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Blog Tour- Jennifer Froelich

Please tell us about your most Recent Book

STEALING LIBERTY is my young adult dystopian novel, which will be released on June 13 by Clean Reads, Inc. It’s about a group of kids who become friends at a secret detention school for teens whose parents have been branded enemies of the state. When they start reading the old books they find in tunnels under the school, they begin to question what they are taught about the last days of America and the government that has risen in its place. When the government decides to sell the Liberty Bell, they risk everything to steal it, to take back their history and the liberty that has been stolen from them.

Why do you write what you do?

I have my degree in journalism and have become increasingly concerned about the way propaganda is used by the media and politicians to shape the way Americans think. The idea for STEALING LIBERTY developed from that concern and for my love of history and current events, both of which shaped the construction of this futuristic story. Of course, it is a challenge to incorporate such heavy subject matter into a story for young adults. Hopefully, I solved that conundrum by writing a character-driven story. I think any subject matter is more interesting when you see if from the viewpoint of a few individuals rather than thousands of people. I used multiple intelligence theory to develop my characters, hoping that will help my readers develop personal attachments and favorites among them. We’ll see if it worked!

What are you currently working on?

I am writing a sequel to STEALING LIBERTY called WEEPING JUSTICE, which I hope to release in 2018. I’m also planning a third book called CHASING FREEDOM to round out the trilogy.

How does your work differ from other work in its genre?

I love to read YA dystopian novels, but I have noticed that most of them don’t explain how we got from here to there. I wanted to write a story that showed at least a glimpse of that process so readers would feel a connection between the world we live in now and the one I’ve depicted in the future.

How does your writing process work?

I write every day, though I often fail to meet my word count goals. I am a macro “plotter” and a micro “pantser,” which is sometimes frustrating as my characters drag me into places I never imagined we would go together. Overall, I am a slow writer. I have tried to write tens of thousands of words and to leave all the editing for later, but I find that doesn’t work for me. So I tend to write a few chapters at a time, then go back and lightly edit before continuing on. I’ve written three novels now (and I’m in the middle of the fourth) and every time, I feel like an amateur in a professional world! Now I’m wondering if that feeling will ever change. As much as I would like to speed up my process, I am more concerned about releasing a story that readers will love than one that they will like, but which can be in their hands more quickly.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2rspaus

Jennifer Froelich published her debut novel, Dream of Me, in late 2011, which reviewers praised as “well-orchestrated with outstanding imagery.” Her second novel, A Place Between Breaths, published in 2014, was called “a roller-coaster ride with enough twists and turns to keep everyone interested” and won an Honorable Mention in Writer’s Digest’s 23rd Annual Self-Published Book Competition. Jennifer is a frequent contributing author to Chicken Soup for the Soul.

A graduate of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University, Jennifer worked for many years as a free-lance editor and writer before publishing her own work. She lives in beautiful Idaho with her husband, two teenage kids, and a rescue cat named Katniss.

Categories
Fantasy-Sci-Fi

The Secret to a Good Sidekick

 

The beloved “sidekick.” Han had Chewy. Frodo had Samwise. Harry had Ron and Hermione. Captain Kirk had Spock. The Doctor had…well, all of his companions. In the world of fantasy and sci-fi, the main character usually has a loyal helper by his/her side.

But creating a sidekick just for the purpose of being a sidekick can be a trap for even the most seasoned writers. (See: Jar-Jar Binks from Star Wars: Episode I.) Before a helper is created to serve as comic relief, or as the sounding-board for the main character (MC), the writer needs to consider the sidekick’s true role. What is his/her real purpose?

Every MC needs a flaw (or two). This is not only necessary for the direction of plot or to give the journey purpose, it is also needed for balance against other characters—particularly the sidekick. Where the MC is weak, the sidekick is usually strong. The personality flaws the reader may hate within the MC are often the reason the reader loves the sidekick. Sometimes, there is no possible way for a MC to “win at the end” without the aid of the sidekick.

A sidekick is also more than an extra character to help move plot forward; more than a narrator to provide valuable information; and more than the unlucky soul who cleans up whatever mess might be left behind by the MC. A sidekick is often the one person with whom the reader can deeply connect; the person the reader identifies with the most.

Take your time when creating this vital element of your story. Possibly, base specific personality traits from people you already know. Sit down and create a Myers-Briggs personality test for your sidekick character. What makes him/her tick? Get to know this person just as much as you (likely) already know your MC. Plot out the purpose of the sidekick within the story and the reason that person has for sticking around with the MC despite all his/her flaws. Dig deep. Know your sidekick before you begin adding that comic relief factor.

So much of a writer’s time is spent focused on plot, theme, setting, characterization, and other technical points. But don’t miss out on an opportunity to take your story to the next level by creating an extraordinary sidekick. It’s one thing to create a Jar-Jar Binks, but wouldn’t you rather have a Samwise?

Bio: Laura L. Zimmerman is a homeschooling mom to three daughters, and a doting wife to one husband. Besides writing, she is passionate about loving Jesus, singing, drinking coffee and anything Star Wars. You can connect with her through Facebook and Twitter and at her website, www.lauralzimmerman.com

Categories
A Lighter Look at the Writer's Life

Through My Window

I recently discovered something startling, and I need to tell someone. Award-winning, internationally bestselling author Davis Bunn has been peeking in my windows.

I realized this fact during his keynote address at the recent Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. The scenario he described was a perfect capsule of my life for the past year.

Watch the rosebushes, Davis.

He described a time in his life when he wanted to write while holding down a full-time job that was stressful. Well, hello. He said he would come home in the evenings and try to write, but he was too drained and exhausted, mentally and physically, to do so.

Here’s some Windex, Davis, make yourself useful.

I have been in my current job for 27 years, and the majority of the time it has been a wonderful place to work. This year? Hmmmm. I won’t go into details, but it was a tough, tough year. Most days, I felt the same way as Davis described. After work, I would often try to write something meaningful, but the words didn’t come. It was easier to give myself a brain break and play Spider Solitaire and watch the Great British Baking Show on Netflix.

Davis said something else that hit me where I live.

“By focusing on the hardship of my situation, I was making the hardship harder still.”

[bctt tweet=”“By focusing on the hardship of my situation, I was making the hardship harder still.”- Davis Bunn” username=”@davisbunn ‏@A3forme”]

Why you gotta be so real, Mr. Bunn?

I realized what I had done. I had let the stress of everyday life keep me from what God called me to do. I was like Peter, who sank like a rock when he paid attention to the waves instead of focusing his eyes on Jesus while He was walking on water. I had gazed on the circumstances and not on the Savior.

Bunn completed his speech, and I assume he returned to his room to write another bestseller.

On the other hand, I trudged across campus through a monsoon to my lovingly-appointed Ridgecrest room and got real with God. In the most honest time of prayer I’ve had in a long time, I asked Him to forgive me and to help me navigate the balance between the circumstances of life and my writing. I emerged with my faith energized, knowing He will keep His promises and motivate me to do better at keeping my eyes on Him.

Full disclosure: Davis Bunn didn’t actually look in my windows (Although that would be cool, albeit a little creepy). However, he did obey God by “opening the vein” to share a message that hit me and many others like a hammer right when we needed it.

Thanks, Davis Bunn. Oh, and you missed a spot over there.

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Guest post archive

One Christian Voice- Christian News, Inspiration, and fun content for living.

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Guest post archive

Writers Conference: Follow-thru Honors the Sacrifices By Carole Sparks

We all make sacrifices every day. Every time you chose something, you sacrifice the other option. But some sacrifices loom larger than others. Attending a writers conference is one of those.

I sacrificed to attend Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference this year. I missed honors programs for both my children as well as the last day of school for each of them. I skipped a special social event for my oldest. I forfeited my last quiet day at home before summer and several days of regular fitness and nutrition habits. I didn’t write for more than four whole days. (Learning about writing is not the same thing.) I also broke one of my favorite shoes on all those hills and steps at Ridgecrest.

I’m not the only one who sacrificed so I could spend four days in the beautiful (albeit foggy) mountains of North Carolina. My husband worked from home, drove the kids to everything including dentist appointments (Okay, I’m glad I missed that.), and cooked dinner (usually my job). Plus, I’m sure he could have found something meaningful to do with those hundreds of dollars we paid for me to be there. We won’t mention the additional money I “donated” at the bookstore.

My sacrifices may seem silly or unimportant to you, but for me, they almost compelled me to stay home.

I’m glad I didn’t.

The conference is over now. I’ve slid back into my favorite yoga pants and sip from my favorite coffee mug again. But the significance of those sacrifices is incomplete until I finish what I started at Blue Ridge.

[bctt tweet=”The significance of my sacrifices is incomplete until I finish what I started at #BRMCWC. @a3forme @Carole_Sparks (click to tweet)” username=””]

 

Craft: In workshops and classes, I learned specific ways to improve my writing, but I must implement those changes when I sit down at the computer. It’s easy to remain in the ruts I’ve plowed until now. A pastor I know once said, “A rut is just a grave with the ends kicked out.” I can also schedule a time to view handouts and listen to recordings of classes. This is a great way to expand on what I’ve already received.

Lifestyle: Faculty and speakers at Blue Ridge suggested lifestyle changes to create more or better space for writing. Making those changes takes some intentionality, and like any other choice means I must give up something else so I can write. I need to communicate these changes to my family and make those difficult choices every day until they are habits.

Connections: The highlight of a writers conference is undoubtedly the connections we make with other writers. I could let all those business cards sit in a folder until I forget about the people they represent, or I can “friend” them on Facebook, follow their blogs, and ensure we stay connected. I made promises to a few people: to recommend them to someone else or provide information of some sort. My integrity is at stake if I remain silent.

Submissions: Industry professionals with whom I met asked for submissions from me. I must take the time to compose what they requested, then take a deep breath and hit send! (You might have heard this one before.)

If I don’t follow through on the commitments I made at Blue Ridge, I’ve squandered the sacrifices it took for me to be there. I don’t want to belittle my calling or my family’s efforts. Instead, I want to honor those sacrifices and gain everything I can from the conference. That means I finish what I started.

[bctt tweet=”Honor the #sacrifices you made to attend a #writersconference when you follow thru. @a3forme @Carole_Sparks #BRMCWC (click to tweet)” username=””]

What about you? How are you honoring the sacrifices made for you to attend a conference? Keep yourself accountable by sharing in the comments below.

Bio

Carole is passionate about God’s Word—about how it can change our everyday lives! After years of globetrotting, she now lives, learns, and loves (plus a good bit of writing) in the hills of East Tennessee. Connect with Carole through her blog, http://notaboutme1151.wordpress.com or Facebook.

 

Categories
Bestsellers

Best Selling Author-Tracie Peterson

Can you share a little about your recent book –

My last book is titled TREASURED GRACE and it’s book 1 in the Heart of the Frontier series.  The series is set in 1847 and goes through 1856. The location is the Oregon Territory and book one deals with the Whitman Mission massacre.  It’s a romance set against tragic events that helped to mold the governments’ attitude toward Native Americans.

