Category Archives: Writing

Three strangers walk into a bar…

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Okay, two of them know one another, but they’re all strangers to me.

And it’s not really a bar (I think).

And they’re outside of it.

Celebration cake with candle.This week I made my annual “birthday” cake for my fictional friends, and it’s got me reminiscing. Some of these folks have been in my head for 19 years now. We have a fair bit of history.

Today, though, I’m thinking of my newest imaginary friends, hence the three strangers outside the local watering hole.

It’s a rough-ish, small building that sells some manner of food and drink. I think it’s wooden. It’s on a backwater-type planet somewhere.

I don’t know their names yet, nor their genders. I think two are female. For now, my notes read:

  • T = travelling character
  • D = disappointed character
  • W= wonder character

T is a stranger to this planet and needs to get to another one. S/he needs D and W to provide transportation. D refuses, and for W to return to that planet could mean death.

It’s possible that D is actually my old friend Sera, in which case I know she’s a former assassin, a crack shot, and the sort of person you want guarding your back. W is an older character and some manner of mentor to D/Sera. I have a special fondness for W and a few inklings into his/her past. W hasn’t had an easy life.

T, main character, isn’t talking to me yet.

I am so looking forward to this! Discovery is the best part.

Updates will be slow and sporadic, because I’m concentrating on fine-tuning the story of Carol, Paul, Joey and Patrick, another crew of my imaginary friends.

March is birthday month here at Tenacity. If you haven’t entered the draw yet for a copy of A Second Cup of Hot Apple Cider, follow the link to the blog birthday page. [Edited: draw is closed now.]

Blogging Book Reviews: Benefits and Tips

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If you read books, it’s a natural progression to talk about them on your blog. Here are six benefits, plus some tips to get you started.

1. New Content

Bloggers have an ongoing need of material. You’re reading anyway; why not get some extra mileage from it?

2. Attract Visitors

Some visitors who find my blog for reviews stay as subscribers, and some write blogs that I’ve added to my own reading list.

3. Promote Your Blog

Join a readers’ group on Facebook and post your review link. Tweet the link with an eye-catching phrase and the hashtag #review.

4. Value Added

If you review books with content related to your other posts, you’re providing resources for your community of readers.

5. Help Others

Your reviews can help readers discover books they’ll love, and they raise awareness of authors you like.

6. Free Books

Publishers and authors provide free books to reviewers, and you only choose the ones you want. (I review for Graf-Martin and BookSneeze®, and I’ve just set up with NetGalley. An Internet search will turn up more options.)

Blogging Book Reviews 101

Be yourself; use your regular blogging voice. Start with a book you think your readers might appreciate.

Keep it short, 300-400 words. Write a brief description (no spoilers!), tell what works (or anything key that doesn’t) and share your personal reaction. Include cover art if possible and a link to the author’s website.

If you didn’t like the book, think twice about reviewing it. Don’t turn it into a personal attack on the author. Be  professional.

If you decide to make this a regular feature, don’t schedule it so tightly that you turn reading into work.

If you were given the book for review purposes, or if you’re using Amazon (or other) affiliate links, include a disclosure to that effect.

[This post originally appeared in Carolyn Wilker‘s monthly newsletter, FineTuned, October 2012 edition.]

Tips and Links on Writing Fiction

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I took in as many writing workshops as I could at this year’s Hal-Con science fiction/ fantasy/ gaming convention. Many of the writing tips apply across fiction genres, so I thought I’d share some of my notes:

From C. S. MacCath: a great overview of open-source (or minimal cost) software for things like organizing notes, story creation, mind mapping and backups. See her Technology for Writers page on her website.

From Matt LeDrew and Ellen Curtis of Engen Books:

  • Sometimes, instead of a villain, you need a foil for the main character.
  • Find out who your characters are outside of the story.
  • If your characters are too similar, let that type be your main character (MC); designate another to always agree, another to always want to prove MC wrong, and another to have yet a different quirk. (Not to create plastic characters, but to train yourself to write with variety. You can edit any stiffness out later.)

From Elizabeth Moon (who was not at the convention, but whose novel, Engaging the Enemy, I slipped off to read between sessions):

  • Two characters had different strategies to understand their enemy. Both points made good sense for a writer presenting a character:
    • “What he does tells us who he is, what he’s really like.”
    • “What he wears tells us who he thinks he is.”

From Brandon Sanderson:

  • Revolve your plot around conflict.
  • Don’t make your main character an observer; make her the centre of the conflict. She needs to make the plot move, although the story opening can be a call to action where she’s pushed into the plot.
  • Story structure needs to maintain a good sense of progression on multiple levels; the reader’s feeling of movement is what keeps him turning pages.
  • What does the character want, and why can’t he have it?
    • what does he want = larger than this story’s plot
    • why can’t he have it = plot
    • Be intentional in your story opening about the promises you make; fulfill them.
      • genre/ feel/ style
      • make sure your ending wraps up what your opening raised
      • Nest multiple plot threads by priority (start the most important first, end it last)
      • Videos of his 2012 writing lectures are posted at Write About Dragons.
      • He’s one of the team at Writing Excuses (podcasts and news updates). I love their tag line: “Fifteen minutes long, because you’re in a hurry, and we’re not that smart.”

