Time for a Direction Check by Carol J. Post

Are your resolutions for 2017 intentions or are you focusing on direction? Author Carol J. Post provides tips for accomplishing your writing goals for this year. -- Sandy

Carol: Happy January! This is the month when thousands of people make resolutions for the new year. They’re going to eat healthier, exercise more, lose weight, get organized, spend more time with family and friends, or (fill in the blank). We all start off gung ho, but by February, most of those resolutions have fallen by the wayside.

On New Year’s Day, I went to church with my sister. Like most of the pastors around the country, hers spoke about resolutions and changes people hope to make in the coming year. During his message, he made a statement that stuck with me: “It’s direction, not intention, that determines destination.”

The problem with so many New Year’s resolutions is that they’re nothing more than intentions. To me, intention focuses on thoughts, whereas direction involves movement. I live in Florida. If I want to go to New England, I’ll get on I-95 and head north. I can leave home intending to arrive in Connecticut the next day, but if my direction is south, I’ll end up in Miami.

Whatever we hope to accomplish in the new year, intentions alone won’t get us there. As writers, most of us want to further our careers during 2017, whether that means finishing the first book, getting published, transitioning to full time or making a list. Whatever the goal, we’re more likely to reach it if we take steps that move us in the right direction.

Hone Your Craft

From newbie to multi-pubbed author, everyone has room for improvement. Workshops and writer’s conferences are great resources. So are many of the craft books available. Jerry Jenkins provides his top 11 picks here: http://www.jerryjenkins.com/best-books-on-writing/. Articles and blog posts on writing abound, too. And don’t limit your reading to craft topics. Reading quality literature inside and outside your genre is bound to improve your writing skills. Lastly, finding a critique partner who really “gets” your writing can be invaluable.

Guard Your Muse

Writing is a solitary activity, and it’s easy to get discouraged. Nothing kills inspiration faster than having someone downplay what you do. Join a writers group. Surround yourself with like-minded people who provide encouragement and understand the difficult road we as writers travel.

Arrange Your Priorities

Reaching one’s goals often involves sacrificing other enjoyable activities. Whether watching TV or cute cat videos, hours can fly by with nothing to show for the time. I like to track my activities using toggl.com, with categories like writing, editing, exercise, email, social media, church-related, recreation, etc. The totals at the end of the week can be telling. Doing sprints with other authors and reporting weekly word counts are great for focus, too.

Reward Yourself

Set goals, and when you reach them, celebrate! Did you get that chapter finished in spite of 1,001 demands on your time? Do a movie night. Did you make it all the way to THE END? Take time to recharge before starting your next project.

