Tag: Author

Categories
History in the Making

What I Learned from the Author of Charlotte’s Web – Part 2

by Sandra Merville Hart

 

Last month we talked about the author of Charlotte’s Web, E.B. White, and the influence of his writing professor, William Strunk Jr.

Strunk devised and White revised twenty-two Elementary Rules of Usage. The whole list deserves an author’s attention but this article focuses on three rules that most altered my writing.

A writer must first select a design for the piece and adhere to it. I had written several books (unpublished) and many articles before reading this advice. According to White, effective writing follows the author’s thoughts but perhaps not in the same order. Deliberate planning precedes writing.

For instance, certain forms of poetry follow a predetermined frame, but most writings are flexible. Considering the shape of the finished work allows greater chances for success. The intended audience and the message affect this decision.

Make positive statements. This second rule underscored one of my weaknesses that I’ve worked to correct. Avoid indefinite language. Commit to your descriptions.

[bctt tweet=”E.B. White advises #authors to make positive statements and avoid indefinite language when #writing an article or novel. ” username=”@Sandra_M_Hart”]

Writing not very often hesitant to speak is wordy and better stated as usually spoke his mind.

Another part of this second rule is to express negatives positively. Did not go becomes stayed. Not happy is sad. Is your character a little mad or is he frustrated?

A third rule from White deals with loose sentences. These are two clauses joined by a conjunction, common in unskilled writers. His advice is to avoid a string of this type of sentence.

Connectors such as and, but, or which occasionally are fine. A paragraph filled with loose sentences grows monotonous.

Rework these paragraphs. White suggests rewriting enough sentences to relieve the repetitive feel. Replace them with simple sentences. Rewrite entire sentences. Join two clauses with a semicolon. Choose the best way to remain true to the thought.

When I originally read this book about five years ago, I began to apply as many of White’s rules as feasible to a recently completed draft. I discovered the best way to utilize the rules was to take them one at a time.

I hate to mention how many loose sentences were in my manuscript. For someone so unfamiliar with the term I certainly excelled at writing them. Realizing that using too many connectives was considered easy, unskilled writing, I rewrote many sentences to improve the work.

Then I went on to another rule that exposed my weaknesses and began the process all over again.

Though the continuous editing required more time and effort than anticipated, working through each rule solidified the learning impact. Whether or not my manuscript was good at the end of this process, hard work improved it.

This introduction of three of the rules simply scratched the surface of the gems found in The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White. Next month we will talk about other helpful writing tips from this book. Stay tuned!


Categories
Bestsellers

Best Selling Author- Jerry B. Jenkins

Jerryb

 Welcome, Jerry. We are honored to have you partner with us. Can you share a little about your recent book?

The Valley of the Dry Bones (Worthy Publishing)

A 17-year drought, earthquakes, and wildfires leave California uninhabitable and irreparable, forcing its citizens to relocate. Fewer than 1% of its population remain—by choice or necessity. But a contingency of 16 feels called of God to stay at their own risk to minister to the stragglers. Calling themselves The Holdouts, they must live underground, finding water and food where they can, and producing their own fuel and other necessities. They face a clash of cultures, ethnicities, religions, and politics that pits friend against friend, with the future of the country at stake.

In the midst of the chaos, while facing their most menacing opponent, the unlikely but heroic leader of The Holdouts becomes convinced he’s heard directly from God Himself. The result is a finish you’ll never forget.

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

I was already a sportswriter when, as a teenager, I felt a call to full-time Christian service. I initially thought that signaled the end of my writing career, but a wise mentor told me that often God equips a person before He calls him. He told me to consider my writing as a vehicle to answer that call. Thus, to me, success has nothing to do with typical publishing earmarks like awards, bestseller lists, or royalty checks.

Regardless what happens with my books, I succeed every day merely by obeying the call.

My theme, message, or goal for any writing project is to share my faith and point readers to Christ. Due to my worldview, not every book ends with everything tied in a neat bow, but they do all carry themes of repentance, forgiveness, reconciliation, and hope.

How long have you been writing?

I began writing for pay as a 14-year-old sportswriter for a local newspaper.

And how long did it take you to get your first major book contract?

My first book was published in 1974, accepted by the second publisher to which I submitted it.

My first New York Times bestseller was my 75th book.

My first multimillion-copy bestseller was my 125th.

The Valley of the Dry Bones was my 189th.

I consider myself mono-gifted. I don’t sing or dance or preach; writing (and teaching writing at JerryJenkins.com) is all I do.

How long does it take you to write a book?

A lifetime, Seriously, it varies with length and genre. At my peak of productivity, I was publishing several books per year, though some of those were shorter works for younger readers. I now average around two books every three years. Actually, I recently published a guide for how I write books, which you can find here.

What’s your writing work schedule like?

I write only on deadline, and then I keep a fairly rigid regimen: I’m at the keyboard shortly after breakfast, and the work I do before noon will be the best I do all day. I begin with a heavy edit and rewrite of the pages I wrote the day before. Then I turn off my internal editor and write my pages for the present day.

I consider that draft just a hunk of meat to be carved the next day.

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

Though it may not seem so from the volume of my production, I am a procrastinator. Before starting any book, I become a neatnik and must have everything else done, including sharpening more than a dozen pencils—despite that I haven’t written with a pencil since sixth grade.

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

The highlight of my career was assisting Billy Graham with his memoir, Just As I Am.

It has also been an unspeakable joy to hear personally from thousands of people who tell me they came to faith as a result of reading the Left Behind Series®.

What has been your darkest moment(s)?

Fortunately, my darkest moments have not been career-related.

Which of your books is your favorite?

Riven (Tyndale House), a novel. I had the idea and the characters in mind for nearly 2 decades before I wrote it all in one long rush. It’s also my longest book, so readers who don’t like it can use it as a doorstop.

Who is your favorite author to read?

I believe our greatest living American writer is Rick Bragg. His memoir, All Over but the Shoutin’, is a poetic masterpiece I read at least once a year. Some writers make you want to emulate them; Bragg makes me want to simply surrender to his superiority and enjoy the read.

What advice can you give aspiring writers?

Writers are readers; good writers are good readers; great writers are great readers.

What encouragement would you give an aspiring writer?

  • Don’t start your writing career with a book. That would be like starting your educational career in grad school instead of kindergarten. Get a quarter million clichés out of your system, polish your prose, hone your skills. Be edited. A book is not where you start; it’s where you arrive.
  • Allow yourself to be bad before you expect to be good. Babies don’t walk from birth. First, they roll over. Then they crawl. Then their first steps are halting, and they usually wind up on their rear ends.
  • The same is true with reading, riding a bicycle, dancing, public speaking, or becoming proficient at any skill. Cut yourself some slack and give yourself time to learn.
  • Develop a thick skin.
  • Learn to take criticism.
  • Join a critique group.
  • Engage a mentor.
  • Read everything there is to read, especially in your genre.
  • Carve out the time to write; you won’t find it in your schedule—you have to create it.
  • Read The Elements of Style
  • Take your writing career seriously and insist that others do as well. Before you become a professional, you need to act like one—investing in the right tools of the trade and creating as ideal workspace as possible.
  • Do not sacrifice your family on the altar of your writing career. Maintain your priorities so that when you do sit down to write, you’ll work without guilt and find yourself more productive than ever.

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

My favorite villain was Nicolae Carpathia, the antichrist in the Left Behind Series®.

My favorite scene is from Nicolae, when Chaim Rosensweig is discovered by a man he assumes is a guard assigned to kill him, and it turns out the man is an angel assigned to protect him.

Where do you get your ideas?

I make them up.  Usually, they are a combination of seemingly disparate impressions that rattle around in my brain until a story begins to take shape. If it sticks with me and won’t leave me alone and I keep embellishing it, I assume it will have legs and readers will stay interested. If I lose enthusiasm for it, I let it die before I start writing.

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

The Five Most Common Mistakes I See in Beginners’ Manuscripts http://bit.ly/29saRw7

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

  • Local paper
  • Blog
  • Guest blog
  • Local and regional market magazines
  • E-zines
  • On the Inspirational side, Sunday School Papers

the-valley-of-the-dry-bones

Jerry B. Jenkins is a novelist and biographer with 21 New York Times bestsellers, 7 of which debuted at No. 1. His books have sold more than 70 million copies worldwide. He is the former Vice President for Publishing at the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago and now serves on Moody’s board of trustees.

He is the writer of the Left Behind Series® and has written biographies of such luminaries as Hank Aaron, Walter Payton, Orel Hershiser, Meadowlark Lemon, Nolan Ryan, and many others. He assisted Bill Graham with his memoir, Just As I Am.

Jerry owns the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, a subscription site for budding writers.