Random bonus photo: Hal-Con’s mascot, Nelson, with my Adventure Sheep, Acton, at a Hal-Con fundraising barbecue hosted by the fine folks at Giant Robot Comics.

Hal-Con's Mascot, Nelson, with Acton the Sheep

Hal-Con’s Mascot, Nelson, with Acton the Sheep

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Review: Unleash the Writer Within, by Cecil Murphey

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Unleash the Writer Within cover artUnleash the Writer Within, by Cecil Murphey (OakTara Publishers, 2011)

This book is a keeper. It’s not a “how-to-write” book, although Cecil Murphey is an excellent teacher of the craft. It’s more a collection of vignettes that prompt the reader to do what the title says: unleash the writer within.

Cec Murphey was on faculty one year at Write! Canada. I don’t remember what he said, but how he said it left me with great respect for not just his knowledge but his heart. If you read Unleash the Writer Within you’ll know what I mean.

Some of the short chapters cover typical writerly issues such as giftedness, inner critics and writer’s block. Most deal with topics like discovering who you—the writer—really are, finding/embracing/growing your voice, and learning how to like and to be gentle with yourself.

Before you dismiss the latter ideas as impractical, “out there” or whatever, stop to think about it. If we don’t really know who we are, if our creative and critical sides are in constant battle, we can’t reach our potential. We can’t write authentically, and we’ll miss touching a lot of lives.

Many of the chapters grow out of two key questions Cec Murphey asks when he teaches: “Why do you write?” and “What makes you keep writing?”

The book is an easy read, but one I chose to take in daily chapter doses so I could internalize what I’d read. Each chapter ends with a summarizing aphorism, like “I write to find out who I am” and “My inner critic can be my friend, so I honor and trust that voice.” Chapters are written in a very open, humble and self-effacing style, honestly revealing Mr. Murphey’s own struggles so that we can relate with our own.

My copy is flagged with coloured tabs for sections I’ve marked to re-read. It’s one of those books that I’d probably lend to a trusted friend, but only with a strong warning that I wanted it back.

Cecil Murphey is a multi-published, New York Times best-selling author. His website is The Man Behind the Words,  and writers will also want to check out his blog: Cec Murphey’s Writer to Writer.

[Review copy from my personal library.]

7 Links for Writers

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Novel Rocket looks at The 5 Stages of Rejection Grief.

Brian Feinblum’s guest post at Live, Write, Thrive offers 16 Tips on How to Succeed as a Writer.

At A Word of Encouragement, Laura Hodges Poole shares two key tips and a video: How to Develop Effective Writing Habits.

At Live, Write, Thrive, C.S. Lakin shares the three most important things to know about your main characters.

Jerry Jenkins shares his secrets on How to Overcome Writer’s Block.

Jeff Goins offers The Writing Class You Never Had.

And to keep us focused, check out agent Chip MacGregor’s thought-provoking post on the difference between success and significance.

Writer, Who Are You Really?

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Be yourself

Be yourself (Photo credit: chase_elliott)

In developing as a writer and learning the rules and the craft, it’s easy to wake up with an identity crisis.

The publishers demand this. The readers want that. The critics are looking for something else. Does what’s left look anything like you? Who are you really?

I’ve been finding more and more advice lately on how important it is for a writer to be himself or herself. Not that we can scoff at things like craft and audience, but that developing excellence in our writing won’t happen if we’re stifling or masking who we are.

Be yourself. Be honest. Do your best. Take car...

Be yourself. Be honest. Do your best. Take care of your family. Treat people with respect. Be a good citizen. Follow your dreams. (Photo credit: deeplifequotes)

Beth Vogt challenges us to stand out.

From Bonnie Leon: Be Yourself.

At Novel Rocket, Christa Allen tells us to “Follow Your Weirdness,” which I’ve read Jeff Goins advise as well.

And at Chatting at the Sky, Emily P. Freeman calls us to overcome our fear and be ourselves: “You have something we desperately need. I don’t know what it is, but you do.” (One Way to Live Wildly Free)

Finding–and being honest about–who we are is one of the key topics Cecil Murphey addresses in his book, Unleash the Writer Within. You wouldn’t think it’d be so hard!

Review: You Are A Writer, by Jeff Goins

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You Are A Writer cover artYou Are A Writer, by Jeff Goins (Kindle edition, 2012)

This e-book’s full title is You Are A Writer (So Start Acting Like One), and Jeff Goins packs a lot of coaching and practical information into its digital pages.

His premise is that writers (and wanna-bes) need to stop waiting for permission or endorsement from someone in the industry. We need to write our passion instead of writing to please the gatekeepers. And we need to do it well.

It begins with showing up. Day after day.

We need to talk ourselves into writing instead of out of it. Writing regularly will train us and develop our voices. If we risk posting that writing on a blog or sharing it with our friends, we’ll discover what works and what doesn’t.