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

Writing for me is a ministry. I want to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ in each book, but give it in a way that isn’t just hitting people upside the head with a Biblical 2×4.  I also include Bible application and encouragement for the believer.  I want each of the books to do what I call my 3E’s.  I want them to entertain, educate and encourage.

How long have you been writing? And how long did it take you to get your first major book contract?

I had tried off and on to publish since I was a teen. I got my first contract in November of 1992.  You have to remember, however, that I wanted to write Historical Christian romance and there wasn’t a market for it prior to that. I was even told at one point, “Christians don’t have romances.”   Since then, most publishing houses agree that Christians do have romances and have tried their hand at publishing stories about that.  Now I write primarily Christian Historical Romantic Intrigue and was recently introduced as the Queen of Christian Historicals.  I thought that after 110 books, most of which were historical, the title was a good fit.

How long does it take you to write a book?

I dedicate 3-4 months for each book’s writing. However, I’m doing research well in advance of writing and I’m plotting out story ideas prior to that.  I also write up a detailed synopsis as a road map for each book which allows me to write super fast and then have lots of time for editing.

What’s your writing work schedule like?

Normally I write each day.  I strive for a chapter a day and when I sit down to write it, I go over the chapter I wrote the day before to get me into the flow of writing the next chapter.  I write the first draft fast and furiously and then spend a good amount of time in editing.  When my writing for the day is done – sometimes this takes a couple of hours and sometime it takes a lot more – then I do research work for future projects, look for events and locations I’d like to write about, answer fan mail and so forth.

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

I don’t know if it’s a quirk or not, but I’m a stickler for two things.  I want accuracy in my writing and reading materials. I research as much as possible for each book because nothing ruins a book faster for me than historical inaccuracy.  I am also a stickler for a detailed chapter by chapter synopsis which I know seat-of-the-pants writers would consider a negative quirk. J

The detailed synopsis saves me from ever having much in the way of rewrites, however, so I’ll stick with it. Some writers worry that this takes out the spontaneity of the story, but it doesn’t.  I use it as a guideline only. If I need to make changes or add characters or subplots, I do. It’s just that with the detailed synopsis I can write something even when I don’t feel overly creative.

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

Seeing lives transformed by the stories God has given to me to write.

What has been your darkest moment(s)?

Hmmm, that’s a tough one.  I can’t think of any real dark writing moments. I suppose the thing that bothers me most is seeing authors caught up in the contests and best-seller’s lists and being depressed when their books don’t get there. Satan uses the world’s judging standards to make authors feel like winners and losers, and it has ruined many a great author. I remember an author coming to me once after her book didn’t win in a contest. She told me she was giving up writing because apparently, she didn’t have what it took to win.  That’s a dark moment.

Which of your books is your favorite?

That’s really impossible to say – kind of like “which kid is your favorite”. I can honestly say they’ve all been favorites for one reason or another. Generally, however, the book I’m writing at the time is my favorite just because it’s uppermost in my mind.

Who is your favorite author to read?

Again, there are a great many.  I love Charles Martin, Liz Curtis Higgs, Jen Turano, Judith Miller, Kimberley Woodhouse, Cathy Marie Hake and Elizabeth Camden just to name a few. There are also quite a few secular authors I regularly read.

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

Over the years, I got a lot of really good advice, but one question came to me from a little workshop I attended when I was first getting started.  It was so simple, but so important.  This was the question:  Why are you writing?  It’s critical to know why you write.  If you are writing for money, then it will send you in a different direction than if you’re writing as a ministry. If you’re writing as a ministry, then that will send you in a different direction than someone who is writing to make the New York Times best-seller list for the fame of it or to make their mom proud or to prove something to someone who put them down.  Everyone has a reason they write and what it is they’re trying to accomplish.  However, what I wish every writer would do is write for the pure joy of storytelling.  I know that I would write, even if I never published another book.  I love writing and storytelling and therefore whether a book sells one copy or a hundred thousand, I enjoy what I do. Knowing why I write takes a huge pressure off.

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

I had a lot of rejection letters in the early years of pursuing publication. Some were form letters and others were given with kind comments. Those rejections made me try harder. If advice was given, I heeded it and went in search of learning.

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

Not really.

Where do you get your ideas?

They come from all around me. I truly believe that my storytelling ability is a gift from God and I know that He gives me ideas by sending things into my life. Some come from Bible studies, some from non-fiction reading and often from travel, but always I know God is at the very core of it.

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

Some of the biggest problems I see with new author work today is that they haven’t bothered to do their research. I’m known for my detailed research and accuracy is important.  It doesn’t mean I won’t make mistakes and readers are ever so happy to let me know when I do, but I try to be accurate.  I’ve read books lately that were so bad where research was concerned. Even silly details like a book saying that Denver sat surrounded by mountains. (It doesn’t – they’re on the western side only).  Or an author having a gelding horse give birth or describe a bay horse as having a pale blond coat. These are easy things to research and if an author is unwilling to do their work in those areas, then I can’t trust them to have done it in other areas more critical to the story. Writers need to remember the reader develops a trust with them and keeping that trust is important.

I see a lot of head hopping with new authors – where they are in one character’s point of view and in the next paragraph they’re in another’s and back and forth.  It’s impossible to get into deep pov-which is preferred by most publishers without sticking to one pov at a time.  You can separate points of view by chapter breaks or space breaks within a chapter, but don’t bounce back and forth in the same paragraph.

Probably the other really big mistake I see is refusing to take correction. I’ve been the managing editor of a line and can’t tell you the number of times new authors would argue with me about something I pointed out or ask them to change. For example, I had one woman who had written a story based on something her grandmother had told her.  The situation, however, was well-documented and didn’t happen that way at all. I ask the writer to make changes because I liked the general story, but she refused because her grandmother’s word was Gospel to her.  Another time I pointed out the head-hoping to an author and ask them to rewrite to one pov at a time. She refused and said it ruined her story. The publisher, however, had a hard fast rule about this and I couldn’t buy the story even though I loved her work.  Yet another time I asked an author to verify and offer proof of details she’d put in her book and she wouldn’t or couldn’t and told me she shouldn’t have to.

Writers, especially newbies, but all writers need to respect the authority of the publishing house. It doesn’t mean you can stand up for your work, but you need to handle things in a respectful manner.  I’ve had publishers challenge details before. I remember once, early in my career, I had written into a story the location of the train depot in Washington D.C.  At that time it was at an intersection of two streets, however those streets no longer intersect. My editor called me on it and I produced the map to show her that in 1840 those streets did intersect.  It’s important to be able to show proof to defend your writing with something more than “grandma’s word”, but it’s also important to realize that your editor is only trying to make your book the best it can be.

Writers do not publish a book alone.  The writing is just one aspect of the book. There are so many people who will play a role in your book from editors, proofers and typesetters, to artists and design experts, to marketing and distribution people, to bookstore owners and the readers themselves.  Without any one of those people, your book suffers.

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

I think the best thing writers can do is attend conferences where editors and agents will be present to take one-on-one appointments.  Most publishing houses are requiring agents now, but even if they don’t, they like to use agented material.  The publishers rarely ever look at anything that comes in without first being requested so it’s important to at least get their attention at a conference.  Sometimes it also saves the writer a great deal of trouble by sending their work to a publisher or agent who doesn’t deal in that type of writing.  There are a lot of really good conferences out there and often, even if there aren’t a lot of editors or agents attending, a writer can team up with other authors who might be able to get their work into the hands of an agent for consideration.

Ultimately, it’s up to the writer to be the best they can be and that includes being well-informed.  Join a local or national chapter of writers. You can learn so much this way. I helped to found American Christian Fiction Writers and know that this organization has helped to get many an author published.  They offer great workshops online and at conferences, as well as net-working, critique groups, industry news, etc.  They’re just one of many writer groups out there.

Last of all, I encourage all writers to keep writing. Your genre may not be popular right now, but I’ve seen various genres rise and fall over the years. Chasing the market by writing what you think the market is looking for can be a deadly trap. I’ve seen authors try this and instead of writing what they know and are really good at, they try to emulate other authors and fail. Often this has ended their career.  So write what you love and have a deep passion for writing. It shows in your work and will definitely be noticeable to the editor.

 

Tracie Peterson is the best-selling, award winning author of over 110 books.  Her work in historical romance garnered her the Best Western Romance Author of 2013 by True West Magazine. She was given the Life Time Achievement Award from American Christian Fiction Writers in 2011 and the Career Achievement Award in 2007 from Romantic Times, as well as multiple best book awards.

Tracie has been married to Jim for over 37 years and enjoys working with him on historical research for each of her books.  They make their home in the mountains of Montana. They have three grown children and three grandchildren. They also have an adopted family in Africa that has given them another seven grandchildren – two of whom were named for Tracie and Jim.

The most important thing about writing for Tracie is – this is her ministry.  It is her deepest desire is to share the Gospel with a dying world and to bring glory to God in her work.  She works with each storyline to include the message of salvation and Biblical application for daily obstacles. Throughout her career she has been blessed to see how God has used the books for His glory to change lives.  Tracie works to make each book meet her required 3 E’s.  The books need to Entertain, Educate and Encourage – all to the glory of God.

Summing up what she does, Tracie said, “I get to do something I dearly love – tell stories, travel to meet wonderful and interesting people and see new places, work with my husband and serve God, all while being paid.  Who could ask for anything more?”

Website: www.traciepeterson.com

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Tracie-Peterson/e/B001I9W8WK/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4?qid=1486467248&sr=1-4

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTraciePeterson

Categories
LifeStyle Untold Stories

We Love Blogging

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The steamer which crossed the Pacific from Yokohama to San Francisco made a direct connection with that from Hong Kong, and it could not sail until the latter reached Yokohama; and if Mr. Fogg was twenty-four hours late on reaching Yokohama, this time would no doubt be easily regained in the voyage of twenty-two days across the Pacific. He found himself, then, about twenty-four hours behind-hand, thirty-five days after leaving London.

The Carnatic was announced to leave Hong Kong at five the next morning. Mr. Fogg had sixteen hours in which to attend to his business there, which was to deposit Aouda safely with her wealthy relative.

On landing, he conducted her to a palanquin, in which they repaired to the Club Hotel. A room was engaged for the young woman, and Mr. Fogg, after seeing that she wanted for nothing, set out in search of her cousin Jeejeeh. He instructed Passepartout to remain at the hotel until his return, that Aouda might not be left entirely alone.

Mr. Fogg repaired to the Exchange, where, he did not doubt, every one would know so wealthy and considerable a personage as the Parsee merchant. Meeting a broker, he made the inquiry, to learn that Jeejeeh had left China two years before, and, retiring from business with an immense fortune, had taken up his residence in Europe—in Holland the broker thought, with the merchants of which country he had principally traded. Phileas Fogg returned to the hotel, begged a moment’s conversation with Aouda, and without more ado, apprised her that Jeejeeh was no longer at Hong Kong, but probably in Holland.