He has been married to Dianna since 1971, and they have three grown sons and eight grandchildren. Jerry lives in Colorado. www.JerryJenkins.com

 

Categories
A Little Red Ink Editing

Conferences: Paid Critique

Conferences: The Paid Critique

So you’re thinking about attending a writers conference, or perhaps you’ve already registered for one. Even if you’re a pro at this, a paid critique still may benefit you. You’ve got a new story, and every story is different.

Here’s why:

One-on-one attention from an industry professional.

401(K) 2012
A worthy investment. Photo cred: 401(K) 2012

 

For a small investment, you get to sit down with an agent, an editor, a seasoned author. Not only are you getting a fresh set of eyes on your work, you’re also getting their experience and expertise. And this is not a pitch, so there’s not quite as much at stake. It’s a lesson, a mentoring session.

Be a learner.

You thought I was going to say more than that, eh? Not so much. That gem speaks for itself. With the fresh set of eyes comes a fresh perspective. Be a learner.

Photo cred: Alice Birkin

Let’s look now at the different industry professionals who might be willing to meet with you.

Paid Critique: Agents

If you’re on the Great Agent Hunt, this is ideal. You’ll get to not only see what the agent thinks of your work but also get feedback. When you query them, most agents don’t take the time to offer tips or insight unless they genuinely feel that, with some revisions, your work would be a good fit for representation. So this is a rare treasure! Choose the agents you meet with carefully, though. Don’t waste an agent’s time (or yours!) if you write sci-fi and all their other clients are historical fiction. Do your research beforehand and pay for a critique from your dream agent.

Some agents truly are as cool as Sidney Bristow and James Bond. Photo cred: Alice Birkin
Some agents truly are as cool as Sidney Bristow and James Bond. Photo cred: Peggy Marco

To me, one of the best reasons to meet with an agent at a conference is to get a feel for their personality. In the agent-author relationship, it’s most important to find someone you could work with well. You may want a champion, a cheerleader, a career advisor. You may need a quiet professional relationship.

I remember at one of my first writers conferences, I met with an agent who�����������on paper—looked ideal for me. It turned out my work wasn’t a good fit for her, and I actually felt relieved. I could see, even before we sat down for the appointment, that our personalities wouldn’t gel. The meeting only confirmed it. We both handled ourselves professionally, and I can honestly say she’s a well-respected agent with impeccable taste. I just wouldn’t have enjoyed working with her. That’s important to me. Now? I count my agent a dear friend. (And she’s better than Sidney Bristow.)

Paid Critique: Editors

Again, do your research early and choose your appointments wisely. Get feedback from editors you hope will love your book. Listen to what they say about your writing. Ask questions about your story. But most of all, use the opportunity to ask them what they’re looking for. What makes a good story in their opinion? If they could give you any piece of advice, what would it be? They���re meeting with you because they want to be an encourager and a sharpener to you. If they didn’t want that, they wouldn’t offer paid critiques.

(Many don���t. They may still play this role in an appointment, though. If you’d like to see what editors want from their regular appointment slots at a conference, check out this excellent post by Karen Ball.)

So many authors, so many styles. Photo cred: Anton

Paid Critique: Authors

Meeting with authors who write in your genre is always a good idea. Get feedback—after all, they’re published. They know what works. Listen to their pointers on your writing with an open mind. Take notes. Think about what they’ve said that will work for you. They won’t try to change your voice, but you can gain valuable insight into both the industry and the writing process.

If you’re an indie author, this opportunity is golden. So very much goes into writing and launching and marketing a book well, and every author has their own story. Be brave and ask the hard questions. You may find the conversation invigorating and leave feeling better equipped for the challenge!

Wrapping up

Make the most of these opportunities. Many connections formed during these appointments can lead to valuable relationships. The publishing industry is always shifting and changing, and there’s always something to learn.

Have you ever had a paid critique? Tell me how it went.

Categories
History in the Making

What I Learned from the Author of Charlotte’s Web – Part 1

by Sandra Merville Hart

 

I wanted to instill a love of reading in my daughter from a young age so we read at bedtime. One novel we both enjoyed during her elementary school years was Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White.

When beginning my writing journey, I found a wonderful book originally self-published by one of White’s professors. An editor asked him to expand and revise it. Studying the end product, The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White, inspired me.

The learning began in the introduction where White recalled his teacher omitting needless words eagerly from students’ papers as a demonstration to the class. Every writer cringes in sympathy to imagine being the one used as an example.

[bctt tweet=”#Write concisely but don’t avoid details. Instead make every word count. #Author” username=”@Sandra_M_Hart”]

Strunk taught his students to write vigorously. Such concise writing contains no unnecessary words. This doesn’t mean authors avoid details. Instead, make every word count.

The professor worried that readers flounder in murky waters. Authors must write in a way to “drain the swamp” and enable the reader to reach dry land. His main concern was the confusion the reader felt upon encountering unclear sentences and paragraphs.

This compassion for the reader struck me. Surely our most important job is to communicate a clear message. We fail when our audience puckers their brow and reads a sentence a second or third time.

I am a work-in-progress. If you write, you probably feel the same way. Rejections abound in our profession as in other creative careers. Silently listening while an editor or critique partner scratch out phrases or suggest a better way to portray an action challenges us. Like Strunk, some are very positive they’re right.

We owe it to future success to listen and mull over the suggestions after the sting of rejection wears off. Applying their suggestion may affect a later scene.  You know your story. Evaluate their comments and learn from them.

There are more gems to share from this writing book. This article is the first of a three-part series. Join me next month for part 2.

As much as White squirmed under his professor’s editing, he benefited from the wisdom.

May we do the same.

Categories
The Ministry of Writing

Better Understand God’s Instruction — Try Triangulation

Labeled for reuse from https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Waas.png

As a Christian writer in your life or in your writing it is not merely about what you want to say or do. You are an ambassador of Christ. You are a soldier in His command. Therefore, you should be seeking Him consistently, walking in the Spirit so that you know His instructions.

I have no doubt that you are doing this, but being certain we are understanding the Spirit’s guidance is not always that easy. We can hear His voice. We can know that voice as we read in John 10. This is not so much a science, but is  an art. It is something that is developed over time. Hearing God’s voice and being certain it is something you can continue to do better.

One way you could do this better is through triangulation.

I highly doubt you have heard this term in a sermon, but maybe you have heard it in an overly technical explanation about your cell phone or a GPS.

I grew up fishing on a local lake. One side of that lake was wide-open with no apparent landmarks on the surface, but underneath there were some serious honey-holes. The trick became finding those spots again after catching fish there the trip before. So to help find those spots we would locate a landmark on the shore. For example, we might chose to line up with the old concrete plant’s smokestack.

The issue would be the smokestack might put us close to the fishing hole, but not exactly. We could be in a three hundred yard circle of the key spot that was no bigger than a bucket. If we added another landmark then we would get closer. So maybe the smokestack on the east and the fourth buoy in the south. Those landmarks would get us close, but still not exactly where we wanted to be, but three landmarks put us exactly where we needed to be. The smokestack on the east, the fourth buoy in the south, and the boat ramp to the west — and we would find that exact spot. The three points of reference created a triangle.

Now days we don’t work so hard. The honey-hole is marked in our GPS and we can go right to it. The reason the GPS works so well is not because a signal from one satellite is locating us, but there are signals from at least three. The GPS uses the same principle of triangulation.

So now back to us hearing God’s voice. How many points of reference are you using to determine His instructions to you?

God speaks to us through the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of us, through His Word, through circumstances, and through other believers. All though through each source of His voice we can know all we need to know, it can be easy to misinterpret. But if we are consistently allowing multiple avenues in which for His voice to speak into our lives, when they line up we can be certain we are hearing clearly.

Each day as I have my “quiet time” with the Lord I don’t rely on just one avenue, but I try to allow for triangulation. I have a prayer journal in which I write my morning prayer and I write down what I feel the Spirit may be speaking to me. I also list circumstances that I believe may be important in determining His Will. So that is the point of reference of the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

During my morning quiet time I read a portion of Scripture. This is a point of reference from His Word. I also try to find a reading plan that someone else has designed that way each day’s reading is objective. If left to me to pick passages I am going to consistently go to Jeremiah 29:11 and dream of that next book contract.

I also do one or two devotional type study books. This I refer to as my teacher point of reference. I am letting God use a teacher to speak into my life. I try to do two such books at a time. I like to have one that is more inspirational and then one that is more doctrine focused. I say a fun one and a boring one.

You may say all this is over kill, but by having usually four avenues for God to speak into my life if they all line up in some way then I feel with certainty I am hearing correctly.  Now they don’t always line up, but when they do — triangulation works and I better understand God’s instruction.

 

Categories
History in the Making

How the Author of Winnie-the-Pooh Inspired Me

The Complete Tales of Winnie The Pooh - Author's photo

by Sandra Merville Hart

I’ve always loved Winnie-the-Pooh.

