The Right Ending Makes All the Difference

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.

Lost Work- Urgh!

By Christine Thackeray

This week I experienced the blue screen of death for the first time. My sons laughed and said it happens every once in a while, but they hadn't lost fifteen pages of brilliant work. (No, I hadn't saved for the last hour.) (Okay, so maybe it just felt brilliant but we'll never know because it's LOST forever.) Even after rebooting the computer I couldn't trust it so I forced my husband down to the electronics section of Costco to blow part of our tax return and got a new computer. (Yeah!)

Still, it got me thinking about how I save my work. I know some people use flash drives but they damage so easily. My husband has an external drive that he uses but if ever he was unavailable and I had to access anything on it, well, it wouldn't happen. Two USEFUL options that I've found help is if I mail my manuscript to myself intermittantly. This way it's saved in both my outlook files and on the MSN external server. My husband has also installed an application called "dropbox" and by dumping my manuscript in there, I'm able to access it from any computer.

It only takes once to turn a casual save button clicker into an avid backer-upper.

So how do you back up your files?

You Mean, You Haven't Had the Same Experience as I?

By Christine Thackeray

I've recently went to Goodreads and found 11 reviews of my latest book "Lipstick Wars". Some were good, but other readers said they hadn't met anyone as diffident as my main character or as rude as some of the women in my story. Ironically, most of my characters were based on real people who I had softened to seem more realistic. I'm amazed that some people have never met women who behave the way they do in my story and have come to conclude it must be a cultural thing.

I've never lived in Utah except to go to school where I was surrounded by out-of-staters. Is everyone there nice? When I lived in Dallas, people were amazingly polite to your face, but gossip ran rampant. In New York, on the other hand, there is honor in voicing the obvious. Gossip is done to your face. It's not considered rude, merely intelligent, and the response should be a great comeback or acceptance and change. Minnesota "nice" is different entirely. The facade is eggshell thick and doesn't reach the eyes. Southern California is blatant like NY but they don't put it in words. Shunning is done through overt body language and head bobbles.

I suppose one of the gifts of reading is sharing other people's experience. (Boy, this post sounds like sour grapes. Urg.) Live and learn and then buy LUV's.

Overcoming Writer's Block

By Christine Thackeray

The beginning of this week I had arranged my schedule to spend hours writing. I'm working on a screenplay, spoke to a co-author about changes and was determined to get through them for our conference call on Friday. Unfortunately, everytime I sat down, I'd stare at the page and couldn't make it work. Then I'd do something else, hoping the answer would just "come", but NOTHING!

I remember a few years ago Heather Moore told me that most writer's block is a result of unclear characters or motivation. That was exactly the problem in my case but I couldn't make it work. The person I'm working with wanted to change the action in the first scene but by doing it, it changed the main character. The old main character would never have done such a thing. I remembered reading Dwight Swain who believed that you could recreate characters with quirks that could do what you wanted them to but I couldn't bend any personality to be consistent with the two events.

On Thursday afternoon, so frustrated I could pull my HAIR OUT, I took my husband out to lunch and forced him to listen to my dilemna. He told me to just change the character. Make her the new girl and change the dialogue so it's her. Oh. Duh. The minute I accepted the new main character, everything fell in place. Dailogue started coming to my mind and it was genuine. Ta-da. Block over.

I got the first five scenes done and mailed them off just before my meeting but the meeting was cancelled. We'll meet next Friday instead, only this time I hope to have the rewrite complete. That is hope because this week I may not have writer's block but with something going on everyday next week, do I have the time???

The Writing Season.

By Christine Thackeray

I know there are authors of many different shapes, sizes and interests, but for writers who are mothers, a special season is upon us. It is the writing season. Where others may appreciate the cooler nights and loaded fruit trees, as signs of the impending season, those of us who are mother writers find our fingers tingling as we finish up the school shopping and clean out closets in anticipation of the first day of school.

In my mind I think I'll wait for at least a week after school begins before diving in but the reality is that as soon as I wave good-bye to my elementary schooler, I make a mad dash to the computer and begin typing away at the plot that's been stewing in my brain all summer while I've taken children to the beach and entertained relatives.

The beauty of it is that for all of September and most of October, each day I can bathe in creative expression. I have to admit it's hard to put it away when they get home. But I try to still focus on go through back packs, encouragin homework and at least having an idea of what I'm going to cook for dinner. After Halloween costumes are taken care of, I'm free for another month to type away. The goal is to finish the rough draft by the end of NaNoWriMo so that you can let your rough draft steep during the Christmas holidays. With the end of Christmas vacation, that's when editing starts (always a bummer) and as the older kids finals come around, I'm ready to submit.

