Before You Hit Send… by Patty Smith Hall

At various times in my writing career, I’ve been in the unique position of being a deciding factor in whether a manuscript was accepted for publication or not. As a first reader for Harlequin and now as an editor for Winged Publications, I’m often the first person to see your manuscript after you hit send. 

So many times, I wish I could have caught the writer before he or she hit send. Then I would have shared the five things to do before you send your manuscript off.

7 Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Characters to Ensure a Deep and Powerful Story by Allie Pleiter

We all want our stories to go deep, to be significant, to matter to our readers. Often that means tackling difficult issues. For a writer like myself known for humor, that poses a challenging balance. How do you deliver joy and hope while at the same time going to those deep and often dark places?

Writing isn’t for wimps or what I learned during in my journey … by Pat Nichols

 

If you're just starting out in the business of writing, you'll soon learn that there's a lot to learn. Pat Nichols shares some of her experience. 

Lesson one: 

Nine years after retiring from the corporate world the loss of a close family friend inspired me to write a story loosely based on her life. Why not? I loved to read and thanks to my career I had plenty of experience writing business letters, training materials, even some newspaper articles. So, I opened my laptop and typed chapter one. A year later I finished the manuscript with images of publication dancing in my head. 

Until…

Prepping for NaNoWriMo by Patty Smith Hall

It’s the middle of October, and everyone I know is gearing up for NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month next month. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, NaNoWriMo is a non-profit organization that challenges writers to write 50K new words of a novel in thirty days. Each year on November 1^st, hundreds of thousands of people from every walk of life begin to write. In case you’re wondering, that's 1667 new words every day (including weekends and Thanksgiving) so you’ve got to have a plan if you hope to achieve your goal.

Give Your Audience What They Want by Milla Holt

Somewhere in the world there may be people who would love to eat a peanut butter, egg salad and jellied eel sandwich. Perhaps this is your favorite lunch, and you know you can make the best peanut butter, egg salad, and jellied eel sandwich ever. Let’s say you want to share your creation with the world and maybe even earn some money off of it. Finding people who will eat your sandwich is possible, but it will be hard. You will fight an even more difficult uphill battle if you want supermarket chains to sell your special signature sandwich on their shelves.

In the same way, if you want to write experimental fiction that bucks every trend, you may struggle to locate your fans and have an even harder time selling your work to an agent or traditional publisher.

I’m going to pause for a minute here and acknowledge that not every writer wants to sell a lot of books. Many writers put pen to paper for the sheer joy of creative expression and don’t care about being published or earning an income from their writing. That’s a completely legitimate type of author, and more power to you if this is who you are. This piece isn’t for such writers, though. I’m writing to authors who want to sell their work either to an agent or publisher, or direct to a paying audience. I’m also writing mainly to writers of fiction.

If you want to sell, you need to present something that people want to buy. “Writing to market” is a phrase that you’ll hear a lot if you hang out in online writing groups. It stems from Chris Fox’s book of the same name, although the concept has existed for decades, if not longer. It means, simply, writing a book that fits the expectations of a defined audience of readers. The principle ties very closely with the idea of writing in a specific genre.

Readers come to a work of fiction looking for a particular experience. If they’re into romance, they want to share the emotional journey of a couple falling in love and fighting through challenges to be together. Mystery readers get into a book to enjoy plot twists, red herrings, and tantalizing clues as a sleuth tries to unmask a criminal. Thriller readers are after edge-of-the-seat suspense with desperately high stakes. Writing to market means delivering those experiences to readers.

For example, the couple in a romance has to end up together and live happily ever after. If they break up or one of them dies (a la Nicholas Sparks), you’ve written a love story, not a romance. In a mystery, there had better be a crime committed and a group of potential suspects, any of whom could have done the deed. If you buck these expectations, you risk leaving your readers unsatisfied. They will punish you with poor reviews or, more likely, just never buy anything else you write.

If you want to sell books, it’s important to know your audience and study what they want so that you can give it to them. If you master the art of fulfilling reader expectations, you’ll have a much easier time building a fanbase who will keep coming back for more.

Writing to market gets a lot of flak, and you may be rolling your eyes. Some authors feel that it will make their writing formulaic, predictable, and not special enough. But a formula doesn’t have to be a bad thing. There’s a reason why every standard cake has certain basic ingredients: flour, sugar, eggs, fat, and a raising agent. But beyond that fundamental formula there is a world of variety and a hungry audience.

