The Good and the Bad ~by Susan Tuttle

koratmember on freedigitalphotos.net

Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. 

~2 Corinthians 4:1

I read this verse recently, and it brought home two points as I approach this writing ministry. I thought this might be a good place to share. :)

First off, if you’ve been in writing long, you know it’s full of rejection. No two ways around it, closed doors and “no’s” are all part of the game. We talk about growing thick skin and learning to love “constructive criticism”…all of which is true. Yet it can start to seep into our bones. Is this all worth it? Will I ever be published? Am I even good at this whole writing thing?

Fact is, if God has given you this ministry of writing, then yes, you are good at it. Yes, he’s going to use your work in some capacity. And yes, it is more than worth it. Do you still need to grow and polish your talent—of course! Does that mean you’re going to sell a million books? Nope. You might have written that one book just for the editor who rejected it but found healing in its pages nonetheless. And that is what makes it worth it. If you only change one person with your writing—and never even see it, just have to believe it—then it is still worth it. Because God’s seeing it, and he’s got the instant replay waiting for you to watch some day. Amen? Yes. Amen!

So don’t lose heart. This ministry that you have is all through God’s mercy. The rejection doesn’t lessen what he’s doing through you. Keep pushing forward, believing in the talent he’s given and that he’s using it, even when you don’t see it! Someday—either here or in heaven—you will see it.

Which brings me to the second part. While we cannot take on the rejection of this ministry, we also cannot take on the glory. He’s rather specific about this, in fact, one of my favorite reminder verses says: I am the Lord, that is my name! I will not give my glory to another! Isaiah 42:8 He doesn’t beat around the bush. Look. He’s even got exclamation points, and as a writer we know not to just throw those around. Touching his glory is like trying to take his place, and that never ends well. We don’t shine for people to see us, we shine for people to see him—it’s the reason he lights us up with his fire. Don’t redirect it.

I guess bottom line is this…your writing ministry is God’s. The good and the bad of it. Don’t touch either. Don’t lose heart in the “no” and don’t take the glory of your “yes”. Just let him use you however he sees fit. It’s a wonderful ride :)  

Susan Tuttle
Steps

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.

Researching in Amish Country by Vannetta Chapman

Author Vannetta Chapman has written a number of novels featuring Amish characters. Today, she's going to share some lessons she's learned while researching her books. -- Sandy

Vannetta: I will have two books releasing in March – Murder Simply Brewed and An Amish Garden. Both are set in northern Indiana. Murder Simply Brewed begins a series that will take place in Middlebury. An Amish Garden returns to the town of my first Amish series, Shipshewana. These will be books number 9 and 10 for me, the first having released in 2010. I thought that today I’d share with you what I’ve learned during that time regarding research—both virtual and in person.

1. It is worth it to spend your advance, or a good portion of your advance, on in-person research. Although you can learn a lot about a place on-line, it’s not the same as drinking coffee at the local café, meeting with the local librarian, and generally puttering around town. I’ve been to the northern Indiana area four times since 2010. Every trip has been worth the expense.
2. Take lots and lots and lots of pictures when you go. Since we’re in the day of electronic photography, there is absolutely no reason to hold back. I take pictures of things I’m only mildly interested in. That’s okay. Let your interests guide you. For example, while in Middlebury, we learned of a local Amish farmer who was raising camels in order to sell their milk. We walked down to his place and took a few pictures. Two years later, the idea of camels and the Amish has become a nice subplot in my series.
3. Ask questions and collect contact information. I have visited Amish in their home, in their stores, and even in their schools. While it’s not proper to take close-up pictures in those places, I’ve learned a lot from the time I spent there. I learned details that are important to my story. I always retain contact information so I can send a book, a thank you card, or future questions.
4. Spend more time rather than less. If you can afford 5 nights by staying at a less expensive hotel, then do! What’s important is that you get the feel, and often the history, of the town.
5. Use on-line research judiciously. I visit a place before I start a series if at all possible. In March I’ll begin a series set in Oklahoma, but I won’t be able to visit there until June. That’s okay. I’ll go ahead and write the story and add details after my visit. In the meantime, I’ll use on-line research, but I’ll do so carefully. I only  have 6 months to write a book, actually 4-5 when you leave time for sending to pre-readers and editing. So I limit my on-line research. If I have a question, I pop on-line, find the answer, and then get off. No straying down bunny trails.

