Writing Nutrition 101 by Sandie Bricker

Author/Editor Sandra D. Bricker

If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you probably know I had bariatric surgery in September of last year. In the six months since that adventure, I’ve lost 80+ pounds and learned more than I ever thought there was to learn about portions, proteins, carbs, vitamins, and exercise.

While working out at the gym last week, my thoughts wandered to a new writing project I planned to start that afternoon … which led me to think about trimming the fat and strengthening my writing. I thought you all might like to read about the results. With the end goal of getting in (writerly) shape, here are some tips that might be helpful:

Cut the extras. You know how snacking gets in the way of a balanced eating plan, right? Yeah. That. When a word or two will do, refrain from using the four or five you nearly chose. This is a good first step toward overall health as a writer.

Avoid fatty choices. Lean chicken and fish are often recommended over beef and pork, right? In that vein, if you have what I like to call whack-a-words – words you tend to throw in by rote (e.g., really, very, actually, and then) – get into the habit of performing a search of your finished document to evaluate where you can make other, more nutritional choices instead … or even delete them entirely.

No pain, no gain. Every writer fights the urge to tell a detailed backstory before the real action ever gets started. It can be a hard pill to swallow when editors tell you – often in more than one or two instances – that your real story begins with Chapter Two (or three or…). Part of improving your writing and developing stronger muscles is learning to take those frequent reminders and apply them on your own (so they become less frequent!). Yes, I realize those first couple of chapters are rife with pertinent details and stellar turns of phrase, and it might really pain you to remove them. But at the cost of remaining stagnant in your development as a writer, do you really want to allow them to linger, thwarting your progression? As Nike encourages, “just do it.” Bite the bullet and cut them. You’ll be stronger for it.

Fight your inner couch potato. Passive voice can give your story a jiggly, somewhat lazy quality that no writer wants to share with the world. As both an editor and an author, I have a low tolerance for the potholes passive writing brings to a story’s road. I certainly don’t recommend that every WAS and WERE be eliminated; however, I do suggest revisions wherever it seems natural and/or possible to do so.

So there you have it. Losing dead weight and toning your body is never easy. But by taking some baby steps, you can see some real progress. That’s true in developing as a writer as well.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

SANDRA D. BRICKER was an entertainment publicist in Los Angeles for 15+ years where she attended school to learn screenwriting and eventually taught the craft for several semesters. When she put Hollywood in the rear view mirror and headed across the country to take care of her mom until she passed away, she traded her scripts for books, and a best-selling, award-winning author of Live-Out-Loud fiction for the inspirational market was born. Sandie is best known for her Another Emma Rae Creation and Jessie Stanton series for Abingdon Press, and she was also recently named ACFW’s Editor of the Year for her work as managing editor of Bling! Romance, an edgy romance imprint for Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. As an ovarian cancer survivor, Sandie also gears time and effort toward raising awareness and funds for research, diagnostics and a cure.

HOW TO CONNECT WITH SANDIE:

Author website

Twitter

Author Facebook

The Birth Of A Series by Janet Lee Barton

I'm excited to welcome my friend Janet Lee Barton to Seriously Write today. Janet's a talented author who has written some wonderful series for both Love Inspired Historical and Barbour. She has some great tips to share with us, so sit back and enjoy her wonderful post. 

- Terri

 

I’m very excited to have a story coming out in the Barbour Collection, Love Is Patient in February!  My story, Harvest of Love, is the first sale I made and the beginning of the first series I wrote, my historical New Mexico series. I can only give credit to the Lord for making that come about, for when I first started writing, all I wanted was a published story.

 

But, from that little novella, three novels, A Promise Made, A Place Called Home and Making Amends, came about and they are all still available in eBook. I loved these stories and learned much about writing series from it. I’ve always liked reading series, as long as they are stand alone stories, and I love writing them.

 

Even though they are stand alone, my series are tightly connected—with friends, family--or in my Boardinghouse Betrothal series for LIH—the people who live in Heaton House and have become like family to each other.

