Choosing Words of Encouragement by Elaine Marie Cooper

The words sank my heart to the depths.

“Lots of writers have made that mistake.”

In a few short sentences, this multi-published author sent me an unsolicited note on Facebook, telling me that my book was doomed because I had chosen to self-publish.

She essentially took all my heartfelt writing and proceeded to slice and dice my hopes and dreams with her well-intentioned words of advice.

My historical romance novel had been painstakingly crafted and submitted to editing, before I had it published by a reputable company. I was right in the middle of promoting this book, The Road to Deer Run, when I received her post. Although she had never read my novel, the sum of her sentiment was, “Real writers go through years of rejection before being accepted by a large traditional publisher.”

Crushed, I mentally wandered through a desert of despair. But thank the Lord, he has blessed me with a fighting spirit that was willing to go to battle for my book as well as other books that are self-published. It was 2010. Didn’t that successful author know that the publishing industry was in turmoil, rejecting new writers left and right?

I doubt that in her position, she understood. But I understood something very important: On my journey to defend the self-published, I needed to be forgiving to those who snubbed their nose at authors like me. Just because another was hurtful, it was no excuse for me to be unforgiving.

Asking the Lord to be my guide, I continued to promote my book on Facebook and every blog on which I could get an interview. It was time consuming—but worth it.

I discovered a new online contest called Clash of the Titles, where excerpts from books were chosen anonymously by the editors and sent to “battle” against another excerpt. Submissions were in categories such as “Most Romantic Moment.” That is the category I entered with a 500 word selection from The Road to Deer Run. Not only was my excerpt chosen, but I won the “Clash!” Up until this point, I was a complete unknown. Gradually, a few folks started recognizing my name.

Continuing to enter more contests, I was delighted to win “Honorable Mention” at the 2011 Los Angeles Book Festival and was a Finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Oh, happy day!

The sequel was self-published in 2011. The Promise of Deer Run won “Best Romance” at the 2012 Los Angeles Book Festival as well as being named a Finalist at ForeWord Review’s Book of the Year contest.

The third book in the series, The Legacy of Deer Run, was contracted with a traditional publisher and released in May 2012.

I say all this not to brag, but to show what the Lord has done with my writing, completely separate from the traditional path that most authors deem “professional.”

I also say this to encourage other writers to build up and not tear down. This business of writing is lonely, heart-wrenching, and often not very profitable, unless your name is John Grisham or Steven James! Are we so caught up in our own ideas of what is “real” writing and who is a “real” author that we don’t see God’s incredible creativity at play in the writing world?

My journey may not be your journey. But if it is the path the Lord leads you on, then rejoice and run it with pleasure, determination, and covered with prayer. When we submit to His way, He will do His work through us.

 Elaine Marie Cooper grew up in Massachusetts but now lives in the Midwest. Cooper is also an award-winning newspaper freelance writer, has written for magazines including Better Homes & Gardens and Life: Beautiful, and is also a contributor to the inspirational book, Fighting Fear: Winning the War at Home by Edie Melson.

Deep POV: Lesson Two by Karen Witemeyer

Welcome to the second post in Karen Witemeyer's Deep POV series. Hasn't this been helpful? Read on!

How to Capture your POV Characters' Voices

Here are a few basic guidelines for writing in deep POV.

·         Keep POV pure – one per scene.

Head-hopping kills deep POV. The whole point of writing in deep POV is for your readers to experience the story vicariously through your POV character. If you jump into another character's head you break that bond. Yes, there are best-selling authors who head-hop, but I would argue that they aren't writing with deep POV.

·         Get to know your character so intimately that you can easily take on their thoughts and emotions.

When you are first learning how to do this you might find it helpful to interview your characters or journal as if you were the character. You might write a scene in first person then change the pronouns to make it third person. Delve your own thought and emotions for inspiration.

·         Reduce tags and limit use of character's name.

There are certainly times where a character's name needs to be used for clarification in a scene or when the writing flow needs something different than the repetitive use of a pronoun. However, since people don't naturally think of themselves in the third person, limit the use of names to help deepen the POV. 