The honey-loving bear captured my heart instantly as a child. I also fell in love with Eeyore, Piglet, Rabbit, and Christopher Robin in stories shown on TV.

I recently began reading The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne. It delighted me to find the same whimsical manner in the book because the shows remained relatively true to the writing.

Milne so captivates readers ninety years after he published the stories because he created lovable, believable characters with childlike innocence and allowed a young boy to be the hero.

Pooh describes himself as a “Bear of Very Little Brain” yet he often sits to think about things. His friend, Rabbit, worries about everything. Eeyore, a gray donkey, sees every event through the gloomiest possible lens. Piglet tries to be brave until scary circumstances bring out his timidity.

[bctt tweet=”Lovable, believable characters with childlike innocence make A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh a classic. #Author #Writers ” username=”via @Sandra_M_Hart”]

All Milne’s characters are credible. Children quickly spot some of their own characteristics in the different personalities. For example, children are often afraid of things they don’t understand and may be drawn to Piglet.

And what child doesn’t have a favorite food or snack? They relate to Pooh’s desire for honey.

Another facet of Winnie-the-Pooh is the story’s hero. Pooh and his friends often get into difficulties, which children understand. Christopher Robin, a young boy around the reader’s age, always knows exactly how to save his little friends. This begins to build confidence in young readers (or listeners!) that they can help, too.

Milne released Winnie-the-Pooh in 1926. The book brought recognition as a children’s author, but the path leading to his fame held a rocky beginning.

After he finished studying at Cambridge, he traveled to London in 1903. The talented writer wrote but earned little that first year.

He didn’t give up.

He continued to write. His earnings increased the following year, enough to support himself.

Milne’s lovable characters with believable traits and their friend, Christopher Robin, teach us the importance of authenticity. The author’s perseverance paid off. Had he given up when difficult times struck, the world would never know a lovable little bear named Pooh, a tragedy indeed.

What novel will you write? What lovable characters will you create? The world will never know if you give up.

 

Categories
History in the Making

A Hidden Treasure for Historical Writers

Map of Chattanooga and Brown's Ferry by Brigadier General Wm. F. Smith, 1863

By Sandra Merville Hart

 Maps are hidden treasure for historical writers. If you haven’t used this key source of information to add authenticity to your novel, it’s worth investigating.

A treasure chest full of information can be found on old maps. Authors find railroads, waterways, and roads. How close was the town to a river? Often a little digging leads to showing the size of a city and street names.

One of the first things I look for when researching a new historical novel is an old map. It’s important to find a map dated the year of or before the setting year. Anything later runs the risk of expansion/decline, referencing businesses not there at the time, and the like.

That brings us to another wonderful feature of detailed maps: location of homes and especially businesses. Knowing the name of a mercantile or the street where the post office resides sparks reader interest, especially those familiar with the area. Such details add depth if referenced in a novel.[bctt tweet=”You may find the greatest treasure hidden in plain sight. #Author #History”]

A railroad depot in town offers an exciting setting for a scene, maybe in that sagging middle. Perhaps someone comes to visit the main character at the train station or the protagonist travels from there on a day’s excursion. These tidbits reveal that era’s everyday world.

A careful study of these maps may show where Widow Matthews lived. Maybe the widow goes to church with your characters or makes the best apple pies around. A manufacturing company or mill on the map may employ a character’s family member.

If possible, visit the area during the research phase of the novel. Walking the streets in the oldest part of town or eating at a diner gives a sense of a town. Local museums can hold a wealth of information not commonly known. Ask questions. It’s always fun to find a knowledgeable person on local history. Listen to their story even if it doesn’t directly pertain to the novel; maybe some fact will capture your imagination.

When researching for historical novels, don’t overlook maps. You may find the greatest treasure hidden in plain sight.

Categories
Dear Young Scribes

10 Tips for Reading Through the Eyes of a Writer

Book and glasses

For most writers, our passion to write was birthed from a passion to read. We grew up immersed in books. Books that touched us, entertained us, made us laugh and cry. And somewhere along the way, we discovered that we, too, wanted to create the same effect for readers through our own stories.

As writers, it’s only natural that we should want to learn from the masters. We should not only read for enjoyment, but for education as well.

Sure, there are plenty books on the writing craft that can give us instruction. I’m not against this at all. But personally, the best way I learned how to write was from reading books through the eyes of a writer.

How is this done?

Here are 10 tips for reading through the eyes of a writer:

        1. Study the plot as it unravels. When would you assume Act 1 ends and Act 2 begins? Can you identify the character’s external and internal goals at the beginning of the book? What is the conflict and unanswered questions that the author has set up? How is the backstory woven in without interrupting the story?

        2. Study the scene structure and pacing. Does it begin in a way that “grabs” you? Does it end in a way that lures you to read the next scene?

        3. Study the author’s wordsmithing. Are there words you are not familiar with? If so, highlight them and research their definition. How does the author’s word choice create tension? Strengthen mood and emotion? How does it develop characterization and paint the scene in your imagination?

        4. Study the rhythm. Read the book out loud. How do the words and dialogue flow? How are the sentences structured in a way that intensifies the mood of the scene?

        5. Study characterization. Does each character have their own unique personality, dialect, style, traits, etc.? How is this revealed in a way that shows rather than tells? How do the secondary characters contribute to the plot, and are they three-dimensional or cardboard characters?

        6. If you lose focus in the book, identify at which point your attention began to lack. Was it caused from a decrease in conflict/tension? Did it become too easy for the character to reach his/her goal? Or is it because the scenes were passive, written about the character’s day-to-day, dull life?

        7. If you love the book, identify why you can’t seem to put it down. Is it the writing style or the plot? Is it because the writing is concise and tight, or because suspense is woven into each scene?

        8. Study the emotion and humor. If the story makes you cry, take note of how the author tapped into your emotions. How was this emotion portrayed without “telling” or coming across as overly dramatic? If the story makes you laugh, take note of the kind of humor the author used and how they portrayed this without coming across as cheesy.

        9. Study the setting. Do you think it was well-developed and/or well-researched? Does it contribute to the mood of each scene? How did the author use sensory details to highlight unique features of the setting without interrupting the flow of the story?

        10. Study the theme. Do you have an idea as to what the theme is by the end of the book? If so, how did the author get this across without “preaching” to the reader? Or if it did come across as preachy, how could the author have subtly woven in the theme instead?

It might take longer to read a book if you study it through the eyes of a writer rather than a reader. But if you do this — if you dissect books as you read them and highlight passages when necessary — then this should result in a major improvement in your own writing.

“To succeed as a novelist, reading novels must be a priority. Don’t be afraid. You won’t lose your voice; you will only enhance it. And soon, students will be using your novels as their textbooks.”

~Linda Hall

[bctt tweet=”10 Tips for Reading Through the Eyes of a Writer @tessaemilyhall #amwriting #writingtips”]

[bctt tweet=”Can our writing improve by studying the books we read? @tessaemilyhall #writingtips #amwriting”]

Do you read books through the eyes of a writer? If so, how has it made a difference in your writing?

Categories
History in the Making

What Lincoln Teaches Us about Effective Writing in the Gettysburg Address

by Sandra Merville Hart

Gettysburg Address Plaque at Soldiers National Cemetery
Gettysburg Address Plaque at Soldiers National Cemetery

With the celebration of Presidents Day this month, Americans may remember the very famous Gettysburg Address written and delivered by President Abraham Lincoln during our nation’s greatest turmoil.

Lincoln had been invited to give a “few appropriate remarks” at the dedication of a new national cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. He pondered the short speech he’d written, rewording phrases until the meaning was clear. Every sentence must count on this significant occasion.

Edward Everett, a well-known orator, spoke for two hours on a pleasant November day in 1863.

Lincoln congratulated Everett. Then the tall president, gaunt with the strain of leading a divided country, stepped in front of the crowd. Perhaps he felt inadequate to address the citizens after listening to such a talented speaker.

Then Lincoln delivered what has become one of the most famous speeches in American History for at least three reasons: an emotional hook; an acknowledgment of the obvious; and the clever use of repetition.

Lincoln hooked his audience with an emotional reminder of their noble roots. “Four score and seven years ago” a nation was born, recent enough that a few listeners might have been living at the time. Eighty-seven years ago our country began with the notion that “all men are created equal.” This reminded soldiers and citizens that the cause of slavery was worth the fight.

Lincoln also acknowledged the obvious. No one could ignore the remnants of a battle that so recently claimed a tragic number of lives. Fresh graves, destroyed fields, and bullet-ridden homes surrounded those in attendance. The dedication of the military cemetery united the mourners.

[bctt tweet=”Lincoln’s clever use of repetition drove home a vital message in the Gettysburg Address. #History #Author”]His clever use of repetition drove home a vital message. “But in a larger sense we can not dedicate — we can not consecrate — we can not hallow this ground.” He arranged meaningful words for maximum impact.

