Rubber, meet road. - 3 tips for the Journeyman writer. By Lisa Phillips

So much of the writing advice we see on social media is geared toward beginners. Plenty of conferences gear their seminars to the needs to the newbie writer. And I get it. I even like it. Who doesn’t need to go back to the foundations once in a while and get a refresher? Praise God for them.

But what happens when you’re down the street a bit, and you’re no longer a “beginner?” Maybe you’ve written a couple of books…or seven. Maybe you’re published. Or you’re not. What advice is out there for you? Well, friend, I’m SO glad you’re here today.

A Journeyman is someone who is considered competent at their job. They are authorized to work in that field as a fully qualified employee.

You’ve done the “beginner” work, and you’re starting to wonder, what’s next?

 

1. Embrace the season

 

It’s easy to be discontented when we’re faced with problems. Or setbacks. When we feel like something should be happening, but it isn’t. Or when we feel like we don’t “fit” at the conference. But this is where we move from the “milk” of learning the writing craft, to the “meat” of walking out what you know.

Let me tell you: God has you in this season for a reason.

You’ve walked some long, dusty miles, but you still have plenty of hope left. That next book contract. That next novel—surely it will sell better. That one book you’ve always wanted to write—is it time? Maybe it’s a season of work right now. Or a season of waiting. Whatever it is, make sure you leave time to hear from God. He wants to draw near to you now. Even in this.

 

2. Never stop learning

 

I’m a hardcore, serious, post-it notes, white-board PLOTTER. One of the last few craft books I read was, “Story trumps structure” by Steven James. And yes, a few times I really wanted to throw it at the wall because I didn’t agree with him. But I read it.

And did I learn something?

Of course.

There is always a take-away, no matter what class or book you’re in right now. Regardless of whether the person who wrote it, or the one who’s teaching it, is better or worse at this than you (we’ll get to that in a minute) or if they’ve published more—or less—books than you. I’m going to say it again: there is always a take-away. You can ALWAYS learn something new. Be open to it.

Resist the pride of your accomplishments.

One of the biggest takeaways from my time at Bible college and all that fantastic digging in, and learning about the word of God was this: the more I learned, the more I realized how much I didn’t know.

 Likely you will never “arrive.” So embrace the journey.

 

3. Look ahead, not sideways

 

Comparisonitis. Oof, that’s a whole blog in itself, am I right? Eek. It’s so tempting to see such-and-such bestseller and compare yourself to them. (They’re usually always bestselling, or award winning. Because yeah, I’m that good.)

(Gross.)

And while reading your genre, other genres, and many different author’s works is so helpful in learning. As is seeing what others are up to in this “business.” It can also cripple your own writing. Be careful that your heart is in the right place.

I’m in a Facebook group of authors of all genres, Christian and not. Most of them are making a full time living. Most of them write multiple books a year. Some of them make hundreds of thousands and put out a book EVERY MONTH. Can I compete with that? No. That’s not the life, or schedule (or typing speed) that God has given me. But do I enjoy being there? Yes, when I can congratulate them, ask for help, and be encouraged in what they’re doing.

After all, they’re proof that this writing thing, as a sustainable career, is POSSIBLE.

I’m looking forward. Seeing how I can do this “publishing” thing differently. How I can get my books to new readers. How I can write better books each time. 

So when the rubber meets the road in your writing career, remember: press on. Don’t stop. The worshippers of the Bible were charged by God with creating music skillfully. It isn’t enough to just play your instrument, you’re called to do it well.

 

My prayer for you, friend, is that you see Him in this business. That you remember in writing, editing and marketing, that rain falls on the just and the unjust the same way the sun shines on us all. So no matter how you're feeling today, He's there.

 

Lisa Phillips is the author of more than ten Love Inspired Suspense novels. Her book DEFENSE BREACH is out this month and available everywhere! She also independently published the bestselling WITSEC Town series, the Sanctuary books. Her new series has a thriller/supernatural bent with the first book Corrupt. Book 2, FORGOTTEN is out now in ebook form on all platforms.

Lisa is also proud to be part of the EXPOSED box set of romantic suspense novels, which is .99c on Kindle. Find out more at www.authorlisaphillips.com where you can sign up and receive a free book!

Five Factors by Carrie Stuart Parks

Next month, September, I’ll be joining my mentor, Frank Peretti, at the ACFW conference in Nashville. We’ll be presenting the Early Bird portion called “On Writing.” This has been an amazing ride—to go from writing how-to art books to becoming an award-winning, best-selling author in just a few short years. Maybe I should more accurately call it an adventure. Adventures have a lot of pitfalls, wicked witches, and setbacks along the way. So let me present five factors to success.