That's the goal anyway. Well see how I do this year. Last year a move sidetracked me, along with editing another project, but this year I'm determined to finish and submit my new WIP by next spring.

Hallelujah, the writing season is almost here. One more week.

Copyright Infringement

By Christine Thackeray

This week I found myself eating my own words. On another group I belong to, a woman complained that she had joined a list called the Clever Homemaker. Each day the site owner would post articles about entrepenuer ideas and ways to save money. The woman that joined it was amazed at the consistant quality of writing until one day the words sounded familiar. They were hers.

Jaquelyn was a write and had published an article for a e-magazine. Can you imagine her surprise at finding her article lifted to increase this woman's platform, which was extensive. As she began searching previous posts, she found that this was common practice for her posts, very little of any of them were original.

When she asked about her options, I told her she could send a cease and desist letter and was entitled to have her not use the information and pay her up to 150% of the cost she would have gotten for an equivalent article. (Which financially wasn't that much.) BUT she was angry, offended and wanted more-- AND she got it.

Jaquelyn contacted Yahoo, along with her publisher and the list was closed down. When I heard that, I had to applaud both Jackie and Yahoo for their quick response. What the woman who owned the list was doing was stealing and reaping the benefit of other's work (esp. with 6,000 members). As writers we also need to act to inform and protect the writing of both ourselves and others. It's not just about the money but doing the right thing.

It's My Turn- Now What?

By Christine Thackeray

I think the last few times I've posted here it has been on the wrong day, but it really is MY TURN. I just got home from a wonderful family reunion and went by Cedar Fort to pick up my new book. What fun to hold it in your hands for the first time, although I haven't seen it in stores, and it's not on the DB website yet so I'm biting my fingernails because I know sometimes they pass, which is a REAL BUMMER.

Speaking of Bummers, a recent back injury forced me to cancel a number of book signings, but one of my cousins called the other day and when I bring my daughter out to BYU in August, she's going to do a big book club with me as the keynote speaker. Wa-hoo.

It's funny how these books are just like our babies in a way. "Lipstick Wars" is like my testimony of visiting teaching, a warning of trying to be too perfect, the importance of diversity in friendship and the meaning of real service.

So my husband decides to read it. The first time he has ever read one of my books. At the end of the first chapter I stick in a teaser which he says is totally cheating. I show him where all the clues are to understand this new character and that it is a fair literary device used by many well-known authors. He'll have none of it. Then each chapter he critiques something that could have been better. My character should be smarter, and her neighbor is stupid for being so mean. I tell him it is called conflict, the basis for book? That if they weren't flawed with problems we all carry, what would be the point of writing it? He's still reading but I can see why he is a nonfiction engineer. I love him just the same.

In my defense my sister read it with her dentist husband and , WOW, they loved it. Read here. So if you get a chance, read it and tell me what you think.

Good Advice from Anita Stansfield

By Christine Thackeray

Two weeks ago I went to the Storymakers Conference and although I was taught many great things, it was the words of Anita Stansfield that have stuck with me over and over during that time. I was so impressed by her honesty on what it takes to be a writer/full-time mom and the keys to making it work for the whole family that were, for me, priceless. Here's a brief overview of MY PERCEPTION of what she said. I'm sure that if Anita read this she would go... "I didn't say that." Yeah, I've added my two cents, so here goes.

PRIORITIZE:
She began by saying that the first thing you need to do is decide your priorities. In order to be a writer she realized she had to sacrifice a lot. She asked us to write down what is most important in our lives, not in large sweeping categories, but specific subcategories. For me, the first four are: Relationship with God, my husband, my children, church callings and writing. Soccer mom, PTO participant, cub committee volunteer (unless it's a calling), scrapbooking, interior designer, gardener, etc. all take a back seat right now.

CUSTOMIZED CONSISTENCY:
Next she said that you have to have a writing goal and that you must write everyday. While SOME authors have a daily minimum, when you're caring for a family, you may not have the ability to be that rigid. Look at your other obligations realistically and set your goal so it challenges you but doesn't bankrupt yourself or the family. Some weeks will be strong writing weeks but if you've got kids with needs you may have to put the writing aside except for a half hour or so.

IT'S ABOUT RESPECT:
THIS ONE I LOVED!!!!! Anita said that it was important her husband and children respected what she did. (Now this is me) Some mothers are huge scrapbookers, some love to sew, some care so much about the house that the kids have to take off their shoes before they can step in the door and aren't allowed in the front room but on special ocassions. Other's spend hours prepping meals and cooking. Whatever gifts you mother has, kids and spouses need to respect their contribution. For writer's it means allowing her to have the time to complete a project. When the final edits come, everyone has to work together so that she can finish. This is something you have to teach your family- that writing is part of who you are and as long as you keep it in balance with other responsibilities, your family needs to respect this part of you.

