to say their dreams, and mine, have not been in vain. The editorial director at Kensington Publishing is reviewing Answered Prayer even as I write this article.

As I wait by my computer with bated breath (Eww!), I hold hope Answered Prayer will see the publishing light of day.

Hmm… Tony Robbins was right. The future can look brighter every day.

Janine Mick Wills is a former pastor’s wife with a B.A. in Christian Ministry. She received The Grace Way Bible Society Award from Ambassador Baptist College for high academics and Christian character. She has used her training to help women grow in the grace and knowledge of God (Titus 2:3-5). To this end, she created a page on Facebook  called Growing in Grace by Janine Mick Wills. Janine has published articles in many magazines, including NovelAdvice, an online site that gives advice to aspiring novelists. She was also a columnist and freelance reporter for The Tomahawk (Mountain City, TN).

Categories
Literary Women in Histor

Beatrix Potter: Filling the Writer’s Nest with Tangible Inspiration

This is the tale of a tail—a tail that belonged to a little red squirrel, and his name was Nutkin.

Beatrix Potter, 1903

The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin

There’s something cleansing about the opening line of a Beatrix Potter storybook. I can almost hear her reading it in a sing-song voice, with just a touch of playfulness and sufficient drama to embolden the cautionary lesson at the climax of each tale. The solid, moral footing of her stories drawn from her keen, life-long observation of the flora and fauna in the Lake District of England, grounds whimsy in a swath of reality. I recommend hoarding a nest full of her nutritious tales for children of all ages, living in any era, as part of a Family Literary Lifestyle.

Miss Potter’s legacy of little animals going about the daily chores of farm and village life, wearing clothing and sipping tea in blissful existence next to humans, developed from the seed of her childhood. Growing up in a well-to-do home in London, her Victorian parents, as was the fashion of the day, had little interaction with Beatrix and her brother, Bertram, in their early years. On occasion, Beatrix’s father, connected with some of the trendy artists of the late 1800s, took her with him to art galleries and museums, feeding her desire to develop her own artistic skills.

Sketches from her childhood journals reveal a natural talent, blossoming with many hours of solitude in her third-floor nursery to perfect precise lines and watercolor techniques. When living in London, Beatrix completed her academic assignments under the tutelage of a nurse, and then governess. They, along with the servants in the house—cook and butler—encouraged her fascination with life in the garden. Though Beatrix might be tasked with finishing a still life drawing for a lesson, her favorite art subjects scampered, scurried, and skittered about on four legs between bushes, along fences, and up tree trunks out of doors.

In the late spring each year, the family moved to a fine summer home in the Lake District area until early fall when they returned for “the season” to London. In the glories of the English countryside, Beatrix roamed meadows and woodlands searching out all manner of plants and creatures in their burrows. She kept a journal of their habits and personality sketches, as well as detailed drawings of them in varied poses and settings. Then, of course, she’d name them. And some she’d adopt, making for quite a menagerie of cages and wicker boxes in her rooms.

Her furry roommates became famous as lead characters in her stories including Peter Rabbit, Benjamin Bunny, Hunca Munca mouse, and more—like Squirrel Nutkin.

I usually like to bring out all my Beatrix Potter collection of books and figurines for springtime décor. But in the fall, I always display The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin, one of my favorites. I love the Autumn shades of reds, golds, and browns in the art, and how delightfully she captures the seasonal escapades of squirrels, gathering nuts and hoarding them to feed off of through the winter under the lordly gaze of Old Brown, the owl.

My front and back gardens are full of squirrels at present, continuing in the ritual, unmoved by world changes over the last 100 years. The constancy of their lifestyle acts as a compass for me, grounding me in how I see life and cherish what matters. Their quirk-some personalities delight as much as they chide my heart, as I see myself in some of their habits. Beatrix might have mused in the same way, studying her squirrel friends. She used her observations to great success in speaking bold commentary on the human heart through country landscapes and the antics of the creatures who live there.

One of the things that I believe fed her tales and ability to pepper her character sketches with engaging detail, was the fact that she surrounded her world—be it her room, gardens, or hours in a meadow—with tangible inspiration. She lived among physical displays of the subjects in her art and writing. Squirrels and owls—she knew them intimately because she had them close at hand, living as pets in her room, to observe and manifest in The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin.

Tangible inspiration.

I regularly make use of this writing technique—though not in the collecting of small animals from the wild. I’m a visual learner and creator. I can’t write in a sparsely appointed room because I’m constantly distracted by bare walls, thinking what I might want to put there to fill the space. This translates to my writing life in the habit of surrounding myself with physical objects to inspire whatever it is I’m writing about.

For instance, some years ago I ran a theatrical group and regularly wrote and produced plays for performance. I’d spend a year collecting props and costumes, slowly positioning them in my living room. Displayed for me in daily view, I meditated on the story they might help me tell, and how I might use them in the script. Keeping objects visually before me fed inspiration within and allowed my brain to drift to the land of “What If,” allowing imagination full sway, until words bubbled forth.

As both illustrator and writer, Beatrix Potter’s work testifies to this visual learning style technique, further inspiring me as a writer and storyteller. In fact, when I speak, I rarely do so behind a simple podium. There must be a stage and setting. Props and tangible visuals. I rely more on these items surrounding me on a platform than I do on written notes. And I, like Beatrix, prove that a picture—tangible inspiration—is worth a thousand words. The writer just needs to mine those words. Then click publish.

 Journal Prompt: How do you surround yourself with inspiration to write? Think about a time when a physical object or tangible inspiration was the seedbed and soil to your written work.

Bonus Writing Exercise: Choose a smattering of objects unrelated to each other and arrange them in a display. Study them and begin to cast them as characters, setting, and conflict in a short story of your own. How does writing with physical objects as your inspiration make a difference to how your story unfolds?

[bctt tweet=”TWEET: #BeatrixPotter and a Gathering of Nuts—filling your writing nest with inspiration to feed upon; Women Writers in Life and Letters Series ” username=”@A3writers @misskathypwp”]

[bctt tweet=”TWEET: #Women Writers in Life and Letters—Beatrix Potter: Filling the Writer’s Nest with Tangible Inspiration ” username=”@A3writers @misskathypwp”]

BIO

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

 

Categories
Bestsellers

BEST-SELLING AUTHOR INTERVIEW with Allen Arnold

Can you share a little about your recent book?

The Story of With is a roadmap for dreaming with God. It’s been called a “beautiful, revelatory parable, filled with wonder, mystery, and adventure.” I wrote it as an allegory because we don’t need more principles or theories about creativity. We need our hearts awakened. And nothing reaches the heart faster than story.

The protagonist of the allegory is Mia, an up and coming chef who hungers for more in her life and her dreams. Yet she feels like it’s all up to her to make things happen. Through a series of events, she finds herself ushered into a fantastical place where the only way home is through filling four mysterious vials. It’s ultimately a journey from the Orphan Realm to the Freedom Realm.

At the close of each chapter, I briefly explore the themes or ideas from that section in “The Shift to With.”

I hope the unique fusion of the mythic and practical will invite readers to pursue their heart—and their art—with God.

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

My passion is to help awaken the hearts of creatives, drawing them into deeper intimacy, identity, and imagination with God by knowing Him more fully as both Creator and Father.

I believe nothing is more important than knowing God intimately—and a key way we are invited to do that is through our gifting. It sounds almost too good to be true, but we weren’t primarily created to simply do things for God. We were created to pursue life with God. Story lets me explore that concept in a million different ways!

How long have you been writing?

I’ve always been drawn to story. In fact, God primarily used story to shape my Story. As a boy, it was through the heroics of comic books. Then novels and movies. Later, as founding Fiction publisher at one the world’s largest Christian publishing houses, I had the honor of overseeing the development of more than five hundred novels from authors such as Ted Dekker and Stephen Lawhead. So while The Story of With is my first book, I’ve lived in the world of story my entire life.

