MY ONE-ARM SAVIOR

https://pixabay.com/en/knife-fork-mirroring-black-white-204832/

I folded my slim calves under my bum and gasped as each hurtful word proceeded forth through Aunt Irene’s feeble voice. She never said detestable things to people and she was the favorite of my mother’s six sisters.

My lips trembled without control. “Are you sure, Aunt Irene?”

“Have I e’er lahd to ya child?”

“What do I do?”

She folded her 90-year-old claws in her woolen quilt. “Pray. That’s what ya mah taut ya. Pray. Hard.”

My husband of twenty-eight years caught fondling a twenty-something-year-old blond in Aunt Irene’s garage couldn’t be tales by moonlight. She knew what she saw.

Greg had been coming by the house to do small repairs for almost fifteen years. My mom had lived with her only surviving sister since dad died and we’d done everything to pay back my aunt’s hospitality because Mom needed the company. After Mah’s death, Greg continued to help as community service, was what he called it.

“I am going to confront him.” I stood. “Thanks for telling me—”

A wrinkled but strong hand shot out from under the quilt and pulled me back into my seat. “You will do no such thehn!”

Driving home tears blurred my eyes. Marriage to Greg had been great. Everyone saw us as the perfect couple. Though since our two daughters left home, things had been a bit strained but our pastor told us it was to be expected. It was time to develop new cultures, create new interests. We were hands-on working-parents type and it had been fun doing things together all those years. But in the last five years, everything seemed to have wound down.

Even at fifty-eight, Greg was in top form, and worked hard at the information technology company he built from scratch. He’d made a lot of millions in the last twenty years and still made. We lived well. I was happy.

Till—to be sincere, five years ago.

I parked my 2015 BMW X5 in the garage and sat in for five minutes to have my fill of tears. A small voice consoled me from within – maybe Aunt Irene saw wrong. Her eyes were old, I told myself. But she had never said such a thing and in the morning before Greg left home, we’d had another fight caused by a silly argument.

It was late, and he still wasn’t back. Well, Aunt Irene called me a few minutes after he left her house. That would have been three hours ago. He was supposed to be home but his car wasn’t.

Satisfied with a lie my aunt was mistaken, I walked into our beautiful townhouse in Mount Pleasant. The house held too many memories of love, peace and joy, though the 4-bed, 4-bath home was now too large for Greg and I.

My phone rang, and I picked it without thought.

“Frances!” Lolly, Greg’s secretary of ten years sounded frantic.

I frowned. “Lolly?”

“Greg has been in an auto accident.” Lolly burst into tears. “He’s been taken to the emergency room. You need to come over—I have to…”

I didn’t wait to get any more information. I broke the speed limit and ran through the doors of ER. A doctor’s assistant attended to me a few minutes later.

Greg was in surgery.

The next few hours seemed like eternity. Lolly joined me with her husband, Phil, and we held hands to pray for my husband.

As we waited the hours out, I demanded to know the details. Lolly had it. Every single dirty tale.

Were her words worse than Aunt Irene’s? I couldn’t decide.

“He took her to New York City.” Lolly sighed. “To buy her an engagement ring.”

I couldn’t believe my ears. “You knew about—an affair?”

Lolly bit her lips. “It wasn’t my place, Frances.”

“We are friends!” I cried. But I needed to hear this in full. I swallowed. “So? What happened? Was she in the accident as well?”

“No.” Lolly reached out to me. I shrank back. “I’m so sorry, Fran—”

“Just tell me what happened!”

“He crashed just right after he dropped her at her home in Patterson. Trying to avoid a drunk. She saw it all and called 911.” Lolly looked away. “And called me too.”

I looked around the waiting area. No twenty-something-year-old was in sight. I could commit murder at the moment.

Several hours later, Greg was taken out of the OR. His left arm had been taken out from the shoulder socket. The limb had been damaged beyond repair.

Whatever consequences of infidelity seemed to visit our family sooner than later. I couldn’t confront Greg in the next few months. We had to work together to get him well again. I was always by his side. I read the Bible to him, and prayed with him.

The girls came for more regular visits, and Mary, our first had her fiancée along a good number of times.

Those early months were dark and depressing. Greg had always been a fashion-forward man, and he had more than enough to indulge his tastes. Despite a well-crafted prosthetic arm designed by Nascott, Greg preferred to hang his left shirt, and made jokes about being one-armed.

What came of this horrible tragedy? I got my husband back. We bonded like never before. Projects we’d pushed aside returned to focus. We played a lot of the games we previously enjoyed and had friends and family over.

Every important date became a carnival. Life was fickle. It could be gone in the twinkle of an eye. Our relationship with God became stronger. Joy filled our home.

On Greg’s fifty-ninth birthday seven months later, Lolly walked over to me with a glass of wine. We had a poolside party, and barbecue.

“You wonder what happened to the girl with the ring?” Lolly winked. How couldn’t I have forgiven her, anyway?

I scoffed. “I never got to find out.”

“She fizzled away.” Lolly clicked my glass and walked off with a giggle.

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

Tags Accident, Infidelity

A Pinch of Poetry

Understanding Poetry: 5 Questions to Ask

Post author By Heather Hook - A Pinch of Poetry
Post date January 6, 2016
No Comments on Understanding Poetry: 5 Questions to Ask

Many people are discouraged from enjoying poetry because they claim it’s too difficult. Trust me. I’ve had those moments when faced with an enigma of words on the page.

One way I hope to lessen the fear of reading poetry is to show you how to read it—especially for more complex poems. These five questions will help you crack the code of many poems you might come across.

What is the imagery in the poem?

Understanding poetry begins with visualizing the central images in the poem. What do you see, taste, smell, hear, and feel?

Then figure out what those images have in common. For instance, in Langston Hughes’ “Mother to Son” the imagery centers around a broken down staircase and reflects personal brokenness and hardship.

What is the mood of the poem? (Or How does it make me feel?)

The imagery can help you determine whether the mood or feeling of the poem is positive or negative. In the poem above, the negative imagery conveys a negative, or somber mood. Yet the speaker shows her determination to overcome life’s hardships by saying things such as “For I’se still going honey” which in turn allows the poem to end on a more positive note rather than desperation.

Who is the speaker of the poem?

The speaker is the voice of the poem, and it’s not necessarily the poet. In Hughes’ poem, the speaker is a mother speaking to her son, while the poet is a man. You should identify the speaker by describing him or her as “someone who…” and fill in the blank. Does the person admire nature? Or does she have a message for someone? Maybe the speaker is complaining about something or questioning his life. In this poem, the speaker is a mother who is encouraging her son not to give up just because life is difficult.

What structural or stylistic techniques does the poet use?

Notice the punctuation, informal language and repetition in the poem.

Usually poets use structure and style to emphasize the message or reflect the meaning of the poem. In Hughes’ poem, the repeated line “And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair” is a big key to the message he’s trying to convey. Also, the poem is written in dialect which makes it sound more like we’re overhearing part of a conversation. This makes it more personal.

What is the message of the poem?

All of the above questions point to the message the poet wants to convey. Consider the negative imagery that represents the hardships of life and the negative mood that contrasts with the speaker’s words of encouragement. Her words emphasize that she’s not given up and kept going despite the hardships. So we can guess the message the poet means to share is to persevere through hard times no matter what.

Now I know you’re probably thinking that was too easy. And yes, for teaching purposes I picked a simpler poem. However, if you get in the habit of looking for these things when reading any level of poetry, you will find it much more understandable and enjoyable.

[bctt tweet=”Crack the code of poetry with just 5 questions! #poets #poetry”]

Do you have a special technique you use to uncover the messages in the poetry you read? Tell me below.

Tags imagery, Langston Hughes, message, mood, poetry, questions, speaker, techniques, understanding poetry

Writer Encouragement

Simple Acts of Kindness

Post author By Elaine Cooper - Writer Encouragement
Post date January 5, 2016
No Comments on Simple Acts of Kindness

Kindness is such a simple word, yet all too often it seems vacant from our speech.

Perhaps it’s the plethora of reality TV shows where everyone “speaks their mind” in aggressive, hurtful words that are meant to increase the network ratings. Perhaps it has to do with our own inadequacies; if we put someone else down, we think we are raising our own image. Wrong! Or perhaps it’s just that we are born to be self-seeking, focusing on our own needs.

This lack of kindness in our society really hit home to me on a recent out-of-state trip. I was in the restroom stall—sorry if that’s TMI—when I overhead a young woman poking fun at a person I assumed was her sister. “I hate those pants on you. They make your butt look fat.”

