Writing Fortress

Will you be reading a paper book in 10 years?

2012-01-30T14:18:00.000-07:00

The Amazon Kindle was the company's biggest seller out of all their merchandise this last Christmas. Publishers, authors, and readers are all wondering what the future holds for books actually made out of paper. I seem to think that a true book lover just can't resist the feeling of a real book in hand...that being said, I'm one of the recipients of a Kindle reader from Santa last year...

Jonathan Franzen, the author of Freedom and The Corrections, launched a passionate defense of the printed book—and an attack on e-books—at the recent Hay Festival in Cartagena, Colombia. “The technology I like is the American paperback edition of Freedom I can spill water on it, and it would still work! So it’s pretty good technology,” said Franzen. “And what’s more, it will work great 10 years from now. So no wonder the capitalists hate it. It’s a bad business model.”

Wondering whether nonelectronic print will be around in 50 years, he said he fears that “it’s going to be very hard to make the world work if there’s no permanence like that. That kind of radical contingency is not compatible with a system of justice or responsible self-government.”

So what do YOU think? Will you be reading "real" books in ten years? Do you own an e-book reader? Love them both? Need them both? What would you say to Jonathan Franzen?

Scene Cards

2012-01-24T08:19:00.000-07:00

by Rebecca Talley

I'm in the midst of a heavy-duty revision on my YA paranormal. I am currently going through the story scene-by-scene. In each scene I am looking for: goal, conflict, disaster as well as protagonist, antagonist, setting, and conflict.

I use an index card for each scene and on the back of the card, I write each of the above elements. On the front side, I write a sentence describing that scene. I punch a hole in each card (upper left) and then use a ring to keep them all together. This allows me to see the story through its scenes and also allows me to see where the scenes lack something. I originally did this before I wrote the manuscript but much changed over the course of writing it so now I'm going back through each scene and finding the holes.

It's a ton of work. But it's helping me to see where I've dropped the ball in the story. If I can fix a scene then I can strengthen the story. Of course, simply fixing a scene won't fix the entire manuscript, but it's a start.

Holly Lisle recommends this process in her revision course, "How to Revise Your Novel," and I've tweaked it to meet my own needs. I've found the course to be very valuable, and added to my own techniques, has really helped me.

Do you ever write scene cards? What do you do to examine your scenes during revision?

Time Gangsters by Berin Stephens

2012-01-18T07:40:00.003-07:00

Description from Amazon:
When Billy discovers a hidden cache of ancient coins, it isn’t long before a gang of thugs swipes them right from under Billy. Plotting to use the magical properties of the coins to seize power in the past, these power-hungry gangsters will do anything to reach their goal. Their future threatened, Billy and Danny must race through time to steal back the coins—before history is changed forever!

What are the three things every middle-grade reader wants? Imagination—excitement—fun. Time Gangsters by Berin Stephens delivers each of these in spades.

Young readers are a lot like old readers. They want a story that is going to get their brain thinking and their imaginations wandering. They want to explore new places, times and ideas while still enjoying the comforts of characters they can relate to and recognize. Time Gangsters provides plenty of food for the imagination. In Time Gangsters we get to read about ancient coins with mystical powers. We get to read about time travel and all the mind bending realism that accompanies. We also get to read about gangsters. What a blast! There is plenty to keep me and the middle-grade readers in my home turning the pages.

What’s the most common refrain we hear from 10-14 year olds? In my house it’s, “I’m bored.” We could be at the amusement park and they may say the same thing. Kids want to be entertained and they want a story that speeds along at an exciting pace. Keeping the attention of a tween or young teen is its own magical gift and Time Gangsters delivers the action, adventure and excitement a young reader craves.

Lastly, kids have many mediums competing for their attention; TV, the internet, video games, iPods, sports etc. I really want BOOKS to be a major part of my children’s lives and thankfully they are. The reason BOOKS are so important in my house is because my kids love the fun, exciting stories that capture their imaginations. They have many favorites from recent years like the Percy Jackson and Fablehaven series. Time Gangsters is in the best tradition of these books.

Time Gangsters is a creative adventure with realistic characters, and the bottom line is Time Gangsters is FUN!

The All-Girl Boy Scout Troop

2012-01-16T07:50:00.004-07:00

It’s not uncommon for me to be one of the few guys in a group full of girls. I am the only brother to four sisters. I have only daughters. In nearly every writing-related group, the women outnumber the men by roughly ten to one.

And now I’m one of the token men in an all-girl Boy Scout troop.

Venturing is a fairly new program in the Boy Scouts, and allows for all-boy, co-ed, and all-girl crews. Last summer my oldest daughter joined a community-sponsored crew, comprised primarily of young women from our ward. I was asked to be an assistant advisor.

The primary goal of this all-girl Venturing Crew is to participate in a trek at the Philmont Scout Ranch this summer. That means we’ve been doing some camping lately. Lots and lots of camping.

In the last three weeks, we’ve had two separate camping trips in sub-freezing temperatures—one in (marginal) teepees of our own (amateur) construction, and the other in a primitive state park campsite where campfires were not allowed. Cue the heavy coats.

Even though I’m an Eagle Scout, sleeping on the hard ground was never a favorite activity of mine. Add in a few decades of bodily wear, and combine that with the above-mentioned cold (I earned my camping badges in the jungles of Hawaii), and these trips have been a bit lacking in sleep.

However, it’s a challenge that has been more than adequately rewarded. These young women are amazing, and I am honored to associate with them.

Just prior to the New Year, we participated in a Mountain Man Rendezvous with some two-dozen other local scouting groups. There were a couple of co-ed Venture Crews in attendance, but ours was the only group comprised entirely of girls.

And they made an impression.

Part of that impression, of course, was simply because they were girls. But a bigger part was how the girls worked together, encouraging and supporting each other in ways that many of the outpost leaders had never seen before. So although their skills and abilities were often limited, they still managed to sweep a full third of the awards based on attitude and determination alone.

As a writer, I consider myself a student of human nature. That part of me has loved watching the interaction between these girls as they’ve worked through personal challenges and interpersonal conflict. Seeing the growth of these girls as individuals and as a crew has been well worth every cold night spent on the hard ground.

These scouting activities have wreaked havoc on my writing schedule, but in return my writer’s brain has been crammed full experiences and examples that I hope to draw inspiration from for many years to come. It’s proof to me that real life provides the best inspiration of all.

Save the Date: Writing Conference

2012-01-10T12:07:00.000-07:00

Would you like to attend a writing conference? What about a free writing conference? What about a free writing conference at Snow College in Ephraim, UT? What about a free writing conference at Snow College in Ephraim, UT on April 14, 2012?

Well, you're in luck because on April 14, 2012 we are having the 2nd Annual Write Here in Ephraim at Snow College.

Save the date because you won't want to miss it. Did I mention it's free?

Registration begins at 8:00 am and the conference runs until 5:00 pm. There will be about 20 authors in attendance teaching classes on self-publishing, writing mystery/suspense, writing for the YA and MG markets, the nuts and bolts of writing, writing romance, and many more. We'll have door prizes and opportunities for you to meet your favorite authors.

Stay tuned for more details, including a list of instructors and classes. This is going to be AWESOME!

Marketing 101

2012-01-04T07:37:00.004-07:00

Writing an engaging story is a major challenge and a wonderful accomplishment. It requires skill and knowledge, practice and perseverence. Over time, as we work to improve our craft, our writing gets stronger proportional to the effort we put in to our personal writing improvement. Still, as challenging as writing can be, for an author, writing the story may be the easy part. Once the story is submitted, accepted, edited, revised and edited a couple of more times we are feeling good about our work, and maybe getting a little tired of it. But the work is just beginning. Now comes the challenge of marketing our work. Auuugh!

The book is finished. Now what? How do we generate buzz for our work? How do we get the word out? Who do we market to? What activities will help us find the success we're seeking? Here are a couple of things I'm trying to do as I market my new book, Crater Lake: Battle for Wizard Island.

1- Online Book Promotion: Have an online presence.
- Create a Facebook Fan Page. Post updates and interesting thoughts relevent to the book.
- Twitter- Actively participate in Twitter to get your name and the name of your book out there for others to see and think about.
- Web Page- create and maintain a professional looking web page with information about you and your book
- Create a book trailer and post to uTube, your blog, FB, your website, etc.
- Organize a blog tour. Your publisher may help you in this but if not, follow a number of blogs relevant to your book and audience and build relationships. Ask people to review your work. They may say no, but it doesn't hurt to ask.
- Seek additional reviews on Amazon, Goodreads etc. People won't know what you need or what you want unless you ask. People you ask may not always respond, but it's easy to ask and doesn't cost you a thing.

There are many other things you can do to build up your online presence but remember, it's not necessary to beat people over the head marketing your book. Keep it fun and interesting. Sometimes marketing will be overt, but sometimes it is covert by asking an interesting question or sharing a fun story that gets people thinking that you might have something to say that they may be interested in reading.

2- Traditional Book Promotion:
- Build relationships with local bookstores and arrange for a launch party and additonal book signings.
- Prepare a press release and contact newspapers, radio & TV stations. Think BIG and think small. Local is good but you may as well send notifactions to the larger outlets as well. It's easy to do, doesn't cost you anything, and the worst that happens is they don't run your story.
- Donate a couple of copies of your book to local and school libraries and ask them to hang a poster of your book on the wall or pass out some book marks.
- If appropriate, set up school visits to make presentations.
- Attend writing conferences to improve your craft and network with other authors
- Utilize Family and Friends to help you market your book. It doesn't need to be a formal thing like you're running a political campaign, but let your biggest fans help spread the word.

These ideas are not novel, but when we put together a marketing strategy aimed at reaching the ideal audience, we set goals, and then work the plan, our work will have a better chance of getting into the hands of more readers. Remember the old addage: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

Marketing doesn't happen by accident. It takes effort. And unless your publisher is willing to put loads of effort and money into marketing your book (which most will not), it's up to you. Find what works for you, and attack your marketing plan to make it happen.

It's Time

2011-12-26T11:19:00.000-07:00

by Cheri Chesley

I hope everyone had a beautiful Christmas filled with the true spirit of the season. My family had one of the best we've had in a while, and it really meant a lot. I want to say thank you to all my extended network of friends and family who post beautiful and meaningful messages online for me to read and glean a little vicarious Christmas spirit. I appreciate it.

It's also time that I say goodbye, at least to being a regular fixture here at Writing Fortress. Starting in the new year, I am devoting more time to writing stories and less time to writing blog posts. Not that I don't love it, but I've managed to fill my plate with so many blog post assignments I'm not being the prolific writer I need to be. Besides, after a year of posting almost every day in various blogs, I'm running out of things to say.

Cedar Fort has brought on a lot of new writing talent in the last year, and I'm sure one of them will happily fill my spot for Writing Fortress. You will get a fresh, unique perspective to this blog--which is always a good thing.

As for me, I hope to bring my readers more stories, both as published novels and e-books. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to blog for you. And I will miss the comments and often useful advice given me here.

Thanks for sharing this journey with me.
Cheri

Merry CHRISTmas!

2011-12-25T00:06:00.000-07:00

Wishing you all a very merry CHRISTmas!!

Trina Boice

Writing A Query

2011-12-21T10:28:00.005-07:00

Writing a lousy query is easy. Writing an engaging query is hard. Since no one wants to write and submit something that's lousy, and writing a good query can be a challenge, let me share a few of the basics I've learned as I've been studying queries. Hopefully, as I refine my query over time I will write a strong query that helps me find success.

A query letter is a single page cover letter designed to introduce your book to prospective agents or publishers. It sounds pretty simple but it's not. It is often recommended that a query contain three concise elements that will inform the agent or publisher about the work being submitted, and also about you.

The Hook: This is a tagline that is meant to hook the readers interest. Just like a potential reader needs to be hooked when they pick up a book as they decide whether or not they want to read it, the hook in the query must interest the agent/publisher enough that they are enticed to read the manuscript.
So how dow we hook the reader? In a concise sentence we should introduce our main character and the conflict that drives him, and we must give a feel for the genre and and audience we're writing for.

Synopsis: Writing an entire manuscript is an incredible accomplishment, but distilling all of that work into one or two paragraphs is a real challenge. What are teh main conflicts of the story and how does it impact the main character? Why should we care?

Author Bio- This is simply information that the agent/publisher may be interested in knowing. Do you have work or education experience that makes you an expert on the subject matter? Have you been published or won any writing awards? This section should be brief and is not intended to be a full resume, but it can share valuable information with the agent/publisher.

The query is a professional letter, but it should also grab the readers attention and give the reader a feel for the voice and tone of the manuscript. Otherwise it will be bound for the round recycling bin.

Format: Typically, query letters are single spaced, 12 point font with everything aligned to the left. There are no paragraph indentations but there should be a space between paragraphs. Be sure to include the name of the book (duh), word count and genre/audience in the body of the letter. Also, DO NOT FORGET TO INCLUDE YOUR CONTACT INFO so the agent/publisher can reach you if they are interested.

I know this is basic and I do not claim to be an expert on this, but I do believe the sources I've read. So as I begin my query process for my new manuscript, I will be following my own advice. I will write a query and edit, and rewrite, and try again.

One last thought--Research the agent or publisher you're querying. Seek out those who fit your work so you don't waste their time or yours. Good Luck.

Sharing the Gift of Words

2011-12-19T05:00:00.004-07:00

My very first publishing credit came in 2009 when a short story I'd written a couple of years before was included in Stolen Christmas and Other Stories of the Season, a compilation put together by the mysterious and insightful LDS Publisher.

The story, called Believe, Mr. Thomas, was my attempt at allowing Santa Clause to be 'real' while staying consistent with the the typical adult view of reality. (Anyone who's been up until 2:00 am on December 25th using special wrapping paper and trying to disguise their handwriting will understand what I mean.)

I was very proud to have my story in print, and bought copies of the book for everyone in my family. (After all, anyone related to an author knows what gift to expect for Christmas. But I digress.)

Since that time, my excitement at having a 1,500 word story published has been eclipsed by the release of Bumpy Landings, and I'd all but forgotten about Mr. Thomas.

Fortunately, my sister remembered. She teaches a section on writing and literacy at her elementary school, and each December she reads my story of Mr. Thomas to her class as an example of creative writing.

A couple of weeks ago, I was visiting Utah for business and stopped by this sister's house to pick something up on my way to work. As we chatted, she got a funny look on her face and said, "I just realized I'm going to be doing your story in class today. If we move that section to first thing this morning, would you like to stay and read it to the kids?"

I hmmed and hahed, not really sure. It'd been a long time since I'd read the story, and to be honest I wasn't sure presenting it to the class would be the best use of my time. But I had some flexibility in my morning schedule, so I agreed to think about it. She handed me her copy of Stolen Christmas, and I read through my story while she finished getting ready.

Would it be too boastful to admit that after reading the story again, I found that I still loved it? Too bad, because I did.

I agreed to share the story, and had an absolutely wonderful time reading it aloud to a receptive and appreciative audience of fifth graders. My first public reading! And as my sister led the class in discussion, she pointed out little bits of technique and symbolism that even I hadn't realized were there.

I spent the rest of the morning with that warm glow that only comes when we share our talents with others, and I realized how truly blessed I am to have an active imagination and a smidgen of writing ability to turn my ideas into stories that can entertain and inspire.

My muse is loud and demanding, but hers is not the loudest nor the most insistent voice in my life. (Lately she's having trouble cracking the top five.) But those few brief moments of joy that I felt reading to a group of kids reminded me of just how important writing has become to me in my life. It's a wonderful gift, well worth the extra effort it takes to carve out some writing time from a crowded, hectic schedule.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have a story that needs some attention.

(You can read Believe, Mr. Thomas as it originally appeared on the LDS Publisher's blog. If you like it, pick up Stolen Christmas and enjoy the other great stories inside.)

Web Presence a Must

2011-12-13T07:56:00.001-07:00

by Rebecca Talley

We've all heard the advice that we must have a web presence if we want to be successful authors. Yet, many of us disregard that advice. Why?

Maybe we think it's too hard to create and maintain a website and/or blog. Or maybe it's too intimidating. The truth is, it isn't. If I can do it, anyone can :). Setting up a blog through Blogger is very simple. If you aren't interested in blogging but simply want a presence, you can set your blog to have static pages. Wordpress is also fairly easy but takes a little more technical expertise. Authors who want a presence need, at a minimum, a blog.

Websites may be more involved but there's plenty of software and tutorials on how to create and maintain a website. I host my website www.rebeccatalley.com through Yahoo. I created the website using Wordpress which allows me to upload a blog entry each week (you can also set up entries to post automatically). My website is specifically dedicated to writing. I have articles about writing as well as tips and advice. My blog www.rebeccatalleywrites.blogspot.com is more personalized and casual and allows readers a chance to get to know me. I have all the info about my books on my blog as well as my website.

Imagine a reader hears about your book and wants more information about that book. Or, maybe someone reads one of your books and wants to know more about you. When we want to know more about something or someone what do we do? We Google. Now imagine this excited reader tries to Google your name but comes up with nothing. No website. No blog. No information at all. At the very least you have a frustrated reader and at worst, a lost opportunity to introduce yourself and more of your books to someone who already likes your writing.

I discovered an author that I wanted to learn more about. He's a very popular author in the LDS market. I Googled his name but found nothing. I checked other search engines but still found nothing. I wanted to see if he'd written other books, but I couldn't because there was absolutely no information about him. This has since been remedied and he has a very nice website.

As authors, we want a web presence. We want readers to find us. We want them to know about our other books, if we have them. We want them to worship us--okay, maybe not that, but we do want them to find us. Some of my best experiences with readers have been through website contacts. I've received emails from readers that truly touched my heart--something that would not have happened if I didn't have a small web presence.

I cannot emphasize how important it is to have a web presence. If you do not have one, consider creating one as soon as possible. Even if you only have a blog. You never know when a reader will want to learn more about your work, contact you, or send others to your website or blog. When someone Googles your name be sure they can find you easily. Be accessible.

It's HOW Many Shopping Days till Christmas?

2011-12-12T10:42:00.000-07:00

by Cheri Chesley

12 days. Shopping wise, anyway. Can we panic yet?

Most of my shopping is done, thankfully, which is a far cry from last year (and, to be honest, all previous years). I await one more delivery, and then I can call it good.

The thing is, there's more to Christmas than shopping. Some years ago, during one of those leaner Christmas seasons, I purchased a doll pattern. I was going to make my daughter her own doll. I don't even know how long ago I did that. I have 2 daughters now, and have never used the pattern. In my overactive imagination, I envisioned this sweet moment when the girls opened their boxes to reveal something I was able to lovingly hand craft for them. Something that will remind them of my love for them every day.

Over the weekend, I made new stockings for my twin sons. They turned out pretty awesome, and as one of them talked about how it will be cool to have these forever, I realized I had another opportunity to make the dolls for my girls. They have great stockings with fun family stories attached to them already. One was made by a beloved aunt; the other my daughter picked out for herself at 6 months old. I'm not going to cheapen those memories by making them new stockings.

When you think about it, the homemade doll is something of a pioneer tradition. That makes it special. Of course, I'm terrified I will mess up. I can't figure out the instructions for putting on the yarn hair to save my life. Wish me luck. I know I'll need it.

Good luck to all of you with your holiday plans. And have a very Merry Christmas.

Getting Celebrity Endorsements

2011-12-11T01:40:00.002-07:00

by Trina Boice

Getting a famous celebrity to endorse your book could bring huge recognition and sales to your marketing efforts! But what if you don't know any famous movie stars or industry experts personally? No worries! Ask anyway! I've found that those who succeed in life are those who are persistent and brave....that's definitely true for authors too.