FILLING NEED:
In order for the above respect to work, as a mother you must show equal respect to your spouse and children. We do this by fulfilling their needs. Anita said she keeps a list of her children's names. When they come home from school, she asks each child, "What do you need?" When they say "Nothing" and sulk away, she realizes they made just need her time but usually they know if they don't ask, it won't happen. When she is ready to take a break, she goes down the list and follows through so her children know they can count on her. After discussions with her husband, he agreed he doesn't need a perfect house but he does need a clean path to the bathroom and dinner on the table when he comes home. (We are married to very similar men, I think.) It's unrealistic to think with the time she takes writing that she would be able to keep the house perfect all the time but she can fill need and get everything done she wants and NEEDS to.

WHAT YOU GIVE UP
Anita was very honest that you give up a lot to be a consistent writer. She said it had been years since she sat down and watched TV. She said that she could never be one of those moms who do everything because she was writing. There have been many times where she had to say no, but she said her children have ALWAYS known she loves them and that they are more important than her writing, but her writing is important enough to sacrifice for and she has.

I want to publicly thank Anita Stansfield for her great advice. It really is a sacrifice but writing is part of me that I can't deny and it's cool that my sweet family has given me that opportunity to pursue it. Now I need to start that list thing.

Writing "An Angel"

By Christine Thackeray

My latest project is due to hit bookstores in the next few weeks. It's a story about a mom who is asked to stand in for a weary angel for just one day. After flitting around doing what angels do all day, the mom flops in bed exhausted. She expects some great fanfare, but what she gets instead is much more valuable.

Like all projects "Could You Be an Angel" had an interesting beginning. It started with preparing an Enrichment Night. My RS counselor was impressed by Jeffrey R. Holland's talk of angels and wanted to do an angel-themed evening. We got a musical number, a craft, nice refreshments and a speaker, but there was something missing. I wasn't sure what.

As luck would have it, my sisters (I have seven) had planned our first ever sister's retreat about that same time. With three hours to kill on the plane, I took out a pad and pencil and worked the entire time on building this idea. The hardest part was figuring out what guardian angels actually do. I finally decided they mostly nugde and whisper, right at the moment you need it most.

My sister Julia is an incredible poet in her own right and helped me clean up my meter. Then I posted it on line where a few friends added their two cents. At last it was ready, and I copied it on scrolls tied with gold ribbon.

When the night of Enrichment came (now RS Meeting), my musical number canceled due to a cold and the craft person bugged out. I was sure the whole night would be a disaster. We had the angel food cake and strawberries, our keynote speaker and then I stood to deliver this poem.

As I spoke the room was silent and with my last word, I could tell it had really touched some people. It turned out to be a wonderful evening, and I felt the women left revitalized and ready to serve. Afterward, I put the poem away and didn't think about it for a while. Then a woman in my writing group suggested I submit it for publication and here it is.

It's awesome that the final product is inexpensive as a greeting card and can be used for a visiting teaching gift, mother's day card or simply something you give to anyone. It is written to be general enough for any audience, so you can even share it with your non-LDS friends.

Myths about Copyright

By Christine Thackeray

I'm still preparing for that conference where I'm talking about copyright so I wanted to dispell three copyright myths.

Myth #1- When I write something, it's mine and no one can use it without my permission.

Myth #2- Getting copyright permission to use quotes in a manuscript is so time-consuming and expensive that it's just not worth it

Myth #3- Once an author dies I can use their material without permission

Answer #1- Copyright law only protects someone from publishing and selling your material. Under Fair Use people may still critique, newreport, create parody or use your material for teaching and research even if you don't want them to.

Answer #2- Most major publishers have fair use guidelines posted that may make using a quote free if you check. If you use the CCC, an online service that specializes in helping authors get permission(www.copyright.com), you will usually have a completed contract within three days from almost anyone.(Although it can be just as fast and a little cheaper to do it yourself.

Answer #3- Recently Hollywood got into the copyright scene and a law passed that extended copyrights for the authors life plus seventy years. Yup. Your children, you grandchildren and even some of your great-grandchildren may have the joy of completing random permission forms. Whee!

What do you know about Copyright Law?

By Christine Thackeray

As writer's there are a few things we should be aware of. Basic grammar is pretty important. How to write a smoking querie letter can prove very useful, and coping techniques for dealing with rejection are essential. But one thing a lot of authors overlook is a basic understanding of copyright law.