·         Eliminate head words.

He thought. She wondered. He noticed. She knew. Watch out for variations on these head words and kill as many as you can. They distance your reader from your character by telling instead of showing. There are times when these words are appropriate and can be used to great effect, but for the most part, get rid of them and express the thought directly.

She gazed at the door and wondered if John would show up like he'd promised or leave her stranded again.

vs.

Her gaze swung to the door. Where was he? John had promised not to leave her stranded this time. Why couldn't the boy act responsibly for once in his life?

After you get the basics down, you can move into the more advanced stages of deepening your character's POV.

Infuse the narrative with your POV character's personality and speaking style.

·         Use the same style in your narrative as you use in your POV character's dialog.

If your hero tends to talk in clipped sentences, sprinkle a few sentence fragments into the narrative. Use language in your descriptions that he would use. Throw in one of his pet phrases once in a while.

·         Add humor, sarcasm, prejudices, attitudes, misconceptions, etc.

Use the character's personality to flavor the narrative. This is a great way to add humor or demonstrate misconceptions. Perhaps your heroine would think something catty about the woman who fired her even though she'd never utter the words aloud. Have fun with this. Show us her thoughts. Make her human and relatable.

·         Each POV character's voice must be distinct.

We've all heard that a reader should be able to identity which character is speaking simply by the way the dialog is crafted. It is the same principle for narrative voice. Scenes written in the heroine's POV should feel different than those written in the hero's POV.

Next week: Deepen POV by deepening the portrayal of emotion.

~~~~~ 

Short-Straw Bride released June 1, 2012.

No one steps on Archer land. Not if they value their life. But when Meredith Hayes overhears a lethal plot to burn the Archer brothers off their ranch, a twelve-year-old debt compels her to take the risk.

Fourteen years of constant vigilance hardens a man. Yet when Travis Archer confronts a female trespasser with the same vivid blue eyes as the courageous young girl he once aided, he can't bring himself to send her away. And when an act of sacrifice leaves her injured and her reputation in shreds, gratitude and guilt send him riding to her rescue once again.

Four brothers. Four straws. One bride. Despite the fact that Travis is no longer the gallant youth Meredith once dreamed about, she determines to stand by his side against the enemy that threatens them both. But will love ever be hers? Or will Travis always see her merely as a short-straw bride?

~~~~~

Two-time RITA® Finalist and winner of the coveted HOLT Medallion, CBA bestselling author, Karen Witemeyer, writes historical romance fiction for Bethany House, believing that the world needs more happily-ever-afters. She is an avid cross-stitcher, shower singer, and bakes a mean apple cobbler. Karen makes her home in Abilene, TX with her husband and three children. Learn more about Karen and her books at: www.karenwitemeyer.com.

The Joy of Writing by Lisa Norato

How many manuscripts do you have tucked away in a drawer—or in a computer file? You know, those first attempts. Stories you loved, but were rejected more times than you want to remember. They’re a part of the process along the road to publication. Writing your first, second, or tenth novel is never a waste of time, especially if you love what you do, as author Lisa Norato shares today. ~ Dawn

The Joy of Writing

by Lisa Norato

The ability to write is a gift.  And the joy found in that gift can be one of the most powerful tools we authors have for success.  As newspaper columnist, Herman Cain, once said, “Success is not the key to happiness.  Happiness is the key to success.”

Though we may all write fiction with similar elements, the characters’ development and their journeys are different under the pen of each individual author.  So it is with our writing paths.  The how, when and where our writing takes us will be a unique experience for each one of us.  That is why it is so important not to compare our progress to other writers.

My latest novel, Prize of My Heart, was my first attempt at writing, started in 1989 and accepted for publication in 2010.  Early on, it very nearly sold.  I met with the acquiring editor at a Romance Writers of America conference, and she introduced me around as the newest author to her line.  Ultimately, however, Prize of My Heart did not sell because of a lack of popularity with seafaring settings.  It came as a devastating blow, and yet it didn’t kill my passion for the story.  In those twenty-one years, I periodically pulled that manuscript out and rewrote it more times than I can remember.  For some reason, I wouldn’t let it die, even when a writer friend tried to discourage me.  I say honestly that waiting nearly a quarter of a century hasn’t diminished the joy I feel now at Prize of My Heart’s release.  Perhaps it’s even made it that much more poignant.

