The Book Doctor

This blog is now closed

2012-01-23T18:07:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry to announce that The Book Doctor will no longer be running.

In the meantime, I want to thank all of those editors and writers who have contributed, especially Pam and Edie. Thank you both for all your hard work in keeping this blog alive.

Because of the great posts they've shared, I'll leave the blog up for those who wish to look through past posts and learn something. If you would like to hire an editor, feel free to contact the editors (Book Doctors) listed on the left sidebar.

Wishing all of you success in your writing careers!

Blessings,

Sandi Rog

Christmas Gift Certificate for a Detailed Edit!

2011-12-15T12:03:00.001-07:00

We at Inspiration for Writers have done something we've never done before and most likely will never do again. But we've done it for the fun of it, for the excitement of it. We've done it as a special Christmas gift to some lucky writer out there. What have we done? Are you sitting down? We are offering a gift certificate for the detailed edit and critique of a book-length manuscript (fiction or nonfiction, your choice, up to 100,000 words) on eBay. The starting bid is just ONE DOLLAR. There is no reserve. If there's only one bid, well, the winner will get a gift certificate worth up to three thousand dollars for that buck. Yep. For real.

The winner will also get the same personal care and professional quality we give every client.

Want to know more? Better yet, want to submit a bid? Just go to

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290646489420#ht_2703wt_1038. If you have any problems with the link, go toebay.com and search for item number 90646489420.

And if you still have problems, email me: sandytritt@gmail.com.

But whatever you do, hurry. The auction will end on Wednesday, Dec. 21.

Please help us get the word out by putting this on all enewsletters, list-serves, email groups, blogs, facebook, twitter--anywhere you can. Thanks so much.

Sandy

Sandy Tritt, CEO

Inspiration for Writers, Inc.

www.InspirationForWriters.com

www.ghostwriters.ws

Check out our blog: http://www.inspiration4writers.blogspot.com/

PAM'S POINTERS

2011-11-06T22:50:00.003-07:00

Tips to Help You Get Published

by Pam Zollman

1) Age– Aim High. Word Count – Aim Low.

2) Neversleep under the same roof with a rejected manuscript. Send it out again as fast as possible!

3) Amanuscript in your file drawer is rejected. A manuscript in the mail is not.

4) Alwayshave a list of places to send your manuscript. That way, if it comes back, you can send it right out again withoutdoing more research and using that as an excuse for not resubmitting it.

5) Aneditor rarely calls and asks to buy what you have in your file drawer. So mail that manuscript today. You can’t sell it if it’s sitting in thedrawer.

6) Entercontests. Giving yourself a deadline isa good way to make you finish that manuscript. If you lose, so what? You have aperfectly good story to submit to other publishers. Besides, you never know…you might win.

7) Awriter writes every day. A writer writesthe best she can in everything she does. A writer experiments so that her writing doesn’t become stale. A writer tries other fields of writing,because she might discover another area she enjoys.

8) Awriter reads every day. A writer readsin his field to keep up with the market. A writer reads outside his field to broaden his mind. A writer reads for research, and a writerreads for pleasure.

9) Usethe Buckshot Method of Submission: Submit10 manuscripts to 10 different publishers. You have a significantly betterchance of selling than if you submit 1 manuscript to 10 publishers.

10) The Secretof Successful Writing: Put the seat ofyour pants in the seat of your chair and write!

Feel free to contact me, Pam Zollman, if you have problems with your stories. I'd love to help! My email address is pam (at) anauthorworld (dot) com. Visit www.anauthorworld.com.

Pantser or Plotter?

2011-10-16T21:47:00.000-06:00

by Pam Zollman

At our AAWC (www.anauthorworld.com) meeting yesterday, we talked about whether we were pantsers or plotters. These are individual writing styles. Which are you?

A pantser writes by the seat of his pants -- he just sits down and starts writing, without a plot or knowing exactly where he's going. He allows his characters to dictate where to go; he loves the spontaneity of his writing.

The pros of this type of writing is the freedom it allows. You don't have to have anything more than a vague idea in mind before you start writing. You can allow emotion and intuition to guide you, rather than a formal outline. You can go off on as many rabbit trails as your heart desires. Most beginning writers start off this way, and many professional writers still do this. Any outline they might have, they keep inside their head. Pantser feel this style of writing gives them the most creativity.

The problem with this kind of writing? Well, you might wind up with a rambling story and confusing plot. It may be overwhelming, especially for a beginning writer, to revise and fix. The inconsistencies and logic flaws can snowball into a huge amount of revision work. It's easy to get writer's block because you don't know where you're going with the story. You'll have pages and pages that you'll have to discard because they don't add to your story (even if they were fun to write).

A plotter writes down a detailed outline of his story before he even starts. He knows his beginning, middle, and end of his story; he even knows all the parts in-between. He has detailed character sketches, so that he knows everything he needs about each character and how these details will fit into the plot. All the backstory is worked out ahead of time. He can catch and correct any inconsistencies or logic flaws either before hand or as he writes. He can write fast because he knows where he is going and how he's going to get there. Writer's block usually isn't a problem.

The problem with this kind of writing? Well, you could wind up with stale prose. All the creativity went into making the outline. Sure, you can write faster, but is the emotion still in it or has it all been drained out? Your brain thinks it's already written the story because of the detailed outline. You write fast because you just want to get it over with; the love is gone. You can feel confined to following the outline, even though your characters and your heart tell you to change course.

And then there's the plantser: that's someone -- like me! -- who outlines her story ahead of time, but not in such detail that she becomes chained to it. I do a detailed character sketch ahead of time, so that I know my characters very well. Then I use my characters to dictate my story. I know my beginning, my ending, and all the major plot points in-between. But since I haven't outlined my entire novel, I have the freedom of letting my characters dictate much of the story. However, I don't let them change the major plot points or ending, unless I realize that their way is better It's not always -- sometimes it's just a fruitless rabbit trail they wanted to follow, and I have to know this and stop it before I spend too much time and energy going in the wrong direction.

So which are you? A pantser? A plotter? A plantser?

Whichever one you are will depend a lot on your personality. For some people, writing any type of outline just kills their creative spirit. For others, they are totally lost without their guide map, their outline. There is no one right way. I have successful, multi-published friends in each catagory.

So which are you? It doesn't matter, as long as you sit down and write.

If you need help with your writing, feel free to contact me at pam (at) anauthorworld (dot) com.

8 Ways to Beat Post Conference Blues

2011-10-10T18:22:00.000-06:00

I've been attending large writing conferences for twelve years and they all have ONEthing in common—post conference blues. It’s only natural. A week-long conference is an exciting, grueling experience. Just physical exhaustion alone could get anyone down—add to that the mental and emotional effects and you have the perfect set-up for a huge let-down.

For those who aren’t expecting the post conference blues they can—worst case—derail your writing career for a year or more. At the least they can set even an experienced writer behind several work days.

The feelings can run the gamut of a vague sense of unease to out-right panic. I’ve found that once I’m at home all the nice things people have said about my writing morph into something ugly.

They were just being polite—they didn't really like my writing.
They don’t really want me to send in that proposal.
hey’ll never publish that (article, devotion, whatever) they told everyone to send something in.

All of these are lies. I've sat on the editor side of the desk and believe me when I say this. Less than 30% of the writers I request something from actually send something in. I’m convinced that a big reason is the post conference melt down.

Here are some tried and true ways I’ve found to minimize the effects.

Give yourself permission to feel deflated when you get home.
Arrange your schedule so you have a few days to recuperate.
Pamper yourself. Sleep in, go out to eat, spend some much needed time with family.
Before you dive into conference generated work take time to evaluate what happened.
Make a list of things you want to accomplish over the next year, next six months and next month.
Develop a plan to stay in touch with new friends and contacts.
Reach out to others who may be feeling the same way.
Take your next steps in small increments.

All of these things can help you navigate the post conference blues. Now it’s your turn. Have you experienced the let-down? If so, what have you found to help you cope?

USING SCENE AND SEQUEL AS CHAPTER HOOKS

2011-09-25T23:03:00.002-06:00

by Pam Zollman

When most readers reach the middle of a chapter, they startcounting the pages to see how many are left. They do this to find a good stopping point. The problem is that sometimes, if the book isslow, the reader will not pick up your book again and you’ve lost him. The trick to keeping him turning pages andkeep your story fast-paced is to use scenes and sequels to create hooks at thebeginning and end of chapters.

Your story should start with some sort of hook to make thereader want to continue. Most oftenaction is used to sweep the reader along. After using the scene-sequel pattern, you come to the end of the chapterand must decide where to stop.

Chapter Endings: If at all possible, try to end each chapter with a cliff-hanger to forcethe reader to turn the page. Thecliff-hangers can vary in intensity, but should make the reader curious enoughto find out what happens next. The bestway to do this is to use one of the following:

1) Disaster – End the chapter atthe end of the scene with the point-of-view character being hit with thedisaster. The reader will want to turnthe page to see if the character survives it and what happens next.

2) Dilemma – End the chapter inthe middle of the sequel with the point-of-view character having to decide whatto do. His choices aren’t great, but hehas to do something! What will hedo? The reader must turn the page tofind out.

3) Decision – End the chapter atthe end of the sequel with the character having made up his mind what he willdo. He’s picked the best of his badoptions, and the reader will turn the page to see if the decision was a goodone or not. Plus, now the point-of-viewcharacter has a new goal, and the reader will want to read on to see if he canachieve this one.

Ending a chapter with Goal, Conflict, or Reaction are weakerchoices. However, even these can be veryeffective with the right plot situation.

Chapter Middles: End chapter 1 with either Disaster, Dilemma, or Decision, so thatchapter 2 starts out in the middle of the scene-sequel cycle. By the time thereader reaches the middle of the chapter and starts counting pages, you’vestarted the scene-sequel cycle all over again.

Chapter Beginnings: Whichever part of the scene-sequel cycle you ended the previous chapterwith, you start the next chapter with the next part of the cycle.

Next time we'll discuss how to use Scene and Sequel to pace your story. Feel free to contact me at pam (at) anauthorworld (dot) com, if you need help with your writing.

Conference Etiquette

2011-09-12T06:00:00.001-06:00

Today I’m finishing up my series on attending a writers conference with a great post from my writing and critique partner—Vonda Skelton. She originally posted this on her blog in 2009. Read the original here. She offers great advice on how to be a gracious addition to any conference!

Vonda Skelton is a national speaker, freelance writer, and the author of four books, including Seeing Through the Lies: Unmasking the Myths Women Believe and the Bitsy Burroughs Mysteries for kids. She is the owner of The Christian Writer’s Den Writing Blog, She and Gary have been married 41 years—and they’re still happy about it!

Conference Etiquette

Here are some suggestions on how to be a gracious receiver of an editor's or agent's or other faculty member's time and input:

Seriously pray about and consider who you should meet in faculty appointments. Don't just take an appointment because there's an opening. I did that the first year. Signed up to talk to just about everybody-even if I had no intention of ever writing what they'd be interested in! Wasted my time and theirs.
Be on time for your faculty appointments and be considerate when the faculty member says the time is up. I think most instructors are like me and try to stay on schedule in fairness to all those with appointments.
Listen more than you talk. Like many others, I tend to talk too much when I'm nervous. And before I learned this lesson, the less I knew, the more I talked! The best use of your time is to make a short introduction, tell a little about your experience, ask a sensible question, and then listen. Don't plan your next question while the person is answering the one you just asked. Really listen. Take notes if necessary. Follow up with other questions as time allows.
If you're getting a critique, don't defend every point the critiquer makes. If you do, you're wasting valuable time you could be using to learn. Of course, you may have questions you need answered for clarification, but don't argue or rationalize every point. Sincere questions are one thing, continually being on the defensive is another.
Realize that instructors will most likely be unable to take your manuscript home from the conference. Remember, you're one person. Multiply that by 300-400 students. If they are interested, they'll give you instructions for sending it to them.
Faculty members love to eat with students, answering questions and giving encouragement. But don't hog the conversation at meals. Occasionally there are those who dominate the conversation, treating the opportunity as one-on-one time. Not good.
One more thing about meals with faculty: It's really nice when they can get a bite or two of food in.
Be considerate: Don't shove your manuscript in their faces in the restroom. Don't interrupt a conversation or break in line to speak to someone. Don't bad mouth one instructor to another. ;-)
And a common courtesy that's often missing in our culture today: thank you notes. Handwritten ones are especially nice, but email ones are certainly acceptable. I cringe every time I think of those kind people who invested in me...and yet, I never even wrote a thank you note. Sadly, that wasn't something that I was taught as a child, and I didn't even take such notes seriously until someone mentioned it regarding conferences. Now I try to write notes to everyone who does a kindness to me. Sometimes I forget, but it is something I want to do. They've invested time in me. The least I can do is invest time to write a note.

So there you have it--suggestions on how to present yourself as a professional writer, as well as a kind, considerate person. ;-)

Now it's your turn - have you witnessed any crazy behavior at a writers conference? Have you seen anyone go above and beyond at a conference? I want to hear your stories.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

2011-09-04T23:24:00.006-06:00

We all know how important the right decision is. The more important it is, the more time we take to process all the information we know that concerns that decision. Your character has reacted to the last scene's disaster. He has realized his dilemma of not knowing what to do next. After weighing all his options, he now makes a decision. And, yes, this is a very important decision!

The decision your character makes will determine his next course of action. This decision of what to do next becomes the goal for the next scene. The decision section of Sequel leads your character back to the beginning: the goal of the next Scene.

Be sure to make your character proactive, that he actually makes the decision and that one is not forced on him (making him passive and not as interesting). Give him options, but don't make any of them easy. The more risky the decision, the more intensely involved is the reader. This is another way to raise the tension.

However, be sure that the decision is workable, even if the percentages are small (otherwise, you paint yourself into a corner). Now the reader is forced to turn the page to see if the decision is the right one and if it will work.

Remember:

3 parts to a Scene

*Goal

*Conflict

*Disaster

3 parts to a Sequel

*Reaction

*Dilemma

*Decision

Scene and Sequel work together to move your story forward. Next time I'll show you how to use Scene and Sequel in all types of fiction.

Visit AnAuthor World's website (www.anauthorworld.com) for information on our fall writing conference, The Story Continues. It will be Saturday, October 15, 2011, at Furman University, 3300 Poinsett Highway, Greenville, SC. If you have questions about the conference or just writing questions in general, feel free to contact me at pam at anauthorworld dot com.

Dilemma!

2011-08-22T06:28:00.005-06:00

by Pam Zollman

“What do I do? What do I do now?”

Your main character has been through a scene where he had a definite goal to accomplish, but ran into trouble. That trouble or obstacle caused conflict between your character and another person or nature or society or even with himself. This conflict didn’t turn out the way your character hoped; instead, it was a disaster. He didn’t achieve his goal; in fact, things probably just got worse. Your character reacts to this disaster with horror, grief, surprise, sadess, disgust or some other emotion.

Now your character has to ask himself, "What do I do now?"

The second part of Sequel is Dilemma. Your character now finds himself in a bad situation. During this part, you will raise the tension as your character goes through his options. His options should be few and none of them good. Even if your character does nothing, that is a choice and usually a really bad one. As your character examines all his options, your reader will be on edge, worrying about what will happen next.

How much time do you spend on Dilemma? That all depends on your story and where you are in your story. As discussed in previous blog posts, the bigger disaster requires a longer sequel. A small disaster requires a smaller sequel. Sometimes all your character can think (or is implied) is, “What do I do now?” Other times, your character must weigh all his options before he takes another step. If the plot calls for it, let your character work through his choices, even if this slows down the pace. If this is a major decision, then your reader will want to experience the character’s thinking process. Otherwise, don’t let your character agonize over every single dilemma in the story.

For example, if your character finds that he’s standing on a landmine at the end of the scene (okay, that’s a pretty big disaster), his reaction and dilemma will have to be explored. After all, this is life or death, or, if not death, then maimed for life. If your character finds that he has a flat tire at the end of the scene, it’s probably not life or death. His reaction is probably frustration because he’s on his way to a job interview and his dilemma might be whether to change it himself and get dirty, but be on time, or to call for help, stay clean, but be late for the appointment.

Don’t skip Dilemma, even if it’s so small as to be implied. At least imply it. Your reader may not know why, but he will be dissatisfied. The missing piece, no matter the size, could pull your reader out of the story as he tries to figure out why your character does what he does.

Questions? Feel free to contact me at pam@anauthorworld.com and I’ll try to help you with any story problems.

Google Plus - Will it Live up to the Hype?

2011-08-14T20:09:00.000-06:00

Have you heard the hype? Google is out to change the world—or at least the online part of it. Chances are, if you’re connected at all, you've heard the rumblings that have marked Google’s entry into the social networking arena with Google Plus.

I’m a small player in a big world, but I’m loving the view from the sideline. I’m observing the polarizing effect this is having as the big dogs take sides. I, for one, am cautiously impressed. After a short time of experimentation I’ve found Google + a big improvement on many of the other options out there.

Here are the things I particularly like:

Privacy settings. For me, they were easier to navigate and gave me more options than those I've been able to decipher on Facebook. It’s not perfect, although I can choose from more options, once I share a post with someone they have the option to share it and I can’t stop them.
Circle concept. I like being about to separate my conversations. Many writers (and other professionals) have had to decide whether or not to enter the social networking arena for friends, family or profession. The circles allow me to have ONE account and still keep my private life private.
Post editing. I can’t help it—I’m an editor at heart—and I like to edit. In Facebook or even Twitter, once I put something out there it either stands or falls . . . as is. With Google + I have the option to edit things I've already posted and decide whether or not to allow comments.

Granted Google + is still in beta mode, but I’m enjoying this new universe. I recommend you find a way to wangle an invitation and begin to test the water. Let me know what you think.

Scene and Sequel: Reaction!

2011-08-07T21:39:00.005-06:00

The three parts of a Sequel are: Reaction, Dilemma, and Decision. Readers read for emotion, and sequels provide an abundance of that. Sure, there's emotion involved in scenes, but your character doesn't have time to really experience it. Now, in the following sequel, he can.

Every action has a reaction. And after experiencing a disaster at the end of the scene, your character will experience a reaction, an emotion of some sort. A disaster hurts your character. How m
uch of a reaction or a hurt that your character experiences will depend on how big the disaster is and what it involves.

During "reaction time," your character is off-balance, reeling from the disaster. When your character hurts, your readers hurt for them. So, don't be afraid to hurt your characters and then allow them to feel the blow.

Remember, though, to keep the reaction appropriate. A pimple may just be an annoyance to a business woman. A pimple is a major disaster to a teen girl on prom night. The business woman's pimple may be a small "disaster" in that it may have resulted in stress that she doesn't want to show. A teen girl, on the other hand, may agonize over a pimple on that special night.

Sometimes, a series of fast-moving scenes with end-on-end disasters will not allow much time for reactions. A wave of emotions may flicker across your character's face as he speeds through the sequel, or your character may be operating in shock. However, there will come a time that your character will have to process all that just happened, and the first thing he proces

ses is his reaction to what just happened.

Also remember that in real life, people don't like to be around others who moan and groan constantly and have a woe-is-me attitude. And in books, readers get feed up with characters who do the same. In life, people leave. In stories, readers close the books. So, if you feel that your character must moan and groan, make sure that it's something really important. Then let him do it in the appropriate sequel...and everyone will be pleased.

Next time we'll cover: Dilemma!

If you have questions, feel free to contact me at: pam@anauthorworld.com. And visit AnAuthor World's website: www.anauthorworld.com.