[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/6″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”2/3″][vc_single_image image=”38″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes”][prkwp_spacer size=”12″][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/6″][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]The steamer which crossed the Pacific from Yokohama to San Francisco made a direct connection with that from Hong Kong, and it could not sail until the latter reached Yokohama; and if Mr. Fogg was twenty-four hours late on reaching Yokohama, this time would no doubt be easily regained in the voyage of twenty-two days across the Pacific. He found himself, then, about twenty-four hours behind-hand, thirty-five days after leaving London.

The Carnatic was announced to leave Hong Kong at five the next morning. Mr. Fogg had sixteen hours in which to attend to his business there, which was to deposit Aouda safely with her wealthy relative.

On landing, he conducted her to a palanquin, in which they repaired to the Club Hotel. A room was engaged for the young woman, and Mr. Fogg, after seeing that she wanted for nothing, set out in search of her cousin Jeejeeh. He instructed Passepartout to remain at the hotel until his return, that Aouda might not be left entirely alone.

Mr. Fogg repaired to the Exchange, where, he did not doubt, every one would know so wealthy and considerable a personage as the Parsee merchant. Meeting a broker, he made the inquiry, to learn that Jeejeeh had left China two years before, and, retiring from business with an immense fortune, had taken up his residence in Europe—in Holland the broker thought, with the merchants of which country he had principally traded. Phileas Fogg returned to the hotel, begged a moment’s conversation with Aouda, and without more ado, apprised her that Jeejeeh was no longer at Hong Kong, but probably in Holland.

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Categories
Uncategorized

PENCON From the Eyes of a New Editor-Cristel Phelps

PENCON is hosted by The Christian Pen https://thechristianpen.com/

It has taken a year, but the new release by your favorite author is sitting on the store shelf. The cover is bright and shiny and calling your name. You take a moment to decide if you want the hardcover or the ebook. Hardcover, definitely! Its cost is hefty but well worth the price. Anticipation of a well written story is making you feel impatient. So after hurrying to the cash register, the next step is running home, brewing the coffee, and settling down in your favorite cushy chair. The aromas of the coffee and the brand new book are enough to put a smile on your face, and you start reading.

Things are going well until you run into your first typo. Really? In a hardcover book that cost almost half of a rent payment? Sigh. You decide to forgive your favorite author and realize that everyone is entitled to a mistake every once in a while, so you commence reading again. The story is everything you hoped it would be (once you forgot about the typo). The heroine is enjoying her life among the magnolias in South Carolina. Wait! Two pages earlier, she lived in Boston! What? Which is it?

Those are only two kinds of errors that a good editor looks for and corrects before a book goes to print. Whether a story, article, or marketing piece, the writer wants their publication to be presented with the highest impact on the reader. But even with the best intentions and excellent writing skills, ideas a writer tries to convey sometimes don’t come across as intended. That is when an editor comes alongside an author to enhance the finished product.

On May 4-6 in Atlanta, a community of  Christian editors met for their yearly conference, PENCON, hosted by The Christian Editor Network LLC. These special wordsmiths spent days focusing on training and encouraging each other. The mandate of the organization is to empower and equip editing professionals in the Christian market. They certainly met their objectives.

Best Selling Author Cecil Murphy at PENCON

Opening with keynote speaker Cecil Murphy, lovingly called “Cec” by his friends. Mr. Murphy has been in the industry as editor and author for over 40 years with more than 140 published titles. His friendly and engaging style started the event off on a high note. In addition to Cecil, the line-up of quality speakers included Amy Williams, Don Catlett, Karin Beery, Katie Morford, Kristen Stieffel, Linda Harris, Rachel Newman, Ralene Burke, and Cindy Woodsmall. Experts in their field, they shared their knowledge and love of books with those who attended. Many of the editors who taught sessions are also accomplished authors in their own right and were able to share their experience from both sides of the pen.

PENCON is a unique experience. It is a small, intimate group of friends who enjoy sharing their love of editing, writing, and the Christian book industry as a whole. The sessions were not the only place where learning was taking place, though. During breaks and late into the evening hours, one could find small pockets of conversations going on, comparing notes and editing techniques. The size of this conference helps foster individualized learning while allowing friendships and networking opportunities to grow. One specific element of PENCON that sets itself above many other conferences in the industry is the opportunity for the attendees to experience a one-on-one session with conference speakers, gleaning individual instruction directly from the experts!

As a relatively new editor, this was my first time at such a conference. There was so much to learn and share with others that at times I felt like I was drinking from a firehose. The other attendees instantly made me feel welcome and part of their editing family. To find out that I was learning from authors and successful industry professionals made my time in Atlanta much more valuable. Then to top it off, meeting one-on-one with Cecil Murphy and sharing his heart for his work and care for others was the highlight of the entire weekend for this newbie editor.

Should you have a passion for the Christian publishing industry and work as a writer or editor, consider joining us in Grand Rapids, MI, for next year’s PENCON conference in May. It is an investment you will not want to miss. You could also consider becoming a member of The Christian Pen and begin enhancing your skills today. Online training by industry experts is scheduled throughout the year. Membership is reasonable and you can start right away helping us save the world from books with typos and storyline errors. Friends don’t let friends read bad books! (Smile) See you next year!

Cristel Phelps 
Starting as the Publishing Editor for Decapolis Publishing in Lansing, Michigan, Cristel Phelps is currently a reviewer for CBA and an editor for Elk Lake Publishing. She loves encouraging new authors and saving the world from bad stories…one book at a time.
Categories
Guest post archive

Author Apocalypse: How to Survive the End of the Publishing World-Caroline George

 

In the trunk of my Honda, beneath a wool blanket, lies a red backpack filled to the brim with survival gear. Simply put, I could live in the woods for a month using only the pack’s occupants. I’m a twenty-year-old college student, so why do I have a Jason Bourne-worthy bag in my car? Am I paranoid? Has fiction fried my brain?

Mom and Dad, like most parents, are concerned about my safety. Their belief in a possible electromagnetic pulse helps to magnify the already severe parental need for preparation. To ease their worry, they created a survival pack for me to use if an EMP ruined American civilization and I had to trek out of Nashville.

For the majority of my life, I’ve lived aware of apocalyptic scenarios. There was a concrete room in my childhood home to use in case of tornados or nuclear fallout. Mom and Dad have bins of rations stored in their basement for emergencies. Overall, I credit my love for end of the world books to my parents.

How do apocalypse preparations relate to the publishing industry?

The world of publishing has ended. Many people haven’t noticed, yet.

To all the writers, authors, agents, publishers and book-lovers reading this, do not be alarmed. After the end of the world, there is a world. Life doesn’t stop. It changes.

And so, we must change with it.

I am twenty-years-old, a three-time published author, past employee of HarperCollins publishing, blogger, magazine writer and freelance publicist. I’ve been in the book business for five years and have watched the publishing industry transform. The model of old has disintegrated due to disintermediation and disruption from sources like Amazon. No matter how tight we cling to traditional methods, we have to think differently, write and promote in new ways if we wish to survive the end of the publishing world.

Survivors have three things in common: They prepare, adapt and fight. We must do the same. To prepare for possible crises, we need to do our research, know what platforms are becoming available, how the book market and our audiences are changing. Knowledge is step one to ensuring we are ready for the danger.

We must be willing and able to adapt. One of the most lethal phrases I’ve heard from a publisher is, “Well, this is how we’ve always done it.” The instant we stop adapting is the moment we fail. Tradition can only be useful to an extent and in a world now dominated by nontraditional mediums, tradition is becoming more and more ineffective.

Fighting is the final common element of survivors. When an apocalyptic scenario becomes a reality, survivors must put their preparation and adaptability to the test. They must fight back if they wish to stay alive. As survivors of the end of the publishing world, we too must put our knowledge of the current book market to the test.

This leads to the question: What is in our survival pack?

Mom and Dad did extensive research before they chose the items for my pack. They had to be precise because, in survival situations, equipment weight and purpose are of utmost importance.

Publishing involves a specific timeframe. We can only do certain amounts of tasks within the various seasons of publication. That said, we have to be strategic with the tasks we do accomplish and be sure they coincide with our research.

Author Survival Pack Musts:

  • Online Platform

Spend time developing your online presence. Social media will be your best friend and help you sell books, reach your desired audience.

  • Media Kit

Develop a media kit inclusive of a press release, possible interview questions and an author headshot. Media kits are great to send to news outlets, reviewers or anyone who might want to know more about you.

  • Media List

Before entering into the promotional phase of publishing, create a list of media outlets to contact. The list will help you stay on track and keep a record of your communications.

  • Email List

Brainstorm ways to grow your email list. Tactics could include giveaways, offering bonus content, building a team of book reviewers, etc.

  • Out of the Box Mentality

Many publishers and publicists follow a certain equation when marketing a book. Although their methods work in some instances, they cause market saturation. Modern authors must be willing to survey the market and find opportunities. Where can the desired audience be found? How can they be reached? What isn’t being done by publishers that needs to be done?

I’ve met with many authors and recording artists to help them pinpoint their brand, discuss social media options and brainstorm outreach tactics. What I usually discuss with them are the items needed in an author survival pack.

Publishing has changed, but we have the chance to reach our audiences like never before. We just have to think beyond tradition.

Side Note Insight: Books are accessories to their messages. Due to the influence of media, messages mean more than full content. By building a brand around a message and developing relationships, you’ll motivate purchases from consumers.

The end of the publishing world is real.

Congratulations. You’re a survivor.

Now it’s time to prepare, adapt and fight.

Caroline George, author of THE PRIME WAY TRILOGY and THE VESTIGE, resides in Nashville where she spends the majority of her time in hipster coffeehouses, sipping lavender mochas and undertaking over-the-top projects. She is a two-time Georgia Author of the Year nominee, speaker, blogger, and writer for teen magazine PURSUE. Caroline studies publishing and public relations at Belmont University and works as a publicist for local artists.

 

Categories
Copywrite/Advertising

A Guide to Starting Your Copywriting Career Or 5 Ways to Make 6 Figures on the Beach (maybe)

 

Have you heard the online buzz about copywriting? Make $100,000 a year writing! A laptop and an Internet connection are all you need! Work on a beach in Costa Rica!

They’re clickbait, but they can reel me in. And you know what? Those headlines aren’t entirely misleading. If you love writing and it’s been your long-time dream to be a full-time writer, then copywriting is the simplest and most straightforward way to make that dream come true.

You really can write copy from anywhere, and you can earn a living doing it. Sound good? Then, let’s get you started.

What is copywriting?

          Copywriting is crafting words in such a way that you cause people to take action. Usually, action means buying a product or service. Copywriters work for companies, marketing agencies, non-profits, and sometimes government agencies. It’s one of the highest-paid writing jobs available, and it’s a fast-growing field.

Some copywriters work in offices, and others work from home or their favorite coffeeshop. Can you make $100,000 a year working from a beach in Costa Rica?