Nice, I thought sarcastically. Had I been outside the stall, I would have said something to the evil sister. But being trapped, all I could do was ponder these mean words. Obviously the sister being derided for some fashion faux pas had no recourse but to wear the “ugly” pants, unless she happened to have another pair in her carry on luggage, AND had time to change before her flight left.

Regardless of Nasty Sister’s words, it would have been so much kinder to wait until they were home and said something in private. Or just keep her mouth closed, period.

Although I wish it were not so, I’ve seen unkindness in the Christian writer’s realm. These include mocking another author’s hairstyle at a conference and leaving a conference attendee alone at a table rather than inviting him or her to join your group. A lack of kindness can be found everywhere.

As we begin a brand new year, I pray that writers (including myself) can determine to be kinder. If you can’t review a book, kindly decline, offering well wishes for the book’s success. If you really don’t like a book by a fellow writer, don’t leave a negative review. Privately message the writer if you think that will help them, but don’t publicly deride their words.

If you are at a conference, be a help to your fellow writers, especially the new ones. Don’t just seek out the so-called “famous” authors. Someday, the writer you scorn may be on the best sellers list!

Please remember, we are all children of the King. Determine in 2016 to treat others like the royalty they are.

May your new year be blessed!

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5: 22-23) NIV

Image of green typewriter courtesy of Just2shutter via freedigitalphotos.net

Image of helping a drowning person courtesy of Kateen2528 via freedigitalphotos.net

Tags Elaine Marie Cooper, Fruits of the Spirit, kindness, Writers Conference

Craft Developing Your Writer's Voice

Writer’s Voice Questions Answered for 2016

Post author By Dee Dee Parker - Developing Your Writer's Voice/The Writerly Cafe
Post date January 4, 2016
4 Comments on Writer’s Voice Questions Answered for 2016

I’ve received several questions concerning how one recognizes their writer’s voice. For those of you who discovered your voice early on, it’s hard to understand why others struggle with this issue. To those who are still wandering in the writer’s desert, seemingly voiceless, it is indeed frustrating.

So let’s start this New Year off by addressing a few of these questions:

What is the first thing to do when searching for my writer’s voice? Since starting this column I’ve offered many tips on this subject. Some of you have written to me saying your voice was much clearer after reading through my suggestions. Others said your voice is still illusive. My answer for you is to write, write, write, then read, read, read! Read what you’ve written, out loud, and listen to the tone of the pieces. Your voice will be recognizable after reading and comparing numerous pieces of your work. You will hear yourself coming through the words; the essence of you, and that is your voice.

How can I be sure I’m using my voice and not someone else that I have patterned? I believe we read the authors whose writing we enjoy, and in doing so, we often pattern ourselves after them, at least somewhat, with our first attempts. As you settle into your writing style your unique voice will emerge. I read a lot of authors whose books were set in the Appalachian Mountains where most of my stories are birthed. My voice developed a flavor of its own with just a soft coloring from those favorite writers.

Does my voice change when I write in different genres? When writing fiction, my voice shines through loud and clear. In other genres I still hear hints of my style. I am sure if I were to write technical articles my voice would be shelved…a reader would not care to hear my warm and fuzzy discussions of, lets say, heating units.

Will someone else be able to tell me my voice? Other writers will often hear your voice in your work. Asking them to share their thoughts on your voice could be a great help, especially if you ask several people and their opinions are similar.

Please share your questions on discovering your writers voice in the comment section below. We will address these as time permits.

“We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.”

Edith Lovejoy Pierce

I wish you a happy New Year filled with wonderful writing opportunities.

Tags 2016, Appalachian Mountains, Edith Loveljoy Pierce, Genres, New Year, Questions for 2016, Writer's Voice

Have Words, Will Travel....Travel Writing 101 Uncategorized

3 Questions to Ask When Setting Your 2016 Writing Goals

Post author By Cathy Baker - Have Words, Will Travel....Travel Writing 101
Post date January 1, 2016
4 Comments on 3 Questions to Ask When Setting Your 2016 Writing Goals

Have Words Will Travel — Upon returning from a writer's conference earlier this year, Cathy found a 1963 Shasta Airflyte Camper sitting in her driveway. Since then, she has taken quite the fancy to travel writing. She hopes you'll join her on this adventurous journey!

“Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible to the visible.” -Tony Robbins

Whether you’re a natural goal setter or not, the benefits of doing so are undeniable. Below are three questions to consider as you set your writing goals for 2016:

What is my why? Are you writing to earn money? To pursue a dream? Leave a legacy? Or simply for enjoyment? It’s different for everyone and thankfully, one is not better than another. Take some time in January to consider your why. It’s the foundation of your writing goals as it helps steer your expectations, time, and energy towards the results you truly desire. Write your why down and keep it visible wherever you choose to write.
How will I measure my goals? Once you’ve nailed down your why, focus on writing out specific goals to achieve it — but don’t stop there! Determine how you will measure your goals. Vague goals are useless ones. If you want to write more, what steps are you willing to take to make it happen? Do you need to set aside office hours in order to write “x” amount of hours per week? Do you need to decrease blog posts or other publications in order to pursue your why? Do you want to travel more? How could you begin saving money? Write it down!
Will you call yourself a writer? I admit it. The first time those four words—I am a writer—spilled from my lips I wasn’t sure whether to zig zag to avoid the lightening bolt or to choose to believe it myself, refusing to feel the pressure of validating my declaration. I chose the latter and it’s made all the difference. I’ll let this excerpt from Story Engineering, by Larry Brooks sum it up for us all:

We are lucky. Very lucky. We are writers.

Sometimes that may seem more curse than blessing, and others may not regard what we do with any more esteem or respect than mowing a lawn. To an outsider this can appear to be a hobby, or maybe a dream that eludes most.

But if that’s how they view you, they aren’t paying enough attention. If you are a writer–and you are if you actually write–you are already living the dream. Because the primary reward of writing comes from within, and you don’t need to get published or sell your screenplay to access it. …

Whatever we write, we are reaching out. We are declaring that we are not alone on this planet, and that we have something to share, something to say. Our writing survives us, even if nobody ever reads a word of it. Because we have given back, we have reflected our truth. We have mattered.

Now let’s go make 2016 one of our best…from one writer to another.

Which of the three questions will be your most challenging, and why?

Tags 2016, Cathy Baker, Fragrant Ink, Larry Brooks, Questions to Ask to Set Goals, Set Your Writing Goals, Story Engineering, Tony Robbins

Bestsellers

Those Beautiful, Beautiful Words – Eva Marie Everson

Post author By Cyle Young - The Binge Writer
Post date December 31, 2015
No Comments on Those Beautiful, Beautiful Words – Eva Marie Everson

If I could tell you one thing, and only one thing, it would be this: enjoy the writing now … before the contracts. Before the deadlines. Before the marketing and the interviews and the networking. Enjoy the writing. Cherish it. Throw words on paper, then delete the ones you don’t like so much and then go back and re-write them, this time choosing them carefully.

Write every day. Make a date. Set a time. Pour yourself a cup of hot coffee or tea or a glass of lemonade. Whatever floats your boat. Light a candle. Put on some mood music. Find your muse.

Wear slippers and pajamas. Wear diamonds and pearls. It really doesn’t matter. What does matter is that you write. And that you enjoy it.

Tell a story for the sake of telling a story and not because you signed a dotted line at the end of a contract. Or write what’s on your heart and in your mind—or it is in your heart and on your mind? It really doesn’t matter. Just write it. Put on paper what you know that you know that you know … and it doesn’t matter if you alone read it … or your mother … or your son … or your next door neighbor who digs around in her garden for fun.

Just write it.

Print it out and put it in a shoe box. Or save it on a thumb drive. Submit it, don’t submit it. It doesn’t matter. What matters right now is that you are writing. You are honing your craft. You are taking this marvelous, marvelous gift from God and you are reveling in it.

And, one day, if you are lucky or unlucky (according to how you look at it), you’ll see your words between the front and back covers … and you’ll wonder why you didn’t enjoy it more when you wrote for the sake of the words.

Those beautiful, beautiful words …

A Lighter Look at the Writer's Life

Life Happens

Post author By Carlton Hughes - Lighter Look at Writer's Life
Post date December 30, 2015
1 Comment on Life Happens

I am writing this post toward the end of November. Ahh, the month of November, also known as NanoWriMo.

For those of you who may not know, NanoWriMo is short for “National Novel Writing Month,” in which writers are supposed to write a full-length novel in 30 days.

Gluttons for punishment, us writers.

This year I had the BEST of intentions for NanoWriMo. I was going to polish a work I’d already finished—working a little on it every day, chipping away at it until I was pleased with it.