The Scoop on the Dreaded Fifteen Minute Appointment

2011-07-31T20:07:00.000-06:00

I've had several people ask me what to expect when they having a fifteen minute appointment with an industry professional. Many even wonder if they should take advantage of an appointment. My answer? ABSOLUTELY. Even if you don’t have something to pitch, an editor, agent or even well known author can give you valuable insights to help you focus your career goals.

Let me give you some idea of why professionals agree to be part of the faculty.

They want to help you. By and large, those on the faculty at writers conferences are there because they have a heart for helping new writers. They know what it’s like to sit on your side of the table. Others have helped them achieve their goals and now they want to give back by helping someone else.

They’re looking for new writers. The market is constantly changing and there is always room for new writers. Recently I had someone ask me why a publisher is looking for new writers if the book market is shrinking.

First, it’s not shrinking—it’s changing.
Second, writers come and go.
Third, every choir needs more than one voice for each section. It’s the blend that makes the music beautiful.

Now, onto who you should speak with at a conference.

Editor (for books or magazines)—these professionals are a good choice for two reasons.

One—you have a project that fits their line and want to pitch it.
Two—they know the market and can give you an idea of their opinion about where it’s headed.
Three—they can give you input on an idea you have.
Four—they can give you career advice.

Agent—these are good for the same reasons above.

One—you have a project that fits who they rep.
Two—they know the market and can give you an idea of their opinion about where it’s headed.
Three—they can also give you input on an idea you have.
Four—they can give you career advice.

Published Writer—these professionals can do a lot of the same things. They can also:

Commiserate about challenges you’re facing as a writer.
Give you advice on where a particular project might fit or who in the industry might be looking for something similar.
Give you encouragement.

You’ll sometimes find other industry folks at a conference, such as marketing professionals, speakers, publicists, etc.

I encourage you to make your appointments and try not to be nervous. They are there to help, not tear you down. And a lot of good things can come from those appointments—way beyond career stuff. I’ve made friends, gotten validation that I’m not really crazy and had the opportunity to be prayed for and to pray for others.

Scene and Sequel...Continued

2011-07-24T23:26:00.004-06:00

by Pam Zollman

Quick Review:

Scene has three parts: Goal, Conflict, and Disaster.

A scene must have action that moves the story forward in some way. It has a goal -- it's going somewhere specific. It has conflict -- something that elevates the tension. It has disaster -- something that makes the reader want to turn the page to see what happens next; it increases the reader's interest.

Sequel has three parts: Reaction, Dilemma, and Decision.

Every Scene has a Sequel. Sometimes sequels are extremely short, so short, in fact, that you might not even notice that they're there. But when they're omitted, you notice...even if you're not sure why. You just know that something is missing. That "something" is usually motivation. Sequel gives the motivation for why a character does something. It sets up the following scene, giving it its goal.

After the disaster, your character has to figure out what just happened and what he should do about it. This tells the reader why your character has made a certain decision. It gives your character a chance to recover from the disaster, if even for a moment. It also gives your reader a slight break in the tension, although the decision that your character makes should ramp the tension/suspense back up again.

Next time we'll go into detail about the first part of Sequel: Reaction.

If you have questions, feel free to email me at pam@anauthorworld.com. Also check out AnAuthor World's website (www.anauthorworld.com) for upcoming events, workshops, classes, and conferences in the Upstate South Carolina area.

Get Organized for a Writers Conference

2011-07-17T21:23:00.000-06:00

For those who’ve known me for any length of time are aware that organization isn’t my strong suit—at least not in the conventional meaning. My desk is covered in stacks of paper and the walls of my office are papered with rainbow hued sticky notes. It’s a system that works for me—but I quickly discovered it didn’t translate when I went on the road.

So I found another way to keep myself on track when I’m away from the office and my conference notebook was born.

It’s really pretty funny. The moment people see my notebook they immediately assume I’m this ultra-organized whiz. Actually, the opposite is true and my notebook is just a last ditch effort at self-preservation. Another thing I’ve noticed is that this notebook works well no matter what your natural bent toward organization.

The primary idea for this notebook is that it contains everything I need at a writers conference so I don’t have to dig through bags or be constantly returning to my room for something I’ve forgotten.

So let’s get to it!

First, I choose a one and a half inch three ring binder. Mine is green because green is my favorite color. I make sure there’s a sleeve on the front cover to slide a cover into because it hold my contact information if I should lay it down and leave it somewhere.

Next, in the front I have a small zippered pouch with a couple of pens and some paper clips. I can also slide in a small lipstick, some band-aids and tissues.

After that, I have a neat insert that holds several different size and colors of sticky notes.

Then, I add 4 pages of clear business card holders. I use the kind that are the size of a full page, so I have plenty of room to add business cards. I keep the first three empty and use them to store business cards I get from others. The last page is full of my personal business cards, so I always have plenty to hand out. (Don’t know what to include on a business card? I posted a blog on that here.)

The next part is divided into sections with tabs. Each project I’m pitching has a section. Here’s what would go into a section.

A clear plastic sleeve containing my one sheet for that project. (Don’t know what a one sheet is? Click here for a post on one sheets).
An outline for the project—if it’s non-fiction.
A synopsis for the project—if it’s fiction.
A sample of my writing for the project. This can either be a couple of sample devotions (for a devotional book) or the first couple of chapters in a book (fiction or non-fiction).

I have several copies of my one sheet, outline, synopsis and sample—just in case the person I’m showing it to wants to keep it or mark it up with suggestions.

Finally, after the section for projects I stock the back of the notebook with notebook paper and extra clear plastic sleeves and tabs.

Extras, you can include in your notebook might be a bio sheet, a list of topics if you're a speaker or even a list of articles you might want to pitch. The nice thing about this kind of notebook is you can personalize it to fit your needs.

With this notebook, no matter where I run into an editor or agent, I’m always prepared. I literally have everything at my fingertips. During a conference I NEVER go anywhere without my notebook.

So what have you found to help keep you on track while at a conference? We’d love to learn from your experiences too.

Disaster!

2011-07-11T01:15:00.008-06:00

by Pam Zollman

Come on, admit it. You slow down at the scene of an accident. You can’t help yourself. You want to know what happened.

When there’s a hurricane or an

earthquake or a bomb blast, you stay glued to the television. You can’t help yourself. You want to know what happened.

When you see a friend upset or crying, you want to know what happened. It’s human nature.

So what does this have to do with writing scenes and sequels? Disaster is the third building block of scenes. The first two, goal and conflict, are set-ups for the third, disaster.

Disasters can be huge or they can be small. In my book, Don’t Bug Me! (Holiday House 2001), Megan has to collect 25 different bugs, mount them on cork board, and label them for her science project. When she goes into her room and sees that all her bugs are missing, that a big disaster for her. In another scene, Megan works hard at catching a cricket, only to lose it as it slips between her fingers. Her little brother scoops it up and claims it as his pet. Although not as big as losing all of her insects, this is still a disaster. Be careful, though, of making the disaster so big that you character cannot recover from it or so small that your reader either doesn’t notice or thinks it’s “much ado about nothing.”

· * Every scene has a disaster.

The disaster, big or small, must be the result of the conflict. It can’t come out of left field, unless you’ve set it up in previous scenes. It can’t be there just for “effect.” It must move the story forward.

· * Every story has a disaster.

The major disaster of the story comes at the climax and makes the reader wonder if the main character will achieve his goal after all. A story, though, will have at least three major disasters (one at the end of the “beginning,” one half-way through, and one at the end of the “middle”) before the climax. All of these disasters are related to the main character’s goal in some way and prevent him from achieving it, while moving the story forward.

· * Every character has disasters.

Your character will have lots of disasters, most of which are minor, but all hindering him in getting what he wants. Your character grows through these disasters; they strengthen him. He learns from the disasters. You decide which conflicts and disasters to give your character based on his fears, his weaknesses, his flaws. When you hit him with these, you knock him down. But you never want to knock him down so hard that he doesn’t recover. It’s okay if it takes him a few minutes to get back up, but your character must get back up; otherwise, your story is over.

Conflict creates tension. Disaster elevates it. So use human nature and our curiosity and concerns about disasters – whether man-made or natural – to keep your reader on the edge of her seat.

* * * * *

You can contact me at pam@anauthorworld.com if you need help with your story.

Dress for Success at Your Next Writers Conference

2011-07-05T07:43:00.000-06:00

Today I’m going to continue my series on getting ready for a writers conference. One of the most asked questions I get is about appropriate attire. Below is my opinion—you’ll find others who disagree—but it’s always worked well for me.

First let me say this, you’ll see a little bit of everything when comes to what people wear at writing conferences. But, and this is important, just because you see someone wearing it doesn’t mean it’s appropriate.

I always treat a writing conference like a job interview—and really that’s what it is. You are meeting people who are deciding on whether or not to invest in you and your work. It may be a small investment—like an article; or a large investment—like a book contract.

Here are the guidelines I use when I plan my conference wardrobe.

Business casual always works. For women, slacks, casual skirts, nicer jeans or capris. For men, slacks, nice jeans, polo’s, even some t-shirts if not sloppy. Suits are definitely NOT required. I like my style to look effortless and timeless.
Keep it comfortable, for shoes at least. I don’t know about you, but I can’t concentrate when my feet hurt. I try to avoid athletic shoes because of their ultra casual nature, but I would choose them if they were the only ones I could be comfortable in.
Dress in layers. No matter what the temperature outside—inside is always a roll of the dice. Some rooms will be hot, some cold. So I always try to top an outfit with a light sweater or jacket, and usually a scarf.
Leave the perfume (men, this means cologne) at home. I know lots of folks who get headaches from or are allergic to different strong scents—and their definition of strong isn't always the same as mine. Some conferences, like ACFW, bill themselves as perfume free.

And although this isn’t actually a piece of clothing, you’ll need to choose something to carry. Men and women need something to tote their laptops, notebooks, handouts, business cards, etc. Pick something with a wide strap, because it can get heavy by the end of the day and don’t forget to pack extra pens, tissues and breath mints!

Now it’s your turn—how do you plan your wardrobe for a conference?

Honing Your Conference Pitch

2011-06-27T06:00:00.000-06:00

Attending a writers conference can be a stressful undertaking—even for a seasoned writer. A lot of writers have gravitated toward our profession because we’re not comfortable with crowds, especially crowds of strangers.

That’s why I’m posting this series on writing conferences. It’s not to add to your stress—but to alleviate it. For me, when I know what to expect and am prepared, I’m less anxious. No one likes to feel like they're under the gun. I assume I’m not alone in this feeling.

So the first subject we’re going to tackle is the one that makes most writer’s stress levels spike off scale—pitching.

Over the years I’ve had people tell me they’re not worried about pitching—they’re just going to learn. Nice thought, but not based in reality. I hate to break it to you, but if you’re standing in line or sitting beside someone and they ask you what you’re writing, if you answer them, you’ve just delivered a pitch. I could post pages of stories from writers who wished they’d been prepared for this unassuming little scenario.

The idea behind a pitch is to get the person you’re talking with to ask for more.

Simple concept, harder to execute. So here are some of the do’s and don’ts of pitching.

Set up an intriguing scenario.
Introduce your main character.
Give a hint about their situation and goal.
Tie in the disaster or obstacle to that goal.

Don’t

Go over 2 sentences—try to keep it to one sentence.
Answer all the questions the listener might have.
Substitute cleverness for specifics.
Give away the ending.

Now, here are some real life hooks or tag lines from popular movies. I’d love to read some of your favorites as well.

"She brought a small town to its feet and a huge corporation to its knees." —Erin Brokovich
"To enter the mind of a killer she must challenge the mind of a madman." —Silence of the Lambs
"What if someone you never met, someone you never saw, someone you never knew was the only someone for you?" —Sleepless in Seattle 1993
“A businessman falls in love with a hooker he hires to be his date for the weekend” —Pretty Woman
“When you can live forever, what do you live for?” —Twilight
“Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water.” —Jaws 2
“In space, no one can hear you scream.” —Alien

Now it's your turn to chime in. Do you have any questions or is anyone brave enough to try their pitch out here?

Honing Your Pitch

2011-06-26T19:45:00.000-06:00

So the first subject we’re going to tackle is the one that makes most writer’s stress levels spike off scale—pitching.

The idea behind a pitch is to get the person you’re talking with to ask for more.

Simple concept, harder to execute. So here are some of the do’s and don’ts of pitching.

Set up an intriguing scenario.
Introduce your main character.
Give a hint about their situation and goal.
Tie in the disaster or obstacle to that goal.

Don’t

Go over 2 sentences—try to keep it to one sentence.
Answer all the questions the listener might have.
Substitute cleverness for specifics.
Give away the ending.

Now, here are some real life hooks or tag lines from popular movies. I’d love to read some of your favorites as well.

"She brought a small town to its feet and a huge corporation to its knees." —Erin Brokovich
"To enter the mind of a killer she must challenge the mind of a madman." —Silence of the Lambs
"What if someone you never met, someone you never saw, someone you never knew was the only someone for you?" —Sleepless in Seattle 1993
“A businessman falls in love with a hooker he hires to be his date for the weekend” —Pretty Woman
“When you can live forever, what do you live for?” —Twilight
“Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water.” —Jaws 2
“In space, no one can hear you scream.” —Alien

Now it's your turn to chime in. Do you have any questions or is anyone brave enough to try their pitch out here?

CONFLICT

2011-06-20T21:46:00.007-06:00

by Pam Zollman

This is Part 2 of my blogs on Scene and Sequel. Remember that every Scene has three parts: Goal (which we discussed last time), Conflict, and Disaster. This week we’ll discuss “conflict.”

One definition of conflict is “a state of open, often prolonged fighting; a battle or war.” Another definition is “a competitive or opposing action of incompatibles.” But the best definition I’ve ever seen of conflict is “two dogs, one bone.”

Some books have major battles in them, some physical and some mental. Some books have good vs evil (think Harry Potter). Some have two people wanting the same thing, but only one can have it. Depending on the age of your readers as well as the type of story you’re telling, you’ll have different degrees of conflict.

Conflicts are the results of obstacles blocking a goal. When your character is trying to get from point a to point b, you need to put something in the way to stop him. As he confronts the obstacle, he must decide how to deal with it. This, in turn, reveals the true nature of your character and allows him to grow slowly throughout your story.

· E Every story has conflict.

We don’t want our lives to have conflict; we go out of our way, in fact, to avoid it. However, we don’t want to read books without conflict. Those books are boring...and don’t sell. Since your story has a goal, then your story must have something to prevent that goal from being easily achieved. Plots usually concern one (or more) of these: man against man, man against nature, man against society, or man against himself.

· E Every character has conflict.

Obstacles for a character are developed from two main places: his goal and his nature. When you are devising obstacles, you must make them fit the story and move it forward. So examine your character’s main story goal and ask yourself ways to stop him from achieving it. What are some of the natural obstacles? If a boy wants to hit a home run, but usually strikes out, a natural obstacle would be a lack of time to practice. Also examine your character’s nature and use his weaknesses and fears as obstacles. If that boy had a weakness of not being able to say “no” to his friends, then he would give up hitting practice time to hang with his friends...and not be any closer to hitting a home run, which is his goal.

· E Every scene has conflict.

While your character has a major over-arching story goal, he also has smaller goals that move him forward in the story. Each scene has a goal, so therefore, each scene has conflict – something to stop your character from achieving his goal. The obstacle doesn’t always have to stop your character; it can also just hinder your character along the way. The size of the obstacle depends on the importance of the scene. The more important the scene, the bigger the obstacle, and therefore, the bigger the conflict. Your reader wants to see conflict “on stage,” not “off stage.” In order words, he wants to read about it as it happens, not hear about it from the author after it happened. If you do that, your reader will feel cheated.

Even though conflict and its preceding obstacles stop your main character from achieving his goal easily, it should not stop your character completely. Don’t paint your character into a corner; allow him a way to escape. If you don’t, then your story ends. But each obstacle and resulting conflict moves the story forward and strengthens your character.

Conflict: it’s what your reader wants!

Next time we’ll discuss “disasters.”

Preparing for a Writers Conference

2011-06-13T06:00:00.001-06:00

It’s conference season and many of us are making plans to attend at least one. Today I'm going to share some of the things you may want to prepare before you go. Two of the main reasons to attend a conference are Networking and pitching and I’ll concentrate on what you’ll need with these two goals in mind.

Networking

Networking is the easiest to prepare for. If you're just going to meet other writers and professionals the main thing you need is a good business card. Please take note, I said, good, NOT expensive.

These are the things a good writers business card includes:

Your picture - I know, I hate to have my picture taken and I always hate how it looks. But, in this business you need to be remembered and recognized and your picture is the best and easiest way to do that. If someone has a card with your picture on it, they'll remember who you are months longer than if it's just got your name. Also, it's harder to throw away a card with a picture on it than a card with just text on it.

The name you use when you write - if you use a pseudonym, be sure it's on the card. Here's an example (I just made up the names - they're not representative of a real person): Susie Stone, writing as Catherine Milo.

Your email address - this is going to be the main way others will contact you.

Your website or blog address - never pass up the opportunity to encourage new visitors to your sites. Also, many people will follow up on what you've told them and this will be a way for them to get to know you better.

Cell phone number - this isn't absolutely necessary, but it helps if your email goes down and someone has a hot lead for you.

Please take note of what is NOT included on a business card now. You do not need your physical address on the card. Actually, it's a liability. It can be dangerous to give out your home address, so if you feel you must include an address, invest in a PO Box.

It is possible to make your own business cards, using Avery brand sheets that go through your ink jet printer. The trick to successfully printing your own cards is to keep them simple! Another inexpensive way to go is by using VistaPrint. This online company is very reputable and I personally know a lot of writers who get their cards through them.

Bring some writing samples:

These are good to have simply because you'll probably find yourself in a group, or at a table, where everyone is sharing something they've written. It might not happen, but chances are, if you don't have anything to show, you'll be disappointed.

Pitching

This is when you attend a conference because you have something you want to sell to a publisher or if you want to get an agent. The things below that you'll need are specifically for those wishing to sell a fiction or non-fiction book.

It's important to keep in mind that everything you prepare for the conference to pitch a project is incremental in nature.

Your tag line or hook should make the editor or agent ask to hear more about your project (this is the time for the elevator pitch).

The elevator pitch should lead them to ask for your one sheet.

Your one sheet or pitch sheet should lead them to ask you to send them a proposal when you get home.

Your proposal should lead them to ask you to send them your entire manuscript.

Your entire manuscript should lead them to offer you a contract.

These are the generic steps in publishing. God can step in at any time in the process and something completely different can, and often does, happen. But, until that happens, I try to take it one step at a time.

Now Let's look at what's involved in each one of these components.

tag line or hook - this is one sentence, preferably 15 words or less. It should NOT be a synopsis of your book, but rather it's to intrigue the editor/agent and make them want to know more.

elevator pitch - this should be short, around 45 seconds. It will sound a lot like back cover copy or what is on your one sheet. Again, it's to make the editor/agent ask to see more.

one sheet or pitch sheet - this gives the blurb about your book, information about yourself (bio) and general info, like genre and audience for your project. If it's fiction, it states that the project is finished. If it's non-fiction it gives a completion date if the project is unfinished

You won't need a full proposal or manuscript for the conference. If an editor or agent is interested they'll ask you to email or snail mail them one when you get home.

Again, as with networking, you'll need to bring some samples of your writing.

This is just a general overview of what is needed. If you have specific questions, feel free to use the contact form at the bottom of the blog and send me your question. You can also post your question in the comments section. In the next few weeks I'll address each of these components individually or in groups and give you some examples to see exactly what others have used successfully.