The repetitive phrase so easily recognized by the changing of one word — a preposition — ends the speech with inspirational impact: “that this government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

President Lincoln took two days from a busy schedule to deliver words he feared “the world will little note nor long remember.”

History remembers, President Lincoln. Your immortal words spoken on sacred ground remind us of the Battle of Gettysburg — considered by many experts to be the turning point of the Civil War — and the national cemetery where many of our heroes lay.

 

Categories
Craft Writing with Humor

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

Five Tips for How to Use Humor Effectively When Writing About Sensitive Topics by Jean Wilund via www.AlmostAnAuthor.com

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”]

Categories
History in the Making

Three Reasons A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is a Classic

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Categories
History in the Making

Three Things I learned About Writing Dialogue from Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice novel with rose

By Sandra Merville Hart

 

I’ve read Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice at least a dozen times and loved it every time. As a writer of historical novels, I’ve learned dialogue that thrilled Jane’s readers doesn’t work as well today.

Don’t get me wrong — the conversations between Miss Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy still sparkle and shine. Their dialogue tantalizes and intrigues us to read on. Even though we sense the couple will marry in the end, Austen weaves convincing arguments that cause us to wonder just how they will overcome all the obstacles in their way.

Austen wrote romances that live on in our hearts.

Writing dialogue for today’s readers of historic novels isn’t quite the same. At least three things have changed over the years.

The first difference you may notice in reading Pride and Prejudice is the very long paragraphs of dialogue. One person might speak for an entire page without interruption. Such lengthy paragraphs no longer work. Readers of current historic novels will probably be tempted to skim through such passages and miss the gems contained inside. Authors must consider shortening these conversations even though it is authentic to the period.

The second difference in Austen’s classic work is that dialogue often continues for several pages with very little action. Conversation was one of the main pastimes in days gone by. Most people worked long days and looked forward to relaxing with a friend over a cup of coffee or tea, so these visits became natural scenes in their literature. Writers these days must shorten dialogue and include plenty of action to hold our reader’s attention.

Another difference about Austen’s era was the formal language. They spoke more eloquently. They communicated well. We’ve lost a little of this ability because of all the distractions in our lives.[bctt tweet=”Three Things I learned about #Writing #Dialogue from #Author Jane Austen”] Cell phones, televisions, radios, IPods, Internet sites, and YouTube videos didn’t claim the attention of Austen’s audience. Still, authors who want to remain authentic to the period they write in should soften the formality. Contractions are fine. Don’t be afraid to select words that characters from previous eras often used, but make certain the meaning is clear.

What worked for Austen probably won’t tempt our readers to keep turning pages, but they will continue to read her books. After all, her novels are classics.

 

Categories
The Writer's PenCase

Putting Fire in Your Fiction Part II

The Writer's PenCase
The Writer's PenCase
The Writer’s PenCase

We’re looking at Donald Maass’ The Fire in Fiction. @DonaldMaass #FireinFiction

I’m on a quest to learn more about writing and share it with you, Today, we’ll talk about Chapter 1, Protagonists vs. Heroes.

“…think about the people whom you deeply admire. Who are the individuals for whom you would cancel other plans? Who stirs in your awe, respect, humility, and high esteem? Are these regular people, no different than anyone else? They may not be famous but they are in some way exceptional, right? Click to Tweet

Continue reading “Putting Fire in Your Fiction Part II”
Categories
Romancing Your Story

CONTEST OR NOT TO CONTEST? PART ONE

If you read my last column, you’ll know we determined that most fictional stories contain some element of romance. That is very fundamental as I talk to you about contests. There is quite a bit of debate in the writing world as to whether entering a contest is worth the money, time, and possible rejection of your work. I will state right up front that I believe they are worth your time and effort, published or non-published.

 

NOTE: Coming from a purely romantic and fictional world, I can only speak on fictional contests. I don’t write non-fiction nor do I have a blog, both of which I believe do have contests available. I cannot help you with the logistics of them, though I hope the end results are the same.

 

This month I would like to share personal and positive experiences I myself have had with contests, solely to show you why I believe in them.

 

In 1995, I wrote my first book, a Regency, and though it was perfectly acceptable to me as I was writing it for my own entertainment, family and friends urged me to seek out publishing. (That is when you really seek out people who will read your work and tell you the absolute truth about it!) Quite by accident I discovered a very small writing contest by a very small group of writers in my genre. The only reason I entered was that the winning entry would be given the opportunity to send the full manuscript to a very iconic editor of a very large publishing company.

 

Do you think I am going to say I won it? I did not. But at that time in my “career” I got what I needed most – feedback. Each judge had used the same standards for every entry they received. I got their copies of the scoring sheets, with comments, encouragement, suggestions, and problems – galore! Oh, there were many more problems than encouragement but the suggestions made me look at the story a whole new way. And the negative comments made me look even harder.

 

(This lovely little contest is also where I got the best advice I have ever received in critique; shall I tell you? READ WHAT YOU’VE WRITTEN OUT LOUD TO YOURSELF BEFORE YOU EVER SEND IT ANYWHERE! My dear friends, if you don’t do this, start. I’m talking cover to cover if it is ten pages or 300. You will “hear” when words sound out of order, when there is not enough or too much emotion, when the same word is used twice in the same sentence; I could go on and on, and this is really more for next week’s article. I just had to share to show you one of the advantages of contests!)

 

We left off with my poor little manuscript and me deciding whether to put it out of its misery or keep it. I kept it. Flash forward to 2004. My husband found my box of manuscripts (from 20 years ago) and I rewrote that sad little story using twenty years of life experience I did not have the first time and using several of the comments from that little contest. Then I went out into the publishing world to see if I fit.

 

That book, my debut, was not only published, but won the 2011 Romantic Times Reader’s Choice award and the Holt Medallion award for Best Book by a Virginia Author!

 

Was it all because of the contest so long ago? Of course, not. It was an answer to my prayer, wondering what in the world I was doing. It was being led by God to a wonderful, supportive agent (who BTW also sent it out to five random readers as a beta group who sent me an additional 5 sets of critiques!) And ultimately, it was God’s perfect timing with an editor who wanted the story.

 

Please, please do not think I am bragging. You have no idea how many “thanks, but no thanks” we heard or “can the author say it in 70,000 words as opposed to the 100,000 words submitted?” Or a million other walls we hit first. My point is that if I hadn’t submitted that original unpublished manuscript to that little contest, I would never have received all of the feedback, which I still use today. And if I hadn’t entered the published book into the ten or so contests I had learned about, I would have lost out on the opportunity to put “Award Winning Author” after my name – forever! (Can anyone say PERK?)

 

But you know what I also received, almost equally as valuable? The scoring sheets on the eight contests I didn’t win. And do you know what I’ve done with those? I used them in writing my second and third books, and, hopefully, in books to come.

 

I’d love to hear about your contest experience! Let me know below and we can talk about them. Be sure to tune in next month when I will go over the logistics, and costs, as well as where you can find contests that might be just the one for you.

Categories
Bestsellers

Children’s Writing 101: Five Common Misconceptions by Michelle Medlock Adams

 

Every time I teach “Writing for Children” at a writers’ conference or teach a “Children’s Writing 101” class at a university, I am asked some of the same questions so I’ve decided to address five of the most common myths surrounding this genre.

They say “the truth shall set you free,” so get ready to experience some freedom in this blog. J

Number one:

  • MYTH: Writing books for children is much easier than writing books for adults.
  • TRUTH: Good writing is tough no matter what genre we’re talking about; however, writing for children can be one of the most difficult to master and one of the most difficult to break into—but you can do it!

MORE TO PONDER…

*You have to say a lot in so few words—must make every single word count!

*You must be selective in word choice so that each word matches grade level. (Get a copy of the “Children’s Writer’s Word Book” by Alijandra Mogilner, published by Writer’s Digest Books.)

*It’s highly competitive! (The average national publisher receives 6,000 -15,000 unsolicited manuscripts a year, and of those, they publish 2-3. The rest of the books they publish come from agents, from authors they’re already publishing, and from other authors they meet at conferences.) But, you can do it!!! J

*I recently read an interview with a children’s book editor at Bloomsbury Children’s Books in NYC and the interviewer asked her, “Is there really a slush pile? If so, how many manuscripts would you estimate are in it?”

She replied, “It is many piles. It is huge! And I have no idea—maybe a thousand manuscripts in it.”

Then she was asked, “What percentage of manuscripts from the slush pile do you estimate get published?”

She answered, “Less than 1 percent but that’s still a real number—we get thousands of submission a year, and every year, we find one or two great things in it.”

So, you could be in that 1 percent!

FAST STATS: GOOD NEWS!!

E-books are giving children’s writers more opportunities to publish their work! In fact, 11 million parents have purchased an e-book and 19.6 million parents plan to buy an e-book in the future, according to recent stats.

