Writer Under Construction by Terri Weldon

Today’s post is a little out of the norm. Right now my office looks like a construction zone. And let me tell you, it’s not conducive to writing - at least not for this writer. My computer isn’t hooked up and unlike so many authors I actually use a desktop computer. 

I somehow connected the router and modem, hope I’m even calling them the right things, up to where the phone isn’t working. Since the phone isn’t required for my internet service I’m not sure how I managed that one. 

Not to mention my desk is covered in books that need placed on bookshelves. 

My plans for a lovely, private, and organized office have gone askew. Believe me, I thought I’d be back in my office by now. I need in that room!

All of this has made me think about how rarely things in life go the way we think they will. I should have factored delays into my schedule and I should have asked for help in reconnecting my internet! lol

Writing is a lot like my office. When you’re working on your book don’t let moments of chaos and confusion overwhelm you. Stay focused and even if it takes longer than you originally planned you’ll finally type THE END.

As for me, I hope to have my dream office soon. Maybe I’ll share a picture or two.

What about you - where is your favorite place to write?

Terri Weldon is a blessed to be a full time author. She enjoys traveling, gardening, reading, and shopping for shoes. One of her favorite pastimes is volunteering as the librarian at her church. It allows her to shop for books and spend someone else’s money! Plus, she has the great joy of introducing people to Christian fiction. She lives with her family in the Heartland of the United States and has two adorable Westies – Crosby and Nolly Grace. Terri is a member of ACFW and OCFW, a local chapter of ACFW. You can connect with Terri at www.terriweldon.com 

A Few Things I’m Thankful For by Terri Weldon

Since today is the last day of November I thought it would be the perfect time to reflect on what I’m thankful for.

This year I had the opportunity to meet and engage with an entirely new group of talented authors on a daily basis. These women are such encouragers. I’ve enjoyed sharing every facet of the journey with them. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to get to know these sisters better. 

As I sit in my office counting the days until I can retire, I realize I’ve got a good job. It has provided for me well, I have a great group of co-workers, and for the most part I’ve enjoyed my time working there. Plus I can retire in nine months!

In April my novella, The Christmas Bride Wore Boots, won Best Novella in the 2016 Lyra Contest. I’m still thrilled! 

I had the opportunity to contribute to an anthology, The Matchmakers, with Jean C. Gordon and Lisa Belcastro. Writing A Match Made in Sheffield was such fun. The best part was working with Jean and Lisa!

Seriously Write! Working with Annette, Angie, Dawn, and Sandy is a joy. These four women have such a strong faith. They are always willing to help out whenever and however they can. Plus, they’re always there to offer prayer when it is needed.

I have two writing buds who are also two of my best friends. Notice a theme here? Authors are amazing people! They encourage me in my writing journey, pray for me daily, and talk me off the ledge. They are so steadfast and talented. Their dedication to the craft drives me to do better and accomplish more. 

I’m thankful for my earthly sister. She means the world to me and encourages me in pursuing my writing. She truly believe in my abilities and in her mind my books are the best books ever written. She prays for me, encourages me, and harasses me when necessary (which is more often then I like to admit).

And the number one thing I’m thankful for is the saving grace of Jesus Christ. The author and finisher of me and you. I pray you know Him as your savior. And if you don’t, I encourage you to find out more about Jesus. He loves you – more than you or I will ever understand. 

What about you? What things are you thankful for today?

Pastor Jacob Thompson is in need of a director for the living nativity program and veterinarian Molly Kincaid offers to take on the job. The task involves far more than Molly bargained for, nonetheless she’d do anything to help out the man she secretly loves – even sew costumes or cast eight-year-old Wesley Simpson as an angel. Jacob’s daughter Emma longs to have a mommy of her own, but the widowed pastor has vowed to never remarry, and isn’t ready to open his heart to love again. Molly dreams of filling the void in both their lives, but fears she lacks the necessary qualities to be a pastor’s wife.  As Molly and Jacob work together on the living nativity, their feelings for one another grow. Will Molly realize she is just what Jacob and Emma need in their lives? Can Jacob be released from his grief stricken promise? Could this unlikely duo prove to be a match made in heaven?
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Terri Weldon is a lead analyst by day and an award winning author by night. Her novella The Christmas Bride Wore Boots won the best novella category in the 2016 Lyra Awards. She enjoys traveling, gardening, reading, spending time with her family, and shopping for shoes. One of her favorite pastimes is volunteering as the librarian at her church. It allows her to shop for books and spend someone else’s money! Plus, she has the great joy of introducing people to Christian fiction. She lives with her family in the Heartland of the United States. Terri has two adorable Westies – Crosby and Nolly Grace. Terri is a member of ACFW and RWA. She is a member of the Seriously Write Team (www.seriouslywrite.blogspot.com). Readers can connect with Terri at www.terriweldon.com

