Tag: getting started

Categories
Mastering Middle Grade

Inside the Ten-Foot Line: From Conception to Publication Part One

As I wrote this article, I got an email from my publisher letting me know that the pre-order sales of my book Inside the Ten-foot Line earned three #1 bestselling banners on Amazon. Wow! Which leads me to believe I might have an insight or two to offer about the whole publishing process.

Keep in mind, every author’s path to publication differs. Some things I mention might resonate with you. Others may provide an ah-ha moment. You can also visit Kelli’s article on three lessons she learned on her way to publication.

My story is too long for a single post, so this month, I’ll explore the birth of the idea and draft proccess behind Inside the Ten-foot Line, and next month I’ll target what happened after the manuscript was complete.

The Idea

While there is no hard and fast rule for finding an idea for your book, write what you know is a good starting place. I took that advice and made a list of all the topics that interested me. I compared that to a list of topics that might interest my target age group to trim down my options. I mean—I know a lot bedtime routines. And while that’s a great topic for picture books, it’s less palatable for a middle grade novel, right? (Unless I work a hilarious bedtime routine into a scene where my protagonist is dealing with pimples and self-doubt.)

For me, one theme continued to rise to the top and melded well with the interests of my reader. Sports.

Question: What idea rises to the top for you?

Action: Check out another article on content issues from Kelli McKinney.

What’s Out There

Where does your idea fit in the current market? What other books will sit on the shelf next to yours? I found my answer in the local library. Sports had its own special identifying sticker and location in the building, making it easy for me to pull down and compare titles. Books geared for male athletes dominated the genre. However, even though the niche offered only a handful of books for female athletes, the market showed recent growth. And that was promising.

Question: Does your book can fill a gap in the market?

Action: Visit a library and look for books with a similar idea to yours.

Know the Genre

Determined to balance the scales, I read through several books, looking for similarities in plot, mood, and resolution. Most used sports as a setting to deal with larger social or emotional issues. After dissecting a whole stack of novels, I had a good idea of how to move forward.

Question: What genre are you writing? Contemporary? Speculative fiction? Historical fiction?

Action: Do your research. Take time to read books you will find next to yours on the shelf.

Write the Story

I wrote an outline for the plot using one paragraph descriptions for each chapter. Then I took one summary at a time and expanded it into a full chapter. This loosely structured approach left room for my characters to nudge (or throw) the story in a new direction. And trust me—when they take on a life of their own, they will! When that happened, I could easily go back to the summaries and adjust the plot accordingly.

Even though my book addresses social issues, I also made sure to pack plenty of sports action into the plot. In that way, I catered to my target audience.

Question: Will your story be written in first or third person?

Action: Create a detailed outline for your story.

That’s where the series started for me. How about you? Stop back next month to find out what happened after I completed my manuscript.

Elementary school teacher Lori Z. Scott usually writes fiction. Her down time is filled with two quirky habits: chronic doodling and inventing lame jokes. Neither one impresses her principal (or friends/parents/dogs/casual strangers), but they do help inspire her writing.

Somehow, her odd musings led her to accidentally write a ten-title bestselling chapter book series and on purpose write over 175 short stories, articles, essays, poems, and devotions. Lori also contributed to over a dozen books.

Lori enjoys speaking, leading workshops, and visiting local elementary schools to share her writing journey. Follow her on Instagram @Stories.by.Lori .

Categories
Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

Getting Started

As the year comes to an end, we are all eager for a new year and a new start. It’s safe to say we are all tired of this pandemic life and are hoping for a better year. If you are like me you have an idea or a journal full of ideas for writing projects.

The writing life is a never-ending process. But we all must start from scratch when creating new projects. Unfortunately, the first step is often the hardest to take, especially after trudging through the winter and holiday season. It’s like going from 0 to 60 in under a minute, getting there sounds good but in reality, it is a chore just to get going. It is even harder for someone who lives with a brain injury.

  • Inability to focus
  • Movement is restricted
  • Lack of stamina to finish the task.

The writing life can be just as difficult to be productive as being disabled. Some writers are procrastinators by nature, they perform better under pressure. Some are self-starters, others must be nudged and guided where they need to go.

Perhaps you have more self-discipline or willpower than most writers. Either way, we all need to get started at some point; writing is a marathon, not a sprint—although they may start at the same point.

Getting Started!

A new year means new opportunities for each writer. Personally, I have quite a few projects in mind for this year: blogs, articles, and even a new screenplay. Like most writers, the problem isn’t coming up with new ideas, but just getting started and writing them.

Each writer has their own way of getting motivated to write: work out, go for a walk, overindulge in coffee/caffeine. Unfortunately, due to my brain injury, I must limit my intake of caffeine which only stimulates our nervous system to give us a buzz, not energy.