Mind you, I’ve been chipping away at it for a few years. Okay, maybe 10. Or 11. But I digress.

I had big plans for my writing month, and then life happened.

First my son had to have a series of scans and X-rays, which kept coming back inconclusive. After much worry, several scans, and three specialist appointments, he is okay.

The same son had an important college interview that the whole family had to attend.

Then I had a death in the family.

Then the University of Kentucky football press passes that my college-aged son and I applied for at the beginning of the season and really didn’t think we’d get came through at the last minute.

Add to all of this the assorted minor distractions and inconveniences that come with my job as a teacher. You know, little things like papers to grade and classes to teach.

To summarize, I have written about 75 words in my manuscript this month. And I’m writing this post the night before it’s due.

Sometimes life happens, and we just have to roll with it. I could wallow in guilt about my bust of a writing month, or I could pick myself up and try again. I think I’ll opt for the latter.

I think God is teaching me about how to deal with life’s interruptions, both big and small. The other day I was driving by myself on a long trip (because of one of the many things I’ve had to deal with this month), and one of my favorite songs, “The End” by Matthew West, came blaring through the speakers.

West got to the chorus, and I had the feeling he had been peeking into my windows when he wrote the song.

“It’s not the end of the world, it’s just another day . . . depending on grace.”

Isn’t that what it all boils down to? It’s not the end of the world when life happens and I don’t get to write. I have to depend on grace from the One Who gives me the inspiration. Yes, it’s up to me to carve out writing time, but there are times I have to deal with other things.

I think I’ll move my NanoWriMo to December. After all, that’s not a busy month . . . right?

A guy can dream, can’t he?

Lesson's From the Editor's Desk

Lessons from the Editor’s Desk – First Pages

Post author By Donna L.H. Smith-Managing Editor
Post date December 30, 2015
1 Comment on Lessons from the Editor’s Desk – First Pages

It’s time again for lessons from the editor’s desk. In addition to being a published author with Bethany House, Zondervan, and WhiteFire Publishing, I’m also an acquisitions editor with WhiteFire. As someone who sits on both sides of the desk, I think I have a unique perspective. For the past five years I have been representing WhiteFire Publishing at conferences and reviewing submissions for them. Probably the best perk I’ve gleaned from this experience is a huge improvement in my own writing, and especially in knowing how to make my submissions sparkle. So I’m going share some of that valuable information with you. Today let’s look at those all-important first pages.

The sad truth is that for the majority of the manuscripts I read, I never get past page one. Keep in mind that WhiteFire accepts unagented queries, so I imagine that statistic is different for bigger publishers, although it probably holds true for agents. You might wonder how in the world I can tell a manuscript won’t cut it by the first page alone, but a first page can tell you a lot. It can tell you whether or not a writer has done their job to learn the craft, it can tell you if they’re lazy, and it can tell you if they possess any talent.

Here are a few of the red flags that will stop me reading right on the first page.

1) Stilted Language

2) Phony dialogue

3) Lack of understanding of point of view

4) Telling not showing

5) Confusing sentences

6) Bad grammar

7) Excessive typos

That little list saves me reading farther on over 50% of submissions. If I see any of those problems on the all-important first page that has been edited ad nauseam, I know that matters can only go downhill from there. As a publishing company, we simply don’t have the time or energy to put into fixing any of these issues, no matter how brilliant your idea might be, and I’m sure agents feel the same way.

Don’t get me wrong, I realize not everyone excels at opening scenes. I understand the paranoia of crafting the perfect hook. I know that some people aren’t good at nailing down exactly where a book should start. But if you haven’t mastered the basic writing craft yet, as attested by the red flags above, those other issues are immaterial. If the writing is good, but the opening is weak, I will read on. Occasionally if someone is “telling” a story with a really nice style, I will skip ahead a few pages to see if they shift into “showing.” And I’m not going to turn down a manuscript over a typo or a misplaced comma, but if I see several of those sorts of mistakes on the very first page, that’s just lazy, so forget it.

If you pass the all-important first pages test, and I actually get through a good scene or chapter of your book, I will then put it on my kindle and read it like a reader, not an editor. At that point, I’m looking to see if I enjoy the book and if it holds my interest. If I actually read through to the end, I might ask for some changes, but I will likely be sending the book forward to my senior editor. In my next lesson we’ll look at some of the reasons I might stop reading a novel by an otherwise competent author.

As a reader, what do you look for on the first page of a novel to decide whether or not you will read on?

Dear Young Scribes Genre

How to Set Writing Goals and Finish Your Book

Post author By Tessa Emily Hall - Becoming an Author
Post date December 29, 2015
2 Comments on How to Set Writing Goals and Finish Your Book

[bctt tweet=”How to Set Writing Goals and Finish Your Book #writingtips @tessaemilyhall “]

As a teen, you have plenty of time to continue to grow in your craft and finish your book. But even though you aren’t in a rush to achieve publication, you can decrease chances of procrastination and distractions by setting writing goals.

Here’s how:

Time yourself as you write and calculate how many words, on average, you write in an hour. (For example: Let’s say it takes me 1 hour to write 1,000 words.)
Decide on an amount of hours you are able to work on your book weekly. (If I can find time to write for 2 hours a day and five days a week, then I would be able to work on my book for 10 hours per week.)
Calculate the estimated amount of words you could write per week if you stick to this plan. (In the above example, I could write 10,000 words per week.)
Then, calculate how long it will take you to complete your book. (If I had only 20,000 more words to write of my book, then I could finish it within two weeks if I stuck with this plan.)

You could also do this process in reverse.

For example, if you hope to finish your book within four weeks and you still have 40,000 more words to write, you could:

Decide on the amount of words you would like to complete in one week. (In this example, let’s say that you chose to set a goal for 10,000 words per week. That way, you would reach your goal of 40,000 words within four weeks.)
Calculate how many words you can write in an hour. (Let’s say you wrote 500 words per hour.)
Then, calculate how many hours per day you should devote to writing in order to meet your weekly goal. (You would be able to write 2,000 words per day if you wrote for 4 hours a day. If you wrote five days a week, then you would reach your weekly goal. And if you meet your weekly goal four weeks in a row, then you would have reached your ultimate goal of 40,000 words in one month.)

By breaking down your writing goals, you reduce chances of becoming overwhelmed at the idea of writing a book. Instead, you’ll discover how the process of writing a book is simple: It is achieved through the daily discipline of writing the same amount of words that could compose a blog post.

[bctt tweet=”By breaking down your writing goals, you reduce chances of becoming overwhelmed at the idea of writing a book. #amwriting @tessaemilyhall”]

Stick with this, and eventually, your book will be complete!

Do you set writing goals? If so, has it helped you finish your book?

(PS: From now until the end of December, you can receive a discount off of my teen writing program, WRITE NOW! Click here to find out more.)

Tags creative writing, discipline, finish your book, motivation, teen writers, writing goals

Create. Motivate. Inspire. Support

Where is Your Happy Place?

Post author By Leigh Ann Thomas
Post date December 28, 2015
No Comments on Where is Your Happy Place?

When you write, do you have a happy place? Do conditions have to be “just right?” When are you most productive?

I like variety.

The beach, a restaurant, the porch, my desk, the kitchen table—all favorite writing spots. Give me a bit of real estate next to a window, light a candle, provide an endless supply of Diet Dr. Pepper and Peanut M&M’s—and you have a happy writer.

When my oldest girls were little, I also cared for three other children—five little ones in a very small space. But I had a routine. After lunch everyone had naptime/quiet time and this mom grabbed a notebook and pen, sat in the recliner with little ones close by—and wrote.

I had to work for my happy place. And results were crazy-slow (45-minute writing segments are tough). But God honored my dogged devotion to those 45 minutes and my first devotion book was born in this beautiful chaos.

This year, commit to creating a unique writing space—a place just for you with few interruptions.

If you’re like me, you can take a little bit of messy-desk syndrome, but you crave organization. A bit of transparency: my office is a disaster. I am a stack-things-up queen. If you took a peek you would assume it was a storage room.

One of my writing goals for early this year is to dig out of the mess and create a space that draws me in, encouraging creative thought.

Take a few minutes and examine your writing space(s) and work habits. How can they be improved to revive productivity? Check out The Efficiency Addict for great tips and ideas.

This is the time of year when we tend to examine our goals, successes, and progress. Let’s commit to giving God our best and using our abilities to bring Him glory. Let’s honor Him with excellence!

And may we remember to pray for each other in our writing journeys.

Happy writing!