What about you? What steps do you take to get yourself headed in the right direction, writing-related or otherwise?

~~~~~~

Carol J. Post lives in sunshiny Central Florida and writes fun and fast-paced inspirational romance and romantic suspense. Her books have been nominated for a RITA® award and an RT Reviewers’ Choice Best Book Award. She is also a popular speaker, presenting workshops on a variety of craft topics. Besides writing, she enjoys sailing, hiking, camping--almost anything outdoors. Her two grown daughters and grandkids live too far away for her liking, so she now pours all that nurturing into taking care of a fat and sassy black cat and a highly spoiled dachshund.

After her broken engagement, Nicki Jackson hoped her move to Cedar Key would give her a fresh start—instead she quickly learns someone's out to destroy her. Are the attacks tied to her mother's recently reopened murder case…or to the nightmares Nicki's beginning to suspect are actually hidden memories? With the threats against her escalating, former soldier Tyler Brant vows to keep Nicki safe. He refuses to lose the woman who's swiftly becoming more than a childhood crush. But when danger circles closer, is Nicki's traumatic past better left forgotten…or are her memories the key to something far more sinister?

What’s Your Reason for Writing? By Marie Wells Coutu

Marie Wells Coutu

Why do you write?

Some of you may say, “I can’t NOT write.” A few (I hope it’s only a few) are looking for “fame and fortune.” Others will say, “I love telling stories,” or maybe even, “God gave me the ability to write, and I have to use it.”

None of those are bad reasons to write. Well, the fame and fortune might be considered ego-centric, not to mention unrealistic for most of us. But there’s nothing wrong with wanting to succeed and be fairly paid for your creative work, as long as that’s not your only focus.

If you are writing Christian fiction or writing fiction from a Christ-centered world view, it’s likely you have a higher goal: to give hope or encouragement to readers, to present stories of a better way to live through faith in God or to glorify God.

During the recent Christmas season, our pastor referred to the “phenomenal, incredible, ‘this changes everything!’ news” of Jesus’ birth. That’s what we write about.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re writing romance with a happy-ever-after ending, women’s fiction with characters who struggle in their family relationships or fantasy with characters and settings from another realm. Every plot, every conflict, in our stories mirrors the human condition and how God made a way for us to be reconciled to Him.

It’s easy to be discouraged about our writing and think that we’ll never get published never find an agent, never win a contest, or … At those times, we have to review our motivation for writing. If we have the best, most incredible stories to tell, to reflect our amazing Savior, that’s enough of a reason to keep writing and keep perfecting our craft.

So as you consider your writing goals for this year, don’t forget to remind yourself of—or reevaluate—your reasons for writing. Maybe you’ll want to put your primary reason on a card and post it where you can see it every day.

I’d love to hear from you. Why do you write? More specifically, why do you write Christian fiction?

About the Author

 Marie Wells Coutu’s newest novel, The Secret Heart, will be released in February 2017 from Write Integrity Press. Follow Marie on Amazon.com to be notified when it becomes available. The Secret Heart, loosely based on the lives of Bathsheba and David, is the third book in the Mended Vessels series. Books in the series are contemporary re-imaginings of the stories of biblical women, including Esther and the woman at the well. 

Her debut novel, For Such a Moment, won the Books of Hope Contest. Thirsting for More, the second book in the series was a finalist in the 2016 Selah Awards Contest and a semi-finalist in the Royal Palm Literary Awards sponsored by Florida Writers Association. You can find more about Marie and her novels on her Facebook page (Author Marie Wells Coutu), at her website (MarieWellsCoutu.com), or follow her on Twitter (@mwcoutu). 
Marie retired after 15 years with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, and she and her husband now divide their time between Florida and Iowa.

The Secret Heart
by Marie Wells Coutu

 The Secret Heart

Beautiful Shawna Moore married Hunter Wilson, the governor of Tennessee, after a whirlwind romance, only six weeks following her first husband’s death in Iraq. Now, she wonders if the governor loved her at all or only hoped to avoid a scandal.

An investigative reporter—and friend of Shawna’s—is asking questions. If he discovers the truth about Shawna’s baby, Hunter’s chances for reelection could be ruined. But keeping the secret is destroying their marriage. Will Shawna convince Hunter to choose his family and drop out of politics, or will he continue to put his career first?

The Secret Heart will be available for pre-order in mid-January. For a sneak peek, download the first chapter here.

Why Did HE Just Do THAT! by Peter Leavell

Love is humanity’s greatest trait and ethic.

Romantic love blooms under the most incredible circumstances. Like water's relentless pressure to find a way through rock, love will always find a way.

As a male, I read romance.

I appreciate the well-crafted, well-chiseled male characters women create in their novels. I like complex and attractive people as much as the next guy. The fiction men in the novel make decisions based on an elaborate thought process readers can outline.

Here’s a quick thought.

Men in real life sometimes do things without a reason.

Yep. No reason at all. They just up and do them.

I know. I just opened a whole new world of understanding for you.

Reading that he has no reason, however, will have acquisition editors shredding your manuscript. I’m here to help. Here’s a few of men's motives despite contrary wisdom.

—Pit Himself Against Nature. Christmas Eve night, from my in-laws’ window, I watched the heavy snow fall. The party had settled into quiet chats, and I had the urge to jog. “It’s 5 degrees and the snow is over a foot!” my wife said. “Are you crazy?” I went anyway, and I remember every step of that two-mile jog, the blinding snow, the slippery paths, the frigid wind. I loved every second, and when I made it back, I played games with the others late into the night.

—Fix Things. He must fix things, even her. Why? Simple! He enjoys fixing things. He loves her. Enough even to die for her, if it will fix things. Relationship experts tell women to make it clear she’s venting before she tells her feelings. In a novel, he could try to fix something she’s simply vented to him.

—Connect Emotionally. Here's what connection looks like. A strong woman who cries in his arms is a profound moment for him. Moving. He may not know what to do or say—that’s a learned behavior. But when she leans on him for strength, then takes that strength and moves forward, he’s on top of the world. Your character might be trying to get her to divulge a problem. If she keeps coming back to the well for strength without moving on, however, he’s gone, because…well, read the next point.

—Love is Secondary to Respect. He may make unpopular decisions knowing that love is put on hold and people are angry at him, like volunteering for the infantry. Or selling a car the family likes because he thinks gas prices are going to go up, and buys a smaller vehicle (yeah, did that). Sometimes he’s proven right, which doesn’t always create love in others, but creates respect. This respect makes him WANT to be a better person. When he’s proven his worth, people come to him for advice, help, and for company. He has nothing left to prove. Your character may decide the hope for distant respect is more important that immediate love. But if those around him don’t listen to his advice, he’s not respected, and he moves on. (I’ve seen many women with this attribute as well).

—Vanity. Looking good is important. Men find the best quality they see in themselves and enhance the attribute. Hair. Muscles. Smile. Chin. Beard. (On a side note, men always see a woman’s best attribute first as well, which is why they do cat calls etc…). Your character may spend a lot of time trimming his nails.

—Silence. Men enjoy time when they’re not feeling or thinking anything. It’s awesome. It’s important. It’s NOT needed all day, but some men live that way. Getting him off the couch can be an interesting novel!

Best of luck helping your readers understand why your dudes do what they do!