[bctt tweet=”Can you make $100,000 a year working from a beach in Costa Rica? ” username=”@WebbJohnpaul @A3forme”]

Actually, yes. Probably not your first year, but you can eventually make a living and work from anywhere you like with an Internet connection.

          How do I get started?

You do not need a degree or a certificate. Please don’t spend money taking an expensive online course or earning a certificate from a college. For pity’s sake, don’t get your master’s degree in order to become a copywriter. You may find that one of those things is right for you later, but to start with, just write.

Few marketing teams care what degree you have, anyway. They want to see your portfolio, instead.

“But I don’t have a portfolio!” you say.

Make one. You can write for your church, a local non-profit, a friend’s business, or even publish on your own LinkedIn page. Here’s a secret – your pieces can even be unpublished. Just make sure they’re good. There’s a website called www.journoportfolio.com that lets you put a small selection of your own articles online for free. Attach that link to your resume. Voila! Portfolio. You’re in the game.

          Where can I find jobs?

Online. From friends. At local advertising agencies. With non-profits.

Sign up for freelance sites such as Upwork, Hubstaff and LinkedIn Profinder. Upwork can be a race to the bottom so I recommend you don’t bid on the lowest-dollar jobs even if you are totally green. Most of those jobs will accept second-language copywriters in India or the Philippines who can afford to underbid you. Bid on the mid-level jobs to start with – $15 to $25 an hour range. Once you have more experience, bid on the higher paying jobs. On Hubstaff, you don’t have to bid. You can apply to job posts, or a company can approach you if they like what they see.  You set your own hourly rate on Hubstaff before applying to anything.

Another effective strategy is to send a brief introductory email with a link to your portfolio to every advertising agency in your area. You can find them all online. Tell them you’d like to be added to their stable of freelance writers. They’ll probably have a process for hiring freelancers. Usually, that’s a phone interview and a writing assignment. If you sound sane and do a good job on the assignment, you’re in. Sometimes, you just have to do a good job on the assignment. Sanity is optional.

Be careful with non-profits. The small ones often do not see the value of your service or have the money to pay you. But larger ones with ongoing programs and paid staff are always communicating with their donors. Your best-known local non-profit just might need some copywriting skill in the marketing department. Send them an email and ask.

          How much do I charge?

          Have you seen those headlines claiming copywriters can make $75 or $100 an hour? Well, some can. They have thick portfolios with samples they’ve written for household brand names. Years of experience. Connections. You’ll have those things one day, too.

For now, I suggest starting in the $15 to $25 an hour range. Alternatively, you could charge by the project, such as 5-10 cents per word or $30 for a blog post. Once you’ve built a solid portfolio, move to the $25 – $45 an hour range. Many agencies have a set fee they offer for a project or as an hourly rate. You can accept their offer or pass on it as you like.

Do not write for peanuts, or because someone begged you. If you are good enough to be asked, you are good enough to be paid for your work.

[bctt tweet=” Do not write for peanuts, or because someone begged you. If you are good enough to be asked, you are good enough to be paid for your work. ” username=”@WebbJohnpaul “]

          How do I grow as a copywriter?

Write. A lot. Get yourself a fierce copywriting editor. There are several websites with plenty of free educational content about copywriting. Some of my favorites are Kopywriting Kourse, Copyblogger, and Freelance Hustler.

Bid on new kinds of jobs. Have you been writing blog posts? Bid on a video script. Have you written long form content? Bid on writing a series of short e-blasts.

What about searching out a different kind of client? I’ve written for an international development agency, an urban charter school, a genetic research facility, four hotel chains, a high-end cat litter box company, a Bible college, a construction and engineering software solutions retailer, and a land development company.

So, what are you waiting for? Get started making that portfolio. And when you deposit your first check, look me up on LinkedIn and drop me a line to tell me about it. I’ll celebrate with you from my beach house in Costa Rica.

About Holland Webb

I love telling the stories that people put down so they go take action. I’m an advertising copywriter by day, an aspiring novelist by night, a parent, a dog-lover, a prison volunteer and a follower of Jesus.

Categories
5 For Writing

The Proof is in the Pudding–and in the Proofing

By Doug Peterson

The expression, “The proof is in the pudding,” goes back hundreds of years, although the original wording was a bit different. The longer version said, “The proof of the pudding is in the eating.”

Back then, pudding wasn’t a creamy dessert that you eat with a spoon; it actually referred to sausage and meats stuffed into animal intestines. Because it was tricky keeping meats safe without refrigeration, you had to test the food with small bites to make sure it didn’t make your stomach do somersaults. So the “proof of the pudding is in the eating” meant you had to carefully sample the meat. Today, the expression means that you don’t know if something really works until it’s been tried or used.

When it comes to writing, however, you don’t know if a story really works until it’s been edited…and edited…and edited. The proof is in the pudding—and in the proofing.

I can be a bit obsessive when it comes to proofing text. You might even say that I have OCD—Obsessive Copyediting Disorder. Back when I was primarily writing 1,000-word magazine articles, I would edit a story until I got it to just where I wanted it—and then I’d proof it another 20 or more times to polish it up.

It’s a bit more difficult to be that obsessive when I’m dealing with a 90,000-word novel, rather than a 1,000-word magazine story, but I still go over the manuscript with a fine-tooth comb—an expression, by the way, that comes from using a comb to pick out lice eggs, or nits, from a person’s hair. That’s also where we get the expression “nitpicky.”

Here are some of the techniques that I use to nitpick as I edit a story:

1. Proof the story in print. I don’t think I’m alone when I say that it’s much, much easier to notice mistakes on paper than on the screen. A text can look immaculate on the computer screen, but as soon as I print it out and proof it on paper, other mistakes suddenly start jumping out at me. Therefore, I do all of my initial editing on-screen. Then, once I feel good about a story, I print it out and do the rest of my editing on paper. It makes a difference. A huge difference.

2. Read you story out loud. When you read something out loud, you hear things that you wouldn’t notice by reading it in your head. You get a better sense of the flow of sentences, and you’re more likely to notice the repetition of certain words in a sentence. When you read silently, your mind may automatically skim over words, but you can’t do that when you’re reading aloud. It forces you to read every single word, and your proofing is more thorough.

If it’s a short magazine story, I might read it out loud several times during the editing process. But if it’s a novel, I can read only a small section at any one time. So I spread out the chore, trying to read each chapter out loud at least once. I might read Chapter 20 aloud on one day, and Chapter 21 aloud the next day.

3. In addition to reading the entire book or story out loud, read the dialogue by itself. Running through the dialogue tells you whether the words sound natural or forced. Would a real person talk like that? You might even do a bit of play-acting, speaking the lines as you imagine the characters would talk.

This strategy is especially important when writing screenplays.

4. Set your story aside overnight. When I set a story or chapter aside for a night or two and then return to it, I come back to it with fresh eyes and notice things I didn’t see before.

5. Edit a story until you’re sick of it. When I’m starting to get sick of proofing a story, that means I’m getting close to the end of the process.

Finally, when you’re done with your story, find a person whose judgment you trust, and then let them take a whack at your manuscript and give you feedback. After all, the proof is not just in the pudding. It’s also in your readers, especially nitpicky readers.

* * *

5 for Writing

  • Get writing. Find the time to write. Then do it.
  • Learn by listening—and doing. Solicit feedback, discern what helps you.
  • Finish your story. Edit and rewrite, but don’t tinker forever. Reach the finish line.
  • Thrive on rejection. Get your story out there. Be fearless. Accept rejection.
  • Become a juggler. After one story is finished, be ready to start another. Consider writing two at once.
Categories
Write Justified

Can You Hear It Now?

A number of grammatical faux pas can be attributed to faulty hearing. I’m not implying that any of you are going deaf, only that when we speak we tend to run our words together. Lyrics and common phrases are often misunderstood. Remember the child who thought John was Jesus’s earthly dad? What else was Round John doing at the manger? A mondegreen of the phrase “round yon virgin” from “Silent Night” sounded like Round John to his young ears.

Recently, a retired pastor posed a question to a denominational network about the best way to dispose of his sizable library. “Do you give your books away,” he asked. “Or sell them in mass?”

The wiseacre in me wanted to respond, “Hmmm, not sure how open the Catholics would be to your hawking your Protestant tomes in their service, but you could give it a go.”

My better nature realized the pastor was writing what he’d heard, when what he meant was en masse—the adverb meaning in a body or as a whole. Borrowed from the French, en masse, does literally mean in a group, but English renders it en masse. In addition, the correct pronunciation is on mass.

You’ll want to avoid this and other eggcorns—misunderstanding and therefore miswriting of common phrases—in your writing. So here are a few others to watch out for:

  • Not intensive purposes, but intents and purposes
  • Not doggy dog world, but dog eat dog world
  • Not butt naked, but buck naked
  • Not beckon call, but beck and call
  • Not road to hoe, but row to hoe

While this doesn’t technically qualify as an eggcorn, it’s not unusual to see someone write something like: “I coulda been there on time, if I woulda started earlier.” Sometimes the offense is written could of. While your ear may hear coulda or could of, the correct rendition is could have or more likely the contracted form could’ve.

Could, would, should, and must belong to the family of verbs. As auxiliary or helping verbs, they always occur in a phrase, along with other verbs. Of is a preposition, not a verb, so does not properly belong in a verb phrase with could, would or should.

Here’s to better hearing and error-free writing.

You can find more eggcorns at http://grammarist.com/mondegreens/

Categories
Pleasant Rosebud - Romantic Suspense

PROVIDENCE – LILY 3

I couldn’t believe it! The stupid frog refused to become a prince for me. Moving on, I decided to review my list again.

Lily’s potential routes to happiness

  1. Cinderella
  2. Sleeping Beauty
  3. Rapunzel
  4. Little Mermaid
  5. Beauty and the Beast
  6. Princess and the Frog
  7. Snow White
  8. Frozen

 

The opportunities I had left were simple. Of course, meeting a beast was unpleasant but surely not as unpleasant as kissing frogs. I also decided to take stock of my adventures so far and try to pin point the reason for my failures. I looked through each fairytale on my list and summarized each ordeal. I read and compared my summaries to a horoscope I acquired when I was in my ‘Cinderella phase.’ I realized I had been going through my list in the wrong way.

“Let life take its course. Relax. You will reach your destiny. Be warned, wishes are fickle beings who obey no man.”

This was what my horoscope said about me. At the time, I was strapped for cash and could not afford a detailed explanation from a fortuneteller. What I paid for was the basic instruction all people who shared my birth month got.

When I first read it, I thought it was all vague nonsense and I continued with the quest of becoming Cinderella. After that plan crashed, I got a new interpretation to the horoscope. I understood, ‘Let life take its course’ as I should assist my life to reach my destiny, grab the bull by its horn, steer my own wagon, and all. That interpretation was now stupid but back then it made perfect sense. I had believed the natural course of my life was to search for my happily ever after, looking for opportunities for a fairytale ending. With that mindset, I had kissed numerous frogs and contacted disgusting diseases!

