Tips for Writers: Taking Your Setting From Static to Fantastic

Author Carla Capshaw is here this week on Writer’s Journey Wednesday to share how a setting can enhance a story. Dawn here. Authors have talked about giving personality to a character’s environment, but Carla’s explanation and examples helped make it click for me. Enjoy!

Tips for Writers: Taking Your Setting
From Static to Fantastic

If I were a betting girl, I’d wager we’ve all read at least one book that could be considered a “wallpaper” book. You know, the kind of story that if it weren’t for the time stamp at the beginning of chapter one or the occasional reference to ball gowns instead of bell bottoms, you’d be hard pressed to remember if the book took place in 1875 or 1975. Regardless of its other redeeming qualities, a “wallpaper” lacks color and pizzazz. There’s a reason jewelers display diamonds on blue velvet. The light may be what makes them sparkle, but it’s the rich background that makes them most noticeable.

As writers, we want every facet of our story to shine. We obsess about plot and characters. We spend hours weaving elaborate back stories, imagining every detail from the flecks of gold in our hero’s eyes to the height of our heroine’s shoe heels. We dream up conflicts we hope seem impossible to overcome and do our best to make certain we have a “because” for every “why.”

Depending on the genre, most of us have spent hours researching historical accuracies, legal proceedings, or devising the rules of our own Paranormal world. So, how is possible, then, that our settings are often relegated to background static instead of being used as a full-fledged orchestra?

In my books, I get to visit a wide range of times and places, but in my opinion a great setting is more than just a certain year or country. To me, it’s what makes the word pictures we write high definition instead of fuzzy black and white.

Here are a few ways I like to use setting to best advantage:

• Use weather or seasons to emphasis your character’s story arc. For example, in my latest release, The Protector, I used the cold, damp days of a Roman winter to magnify the loneliness of my heroine’s life. As the story progresses, she and the hero travel to the Amalfi coast where the warmth and color of their surroundings mirrors the happiness they’re experiencing together.

• Use setting as a metaphor for your character’s inner emotions. In my book, The Duke’s Redemption, a storm outside is like the tempest of pain raging in my hero after he receives the news of his brother’s death.

• Use a contrasting setting to magnify a character’s personality. Ex: Nothing escaped Agnes’s dreary disposition. Even the daisies lining the garden path seemed to wilt when she walked by.

• Use setting to highlight a character’s circumstances. Ex: Before the war, the Smiths had known every luxury. Now, the parlor’s curtains and threadbare rugs were as faded as the family’s glory.

• Remember to engage not only the characters’ senses, but the readers, too. Whatever the scene, include as much sound, taste, touch, etc. as possible.

I hope these ideas have helped to get your creative juices flowing. What are some of the techniques you use to make the most of your settings?

Florida native Carla Capshaw always dreamed of being a writer and world traveler, she followed her wanderlust around the globe before beginning work on her first novel. A two-time Rita nominee, Carla loves passionate stories with compelling, nearly impossible conflicts. She's found inspirational historical romance is the perfect vehicle to combine lush settings, vivid characters and a Christian worldview. Currently at work on her next novel, she still lives in Florida, but is always planning her next trip…and plotting her next story. Carla loves to hear from readers.

You can learn more at http://www.carlacapshaw.com/

To contact her, visit her Web site or write: Carla@carlacapshaw.com.

God's Promises to Writers Series: Help!

Help!
God's Promises to Writers Series
Net's Notations Tuesdays

If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father.
He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be
condescended to when you ask for it.
Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought.
People who "worry their prayers" are like
wind-whipped waves.
Don't think you're going to get anything
from the Master that way,
adrift at sea, keeping all your options open. (James 1:5, MSG)

This same verse, in another translations, speaks of wisdom, which was last week’s promise. “If any lacks wisdom . . .” But I love how it warmly refers to God as our Father, ready and willing to help.

When was the last time you needed help in your writing? My answer: today. I spent the early part of the day editing a chapter of my WIP (work in progress) for critique group Dawn and I attend. I wanted to bring them something they wouldn’t expect and I needed God to inspire me. He did! I was surprised as I rewrote the scene. That’s key. Surprises in the writer lead to surprises for the reader. Yay!

How about you, when was the last time you needed help? Maybe you had writer’s block, or needed answers to some research questions. Maybe you were praying for a mentor and God brought one just in time to help guide you. Maybe you received a rejection on a dear project and needed help carrying on. Or perhaps got back some contest scores you hadn’t anticipated and the responses stung.

Aren’t you glad the same God who called you will help you when you need it? I’m convinced, though, that He wants us to humbly come ask Him for that help. It’s good for helping us keep 1 Corinthians 4:17 in mind.

For who makes you differ from another?
And what do you have that you did not receive?
Now if you did indeed receive it,
why do you boast as if you had not received it? (1 Cor. 4:7)

Here’s an invitation from our Affectionate Father:

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace,
that we may obtain mercy and find grace
to help in time of need.”
(Heb 4:16, NKJV)

I want to avail myself to that offer of help. God’s called us to write, and He won’t leave us without assistance. Rely on Him. He’s got this—exactly what you need. It’s one more of His promises to writers.

Featured Genre Day: Westerns with Stephen Bly

Good morning everyone, Annette here. This Manuscript Monday we'd like to honor Stephen Bly as he's been appearing here all month with great articles on craft. It's hard to imagine him writing any other genre than what we've all come to know him for: Westerns. Today he shares about writing in that genre. Enjoy this Featured Genre Day!

How I Got Into Westerns
By Stephen Bly
Copyright©2008

Folks often ask me if I always wanted to grow up and write books about cowboys. Nope. Not me. I never wanted to be a writer. But I did grow up on a farm and wanting to be a cowboy. I had Roy Rogers PJs and curtains and a plastic statue of trigger on my dresser.

However, as a lad, I only read a few western novels. My aunt and uncle had a box of dusty dime novels in a room next to their garage. I’d go to sleep reading them when I got a chance.

Not much different than kids in the Old West. They had dime novels then too. Most were written by men who had never gone west. They invented many of the clichés and stereotypes that linger today. Think of them as old time supermarket tabloids and you get the picture.

But what really caught my fancy was history. I liked the nonfiction accounts of life in the Old West. I learned to grab all the University of Oklahoma and University of Nebraska titles that I could find.

After I married and started raising kids of my own, I read lots of western fiction. One birthday my mother gave me some Zane Grey stories. Then, I picked up novels by B. M. Bower, Owen Wister, Will James, Luke Short, Ernest Haycock, Elmer Kelton, Vardis Fisher and, of course, Louis L’Amour. Somewhere in the middle of the 63rd L’Amour book, the idea struck me . . . I can write one of these.

By then, I had a dozen nonfiction books to my published credit, so I knew I could fill the pages. But I didn’t know if I could spin a tale people would want to read.

One summer, my wife Janet and I and our youngest son camped in the Beartooth mountains, south of Red Lodge, Montana. I took along an old typewriter and wrote my first western novel, called The Land Tamers. Since I had no idea if I’d ever have the chance to write another, I tried to pack every scene I ever wanted to write in that one book. An editor commented that it moved about as fast as the movie, Raiders Of The Lost Ark. She meant it as a critique. I took it as a compliment.