[bctt tweet=”Where is your writing happy place? #A3 #amwriting”]

[bctt tweet=”Honor God with excellence #A3forme #amwriting”]

Tags Create Motivate Inspire, Efficiency in writing, happy place, honor God with excellence, Leigh Ann Thomas

A Little Red Ink Editing

What Is a Line Edit?

Post author By Bethany Kaczmarek - A Little Red Ink
Post date December 26, 2015
No Comments on What Is a Line Edit?

What is a line edit? It’s not a mere cleaning up of the manuscript. A true line edit can take your manuscript to another level.

Let’s say you’ve had the macro edit done, so you know the timeline works, the character arcs show evolution, and the conflict builds to a necessary (but better than readers expect) resolution. And the copy edit cleaned up your pacing, the obvious mistakes, the pet words, the weasel words, and the buried dialogue.

Your baby could be ready for a proofread and submission (or you might be ready to have it formatted for the Indie Ocean).

But there’s another option.

Hire a line editor.

A line edit can take your manuscript from ready to absolutely ready to stand out.

[bctt tweet=”A true line edit can take your manuscript from ready to absolutely ready to stand out. #editingtip #writingtip #A3″]

Here are a few of the things it can address:

Develop your voice.

Some stories sound like they’re whittled out of Appalachian hemlock. Or like Sam Elliot is the narrator—all man and lean muscle, dust and leather. Some books deserve to be read by a winsome British grandfather, a little cheeky, a lot endearing. Others sound raw. Emotion. Grit. Honesty.

Perhaps you’ve got a great story, but it’s not the kind of book that a reader can crack open and say, “This. I love this author. I can tell it’s her within a few paragraphs.” You can get there with a line edit. What does the story ache for? Imagine for a moment. If your dream reader were available for the audio book—who would it be? Why? What does your story lend to that?

[bctt tweet=””This. I can always tell it’s this author in a few paragraphs. Her voice is so unique.” What a line edit can do for your writing. #editingtip #writingtip #A3″]

Do you have two unique character POVs? Then they should sound distinct. A line edit will hone your characters’ voices too. Use appropriate dialect and lingo, not just for the jobs and activities the characters do but for their thoughts. The metaphors and similes ought to reflect the mind of the character. How would a baseball player describe his last chance to win a girl’s heart?

Add musicality and rhythm.

I love for the language of a book to arrest me. To hold my attention and stay with me like a favorite song—one I spend time, on purpose, memorizing because the lyrics sing to my heart. To me, there are three aspects of this: tempo, rhythm, and lyrics. A good line edit will address all three.

Tempo. Pacing should be a fluid thing. Some moments are legato, slow, flowing, steady. But what happens when the scene picks up? How about allegro? When the main character’s mind is flying, her thoughts are rushing, rambling from one thought to the next and she’s facing danger on one side, doubts on another—can you make your words race? Are you daring enough to use a stream of consciousness?

Rhythm. Pay attention to the way different characters speak and think. Could be short. Might be choppy. Overall, the effect is key. What will you risk for that?

Use your paragraphing to dictate whether the reading should be fluid or distinct. Use punctuation to magnify a pause if you need it.

A good usage of staccato makes my own heart pound as I read. I love when authors use the white space to their advantage. If a character is living through a heart-pounding, breath-stealing moment, show it (literally).

Lyrics. This one’s simple. A line edit should help you choose words as carefully as a songwriter. Tell the story in as few as possible. I’m one of those people who scores a brand new CD and carves out an hour to listen to it with the dust jacket in my hands as I read along, soak in the lyrics. Write a book that keeps me there.

Add layers and enrich themes.

Just like in a painting, colors can add mood to the scene. But it’s the layering, the shading and the tinting that give a painting depth and richness. They can add to the perspective almost as much as the horizon line. And the nuances you add to your entire story can enrich your theme.

[bctt tweet=”A line edit can adjust subplots, symbolism, and subtext to add layers to your story. You don’t want it just to be a neat tale. You want it to be a work of art.”]

Wrapping it up.

I’ve got to add again: Not all editors do a true line edit. Ask around.

To me? A line edit is worth the extra time and investment. I’d rather my own work sing. That’s probably why this is my favorite type of editing to do for others.

Is it possible to get trapped in this phase, tinkering and tweaking ad nauseum? Absolutely. This is where some authors have been known to waste a year or two and never truly make their work better. My honest recommendation is to do one round of edits with this as your sole goal, just before you send your manuscript to the agent or publisher or proofreader (which I’ll talk about next time).

Let me hear back from you. Have you read a book worth underlining and highlighting? What was it about the writing that won you?

Tags line edit, line edit vs. copy edit

5 For Writing Uncategorized

Are You a Plot-Driven or Character-Driven Writer?

Post author By Doug Peterson - 5 for Writing: Rules to Write By
Post date December 24, 2015
3 Comments on Are You a Plot-Driven or Character-Driven Writer?

What comes first? Do you begin with a great plot idea, and then create characters to fill out the story? Or do you come up with an intriguing character and then try to figure what the character needs to do?

How you answer these questions says a lot about whether you are a plot-driven or character-driven writer.

I am definitely a plot-driven person because that is my starting point. Three of my four novels are based on real people from history, so at first glance you might think I’m a character-driven writer. After all, aren’t I looking for real people from history? Isn’t that where I start?

Actually, no.

In truth, I start by looking for incredible stories from history. For instance, I have written two Underground Railroad novels—one in which the slave (Henry Brown) shipped himself to freedom in a box, and the other in which the slave (Ellen Craft) escaped by pretending to be a white man, while her husband posed as her slave.

The stories of Henry Brown and Ellen Craft were what drew me to them, not their personalities—although both of them happened to be fascinating people in their own right. But I still started with their stories.

So what are you—a plot-driven or character-driven writer?

I was first posed with this question when I attended a conference course taught by Jeff Gerke, a fiction editor who specializes in science fiction and fantasy. After attending his class, I ran out to buy his book, Plot Versus Character: A Balanced Approach to Writing Great Fiction—a book I recommend.

“I believe there are two types of novelists,” Gerke says in Plot Versus Character. “On the one hand you have those for whom plot ideas come naturally. On the other, you have those for whom characters arise with ease. Plot-first novelists think of story ideas all day long. Theirs are the fabulous books in which many exciting things happen. The focus tends to be on the events occurring in the story rather than on the characters, and usually, lots of things blow up. I know about this kind of novelist,” he says, “because I’m one of them.

“Character-first novelists are those writers who are endlessly fascinated by what makes people tick,” Gerke continues. “The fictional people they create are rich, engaging, believable, and compelling. You feel that those people truly exist.”

Gerke goes on to explain that many plot-driven writers have a tendency to neglect good character development, and as a result their characters become one-dimensional. I love some of the late Michael Crichton’s novels, such as Jurassic Park, but he was clearly a plot-driven writer, and his characters often come across as the same, from novel to novel.

Then there are the novelists who create fascinating characters, but the characters don’t do anything but meander through a story world in which not much happens. As unique and real as these characters might be, I quickly lose interest if they’re not doing anything.

That’s why Jeff Gerke wrote his book Plot Versus Character—to help character-driven writers improve their plots and to help plot-driven writers improve their character development.

Since I’m a plot-driven writer, I always have to work extra hard to make sure I don’t neglect my characters. To do this, I ask the following questions about my main characters:

What are my character’s flaws? What is his or her major flaw?
What are my character’s strengths?
What does he or she look like?
What is his or her personality? Extrovert, introvert, depressed, excitable, etc.?
What is my character’s backstory?
What is my character’s arc? How does he or she change over the story?
What does he or she fear?
What does my character want?
What secrets does he or she keep?
Who are the character’s closest friends?
What was my character’s upbringing like?
Does he or she have any quirks?
What is my character’s calling, or mission, in life?
What is the internal conflict?
What is the external conflict?

I end this list with both internal and external conflict because conflict is the bridge where the character-driven and plot-driven worlds overlap. A character-driven writer may give the lead character a lot of internal conflict, but neglect the external conflict. For the plot-driven writer, it’s often the reverse. So strive for both: strong characters with internal conflict and strong plots with external conflict.

In basketball, less experienced players usually rely on their dominant hand, often the right hand. Kids can get away with this when they are young players, but if you want to excel in basketball, you have to work on your weak hand. You have to be just as comfortable using your left as your right hand.

It’s the same with writing. Find out which is your “strong hand”—character or plot. Then work on your weak hand.

* * *

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.