 

For those authors who might want to begin writing a series like that, the time to begin is with that first story, if possible, and then trust in the Lord to give you more ideas.  Should you decide you want to do a series after the first story has been written, but didn’t have characters to build on—it can still be done by introducing your new characters and then bring in characters from the first story, but show a relationship beginning between old and new characters—new friendships starting, an old friend coming back into one’s life, etc.

 

I try to bring in supporting characters the readers like and care about, and want to know more about, so that I have choices in who to bring into the next story as a hero or heroine. They can’t take over the main story when they are a supporting character, but they need to show up enough that one cares about them. A best friend, a sister, cousin, etc. work great!

 

In Harvest of Love, the café owner, Emma, was a friend of the heroine, Liddy, and Emma became the heroine in A Promise Made. In that story, the citizens of Roswell came to be known and from there it was no problem to bring in others who became friends to populate the other two stories in the series. Be sure to bring in new people you think might work for another story. You don’t have to use them in the next story, but maybe several books later.

 

You can bring in new people at any time, but be sure to connect them to others. In A Place Called Home, the heroine was from Roswell, but the hero wasn’t. So you have room to be creative.

 

I’m thinking of continuing this series one day. The beauty of writing series in this day and age of publishing is that you can decide when it ends—or doesn’t. Or when it starts back up again. I hope you think about writing a series and have as much joy doing it as I do!

 

Bestselling author Janet Lee Barton is a Romantic Times Book of the Year winner as well as a multiple ACFW Carol Award nominee. Janet was born in New Mexico and has lived all over the South. She and her husband now call Oklahoma home and have recently downsized to a condo, which they love. When Janet isn't writing or reading, she loves to cook for family, work in her small garden, travel and sew. She writes both Historical and Contemporary romance, and loves writing about faith, families, friends and of course, falling in love.
Visit her at www.janetleebarton.com Sign up for her newsletter there to get writing news first.

If you'd like to read Janet's story Harvest of Love in the Love is Patient Collection click on the link below.

http://www.amazon.com/Love-Patient-Romance-Collection-Historical/dp/1634096614/ref=sr_1_10?&qid=1453176556&sr=8-10&keywords=Janet+Lee+Barton 

I Have Arrived! ... Or Have I??? by Pamela S. Thibodeaux

Pamela S. Thibodeaux

Greetings, friends! Marianne here, wishing you all the best as the new year kicks off! In this month's edition of Monday encouragement, I wanted to introduce you to Pamela Thibodeaux. Pam is a gifted author with an encouraging message  to share. Hope you enjoy her insight and wisdom! Pam, take it away!!

~~~~~

When I began writing more than thirty years ago,  I had no clue what I was getting myself into. All I knew was I’d been disappointed one-too-many times. Based on what I read, I figured it couldn’t be hard.

I can do better than this!

With the niavette of the uninformed, I figured all I had to do was write a good story and BAM! I’d be published. So I did. I poured my heart out in page after page of five-subject notebooks. By the time I’d filled several and started researching how to get published, I found out the manuscript had to be typed.

I didn’t own a typewriter nor could I afford to rent one. Then came the blessed day eleven years later I purchased a used word processor. Just when I thought I’d be able to really embark on the glamorous journey, submissions became electronic!

I’d put off buying a computer for lots of reasons, the main one ~ all I do is write. After getting connected, I figured the voyage to being in print was just an email away.

Wrong again.

My first novel was accepted as an Ebook, my first short story in an Ezine. What’s with this E-industry? I wanted to hold a book in my hands – after all, being Epublished isn’t really published. That’s what ‘they’ say (anyone ever figure out who ‘they’ are?).

In my article on Success, I make a statement…as beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, so is success. It is, in and of itself, success.

In addition to numerous articles and essays, poems and devotions, I now have 7 published novels available in ebook and print as well as 6 short stories and 2 nonfiction books.

Guess this means I’ve finally arrived……or Have I?

We all have our own definition of success, our own idea of what it means to ‘arrive.’ I’ll arrive when I can make a living doing what I love most – bring glory to God through my writing.

When will you know you have ‘arrived’? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