As it turned out, that was just one of many tales I was allowed to write. I haven’t run out of ideas yet.

~~~~~

Cowboy For A Rainy Afternoon (hardback, Center Point) released this month (June 2010). Available through Amazon or www.BlyBooks.com

~~~~~~

More about Stephen Bly:

Married to writer, Janet Chester Bly, 46 years; they’ve co-authored 18 books. Resides in northern Idaho at 4,000 ft. elev., on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation. Father of 3 sons: Russell, Michael, & Aaron. The family includes daughters-in-law, Lois, Michelle & Rina Joye, plus grandkids: Zachary, Miranda (& husband Chris), and Keaton. Third-generation westerner, Steve spent 30 years working family ranches and farms in central California. His hobbies include collecting and restoring Winchesters; studying histories of Old West; doing construction on Broken Arrow Crossing, a false front western village next to his home. He also plays a par game of golf.

* authored and co-authored 102 fiction and nonfiction books,
including historical and contemporary westerns
* Christy Award winner, Westerns, 2002, The Long Trail Home
* Christy Award finalist, Westerns, 2003
* mayor of Winchester, Idaho, pop. 308 (1999-2007)
* pastor of Winchester Community Church
* speaker for men’s and writers’ groups, USA and Canada
* roving editor, Big Show Journal
* mentor, Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild
* represented by agent Chip MacGregor, MacGregor Literary
* Interviews and Media Kit available, http://www.blybooks.com/
* Fresno State University, CA, Philosophy, summa cum laude
* M. Div., Fuller Theological Seminary, CA, 1974

Happy First Anniversary!!

Happy anniversary, dear readers! A year ago today Seriously Write launched for Christian writers as a place to encourage, support, and even give you a place to share your articles on writing with other writers. What a year it’s been! Many talented authors have visited to share how-tos and their journeys with us.

Along the way, a wonderful thing happened: over and over, we found readers encouraged by posts here at SW. Advice and interaction flowed between visiting authors and readers.

As a hostess and one who contributes blog posts, I found God inspiring my posts just at the time I, myself, needed the information. *grin* Then, I’d occasionally hear from others who’d been encouraged, too. Isn’t it great how God works like that?

Dawn and I both enjoyed connecting with fellow authors who graciously contributed to our specially themed days.

Speaking of which . . .

Big news: We’re excited to announce that we’ll soon have a new hostess. She’s one of the members of our critique group (McCrit), and a good friend. She’s also a newly published author (in 2009 & 2010). She’s visited before to share her journey story, and she’ll be a regular on Manuscript Mondays through the summer. But her official day is Wednesday coming in mid- to late summer. A round of virtual applause for Ocieanna Fleiss!!

We’re so grateful for everyone’s involvement. As always, if you’d like to contribute a craft article, or your own journey to publication, leave a comment, and we'll connect with you there. We’d love to hear from you.

We’re always looking for ways to improve SW, so if there’s a topic you’d like to see addressed, or a Christian author you’d love to hear from, let us know and we’ll see what we can do. We want to help and encourage you as a writer.

Here’s to another year full of connecting writers at a place where wisdom, advice, experience, and support can be shared.

Happy First Anniversary!!

Keep on Writing by Kathleen Fuller

It’s Fortifying Friday – the day we share journeys to publication and words of encouragement for writers. Today, author Kathleen Fuller is here to motivate us while we continue down our own paths. Which of these items can you relate to?

Keep on Writing

A couple weeks ago I listed my top ten tips for writers. My number one tip was to persevere. Writing is tough and getting published is tougher, but if you give up writing you’ll never get published. So how do you stay motivated to write in the face of rejection, disappointment, real-life crises, and countless other issues that can bring your writing to a grinding halt? Here are five ways to maintain your writing motivation.

1) Avoid burn-out. I can’t stress this enough. It is so easy to get burned out in this business. Writing a novel is only part of the publishing picture. There’s marketing, developing your platform, understanding and utilizing social media, networking, going to conferences—it can start to get overwhelming at times and lead to overwork and tremendous stress. Don’t let that happen to you. Make sure you take time for yourself. If you can, step away from the Internet and the computer for a few days. Schedule time to refill yourself spiritually, physically, and creatively.

2) Brainstorm with a friend. Brainstorming is a wonderful way to get the creative and motivational juices flowing. Even if you’re not experiencing writer’s block, talking about your story with someone else (and reciprocating by discussing her story) will make you eager to get back to writing.

3) Read. Nothing makes me want to write more than reading. When I read a great novel, by the end of the book I’m itching to get back to my story. If you’re finding it difficult to work on your manuscript, pick up a good book, even one you’ve read before. This will also give your brain a bit of a rest from your story, so you can approach it with a fresh perspective.

4) Don’t compare yourself to other writers. Comparisons are motivation killers. When we compare ourselves to others, two things happen: we run the risk of becoming jealous and we run the risk of giving up. Jealousy and discouragement are the enemies of motivation. Avoid them completely. Your writing journey is unique. Don’t waste precious energy trying to be like anyone else.

5) Just write. I know, that advice doesn’t sound helpful. But it’s reality—the only way to write is to…write. A long time ago someone told me that motivation doesn’t exist. You either do something or you don’t. Make the decision to write, whether you feel like it or not, whether you think you have the time, energy, or patience to do it. As many writers I know like to say, “Put your butt in the chair and write!”



Best-selling author Kathleen Fuller writes Amish adult and YA fiction for Thomas Nelson. Her latest book is a YA novel, A Summer Secret, which is the first book in The Mysteries of Middlefield Series. In September A Hand to Hold, book three in her adult series Hearts of Middlefield, will be released. Kathleen, her husband James and their three children live in Northeast Ohio. She loves to hear from her readers, and you can contact her through her website: http://www.kathleenfuller.com/ or through her blog: http://www.amishhearts.com/. For more information about Kathleen’s novels visit her website or the online community Amish Living (http://www.amishliving.com/).

Still on the Job

Thursdays - Devotions for Writers

“Friends, when life gets really difficult, don't jump to the
conclusion that God isn't on the job.” (1 Peter 4:12 The Message)

How are you doing today?

Great?

Awesome?

Did you get another book contract signed? Step on the scale and discover you lost five pounds? Get a promotion at work? Receive a reduction in the cost of your car insurance? *grin*

If so, God is taking good care of you. Right?

But what about the days when you receive another rejection on your manuscript? An unexpected bill arrives in the mail? Your kids come down with the flu while you’re frantically trying to meet a deadline? Your critique partners tell you the chapter you slaved over needs a little work – or actually, a complete overhaul?

Is God on the job then? Is He too busy with world disasters – famine – floods -earthquakes to pay attention to your life? Or is He just taking a much needed vacation?

Does He even care that you’re discouraged? Worn out? Frustrated?

Of course He does. The verse for today states that when life gets really difficult, we shouldn’t jump to the conclusion that God isn’t on the job.

Don’t judge God’s care for you based on what you can see. “We live by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7 NIV). He could be working on your behalf in ways you can’t even begin to fathom.

Remember . . . He never said you wouldn’t face adversity. But He did say you would never be outside His care. "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5 NIV).

No matter what challenges and disappointments we face in our daily lives – and that includes our writing career– we need to keep believing.

God is still on the job.

Have faith.

Dawn

Starting Out Strong by Linore Rose Burkard

Did you realize there are additional things to think about, other than writing good material, if you want to be successful in the publishing industry? There’s so much more involved than penning an engaging book. Author Linore Rose Burkard is here today to share her insight this Writer’s Journey Wednesday.