1. A mentor. I’ll have to admit having “the Dean of Christian Fiction” as my mentor was huge. Frank and his lovely wife, Barb, had been friends for years. We met through Frank’s and my husband, Rick’s, mutual love of the banjo and all things bluegrass. When I wrote a short story for Barb for Christmas one year, Frank saw potential in my efforts. It was his choice to mentor me. For eight years. I’m a slow learner. I listened to everything he said and did it. I’d show up with post-it notes, highlighters, red pens, paper clips, and the writing I’d done the day before (or re-writing as the case may be.) If he said I had to fix something, I fixed it. A good mentor is priceless, but you have to …

2. Listen. If your friend, mom, beta reader, critique partner, mentor, or 1st cousin once removed on your mother’s side said that a sentence was strongly phrased, they got lost, they couldn’t figure something out… fix it. Don’t argue that it was your sheer genius at work. If one person doesn’t get it, multiply that by hundreds—your reading public. This is because you’re…

3. Too close. You are too close to your work. In your head, you have that scene clearly in front of you, the sounds, dialog, action, smells, where you are going…but that doesn’t mean you’ve actually written it on the manuscript. This can be frustrating because you’ve worked on this story for so long you hate it, yet it’s still your baby. The good news about writing is there’s always . . .

4. More to learn. I estimated I read over eighty books on writing, went to countless conferences, took numerous on-line classes, entered competitions, and studied the craft from every angle. I still do. Never accept something as “good enough.” If you have to, put it aside and work on something else, then come back to it. Because you need to be . . .

5. Persistent. I had fourteen proposals go out on my original book. Fourteen “no’s.” Each time I got rejected I’d mope a bit, then get back to work.

Of course, there’s so much more, but we’ll start with these five. God bless you as you write.

An artist hiding from an escaped killer uncovers one of World War II’s most dangerous secrets—a secret that desperate men will do anything to keep hidden.

 

After the murder of her twin sister, Murphy Anderson changed her name and appearance and moved to Kodiak, Alaska, to avoid the press and publicity. But when local authorities discover she’s an artist and request her help in drawing a dying man’s memories, she unintentionally ends up in the limelight again—and back in the killer’s crosshairs.

The deathbed confessions of an Alaskan hunter have Murphy drawing the five bodies he discovered on remote Ruuwaq Island ten years ago. But what investigators find has them mystified. Evidence suggests that the bodies were deliberately destroyed, and what they uncover in an abandoned Quonset hut from World War II only brings more questions.

As one by one the investigators who were at the hut die, Murphy knows there is something much darker at stake. What happened on this island during the war? And who is willing to kill to keep its secrets buried?

Amazon Buy Link - Formula of Deception

Carrie Stuart Parks is an award-winning, internationally known forensic artist. Over the past thirty-six years, she has worked on major criminal cases for such agencies as the FBI and ATF as well as numerous police and sheriff’s departments throughout the US. She is the author of over twenty books, both fiction and non-fiction.

Along with her artist-husband, Rick, a former visual information specialist for the FBI in Washington DC, they travel across the US and Canada teaching forensic art courses. They are the foremost instructor of forensic art in the world.

She has won numerous awards for career excellence. Carrie is a popular platform speaker, presenting a variety of topics from crime to creativity.
Connect with Carrie at: www.CarrieStuartParks.com; Facebook: Carrie Stuart Parks, Author; twitter: @CarrieParks

Living in a Virtual World by Mary Manners

Living in a Virtual World

by Mary Manners

Writers tend to be solitary creatures and I can certainly attest to that. Nearly a decade ago, when I first got 'the call' to enter the publishing world, all I knew about writing was exactly that--to write. Facebook was barely and entity, Twitter stood virtually non-existent, and other social media outlets that are so popular today were merely a vision. I actually wrote my books with pen and paper, then reluctantly transferred the words to my laptop. I had never (gasp) heard of blogs or book trailers (I thought they only applied to movies), Bookbub or Goodreads. Newsletters were something I sent home weekly to communicate with parents of the students in my classroom.

 

I've come a long way, baby! And coming this far has taught me one important thing--I still have a long way to go. Miles. An ultra marathon worth of miles.

 

Writers have to wear many hats, and besides actually writing the story, one of the most important is marketing. Facebook, Twitter, blogs, Intagram, newsletters, Website, street team, reviews, reviews, reviews...just to name a few. I don't know about you, but for me it's so easy to get swallowed up in marketing and, in the process, lose focus of what made me dream of becoming a writer in the first place--the joy of writing. The pleasure of sharing stories of my heart. Honestly, I'd rather put my energy into crafting the next story than planning Facebook parties, booking blog tours, or studying Amazon's logarithms. Yet, the hard truth is this: It's great to have a story, but unless you get the word out, you'll merely have a nice dust collector for your bookshelf.

 

So I did a little research (yes, I did) and found a knowledgeable virtual assistant that's a great fit for my needs. She's more valuable than gold and great at all of the things I am not. We work together like apples and cinnamon to spread the sweet word about my books. I am not ashamed to say she's taught me so much, and is patient with knowing I have so much more to learn. Hiring her is the best decision, writing wise, that I ever made. With a skilled virtual assistant to carry the bulk of the marketing load, my joy of writing has been restored.