Uncategorized

How to Become a Teen Marketeer

Post author By Kaz - Specs
Post date December 23, 2015
No Comments on How to Become a Teen Marketeer

Becoming the Teen Marketeer

As teen writers we’re faced with the question, “are we marketable?” And in an adult industry the answer must be yes.

But then the next question is “how?”

That’s easy…

Well…easier said then done, but with a few tips, tricks, and witty quips, you can be well on you’re way to becoming a class A marketeer!

Tips

To be a great marketeer you must understand “style.” Your overall style is what sets you apart from the other writers. What ever it is, you have to wear it with confidence.

Clothing
Approachability
Confidence
A humble and teachable mind

These are all important factors in your style. You’re clothing should be relaxed but dressy. (of coarse depending on the conference and message you wish to send.) That alone can help you in meeting and conversing with other writers. Color schemes in your style can also take care of your approachability. Red and Turquoise are flashy colors that if kept in low doses are sure to create a feeling of professional welcoming. (don’t wear them at the same time) Confidence is important, but above that is a humble and teachable mind. Be ready to learn. It’s almost like a very friendly job interview. Don’t expect to know everything.

Tricks

By tricks I’m simply saying that you can be recognized on all sorts of social media platforms. Any talents you have that you can use to get a following are “trick” that can grow you a fanbase. Even your music tastes can be a platform.

Some of the platforms I use are:

YouTube: Clever Gents
Twitter: Specs_Kaczmarek (Caleb Kaczmarek)
Facebook: Caleb Kaczmarek (Kaz)
Spotify: Caleb Kaczmarek

These are just some of the places where I extend my reach and activities, in areas that I have skill. Other excellent places to get following are on places like Tumblr, Pinterest, and Vines. Think creatively, and remember that theses are platforms for you, and people will be looking to get information on you. When in doubt don’t post it.

[bctt tweet=”When in doubt don’t post it… #Marketeer #Platform”]

Until you actually have merchandise to sell, art to show, or maybe even snippets of story or blogging—having your own website really isn’t necessary.

Witty Quips

When adults or peers in this industry ask you about yourself it’s important to have a medium to short answer. This answer will also be what they remember you by, and the more memorable, the more likely you are to make a connection.

Connections help you with your marketing, because you can collaborate and have people from their following become part of your following, so on and so forth. This is why it’s good to make friends and be approachable. Not only might they be a friend but they very well might be a mentor or the connection you need to get published.

Things to make you’re “witty quip” memorable:

You’re name (pen name/stage name/real name)
You’re genre (this one tripped me up the most, VERY important)
A platform that you share with other people (mine are A3 and Clever Gents)

Of coarse you don’t want to spit this all out like some sort of automaton. It’ll come out in a normal conversation. But the better you can hold a conversation the better people will like you. Just stay relaxed and allow your talk to be a friendly one.

It’s not a science, and you’re not looking to use friendships, but hopefully, with these pieces of advice, you can market like a civilized human being, while obtaining friendships. As you can see being marketable isn’t “easy” but if you’re able to put in the time and the effort you can really become a Master Marketeer.

This is how I see things through my lenses, tell me how you see things through yours.

Thanks to, Hey Paul Studios for the edited image, and ClkerFreeVectorImages, geralt, For the unaltered images.

The Ministry of Writing

God Will Bring the Pieces of Your Writing Calling Together

Post author By Jake McCandless - The Ministry of Writing
Post date December 22, 2015
9 Comments on God Will Bring the Pieces of Your Writing Calling Together

Allowed for reuse. The original can be found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/theilr/345056969.

So God has called you to write. You have a “writing calling”.

He has burdened your heart to share a particular message, to tell your story, to tell someone else’s story, or to create a powerful creative piece.

The Holy Spirit has guided you to use your gift, talent, or love of writing to glorify the Father.

You know typing away on your laptop merging creativity and craft places you in the center of God’s perfect Will.

Therefore you have pushed through. You have been obedient to write. You are obedient in continuing to write. You know you are doing what the Lord wants you to do.

But…

The project is overwhelming and you feel like it will never end.

The critique was brutal — you have so much to learn.

After receiving your work back from the editor there is so much left to be done.

You are on your eight rejection letter.

It has been three months since the agent’s last email, but he seemed so interested.

You have been writing for six years and nothing has been published.

So did you hear God right? Is writing really what He wants you to do? I believe so. And I know that if you are doing what God has called you to do and are following the Spirit’s guidance that God will come through. I completely trust that God provides and equips us to fulfill whatever he has called us to do.

I believe it because that is what Scripture teaches:

From Hebrews 13:20–21:

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Don’t give up. God will come through. That impossible project will get done. You will grow and develop into the writer He needs you to be. He is going to open that door. [bctt tweet=”God will answer your prayers. He is going to accomplish through you what He purposes.”]

One day it will come together.

Being an 80’s kid I have had my share of Rubik’s Cubes. None of them have ever been completed. I also never followed through with my idea to bypass the work and repaint the squares.

I’m sure you are familiar with one of these devices of torture. It is a cube so there are six sides. Within this cube there are nine squares on each side. Those squares can be one of six colors. The goal is to maneuver them in such a way that one whole side of the cube becomes a solid color.

A Rubik’s Cube being conquered is a pipe dream for me. Its completion is in the realm of capturing a unicorn or finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow to me, but it has been done.

Interestingly in his book, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, author and pastor Mark Batterson wrote that God working in our lives can be like a Rubik’s Cube. Like someone beginning to be victorious with the cube it can appear the task God has placed on our hearts will never come to pass. But eventually those random pieces begin to line up and finally a complete picture comes into view.

Again I have never accomplished this task, but I have seen it done. It’s amazing to see. For a while it looks as if the one working the cube has no clue what they are doing. Everything is a mess — nothing lines up. Then eventually — boom — the colors begin to line up. The cube begins to take shape. It appears that the task may actually be accomplished. Then it happens — the cube is done.

Once it’s done one wonders why it was so hard to do in the first place.

This is how God will work in your writing.

Right now, in your current situation you may feel your writing is going nowhere. You may feel like all the little pieces will never line up, but don’t give up. Over the horizon the puzzle of your calling will come together, and you will wonder why it ever seemed so hard.

It is then you will know with certainty that God Will Bring the Pieces of Your Writing Calling Together.

Tags Christian writer, Christian writing, encouragement for Christian writers, encouragement for writers, hope in writings, Journeying Through the Writer's Life

Writer Encouragement

Writers Being Thankful

Post author By Elaine Cooper - Writer Encouragement
Post date December 21, 2015
4 Comments on Writers Being Thankful

I am writing this blog on the eve of Thanksgiving. Thinking about this holiday causes me to consider the fact that we only designate one day a year to ponder gratitude. Yet the Bible encourages us to “be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16 (NIV)

So while I know this post will run in the midst of Christmas season, I’m going to claim a day of thankfulness and encourage writers to think about the many people who bless and enrich our lives.

Here are just a few of the folks for whom we can be grateful:

Critique groups who offer helpful advice.
Authors who write better than we do. They inspire us to excel and do better.
Spouses who don’t mind eating take-out food when we’re in the midst of editing.
That friend or relative who believes we are the best writer they’ve ever read. We know it’s not true, but we appreciate their love and support anyway!
Editors who catch all those mistakes that we know are there but we just can’t see. They have our backs.
That more experienced author friend who takes us under their wing and helps us become a better writer.
The acquisitions editor who says, “Please send me that book proposal.”
The fellow writer’s conference attendee who sees you sitting alone at lunch and says, “Can I sit with you?”
That author who takes the time to read and review your book, even though you know they are too busy.
Your family and friends who will always love you, even if you never become a best-selling author.

So in this Christmas season of remembering the birth of our Savior, let’s remember that the Child born in the manger came to save us and be a blessing to us. Let us, in turn, be a blessing to others. Be an encourager to a fellow writer.

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)

Merry Christmas!

Green typewriter image courtesy of Just2Shutter via freedigitalphotos.net

Tags Christmas, Elaine Marie Cooper, encouragement, encouraging, gratitude, Thanksgiving

Talking Character

10 Tips for Writing Secondary Characters

Post author By Lisa E. Betz
Post date December 20, 2015
1 Comment on 10 Tips for Writing Secondary Characters

Not everyone can be the hero or the villain. A story needs a cast of supporting characters too.

Here are ten tips for writing characters who play supporting roles.