My point is, don’t let a setback or the fact that your career is not moving as quickly as you’d like steal your joy.  Think back to the beginning when all that mattered was the story in your head and a burning desire to get it down.  Hold fast to the joy in your writing, and you won’t stop growing, learning, improving, seeking.  It’s not about the way we start in our careers, but how we finish that truly matters.

Every writer desires publication, validation, recognition, monetary reward, but those things are not completely within our control.  Learn to let the simple joy of writing be its own reward.  Let us not live solely for the big moments, but tend to what God has placed in our present.  Focus on what you do have.  Relish inspiration—when you become so immersed in your writing you forget your surroundings and time disappears.  Celebrate each small success, whether it’s finishing another chapter, working out a troublesome plot point, learning something new at a workshop or hitting upon a brilliant idea.  Write for the stimulation, for the challenge and the delight of creating a fictional world of your own making.

Throughout the process of pursing our dreams, we can all find things that have nothing to do with publication to be grateful for—precious friendships made through writing groups, creative expression which provides an escape from daily life and stresses, the inspiration and motivation that having a goal provides.

And may you always write from a place of joy.

Lisa Norato is the author of Prize of My Heart, a historical inspirational romance from Bethany House, in addition to two earlier romance novels published by Five Star.  She balances writing with a career as a legal assistant specializing in corporate law.  Lisa lives in scenic New England and just recently adopted a vegan lifestyle.  She is a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA), American Christian Fiction Writers (ACRW), Rhode Island Romance Writers (RIRW) and the American Colonial Christian Writers.

To learn more, please visit:

Website at www.lisanorato.com

 Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lisa-Norato-Author/183314168435968

Organizational Tips for the Writer by Carla Stewart

Today on This-n-That Thursdays we have Carla Stewart with some great ideas to help you stay organized. It's so hard, isn't it? Be sure to comment below with any tips you have, too. I need all the help I can get! :) ~ Angie

I may have the messies when it comes to everyday clutter, but without an underlying system of structure and organization, I would go mad. I’m the girl with dust bunnies peeking from under the sofa, but the spices in my cabinet and books on my shelves are arranged alphabetically (mostly – I do have a bulging shelf with to-be-read books). I can handle general chaos, but pinched for time, I know exactly where to find what I’m looking for.

Parlay that into writing, and I’ve used the same principles. Only this time I’ve reduced it down to three letters of the alphabet: F – L – S  - sort of like floss, if it will help you remember. 

F – FOLDERS: Both real and virtual.

Real Folders:

• I put everything in folders and label them– conference notes, character worksheets, plotting diagrams, future ideas, expenses (one folder per year), contract and publisher correspondence, etc. They can be kept in a file cabinet or cardboard file boxes, with like items grouped together or alphabetized (your choice).
• Frequently used folders: passwords, website navigation instructions, church phone numbers, and any current writing project folders go in a basket next to my writing space – my recliner! 
• A few times a year, I go through the “messy” piles I’ve let accumulate, sort and file. AND TOSS all the stuff I will never look at again.

 

Virtual Folders: These come in several varieties.

• I make a new bookmark on my browser bar when I start a new book. All research materials are bookmarked to that tab and easy to track down when needed (Yes, I know there is writing software that allows this, too, so this is just a similar approach).
• Document files in your word-processing program: Create folders for different aspects of your WIP: one for the document itself, one for publisher correspondence (especially when edits and other files are being created such as acknowledgements or discussion questions), and one for marketing (different folders for each book). This eliminates having to scroll through scads of single documents when searching for what you need.
• Email Folders: Most email programs allow you to sort mail by folders (some even have smart folders). You can set rules so that incoming mail automatically goes into the intended folder. It helps prioritize which mail you need to check first, and messages from your agent or editor or critique partner don’t get lost in the flood of mail.