Scene Goals

2011-06-05T20:38:00.004-06:00

by Pam Zollman

I was working on a scene in my WIP middle-grade novel and it was causing trouble for me. It made me go back and review what I was doing. I learned how to write scenes from Dwight Swain’s book, TECHNIQUES OF THE SELLING WRITER.

Scenes have three parts:

Goal
Conflict
Disaster

Today, we'll discuss "goals.”

Every story has a goal.

Your character has an overarching story goal -- the problem he or she has to solve, something he/she wants to achieve. My character, Joetta, wants respect from her family, but she doesn't understand at first that *that* is what she wants. She thinks she wants revenge for her twin brothers' pranks. She thinks she wants relief from a copycat younger sister. She thinks she wants her parents to punish her siblings, while giving her a break. This is what drives her through the story.

Every scene has a goal.

Her brothers continue to prank her, and in the previous scene attacked her with pillows until she screamed for help from her parents, who were unhappy at being awakened. So now she's lying there in the dark in her great-grandmother's home, thinking about revenge. She decides to wait until the twins are asleep and then write on their foreheads, "dumb" and "dumber." Her goal in this scene is to write on their foreheads without waking up them -- or her parents -- and getting away with it.

Goals create active characters.

Scenes are action. You want your character to be active, not passive. Passive characters react to what happens to them; they seem to allow things to happen. Active characters make things happen, good or bad. They don't wait for something to happen. Not all of their decisions are good, but they do make decisions and ACT. These characters are more interesting and engaging for readers.

Every scene goal leads eventually to solving the overall story goal.

As your character moves forward, scene by scene, goal by goal, he or she gets closer to solving the problem or achieving a desired outcome. Your character will not only reach the final goal, but will grow in the process. As your character handles each problem presented by each scene, he stretches and grows and is able to make new and better goals.

So give your character a goal in every single scene. It's what moves your story forward. Next time we’ll talk about “conflict.”

Farewell, Welcome, and Updates!

2011-05-31T05:53:00.000-06:00

Today I want to share some news from the Founder of The Book Doctor, Sandi Rog. I know you've all been following her progress in her battle against cancer. We also have some exciting news about a new addition to the Book Doctor.

News from Sandi

Many of you already know of this, but on November 1, 2010, the very day my debut novel THE MASTER'S WALL was released, I was diagnosed with Stage 4 T-cell Lymphoma: cancer. Since then, I've been undergoing the fight of my life, but not without the support of my family, church family, friends, schools, and the ACFW family. Truly, the prayers and support have rocked our world!

Well, I'm now nearing the final battle. I'm in the hospital getting ready to undergo a bone marrow transplant. I've completed three days of totally body radiation, and just finished my last round of chemo today. Without the donor's bone marrow, I won't survive. The donor's bone marrow will arrive on the 24th (this Tuesday) and will be injected into my body (much like getting blood). Please pray for my donor. We haven't met, but I know he's in a lot of pain with the injections he has to take to produce more blood (all this for a complete stranger; it's amazing!).

Anyway, I just wanted some extra prayers coming my way during this time. I likely won't have much energy in the upcoming weeks as my body will be at war within itself. The new marrow is supposed to grow and wipe out my old marrow, and in effect, tackle the cancer. Please pray it only takes out the cancer and nothing of "me." There's a chance it could attack my skin, gut, or liver.

It's a scary time, and I have four children counting on this to work (17, 14, 11 and 3). My husband is using time off to be with me during my difficult times (he's also able to work from the hospital most times), and his parents are in town from Holland to help out at the house with the kids. My sister will be with me during my worst of times next week.

In the meantime, my second book galleys are being proofed. I sent them on to my editor, Wendy Chorot, to proof them. I just can't do it. I pray I'll have the strength to read the ARCs once those are released, and Lord willing, I won't find anything major that needs fixing! :-) It's rather ironic that this story is to release after/during all I've been through. You can read the book jacket description of it on my last blog entry and see the cover. In the meantime, I'll share the foreward with you below, which gives better insight into just how deep this story goes. I thought the foreward was very touching, and it might give you all an idea of what this road has been like for me.

Love you all, and thank you so much for your prayers. If you'd like to share this with other prayer groups or blogs, please do! ALL the prayers I can get mean everything to me! EVERYTHING!

Love in Him,

Sandi

Farewell and Welcome
I know everyone has been blessed by Darlene Franklin's time with the Book Doctor. We're excited about her new opportunities, but she will be missed!

Today, I want to introduce a new addition to The Book Doctor family, Pam Zollman. Pam and I have become friends through the years and I greatly admire and respect her. She's a gifted writer and an amazing editor. I'll post her full bio next week, but she's written over 40 books and is a former editor with Highlights for Children.

GOOD-BYE

2011-05-23T05:00:00.002-06:00

Eighteen months ago, Sandi Rog honored me by inviting me to join the staff at the Book Doctor. I have been privileged to share my experience as a multi-published author, my heart as a struggling Christian writer, and my expertise in various aspects of writing with you, my fellow writers.

During this same time, God opened the doors wide for my writing. I currently have four books under contract to write; three of them are 80,000 words. I have become a grandmother twice over; and my health has gone downhill.

So the time has come to evaluate my activities and unfortunately, I will say goodbye to The Book Doctor.

Thanks to all of you who have made this such a memorable experience.

Writing Advice

2011-05-16T06:51:00.000-06:00

When someone asks me what I do or where I work, I always hesitate to mention that I’m a writer. Not because I’m ashamed of it or think I’m not worthy to be called a writer, but because it often leads to some frustrating conversations. Let me see if any of you can relate to some of my experiences.

“I’ve always wanted to be a writer. Can you help me?”
“I have a book I’ve written. Can you send it to a publisher for me?”
“I used to write in high school, maybe you could look at a few things and tell me what you think.”
“I’ve been through (you fill in the blank) and want to write a book about it. Can you tell me how to get it published?”

Don’t get me wrong, there’ s nothing inherently wrong with these questions, the problem comes when I answer them. I’ve found that most people don’t really want to hear the truth – they want a shortcut to fame and fortune, not the truth.

There’s no shortcut to becoming a professional writer. It takes time and commitment.
I don’t have an inside track into getting your book published.
If I take the time to look at your samples, I’ll tell you the truth and that may not be what you really want.
It’s hard to sell a memoir or personal experience story.

There are no shortcuts to becoming a master at your craft and writing is no different. Even exceptional talent needs time and experience to hone it into brilliance. Occasionally I come across someone who’s willing to put in the time and really learn about the craft of writing. Those individuals are a joy and I love taking time to help them.

How do you answer those who want help on the path to writing? How do we tell the truth without killing the dream?

THE LIKEABLE HEROINE

2011-05-09T04:00:00.000-06:00

One of my writing friends says "How do you create a likeable heroine--one who isn't sickeningly sweet?"

I will confess, I find some of the heroines in Christian fiction "sickeningly sweet" and their so-called problems laughable. In the early days of Christian fiction, this seemed to be the norm and not the exception. Thankfully, that trend has changed.

"But it's still true in romance."

Well--yes. We want a heroine we can root for and romances must end in "happily ever after" or not be a romance.

Well--no. I have written numerous novels for Heartsong Presents. As a Christian romance book club, some of their stories are simple stories well told of a man and a woman falling in love.

Some are much more. I remember one story (to my shame, I don't recall the title or author) that dealt with rape. Another, Dear John, introduced me to author Kim Vogel Sawyer--and a series that dealt with downs syndrome, alcoholism, and ex-cons. My own heroines have run lighthouses, worked in a Romanian orphanage, fought for women's suffrage, among other problems.

Consider the following characters from the secular world: Scarlet O'Hara; Miss Marple; Mary Poppins; Kinsey Millhone; Brenda Leigh Johnson; Ziva David; Alicia Florrick; Mary Richards; Emily Pollifax.

Each of those names conjure up images of unforgettable women. These women have unlikeable qualities. Ziva used to kill people for a living; Scarlet is completely self-centered. They also have weaknesses. Brenda Leigh sneaks chocolate whenever she can.

But they are strong, and we root for them--in spite of their less than sweet personalities.
What makes a heroine likeable? Why do we care about what happens? How about these ideas for starters:

She has weaknesses that we can identify with.

She faces opposition.

She cares for other people.

She takes risk to help others.

She is strong (different ways for different heroines)

She is real--her responses to life ring true

She is persistent

She's an independent thinker

Who are some of your favorite heroines? What qualities appeal to you?

Make Your Bad Guys Better

2011-05-02T05:58:00.000-06:00

One common mistake I see when I’m editing fiction is a lack of depth for the characters—particularly the antagonist. The days of the dark villain twirling his mustache are long gone. Readers expect the author to deliver a bad guy who is complex and understandable. We may love to hate the antagonist, but we also want to know why he’s the way he is. Below are some quick tips to help you begin to sculpt such a character.

Know your villain’s backstory. Your antagonist may think destroying the world is a credible option and that’s fine—but the reader needs to understand why.
Find something good within your antagonist. As I mentioned above, readers demand complex characters, and I character who is all good—or all bad, is a cliché. Give your villain a few good points and you’ll craft a more compelling story.
Allow your villain some face time. We've all read novels where the villain is some faceless, evil mastermind. But, especially in first novels, it’s better to let the reader see the villain with some POV (point of view) scenes. You don’t have to reveal all, but don’t neglect him.
Give your villain the advantage. Yes, we all want the hero to succeed, but a story where it’s obvious the he can overcome the villain isn't much of a story. It robs the reader of tension and fails to deliver strong conflict.
Let your hero find something within the villain to admire. I know it sounds risky, but again, this will add complexity and depth to your novel. It will also give your hero more internal conflict.

Now it’s your turn. What are some things you love to hate about villains in your favorite stories?

MANY VOICES, ONE VOICE

2011-04-24T16:24:00.002-06:00

"And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters." (Revelation 1:15, KJV)

A few years ago, when I read John's description of the risen Christ from the isle of Patmos, the description of Jesus' voice as "many waters" struck me. So that's why there are so many different writers and denominations. It takes every single one of us to show the world who Jesus is.

(Caveat: I'm not saying that is the only or the best interpretation of the verse.)

Our pastor's sermon on Easter Sunday touched on the same theme. One body, the church, with many different parts. He mentioned that so often Christians equate unity with conformity and we're not always comfortable with our differences.

This year I am again judging books for the "Carol" awards for published books. One of the books I've read isn't my kind of story at all. I have to work hard to set aside my personal prejudices to judge the book fairly. My critique partner (Susan Page Davis) and I frequently praise God for our differences. Wouldn't it be boring if we all wanted to write the same thing?

Today I'm not discussing the discovery or development of our unique writing voices. I am simply celebrating their existence. Consider what the following taglines reveal about the authors:

History, Mystery, Romance...and Hope - Carolyn Scheidies
Seatbelt Suspense - Brandilyn Collins
Southern-fried Fiction - Ane Mulligan
Spiritual Truth...With a Giggle - Kathy Kovach
Words of hope to strengthen your Biblical worldview - Casey Heringshaw
Writing at the Crossroads of Love and Grace - me!

Who are the some of the voices in Christian fiction who have revealed Christ to you in new ways? Share your favorite authors--and why they speak to you.

The Agony of Defeat

2011-04-18T00:01:00.001-06:00

With spring and it’s accompanying tidal wave of writing conferences comes the inevitable invitation to enter contests—and finally—the announcement of the winners. For me, this is when the crash comes. For every contest I do well in there are ten where I do poorly. Which ones do I remember—agonize over—the ones I lost, of course.

So how do we weather the storms of contest season? Here are a few tips that I find help me keep my perspective and actually come away wiser and not too discouraged.

Give Yourself Time to Grieve. It’s normal to feel let down or even angry when we door poorly in a contest. Let those feelings out, find a sympathetic friend, talk about how ignorant the judges are (even when you know they were right!) and cry a few tears
Put Away the Comments for a Few Days. Give yourself permission for a little breathing room. After you've read through the comments, put the file away and don’t open it again for at least a week. By then the edge will dull and you’ll be able to see what you need without feeling like a total failure.
Understand that the Writing Business is Subjective. One of the reasons this business is so hard on the emotions is because there is rarely a definitive answer. What one editor loves, another rejects as unusable. The same is true with judging. One judge may praise a clever turn of phrase while another claims it’s outdated and clunky.
Don’t EVER Measure Your Worth by How you do in Contests. There are lots of ways to measure your progress as a writer—contests are NOT one of them!

Entering a contest is a good way to stretch yourself as a writer and to help build protective calluses. Just know, the crash can come, no matter how well written the manuscript. Keep your perspective and don’t be afraid to take a chance.

Now it’s your turn—how do you cope with disappointing results?

*Special Note: Congratulations to all the 2011 Genesis Semi-Finalists!

8 REASONS TO JOIN ACFW

2011-04-10T22:45:00.000-06:00

The Oklahoma City Christian Fiction Writers (OCFW) chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) has been in existence for three years. We've had four Genesis contest finalists/semifinalists, three Carol award finalists, and one multiple-Rita finalist. Two of our authors have received first-time contracts. I think that's pretty amazing for a baby organization.

If you write Christian fiction, you might wonder why you should join ACFW. I put it off for several years myself. I'd been writing for a long time, long before ACFW or even RCFW ever existed. ACFW began to make noise shortly before I received my first contract (late 2003). I figured, why bother? I had already "made" it, so to speak.

If the success of Oklahoma City's small slice of ACFW isn't enough to inspire you, here are a few reasons to join:

Learn the craft. In addition to the annual conference, there are classes, magazines, a loop where questions about the writing craft are discussed on a daily basis. Today's writer gets a speed course in what took me a decade to learn.

Fellowship. Support each other through prayer. My daughter's death three years ago echoed through ACFW. I have never felt so much love and support.

Find critique partners. Whether you take part in the structured critique groups or connect with one or two individuals, you can find that person who will cheer you on to success.

Find special interest groups. Join a group for everything from international suspense to speculative to 19th century romance.

Network nationally. Rub elbows with some of the best in the business, both writers and editors.

Market more effectively. Learn about current trends, opportunities, and the all-important "how to."

Gain exposure. Whether as author of the week, book of the month for the book club, fiction finders on the website, or only by posting to the loop, become known within the Christian writing community.

Be a part of your professional organization. ACFW is "the" organization recognized nationwide with Christian writing circles.

If you are a member of ACFW, tell me what you like about it. If you're not--is there something holding you back? (We're always open to improvement.)

The Secret to Writing a Compelling Scene: Less is More—More or Less

2011-04-04T00:01:00.001-06:00

Writing a powerful scene is a precise balance between what you say and what you don’t. The author has to provide enough detail to transport readers into the story, but not so much it clogs the flow of the story.

Let me give you an example using a movie I’m certain almost everyone’s familiar with—Jaws. Jaws was one of Steven Spielberg’s early movies and a lot hinged on its success. It was filmed in a time before CGI (computer generated images) so everything had to be filmed in real life.

Originally Mr. Spielberg planned to use a gigantic mechanical shark. He envisioned it providing the realism he thought the movie needed—slicing through the water, devouring swimmers and creating havoc. But one thing stood in the way, they film crew couldn't make the shark work.

The further they got into filming the worse things got, and the further behind schedule they lagged. Finally, the soon-to-be-great Steven Spielberg had to admit defeat—and come up with another way to make the movie—without the shark. He struggled, trying to determine how to add fear and terror without showing the audience the shark. It was then he hit on the answer, concentrate on the character’s reactions—physical and psychological—and let the shark be implied.

Well you and I both know the rest of the story, and it was arguably this movie that started his meteoric rise to success. Even today I can call to mind that iconic music and the terrifying opening scene. So what can we learn from this movie classic? Here are some things to remember when crafting a scene.

Don’t name emotions – give your characters believable reactions and your readers will get it.
Amp up the conflict – with powerful conflict comes heightened stakes. Your readers will get drawn deeper into the scene when they care about what happens.
Don’t tell every detail – describe enough to let your reader feel they know where the characters are, but don’t be afraid to let your reader fill in some of the blanks. When the reader gets personally involved it becomes more real.

Paying attention to these three tips will help any scene get started on the right track.

MUSINGS ON THE CREATIVE PROCESS

2011-03-28T04:00:00.002-06:00

Is anyone else out there a fan of Celebrity Apprentice?

A few weeks ago, the teams had to write a children's book. The criteria? Was it age appropriate (did they understand their audience)? Was it unique? How was the writing?

Sound familiar? If we compose a well written, unique story suited for a publisher's audience, we have a decent chance of selling our book. On the show, the men's team nailed it.

But what I have the most fun with is seeing how the creative celebrities handle the competition. The same complaint has been leveled against actor Gary Busey and musician Bret Michaels: they lack focus. They have great ideas, but their project managers have to rein them in. They're also both brilliant, and Bret went on to win his season.

Creativity--a writer's lifeblood. According to some, that which stamps humanity as made in the image of God. When I consider my strengths, creativity ranks high on the list.

When I consider my weaknesses, the same problems that plague Busey and Michaels plague me. I have trouble staying on task. I'm not focused. I tend to live in my imaginary world while the real world falls apart about me.

Not all creative types are the same. In this season alone you also have musicians Dionne Warwick and John Rich and actress Marlee Matlin. So if you are blessed to be both creative and organized. . .hurray!

Watching how these highly successful artists operate shines a spotlight on my own creative process. . .I feel less alone and yet more unique at the same time. The creative mind is truly a different animal.

And I love it.

It's NOT Just Twittering Your Time Away Part Two

2011-03-20T19:04:00.000-06:00

Stay with me—this is doable!

Last Monday I gave you the basic course in TWITTER. To be totally honest this probably left most of you still in the dark, but willing to at least explore the possibilities. Now that we’re all on the same page, I want to share some of the benefits to becoming a regular Twitter user.

A Marketing Dream

Think of TWITTER like a short commercial spot during the Super Bowl—the place with the most viewers at one time. (See where I’m going here!) During those spots, some people are in the kitchen refilling their plate, others are chatting about the game, but a few are watching. Something in that particular commercial caught their attention. Those few spread the word and POOF a few become millions.

Twitter has this ability because it comes to us in short, 140 character bursts. These bursts are easy to share and reproduce. Remember our definition of RETWEET last week? Retweeting can cause a viral reaction—and that’s a good thing. Having a tweet that goes viral means your message is being seen by millions.

There are certain things that we can do to help others find our valuable TWEETS. Let’s go back to the Super Bowl analogy for a moment. During the game, some of us take watching these commercials a step further—we’re watching for certain ads—think of it as looking for keywords that pertain to our wants or needs. TWITTER is set up to accomplish the same thing, through the use of HASHTAGS # and the use of @.

HASHTAGS or # denote a subject. People can search TWITTER for certain subjects, like writing or publishers. So if I want a certain TWEET to reach other writers who don’t yet follow me I can insert #write somewhere within my TWEET. I started using HASHTAGS in my TWEETS and within TWO HOURS added 26 new followers.

A word of caution, don’t overuse the HASHTAG. If you use it too often within one post it will seem like a hard sell and you still only have 140 characters to get your message out.

As a TWITTER user, I search for these subjects and have them arranged in LISTS (more about LISTS in a moment). When I find one that’s interesting I can click on it to investigate further and then FOLLOW that person.

@ designates a person or a company. Just like I can search for a subject, I can search for a specific entity. I follow one geeky, technical blog called MASHABLE. I love their posts because I can understand them and apply them. Their TWEETS are even better, so I created a list that follows every mention of MASHABLE.

LISTS are a way of arranging information into usable knowledge. So how do you organize those lists? If you’ve spent some time on TWITTER you know your specific TWITTER page is just one long confusing column. I have the answer to that as well—TWEETDECK. TWEETDECK, like TWITTER, is free.