 Where do you find yourself in the quest for motivation to write? I looked online and found ways writers use to help them get started:

  1. Set writing goals: Set goals that are easy to meet. Give yourself a minimum daily word count you need to reach. At the end of each writing session record your word count in a writing diary.
  2. Set deadlines: There is no better motivator than a deadline. Look at a calendar and set a due date for each chapter of your book and I completed the first draft.
  3. Write now, edit later: An essential part of creative writing is to just get your story down. When words are flowing don’t stop to edit. You’ll forget your thoughts and ideas and you lose momentum.
  4. Find the perfect writing space: Find a spot where you do your best writing. Make sure it’s away from distractions.
  5. Remember that the journey is the destination: Be in the present and enjoy the experience of writing.
  6. Commit to a regular writing time: Getting into a regular writing habit is easier when you use time management skills and schedule a specific time to write every single day.
  7. Change your thought processes: Remind yourself that the only way to become a better writer is to sit down and write.
  8. Join a writing group: Sometimes writing for yourself, is simply not enough motivation. Join a writing group that meets regularly so you are accountable to other people to turn and what you write.
  9. Take five:  If you have writer’s block, step away from your writing routine. Go for a walk or a jog. Sometimes just getting exercise helps open the creative flow of gates.
  10. Switch up your setting: Changing where you work can get you out of a creative rut.
  11. Switch directions: When you stall out during the middle of a writing project, change what you’re working on. Switching to a new writing style can refresh your thoughts.
  12. Try writing prompts: A fun way to find motivation is to use writing prompts to ignite a story. Prompts are often a short text passage that a writer uses as fuel to launch into a bigger story.
  13. Reward yourself: Use bribery for a little motivation every now and then never hurts. Promise yourself a sweet treat, a cup of coffee, or some little reward for reaching a milestone in your writing session.
  14. Read a book: If you’re having a hard time finding motivation, pick up something to read. Reading will turn off your creative engine and give your mind a rest.
  15. Remember why you started writing: Remember why you started writing in the first place and refocus on the story you set out to tell.

During my early years in rehabilitation I had to see a neuropsychologist to help me not only understand what was going on with my brain and body, but to keep motivated in my recovery process, it was there I learned the difference between motivation and inspiration; motivation comes from within us, whereas inspiration is an external means to inspire us.

As a disabled person, I have learned that I am responsible for how I handle my disability. When I cannot motivate myself to get going, I can always turn to someone or something for inspiration to get going.

Inspiration?

Most Christian writers hope to inspire their readers through their writing. Where do you find your inspiration? As a disabled American I found so much inspiration in the story of Joni Eareckson Tada, her success, despite her disability, has inspired millions of disabled Americans. The late Dick Hoyt is another inspiration of mine, his unconditional love and support for his special needs son have encouraged millions of men.

As a writer I have also looked to other’s for inspiration and specific areas of my creative writing process, below are a few:

Regardless of what you write or if you’re disabled or not, there will come a time when we all need a little help getting started!

Martin Johnson

Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at MartinThomasJonhson.com  and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.

Categories
Platform and Branding

Where You Are and Where You Want to Be

Platform and Branding

When it comes to building a platform, numbers fly around conversations like flies on leftovers. Some may say you need 50k followers on a single social media outlet to have a platform, others may say platform isn’t as important for fiction as it is for nonfiction. Others may say 30k on one platform is sufficient.

For a moment, set aside those numbers and listen to one freeing reality: Where you want to be is not where you need to be right now.

Yes, you need a platform, but if you write fiction crime novels your platform in this moment does not need to consist of fiction crime novel readers.

In some capacity, everyone is more talented in one area than another. When you’re looking to build your platform, start with where you are, not where you want to be.

Let’s say you are a stay-at-home mom and love cooking healthy dishes. Recently you’ve taken to learning the craft of writing—you’re working on your first romantic fiction and trying to build a platform.

You might think you need to start a blog on your romantic fiction, but I would urge you to think again. Instead, start using Pinterest to share your favorite recipes, or start a blog with a similar focus. As you naturally build a following around this passion, you’ll gain loyal fans.

How does that translate into a following for your book?

During the time it took you to write your manuscript and land your first contract, you’ve shared quality content on a regular basis for your followers. You’ve shared the best recipes you have and other than the usual requests of subscribing, sharing, and liking, you’ve never asked for a thing from your followers. You’ve provided free, quality content again and again.

They know all this time you’ve loyally provided what you said you would, and they’ve benefited. You’ve built a loyal following. At this point, they most likely won’t mind if you mention you’ve written a book and just signed your first contract. In fact, they’ll likely want to know!

And as an added bonus, maybe one of your characters loves cooking and you can mention he or she uses your most popular recipe as a second-date dinner in your romance novel. Now they’re really intrigued!

Whatever your current passion or talent, focus on building your following there. Once you have a loyal fan base and your book is about to be published, let them know. You’ll probably be surprised how many fans of your cooking blog turn into fans of your book.

With this type of platform, you don’t need to overmarket yourself or spam your followers with promotional material. They’re loyal to you, and if you have a new passion, they’ll likely want to support it as well.

Best wishes out there!