Now I decided to interpret the horoscope for what it truly was. I would let providence take its place in my life. Go with the flow and all that. My initial idea had been to look for some dwarves and befriend them or find an empty tower and wait for a prince to notice me. Instead of all that, I began to wander about. I went wherever my feet led me.

The first few months after my transformation were uneventful, in the sense that I didn’t met and marry a handsome prince. I, however, busied myself by collecting knowledge and relics from the towns, villages, and kingdoms I passed through. My collection consisted of a very beautiful silver hand-mirror, a book filled with recipes to produce potions for all kinds of things from instant hair growth to dwarf-repellant, a fancy hourglass, and a journal.

My new look on life kept me constantly positive. I couldn’t shake the feeling things were about to change for the best. On a whim, I decided to choose a random recipe from my book and create. The recipe I got was for a laughing potion which required basic ingredients. It included a feather from a sparrow’s left wing, a freshly bloomed hibiscus, slime from a frog’s back, a sprig of parsley, the fin of tilapia, and salt. I decided to set up camp in a forest nearby, as the forest had all the ingredients I needed.

I successfully acquired all for my recipe, and brewed a healthy portion of the laughing potion. I couldn’t know if it was successful unless I tried it on a person. I decided to then sell it to anyone who would tolerate me. This did not, however, happen.

On my way back to the neighboring village I got caught in a net trap. Who could have placed a trap so close to a human settlement? I feared for my soul. I inspected the rope used to make the trap. It wasn’t the kind of rope used to capture wild animals. It was not as rough or strong. It was the kind used by knights to tie up prisoners. This meant one thing. I had fallen into a trap set by cannibals.

I screamed for help but knew it was futile. It was midday; the markets would be filled with busy buyers and sellers. My frantic cries were drowned out by the bustling hollers of happy traders and shoppers. I wouldn’t be missed. No one knew me in this village. My only hope of survival was to be noticed by a wanderer. It was a fat chance. All I could do was to wait. I tried to make myself comfortable but it was pointless. I hung from a tree in a stinky net.

I ended up waiting about six or seven hours; it was hard to tell. My neck felt stiff and my back hurt. I had tried to while away time by falling asleep but I couldn’t. I was continuously visited my curious forest critter, squirrels to be precise. It was annoying. I was lucky I wasn’t visited by any snakes.

As the sun began to set, fear sank into me. My captor would soon come for me. I broke into tears of helplessness. My wails became louder when I heard rough footsteps from afar. My captor was coming to claim his bounty. The footsteps were soon accompanied by gruff harmonious voices. Cannibal feast songs, maybe? I strained my ears to understand what they were chanting.

“Heigh-ho! Heigh-ho!

It’s home from work we go!”

That was the chorus of workers heading home. I was saved! Tears flowed freely as I shouted for help. My cries weren’t heard immediately. I spent about five agonizing minutes screaming. The singing stopped and I sighed. After a moment of curious and confused murmurs, seven men appeared from behind the tall trees. The men weren’t what I expected. Maybe I was really high up in the air or the evening light was obstructing my vision or the forest trees were too tall but these men were short.

“Dwarfs! You’re all dwarves!” I cried. My Snow-White fairytale had come to save me and I couldn’t be happier.

“Of course, we are!” growled one of them. They all had round button noses but he had the biggest nose. They seemed offended by my observation. I quickly apologized and begged them to help me out.

Big-nose scoffed. “And why should we help a dwarfist like you?!”

I scrunched my nose. “What is a dwarfist?”

“A dwarfist is a person who disseminates-uh-I mean discriminates against dwarfs,” said a dwarf with round glasses wedged on his nose. It was the silliest term I had ever heard but I kept that observation to myself.

“I promise, I am not a dwarfist. I am only a damsel in distress!”

“And we are simple workers returning home. Good bye!” Big-nose scoffed and stormed off. The other dwarfs followed him.

“Wait! You can’t leave me like this, please. I’m hungry and achy. I don’t want my captor to find me here!” I begged.

“You’re out of luck, young lady. These ropes belong to a fierce man-like beast and only a fool would rescue you. You’re on your own!” The dwarf with glasses (‘four-eyes’ is what I nicknamed him) said.

“The dwarfs I’ve read about are more caring than you bunch…but if a man-like beast is coming for me, I don’t need your help anymore. You can leave me here!” I said.

“Crazy dwarfist!” muttered big-nose.

Four-eyes shrugged. “Uh- well, suit yourself.” He seemed astonished but left with the others.

A man-like beast! This was amazing. I figured the whole Snow White approach was a little far-fetched for me. Finding dwarfs proved to be easy but getting an evil stepmother queen/witch who was obsessed with beauty seemed like a lot of work. If my captor truly was a man-like beast, I could go through the Beauty and the Beast route easily!

So, I shifted about in my net and waited patiently for my captor. I didn’t wait long. The forest trees began to shake, birds flew from their nest in fear as growls sliced through the normal nighttime sounds. The beast approached.

I giggled in fear and excitement. It felt like I was walking up the stairs to the ballroom again. Butterflies went rampant in my stomach and I forgot all about my discomfort. The silhouette of a bear, standing tall on curved hind legs with a wide head and chest, pointed ears and slim waist, stood before me. He lifted a lantern up and growled when saw my face. He raised his gigantic paw which cushioned long sharp claws and slashed it in my direction. I squeezed my eyes shut in fear he’d strike me. Instead I landed on the ground in a loud thud! He had broken the net with only his claws. The pain of the fall was a welcome feeling. It helped wake up my stiff limps. I sighed and stretched on the ground.

“Get up. Follow me. Don’t run.” His voice was cold and sounded like a never-ending growl. “I’ll catch you. Stay quiet.”

I couldn’t see details of his face but some of his features couldn’t be concealed by combined dim light of his lantern and the moon. He was covered in long curly fur and had two sharp incisors sticking out of his mouth and stretching down to his jaw. His nose looked permanently flared and had rather distracting hair sticking out of it. He really was an ugly fierce-looking beast.

“Hurry up. Don’t stare!” He stormed away.

I scurried to gather my belongings: the laughing potion, some leftover ingredients, my trusty book of potions, silver mirror, a matchbox, a tiny pot and spatula. His steps were long and large. I had to run to keep up with him.

He didn’t talk much but I tried to start a conversation with him, nonetheless.

“What is your name? My name is Lily.”

Silence.

“Do you live here in the forest?”

No reply.

“Can I quickly return to the inn where I stay and grab the rest of my belongings?”

“No.”

“Why not?! I hope you have suitable things for me. I don’t even have a lot actually.”

The beast abruptly stopped and turned to face me. “You are not a guest. You are a slave. I am your captor and your owner. Now be quiet!”

“Rude!” I muttered.

I, however, remained quiet after that. I didn’t want to annoy my future husband. After all, I wanted him to fall in love with me. It was quite a long walk to the beast’s fortress.

I couldn’t make out the details of the fortress but it was a grave-looking gothic castle. It exuded intimidation and fear. I couldn’t help but feel like I was orchestrating a horrific death for myself. He had called me a slave which was quite scary. The inner castle was dimly lit but it was bright enough for me to see clearly. The beast led me to an endless-looking spirally stairway. I gulped deeply.  Surely, Belle had not gone through this kind of emotional torture from her beast, had she?

“Starting tomorrow morning, you will look over my garden and keep my castle clean. You will speak when spoken to and ask no questions. You will not and cannot escape. You may ask for a favor, which I will grant based on how I feel, once a week.” The beast stated as we climbed the stairs. I was mute with fear.

“This will be your sleeping quarters. I will open the door every two days so you can do your duties. I will punish you by starving you if you break my rules. Questions?”

We had reached the top of the stairs and come to a sturdy-looking metal door. The beast unlocked the door and pushed me into a stale spacious room. It consisted of a single metal-framed bed with gray sheets, pillow and blanket, a bathtub and toilet hole, a kitchenette with two metal cupboards, a charcoal stove and a small window.

My mind buzzed with questions but my mouth refused to utter them. For a month, this was my life. The mute slave of a grumpy beast! I was half-dazed most of the time. I was reliving my days as a slave to my stepmother. The only difference was the beast wasn’t as malicious as Lady Méchant. Instead, he was icy and emotionless.

I finally snapped out of my month-long state of shock and decided to confront the beast. I had to get him out of his grumpy mood and get his romantic ‘lovey-dovey’ juices flowing! The beast’s favorite day of the week was Saturday so I cornered him.

He was in his study, staring out a painting of a family which consisted of a father, mother, and two sons. I assumed it was his family. I still did not know his name so I called him Beasty, which he hated.

“For this week, the favor I request is fully-detailed responses to anything I say or ask,” I said. Unlike his automatic response, a growl of dismissal, he turned to face me and nodded.

“What is your name and who are you?”

“Before I became this ghastly creature, my name was Adam. I was a pompous fool of a prince,” he stated without blinking.

“How did you transform to become a -uh… this form?”

“I was a spoilt brat. I provoked an evil witch and she cursed me to this horrid form. Before you ask, there is no cure or potion to reverse my state. This form is permanent.”

I gasped. “Surely, there must be a way. I’ve heard that true love’s kiss can break any curse.” Of course, I knew his story and I knew he could become a prince again. I was surprised he didn’t know his curse was reversible.

“Oh, that boat has already sailed. I’ve had my chance to be set free but I lost it.” He frowned.

“I’m confused but don’t worry I’m here to liberate you! We can fall in love and live happily together!” I cheered.

He laughed first then replied, “Sorry but you’re too late. I already fell in love with a young lady but it wasn’t reciprocated and I had to let her go. The hurt of my heartbreak caused me to beg the witch to make my condition permanent. If the kindest sweetest most caring woman in the world couldn’t bring herself to love me, then who could?!” He raised his voice, it sounded like a brewing storm.

“No no no! I am here for you! We can meet the witch together and beg her to redeem your human form. Please! I need this. You’re my ticket to a happily ever after, please!” I wailed.

For the first time, the beast exploded in anger. His hazel eyes became onyx, all his claws and teeth grew to double their size. His fur flared and stood straight off his skin. I shuddered in fear as he advanced toward me.

“You foolish girl!” He swung me over his shoulder and carried me all the way back to my stuffy hole in the tower.

He jammed the door and locked it, almost destroying the bolts that held it together. Immediately I could no longer hear his angry stomps, I rushed to the cupboard where I kept my belongings.

During my period of being mute, I had busied myself by practicing my potion-making. The castle was in, what I felt was, the heart of the forest. It attracted all manner of harmless creatures and harbored a variety of plants, both rare and common. I used whatever ingredients I could find, from it all, to make potions. I had sensed the beast would be difficult, so I had some resources stashed away. I searched my book of potions and glanced through the recipe for instant hair growth. Perfect! I had almost everything I needed to make a fairly-stable potion.