Starting Out Strong

As I teach and speak to newer writers about getting off to a good start in the business, one of the focus areas that I often see neglected is platform.

This isn’t about the writing, okay? Your writing is the most important thing you do to express yourself and reveal who you are as a writer, and it’s got to be good and strong and well-crafted if you want to BE a writer and get published; but that’s only part of what a modern writer or author does.

Another facet of the writing life, love it or hate it, is marketing. We need to market our work (to an editor, an agent or publisher) but we also need to market who we are, and we need to do it in a professional manner. In other words, we need to establish a web presence, which is to say, start building a platform.

You may feel that your craft is the only thing you should work on, and, until it’s perfect, you’ll put off constructing that internet platform. To this I’d say that no writer ever feels their work is perfect, and if you are going to wait for perfection, you’ll be waiting a long, long, time. You’ll be waiting forever!

If you are serious about becoming a career author or writer, the time to start your platform building is NOW. New writers often think they’ll wait until they get that first contract to start their web presence. But did you know that if a publisher has a choice between two unpublished authors, one who has a blog, writes reviews or articles, is a good networker, and one who has none of the above, they will most likely choose the one with an already established web presence?

If your work is good enough to warrant a contract, that’s great, but it’s only part of what a publisher is looking for today. The book business is a BUSINESS. For publishers to stay in that business, they must earn money. They will award contracts to the writers who appear to have the best potential for doing so. Writers with a platform are pre-positioned to fit that bill. So how does one build a platform? To learn more about this topic and how to be ready to get published, join my mailing list. I’m working on a 10-part email course that you can subscribe to and I’ll announce it’s completion to my list.

I’ll be sharing my “Top Ten” essentials for marketing, platform building, professionalism, and more.




Linore Rose Burkard creates Inspirational Romance for the Jane Austen Soul. Her characters take readers back in time to experience life and love during the Regency England era (circa 1800 –1830). Ms. Burkard’s novels include Before the Seasons Ends and The House in Grosvenor Square. Her stories blend Christian faith and romance with well-researched details from the Regency period.

Ms. Burkard was raised in New York, where she graduated magna cum laude from the City University of New York with a Bachelor of Arts in English literature. She lives with her husband and five children in a town full of antique stores and gift shops in southwestern Ohio. Her hobbies include writing four new Regency novels, family movie nights, swimming, and gardening.

To find out more, please visit http://www.linoreroseburkard.com/

God's Promises to Writers Series

Direction

God's Promises To Writers Series

Net's Notations Tuesdays

“Ugh! I don’t know what to do next.” How often have I thought those words?

If you’re like me, you have limited time you can focus on writing. Perhaps it’s a day job or kids or church obligations. That’s true for me, too. I’m busy. So, when I get a moment at my desk, sometimes it’s difficult to prioritize. Do I blog? Do I submit articles for consideration? Do I edit my WIP (work in progress)? Do I email or dabble on FB?? (tee hee) What should I do?

It’s times like those that, if I remember, I try to stop and ask God to direct me.

If you’re under contract, you know what you need to do.

If you’re on a deadline, you know what you need to do.

If you’ve set specific goals and have daily word counts you like to hit, you know what you have to do.

Sometimes the calendar determines where I spend my time. What’s on the schedule for today?

But there are many days when I just need God’s direction, I need Him, in His wisdom, to direct my steps. Here’s His promise to writers:

And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying,
This is the way, walk in it, when you turn to the right hand
and when you turn to the left. (Isaiah 30:21)

God promises to direct our steps. Remember, we’re in this for Him, for His name’s sake. He will not leave us wandering blindly and wasting time. Trust Him for direction. It’s another of His promises to writers.

Dialogue and the Western Novelist by Stephen Bly

Western writer, Stephen Bly, has returned this Manuscript Monday with advice on dialogue. He narrows down his topic, gearing it toward western writers, but I (Annette) believe you'll find some useful information no matter which genre you write. Enjoy!

Western Lilt: Dialogue of the Western Novelist
By Stephen Bly
Copyright©2010

Speech has rhythm. To write good dialogue, an author must listen to each character’s voice, to discern timing as well as vocabulary.

Every era and region boasts its language and dialect, which can be learned through research or experience. But tone and timing can’t be taught. It’s in your bones . . . or not.

In my newest novel, Cowboy For A Rainy Afternoon, six old cowboys chatting can’t wait for one topic to die before blurting another. I worked to hear the tune of their chatter, the lilt of the lyrics, to produce an authentic, natural flow. And blend the philosophy within the words.

Cowboy Culture

Talk slow and think deep. It’s part of the Code. It’s the way true westerners talked.

These cowboys told their stories often and not the same each time. That’s the beauty of oral history. It’s not a static photograph of the past, but a monologue that percolates, evolves, and sometimes digresses through the memory and heart, by the one who lived it. My task: be true to the characters, yet sympathetic to my readers. Spend a morning near the old-timers booth at the local café and you’ll know what I mean.

In Cowboy For A Rainy Afternoon, I used a lot of classic cowboy terms that have now disappeared. For instance, a phrase often used on a cattle drive was “man at the pot.” Someone at the coffee pot gave a shout-out to indicate he’d fill everyone’s cup.

To cowboys, ‘nobby’ signified fine, expensive clothing. They mention the store Nudies. That’s where Hollywood cowboys and country-western singers bought their fancy boots and rhinestone jackets. I bought a cowboy hat there . . . a plain, beaver felt XXX, size 7 7/8, dark brown Resistol with horsehair hatband . . . for the sake of research.

“You never know the luck of a lousy calf,” one of my favorite cowboy sayings. Healthy, sturdy calves seem to fall off cliffs or get attacked by wolves. It’s the scrawny, worthless ones that survive.

I once stood at the graveside of my rancher uncle. As I looked down at his coffin, an old-timer slid up beside me. “He was a good man, son. He lived by the Code.”

In my novel, Pop would “do to ride the river with.” That’s the highest compliment for a cowboy. Crossing wild rivers with great herds of cattle exposed dangers for man and beast. Not a time to trust your safety to some rookie just learning the ropes. “He’ll do to ride the river with” signified “I’d trust that man with my life.”

Cowboy Faith

Every writer filters their work through a worldview. Mine happens to be Christian. Sometimes that pops through. In Cowboy For A Rainy Afternoon, you’ll find this quote:
“If you feel prodded, Shorty, it’s the shovel of the Lord. He’s diggin’ you up and intends on restorin’ you.”

The narrator’s granddaddy chides his pals with the Gospel. He cares too much to keep silent. He’s hoping that fifty years of friendship and five minutes spouting Jesus will open their eyes.

My suggestion: read Cowboy For A Rainy Afternoon aloud, like around a campfire, to capture the cadence. Then, the characters will start to feel like family. Maybe you weren’t born 100 years too late.

~~~~~

Cowboy For A Rainy Afternoon (hardback, Center Point) will release this month (June 2010). Available through Amazon or www.BlyBooks.com

~~~~~~
More about Stephen Bly:

Married to writer, Janet Chester Bly, 46 years; they’ve co-authored 18 books. Resides in northern Idaho at 4,000 ft. elev., on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation. Father of 3 sons: Russell, Michael, & Aaron. The family includes daughters-in-law, Lois, Michelle & Rina Joye, plus grandkids: Zachary, Miranda (& husband Chris), and Keaton. Third-generation westerner, Steve spent 30 years working family ranches and farms in central California. His hobbies include collecting and restoring Winchesters; studying histories of Old West; doing construction on Broken Arrow Crossing, a false front western village next to his home. He also plays a par game of golf.