Here are some steps to consider while you're working up your courage:

1. Reach for the stars! Do a quick brainstorm of the celebrities or experts in your field and create a Wish List of everyone you would want to endorse your book or project. Think big. Of course, they should actually have something to do with your target audience, platform or subject matter.

2. Do your homework about each famous person on your list so that when you write to them you can mention something specific they did that inspired you.

3. Make it easy for the celebrity to say yes to your request for an endorsement or testimonial by showing them 2-3 quotes you've written ahead of time that they could choose from. Of course, don't offer the same quotes to everyone on your list; personalize them for each celeb. Offer to do a video or written testimonial for them to use on their web site.

4. Don't think of yourself as a little peon. Just be brave and ask! The worst that can happen is they'll say no. Most famous people love recognition and love to be quoted.

I found a cool web site that offers a paid membership access to celebrity contact information at www.contactanycelebrity.com They have all kinds of examples of regular 'ole people like us and how their books, products, and fundraisers earned a LOT more money when they were endorsed by famous people. Check it out! Your new BFF celebrity may be waiting...

- Trina Boice -
www.trinaboice.com

Life is Like a Novel

2011-12-08T15:44:00.001-07:00

I'm the author of my life, creating my own character; me. Only unlike most characters in books, I am real, and I can create, to a large extent, the plot of my life. (Which can be anywhere from exciting and fun to problematic. But it helps to know that a good problem or growing experience is essential to a good novel.) The point is to celebrate and enjoy my life journey.

One of the ways I do this is to remember that sometimes trials can eventually become funny with enough time. Such as the following experience I wrote in my journal several years ago. Names have been omitted to protect the innocent. :)

"My Day From Heck:

A couple of weeks ago I returned home after a shopping trip. My 14-month-old child fell asleep on the way home, so I left him asleep in the truck (which was parked in the garage) because I knew he would wake up if I put him in his bed, and I wanted him to have his nap. While I unloaded groceries, my seven-year-old daughter made herself a PBJ snack and my three-year-old girl wanted some too and was beginning to get upset that I wanted to finish unloading the groceries and bring the baby in before I made her one.

The phone rang at that moment, and it was one of my oldest child's teachers calling with some difficult-to-hear information about said child's classroom behavior. Now most parents do not enjoy hearing such news about someone they gave birth to, at least I didn't, and I was close to tears.

During the phone call, and while trying to defend my child and bring in the remaining grocery bags from the truck all at the same time, my three-year-old began screaming because she wanted her older sister's sandwich and tried to grab it from her. I took her by a sticky jam hand up to her room and closed the door, but that only muted the sound.

When I got off the phone, I was so close to tears that they almost leaked from my eyes. But I didn't have time to just sit and cry since my baby was still in the car, my three-year-old was still screaming in her room, and I still had a mound of grocery bags to go through.

While descending the stairs to the garage from the kitchen, (this was in a four-level split), my three-year-old ran out of her room crying even more because she had wet her pants.

So, thinking things through, I told her to take off her pants while I got the baby from the truck and then I'd come up and help her. But when I stepped back into the house with my sleeping baby in my arms, I heard a man's voice coming from the front door asking, "Is your mom or dad home?"

I sped up the stairs and found that my wet three-year-old had opened the door for a young man selling pizza coupons, only she had obeyed me first by taking off her wet pants, and stood at the door in nothing but a shirt and jam all over her face and hands.

Now at this point I could have just given up, but that wasn't really an option. Instead, I sent the man on his way, put down my baby who promptly woke up, and grabbed a wet cloth to wipe down my sticky-wet daughter, only to find her chasing the man down the sidewalk still wearing only her shirt."

Seven years have passed since this day, and now I look at it and laugh. I also look at it and think, that was a bad day? I've had many since then that would make this day look like nothing. But I try to remember the blessings, and I have much to be grateful for. I also try to imagine that life is like a novel, and a good novel is one where each page and each scene is worth reading.

Words and Symbols Mean Something

2011-12-07T07:29:00.005-07:00

Today is Pearl Harbor Rembrance Day. As F.D.R. said, it is a "day that will live in infamy." We lower our flags to half-staff and we remember this somber occassion by paying tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives in the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, and we express gratitude to God for the blessings of living in such a blessed nation. The flag is a symbol of our nation's strength and goodness but also a reminder of the blood that has been shed for the cause of freedom and liberty.

As with all aspects of our lives, we can learn lessons that we can apply to our writing.

Words and symbols mean something. As writers we probably all agree. Every year on this date, F.D.R's words are etched in my mind and I'm reminded of the reported internal political struggel he faced before giving that speach. He defied many of his closest advisors because he believed those words needed to be spoken. What words do we believe in?

We write for many different reasons but most of us have a desire to be published so that our work can be seen and enjoyed by others. We look at what's popular, what genres are hot and we devise fantastic stories based on what we think will sell to an agent or publisher. This is fine, and smart, but there are times when we shouldn't seek popularity and sales. Sometimes there is a story that needs to be told that may never see the light of day. It may be unpopular or politically incorrect, but if we believe in the words, we should press forward and write them boldly.

We remember that sometimes a good fight has to be fought. We don't seek after conflict or war, but we recognize that sometimes it may be necessary to protect our lives, families and ideals. Sometimes the pen is mightier than the sword. If we believe in our words and can convince others of their strength we can fight the good fight without the shedding of blood. We can give honor to the words and symbols that matter.

NANOers and Productive Writing Time

2011-11-29T07:31:00.000-07:00

by Rebecca Talley

How many of you participated in NANOWRIMO (National Novel Writing Month) or NANO for short? How did it go? Did you meet your goals? Are you happy with your results?

I participated last year and am currently revising that manuscript. I did not participate this year. I admire all of you who can consistently participate in NANO year after year. In fact, I admire all of you who can consistently write a novel, or more, year after year.

I know we should never compare ourselves with others, but, sometimes, it's difficult to not feel frustrated with myself when others who are busier than I am are also more productive. I'm looking forward to learning from the keynote speaker, Kevin Anderson, at the LDStorymaker writing conference in May 2012 because he writes so many books each year. I'm curious to know how he does it. I'm hoping to learn how I can better use my time to be more productive.

I don't have a lot of time to write. Between being a wife, raising my kids (I still have 7 at home), taking care of my home (the endless laundry pile), taking my youngest to speech therapy and homeschooling him, attending to my church calling, seeking to do service, and all the rest that comes from being a wife, mom, and member of the Church, I don't have the kind of time I'd like to have. But, I know lots of people in my same position who are very productive and use snatches of time to produce multiple books. I have so many stories floating around in my head. I need to learn how to better use the little time I have so I can write those stories.

What do you do to make your writing time more productive?

Registration Opens Dec 1

2011-11-28T07:23:00.003-07:00

by Cheri Chesley

Are you as excited as I am for the upcoming LDStorymakers' Conference? Well, why not? ;)

There have been a number of updates to the Conference's Facebook page, but I want to share some of the highlights with you today.

Here's the tentative SCHEDULE. Not everything is set in stone yet, but it still looks incredibly exciting. And educational. Look at all those breakout sessions. Imagine the learning!

Find out about BOOT CAMP, an intensive, extra course where you can get real hands on feedback from published pros.

Sign up for a PITCH SESSION. Pitch your polished novel to an agent or editor.

Check out the new (as far as I know) RESERVED CLASSES for those writers who have the basics but never want to stop learning--and moving forward.

Click HERE for dates, times, location and all the other pertinent details.

I love the Storymakers' conferences, even though I haven't had good luck with them. The first one I ever attended I could only go the second day. Felt a little lost. The second one I attended, I was still recovering from a serious illness and didn't make it through the first day--didn't even attempt the second. Last year, I had too much going on that month and couldn't even get there.

And now, well, I've moved 1200 miles away.

But I still want to go. It's that good. Not sure how it's all going to work out, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to try. Conference weekend is always packed full of great fun, great learning and extremely fun people. Authors are the best!

Hope to see you in May!

Cyber Monday book deals

2011-11-27T22:06:00.000-07:00

By Trina Boice (a/k/a http://www.sisterthrifty.com/ )

While I’m not one to stand outside a store at 4:00 am for Black Friday bargains, I definitely get excited about “Cyber Monday.” Why? Because I can get great prices from the comfort of my home by shopping online! Now is the best time to order those books you've always wanted!

Cyber Monday has become so popular and a part of our Christmas shopping lexicon that it’s even in Wikipedia now. The term Cyber Monday refers to the Monday immediately following Black Friday. Whereas Black Friday is associated with traditional brick and mortar stores, Cyber Monday symbolizes a busy day for online retailers. The premise was that consumers would return to their offices after the Black Friday weekend, making purchases online that they were not able to make in stores.

Each year www.walmart.com offers some of the best bargains and this year they’re in a price war with www.amazon.com I love that! Some of the common discounts include free shipping and percentages off the sales price. While I love going inside a real store and being able to touch the merchandise and get my picture taken with Santa, I REALLY love being able to stay home and shop in my pajamas!

Below are some really great web sites where you can see at a glance which retailers are offering discounts this year:

www.cybermonday.net

www.cybermonday.fm/

www.offers.com/cyber-monday/

www.cybermondayonlinedeals.com

www.dealtaker.com/cybermonday

www.visa.com/cybermonday

www.target.com/cybermonday

One of the great advantages to shopping online is that you can ship directly to your gift recipient, saving you hours of packaging presents, driving in crazy traffic to the post office, and standing in long lines during the busy holiday season! Some stores will even allow you to "double dip" which means you can stack discounts. Before you purchase anything online, remember to do an online search of the name of the store you're interested in buying from, along with the words "discount code" and you'll be pointed towards sites that give you special codes to use in the shopping cart to save even more money!

Some of my favorite discount code web sites are:

• www.currentcodes.com

• www.Couponcactus.com

• www.retailmenot.com

• www.couponcabin.com

• www.couponchief.com

Each year consumers spend more than $80 billion shopping on the Internet. It’s fast. It’s easy. No crowds. No searching for parking spaces. And who doesn’t love shopping in their pajamas? Unfortunately, one out of ten adults reported being victimized by online fraud in 2011, so you definitely need to be careful. Computer security experts have come up with some shopping tips to help protect you from cyber crime.

1. Investigate the vendor. Check the site for refund policies and contact information. It only takes a minute to review a company’s track record at www.bbb.org (Better Business Bureau).

2. Protect your private information by never giving financial information by email.

3. Start a paper trail. Print online receipts, product information and email confirmations.

4. Choose carefully where you shop. Only shop online at sites that provide password protection and encryption. When you see “https” you know the site is secure.

5. Protect your computer with antivirus software and firewalls.

The Internet has also made the world a much smaller place. There might be a company in Wisconsin who has exactly what your son’s school needs but can’t afford. www.throwplace.com is a great resource where charities, businesses, and individuals donate items and can get free items in return! Be sure to sign up your kids’ schools or your church!

The holidays are a busy time to be sure. Remember to pause and reflect on what’s truly important. Toss the guilt if you can’t buy the expensive gift for others that you wish you could. There is no shame in writing up some of those hand-made gift coupons, good for one back rub or car wash. People on their death bed never say they wish they had that gadget; rather, they often express regret for not having spent more time loving and serving others.

Black Friday Books

2011-11-21T12:39:00.000-07:00

                                                                       by Trina Boice
                                                               www.trinaboice.com
                                                                 www.sisterthrifty.com

Now is the time to pick up an e-reader for Christmas or those expensive books you've been wanting!!

Saving money is all about being organized and thinking ahead. Black Friday is a perfect example. Most of us are completely exhausted after all of the busy activities of Thanksgiving and still have dirty dishes in the sink the next day, but the organized shopper wakes up early the next morning, ready to hit the stores and grab the bargains. Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, and it marks the beginning of the traditional Christmas shopping season in the United States.

The term dates back to at least 1966. "Black Friday" originated in Philadelphia in reference to the heavy traffic on that day. More recently, the media have used it instead to refer to the beginning of the period in which retailers go from being in the red (posting a loss on the books) to being in the black (turning a profit). In many cities it is not uncommon to see shoppers lined up for hours before stores with big sales open. Once inside the stores, shoppers rush around and snatch up what they can, as many stores have only a few of the big-draw items in stock. On occasion, some shoppers are so overly enthusiastic about the savings that injuries and even fatalities have been reported. No savings is worth that!

This year, in hopes of surviving the rough economy, some stores have started their Black Friday sales already! Check out these helpful web sites to find some of the great deals out there:

www.blackfriday.info

www.bfads.net

www.black-friday.net

www.theblackfriday.com

www.blackfriday.gottadeal.com

www.retailmenot.com/black-friday

Now, having said all of that, the best gifts are those which come from the heart, and not the shopping mall. In a tight economy, we should never go into debt just to purchase gifts. There are plenty of inexpensive, yet meaningful gifts we can give to our loved ones without breaking the bank. Remember, spending quality time with others is priceless!

Many retailers allow discount code web sites to "leak" their sales information several days before Black Friday. If you love to shop at a particular store, do a Google search with the name of that store, plus the words "Black Friday" and you might get to find out what steals and deals they'll be featuring after Turkey Day! Target and Wal-Mart have already released some sneak peek info about nice discounts on their flagship door-buster electronic items. BJ's Wholesale Club, Harbor Freight, and Ace Hardware have already released their Black Friday catalogs as well.

While the best deals are usually found in the wee hours of the morning when the stores first open, most retailers this year are planning on extending their bargains through the Thanksgiving weekend to encourage more consumers to spend their dollars and kick-start the Christmas shopping season. Do a web search with your city’s name, plus the words “Black Friday” and you’ll find some store listings with their special hours.

Happy Turkey Day!

A November of Miracles

2011-11-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

I'm not doing so well with the newer November traditions.

My first November fail comes courtesy of the new "Mo"vember movement, which asks guys around the world to grow a "Mo", or mustache, for prostate cancer awareness. Instead of playing along, for the first time in 23 years I spent November with a clean upper lip.

My second fail has to do with NaNoWriMo. My version has almost been "National Non-Writing Month." I have been writing, and with any luck I'll have another chapter or two done by the time December starts. But that pales in comparison to the tens of thousands of words being cranked out by many of my awesome online friends.

The one November tradition that I am doing--and doing well--is expressing thanks for my many blessings. I'll spare you the laundry list of gratitude, but I want to share a true miracle that has taken place in my life this month.

Yesterday, I sat by my wife at church.

Those of you who know about our long, difficult battle with Lyme disease will understand how amazing this is. And while my wife still has a long way to go, the fact that she has recovered enough to join our family at church--not just once, but four times in the past five weeks--is a miracle truly worth giving thanks for.

How do YOU spend your free time?

2011-11-20T01:02:00.002-07:00

By Trina Boice
http://www.trinaboice.com/

This made me laugh out loud and I just had to share it. If you're reading this blog, then I know you'll appreciate it too!

New book cover for Family by Design!

2011-11-18T07:34:00.001-07:00

By Heather Justesen

I've been sitting on this exciting news for a while, waiting for my final draft of the cover to arrive in my inbox, and for the back cover copy, so I'm totally excited to be able to share it now. My next book, published by Cedar Fort, inc. is at the printers right now and will be available for purchase in early January.

Cute, isn't it? I'm totally excited! And here's the back cover blurb:

Before he could think better of it, he blurted out, “I understand your concerns. I’m going to speak to my commander about getting an early discharge. My girlfriend, Rena, and I have talked about getting married. There just hasn’t been any rush.”

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he wondered what he was thinking. Yes, they had discussed marriage, but not to each other! He and Rena had never even dated.

Tucker’s on his way to the biggest challenge of his life. Rena already has it all—except a family of her own. But neither one expected their friendship would take such a dramatic turn.

When Tucker becomes the guardian of his newly orphaned niece and nephew, he knows he can’t handle them alone, not when he might be shipped out with the Marines at any moment. Desperate, he turns to Rena for a major favor. His marriage proposal would give her everything she wants, but can she learn to live without the romance she’s always dreamed of?

As time, prayer, and a life-changing kiss work a little magic in her heart, Rena wonders if someone up there has a plan for her that’s better than anything she could’ve come up with on her own. And though it seems crazy at first, this could become her chance for a marriage that will last for eternity.

An Authors' Reality

2011-11-14T06:46:00.000-07:00

by Cheri Chesley

This weekend has been an enlightening one, and I can blame/credit Facebook for that. I have the privilege of being friends with many authors in various states of publication and/or success--from National and International bestsellers to people still waiting to break in to publishing, or even those not so interested in publishing so much as sharing their stories or poems with friends and family. It's a blessed life.

And a cursed one. This weekend, several of my author friends have posted how their feelings of doubt about their abilities as writers have surged. These are established and even award winning writers. They have the chops. From the outside we question how they can doubt themselves or their abilities. They're proven successes.

But doubt and being a writer go hand in hand. It's the curse of art, I believe, or any artistic pursuit. We lack a standard by which we can measure success. Truly, success can be defined in different ways. Publishing a book. Getting the book contract. Having more than one book published. But, in truth, most of us just want to get better with each book. We crave the growth that comes with the process of writing. That is success.

It pains me to hear how my writer friends struggle. I know, from experience, that the doubt never really goes away. Right now I have what I think is the best manuscript I've ever written of to beta readers, and I know they're going to find problems with it. I want them to--so I can fix it, but, at the same time, I want to have the perfect book. Which I know is a pipe dream, but it doesn't stop me from striving for it.

To my friends who struggle with the process--and with their own doubts--I want to say that only you can define your personal success. As long as you are doing what you love, and doing your "Very best" as Gordon B. Hinckley would have said, you don't need to sweat the rest.

Recently, a friend asked if I could be anything I wanted or do anything I wanted in this world, what would it be. After some thought, I had to say I would be and do exactly what I'm doing now. I get to stay home and be here when my kids need me--which, after years of working, is such a blessing. And I get to write. I'm not the fastest or most prolific writer out there, but I'm steady. This has been my dream for so long, and I'm living it.

What would you be?

Sometimes Dishes and Inspiration Go Hand in Hand

2011-11-12T10:02:00.004-07:00

By Christine Thackeray

Last weekend I went to the Northwest Writer's Retreat and came home on fire, ready to pound out brilliant prose and finally finish my WIP. The first chapter whizzed by without a hitch and the second chapter wasn't bad but fell a little flat. The third chapter just plain stunk. I knew what I wanted the final scene to look like but the build to get there was not coming. I couldn't imagine having my MC merely run in circles until the final show down be an effective stategy.

Finally I slammed down the computer lid and faced my kitchen. Now I don't know if your house is like mine but when I'm writing we often only cover the "have to" and let the details go. In the kitchen that means pots and pans. The dishes get washed all right, but cake pans filled with soapy water may linger in the corners days after the macaroni casserole has been consumed. So this morning I decide to get every corner clean. I started at 7 am and just kept scrubbing, drying and putting away as the counter slowly reemerged from its hidden condition.

As I sloshed in the bubbles, ideas popped in my head. Humor- the brother says my wife Miriam never liked Rheba and Ananel replies "A two week old opinion doesn't count." (Okay, it was funny when I thought of it.) Action- There's a secret passage in the villa. His ex-betrothed leads him to it and the evil priest Kohen Yacob directs him back in a circle for the final showdown. Ananel thinks he's being lead to freedom and he promises the vindictive rabbi that he will not return. Kohen Yacob laughs "No, you shall not" as he opens the door and delivers him to a sword drawn Simeon.

I finished and was ready to write, pulled out my computer and then remembered I was supposed to blog today. So I'm going to add all of it and keep writing. Meanwhile my kids came up to get breakfast and have taken out eggs, tortillas, cereal, milk, the frying pan, bowls, grated cheese and spices. They've eaten as I've typed and just walked out the kitchen door, leaving it much the same as when I entered this morning. My plan is to type for an hour or so and then I'll roll up my sleeves and attack. Maybe I'll get more inspiration before lunch.