TWEETDECK is an ancillary program that organizes your TWITTER feeds into manageable groups through the use of columns. AND—get ready for it—it also interfaces with Facebook and other social media outlets! So I have ONE (count it, one!) window open in the background, giving me real time tweets and wall posts. I can chime in (post or TWEET) anytime I please.

I hope this has continued to whet your appetite for all things TWITTER. Next week we’ll continue on with managing lists and customizing your TWITTER page.

Now it’s your turn. Have you gotten your feet wet with TWITTER? Let me know your concerns, questions and triumphs.

It's NOT Just Twittering Your Time Away

2011-03-13T21:27:00.000-06:00

First there was blogging, then Facebook and now Twitter has been touted as the newest must-do for writers. And as much as none of us needs something else to do online, I have to admit, I do love Twitter. The 140 character bursts are like carefully crafted hooks - each one designed to entice a new reader. What novelist can resist the challenge?

Even though I loved the concept - I did find Twitter intimidating at first. So for those of you who are just dipping a toe into the Twitter pond, this series of posts are for you!

Twitter 101

Twitter is easy to join. Just visit the Twitter homepage and click on Get Started—Join. Set up your user name and password. Click I Accept then Create My Account.

At this point Twitter will ask you if you want to find friends. Come back to this option later. Instead, I suggest the order I've outlined below.

Settings are VERY important on Twitter!

Click on the Settings Tab to ensure everything is ready for visitors.

Enter your full name—only spammers and newbies hide their identities. You’re on Twitter to be found
Make sure the Time Zone field is set correctly.
Enter your location—again, you’re here to be found.
Do NOT check Protect My Updates—this negates the whole point of Tweeting.

Say Cheese!

That’s right—it’s time to upload a photo. Photos are important, spammers are known for having no photo. Personally, if you don’t have a picture and I don’t know you well, I won’t follow you. (This is a common problem for those new to Twitter and can keep you from gaining followers)

First click on the picture tab.
Browse your files and select a photo.

At this point you can click on the Design tab and do a little customization. We’ll get into advanced custom backgrounds in a later post. But there are several attractive options on Twitter.

Now that you’ve got your homepage set up it’s time to find some people to follow. You can import contacts from Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, etc. But I choose not to. I dislike invitations to follow someone and prefer to choose whom I follow.

I recommend you take your time here. Instead of inviting everyone you know, search for some close friends/associates that you’d like to follow. Start with about 20 to get used to the feeds.

A note on etiquette here—if someone follows you, it’s considered common courtesy to follow them back. This etiquette isn’t set in stone. If you’re really not interested, don’t bother. But unless there’s a good reason NOT to follow them you should.

Common Terms

I'll leave you with an introduction to Twitter Terminology.

When you post something it’s called Updating Your Status or Tweeting. Michael Hyatt has the best explanation of the Twitter community I’ve ever read. He likens it to sitting in a roomful of people. Updating your status tells everyone in the room something.
Replying to an update answers a specific person, but everyone can hear (all your followers can see your update). You do this with the @followed by the person’s name. Example @EdieMelson. This is actually a clickable link so others can click on @EdieMelson to get to her feed.
A Direct Message is like whispering in someone’s ear. The message goes to them only.
One other term that’s important to know is Retweet. This is when you repost something someone else has tweeted.

This should be more than enough info to get you started. Next week we’ll go more in depth with how to develop communities and follow conversations. There are lots of neat and easy applications that make Twitter a valuable tool for writers.

I invite you to visit my Twitter Homepage—I’d love to become one of your followers!

Open With a Bang!

2011-03-08T08:37:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, stories opened with a section of what I’ll call setup. In the first few pages, or at least few paragraphs, the author introduced the reader to the main character and the storyworld. Then, the real story would begin.

This formula has gone the way of fairy tales. The society we live in today is one of instant gratification. Almost unanimously, readers expect to be hurled into the action of the story. Action is king when it comes to starting a story that grabs the reader’s attention.

Even more than just action, the opening of a story must deliver something unique or at least a different spin. It was a dark and stormy night, will get you nowhere with today’s reader.

So how do we deliver an effective opening without leaving the reader with nagging questions? These guidelines will help you craft a compelling first page and propel your reader into the midst of the action.

Give the reader enough of the setting to anchor the storyworld.
Introduce the main character through the action, dialogue and internal thoughts. This is critical because it’s when the reader begins to sympathize with the character.
Hint at what is at stake in the story to come.

When deciding how to open your story, be sure take genre into account. A Suspense book will generally start on the run, while a Romance needs to have a meeting between the hero and heroine. In a Mystery, the opening is . . . well, mysterious and in Fantasy/Science Fiction, more time is spent on the storyworld. The best way to determine the norm for a genre is to study books currently on the market. Here are some I like.

The way I see it, life is a jelly donut. You don’t really know what it’s about until you bite into it. And then, just when you decide it’s good, you drop a big glob of jelly on your best T-shirt.

Ten Big Ones

By Janet Evanovich

I’d been waiting for the vampire for years when he walked into the bar.

Dead Until Dark

By Charlaine Harris

Keryn Wills was in the shower when she figured out how to kill Josh Trenton.

Double Vision

By Randall Ingermanson

I’ve given you three of my favorite openings. Now it’s your time to share. What are some openings that have reached out and grabbed you?

WRITING THE NOVELLA: THE DREADED SYNOPSIS

2011-02-27T19:56:00.002-07:00

Writing a one-page (or even two-page) synopsis is an art form. In some forty-something single spaced lines, the author must introduce the characters, setting, central conflict, spiritual thread, and plot development that ends in happily ever after.

• Characters: Say good-bye to the luxury of spending half a page telling the characters’ back story. Introduce them, and their conflicts, in action. Here is a paragraph from one of my novella proposal that manages to do this in succinct fashion:
Major Troy Brennan, ret., comes to Christmas, Florida, shortly before Thanksgiving for a specific purpose: he wants to find “Aranda H.,” the army widow who’s been sending him Christmas cards for the past five years—always signed “Merry Christmas, with love.”

• Setting: This is often done earlier in the proposal, in introducing the anthology concept. Historical proposals usually include a line at the beginning of the synopsis giving the place and time period: “Breading, Texas, a fictional town in East Texas, 1884” (from The Face of Mary in A Woodland Christmas)

• Central conflict: Although the plot of a novella is simple of necessity, there still must be a clear reason why the hero and heroine don’t fall into each other’s arms. In the first example, Randi’s response to Troy’s proposed visit? Simple. She panics.
Ever since her father deserted her as a child, she’s steered clear of romantic entanglements, with the exception of her husband who helped her get through the dark days when her father left. And even if she was interested, her newly-adult son, Mike, a high school senior, is getting into trouble faster than she can get him out.
This paragraph not only clarifies the central conflict—Randi doesn’t want romance—it explains why and sets up the plot developments that will take place.

• Spiritual thread: With Barbour, include an appropriate Bible verse with the synopsis: King James for historical proposals, New International Version for contemporary. Then at some point(s) in the synopsis, show the connection between the verse and the story. In The Face of Mary (A Woodland Christmas), the hero is looking for inspiration as he paints Mary’s face. His mentor counsels him “that he couldn’t do better than to look for a woman like the mother of Jesus.”

• Plot development: For Christmas novellas, this can often hang on the timing of the Christmas season. The Face of Mary begins with Thanksgiving and lasts through Christmas, tying in the plot with the pastor’s messages about Mary during the Sundays of advent. I’ve also used the duration of a blizzard (six days, in Dressed in Scarlet in Snowbound Colorado Christmas); the weekends of a Christmas play (First Christmas in Christmas at Barncastle Inn); and the stops on a Wild West Show tour (Lucy Ames, Sharpshooter in Wild West Christmas) to give structure to the plot.

• Conclusion: As in all romance—happily ever after, engagement or wedding, and can be included in a brief epilogue.

The proposal for Postmark: Christmas sits on Becky Germany’s desk as I write this blog post. Here’s hoping and praying for the best! All the other stories have been contracted/published.

When Writing Fiction, Make Sure it’s True

2011-02-20T21:16:00.000-07:00

Or at least true to life!

Have you ever read a book and felt like a character wasn’t acting or reacting right?

Maybe you’ve found yourself deep in the story and suddenly you find something happening that was totally unbelievable. These are common complaints from readers and it’s our job as writers to insure that it doesn’t happen in our storey world.

Here are a couple of guidelines to help your story always ring true.

Take time to get to know your characters. The more you know and understand about who your character is the easier it will be to keep them true to themselves. And a character who is true to herself is always believable.
Become familiar with your setting. It doesn't matter if your story is set in your home town or on planet Egon if you can’t visualize it neither can your reader.

Whatever you write, don’t fall into the trap of It Really Happened.

We’ve all heard the old saying, STRANGER THAN FICTION. Like most clichés there is more than a modicum of truth within it. Sometimes things that happen in real life just don’t work in fiction.

I got caught in this trap one time. I entered a Flash Fiction contest by retelling a true story about two of our three sons. The younger one, Kirk, insulted his older brother’s girlfriend. Afraid of repercussions, Kirk shimmied up a nearby sapling—well out of reach from his older brother’s wrath—or so he thought. The older brother, Jimmy, proceeded to get a hatchet and cut down the tree, with Kirk still clinging to its uppermost branches. Luckily Kirk wasn’t hurt and the girlfriend’s honor was avenged.

When my entry was returned I was disappointed, and a little surprised, to learn it hadn’t fared well. But the judge’s comments explained why. I’ve kept the comments and shared many a chuckle with my family when we’ve reread them. “Story line is totally unbelievable. No brother would ever treat another in this manner.” So learn the lesson I did—just because it really happened doesn’t make it believable.

WRITING THE NOVELLA: PROPOSAL

2011-02-13T21:44:00.000-07:00

by Darlene Franklin

Let me begin this post with the sad announcement that alas, Barbour is no longer accepting proposals for novellas in 2012. Let’s pray for success so that they will soon be looking to fill slots for 2013.

Again, as I share these hints, keep in mind that my experience with writing novellas has been with Barbour exclusively. So do your homework and adapt my comments to what your targeted publisher wants.

Of all the proposals a writer must develop, the novella is probably the simplest, pared down to a minimum. That’s not to say it’s easy (is anything about writing?) But the components of a proposal are either shortened or don’t apply. Consider the proposal for Barbour (again, check against your publisher’s requirements):

· A “blurb” page—paragraph about the concept for the anthology, and paragraphs about each novella.

· Author bios

· 1-2 page synopses, with Bible verses, for each novella.

· First chapter only for any unpublished authors (not necessary for authors previously published with Barbour)

That’s it. No planned endorsements, no complete manuscript, no marketing comparison—nothing more than a great idea that is well-executed.

Is there continued interest in this topic? Let the book doctors know.

The Unwritten Contract

2011-02-06T17:52:00.000-07:00

Did you know that you have a contract with your reader? You do.

UNWRITTEN CONTRACT

Party of the first part – from here on referred to as THE READER

THE READER agrees to suspend belief and enter the fictional world that’s been created.

Party of the second part – from here on referred to as THE WRITER

THE WRITER agrees to do everything possible to facilitate their remaining, undisturbed, within that world.

What exactly does this legal jargon mean? Let me explain. Have you ever been reading a book or a story and something startles you and you realize you actually felt like you were IN the story? It’s almost like an alternate reality or a dream.

I once attended a workshop by Ron Benrey where he referred to it as the fictional dream. (He has a great book, The Complete Idiots Guide to Writing Christian Fiction.) I’ve also heard it referred to as the fictional bubble. Well, this fictional dream is a good thing for the reader and we want to avoid doing anything that can jar them from this dream world. Trust me, there are plenty of things in the real world to jar them awake. It means that there are certain things we do or DON’T do, when we write, to make it easier for the reader to

Use correct grammar. Glaring mistakes can jar THE READER awake, making them wonder why they agreed to read you story.
Make your Point of View (POV) shifts clear and seamless. When you change POV make certain you have a good reason for doing so.
Use unobtrusive attributions, like said. Even better, use a speaker beat.
Avoid overuse of misspelled words to indicate dialect. A little is fine, but once THE READER has the character’s voice in their head, continuing makes the dialogue difficult to read.
Avoid italics when possible. An occasional italicized word for emphasis is fine, but thought after thought in italics is hard on the eyes. Instead, try to write deeper from the character’s POV. This is sometimes called Deep POV.
Use all five senses when you write. This will bring the story to life for THE READER

Following these simple guidelines can make it easier for THE READER to immerse themselves in our story.

Paralyzing Fear

2011-01-31T06:03:00.002-07:00

Paralyzing fear, also known to those of us who scribble as a living as writer’s block. Most writers have experienced this at some point in their career. Traditionally, we define it as a time when the well runs dry in the middle of a project.

I have a different opinion. I’ve talked with (okay, occasionally ambushed) many writers over the years and find the conversation might go something like this.

Me: “Have you ever had to deal with writer’s block?”

Anonymous Writer: “No, never. Once I start a project I just keep going, no matter what I’m feeling.”

Me: “What about before you begin a project? Have you ever postponed it because you doubt your ability to do it justice? Or maybe you needed to think about it some more - just work out the details in your head?"

At this point the person I’m speaking with usually takes a step back and begins to hem and haw. Most writers don’t include being afraid to start a project, as writer’s block. I would beg to differ – anything that keeps you paralyzed and unable to write is, by definition, writer’s block.

Funny thing is that the people who suffer most from writer’s block are writers who’ve had a modicum of success. Maybe they’ve won a contest or two, or written regularly. Far more often I find that they’re afraid they can’t live up to what’s gone before. I also find it crops up when a writer is trying a new genre. They might be going from fiction to non-fiction, or from writing devotions to writing a column or even romance to science fiction. Let’s face it, trying something new is always a daunting prospect.

Now that we’ve defined it, how do we combat it?

First, quit putting it off. Make a commitment to spend a certain amount of time in front of the computer – writing – and do it. Sound hard? Of course it is, otherwise everyone would be a writer.
Begin by writing what you’re afraid of. Fear of failure? Write why it matters. Fear of inadequacy? Define it. You’ll find that it looks small and a little silly when you actually write it down.
Next, remember how you got here. Recognition in the writing world comes (99.9% of the time) from putting in time. It comes from being willing to let others see your work and getting back at it after rejection. Give yourself some credit – you’re obviously not a wimp, or you wouldn’t be trying to become a writer.
Finally, give yourself permission to try and fail. Just because this one project doesn’t work out doesn’t mean you’re not a writer. I would say the contrary is true. If everything you’ve tried, succeeded, maybe you’re not trying much.

So get out there, quit procrastinating under the guise of ‘I have to think this through before I start.’ Blow a raspberry at writer’s block and hit those keys!

MARKETING NOVELLAS

2011-01-23T15:18:00.005-07:00

Recently there have been several questions on the ACFW loop regarding writing and selling novellas. Today I am going to discuss marketing novellas.

Recently Barbour (my publisher) created quite a stir by announcing that in 2012 they will be releasing a total of 26 novella collections—13 historical, 13 contemporary, for a whopping total of 104 novellas. They are already awarding contracts, so the competition is on!

Steeple Hill (publisher of 2010 Carol award winner for historical novella), Tyndale House (publisher of 2010 Carol award winner for contemporary novella) and White Rose Publishing also publish novellas. There may be others, but I’m not certain.

Since my experience is with Barbour (four novellas), I will speak to their process. The steps are fairly simple:

1. Decide whether you want a contemporary or historical setting.

2. Assemble a team. This must include at least two established Barbour authors (and three is better).

3. Choose a geographical setting and a theme. Consider the following titles of the Christmas novellas from this year, that give you both in a few words:

Christmas Mail-Order Brides: Four Mail-Order Brides Travel the Transcontinental Railroad in Search of Love
A Door County Christmas: Four Romances Warm Hearts in Wisconsin's Version of Cape Cod
A Riverwalk Christmas: Four Couples Find Love in Romantic San Antonio
A Woodland Christmas: Four Couples Find Love in the Piney Woods of East Texas

4. Prepare the proposal. Elements will include: (Hint: Becky prefers single space.)

Blurb summarizing anthology
Blurbs summarizing each of the four novellas
Bible verse for each novella
Synopsis for each novella (1 page preferred)
First chapter for authors not previously published with Barbour
Author bios

5. Choose one person to submit the proposal to editor Becky Germany. . .and prepare to wait. She generally will contract the manuscript six months prior to the manuscript due date.

Although the process is fairly simply, I have noticed some common mistakes from non-Barbour authors:

1. Send a proposal for a single novella—proposals must be made for the anthology as a whole.

2. A group submits a proposal without the required two-three Barbour authors.

3. The novella reads more like women’s fiction than romance (this gets into how to write a novella, a topic I will address later if there is interest.)

4. The story deals with a topic too complex for the novella format.

Check out the December 16th post at editcafe.blogspot.com for more on Barbour’s requirements.

The Importance of a Name - Why We Need to Get it Right

2011-01-16T19:04:00.000-07:00

Many of you may assume this post has to do with naming characters, but it doesn’t. Today I want to share about the importance of names in the context of the business end of writing.

So many times writers agonize over naming characters within their manuscripts, but don’t get the name of the editor they’re querying correct. Or they try to network with someone and get his or her name wrong. This is a HUGE mistake. Sure, this person will remember you, but chances are it’ll be in a negative way. Names are critical when you’re interacting with people.

Some of us have difficult and ambiguous names – like mine. When I was the Managing Editor for Centered Magazine I constantly had writers querying me—Mr. Eddie Melson or worse Mr. Eddie Nelson. My first impulse with those queries was to hit the delete button and that’s usually what I did. Why? Because their lack attention made me think if they couldn’t get my name right, they probably had a lot of other mistakes in their writing.

Writing is a highly competitive business. Don’t start out with strikes against you just because you didn’t bother to double check the spelling of someone’s name. When I was first starting out, I remember getting a lead from John Riddle, an instructor at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. As I carefully copied down the information of whom to query he made a comment I’ll never forget. “Be sure you spell the editor’s name correctly. She won’t even open your email if her name is misspelled.” That advice was golden and I’ve never forgotten it!

A lot of this business involves referrals and leads from other writers, so networking is critical. Because of that it’s also important to make certain you get the name correct when you’re posting a comment on someone’s blog or sending them an email. I read a blog last week, written by a blogger named Kathy and the first comment posted was addressed to Katy. Big mistake. It could have been a typo, but it also could mean the person commenting wasn’t paying attention. Either way, it leaves a poor impression—not just to the blogger, but to anyone who reads that blog.

Here are some things I do to help me slow down and make certain I’m getting the name correct.

Write it Down – I keep a scratch pad next to my computer and I always write down the name of the person I’m referring to. Writing it in longhand somehow helps engage my brain and acts as a way to double check my accuracy.
Check the Gender – so many names can be either masculine or feminine. Most websites and blogs have pictures (Centered Magazine had pictures of everyone on staff making it easy to see that I’m a woman) so I try to check that way. If it’s a blog and there’s no picture, I look at previous comments to see how most people have referred to the person – male or female.
Add to My Contacts – if I’m going to make a comment on someone’s blog or query an editor, I add them to my contacts list. This helps me find them again without searching the Internet and it gives me another way to double check their name.

Words are our business—and that includes names—so when we write, we need to be accurate and diligent.

What are some ways you ensure your accuracy? Has anyone ever misspelled your name? How did you feel?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2011-01-09T21:11:00.002-07:00

A year ago I was just beginning my relationship with the Book Doctor. Have twelve months truly passed? Thanks for coming along on the ride with me.