* authored and co-authored 102 fiction and nonfiction books,
including historical and contemporary westerns
* Christy Award winner, Westerns, 2002, The Long Trail Home
* Christy Award finalist, Westerns, 2003
* mayor of Winchester, Idaho, pop. 308 (1999-2007)
* pastor of Winchester Community Church
* speaker for men’s and writers’ groups, USA and Canada
* roving editor, Big Show Journal
* mentor, Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild
* represented by agent Chip MacGregor, MacGregor Literary
* Interviews and Media Kit available, http://www.blybooks.com/
* Fresno State University, CA, Philosophy, summa cum laude
* M. Div., Fuller Theological Seminary, CA, 1974

Potholes and Detours by Virginia Smith

Last month, author Virginia Smith joined us on Writer’s Journey Wednesday and talked about her three-step revision process. She joins us this Fortifying Friday to share experiences on her journey to publication. Get out your pen and paper!

Potholes and Detours

My twenty-year road to publication was long, and twisty, and full of potholes and detours. I collected an astounding pile of 143 rejection letters before receiving the contract for my first novel. Many times a rejection would hit me like a brick through the windshield, and all I wanted to do was abandon the road and find another, one that was easier to travel.

Now that I’ve got a few books under my belt, I can see something that was hard to understand at the time – nothing that happened to me on that winding road has gone to waste. Every experience served a purpose, even the ones that seemed to be complete detours on the road to publication. All our life experiences combine to mature us as people, and mature people can become mature writers.

My corporate job gave some terrific experiences that have showed up in my books. I once worked with a man in Florida who trained people to test computer software. He’d say, “If a programmer tells you he programmed the computer to do this, don’t believe him. Test it. Don’t take anybody’s word for it. You can believe your mother – but check her.” That always made me laugh. Several years later in Murder by Mushroom, I wrote a police detective who was teaching a younger officer to interrogate witnesses. He said, “You can believe your mother – but check her.” When my former co-worker read that book, he was delighted. He emailed me, absolutely tickled. “I’m in your book!”

Another life circumstance that ended up in my books was one of my bosses. He was the most controlling, micro-managing individual I’d ever met, and working for him was incredibly frustrating. When I wrote Third Time’s a Charm, the third book in the Sister-to-Sister Series, the lead character has a boss whose behavior is very similar. I was able to write that book from an extremely personal perspective, and it brought the character’s struggles to life.

So I’ve learned that everything along the road in the journey of life – every pothole and detour and sightseeing opportunity – can serve a purpose in my writing. I’m comforted by the fact that the Lord knows exactly where I am on the road, and sometimes I can even hear Him whisper, “Grab your pen and take notes. We’re going to use this someday.”




Virginia Smith is the author of more than a dozen Christian novels and over fifty articles and short stories. An avid reader with eclectic tastes in fiction, Ginny writes fiction in a variety of styles, from lighthearted relationship stories to breath-snatching suspense. Her newest book, A Daughter’s Legacy, is a romance novel set in a zoo. Ginny says the research was a lot of fun, even if she did have to clean up after a lot of animals. Which, she says, wasn’t all that different from her job in the corporate world.

Learn more about Ginny and her books at
http://www.virginiasmith.org/
or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ginny.p.smith

Enemies. Me?

Thursdays - Devotions for Writers

“In you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.” (Psalm 25:2 NIV)

Enemies. Me? Do I have them? Do you?

Of course! We live in an imperfect world.

But who, what, or where are your enemies?

Maybe it’s the gossip in the neighborhood, school, or even church who has to exaggerate one little mistake you made in order to make herself look better than you.

Maybe it’s any tempting food full of sugar or fat when you’re trying to create a healthier lifestyle for yourself and loved ones.

But who or what are your enemies when it comes to following your calling as a writer? What stops you from finishing that article you want to submit to a favorite magazine? What hinders you from completing the necessary research for your novel? Or sending off the proposal for your latest manuscript to an editor?

Enemies may want to personally harm us, or they may wish bad things to happen to us. However, instead of acting out of plain meanness, someone could be reacting to something else. Envious of a writer’s success, someone may try to discredit an author by spreading rumors or writing hurtful reviews. Feeling resentful of the time a writer spends at a computer, a spouse might pick a fight to get attention or make a point. The spouse isn't the enemy here. There are other things that need to be addressed.

“Thee” enemy is always waiting and willing to plague us with self-doubt, health issues, financial concerns, etc. He knows EXACTLY what will get to us. Push our buttons. Put us in a tailspin. Make us feel defeated. If we give in to being consumed with these distractions, they can prevent us from accomplishing what God has called us to do.

We can also become our own worst enemy. We don't take care of ourselves and become sick. We don't take "time out" and become "burned out." When we don't accomplish the amount of writing we planned or hoped to - we blame lack of time, distraction due to the Internet, e-mail boxes that have to be cleaned out, errands that need to be run, household responsibilities, church commitments, lack of organization, etc. It’s easy to put the blame on something else, instead of taking the initiative to set up boundaries for ourselves and those around us.

What are the enemies you’re battling this week? This month? Year?

Whatever our enemy – or enemies – may be, God is there to help. Trust that He is willing to give you the strength and wisdom to triumph over them.

Dawn

What I’ve Learned on My Writing Journey by Elizabeth White

You’re in for a treat! It’s Writer’s Journey Wednesday and author Elizabeth (Beth) White is here to share some of her experiences. Enjoy!

What I’ve Learned
on My Writing Journey

My writing journey has been like…well, since it’s fresh on my mind, I’m going to use my first couple of days in Tokyo as a metaphor. No straight lines from point A to point B. Lots of dead ends. Magnificent soaring heights and long treks underground. Pockets of ancient tradition juxtaposed with dizzying speed and modernity. Waiting. More waiting. Trying to communicate when nobody speaks your language. A panoply of the conservative and the outlandish.

I don’t know what I expected after I sold my first novella to Tyndale in 1998. Perhaps I thought I had “arrived.” I was going to follow in Francine Rivers’ footsteps and touch the hearts of millions. Natural assumption, perhaps, but—wrong. My career with Tyndale lasted through four novellas and an aborted three-book contract—which to this day I cannot fully explain, except to say that publishing houses are run by human beings who make the best decisions they can, based on their individual experiences and education, based on other people’s expectations and policies, based on the phases of the moon. Just kidding—education has little to do with it.

So I quickly learned to absorb rejection without falling into depression. It’s a little like buying a subway ticket, scurrying onto the train to grab a strap and hang on, standing among aliens and strangers, missing your stop, getting off where you hadn’t intended, and trying to figure out what to do next. You either enjoy the fresh new sights and sounds and smells, relax and learn something from the experience—from which your future work grows richer and stronger and more confident—or you give up and take a taxi back to the safety of the American embassy. In other words, write only for your own pleasure and forget trying to reach an audience.

I think the point of this little essay is to encourage serious writers to quit whining about unreceptive acquisitions editors, about the misery of the slush pile, about ignorant critique partners and contest judges, about the dizzying changes in publication “rules.” Remember, that’s part of the landscape. Learn what you can from criticism, absorb praise with humility and gratitude, and refuse to give up on your real destination. Listen for the language of the “natives.” Don’t assume everybody else is wrong. Don’t be satisfied with cheap imitations. Expect the unexpected.