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

I chose to self-publish The Story of With…and am so glad I did. I spent twenty years in the traditional publishing industry. I still have many talented friends who work in that world…but am disheartened by some of the ways the industry is changing.

More than ever, it seems the focus is primarily on established authors or celebrities with large social media followings. The new voices that publishers used to find and invest in now receive little focus or promotional dollars. And in most cases, first-time authors have a very limited window for their book to succeed before the publishing team moves on to the next project.

From the start, I knew The Story of With wouldn’t fit easily within the normal publishing model. It isn’t a straightforward fiction or non-fiction title. It’s an allegory with some teaching. And rather than publish it as inexpensively as possible, I wanted to pay special attention to details that would cost more—but matter to the reader. It was important to me to use high quality paper with larger type and more white space than most book pages include. I wanted readers to experience a sense of spaciousness as they entered into this story of freedom and hope. I also desired to create an audio version of the book with some of the industry’s top voice talents—an expensive proposition that I felt that would be less likely to happen for a first time author at a traditional publishing house.

Mainly, I sensed this message would be an evergreen title that grew slowly yet steadily over time. Given that, it just made sense that the best person to steward this process would be me rather than a publishing team tasked with juggling numerous titles simultaneously.

It’s been a good journey. I’ve realized my dreams for the book. And yes, there’s even an audio book available featuring two of the top voice talents around.

How long does it take you to write a book?

Great question. The short answer is “as long as God wants.” I used to believe there was a formula. Now I understand that writing is a journey I take with God…and I don’t know how long the trip will be until He says we’ve arrived.

The best journey we can invite readers into is the one we’re currently on. That means as writers we must be living more than we are writing. Because we can’t write a better story than we’re living.

The process of co-creating with God resembles the rhythm of a dance more than the efficiency of an assembly line. It requires the artist to set aside the illusion of control and go at the Father’s pace.

I often find I can’t write more until I’ve lived more. That journey can take days or months. It’s easy to grow impatient along the way. Then God reminds me that the goal isn’t to simply finish a project because of deadline but to bring it fully to life in God’s time.

What’s your writing work schedule like?

Each morning, I wake up and expectantly and ask God what He has planned for the day. Sometimes He invites me to start writing immediately. Other times, He lets me know it isn’t a day for writing but to simply spend time with Him. I love story…but I crave God more than writing so I give Him full control of my schedule and creativity.

It can often feel like there isn’t enough time to write. But do we really think the Creator of time won’t give us enough time for what He’s stirred us to create?

What I’m inviting others into is the wild, unpredictable mystery of creating with God. It certainly isn’t as neat as a daily word count. But sense when does the number of words written reflect the eternal value of what was written? Perhaps we should count less and create more.

What has been your darkest moment(s)?

Early in my career, I was an extremely driven man. During my twenties and thirties, I felt I could open any door through sheer force of will. What seemed extreme to others was energizing to me. And the problem was, it was working.

But from a soul perspective, I was in a free fall. I thought the way to be more was to do more. And so I kept doing more until my heart went numb. I felt deep shame at who I had become…but also a glimmer of hope in who I could become. I believed God could make all things new…I just never realized it was me who needed to be made new.

I share a bit of that story in the first few pages of The Story of With.  It was the start of my journey from being a self-made man to becoming a son of God who longed to do every part of life with my Father.

Who is your favorite author to read?

My favorite novelist is Stephen Lawhead. And my favorite series from him is the Song of Albion trilogy. That series came more than decades ago and changed the way I saw life, God, and myself. It actually fueled my desire to become a Fiction publisher. Then, more than a decade later, God opened the door for me to be Stephen Lawhead’s publisher.

The Song of Albion trilogy is general market fiction written from a Christian worldview (a fantastical Celtic tale mixed with modern day characters). If you’re curious, the first book is The Paradise War.

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

The life you have with God while creating determines the life your art will have. As your life grows closer to God through shared adventures, first you are refined. Your talents and gifting then follow.

In that way, our creativity reveals more about us than we think. What we give birth to – from ideas to stories to songs – possesses both the strengths and the blind spots of the creator. You simply can’t create art more powerful than your own life. Where you are faking it, your art will be less true. Where you haven’t gone, your creations can’t go.

What we create alone from our own strength can’t surpass our weaknesses. Yet what we create with the Creator can’t help but transcend us.

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

Many times. But I’ve learned that rejection simply means others don’t get it or perhaps that my vision needs refining. That’s especially true when one is creating something new rather than recycling a concept that’s been done countless times before.

We tend to base our art’s worth on the reactions or reviews of others. We need to aim higher. Ask God to reveal the true value of your art. He is, after all, the One who gave you your talent. The impossible becomes possible as you invite the Creator into every aspect of your creativity.

The life we have with God will determine the life our art ultimately has. He wouldn’t have it any other way.

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

I’m a big fan of Ryder in The Story of With. He’s a complex character…and he ushers Mia (and readers) into the scars of our stories. The quicksand scene with Ryder (Chapter 10) is my favorite scene of my book. To say more would be to say too much until readers experience the story.

Where do you get your ideas?

I get my ideas from spending time on the playground of creativity with God. There’s nothing better. He is the most gifted storyteller. The best Father. The Creator of oceans and sunsets and stallions. When I spend time with Him, I’m always in awe of what we come up with together.

At a recent writer’s conference, my friend Ted Dekker gave the audience this transformative challenge: Don’t write to teach. Write to discover.

If I want to take readers somewhere new, I have to go there first. It’s the same for you. Your readers don’t want you to be comfortable in the creative process. Stop trying to master the process and start exploring. Forget the cozy chair and seek disruption. Readers want to be invited somewhere new by storytellers going new places. They prefer trailblazers to teachers. Stretch yourself. Then stretch your readers.

What are common mistakes you see aspiring writer’s make?

The biggest mistake I find authors make (whether new or proven) is chasing success rather than pursuing God in their creativity.

That leads to striving and to formula.

With so many creative people working in the world of story, how did we become so comfortable with the familiar; so dependent on formula? When something works, businesses tend to want more of that something. There’s the pressure to repeat and systemize success, driven by a false belief that the next breakthrough will come by recapturing that same lightning in a slightly different-colored bottle. Yet that never works. What propelled the first book was its originality…not a repeat of what had already been done.

That’s the problem with formula. The pull to the proven and predictable doesn’t lead to what’s fresh or what’s next. It leads to more of the same.

But the answer isn’t striving. As I say in my book The Story of With: “God doesn’t need your help as much as he wants your heart. Whenever you start to focus more on your talents and gifts than on him, you miss the main invitation. Which is to pursue them together. With him.”

That is what true success looks like…and the way to infuse your art with an eternal spark.

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

First, do the hard work of discovering your unique voice and style. Among other things, you must continue seeing and experiencing new things. When authors let their own lives become too predictable, the stories will follow. A problem of formulaic stories may point to a life lacking spontaneity. If your days are a bit too similar, find ways to eradicate formula from your life first.

Then—and this is key—you must stay on the journey of discovery rather than growing comfortable, setting camp, and settling into the same. As your life grows, your voice will grow. As you scale new heights, you’ll face more obstacles and more breakthroughs. Let your stories do the same. Surprise us with what’s now awakening your heart rather than give us another serving of what once did. Show us the view from the new peak you just climbed rather than write from the old one that is safe.

As you create, the goal is never to be the “next” ___________ (fill in the blank with a bestselling author).

It’s to be the “first” you.

We were never meant to pursue our art alone. I hope you’ll join me in this journey of greater creativity, bigger dreams, and truer success. You can find The Story of With on Amazon and Audible – and follow my insights on creativity via Twitter @thestoryofwith.