 

Take a Challenge! by Susan Tuttle

Susan Tuttle

Our first full week of 2016 is over! I can hardly believe it. As we stare down this new year, many of us have made resolutions or are focused on One Word for the upcoming months. New habits and new focuses are wonderful to have. They help us form a fresh start for the days ahead, but what about a new challenge?

If we don’t constantly challenge ourselves as writers, we grow stagnate, and our readers will feel it. It can be easy to churn out what we know, after all, there’s a certain comfort level in the familiar. And while familiar is good for readers, losing the fresh angle to our voice is not.

So this year I challenge you to take on a challenge. Here’s some ideas for varying levels of writers:

1.  If you write full length, try a novella or even flash fiction to tighten your words and plot. This forces you to focus on the main points of your story along with truly considering each word. In tightening sentences you’ll discover new ways to say old things, continue to grow your vocabulary, and ditch overused words.

2.  On the flip side, if you write shorter length, try a full length. Dive into the extra word count that will push you to learn how to weave in secondary characters with, perhaps, their own plots. Learn to juggle the small story within the big. Deepen descriptions. Expand the world you’re creating.

3.  If you’re a Pantser, try at least outlining your story. Push yourself to envision at least the bare bones of where the story needs to travel and write those notes down. You may find it saves you from rabbit trails and major editing later on.

4.  Read books on craft and apply what you learn! Many of us are out of school, but we should never stop learning. Take a month, put away your computer, and pick up a book on something you’re struggling to learn. Some great ones are:

a.  Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Brown & King
b.  Make a Scene by Jordan Rosenfield
c.  Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell

5.  Show your work to others. It can be scary, but the feedback is invaluable. And I’m not talking about people who love you and will gush over your words even when they are not so gushable. If a writer is going to grow, they need constructive criticism. You should have both a great critique partner and also unbiased readers. It’s scary, but at some point you have to put your work out there.

6.  Attend a writers’ conference. Yes, I know, many of us are introverts (my hand cannot raise any higher on this one), but the connections you make—both industry wise and on a friendship level—will enrich your writing life. Plus, to go with challenge #5, the education you receive at these conferences is amazing. I’ve attended both large scale and smaller scale conferences (ACFW and Breathe are 2 of my favorite) and have only grown in my writing life as an outcome.

I’d love to hear any other challenges you may already be taking or have done in the past to improve your writing. We can all learn from one another. Writing may feel like a solitary thing, but it’s in community that we grow the most.

Happy New Year, friends!

Susan Tuttle is a homeschooling mom of three who is crazy about coffee, dark chocolate, and words—both reading and writing them. Combine that love of words with her passion for leading women to a life-changing encounter with Christ, and you’ll find her crafting Inspirational Contemporary Romance stories laced with humor, love, and healing transformations. When not cheering on her Ironman hubby, chasing the family dog, or tackling complex math problems to teach her kids (yes, even the third grader), you can catch Susan at her blog, Steps.

Susan contributes on the first Thursday of each month.

 

Even Though You're Not Published... by Susan Tuttle

Susan Tuttle

About two weeks ago Sherri Shackelford wrote this amazing post here titled Writing is My Job, Really. It was one of those posts where you nod your way through it, adding a moment of laughter or a “yes” along the way. When I finished I shared it on other social media sites because as a writer I completely agreed with her points. Then I heard the question, “But what about those of us who aren’t published yet? Is it still our job?” 

I can’t say the question was a surprise. In the back of my mind (and sometimes the front—just ask my husband) I wonder the same thing. Even while I was nodding my head with Sherri’s post, a little voice inside kept saying the same thing, “This doesn’t apply until you’re published.” 