Tokyo is one of the most amazing and fulfilling places I’ve ever been—as is the writing journey.




Beth White’s day job is teaching chorus and piano at LeFlore High School in Mobile, Alabama. A native Mississippian and graduate of Mississippi State University, she is a pastor’s wife and mother to two young adult children. Her hobbies include playing flute and pennywhistle and painting, but her real passion is writing romance and romantic suspense with a Southern drawl. Her novel Controlling Interest won American Christian Fiction Writers’ 2009 Book of the Year award, and Crescent City Courtship recently won the RT Book Club Reviewers Choice award. Visit her on the web at http://www.bethwhite.net/.

God's Promises to Writers Series

Wisdom

God's Promises To Writers Series
Net's Notations Tuesdays

As for these four boys, God gave them knowledge
and skill in all writing and wisdom.
And Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
(Daniel 1:17, ModernKJV)

Isn’t that a beautiful verse? Notice it says “God gave them.” They chose to live for God, even in a hostile land and God honored their choice by granting them what they needed in that role, and what would make them stand out and give more glory to God.

I need wisdom in every area of my life. How about you? Specifically, as writers, we need wisdom in regards to:

~Human nature – so we can write relatable stories and incorporate wisdom for how to navigate the situations we depict. Also, hopefully, readers won’t feel as alone in their pain and trials. With wisdom we can show them a new way to approach life. Against the reality of tough human struggles, we can contrast the light of hope in the situation. Wisdom helps us do this.

~Writing craft – the Daniel passage above is in regards to this having knowledge and skill in all writing. We could take that to mean the stages of writing, or the various genres some of us tackle, or the mode we tackle them in (i.e. writing in various POVs). Some writing craft books are so advanced, I have to take a moment and process the depths of what the writer is inferring in this new-to-me lesson. This is especially true as I tackle a new medium in writing, like going from novels to screenplays, for example.

~God’s word and His precepts – God’s concepts, His words, change lives. The Holy Spirit illuminates the Word. We need His light to help us understand what we’re seeing. And continue to reveal the truth to us. Reading the Scriptures helps inspire me for my devotional writing. And with so many blogs to keep up, this is a good thing! *grin*

~The business aspect of the professional author’s life. There’s marketing and where to spend our resources and time. What’s most effective? We’ll need wisdom to know.

~Time management – how to use our time wisely in the midst of busy days.

~Inventing new concepts and story ideas – what’s the need right now? Pair your passion up with the need and you’ll come up with a wise approach. Your passion will infuse the book with impact and staying power. Just what you need.

Those are the few areas which came to mind as I brainstormed. You can probably think of more. But no matter what, the good news is God will give wisdom to those who humble themselves and ask for it. Check out this promise from His Word:

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God,
who gives to all liberally and without reproach,
and it will be given to him. (James 1:5, NKJV)

What a great assurance in a list of promises from God for His writers.

Fiction as Research by Stephen Bly

This Manuscript Monday Stephen Bly has returned to help us with our research. I don't know about you, but research intimidates me (Annette), so I appreciate any helpful hints. Thanks, Stephen, for sharing your advice with us! Readers/writers, enjoy.

Do They Sweat In Duke City?/Fiction As Research
By Stephen Bly
Copyright©2010

New Mexico heat blanketed Albuquerque that July like too many covers in a stuffy cabin . . . the kind of day that you sweat from the inside out and feel sticky dirt in places that you don’t ponder much except in the shower.
From Cowboy For a Rainy Afternoon
Released: June 2010

Every novel’s got a place and time. That often means plenty of research. My next release, Cowboy For A Rainy Afternoon, is set in Albuquerque, New Mexico, 1954. So, I needed to know some things about a specific city, a state, and what the world was like that year.

Research Thru Travel

It’s tough, dirty work . . . but I love any time I can go to New Mexico. The only other site I’ve been that boasts similar layers of culture stacked one upon another: Rome. Yet, New Mexico’s still a cowboy state. From the Pecos River in the east to the Plains of San Agustin in the west, from the Sangre de Christo range in the north, to the “bootheel” in the south, it’s full of great ranching country. A perfect setting for a cowboy story.

My wife, Janet, and I drove up and down Historic Route 66 that runs through Albuquerque. It was known as the “Main Street of America” or the “Mother Road.” It was the primary route for those leaving the dust bowl of Oklahoma and moving to California during the Great Depression. Albuquerque was selected as a stop on the first transcontinental air route in the 1920s and Route 66 brought the first transcontinental motorists through the city.

Research Thru Study

Duke City is a nickname for Albuquerque, because it was named after Viceroy Francisco Fernandez de la Cueva, the Duke of Alburquerque. Later the spelling was changed because some influential person couldn’t pronounce the “R” in Alburquerque.

The cowboys in my story retire in Albuquerque, not Santa Fe, because even in 1954 the latter was becoming the artsy, celebrity spot it is today. These guys needed a cheap hotel and city amenities. So, Albuquerque suited them fine. Before there were retirement communities and senior citizen housing, some elderly lived in old downtown hotels. Well past their prime in attracting overnight guests, they catered to senior citizens who scraped by on something fairly new in the fifties: Social Security.

One of my favorite governors hails from New Mexico. Governor Lew Wallace authored the novel Ben-Hur (a movie made in 1959, starring Charleton Heston) and he also tried to negotiate with the notorious Billy the Kid. What an eclectic group of folks tramped the Old West.

A piece of historical tidbit . . . a hard thing for some readers to realize: in 1954 no one considered cigars or cigarettes or their second-hand smoke in any way harmful. That’s why you see so many actors and actresses lighting up in the movies of that period. Cowboys often carried peppermints, which were tasty, portable, and covered up the smell of such vices, at least so they thought.

Research Thru Memories

In 1954 an old man’s vision of feminine loveliness would be Bow, Grable, Monroe or Kelly. Grace Kelly in High Noon stole my own ten-year-old heart. However, I figured she wasn’t too smart because she couldn’t understand why Will Cane had to turn back. But I did. Shoot, that’s in a cowboy’s bones. But, my oh my, she surely was purdy.

The summer of 1954, in Albuquerque, a ten-year-old boy becomes A Cowboy For a Rainy Afternoon. Maybe I wasn’t born 100 years too late.

~~~~~~

Cowboy For A Rainy Afternoon (hardback, Center Point) will release this month (June 2010). Available through Amazon or www.BlyBooks.com

~~~~~~
More about Stephen Bly:

Married to writer, Janet Chester Bly, 46 years; they’ve co-authored 18 books. Resides in northern Idaho at 4,000 ft. elev., on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation. Father of 3 sons: Russell, Michael, & Aaron. The family includes daughters-in-law, Lois, Michelle & Rina Joye, plus grandkids: Zachary, Miranda (& husband Chris), and Keaton. Third-generation westerner, Steve spent 30 years working family ranches and farms in central California. His hobbies include collecting and restoring Winchesters; studying histories of Old West; doing construction on Broken Arrow Crossing, a false front western village next to his home. He also plays a par game of golf.