For the new year, I talked about goal setting. Still important. This year finds me in a different place. I need inspiration. Do you feel the same way? Or did the calendar page turn find you eager to start anew?

Here are some of the places I've found inspiration during this season of struggle and self-doubt:

Friends. One friend wisely pointed that I have entered a new stage in my writing career, and of course I should expect problems with adjustment, but that it would come. Wow! I'm perfectly normal.
Rest. I've been sick for four weeks with the same cold/intestinal bug that is bothering a lot of people this winter. So I've gone to the doctor, taken my medicine, rested extra and tried to take care of myself.
God's Word. From the challenge in Proverbs to live a disciplined line to the promise in 1 Corinthians that God has affirmed the gifts of speaking and knowledge within me, God gives me that little bit of encouragement and challenge I need every day.
Tune out. After a week of "playing" on the computer instead of writing, I decided to do something drastic. I left the computer off until the evening and wrote everything longhand. It worked!
Family. I spent a wonderful evening with my engaging toddler granddaughter Jordan, once again seeing the world through her eyes.
Deadlines. A powerful motivator to fix the problem.

What are some things you need to renew and renergize when life gets you down?

Clichés—Out With the Old, In With the New

2011-01-02T22:35:00.001-07:00

We've rung in the New Year and vowed to turn over a new leaf. As part of your writing resolutions I want to challenge you to man up and join the fight against clichés. These tired phrases, many as old as the hills, are begging to be put to rest.

Here are just a few reasons to leave the tried and true behind and chart a new path with your writing style.

Clichés keep you from growing as a writer—if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.
Clichés encourage the reader to miss what you’re saying—after all, familiarity breeds contempt.
Clichés are the mark of a lazy writer—only writers who keep their noses to the grindstone will succeed in this dog eat dog business.

But seriously, here are a few of the benefits to thinking before you write. (Ha—tricked you)

Saying something in a new way gives your writing depth—in this day and time a successful writer is one who can stand out above the rank and file.
It keeps your readers interested by keeping them guessing—no writer wants a reader as an armchair quarterback.
Finding a new way to describe something keeps your writing muscles toned—no guts, no glory.

Just in case you've caught onto the tongue in cheek nature of this post I want to commend you. And to those who have just managed to catch a clue, I say, better late than never.

Now I’ll cut to the chase. I challenge you to guess how many clichés are found in this post. So knuckle down and force yourself to reread this labor of love and mark my words. No, really—mark my words—make a list and check it twice and leave a comment with your best guess of how many clichés I've used.

Here’s a hint before you join in the fun and games. Some of these are older than dirt and will lead you on a trip down memory lane. While others are so recent they almost seem to have been born yesterday. So don’t throw in the towel without giving it the old college try. Perhaps you’ll get your moment of glory as you give this post the litmus test.

After all, every dog has its day.

REFLECTION TIME

2010-12-27T11:53:00.001-07:00

The week between Christmas and New Year’s—when the regular world almost stops (except for those after Christmas returns and shoppers), business go to skeleton staff, and writers don’t expect contracts may have a January 3rd deadline looming. (I have two due on February 1st).

I won’t talk about goals ... it’s not quite the New Year. But I will reflect on the past year. Has it been a successful year in terms of my writing career? All in all, I would say, yes. I’ll look at four areas of writing (Janice Thompson talked about the four books she was writing at any one time, and it’s stuck with me): the book I’m developing, the book I’m actually writing, the book I’m editing, and the book I’m marketing. To those four I’ll add a fifth: how I’ve helped other writers.

• Development. I’ve pushed out at least five proposals between deadlines this year, and have come to trust my judgment about what stories “work” for my publisher. In other words, I’ve increased my chances of landing contracts. At the moment I have two contracts pending. I also went on a research trip to Texas.

• Writing. I am writing better. My first drafts require less work to polish than they used to, most of the time. And I’m more aware of nuances in writing to improve my craft. I write fast—when I write. I need to improve my discipline.

• Editing. I faced my first truly negative content review—and survived. I just learned the book has gone on to the next stage. Phew.

• Marketing. While I feel like a neophyte, I must be doing something write because people are beginning to recognize my name. And oh, yes, I’ve discovered a talent for selling books one-on-one in unusual venues, like craft fairs.

• Helping other writers. I’ve spoken to a couple of writers groups, but two new ventures for me were judging the Carol awards for ACFW and, more importantly, partnering with a new writer who will get her first contract in February!

As you look at those five areas, how have you grown? Have you grown in ways you didn’t expect? Where do you see the need for improvement?

Things a Novelist Needs to Know About Writing for the Internet

2010-12-19T18:32:00.000-07:00

Many novelists that I run into tell me they don’t need to know how to write for the Internet because they only write books. That’s not exactly accurate. If a writer has an online presence—a blog or a website or they contribute to a blog or a website—they need to know how to connect to the Internet reader. Otherwise, they’re wasting their time, and let’s face it—no writer I know has time to waste.

So here are the basics:

People Read Differently on the Internet

One of the great things about the Internet is the ease with which people can find information. Readers are often looking for information fast. They want to be able to read or scan the content quickly to find what they want. That means the author must make organization and readability of primary importance.

Studies also show that people generally read up to 25% slower on computer screens. The reasons are complex, but here are a few:

Computer monitors are harder on the eye than paper
They generally have fairly low resolution, so the words aren't as sharp
Also, while the contrast between ink and paper is usually strong and fairly consistent, monitor settings can vary widely depending on type and settings

Because of these factors, most people find it tiring and even frustrating to read long articles online.

Here’s how to compensate:

Utilize short paragraphs, never more than 100 words in length
Don’t indent paragraphs, but skip a line between them to allow time for the reader’s eyes to rest
Front load information utilizing the inverted pyramid to disseminate information
Utilize headings, lists and bullet points
Use active verbs and specific nouns
Write tight

These tips will make your online presence much stronger, making it easier for your readers to find you.

DISAPPOINTMENT

2010-12-13T14:11:00.004-07:00

It had to happen sometime. My editor hated my baby, my latest manuscript. She didn't like the characters, she didn't like their motivations, and thought they overreacted.

Of course I've had (many) manuscripts rejected before, and I've had edits on all my books. However, this was the first time I've submitted a contracted book that came back from the editor asking for a transplant.

We've all been there: the manuscript we've slaved over and poured our hearts into has come back, rejected. Sometimes the editor is kind enough to explain why, and that can hurt worse than simply saying "no."

So as I write today, please don't take this as a complaint against my editor. She's the greatest, and more than that, I believe she's right (as difficult as it is for me to admit that.) What have I learned through the process?

Listen to your critique partners. I was resistant to this degree of change, even though I suspected it might be coming. Others had warned me. Discover the fine line between opinion and genuine problems.

It's not personal. Although I discovered this was a very personal story as I examined it. The raw emotions reflected the time in my life when I first wrote the story (dealing with teenage angst in my children, over a dozen years ago.)

Take the time to do it right. I have also discovered that the areas I let slide--although I suspect they could be better--come back later for revision. Trust myself in the first place and redo.

Manage my time better. Part of the problem with taking the time was that I hadn't given myself enough time. My grandson came two weeks early and threw my whole schedule off. But if I had been better prepared ... it would have gone more smoothly.

Trust the process--and the Lord. I am asking God to make this book one of my most powerful.

Real life doesn't always seem real in books. I based my heroine's employer loosely on the place where I worked for ten years. Yet my editor kept saying "that's not believable"--about things I had experienced first-hand. I had to change or explain better.

What are some particularly difficult rewrites or rejections you've been asked to do? What did you learn from the experience?

How to Format a Manuscript for Submission

2010-12-05T19:39:00.000-07:00

Every industry has standards and the writing community is no different. However, since the advent of email submissions, the rules have gotten muddy. Today I’ll share some general rules to follow that will help you present yourself professionally.

Font Size and Selection
Times New Roman or Courier – 12 point – are still the gold standard. Try not to vary from these two options unless the submission guidelines request it.

Spaces Between Words and Sentences
There should only be ONE space between words and sentences. Many of us learned to type during a time when it was the rule to hit the space bar twice after the ending punctuation of a sentence. This is no longer the case. There are many reasons for this change, but one is that it saves paper on a book length manuscript.

Justification
Always justify your margins left. NEVER justify them left and right (like a newspaper).

Line Spacing
There are two ways to space a document for submission. In times past, there was only one acceptable spacing option, double spacing. This has changed with the formatting needs of the Internet.

Special Note: When submitting the sample chapters of a book length manuscript double spacing is the ONLY industry standard accepted.

Single Spaced Document
The entire document is single spaced and paragraphs are NOT indented. An extra space is added between paragraphs.

Example:
When painting your garage floor the first thing you have to do is prepare the surface. You need to give it a thorough cleaning. Consider using a pressure washer to save time when you need to remove stubborn dirt and debris. If the garage floor has been painted in the past, it’ll be necessary to remove all traces of the old paint.

After cleaning, allow the concrete time to dry. This may take several days depending on the climate and weather. After it’s dry you’ll need to fill any cracks or holes. You can find the correct supplies at your local hardware store. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s directions when applying.

Double Spaced Document
The entire document is double spaced and paragraphs ARE indented. There is NO extra space between paragraphs.

Example:
When painting your garage floor the first thing you have to

do is prepare the surface. You need to give it a thorough cleaning.

Consider using a pressure washer to save time when you need to

remove stubborn dirt and debris. If the garage floor has been

painted in the past, it’ll be necessary to remove all traces of the

old paint.

After cleaning, allow the concrete time to dry. This may take

several days depending on the climate and weather. After it’s dry

you’ll need to fill any cracks or holes. You can find the correct

supplies at your local hardware store. Be sure to follow the

manufacturer’s directions when applying.

All of these rules are not just arbitrary. They help an editor avoid eyestrain when reading hundreds of manuscripts during the course of a week. They also help those who upload or in rare cases, typeset the submitted material.

Paralyzing Fear

2010-11-29T07:06:00.000-07:00

Paralyzing fear, also known to those of us who scribble as a living as writer’s block. Most writers have experienced this at some point in their career. Traditionally, we define it as a time when the well runs dry in the middle of a project.

I have a different opinion. I’ve talked with (okay, occasionally ambushed) many writers over the years and find the conversation might go something like this.

Me: “Have you ever had to deal with writer’s block?”

Anonymous Writer: “No, never. Once I start a project I just keep going, no matter what I’m feeling.”

Me: “What about before you begin a project? Have you ever postponed it because of doubt in your ability to do it justice?”

At this point the person I’m speaking with usually takes a step back and begins to hem and haw. Most writers don’t include being afraid to start a project writer’s block. I would beg to differ – anything that keeps you paralyzed and unable to write is, by definition, writer’s block.

Funny thing is that the people who suffer most from writer’s block are writers who’ve had a modicum of success. Maybe they’ve won a contest or two, or written regularly. Far more often I find that they’re afraid they can’t live up to what’s gone before. I also find it when a writer is trying a new genre. They might be going from fiction to non-fiction, or from writing devotions to writing a column. Let’s face it, trying something new is always a daunting prospect.

Now that we’ve defined it, how do we combat it?

First, quit putting it off. Make a commitment to spend a certain amount of time in front of the computer – writing – and do it. Sound hard? Of course it is, otherwise everyone would be a writer!

Begin by writing what you’re afraid of. Fear of failure? Write why it matters. Fear of inadequacy? Define it. You’ll find that it looks small and actually a little silly when you actually write it down.

Next, remember how you got here. Recognition in the writing world comes (99.9% of the time) from putting in time. It comes from being willing to let others see your work and getting back at it after rejection. Give yourself some credit – you’re obviously not a sissy, or you wouldn’t be trying to become a writer.

Finally, give yourself permission to try and fail. Just because this one project doesn’t work out doesn’t mean you’re not a writer. I would say the contrary is true. If everything you’ve tried, succeeded, maybe you’re not trying much.

So get out there, quit procrastinating under the guise of ‘I have to think this through before I start.’ Blow a raspberry a writer’s block and hit those keys!

Thanksgiving

2010-11-21T20:57:00.002-07:00

This week Americans will be celebrating the day set aside to give thanks for the abundance of things God has provided for us. So I will turn our thoughts towards a writer's thanksgiving and invite you to share your thoughts.

Which writing tool are you most thankful for?

Having begun my writing career on an electric typewriter, I am most thankful for my computer! And as an author of historical fiction, I'd be lost without http://etymonline.com/.

Which writing friend(s) are you thankful for?

God blessed me this year with new critique partners: Susan, Cindy, Carla. And God did something special when He crossed my paths with Christian reading enthusiast Beverly, who has become a stalwart supporter. And there are soooo many others!

Which book have you read this year that you are most thankful for?

My favorite nonfiction was 90 Minutes in Heaven, especially when my own dear mother went home to be with the Lord less than a month after I read it. No, I won't repeat my annual books in review. For fiction, I'll just mention Stealing Home by Allison Pittman, the Carol award winner, as one of my favorites.

What has happened in your writing journey that you are thankful for?

God has built my tribe and given me contracts ... and I've matured as a professional over the last twelve months. Thank you, God!

I could say a lot more - but I'd love to hear from all of you!

Do I Really Need a Writers Group or a Critique Partner?

2010-11-14T19:44:00.000-07:00

Only if you want your writing to improve! Writing for publication is an endeavor built on forging relationships. And those relationships can ultimately determine your success or failure in the writing industry. Here’s a list of those relationships.

Between you and other writers
Between you and the reader
Between the reader and the subject or characters
Between you and the editor
Between you and your agent

I listed the relationship between writers first, because surprisingly, it’s often the most vital in your writing life. The actual act of putting words on paper is a solitary act and because of that it’s easy to lose perspective. Writing in a vacuum can give us a false sense of whether or not we’re effective in our endeavor. We either wind up thinking we’re a genius or sink into the depths of despair because we can’t string two coherent sentences together. Rarely is either perspective accurate.

We need others in our profession to give us feedback, keep us grounded and provide encouragement. You may be tempted, like I was at first, to insert friends and family into this role. Unless they’re also writers this dynamic just doesn’t work. They’ll unwittingly encourage you when you need a swift kick in the pants and administer the kick in the pants when you need encouragement.

That’s where a writers group, critique group or critique partner will help. But you have to be careful—some critique and writers groups can be toxic. I’ve visited some where the purpose appears to be to build up the one delivering the critique by tearing down the hapless author. You want to avoid these groups at all cost.

Here’s a list of what to look for in a group or a partner

An encouraging atmosphere –not all sweetness and light—nobody improves on false compliments. But I’ve almost never found a manuscript that didn’t have some redeeming quality.
A mutually beneficial relationship. You should both bring something valuable if it’s a partnership—you may excel at writing dialogue and your partner is a whiz at description.
A hunger to improve. If it’s a group there should be a movement toward growth in the majority of members. Even if you’re all beginners, if you’re all reading writing books and attending classes you’ll be able to grow and learn together.
A timekeeper. If someone’s not willing to keep track of the time not everyone will get a chance to be critiqued. It’s a dirty job, but someone’s got to do it!

Now it's your turn. What experiences, and consequently, advice can you share about critique groups and partners?

An Important Announcement

2010-11-09T23:17:00.001-07:00

Hey all,
This is Daniel DeGarmo with DeWard Publishing Company.
I'm sure all of you are aware of Sandi Rog's latest battle (with cancer - Type T-cell Lymphoma) that just began last week. As you can imagine, she's devastated, especially considering the timing of all this as her first novel, The Master's Wall just released last Monday.

Well, considering we are a small publishing company and can pretty much do whatever we want, my business partner and I have agreed to donate an additional $1 per book to a Fund that I'll be setting up this week.

Just so no one thinks we are being shady about the whole deal, this is above and beyond the royalties that Sandi (and her agent) is already incurring with every book sold. The purpose of this fund is to help out Sandi's family (husband and children) while she is laid up fighting for her life.

What I need from you is simply spread the word. For every copy of "The Master's Wall" that is sold (including Kindle) we will donate $1 to this Fund. I'll also be setting it up so that it can receive regular donations if anyone is interested in just helping out financially.

I hope to have more information to share in the next day or so but at least for now I would ask that you would do whatever you can do direct people to buy Sandi's book.

Sandi has been copied on this email.....Sandi..Please forward this message on to anyone you think would help us out in getting the word out.

The same goes for you if you've received this email.
I want to close by lifting the following prayer up on Sandi's behalf:

Father, I lift my sister before you as her body has been stricken with disease.
You know, O God, that she has used her gifts to glorify You and spread your wonderful message of grace and love.
It is my humble plea that you would bring her healing and complete recovery. I know You can do this, You are the Great Physician.
Please bring Your Spirit into her home as her husband and children continue to live life without her there. They need You.
May all that is done bring You glory as our God and Father.
In Jesus' name - AMEN!

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.
Dan
THE MASTER'S WALL

R.U.E. (Resist the Urge to Explain): How Much Is Too Much?

2010-11-07T18:10:00.006-07:00

Quick Interruption!
Before we turn this post over to Darlene, I wanted to let everyone know that Sandi has temporarily turned the reins over for The Book Doctor. Sandi is currently in the hospital undergoing treatment unrelated to MS. Please join us in praying for her and for her family. We know she'll be back with us soon and we'll keep things going here until she returns. We'll be posting periodic updates, so keep checking back.
Blessings,
The Crew at Book Doctor

R.U.E. (resist the Urge to Explain)
The writer creates between two opposites: the reader wants to know and R.U.E. (resist the urge to explain, or more colorfully put, the reader's not stupid!)

Example of "the reader wants to know" (taken from the copyedit of my next published book, Love's Raid, coming out next March from Heartsong Presents):

The grocer’s wagon flew past Clara Farley, the wheels spewing dirt and rocks, coating the skirt of the dress she had chosen for this special occasion.

The copy editor said, "I couldn’t immediately figure out if she was walking, on horseback, or driving." Okay. I need to put in a word or two indicating she's on foot.

Example of R.U.E., from my current WIP, Knight Music, scheduled for release next October. It comes at the end of the first chapter:

Why did he feel like his success would depend on Sonia? Of all people, Sonia was the one person he couldn't count on.

What's the R.U.E. section? The second sentence. The first sentence says it all. Out it goes . . .

How to we know when to add and when to delete?

Adding usually is needed when we need to clarify something. If the heroine arrives somewhere by horse, I need to show her taking care of the horse before she goes inside.

Deleting is harder to detect. Some examples:

Overemphasis? Am I overemphasizing something that makes no difference in the story, the equivalent of the gun in the room? In my current WIP, the heroine (Sonia, of course), is sketching in a prayer journal. I use it as a means to show her thoughts about the hero. When I say people like to peek into her journal, am I implying later in the story someone will peek into the journal--and see something they shouldn't? Either I delete the comment--or I add a bit more about the journal later in the story.
Planting hints? When is enough enough? The hero in my WIP (we eventually discover) has a dark secret in his past. My hints must walk a fine line between making it believable when the reader discovers the truth; or hitting the reader over the head with it. Examples:

--Maybe that was what happened when her best work was stolen and she lost her sense of direction. He ought to know. Hadn’t he come to Ulysses for much the same reason? His mouth twisted at the irony of it.

--Four pages later: He could tell the truth, up to a point.
--One page later: “And I apologize for soaking your shirt. So we’re even. Sort of.”
If only she knew the truth.
--A page after that: He knew exactly what he intended to do to get back into his family’s good graces, but he wasn’t about to tell anyone.
--Four pages later: Ty wandered downe the aisle ahead of her, and with the arch of an eyebrow, grabbed a box of cereal with a cartoon vampire on the front. “I’m like this cereal. I’m irresistible, but ultimately, I’m bad for you.