Research is an important part of every writer’s work. It adds flavor and authenticity to our writing. Here’s hoping that your research will bring you the answers you need to write the next bestselling novel.

Where has your research taken you? Do you have anything to add to Vannetta's list?

~~~

Vannetta Chapman writes inspirational fiction full of grace. Her novel, Falling to Pieces, was a 2012 ACFW Carol Award winner for best mystery. She writes Amish mysteries for Zondervan, Amish romances for Harvest House and Amish novellas for Abingdon and Zondervan. All of her books have been Christian Book Distributor bestsellers. Chapman lives in the Texas hill

country with her husband.

You'll find Vannetta at www.vannettachapman.com

Infusing Dark Subjects with Light by H. L. Wegley

H. L. Wegley

When I hear the words child trafficking, words associated with darkness and evil come to mind, words like abduction, sexual abuse, slavery, and prostitution. How does one expose this evil without giving the readers a dark story? The short answer is infusing the story with light.

To accomplish this, I tried to follow a couple of simple, logical principles when constructing the plot. The first principle is, light obliterates darkness. So infuse the story with light. But what does one do during the darker moments of the story? They cannot be completely avoided, hence the second principle. Hope is the precursor to light — i.e. it opens the door for light to enter. When the story must grow darker, infuse the situation with hope.

Using the principles of hope and light, I started plotting On the Pineapple Express. During plot construction, the author has a lot of freedom. She/he can place the ugly events on stage, make them happen offstage, or prevent them from happening. I constructed my story so that the most evil aspect of human trafficking, sexual abuse, wouldn’t happen until the captive girls were sold. Instead of the evil, I created an imminent threat of evil. This worked well, heightening the suspense by providing a ticking clock against which my protagonists must work to locate the girls before they were sold.

Creating the threat of evil, and substituting it for graphic evil and violence, is a great alternative. When creating the threat of something evil, like sexual abuse, the author can choose words that paint a partial picture allowing readers to complete it with their imaginations. This is preferable to spoon-feeding horrifying, R-rated images to readers.

One way that I inject hope is to put a person of faith in the scene, a person who shares applicable truths from God’s word. Mild spoiler alert — in On the Pineapple Express, my heroine shares scripture with the captive girls showing God’s heart for the oppressed.

In the end, light must win. Goodness and justice must prevail, defeating the darkness. My heroine summed this up by saying her role became clear to her, woven into the tapestry of a story only a good God could write. I believe that’s where all of us, readers and writers, want our stories to end.

The details and statistics on human trafficking, I relegated to the epilogue, where my heroine gives a speech to concerned students and parents.

Treating the dark subject in this way, I have no reservations about giving this book to my 14-year-old granddaughter to read. She would profit from it far more than from a book filled with graphic descriptions of sex trafficking.

About the Author

About H. L. Wegley

On the Pineapple Express
by H. L. Wegley

H. L. Wegley served in the USAF as an Intelligence Analyst and a Weather Officer. In civilian life, he was a weather forecaster and a research scientist in atmospheric physics. After earning an MS in Computer Science, he developed computing systems for Boeing before retiring in the Seattle area, where he and his wife of 47 years enjoy small-group ministry, grandchildren, hiking Olympic Peninsula beaches, snorkeling Maui whenever they can, and where he writes inspirational thrillers and romantic-suspense novels.

On the Pineapple Express

In one of the most beautiful places on earth the ugliest of crimes holds young, innocent lives in its evil grip. An intercepted cell-phone call from a remote area on the Olympic Peninsula tells beautiful, brilliant NSA researcher, Jennifer Akihara, a group of girls will soon be sold into slavery by human traffickers. She enlists her fiancé, Lee Brandt, to help find the holding location and convince the FBI to intervene. With the clock ticking off the last few hours before both the sale of the girls and the arrival of a deadly storm, and with international criminals pursuing them, can Jennifer and Lee save the girls, or will their wedding plans be cancelled ... permanently?

Advice on Finding and Working with a Literary Agent by Rachel Hauck

Rachel Hauck