Number two:

  • MYTH: Children’s stories should always teach a lesson.
  • TRUTH: Children (as well as children’s book editors) dislike preachy books.

MORE TO PONDER…

*Good children’s books usually have a message woven throughout the text, but the story is what drives the text. Of course…there is an exception to every rule. J

*Good example…Veggie Tales books teach good morals, but they are fun, silly and kid-friendly while doing so!

INTERESTING FACTOID…

Want to see a list of best-selling children’s books? Read this article at: http://www.timeout.com/new-york-kids/things-to-do/the-50-best-books-for-kids?cmpid=ppcaw-Kids-Books

online.

Number three:

  •  MYTH: The adult in the story should solve the problem.
  • TRUTH: Actually, any adult in the story is simply a sidekick. The main character must

be the child, and that child must solve the problem. He can certainly take advice from an

adult, but the child needs to do the problem solving.

MORE TO PONDER…

*Through our books, we want to empower the child, not tell the child that an adult must always solve every problem. We want to instill the message of “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”—in a sneaky, funny, kid-friendly way!

Number four:

  •  MYTH: After I write my children’s story, I need to find an illustrator to illustrate my story before submitting it anywhere.
  • TRUTH: Unless you are a professional artist yourself, it’s not wise to send pictures with your manuscripts. In fact, it might even hurt your chances for publication.

MORE TO PONDER…

*The editor might really love your words but despise the artwork that your sister did to accompany each page. Her yucky artwork could nix the whole deal for you.

*Editors at publishing houses already have a list of talented illustrators that they love to use, so let them choose your artist.

*Especially if you’re a first-time children’s author, the publisher will try to pair you with a better-known illustrator to improve your chances for better book sales.

Number five:

  • MYTH: Writing my book in rhyme will give my book a better chance.
  • TRUTH: Actually, it could hurt your story’s publication chances. Some editors despise rhyme because they receive so many poorly written rhyming books; therefore,they are prejudiced AGAINST rhyme. However, if you can write rhyme well, go for it!

MORE TO PONDER…

*FYI: I have sold more than 40 children’s books to publishers such as Zonderkidz, Simon & Schuster, Ideals Children’s Books and Concordia, and all but my non-fiction library books are written in rhyme! J

*Rhyme isn’t a crime, as some editors would have you think— it sells well! (Just get yourself a rhyming dictionary for help!)

 

 

Categories
The Ministry of Writing

Improve Your Writing With Your Spiritual Gift

Allowed for reuse and modification - https://static.pexels.com/photos/174/coffee-apple-iphone-laptop.jpg

If you are a born again follower of Christ then you have been given a spiritual gift or gifts. Scripture tells us that our gift is for building up the body of Christ. There is no doubt that ministering with our gifts gives God glory and enhances our witness.

The benefits of our gift — building up the body, glorifying God, and reaching the lost —probably steal lines from your personal writing mission statement. Those things are the reasons we write. They are our purpose. Therefore understanding our spiritual gift is essential to our ministry of writing.

There is a hiccup though.

Writing is not listed as a spiritual gift in the Bible.

So does that mean our writing is not important or a tool for ministry? NO WAY! We know better. I will only provide one example — the Bible was written, right? Definitely God has blessed you with a gift of writing, but I believe spiritual gifts should be understood that they are more about the message rather than the method.

Spiritual gift lists are found in Romans 12:1-8, 1 Corinthian 12:1-31, Ephesians 4:1-16, and 1 Peter 4:10-11. Read a complete list [here]. There are methods of ministry listed like preaching, service, encouragement, and others. But even with those the emphasis is on the thought process and the message. There are gifted writers throughout the spectrum of spiritual gifts. We are tempted to stop short of expressing our spiritual gift because we do not look past out writing, but it is our spiritual gift that shapes our writing. Writing is a tool to exercise that gift so it is important to know your area of gifting because out of that gift comes what you like to write, as well as the writing you despise.

We can find writers gifted with encouragement, preaching/prophecy, shepherding, encouragement, evangelism, mercy, teaching, and faith. And to find them we wouldn’t even need to receive the results of their spiritual gift inventory or receive special revelation from God to know their gift for their writing reveals it.

The writer gifted with encouragement (exhortation) writes positive, encouraging, and uplifting pieces.

The writer gifted with evangelism seeks to win souls with everything they write.

The writer gifted with shepherding will write with people at the center of their work, while the writer gifted with prophecy focuses on doctrinal truths and tends to be harsh towards their reader.

The writer gifted with teaching is always going to have a lesson in their books.

I’m sure you get the idea by now. [bctt tweet=”Our spiritual gift is more about the message rather than method.”]

Within the biblical teaching of spiritual gifts we are told that we are all parts of one body and  have different roles within that body. Therefore, we need to fulfill our role and support others in their roles.

Knowing your spiritual gift(s) can help you focus your strengths, but the greatest value is that it shows how we fit into the body. Through understanding our gift we can see our writing in the context of other authors. Along with providing us with strengths our divine gifts also have a negative side. I feel my gift is teaching. So my focus tends to be on discipleship and spiritual growth. So when I run across a writer who is always putting out peppy uplifting devotions — I get frustrated. I condemn them for presenting everything in rose-covered glasses, but I am sure when they read my work they complain that I am discouraging and negative. The reality is that we are on the same team. That writer has the gift of encouragement which the body of Christ needs and I am writing from a teaching prospective that the body of Christ also needs. There is a place for both of our writings. I have many times been blessed by a writer spiritually gifted with the gift of encouragement when I googled “encouragement for writers” or “encouragement for pastors”.

I have had writers who are gifted with evangelism criticize me because I don’t present salvation enough in my writings. On the other hand I feel they need to focus more on making disciples not just “soul-winning”. Again we are both on the same team just gifted differently, but both providing what the body needs.

Christian writer it is important to seek out your spiritual gift and to recognize gifts in others. We are all on the same team. Some are feet, some hands, some a nose, some an eye, and I guess someone has to be a butt.

Regardless of your role in the body [bctt tweet=”improve your writing with your spiritual gift.”]

 

For more information on recognizing your spiritual gift or taking a spiritual gift inventory check out my blog…www.graytotebox.com

 

Categories
Writer Encouragement

Just A Writer

Do you ever feel like “just a writer?” “Just” a wannabe author? “Just” a wordsmith who spends hours inventing characters and hoping someone will read your work?

I encourage you to throw out the word “just” from your thinking. Treat it like yesterday’s trash that’s contaminating your mind. You are not “just” a writer. You are “A WRITER!”

So why are writers—especially Christian writers—important? Because when you feel that niggling urge to create words that are meaningful, then being a writer is “A CALLING.”

There are billions of folks in this world with numerous callings on their life. Some are called to heal, some to organize, some to preach God’s Word, some to be leaders, some to be helpers. The list can go on. But to be called to write is unique in that you can reach people around the world without so much as a passport.

ID-100279343

I know many writers with debilitating illnesses. Many who have difficulty traveling for one reason or another. Some with responsibilities that anchor them to their homes. Yet the message in their words can reach hundreds, thousands, even millions, without so much as using a gallon of gasoline.

“But all I write is fiction. How is that a calling?”

There are thousands of folks around the world who would never think of picking up a Christian non-fiction book. You could find them running away from a Max Lucado book as though rabid dogs were on their heels. Fiction is less threatening, more entertaining, and, if a writer is good, they can slip in the gospel message without scaring off the reader. Christian fiction might be the only Gospel message they’ve ever heard. Who knows where those seeds might sprout?

Another blessing about writing is that you can create a variety of messages, and not just in your usual genre. Most writers have blogs. These allow writers to create words that can fulfill promptings that the Holy Spirit places on your mind and heart. While some in the writing field encourage writers to always stay within the expected theme (such as historical fiction), I choose to believe that God wants to use our words to minister and enlighten the audience He has created for our writing.

These last few weeks have revealed horrifying videos about abortion taking place in our country. Although I write historicals, I felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit to create words that will hopefully open people’s eyes in a new way to the atrocities taking place in contemporary America. If you wish to read that blog, you can click here.

So the next time you think you are “just” a writer, praise God for the calling He has placed in your heart. And get writing!

 

Vintage Typewriter courtesy of: Just2shutter through freedigitalphotos.net

Photo of man writing courtesy of: tiramisustudio through freedigitalphotos.net

 

 

Categories
The Ministry of Writing

Accomplish This One Daily Writing Task

As a Christian writer I imagine you are like me and are driven with an overwhelming conviction and fire to accomplish the task the Lord has placed on your heart. With each moment I find to write I attack it like a mad scientist. I zone in and try to shut out everything else as I give myself to that project. I will be absolutely heaven-bent to complete the mission I have been given.