BigWorldNetwork

2011-11-09T07:20:00.003-07:00

EVERYONE- PAY ATTENTION: Check out this awesome new website that goes live today. The concept of Big World Network is intriguing and is worthy of our attention.

From the BigWorldNetwork Website- "Think of us as a television network, but for literary series written in episodic format. Choose between reading each week's episode or listening to the audio versions."

BigWorld will list weekly episodes that can be read on the website or Audio Episodes that can be downloaded free from iTunes. The website includes a ratings system for the work included on the site and even has a submissions process for authors who would like to be involved.

Heather Justesen & Trina Boice, our very own Writing Fortress Authors, are involved and you can read their episodes now. Some of our other favorite authors such as Tristi Pinkston are also involved.

Visit the site. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Whitney Awards: Eligible Novels

2011-11-01T07:52:00.001-06:00

Have you read a great novel by an LDS author? We have several novels written by blog team members as well as other CFI authors that qualify for nomination.

Minor Adjustments by Rachael Renee Anderson
My Girlfriend's Boyfriend by Elodia Strain
The Upside of Down by Rebecca Talley
Blank Slate by Heather Justesen
Bitter Blessings by Christine Mehring
Alias by Mandi Tucker Slack
The Last Archangel by Michael Young
Wings of Light by Laura Bingham
Carving Angels by Diane Stringam Tolley

If you'd like to nominate a 2011 novel written by an LDS author you can visit The Whitney Awards. Finalists will be annouced in February 2012 and winners at the Whitney Awards Gala on May 5, 2011 at the Provo Marriott. If you'd like to learn more about the Whitney Awards program you can go here.

Be sure to tell your friends about the Whitney Awards that were established to recognize writing excellence by LDS authors.

Book Review of "The Alias"

2011-10-30T01:11:00.001-06:00

by Trina Boice
www.trinaboice.com

Haven’t we all fantasized about changing our identity and slipping into another world at some point? Ok, maybe I’m revealing a little too much about myself now. (wink)

Blog tours for new book releases are a lot of fun, but I’m so busy that I don’t normally participate in many. My blog post yesterday concluded a tour that features newbie author, Mandi Tucker Slack, whose first book caught my eye and made me want to jump on the blog tour train. I love a good man-on-the run story, especially when he’s innocent, and especially when he’s a woman! Mandi’s suspenseful story reminded me of Julia Roberts’ movie “Sleeping With the Enemy,” which I got a real kick out of.

Without any spoiler alerts, here’s the gist of Mandi Slack’s tale: Jacey’s ex-husband is wanted by the FBI. To protect her son, Jacey flees to a small town and attempts to hide their identity, but her past is never too far behind. Neither is the FBI. Throw in a little romance, and it’s a fun, quick read, perfect for when I was taking a long flight, escaping from my own personal world on a quick business trip.

Jacey’s son’s name is Blaze, the same name my family gave our pet dog. Every time I read the name Blaze in Mandi’s book, I imagined my sweet Papillon as a shapeshifter in her story. Their personalities are somewhat similar…young, adventurous and not quite a man. What mother doesn’t want to protect her son? I have four sons and could relate very well to the mother-bear mentality of doing whatever it takes to keep them safe. The author is a playful mother of three who lives in beautiful Utah, where the story takes place.

In an interview with Mandi, she explains “I love to incorporate my hobbies and interests into my writing.” My favorite thing about writing is being able to create my own adventure. I was a tom-boy and as a child I craved adventure. I explored exotic countries and conquered high mountain peaks all from the comfort of my own back yard. I had a very vivid imagination and that love of creativity followed me into adulthood. I have so much fun when I am able to sit down and pound out the ideas floating around in my head, and I enjoy writing the type of stories that I love to read.”

To learn more about Mandi Tucker Slack and her new book “The Alias”, visit her blog at: http://heyyouslackers.blogspot.com/

To purchase her book online, go to: http://www.amazon.com/Alias-Mandi-Slack/dp/1599555093/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317347209&sr=1-1

The Kindle edition is only $3.99! To read more reviews about Mandi’s new book, check out the rest of the blog tour stops:

October 1st – DebbieDavis http://debbiesinkspectations.blogspot.com/

October 3rd –   KimberlyJob      http://scribbledscraps.blogspot.com/
October 4th –   JulieBellon         http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com
October 5th –   CindyHogan      www.cindymhogan.blogspot.com
October 6th –   CamiChecketts    http://camicheckettsbooks.blogspot.com
October 8th –   LauraBingham    http://alvor-daretodream.blogspot.com/
October 11th – Aimee Brown     http://gettingyourreadonaimeebrown.blogspot.com/
October 12th – Steve Westover    http://www.westoversleftovers.blogspot.com
October 13th – Mindy Holt        www.ldswbr.com
October 14th – Holly Barnes        http://2kidsandtiredbooks.blogspot.com
October 14th – Danyelle Ferguson       http://www.queenoftheclan.blogspot.com/
October 15th – Lynn Parsons       http://lynndeniseparsons.blogspot.com/
October 17th – Janice Johnson   http://www.toothsomefamily.blogspot.com/
October 18th – Kaylynn England   www.bookreviewsandmore.com
October 18th – Maria Hoagland   www.mariahoagland.blogspot.com
October 19th – Rachelle Christensen      http://www.rachellewrites.blogspot.com/
October 21st – Alice Gold                    http://imsofunny.blogspot.com/
October 25th – Tristi Pinkston            http://www.tristipinkston.blogspot.com
October 28th – Heather Justesen     http://www.heatherjustesen.blogspot.com/
October 29th - Trina Boice             http://www.boicebox.blogspot.com

By the way, if you’re a new author or even a seasoned one, take note of Tristi Pinkston’s excellent marketing techniques. She’s the one who put this blog tour together and is a master at networking in this industry!

Defeat Your Personal El Guapo!

2011-10-26T07:31:00.003-06:00

"In a way, all of us have an El Guapo to face some day. For some, shyness might be their El Guapo, for others a lack of education might be their El Guapo. For us, El Guapo is a big, dangerous guy who wants to kill us. As sure as my name is Lucky Day, the people can conquer their personal El Guapo, who also happens to be the actual El Guapo."

See the inspirational speach here. Are you inspired? I am.

As writers, we each face our own personal El Guapo. We face obstacles that prevent us from being the writer we desire to be. For some, finding the time to write might be their El Guapo, for others commas might be their El Guapo, for others character development or dialogue. For me, El Guapo is the doubt that my writing will ever measure up to be what I want it to be.

So how do we face our personal El Guapo? Practice. Persistence. Patience.
Check out my post on Happy Gilmore and the 3 P’s of Writing.
Good luck to each of you in facing and defeating your own personal El Guapo.

The Girl

2011-10-24T19:15:00.000-06:00

Alison got into the shower late. Mom was shopping, Dad was watching the younger kids. Ali heard the screaming, but she put it all down to Dad's roughhousing--until she stepped out of the bathroom and got the shock of her young life.

A year later, Ali and her mom are starting over--again. She hasn't yet recovered from the dark turn her life has taken, and doesn't know if she ever will. Then there's that pesky little detail--she's seen the face of a murderer and doesn't know if he will let her live long enough to graduate high school.

Honestly, all I did was take a shower today and this story hit me. What would this do to a young girl? How would she pull out of it? What are the immediate after-effects? By the time I get to bed tonight, I'll have a rough draft of the details all ironed out.

As if I don't have enough to do, writing-wise. Lately, my strong suit has been ideas. I've been getting them in spades--some good, others not so much--but they don't stop coming. I take notes and put them aside. If the story seems strong enough, I'll pick it up at a later date. There are some details that might change, but that standard life-or-death struggle is something that readers never seem to tire of.

What is your writing strength? Are you a plotter? A pantser? Do you love the idea stage, or the rough draft stage, but hate editing? Or are you one of those amazing people who loves the editing stage? Come on, don't be shy. :) Share!

Books Eligible for a 2011 Whitney Award

2011-10-18T10:33:00.001-06:00

Bitter Blessings by Christine Mehring

After Megan lost her father her family became a separate thing, cut off from other people.

Her suspicious grandmother insisted that Megan and her sisters "keep themselves to themselves." Her mother worked long hours and was too tired to argue. They moved often, drifting, rootless, until Tucson.

The warm desert sun suited her mother and for the first time it seemed they would have a home and a stable life.

Then, one normal summer day, when Megan's friends were getting ready to start their senior year, a freak accident took her mother and Megan found herself desperately trying to hold her family together.

With her grandmother and sisters lost in their own grief, it's left to Megan to sort through the past and find a path to the future, but when a small insurance detail uncovers a devastating family secret, making the people she loves into strangers, will she find anyone she can trust before it's too late?

Alias by Mandi Tucker Slack

Jacey Grayson is an average, young, divorced mother struggling to build a new life for her son, Blaze.

But when the FBI discloses some disturbing information about her ex-husband, Jacey's life becomes anything but average.

At the risk of losing her identity, her future, and her heart, Jacey and Blaze flee to Utah, hoping to hide and start over once again. But no matter how far she runs or who she pretends to be, her past is always lurking nearby, bringing old fears with it.

Thrilling action and a suspenseful plot make this novel an edge-of-your-seat-read.

The Last Archangel by Michael Young

Xandir has been exiled to earth until the end of time.

But when his cherub trainee disappears, Xandir makes a deal with rogue angels and giants that could restore life to the mortal woman he loves and end his assignment as a destroying angel in exchange for helping them bring about the end of the world and all of mankind.

Wings of Light by Laura Bingham

Becoming immortal isn't everything they thought it would be.

Sixteen-year-old Erin and her twin brother, Bain, chose to leave their normal lives, step into the magical world, and become immortal elves.

But when it comes to falling in love and solving mysteries, all the magic in the world doesn't seem to help.

Carving Angels by Diane Stringam Tolley
Papa Adam, the North Pole's oldest elf and Santa's former chief carver, has given up.

Blind, frail, and useless, he counts the minutes in every day as he waits to die.

But a challenge to carve, given by his youngest granddaughter, reawakens Papa Adam.

Together they prove that the most paralyzing thing you can do is underestimate or undervalue anyone, especially yourself. With the right love and encouragement, anything is possible.

Amazon Scares Publishers

2011-10-17T14:38:00.000-06:00

By Trina Boice
www.trinaboice.com

In publishing news today....

Amazon will soon be competing with the publishing houses that supply it. The giant company is set to publish 122 books this fall in both physical and e-book form. Amazon has signed deals already with self-help author Tim Ferriss and film director Penny Marshall, and is said to be aggressively targeting top authors.

“Publishers are terrified and don’t know what to do,” says Dennis Loy Johnson of Melville House. Amazon has hired publishing veteran Laurence Kirshbaum to run the operation, which will publish both fiction and nonfiction.

LDS Fiction: The Minor Leagues?

2011-10-17T06:53:00.003-06:00

A few short decades ago, I was serving as a missionary in southern Illinois with three other elders. On one particular P-day (excuse me--PREPARATION day) we were cleaning our apartment and listening to some music.

Our mission rules allowed us to listen to "church music" on Sundays and P-days, and while some guys I knew interpreted that to mean "music by anyone rumored to have talked to a missionary," we stuck to the more traditional groups like Afterglow and the Tabernacle Choir.

I don't remember which contemporary (ca 1988) musician we were listening to that day, but the new elder in our group soon got a little irritated and said, "Can we please turn that garbage off?"

"What's wrong with it?" I asked.

"Oh, please. I can't stand any of those guys. It bothers me that they're just trying to make a buck off of the church, and the only reason they're singing LDS songs is they're not good enough to make it in the real music industry."

The rest of us didn't agree, but to preserve peace we switched to some classics by the Mormon Youth Symphony, since Beethoven's "real music industry" success is pretty much indisputable.

Fast forward to the 21st century, and my foray into LDS literature. While I have never agreed with this missionary's opinions, those thoughts were always in the back of my mind as I worked on the early drafts of "Bumpy Landings." Am I just trying to make a buck off of the church? Am I not good enough for the national market?

Lately, I've seen a similar discussion questioning whether or not the LDS literary market is some kind of "Minor League", which implies that those who write LDS fiction somehow aren't good enough to make it in the real literary industry.

I've thought about this question a lot: Is LDS fiction the minor leagues of writing? I've decided that the answer is no. And maybe.

The reason there are two answers to this question is that what we call the "LDS Market" is in fact two different markets, both closely related and serviced by the same few publishers.

The "traditional" LDS market--books where being (or becoming) LDS is central to the story--are very popular within the church but have no real interest in the broader market. LDS fiction is a niche, and as such fills a need ignored by the national market.

As for whether or not they are any good, LDS books, just like their national counterparts, fall along a broad spectrum of quality, with the best of LDS fiction easily in the top tier. And the books are getting better and better every year, thanks to an excellent LDS writing community that supports, educates, and motivates its members through conferences and awards for excellence.

In addition to traditional LDS-themed fiction, LDS publishers also sell works that have little or no connection to Mormon life. These titles are considered "regional," rather than "niche." Where a niche publisher focuses on an audience that has specific religious/cultural/recreational interests, a regional publisher focuses on an audience in a specific geographical region.

These regional publishers are often willing to take a chance on unknown writers. Combining this fact with their smaller size, limited marketing budget, and more modest sales numbers, it's easy to understand why regional publishers are often referred to as the Minor League of publishing.

All around the country, there are local authors writing and publishing books with local flavor through these regional publishers. The same is true for the Intermountain West, only here the regional publishers are the same companies that publish for the LDS niche.

This is why LDS publishing is sometimes seen as a stepping stone for authors looking to break in nationally. Recent years have seen a number of high-profile writers make this transition: Ally Condie, James Dashner, Rob Wells, and Jeff Savage, just to name a few. Even the LDS publishers are looking to grow nationally, with the Shadow Mountain imprint at Deseret Book, and CFI calling for more national-market submissions.

This is an exciting transition, and it's fun to see local friends and authors make good on the national scene.

But don't assume that since some authors have honed their skills by writing LDS fiction and then moved on nationally, that this is the purpose of the LDS market, or the goal of all LDS writers.

Many authors I know write LDS fiction because that is what they love. They would enjoy a national market-sized royalties check, and have the knowledge and skills they would need to break if that's what they wanted. But they love writing LDS fiction, and they are free to write the books they want in the way they want, because their values line up so well with those of their readers. They write LDS fiction because they can.

LDS fiction is kind to beginners, and provides a great place to learn and develop excellent writing skills. But it also provides a valuable product to hundreds of thousands of readers, and those who make LDS fiction their permanent career can be every bit as satisfied with their success as those who publish nationally.

Perhaps maybe even a little bit more.

Writing a Synopsis

2011-10-13T12:37:00.000-06:00

You’ve just written the final word on your novel, and you’vecombed through it no less than 35 times editing, reworking subplots andcharacters, and you’re ready to submit your manuscript. One thing you may needis a synopsis, or an outline that discloses the plot. Depending on thepublisher or agent, the synopsis will vary in length, usually one to two pages.

A synopsis is important to give the agent/editor a disclosureof the plot. They also give a glimpse of your writing style.

When I wrote my second novel, I was surprised at how muchtime it took for me to make sure every word in my synopsis counted. But it paidoff. At least I think it did, because my book did get published.

But how can a 100,000 word manuscript be squished into twopages? What do you put in? What do you leave out?

A basic outline for a synopsis can be:

A brief summary of the beginning of the story.
A brief description of the characters and the problems they will need to solve as they go through the book, the basic plot.
The obstacles they go through to solve these problems, and climax.
Summary of how the story ends, who the bad guy is and all. (Leaving any hanging ends or questions that haven’t been answered doesn’t generate curiosity here.)

It’s important to keep fluff minimal in a synopsis, use anomniscient point of view, and to do the obvious like spelling and grammarchecks. It doesn’t hurt to have others look at it and give you feedback. Wouldthey want to read your story based on what you’ve written in your synopsis? Arethe characters and plot presented in such a way that it creates interest? Ifso, then your manuscript may well be on its way to becoming a book in yourhands.

The Alias by Mandi Tucker Slack

2011-10-12T05:00:00.002-06:00

The Alias by Mandi Tucker Slack is much more than just a “girl power” kind of book. Yes, there is an abused woman who fights back. Yes, she is brave and willing to do anything to protect her son. (What mother isn’t) She is strong but proud, independent but vulnerable. This book has something for everyone: Romance, Action, Intrigue and a development of characters that makes you feel good when you finish. I may not sit down to read a straight romance, but I enjoy the book that successfully involves all of these elements. The Alias is a winner.

The story is centered around a woman who flees her abusive ex-husband and hides out on a Utah ranch. When the FBI locates her to ask questions about her Ex’s business dealings, she realizes she may not be as well hidden as she thought. If the FBI can find her, so can her ex-husband.

The first half of the book develops at a modest pace but Mandi knows how to turn a good phrase and keep the tension high. I need a fast pace to keep from getting bored and Mandi succeeded in keeping my attention, teasing with tension and conflict in every chapter until it ultimately races to its exciting conclusion.

I’m the kind of guy who identifies the ending of a story within the first ten minutes of watching a movie or TV show. (My wife and kids REALLY love that) I ALWAYS know who did it the moment I’m introduced to the character. I recognize a plot twist is coming before it happens. Pretty impressive, huh :>)My keen eye is attuned to these kind of things and while the plot is sometimes predictable the many twists keep you on your toes, guessing, wondering until you reach the satisfying resolution.

Again, this is more than just a “girl power” book for women. Men can definitely enjoy this as well and I recommend it. The Alias is a quick and enjoyable read.
You can purchase The Alias here
You can also order the eBook version for only $3.99 which is a GREAT deal.
and check out Mandi’s Blog Here http://heyyouslackers.blogspot.com/

Literature Turned Into a Vegas Show!

2011-10-11T14:09:00.000-06:00

by Trina Boice

www.trinaboice.com

“Jabbawockeez is the best show I’ve seen in Vegas by far” was what my 16 year old son posted on his Facebook status last night, after seeing their fun show at the Monte Carlo Resort and Casino. We live in Sin City and my son has seen quite a few shows, so that’s really saying something.

Even if you don’t have a break-dancing teen in your family, you’re sure to enjoy this world-famous dance crew’s high energy show. (Old folks near the stage will want to wear ear plugs.) Picture comedic mimes doing some of the coolest hip hop dance moves you’ve seen, add some fly costumes designed by Kara Saun, the runner up on Bravo’s “Project Runway” Season 1, and put it all on a hip stage set and you’ve got 90 minutes of good, CLEAN entertainment, perfect for families.

The Jabbawockeez first gained fame in their national television appearance on America's Got Talent in 2006, before winning the MTV hip-hop dance reality series, Randy Jackson Presents America's Best Dance Crew in March 2008. They’re considered to be the ultimate dance crew these days and have inspired countless kids to get out there and bust a move. Does anyone say “bust a move” anymore or did I just reveal my age?

While the target audience is most definitely the young club set, we were surrounded by an amused older crowd in the audience as well. The dancing is accompanied by a spliced mixed tape of sorts that features musical fan favorites and movie audio clips that span several decades, causing the audience to cheer and clap in excited spurts.

The crew’s signature look includes white masks and white gloves, but even without faces, the dancers’ bodies gave effective expression, often communicating with hesitant volunteers from the audience for some delightful comedy sketches. In fact, the performers don’t take themselves too seriously at all and the show is almost a comedy routine mixed with some impressive flares, locking, popping and dime stopping.