* authored and co-authored 102 fiction and nonfiction books,
including historical and contemporary westerns
* Christy Award winner, Westerns, 2002, The Long Trail Home
* Christy Award finalist, Westerns, 2003
* mayor of Winchester, Idaho, pop. 308 (1999-2007)
* pastor of Winchester Community Church
* speaker for men’s and writers’ groups, USA and Canada
* roving editor, Big Show Journal
* mentor, Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild
* represented by agent Chip MacGregor, MacGregor Literary
* Interviews and Media Kit available, http://www.blybooks.com/
* Fresno State University, CA, Philosophy, summa cum laude
* M. Div., Fuller Theological Seminary, CA, 1974

My Journey to Publication by Christa Allan

Welcome to another Fortifying Friday! Last week, author Christa Allan gave tips for making writing happen. We’re pleased to have her return today and share her journey to publication. Be encouraged by her story!

My Journey to Publication

In April of 2009, my agent Rachelle Gardner started shopping my novel Walking on Broken Glass.Visions of auctions danced in my head, and I was sure that at least one publisher out of that long list she’d sent my novel to would leap at the opportunity.

Not so much. In May, Rachelle called to tell me that the response from editors was the novel was “too issue-driven.” And my being a first-time novelist didn’t help either. She said she’d continue to look for a home for it, but I may want to start considering ideas for another book.

So, I spent my summer working on proposals for my editor appointments at the September ACFW Conference. As much as I loved WOBG, I understood that the subject matter being outside of the usual boundaries of Christian fiction and my being a new writer were risks for publishers. But Rachelle believed in the novel, and I believed in her, so I prayed God would teach me to “let go.”

Then, at ICRS in July, Rachelle met Barbara Scott, the editor of Abingdon Press, a Methodist publishing house launching fiction for the first time. A few weeks later, Barbara said she was interested in it, and after a few more weeks of my being on nins and peedles (as my children used to say), Rachelle called at 11:43 am on October 30 to tell me that Abingdon bought my novel.

I am so humbled by all that’s happened to me since that day. Excited? Yes! But, honestly, all I could think then and even now is, “Who am I that my dreams should come true?” God’s generosity stuns me. Since Walking on Broken Glass released, I’ve been so grateful that Leah’s struggle resonates in readers. And that’s my passion for writing, to expose all the “elephants in the room” we don’t talk about, but surely are stepping on our toes and squeezing the life out of many of us.

Throughout the time I wrote this novel, well-meaning people advised me that the Christian market may not be ready for a novel rooted in alcoholism and recovery, and that being a never-before-published writer would certainly be the death knell. A few times, I actually tried writing something else. It didn’t work. I couldn’t abandon Leah. Or she refused to go away! I just felt so strongly that there were readers waiting for her story.

I hope my being published encourages you to hold fast to your dreams. Don’t let someone steal those dreams from you. Be prayerfully persistent, and believe that every “no” brings you a step closer to a “yes.” No doubt there are those who are better writers than I; the difference is I didn’t give up. But I also didn’t do it alone. Find people who are where you want to be, and be teachable.

Know that people are waiting for your dream to happen because you’re going to make a difference in their lives.

A true Southern woman who knows that any cook worth her gumbo always starts with a roux and who never wears white after Labor Day, Christa Allan’s debut women’s fiction, Walking on Broken Glass, released in February. Her essays have been published in The Ultimate Teacher, Cup of Comfort, Chicken Soup for the Coffee Lover’s Soul and Chicken Soup for the Divorced Soul. Christa is the mother of five, a grandmother of three, and a teacher of high school English. She and her husband Ken live in Abita Springs.

You can learn more about Christa Allan and her work by visiting http://www.christaallan.com/

Serenity Prayer - Part 2

Thursdays - Devotions for Writers

“But I trust in you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my God.’” (Psalm 31:14 NIV)

I recently contemplated the Serenity Prayer and was moved by how it applied to my life not only as a person – but also as a writer. Last week we looked at the beginning, and this week we’re focusing on the second part of this meaningful prayer.

But first – take a moment to read and absorb the following words into your heart, mind, and spirit.


Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

~ Reinhold Niebuhr


“Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time.”


Wow! That’s difficult, isn’t it? Many of us have a habit of living too much in the future. We think about what, where, when, and how something needs to be accomplished days, weeks, and even months in advance. We know better! We often want to do things differently. But, it’s so easy to get caught up in “future” without paying attention to what’s going on now.

When we do that, we cheat not only ourselves; we cheat our families and friends. Yes, we need to set time aside for writing. And we need to meet our deadlines. But, we also need to be willing to stop and spend quality moments with those we love. Living one day a time also means relaxing in the knowledge that God is still in control.


“Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;”


Just because we're striving to honor God through our writing doesn’t mean we'll have an easy road. In many ways it will be more difficult than if we weren’t serving through our creative gifts. The enemy has a way of knowing when and where to inflict hurts just when there might be a breakthrough for God’s people. There will still be struggles – emotionally, physically, financially, relationally, and spiritually. Trust that God is present in the situation with you.


“That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.”


All of what happens in your career is temporary. No matter how many disappointments –or successes - you experience in your own journey as a writer, remember to keep your eye on the real prize. One day we’ll be experiencing eternal life – and complete serenity – with Him.

Dawn

Top Ten Tips for Writers by Kathleen Fuller

It’s another Writer’s Journey Wednesday - the day at Seriously Write dedicated to sharing tips, as well as what authors have learned about the writing life while traveling on their own journey. Today we welcome author Kathleen Fuller as she shares her top ten tips for writers.

Ten Top Tips for Writers

This past January marked my tenth year as a writer. Over the past decade I’ve learned a lot about the craft and business of writing. I’d like to share with you my top ten writing tips, and I hope they help you as you continue on your writing journey.

10) Realize you can’t do it alone. It’s true that writing is a solitary profession, but it’s important not to isolate yourself from others or fail to recognize those that help you reach your publishing goal. This includes your family, critique partners, writer friends, editors and publishers, and most of all, God.

9) Be teachable. When I started writing my first book, it didn’t take long for me to realize it was really bad. I knew I had to learn the craft of writing. I immediately checked out writing books from the library, joined a writer’s group, and found a critique group. Even after writing twenty books there is still so much for me to learn about the craft and the business of publishing. Always be open to learning.

8) Be patient. This lesson was hard for me to learn. Publishing moves very slowly, especially when you’re waiting to hear from an agent or editor about a proposal or a manuscript. Working on other projects makes the wait go faster.

7) Learn the rules. Writing has rules, especially if you’re writing popular fiction. Know the rules for your genre regarding characterization, prose, POV, and plot.

6) Don’t be afraid to break the rules. This sounds hypocritical, especially considering tip #7. But once you’ve learned the rules you can bend or even break them to make your story and voice unique and interesting.

5) Go to writer’s conferences. This is especially important if you’re an unpublished author. Conferences offer educational and networking opportunities you won’t find anywhere else. A couple of conferences I recommend are ACFW (www.acfw.com) and RWA (www.rwanational.org.

4) Read, read, read. The best way to learn how to write is to read. Don’t just read for pleasure, although that’s also a great way to help learn your craft. Take your favorite stories and novels and analyze them. Why does the plot keep you turning pages? Why are you invested in the characters? Use a highlighter and take notes.

3) Read writer, editor, and agent blogs. There are a lot of good blogs out there filled with valuable information about writing craft and business. Bookmark your favorites and visit them often.