BIO

Allen Arnold is the author of The Story of With, a book that reveals how stepping into our identity, imagination, and intimacy with God can forever transform our talents, dreams, and creativity. A highly sought-after speaker, Allen has shared this transformative message at hundreds of gatherings, including Dave Ramsey’s creative team, numerous writing and worship conferences, the Association of Christian Schools International, and Grace and Lace, a fast-growth apparel company featured on Shark Tank. As founding Fiction Publisher for Thomas Nelson, Allen oversaw the development of more than five hundred novels spanning every genre. He now directs the content at Ransomed Heart, a ministry in the mountains of Colorado founded by John Eldredge (the New York Times Best-selling author of Wild at Heart). His favorite way to spend the day is with his family – in whatever that day’s adventure may hold. He loves blue oceans, black coffee, hot salsa, and big ideas.

Categories
Book Proposals

The Why Behind a Book Proposal

No, agents and editors are not sadists. We do not ask you to write an extensive book proposal to torture you; although many say writing a book proposal is harder than writing their book. We ask you for a proposal to help us evaluate three things.

Continue reading “The Why Behind a Book Proposal”
Categories
Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

Proofreading

Often, what we intend to say never comes through in what we write. Sometimes our enthusiasm inhibits the thoughts we are trying to communicate. Unless you’re one of the writing savants who never makes a mistake, you will have to revise your writing—you will have numerous drafts.

Multiple drafts ensure that your takeaway is clearly communicated. Revisions require rereading our writing.

Continue reading “Proofreading”
Categories
Novelists Unwind

Novelists Unwind Interviews Lynette Eason and Becky Wade

Romance with suspense or romance with glamour?

Why pick one when you can have both?

Lynette Eason

I met Lynette a few years ago at a writers retreat, and our paths have crossed again at other conferences. She’s a kind-hearted, humble, and talented writer. So it was a delight to chat with her about her latest novels in the Blue Justice Series. The first book in the series, Oath of Honor, is a page-turner with an intricate plot. And a cute little dog named Mozart.

Becky Wade

Becky and I discovered we have something in common—we’re both the oldest of our siblings. And so is her heroine in Falling for You, the second novel in the Bradford Sisters Romance Series. The paths of a famous model and a famous football player cross again when they’re enlisted to help a young girl solve a family mystery. Will the love they experienced before be rekindled? This story is a page-turner, too!

The next Novelists Unwind Giveaway will be announced on Saturday, October 6th, at 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 (Tyndale), 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.

 

Categories
Uncategorized

3 Sure Fire Ways To Find Your Audience

When I started blogging, I researched examples online. I came across a blogger who posted one paragraph a day. I wondered if this was the norm. I thought there had to be more to blogging than writing a single paragraph. Is this how I find an audience for my blog?

Posting

After a few minutes, I discarded the idea of writing so few words. Instead, I chose to create blogs ranging from 400 – 700 words, depending on the topic. But what I failed to realize from the blogger I discovered was the concept of consistency. Posting daily created a body of work which helped him be found by search engines. 365 paragraphs to be exact. At 120 words on average, the total equals 43,800 words. His body of work all posted on the internet. A library of sorts, if you will. Each post with its own topic.

My sister-in-law had started a blog before me. She had consistently posted over the years creating her own body of work. When she shared my website with her followers, several of them started following me. Her consistency and sheer volume of work helped me to start finding my audience.

As a new blogger decide how often you want to post and stay consistent. At first, I posted weekly. Now, my schedule as a special needs mom, author, columnist, and social media instructor allows me to post on my own blog monthly.

How much should you post just starting out? How do you create your own body of work in a short amount of time?  One way is to join this year’s NANOWRIMO which is an acronym for National Novel Writing Month.

Sure Fire Tip: Find your audience by posting quality content, 2-3 times a week. Posting once a week or once a month can still gain you an audience but at a slower rate. You may also want to guest post to help your audience find you. Read more here.

You don’t have to be writing a novel to join this challenge in November. Another writer who joined last year used the opportunity to write a blog post each day of the challenge. This year, I plan to create a blog every day in November. Once completed, I will use the body of work created as a backlog of pre-prepared blogs. With consistent posting, this could also boost my SEO (Search Engine Optimization) helping me to grow my audience. You can sign up for NANOWRIMO here

Titles/Descriptions

As an author, I know how important it is to have an attention-grabbing, gotta read it, give it to me now title. From the title of your blog to your meta-description, creating interest for your audience is key.

Use a great title generator to help you craft the perfect title. I use coschedule.com’s headline analyzer. This title generator ranks your title on a scale up to 100. Don’t fret, I’ve never received a 100 on any of my titles, but I am happy to see my title go green (above 70.)

Sure Fire Tip: Use this headline analyzer to create your titles with a score of 70 or above.

The title I intended to use for this blog post was Blog Basics For Beginners. Kinda rolls off your tongue, doesn’t it? Though it seemed like a catchy title to me, it received a headline score of 40.

How did I get my score up? I downloaded a list of emotional words:

I added Sure Fire which is an emotional word found on the list and changed the title to 3 Sure Fire Ways To Find Your Audience.

The title of this blog received a score of 71. Your score color is green when scoring over 70.

Focus Keyword

When I want to search for topics about memoirs, I type the word memoir in my google search bar. Or, in my particular area of interest, I type, medical memoirs. The first return under this topic is Popular Medical Memoirs Books by Goodreads.

If I type in my son’s diagnosis using this string of words: Thanatophoric Dwarfism Survivors, the second result is an article I wrote for The Mighty.com. The 8th result is a blog I wrote on my website. (The Mighty.com has a much larger body of work than my blog; hence, higher on the list.)

The word or string of words searched for in the Google search bar are focus keywords your audience will use to find results for a topic. And hopefully, they will find you.

TIPS

Tip 1: When crafting your blog, think about how your audience would search for your topic/blog.

Tip 2: Before writing, search your topic in Google. What words did you use to search? Chances are, this will be your keyword or keywords. Did your search return any results? If so, peruse the results and decide if you want to narrow your topic. If no results appeared, your topic may be just what your audience wants to know.

Tip 3: Still need help finding a keyword(s)? You can find suggestions for a keyword by using Yoast suggest.

Write your article/blog with your keyword or keywords in mind. Naturally add these words in your title, article headings, picture tags, meta-description and in the body of your content. (Read Part 2 of Sure Fire Ways To Find Your Audience next month for further discussion of headings, tags, and meta-description.)

Sure Fire Tip: Use Yoast Suggest to find a fit for your keyword(s).

For this article, I searched for Grow Your Audience in Google. Potential focus keywords returned were:

  • grow your blog audience
  • how to grow your audience
  • how to find grow your audience

Based on this list and the content of my blog, I would select “grow your blog audience” as my keywords. This should help my ideal audience find this blog post when searching using these words.

Sure Fire Tip: Use Yoast suggest to find your keyword(s) for your blog.

Have you used any of the above websites when creating your blog post? Do you use other websites to craft your blog and help find your audience? Share in the comments below. Let’s help each other grow.

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.

Categories
Romancing Your Story

Getting Inside the Romantic Hero’s Head—Part II

[bctt tweet=”Have you ever wondered what the opposite sex is thinking while you’re thinking? Men, as a rule, think in fewer words, phrases, emotions, than women generally do. The key to dialogue in romance writing is to keep it natural and consistent. #InsideHerosHead #writingromance101 #romancingyourstory #almostanauthor” username=”@donnalhsmith @a3writers”]

Continue reading “Getting Inside the Romantic Hero’s Head—Part II”
Categories
The Picky Pen

Editing Like a Director

Hello! How’s your editing been going for you? I hope you’re seeing great improvement, but if you’re at a loss for how to edit or even what it consists of, take heart.