Never has a carrot cake fan eaten a slice of their favorite dessert and complained that it followed the recipe too closely. Can you imagine it? “This carrot cake is waaaay too formulaic. I was hoping for a dash of anchovy paste and crayfish in there. What a disappointment.” No. People who want carrot cake want carrot cake. That’s why they picked yours up.

Oh, and one more thing. Writing to market means being aware that your book won’t please everyone. Some people just don’t like carrot cake. Others are allergic to gluten, eggs, or dairy. That’s okay: they can get their dessert from someone else who’s making things they like, or which they can eat without getting ill. Wish them well, but don’t worry about them: just focus on pleasing your carrot cake afficionados.

As an author who wants to sell books, I embrace genre. I aim to give readers the emotional experience they are looking for when they come across my books. I study genre expectations closely, and I hit all the main beats. At the same time, I do my best to make each story fresh and unique. It can be done, and it’s part of the creative challenge.

Sometimes, I add walnuts to my carrot cake. On other occasions, I’ll leave out the nuts and include dried apricots instead. One day I’ll use cream cheese frosting, but on another day I’ll do a vanilla buttercream. People who love carrot cake still get the sweet treat they want, but it’ll be different enough to be enticing.

If you want to sell, you need to present something that people want to buy. #SeriouslyWrite

~~~~~~~

Milla Holt loves carrot cake and contemporary Christian romance. Look her up on https://millaholt.com, or follow her on Instagram @millaholt, or www.facebook.com/millaholt

Lessons Learned in Love

The boss’s daughter is off-limits. Especially when she steals the job that should have been his.

Vanya has never measured up to her parents’ demanding standards. After a crushing humiliation at her last job, she jumps at the chance to prove herself when her father entrusts her with a leadership role in his company.

Tendo has had nothing handed to him on a silver platter. The son of a refugee, he’s had to claw his way up every rung of the career ladder. Then the CEO’s daughter swoops in to take the job that should have been his. Tendo wants to resent the pampered princess, making his growing attraction unexpected—and entirely unwelcome.

Vanya feels grossly unqualified to manage the brilliant and ambitious
Tendo, especially when she realizes that she’s beginning to admire him
for a lot more than his professional qualities. And although he knows
he’s falling hard and fast, Tendo is proud of being a self-made man. A
relationship with the boss’s daughter is exactly the sort of special
treatment he despises.

But as Vanya’s and Tendo’s worlds collide, they discover the power of
honesty, grace, and trust—and the possibilities of a future built
together.

LINK: https://books2read.com/u/mKDDqZ

Double Duty by Sharon Hinck

I'm a frugal person, so I appreciate things that serve more than one purpose. I find I’m that way with my writing as well. When we write a scene with dialogue, we need to give cues to our reader about which character is speaking. But there are ways to make those cues serve more than one purpose.

Why just say, “he said” when you can use the moment to REVEAL something about the character’s appearance, tone, emotion, inner life, motivations?

I’m sure you know how to write dialogue identifiers.

“Hello,” she said.

These days, “fancy” identifiers like,
"'Hello,' he retorted" are out of fashion. Even worse: “Hello,” he retorted angrily.

Side note: while this is a general preference for editors these days, that doesn’t mean you can’t occasionally apply a judicious use of a descriptive manner of speech or even a rare adverb. Just know to save that for special occasions. There are craft conventions (I don’t like to think of them as “rules”) – and there are good reasons for most of them – but when it serves the art, there is room to color outside those lines.

While simple dialogue identifiers are best (“said” is virtually invisible to the reader and they slide smoothly past it – which is a good thing for their reading experience), there is an even more powerful way to identify your speaker:

ACTION TAGS

They’re great because they do double duty. They give the cue to the reader about which character is speaking AND they can build characterization or paint the picture of the moment:

“Hello.” She scuffed her toes in the sand, shoulders curved inward like a protective cape.

In the context of the story, this can show you more than, “Hello,” she said.

It’s also valuable to mix it up. Start some dialogue WITH the action tag:

He leaned in, his forehead almost touching hers. “I’ve wanted to tell you this for a long time.”

Not every dialogue paragraph needs to start with the quotation. Play with the rhythm. Scan your page and see if the PATTERN of dialogue and action has become too consistent and rearrange a few. And of course, there will be dialogue exchanges without any dialogue indentifiers needed because you’ve established the two characters responding back and forth and/or they have such unique voices, the reader immediately knows who is speaking.

You can also insert action between longer stretches of dialogue:

“I never knew.” She stepped back, zipped up her jacket, and thrust her hands in her pockets. “I wish you had told me this months ago.”

However, if you string together too many action and dialogue segments, it can become choppy:

George pounded the desk. “I told you to get those figures to me today.” He pushed back his chair and stormed across the office. “I’ll just have to do it myself.” He glared at Frank and thrust a folder at him. “At least take care of this.”

Too many interruptions to dialogue can feel like driving with someone who keeps hitting the brakes.

Of course, interruptions in dialogue are great when it’s another character cutting in.

George pounded the desk. “I told you to get—”

“I did.” Frank held up a folder.

Notice I didn’t say “Frank cut in. Frank interrupted.” Etc. There’s no need to tell the reader that a character interrupted when the m-dash and new dialogue SHOWS that already.

One more note: when you use an action tag that is a complete sentence, it gets a period:

“I told you.” George pounded the desk.

But if you combine an action tag with a dialogue identifier (which you might occasionally do for the rhythm you want) you use a comma:

“I told you,” George said, pounding the desk.

Take time to examine your dialogue segments. See if a thoughtful use of action tags can both identify the speaker AND convey emotion, characterization, or setting.

Write on!

Take time to examine your dialogue segments. via @sharonhinck #SeriouslyWrite