Without a word from the dancers, they were able to weave a faint story throughout the show of how anyone can find their muse (the show’s title “MUS.I.C” is read “Muse I See”. I’ve seen several Vegas shows start with a janitor sweeping the stage (get in your seat at least fifteen minutes early to enjoy his pre-show antics), but this blue collar Wockee maintains his faceless identity during the whole show and attempts to teach us that anyone can dream big by bringing “the colors of sound” to life.

One of my favorite sections of the show was a ninja showdown that featured some glow-in-the-dark antics that were fun with the lights off and hilarious when the lights came back on to reveal their secret tricks. The Jabbawockeez know how to poke fun at Vegas too, dressing up as Elvis, Blue Man Group, Carrot Top, and a show girl.

The original crew consists of seven members: Kevin Brewer, Joe Larot, Phil Tayag, Chris Gatdula, Ryan Paguio, Jeff “Phi” Nguyen, and Ben Chung “B-Tek.” Before being accepted as official members of Jabbawockeez, Jeff and Ben Chung had to participate in a dance battle with one of the three founders. I did a head count during the Vegas show and soon learned that MTV’s “America’s Best Dance Crew” Season 2 winners Super Cr3w perform nightly with Jabbawockeez, adding some extra athleticism and acrobatics to the show. In fact, at times there is so much going on the stage that it’s hard to know which performer to focus on.

The name Jabbawockeez is derived from Lewis Carroll’s poem Jabberwocky, briefly alluded to in the show when the janitor starts to read the book and then falls into a dream state. By the way, don’t sit in the first three rows if fog machines bother you. Although the show started off a little slowly, the packed audience was eager to award the crew with a standing ovation at the end.

And now a few bummers…I talked to several adoring audience members who had their wallets out, ready to buy merchandise before and after the show, but were quickly discouraged by the ridiculously steep prices, leaving the dope signature masks and t-shirts in the store. I was surprised that the dance crew didn’t take their masks off at the end of the performance like they so often do, and a bit disappointed that they didn’t come outside the theater to greet the audience and take photos. (I had my Flipcam ready to film them becoming best friends with my son.)

The crew’s success in Vegas means that the show has been extended through spring 2012. Performances are Thursday at 9:30 p.m., Friday at 9:30 p.m., Saturday at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. and Sunday and Monday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $52 (plus tax and fees). For more information, please visit www.jbwkz.com or www.montecarlo.com.

A Story Inspired

2011-10-10T07:17:00.000-06:00

Today, an incredibly beautiful and talented young lady turns twenty years old. I first met her shortly before she turned four--she caught my eye when I saw her bouncing down the aisle in my sacrament meeting. Twice. I next saw her dancing circles around my mom and some guy in the foyer.

I married the guy. :)

But I saw her first.

Someday, I'm going to write a picture book about the love a stepmom can have for a child. The kind of love that doesn't lessen the love either of her parents feel for her; it's just another person who loves her. It's called I Saw You First. It's funny to me how sometimes the title of a story comes to me first. For this one, I have the title and the first couple of lines. It's going to be a poem I turn into a book. Rhyming and all that. Which, in large part, is why it's not written yet.

I receive story inspirations in different ways. Sometimes, an entire plot will sit down in my mind and not move until I write it down. Other times, like the above situation, it's the title that hits me first, but with a meaning I can't set aside. And, occasionally, a character will come to me with a story so powerful it can't be ignored. Though I doubt we've ever talked about it, I'm sure every writer has similar experiences. I don't know anyone who is always inspired the same way for every story they write.

It's my firm belief that the Lord speaks to each of us in ways He knows we will hear. The inspiration I receive at different times is what will actually impact me in those moments--and, as I stated before, it's not always the same thing. He knows me. And He speaks to me, but not the same way He speaks to you.

How are you inspired?

Need a Little Inspiration? You Have to See This

2011-10-06T15:32:00.007-06:00

This past week I’ve been thinking a lot about how much I’ve taken to my new home state of Texas in the years since we were blessed to move here. Here are a few of the things I love:

1) Blue Bell ice cream

2) The fact that In-N-Out Burger recently opened multiple locations in the Dallas/Fort Worth area (the Calfornia-grown girl in me can't get enough of those fries)

3) Falling asleep to the sound of the cows outside my window

4) The Bluebonnets that blossom in the spring

5) The seemingly endless sky

6) The kind people with huge hearts and a love of God and country (In fact, I have to say, it's this last one I think I love the most)

In my first two books, the protagonist keeps a notebook in which she writes about the people who inspire her. The other day, I was watching the local news and saw a story that inspired me so deeply, I had to share a link here.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/02/mariah-slick-down-syndrome-homecoming-queen_n_991098.html

What a joy to be in the same state, the same country, the same planet as such inspirational young people. Way to go Mariah! Way to go Azle High School!

Whitney Awards: Eligible Novels

2011-10-04T08:05:00.001-06:00

by Rebecca Talley

Some of our blog team members have books that are eligible for a Whitney Award. The following books are eligible for nominations:

Blank Slate by Heather Justesen

Adrianna Mueller may be a world-renowned concert pianist, but when she wakes from her coma after a serious car accident, her ability to perform has disappeared as completely as her lost memory. As she recovers from her injuries, she struggles with the expectations of everyone—her family, friends, and fiancé, Brock—who all want everything to go back to the way it was.

Everyone except Gavin, Adrianna’s brother’s business partner, who finds himself drawn to the woman she is now. But he has his own problems. As he tries to get a handle on a former employee’s embezzlement, he fights his growing feelings for Adrianna.

And then a trip to the emergency room shakes everything up, leaving her to stumble as she tries to regain her footing all over again.

Minor Adjustments by Rachael Renee Anderson

Chicago businessman and bachelor Devon Pierce doesn't want to be appointed guardian of Australian four-year-old Ryan Caldwell - but Ryan's solicitor, Stella Walker, won't take no for an answer.

Little does Devon know that this "minor" adjustment will grant him a future he never expected to have.

Told in a fast-paced, poignant, and witty style, Minor Adjustments will take you on a journey filled with humor, growth, romance, and love.

The Upside of Down by Rebecca Talley

"Hmmm," the doctor muttered.
Natalie wrinkled her forehead, almost afraid to ask, and said, "What does that mean?"
"You do know you're pregnant, right?"
Her breath caught in her throat. "Excuse me?"
"You're pregnant."
Her heartbeat thundered in her ears. "I'm what?"

Natalie Drake certainly has her hands full raising a large family, dealing with her difficult mother, and maintaining a relationship with her rebellious teenager. Just when things seem to be going smoothly, she finds out another unexpected surprise--she's going to have a baby. Faced with so many challenges, Natalie must learn to trust in a plan that isn't what she imagined and discover that every situation has an upside.

Rebecca Talley carefully creates this touching and heartfelt story that is sure to inspire you. With true-to-life characters and situations, The Upside of Down will reignite your faith and remind you of the importance of family.

My Girlfriend's Boyfriend by Elodia Strain

Jesse is looking for the "right guy." When she bumps into Ethan, a despairing writer who she inspires, she thinks she's found him. But only moments later she meets Troy, a successful advertising executive who makes almost every moment romantic.

Both seem perfect, but things are not always what they seem. My Girlfriend's Boyfriend is a fun romance that blends warm sincerity with fresh storytelling.

If you've read any of these novels and would like to nominate them for a Whitney Award, please go here.

If you've read other novels by LDS authors published in 2011 and would like to nominate them, please go here.

You can learn more about the Whitney Awards here. Please spread the word!

Thanks!

Writing Support Online

2011-10-02T01:37:00.001-06:00

by Trina Boice
http://www.trinaboice.com/

In writing news this week:

Writing can be a lonely task. It can be tricky to motivate yourself, and without proper feedback, it’s hard to know how to improve. Several websites already exist to encourage writers, through classes, workshops, online forums and more. Tomorrow, a new site called LitReactor adds its name to the list.

Created by the team who built Chuck Palahniuk‘s website, which itself has hosted writing classes and more, LitReactor uses a combination of engaging content and smart gaming mechanics to encourage writers to gain both new skills and new trusted friends. Check it out!

Write With Passion

2011-09-28T10:44:00.003-06:00

I don't have anything witty or profound to share with you today.

I apologize for sounding a little bit like a Sacrament Meeting Speaker who opens with a similar "I woke up this morning and remembered my talk," or "When Bro. Soandso called me to speak three days ago," or "I'm just going to read this General Authority's talk because he said it so much better than I could." I cringe when I hear these kind of statements even though I know it's simply an attempt to lower audience expectations in an effort to stave off criticism and disappointment. Unlike a church meeting where decorum is expected and rotton tomatos rarely fly, you are welcome to take your best shots.

I recently finished a sequel to my first book Defensive Tactics and I found myself considering which writing project I should tackle next. I'm fortunate to have a couple of wonderful projects I'm eager to pursue, so how do I choose? Maybe I should focus on the sequel to my Crater Lake book that comes out in March? (click here to view 2 very cool potential covers) It's a great story, the project is interesting and I expect to have two more books in the series so writing the next book sounds like the responsible thing to do, right?

Or should I start a new project I've been itching to write all year? It's high concept with broad market apeal but has the potential to be a little bit of a lightening rod. Maybe my inner rebel is trying to get out and I'm anticipating the excitement of some controversy. Maybe. I don't know. In any case, I'm excited about it.

So what should I do? Some friends have suggested I write both simultaneously. I've got to be honest, the last time I tried writing two at the same time was more than I could handle so I think I'm going to stick with one. Other friends have suggested that I should write what I'm most passionate about at the moment. They argue that if I don't feel the passion in my writing why even bother? They remind me that my writing's not likely to make me rich (darn it) and I'm not going to become some international sensation (yay!). So I should remember why I'm writing in the first place. Why am I writing in the first place? I write to enjoy myself as I tell an exciting story. It's that simple.

I've decided I'm going to write with passion. That means I'm going to focus first on the project I feel most passionate about right now and then I will still have time to refocus on my original passion when I'm finished. What do you think? Is this wise or naive?

In closing, if I'm not excited about the Sacrament Meeting talk I'm giving I will inevitably fail to make others excited. Likewise, if I'm not passionate about my writing project, the reader won't be either.

Staying True

2011-09-26T07:45:00.000-06:00

by Cheri Chesley

The other night, I car-pooled up to our church building with a couple of other ladies for the Relief Society broadcast. That doesn't seem like a big deal, but in my new area our ward building is 30 miles away, and I wasn't going to be able to go unless I got a ride. While driving, we chatted about this and that, and then one of them said, "Aren't you a writer? That's what I heard."

Like most authors, I love and hate that question. Love it because, yes, I am a writer and I adore it. Hate it because I am not a fan of talking about myself. But it did steer the conversation to books, specifically MY books. As it happens, she's an avid YA fantasy reader, and purchased a copy of my book that night. (it doesn't always turn out that way, but it was pretty cool)

In our conversation, I tried to express to her how vital writing is to my well being. It's not just something I love; it truly loves me back. Kind of like a form of therapy, I guess, where I get almost as much out of it as I pour into it. It's become pretty clear in recent months that if I don't write I'm a miserable person--and not that much fun to be around. I've said it before: Writing keeps me sane. There's irony there--giving credence to the voices in my head keeps me sane. Um, really?

Yes.

The conference broadcast inspired me. Doing what makes me happy. Staying true to my ideals and my values. Keeping my sacred covenants. All of these things are in harmony with my writing. Remembering my value. Harmony again.

It's a pity the drive home took so long, because had I been able to rush straight to my computer I probably would have written into the night. As it was, by the time I got home and got my girls back from their grandpa's house it was past bedtime and we had church in the morning. :)

Today, though, is a new day! And I'm going to polish and shine up chapter 12 to make it beautiful.

Cool Technology Uniting Readers and Authors

2011-09-25T01:01:00.000-06:00

by Trina Boice

www.trinaboice.com

Imagine being able to talk to the author of a book at the very moment you are reading it. Unless the author is your uncle sitting next to you at Thanksgiving dinner, the scenario seems unlikely. With today's cool technology, however, now it's a reality!

Amazon's new feature @author, allows readers to ask questions directly from their Kindles which are sent to the author's Twitter account, as well as to the writer's home page at Amazon! Amazon's cool new technology is aimed at creating a reader community online, focusing on Kindle titles.

While publishers worry that they will be cut out of the connection, authors are cheering for a chance to improve their brand and build a stronger fan following. If you've ever tried to write to an author through the publisher's contact information, you know that messages and questions to authors rarely get passed on. Now the relationship can be more intimate and even instant. Some publishers are still furious that anyone can sell their independent books online and make a fortune without their help. Amazon is truly changing the publishing industry.

John Locke (not the bald guy from "Lost", but a businessman who started writing Kindle novels and is the first author to sell more than a million ebooks online), recently signed an unusual contract with Simon & Schuster, which allows him to continue selling his ebooks while the publisher handles marketing and sales of the print versions. This unique deal is a perfect example of how the balance of power in the traditional publishing world has shifted, creating a need for both authors and publishers to adapt to new changes.

The @author feature is an expansion of Amazon's social-networking-style program for Kindle which invites readers to "follow" other readers and see which books they like and have commented on. Amazon is hoping that readers will answer questions for the authors as well and create a virtual hang-out on their site. Technology continues to bring together readers and authors in new ways. Any time more people are reading and talking about books is always a good thing!

Help From the Buddy System

2011-09-19T07:01:00.004-06:00

Our neighbor has a big green van that is critical to the business his wife runs. With his plumbing work suffering in the current economy, that business has become their primary source of income.

So having the van throw an engine rod a week or so ago was a very bad thing. Without the van, the business simply doesn't function.

The van had just been paid off, and replacing it--even with a used vehicle--was out of the question. Having a shop replace the engine would cost even more than replacing the van. Renting a van to keep the business operating was going to cost over a thousand dollars a week.

It's safe to say that he was in a bit of a pickle.

Fortunately, our neighbor has a network. He's been in the area for a while, and has been active in a number of organizations. It's a rare evening when there aren't a couple of extra Harleys parked out front, and I've lost count of the conversations we've had that he starts by saying, "I was over helpin' my buddy..."

In fact, more than once our neighbor has helped my family with a problem, many times when I was out of town.

So it was no surprise when a small army of capable-looking men appeared and began assessing the situation with the engine. (Okay, they actually looked like a motorcycle gang, but capable nonetheless.) Soon large tools arrived and parts began coming off the van. I noticed that different people seemed to be in charge at different times, each sharing their expertise.

For my part, I donated the use of our sunshade--an important addition even late in the Texas summer.

It took nearly a week of hard work, but by Saturday the old engine had been removed and a rebuilt motor installed in its place. The van was reassembled, and is now running as good as new. All for significantly less money than I would have thought possible.

I was impressed by the way people rallied around our neighbor in his time of need, giving of themselves to do what he couldn't do by himself.

I thought how great it would be if I had a network like that, too. And then I realized that I do.

I am part of an excellent critique group. Recently I have gotten some great feedback on Into The Wind, my sequel to Bumpy Landings. Feedback that will help me take a good story and make it great. Each member has a different perspective; a different area of expertise that they can draw on to help make my writing better.

I'll admit that there are occasions when it's hard for me to use my limited writing time to read through someone else's work. Yet I'm always glad when I do, as I can't help but learn from their work, and there is no doubt that both critiquing and being critiqued has made my writing better.

Crafting a superior story may not be as physically challenging as dropping a big-block Ford V-8, but it's every bit as complicated. And while my critique partners are somewhat lacking in leather and tattoos, they are all extremely capable writers.

I am grateful for the help that I get from my writing buddies. Having a support network can make all of the difference in the world.

She Fought The System and Won

2011-09-18T01:21:00.002-06:00

By Trina Boice
www.trinaboice.com

After a hard-fought battle to ensure the protection of American authors and publishers from extortionate foreign libel judgments, one New York-based scholar and researcher has secured the passage of the first law to achieve unanimous Congressional support this term.

Initated and promoted by Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld, the Securing the Protection of our Enduring and Established Constitutional Heritage Act (SPEECH Act) protects Americans from the enforcement of foreign libel judgments that do not meet American standards of constitutional protection for freedom of speech.

Faced with an internationally-publicized suit against her by a notorious libel tourist in 2004, Dr. Ehrenfeld was the first author to stand up against the phenomenon of libel tourism, a practice by which foreign libel plaintiffs sue American authors and publishers abroad solely in the attempt to suppress free speech in the United States.

Dr. Ehrenfeld’s initial efforts resulted in the passage of protective legislation in New York and in six other states, and have now reached her ultimate goal of extending those protections nationally. Thank you Dr. Ehrenfeld!

The Assassination of Governor Boggs by Rod Miller

2011-09-14T06:00:00.001-06:00

Rod Miller's novel, The Assassination of Governor Boggs is a creative attempt to answer the mystery of who shot former Missouri Governor, Lilburn Boggs. Rod is a fellow Cedar Fort author who deserves our support.

After leaving office as Governor of Missouri, Lilburn Boggs maintained a residence in Independence Missouri, the location of the original violence and atrocities perpetrated against the Mormon Saints. On a stormy night, an assassin took his best shot, trying to rid the world of Governor Boggs and his nefarious activities. Many supposed, including the Boggs family, that the Mormons were behind the assassination attempt, and specifically that Porter Rockwell shot Lilburn Boggs under orders of Joseph Smith. To the surprise of the doctors, the newspapers and his family, Lilburn Boggs, the Governor who issued the infamous Extermination Order of Missouri Mormons survived the attempt on his life and lived for another 17 years.

Despite having many political and business enemies Lilburn Boggs believed the Mormons were behind his attempted assasination. He lived in fear the remainder of his days, expecting the Mormons to come and finish the job. Because of this fear, at least in part, Boggs moved to California where he became a man of substantial influence. This historical novel begins after Bogg's death when his son William engages the services of the Pinkerton Detective Agency to solve the crime that occurred 25 years earlier. Calvin Pogue is the detective assigned to the case.

The Pinkerton Man's investigation leads him to California, Nauvoo, Independence and Salt Lake City as he attempts to piece together the motive, facts and evidence of the 25 year old crime. Pogue is an honest seeker of truth and is determined to follow the evidence whereever it leads. He is a likeable and determined character.

Rod Miller uses this account of a fictional investigation to add context to the Missouri Persecutions of the 1830's. Through Pogue's dispassionate interviews with lawmen, LDS apostates, LDS leaders such as Brigham Young, Emma Smith, sympathizers like Alexander Doniphan and even Porter Rockwell himself, he explores both sides of the conflict that presumably led to the assassination attempt. Each character speaks with a unique voice consistent with the era and Miller does a nice job salting the story with authentic details of frontier life in the 1860's.

As church members we usually only read and hear apologetic accounts that hold out all Missourian's as mobbers and evil-doers, while all Mormons were pure, faithful and innocent victims of a wicked government led by Lilburn Boggs. Miller regales us however with accounts of Mormon enforcers called Danite "night riders" and we quickly see that both sides possessed the power to behave badly. As is generally the case, there is rarely pure evil and pure righteousness personified in fallible human beings. Every person, whether it's Lilburn Boggs or Porter Rockwell share a split personality of good and evil. Some traits are nobel and strong and worthy of emulation, while others serve as examples of what not to do.

I enjoyed this story a great deal. Rod Miller is a unique storyteller. It took me a couple of chapters to appreciate how he juxtaposed early interviews in the investigation with pieces of his final interview with Porter Rockwell. Because the interviews didn't always follow a linear time line, we sometimes heard repeated accounts by secondary sources to the investigation. While these redundancies sometimes slowed the pace of the story, they also served to reinforce the truthfulness or inconsistencies of the different interview subjects. When we read a secondary account of the same events, as the reader we draw our own conclusions about the trustworthiness of the account, just as Detective Pogue did.

