Remember Who You’re Writing For by Carla Capshaw

Last week Carla Capshaw shared her article, “Taking Your Setting From Static to Fantastic.” She returns today to share a few lessons she learned on the way to publication. Thanks, Carla!

Remember Who You're Writing For

“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance.” ~ Colossians 3: 23


Whether it’s coincidence or providence, I’ve been asked several times in the last few weeks what I’ve learned since I sold my first book. Of course, there are tons of things such as: what it’s like to write on deadline, how nerve-wracking it is to send your little baby, er, story into the world all alone, or that doing promo for said sold book takes nearly as long as writing the thing. :-D I’ve learned about target audiences, how to read a royalty statement, and that no one cares if you work a day job, have bird flu, a dozen kids and a house to clean, you still have to get words on the page.

Amidst all the chaos, it can be easy to forget why we began writing in the first place. Worse, as a Christian author, it means we can sometimes forget Who we write for.

A few years ago, I almost quit writing. My first reading love was Historical Romance, so that’s the genre I was drawn to, to write. I’d had about as much success as an unpub can have without selling. I’d won tons of contests, signed with my dream agent, and been told by several top editors they loved my work. Still, I hadn’t sold. I began to wonder if I’d missed the Lord’s will for me somewhere along the way. Was I supposed to be spending my time on something else? Instead of all those hours at the computer maybe I should be with my family, focusing on my career or just catching up on my sleep. ;-)

So, like any Christian striving to make the Lord’s will first in her life, I prayed. Not that I hadn’t prayed before, but this time I recommitted my writing to the Lord, put all my hopes and dreams in His hands and said, “Do whatever You want with them.”

Literally, the next morning, while I dressed for work the plot of my first sold novel, The Gladiator, came to me. I’d always loved ancient Rome, but I’d never thought to set a story there. The hero was an ex-gladiator who had everything he thought he wanted until he met his heroine, a Christian girl he bought from a slave trader. It wasn’t too long after that I learned Steeple Hill was launching an Inspirational Historical line and I got to mix my love of Historical Romance with my biblical beliefs. This time around, the manuscript did well in contests and eventually sold. When it was published two years later, I was blessed by readers who wrote to ask me how to become a Christian or to tell me how the story had brought them closer to Christ.

Needless to say, I was thrilled. And along with all the other lessons I listed in the first paragraph, I relearned that when the Lord’s in charge of my efforts not only am I blessed, but more importantly, so are others.

The reality is we have to focus on the Lord, to remember that all we do is for His glory. When I get overwhelmed, I remind myself that He won’t give me more than I can handle and that He’ll get me though everything He’s called me do. We don’t actually write to sell, final in contests, get our work in front of a certain editor or target audience. We write because all we do is supposed to be for Him.

How about you? Is there something in your current work-in-progress that you’re struggling with? What lessons has the Lord taught you along your writing journey?

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, 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

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.