~~~~~

Set at the tail end of the Vietnam War era, Circles of Fate takes the reader from Fort Benning, Georgia to Thibodaux, Louisiana. A romantic saga, this gripping novel covers nearly twenty years in the lives of Shaunna Chatman and Todd Jameson. Constantly thrown together and torn apart by fate, the two are repeatedly forced to choose between love and duty, right and wrong, standing on faith or succumbing to the world’s viewpoint on life, love, marriage and fidelity. With intriguing twists and turns, fate brings together a cast of characters whose lives will forever be entwined. Through it all is the hand of God as He works all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

Purchase Links:

Kindle: http://amzn.to/13b6qCG

Print: http://amzn.to/1zfEzNH

Create Space: http://bit.ly/1qRN3cb

Nook: http://bit.ly/1ySeQqJ

B&N Print: http://bit.ly/1wA6DsH

Smashwords: http://bit.ly/136qK7n

~~~~~

Award-winning author, Pamela S. Thibodeaux is the Co-Founder and a lifetime member of Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction as well as creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.”

Website address: http://www.pamelathibodeaux.com  

Blog: http://pamswildroseblog.blogspot.com

Face Book: http://facebook.com/pamelasthibodeaux

Twitter: http://twitter.com/psthib @psthib

The Writing Marathon...Got What it Takes??

Marianne Evans

My son just ran and completed his first marathon! I’m such a proud mama. Like his father before him, he trained, he became educated on the sport and its processes, and he committed himself to a regimen that leaves me in awe. What a kiddo!

His accomplishment, coupled with the upcoming kick-off of NaNoWriMo, made me think about marathoning in terms of my own writer life.

 

In the past year and a half, I have written a four-book series of novellas, two short contemporary romances, and a women’s fiction novel. Whew. The process was…and has been…daunting at times. It’s a marathon. Unwilling to sacrifice quality, I continually train myself in the craft and strive to become educated so the manuscripts I turn in are the best they can be and as polished as possible. After all, publication is a marathon exercise for editors as well.

Producing multiple books, on a deadline, takes knowledge of the entire publication process. It takes commitment. Backside in the chair, fingers to keyboard, head and heart buried deep within the pages of my WIP. There are days, sure, when the last thing I feel like doing is booting up the computer and crafting the next scene, the next chapter, the next conflict. In marathon terms, that’s called ‘hitting the wall.’

That’s when an amazing transformation occurs—I find if I power through and stick with it, I will find myself engulfed by the story God is giving me to tell. Easy? No. Frustrating? At times, you bet. Rewarding? To the highest power.

Finally, there’s commitment to the regimen. I can't allow myself to just dream of writing. I have to sit down and do it. I can’t let myself be afraid of the learning curves and the hard work; both are on-going processes as I write. That’s when I force myself to remember a wise bit of advice I paraphrase from the one-and-only Nora Roberts: “The only thing you can’t edit is a blank page.”

What’s your battle? What ‘wall’ do you hit as a writer? Let’s compare notes. I’m praying for you, friends, and cheering you on. In the end, I hope you take on the challenges before you and discover the surprising truth that the ‘marathon’ is well worth the effort.

Click to Tweet!!

"The only thing you can't edit is a blank page."

"Don't dream about writing. Sit down and do it."

 ~~~~~

Marianne’s new series, Sisters in Spirit, is her latest release from Pelican Book Group and is the prelude to Pure Amore – a new line of subscription-only contemporary romances featuring a powerful message to Christian New Adults regarding chastity and purity. Marianne is honored to be one of the six launch authors for this new and exciting line.