I worked swiftly and by late afternoon my potion was ready. It needed to settle for at least six hours but I didn’t want to wait any longer. I wanted to escape as fast as possible. I was going to use the long hair the potion would give me, to form a ladder down the castle. It was an absurd idea but I felt it was my best option. I immediately downed the potion. According to my book, a fully-matured potion would take about an hour to activate. On an empty stomach, I doubted anything would happen soon. I could only pray the beast would not visit me with supper this night. Hopefully, he’d be too angry to come up.

The sun set and it was nighttime but nothing happened. I was afraid but relieved the beast had not come. Suddenly, my stomach began to quiver and my head ached. The potion was activating. I poured important belongings into a pouch I crafted, hung my hair on harness attached to the window and leaned out of it. As I watched my hair begin to grow and flow out the window of the 15-storey tower, I heard the faint familiar stomps and grunts of the monster. ‘No, not now. Please not now!’

I began to frantically yank my hair from its roots to make it grow faster as the beast sounded nearer. My metal door groaned slowly as the beast opened it, my hair was not yet as long as it needed to be for me to make a safe landing. The door fully opened to reveal the beast holding a tray of food.

“I came to apologize. You are a fool but my problems are not your doing.” His head was bowed and I whimpered. He looked up.

We glared at each other for a split second before he realized what I was doing and dropped the tray. He flared up like before and stormed toward me.

Panicked, I dug into my pouch and threw the first thing I touched at him. My old laughing potion. He was disgruntled a second and I used the opportunity to jump out the window. I gripped my hair for my dear life as I slid down the tower. The adrenaline rush shielded me from the pain my scalp underwent.

I was half way down when the beast roared. “You fool!”

It was gut-wrenching roar but its effect was demolished by the silly cackle that following it. “If you don’t get back here, I’ll stew your bones!” He giggled. He even wheezed. The more he tried to talk the more he laughed. The whole situation was ridiculous.

Immediately I hit the ground, I took a blade out of my pouch and messily chopped off my hair. The beast was paralyzed with laughter. By the time the potion wore off, I was already long gone.

 

 Photo credit: https://pixabay.com/en/woods-autumn-woman-girl-meeting-1524606/

PROVIDENCE is used by permission of the original author, Ifeoluwa Ogúnyinka

Author bio:

Sinmisola Ogúnyinka is a pastor’s wife, mother, writer and movie producer. She has a university degree in Economics, and is a Craftsman of Christian Writers’ Guild. She lives with her family in Pretoria, South Africa.

Blog: www.sinmisolao.wordpress.com

Twitter: @sinmisolaog

Categories
Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

Introduction to Writing Disability-Part One

Overcoming a disability concept with a man writing the word Disability on a virtual interface and then crossing through the - Dis - with a red marker pen as a motivational call to overcome adversity.

 

In the upcoming months, I want to show you how easy it is to include disability traits when writing your protagonist, or other main characters in your books, stories, or articles. In this five-part series, I’ll show you simple ways to accomplish this. Your characters will shine bright, bold, and beautifully written without a need for a cure of their disability.

If you’re writing a miracle story where the disabled person is saved or cured of their affliction because you think it’s the way it should be or because it’s the type of story you’ve always read, then you really need this series.

Don’t get me wrong; sometimes you want to write a story including a miracle or two.  I’ve seen many interesting movies of this variety and loved them. The Holy Bible is full of healing miracles, and I’ll touch on some of these later in the series when we get to Part Two: Matthew, Mark, and Luke Write Scores of Marvels.

If you’ve read my recent interviews with authors who write and carry on their lives with many other interests despite disabilities, then you’ve seen a constant theme regarding their advice and feelings on writing disabilities for characters.

I can only speak for myself, but please don’t save me from my disabilities. I was born hypermobile and with curved legs needing corrective measures. My legs also do not rise to sit in the hip sockets naturally, or so I’ve been told. These limitations did not impair me though I can remember looking at my ugly shoes and wonder why I couldn’t have cute ones.

I didn’t realize I even had a disability at all until adulthood when over time these problems collided with other complications. I researched and asked questions. My parents raised five children, and we didn’t speak in our home about anyone as different from anyone else. Besides, after my legs had been straightened with corrective shoes the cool things I could do with hypermobility came in handy. Limbo!

These things are a small part of a complete person. My name is Kathryn. It is not hypermobility, arthritis, fibromyalgia, psoriasis, autoimmune disorders, or any other label. These are simply names and not me, and should not be your character’s name. They can; however, become part of the complex dynamic set of qualities in making up your characters.

Like you, I am not an expert on all disabilities and must research. In the coming months, I’d like to use the journalistic approach many of us use to write: The Who, What, Why, Where, When, and How. In this series, you will find examples from writer’s in the Bible because the Bible is a text accumulated from thousands of years of writings from varying writers telling many stories and they do include writing of disabilities.

Disability, by the way, is not a term you can find anywhere in The Holy Bible. The Holy Bible speaks plainly using words like blind, deaf, mute, lame, maimed, and other ailments including skin problems of the time they describe as leprosy.

Everyone wants their main characters to shine and settle in the minds of your readers long after they turn the final page. We write our stories by creating:

  • Who: The Protagonist and other main characters.
  • What: What do each of my characters want?
  • Why: Why is it so important for them to get it?
  • Where: Where do your story and scenes take place?
  • When: When do the story, and its elements take place
  • How: How do these events unfold; how do your characters go about specific actions to achieve their story goals.

Your main character, the protagonist, ends up either getting what they wanted or not getting what they wanted. Perhaps the character ends up with a better understanding of themselves and the world. What partially determines the outcome, if not drives characters to a result, can be the traits you assign to them. What better way to create a better understanding of our world and all human-kind but to be inclusive in our own writing. Examples of inclusiveness will be shown in Part Three: King David, Isaiah, and Jeremiah Write of the Sick and Crippled.

You can also create memorable characters with a disability if you can see your character as a human being first and include their disability as a character trait, not an affliction. I see and hear this over and over on social media in reading blogs, book and story reviews. Characters with disabilities written poorly. In interviews with other writers, they’ve told you to research and know your character’s disability. Ditto from me.

You wouldn’t write a character with a job as an accountant without knowing something about the field of accounting. You would have to know something about the type of a person who wanted to be an accountant so you’d talk to an accountant, do a web search, and maybe check out the Bureau of Labor Statistics to make your character as real as possible for the reader. And remember, your character’s name is not Accountant, but merely an occupation, one of the character’s assigned traits. Do the same for your disabled character, and you’ll do your character justice.

I recently read this quote by an unknown author:

God didn’t promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, or sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way, if He brings you to it, He will bring you through it.

When I read this, it occurred to me we don’t promise our characters days without pain, or laughter without sorrow, or the sun without the rain because we need to pile on conflict. We do this to ensure the reader can’t help but keep turning the page to see how the main character overcomes all these obstacles we’ve set in their path. So why do most characters exist without a disability trait?

When using a disabled character, everything above is true except the disability itself should not be an obstacle to overcome. Why not think of a way your character might use their disability as an advantage in a scene or throughout the book? When giving other characters traits we design these traits for use by our characters to perform all sorts of feats in pursuit of their goals.

A person with a disability is like any other person and goes through their lives enjoying the wonders of life as you do. Depending on the particular limitation, they have hobbies, thoughts, desires and other feelings. Some need assistance to get from one place to another, to eat, get ready for bed, go to the doctor. Have you ever needed help to get through the day? If so, there is no shame in this. Sounds like most of us, doesn’t it?

Case in point, a woman I know whose daughter was in a terrible car accident, is now a quadriplegic. Since the crash, her daughter takes swimming lessons, is learning to drive a car, and went to a local amusement park where she and her friends rode on the scary rides. And yes, they braved a roller coaster. I’d say this young girl is on her way to becoming happily independent! I am afraid of heights and would not attempt a roller coaster ride.

To get to the roller coaster, she and her friends, along with her mother maneuvered steep steps through thick bodies of people in a teetering wheelchair. Yes, people stared and gaped, but yes, they made it and enjoyed several rides on the roller coaster. They realized the trip down was a treacherous, narrow stairway with even more difficulty and obstacles to get past the crowd but not until they were on their descent. But, she did make it down safely.

They all did this together. We can do this together, you and I, we can write disability. Look around, maybe we can change the world! For more on potential, join me at the end of the series in Part Five: Paul Writes Letters of Potential.

Next month we’re going with Moses to Mt. Sinai to see how disability played out in one of greatest stories of all time written in the Old Testament of The Holy Bible using the 5 W’s and How! in Part Two: Moses Writes of Skin Ailments and Speech Troubles. In the meantime, let me know your thoughts, questions, or quandaries for writing disability below and then check out all the fantastic writing content on Almost An Author!

 

 

Kathryn M. B. Johnson is a wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and caretaker alongside writing and advocating for disability. Drawn to those with special needs, she spent quite much time in elementary school helping in the special education classroom.

As an adult, after years in the field of accounting software and information technology she started work as an Orientation and Life Skills Instructor at Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center. Here she worked with persons of all types of disabilities and disorders.  She believes when God calls us to a role, he needles us as needed to get the job done.

Now, retired and disabled, she has combined her love of writing with a desire to advocate for persons with disability. Kathryn does her best not to get stuck. You can find Kathryn on Facebook, Twitter, or visit her website.

Categories
Guest post archive

Fluff is Better in a Sandwich

 

As a child, I loved Peanut butter and Fluff sandwiches. That ooy gooy marshmallow paired well with the smooth peanut butter, Heaven!

They tasted best at the beach. So warm and sweet, I could overlook a few grains of sand.

Fluff is great for sandwiches but not in a manuscript, article, or blog.

[bctt tweet=”Fluff is great for sandwiches but not in a manuscript.” username=”@A3forme @chingaling3″]

What do I mean by fluff?

Those unnecessary words that slow the reader.  My favorite fluff word, “that.” I used it 313 times in my first manuscript.

For sweeter writing, here are a few words my editor sent me to eliminate from a manuscript. I must share them with you.

That, really, very, just, then

totally, completely, absolutely, literally, every

definitely, certainly, probably, actually, basically, virtually

was, is, are, am, all

start, important

used to, never, often, almost

big, small, large, tiny

begin, began, begun

Rather, quite, somewhat, somehow

Down, up, in, out, under, over

Wonder, ponder, think, thought, seem

feel, felt, understand, realize 

breathe, inhale, exhale

Shrug, nod, reach

Stuff, things, got

This is not an exhaustive list.

Read your piece without these words.  Does it flow better?  If not, leave the word.

If you use one word often, try rewriting the sentence with different words.

Let’s remove fluff from our writing to make it more palatable.

What fluff words do you use? Is there a word I should add to the list?

Join the conversation.

 

 

 

 

Categories
Create. Motivate. Inspire.

Writing His Answer

I was immersed in online research for a work-in-progress when my computer froze and a warning banner flashed across the screen. I tapped on the keys, hoping for a quick fix. No such luck.

The escape key was my next option. Nothing. I was ready to ctrl-alt-del when the warning banner changed colors and a shrill alarm filled the room. Um…not good.

