Tag: Almost an Author

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Journeying through the Writer's Life

13 Things that can Steal Your Writing Joy

Writers have a love/hate relationship with putting words on paper. Sometimes it’s difficult because of the process. Other times we sabotage ourselves. Today I’d like to share my list of things that steal your writing joy.

[bctt tweet=”13 Things that Steal Your #Writing Joy – via @EdieMelson” via=”no”]

  1. Comparison. We each have our own process, our own strengths, and our own path. Comparison will draw you away from being yourself.
  1. Avoidance. The longer we stay away from the process of writing, the harder it is to go back. Not writing will steal away the joy of writing.
  1. Negative Voices. We all have them—those negative voices that live in our heads. We say thing to ourselves that we’d never say to another person. So quit encouraging the voices and just write.
  1. Perfectionism. We all dream about being perfect. But some of us mistake that dream for a goal. We agonize over the fact that we’re not perfect. It’s time to quit and just enjoy the words.

[bctt tweet=”Perfectionism is one thing that can steal our #writing joy – via @EdieMelson” via=”no”]

  1. Fear. Writers and insecurity, it’s so common it’s a cliché. But that’s the thing with clichés, they’re so often based in truth. When we focus on fear, we can lose the happiness we feel when we write.
  1. Time. Yep, busy schedules can come between us and the joy of writing. Finding time to write is a myth, instead we have to carve it out, fighting for every minute we spend putting words on paper.
  1. The Past. We can hold onto past mistakes and missteps and let them steal our writing joy. Learn from the past, but don’t drag it along and let it keep you from the happiness ahead.
  1. Solitude. Believe me, I do fit the stereotype of introverted writer. But that doesn’t mean I should to travel this writing road alone. If I spend too much time along, I loose perspective. I need companions for encouragement and support.
  1. Unreasonable Expectations. This goes beyond perfectionism. So often we have expectations about how this writing life is going to work. We need to get to know the industry and learn how things work.
  1. Lack of Variety. Focus is good. But it’s hard to know where we should focus our writing when we haven’t tried anything new. Writing the same thing (articles, devotions, fiction) day in and day out can make our writing stale. Take up the challenge of something new and you’ll often find joy is the outcome.
  1. Yes. Yep, saying yes to too many things, people, expectations, etc. can come between you and the joy of writing. As writers, we have to find the will power to say no.
  1. Toxic Relationships. Not having traveling companions can steal our joy, but so can choosing the wrong companions. Pick your writing buddies with care or you may find they are the ones keeping you from enjoying the journey.
  1. Forgetting Why You Started Writing in the First Place. It’s easy for the dream to get buried. I keep a reminder above my desk. It’s a few words that sum up what I believe to be God’s call on my life. He fashioned me to process and share life through the written word. When I go back to that, everything else falls into place.
Categories
Storyworld

Storyworld Governance: A Necessary Evil

Governance
Good Governance

The people in your world need governance. I’m sorry. I wish I could make it untrue, but a believable ruling system exists in virtually every fantastic world. The elven child in your young adult novel will eventually run into an elder or deputy. The four-man crew of an isolated space station will require a leadership structure. And even the lone hero occasionally needs to visit civilization to stock up on supplies.

So how do you craft a government? First of all, don’t get too overwhelmed, since you can craft it as you go as I wrote a few months ago. But the first principle to remember is this: Governments exist to ensure the interests of the governing bodies, not the governed. This has been true throughout all of human history.

[bctt tweet=” Governments exist to ensure the interests of the governing bodies, not the governed. #sadbuttrue #amwriting” via=”no”]

Good Governance – A rarity of the modern era

If you’re allowed to read this website and have the freedom to even consider writing a book, you may think my statement is overreaching. After all, you’ve been taught that governments exist to secure the rights of the governed, right?

Wrong.

In most western countries, we are privileged with brilliantly crafted documents called constitutions. In essence, they limit the power of politicians and hold them accountable to the people on a regular basis. Rulers continue to act in self-interest, but those interests (namely, power) rely on popularity and benevolence. In other words, good governments constrain the self-interest of the ruler to the well-being of the public.