~~~~~~

Award-winning author Sharon Hinck writes “stories for the hero in all of us,” about ordinary women on extraordinary faith journeys. Known for their authenticity, emotional range, and spiritual depth, her novels include the ground-breaking Sword of Lyric fantasy series and her imaginative new Dancing Realms series, that begins with Hidden Current and continues with Forsaken Island. She has been honored with a Christy finalist medal, and three Carol awards for her novels.

Website: http://sharonhinck.com/

Blog: http://sharonhinck.com/blog/ 

https://www.facebook.com/sharon.hinck/

https://twitter.com/sharonhinck

https://www.instagram.com/sharonhinck/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6779.Sharon_Hinck

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001IQXR28

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/sharon-hinck

https://sharonhinck.us10.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=3503cb8b1d78c74ed12baab96&id=29b785602e

(newsletter)

Grab the Polish by Sandra Ardoin

Last month, we talked about the need for an editor for your work. Afterward, I was asked to write about finding an editor and the possible costs involved, so I thought I’d concentrate on that in this month’s post.

How do I go about finding the right editor for my work?

How To Give Your Story Legs by Patty Smith Hall

Recently, I bought myself a standing desk for the little nook in our bedroom that serves as my office. The assembly instructions seemed simple enough, and being a proficient do-it-yourselfer, I surprised myself at how quickly the first half was done.

Then I got to the legs. For almost an hour, I worked on lining the screws up, even going so far as to disassemble some pieces. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get it to work. In the end, I put up my tools and went downstairs to make dinner. The next morning, I went at it again, trying to line up the screws and failing miserably. Then, I had a thought. Maybe, I was looking at it from the wrong angle. So, I flipped the legs of the desk around, and guess what? The screws fell perfectly into place!

This lesson holds true for writing as well. We’ve written character charts and narrowed down the motivations that will carry our characters through the story. Maybe even plotted out the scenes, so we know what the story looks like. While all that’s good and you’re rearing to go, it’s good to take a couple of days and work on something else before you go back to your story. A new perspective will help you tighten your storyline or give you new insights into your character’s mindset. Because even as you’re ‘resting,’ your brain is at work, figuring out ways to make your work better. So how do you do this?

1. Take an afternoon and just read for pleasure. Maybe it’s a book in your To-Be-Read file or a new book you’ve been dying to get into. Whatever it is, relax and enjoy it. Reading someone else, hearing their voice and seeing how they handle certain problems with their characters will help you with your own plotting problems.