Editing is as much an art form as writing, so the more you practice, the better your results will be. Last month, we looked at three way to think like an editor. This month, we’ll switch gears and look at how to edit like a director. Rather, we’ll transform our story into the stage and our characters into actors. You enjoy a well-done performance, don’t you? Consider what makes up a stunning stage performance . . . and we’ll incorporate a few tips for how to edit like a director.

Three tips for how to edit like a director

  1. Captivating dialogue

I understand. Dialogue is hard to craft because as in life, there’s emotion, nuance, and subtext in our characters’ dialogue. When crafting my own dialogue between my characters, I must reflect on the general goal I want my hero and/or heroine to accomplish. And whatever that goal is the dialogue should mirror that goal. For instance, if my amateur detective heroine wants to get admission into the exhibit so she can scoop up clues from last night’s painting theft, but no one will let her in because that section of the museum has been closed off, she’s got to convince the ticket master that it’s important to let her in. What might that dialogue consist of?

Amateur detective: “Sir, I’m with the police. I’d like to be let inside the exhibit hall, so I may conduct my search.”

Ticket master: “I’m very sorry. Only the private investigators are allowed in there.”

Amateur detective: “But I am a private investigator.”

Ticket master: “Hardly, miss. Where are your credentials?”

  1. Strong character actions

Outside of dialogue, strong character actions is the most important element on the stage because it connects the audience with the actors and endears them to the entire story. Likewise, giving your story characters specific movements throughout each story scene will entice our readers to want to engage with the story. Let’s take the dialogue we crafted between the amateur detective and the ticket master and incorporate some strong character actions.

Lily Nash stepped inside the museum’s expansive lobby, searching for the ticket counter. Ah, there, near a huge marble column. “Sir, I’d like to be let inside the exhibit hall, so I may conduct a search from last night’s robbery.”

“I’m very sorry, but that’s closed to the public. Only private investigators are allowed in there.” The ticket master stamped a few papers and filed them.

Gripping her handbag, she said, “But I am a private investigator.”

The ticket master cast a scorning glance down at her over his thin metal spectacles. “Hardly, miss. Where are your credentials?”

Did you notice yourself envision the scene, what the characters might look like, and how their voices might sound, based from this scene? Does it seem like Lily isn’t as prepared as she should be, and the ticket master is a stern fellow? Do you hear the desperation in Lily’s voice and the disbelief in the ticket master’s? Can you see the lobby’s high ceiling and the large, stone columns? We have not included anything but character actions and dialogue, and perhaps you are connected with the scene already.

  1. Strong transitions between scenes

Incorporating strong transitions between your story’s scenes will help your readers connect the dots and stay on track with the story as it ebbs and flows, leading to the climax and the ending. Now, we’ll take the last scene, with dialogue and character action, and create transition scenes before and after.

Looking up at the front of the art museum, Lily Nash clutched her stomach. Her first assignment alone.

She stepped inside the museum’s expansive lobby, searching for the ticket counter. Ah, there, near a huge marble column. “Sir, I’d like to be let inside the exhibit hall, so I may conduct a search from last night’s robbery.”

“I’m very sorry, but that’s closed to the public. Only private investigators are allowed in there.” The ticket master stamped a few papers and filed them.

Gripping her handbag, she said, “But I am a private investigator.”

The ticket master cast a scorning glance down at her over his thin metal spectacles. “Hardly, miss. Where are your credentials?”

“I have them, sir.” Lily dug through her handbag. Fear gripped her throat. She’d had it at the station. Without another word to the ticket master, she turned and fled the building.

Transitions don’t have to extend to several sentences or even paragraphs. Just mention enough to get your characters from one place to the next so it will be clear to your readers how your characters are moving throughout the story as it progresses, hopefully, from good to bad to worse to a climactic ending with a satisfying end.

Just as each theatrical production has its own style, theme, and tone, your story has its own style, scene exchanges, dialogue, and tone so that the message truly reaches the reader’s heart. The bottom line is to make sure your writing shows an entire story being acted out as if it were a theatrical production. Now, take a small scene from your current WIP and see how you can transform it into a scene that fully engages readers in dialogue, character actions, and transitions.

Please join in the discussion! I’d love to hear from you!

Take a few minutes and ruminate. How do you edit like an actor?

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.

Categories
Child's Craft

Nonfiction For Kids Is Big! – Part II

Last month we looked at an overview of writing nonfiction for kids. This month we focus in on writing nonfiction magazine articles for kids. Most children’s magazines buy MORE nonfiction articles than fiction.

Here are some helpful tidbits for crafting and selling your nonfiction to children’s magazines (online and print).

  • Research way more than you think you need. Use print sources and primary sources (interviews with people) primarily. For facts be sure you have three reliable, verifiable sources for each fact you include.
  • Keep track of your sources. A variety of website and software packages include bibliography builders. Pick one and use it to keep track of the following information:
    • Title and author (and illustrator) even on websites
    • Publishing company or magazine title
    • Publishing date or magazine date, volume and issue
    • City of publication for books
    • Page numbers for all printed material. Photocopy or download the actual pages you use.
    • For online sources the URL
    • For primary sources their names and date of the interview
  • Organize your research. If you can outline your article before you write it. If not, be sure you can outline it logically after it is written.
  • Be able to sum your article up in one sentence.
  • Remember the rule of threes.
  • Use great writing: strong verbs and nouns, clear sentences, keep words and sentence length age-appropriate, write tight, avoid passive voice.
  • Use visuals if you are a photographer or illustrator. If not, recommend the inclusion of visuals at specific places in your article.
  • Use humor when appropriate
  • Try to use a child-character in your article.
  • Research the publishers (books and magazines) well before submitting. Follow their guidelines exactly.

Magazines buy a variety of nonfiction articles. Here are a few ideas to get your brain tumbling.

  • Step-by-step How-to articles. Be sure the tools, materials and instructions are age-appropriate. Follow magazine guidelines exactly.
  • Sports articles. Interviews with sports figures, or profiles on them are always needed. Also informational articles should be about unusual sports. Introduce kids to sports they don’t commonly read about or participate in.
  • Articles about the arts. Focus, again, on famous people or people who have accomplished exciting or unusual things. If your subject is a kid that’s a big plus. Focus your articles on unusual productions, musical instruments, how-to articles for visual arts or literature.
  • How-to articles are great for sports, the arts, cooking, crafts, science experiments, gardening, pet care. The list is endless. Be sure to organize the article well with headings that clearly show the steps.
  • Facts or informational pieces. RESEARCH well. Write in a kid-friendly style. Engage and inspire your readers to dig deeper into the subject. Supply them with other sources (books, websites, magazines) they can check out for themselves.

Remember: nonfiction is BIG! It takes lots of research and plenty of patience to get the articles done right. But selling nonfiction magazine articles is a giant step toward publication and a readership of hundreds of thousands of kids. They’re eating this stuff up.

Go for it!

EXTRA: For more handy info about writing nonfiction for children read Cyle Young’s article here.

Jean Hall lives in Louisville, Kentucky. She is represented by Cyle Young of Hartline Literary. Her premier picture book series Four Seasons was recently signed by Little Lamb Books. Jean is a member of the SCBWI, Word Weavers International, and the Kentucky Christian Writers. Visit Jean at jeanmatthewhall.com, on Facebook at Jean Matthew Hall, and on Twitter as @Jean_Hall.

Categories
History in the Making

Is Writing Historical Fiction a Good Fit for You?

History in the making

I enjoy digging into the past, following bunny trails of history, and learning about cultures long interred and nearly forgotten. And then weaving a plausible story using the events and people of another time period.

It takes a lot of excavating (sometimes years) to discover enough buried remains of the past to write authentic prose, avoid historical mistakes, and gain the trust of your readers. Then you live with the fact that, inevitably, there will be mistakes. And what you create will be neither true nor false, but only a probability of what may or may not have happened.