Looking at it this way, I suspect I'm overdoing it a little. Hmm. Good exercise.

In your own work, look for both problems:

Is something unclear that needs additional explanation?

Is something overstated and needs to be shortened?

Feel free to share examples from your writing and let us help!

National Novel Writing Month

2010-10-31T21:45:00.000-06:00

Many of you know that November is a special month for those of us who write novels. It’s National Novel Writing Month. For those that have never heard of it, here’s the scoop. NaNoWriMo, as it’s commonly called, is a time for writers all over the world to ban together and encourage each other to write a 50,000 word novel.

It’s not a competition in the sense that there’s only one winner. If you write 50,000 words you win. We’re not competing for monetary prizes, but for the sense of accomplishment it brings. With that accomplishment comes the small gold crown that you are awarded for display on your website or blog.

Sign up is free. To register, visit the official home page. Once you’ve registered, you’ll find forums to answer your questions, as well as regions and even local groups that meet in person.

It sounds crazy, but it’s actually one of the most freeing things you could ever try. It forces us to blast out the story, ignoring our inner editor in favor of word count. It allows our creative to dominate our need for perfection.

I’m going to be there and I encourage you to give it a try as well! My NaNoWriMo name is emelson – look me up and we can be buddies. If you’ve participated in NaNo let us know your thoughts and chime in to let us know if you’ll be participating this year.

Raising Readers

2010-10-24T21:27:00.003-06:00

On my first visit to my granddaughter, I brought baby-proof cardboard books of nursery rhymes. They were Jordan's first books of her own, and I teased my son and daughter-in-law that they had waited too long. (She was all of two months old.)

Now she is 22 months. When she climbed into her toddler-sized rocker, I asked her, "Do you the know the story of the three little bears?"

Lickety split, she ran down the hall and came back with The Spooky Old Tree. As soon as I opened it to the first page, I understood why: three little bears going into the spooky old tree. She knew the story.

Later, she brought me a Dr. Seuss book, My Eye. I pointed to the word "eye" and said it.

She pointed to the picture of an eye and said "eye." She pointed to the word eye and said it. She pointed to her own eye and said it a third time.

You'll forgive a grandma bragging, won't it? One of those aha moments, when she made the connection between the word on the page, the two-dimensional picture, and the actual physical object.

My son reads, all the time. Serious books of religion and philosophy.

My oldest granddaughter (14) doesn't read much beyond books required by school--but she will carry the impact of books like The Giver and The Hunger Games for a long time.

My middle granddaughter (11) has read all the Harry Potter books and the Twilight series.

Jordan is joining a family of readers.

Without readers, we authors serve no purpose. Most of us are also avid readers.

Read to your children. Read to your grandchildren. Read yourself. They figure out for themselves that books are important!

What the earliest book that you remember? For me, probably The Cat in the Hat and The Cat in the Hat Comes Back.

POV—It’s Not as Unfair as You Thought

2010-10-18T00:07:00.000-06:00

A lot of new writers I meet tend to get frustrated with the writing rules in regard to POV (Point of View). The unwritten rule is that the author is only allowed to write from the point of view of one character per scene. Many quote this as a rule that can NEVER be broken. But if you read any novels at all you’ll see it’s broken rather regularly—usually by well known writers.

So let me say first—be skeptical of anyone who quotes an ALWAYS or NEVER rule of writing. Off the top of my head, I can’t think of a single rule that can’t occasionally be broken for a good reason.
Second, let me be quick to add that you need to know how to work within the rules before you can effectively break them.
Third, here’s an important quote to remember. I’ve heard it attributed to several editors and I believe it’s applicable. “After you’ve made your first million you can make up your own rules—until then, you’ll follow ours.”

That little caveat out of the way let’s get down to the business of POV. A scene with correct POV allows the reader to know everything the POV character knows and thinks. It’s as if there were a camera attached to that one character’s head and it records everything. Conversely, that camera can’t record anything the POV character can’t see or experience. Let me show you what I mean by showing you what NOT to do. Here’s a common scene, one we can all visualize, written the way a beginner might write it.

Jill sat at the small table, twisting the napkin in her lap and trying not to stare every time the restaurant door opened. She couldn’t imagine why she’d let Susan talk her into a blind date, but she had and now here she sat, waiting for Nathan to show up. She forced as smile as the waiter refilled her water glass.

“Can I get you anything else while you wait?” Sam disliked waiting on a table with a blind date. His tip depended on so much he couldn’t control. If the date went well, great. If not . . . well all the excellent service in the world couldn’t make up for that.

Jill sat up a little straighter as a tall man approached her table. “Are you Jill?”

“Nathan?” She mentally crossed her fingers. Susan hadn’t exaggerated his good looks.

Sam scooted backward to let Nathan take a seat. “May I get you a drink?”

“Just water, thanks.” Relief quieted the butterflies in Nathan’s belly. Jill was quite beautiful—perhaps this wouldn’t be a waste of time after all.

This scene is a perfect example of HEAD HOPPING—a definite no-no in POV. Head hopping is where the reader knows the thoughts or is in the head of more than one character in a scene. You can see that in this scene we start out in Jill’s head, move to the waiter’s and end up in Nathan’s.

I can already hear the groaning from some of you. When I teach this workshop I barely get the example finished before these comments reach my ears.

“How else is the reader going to know what’s going on?”

“I have to be able to show what’s happening!”

In my humble opinion, Head Hopping is the lazy writer’s way to tell the story. Before you start throwing rotten tomatoes, let me explain. As an author we have an amazing ability—a gift even—we read minds, the minds of our characters. And we can be tempted to think that for the reader to truly understand and GET the story, we have to share this gift.

Not true. And here’s why. You and I go through life without one shred of mindreading ability. Yet, we’re able to GET what’s going on and figure out what’s happening. We’re not handicapped by this lack. In fact, most people I know get along better without it. As a writer, our job is to let the reader EXPERIENCE the details in a given scene and draw their own conclusions. If we write the sensory details well, they’ll have no trouble at all.

Here’s the same scene rewritten.

Jill sat at the small table, twisting the napkin in her lap and trying not to stare every time the restaurant door opened. She couldn’t imagine why she’d let Susan talk her into a blind date, but she had and now here she sat, waiting for a stranger to show up. She forced as smile as the waiter refilled her water glass.

“Can I get you anything else while you wait?” He fingered his order pad and let out a small sigh.

“No thank you.” Jill figured it couldn’t be easy to wait on a couple who were on a blind date. She caught a movement and sat up a little straighter as a tall man approached her table.

He cleared his throat. “Are you Jill?”

“Nathan?” She mentally crossed her fingers. Her friend hadn’t exaggerated his good looks.

Sam scooted backward to let Nathan take a seat. “May I get you a drink?”

“Just water, thanks.” Nathan grinned. “I have to admit I was worried.” He cocked an eyebrow. “But for once my brother was right on target.”

See, it is possible to convey what everyone's thinking without butchering POV. Here’s a quick check list to help round out the details.

Use all five senses.
Describe the setting details through the perception of the POV character.
Let the interesting parts of the story happen WITHIN the quotation marks.
Don’t be afraid to leave some things out—it will keep the reader interested in turning the page.

The key to POV is to trust yourself and trust your reader!

TO BE OR NOT TO BE: What is “passive” writing?

2010-10-11T05:00:00.005-06:00

Before Darlene gets started, I wanted to invite all of you to Dave King's Facebook Fanpage for Self-Editing for Fiction Writers.

Hope to see you there.

Now, back to you, Darlene. :-)

***

Recently I presented a workshop for my local ACFW group on self-editing tips. For preparation, I took my current work in progress and made note of things I corrected in my own work.

The first problem I identified? “Avoid passive verbs when possible.”

But what is passive writing?

We can define passive writing grammatically:
• Verbs of being: To be. Also to seem, to appear, to feel, to become
• Passive tense: where the subject is acted upon instead of doing the acting. “I was hit by a car” vs. “I hit a car” (or “A car hit me.”)

But “avoiding” passive writing goes beyond those two rules of grammar.
• Another related rule of grammar involves participles: “She was going to the store.” Notice the “was.” Can we instead say, “She went to the store”?
• We avoid passive statements by showing rather than telling. Rather than saying “she felt sad,” we can show her feeling sad. (See last Monday’s blog for more on showing emotions.)
• “To have” often is used in a passive manner. “She had nine bags of groceries.” Instead of “had,” we could use bought, carried, gave away. Any one of those choices sharpens the meaning of the sentence.

Am I suggesting that writers never use passive voice? Of course not. As you may have noticed, I have used it liberally in this post. A few suggestions:
• One article I read said to keep passive voice to 2-3 occurrences a page. Most writers use more than that (some, many more).
• My personal rule: no more than one passive verb per paragraph.
• In critiquing, I don’t mention passive verbs in dialogue.
• During revisions, I use “search and replace” to change the font color of all passive verbs. That way I have to make a conscious decision about whether to keep or rewrite.

Do you have questions about “what is passive?” and “how to I rewrite this?” Feel free to share your questions and comments below.

After the Conference—Now What?

2010-10-04T08:14:00.000-06:00

Many of us have gotten to attend a writing conference this year and many of us are just a couple of weeks back from the ACFW conference in Indianapolis. We’ve been inspired by the faculty and amazed at the ideas and abilities of fellow writers. While there, the adrenaline is pumping and we know when we get home we’ll be ready to take our own writing to the next level.

Then life happens. In the tired excitement of coming home, I have to reintegrate myself into my normal life. My family needs attention and I’ve missed them, too. Work has pressing deadlines and laundry has managed to multiply and take over my downstairs. These things tend to eat away at my time and energy until I’m so drained my conference experience seems like a lifetime ago.

By the time I catch my breath and return to writing I’ve found my confidence has deserted me and I’m left overwhelmed and confused. There’s so much I want to accomplish—revise my manuscript, start a blog, follow up with editors and agents. Instead I begin to listen that voice inside that says things like -

"That editor was just being nice—she isn’t really interested in my novel”
“My novel needs so much work, I ought to just start over.”
“Who am I trying to fool? There’s no way I could ever be a real writer.”

So how do I combat this downward spiral? I make a plan. I took time to time out my conference experience—I knew each day what classes I wanted and who I wanted to meet. I have to have that kind of a schedule to put into action the things I learned at the conference.

First make a list of what you came away wanting to do and prioritize what needs to be done first.

Start with thank you notes for those who took time to help you are a must. If you have an address send one through the mail, but often times you don’t have that information. If not, send a quick email—trust me—they’ll remember you took the time to say thank you.
Next evaluate your deadlines. Let’s say you have to revise a manuscript for one editor and send a proposal for another idea to a different editor. In this case, decide which one is easier to accomplish and start there.
Also look at the things you wanted to accomplish personally. Maybe you decided to spend more time each day writing. Or you committed to a personal word count goal. Don’t’ let those get pushed aside—start implementing the changes. This can be an incredible confidence builder.
What about other writers you met? Did you promise each other to stay in touch? Be brave and reach out to new friends.
Most important, accomplish something writing related every day. Some days that may be reading a chapter in a writing book. It might be reading a novel written by a writer you want to emulate.

Now it’s your turn. How do you combat the dark cloud that seems to descend after a conference?

KEEPING IT FRESH

2010-09-27T05:00:00.000-06:00

I am currently working on a book I originally wrote in 1998. I polished it then to the best of my ability. I have read it several times. Time hasn’t given me objectivity; instead, I am more in love with the story than ever.

I am thankful for an honest critique partner, and she more or less hates it (she wouldn’t say so in so many words).

What’s the truth—a fairy tale romantic story or a dismal failure? Ultimately, my editor and my readers will decide.

But it brings up a problem many writers struggle with: how do we bring fresh eyes to a manuscript we’ve rewritten half a dozen times or more? Am I seeing this manuscript through the fond eyes of a mother or with a critical editor's eye?

I have no easy answers to that question, but here are a few ideas:
• Move on to another project if you have time.
• Leave this project alone between edits for as long as you can.
• If you have time and willing friends, give the manuscript to someone who has never seen it before.
• Read the manuscript aloud. Even better, have someone else read it aloud.
• Read the book from end to beginning.
• Dialogue with a trusted partner. What were you trying to do? How did it fail? (How) can it be fixed?
• Look at individual elements of the story, such as: character descriptions (consistent?); dialogue (each person unique?); timeline.

What ideas do the rest of you have? Do you struggle with this problem and if so, how do you handle it?

I Don’t Get No Respect!

2010-09-19T20:37:00.002-06:00

This seems to be a common refrain I hear from writers, especially those at the beginning of their career. They’ve finally worked up the courage to get serious about writing regularly and some of their closest family and friends won’t respect their time. They get calls during the times they’re writing and attitude if they don’t stop to talk. They hear comments that undermine their newfound confidence.

“You can do that, after all you stay home all day.”

“Oh come on, you’ve got nothing better to do.”

And my favorite. “It’s not like you have a real job.”

So what’s a writer to do?

First, take a deep breath and realize this problem isn’t unique to writers. It happens to everyone who works from home—I should know—my husband and I have shared a home office for the past eleven years. For some people an office isn’t an office if it isn’t off site. Not logical, but an all too common misconception. I’ve fought this battle—sometimes more successfully than others—and these are the strategies I’ve come up with.

Make certain you’re setting the example you want followed. By that I mean keep regular hours. Notice I said regular hours—not to be confused with normal ones. For years I wrote with young children in the house. That meant writing in the afternoons and after they were in bed. Just because you’re working odd hours doesn’t mean you can’t have a schedule.
Treat what you’re doing like you’re serious. If you blow off writing for shopping and lunch several times a week your friends and family won’t understand if you don’t stop for them.
Be consistent. If you’re not accepting calls from your mother-in-law because you’re working, don’t spend the afternoon on the phone with your best friend. Stay focused on your writing. This is even more critical if your time is at a premium.
Recruit a support team. Instead of adversaries, enlist your friends and family to help you reach your writing goals. Communicate those goals, clearly and frequently. Ask for their help to reach them. After all, what mother doesn’t want to help her baby succeed!
Share your victories. Let those who love you share in the joy of goals accomplished and milestones reached.

These five things have helped me immeasurably over the years. But they’re not a cure all. There will still be those who think what you do is just for fun and not work. Expect that, anticipate it even. Knowing it happens to everyone takes away a little bit of the sting. Most of all, don't let it stand in your way!

INTERVIEW WITH AN EDITOR

2010-09-13T04:00:00.001-06:00

Many of our readers will be going to the American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) conference this week. Have fun! I hope to see you next year. This year I'm staying home to play grandma.

That also means many of you will be seeing an editor and/or an agent. You will talk with them at the dinner tables, in the hall, during an appointment. It's entirely possible all of your carefully practiced "elevator speeches" will fly out of your head. (It always does mine. I rarely get it in a single sentence and I've still managed to sell more than a dozen books.)

So I thought I would share some of my observations and experiences.

Your passion for your story will come through and impress the editor.
The editor is more interested in hearing from you than looking at the one sheet.
It doesn't hurt to mention why you think this story is a good fit for their company.
Bring samples of your writing. They won't take your chapters with them (probably) but they will read and get a sense of your ability to write.
Accept rejections with grace.
Don't feel you have to leave as soon as they say "no" (although you may). The appointment isn't only a sales pitch; it's also a chance to talk with an industry professional.
The fact you are at the conference speaks volumes about you. You are committed to learning and improving. Editors appreciate this; they will be more willing to look at things from you in the future, regardless of what happens this year.

Most of all ... relax. Be yourself. Share your heart. Build a friendship. And leave the results to the Lord.

Feeling Emotional—Don’t Tell Anyone!

2010-09-05T20:50:00.001-06:00

Instead show them.

Telling the story, instead of showing it, is one of the most common mistakes beginners make. During the first draft almost all of us, no matter how advanced, tend to tell a lot of the story. It’s only natural. This is the time when our manuscript comes together and telling allows us to develop the bones or structure of the story before we refine it into a compelling work of fiction. But beginners often stop the refining process too early. So how do we take a story from just bare bones? One of the best ways is to add depth by showing how our characters feel without naming the emotions.

Now, I know a lot of you are probably having the same reaction I did when I first heard it wasn’t a good idea to name an emotion. I had a rather loud conversation with the writing book that first shared this nugget of information.

“You have got to be kidding me! Who made up this stupid rule? How can I tell the reader what’s going on if I don’t use words like scared or angry?”

And there is the crux of the problem—beginning writers always default back to telling the story. Writing fiction is hard work. It takes a lot of time and effort to write a book and write it well. You already know this—after all that’s why you’re taking the time to read and study about how to improve.

Like I mentioned, I didn’t have a positive reaction to my first exposure to this convention. But now it’s an aspect of rewriting that I enjoy and even look forward to. I look on this as a challenge—a game of sorts. The best part of this game is that when I, the author wins, everybody else does too. Am I nuts? Absolutely, but I am, after all, a writer!

Let me give you some examples. I’ll start each out with an excerpt where I name the emotion. Then, in the second, I'll let you see how I changed it to let the reader name the emotion by interpreting the character’s actions.

Example 1
Emotions Named:
She began to cry as shame and anger warred inside. “I didn’t do anything wrong.” Her voice sounded hoarse as she tried to control her frustration.

Emotions Implied:
Tears flooded her eyes, making his features blur as she lifted her head and tried to focus. “I didn’t do anything wrong.” Her voice came out like a croak and she tried to clear her throat, but choked on the unshed tears.

The first excerpt tells the reader what’s going on. Granted, the writing is clear, but we’ve all heard the expression that a picture is worth a thousand words. The second excerpt is that picture. It invites the reader into the action and leaves them to draw their own conclusions.

Here’s another one.

Example 2
Emotions Named:
Manaen rose, her anger giving her strength as she faced her brother. “Do not think to intimidate me.” His arrogance amazed her even as it infuriated her. “I am not a child to be bullied. My Lord’s Spirit speaks to me as clearly as to you.”

Emotions Implied:
Manaen rose in response, her eyes almost even with his as she drew herself up to her full height, oblivious of her feminine garment. “Do not think to intimidate me.” Her jaw worked as she gritted her teeth. “I am not a child to be bullied. My Lord’s Spirit speaks to me as clearly as to you.”

And a final one.

Example 3
Emotions Named:
Rage sent Josiah shooting to his feet. “I tell you, Manaen, I’ve never witnessed any Elder behave in this manner.” Josiah paced, feeling like his world was collapsing. Confusion made him restless. “I just don’t understand.”

Emotions Implied:
He shot up from the desk, upsetting the chair. “I tell you, Manaen, I’ve never witnessed any Elder behave in this manner.” Josiah prowled through the briefing area of their quarters, picking things up and setting them down again. “I just don’t understand.”

Now it’s your turn. Take one of these two sentences and show us the emotion in place of naming it.

Example 1
Susan’s agony flooded through her as sorrow mingled with guilt. “What have I done?”

Example 2
“Hello? Who’s there?” Jenny’s fear reached a crescendo as the footsteps above moved toward the stairs.

I can hardly wait to read what you come up with!

I've Finished My First Draft - Now What?

2010-08-22T21:36:00.002-06:00

I talk with lots of writers who struggle with the editing process. It leaves them feeling overwhelmed and confused. Many are uncertain of where to begin. As a professional editor, I have a specific process I follow, whether I’m working on a client’s manuscript or my own. There are a lot of things to look for in a manuscript and I’ve found that it takes multiple editing passes to catch everything. I take things in small bites—editing no more than a chapter at a time. I also go from the big issues to the small details. Here are the steps I go through when I’m getting a manuscript ready for publication.