Obedience to the Spirit is a good thing, right?  We should bust our butts for the glory of God by attacking that project, but beyond whatever that project may be there is one thing we must accomplish first.

As a pastor I feel like there is not enough time in the day or a enough of myself to go around. Something is always going to get left undone, at least that is my experience. I have tried everything I can think of to get in all the study, preparation, administration, discipleship, evangelism, pastoral care, visits, counseling, funerals, weddings, vision casting, leader training, community involvement, denomination involvement, writing etc. No matter how well I follow the tips of John Maxwell or Stephen Covey I end up letting myself and others down.

This January I decided there was one thing I was going to make sure I accomplished daily. No matter what the fall-out would be or what piled up undone — each day I was going to spend adequate time with the Lord. I was going to read in His Word and pray over everything. I was going to let the Holy Spirit guide my to-do list.

I wish I can tell you that by making that decision I have gone on to accomplish more than I ever imagined each day.  I have at times, but not every day. There are things that still fall through the cracks, but I at least I know that what I do is not in my own strength rather it is in God’s strength.

As a Christian writer our tasks may seem just as impossible. There is so much that we feel called to write — so many ideas, opportunities, and revisions. It always takes longer than we plan. And everything else in life seeks to steal our writing time.

We stay in a constant squeeze.

But with all you have on your plate, with all that God has called you to write, with all the doors He is opening for you there is one thing you must accomplish first every day. Even if you’re writing goes undone. Even if you don’t accomplish all that you want to accomplish. Accomplish this one daily writing task — spend time with the Lord. Pray. Walk in the Spirit.

[bctt tweet=”Write in the Spirit.”]

Mark Batterson wrote in his Draw the Circle devotional book, “If you establish a prayer routine, your life will be anything but routine. You will go to places, do things, and meet people you have no business going to, doing, or meeting. You don’t need to seek opportunity. All you have to do is seek God. And if you seek God, opportunity will seek you.”

In an all-time bestselling book, another writer the disciple Matthew wrote and quoted Jesus saying, “seek first the kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Categories
5 For Writing

The Perils of Head-Hopping in Fiction

Disappearing Man
The editor had me rework my first novel, changing it from the omniscient point of view to third-person limited. I’m so glad he did. I was no longer writing for talking vegetables and had many lessons to learn.

I used to write for VeggieTales, and if you’re familiar with the antics of Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber, you know that these animated characters do a lot of hopping around. How else are vegetables going to move? They don’t have legs.

But when I made the switch from writing VeggieTales picture books to writing historical novels, I found myself doing a different kind of hopping. It’s called “head-hopping,” and the editor on my first novel quickly cured me of the habit. I’m so glad he did. In fact, this was the first lesson I learned when making the switch from picture books to novels.

My first historical novel, The Disappearing Man, tells the true story of Henry “Box” Brown, a slave who mailed himself to freedom in 1849. He escaped by shipping himself in a box from Richmond, Virginia, to Philadelphia. But when I began writing that novel, I just happened to be reading Lonesome Dove, the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Larry McMurtry. Many of McMurtry’s novels are written in the “third person omniscient” voice, in which the author can get into anyone’s thoughts at any time. So, driven by McMurtry’s example, I wrote my first draft from the omniscient point of view, hopping into Henry “Box” Brown’s mind in one paragraph and then hopping into another character’s mind in the next paragraph.

How could anyone argue with McMurtry’s approach? He’s a Pulitzer Prize-winner for crying out loud!

As much as I loved Lonesome Dove, I quickly saw my editor’s point. Head-hopping, as the omniscient point of view is sometimes called, has problems. But before I explain these problems, let me give you an example of head-hopping. Here is an excerpt from The Disappearing Man, where Henry Brown, as a child, stumbles across another boy (John) tied up to a tree. For the purposes of this example, I have changed the excerpt so it reads in the omniscient voice.

Henry had been taught not to interfere in the ways of white folk, but he couldn’t just leave John to die. On the other hand, if Mr. Allen found out he’d untied his son, the man might shoot him dead in the field.

Another flash of lightning, another explosion.

John hollered, then whimpered like a beaten dog. The boy was almost as terrified of the lightning as he was of his father. John looked around, wondering if his Pappy might appear from behind a tree at any moment.

This is the third-person omniscient voice because in the first paragraph we’re inside Henry’s mind, understanding his thoughts and feelings about getting shot by Mr. Allen (John’s father). In the third paragraph, we’re suddenly in John’s thoughts, hearing his fears. If you constantly move from one perspective to another, paragraph to paragraph, you lose focus on any one character.

I highly recommend the wonderful book, Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, by Renni Browne and Dave King, which my editor suggested to me back when I was writing my first novel. The third chapter of the book deals with the issue of point of view, so imagine my shock when I found that the chapter began with an excerpt from McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove. In the excerpt, we get into the thoughts of three different characters—Joe, July, and Elmira—in the span of three brief paragraphs.

That’s some serious head-hopping.

“Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove is a powerfully written book, yet some readers find it hard to get involved in the story,” Browne and King say in Self-Editing for Fiction Writers. They blame this problem on the omniscient point of view that McMurtry used.

The omniscient point of view gives a writer a lot of flexibility because you can reveal any character’s thoughts at any time. But by jumping from one person’s perspective to another to another, it’s more difficult to create intimacy between the reader and the characters. You’re not sticking with one character’s perspective long enough to become strongly connected with him or her.

When my editor looked at my first draft of The Disappearing Man, he sent me back to the drawing board, and I converted my omniscient voice to “third-person limited.” And I had only a few weeks to do it.

But what is third-person limited, and why did I choose it?

To answer this, I need to devote an entire blog to the question, so look for an explanation in my next installment. For now, I simply leave you with one piece of advice: If you want to create intimacy between readers and characters, don’t head-hop.

Leave the hopping to vegetables.

 

5 for Writing

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

Categories
Bestsellers

Bestselling Author Interview – Rachel Hauck

[author title=”Rachel Hauck” image=”http://www.almostanauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Hauck_3049_WBP-1.jpeg”]

Rachel Hauck is a USA Today Best Selling, and award-winning author of critically acclaimed novels such as The Wedding Dress, Love Starts with Elle, and Once Upon A Prince.

She also penned the Songbird Novels with multi-platinum recording artist, Sara Evans. Booklist named their novel, Softly and Tenderly, one of 2011 Top Ten Inspirationals.

A graduate of Ohio State University with a degree in Journalism, Rachel worked in the corporate software world before planting her backside in an uncomfortable chair to write full-time in 2004.

She serves on the Executive Board for American Christian Fiction Writers and leads worship at their annual conference. She is a mentor and book therapist at My Book Therapy, and conference speaker.

Rachel lives in central Florida with her husband and pets, and writes from her two-story tower in an exceedingly more comfy chair. She is a huge Buckeyes football fan.

[/author]

One of your books, The Wedding Dress, recently made USA Today’s bestseller list in June, how does that kind of success make you feel as an author?

RH: Hitting the USA Today list took me by surprise. Usually those achievements come with effort behind a new release. The Wedding Dress is 3 years old. So I was honored and really grateful. It was one of those God Things. It’s a goal of every author to hit a bestseller list along the journey because it’s a nice line on your bio. It makes a difference when media folks and retailers are deciding who to reach out to for interviews or who to give prominence on bookshelves. In a word, I was really happy to hit the list!

Can you share a little about your recent book – How To Catch A Prince?

RH: This book is the third in the Royal Wedding Series and special to me because writing it was both creatively and physically difficult. I hit a physical issue about a month before deadline. I was already struggling with the story and the concept. Then to add a physical issue of which I had no control, really made it tough. But with a lot of prayer and the support of my husband and publishing team, and my writing partners, I got ‘er done.

This book deals with the pain of death, the grief of war and the choice of loving well even when you are not loved in return. So it’s more than a royal fairytale but a story of hope and healing. With a bit of royal magic woven in.

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

RH: I write because I can’t NOT write. I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was a girl and it’s humbling to be able to do what I do. I’m grateful to the Lord.

I don’t think I started out with a theme in mind. I’m not sure many writers can nail down what they will thematically touch on their stories until they’ve written a few. The theme, message, heart of every book begins to emerge as the author develops in his or her craft and passion.

Destiny, God’s love for us, His purpose for us, His presence with us seems to permeate my stories. I usually have a supernatural element that “shows” God tangibly invading the natural world.

My over all goal is to write a story layered with truth in an fun, hopeful, entertaining way.

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

RH: I’ve been writing full time for 11 years. But I started my first book in ’94. An epic WWII novel that took 2 years to write. Then I stopped for awhile, went back to the corporate world. When I began in earnest again in ’99, it took 3 years to land my first contract – a category romance with Heartsong – which I co-wrote with an established author. I landed my first trade paperback contract in ’04. In reality, I moved along pretty quickly. I think I only had five or six rejections by the time I was contracted. #blessed.