 You can’t depend on what you think you already know.

I write Biblical historical and my first novel is set in Ancient Egypt during the Abrahamic era. I started writing with my own memory of events (from Sunday School) having a large influence over my story and discovered several mistakes early.

  • Abraham and Sarah were called Abram and Sarai at this time.
  • Pictures of Abraham riding a camel through the desert are historically inaccurate–the camel had not yet been domesticated.
  • Although Pharaoh’s army pursued Moses into the Red Sea on chariots, during Abraham’s day, the ancient Egyptians had no such vehicle.

Wear the hat of an investigative reporter.

I took a step back and spent nearly the next five years exploring the Middle Bronze Age, Ancient Egypt, and Ancient Mesopotamia. And I realized I had to find research material beyond the internet because (surprise) it had a lot of false and flawed information.

[bctt tweet=”Like a reporter, historical novelists have to check facts and verify sources. #writetips #writerslife” username=””]

Going “old school” and visiting libraries or buying and borrowing reference books often provide my most reliable resources.

I recently wrote a heart-wrenching chapter about the death of a beloved man named Mamre. Going back through my research, I realized I killed the poor fellow off too soon. I put him in an early grave before (according to history) he went to war and became a hero.

My WIP is from Genesis, so any student of the Bible would have caught my mistake and lost confidence in me as a writer. I was glad I took the time to fact-check.

You dig up a lot of gold nuggets, but only cash a few in.

One of the most difficult things to do when writing historical fiction is to not use all of your research. You spend countless hours exploring a specific time period, and you want to share all of that information, but most of it should never make its way into your novel.

The work you do is to give yourself a sense of time and space. Take your reader on an adventure in another age, but do so without overwriting. You have to know what to leave in and what to leave out. Remember that you are writing a novel–not an encyclopedia.

Questions to ask yourself if you are wondering if historical fiction is for you:

 Does reading about the past interest you?

  • Does the prospect of a long process sound worthwhile to you?
  • Are you willing to find research material beyond the internet?
  • After all your hard work, are you willing to let most of it go?
  • Do you see yourself reimagining history?
  • Can you visualize combining past events or people with fiction?

If you answered yes to all of the above–good news–this genre is for you!

KD 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

Categories
Write for His Glory

Live in the Moment

I love it when the Lord uses everyday activities to teach me. Sharing one of many lessons on what we can miss when we don’t live in the moment.

One day Don and I were driving home from Hershey. There’s a spot along the road where you crest a hill and WOW, an amazing view is off to the right. I’ve wanted to take a picture of that view for a long time but kept missing the opportunity.

So, camera ready, I anticipated reaching the spot. Not being familiar with the road, though, I sat in “ready” mode for several miles. Eyes focused intently ahead, I grew impatient as each crest yielded nothing but woods. I knew we must be close, where was that spot?

As I glanced to the right, I saw an amazing mimosa tree. Full of blooms and perfectly shaped, the large tree would have made a perfect picture. But alas, we had driven by before I could aim the camera.

I became so focused on the road ahead I missed the glorious sight right in front of me!

How often do we miss what God planned for today because we’re focused on a goal, a plan, a destination somewhere in the future?

I’m learning to live in the moment by starting each day with, “Lord, what do You have for me today?” Then I focus on Him, and look forward with expectation to what He will do that day!

“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”   (Matthew 6:34, MSG)

 

Mary Graziano Scro, a graduate of Christian Communicators Conference, is an inspirational author, speaker, and blogger who intuitively weaves analogies and personal testimony with practical biblical teaching. Whether “live” or at the keyboard, Mary loves sharing what God has done in her life to encourage others about the awesome life God has planned for us, IF we are willing to choose wisely in our everyday lives (John 8:31-32). And it’s not only about us – the more we invest in our own unique relationship with Jesus, the more visible He is to a world that desperately needs Him.

You can reach Mary on:

Facebook: Mary Graziano Scro https://www.facebook.com/don.mary.scro

Twitter: @marygscro

LinkedIn: Mary Graziano Scro  https://www.linkedin.com/pub/mary-scro/11/600/a4b

Blogs: Life Is Not A Formula at www.marygscro.com

Categories
Grammar and Grace

What’s an Interjection

Last year, we explored seven of the eight parts of speech. Then I took a break to address compound words in several posts and the correct usage of its and it’s.

Now let’s look at the last part of speech–interjections.

Interjections are words that denote strong feelings like surprise, excitement, joy, fear. They’re usually found at the beginning of a sentence and are punctuated with an exclamation point but sometimes can be set off with a comma. They are not grammatically connected to the sentence. They function independently.

Use these words in dialog, but don’t use them in formal writing.

Here are some examples of using interjections:

Wow! Hurricane Florence is really huge.

Ouch! That pepperoni burned the top of my mouth.

Other examples include the following: hey, rats, shoot, whoa, dang, drat, cheers, yikes, yuck.

These are fun words to use, but I’d suggest using them sparingly. Remember to show emotion in your writing, not just with one word and an exclamation point.

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
Categories
Guest Posts

Writing with Family

Writing a book is a process.

It began as a school assignment for my granddaughter when she was in third grade. She is now a seventh grader.

She was supposed to write 100 words and grace her pages with artwork. From her hand-written pages, I typed. Then she drew.

A little girl collected buttons and had a favorite that she had misplaced. She searched and searched, and searched some more–and found it! That was her story.

She put her finished work in a binder decorated with buttons. She earned a very good grade.

And I said, “I think you have something here. Let’s keep going.”

So we worked to understand the girl. Why was the button important? What did the girl look like? What did she like? Who was her family? Who were her friends?

We switched from third person (she) to first person (I). We developed a reason the button was important. We added family, friends, dialogue, description, repeating symbolism, and motives.

I thought we had a picture book, so I shared it with an author/friend. She said, “It’s not a picture book. It’s a chapter book. Keep working.”

So we did.

Writing a book is a process.

 

We shifted from the perspective of the little girl to the viewpoint of one of the previously peripheral characters–a boy–a new kid in town.

We drew in a team of helpers–her brother and some of their cousins. Sometimes, a committee of us met in a very professional manner discussing the story and deciding how to enhance it—even once debating a character’s name.

Around my dining room table, the family at large discussed the hair color of one character—calling a cousin down from the playroom to be our model.

Sometimes, ideas popped up during car rides.

Sometimes, I wrote alone.

One day, I typed as a grandson and I developed a chapter together.

Just last evening, another grandson gave us our revised title.

Now, we have more than 12,000 words. And so begins the process of cutting fat that may weigh it down and slow its journey to print. During that process, we search for places to add flesh and blood where the text is dry bone.

Then we will ask others to invest in it—to help us send it on its way. Will it float and fly? Or will our labors continue? To do otherwise is to let our project die. And our dream is that it will live in the imaginations of many.

Wordcraft is a process in which we grow along with our characters, a process that weaves bonds by telling stories real and imagined.

William Faulkner said writing is “agony and sweat of the human spirit, not for glory and least of all for profit, but to create out of the materials of the human spirit something which did not exist before.”

We are making a piece of work that did not exist before. Something from our human spirits. And in that process, we’ve explored life and characters and human character and tightened the bonds between us.

Writing a book is a wonderful process.

 

Writer and teacher Nancy E. Head is the author of the soon-to-be-published Restoring the Shattered: Illustrating Christ’s Love Through the Church in One Accord. Nancy was a single mother with five children under the age of 14 when she attended Penn State to earn a bachelor’s degree in English and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.  Her career took a journalistic turn from radio news to newspaper reporting, then education before she returned to the classroom to secure a master’s degree in English from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.  Currently an instructor at Penn State Altoona and Great Commission Schools, she also spent two summers teaching English in Asia.  She is a member of the Altoona Writers’ Guild, the Christian Writers’ Roundtable, and Toastmasters.