Right before my eyes, I was under attack. Irritated, I shut down my computer and waited for rescue by my super-tech husband. I was confident he would hit a few keys and life would return to normal. How bad could it be?

For hours my husband and I worked on that virus. Oh, there were promises of answers. Hundreds of “voices” offered solutions and quick fixes—for a price. But we had no way of knowing what or whom to trust.

I felt frustrated. Anxious. Vulnerable. I needed an answer—it seemed that my life was on that computer. And I was mad—at the virus, and at the attackers.

Around midnight, after five straight hours of intense effort, my husband placed the computer on my lap and gave me a tired smile. “It’s going to be okay.”

Relief poured over me—and gratitude. An answer! There was an answer!

In our Christ-walk, God wants us to pause, look around, and see a world searching for answers. Really see the men, women and children who are overwhelmed, frustrated, and anxious. People who search for a solution to their emptiness in a culture of chaos. Those under attack by myriad “voices”—confused about whom to trust.

They are souls waiting for rescue.

In Galatians, Paul encourages the believers to “do good to all people” and to “not become weary.” He knew that as Christians in a secular culture we would get tired and be tempted to quit—especially when we didn’t see quick results from our efforts.

But there are those who long for the sweet relief of discovering The Answer. Those who crave truth and purity and liberation from their bondage to this world.

They need someone to say, “It’s going to be okay.”

God’s word promises us a harvest—if we don’t give up. So stand strong.

Keep writing His answer.

Don’t quit!

[bctt tweet=”Keep writing His answer. Don’t quit! @A3forMe @LThomasWrites #amwriting #write” via=”no”]

[bctt tweet=”There are those who long for the sweet relief of discovering The Answer. @A3forMe @LThomasWrites #Write #Amwriting” username=””]

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9 NIV).

How do you keep discouragement at bay in your writing life?

Categories
The Writer's PenCase

Creating Extraordinary Characters –– Part II

The Writer's PenCase

In the beginning…in creating characters, we must begin at the beginning. We’ve talked about a three-word description, and basic information. How do we determine what the basic information will be? Who do you want it to be? [bctt tweet=”Determining the basic information about the character is paramount to creating one amazing character.” username=”@a3forme @donnalhsmith”] #amwriting #characters

Continue reading “Creating Extraordinary Characters –– Part II”
Categories
History in the Making

Dialogue Contractions in Historical Novels

by Sandra Merville Hart

 

Historical novelists research ways of life, events, fashion, and a myriad of other topics. Another aspect of writing to consider is dialogue. Should we use contractions in our characters’ conservations?

Whatever we think, it is also important to consider our editor’s opinion. He or she might believe that the dialogue should be liberally sprinkled with contractions because readers will relate to it. Others may feel contractions weaken the historical authenticity.

I decided to pull a variety of novels written in earlier eras from my bookshelf to verify the use of contractions in dialogue. The results surprised me.

I didn’t find any dialogue contractions when leafing through Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. I didn’t reread the story, but this novel, published in 1813, contains few—if any. [bctt tweet=”Use #dialogue contractions in historical novels to enhance character’s style. #writing #histfic ” username=”@Sandra_M_Hart”] 

Mark Twain published The Innocents Abroad in 1869. This novel is a narrative with little dialogue yet those conversations contain contractions. His book about his adventures in the western territories of the United States, Roughing It, has a lot more dialogue with contractions. Twain’s novels, Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer, utilize contractions. They feel authentic.

Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables published in 1908. Montgomery used contractions in conversations.

Great Expectations, the classic novel by Charles Dickens, published in 1861. This master storyteller sprinkled contractions throughout his dialogue.

Ernest Hemingway published The Sun Also Rises in 1926. He also uses contractions in dialogue.

The only author of the five who didn’t use contractions is Jane Austen. Her writing has a formal feel, yet her dialogue still flows naturally.

Writers may be more influenced by Jane Austen’s style, choosing to write dialogue without contractions. Reading conversations aloud will show where to soften and tweak the wording. Writing without contractions may feel more authentic.

Other novelists decide to include contractions for every character.

Perhaps there is a happy medium. Don’t shy away from using contractions in historical novels. Don’t avoid them at all costs.

Instead use dialogue contractions as one more way to differentiate a particular character’s style—to add color and flavor and dimension. Some folks speak in formal language while others never do. The way they communicate reveals clues about who they are.

Dialogue then becomes another tool in a novelist’s arsenal for effective communication.

 

Categories
Free Your Mind LifeStyle

The Good Life

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The steamer which crossed the Pacific from Yokohama to San Francisco made a direct connection with that from Hong Kong, and it could not sail until the latter reached Yokohama; and if Mr. Fogg was twenty-four hours late on reaching Yokohama, this time would no doubt be easily regained in the voyage of twenty-two days across the Pacific. He found himself, then, about twenty-four hours behind-hand, thirty-five days after leaving London.

The Carnatic was announced to leave Hong Kong at five the next morning. Mr. Fogg had sixteen hours in which to attend to his business there, which was to deposit Aouda safely with her wealthy relative.

On landing, he conducted her to a palanquin, in which they repaired to the Club Hotel. A room was engaged for the young woman, and Mr. Fogg, after seeing that she wanted for nothing, set out in search of her cousin Jeejeeh. He instructed Passepartout to remain at the hotel until his return, that Aouda might not be left entirely alone.

Mr. Fogg repaired to the Exchange, where, he did not doubt, every one would know so wealthy and considerable a personage as the Parsee merchant. Meeting a broker, he made the inquiry, to learn that Jeejeeh had left China two years before, and, retiring from business with an immense fortune, had taken up his residence in Europe—in Holland the broker thought, with the merchants of which country he had principally traded. Phileas Fogg returned to the hotel, begged a moment’s conversation with Aouda, and without more ado, apprised her that Jeejeeh was no longer at Hong Kong, but probably in Holland.

[/vc_column_text][bquote type=”tagline” prk_in=”I have given no small attention to that not unvexed subject, the skin of the whale. I have had controversies about it with experienced whalemen afloat, and learned naturalists ashore. My original opinion remains unchanged.”][vc_column_text]The steamer which crossed the Pacific from Yokohama to San Francisco made a direct connection with that from Hong Kong, and it could not sail until the latter reached Yokohama; and if Mr. Fogg was twenty-four hours late on reaching Yokohama, this time would no doubt be easily regained in the voyage of twenty-two days across the Pacific. He found himself, then, about twenty-four hours behind-hand, thirty-five days after leaving London.

The Carnatic was announced to leave Hong Kong at five the next morning. Mr. Fogg had sixteen hours in which to attend to his business there, which was to deposit Aouda safely with her wealthy relative.

On landing, he conducted her to a palanquin, in which they repaired to the Club Hotel. A room was engaged for the young woman, and Mr. Fogg, after seeing that she wanted for nothing, set out in search of her cousin Jeejeeh. He instructed Passepartout to remain at the hotel until his return, that Aouda might not be left entirely alone.

Mr. Fogg repaired to the Exchange, where, he did not doubt, every one would know so wealthy and considerable a personage as the Parsee merchant. Meeting a broker, he made the inquiry, to learn that Jeejeeh had left China two years before, and, retiring from business with an immense fortune, had taken up his residence in Europe—in Holland the broker thought, with the merchants of which country he had principally traded. Phileas Fogg returned to the hotel, begged a moment’s conversation with Aouda, and without more ado, apprised her that Jeejeeh was no longer at Hong Kong, but probably in Holland.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Categories
Child's Craft

Get in Here!

My husband and I recently spent a few days in Napa Valley. We stayed in a quaint Bed and Breakfast on the edge of downtown Napa. I was excited to don my running attire and explore the town that morning and what a beautiful town it was!

The town was built along the river, so naturally restaurants, Inns and condos lined the River Brick walk. I loved the unique restaurants and shops beckoning one to enter. I loved the signs and the dance lessons on the sidewalk. That’s right. A permanent etching in stone demonstrated how to do the Cha-Cha. Loved that. It kind of made me want to do the Cha- Cha.

As I kept running, I noticed a sign pointing into an establishment that read, “Get in Here!” with an arrow pointing the way. By golly, I felt like I needed to get in there.  I believe it was a coffee shop. What was it about those words that summoned me in over all the other inviting signs and establishments? After all, those are the words that an angry parent uses to a child that has done something wrong. That instance may evoke terror. I didn’t feel that at all.

Those words seemed to signify more that something exciting was happening inside that I wouldn’t want to miss. That there was an occasion, an event and I had received an invitation. It seemed to demonstrate that my presence was requested. Whatever I was looking for could be found inside.

Do your books do that? If you write for children, is there something about your book that beckons a child to enter or beckons a parent to want their child to enter into the world your book creates? Is there anything about your book that would cause it to be picked up over another one? If a parent is browsing a book store, would your book stand out to them?

What about your proposals? Is there anything within your proposal that would jump out at an editor or editorial board? They look at gazillions of proposals. What is it about yours that says, “Get in here! You don’t want to miss this!”

Beyond your hook, the ‘specifics’ section of your proposal is where you mention this. Point out what makes your book different. Is there a character that children may relate to? Is there rhyme that catches a child’s ear? A pull-out that children may post on their walls? A lesson hidden within the text that parents may love? Does it evoke an emotion? Cause children to think of others in new lights? Does it highlight a holiday in a new way? Spark an interest in scripture? Does it conjure up parent and child interactions? Perhaps it may cause children to ask more questions?

If you don’t have a hook to draw people in, work on it a little bit more. Look through books that lure you in. What made you pick certain books for your children? What books do they already enjoy and why do you think that is so?

Once your proposal has piqued an editor’s interest, will the story hold her attention? Is your story written well? And by well, I mean perfectly. Editors don’t have time for multiple fixes and rewrites. Send them the already fixed and rewritten manuscript.

Does this manuscript elicit emotions, laughter, spark pleasant memories? Is it creative? Different from other stories out there? How so? This goes in the ‘comparison’ section of your proposal. Note what is already published and why yours still needs to be out there. Do your homework and discover what is already published similar to yours. What does yours offer that the others don’t?

Your proposal and manuscript should both work together to appeal to first the editors and publishing houses and then to the buyers and readers. Both should be written as if to say, “Get in here! You don’t want to miss this!”

Categories
Talking Character

The Power of a Two-Word Character Thumbnail

Can you describe you characters with only two words?

I ran across this simple question in James Scott Bell’s excellent book Voice: The Secret Power of Great Writing. He suggests identifying a character’s dominant impression in two words—a noun that describes the character’s main vocation or purpose, and an adjective that sums up the character’s unique personality and/or attitude. I see the two words as sort of a thumbnail description of the character.

An example:

I decided the main character in my work-in-progress is an unconventional sleuth, while her sidekick is a sassy maid. Those descriptions are oversimplifications, but they point to something essential in the nature of the characters.