2. Do something else completely. Sometimes, the thought of reading or listening to another podcast on writing can make me feel overwhelmed and a lot like work. On those days, I do something completely different. I’ve always gotten my best ideas cleaning porcelain but if housekeeping isn’t something you like to do, then try another art form. Many writers like to knit or crochet; some make jewelry or paint. I recently bought an adult paint-by-numbers set and enjoy spending an hour in the evening, listening to music and painting. Garden is a good way to burn off energy but be creative at the same time. Working in a different art medium can help you in your writing.

3. Make your writing space personal. It’s widely known I write from my back porch spring through early fall. I love being outdoors and watching my little visitors throughout the day. It’s usually my most productive time of the year. In the winter, I’m stuck inside, either at the kitchen counter or at the side of my bed which means I’m out in the open where everyone can (and does!) interrupt me. So I seized a small nook in my bedroom and made it my own. I bought a standing desk (yes, THE desk!), brought up a rocking chair from the basement and repurposed a rug I’d bought for the kitchen. Now I have a place that will allow me some privacy to start my own podcast and a comfortable space to read and write. Knowing I have that space has me excited about writing this winter in a way I haven’t been in years.

So, take a break! Look at things from a different angle! You might be surprised just how much it will affect your writing!

A new perspective will help you tighten your storyline or give you new insights into your character’s mindset. via @pattywrites #SeriouslyWrite

~~~~~~

Patty Smith Hall lives in North Georgia with her husband of 36+ years, Danny. Her passion is to write tender romances based in little-known historical moments. The winner of the 2008 ACFW Genesis award in historical romance, she is published with Love Inspired Historical, Barbour and Winged Publishing, and is a contributor to the Seriously Writing blog as well as Journey magazine. Patty is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.


To celebrate my birthday, the second book in my Bell Bomber Bride series, Hearts in Hiding is free September 14-18, then next week (September 21-25) you can get Hearts Rekindled for 0.99! It’s my birthday gift to you!


Hearts in Hiding

Engineer Edie Michaels loves her life—she has a good job, close friends, even a chance at

romance with former soldier Beau Daniels. But she could lose everything if her secret comes out…that she's the German daughter of a devoted Nazi.

And when her father sends spies to force her loyalty, everything Edie values is at risk.

Time in a Nazi POW camp changed army medic Beau Daniels. When he discovers a letter of Edie's written in German, he can't help his suspicions. Is she truly the woman he's started to love? Or has she been the enemy all along? With Nazis on Edie's trail, the pair must fight for truth, for survival—and for love.

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Hearts-Hiding-Bell-Bomber-Brides-ebook/dp/B086KQ762X/

Hearts Rekindled

"I'm here to See My Daughter."

She never thought she'd see John Davenport again. Merrilee Daniels Davenport's former husband has returned to their small Georgia town after fighting in the Pacific. And now the soldier is bearing a letter from the little girl he didn't know he had. Merrilee wishes that she and her daughter could lean on John's able shoulders, but her new assignment as a homeland informant won't allow it. 

Twelve years have only made Merrilee more beautiful in John's eyes. Back then, he was the proud fool who walked away. Now all he wants is to prove he can be the husband she deserves, and the daddy his daughter needs.

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08C1TY4D6

How We Wrote a Multi-Author Series by A. M. Heath

Multi-author series are nothing new, but the Librarians of Willow Hollow was my first time participating in one. Thanks for giving me the chance to share my experience. I’m going to address some commonly asked questions. Maybe this will encourage you to step out into a multi-author series.

Ten Tips for Writing During Stressful Times by Kimberly Rose Johnson

 

Kimberly Rose Johnson

Anyone else feel like creativity takes a backseat to stress sometimes? Fellow Mountain Brook Ink author Kimberly Rose Johnson is here today to share her strategies for writing, even when she's stressed. Read on! ~ Annette

I think we can all agree that writing during times of stress or uncertainty can be challenging. Yet we have deadlines and can’t stop creating content. So what do we do?

How do we create when we are distracted or unable to focus?

The following are strategies I’ve used to effectively combat lack of focus and stress.

• Turn off the TV and don’t read the news.

• Eat healthy food. It’s scientifically proven that our mood can be affected by the food we eat.

• Exercise regularly. I enjoy my stationary bike as well as walking.

• Watch movies and read books. These allow me to relax and clear my head. While reading, my mind often wanders and suddenly I have clarity with my own writing.

• Participate in an enjoyable activity. This will promote relaxation and unlock those creative juices.

• Do something nice for someone else.

• Think positive thoughts rather than focusing on the negative.

• Keep a regular sleep schedule. A rested mind is able to deal with the stress of life better.

• Find a routine and stick to it.

Tips for writing during stressful times. #amwriting @kimberlyrosejoh

Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to trust in the Lord. Are there any other control freaks out there besides me? This can be a tough verse to follow; yet I do trust Him. I have to remind myself daily to release control to Him.

Because I trust the Lord, I am able to give him the reins, but it takes a conscious effort on my part since trust in general does not come naturally for me. The key to writing during times of stress is to find effective ways to relax and free your mind to create, then write with God.

Do you have any other tips that have helped you write during times of stress?