[bctt tweet=”Good governments constrain the self-interest of the ruler to the well-being of the public #wisdom #takeitforgranted” via=”no”]

So if you want to create a realistic and stable society, or if you want a world in which the government plays little role in the daily lives of your characters, your fictitious country will need something to limit the power of those in charge. This doesn’t mean you need to go into details about the nation’s founding documents. In fact, if it isn’t relevant to the story, please don’t! But keep it in mind as you craft your world, because eventually your characters will interact with the laws of the land.

Note: A small group of people (e.g. a settlement, a space station) can sometimes get around this formalized power-limitation because the man in charge has a much more visceral threat before him. Specifically, if he doesn’t allow others to do their job well, his own living conditions worsen. Plus if he overextends his power, the populace may just kill him off, so good governance remains in his best interest.

Declining Governance – A violent transition

On a long enough timeline, even the best republic will eventually be found in the hands of a power-hungry zealot with enough popularity to bypass normal rules. You see this in Rome’s transition from republic to empire, Germany’s Third Reich, and of course, the end of the Republic in Star Wars.

The other option is complete economic collapse due to decadence and ignorance. Asimov’s famous Foundation trilogy shows this in sad detail, but it was seen earlier when the Roman Empire imploded from financial and military strains.

If your storyworld persists long enough, remember this other principle: no government lasts forever.

[bctt tweet=”No government lasts forever #whatarelief #scary” via=”no”]

Generally Speaking

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t worry too much. Regardless of the setting, most western readers assume a western culture, 20th century rule of governance unless you say otherwise. Taxes are mandatory, theft and murder are prohibited, and the average citizen can expect a degree of protection from powers foreign and domestic. If this is not the case in your world, chances are likely you’ve already given governance a great deal of thought because it plays a larger role in your story. We’ll look at that more in detail next time.

 

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The Efficiency Addict

Picturing Your Characters

As writers, we do many things to capture what drives our characters. We’ll complete questionnaires detailing their likes and dislikes, create a complete family tree, and of course, analyze their goals, motivations, and conflicts. These are useful tools. However, sometimes we just want to SEE our characters and inhabit their world. When a visual aid is needed, here are three ways for picturing your characters lives:

The Wall Board

This old school method is still quite helpful. Hang a board filled with pictures of your characters and setting(s), and it is constantly before you as you write your piece.

Tips for your wall board:

  • Use foam board instead of poster board. Foam board is stiff and can be leaned against a wall. Poster board will curl over time and fall.
  • Divide your board into sections. In the example below, the top is for main characters while the bottom covers the setting. Remember, to fully capture a character, you need to see them in your story’s environment.

Character Board Layout to help you picture your characters in your story's setting.

  • Look for pictures of your characters in clothing catalogs or fashion magazines. Not only will you capture your character’s style, you’ll also have a nice description of everything they’re wearing. This is great for dressing a character who’s style is not your own. FYI – you can go online to see many companies’ catalogs or request a paper version be sent to your home.

Pinterest Boards

If you’re on Pinterest, you have a ready-made electronic format for researching your characters. Create a board for each of your main characters and pin away with everything that makes them unique.

Tips for your Pinterest boards:

  • Make your character boards secret. You don’t want others to see these wonderful people you’re creating until your story is done.
  • Use Pinterest to research special topics for your story. Beyond boards for your main 2-3 characters, you can also have boards researching a specific location, time period, event, etc. Below is a board I keep on the 1930s. When I look through that board, I not only see information but also the colors, style, and feel of the period.

Pinterest for Writers - Create a secret board dedicated to an time period, event, or setting.

[bctt tweet=”Use Pinterest to research special topics for your story. #HowTo #WritersWrite”]

Bonus: Once your book is sold, you can share your Pinterest Board with the cover artist and marketing group. They’ll immediately have a feel for your characters and the world these people represent.

Scrivener Character Pages

If you’re already using this writing software, Scrivener has a whole section devoted to character research. If you’re unfamiliar with Scrivener, you can see a demonstration video of this software here: www.LiteratureAndLatte.com.

Items of note within Scrivener:

  • This program comes with a basic character template you can customize for your story.
  • You can insert pictures or website links to go along with your notes.
  • Your character profiles stay with your story. When you open your story file, all your character notes open with it. As you write, your can easily reference or update your character notes because everything is with your manuscript document.