When not teaching or writing, she restores antique quilts, crafts projects for her grandchildren, and helps her husband lead a small group devoted to ministering to the needy in their community.

Categories
Mastering Middle Grade

Branding Basics for Middle Grade Writers

When you think about the word “brand,” what comes to mind? A metal tool used with cattle? A particular fruit? A can of soda?

Before I started writing for kids, I wrote marketing campaigns and ad copy as part of a corporate brand advertising team. Companies invest major money in creating brands, and for good reason. People who sell products want to claim a portion of your mind and heart so you will feel good about spending your hard-earned money on them.

What is a brand, anyway? A brand is:

  • a promise
  • an emotional connection
  • actions that deliver upon both

You may be wondering whether this is important right now, especially if you have not published that much or are pre-published. Branding is important for writers for the same reasons it is important for businesses. Readers have plenty of options to choose from, and they are more likely to choose books by authors they are either a) familiar with or b) recommended by their friends. You have a better chance of being read if readers recognize your name. That’s where your branding efforts come in.

Does this mean, as a writer, that you have to take out a second mortgage to hire high-powered advertising agencies to create a brand for you? Of course not. But you do need to spend a little time thinking about some things. Make no mistake: you are, with every decision you make and every action you take, constructing your own personal brand. Let’s make sure that it’s the one you want to build.

Good branding starts with understanding the business – in this case, you.  Remember the three essential elements of a brand that I outlined earlier? The first one is the promise. What is your promise? Discover this for yourself by answering these questions:

  • What do you write?
  • For whom?
  • What value do you bring (what makes you special)?

Next, you will want to consider what kind of emotional response you want associated with your author brand. Whether you write scary stories, bible-based adventures, or slapstick comedy, think about how you want to be perceived by your readership. Do you want them to count on you for a dose of silliness in a stressful world? Do you want to connect through your adventurous spirit and imaginative tales?

Finally, your actions – what you do and where you go to market your work – must be consistent with your brand promise. Whatever your desired connection with your reader is, you need to bring that goal into focus and let it guide you. Thanks for reading and happy branding!

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.

Categories
Writers Chat

Writers Chat Recap for September, Part 1

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!”

Live Website Critiques with Rhonda Dragomir

Not sure if your website is effective or professional looking? Well you’ve come to the right place. In this episode of Writers Chat, as Rhonda critiques a volunteer’s website, she will share her criteria on what makes a website effective and engaging. You can use her criteria to bring your website to the next level and have “engage-ability”.

Watch the September 4th replay.


Want to see know more about how to make your website professional grade? Find it on this week’s Show Notes and Chat discussion.

How to Create a Social Media Campaign with Bethany Jett

Writers need platform, but with so many options, it can be overwhelming. Bethany Jett shares best practices for creating a social media campaign and the most beneficial mindset for growing an engaged audience.

Watch the September 11th replay.

Looking for specific apps and programs to help with your social media campaign? Discover more from the Show Notes and Live Chat discussion.

Bethany Jett is the Founder and Co-Owner of Serious Writer, Inc., and Vice President of Platinum Literary Services where she specializes in marketing, nonfiction proposal creation, ghostwriting, and developmental editing. Her love for marketing and social media led to her pursuing her Master of Fine Arts degree in Communication: New Media and Marketing. She also holds a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies: Behavioral Social Science and Humanities with a Criminal Justice minor.

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.

Categories
Guest Posts

Why Should I Market An Unpublished Book?

“Lisa, everyone is asking me when they can buy a copy of the book.”

I looked at my friend without exasperation as I explained what I knew of the process. “I know, but first I need an agent, and then a publisher.”

“But why do you need an agent and how do you get one?”

Ah, there’s the rub. The advent of self-publishing has changed how people view the process of getting an actual “I can hold it in my hands” book into the marketplace. It’s easy enough to put an e-book together, and it takes more work (and money) to hire a company to print your book. If you go that route, the general rule is you must pay for the book’s production and then you have to do the marketing and get it placed in bookstores on your own. It can turn into a tremendous outlay of time and money (See a theme here?).

When an author wants a powerhouse publication, we go the traditional route, securing an agent who then finds a publisher. To get an agent you need a book proposal, which is like a business plan. Can you say research?

When I first met with the lady who would become my agent (Yes! It happened!), she liked the premise of the book and asked me to submit a proposal. It includes three synopses of the book (of varying sizes), chapter summaries, comparable works, an endorsement list, marketing plans (There it is!), and a few chapters of the book. After all, you must show the agent that you can, you know, write.

I had no clue what was involved until I started writing Marshall’s memoir, Someplace To Be Somebody. He finally got it when he thought of LeBron James, a local young man some of you may have heard of.

“Okay, so it’s like LeBron. For him to get the best contract, he has to have an agent who looks out for him.”

“Bingo!” We finally jumped that hurdle of understanding.

“But why are we doing all of this advertising when we don’t even have a book?”

It’s a valid question because it’s imperative for an author (especially a first-timer) to be a viable asset for a publisher. They need to know we have a following of people who will buy the book. I keep Marshall busy with promotional videos, and I asked him to share news on his social media sites. We were recently interviewed by Patricia Durgin (Marketers on a Mission) about the book, and we utilize Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and blog posts.

You have to get creative when it comes to book marketing. Publishers no longer do all of that work for an author, and it’s more than just going to book stores and doing a signing. It’s thinking way outside of the box and coming up with unique ways to interest people in your adventure (Yep, we’re not in Kansas anymore).

It’s about getting name recognition, speaking engagements, email lists, viral blog posts and Youtube videos, a large following, and giveaways.

Wait. What? This is where the real creativity comes in. I have to bow to those who lead the way in this (Bethany Jett, Cody Morehead, Edie Melson, Cyle Young, e.g.). They know what entices publishers, and they share! Wow! What a bonus, too for a new author to have their excellent help and support.

As we maneuver our way toward publication, marketing serves as an essential tool. As I learn, it’s my joy to share with other authors.

Lisa Kibler is a writer/blogger and international speaker. She has been published in Celebrate Gettysburg, CBN.com, and contributed to Heart Renovation by Lighthouse Bible Studies. She has just completed Someplace To Be Somebody, the memoir of former Black Nationalist, Pastor Marshall Brandon. Lisa is represented by Hartline Literary Agency. Her website is lisakibler.com

Categories
Magazine and Freelance

Why Write Articles?

When I began writing I had small children at home. I wrote in my head all day long and looked forward to the few computer moments I would have at nap time, between loads of laundry, and after bedtime. Because of that mental prewriting, I was able to quickly get my work into files ready for submission. The best market for these short pieces seemed to be articles, so that is where I focused.

After several years of writing articles (because I thought it was the only thing I had time to do), I realized that I really enjoyed writing articles, for several reasons.

  1. They were short and they fit very well into my daily schedule of parenting. As the children got older I realized that even though we had added new activities to the day, I could still write in carpool line or while I was waiting for dance lessons or soccer practice to be over. Even when the children got old enough to be dropped off for long periods of time or to drive themselves, my favorite thing to write was articles.
  2. Because of their brevity, I could complete articles quickly. Some days I could finish multiple articles and submit them. That was always a good feeling to know much had been accomplished in a day. Especially since some days left almost no time for writing.
  3. Articles often require research which means not only am I writing something that will educate others, I am learning new things myself. Research can also be used to write other articles without additional time in the library.
  4. Often when you figure it per word, articles are a great way to supplement your income. Many people think books are the best way to make additional money. But strategically placed articles can be lucrative.
  5. Articles are a good exercise in writing tightly and making the most of the words you use. When you only have a few hundred words to get your message to the world, you need to make sure they all count.
  6. Articles can be written anywhere. Recently I was on the road and someone else was driving. Before I arrived home I had written an article, edited it, submitted it, and it was accepted. What a great road trip!
  7. As writing moved into the digital world, I found many new markets for my articles. True, writing for the web is a little different than writing print articles. But with very little additional learning I found a new world of writing for the internet.