All of this—this business of becoming a writer—starts not with the hands, but with the head. (Kindle location 156)

That’s one of the key messages of You Are A Writer. The other is that it’ll take a lot of work and perseverance. Here again, a large chunk of the battle is mental.

If passion isn’t what drives you, you may not have much tolerance for the pain, rejection, and disappointment of the writer’s life. If, however, you write because you have to—because you can’t imagine not doing it—then there may be hope for you yet. (Kindle location 787)

Once we’ve decided to show up, or to rediscover the joy of writing if we’ve become disillusioned or worn down, You Are A Writer has good advice on things like platform-building, branding and connections.

Jeff Goins’ approach is to “serve your way into relationships” (Kindle location 514). Not in a manipulative way, but as a way of life. Give to others. Meet their needs. It’s the old saying: what goes around, comes around. Or the Golden Rule: treat others the way you wish to be treated.

We all know sometimes this will bite us. But it works. And it makes for a more contented life.

It’s definitely worked for Mr. Goins. He’s served up plenty of free, quality writing advice on his blog, and the gatekeepers are now coming to him with invitations.

My review copy is one of the free Kindle downloads he offered. I’m doing this review, not as repayment or even as a thank-you, but to help spread the word about a valuable resource that could make a difference in your life – if you are a writer.

Visit Jeff Goins, Writer for more about the author and to see what you can learn from his blog. You can also check out the You Are a Writer website for quotes, endorsements etc, or join the conversation on Twitter with the #youareawriter hashtag.

Related articles

Called to Write?

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Writing

[Photo credit: Wikipedia, public domain]

Some of us know we’re called to write. That gives strength to hang on in the tough times.

I’ve never been sure. It’s just something I do. God has prompted me with a devotional thought to share here each week, so I’m pretty sure that’s part of my current assignment.

But fiction? All I know is it’s fun to write, and something in me comes more alive when I’m discovering a story. If that’s the whole point of it, I’ll embrace the gift and enjoy it. If He wants to bless someone through it, that’s great too and I’m relying on Him to connect the words with the person because it ain’t happenin’ through my own efforts.

Mary DeMuth is a writer who’s encouraged many other writers. Here’s a post she wrote in 2010 that I only just found. If you’re wondering about writing and calling, please click over and read Called to Write? Ten Ways to Know. Note she distinguishes between “called to write” and “called to write, be published and widely read”.

And you know what? “Not called” doesn’t mean “don’t write.” It just means writing is optional. If you’re called, better obey.

Related link: “Why Do You Write?” by Lisa Hall-Wilson.

 

5 Online Writing Courses, Plus a Bonus

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Online courses mean we can more easily fit lessons into our schedule, and we can learn in our favourite jammies.

Here are some that come highly recommended:

→Donna Fawcett offers a one-on-one creative writing course consisting of ten online lessons on the basic elements of creating a manuscript, preparing it for publication and approaching the market in the correct manner. Technical aspects include creating characters, scenes and plots; practical applications include creating the query letter, dealing with scam agents and facing editing.

→Elsie Montgomery offers a one-on-one course on How to Write Bible Studies. It’s an eight unit course, extensive, personalized instruction on writing the Bible study of your choice. Click here for syllabus (She also has intro booklets on writing non-fiction and Bible studies.)

→Edie Melson offers one-on-one coaching on social networking. I’m in her ACFW class this month (see below) and can tell you she’s a great coach and gifted at communicating with people of all skill levels.

→Lawson Writing Academy offers monthly group courses with Margie Lawson and other faculty. The one I took (Empowering Character Emotions) felt like a university-level workload. But did we learn!

→One of the benefits of membership in ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers – but they accept international members too) is the free monthly group courses on various aspects of fiction and marketing. Worth the annual membership fee!

For more, here’s an article by Joanne Sher that recaps what she learned through a Lawson Academy course as well as from some quality publications.

Writing Anniversaries

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March is anniversary month for me, writing-wise, on two counts:

The earliest notes I have for my first novel draft are from March 1994, although I may have started earlier, and some of those characters lived in my head for a good year before venturing out onto the computer.

While I’ve had short stories published, that novel and its companion are still (again!) in the revision cycle. Somewhere along the line I decided to fight discouragement with humour, and so was born the annual ‘birthday’ celebration for my characters. Since new characters have joined those first few, I think ‘anniversary’ works better: the anniversary of when I started writing fiction (not counting the short stories and abandoned novel openings of my childhood).

1994 to 2012 … “eighteen years, I guess it was all right” — can anyone guess which Newsboys song that’s from? It’s way out of context, but it’s been going through my head this month. Each year I do a cake. Carrot cake, this time, as suggested by one of my longest-standing imaginary friends, Ruth, who’s a cheesecake lover. But she was definite about the carrot cake. And my family certainly appreciated it on her behalf.

2008 to 2012… four years — actually, four years ago to this very date (March 30) my first blog post here at God with Us: Finding Joy went live. I wasn’t thinking about March when I posted, just thinking I’d delayed long enough!

If you’re a writer, do you observe milestones or anniversaries? How and why? Or why not?