How long does it take you to write a book?

RH: I can write a book in three months but I prefer 4-5 months. I don’t feel I’ve touched the heart of the story in 3 months. But I look for more during the rewrite and editing phases.

What’s your writing work schedule like?

RH: If I’m on deadline – meaning 3- 4 months out from the due date – I write five or six days a week. I try to be in my office, backside in chair no later than noon each day. I shoot for 2K-3K words each session. If I fall behind, I work on Saturdays. I write for 2 months until about 85k-90k words, and then I start over, rewriting from the beginning, taking the last month or two to polish and fine tune the book. I try to be diligent with my writing time so I don’t fall behind. Even when I ran into the physical issue in 2014, I still turned the book in on time. I had no ending and was a mess, but I turned it in!

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

RH: Ah, the Pandora’s box of quirks. Well, I have to have the right lighting. No over head or bold, bright lighting. I have muted, soft lights. Lamps. Also, I have to feel the story. While I’m a “thinker” on my Myers-Briggs test, there’s a “feeling” I get as I write the story. Susie Warren and I call it the “ping” and until the “ping” I’m never sure the story is working. But as I write, the ping always sounds.

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

RH: Getting reader letters. Especially from international readers who don’t have easy access to Christian fiction. It’s humbling, eye-opening, and moves me to tears every time. It would take years as a missionary (and I love missionaries!) to reach someone’s heart so quickly. But that’s the power of story! I pray the Holy Spirit uses my words to reveal love and truth to each reader.

What has been your darkest moment(s)?

RH: The aforementioned 2014 physical issue. I couldn’t sleep which created stress. I couldn’t think. I felt as creative as a rock. I would be awake at 3 a.m. and say, “Lord, I’m just going to quit. I’ll call my publisher and tell her, ‘I’m out.’” But I never had peace with that decision. When I said, “I guess I have to walk through this,” then I would have peace. I’m hear to tell you God’s Word works, prayer works. Even in the darkest hour. Even when your body is going sideways on you. Stay with it. He will answer.

Which of your books is your favorite?

RH: Great question. I do love them all but I think Softly and Tenderly, a book I wrote with country artist Sara Evans is one of my all time favorites.

Who is your favorite author to read?

RH: Well, there is a boat load of great authors in the Christian market. Susan May Warren, Denise Hunter, Beth Vogt, Melissa Tagg, but I’ve recently discovered a general market author, Beatriz Williams that I adore. Very clever literary author.

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

RH: I pretty much listened to everything said to me. I knew I didn’t know everything I others who’d gone ahead were my guiding light. So, I’d advice aspiring authors to listen to those who’ve gone ahead of you. Don’t get defensive and stubborn about your work. Learn. Take input. Mostly I see new authors not willing to pay their dues to learn to write a good novel. With the advancement of indie publishing, they are rushing their books out there and frankly, they are not that good. So work with editors and line editors, proofers. Learn the craft. Keep learning the craft. Read, read, read, read.

What is the single greatest tool you believe a writer should have in his or her toolbox?

RH: Prayer. Honestly. Go to the Lord, get ideas, ask for anointing and inspiration. Be His partner to unlock the stories of heaven here on earth.

 

How many times in your career have you experienced rejection?

RH: I’ve not faced many rejections. One agent and about five publisher rejection letters. But the biggest rejection issues for me came on the other side! Publishers have an order to their in-house authors. Those they choose to promote and market more than others. That was a hard lesson for me to learn and I really had to submit my heart to the Lord when I discovered I was NOT one of those in-house favorites for quite a few years. But I was and am His favorite (as are you!) and I look at what He’s done for me and wow… I’m so grateful!!

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

RH: How much space do we have? Ha! I love the scenes in Softly and Tenderly between Jade and her mother, Beryl. I won’t say more. You have to read the book. I love the jail scene in The Wedding Dress. Yes, the jail scene. I love the coronation scene in Once Upon A Prince. I love the discovery of the red shed in Princess Ever After. I love the kiss at the end of How To Catch A Prince.

Where do you get your ideas?

RH: Everywhere! I hear things in conversation. Hear a phrase. A story in the news. And ping! Story idea…

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

RH: Getting ahead of themselves. Trying to publish too soon. And trying to write to the market or trends and NOT sticking with a genre to help build their craft and their reputation. If you go to a conference and sit in front of an editor or agent presenting romance, that’s how they’ll think of you. But if you sit in front of them the next year with a Fantasy, they’ll think, “Well which is it?” Then the following year, with a spec fiction or children’s story, they’ll think “This author doesn’t know what she wants to do.” And they might be hesitant to reach out thinking you’re fickle or easily bored. Newsflash: writing is boring. Yes, it can be really boring. And tedious. But also very fun and exciting. So you have to stay with a genre or kind of writing to establish who you are and what you write before and after publishing. Once that’s done, you can branch out.

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

RH: Go to conferences, network, meet people. Study the craft. Join ACFW, My Book Therapy and RWA to meet people. So much of my career was launched forward by meeting people, making connections.

Check out a selection of Rachel’s books here:

http://www.almostanauthor.com/bestsellers-books/

Categories
A Lighter Look at the Writer's Life

Writers Conferences: The Main Thing

I’ve been to many writers conferences and even serve on the planning committee of one event, and I always tell conference “newbies” about the main thing.

Most first-time conference attendees think the main thing is their work. Their manuscript. Their baby. I thought that, too. I was wrong.

Ten years ago I came to my first conference, Kentucky Christian Writers Conference, very “green.” I had my manuscript, my baby, in a big blue binder, and I expected to meet an editor, sign a contract at dinner, and return the next year with a shiny published book with my name on it and a gig as the keynote speaker.

Why not dream big?

One of the first people I met at the conference “Meet-and-Greet” was an editor with a MAJOR Christian publishing house. We chatted easily and found ourselves “bumping into each other” all weekend. We even got together at the hotel, and he met my family. At the end of the conference, he miraculously agreed to take my manuscript home!

My dream was coming true! An editor from a MAJOR house was willing to look at my work! Keynote, here I come!

A few months later, he got laid off from the MAJOR publishing house.

So much for my big dream.

However, through the years, a deep friendship developed as we exchanged emails, Facebook messages, and phone calls. We have shared the highs and lows of life, watched each other’s children grow up, commiserated over writing rejections, celebrated publications, and more.

Today, ten years after that first meeting at KCWC, this friend traveled many miles out of his way (over mountainous roads—I live in the middle of nowhere) to visit me. We had a great day touring the area, sharing a meal, and catching up after too many years. We even prayed for each other before he left.

He never published my book . . . but he became one of my dearest friends.

Relationship. That, my friends, is the main thing you’ll take away from a writers conference.

Categories
Polishing Your Message

Three Steps to Confident Feedback

Ever ask a friend’s, relative’s or colleague’s opinion on something you’ve written? You wait patiently, trying not to stare, interpreting each facial expression as a sign or clue. Finally a reply, “I like it,” or “It’s good,” is uttered with no additional words following.  You think to yourself, That’s it? That doesn’t help me.

Perhaps on occasion you have been the person responding above not knowing what to say.  You didn’t feel confident offering your thoughts. You’re not an expert or a published author. You still have trouble calling yourself a writer.

Well, “It’s good,” doesn’t say anything.  To a writer the phrase is too vague, too meaningless. He or she is seeking feedback more specific.

Whether asking for feedback or offering feedback, here are three steps to help readers share responses to a draft.

Before you start to read, let go of the pressure to catch every error or mistake. There is a difference between editing/proofreading and reader responses. Don’t be afraid. You are qualified to respond. You are an experienced reader, and writers need to know how their message is being received or interpreted. You are qualified to offer your reaction and thoughts to something you read.

Next, keep it simple. Keep it nice, and remember three things by ReadWriteThink.org:

PQP: Praise-Question-Polish.

Step 1: PRAISE.   Always find something positive to say about the piece you have been asked to read. Perhaps you like a particular phrase or word choice that lingers in your mind after reading, or you like how the writer describes a scene which easily forms in your mind’s eye. Always find something big or small to praise within the work.

question mark

Step 2: QUESTION.  As you read make notes of any questions that enter your mind. Maybe you wonder why the author doesn’t mention something you would expect to be included on the topic, or where the baby was in the scene when the mother went to the store. Any questions while reading can offer insight the author may need to improve or revise the current draft or work.

Step 3: POLISH.   Finally, offer specific ways you think the writer could polish the piece. These comments cannot be too vague. When you offer an idea to polish, the writer cannot be wondering what you mean. He or she needs a starting point or direction to act on your comment. Read-Write-Think suggests three types of comments: vague, general/useful, and specific. Below are examples of each:

Vague:  “Revise the second paragraph.” or “It’s good.”

Useful/general: “shiny engiveI don’t see enough background information or support for your idea.” or “Can you describe the kitchen scene better?”