Every secondary character must have a role in the main character’s story. They may be a sidekick, a coworker, a competitor, the neighbor who happens to be an expert in bonsai, or just the guy that runs the café, but they must have some connection to the main character and his story.
Every secondary character must also have a plot function. Sometimes that function is obvious, such as an ally or an opponent. Sometimes the function is more subtle, such as functioning as a mirror or foil of the main character: showing contrasting choices and behaviors. Sometimes the function is to cause complications, such as a false ally—someone who appears to help the main character while actually pursuing their own agenda.
Speaking of agendas, every character has one. We humans always have our own agenda, which we may or may not sacrifice for our friends and coworkers. Fictional characters do too, even if the reader only gets a hint of what those agendas might be.
Don’t mislead readers by making secondary characters seem more important than they are. You may know their hidden agendas and backstory, but unless it applies to the plot, keep that information in your head.
Each character needs a unique purpose within the story. If two characters fulfill similar roles, combine them into one character. If the hero’s two pals are both allies, consider trimming one from the story.
Look for other ways to eliminate extra characters. Think outside the box and see if characters with seemingly different roles can be combined. Perhaps the pastor who runs the outreach your heroine joins is also the difficult neighbor who complains about the heroine’s garbage-loving dog. Doesn’t that add an extra dose or two of tension?
Give stock characters a twist. Take the time to personalize even unimportant characters by altering the stereotype in some way. Don’t make the hairdresser a talkative town gossip. What about an emo hairdresser with interesting tattoos? Or a hairdresser who hums praise songs while she works, because she refuses to gossip?
Whenever possible, avoid naming walk-on or background characters. The story may need taxi drivers, waiters, and a school principal for specific scenes, but the less attention minor characters attract, the better.
Whatever the heroine focuses on, the reader focuses on, so don’t allow her to dwell on minor characters. Instead make sure she dwells on something they said, something they did or something they represent.
Don’t allow secondary characters to steal the story—even when you fall in love with them. If you discover a character has tons of potential, promise them their own story, but insist they stay within their role in the current one.

Secondary characters add depth and authenticity to a story, but always remember:

[bctt tweet=”Every character needs a purpose. #writetip #amwriting”]

Tags hidden agendas, plot functions, stock characters, supporting characters

Craft Writing with Humor

Five Tips For How to Use Humor Effectively When Writing About Sensitive Topics

Post author By Jean Wilund - Writing with Humor
Post date December 19, 2015
No Comments on Five Tips For How to Use Humor Effectively When Writing About Sensitive Topics

In my last post, How Humor Helps When Writing About Sensitive Topics, I explained how working humor into the background of your article or story allows your message of hope to take center stage.

Today, we’ll look at just how to use humor effectively.

Follow these five simple tips to help lift the spirits of your readers.

1. Open with Light Humor.

Hint at hope from the start by opening with a little humor.

Revealing your acquaintance with pain, but also your ability to smile through it helps your reader trust your message.

This isn’t the time or place to tell a joke, though.

Instead, use a humorous anecdote or observation that strikes a familiar chord with your audience.

The level of humor you use will depend on your topic. The heavier your topic, the lighter your touch of humor should be.

2. Use Sarcasm Sparingly, if at all.

When dealing with sensitive topics, sarcasm can be risky.

In fact, at all times, sarcasm is risky.

I’m a great fan of this type of humor, but I’ve left an unfortunate wave of wounded by my misuse of it.

Consider leaving it to the professionals, or at least reserving it for light-hearted articles about kittens.

If not done well, it’s too likely to come out snarky or bitter.

3. Poke Fun at Yourself, Not Others

Laugh about your own pain, not other’s.

When your reader sees that you can laugh about your pain now — even just a little bit — it gives them hope that they’ll laugh again one day.

If you laugh at other’s pain, you’ll appear cruel and lose their trust.

Please note, I said to laugh at yourself, not tear yourself down.

Don’t make your audience uncomfortable by forcing them to watch you wallow in self-pity.

They won’t watch. They’ll walk away.

4. Know Your Audience

Your audience will determine how much humor is appropriate. What may offend one audience might make another laugh hysterically.

If your reader’s suffering makes your loss look like you simply misplaced your 30% off coupon at Kohl’s, your attempt at humor may appear to display a lack of compassion and poor judgment. Your message will fizzle or fall flat.

If your suffering equals or exceeds theirs, you get a free pass to make them laugh as much as you want — within reason, of course. Every audience, except the most coarse, appreciates tact.

5. Ask Someone To Read Your Article Out Loud

What seems humorous to us as we write it can sound the opposite when read by someone else.

Ask your friend, spouse, or critique partner to give their honest opinion of whether your humor is coming across as compassionate or crass.

If it sounds differently than you intended, you may only need to reword it. But you also might need to toss it.

Humor can help foster healing. Inappropriate humor impedes it.

Even Momentary Relief From Pain Can Be Welcome.

A friend of mine emailed me asking for prayer. Her father is suffering with the onset of dementia and recovering from a broken hip.

My father went through both at the same time as well. I understand the excruciating pain she’s experiencing watching him struggle.

I shared with her some of Dad’s and my more humorous moments from that time. She said, “Thanks for the stories. They made me laugh.”

Humor can punch a hole through your reader’s pain and give them momentary relief. Even the smallest relief from pain is welcome.

[bctt tweet=”Humor can punch a hole through your reader’s pain and give them momentary relief. #Writers #Authors #Humor”]

[bctt tweet=”5 Tips For Using Humor Effectively When Writing About Sensitive Topics. #Writers #Authors #Humor”]

Tags Author, Christian writer, Christian writing, humor, Jean Wilund, Writing tips

Tour

Blog Tour Stop – Beth K. Vogt

Post author By Cyle Young - The Binge Writer
Post date December 18, 2015
No Comments on Blog Tour Stop – Beth K. Vogt

[author title=”Beth K. Vogt” image=”http://www.almostanauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Beth-s-Portraits-Portraits-0153.jpeg”] Beth K. Vogt believes God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.” A 2015 RITA® Finalist and a 2015 and 2014 Carol Award finalist, Beth is a contemporary romance novelist with Howard Books. Her 2014 novel, Somebody Like You, was one of Publisher’s Weekly’s Best Books of 2014. In 2015 she introduced her destination wedding series with both an e-novella, Can’t Buy Me Love (May) and a novel, Crazy Little Thing Called Love (June). Connect with Beth at bethvogt.com.[/author]

What is the title of your book?

Crazy Little Thing Called Love

What if what you thought was your biggest mistake was actually the right choice?

Wedding bells and storm clouds collide in the first novel in Beth K. Vogt’s destination wedding series that examines the power of love, and the mishaps and missteps that happen on a couple’s journey down the aisle to “I do.”

Why do you write what you do?

I write novels because life is messy. And I write stories that wade into that mess. Stories about how we make a mess of our lives . . . or someone else messes up our lives . . . and yet, there is still hope. There is redemption. There is the reality of “But God . . . ” in the midst of the mess.
Life is messy.
Romance is messy.
That’s reality.
And as I like to say, there’s more to the Happily Ever After than the Fairy Tales tell us.

What are you currently working on?

I’m working on the second novel in my destination wedding series: Almost Like Being in Love. And then I’ll start on the e-novella, which has a working title of You Can’t Hurry Love. Both release in 2016.

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

I’m constantly asking myself, “What makes a novel a ‘Beth K. Vogt book’?” And while I write contemporary romances that require a happily ever happy ending, I delve into deeper issues along the way to The End. I examine topics like estrangement, widowhood, divorce … real life experiences that my readers face — that maybe even I’ve faced.

How does your writing process work?

I’m a plotter, meaning I like to develop my characters and my story before I sit down and start writing my first draft. I spend several weeks getting to know my main characters — why do they make the choices they do — as well as developing the overall plot and subplot of the story. Once I start writing, I fast draft — no editing, just diving into the story and discovering more about it as I go along. This takes about a month or so. Once I’m done, it’s time to go back through and rewrite. And during this time, I’m talking things out with my mentors, getting guidance from them so I stay on track.

Social Media and Blog:

Website:http://www.bethvogt.com
Blog:http://www.bethvogt.com/blog/
Author FB page:https://www.facebook.com/AuthorBethKVogt?ref=hl
Twitter:https://twitter.com/bethvogt
Pinterest:https://www.pinterest.com/beth_vogt/
Instagram:https://instagram.com/bethkvogt/?ref=badge

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00P42WX2W/ref=s9_simh_gw_p351_d0_i2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=desktop-1&pf_rd_r=0QYH46HTDMB2ZRZNHT3E&pf_rd_t=36701&pf_rd_p=2079475242&pf_rd_i=desktop

Platform and Branding

Brand Basics – 2 Considerations For Writers

Post author By Susan Stilwell - Platforming
Post date December 17, 2015
No Comments on Brand Basics – 2 Considerations For Writers

We’re familiar with a brand as it relates to corporations. When we think of Coke, McDonalds, and Nike these logos appear in our minds:

Coke – red background with white letters.
McDonalds – golden arches.
Nike – swoosh.