I enjoyed learning more about Porter Rockewell and Lilburn Boggs and I always appreciate an engaging church history story.

On a personal note, I served my mission in Independence Missouri. Following my mission and schooling I moved to a small town in Caldwell County Missouri near Far West where I still live and currently serve as the Bishop of the Far West Ward for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have a deep love for this area and the rich LDS history and I believe there is much we can learn from both the successes and failures of the early saints.

Understanding the weaknesses and mistakes of the early saints can be educational if we recognize the saints for who they were; imperfect people who lived during a dangerous and challenging time that in many ways is impossible for us to fully appreciate. Sometimes we base our faith on the actions and behaviors of people we look up to and when we find that a person isn't as perfect as we once thought, we become disillusioned. This can be one of the risks in studying church history and I hope readers will remember this and not make the foolish mistake of judging the gospel doctrine and worthiness of the church based on the imperfections of individuals.

This book asks many direct questions and leads the reader to ask many more of his own. While I may not agree with all the conclusions of Pogue's investigation I certainly enjoyed the ride and the creative way in which the history and the associated questions were presented. My one major criticism of this work concerns the final chapter. I won't describe the issue because it could be a spoiler for the reader, but I found the final scene, which I believe is purely fictional with no basis in fact, to leave the reader with an unfortunate bias which could influence their conclusions.

So did Porter Rockwell attempt to assassinate Lilburn Boggs? And if so, did he do it under order of Joseph Smith? You'll have to read the book and make your own decision.

I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in tasting the flavor of the Missouri period of the church. It is an enjoyable read during which you have the opportunity to learn.

Check out my interview with Rod Miller.

You can purchase The Assassination of Governor Boggs here.

Remembering 9/11

2011-09-12T07:43:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Like most people, it got me thinking. Where was I? What was I doing? What was I thinking?

I've repeated this before. One of the UT newspapers put out a call in 2002 for people to write what they remembered in 500 words or less. I got my submission in, and received the phone call that they wanted a photographer to come take my picture. It was all kind of surreal at the time, but this, essentially, is what was published in that paper:

We'd planned a family trip, and were leaving that morning--me, my husband, our three sons and infant daughter. Utah to OK is a long drive and we wanted an early start, but we weren't getting it. In fact, we were still getting ready when my brother (we were living with him at the time) came in to tell us he'd heard "unconfirmed reports" of an airplane striking the World Trade Center. I admit it, we laughed at that. What do they mean unconfirmed? Can't they just look and see? We were thinking it had to be a hoax, or some kind of advertising stunt. It wasn't until we heard about the second plane hitting, and also something going on at the Pentagon, that we started to wonder what was really going on.

We set out on the road, stopping one last time for snacks and gas. As we stood in line at Walmart, the lady in front of us was on the phone and had tears streaming down her face. She had someone, family, at the WTC. I felt for her, for her pain and anguish. We hurried to our car after making our purchases and turned on the news radio.

Our hearts sank lower and lower as the events unfolded. What had started out as an ordinary day hadn't stayed that way long. During the drive, we tuned in AM radio for any updates as we neared and passed through towns and cities. We watched the news that night at the hotel, and repeated the same procedure the second day of the trip.

Sadly, I don't remember much about the visit we had with my in-laws. I don't even remember what my kids did for that week. I do remember holding my baby in my arms, glued to the TV with all the other adults, and watching with horror and that awful helplessness the incredible suffering that had been inflicted upon countless families and individuals. I think, in those moments and days after, we all felt personally attacked to some degree. To attack America was to strike at each of us. That feeling has not left me.

Now, as we remember the events of that day, I prefer the stories of the brave--and how many there were--who sacrificed their safety and even their lives to help friends, colleagues and strangers. It warms my heart to think of the selfless ones who seemed to understand so much more, and do so much more. They are true heroes, all.

"Very Slumping:" Things I've Learned from "Junie B. Jones"

2011-09-08T13:32:00.000-06:00

Junie B. Jones is adorable. I discovered this during the summer when I read Junie B. Jones books to my kids. For those of you who may not have read them before or know what they’re about, Junie B. is a young girl (Kindergarten /First Grade) who gets into a lot of trouble.

But it’s the way she speaks to her audience while she’s getting into mischief that makes her adorable. This is because her voice is so close to an actual Kindergartener, though an adult, Barbara Park, created her. For example, she says that she “quick runned…” instead of ran, she can’t remember her teacher’s name so she calls her “Mrs. and that’s all,” and her heart gets all “pumpy” when she does something wrong and she’s about to get caught. Not to mention that she eats candy she found on the playground because she “…loves those guys, that’s why.”

One afternoon, I scanned through the titles of the chapters before reading to my kids, and noticed the chapter title, “Very Slumping.” I giggled when I read this, because I knew that something was going to go wrong and she would then feel very sad. But it was the description I loved because I could just picture her with her shoulders slumped and a sad, pouty face. Maybe it’s the mother in me, but sometimes I wish I could just reach through the pages of the book and wipe away her little tears.

From an author’s perspective, it’s easy to see how Barbara Park uses well the techniques of character, voice, dialogue, description, and show vs. tell. All of these are used and balanced well to engage and entertain the audience, which I might add includes everyone in my household from the ages of 8 to 40.

From an adult perspective, I’m thrown into the world of being a little girl again. I remember the promise I made to myself when I was little that I would remember what it was like being young so that when I was a mom, I could understand my children. I’m sad to admit that I very often forget what it’s like to be a kid, or even to be childlike.

But I’ve learned that I’m never too old to:

· Laugh,

· Play everyday (I like to read, write, talk with my kids, spend time with family, and ride on the back of my hubby’s motorcycle.)

· Identify with emotions quickly, especially negative ones, get them out, then get back to happiness or joy (sometimes I have happy feet that like to dance, others times I feel “very slumping”, sometimes it’s in-between.)

· Forgive easily

· Be humble, submissive, and obedient to authority (God)

· Have a routine or schedule

· Learn everyday

· Do chores/work/service

· Be grateful

When I do these things, I have my happiest days. When I don’t, I have not-so-happy days. And who knows. Maybe on those days when I’m feeling “very slumping”, God is giggling at my pouty face and wishes to reach through the clouds and wipe away my tears.

Effective Dialogue

2011-09-06T12:09:00.000-06:00

by Rebecca Talley

When writing fiction, it’s important to understand the techniques of writing effective and realistic dialogue. Dialogue in fiction is quite different from speech in real life.

Mimicking true conversation won’t be effective in a story. Listen to a few conversations and you’ll understand why. People tend to say “um,” “uh,” “yeah,” or “like.” Some people even pepper their conversations with, “you know what I mean.” It’s a subconscious speech pattern that the user rarely recognizes, but in written form would kill a story. Though people stammer, stutter, or pause throughout natural conversation, you don’t want to include that in your dialogue.

Dialogue should propel the story forward. Readers don’t need to know all the gritty details of a character’s day unless that specific information moves the story forward. Conversation between two characters that portrays certain qualities of those characters or crucial information exchanged between characters are both effective uses of dialogue.

Dialogue needs to be attributed to characters. It’s most effective when the character has such a unique voice that the reader instantly knows which character is speaking. When using dialogue tags, the word said should be used most often. Occasionally asked or answered can be used, but stay away from words like interjected, declared, insisted, intimated or other less-used words that may draw a reader out of the story. Said seems to disappear and it doesn’t distract from the story. As a writer, you don’t want anything to pull your reader away from the world you’ve created.

Akin to this is giving character speaking attributions that are physically impossible to accomplish. It’s hard to laugh or smile some dialogue. “It’s Tuesday,” she laughed. If your character is laughing. She’s probably not saying anything. A better choice might be, “It’s Tuesday.” She laughed. Two separate actions.

While English teachers may encourage the use of varying dialogue tags, their use generally communicates that the writer is inexperienced.

Make sure that your dialogue is realistic without being real-life speech, that it moves the story forward, and that the tags don’t distract from the story. Following these guidelines will help you write your fiction in a more effective manner and may just mean the difference between an acceptance and a rejection.

Are Characters Kings or Pawns?

2011-08-27T17:22:00.003-06:00

By Christine Thackeray

So, my twenty-three year old son convinced me that I had to read the wheel of time series. I have to admit I've been intrigued ever since Brandon Sanderson was contracted to finish the epic fantasy saga, and I at last gave in. At the expense of my laundry room and kitchen I've spent the last four days reading constantly. The story has been engaging and Jordan's vocabulary is thrilling, but I've had a few character issues that make me leary.

"The Eye of the World" begins with three rural boys driven from their homes on a great adventure. Each of the boys has unique interests and personalities. All three are led by a mysterious woman and her champion guardian. The story clips along until they split up and return together. For a time, when they reconnect in smaller groups, some of their motivations seem forced in order to continue the conflict. You'd think these childhood friends would be ecstatic to see each other, but they have petty issues, blown out of proportion. The resolve is clever, but my question continues- how important is it to have characters be true to their personality types? More than once I've been plotting a story and knew what I wanted my character to do but couldn't make it work realistically. With Robert Jordan he just does it and throws in enough magic dreams and Trolloc attacks that you totally forget you were frustrated with motivations.

When a character is not genuine, I get frustrated with the project and often stop reading. Like the horror movies where the babysitter hears a sound upstairs and goes into the attic to be killed. Yeah, right. Call 911, dummy. On the other hand, if the conflict isn't stepping up, like Heather said, I also lose interest. In the end, I suppose it is a matter of weighing cost and benefit. You can stretch a character to the bounds of believability if it's exciting enough, right??? As authors what do you think? As readers does it even bother you?

Story Structure: Ocean Waves or Stairsteps?

2011-08-26T16:54:00.002-06:00

By Heather Justesen

I've spent quite a while mulling over one of my writing projects lately, trying to decide what wasn't working. Now don't get me wrong, the characters are terrific (if I do say so myself), the set up is good, the chemistry between all of the players is working nicely, but I still felt like something wasn't working quite right.

Then it hit me--I have plenty of conflict but it looks like ocean waves instead of a set of stairs.

You see, for conflict to push the characters to the end of the book, you have to keep upping the ante. Ocean wakes may have some nice crests, but the conflict comes back down again to a former level (or close).

Stair steps on the other hand keep building upward. One conflict stacks on top of the next until you reach the crisis at the end--and it keeps the reader riveted in their seats. If things don't continue to get worse for the character then the story stagnates.

Yeah, that means I need to do a little more tweaking to the story, but hopefully it'll help me make it the best it can be.

In other awesome news, I saw a preview of my book cover for my next book, Family by Design, and it rocks! Last I heard the book is supposed to be available in January, and seeing the cover has me all kinds of excited. I'll post it up here as soon as I get the final version.

Nominate a Novel

2011-08-23T07:16:00.001-06:00

by Rebecca Talley

Have you read a great novel by an LDS author? A great novel by an LDS Cedar Fort author? Would you like to recognize that novel? You can! Just visit The Whitney Awards and nominate your favorite 2011 titles. The deadline for nominations is December 31, 2011.

If you aren't familiar with The Whitney Awards here's some info:

What are the Whitneys?

The Whitneys are an awards program for novels by LDS authors. Elder Orson F. Whitney, an early apostle in the LDS church, prophesied “We will yet have Miltons and Shakespeares of our own.” Since we have that as our goal, we feel that we should also honor those authors who excel and continually raise the bar.

The Whitney Awards honor novels in the following categories: General Fiction, Romance, Suspense/Mystery, Speculative Fiction, Youth Fiction, Historical, Best Novel of the Year, and Best Novel by a New Author. Novels can be nominated by any reader (via this website or by mail), and nominees are voted on by an academy of industry professionals, including authors, publishers, bookstore owners, distributors, critics, and others.

The awards were founded in 2007 and operate as an semi-autonomous subsidiary of LDStorymakers.

Who are we?

The 2011 Whitney Awards Committee is comprised of six members:

•Josi Kilpack (President)
•Annette Lyon
•Heather Moore
•Jana Parkin
•Sarah M. Eden
•Luisa Perkins

For more information about the roles and responsibilities of the committee, see the official rules.

The Whitney Awards are sponsored and endorsed by LDStorymakers, the authors guild for the LDS market.

For more information on The Whitney Awards or to nominate a book (yes, go nominate one right now!) you can visit The Whitney Awards here.

Laughter is the Best Medicine

2011-08-22T11:10:00.000-06:00

by Cheri Chesley

Right now I'm watching 3 grown men try to fit a couch out the doorway. I promise, I am not laughing. No, really.

Today I had to take my daughter to the dentist to have some fillings put in. At this dentist, they give kids nitrous oxide, or "happy gas," to help them relax. My daughter was nervous about the whole experience, so we went ahead with the gas first to give her a chance to settle down before anything got started. They also have TV's in the ceiling, headphones, and the patient gets the remote. Spongebob was just starting.

"I love this show!" my daughter exclaimed.

Within just a few minutes, she was in la-la land with a capital LA! "Spongebob!" she yelled. "Spongebob! I'm here!"

Of course I have video. What kind of a mom do you take me for? lol

Packing to move is stressful. Today, I experienced my daughter's "happy gas" taking the edge off my stress and worry. I haven't laughed so hard in ages. I was still smiling when I wrote the check. Best money I've ever spent.

I did have some slight concern, because her antics had the dentist laughing pretty hard. But it all worked out fine. And fast. Within 20 minutes, she was done. It took her another 45 minutes to come back down to earth. She was the hit of my chiropractor's office. No lie.

What does this have to do with writing? I'm not sure, but it was too funny not to share. Maybe it can serve as a reminder that writing, like life, needs some humor in it.

A Contrast in Literary History

2011-08-21T16:22:00.000-06:00

by Trina Boice
http://www.trinaboice.com/

I thought the following news reports this weekend about what's happening in the literary world were interesting. Are they a sign of what our culture has become or simply an odd juxtaposition of contrasting news stories?

For example, one news report stated that while Charles Dickens might have written that he wanted no “monument, memorial, or testimonial whatsoever” to be erected in his name, the UK‘s first ever statue of the great author is nonetheless set to be created next year to mark the bicentenary of his birth. Do you think he'll be rolling over in his grave or slightly pleased?

Designed by sculptor Martin Jennings, known for his bronzes of John Betjeman in St Pancras and of Philip Larkin in Hull, the statue will be placed in Guildhall Square in Portsmouth, the town of Dickens’s birth.

Another report that I found amusing said that a group of Franciscan friars furious at the theft of bibles from their church in Florence several days ago have taken the unusual step of praying for the thief to be struck down by diarrhea. Friars at the 15th century church of San Salvatore al Monte, which was a favorite of Michelangelo, were irritated when a rare and expensive bible disappeared from the lectern, and they flew off the handle when a replacement bible donated by a worshipper also went missing and within a few hours.

And finally, the concise Oxford English Dictionary (OED) just released its newest updates, The Daily Mirror reported. They include the word made famous by Sasha Baron Cohen‘s “Borat“: Mankini, as well as jeggings (leggings that look like jeans) and sexting (sending sexual text messages). Now would Charles Dickens being rolling over in his grave?

Watching a Writer Write

2011-08-21T01:47:00.003-06:00

                                                                  by Trina Boice
                                                                 www.trinaboice.com

One of the things I love about writing books is that I get to meet other authors. I especially love getting to know creative fiction authors who think outside of the box. Many of my non-fiction books have become best-sellers, but writing engaging fiction seems way too hard to me.

A good author friend of mine, Steve Booth, has just started a new project that is really imaginative and engages readers in a new way. He's inviting readers to participate in a story as it unfolds online at: http://www.stevenmbooth.com/?page_id=201&cpage=1

Here is what he had to say on his latest blog post as he explains the project:
"Over the last several months, we have been working on a new way to present fantasy material on the web. Of course, there have been many excellent examples of storytelling – eBooks, multi-path stories, even full-blown, immersive role-paying games.

These all fall short, however, when it comes to one thing — engaging readers in the creative (and sometimes challenging) process of writing a story from scratch. What we thought would be very cool, interesting for all, and also instructive, is to actually create, under the watchful eye of an author, a short story, interactively, over a period of several weeks, and to let everyone have a chance to contribute and make suggestions about how it should go. In short — you get to do the fun stuff, and I have to do the work. We call it an ‘eStory’.

Each new iteration of the eStory will consist of two or more parallel story tracks, based on the suggestions and selections made by all those that wish to contribute. Thus, although I have a pretty good idea of where our tale will lead, it is in a very real sense ‘organic’ – how we get to our destination has not yet been determined.

SO… if you’re curious, if you’ve ever wondered how folks come up with these fantastical characters and worlds, please join us on our adventure. We’re calling it ‘The Legend of Talimar’. In addition, it will be possible for anyone to comment, critique, ask questions, and suggest alternative paths that might be interesting to follow.

After everyone has a chance to respond, we will create at least two, or perhaps more alternative paths for the story to take, like the waters in a stream parting around a rock.    Later on, the two paths will rejoin the main plot of the story, but in the interim, new and interesting things will be revealed; things no one had suspected; things I never considered, perhaps!

After a number of installments (we're thinking like 10-12), we'll conclude the tale with a really cool climax and finale, and we'll provide some special secrets for those who also want to continue with the follow-on volume, Dark Talisman."

Go support my buddy and check out his fun project at:
http://www.stevenmbooth.com/?page_id=201&cpage=1

I Did The Unthinkable...

2011-08-17T05:00:00.000-06:00

Yes, it pains me to admit it, but I actually went to see Cowboys and Aliens last weekend. My gut told me not to do it, but I didn’t listen. I am ashamed of myself. You have my confession and now I will attempt to make amends, to warn others of the pitfalls of this movie, and on a larger level, of failing to follow your own gut feelings. I have learned my lesson, now I hope to share it with you…

When I first saw the trailer for Cowboys and Aliens in the theater months ago, I laughed out loud. I was embarrassed by the volume of my laugh so I looked around, hoping no one noticed. But I was confused. I thought it was a joke because it sounded so absurd and the trailer was pure corn, but I was the only one laughing. (Click here to see my blog post about bad titles) Woops. Lesson learned. But I tucked away in my little brain the thought that I would NEVER see that movie because it would be a pure waste of time and an utter humiliation if anyone knew I had seen it. My trusty gut told me not to do it, but I didn’t listen.

Over time I read a couple of interesting reviews and saw some new trailers that made the premise of the movie seem more appealing. I was gradually being boiled in a pot of water and I wasn’t smart enough to jump out and eventually I succumbed to the pressure.
Here are a couple of my problems with the movie…

1) It was stupid (My first impression was correct- the title was lame, the action cheesy, the

writing was weak and the acting questionable at best)
2) The movie was one giant cliché
a. Aliens invade earth to steal our resources (Wow, never heard that one before)
b. A band of mismatched heroes try to save the day (We’ve got the tough guy, the preacher, the ethically challenged tycoon, a kid, a dog and a good looking chick)
c. They made a half-baked attempt to answer deep philosophical questions about redemption and race relations (Seriously? It’s Cowboys and Aliens)
3) The movie was too long. In its defense, I would probably say the movie was too long if it were only 1 ½ hours. I just wanted it to end. As is, it ran a full 2 hours. (Literally, as the very last frame faded to black I found myself wishing it would fade more quickly)
4) There were too many distracting inconsistencies (I was about to share some examples but found it too frustrating)

In short (I know…too late) the only thing redeeming about this movie was the large pile of candy wrappers at my feet when it concluded. Mmm Candy!

So why mention this on a writing blog? Because from a storytelling point of view, these problems I had with the movie can also be problems in our writing.

1) Does our concept pass the smell test?
2) Is our action and dialogue realistic?
3) Do we write using clichés?
4) Are our characters original?
5) Is the length appropriate for the genre?
6) Is the story consistent within the framework we’ve established?