Specific:  “I like how you give the points to remember, but can you add an example to help readers better understand what you mean?” or “The title doesn’t seem to convey the topic.”

If grammar and mechanics are your strengths, by all means offer comments and corrections. If you think something doesn’t look right, but you are not sure, you may suggest the writer double check a concern. The main thing about “Polish” is to give the writer a starting point or direction to consider changes.

Writers know what they intend to say in the message, but the receiver of the message does not always hear it as intended. If you are asked to offer quick feedback on a draft, just remember PQP. You can always find something positive to say, did you have any questions, and offer a specific comment the writer may consider to polish the piece.

You don’t have to be an expert or published author to provide helpful feedback to a writer. And as a writer, what you do with the feedback is entirely up to you. Some suggestions will spur new ideas, and some will lead to a dead end and remain left behind.  Nonetheless, diverse readers, diverse backgrounds, and diverse worldviews will encourage your message to be received differently. Stay focused on your message and meaning, use feedback to clarify and polish, then send your message out trusting the Holy Spirit to handle the rest.

[bctt tweet=”provide helpful feedback to a writer #writers #readers #polishing”]

[bctt tweet=”asking for feedback #writer #reader #drafts”]

Source acknowledged:  www.readwritethink.org,

ReadWriteThink.org is a nonprofit website maintained by the International Literacy Association and the National Council of Teachers of English, with support from the Verizon Foundation.”

Image Credits: Colin Harris, Dave Wilson   https://www.flickr.com/photos/

Categories
Tour

Blog Tour Stop – Amy L Sullivan

[author title=”Amy L Sullivan” image=”http://www.almostanauthor.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/AmyHeadshot.jpeg”] For the past two years, Amy L. Sullivan looked harder, loved stronger, and discovered more by fixing her gaze on something other than the person staring back at her in the mirror. Amy writes for oodles of print and online publications and loves speaking with groups of any size. Connect with her online at AmyLSullivan.com.[/author]

What is the title of your latest book?

When More Is Not Enough: How to Stop Giving Your Kids What They Want and Give Them What They Need.

Tell us more about your book:

Amy believes no one loves harder and more completely than children. She also believes selfies, cell phones, must-have tech gadgets, and the sparkly allure of possessions lull kids into an insatiable desire for more.

When More is Not Enough celebrates the idea of more: more prayers cried out, more time spent together, more use of our talents, more interest in strangers, more forgiveness of hurt, more of what Jesus taught us each day of His life. This book focuses on helping children grow generous hearts, tender spirits, and a deep compassion for others.

Filled with biblical reasoning, real-life anecdotes, practical resources, and start-this-very-second activities, When More is Not Enough is for families who are ready to move from seeing generosity as a series of tasks and instead, turn it into a way life.

Why do you write what you do?

I write what I do because I am mad crazy about God, people, and words.

What are you currently working on?:

My next project is a picture book series for tween girls entitled Gutsy Girls: Strong Christian Women Who Impacted the World. The first book in the series is scheduled to release in the fall of 2015.

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

There are shelves of books about living a generous life. However, When More is Not Enough is different because it is practical, and it lays out start-this-very-second ideas which encourage families to take small steps in order to create big change in their lives.

How does your writing process work?

My writing process goes something like this:

Step 1: Get up when it is dark and write, write, write.
Step 2: After the second cup of coffee decide I hate most of what I have written and quit writing before 9:00 am.
Step 3: Ponder the idea of giving up writing forever.
Step 4: After my kids go to bed, give my draft a once over and realize I could give up writing as easily as I could give up breathing.
Step 4: Set my alarm for the next day.
Step 5: Repeat.

You can find Amy L. Sullivan online at:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmyLSullivan1
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/amylsullivan/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/amylsullivan1/
Google +: https://plus.google.com/u/0/101973049755582600896/posts
FB: https://www.facebook.com/AmyLSullivanwrites?ref=hl

 You can buy Amy’s book at:

Categories
A Little Red Ink

Dialogue Tips

dialogue film crew

When you write dialogue, think like a screenwriter. Every minute of screen time, every word counts. Don’t add fluff. 

You don’t want readers to skim your conversations because nothing’s happening. If it doesn’t move the plot forward, cut it, cut it, cut it.

Here’s something else that doesn’t belong in your conversations: director commentary. 

Sure, people buy DVDs with bonus footage, but I don’t know many people who actually watch the version with the director chatting the whole time—explaining, telling what he wanted from the scene, making himself sound generally witty. (Peter Jackson doesn’t count. Of course you watch those.)

Seriously, though. Audiences want the end product. They want to be entertained. They want the scene to play out in their mind. And they don’t want to think for one second about the writer behind the scenes—at least the first time.

Here are a few dialogue tips to help you accomplish that.

1. Use the word “said.” Avoid sounding like a thesaurus with your dialogue tags.  No one wants to be wowed with your synonym skills. Statistics show that readers actually skip over the word “said” in their reading. It doesn’t even register. All they see is dialogue (which is what you want). 

If your characters are replying, interrupting, cajoling, remarking, and muttering? There’s no way people can miss that. 

     “Are you kidding me?” Jen queried. “Just tell me we can undo it,” she complained. “What will it take?” 

     “We’ll do what we have to do,” Will countered.

     “We better,” she sniped. “If we lose this account because you dropped the ball—”

     “Relax,” he challenged. “Your attitude isn’t going to help us win them over.”

It can get annoying after a while, right? 

vancouver
2. Use action beats about 50% of the time. An action beat is exactly that—a moment filled by the character’s action. When it’s right next to the dialogue, it’s clear who’s just spoken. Often, an action beat can do more to convey the emotion than an explanation, with no “said” involved. Isn’t that same excerpt better like this?
“Are you kidding me?” Jen snapped her head to the side. She swallowed, then turned back and locked gazes with Will. “Just tell me we can undo it. What will it take?”

 3. If the characters are taking turns nicely, don’t tag every give and take. Sometimes, it’s obvious. 

     Will stood a little taller. “We’ll do what we have to do.”

     “We better. If we lose this account because you dropped the ball—”

     “Relax. Your attitude isn’t going to help us win them over.”

     Jen rolled her neck and closed her eyes. After a few deep breaths, her shoulders relaxed an inch. She met his gaze once more. “I’ll smile, and you dig us out of this hole you got us in.”

Make sense? A little goes a long way.
Thanks to McBeth and Vancouver Film School for the images.
Categories
The Binge Writer

5 Tips on How to Write Faster (With Bonus)

Do you want to write 30K-40K+ words in a weekend? Do you want to write faster?

You can. Become a binge writer.

Binge writing is an impassioned writing session during an elongated time period. It can last from five hours to fifty hours. A binge writing session is uninterrupted—apart from limited sleep.

[bctt tweet=”Do you want to write faster? #1K1H #writer #novelist”]

Many writers spend years attempting to finish their stories, but they never do. Not for lack of desire, but for lack of follow-through. I know from firsthand experience that if I tried to write 2,000 words every day I’d fail. I already have, multiple times. But, if I set aside time to binge write, I can complete project after project.

It’s time for you to become a binge writer.

[bctt tweet=”It’s time for you to become a binge writer. #writer #writing #writingtips”]

The results will astound you. I bet an extra 40K words might help you finish the final few chapters or your novel, or help you create an entire series of chapter books. The uses are endless.

But if you never embark on your binge writing journey, you may never accomplish your writing goals in a realistic timeframe, unless you learn to write faster.

Here are some binge writing tips:

  1. Cram your brain.
    1. Fill your mind with pictures, ideas, and research on the topic you are writing about. If you are writing a novel set in Paris, inundate yourself with French music in your car, watch French foreign movies or documentaries, and visualize the world around you as Paris itself.
    2. If you are writing a non-fiction about training dogs, spend time with dogs. Train them, observe them, and watch movies with dogs as characters.
    3. Let your mind absorb the images, actions, and ideas that you want to flow effortlessly out of you and into your story or book.
  2. Schedule your binge session.
    1. Pick your time and place. Don’t let anyone infringe upon your session and don’t make plans close to the start and finish of your time. You’ll only be able to binge write, if you hold fast and firm to your timetable. So when your brother-in-law calls to invite you to dinner and board games, you say NO even though you really want to go. You make a date with yourself.
  3. Set the mood.
    1. Before your session download music that will stimulate the proper mood for your writing. Epic soundtracks for fantasy, love songs for romance, etc. Have them preloaded and ready to go.
    2. If you like the lighting low for romance or suspense. Get your candles ready.
    3. If you are writing a story in a bakery, plan to have fresh bread baking in your house. Or, if your story is set in a field of flowers have scented candles or oils to help create the right aroma and atmosphere.

    [bctt tweet=”It’s not called binge editing—It’s binge writing, so write. #write #writing #1K1H”]