It wasn’t easy to boil each character down to two words, but I found the exercise worth it. Here’s why:

  1. Identifying a character’s two-word thumbnail helps me to be consistent. When I come upon those inevitable moments when I’m trying to decide how a character will react in a specific scene, my two-word thumbnail is often useful in determining which option best suits their dominant characteristics. Roxana, my sassy maid, will normally err on the side of stating her mind and speaking when she shouldn’t. Since this is the opposite of my normal tendency, keeping her sassiness in mind helps me maintain her unique character and voice.
  2. Searching for a two-word thumbnail for each character pinpointed which characters I don’t yet know well enough. For some characters, such as my heroine and her sidekick, creating a thumbnail was a matter of jotting down possible descriptors and then narrowing them down to the most apt choice. When it came to other characters, however, my descriptors were all over the place. I wasn’t sure whether Curio was a frustrated victim or a reformed rogue. The thumbnail exercise showed me where I need to flesh out back stories more fully in order to determine the primary essence of each character.
  3. They are a handy way to differentiate between secondary characters. I am working on a mystery, and several of the suspects are landlords. Assigning them adjectives like domineering, kindly, and secretive gives me a simple way to make sure each landlord remains distinct from the others.
  4. It helps my critique partners keep track of who’s who. Since we meet once a month, and it may be months between scenes with a given character, the thumbnail list helps them remember which character is which. It will also help when I am working on character descriptions and synopses.

Are you ready to come up with two-word thumbnails for your characters?  Are they straight-laced lawyers? Bitter sisters? Overconfident suitors?

Give it a try, and you’ll gain a few useful insights about them along the way.

[bctt tweet=”Author tools: Two-word thumbnails help a writer identify their character’s essence. #writetip ” username=””]

Categories
Grammar and Grace

What are Nouns?

This time we’ll discuss nouns. Nouns can be common or proper. A common noun is a person, place, or thing. A noun also includes a quality, an idea, or an action. A proper noun is a specific person, place, or thing.

  1. A church sits at the curve of the road. We have three common nouns in that sentence—church, curve, and road.
  2. Love Memorial Church sits on the curve of Rains Mill Road. Notice the changes in this sentence. Church has become specific by being named. When it is specific, it’s capitalized. The same thing happens to road. Curve is still common and doesn’t take a capital letter.

Nouns are typically used in a sentence as the subject, the object of a verb, or the object of a preposition. In the first sentence, church is the subject. Curve and road are objects of the prepositions at and of.

  1. We ate the chocolate mousse before dinner. In this sentence, mousse is the object of ate.

An important thing to remember is to capitalize proper nouns.

  1. I took a math class. Math or class isn’t capitalized because it’s not specific.
  2. Breanna almost failed Calculus III in high school. Calculus is capitalized because it’s the specific name of a class.

Exceptions to capitalizing courses are language classes. Always capitalize language classes like English, Chinese, and Arabic.

Nouns are pretty easy to understand, but they’re also very important in a sentence. Having a handle on what nouns do will help you understand more complex grammar points later.

Happy writing!

 

 

 

 

Categories
Uncategorized

“Sight” Writing: 5 Senses

For the average writer, sight, is typically the easiest of the five senses to describe. Our world is filled with a menagerie of colors, people, plants, animals, buildings, and things. Each of those objects are finite and can be described visually, making sight easy to relate on paper.

But describing the sense of sight doesn’t have to be bland. Take for instance, the picture below.

What do you see?

Most people see a whitewashed glacial landscape void of personality and excitement. Some would describe this as, “snow and ice covered the ground and tall snow-capped peaks stood far off in the distance”.

In fairness, that is an adequate description, but it lacks pizazz. It lacks personality. And more than anything else, it lacks a developed sense of sight.

Take sixty-seconds and write what you see in the scene shown in the aforementioned picture.
What do you see now?

How would you describe the shallow turquoise lake as its color darkens to a chilly cerulean blue before disappearing into the midnight depths of the central crevice?

What about the mountains? Are they snow-capped? Or does the snow creep down the mountainside in wispy white fingers before being swallowed by the soulless shadow mountains?

Is it a snowy white glacier? Or do you see the pockmarks, the spashes of dirt and sediment, and the areas smoothed by the run-off?

Take a deeper look. Imagine you are standing on this glacier. See the lake. Peer at the mountain. Watch the wind blow across the landscape.

Now what do you see?

Leave your unique description of what you “see” in the comments below. And make sure to take the time to always peer into your scene, setting, or storyworld and describe and your characters in an exceptionally engaging way.

Categories
Tour

Blog Tour-Karen “Girl” Friday

Welcome Karen, please tell us about your most Recent Book

I’m currently working on my first book project. Answered in more detail on question #3.

Why do you write what you do?

I write nonfiction Christian Living with published works of devotionals and inspirational articles in both print and online media. My passion is to know God more and make Him known. And I write with this in mind, we were created to tell God’s story and display His glory.

As long as I can remember, I’ve loved words. I entered a writing contest in third grade and my first oratorical contest in the fourth grade. Yes, way back. Although my love for the spoken word continued as a speaker over the years, my writing journey didn’t commence until 2014.

As a pastor’s wife and ministry leader, my tagline is “Expressing scriptural truths as life happens.” I write to encourage the Christian on her journey by offering practical ways her faith fleshes out in daily life. It’s important to take my experiences and spiritual principles and help others. My writing connects family life, Christian ministry, and real-life scenarios to the timeless truths of Scripture.

What are you currently working on?

I’m writing my first book, a nonfiction project in a trade book format with a study guide element. It’s based on my personal experience of being watched and followed. I relate each aspect of the ordeal in the physical sense to the spiritual realm. When face-to-face with the unthinkable, you need a safe refuge. The premise shows how God carefully watches over His children.

How does your work differ from other work in its genre?

God doesn’t create cookie-cutter people and writing voices vary with each author. My writing voice is fresh and unique in four ways.

  1. I’m approachable and transparent in ministry which transfers into my writing style. Readers can relate to my authenticity on real-life issues.
  2. Communication is my forte. I’m a strong communicator and hold a degree in leadership communications. I enjoy the art of persuasion, constructive critique, debate, public speaking, and writing. Moving an audience to an emotional response of tears, laughter, surprise and deep reflection is an honor for me.
  3. I not only write from where I’ve walked, but also from an authoritative perspective. Years of ministry, church work, and leading Bible studies sets me apart to write out of a knowledge base and with more depth because of my position as a pastor’s wife.
  4. A creative approach to nonfiction is important to me. I use the art of imagination to drive home spiritual truths. Creativity should never be limited to fiction.

How does your writing process work?

I keep a file on my computer and notes on my iPhone where I log ideas of topics, illustrations, and stories to write about. I then catalog them into themes to use for a new book project or for an article on my personal blog or sites where I’m a contributing writer. I schedule due dates, deadlines, and writing days on a calendar so I’m consistent to keep appointments with myself and my writing. For my current book, it helped me to do a book outline and chapter outlines. If I know the main principles I want to bring out, then I can stay on track and still be creative in the way I write.

Karen Friday is a pastor’s wife and women’s ministry leader. She’s an award-winning writer and avid speaker who loves words and God’s Word. For over a decade, Karen has balanced the busy life of church ministry with working from her home office in marketing and business development roles. Karen earned a communications degree and has experience in a broad spectrum of business services where she is frequently referred to as Girl Friday. A blogger, Karen “Girl” Friday engages a community every week. Hope is Among Us is an award-winning blog that expresses scriptural truths as life happens. Karen is a regular contributor for the national site, Inspire a Fire, which draws 30,000 monthly visitors. Karen has published a number of articles and devotions in both print and online media. She is currently working on her first book project. An inspirational speaker, she addresses a wide variety of audiences. Karen is passionate about mentoring and discipleship that helps followers of Christ live with authentic faith in real life. Karen and her husband Mike Friday reside in East Tennessee and have two grown children. The entire family is fond of the expression, “TGIF: Thank God it’s Friday.” They owe Monday an apology. www.KarenGirlFriday.com

Categories
Magazine and Freelance

Ideas for Getting Info for Your Magazine Article

 

If you’ve never done an interview with someone else, the thought can be frightening.  I want to take away the fright factor and give you some ideas how to get this information and where to begin.

For your first interview, I recommend you use a family member or good friend. These interviews do not happen on the fly. One of the most important steps is to prepare a list of questions ahead of time. With your questions, you can be confident that you will gather information and add spontaneous and follow-up questions during the session.  The skill of interviewing others and asking good questions is something you can develop and improve as you do it over and over. Understand that everyone feels a little awkward the first few times and then like any other skill, it will seem natural and easy.

I’ve been interviewing others for many years—since I started writing sports for my high school newspaper. You can learn the skill of writing quotations from others, asking good questions and gathering the information you will need to write your story.

Sources for Your Magazine Article

Where do you locate experts to interview? Who has the information that you need to write your article?  You can use Google to find experts on a particular topic. Also, understand that many companies have a public relations department or a publicist who is eager for you to interview their experts.  The PR people will work with you if you are writing an article on speculation but they definitely prefer writers who have a definite assignment. You get an assignment with a magazine when you write a a query letter which gets their attention.

These publicists and PR people will be able to provide you with background information, press releases, books and other research material to help you pull together the information for your interview and eventually for your article.

Has this “expert” written a book? Then your best course of action is to set up an interview through their publisher. Call the publisher and ask to speak to someone in publicity. It’s one of the few times I recommend people call the publisher. Tell the publicist about your assignment and ask for background materials (review copies of the books, other articles, etc.). Then ask the publicist to set up your interview and give the person the times when you are available. Wise authors who want to sell books take advantage of these interview possibilities.  You will quote this “expert” and mention their book in the article and get to tap their expertise and quotes for your article. It works as a package and everyone has something to gain from the experience—you, the expert and the publisher.

With increased publishing experience, you can expect to write more on assignment and less on speculation (spec).  Even an assigned piece can sometimes not work out for a particular publication. Maybe the editor sees it and thought the query was a good idea—but the execution is wrong for their publication. I’ve not had this experience often but it does happen. In these cases, the magazine will often pay a “kill fee.” It’s a token payment for the writing work you poured into the article. Believe me, it’s better than nothing but pretty disappointing.

Many years ago, I interviewed Dan Quayle on a magazine cover story. It was a challenge to reach the then-Vice President but the article was perfect—a November cover story during an election year. (This publication doesn’t exist any longer—another common occurrence in the magazine world.) Unfortunately, the Vice President was running late and crammed my 30 to 45 minute scheduled interview into about 15 minutes. My assigned format was a Q & A — which means the interview has to have something worthy of his actual words appearing as the main text of the article. I got nothing but clichés and pat answers in the crammed time frame. I wrote my article, turned it in—even turned in my transcribed interview. It resulted in a kill fee for vast amounts of time and energy.

Just remember, on the road to publication there are many possible junctures where it can fail.  Some are in your control and others are completely outside of your control. You control what you can and you work with the other details. It never gets published until you hold the finished magazine article or book in your hand.

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