Can we all just agree to squash that voice? We’ve all heard it. For some of us it might be louder, for others it’s a continued quiet whisper, but its impact is all the same. It undermines that which we are called to do. If we want to move forward in our writing career, it is going to take work. It’s going to be our job, even when we aren’t getting paid for it. And we’ll need to approach it as such if we want others to see it that way—and**spoiler alert**even when we do see it as a job, others still might not. 

But that’s all part of this writing life. We cannot change how those around us see our writing, we can only change how we approach it. The only guarantee? If you don’t take it serious, those around you won’t either. 

So map out a schedule. Put it in ink and stick to it. I’ve found there are days I can block off a few hours and days where I only find thirty minutes—whatever it is, claim it. Find a writing space; the library, coffee shop, or your bedroom with the door locked. Invest in books that will hone your writing craft, and spend time reading them and applying what you learn. Join a writer’s group or critique group to thicken your skin. Getting your work torn apart—no matter how constructively—is never fun but always helpful (and I like to think it prepares you for the inevitable bad review some day.) 

Bottom line? It doesn’t matter how others see your writing career—it is just that, a career. This is just one stage of it. It’s a long road to publication, but if you don’t start honing your craft and taking it seriously, you’ll never get there. And with every habit you create you’re only making yourself a better writer who will be that much more prepared when the day finally comes. 

Don’t give in. Don’t give up. And don’t call it a hobby—it’s your job, really.

****

Susan Tuttle is a homeschooling mom of three who is crazy about coffee, dark chocolate, and words—both reading and writing them. Combine that love of words with her passion for leading women to a life-changing encounter with Christ, and you’ll find her crafting Inspirational Contemporary Romance stories laced with humor, love, and healing transformations. When not cheering on her Ironman hubby, chasing the family dog, or tackling complex math problems to teach her kids (yes, even the third grader), you can catch Susan at her blog, Steps.

From Pantser to Plotter by Dora Hiers

Happy New Year!

I’m not one for New Year’s resolutions. If there's something in my personal life that needs to change, why wait? Why should my writing life be any different?

In September 2012, I resolved to evolve from pantser to plotter. For those of you unfamiliar with the terms: 

A pantser sits down in front of their laptop and starts typing, with only a few rough ideas for either characters or story floating around in their head. 

A plotter uses an outline and finds their rhythm by organizing their thoughts prior to any actual writing. 

Usually, a writer falls naturally into one category. Trying to do the opposite of what comes natural is like writing left-handed when you normally use your right. Early on, I tried both methods, but plotting frustrated me so much that I considered inflicting serious damage to my laptop.

But as I celebrated with writer friends over their multi-book contracts, I knew that I'd never be able to accomplish this if I couldn't learn to plot. A key component of the proposal is the synopsis. No synopsis=No proposal.

I started my transition by writing two proposals encompassing five books total, which meant writing books from a synopsis instead of the reverse. I’m thrilled to report that my first book is complete, and the second, roughly thirty percent. Woo-hoo!

Want to know how I transitioned from pantser to plotter? I'll share my secrets. :-)

Pray. 

Characters. I'm a visual person. I need pictures, so I started by finding my hero/heroine online and getting to know them. Then, I asked my character (whichever one you connect with first) these questions.

What do you want? (Goal)

Why do you want it? (Motivation)

Why can't you have it? (Conflict) 

Develop the story idea/premise. What terrible thing happened in my character's past to make them how they are today? Keep asking "what if?" until you come up with a story idea.

Write a few pages. Writing backstory helped me flesh out the characters more, so that I could go back and fill in some of the blanks. Just write a bit and let words flow. It's OK. You’ll delete them. The goal is for the story to reveal itself. You may need to tweak the premise after doing this.

Picture the story sequence in your head. Do what it takes to find your zone. Close your eyes. Throw in a CD. Let your dog walk you around the park. Record the chapter number, the date, point-of-view, and what you expect to happen in that chapter/scene. If you know how you want the book to end, you can skip down and work backward.

Implement a schedule. You must map out a timeline for the completion of your books. I’ll share more on this next week.

It’s your turn.

If you're a pantser, how do you write proposals?

Do you ever see yourself evolving into a plotter? Why or why not?