At the end of the day, we have to love what we’ve written. If we find inconsistencies that cause confusion we must assume that others will have an even bigger problem with it. Go with your gut. If you like it, write it. If you write it and it doesn’t turn out as you envisioned, rewrite it or maybe even scrap it.

When you are satisfied with your work, let test readers have a go. What are their honest feelings about the chapter, scene or book? Then ultimately you make the decision about what remains. Go with your gut. It’s your decision and you are the one to live with it.

Mr. Fixit Learns The System

2011-08-15T09:00:00.003-06:00

Here at my house, things tend to break down. A lot.

This is due primarily to the fact that much of our stuff is old and currently without hope of replacement. Yes, there is a financial component to this situation, but the truth is even if we could afford to replace this stuff, there are other factors at work.

Which is why there has been a new dishwasher sitting unused in our garage for two years while the old one rattles and leaks its way through every load. But that's another story for another blog post.

So with equipment in constant need of repair and limited funds to hire out the work, I have been required to call up my handyman genes and figure out the secret workings of washers and dryers and aerobic septic systems. But this hasn't always been easy.

Back in my grandparents' era, equipment was built with access and repair in mind. The workings were generally laid out in a way that invited understanding and tinkering.

These days, equipment is presented to the user as a "black box," where the inner mechanics are hidden behind a sleek exterior, often without screws, bolts, or any other obvious points of access. Things are just supposed to work, and when they don't you throw them away and buy a new one.

Fortunately, these days also present us with a treasure trove of information, and if one is willing to do a little research and put in some effort, the hidden clasps and secret access points can be discovered, and even someone like me can replace a washing machine snubber or repair a compressor motor. The information is all there--we simply need to access it.

One thing I have learned is that no matter how complicated or intricate a machine or device is, there is a system to the way it works. It's rare that I get step-by-step instructions for the exact project I'm working on, so I have to use my knowledge of the system to create my own repair plan. Understanding that system demystifies the process, and allows me the confidence to move forward with the repair. Usually all it takes is a few hours, some band-aids, and two bars of soap (one for washing off the grease, and the other for washing out the mouth).

The same has been true with writing and publishing. There is a system to this process, and the secret to success is in the understanding of it. And yet, within the system there are so many variables that it's impossible to follow a preset course. The best any one of us can hope to do is learn enough about the system--the mechanics of story structure; the quality of voice; the tricks of dialog and characterization; the quirks and idiosyncrasies of publishing and selling--and then push forward with a plan of attack custom made for our own unique projects.

Fortunately, the information is all readily available on blogs, websites, twitter chats, and at writing conferences. We live in a day and age where the publishing world is much more complicated than ever before. And yet the information we have at our disposal is the best it has ever been.

Study, learn, and understand the system. Then bring out your band-aids and your soap, and get to work.

Black Steak Sandwiches

2011-08-12T11:10:00.002-06:00

A while ago, my eight-year-old boy informed me that he wanted for his night for dinner, black steak sandwiches. I kept trying to think of what he was referring to, and after a few minutes of listening to his descriptions like, "You know, those things that are black and crispy?" I finally realized he was talking about bacon, and he wanted BLT's for dinner.

Do I really burn the bacon so often that our entire family now refers to BLT's as Black Steak Sandwiches? Apparently so. It turns out that I burn them because I try to multi task, like slicing the tomatoes, washing lettuce, etc. and then remembering, oh yeah. I'm cooking bacon, too.

So recently when I've made BLT's, I stayed at the pan the entire time flipping the bacon over and over, and they turned out beautifully. I was able to do this because I farmed out the other tasks like slicing tomatoes.

I've realized that sometimes in my life, especially the summer, I try to do too many things all at once and then I get burned out. Sometimes I need to just stop everything, focus on one thing, and delegate other things. This brings much needed balance into my life. I've discovered that during the summer when my kids are home from school, writing and editing take a back seat, but I still like to read a good book or two, to sharpen the saw, so to speak.

I hope everyone has had an awesome summer!

Your First Chapter: The Hook

2011-08-09T11:25:00.000-06:00

by Rebecca Talley

If you’ve ever seen the movie Funny Farm with Chevy Chase, you might remember the scene on the fishing boat when one of the characters attempts to cast his fishing line into the lake. Unfortunately, he accidentally hooks one of the other occupants in the boat. When Chase’s character, Andy Farmer, provides “aid” to the injured angler, slapstick comedy follows as he tries to unhook his fishing companion. This scene illustrates an important concept in writing fiction.

The Hook.

I thought about this concept during our last family fishing trip. Many fish nibbled but weren't caught by our hooks. Other fish took a bite, but the hook was only slightly attached so they wiggled off and freed themselves. The fish that had swallowed the hook and had it imbedded deep in their throats were the ones we caught.

That’s what you want to do: catch an editor. Don’t let him only nibble at your chapter, sink that hook so deep he can’t possibly wiggle away.

Editors are busy people. Thousands of manuscripts go out to editors each year. Most editors have to read on their own time because there are so many manuscripts.

Generally, a manuscript has a few pages, sometimes only a paragraph, to entice the editor to read on. As a writer, you must hook the editor immediately.

How do you hook an editor and/or reader from the beginning?

Start with the very first sentence. Make every word count. Draw in your reader from the first few words. Play with the words until you have the finest sentence you can construct.

One of the most famous first lines is, “Call me Ishmael,” from Moby Dick.

Genius.

That line communicates a multitude of information about the character and about the story because Herman Melville likened his character to a well-known person from the Bible and those familiar with the Biblical account of Ishmael’s story know what’s in store—a perfect hook.

Pack your first paragraph with a punch. Use active words and make the reader feel as if he’s right there in your story. Don’t waste words because this may be your one and only chance to capture the reader’s interest. Make your character shine, dangle a mystery, or write crisp dialogue. This is your moment to show a potential editor that you know how to write.

Some may argue that the first paragraph should include description to set the stage while others may say that you must begin with action and still others will insist that beginning with dialogue is the only way to go. Is one way better than another? That depends on the story--ask yourself how your story begins. Different stories demand different beginnings, but regardless of how you choose to begin, make it shine.

Make the first page the best that you can. Revise it until it says exactly what you want it to say. Make each and every word work for you. Make it impossible for an editor to stop reading. Don’t give him any reason—spelling or grammatical errors, shift in POV or tense, awkward sentence construction, passive sentences— to put it down. Draw him in from the very beginning.

Generally speaking, the first few pages are indicative of the rest of the story. If they hook an editor, chances are he’ll read the rest of the chapter and will be much more likely to keep reading. Don’t leave your best writing for the end of the book. You must begin strong to keep interest.

Don’t confuse your hook with your story question. They may be one in the same, but the hook is designed to compel the reader to keep reading beyond the first chapter. Whether it’s discovering a dead body, finding a mysterious object, or meeting a creepy character, you need something compelling enough in your first chapter to convince an editor to turn the page. It’s also a good idea to tie your hook to your story question.

Of course, the rest of your story will have to follow the dynamic first chapter, but the more you can pack into your first chapter, the better chance you have of keeping your readers. Never underestimate the power of the hook.

(This is an excerpt form my ebook Hook Me: What to Include in Your First Chapter. If you'd like to read the rest, it's available at Amazon or Smashwords for $0.99).
Thanks!

Reflections

2011-08-08T20:40:00.000-06:00

by Cheri Chesley

As I type this, my husband is behind me answering my son's question, "What is a coma?"

It calls to mind a conversation I overheard my twins have on our way to a wedding reception.

Twin B: You're lucky I didn't devour you when we were single cells.

Twin A: How do you know I didn't almost devour you?

Well, at least no one can say my life is boring. :)

Very soon, my family will embark on the next chapter in our lives. In this upcoming chapter, I anticipate more writing time and more ebooks--and also more time spent with my kids.

We're moving. To a very small town. I'm really looking forward to it. Fortunately, so are the kids. My husband's parents need some help, and we just happen to be at a point in our lives where we can offer it.

I remember being told that my children will provide a great deal of inspiration for my writing, and that I should diligently observe them and their interactions. I'm finding that guidance particularly easy to obey. These kids I've been blessed with provide me with an unending supply of angst, happiness, anger, sadness, laughter and silliness. They are a constant blessing in my life.

Don't forget to stay tuned to my personal BLOG for updates on my writing activities and upcoming books. I'm waiting right now to hear from the publisher on a recent submission. That never ceases to be a nail-biting experience. :)

Everything You Should Know About the Book Industry

2011-08-07T11:59:00.000-06:00

by Trina Boice
http://www.trinaboice.com/

I recently attended an awesome webinar, hosted by bestselling author, Arielle Ford, and marketing guru, Mike Koenigs. Together, they talked about why some authors make it big, while so many other authors fail.
You can hear part of their discussion at: http://tinyurl.com/3p2q5cc

Because Arielle has worked all aspects of the industry (author, literary agent, publisher), she's definitely worth listening to. She talked about what publishers and agents really look for and what successful authors always do first. Do you want to know what that is?

The biggest take-away for me was to create a book with the end in mind or, in other words, start with the marketing first before you even begin to write. Publishers are looking for an author with a platform. A platform includes your "hook" and why your material is better than anyone else's, but also includes your fan base and how you can prove to a publisher that you already have "x" number of adoring fans who will buy your book the minute it hits store shelves. While we authors love to think our writing is all about the craft, publishing houses are more interested in the saleability of our work. Being an author also means having a head for business.

So here's a tip....begin branding yourself even if you haven't started writing that Great American Novel yet. Create a platform and name for yourself that will get people talking even before your book comes out. Publishers are looking to authors more and more to participate in the marketing process. Long gone are the days when an author handed over a manuscript and the publisher did all the rest of the work to bring the book to market. There is much an author can do to increase the success rate of her book.

Check out the following video to hear more about what Arielle has learned from her many successful years in the industry: http://tinyurl.com/3p2q5cc

2 Cool Things- Library & Catalog

2011-08-03T13:25:00.004-06:00

1- Caldwell County Library: Caldwell County is a rural Missouri county rich in LDS Church History. In fact, in 1836 the county was created by the MO State Legislature for the sole purpose of LDS settlement. In late 1838 the LDS population was forced from the State by the infamous Extermination Order issued by Governor Lilburn Boggs.

Since then, the County Seat has moved from Far West to Kingston Missouri. The entire county boasts a population of less than 9000 people. Caldwell County is a small, rural, economically challenged county. Last year, an initiative sprung up to create the first Caldwell County Library.

I sent notice via blog posts and email to various writing friends and LdStorymakers requesting book donations for this library. I have been shocked by the positive response. To date I have received @200 LDS authored fiction and non-fiction titles as well as nearly 2000 other books and movies collected and donated by LDS authors. The Library officially opened in July with a large contingent of LDS literature. Very appropriate for a special county like Caldwell County.

Thank you all for your support.

2- Books and Things Catalog: Cedar Fort announced last night at the LDS BA dinner that they are taking over the Books and Things Catalog. The Books and Things catalog is the Independent LDS Bookstore equivalent of the Deseret Book and Seagull Book Catalogs. Over time, Cedar Fort will make adjustments to the catalog as they explore ways to add articles, author profiles and entertainment news to the listings of releases.

This is great news for Cedar Fort authors. I am excited about this new direction for Cedar Fort Marketing and I think Cedar Fort should be commended for the effort. Instead of begging and pleading for Cedar Fort Books to be accepted into the Seagull and Deseret catalogs, Cedar Fort has their own medium for advertising to bookstores. Fantastic!

Way to go Cedar Fort!

Minor Adjustments Book Trailer

2011-08-01T00:00:00.000-06:00

So I decided to hop on board the book trailer bandwagon and create something for Minor Adjustments, officially coming out next week. A huge thanks to the brilliant Jon Schmidt for allowing me to use one of his awesome compositions. Love him!

What do you think?

Using the New NetGalley

2011-07-31T01:06:00.003-06:00

By Trina Boice

http://www.trinaboice.com/

My publisher, Cedar Fort Books, is a subscriber to NetGalley, a new online service for the electronic delivery of galleys and press materials. This cool, new technology provides wonderful opportunity of distributing these materials to the media electronically, saving thousands upon thousands of pages of paper. Even better, it's FREE!

What’s great about NetGalley is that you will be able to register and use this service to view new titles from Cedar Fort Publishing at no cost. You can read galleys online, download PDF versions to read on your computer or nook, read on your Kindle or Sony Reader, and search within galleys.

Through NetGalley, you can view marketing materials, book trailers, photos, author bios, cover art and more. Plus, NetGalley will reduce our environmental impact by utilizing digital content to get our titles into your hands faster!

Visit http://www.netgalley.com/ to register and request to view Cedar Fort Publishing’s galleys. Don't you just love technology? And by the way, check out Cedar Fort's new facelift on their web site! Great job, team!

Studies Show...

2011-07-27T16:00:00.000-06:00

A new study in the journal Psychological Science found that reading a novel for 30 minutes makes you feel connected to the characters, which can help reduce feelings of isolation. In fact, your mood will improve afterward in a way similar to when you hang out with your friends.

I love this study! And I totally agree!

Life is stressful. And sometimes hard. But even when my house (and myself) are a total disaster, if I need a little friend time, I can turn to Sarah Mlynowski or Sophie Kinsella or Laura Caldwell. Within minutes, I can be with a bunch of friends in a tiny apartment in New York, shopping on the streets of London, or exploring the hills of Ireland.

I think this is one of the marks of a really good book, that you really connect to and care about the characters. What an amazing thing!

My next book, My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend, comes out in one short week, and I so hope it will make readers feel this way. Happier in 30 minutes! Awesome!

So, tell me, what characters make you feel happier? I’d love to know.

Summer

2011-07-27T06:03:00.003-06:00

You probably didn't even notice, but I've skipped out on my last few opportunities to post here. I'm sure you want to hear all of my excuses for not doing one of those things at which I am supposedly most talented. I won't burden you with those.

I will say that summer gets me every year. She tantalizes me with her promises of long days, warm temperatures, and endless opportunities to get more done.

Hogwash.

By the end of July each year, I remember through a haze of pyrotechnic smoke that summer is a fickle mistress. Her promises are hollow, her pleasures rapidly replaced by the pain of a hard slap against a sunburned back. I gaze longingly at the new gazebo in my backyard, where I was going to take advantage of the shade and long days to make huge progress on that new novel. Sadly, I haven't seen much of the inside of the gazebo, because the lawn needs to be mowed and watered, bike tires need to be fixed, sheds need to be painted, and dirt--don't even get me started about dirt, which in my opinion is the last substance we should build our homes on, since all it seems to do is bring forth is weeds and bugs.

My neighbors love the July holidays. I'm pretty sure their mortgage is paid off, because they invested several thousand dollars in fireworks this year. They also interpret the law prohibiting fireworks after 10pm in our city as a "suggested guideline." Of course I'm not going to call the police on them. I have to live next to these people for the rest of my life. Besides, if the endless gut-wrenching explosions, shock-and-awe fountains of sparks, and torrential clouds of burnt gunpowder won't draw the police, they're not likely to pay attention to my 911 call.

I don't want to come across as a complete party-pooper. I do enjoy a good seeded watermelon (there's something suspicious about seedless fruit), and fireworks in a controlled, scheduled environment with a fun soundtrack can be a hoot. Parades are okay under adequate shade and accompanied by chilled beverages and snacks. I like running in the 5k and 10k races and seeing the outdoor entertainment. And who can deny that a properly-constructed Navajo taco is one of the greatest of delicacies?

So summer's not all bad. I just don't find the time for writing, because there's so much ELSE going on. I'm torn between one desire to get out and DO everything doable, and another desire to lay down in the shade and take a nice nap. Writing just doesn't seem to fit into this milieu. It doesn't sound like a summer verb. Run, hike, swim, watch, paddle, swing, snooze, eat, yes. Write? Sounds like an indoor, cold-weather activity to me.

Of course, I'm writing this little diatribe in the summer. Maybe that's an indication that writing season is getting closer! I think I'll go take a walk in the sunshine, and think about it. Don't expect another post from me until mid-September.

Painting and Writing

2011-07-26T09:02:00.000-06:00

by Rebecca Talley

One of my daughters has moved home from UT to attend college here because tuition is about $500 compared to $6500 in Provo at UVU. Her move has prompted us to rearrange bedrooms. With that rearrangement has come deep cleaning and painting.

My sons' room was a disaster. We took 5 large bags of trash from their room and donated almost as much to the thrift store. And this after they'd told me over and over and over again that they'd "cleaned" their room. Apparently, they are better hiders than cleaners because when I'd look at their room, although it didn't meet my definition of clean, it was okay. Little did I know there was so much lurking beneath.

We've been painting their furniture as well so all of their stuff is stacked in different rooms, including mine. We've painted their new room and are almost finished with painting the second bedroom. We'll then have the third bedroom to paint at the end of this week.

Years ago, I painted the kids' bathroom with a seascape. The upper part of the walls and ceiling were the "sky" with wisps of clouds and the lower part was the "ocean" with fish, sea creatures, and mermaids all painted by my children. My oldest daughter even painted Eric standing on his ship looking for Ariel from The Little Mermaid. We also had King Triton and Ursula. My oldest son painted a guy water skiing behind a boat with a huge open-mouthed shark right behind him ready to eat him. It was fun. But, with time, the figures had lost details and it no longer looked so cute. So I've also painted that bathroom.

As a result of all of this cleaning, moving around, and painting we are all pretty exhausted and my house looks like it belongs on an episode of Hoarders: Buried Alive.

I'm sure when we're finished it will all be worth it and we'll marvel at all the hard work we've done. Kinda like writing a book. In the midst of writing it, it may feel like it will never end, that we'll be writing that book forever, but when we finally finish we see that all the hard work has been worth it and we marvel at what we've accomplished.

Lots of people want to write a book, some are even writing it (or have been for years), but how many of us actually finish a book and submit it? That's something to be proud of. Even if it isn't accepted for publication the fact that we've finished such a big project should make us feel proud of ourselves. Publication may be the destination, but the journey is where we truly learn.

Signings are More Fun in Groups

2011-07-25T10:01:00.000-06:00

Don Carey has already posted about THIS, but I thought I'd share my perspective. :)

Please ignore my goofy smile lol.

This is a pretty sweet group to work with. All of us have stories to share, and a willingness to listen to one another. That can make a long car ride really enjoyable--and it did.

Tamara Heiner is quite a skilled author, and I'm looking forward to her next book. I'm also hoping she will trust her instincts and go with what she knows is good. ;)

Lynn Parsons knows her stuff. I love listening to her, and I know I didn't get 10% of the information she has to offer. It's my hope her book will reach members of the church the world over. It will help a lot of people.

Don Carey is totally fun, and patient. He talked airplanes because my daughter (who came along for the second leg of our trip) wanted to know. And, he and I share a love of the movie Labyrinth, which apparently is not shared by his family--so we made Lynn sit through the soundtrack on the way from Arkansas. Poor Lynn, but she's a good sport! :)

Summer is a difficult time for book signings. Everyone has trips, and all sorts of other plans that interfere with trying to get them into a bookstore to see you. However, I will suggest to all authors that they contact their local Hastings Books and Music stores. Seriously. They have a motto of being your home town bookstore, which is why you don't see them in many big cities. They like to promote local authors, and will do a wonderful job if you give them enough time. We had a twofold problem--we didn't give them enough time and we were up against the biggest garage sale in the world. I'd forgotten, but Duncan, OK does that every year and it's city/county wide.

Still, this was an invaluable experience and I look forward to repeating it.