First Pass – I make certain that each scene (if there’s more than one per chapter) has strong conflict and is necessary to move the story along. I’m ruthless here—good writing alone NEVER justifies a scene’s inclusion in the finished product.

Second Pass – I check my timeline and the sequence of events. I make sure everything is logical. For example, I look to see if I have a character giving a response before an event happens.

Elisa jumped when a loud pop echoed in the chamber.
The loud pop echoed through the chamber and Elisa jumped, knocking her head against the back of the chair.

In the first example the reader sees Elisa jump then reads about the pop.
The second example puts things more logically.

During this pass I also check to see if I have a balance of speaker beats and speaker tags.

Third Pass – I check for passive writing. I do a search for the word was and study each usage to make certain it’s past tense—not passive tense.

Stuart was walking across the yard.
Stuart walked (or better yet, strolled) across the yard.

Was Walking is passive in the first example.
In the second example the verb is much stronger.

Fourth Pass – I look for telling, instead of showing. These are some clue words I search for:

Felt
Remembered
Knew
Watched
Saw
Looked
Was
-ing words
-ly words

These words let me know that something might be wrong.

Fifth Pass – I look for times when I’ve named emotions instead of showing them.

Bethany felt panic course through her system. Had she waited too long?
Bethany could feel her nails cutting into her palms as she fisted her hands. Had she waited too long?

In the first example I name the emotion – panic. In the second example I let Bethany’s actions lead the reader to her emotional state. The first example also has a clue word—felt—that would help me see that changes need to be made.

Sixth Pass – I look to see if each scene contains all five senses.
Here are two senses I had to add to the scenes I was working on.

Substandard lighting and circulation led to the lingering odor of sulfur mixed with leaching compounds. At almost two clicks beneath the metropolis the noxious haze, unable to dissipate, lingered to burn the throat of any unfortunate worker.
Dawn had broken, but instead of beauty, a dank haze hung over the city. He could still taste the metallic bite in the polluted air.

Seventh Pass – I read the entire chapter out loud, making notes about whatever hits me as slightly off.

This is the process I always use. It won’t catch everything, but it gets me a long way down the road. After going through these seven steps I set the chapter aside and move on to the next one. This gives me my second draft.

There are many good books out there on this subject, especially Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by our own Dave King. All I’ve done is break the process down into one I could replicate with any manuscript. What are some tricks you use when you’re in the editing process?

Getting Ready to Write: A Special Person

2010-08-16T06:00:00.001-06:00

By Sandy Tritt

Much of becoming a proficient writer is based upon experience (actually doing the writing) and on learning the craft of writing. However, it is difficult to see our own writing with the same clarity that an outsider can see it. So, there comes a time when we need to seek advice from others.

Many writers turn to their spouse, lover or best friend. While this person may have our best interests at heart, he or she (unless also a writer) will rarely have the insight we need to make our writing better. So what is a writer to do?

· Join a writer’s group. Check your local library, check the listings in the Arts and Humanities section of your newspaper, or check the Internet to see if a writer’s group exists in your area. A good writer’s group will consist of at least one or two people who are knowledgeable in the art of writing and who are interested in sharing that knowledge with others. The members of a good writer’s group will be constructive in all criticism, and never sarcastic, egotistical or jealous.

· Create your own writer’s group. Join up with a couple of your writer friends and meet regularly to review one another’s work. Use the same precautions in creating this group as listed above.

· Take a Creative Writing class at your local college.

· Attend as many writer conferences and workshops as possible. Again, pay attention to notices at libraries, art centers and schools for information about upcoming events. Also watch for advertisements in writing magazines or scan the Internet.

· Submit your writing for a professional edit and critique. Find these services in the classified section of writer magazines or by scanning the Internet for “manuscript critique.” These services most often charge, and the rates can vary greatly. Some things to look for: does the fee include both line-by-line editing and an overview critique? Are follow-up conferences provided? Are references available? What are the qualifications of the provider? Do you feel comfortable with the person?

In the best of all worlds, every new writer would have a special mentor—someone who is knowledgeable in the art and the craft of writing, someone who has already gone through the growing stages, someone who has a special interest in the new writer, and someone who is willing to encourage, challenge and teach that new writer. Keep your eyes open, and don’t be embarrassed to ask.

On the left sidebar you’ll find numerous recommended writing groups and sites. You’ll also find high quality editors on this blog (namely Darlene and Edie who work hard to teach everyone here the craft).

Have any of you started a writing group, joined a writing group, or are looking for a writing group? Please share your experiences and suggestions with us!

SETTING: GETTING THE DETAILS RIGHT

2010-08-09T05:00:00.002-06:00

Before Darlene gets started, I'm going to interrupt this post to announce that Darlene Franklin's book A STRING OF MURDERS is a finalist in The Carol sponsored by ACFW! CONGRATULATIONS, Darlene!

***

When a reader picks up a book, she enters into a silent pact with the author. I am willing to believe in your fictional world, as long as you make it real. Don’t say or do something that makes me remember this is just a work of fiction.

I was reminded of this while listening to the radio the other day. One DJ said, “I’m going to spend a week on the beach in Maine.”

If I had read that line in a book, the author would have lost credibility with me. Because I grew up in Maine, I know that while it has some beautiful beaches, most of its more than 2,000 miles of shoreline consists of a rugged, rocky coast. The same thing happened in a book where an author named a town in Colorado “Maple Gap.” A strange thing to name a place in a state where maple trees aren’t common. Other than that, the book was wonderful, but it made me wonder: does the author know her setting?

I even made the same mistake myself, misnaming the river that flows through San Antonio in my first book, Romanian Rhapsody. Oops. For every person who pointed out my mistake, ten must have noticed and lost a little faith in me as a writer.

How do you keep the reader in your fictional world?

• Get the physical details right. If possible, visit the place, so you can experience it with all five senses. Study it online, through books, first hand accounts. Talk with people who have been there.
• Get the words right. This applies mostly to historical novels. In my current work in progress, I discovered that “scat” was used in 1845, but that “squishy” didn’t appear until 1847. This also applies to fashions, machines, and items of every day life.
• Get the characters right. In my current WIP, my hero looks at the heroine, thinking she looks like an angel. I added a great punch line. “Satan was an angel of light, he reminded himself. Don’t let her looks lead you astray.” The problem? She has done nothing to suggest she will lead him astray, nor have I portrayed the hero as paranoid about women. I have to rethink that line.
• Keep the details consistent. If the heroine has green eyes in the first chapter, don’t change them to hazel in chapter ten.

I would love to see examples of setting in your writing. Send a paragraph or so description and let us savor a different time (if applicable) and place. Below are two snippets of my recently released book, Prodigal Patriot, a historical romance set in northern Vermont.

Josiah brushed at the mosquitoes that buzzed around any exposed patches of skin,
far worse here than in Maple Notch. Transporting Van Dyke to his home via Lake
Champlain had seemed like a good plan when Solomon suggested it. On the water,
Josiah wasn’t so sure. Every insect in two states decided to feast on them en
route. . . . .

Van Dyke guided them through milfoil and water chestnuts
toward the bank, where trees grew so dense Josiah didn’t see how even a fox
could squeeze through. The canoe glided underneath the cool canopy, the lake
only a slender line of blue through branches blurred by foliage.

Organizing Your Days on a Weekly Basis

2010-08-02T06:43:00.000-06:00

A lot of writers ask me about my writing schedule. As a full-time writer, I have multiple streams of income so I have to manage my time carefully. But it doesn't matter whether you write as a calling, a hobby or a business. We all perform better when we have expectations and a way to judge results. For those of you just starting out, here are some suggestions.

Set small, measurable goals
Under estimate the time you'll be able to put in
Adjust your goal setting to a weekly mode, rather than daily
Weekly Word Count Goal

One of the things I've found most helpful when setting word count goals is to set my goal for the week rather than the day. I still have two teenagers in and out of the house so sometimes life interrupts life. To combat this, I set a weekly wordcount goal for my fiction endeavors. Then, I break it down into daily totals. If I miss a day's goal, I can make it up later in the week and I don't wind up feeling like I've failed.

Weekly Project Goal
some of you may work on more than just a novels. You may also work on smaller projects, like articles or devotions. If that's the case, try to set a goal of one devotion or article a week, instead of a word count for those projects.

Revolving Weekly Goal
You might want to try something I call a revolving weekly goal. This is where you have a different goal every week for 3 weeks and then it starts over. The first week you might complete a small project. The next week, you look for markets where you can sell it. The third week you might spend learning about the craft of writing. Then you begin the cycle again.

Whatever method works for you is the BEST method.

Just remember, that no matter how early or how far along you are on your writing journey we all need to spend time studying the craft of writing. That can be done through reading books, attending a seminar or conference, or reading blogs and websites.

All of these are necessary for us as writers to improve our craft.

So what have you found works best for you? Share your insights with the rest of us - please!

Getting Ready to Write: A Special Place, A Special Time

2010-07-26T06:00:00.002-06:00

By Sandy Tritt

Many successful writers advise that it is important to have a special place set aside in which to write. A room, a desk, a closet—somewhere that is reserved only for the act of writing. I think this is wonderful. If you can do this, and if this helps you get into the “writing mood,” do it.

Many writers also suggest setting aside a special time to write. To sit in your special place for 30 minutes or 4 hours or however long you’ve set aside, and discipline yourself to write. Again, I think this is great. Some writers are very disciplined and get up at 4 a.m. to have 3 hours to write before starting their workday. This impresses the heck out of me, but I know the snooze button on my alarm would be worn out if I tried it.

In fact, none of this has ever worked for me. I write any where, any time. I keep a pad of paper by my bedside, so when I awaken at 3 a.m. with the solution to my writing dilemma, I am ready to write. I keep paper in my car, so when I’m waiting to pick up my kids or stuck in traffic, I can write. I keep paper in my oversized handbag, so while I’m at the doctor’s office or the PTA meeting, I can write. And I keep a laptop computer in my living room, in the same room as the television set and the energetic teenagers and the dog and the husband and the birds, and while I’m enjoying family time, I write.

For me, finding the time to write or the place to write has never been the problem. For me, forcing myself to finish my chores before I write, making myself accept my other responsibilities before I write, is the problem.

Writer’s Block? Uh-uh. I believe that writer’s block is what happens when we don’t know what comes next in our story. So start another story. I always have several projects open at a time—two or three novels, two or three short stories, and usually a few nonfiction or workshop projects. Anytime my brain gets tired or stuck on one story, I’ve got another to go to. Of course, the danger in this is that it is easy never to actually finish any one project, but that, again, is where discipline comes in. I try to assign “priorities” to my work. I usually have one fiction and one non-fiction project that is my current priority, and I don’t switch to one of the other projects unless I am truly stuck and need a break.

It is also easy to be overtaken by distractions. During the day, when I am home alone, I never turn on the television set. And those wonderful computer games that are so compelling? I have to admit, I love them. I compete against myself constantly in trying to do better all the time. But I only allow myself to indulge in the late evenings, when my house is usually so active that I would have difficulty concentrating on writing anyway.

I wrote my first novel while working full-time with three small children at home. I wrote during lunch breaks, while stirring spaghetti sauce, while pumping gas. I wrote at every possible snippet of time, and when I wasn’t physically writing, my mind was busy working out plot and such so that when I could grab a pen and paper, I’d be ready to go.

The moral of the story: if you want to write, you will find the time and you will find the space. If you are the type of person who needs structure, then give that to yourself. Set aside a desk and a special time. However, if you have such a burning desire to write that nothing will stop you from doing it, then don’t limit yourself to a special place or a special time. Just do it.

What is your special time or place to write?

FROM SEED TO FLOWER: HOW TO GROW AN IDEA

2010-07-18T21:16:00.002-06:00

Candy, evangelism, Texas, ranch

Your mission, should you choose to accept it: Come up with an elevator pitch for a story encompassing those four words. Any genre or time period acceptable.

I look forward to seeing your suggestions in the comments.

I chose those four words because they were the four elements I wanted to include in my latest book proposal. (I won’t bother you with the reasons why). My chosen genre was historical romance. How did I get from those four words to a nine page book synopsis?

I start by asking questions.

• Who are my hero and heroine? What occupations might include candy, evangelism, or a ranch?
• What problems keep them apart? She is a missionary committed to service overseas. He’s a fisherman who once asked her to marry him.
• What problems might interfere with those occupations? The missionary has to stay at home because of family problems. The candy shop fails. Someone unused to a ranch has to learn how to ranch.
• When and where will this story take place? I’m a sucker for natural disasters. Dressed in Scarlet is set during Colorado’s worst blizzard; Beacon of Love takes place in a lighthouse during a hurricane; Bridge to Love examines the infamous Year of No Summer. So it’s no wonder that I was drawn to the Galveston hurricane of 1900.

Okay, with those questions I had enough for an elevator pitch. Next I started on structure: the inciting incident, one or two plot change points, and the black moment.

We’re told to start with action; what is more action-packed than a ship at sea during a hurricane—trying to pick up stranded fishermen? The black moment? Make something happen so that it appears the hero and heroine won’t achieve their hearts’ desire—then resolve it. For my couple, she’s afraid she can’t go back to the mission field, and he’s afraid she will.

In between, though, it gets tougher. One method makes things get progressively worse; the problems escalate. Another resolves the first problem but presents a second.

I used the second method. So by now I have four plot pivots: opening chapter; two change points; and a black moment at the end.

So far I had a page at most. Not much.

Next, I let my mind wander freely. I list scenes and problems as they occur to me, in incomplete sentences, one or two lines each. I don’t enforce any order. Questions I ask myself include how do the hero and heroine get from point A to point B (how do they get from the hurricane-tossed ship to Galveston to evacuation?) Given what I know of my characters, how are they going to react to what’s happening? What problems might arise along each step of the way?

This netted me four-five pages of short ideas. I put them in order, write them into full sentences and paragraphs, add connecting threads and make sure I show emotions and romantic development ...

And I’ve got a nine page synopsis.

Please accept your mission. I look forward to reading your ideas.

Silencing Your Inner Editor

2010-07-11T19:56:00.000-06:00

I’ve spoken with a lot of writers who have trouble disconnecting their INNER EDITOR. This overly helpful person lives inside most of us and comes in handy when we’re putting the finishing touches on our manuscript. But when we’re in the midst of a creative surge, that same person can short circuit our progress.

There’s a scientific reason for that roadblock. The creative act of writing your first draft stems from the right side—or creative side—of the brain. Later in the process, when polishing begins, the left side takes over. Here are some of the characteristics of each side.

Right Brain

Visual in process, focusing more on patterns and images
Generally intuitive, led by feelings
Is the epitome of multi-tasking, able to process ideas simultaneously
Progresses from the big picture to the details
Lacks organization, utilizes free association

Left Brain

More verbal, needs to find specific words to express ideas
Analytical, led by logic
Takes things step by step, one idea at a time
Organizes details first before moving to the big picture
Very organized, utilizing lists and detailed plans

Mixing up the process—trying to use both sides of the brain at the same time—can lead to a tangled mess and a major roadblock. All of this information is good to know, but what if our left-brained, Inner Editor won’t go away? How do we make her be quiet? Unfortunately, there isn’t one way that works for everyone, but here are some tips that should help.

Don’t give in to temptation. Our Inner Editor gets stronger the more frequently we give in to her demands. If she thinks you need a certain word before you can finish that sentence, stay strong. Type XXX and go on. Later, during the rewriting process, you’ll have plenty of time to find the right word. This goes for anything that demands you slow the creative process. At this point in your manuscript speed is your best friend.
Set a daily and weekly word count goal. This can often sidetrack the Inner Editor because of her need to meet a goal. Sometimes, in her drive to succeed she can even become an ally.
Make lists in a separate notebook. Use your computer for the story, but if the need for details overshadows the creative urge, make a quick note in a notebook. Don’t let yourself get bogged down, but let the free association part of your right brain give you ideas to explore later with your more logical left side.
Don’t give in to fear. Many times our Inner Editor is driven by fear. Fear that this draft isn’t good, won’t work or just doesn’t make sense. Remind yourself that this version isn’t written in stone. Sometimes just giving ourselves permission to write what Ann Lamott calls the sh*%&# first draft is all we need to derail our Inner Editor.

All of these tips can help, but I’d like to know what tricks you use to keep your Inner Editor quiet.

Getting Ready to Write: Inspirations

2010-07-05T06:00:00.001-06:00

By Sandy Tritt

Writing a novel is a lonely job that has few rewards until it is finished. Therefore, it is imperative to stay focused and to stay positive. Surrounding yourself with reminders is one of the easiest ways to do this. (The other way—paying people to constantly tell you you’re doing great and so forth—becomes costly.)

When I first started submitting material to agents and received my first rejection letters, I was enthused. Now, some people would think that a rejection letter is a depressing thing, but not to me (not then, anyway). It made me feel like a “real” writer, made me feel like I had made contact with the “real” writing world. So, I taped every rejection letter on the wall. On top of each rejection, I taped an inspirational quote. I called it my “Wall of Shame.” As I received awards for my writing, I added these to my wall. I also copied any checks I received for readings or competitions, any thank-you notes, anything that had to do with writing. Pretty soon, I had half of one dining room wall “papered.” Eventually, my handy husband decided to remodel and my wall came down, but it had served its purpose when I needed it: it kept me focused on writing and connected to the writing world.

Don’t be embarrassed to do whatever you need to do to bolster your morale. And quit referring to yourself as “wanting to be a writer” or a “writer wannabe.” Once you actually put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard), you are a writer. Say that out loud: “I am a writer.” Say it again: “I am a writer.” One more time: “I am a writer.” Make that your new mantra and repeat it several times a day. You are a writer. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be reading this post.

What inspires you? Please share it with us. You never know who else you may inspire or encourage, whether it’s a quote, something someone said or did in regards to your writing, or perhaps it came in the form of a rejection letter.

Inspire us!

WHEN LIFE IMITATES ART

2010-06-27T22:01:00.003-06:00

I have had one of the weirdest weekends of my life. So much so that people have said, "This sounds like something out of a book."

In fact, it does sound an awful lot like the book I just finished, U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton. Her PI, Kinsey Millhone, first encountered her estranged family a few books back. She always considered herself a loner since her Aunt Gin died, and now she's being invited to a family gathering to meet the grandmother she thought had rejected her.

This morning I received an email from a total stranger. A stranger, except that we shared the same maiden name. She said she had received my information from my half-brother who had been "very excited" to locate me at last. She was my father's first cousin. She included enough information to make her statement believable.

Jolt. My father died 11 years ago. Jolt. My half-brother and step sister, whom I thought weren't concerned about me, and hunted me down. Jolt. My cousin introduced me to 38 more cousins on Facebook. Jolt. My stepsister invited me to come and visit.

I feel like I'm Kinsey in my own personal novel.

Will any of this show up in a book some day? Probably. I don't know how I feel about it all yet.

What part of your writing stems from personal experience? Do you know of any true life stories that are weirder than fiction? As any editor will tell you, it's not enough to say "but it really happened that way." The author has to make it believable.

Feel free to share some of those strange, humorous, eventful circumstances that have threaded your life.

FYI: Check out http://apenforyourthoughts.blogspot.com/ for an interview and giveaway of my latest release, Prodigal Patriot.

How Well Do You Know Your Characters?

2010-06-20T23:30:00.002-06:00

Have you ever read a book and come across a character that doesn’t act or react the way you thought they should? I have and at times I’ve even found myself arguing with the book. “That’s ridiculous. She’d never do that!” Usually when this happens it means that the author hasn’t portrayed the character accurately.