What about you? Have you discovered the fun and excitement of writing articles?

Linda Gilden 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

Categories
The Poet's Pen

What Makes A Good Poem?

All writing is about “words” but poetry uses concise words in a concise order. One word in a  poem can make a drastic difference in how the poem is perceived. Sometimes changing one word can make or break a poem.

Look at the following example from THE EAGLE by Alfred Lord Tennyson

He  clasps the crag with taloned hands (my version) or–

He clasps the crag with crooked hands (the way Tennyson wrote it)

Do you see how much smoother Tennyson’s version reads?

Which of the following two poems by an anonymous writer do you think is better?

A
The spoken or written word
Should be as clean as a bone,
As clear as is the light,
As firm as is a stone.
Two words will never serve
As well as one alone.

 

B
The written word
Should be clean as bone,
Clear as light,
Firm as stone.
Two words are not
As good as one.[1]

A Good Poem:

  1. comes from the poet’s heart.
  2. touches your heart.
  3. makes you want to read it again…and again.
  4. like the Bible, each time you read it you see/learn something different.
  5. creates a new image by juxtaposing different things together.
  6. uses clear, memorable, concrete images
  7. tells a story.
  8. creates a world inside the poem

The next time you write a poem, think about how the words fit together. Try replacing a word of phrase with a different one to see which one is better.

[1] Perrine, Laurence, LITERATURE Structure, Sound, and Sense, Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc., New York, 1970. p.565.

Darlo Gemeinhardt writes middle grade novels. She believes that there is a story in every dog. In her spare time she takes care of 1 husband (of 40 years), 29 dogs and trains with TALLAO, K-9 SEARCH AND RESCUE. Visit her at From the dog pen.com

Categories
Publishing Perspectives

How Many Pairs of Eyes Are on Your Book?

I recently finished making wording changes on a self-published book that had already been typeset and printed — or perhaps I should say I thought I had finished the changes. A large batch of new changes just came in from another person who had looked through the book. (I sure am glad I was the typesetter/page designer, and not the editor of that book!)

Thankfully, with print on demand, such changes can be incorporated for a relatively low cost, but my client was concerned about how “unprofessional” the process seemed to be. Surely such last-minute changes never happen in traditional publishing! Oh, if that were only more true. Traditional publishing arguably has fewer of these unfortunate last-minute wording changes than self-publishers do, but it still happens once in a while.

When it comes to avoiding last-minute wording changes, traditional publishers have a distinct  advantage over self-publishers, and it all comes down to who is paying the bill. Even if a self-publishing author pays a professional editor to go through the manuscript, the author pays the bill and has the final say.

If the editor finds wordiness, the overuse of a phrase, or a myriad of cliches, will the author have the humility to allow the editor to remove them? (I can’t count the number of times I’ve been told by an author, “That’s just my style,” in response to my discovery of such problems.)

But there is yet another advantage that traditional publishers have over self-publishers: the manuscript gets seen by multiple pairs of eyes. A manuscript at a traditional publisher may go through two or three levels of editing (each by a diffferent person), and more than one proofreader, and “in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” Every person who looks at the manuscript brings a different perspecitive to the writing. It’s crazy, but sometimes a proofreader will notice a problem with a sentence — a sentence that has already been read by four or five people!

Sometimes all it takes is a missing “not” to change a godly author’s words into heresy. Think of this sentence: “Jesus is not indifferent to our sufferings.” If that “not” gets lost, several people may read it and unconsciously insert the word, and thereby miss the typo.

Sometimes a sentence goes past several pairs of eyes before someone notices that it can have two meanings. (My favorite is the old joke about the guy who got fired for laziness. When asked for a recommendation, his former employer wrote: “You’ll be lucky if you can get this guy to work for you.”)

Self-publishing authors cannot typically afford to pay for multiple sets of eyes on a manuscript, but they can still manage to get this advantage in an economical way. They can use beta readers. A beta reader is a friend or fellow author who is willing to read your book and point out any snags or confusing passages. (Or even, sometimes, a major flaw in the logic of your nonfiction, or a hole in the plot of your fiction.) With print on demand, it is now economically practical to hand out printed review copies of your book to your beta readers — but I would strongly suggest having your manuscript professionally edited and proofread before you produce review copies.

When you use beta readers, you need to practice both humility and discernment — humility to accept that your book may have errors, and discernment to realize that nonprofessional advice is not always worth taking. With those two virtues in mind, the more eyes on your book, the merrier!

David Fesseden has degrees in journalism and theology, and over 30 years of experience in writing and editing. He has served in editorial management positions for Christian book publishers and was regional editor for the largest Protestant weekly newspaper in the country.

Dave has published seven books, written hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles, and edited numerous books. He is a frequent speaker at writers’ conferences. Two of his books, Writing the Christian Nonfiction Book: Concept to Contract and A Christian Writer’s Guide to the Book Proposal, are based on his experience in Christian publishing. The Case of the Exploding Speakeasy, Dave’s first novel, reflects his love for history and for the Sherlock Holmes stories of Arthur Conan-Doyle.

Dave and his wife, Jacque, live in south-central Pennsylvania and have two adult sons.

Websites/Blogs:
www.fromconcepttocontract.com
www.davefessenden.com
www.thebookstore.info

Categories
Writer Encouragement

Voice of Negativity

The voice of negativity is a plague for writers.

I know you’ve heard that voice because I hear it all the time. Writer friends, who share with me from their heart, hear it as well. It’s that voice that slaps you when you’re rejoicing. It says, in effect, “Why do you think you’re any good? Who will read this? You’re not really a writer.”

Have you ever heard similar accusations?

I recently finished writing my 9th book. And do you know what that voice said to me?

So-and-so is about your age and she’s written 50 books.

Who wants to hear what you have to say?

You’ve invested how many days of your life in this project and you think someone will publish it?

And the list of negativity goes on. After writing for ten years, I should be used to it. But frankly, I still have to fight that demon of discouragement.

I have one writer friend who confided that she didn’t know why she was starting her first book so late in her life. I nearly laughed when she shared her age. She is much younger than I am!

I met another published author who shared that she didn’t think she had enough of a message for her readers because she was so young.

Are you seeing a pattern? It doesn’t matter your age, your experience, your height, your weight, the numbers of blouses in your closet. The point is, if God has called you to write, then NOW is the right time to “pick up that pen,” as it were, and pray for inspiration.

The God of the universe doesn’t care about the non-essentials. He cares about obedience. And he cares about spreading the message of the Gospel in many forms, be it non-fiction prose, poetry, historical fiction, whatever. God is far more creative than we will ever be. But he uses us and the skills we hone as wordsmiths, to help spread that message. And whether the words we write are read by one or by one-million, someone needs to hear the message that you were called to create.

There is a pro-active way that we writers—and others—can fight against that demon of discouragement. It’s called, Putting on the Armor of God in Ephesians 6: 10-18.

For years, I considered myself a failure at memorizing Scripture. Guess what? The evil one lied to me because I have now memorized this entire section of the Bible. To me, that is a major accomplishment. And, despite my skewed thinking that memorization was unattainable, I kept reading that section of Scripture over and over, day after day. It now lives in my heart as well as my mind. And it reminds me that I have a weapon at my disposal, if I choose to pick it up. It is the “sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.”

Pick up that sword and wield it against that demon of discouragement.

Then, carry on.