End of An Era

2011-07-24T12:57:00.001-06:00

                                                                    by Trina Boice
                                                              http://www.trinaboice.com/

I was out of town last weekend when Harry Potter opened in theaters, but I'm VERY excited to finally see the final installment of the wizardry masterpiece tonight! It's been a thrill to watch the characters and even the actors grow up right before our eyes. I'm a little hesitant, however. Will it live up to my expectations? Will I feel a satisfying closure or be left wanting? Have you seen it yet? What did you think? Who will be the next J.K Rowling of our day?

A dear friend of mine, whose first book will hit stores soon, shared his thoughts with me. His name is Steve Booth.   http://www.stevenmbooth.com/   He has the talent to be an inspiring author and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that everyone loves him as much as I do. He told me "It’s hard to over-estimate the impact of Harry Potter, both the book and the incredibly successful films. I personally believe that J.K. Rowling single-handedly redefined the meaning of the Young Adult Fiction universe. She was one of my initial inspirations in becoming an author, and several of her characters were the genesis for players in my book, Dark Talisman."

He felt the same anxious excitement about watching the final movie and said "It was, therefore, with a good deal of trepidation that I attended the final episode of the film series in my local IMAX theater last night. I was not disappointed. Although I felt the ending lacked a certain definity, I left the theater with a feeling of both closure and completeness. Frankly, I wish that the quality of production and depth of acting in this, the final installment in the series, had been more evident in previous offerings, but I found it a highly enjoyable excursion, nonetheless."

So, we are left with the obvious question – now what? What new adventures are on the horizon? Where is the next, Great New Author.  I hope that someone will step into the fray, for I think, given the state of the world, that we all desperately need another Harry to walk with us through the difficult times ahead; to make us believe, if for only a short time, that magic could possibly exist in the world; that there is something wonderful around the next corner, or between the train platforms.

Pioneer Day Tomorrow

2011-07-24T00:50:00.003-06:00

My son and daughter went on TREK this week. It's where teenagers dress as pioneers and push handcarts almost twenty miles in the heat of summer to give them an idea of the sacrifice of their ancestors. Well, in our stake they asked our children to find one of their ancestors and walk for them.

I hurried into the garage and dusted off the huge tupperware bucket that holds all my disorganized geneological records. I found a story I'd never read before about Thomas Condie. He was a store owner near the mines in Scotland. When his wife joined the church, he was furious and planned on kicking her out of the house. That night, an angel came to him and read a verse that said "no weapon formed against the church would prosper." Thomas really wanted to prosper, so he not only supported his wife but let the elders meet upstairs in his store.

Unfortunately, he didn't get which kind of prosper the angel was talking about because once people found out the Mormons were meeting upstairs, they wouldn't come to the store and it failed. He was so mad, he looked into the church, joined and headed to Utah.

I do think it is interesting that sometimes our interpretation of inspiration is entirely different than what we expected. In the end Thomas Condie did prosper in a way (although not financially) by going to Manti and working on the temple and having a righteous posterity. And so I wonder, am I prospering?

Depends on the day.

Do You Reward Bad Behavior?

2011-07-23T14:46:00.001-06:00

by Trina Boice
http://www.trinaboice.com/

Personal note to Arnold Schwarzenegger: Zip up your pants, be a REAL man, and pay Maria Shriver's attorney's fees for the divorce YOU caused. Reports from MSN report that the unfaithful husband refuses to pay Maria spousal support or attorney fees. Granted, she may not really NEED the money, but it seems like such a slap in the face to the woman who put up with all of his disgraceful womanizing for so many years.

If Arnold is concerned at all about repairing his reputation, he may want to reconsider. Joseph Baena, Arnold's love child with his former housekeeper, said "Cool" when he was told who his real father is. Most movie-going audiences, however, are not having the same reaction.

Reuters announced that Schwarzenegger is shopping a new installment of the cyborg hit "Terminators." Will YOU see Arnold's next movie or will you voice your opinion of disgust by refusing to use your hard-earned money to buy a movie ticket? Are Americans forgiving or do we hold a grudge? Do other countries forgive and forget celebrity scandals easier?

How often do you embrace or reject a movie based on how you feel about the movie stars in the film? Does a celebrity's personal character (or lack thereof) dictate which TV shows or movies you support? Should they? Do you love to watch "naughty boys" on the big screen? Did I love Arnold's previous movies? Of course. Will I watch any future ones? I don't know.

Christian churches have worked fairly hard in the past decade to stand by their convictions and support decent, less-advertised movies in order to reward value-driven studios and encourage them to produce more of the same. Do you? Is it working? We can definitely vote for good or bad behavior with our wallets. Do we do the same when it comes to authors? How about politicians? Should we expect more of our legislators whom we give our trust to lead and protect our nation?

Is talent valued more than character? A Hollywood scandal used to damage a celebrity's ability to work in Tinsel Town, but not anymore. As they say "Bad press is better than no press." What can we do to reward honor and integrity in the industry? We can always vote with our wallets.

Interview with Cedar Fort Marketing Director: Kirt Forakis

2011-07-20T05:00:00.000-06:00

Kirt Forakis is the new Marketing Director with Cedar Fort Publishing. I appreciate him taking the time to answer a few of my questions about the role of marketing in publishing and the philosophy of Cedar Fort's marketing efforts.

Steve: Please tell us something you are normally too shy or humble to admit about yourself.

Kirt: I won Utah state champion in physics and represented Utah in Nationals and was on the Deans list almost every semester in college.

Steve: As Marketing Director, how will your marketing experience strengthen Cedar Fort as a publisher?

Kirt: Cedar Fort wants to get more involved with social media and gorilla marketing and I have seen success using both methods. I will help Cedar Fort expand their marketing avenues using proven methods and creative thinking.

Steve: How has your previous experience prepared you for this new role?

Kirt: First, I love marketing and advertising. It is a passion for me and I never stop learning or trying new ideas. Second, I have a lot of experience. I have used almost every advertising method I can find and have used several different ad campaigns and designs. Tracking is also important to me and I have tracked most the campaigns I have run. I have a good idea of what types of advertising tends to work and what does not. I have experience organizing and managing events, giveaways, websites, social media outlets, design teams, customer service, PR and media relations.

Steve: What is your marketing philosophy?

Kirt: In short, marketing needs to generate results and wow your audience. I believe you need to capture the attention of your audience within a few seconds and from there have a call to action that creates a direct response, preferably a purchase. From there, it needs to be as easy as possible to move from the advertisement or media to the decision making and purchasing phase.

Steve: What should writers expect from the publisher in terms of marketing effort?

Kirt: We will be using our experience and creativity to help authors reach their audience and reach their goals. Authors are the best marketing tools and so our goal is to teach them and give them direction in their efforts. We will work with authors throughout the entire process to help create a marketing plan and other materials that will be useful to make their book successful.

Steve: What should the author do personally to market their work?

Kirt: Everything they can! A publisher can only do so much and go so far. The author holds the keys and can make the difference between an average selling book and a top seller. Authors need to finish two important steps for their book to sell well. First, write a great book and second, do a great job marketing it. We will be producing an author training packet that will outline what an author can and should be doing to market their book that will contain details, examples, tips and screen shoots. Again, we will be here to help along the way and get authors started in the right direction.

Steve: What is your vision for marketing LDS based fiction and non-fiction in the LDS community?

Kirt: This will depend on the demographics for the book. There are several ways to market a book and first you start with “who” you are going to market to. Once you know the “who”, then we can plan the “how”. There are several LDS websites, blogs and social media sites that appeal to certain markets and we will find the ones that work for individual books. We already work with some LDS based media and authors are encouraged to find more places to talk about and discuss there books.

Steve: What is your vision for marketing Non LDS based fiction and non-fiction regionally and nationally?

Kirt: Again, this depends on the “who”. We have several media outlets for national and regional, but the genre of the book will direct the process further. For example, we will focus cookbooks to media that involves cooking in general. The author is advised to seek out any form of media related to their book and contact them. Some will request the publisher to contact them and we will contact corporate in such cases. Using marketing material will help your chances of getting on these media outlets such as reviews and press releases. These items should be thought through and included in the marketing plan.

Steve: What should every author understand about the marketing process at Cedar Fort?

Kirt: First, we need to start getting support material such as reviews, press releases, endorsements and so forth. These will be useful for creating buzz and initial sales. It is good to talk with authors over the phone or in person to make sure we understand each other and establish a good working relationship. Second, we will put together a marketing plan that outlines the “who” and the “how” for the book. It will include an outline and details for dates, goals and possibilities that need explored by the authors and by us. Social media will need to be set up and authors will need to be interactive on them to generate followers. The authors will then start plans for a launch event, book signings and interviews. We are here to help. We will work with corporate and other places where an author can get stuck such as Deseret Book and Barnes and Nobel. Training material is being created as fast as we can and will be a valuable resource for authors for a step by step of the marketing process.

Thank you Kirt for sharing some insight to the marketing process at Cedar Fort.

As Kirt said, authors have two main responsibilities. 1- Write an outstanding book. 2- Reach the intended audience through personal marketing efforts. Cedar Fort is committed to providing an Author Training Packet that will assist the author in learning how to effectively market their work. The publisher and the author are a team. Both have interest in making each work successful and by working together they can build an effective marketing plan.

Cedar Fort Author Group on Goodreads

2011-07-18T17:50:00.000-06:00

Have you used Goodreads?
Cedar Fort authors can now collaborate together on a group specifically made for you. Click here to request to join the group. The more the merrier!

Goodreads is a fantastic social networking tool for anyone in the book world. Whether you're an author or a reader, this site will help you organize your books and keep in touch with other authors. You can become public fans of your favorite authors, and build a list of fans.

The discussion boards will enable all of you Cedar Fort authors to get in touch with each other and plan events, brainstorm ideas, and support each other!

We look forward to seeing you online!

(Originally posted by Emily here)

Team Book Tour: 4 Authors on the Road

2011-07-18T07:48:00.007-06:00

Four debut authors. Three book signings. Three states. Twenty-four hours. What a trip!

This past weekend I had an excellent opportunity to take Bumpy Landings on a summer book tour with Tamara Heiner (Perilous), Lynn Parsons (disAbilities in the Gospel), and Cheri Chesley (Peasant Queen).

Tamara and Cheri came to Dallas on Friday, where Lynn and I met them for an evening signing at Moon's LDS Bookstore. Then, bright and early Saturday morning, we drove to Hastings in Duncan, Oklahoma, where Cheri is visiting family. After our morning signing there, we zipped across the state to Springdale, Arkansas and Beehive Mercantile, which is Tamara's hometown bookstore.

The tour was fun and extremely valuable, although maybe not financially profitable. Was a trip this size worth the time, cost, and effort? I think so, if only because of the people met and lessons learned.

As we sat down to breakfast yesterday, we talked about what worked, what didn't, and what advice we would give to someone else planning a similar tour. Here are some of the things we came up with:

Two of our stores had several months to prepare, although only one actually put together an "event". This was a much better signing.
One of the stores was a last-minute replacement, with only a week of preparation time. This signing was good, but could have been so much better with a month or more to prepare and promote.
Signing with other authors is awesome! When the signing is slow, there is good conversation to be had. Travel time conversations are great, and it's nice to split the gas costs.
Two to four authors is a good number. It's not so many that it intimidates customers, and "unknown" authors still get some attention (unlike, perhaps, mega-signings with dozens of other writers).
Summer is a convenient time for authors to travel, but may not be the most optimum time for bringing in customers. Check with the bookstores to find out when their busy times are.
Traveling to multiple locations in a day is fun and would seem to be an efficient way to work. However, it forces compromise on the schedule. Our morning Oklahoma signing would have been much better in the early afternoon, but then we would not have had time to make it to the signing in Arkansas.
This kind of signing is like a business trip, and the planning and coordination need to be professional.
This kind of signing is like a vacation (or writing conference), in that (especially for 4 debut authors) the only thing you can really count on is meeting new people and getting to know the other authors really well. Most vacations don't turn a financial profit, either. The real value is time spent with others, learning and growing.
Get the word out! Relying on walk-in traffic is courting failure. The most valuable customers are the ones the authors bring in themselves. Also, this kind of book event is an opportunity for you to crow about something. The publicity the tour itself generates may be the most valuable return you get.

Have you done a big multi-store, multi-author tour? What have you seen that works (or didn't work) and what things have you learned from taking your book on the road?

Celebrity books in the news

2011-07-13T13:57:00.000-06:00

By Trina Boice
http://www.sisterthrifty.com/

Arnold Schwarzenegger was bragging that he was about to sign the biggest book deal of all time a month before the news broke in May that he fathered a love child with his housekeeper. But after the scandal, it’s Maria Shriver’s book that publishers are chasing, sources say.

#1 NYT bestselling author James Patterson’s next 26 books, including 4 new series for young readers, with 13 titles each for Michael Pietsch at Little, Brown, and Megan Tingley at Little, Brown Children’s, for publication through the end of 2014, by Robert Barnett at Williams & Connolly.

NYT bestselling historical thriller writer Matthew Pearl’s The Bookaneer, about a literary spy and bounty hunter in the 1890s who sets off on a quest to the Samoan Islands to wrest a manuscript from a dying Robert Louis Stevenson, moving to Ann Godoff at the Penguin Press, in a two-book deal, by Suzanne Gluck at William Morris Endeavor, and to Stuart Williams at Random House UK, by Cathryn Summerhayes at William Morris Endeavor.

Rock music legend from The Band, Robbie Robertson’s untitled picture book biography, written by his son Sebastian Robertson, focused on his early years growing up in Canada spending time at Six Nation Indian Reservation, and, later, living and working in America, joining Ronnie Hawkins ’s band as a guitarist at 16, sold to Christy Ottaviano of Christy Ottaviano Books, for publication for Spring 2013, by Ryan Harbage at the Fischer-Harbage Agency.

Jim Collins‘ Great By Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos and Luck – Why Some Thrive Despite them All, co-authored with management professor Morten Hansen, asking why some companies thrive in uncertainty and even chaos, based on nine years of research, enumerating the principles for building a great enterprise in unpredictable, tumultuous, and fast-moving times, also to be released in ebook form for the first time (with Collins’ four previous bestselling books now being released as e-books from July through September), sold to Hollis Heimbouch at Harper Business, for publication on October 11, 2011.

When does YOUR next book come out?

Goodreads Giveaways

2011-07-12T10:45:00.000-06:00

by Rebecca Talley

My first book, Heaven Scent, was published in 2008. It was automatically added to Goodreads. I'd never heard of Goodreads and had no idea what to do with it. Since that time 137 people have added it to their to-read shelf.

My second book, Altared Plans, was published in 2009. Again, it was automatically added to Goodreads and with this book I became aware of Goodreads Giveaways so I initiated one giveaway contest in which 669 people entered to win a copy. As of today, 191 people have added it to their to-read shelf.

My third book, The Upside of Down, was published in January 2011 and was added to Goodreads. Since I was aware of the giveaway contest that Goodreads sponsors I decided to do one about the time the book was released. 1230 people entered that contest. I held it for one month. A few months later, I did another giveaway for about a week or so and 979 people entered. I decided to do another giveaway for the month of June and 1368 people entered. As of today, 638 people have added this book to their to-read shelf--quite a jump from how many people have added my other two books.

I share these stats with you to show you that doing a Goodreads giveaway helps expose your book to many people. As you can see, many more people added The Upside of Down and I think it's a direct result of the giveaways I held.

Doing a Goodreads Giveaway contest is simple. Go to the page that lists your book, click on the "list a giveaway" icon in the upper right and then follow the directions. You can decide how many copies you want to give away and to what countries. Goodreads advertises the giveaway, determines the winner, and then sends you the address(es) of the winner(s). Your only responsibility is to mail off the copy, or copies, of your book soon after the contest ends. Easy, easy, easy. For the price of a copy of your book, an envelope, and postage you can get your book in front of hundreds of people. Seems like a great deal, eh?

I try to respond to those who rate and review my books on Goodreads. In doing so, I met a woman who loved The Upside of Down. She was not LDS, my target market, but she really enjoyed it. When I asked how she'd heard about it, she said she'd entered the giveaway contest and when she didn't win she bought the book anyway. Hopefully, she'll now recommend it to her friends. Of course, it's impossible to determine exact sales from a marketing effort, but at least one person bought my book as a result of that contest.

As authors we want to write, we don't want to waste time marketing. But, that's a very important part of our job if we want our book to be successful. After doing Facebook ads, Goodreads ads, display ads, sending out postcards, emails, doing signings, holding my own contests on my blog, and doing blog hops, I'd say that doing a Goodreads Giveaway is one of the most cost-effective ways to advertise your book.

Stress and the Life of an Author

2011-07-11T07:02:00.003-06:00

By Cheri Chesley (re-post from 5/24/10)

**These are simply my observations, and should in no way be taken as established truths.**

As an author, I dream of deadlines. I long to have an editor pushing me to get my revisions, or my drafts, in by a certain day and time. Yeah, I'm a glutton for punishment. But we do this. We want this. And, if we have a contract and this isn't happening, we (or at least I) can really drive ourselves up the wall.

But, in our heart of hearts, I think we can admit a good deal of the stress we experience as writers is self-inflicted.

I'm not going to tell you that setting goals and deadlines for yourself is unhealthy, because it's not. If you don't, you could well be working on the same novel for 20 yrs. At the same time, we are not above heaping stress upon ourselves for a great number of things.

Let's say we miss that deadline by a week.

Or we make the deadline because we've put off our family to have time to write.

After about ten minutes at the computer, I have horrible upper back pain. It just starts aching, and pretty soon I'll have to get up. I don't do my stretches. I don't see my chiropractor regularly and, sadly, have only had one massage in my life. I'm beginning to think, at least for me, these things are critical in relieving stress and making me a more prolific writer.

The sad thing is I can't offer any real solution for resolving the stress. There may be none. But, perhaps, some of you have ideas on reducing it. Thoughts?

Submissions Wanted: Mother's Day Pamphlet

2011-07-08T09:23:00.000-06:00

Do you love mothers? Are you a writer? Have a great idea for a mother’s day book or pamphlet*?
Then we want you!

Yes, Mother’s day is still a few months away. But if you know anything about publishing, you’ll know that the sooner you submit your manuscript – the better!

Cedar Fort is looking for fresh ideas and well written stories that exemplify mother’s like never before.

Submit your Mother’s Day themed manuscripts or ideas with outlines by August 1st.

Take a look at our author guidelines before sending in submissions.

*note, pamphlets are 16 pages in length.

Spurt Writing

2011-07-06T07:00:00.000-06:00

I sometimes find that I don't spend the time writing that I ought to. A day will go by and then two. Then a week, three weeks, a month. Yikes. Maybe the rest of you aren't slackers like I am, but time can easy float by without any writing accomplishments. Why is this? I want to write. I like to write. How can I let so much time pass without writing? There are a couple of simple answers.

1- Life is busy. Shocker! It doesn't feel like I have enough time to make meaningful progress on my WIP. I am a slow reader and a slow writer and I need a significant period of time to commit. I can't sit down for 20 minutes and knock out a page on my WIP and then get back to my other activities. It just doesn't work for me.

2- I lose focus and get out of practice. Then I start procrastinating because I know it will take even longer to get into the flow of writing my scene.

3- I don't feel creative. Maybe my creative energies are spread too thin. My well is only so deep and I have already depleted my creative juices at work, church, family etc. Do you ever feel this way?

What can we do about it?

Spurt Writing- short writing periods of 5-10 minutes. What are the benefits of Spurt Writing?

1- It is easy to find 5-10 minutes as opposed to a 2 or 3 hour block of time to write. If I don't have enough time to spend on my WIP then I can spend a shorter period of time writing something else. Anything else.

2- It allows me to stay fresh and in practice in organizing my thoughts by observing and describing what I see or feel. Short spurts help me to avoid long writing haituses. Instead of writing on my WIP I can spend 5 minutes describing how to fold a paper airplane out of the brochure on my desk. I can describe the taste of a sour Skittle. I can describe the smell of the berry hand sanitizer that glopped onto my shirt.