These corporations have spent millions (billions?) of dollars over the years with marketing groups and design teams to develop brand recognition. Few writers have the resources to invest in that kind of brand development but a personal brand is an important part of a solid platform.

Two important considerations for branding that every writer must consider are Content and Look.

CONTENT

Do you have a clear writing focus?

Perhaps you’re a novelist. Do you write mysteries for young adults? Romance geared toward women?

Maybe you’re an inspirational writer. Do you write devotions? Parenting articles? Bible studies?

Editors, technical writers, agents, etc. each have a special niche in the writing industry. Determine your focus, create content, and share on social media’s Big 3—Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Remember to be generous and share quotes and links from a variety of sources. Edie Melson recommends sharing only 20% of your own material. Find other writers and industry professionals who have a similar focus and share their content as well.

Don’t hesitate to share occasional random posts, but be sure to keep it kind and clean. Tweeting at your favorite sports team or sharing a funny meme on Facebook makes you a more interesting person to follow.

LOOK

Do your social media accounts have the same (or similar) backgrounds and headshots?

Develop a background and format it for each social media account. Profile dimensions change on a regular basis, so check a reliable source like Mashable for the most recent image sizes. Select a headshot that is both current and suitable for your writing.

A writer with brilliant branding is Steven James. He wears several hats: writing & speaking instructor, keynote speaker, poet, master storyteller, and suspense writer. His social media profiles and his website represent him well, reflecting his friendly yet somewhat mysterious personality.

Your website’s About Page should include the same content focus, headshots, and background images (if possible). A consistent online image will help establish your personal brand and help lay a solid foundation for your platform.

Shareables:

[bctt tweet=”Start building your #writer brand by answering 2 questions, via @A3forme @susanrstilwell” via=”no”]

[bctt tweet=”Top 2 considerations for developing your brand as a #writer, @a3forme @susanrstilwell” via=”no”]

Sites to check out:

Steven James
Mashable: Your social media cheat sheet for perfectly sized images

Tags Almost an Author, branding, Platforming, susan stilwell, writer's brand, writing

A Pinch of Poetry

Poetry Contests: Where to Find Them

Post author By Heather Hook - A Pinch of Poetry
Post date December 16, 2015
No Comments on Poetry Contests: Where to Find Them

Since there is not a high demand for poetry in the publishing industry, one way to get your poems out there is by submitting to contests. And winning contests can lead to hidden doors of opportunity.

[bctt tweet=”Winning contests can lead to hidden doors of opportunity. #poets #poetry #writers”]

Below are places I recommend you research to find the right competition to match your style.

Winning Writers

With a database full of free contests in every genre, Winning Writers actually seems to emphasize poetry. Currently they are offering their own Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest, which is also completely free to enter. Once you sign up, you can browse the site for more opportunities. Additionally, they offer articles on tips for submitting poetry to contests and how to avoid scams.

Poetry Society of South Carolina

Poetry societies can be found across the nation. I am a member of the one based in the South Carolina low country, which allows me to enter both the fall and spring contests for free. Otherwise they do offer most of their contests to anyone for a small fee of $5 per entry. Not bad when you consider the cash prizes are between $50-$500.

Blue Mountain Arts Poetry Card Contest

This is a free biannual contest. They do favor a particular style of poetry so be sure to check out their guidelines and previous winners before submitting. They offer a cash prize for 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place.

Fresh Voices Writing Contest

Our very own Almost an Author website sponsors the Fresh Voices Writing Contest for multiple genres, including poetry. The fee is $10 per entry and one entry for poetry can be up to 3 poems. Currently there is no cash prize, but don’t let that stop you from submitting. Winning contests builds your writing resume. The more accolades you can bring home, the better.

[bctt tweet=”Winning contests builds your writing resume. #poets #poetry #writers”]

Local poetry contests

Another place to look for contests is locally. Find out where poetry happenings take place near your town. In Columbia, S.C., the poet laureate organized a poetry event recently through the arts initiative. I had the opportunity to have one of my poems published in the chapbook and participate in the event poetry reading. So be on the look-out in your area for happenings such as that.

Conference contests

If you plan to go to a conference, see if they sponsor any contests. Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers’ Conference sponsors their own competition each year, and the money from the fees provides for scholarships for conferees who couldn’t attend without assistance. There is no cash prize, but you receive a very nice award at fine banquet and ceremony. The experience is highly worthwhile. I happened to win 1^st place for poetry this past year, which encouraged me in so many ways. It also contributed to the opportunity to write this very blog!

Beware of Scams

Unfortunately some companies thrive on tricking writers into purchasing publication which is deceptively masked as a contest. Winning Writers offers great information on how to avoid scams that are disguised as poetry contests. If you’re not sure if a contest is legit, it’s better to stay away from it. Any “contest” charging a high fee and guaranteeing publication is probably not a true contest.

So now, it’s time to get it out there.

Research contests, study previous winners, and submit your work.

Know any decent poetry contests you could share with us? Tell me below.

Tags cash prize, competitions, contests, free, poems, poetry, scams, winning

Magazine and Freelance

How To Drive a Magazine Editor Crazy by Lori Hatcher

Post author By Cherrilynn Bisbano - Managing Editor A3
Post date December 16, 2015
4 Comments on How To Drive a Magazine Editor Crazy by Lori Hatcher

Professional, friendly and witty are words I use to describe Lori. I met her at the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference last year through a mutual friend. Lori was part of the staff at BRMCWC and needed volunteers to do a mock Toastmasters meeting. Toastmasters is an international speaking organization. As a Toastmaster member, I volunteered. We became fast friends over e-mails and working together at the conference. I consider it an honor to have her as a guest on Write With You. I know we all will glean from her vast knowledge as a magazine editor.

How to Drive an Editor Crazy, Part 1

By Lori Hatcher

As the editor of a print magazine, I receive submissions from writers in every stage of their writing journey. Some have impressive portfolios, and others are just beginning. Wherever you are on the spectrum, the tips I’ll share in this two-part series will help you submit polished, professional work so you WON’T drive your editor crazy.

How to Drive an Editor Crazy

Paraphrase Bible verses.

This is true confession time, friends. A book editor once threatened me with death and dismemberment when she double-checked the Scripture references in one of my devotional books and discovered I’d used the LHV (Lori Hatcher Version) of the Bible. Because I’d depended on my memory, which was a mishmash of the King James, New International, and Holman Christian Study versions, there was no way she could check my Scripture references for accuracy in punctuation and quotation. My carelessness and laziness caused her hours of extra work and slowed down the editing process considerably.

After a humiliating time of confession, repentance, and restitution (I sent her Trader Joe’s Chocolate Covered Almonds with Sea Salt and Caramel Cashew cookies by overnight mail), I had learned a valuable lesson. When quoting Scripture, choose a translation, then copy and paste EVERY Bible verse, with its appropriate reference, from your Bible software into your article. Even if it’s John 3:16, don’t rely on your memory.

Lowercase the word Bible.

I’m always a tiny bit shocked when a writer fails to capitalize the B in Bible. Whether you revere or believe in the Bible is not the issue that determines this rule. All style manuals require a writer to capitalize any holy book, whether you’re citing the Qur’an, the Talmud, or the Bible. You should also capitalize common epithets for the Bible such as the Word and Scripture, but not adjectives indicating the Bible, like biblical or scriptural.

There are many rules governing the correct way to quote Scripture, capitalize books and parts of the Bible, and handle religious terminology. The Christian Writer’s Manual of Style is my go-to resource to keep it straight. It’s helpful, user-friendly, and relatively inexpensive. Whatever resource you choose, remember—NEVER quote a Bible verse from memory or fail to capitalize the Bible. If you do, you’ll drive your editor crazy.

Lori Hatcher is the editor of Reach Out, Columbia magazine and the author of the devotional book Hungry for God…Starving for Time, 5-Minute Devotions for Busy Women. A blogger, writing instructor, and women’s ministry speaker, her goal is to help women connect with God in the craziness of life. You’ll find her pondering the marvelous and the mundane on her blog, Hungry for God…Starving for Time. Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter (@LoriHatcher2), or Pinterest (Hungry for God).