Let me give you an example. The writer may have set up the main character as shy and retiring and then has a scene where she’s up on stage and comfortable. This is an obvious flaw, but I’ve actually seen writers make this mistake. So how do you avoid this? You must spend time prewriting—evaluating who your character is and what your character’s motivations are.

These are the things you must determine.

First, what is your character’s greatest fear? Knowing this can set up your book’s climax by forcing your character to face her fear.

Second, what does your character want most in life? This will allow you to give your character believable motivation.

Third, how does your character see herself? Is she a rescuer or maybe a peacemaker? This will help you keep your character true to herself.

Fourth, why does your character see herself in this role? Is there a defining event in her life that led her to this determination?

Fifth, how does your character need to grow? What does she need to learn?

You should answer these questions for all POV (point of view) characters. This will help you write well rounded characters, as well as give you a wealth of possibilities for plot points and subplots.

There are several writing books on this topic that I highly recommend.
Getting into Character
By Brandilyn Collins

From the Inside Out
By Susan May Warren & Rachel Hauck

Let’s play with characterization. DON’T mention the book, but share an example you’ve found where a character didn’t act right.
Based on Darlene's comment, let's also talk about books that did characterization well!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

2010-06-14T06:00:00.001-06:00

After our pastor’s sermon on the faulty thinking of the “save the planet” slogan (only Christ can save the planet, after all), I debated about the wisdom of this title! But it still captures what I want to say today.

Over the years, writers tend to pile story/article ideas, partially finished manuscripts, rejected manuscripts ... we need more and more space (whether digital or physical) to keep track of our writing family.

What can we do with the growing junk pile? Recycle it.

The “reduce” rule would make an excellent topic for a post on writing tight ... I’ll save that for another day.

But ... reuse and recycle. Those both apply to our “leftovers.”

Reuse I think of in terms of research. Some people have made a career out of writing about the same setting (time, place, and/or culture). Beverly Lewis and Wanda Brunstetter and their Amish books come to mind, although both women have written books in other genres as well. I belong to a marketing group that started among writers committed to American history 1860-1876, Civil War through Reconstruction.

The same time period is the setting for two of my published books as well as a third that an editor has expressed interest in. I keep reusing my understanding of the Year of No Summer in new ways. (Beacon of Love and Bridge to Love)

Researched a story about storm chasers that didn’t sell as a romance? How about reworking it as suspense? A contemporary novella I proposed about a fire in Mesa Verde National Park has morphed into a historical novel about a film producer filming the Anasazi ruins at Mesa Verde.

Use topics you researched in depth for publicity. Offer yourself as a speaker on that topic. Blog about it. Write articles. I wrote an article on witnessing to Buddhists which involved a lot of research. I used and expanded that research to write a second article on a biblical view of reincarnation. (Both articles sold.)

Your assignment: Find a story you have written and/or sold. How can you use the same information you accumulated during writing that book in a new and different way

Recycle:
Reprints. If you write articles and short stories, keep looking for places to sell reprint rights. My short story The Ultimate Survivor has appeared in three separate places.

Rewrite. Write on the same topic with a slightly different slant. I wrote three articles on using “the arts” in children, one for a parenting magazine and two for teaching magazines.

Prolong. If you’ve written a stand alone, and a publisher wants a series, find a character (or characters) that demand their own story. That’s what I did with my first book, Romanian Rhapsody: Carrie’s best friend Michelle will have her own romance in Plainsong.

Your assignment: Think of a character from one of your books who could be the center of another story; or research ways to resell or rewrite articles you’ve already sold once.

Reminder: For an opportunity to win one of my books (as well as books by Susan Page Davis and Karen Witemeyer), please leave one or more comments on my blog darlenefranklinwrites.blogspot.com during the month of June.

It's Time For Show and Tell!

2010-06-06T18:33:00.000-06:00

One of the things I see most often in the manuscripts I edit is a writing style that tells the story instead of showing the action. Even if you've heard it all before - we all need to constantly be on guard against telling our story. Today I'll share some examples of how to connect with your reader through active verbs and specific nouns.

Example #1

The scent was fresh and new like a flower after the rain.
Verb choice - was
Noun choice – flower
This sentence isn’t bad, but it could be great. The writer in this example is telling instead of showing.

Example #2

The fresh scent hung in the air like a late blooming rose after the rain.
Verb choice – hung
Noun choice – rose (specifically a late blooming rose)
This sentence is great because it doesn’t tell us about the smell. Instead, the writer invites us to remember a smell. This is showing. It draws the read in and invites them to experience what’s happening.

Let’s look at two more examples

Example #3

Susan felt restless.
Verb choice – felt
Noun choice – Susan
Again, the writer is telling us how Susan felt

Example #4

Susan paced across the floor, wearing a pattern in the dust.
Verb choice – paced, wearing
Noun – Susan, floor, dust
Can you see the difference? The writer is again pulling us in with word pictures, showing us the action.

Special Note: There are times when telling is better than showing. You want to use telling when the action isn’t important or when it’s a common action that doesn’t need emphasis. For example, you don't have to say, "Susan bent her knees and lowered herself into the chair." Unless, you're trying to emphasize the WAY she's sitting to let us know her emotion. If she just sat, say, "Susan sat in the chair."

There are some words to watch for - words that can let you know you're telling instead of showing.
Felt
Remembered
Knew
Watched
Saw
Looked
Was
words that end in ing
words that end in ly

Okay, now it's your turn. Take one of the following sentences and make it great.
The morning was foggy.
Jacob was so mad he couldn't speak.
The smell made Penny sick.

Getting Ready to Write: Advice for Beginners

2010-05-31T06:00:00.002-06:00

Please welcome Sandy Tritt and her first post with us on the Book Doctor Blog. This lady is not only a wonderful editor, she's a kind, helpful person and goes above and beyond to help writers improve their craft. You can find Sandy, not to mention her entire staff, at Inspiration for Writers.

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So you wanna be a writer when you grow up, huh? My first word of advice is don’t. Don’t become a writer. Not for money. Not for glory. Not for any reason other than that you have a passion in your gut that is so strong that nothing can prevent you from writing. Unless you have stories in you that you must tell, and writing them is as important to you as eating and sleeping and breathing. And sometimes more important.

With that out of the way, I assume you have passion. So, what do you do with this life of yours to pave your way to the writing world? Read. Observe. Write. Live. Those are the four main ingredients to preparing yourself to write.

Read everything you can get your hands on. Read classic literature, read literary fiction, read commercial fiction. Read books on the craft of writing. Read books on writers. Read dictionaries. Read cereal boxes. Just read.

Observe. If there is one attribute a writer must have (other than his passion to write), it is the ability to notice details. What is it about the way she walks that captures your attention? Is it her clothes? Her figure? Her wiggle? What words could you use to describe the preacher’s snorts between shouts? What do his eyes look like when he says “Hell”? What keeps his hair from falling into his eyes (or onto the floor)?

Look at your surroundings as though you’re showing them to someone who’s never been to your area. Notice the sounds you would hear if you listened. Notice the smells, the colors, the textures, everything you normally take for granted. Think of new ways to describe old things.
Write every day. It doesn’t matter if it’s a dozen words or a dozen pages, write. And don’t limit your writing to your passion—try writing poetry, fiction, journal entries, essays. Keep a journal or notebook with you at all times and jot your thoughts as you think them.

Live. Can you write about New York City if you’ve never been there? Probably—if you’ve seen enough movies and read enough descriptions, you could write with integrity about a city you’ve never seen. However, you would not be able to add new insight. For me, a small town girl, it was the vastness of the big city that took my breath away. And that most of the thousands of people all scurrying to some place would gladly pause a moment to give directions or advice.

Visit as many places as you possibly can, but also consider actually living in as many different types of places as you can. Yes, you can get superficial impressions of cultures during a seven-day vacation, but to truly understand a culture, you need to experience it more deeply. I’ve lived in small towns, large cities, suburbs, villages and deep in the country. I’ve lived in apartments, houses, complexes, dormitories, alone, with friends, with family. I’ve lived in Appalachia, the Midwest and the Deep South. And each of these has left an imprint (as well as an accent!).

Experience as many aspects of life as you can. Can you really understand the pain of heartbreak if you’ve never been loved and left? Can you understand the intensity of a mother’s (or father’s) love if you’ve never experienced it? Can you understand the thrill of surviving the bunny slope on down hill skis if you’ve never put your life at stake?

This isn’t to say you must become an alcoholic to understand alcoholism (although it does help :-)) or a bank robber to understand a thief. What it does mean is that writers need to take more chances than the average Joe, need to experience more of life in order to write more knowledgeably. It also means that writers must have empathy to understand people and situations beyond their personal experience.

What kind of job should you hold while waiting to publish? Well, many successful writers have had successful careers in business, law, medicine, education or any area you can think of before becoming published. So it doesn’t matter a lot what your “day” job is, just don’t go into debt. Live humbly and within your means, because once you sign that car loan, you are obligated to your 8-5 job.

Of course, some jobs will give you more “material” to incorporate into your writing than others. If you are just passing time, here are some suggestions:

• Work with people from diverse backgrounds, such as you can meet in airports, resorts, hotels and restaurants. These give you plenty of characters to draw from.
• Work physically. Manual work doesn’t occupy your mind. I do some of my best creative thinking while washing dishes by hand and mopping floors.
• Work where you have free time to write, such as night desk clerk, night guard at a business, bowling alley clerk (on the slow shift), car lot attendant, and so on.

I am fond of saying that there are two aspects to writing—the craft and the art. The craft is that which can be learned—grammar, using active voice, the basics of dialogue and so forth. The art is the God-given talent that a writer is either blessed with or isn’t. It is the ability to “see” the details in a setting and relay that in interesting, unique words to make the reader feel the location. It is the ability to understand human nature and empathize with even the most dastardly villain. If you have that talent, and if you have that passion to write no matter what the odds, you are a writer. And nobody can take that away from you.

Overcoming Disappointment: Contests

2010-05-23T20:48:00.005-06:00

Sunday night I watched the season finale for Celebrity Apprentice. Sixteen proven celebrities, from the very well known to the lesser lights, competed for the opportunity to win money for charity. Fifteen proven winners turned into "losers" over the course of several weeks. In the end, Donald Trump chose Brett Michael as the winner.

Any time we enter a contest, numbers predict we will lose. Yet it's always hard.

One of the big contests for Christian writers, the Genesis contest for unpublished novelists sponsored by American Christian Fiction Writers, announced finalists a few weeks ago. My local ACFW chapter had finalists last year and this; it makes me proud to be a part of such a great team!

(And speaking of finalists, Sandi Rog of Book Doctor was a finalist last year!)

But five finalists per genre leaves scores of people who received no satisfaction from the contest beyond a score sheet with comments from judges. It hurts not to win.
It's excruciating to receive comments that suggest you made a mistake to try.

So that's the question I'm addressing today: What can you do with the not-so-good and downright-awful comments you received?

Here are some tried-and-true ways I've discovered for turning disappointments into positives.
Do nothing for as long as it takes to gain perspective. When I first receive a response from an editor, I zero in on one statement, good or bad; I rarely get the true gist of their comments upon first reading. So, let it set before you take it out again.
Congratulate yourself for entering! You took a leap of faith.
Consider that contest entry fee as a paid critique.
Now go back to the comments.
What was your score? Anything over 50% says you got more right than you did wrong. As agent Terry Burns told our OCFW group on Saturday, "A lot of people write good books. You need to write an excellent book." You may be (probably are) in the good-but-not-yet-excellent category.
Don't let negative comments outweigh the positive. Put the positive comments in a "warm fuzzies" file. "She said I wrote natural-sounding dialogue." Breathe it in. Accept it. Give yourself peptalks: I can write great dialogue!
As for the comments, if all of the judges make the same comment or give you the same low score, there's a problem.
If only one judge makes a comment, take it or leave it.
If 2 judges agree? Something about it isn't working. Look, then look again.
The judges' comments may suggest they don't understand what you were trying to say. The problem isn't their understanding--the problem is with your communication. Is it a regional expression? Can the character's words or gestures be interpreted more than one way?
Dig into your resources to develop your weak areas.

Above all--need I say it?--keep on writing!

Put Your Reader to Sleep

2010-05-17T04:00:00.021-06:00

Yes, you read the title correctly. Put your reader to sleep. Okay, maybe not completely to sleep, but at least allow them to dream. What does dreaming have to do with writing? Everything. The dream I’m referring to is the fictional dream. If you’ve never heard the term before, don’t worry. I guarantee you know what I’m talking about. I think author, John Gardner says it best. “What counts in conventional fiction must be the vividness and continuity of the fictional dream the words set off in the reader’s mind.”

A fictional dream occurs when the world in the story you’re reading becomes more real than the physical world around you. We’ve all be there at one time or another—transported into another time or another place by an author’s well crafted words.

This experience is one that we try to create for our readers. And it’s one of the biggest differences between a good book and a great one. So how do we create this dream world? We do it by paying attention. Notice where you are right now. Are there sounds? Smells? Even if you’re not overwhelmed by your setting I bet you’re aware of it. The same thing is true for our characters. If we neglect those details, we deny our readers the chance to be transported.

Even more important than what we do to put our readers to sleep is what we DON’T do. I think writers are far more often guilty of waking a reader up. We, as the author, have an obligation to not jolt our readers out of their dream world. So what are some things we do that interrupt pleasant dreams?

Bad Grammar—I’m not talking about a missed comma or two. I’m referring to sentence structure that’s difficult to read, modifiers that modify the wrong thing or even complicated punctuation. All of these things can cause a reader to stop and ponder what you’re trying to say. Once they stop you’ve lost them, they’re awake.
Confusing Dialogue—This can include things like long sections of dialogue with no speaker tags or beats. If the reader has to go back and figure out who’s speaking it means you’ve either not put in enough tags or your characters don’t have unique enough voices to be identified. One word of caution, overuse of ‘said’ instead of interspersing with speaker beats can be just as jarring.
Creative Speaker Tags—Anytime you use a speaker tag other than said or maybe asked you run the risk of making your reader stop. The word said is so common place in literature that it’s almost invisible. The reader skims lightly over it, uninterrupted. If, on the other hand, you pull out your thesaurus and try to find other words to use in its place you end up with jarring prose that tells the story through speaker tags instead of dialogue.
Characters who don’t act right—I’m not referring to moral actions. We’ve all read stories where a character does something and we find ourselves shaking our heads. Know your characters well enough to keep them from acting out of character.
Overwriting a dialect—I’m not against allowing your character to speak with an accent or in a dialect, but be careful how you do it. When the character is first introduced you can use a heavier hand with the spellings that denote dialect, such as learnin’ instead of learning. But after the reader gets to know the character they can hear the character speaking in their head and you don’t have to use spelling to convey their voice. In fact, if the reader has to work too hard to decipher your intent they will never even make it into the fictional dream.
Head Hopping—This is when you switch POV (point of view) from one character to another without a good reason. The rule of thumb is that each scene should have a single POV character and that should be the character with the most at stake.

The storyteller who can invite the reader into his world and make him believe it's real has captured the essence of what it means to be a great writer.

Perseverance

2010-05-10T06:00:00.001-06:00

Friday I completed a monumental task: I completed the rough draft of the longest book I've ever written. All writing is work, but this particular story has felt like a spell in a Siberian labor camp.

Different things made it difficult. Do any of these sound familiar?

Self doubt
Lack of focus
Lack of plot direction
Risk

If you're a writer, you've experienced at least one of those roadblocks in your work. What sets most published writers from pre-pubbed can be summed up in one word: perseverance. As Thomas Edison said, "Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent persperation."

What keeps you going when you're ready to give up? Some things that helped me reach my goal:

Trusting this is God's work--not my skill
Work on one project at a time (kudos to those who can do more!). Use those between-book lags to to benefit.
Work and rework the plot and characters until they work
Accept risk as a consequence of growth

Whatever happens with this story (an editor requested the full manuscript)--I have succeeded in pushing past my fears.

Do you have a project that you're ready to abandon? What makes you feel that way? What can you do differently to finish it and move on?

Note: Stop by and leave a comment on my blog darlenefranklinwrites@blogspot.com for a chance to win one of my books and a couple of other featured books.

Make Your Settings Count

2010-05-02T22:03:00.002-06:00

The writing world is cyclic, just like everything else. Right now, the cautionary phrase on the tip of every critique partner’s tongue is show don’t tell. They’re right, of course. Showing draws the reader deeper into the story, and adds an immediacy to the reading experience. But many well-meaning crit partners often label narrative or exposition as telling.

Narrative is an integral tool that a writer uses to make the scenes come alive. Without good narrative the story isn’t grounded. So how do we make our settings come alive? We let the reader view the story’s settings through the filter of the POV character’s emotions, experiences and beliefs. Look at the examples below to see what I’m talking about.

Example 1
Catherine looked at her lovely childhood home. She saw the horribly neglected yard and remembered a happier time. Her feelings of despair almost overwhelmed her. She knew she would find a way to get through the next few weeks, but it wouldn’t be very easy.

In this example the setting is described in a cold and distant way. When I first began writing, I thought this example was good writing. It is good—but it could be great. Watch what happens when we delve into Catherine’s emotions and experiences

Example 2
Catherine peered out the car window at a past she never thought to face. Overgrown trees and bushes loomed down at her as she got out. She explored the once happy yard, games of tag and kick-the-can echoing in her mind. The familiar bench, half hidden by an overgrown wisteria bush, beckoned with promises of rest and peace. She shook her head. Peace would be hard to find without Tom beside her. How would she get through the days to come? A small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. She could almost hear Tom’s voice, “Work, my dear, it keeps the hands busy and the memories at bay.”

Do you see the difference? When we look at the setting through more than just Catherine’s vision it comes alive and resonates with the reader.

There are some things we can do to insure this kind of depth to our settings.

Utilize the five senses. This will add depth to the scene.
Tie the setting to a dream or a memory.
Focus on the emotions your POV character is feeling and let that color how she sees her surroundings.

So next time you start to describe the setting in your story, slow down, take a good look at what your character is seeing and feeling. Then let the reader experience the setting through the character’s senses and emotions.

Please welcome Edie Melson, our new Book Doctor

2010-04-26T21:25:00.003-06:00

We're excited to introduce our new book doctor, Edie Melson!

Edie, thank you for joining us and being willing to donate your time to help writers improve their craft.

***

Edie Melson is a freelance writer and editor with a passion for life’s stories. She loves to share her 16+ years experience in the field of writing through mentoring and teaching others. She began as a technical writer in the 80’s and quickly moved into freelance writing, a perfect fit for someone who loves new challenges. Numerous articles and devotions, including those for Focus on the Family, Crosswalk.com, Christiandevotions.us, Inspiredmoms.com as well as Bible studies have flowed from her pen to her audience.

She also has a thriving copy writing business with multiple clients and teaches others how to write for the internet with an emphasis on SEO/keyword formatting. She began sharing her knowledge of the writing industry with other writers in 2001, by starting a local writer’s group, The Christian Writer’s Den, with colleague, Vonda Skelton. They have also co-directed and taught an annual writer’s retreat since 2002 and are members of a weekly, fiction writers critique group. From March of 2009 through March 2010 she worked as Managing Editor for Centered Magazine. She has a popular writing blog, www.thewriteconversation.blogspot.com.

She’s a member of several professional writing organizations, including The Christian Pen, The Christian Writer’s View I and ACFW, where she serves as the Editor for the Southeast Zone Newsletter and staff reviewer for Afictionado Magazine. Married 29 years to husband, Kirk, they have raised three sons.

Please welcome Edie, everyone. We're so happy she can join us!