Hey, writers! Annette here. Have you ever been in the market for an agent? I know some writers have found success without an agent. I also know how difficult it can be to get into the traditional publishing arena without one. Plus, all that publishing-contract legalese is rather intimidating, don't you think? Today, Rachel Hauck is back to share some helpful tips for finding the right agent for you. Read on!

Advice on Finding and Working with a Literary Agent

By Rachel Hauck

I wasn’t looking for an agent when an author and friend called after reading the opening chapter of my first chick lit. Enthusiastic, (don’t you love those calls?) she suggested I submit the work to her agent. After learning of the agent’s reputation and client list, I wholeheartedly agreed.

There’s a tendency to get in a hurry when seeking an agent. Seeing other authors pick up agents, sell trade books out of the gate, win awards. “What, am I wood? Am I standing still?”

My prayer has always been and remains, “Lord, You’re my editor, agent and promoter.”

I signed with my first agent in early ‘04. She really challenged me to go deeper in my writing and to keep reading and studying.

Yet, by mid-2007, I felt I was losing some momentum. I knew I needed help on how to increase my brand and visibility.

I began to pray about what to do—I was even willing for God to end my writing season—when I came across an agency that seemed keen on marketing and branding.

In the meantime, God opened a door for me to write with country artist Sara Evans. And then I changed agents. Closed my eyes, breathed in faith and jumped.

It was an interesting but a short season.

Through a series of interesting and fun events, the Lord led me to my next (and final) agent, Chip MacGregor.

I didn't set out to have more than one. I never wanted to agent shop or get disgruntled and change for the sake of change. An agent/client relationship is a living, breathing thing that must be maintained and treated like all relationships: with good communication.

Here’s my advice on finding or working with an agent:

1. Ask God to direct you to the right one. After talking with other writers, and watching the publishing world, it’s possible that some agents are wonderful for launching your career, but another agent will take you the rest of the way. Pray about your relationship with your agent.

2. Be professional. Do your homework. Follow agent blogs. Meet with agents at conferences. Talk to other authors about agents or agencies. Study agencies’ websites.

3. Whom does your potential agent represent? Look at their client list. Is this a good “field” for you? Do your research.

4. Attend conferences where you can meet agents. There are those HARD days when you need to talk to your agent about your career. You want to do that with confidence. Know you feel comfortable with this person. Your heart’s desire will be in their hands.

5. Don’t be afraid of hard words, of being told to go back and rework your proposal. Listen to the agent’s advice. Don’t fire back that they don’t know what they are talking about.

6. Ask any potential agent their philosophy on marketing and branding.  Since authors are required to do more and more social networking to boost sales, I think it behooves agents to be more marketing and promotions savvy. 

Finding an agent is fun and interesting, frustrating and hard. But hang in there. It’s better to have no agent than one who is wrong for you.

~~~~~

A March Bride

As part of  Zondervan's Year of Weddings novella series, A March Bride released in late February. 

Susanna has found her true prince, and their happily ever after is just around the corner. But when Nate asks her to give up something precious to her, Susanna can’t help but wonder if it’s a sign that their love is not meant to be.

Susanna Truitt (Once Upon A Prince) is three weeks from royalty. She’ll soon marry King Nathaniel II of Brighton Kingdom. But when the government insists she renounce her American citizenship before the wedding, coupled with the lack of involvement by family and friends, Susanna’s heart begins to doubt whether this marriage is God's plan for her.
Nathaniel would do anything for his bride-to-be. But he knows his position requires that she give up a lot to be with him. Her life will never be her own---right down to her very identity. When she travels home to St. Simon’s Island, Georgia, right before the wedding, Nathaniel fears she won’t return. Gathering his courage, he devises a plan to win his bride all over again, and together they seek out a kingdom to treasure above all.

~~~~~

Besides being an award-winning and best-selling author, Rachel Hauck is one of the mentors of MyBookTherapy. She leads worship and writes her royal tale from a turret! (true story) You can learn more about her here: 

Website: www.RachelHauck.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachelhauck

Twitter: @RachelHauck