~~~~~

The Sleuth's Surprise

Mary Daley has been the sheriff of Tipton County for more than two decades, but someone wants her job. When it seems circumstances can’t get more complicated, a murder happens on her watch. Had she been the intended victim?

Deputy Chief Lyle Griffin only wants Mary to be happy, but when he asks her if she’d consider retiring, it sets off a string of events and emotions that muddy their friendship.

Nancy Daley-Malone can’t believe anyone would run for sheriff against her mom. She is onboard to help run the best campaign Tipton County has ever seen until the sheriff’s opponent is murdered and Nancy’s husband joins the race. On top of that, it appears someone is out to kill her mother as well.

Can Nancy, along with the sheriff’s department, find the murderer before it’s too late? Will Lyle and Mary be able to admit their feelings for one another or will the status quo remain?

 

~~~~~

Award-winning author Kimberly Rose Johnson married her college sweetheart and lives in the Pacific Northwest. From a young child Kimberly has been an avid reader. That love of reading fostered a creative mind and led to her passion for writing.

Kimberly holds a degree in Behavioral Science from Northwest University in Kirkland, Washington, and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. You can sign up for Kimberly's newsletter via her website at: https://kimberlyrjohnson.com/ Twitter: @kimberlyrosejoh

Tips on Using Your Book Reviews by Jo Huddleston

Oh, how we love those four- and five-star book reviews readers give us on Amazon! On the other hand, how deflated we feel when we read those other, less complimentary reviews.

Upon reading discouraging book reviews, many authors determine they’ll never read a review again. But the lure remains, and occasionally writers will sneak another peek at their reviews if just to learn the average stars their books are garnering.

But instead of allowing good reviews to puff up our egos or bad reviews to devastate us, here are tips how you can use them all beneficially:

Three Tips on Making a Deadline by Blossom Turner

I am a new author at the ripe old age of 58. I’m finally doing what I was born to do. 

With my first book Anna’s Secret (contemporary romance) I had the privilege of taking my time…years in fact. No one knew my name, nor was my writing in demand. Currently I’m contracted for a five book historical romance series. The first book in the series Katherine’s Arrangement will be launched on August 4^th, 2020 with the following four at what I feel is warp speed—every half year thereafter. My situation has drastically changed. I still have my mother-in-law to care for, my huge property as an avid gardener to keep up, my family and personal life, and full-time hours writing. I understand stress. So, for all you writers out there with deadlines and real life pressing in, here are three tips on making a deadline when feeling dead tired.

3 Things I've learned as a Publisher that Make Me a Better Author by Misty M. Beller

As a full-time writer, I’ve been published by both small and large presses, as well as publishing many of my books myself. For years, I’d been mulling over the idea of starting my own small press, but never felt that peace in my spirit that comes from knowing a decision is God’s will. Then at the beginning of 2018, things began to change. I felt God saying, “Yes. Now.”

The Importance of Building Relationships by Patty Smith Hall

God didn’t not give you influence so you could lead people better; He gave it so you’d love people more. 

Bob Goff

This statement from Bob Goff’s book, Live in Grace, Walk in Love, has hounded me since the moment I read it during my daily devotionals. I’ve never considered myself much of a leader, though others have thrust me into that situation many times in the past. I’ve been a Sunday and Vacation Bible School teacher, led volunteer efforts in my community, even served on the national board of my writing group, yet I’ve never understood what it meant to be a true leader until these last few months. So, what did I discover?