Now that you can see your characters, I’m sure there is a lot for them to do. So, get back to writing. Their stories are waiting!

[bctt tweet=”Sometimes we want to SEE our characters and inhabit their world. #AuthorLife #Writing”]

Categories
Journeying through the Writer's Life

Sit Down and Write – 5 Tips to Help You Keep Writing

Writers have a love/hate relationship with the blank page. Whether it’s a white screen with a blinking cursor or the empty page in a notebook, we see it as the stuff of nightmares. The fears vary widely, ranging from thoughts of not being good enough, to not living up to the success of a previous manuscript. To combat this, we often resort to any and everything to avoid it. doing it. So today it’s time to quit with the excuses, sit down, and write.

[bctt tweet=”it’s time to quit with the excuses, sit down, and #write – via @EdieMelson” via=”no”]

I know. It’s easy to say and hard to do.

As people who make up things for a living, we tend to be really creative. We can come up with dozens of reasons not to sit down and write. Here are some tips to move past the fear and jumpstart your writing.

  1. Set a timer. I don’t know about you, but I can push through almost anything for fifteen minutes. So I promise to write for a quarter of an hour, no matter how difficult. What happens is that after a few minutes the fear diminishes and the words begin to flow. After fifteen minutes, I no longer want to quit writing.
  1. Promise a reward. I have discovered that I can be bought. So I dangle that reward in front of myself and write through the agony to get what I want. Figure out what motivates you—chocolate, time with friends, shopping—and offer it as a self-reward for spending time pounding out words.
  1. Walk away. I know, it sounds like the opposite of what we’re trying to accomplish. But truthfully, being a writer is incredibly tough. If you can walk away, you should. If you are meant to be a writer, you won’t be able to stay away long. The words will draw you back. And when you return, you’ll be stronger and more confident that this is what you’re supposed to be doing.
  1. Set a date. Not an end date, a writing date. Round up a writing friend or two and meet to write. It doesn’t have to be an in-person date, you can meet online just as well. But having someone else who is counting on you makes a difference. It’s just harder to disappoint someone other than ourselves.
  1. Do it anyway. At times, the fear is bigger than any promised reward or other mind game. That is the point, for me, that the rubber meets the road. This is when I metaphorically square my shoulders and face down my fear. I push through whatever has stopped me in my tracks and force myself to write. It’s not fun, and there’s no promised reward at the end. But every single time I’ve done this, the act becomes victory. It’s made me stronger as a writer, and as a person.

These are things that have helped me. What would you add to the list? Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section below!

[bctt tweet=”Tips to help you push through when the #writing is hard – via @EdieMelson” via=”no”]

Categories
Editing The Critical Reader

Can a Novel’s Setting Come to Life?

A Desert Setting

by Alycia W. Morales

Have you ever been reading a novel when it suddenly dawns on you that the setting has become like a character in the book?

As I got into Aaron Gansky’s novel, The Bargain, I couldn’t help but notice how important the setting was. It’s the first time I’ve read a book and the setting has jumped off the page at me as if it had come to life.[bctt tweet=”Have you ever read a novel where the setting came to life? #amreading #amwriting”]

A brief description of the novel:

Connor Reedly is a journalist whose wife is dying. She has chosen to go to her sister’s home in a small desert town named Hailey. It’s there Connor is approached by a local citizen and told he must write ten articles or his wife will die and Hailey will be destroyed. He’s challenged with finding the good in a not-so-good place.

Five reasons why I believe Aaron nailed the setting:

1. It matched the theme of his story. Between Connor’s dying wife and the dying town, the image of death a desert brings to mind fits perfectly.

2. It reflected the lives of the local citizens (secondary characters). Then there’s the challenge of finding good people in the midst of an evil society and secondary character motivation. What setting could be more challenging than the desert? (Maybe the ocean, but it wouldn’t have worked as well in this story.)

3. It mirrored the protagonist’s career. As a journalist, Connor had to dig to find the truth in matters. There is plenty of sand to dig through in a desert.

4. It even resembled the antagonist. Connor’s story involves a lot of pressure from an outside source. The heat of that pressure is well-matched by the heat of the desert.