You can find Sisters in Spirit right here: Sisters in Spirit at Pelican Book Group and here’s more information about Pure Amore: http://pure.pelicanbookgroup.com/

Happy reading!

~~~~~

Marianne Evans is a multi-award-winning author of Christian romance and fiction. Her hope is to spread the faith-affirming message of God’s love through the stories He prompts her to create. Devotion, earned the Bookseller’s Best Award as well as the Heart of Excellence Award. She also earned wins for Best Romance of 2012 from the Christian Small Publisher's Association and the Selah award for best Novella of 2013. Happily married and the mother of two, Marianne is a lifelong resident of Michigan who is active in a number of a number of Romance Writers of America chapters, most notably the Greater Detroit Chapter where she served two terms as President. Connect with her at www.marianneevans.com.

Stay True to Your Writing Path by Mary Manners

 

Stay True to Your Writing Path

By Mary Manners 

"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time..."

~ Ephesians 5:15 ~

Many authors--count me among them--struggle with the fact that marketing tends to devour writing time. Deadlines loom, but at the same time there are books that require promotion. Often the worlds of Facebook and Twitter closely resemble black holes that suck writers in and refuse to release them. The question soon arises: How does one maintain a fine balance between marketing and writing (and let's not forget a sprinkle of family-time, as well)? Grab a piece of paper and a pen and take notes; here are a few easy solutions that I have found to be highly effective:

Set aside short blocks of time to connect with friends in the virtual world. This supportive network should not be neglected. I like to chunk out three 15 minute sessions: one first thing in the morning, one mid-day, and a third in the evening, when the day’s writing is complete. I have gone so far as to set a timer to limit myself to fifteen minutes per block to keep from being lured into overstaying my welcome. Whatever is not completed during that time can wait until later in the day or even the next morning.

When the black holes beckon, setting a writing goal and sticking to it works well for me and other writers I know. Don’t be afraid to take on a hefty challenge when it comes to getting words onto paper. My goal is usually five for five: I must write 500 words before I break for a five-minute trek through the virtual, a snack or a drink. I set a timer and strictly limit myself to five minutes. This technique works very well to help me tackle and tie up my writing projects as deadlines loom; the promise of a bite to eat or a trek through a black hole motivates me to get those words down.

When dealing with the bulk of marketing tasks, consider chunking the work into a half-day once a month with the help of a free scheduling site. This allows for scheduling several months in advance. I have found that a half-day spent in this arena provides plenty of time to plan and schedule what's needed. Additional blocking times throughout the course of a month may be used to work in last-minute posts as well as to respond to the posts of others. As an aside, it is quite beneficial to have all tweets/posts saved in a document with links already shrunk, which allows for quick cutting and pasting.

So, the next time the virtual world threatens to snatch away writing time, step back, take a deep breath, and then dive back in to WRITE. Remember these simple tips to help stay focused and enjoy the journey. Happy Writing!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~



 Lilies and Lies

Maddie Cutler loathes her status as baby sister to her three brothers. Fearing she may never be considered their equal, she goes out of her way to prove that she's capable of managing the family business. But, her careless accident shuts down Clover Cove's business district and makes Maddie the laughingstock of her family–and Clover Cove.

Gunnar Holt spends weekdays managing his garage and weekends as youth leader for a small church. But Gunnar has a secret...a mistake from the past that nearly stole his future. Not a soul in Clover Cove knows his transgression, and Gunnar plans to keep it that way. Then, Maddie Cutler plows through his garage, nearly demolishing the life he's worked to rebuild--and the wall he's erected around his heart.

As Gunnar falls for Maddie, he must tell her about his past. But, will the secret push Maddie away or pull them closer together?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  

Mary Manners is an award-winning romance writer who lives in the beautiful foothills of East Tennessee with her husband Tim and the cherished cats they've rescued from local animal shelters...Lucky and Gus.

Learn more about Mary Manners at her website: www.MaryMannersRomance.com

The Power of Words

Marianne Evans