3- Writing helps me generate creativity. I often start writing with no clue whatsoever what I want to write. Once I start writing the scene or character takes on a life of its own. If you don't know where to start, begin with a "what if?" senario and see what happens.

As writers we must organize our thoughts and find interesting ways to describe the world we are creating. We can practice this even when we can't write. If there is no keyboard around and you don't want to waste your time scribbling something down because you know you won't be able to read it later, and you haven't had a chance to write today, spend 5 minutes describing OUT LOUD the way your body feels as you're working out. Describe the pain, exhaustian, exhiliration. Describe out loud the way the leaves flutter in the wind or the muggy dampness of the air you're breathing. Speaking often helps me find the proper rhythm.

If you find you are not spending the amount of time writing you would like, start with the short spurt. Take 5 minutes and describe simple things at your home, or in your garden, or thoughts that pop into your mind as you hear a verdict in a high profile murder case, or the emotions you feel when a driver cuts you off in traffic. It can be anything.

For me, this helps. Fine, I don't have time to write a chapter today, or even this week. There's no use beating myself up about it. But maybe something I describe in my Spurt Writing will spark some creativity and find its way into a later work.

Get to know your characters through journaling

2011-07-01T08:57:00.002-06:00

By Heather Justesen

I'm always trying to learn new and better ways to improve my writing and last fall I was reading How to Write a Damn Good Mystery: A Practical Step-by-Step Guide from Inspiration to Finished Manuscript by James N. Frey (This is the second one of his writing books I've read and they were both well worth it). Frey suggested that a great way to get into the head of your characters is to write journal entries from their point of view. This has been a great break through for me personally, and helped me on the past two books I've worked on. What better way to learn who your character is than to channel them and write a few things about their thoughts and history. It's amazing what you can learn about them in just a few minutes of stream of consciousness writing.

I started doing this with the culinary mystery I wrote during NaNoWriMo in November. It helped me get into the heads of my main characters, the person who was murdered, and all of the suspects. It helped me with dialogue (how do they talk, what kind of phrasing would they use) as well as all of the other information.

Things you might want to cover as you write journal entries:

1) History--who are they, what kind of family did they have growing up, where did they grow up, siblings,

2) Defining moments in their lives

3) Likes and dislikes

4) Their relationship to other characters in the story

5) Their thoughts about what's happening around them

Just this week I wrote a journal entry for the bad guy in one of my stories. How he feels about the other characters, what motivates him, and how far he would go, to get retribution? And it really helped me get a better handle on him so I could figure out how he would write my big confrontation.

(dis)Abilities and the Gospel

2011-06-28T09:28:00.001-06:00

From the back cover:

Each day, parents and church leaders struggle to teach individuals with special needs. Using helpful information, real-life stories, and a touch of humor, (dis)Abilities and the Gospel provides ways for you to effectively teach people of all ages with autism, Down syndrome, bipolar disorder, memory loss, and other disabilities.

Inside this useful guide, you’ll find

• Guidance for building strong family relationships
• Steps to teaching prayer and scripture study
• Practical and creative teaching tips
• Programs to help with transitions, communication barriers, and behaviors
• Techniques to help others feel welcome and valued

Find the answers you need and overcome the challenges of teaching the gospel. (dis)Abilities and the Gospel will help you develop each person’s ability to learn and grow as you build peace in your home or classroom.

(dis)Abilities and the Gospel is a resource that may be read, reread, and used many times. . . . The authors have beautifully woven the frustrations that so many people have experienced into an action-living plan to help children with special needs.

—Lloyd Kinnison, PhD. Texas Woman’s University, Special Education Department

This book is an unexpected and very welcome gift to the community of churches and their leaders. It addresses so many of the problems that children, young adults, and adults with disabilities face in church activities.

—Brenda Winegar, Early Interventionist/Cofounder, Kids on the Move

I LOVE this book. I can't say enough good about it. Really. I read through it prior to publication and anxiously awaited its publication because it's such a wonderful book that is so badly needed.

As a former Primary President, Primary teacher, YW leader, and as a mother of ten active, energetic children I think this book is a must-read for anyone working with, teaching, or raising children. Yes, it's intended use is to help those who work with kids with special needs, but as I read and reread it, I was struck by how much of it is applicable to children without special needs.

The authors offer honest advice about how to cope with childen with special needs but the advice, tips, ideas, and other helpful information can be applied to all kids. I've worked with plenty of kids who are wiggly (right now I'm the Sunbeam teacher so believe me, I know wiggly) and these techniques can be applied. I LOVE the practicality of this book. It isn't some long discourse on special needs but is truly a useful guide with ideas people can implement immediately.

(dis)Abilities and the Gospel also offers thoughtful answers to commonly asked questions about people with special needs. I have wonderd if my son will be able to be baptized, go to the temple, and get married. Of course, each case is unique but the authors offer scriptures and quotes from the brethren that have helped me as I consider his future.

My son is only 5 so he hasn't attended school yet and he's barely started Primary, but I plan to give teachers both at school and at church a copy of this book. I love the idea about a personal portfolio parents can give to teachers. In my experience in public school, kids tend to be placed in a box. A personal portfolio with details about my son's strengths as well as areas he might need help may break through that "box," at least I hope so. Kids with special needs have such varying abilities and sometimes we focus on what they can't do. This book reminds us that we are all children of God and we all have abilities. I love that about this book. It's so positive.

I have met both of the authors and can say without hesitation they truly love and understand those with special needs. I have great respect and admiration for both Lynn Parson and Danyelle Ferguson. They have worked tirelessly to bring this book into the world and I am very grateful to each of them.

As a mother of a child with Down syndrome it's my great hope that the world will be a better place for him, that people will be more educated about special needs, and that he will have opportunities to learn and grow and become the man he can be--this book helps push my hope forward. Everyone should get a copy of this book, especially if you may work with a child with special needs.

I think people fear those with special needs because they are different and that fear breeds prejudice. But, aren't we all different? Don't we all have challenges? Don't we all have abilities? Using the guidance in
this book can help us to work together to not only understand those with special needs better but to teach them more effectively.

You can purchase (dis)Abilities in the Gospel: How to Bring Those with Special Needs Closer to Christ at Amazon. It is also available in bookstores.

To learn more about the fantastic authors:

Danyelle Ferguson

Website: http://www.danyelleferguson.com/
Blog: http://www.queenoftheclan.com/

Lynn Parsons
Website: http://www.lynndparsons.com/
Blog: http://lynndeniseparsons.blogspot.com/

CONTEST:

Enter to win one of two $25 Amazon gift cards and a free 20 minute consultation with Danyelle! You can ask her about parenting, church surivival, adapting lessons - or even about writing and publishing. Two names will be drawn on June 30th & July 22nd. Each drawing will include 1 winner of a $25 Amazon gift card and free consultation; and a second winner of a free consultation. Winners will be announced on http://www.queenoftheclan.com/ There are many ways to enter. You must leave a comment on the reviewer’s blog letting us know what you’ve done. Please include your email address.

1 Point Each:
- Leave a thoughtful comment about the blogger’s review.
- Add the book to your “to-read” list on GoodReads
- Follow the reviewer’s blog
- Follow Danyelle’s blog
- Follow Lynn’s blog
- Follow Danyelle on FB
- Follow Lynn on FB
- Follow Danyelle on Twitter @DanyelleTweets
- Follow Lynn on Twitter @ParsonsLynn

2 Points Each:
- Tell your friends about (dis)Abilities and the Gospel on Facebook with links to Danyelle Ferguson and Lynn Parsons
- Tell your friends about (dis)Abilities and the Gospel on Twitter with links to @DanyelleTweets

5 Points:
- Interview Danyelle or Lynn for your blog or write a blog post about why you’re excited about (dis)Abilities and the Gospel. Be sure to leave a direct link to your post in your comment so we can visit and say hello!

Hey! I learned Something

2011-06-27T07:57:00.000-06:00

Sometimes a project just needs to sit. The problem is that you're likely not going to know that at the time.

A few months ago, I sent my "finished" manuscript to the publisher. And they sent it back. The acquisitions editor had a few suggestions that would make it better. At the time, I was disappointed. I thought it was done. I'd been over the manuscript several times, and even though it was shorter than my first book, I couldn't find things to add or where to add them where they wouldn't sound forced or trite.

Life happens, and though I worked on improving the story initially, I admit I haven't done much with it in the last weeks. School let out, for one. That about stops all my writing in its tracks. But that doesn't mean the project has been far from my thoughts, and the suggestions I got from the editor have been lurking there as well. A week or so ago I even opened up the Word file and realized I'd left out an important plot point. Sigh.

Late Saturday night I had the epiphany I didn't even know I'd been waiting for. Suddenly, the sub-plots I needed and the characterization that would flesh out the story just hit me. Mind you--I don't take credit for any of that. I know where my inspiration comes, and the fact that it was the evening I was preparing for church the next day is no coincidence.

Now, I'm really looking forward to working on the story. I know what it needs to make it better, and I know what I'm going to do. That's the greatest feeling.

Serenity Now!

2011-06-22T06:00:00.001-06:00

Happy Gilmore sometimes lacks patience and self-control. When he gets frustrated he punches out game show hosts, throws clubs and attacks alligators but when he needs to focus on an important task like making a winning put, he thinks of his “happy place.” He envisions little people riding stick horses. He lounges on a hammock while his grandmother wins oodles of money at the slot machines. His “happy place” calms him down and helps him focus by regaining a proper perspective about what he wants most.

George Castanza attempted a similar retreat into the happiness of his mind by meditating and calmly saying “serenity now” when he felt distress. He was not quite as successful as Happy. Pity.

As a writer I sometimes feel frustration and perhaps even distress from time to time. Usually, these moments occur as I struggle to remain patient. I have been learning to be more patient with myself as I write and edit, and re-edit and re-edit. Patience is also required during the weeks and even months of waiting during the query process. Then, once the manuscript is accepted it is more waiting, often for a year or longer until the book is released. Although these long, painful delays are a natural part of the writing and publishing process I must remind myself that patience is a necessary attribute for any writer.

The other night we had 2 kids playing in 3 baseball/softball games. My son’s team ended up losing 18-3 but mercifully the game ended early. I watched error after error. I felt like yanking my brain out of my head by the roots of my hair, but instead I sat back, took a deep breath and muttered “serenity now.”

Next I headed over to my daughter’s softball games. This is her first year of softball and the pitchers consistently walk batter after batter, usually allowing the maximum of 6 runs each inning, nearly all runs scored by walks. UGH! Seriously. “SERENITY NOW!”

While I am very proud of my nine year old scoring four times on walks, three hours of watching a double-header gave me a bit of a headache. At moments I sat back and closed my eyes and imagined my “happy place.” I imagined a place where the pitches don’t roll over the plate and the batters occasionally swing. Then I thought of Peanut Butter M&M’s. Mmmm. Then I thought about a plot point in my WIP I’ve been stuck on for a couple of weeks. Then I thought about my hopes for my next release and dreamt about pie in the sky scenarios for wild success. Ahh…”serenity now.”

After calming down I regained perspective on what matters most. I watched and cheered with every new walk and I went crazy every time someone swung the bat. I remembered how thankful I am for my family and the blessing it is to sit in the sun and watch my kids have fun. I reminded myself that proper perspective and patience is critical in every aspect of life. Writing is no different.

Remember, when the agent or publisher has been holding onto your manuscript for three months and you haven’t heard a word from them, “serenity now.” It’s going to be okay. Be patient, go to your “happy place” and keep busy writing on your next WIP. Life is good so don’t stress the wait. "Serenity Now!"

I Believe The Children Are Our Future

2011-06-19T15:42:00.004-06:00

This past weekend, I had the great privilege of taking my daughter and two other young people to The Teen Writers Conference at Weber State University in Ogden. This is the third year of the conference, and the second time my daughter has attended. It's sponsored by Precision Editing Group, and they put on a great conference.

Listening to these young people talk about their writing dreams, and seeing this kind of first-rate educational opportunity, I truly believe the future of literature is in good hands. If I could have had this kind of training, it may not have taken me well into my 40s to have a publishable manuscript.

On the drive back, I asked each of the three kids in the car what their favorite part of the conference was. Their answers were great, but rather than try and remember exactly what was said, I decided to ask my daughter to share a few of her thoughts here in this post.

Hi! My name is Anna, and this really is a privilege. ^.^ I just want to let you know that the conference, both years that I have attended, has simply been wonderful. You really learn a lot! Each class is an hour long, but you're never bored. It keeps moving and you laugh as you learn. There were 5 workshops and 2 classes to choose from for each hour block. They had lessons for everyone, such as giving characters emotion, writing suspenseful chapters, getting a story started, hooking your audience, writing dialogue, and much more. I just loved the pick-and-choose option--it made everyone happy!

I think what I loved most about the conference itself, though, was simply getting to know other people. I find that a lot of authors are similar in certain ways (or at least authors my age), and in certain pieces of their personality. Examples of this would be an open, creative mind (of course :D ), a thirst for adventure (in some way or another), and, often times, an open heart. So if you sit down and start talking with another random attendee, you're probably going to get along--just because you're authors. You'll at least be able to talk about your writing, if only that. But it was really fun to say hi to so many different teens, and have some really fun and reliable friends by the end of the day. I have 7 new friends and all their emails, and we hope to put together a critique or at least a chatting group. I would say that's the best part; new friends!

My dad is really fond of writing, and of all the authors he knows. I am beginning to come to know this love, and it's wonderful. Thank you, 2011 Teen Writer's Conference!!!

Bike Riding, Book Writing, and Eternal Life

2011-06-14T12:14:00.000-06:00

by Rebecca Talley

My husband will be accompanying all the priests in our stake on a mountain biking/camping trip in Moab, UT in a few weeks. We've been trying to go for a bike ride regularly to help him get ready for this trip.

We ride our bikes for 5 miles on the country roads near our home. The ride includes some small hills that seem much larger on a bike than in a car :). It's nice to be out in the warm weather away from the computer, phone, and TV and just enjoy the beautiful scenery as we bike around this loop.

I've found while riding my bike that if I look ahead and see the upcoming hill I get overwhelmed and think I can't do it. I feel discouraged and wonder why I ever started on the ride in the first place. I've discovered that if I keep looking just ahead of me, I mount the hills without any problems. It's kinda like the "one foot in front of the other" idea. If I only think about the immediate road ahead of me and see it in small chunks I feel much more capable of finishing my bike ride.

It's the same way with writing a book. I've published three novels and yet, sometimes, I wonder how I will ever write another book. How will I ever finish it? The task is too daunting. I'll never make it to the end. When I look at the entire project, or the entire bike ride, it overwhelms me and I feel discouraged. But, if I take writing a book bit by bit, chunk by chunk, before I know it, I'm finished. And, as with concluding the bike ride, I can look back on what I've accomplished and feel good about it.

And to take this even further, it is the same with life and trying to reach the goal of eternal life. If I look at the whole thing, all the things I must learn and accomplish, all the faults I must fix, all the flaws I must overcome, it is overwhelming and I wonder if I'll ever make it to the celestial kingdom. Yet, taking it in small pieces, focusing on overcoming one fault at a time, I can accomplish my goal. I can look back and see how far I've come and feel good about it and that propels me onward. Eternal life isn't meant to come in one step. It is a series of baby steps throughout life just as writing a book or riding 5 miles on a bike is a series of small chunks that are doable one at a time.

Patience and Learning

2011-06-13T08:27:00.004-06:00

by Cheri Chesley

Last Tuesday, my book club reviewed James Dashner's The Maze Runner. I just want to say, I hang with a keen group of ladies. These women are smart, and savvy, and--as Mr Dashner will learn if The Death Cure doesn't have a satisfying ending--dangerous when crossed. Hey, most church ladies are.

What I love is, like they did with These Is My Words and The Hunger Games, our conversations became deep and introspective. And I love how 8-12 women can get together in a room to discuss the same thing, differ in opinions and reasoning, but still have a great time doing it. I just may live for book club.

The best part about these monthly meetings--for me--is that I feel I come away with a better understanding of what makes a good book. I love getting so many different perspectives and ideals about the same thing. It's incredible what readers can get from the things we write down. And if all this tallies up to making me a better writer, then it's time well spent.

And let's hope, for Mr Dashner's sake, that my book club is satisfied with how he ends his trilogy. If not, I just may bring them to his next local book signing. ;)

The Right Ending Makes All the Difference

2011-06-11T08:02:00.004-06:00

By Christine Thackeray

For me, there is nothing worse than when a story doesn't end properly. It hankers at my brain and I try to figure out why it doesn't work. Yesterday my daughter was watching SALT with Angelina Jolie. It's got one of those unsatisfying endings. Although I LOVED the action, the end left me saying "Meh." "I am Legend" was the same way. Worst of all was "Unbreakable" by M. Night Shyamalan. Great idea, stupid, stupid ending.

So what makes a good ending? First and foremost, the main character has to have an EPIPHANY and learn some great truth. (If you kill of the main character that can't happen.) That was my issue with Salt. You didn't feel the character had grown from the experience, she played it so dead pan. In the end, a reader wants to get the point of why they have wasted the last two hours or ten hours for a good novel, and if there isn't a great truth at the end, they feel gypped.

Second, don't leave people out in the desert. You need to tie up most subplots. It's a little corny when every single detail turns out perfectly but you need to at least give an idea of where each of the characters you've introduced end up.

Lastly, finish with an image that sticks with you. Ensuing action is fine, the first kiss is great, but who will EVER forget how tacky it was when the last of the original Star Wars ended with the photo shoot at the Ewok village. Stupimongo, right? My personal favorite ending of all time is in "Ever After" with Drew Barrymore. (It just came out on Netflix.) It's a remake of Cinderella and when Angelica Houston comes before the queen, thinking she had won and gets poned, it is a completely satisfying moment.

Ending well makes the reader want to read your next book. Even if there is slowness in the middle, a great ending can make up the difference.

Persuasive Writing

2011-06-09T08:55:00.000-06:00

A couple months ago, my son was taking a public speaking class, and one of his assignment was to give a speech using Monroe's Motivated Sequence. According to Wikipedia, the sequence is "a technique for organizing persuasive speeches that inspire people to take action. It was developed in the mid-1930s by John Monroe at Purdue University. It consists of these steps:

Attention: Get the attention of your audience using a detailed story, shocking example, dramatic statistic, quotations, etc.

Need: Show that the problem about which you are speaking exists, that it is significant, and that it won't go away by itself. Use statistics, examples, etc. Convince your audience that there is a need for action to be taken.

Satisfaction: You need to solve the issue. Provide specific and viable solutions that the government or communities can implement to solve the problem.

Visualization: Tell the audience what will happen if the solution is implemented or does not take place. Be visual and detailed.

Action: Tell the audience what action they can take personally to solve the problem.

Rebuttal: Inform the audience of arguments against your solution and provide reasons to maintain faith in your solution."

When I read through these techniques, I thought to myself, these would work great in non-fiction persuasive writing and can even work in fiction. For example, a novel beginning with some attention grabbing scene is far more likely to keep the audience wanting more than something boring, and there's usually some kind of a problem that needs resolution in a fiction work. The character actually goes through the rest of Monroe's Motivated Sequence in trying to solve the problem, visualizing (showing) how to solve it, taking action to solve the problem, and coming to a resolution even against the opposition.

Of course, there is a little more artistic license and flexibility in fiction versus non-fiction, but the idea is still there. And the desired result is still the same: convincing your audience to keep reading so that you can get published, and possibly make the New York Times Best Sellers List, because you were successful in persuading your publisher to publish the manuscript, and then used the info in marketing it. :)

Have a nice day!