 

Whew...when it comes to the ins and out of the writing world I'll never stop learning and growing. The industry is simply too vast to ever learn everything out there. But it's nice to know I'm not alone in the journey.

 

Now, I'm off to write!

 

 

~~~~~

 

 



Fall in Love (Five Sweet Tales of Autumn Romance)

 

BE SWEPT AWAY IN FIVE HEARTWARMING ROMANCES FILLED WITH HOPE, FAITH, AND SECOND CHANCES...

CAPTIVE AT SEA
Claire Mulvaney’s benevolent spirit has her biting off more than she can chew when she spearheads a charity fishing event to raise funds for Winding Ridge’s overcrowded animal shelter and is forced to call on fishing expert Sean Maguire.

 

NEVER THE TWAIN
Hollywood agent Cass Townsend makes a more-than-satisfactory living helping talented “wannabe” actors become stars.

 

FULLY COMMITTED
Receiving a Dear Rand email while serving his country didn’t douse the fire in Rand Tenneson’s heart for his high school sweetheart.

 

WITHOUT A SONG
Still reeling from the loss of her husband, young widow Roni Marsden resolves to be strong for her precocious daughter.

 

AUTUMN LOVES
Two years after her husband’s tragic death, middle-aged widow Rylie Thornton struggles to raise her three sons while keeping the family business in the black.

 

~~~~

 

 

Mary Manners is a country girl at heart who has spent a lifetime sharing her joy of writing. She lives in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee with her husband Tim and their rescue dog Axel, mischievous cats Colby and Rascal, 8 rambunctious chickens, and 13 fish.

Mary writes stories full of faith and hope. Her books have earned multiple accolades including two Inspirational Reader’s Choice Awards, the Gail Wilson Award of Excellence, the Aspen Gold, the Heart of Excellence, and the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award.

 

If you’d like to receive information on new releases, please follow Mary here: Author Page

 

Subscribe to Mary's newsletter and receive a free story. This is also where she shares exciting contests, upcoming releases, and special deals: Newsletter Subscribe

 

Want to join Mary's street team and help spread the word about her books? Find information here: Mary Manners Page Turners

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work by Mary Manners

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

by

Mary Manners

 

One of the greatest things about writing is that there is always something new to learn. As a former student, then a teacher and principal, I have spent the first half (okay...perhaps a wee bit more than half) of my life in a literal classroom. Now, I am happy to say that I spend my days in a virtual classroom, happily writing and soaking up every bit of information I can find about the publishing trade. One of my most inspiring lessons to date has been the value of teamwork.

 

No matter how much I learn, there is always someone who knows more than I do. So I watch and listen...and take notes to apply that learning. One of the best ways to do this is to work with a network of writers, whether within a formal writing organization or simply as part of an informal group of authors who band together to share ideas and knowledge. Because helping others succeed helps all of us.

 

 

 



 

I was blessed a year ago when I was invited to join with a group of six other authors to produce The Potter's House, a collection of stories with themes of hope, second chances, and redemption. Had I realized just how little I knew about the world of publishing back then, I might have run from the invitation. Instead, I strapped in and joined the ride. Along the way I have watched, listened, and learned from those who are much more experienced and knowledgeable, but also eager to assist.

 

Authors are a friendly lot. They are happy to help one another and to share ideas. I am honored to be part of a profession where helping others actually makes all of us stronger and better.

 

~~~~~

 

The Potter's House - Promises Renewed

When Brianna Caufield hosts an online auction to raise money for her fledgling youth center, the last thing she expects is to be matched for a date with Jackson Reed. Lured by the fame of an NFL career, the hometown hero and all-star quarterback broke off their engagement without so much as a backward glance. Now, washed-up and wiser, Jack’s come home with renewed faith and a changed heart—and he wants Brianna back.

 

No matter how much she still cares for Jackson, Brianna knows the secret she harbors will destroy any chance of a future together. Can Jack find a way to coax the secret to the surface? And if he does, will forgiveness draw them closer together…or will their love be shattered forever?

 

~~~~~

 

 

Mary Manners is a country girl at heart who has spent a lifetime sharing her joy of writing. She has two sons, a daughter, and three beautiful grandchildren. She lives in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee with her husband Tim and their rescue dog Axel, two rescue cats, Colby and Jax, 12 chickens and 13 fish.

Mary writes stories full of faith and hope. Her books have earned multiple accolades including two Inspirational Reader’s Choice Awards, the Gail Wilson Award of Excellence, the Aspen Gold, the Heart of Excellence, and the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award.

Mary loves long sunrise runs, Smoky Mountain sunsets, and flavored coffee. She enjoys connecting with reader friends through her website: www.MaryMannersRomance.com.