~~~~~

Peter Leavell, a 2007 graduate of Boise State University with a degree in history, was the 2011 winner of Christian Writers Guild's Operation First Novel contest, and 2013 Christian Retailing's Best award for First-Time Author. Peter and his family live in Boise, Idaho. Learn more about Peter's books, research, and family adventures at www.peterleavell.com.

~~~~~

Trusting God in the New Year by Melinda Viergever Inman

Melinda Viergever Inman

Trusting God in the New Year

As this new year begins, we writers assess the coming year and plan our strategies. We pencil into our calendars the outline of our year's work: We have manuscripts to hone and promos to plan, design, and carry out. We have novels to pass to editors and designers to consult. We have queries to draft and pitches to perfect. We have hopes and dreams.

If we’ve been at this a while, we’ve seen the Christian publishing world shrink as indie and small publishing houses expand. As a result, we’ve toyed with new strategies, maybe even utilizing them to pursue our writing dreams. For some of us, everything will change this year, and our first books will be published. For others, we’re plotting the production of our next novels.

All of us are building our mailing lists, expanding our platforms, and learning marketing strategies and skills, tactics that weren’t even necessary a mere ten years ago. Now we must begin this work before our first books are even published. We all must market, because there are millions of books on Amazon.

Rather than growing overwhelmed by the difficulty of being seen in this mass of online literature or by the daunting tasks we must learn in order to market, let’s instead remember that we work for the God of the universe.

Christian writers produce stories of faith and inspiration that glorify God. We seek to influence by proclaiming the Good News. We weave it into our stories. We write it into our characters’ tragedies and their outcomes. We illustrate in fiction the true-life working of God. Our stories, while entertaining, are not mere entertainment.

We are the modern-day tellers of parables. We walk in Jesus’ footsteps.

The Lord already knows the audience He intends for our work, and He knows how our writing will impact our readers. He uses our words, as well as the work of other writers, to bring growth in their lives. We are not to fear the “competition” of other Christian writers, who are our co-laborers in a common cause. Rather, we are to link arms. As Paul wrote:

“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor” (1 Corinthians 3:6-8 NIV).

God already knows the audience we will impact with our work—our combined efforts as well as individually. He will see that this outcome is achieved—His outcome, not necessarily our own. Like the disciples of old, our tasks are to obey Jesus, to walk in His footsteps, to exert ourselves in the work He has given, and to trust Him with the outcome. Only He can produce the fruit. Only He can cause our readers to grow.

We are responsible to use our gifts. He is responsible for the results.

The Lord has whispered this truth to me since I first began writing fiction. I often must remind myself, lest I be swept into frantic effort out of fear that my planting and my watering will be lost in the Amazon pile.

We must remember that God is still God. He is even sovereign over the publishing industry and the Amazon algorithms. He will get the words He has given us to the audience He intends, and He will use us all in our readers’ lives.

Now is the time to recommit our work to Him and to trust Him anew.

Fallen

Fallen

Love takes action: The Creator God establishes the cosmos and shapes a man. Adam rises from the dust. Envious, the powerful angel Lucifer despises him. Oblivious to the threat, Adam is captivated by his strong, intuitive wife Eve. In the Garden of Eden, they enjoy abundant food, gorgeous vistas, and intriguing challenges, including their budding love and passion. They have it all!

But Lucifer’s deceptive brilliance tricks them into disobeying God. They eat the one forbidden fruit. Their innocence is shattered. Their unity with one another and with God is destroyed. Death will follow. Lucifer’s jealousy threatens mankind’s tenuous beginning. But God is merciful. What astonishing promise does He make? How will Adam and Eve survive—broken, shattered, and separated from God?

Melinda Viergever Inman was raised in a storytelling family. There her roots were sunk. During years of relocation, tragedy struck. Wounded and heartbroken, Melinda forsook her roots and ran from herself and from God. A journey of trial and heartache brought her home again. A prodigal now returned, she writes with passion, illustrating God's love for wounded people as He makes beauty from ashes. Fallen is her second novel; Refuge, the sequel, is her first. Melinda shepherds women in prison ministry and writes inspirational material at http://melindainman.com/blog/.  With her family she is involved with Mission India/RIMI, rescuing orphans and providing theological and job training for impoverished students.

Connections:

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Melinda-V-Inman/189731601076470

Website: http://melindainman.com/   

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MelindaVInman  

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/melindavinman/  

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+MelindaViergeverInman/posts/p/pub