2) Develop a thick skin. Writing is a scary thing. Writers expose themselves on the page, and they open themselves up to criticism. It’s important to put criticism in perspective. Don’t take rejection letters personally. Resist the temptation to respond to a negative review. Above all, learn from the criticism and apply it to improve your writing.

1) Don’t give up. Persistence is the number one quality you need as a writer. Even if you’ve had fifty rejection letters in the past month, press on. If you give up, you’ll never reach your goal.



Best-selling author Kathleen Fuller writes Amish adult and YA fiction for Thomas Nelson. Her latest book is a YA novel, A Summer Secret, which is the first book in The Mysteries of Middlefield Series. In September, A Hand to Hold, book three in her adult series Hearts of Middlefield, will be released. Kathleen, her husband James and their three children live in Northeast Ohio. She loves to hear from her readers, and you can contact her through her website: http://www.kathleenfuller.com/
or through her blog: http://www.amishhearts.com/.
For more information about Kathleen’s novels visit her website or the online community Amish Living (http://www.amishliving.com/).

God's Promises to Writers Series

Research Help
God's Promises to Writers Series
Net's Notation Tuesdays

Raise your hand if you love research. Anyone? Anyone? I see one hand clear in the back. Good for you. *grin* Research intimidates me. It’s the reason I haven’t dove into writing historicals. Too many unknowns. A long list of things foreign to our experience. The internet helps, but even then I’ve personally spent hours trying to track down one answer and never found it.

God knows what you need to know and how to find it. He can make connections for you. Let me share some examples.

I wonder how many of our readers here at SW are members of ACFW. What a great place to connect. A couple of years ago, as I was writing the first draft of one of my WIPS, I needed to find someone who could advise me on being a touring musician. I put a request out to the ACFW e-loop and immediately connected with a fellow writer’s spouse. This was the first time I’d made this kind of contact. Felt like this was God’s hands linking us. With his help, my questions weren’t as intimidating, the answers as illusive. With God’s help, the provision came.

Recently I needed medical questions answered for a separate WIP, and because of this blog, Dawn and I had contact with a nurse who graciously agreed to help. Separately I wanted first-hand accounts of a specific ailment. Again, God provided the help I needed.

Sometimes I feel as if I don’t lean enough on God and His call. But here’s what I know: When God calls someone to something, He provides everything they need in His time to bring it together. That includes research for His writers. Provision is one of His promises. Rest in Him to provide.

Novel as Memoir by Stephen Bly

Last month, Western writer Stephen Bly visited on a Fortifying Friday to share his journey to publication story. For June, he's back with Manuscript Monday visits on craft. We're excited to host him. Even if you don't write in his genre, I know you'll find some useful nuggets. Enjoy!

Cowboy For A Rainy Afternoon/Novel As Memoir
By Stephen Bly
Copyright©2010

The Matador Hotel died on July 5th, 1965, but they didn’t bother burying it until last fall.
Cowboy For A Rainy Afternoon, Stephen Bly

The plot for Cowboy For A Rainy Afternoon developed like homemade stew in a crockpot. A slow simmer. Then, the image of the 1950s kitchen filled with sweet aromas and sights and sounds. Hours later all the parts seemed ready.

The story grew out of fond memories from my childhood. What makes it real personal is that I was ten years old in 1954, just like the narrator. And I did hear numerous accounts about the “old days.”

It seems quite natural for me to write about a grandpa and the game of cribbage. My grandpa taught me to play when I was four years old. I played him once or twice a week until he died when I turned fifteen. In the book Pop’s name is Theodore and his wife is Katie, same as my grandparents.

My bedroom teemed with White Owl cigar boxes, my granddad’s favorite cigar. He didn’t smoke them much; mainly he chewed them. And because I lived across the road from him, I got many of his boxes. Lots of childhood treasures can be stored in a cigar box.

I did not know cowboys named Quirt, Bronc, Thad, Shorty, Coosie or Pop. But I knew men much like them. In fact, most folks called my Grandpa Wilson “Pop.” I once met an old-timer in Magdalena, New Mexico, who had been a sheriff in the 1930s. He still packed a pistol and watched the door, just in case someone he sent to prison got out and scouted him for revenge. I based my character, Quirt Payton, on him.

I don’t suppose the current generation has ever ridden in the open trunk of a car, nor let the air down in the tires to drive down a railroad track. At one point, the six cowboys in the novel, plus Miss Diane Anderson, and the boy narrator, pile into a ’49 Plymouth, without seatbelts. I could have been the poster child for the need of such safety devices. I fell out of my parents’ car, going about 55 miles per hour, in 1949. I spent ten days in the hospital nursing a major concussion.
At least one of the stories happened to me. In 1994, in Telluride, I was told by the hotel clerk I couldn’t get a room. My gruffy appearance after a week’s research in the wilds didn’t impress them. So, I drove all the way to Cortez, arriving about midnight. To say I was ticked is an understatement.

It’s like I’m right there in the room with these old-timers. Some of these scenes I do recall first-hand. I remember going to see a friend of my grandfather’s at a four-story hotel in central California in the mid-1950s. His room was carpeted with out-dated newspapers that he hadn’t gotten around to reading yet. Such images last forever.

My favorite things to do when the weather threatens and I can’t play golf: oil the saddles, clean the Winchesters, or write a novel about the Old West.

In Cowboy For A Rainy Afternoon I discover that maybe I wasn’t born 100 years too late.

~~~~~~

Cowboy For A Rainy Afternoon (hardback, Center Point) will release this month (June 2010). Available through Amazon or www.BlyBooks.com

~~~~~~
More about Stephen Bly:

Married to writer, Janet Chester Bly, 46 years; they’ve co-authored 18 books. Resides in northern Idaho at 4,000 ft. elev., on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation. Father of 3 sons: Russell, Michael, & Aaron. The family includes daughters-in-law, Lois, Michelle & Rina Joye, plus grandkids: Zachary, Miranda (& husband Chris), and Keaton. Third-generation westerner, Steve spent 30 years working family ranches and farms in central California. His hobbies include collecting and restoring Winchesters; studying histories of Old West; doing construction on Broken Arrow Crossing, a false front western village next to his home. He also plays a par game of golf.

* authored and co-authored 102 fiction and nonfiction books,
including historical and contemporary westerns
* Christy Award winner, Westerns, 2002, The Long Trail Home
* Christy Award finalist, Westerns, 2003
* mayor of Winchester, Idaho, pop. 308 (1999-2007)
* pastor of Winchester Community Church
* speaker for men’s and writers’ groups, USA and Canada
* roving editor, Big Show Journal
* mentor, Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild
* represented by agent Chip MacGregor, MacGregor Literary
* Interviews and Media Kit available, http://www.blybooks.com/
* Fresno State University, CA, Philosophy, summa cum laude
* M. Div., Fuller Theological Seminary, CA, 1974

Journey to Publication by Lisa Wingate

Welcome to another Fortifying Friday! Maybe you’ve spent many hours writing and are looking forward to a few days away from the computer. Or perhaps you’ve had a crazy week at the day job and are looking forward to having a little time to write. Regardless, as we get ready to head into our weekend, grab a cup of coffee or tea and be fortified with what author Lisa Wingate shares with us today!

Journey to Publication

Years ago, I had an English teacher who assigned the dreaded What I Want to Be When I Grow Up essay. I said I wanted to be a writer. She asked what kind of writer. I had no idea. Some years later, I opened a desk drawer and discovered a story I felt compelled to write. I composed the manuscript for my first novel, Tending Roses, found an agent, the agent sold the book, and the book was published in 2001 as a premier title in New American Library’s women’s fiction line.