Tags Columbia, editing, lori hatcher, magazine, Reach Out, Write with You

The Writer's PenCase

Writing Unforgettable Fiction—Part III

Post author By Donna L.H. Smith-Managing Editor
Post date December 15, 2015
No Comments on Writing Unforgettable Fiction—Part III

This time, we’ll look at Character Struggles, and how they help make unforgettable fiction. Here’s a great way to start it out: “To initiate your story, your protagonist will either 1) lose something vital and try to regain it, 2) see something desirable and try to obtain it, or 3) experience something traumatic and try to overcome it.”

[bctt tweet=”Three types of character struggles: internal, interpersonal, and external.”]. #amwriting #unforgettablefiction @stevenjames

Tags Almost an Author, unforgettable fiction, writing, Writing Instruction, Writing tips

Publishing Perspectives

Submitting a Fiction Novel to a Publisher, Part 2: The Synopsis

Post author By Donna L.H. Smith-Managing Editor
Post date December 14, 2015
No Comments on Submitting a Fiction Novel to a Publisher, Part 2: The Synopsis

The first part of this series examined the Query Letter. In this column, we’ll look at the synopsis.

Most publishers will be specific about the length of synopsis that they want to see. If they want 3-5 pages, you don’t want to submit just one page; and vice versa. So go to their website and search for instructions. Don’t give an editor an easy excuse to reject your submission package simply because you did not follow their guidelines. Check for instructions about font, margins, header/footer, and line spacing, too.

A synopsis is simply a summary of your content:

Theme: What does the novel mean? What is the spiritual take-away? What is the lesson that can be learned? What is the conclusion the reader should draw?
Characterization: How the main character changes / grows during the story.
Setting: Time and place.
Plot points:
- Normal setting of main characters
- Conflict / Call to action
- Events with rising conflict
- Dark moment / Final Test / Climax
- Aftermath / New normal

I urge you to try writing out steps 1, 2, and 4 of the Snowflake Method to help you draft a synopsis.

Start with your hook: the event that gets the main character moving on their journey.

Focus on the facts. Don’t embellish with descriptions on your first draft; you can add these details sparingly later (if there is room). This doesn’t mean leave out the emotions of the characters. Be sure to include the critical emotional development points of the main characters.

Leave out any characters that aren’t *essential* to the plot. Try writing your synopsis with *only* the main characters. Then review the presented plot for holes, and add in only the character(s) absolutely necessary to fill those holes.

Leave out subplots that aren’t *essential* to the main plot. Be sure that your final paragraph shows how the major plot points are resolved.

A synopsis can be dry reading, so you need to apply your creative writing skills to your first draft to make it more compelling. Your first paragraph needs to be intriguing. Add your voice to the synopsis by making it sound as if the main character were reading you the synopsis (i.e., they are telling you a story. But not in first person: use third person, active voice).

Personally, I love novels that employ the Hero’s Journey, so I want a synopsis to clearly show me that each of those steps is included in the story.

Come back next month because I will be explaining common items included in a publisher’s “Author’s Questionnaire”.

Leave a comment: What do you find to be the hardest part of writing a synopsis? Have any tips to share on something that helped you?

Tags Hero's Journey, proposal, Snowflake Method, synopsis

A Little Red Ink Editing

What Is a Copy Edit?

Post author By Bethany Kaczmarek - A Little Red Ink
Post date December 13, 2015
No Comments on What Is a Copy Edit?

What is a copy edit?

When you’re ready to choose a freelance editor, knowing the level of edit you’re after is important. We talked about the macro edit last week, and today, we’re skipping over line edit and heading right for copy edit.

Why? you ask.

Well, there’s a difference between a copy edit and a line edit, but not all freelance editors offer both. The line edit is a step above a copy edit, and you may not need or want one of these. (Though they’re my favorite type of edit.)

Today, since a copy edit is the next necessary step in the editing process, let’s go there. I’ll address the line edit next time.

Macro (or substantive) edit

(Line edit)

Copy edit

Proofread

Critique

The copy edit zooms in on the details.

It’s more detail-oriented than the macro. The second door.

You’ve got your solid hook and satisfying resolution. Your story world and characters are believable and worth cheering for. It’s time to sand out those rough edges. The editor will be targeting several things.

Obvious typos and misspellings

Your character mentions pouring over classified documents, rather than poring over them. She’s unsure weather or not she’s found a solid peace of evidence.

This isn’t the final proofread, but a good editor can’t (and shouldn’t) pass these mistakes and not mark them at this stage. (NOTE: They do get overlooked in the macro phase, because you might be revising them anyway).

Weasel words

Just. That. So. Very. Look.

Wherever you can, seek and destroy.

Sentence and paragraph structure

Do you follow the same basic patterns? If all of your sentences start with the character’s name or a personal pronoun, your editor will suggest spicing it up.

In your dialogue, does each speaker begin a new paragraph? Do you bury dialogue at the end of a long section of prose?

Dialogue—a little more in depth

Does your dialogue sound natural? Do the characters use contractions? Era-appropriate lingo?

Speakers leave off words every now and again?

How about your tough military guys? Do they sound like poetic ladies, or vice-versa?

Does everyone sound like you?

Is there a balance among action beats, tags, and letting the words speak for themselves?

Pet words and phrases

Every writer has these.

Don’t be offended when an editor or friend brings one or two to your attention. Brainstorm. Get in the head of your character. Find a better—more character-voice-worthy—way to say the same thing.

Clichés

Same dealio.

Redundancies

Maybe you’ve given the same bit of information twice. Perhaps you’ve used the same phrasing more than once. It’s possible that a word has been used seven times on one page (“look,” for example). Cut them. You want to strike the balance between sounding like you used a thesaurus until the binding was broken and you only have a seven-hundred word vocabulary.

You laugh, but sometimes—in order to get the story on the page—it happens. And then, in self-editing mode, you might miss some things. An extra set of eyes is a valuable investment.

Basic industry standard formatting

Times New Roman, 12 pt. One-inch margins, double-spaced paragraphs. The formatter will handle the rest, but the copy should look nice and clean.

Wrap-up

While a professional editor will address all of these things during the copy edit, some will mark the bare bones. Others will give you a little lesson or explanation in the margin the first time and then simply point out the rest and trust you to remember the reason. Some will compliment you on the phrasing and story elements they love.

Every editor has their own style.

But remember this: You have your own style, too. It’s important that your editor—while pointing out the essential fixes—doesn’t try to change your voice. They should only strive to make your writing the best it can be.

It’s still yours.

But it is worth investing in, since your name will be on the cover.

Question

What are some of your weasel words and pet words?

Tags copy edit, what is a copy edit

History in the Making

Three Reasons A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is a Classic

Post author By Sandra Hart - History in the Making
Post date December 12, 2015
3 Comments on Three Reasons A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is a Classic

With Christmas just around the corner, I decided to read Charles Dickens’ famous novel, A Christmas Carol, and discovered at least three reasons why his story is a beloved classic.

The first thing I noticed are the engaging descriptions that bring depth and meaning to the story. He paints vivid pictures of the settings and characters in a way that captures the reader’s imagination.

The many beautiful images made it difficult to choose an example to illustrate this point. One that made me smile was Dickens’ comments about Scrooge’s nephew:

If you should happen, by any unlikely chance, to know a man more blest in a laugh than Scrooge’s nephew, all I can say is, I should like to know him, too. Introduce him to me, and I’ll cultivate his acquaintance.

Simple yet vivid descriptions fill the classic tale.

[bctt tweet=”Three Reasons A #Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is a Classic #Author #Writers”]

Dickens also writes about realistic characters. At first glance, Scrooge comes across as a stingy boss who refuses an invitation to a family Christmas dinner and a request to give to the poor. He only grudgingly grants his clerk Christmas Day off.

The writer then tells Scrooge’s back story in a creative way. Ghostly journeys into Christmas Past reveal a boy alone in a boarding school when all his classmates go home for Christmas. The sight touches our hearts.

Dickens also includes timeless truths in his tale of a lonely, unhappy old man. Scrooge’s clerk, Bob Cratchit, maintains an optimistic outlook despite his anxiety over his son’s health. Tiny Tim’s faith and courage touches everyone around him. Scrooge’s nephew forgives his uncle for rejecting his family.

The Ghost of Christmas Future shows Scrooge two imminent deaths if nothing changes — one deeply mourned and one barely noticed.

Dickens’ novel lives on in our hearts. Some reasons for this are his engaging descriptions, realistic characters, and timeless truths. The story vividly reminds us how one life affects another.

Novelists can learn much from reading his story.

Tags A Christmas Carol, Author, Charles Dickens, Christmas, classic novels, Ebenezer Scrooge, Ghost of Christmas Future, Ghost of Christmas Past, HistNovel, Historical writing, Sandra Merville Hart