Elaine Marie Cooper is the award-winning author of Fields of the Fatherless and Bethany’s Calendar. Her latest 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. She freely admits to being a history geek. Look for her upcoming series set in Revolutionary War Connecticut. The 4-book series is entitled Dawn of America. You can visit her site at www.elainemariecooper.com

 

Image of woman by silatip, courtesy of www.freedigitalphotos.net

Categories
Platform and Branding

Nailing Your Metadata: Categories

What is Metadata?

Metadata is the information you give to Amazon (or other distributors) that instructs them on where your book should be located, and to whom it should be shown. Most readers will never know what your metadata entails, and just as few will care about it. Amazon’s algorithms, however, care about it deeply. If your metadata (namely, categories and keywords) aren’t correct and optimized, Amazon will not help readers find your book, and therefore it will drift into obscurity and be undiscoverable.

By adding the proper keywords and categories for your book, you help Amazon’s algorithms guide your target readers right to your book. If you have these elements in place, your book will be much more visible to shoppers, and you’ll begin to see an increase in sales.

Keywords and categories are very simple once you understand them, but they can be a bit more complex than most authors think. Let’s dig in to categories:

Nailing Your Category

Your category is not the same as your genre. They can be one in the same, but categories can also be much more complex.

For instance, I personally write in the genre of historical fiction. As far as I know, it’s the only genre my book fits in. However one of my categories looks like this: kindle ebooks -> literature and fiction -> historical fiction -> Italian. The other looks like this: kindle ebooks -> history -> ancient civilization -> Rome.

Whereas my chances of ranking high in the historical fiction category is very  improbable without a huge marketing budget and a well-established platform, I almost always rank within the top 20 of my first category, and top 10 of my second.

Why is that important?

Because people looking through the bestsellers list will see my book at the top of those charts.

It’s all about visibility. Allowing Amazon to do a little bit of visibility marketing for you can lead to a lot of book sales in the long run.

If I had stopped with the most obviously categories, such as historical fiction or historical thriller, I likely wouldn’t have that added visibility by being at the top of my category charts.

Your job as the author is to research your genre to figure out the most optimal categories for your book to be listed in. You do this by analyzing the competition and it’s difficulty, while also testing how popular the category is.

Through the KDP platform, you can select up to two categories for your book to be listed in. Your goal with each should be a book that your book can easily rank within the top 100 in (the bestsellers list for each category shows the top 100). After that box is checked, you want to find categories that you can confidently make a push into the top 20 (the first page of a bestsellers list shows the top 20). At last, if possible, it’s always good to shoot for a category that you have the ability to rank #1 in. You might not be able to stay there very long, but it is nice to know that if you focus your efforts and spend a little bit on marketing, you can make a push for #1.

If you do, you’ll end up with a nifty little status like this:

Bestseller in America

Bestseller in Canada!

Bestseller in Australia! Have you ever wanted to be an “international best seller”?

 How do you do this, one might ask? Well, it’s fairly simple. You need to spend a lot of time yourself digging into the many niche categories on Amazon to find one that your book can accurately fit into. Next, you’ll need to look at the ASBR (average best seller rank) of the #1, #20, and #100 book in that category. Once you have that number, head over to the KDP Calculator, and type those numbers in to see how many books per day that title is selling. If you feel confident in being able to sell that many books per day so that you can place within the top 100, top 20, or have a shot at number 1, than it is the category for you.

Pro Tip #1: If there is a category you find on Amazon that you cannot find within the KDP dashboard to add your book to, you can always email KDP support and ask them to add your book to a particular category. All you need to do is provide the book title, the ASIN number and the FULL category chain, and KDP will do the rest.

Pro Tip #2: If all of this sounds tedious to you, or your want to ensure you have the most accurate data, you can purchase the KDP Rocket software, which distills all of this information in a quick and easily digestible way. I use it personally for all of my clients, and for myself. I can’t recommend it enough, and it will make your category searches much more efficient.

Vincent B. Davis II is an author, entrepreneur, speaker, and soldier. His first novel The Man with Two Names was published in July 2017 and has since become an Amazon International Best Seller. He is passionate about helping authors improve their brand and platform. He works with publishing companies and individual clients to help them sell more books in the modern publishing environment. Vincent is also the Senior Editor for blueridgeconference.com. If you are interested in contributing a blog for the site, or have any other queries, you can reach him at Vincent@thirteenthpress.com

Categories
The Intentional Writer

Is “Write Every Day” Good Advice?

The intentional writer

Write Every Day

It’s oft-given advice for aspiring writers. If you want to become a good writer, you should write every day. Sounds like simple, practical advice. But is it?

That depends.

I know writers who work best when given concrete goals. For them Write Every Day might be exactly the kick in the butt they need to keep motivated. I know other writers whose creativity shuts down when faced with an inflexible goal like Write Every Day, because sooner or later (probably sooner) life will get in the way and they will miss their daily quota. Guilt will set in and before they know it they have become disillusioned and quit writing altogether.

So, if Write Every Day is not always good advice, why is it given so frequently?

The intent behind the words

“Exercise the writing muscle every day, even if it is only a letter, notes, a title list, a character sketch, a journal entry. Writers are like dancers, like athletes. Without that exercise, the muscles seize up.” – Jane Yolen

Writers are advised to write every day because, as the quote indicates, good writers know the benefits of developing a habit of writing consistently.

Three reasons this is important:

  • Practice makes us better. Like any skill, the more we practice writing, the better we get.
  • A consistent writing habit helps us overcome Resistance. We can find a million excuses to avoid writing. A consistent routine helps us get our butts in the chair and words on the screen.
  • Keeping our head in the project increases the flow of ideas. Creativity doesn’t just happen. Many factors come into play that increase or decrease our ability to think creatively. Tapping into our creative thinking regularly will encourage the subconscious linkages that lead to inspiration.

How can you develop the habit of writing consistently without the burden of Write Every Day?

By adopting strategies that help you make writing a priority while allowing flexibility to adapt to the realities of life.

Here are some to try:

Know your “why” and honor your passions

Joy is a stronger motivator than guilt, fear, or duty. Start by defining why you want to write. Keep your “why” fresh in your mind and let it motivate you. Also know what you love about writing. If watching characters come alive is your thing, forcing yourself to journal may not be productive. Neither will writing science articles if your heart is set on world-building or romance. It’s easier to be consistent when you are doing the kind of writing that feeds your soul and inspires your creativity.

Ease into writing

Starting is often the hardest part of writing. Many writers have discovered that beginning their time with a creative writing prompt loosens the writing muscles and gets things flowing. It’s less intimidating than jumping right into their “serious writing work.” (One writing friend calls this approach “sneaking in the back door.”) If you hate the idea of “wasting” time that could be spent on “real” work, here’s a trick: Use writing prompts strategically. Adapt a writing prompt so it applies to some aspect of your work-in-progress. Then you can ease into writing while simultaneously accomplishing something that directly impacts your current manuscript.

The percentage strategy

Instead of making specific time goals, one friend assesses each day to see how much time is available. Then she takes the available minutes and divides it between writing time and other work. For example, if she had three hours and she allotted 25% to writing, she would write for forty-five minutes. Some days she has more. Some days she has less. Some days she has no time for writing. Life happens. The percentage method allows a flexibility that has breathed grace and renewed motivation into her writing life.  Note: My friend has found that this system works best when she does her writing before she tackles other tasks.

Broaden your definition of writing

When I am working on a rough draft, I find a goal of writing two-thousand words a day keeps me chugging along. But what about the bulk of my writing life when I am outlining or revising instead of filling blank pages? I broaden my definition of writing to include all creative thinking that is connected to the writing process. Editing, rewriting, plotting, outlining, character sketches, doodling while dreaming up new ideas… All of it involves exercising my creative muscles, so I say it counts. This helps me remain motivated instead of frustrated at a perceived lack of output.

What about you? What keeps you from writing consistently?

Which strategies have helped you develop a more consistent writing habit?

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