Hi, friends! I'm Marianne Evans, honored to return to Seriously Write as a monthly contributor! Annette Irby, the editor extraordinaire I credit for making my book Hearts Communion shine and earn wonderful honors, invited me to join the team and offer words of encouragement. I hope you enjoy the journey and I look forward to our time together! God bless!

The Power of Words

By Marianne Evans

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” Ephesians 4:29 (NIV) 

“Words can build us up, words can break us down, start a fire in our hearts…or put it out.” From the Song ‘Words’ by Hawk Nelson 

Words fascinate me. A plaque hangs on the wall near my desk reading: “I love the swirl and swing of words as they tangle with human emotions.” The quote is from James Michener. I’d like to take matters a step beyond that truth.

No matter what God gives me to do, no matter what He calls me to become, encouragement and uplifting others is a vital component of my life. Our words possess a level of impact we may not fully recognize as we communicate with those around us.

I’ll never forget my first writer’s conference, Tapping the Source, sponsored by Greater Detroit RWA. I submitted ten pages of my manuscript for review. Hopes high, best foot forward, I entered the small conference room and sat across from the diminutive, yet high-energy agent from New York. Other writers joined me. Nerves tight, prayers lifted, I waited.

And I was slaughtered.

 Merciless, she ripped the submission to shreds. Specifics escape me but for the end note: “This story won’t be published, but at least you know you can write a book.”

Words can build us up…words can break us down…

Sucker-punched, I held it together. At lunch, I sat with another "victim" who had been treated with equal severity. We talked. Planned. No way would this moment be the last say when it came to our dreams. We established a critique group. We worked, learned, attended conferences and refused to give up.

Start a fire in our hearts…or put it out. 

From ashes rose best friendship. To this day we’re ‘sisters-by-another-mister.’ She’s the constant reminder in my life of the power of encouragement, of sharing and supporting. Together we survived the machete of poorly chosen words. The agent had every right to disregard my work. Writing is subjective.

But what about impact?

Yes, the woman’s words ripped a hole in my heart. But that hole left just enough room for a miracle. I fought back. I refused delivery on her verdict. I lived, I learned, and I grew. I won. Perhaps that slaughter was necessary in order to accomplish God’s purpose.

Get bitter, or get better.

The story she critiqued became my second sale to Kensington Publishing in a career now stretching across twenty-plus releases. So, my encouragement for you today? Never let someone run roughshod over your dreams. Persevere! (Tweet this!) Learn from life’s bitterest circumstances, then regroup. Give yourself to God in prayer and keep moving forward as He calls.

I don't want to say a word, unless it brings the world back to you." From the song 'Words" by Hawk Nelson.

Nothing fills Jodie Sullivan’s spirit like sharing contemporary Christian music and scriptural insights on her morning drive radio show at KWJD. Lately, though, life is conspiring against her. She’s overwhelmed, drained and depleted by the circumstances that have led her from the big city to Angel Falls, Texas and Heart’s Haven apartment complex. 

Kevin Mitchell is the freshly installed groundskeeper at Heart’s Haven—a place famous for angelic intercession and loving connections. His uncle owns the facility, and he’s ailing. Kevin is more than happy to chip in, and as he prepares the grounds for a spring wedding, he meets Jodie and they begin to work together to make Heart’s Haven sparkle. Kevin begins to believe the stories of Heart’s Haven, and its aura of romance, are true.

But just when lasting connections form between himself and the lovely, if troubled DJ—right when he succeeds at coaxing Jodie’s heart to bloom, tragedy strikes in a double dose that will test the bonds of their faith, and the love they’ve found…


Marianne Evans is a multi-award-winning author of Christian romance and fiction. Her hope is to spread the faith-affirming message of God’s love through the stories He prompts her to create. Readers laud her work as: ‘Riveting.’ ‘Realistic and true to heart.’ ‘Compelling.’ Devotion earned the prestigious Bookseller’s Best Award from Greater Detroit RWA as well the Heart of Excellence Award from Ancient City Romance Authors. She also earned wins for best romance of 2012 from the Christian Small Publisher's Association and the Selah award from Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Fiction Writers for best novella of 2013. Happily married and the mother of two, Marianne is a lifelong resident of Michigan who is active in a number of a number of Romance Writers of America chapters, most notably the Greater Detroit Chapter where she served two terms as President.