5. It represented the protagonist’s character arc. Connor had to make more than one life-changing decisions throughout the novel. Think “Refiner’s Fire.”[bctt tweet=”The setting of your novel can make a huge difference in your story if you choose the right one. #writing”]

So, Writer, think about the novel you’re writing right now. Is there a particular setting that would match the theme of your story? Would a different setting better amplify the things your character is going to suffer through or experience during their arc? Consider alternate settings for your novel and see if one may be better than the one you’re using now.

 

 

Categories
The Efficiency Addict

Tracking Your Writing Submissions

Writing Essentials: How to track your article submissions.

Today we’re going to talk about the benefits of tracking your writing submissions and learn an easy way to do it so you can reap all the rewards. Our focus today will be on tracking article submissions but this system can be used for many forms of writing.

So, why might you want to track your writing submissions?

  • See what’s working for you. Who’s accepting your work? What types of articles are selling? Which markets are paying best for what you do?
  • Gauge your productivity. How many articles did you submit this month? Are you on target for your goals? Were your goals reasonable?
  • Determine if follow up is needed. Is it past the time when you should have heard a response from that editor? Scanning your spreadsheet will tell you which contacts are due for follow up.
  • Find your articles when you need them. Ever searched for a piece you’ve written and can’t remember where you put it? Those days are about to be a distant memory.

[bctt tweet=”How to find the articles you write when you need them. #WritersRoad, #HowTo”]

Tracking Your Submissions

To use this system you’ll want to create some folders on your computer. Start by creating a Submissions folder. Inside that folder add the following folders:

1-Submitted

2-Accepted

3-Recycle

4-Photos

You’ll also include your tracking spreadsheet in the Submissions folder. You can download a pre-formatted one here:

Submissions Spreadsheet (Excel version)

Submissions Spreadsheet (Word version)

Submissions Spreadsheet (PDF version if you prefer to print it and track by hand.)

*Notice the spreadsheet is titled 0-Submission Tracking. Having the 0 in front keeps your spreadsheet at the top of your folder list.

When you submit an article, add it to your spreadsheet and put it in your Submitted folder. When you receive a reply, update your spreadsheet and move your article to the Accepted or Recycle folder. Notice you don’t have a Rejected folder. All items that aren’t accepted can be pitched elsewhere or potentially revised and resubmitted. If an article is in your Recycle folder, it’s one that can be reused.

Using the Spreadsheet

Most of the columns are self-explanatory: Article Name, Publication, Submit Date, etc. Two columns warrant discussion: Pics Sent and Notes.

Pics Sent – In this column, list what pictures you submit and add them to your Photos folder. If you collect pictures elsewhere on your computer, don’t move those to this Photos folder. The only pictures you want here are your author headshots and those that correspond to a specific article. A word about headshots: create a simple naming system for your options. For me, I use Cynthia Owens 1, Cynthia Owens 2, etc. In my Pics Sent column, I abbreviate this to CO-1.

Notes – In this column, add items such as the name of the receiving editor, the date by which you should have heard a response, whether rejected pieces receive a response, and any other details that may help you. When you review your spreadsheet, you’ll see a blank space in your Outcome column and can check your Notes to see what steps to take next.

Special Cases – Revisions

If an editor asks for revisions, you’ll want to take some specific steps.

  1. Make a new entry on the spreadsheet.
  2. Put “Revision” in the Notes column of this new entry and add any pertinent details. This shows you the number of times you redo a piece as well as the types of things editors want you to revise. Periodically, review your Revision notes to know where you should focus to improve your writing craft.
  3. Keep the article name the same but add R1 (or 2 or 3) at the end of the title. Example: The Power of Dialogue becomes The Power of Dialogue-R1.
  4. Put the revised article in your Submissions folder and leave the original article there as well.
  5. When the editor makes a final decision, move all versions of the article to the appropriate folder—Accepted or Recycle. You’ll know which was the most revised work because it will be the last piece in the group.

Now that you can track your submissions, it’s time to write something new. Get to it!

[bctt tweet=”The benefits of tracking your article submissions. #AuthorLife #HowTo”]

Categories
Storyworld

Christian Fantasy and Science Fiction: Alternate Realities

Christian Fantasy
Where is God?