Sarah Rexford is a Marketing Content Creator and writer. She helps authors build their platform through branding and copywriting. With a BA in Strategic Communications, Sarah equips writers to learn how to communicate their message through personal branding. She writes fiction and nonfiction and offers writers behind-the-scenes tips on the publishing industry through her blog itssarahrexford.com. She is represented by the C.Y.L.E Young Agency.

Instagram: @sarahjrexford
Twitter: @sarahjrexford
Web: itssarahrexford.com

Categories
Writing with a Disability (Different Ability)

Just Do IT

Recently, I started writing a passion project. It is a twist on a favorite film of my childhood. I’ve wanted to do this project for three years, but for some reason, I’ve kept putting it off.

Although I was excited about it, I always seemed to find an excuse not to write it. It wasn’t until I had to force myself to go outside and exercise in the miserable wet winter weather that I found inspiration to start writing it.

Maybe it was because most of this project takes place in snowy settings. Maybe it is just that I wasn’t as passionate about the projects I had been working on at the time. Perhaps, it was the fog lifting from the state of S.A.D. I experience.

I remember the days after my accident when I didn’t feel like doing anything. The simple things in life (walking, changing clothes) were just too difficult. It wasn’t until I got tired of doctors telling me what I couldn’t do, that I became determined to prove them wrong. I found my motivation in the challenge of relearning everything. I learned a lesson that I apply to my life now.

If I can force myself to do things when I don’t “feel” like it, it’s easier when I do feel like it. 

Staying motivated can be difficult for people living with a disability.

  • It’s hard to focus sometimes.
  • We don’t have the physical strength or ability.
  • Depression is stronger than motivation.

All we can do in times like these is just press on and do our best. Because trying and failing gets us further than never trying at all.

I believe we need to apply this thinking to our writing lives as well. If left to our own devices we would never get any writing done because we don’t feel like writing. That’s why we have to just do it!

Just Do (Write) It!

Once I sit down behind a computer and start writing, I get an adrenaline rush and the creative juices start flowing. Sometimes all it takes is that first step to get us motivated and we wonder why we procrastinated in the first place.

Before beginning my new project, I decided to rewatch my childhood favorite for the first time in over thirty years. I had my notebook and pencil on the coffee table but got lost in the childhood nostalgia of the moment.

I’ll probably watch it again just for note-taking. It wasn’t long before I was online and doing research. I was so excited I went to church and talked to some friends about it; surprisingly they offered to help me with the technicalities of the subject matter.

My enthusiasm spilled over into an email to a screenwriting friend who is a thirty-year Hollywood veteran. In a few hours, he emailed me to send him a draft once I felt it was ready for a readover! I am still stoked about the project now as I am writing this article while there is a cold rain outside my office window. 

In high school, I heard a professional athlete from my area share with the local news, the difference between athletes and spectators.

 “The only difference between athletes and fans is athletes make up their minds to do the work needed to excel in their sport. They don’t just sit on the sidelines dreaming and talking about it.”

The same principles apply to writing. The difference between successful writers and those who never achieve publication is successful writers do the work it takes to be successful.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, writers write, and dreamer’s dream. This means a few things need to take place:

  1. Get serious about making it a career and not a hobby.
  2. Get the education and training you need to write correctly and be professional. This could be a formal degree or it can be taking a professional writing program. The best writers are always honing their craft; whether through conferences or online seminars and classes—you only know how much you have learned.
  3. Be willing to make the sacrifices needed to get your writing where it needs to be.
  4. Learn the importance of time management. Just because you’re getting training doesn’t mean you can’t be writing.

It took months after my accident before I learned what I was able to do physically, I learned through trial and error, not lying in a hospital bed feeling sorry for myself. All of these years later I am still learning the limitations of my abilities. I keep learning and growing. When the going gets tough, dig in and learn.

The struggle is real, but it is good!

I don’t like working out all the time. If I only worked out when I felt like it, I’d never work out. So I force myself to go and struggle through it. I’m not there to have fun or socialize. I don’t want it to be easy anyway, because I like a workout that challenges me.

Our muscles only grow when they are tested. I would’ve never relearned how to walk, dress, talk or even smile if I never made myself use those muscles. Writers need to use their writing muscles (brains, hearts and extremities.) Below are a few benefits of flexing your writing muscles.

  • Improves memory.
  • Builds a writer’s voice.
  •  Refines communication skills.

These can benefit people even if they’re not aspiring to be a writer.

But only if they “just do it.”

Martin Johnson survived a severe car accident with a (T.B.I.) Traumatic brain injury which left him legally blind and partially paralyzed on the left side. He is an award-winning Christian screenwriter who has recently finished his first Christian nonfiction book. Martin has spent the last nine years volunteering as an ambassador and promoter for Promise Keepers ministries. While speaking to local men’s ministries he shares his testimony. He explains The Jesus Paradigm and how following Jesus changes what matters most in our lives. Martin lives in a Georgia and connects with readers at Spiritual Perspectives of Da Single Guy and on Twitter at mtjohnson51.