These days, I write inspirationals for Bethany House (a CBA publisher) and Penguin Putnam (an ABA publisher). Many inspirational writers now find themselves with opportunities in both CBA and ABA. Ten years ago, when Tending Roses came out, bookstore managers sent comment cards saying they had customers looking for stories in which characters grew in faith, and in which content wasn’t graphic. Those forward-thinking store managers pinpointed a trend that has seen the inspirational genre boom. For writers like us, that’s exciting news!

So, why the rapid growth spurt? I asked around a bit. Steve Oates, VP of Marketing at Bethany House says, “It is now easily possible to have a book reach the top ten on the NY Times bestseller list or the USA Today bestseller list and still be selling just from the CBA stores and the inspirational section of the general market.”

According to Dave Long, Acquisitions Editor at Bethany, “We’ve seen strong growth, primarily because we’ve found new retail outlets, Walmart, Sam’s, Costco. There is a broader range of what’s considered acceptable in CBA. Which means we’re all asking the question: What is Christian fiction? How overt does the spiritual message have to be? How much “edge” can the romance have? When writers emerge who have strong, unique voices that might not have worked ten yeas ago—today we’re happy to read them.”

In terms of readership, agent Danielle Egan-Miller, who represents Francine Rivers and Charlene Ann Baumbich, says, “Readers are people at different places in their faith journeys, and they respond to writers who are turning out terrific novels in which faith is an organic part of the story.”

Agent Claudia Cross (Sterling Lord Literistic) described the appeal of inspirationals by saying, “The best inspirational writing speaks to you where you live.” For me, that sums it up. Tending Roses came from the place I lived. I set out to write about life lessons passing from one generation to another in a notebook of stories from my grandmother. Without the awareness that God brought about understanding and forgiveness between two people who had never understood each other, the story would have failed to be complete. Faith was the underlying lesson in that notebook, and in the end the lesson that mattered most of all.

Lisa Wingate is a magazine columnist, inspirational speaker, and the author of fourteen mainstream fiction novels, including the national bestseller, Tending Roses, currently in its thirteenth reprint. Her books have been featured selections for Doubleday and Literary Guild book clubs, selected for The Reader's Club of America, have garnered LORIES Best Fiction and Reader's Choice Awards, and been nominated for the ACFW Book of the Year Award. Recently, the group Americans for More Civility, a kindness watchdog organization, selected Lisa along with Bill Ford, Camille Cosby, and six others, as recipients of the National Civies Award, which celebrates public figures who work to promote greater kindness and civility in American life. Her most recent books include The Summer Kitchen (Penguin) and Never Say Never (Bethany House).

More information about Lisa’s novels can be found at http://www.lisawingate.com/

Serenity Prayer - Part 1

Thursdays - Devotions for Writers

“Blessed is the man who finds wisdom,
the man who gains understanding.” (Prov. 3:13 NIV)

Have you ever really looked at the Serenity Prayer? Most of us are probably familiar with the beginning. But recently, I began to look at the prayer in its entirety and how it may not only apply to my life as a person – and also as a writer. Since then, I’ve posted it next to my desk computer. Read and absorb the following words into your heart, mind, and spirit.


Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

~ Reinhold Niebuhr


Serenity. The definition is to be without worry, stress, or disturbance – calm and untroubled. Sounds good to me!!! Wouldn’t we all love to have a life filled with serenity?

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.”

Things we cannot change:

1. Historicals are always hot – no matter what genre we may write
2. A well-written book doesn’t guarantee publication
3. It’s difficult – if not almost impossible - to make a living writing
4. There is tough competition when vying for a contract
5. Success rarely happens overnight
6. It takes time, perseverance, and hard work to write a novel worth reading
7. Everyone is a critic - and not everyone will appreciate our stories or how we write them
8. In order to have our work seen, we must put ourselves out there and be willing to submit to editors and agents
9. Rejection stings

Things we can change:

1. We don’t have to get caught up in what’s hot – and what’s not. We need to focus on what “we” have been called to write and continue believing in God’s timing
2. Instead of having a selfish or jealous attitude, we can cheer on those who do get published – knowing that God gives purpose to all that we do in His name
3. Instead of wishing we were making a fortune with best-sellers, we can be responsible and find alternative ways to make an income and still feed our creative passion
4. We can write to the best of our abilities while striving to learn and grow in the craft
5. We can ask God for the patience and strength to continue, despite disappointments
6. We can focus on pleasing Him instead of obsessing about what others think
7. Regardless of how intimidating it may be, we can talk to agents and editors at conferences
8. When rejection hurts, we can go to God for comfort. But we can also turn to writer friends who understand this journey, and who will offer us support and compassion


What could you add to these lists???

Next week, we'll take a look at the next section of the Serenity Prayer.

Dawn

Tips for Writers by Christa Allan

I hope you enjoyed Memorial Weekend as much as I did. (Dawn here.) But now it’s time to dive back into work and refocus on manuscripts that beg to be finished. Author Christa Allan is here today with tips for getting words put to paper – or computer!

Tips for Writers

Having recently celebrated the release of Walking on Broken Glass my debut novel, I feel woefully inadequate and truly humbled writing this post. But, it’s probably exactly what I need because Abingdon Press has contracted me to write another novel that’s due October 1. Writing on deadline. Ouch. I feel like I’ve been invited to prom by the cutest hunk in school, but he’s waiting to see my dress before he’ll actually escort me into the ballroom. It’s tough, though, to go shopping for prom dresses in the supermarket and truly difficult if you insist you’re a size 2 when there’s a missing digit in that number.

So, too, I discovered writing my novel involved more than my fingers tap dancing on the keyboard. Like, my husband and daughter expected dinner. I don’t live in a world where I step into a hermetically sealed luxury suite and depart with a completed novel. Life goes on, which means that the novel may not.

The tips here, while not specific to writing, may help writing happen.

1. If you have a family, remember to feed them. Spend two or three days cooking freezer friendly meals. Eliminate washing dishes; use disposable containers. Label the contents. Post the list on the freezer door. They can scratch off as they use, so you’ll know when they’re about to run out.

As far as I know, there are no documented cases of family members dying from eating too many frozen pizzas. Or sandwiches.

2. Stop writing long enough to do something. Go outside and yank a few weeds, walk around the block, boogie across the room. Movement is important to your brain and your brawn.

3. The telephone is not your friend. Warn those you talk to regularly that you’ll be in the writing zone, so you may not be answering their calls right away. If you’re experiencing withdrawal, reward yourself with a phone call after a set number of words or pages.

4. The internet is your frenemy. Checking your email, Twitter and Facebook are not research. Follow guidelines for telephone rewards.

5. Pray. Before, during, after.



A true Southern woman who knows that any cook worth her gumbo always starts with a roux and who never wears white after Labor Day, Christa Allan’s debut women’s fiction, Walking on Broken Glass, released in February. Her essays have been published in The Ultimate Teacher, Cup of Comfort, Chicken Soup for the Coffee Lover’s Soul and Chicken Soup for the Divorced Soul. Christa is the mother of five, a grandmother of three, and a teacher of high school English. She and her husband Ken live in Abita Springs.

You can learn more about Christa Allan and her work by visiting www.christaallan.com