Last month we looked at writing fictitious, sentient creatures within our own universe. In summary, God has a plan for them, but that plan may or may not be similar to the one he has for us. But what if your fictitious world, whether a Christian fantasy novel or a sci-fi one, is governed by completely different fundamental principles?

No, I’m looking at something more fundamental than physics – God.

What if a different God rules your world …

First of all, this doesn’t make you a heretic. It could certainly present some challenges, but if done well, Christians are willing to suspend their disbelief. Plus, non-Christians may be willing to read about worshippers of a fictitious deity even if they’ve been wounded by God’s representatives in this world.

This is especially true of C.S. Lewis’s Narnia series. If you didn’t know (surprisingly, some don’t), Aslan represents our God in Lewis’s fantasy world. However, there is no Bible in the land of Narnia, and the talking animals interact with their creator is differently than us. Most of what we discussed last month still holds true –God had a purpose for his sentient animals, and they never fell from grace so a pathway to redemption wasn’t necessary. Evil does enter the world, but in a different manner and is thus dealt with according to the rules of that world.

Some allegorical books like Hannah Hunard’s Hinds Feet on High Places or John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress use different names to represent our God, but the difference is in name only – in all other respects, God is very recognizable. Generally speaking, if God is in your book under a penname, this is safe and comfortable for the Christian fantasy and sci-fi audience. And just like historical Christian fiction or any other Christian fiction, the key is representing Him correctly.

What if no God exists in your world …

Can you create a godless reality and still honor God with it?

Yes and no.

Stories communicate ideas, and even a story without religious overtones can share virtues and theological notions. R.A. Salvatore’s Icewind Dale trilogy has a character named Drizzt who overcomes prejudice against his dark elven heritage. This noble figure even risks his life to protect those who would like to see him dead. Sound like Jesus? I’m not saying Salvatore is a Christian (I don’t know either way), but if a Christian wrote a similar novel expressing righteousness, he should be proud, even if a god figure isn’t explicit.

[bctt tweet=”Even a story without religious overtones can share virtues and theological notions #storyworld #fantasy” via=”no”]

Similarly, everyone familiar with Timothy Zahn’s Star Wars trilogy (Heir to the Empire etc.) knows of Mara Jade and her conversion experience. This resonates with Christians and non-Christians alike, but only followers of Jesus understand why.

Of course, the most well-known example of Christian fantasy is J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. Even though the God we know is not present, there are countless metaphors for Christianity contained in the series, and entire books have been written to unpack them. But fans enjoy the series as a fantastic romp in a richly detailed world whether or not they recognize some of Tolkien’s deeper truths.

However, there is a caveat. Since ethics without divine authority are only a matter of opinion, a truly godless reality has no ultimate source of morality. And a world without any morality will be a very, very dark one. I immensely enjoyed reading George R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire and I highly recommend it to any budding fantasy writers, Christian or not (I promise it isn’t as graphic as HBO’s Game of Thrones). But I wouldn’t want to live south of the Wall, or even visit. Martin excels at portraying the complete and utter depravity of mankind, but without any source of hope, his world’s inhabitants face a bleak existence. A Christian writer should be careful not to delve too far into the dark without any guiding light.

[bctt tweet=”A Christian writer should be careful not to delve too far into the dark without any guiding light #amwriting #redemption” via=”no”]

In summary, if you are a Christian fantasy or science fiction writer, your novel will have allusions to your faith, because it is a part of who you are. This can take the form of an alternately-named version of our own God or by delivering biblical concepts and ideas in the form of righteous characters.

Categories
Journeying through the Writer's Life

What to Pack for the Writing Journey

Early on I discovered a basic truth for writers. Publishing is a journey, not a destination. This holds true no matter what you write—long or short pieces, fiction or non—there’s not really a final destination. Even award-winning, best selling authors still have new places to go with their writing. So it’s important to know what to pack for the writing journey, so you’ll have fewer regrets.