L – LISTS: I’ve always been a list maker. Nothing is too big or too small to be jotted on the list!

• Long-term goals. Yearly goals. Monthly goals. These belong on their own list, preferable in a notebook or a file that you review and revise periodically.
• Short-term goals. A weekly or daily list of current projects and errands that must be addressed now or in the near future. This is usually scribbled out and added to daily as a reminder of what needs to be done. I include both writing tasks (blog posts, word count goals, notes to write and send, etc.) and personal or family tasks (appointments, graduation cards to buy, pay bills, do laundry, etc.) I cross off each item when it’s done. There’s something very gratifying about accomplishments, so whether they’re big or small, you get a sense of doing something. Making the list also helps ensure that you haven’t overlooked an important task.
• Calendar: I check this daily and look ahead for the next week or two when making my list and include upcoming events. Syncing the calendar on your computer with your phone allows you to schedule lunches or other appointments wherever you are. 
• Clump together errands and do as many as possible at one time to ensure more quality writing time.

S – SPREADSHEETS: What would we do without them?

• For Writing: My friend Myra Johnson made me a believer in using spreadsheets to keep track of my writing. You can view and download her Novel Planning Workbook Excel Sheets here: http://myrajohnson.com/Myra_Johnson,_Author/Writing_Helps.html. The beauty of a spreadsheet is that once you have a template (master), you just “save as” for your new project and you’re good to go.
• For Marketing: I tried something new with the release of Stardust and made a spreadsheet to keep track of blog posts I was committed to, appearances, and articles to write. I included the following headings: NAME (Blog or event), email contact, Type of request, Date Info Rec’d, Due Date, Date Sent, Post Date, and whether a giveaway was included. When I sent an article or post, I changed the font color to indicate I was finished. This was easy to add to as new requests came in, and I had a quick overview to see where I was scheduled for the day. It was a HUGE help!
• Database: Again, an important document for writers to have. Once it’s set up, it’s easy to add new contacts for your newsletter or mailings for special events. Update frequently to avoid panic when it’s time for a new mailing or to announce an event.

There is no single right way to organize your writing and your time, but find what works for you. I constantly revise and try to find new ways to organize, so like they say, I’m a Work-In-Progress. I’d love to hear any tips you might have, too.

How about you? Do you have any tips to stay organized? Be sure and let us know in a comment below.

Carla Stewart’s writing reflects her passion for times gone by. A child of the fifties and sixties, she recalls it as a glorious time when the summers were lazy, colors were brighter, and music filled her heart. Carla’s desire is to take readers back to the times when they knew they were loved, to that warm, familiar place in their hearts called “home.”

Her award-winning novels include Chasing Lilacs and Broken Wings. Stardust is her newest release. She loves readers and participating in book club discussions. You can learn more about Carla and ways to connect with her at www.carlastewart.com.

STARDUST  

In the bayou country of East Texas, the neon sign of the STARDUST stands silent, no longer beckoning visitors to its cozy cottages. But two days after Georgia Peyton buries her unfaithful husband, a curious thing happens: the STARDUST sign sputters to life and winks at her. Sustained by a memory from the past and determined to build a new life, Georgia acquires the STARDUST with hopes of breathing new life into it too.

But the guests who arrive aren't what Georgia expects: her gin-loving mother-in-law; her dead husband's mistress; an attractive drifter who's tired of the endless road; and an aging Vaudeville entertainer with a disturbing link to Georgia's past. Dreams of a new life are crippled amid the havoc. Georgia's only hope is that she can find the courage to forgive those who've betrayed her, the grace to shelter those who need her, and the moxie to face the future. One thing is certain: under the flickering neon of the STARDUST, none of their lives will ever be the same.

LINKS:

You can find me here:

My website: www.carlastewart.com

Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/#!/ChasingLilacs

FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/carlastewartauthor

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3335371.Carla_Stewart

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/chasinglilacs/   

Amazon link to Stardust:

http://www.amazon.com/Stardust-A-Novel-Carla-Stewart/dp/1455504289/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334187418&sr=8-1

Stardust Video Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp4VwmNvTbc