[bctt tweet=”Publishing is a journey, NOT a destination #writing #pubtip”]

  1. A sense of adventure. I can promise you this writing path is going to take you places you never dreamed. Be ready and open to where the road will take you.
  1. The knowledge that the path isn’t a straight line. I know a lot of writers and we all have one thing in common. Our journeys have never gone in a straight line. But truthfully, it’s the twists and turns that make it so much fun.
  1. A library. It’s important for writers to be readers. Read deep and wide and your writing will reflect that.
  1. A sense of curiosity. All they best writers will tell you that they never quit learning. So e prepared for life-long learning.
  1. Humility. In the beginning we tend to look at things as black and white. But the publishing industry is subjective. Hear what others have to say and don’t be quick to argue.
  1. A strong sense of who you are. It’s easy to begin chasing publication and lose your way. It’s also tempting to take every critique we hear and act on it. If you do that, you risk stifling your unique voice.
  1. Traveling companions. Every journey is more fun when you share it with friends and family. Don’t try to tackle this on your own. You’ll miss out on the support and encouragement you’ll need along the way.

These are the things I list when writers ask me what to pack for the writing journey. What would you add to the list? Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

[bctt tweet=”7 things you need to pack for the #writing journey #pubtip”]

Categories
Editing

Be a Reader First

Read, Writer

One of the key ingredients you should look for when hiring an editor is a love of reading.

I don’t think there’s an editor who said, “I think I’ll become an editor because I hate to read.” If they did, then I wouldn’t recommend hiring them to assist you with your writing project. That would be like hiring a book burner to run the local library. It’d be a lost cause.

Before I decided to write or edit, I was an avid reader. I have been – ever since my babysitter read The Saggy Baggy Elephant and The Little Engine That Could over and over, to my delight.

By the time I was in kindergarten, Ramona Quimby was my favorite character. When I got hold of Judy Blume and met Fudge and Peter, I couldn’t put her books down. In high school, I loved Holden Caulfield’s discontent, I hated how Lenny killed everything he touched, and I grimaced with amazement as Ralph, Piggy, Simon, and Jack experienced unsupervised life on the island in Lord of the Flies. By then, I’d also discovered books I shouldn’t be reading, like Jean M. Auel’s Earth’s Children series.

When I left college, Anne Rice and Lestat, I’d developed a relationship with Jesus. I then married and began having children, so my reading preferences switched to the world of non-fiction, mostly under the parenting and marriage topics.

Until Edward Cullen, Bella Swan, and Jacob Black showed up. I resisted the vampire, knowing that’s where I’d left my reading when I became a Christian. But when my Christian friends kept raving about the story, I decided to give it a shot. I’ve never read an entire series so quickly in my life. I’m a processer. A slow reader. I take in the details and go back to reread for clarity when I need to. I read all four books in the Twilight series in nine days. Bad writing. Good writing. Whatever. Stephenie Meyer immersed me in a vivid fictional dream.

Since then, Steven James has kept me dreaming through Patrick Bowers’ life. I’ve also enjoyed numerous books by DiAnn Mills and Lynette Eason, among others.

I read across genres. Suspense, Romance, Contemporary. Sci-fi, Fantasy, Dystopian. I love YA. And I still read non-fiction, but my topics have broadened.

Because if you’re going to be a writer, there’s so much to learn from reading others’ work. What works. What doesn’t. What you enjoy about each book. And what you hate about it. Which rules you can get away with breaking and when. As well as which rules should always be followed.

And as an editor, I’m a reader first. Always.

There have been countless times I’ve grabbed a self-published novel and known from page one I was going to be too distracted by the errors in spelling and punctuation to ever make it into the story itself. There have also been times I’ve wished I could edit the best-seller and offer suggestions for improvement. If you can’t pull me into a fictional dream within the first three chapters, it’s likely I won’t keep reading. And honestly, I should be engulfed by the end of the first page.

So, I’d like to invite you to join me in an adventure in editing through a reader’s eyes. Because I will always be a reader first.

In my column, The Critical Reader, we’ll take a look at a book each month, and I’ll share what I thought could be improved and what worked (in my humble opinion). My plan is to reveal tips for you and your writing through looking at the work of other authors. And I’ll try to mix it up a bit from genre-to-genre and between fiction and non-fiction.

Until then, here’s to reading!

[bctt tweet=”And as an editor, I’m a reader first. Always. #editor #editing” via=”no”]