In preparation for the upcoming LDStorymakers conference I've been doing a lot of research and have been surprised by so many misconceptions held by my writing friends and my own family.

Just to give you a little taste, can you answer the following question:

Which of the following is most protected by copyright law:
1. An autobiography
2. A newspaper article
3. A poem consisting of only two lines
4. A proposal for an original concept for a new TV series.

The reality is that only the tiny poem is really covered. Copyright only protects original expression, not facts or ideas. So the autobiography, newspaper article and proposal could be used conceptually. You couldn't quote from them without permission but you could openly paraphrase any concept you wanted. On the other hand, the poem is made unique by expression and would be totally covered.

More to come.

Marketing: The Hardest Part of Being Published

By Christine Thackeray

Two years ago Rebecca Talley and I both had our first books come out about the same time. The first time I spoke to her on the phone I remember we got on the subject of marketing. She told me (I hope you remember this, Rebecca) that she was worried about it, and I told her I wasn't at all.

Well, ignorance is bliss. I told all my family and friends about my first book, got a few strong reviews, started a blog and website, did a few less than stellar signings and thought the world would race to the bookstore and gobble up every copy. Instead, it didn't even get a double printing. I was devastated.

This spring my second novel is about to be released, and I know in the next month or so I've got to roll up my sleeves. I'm so grateful for the wonderful advice of our new marketing director at Cedar Fort who called with some good pointers, but I'd be interested in seeing what other authors have found most successful.

Blog tours can be very effective, as well as Facebook.

Also, putting up reviews on Deseret, Good Reads and Shelfari.

I've heard mixed reviews about book signings but I do think they are worth it even if just to get the staff excited about your book.

I get a little jealous of YA who can do school visits because its a little more difficult to find groups of people in my market- LDS fiction. I've applied to a number of writer's conferences to speak and have tried to be more involved.

I know very little about where to get hard copy reviews, especially in the LDS market.

How do we reach out and get people to know we are here?

Has anyone had real success with something. Any ideas???

Blessings in Trials

By Christine Thackeray

I've missed my last few times blogging here, but I have a good excuse. Lately, my life has taken some unexpected curves. In September my husband was laid off. It wasn't a horrible thing, and you would agree if you met his supervisor, but with a son on a mission, another ready to go and a senior in High School, it was bad timing. Three months went by with lots of resumes and interviews but no hard offers. Then a few weeks before Christmas a family in our ward approached us about buying our house. (We hadn't even thought about putting it on the market until we knew where we were going.)

At first we simply let the idea go, but it worked on us and most of the jobs Greg was applying for were out of state. The family needed a place by December fourteenth and on that December fast Sunday I woke up with a strange idea. I knew my sister had a little mobile home at the corner of her property that she had put up for her married children to stay in from time to time. My sister is on a mission with her family, and I wondered if the trailer might be empty. I cried all day both from the humiliation of asking and the worse humilation of having to live there, but it felt in my heart that this was the right thing to do. At last I sent the email and got a reply almost immediately that she would be fine with us using it.

We made the move from my beautiful seven-bedroom home to the little three-bedroom trailer in the woods in less than a week. Interestingly, it was the same week our severance pay ended. We only brought air mattresses and pads because I was determined this was a short-term thing. We cut down our tree, had a great Christmas together, took my senior daughter to BYU (she decided last minute to graduate early) and my son to the MTC. Meanwhile, Greg's job search was not going well. Two jobs we were sure he would be offered ended up drying up. Consulting positions he was promised haven't come through and so he started his next semester of his master's program.

Last week I finally put the kids in school, swallowed my pride and accepted that we will be here for a while. The location is beautiful- it's in Redmond. We live a remote grove of trees not unlike a scene from the new Avatar movie but sans the strange blue creatures. Looking around, I have to wake up and count my blessings.

1. I have a sister that would give us this great opportunity to live rent free. With no house payment and unemployment checks we are doing as well as we were before.

2. My fourteen-year-old son's classes didn't transition well to the new school so homeschool looks like the best option. One-on-one time in a big family is rare and it is a wonderful little season for us to learn and grow together before he starts moving towards independence.

3. The youth program here is incredibly valiant. Camron's participating in a musical production with over 200 youth, seminary is of the highest caliber and Sarah's beehive class have been truly encompassing.

4. My sweet husband who spent the last two years in almost an abusive relationship is returning to his normal self. I can't imagine going to work every day, being constantly undermined and mistreated. One day he told me he wished his car would lose control and hit a tree so he wouldn't have to go back to work. That's when it's time to quit. At least he was laid off so we get a year of help.

5. No debt and food storage. If we had bills hanging over our heads, this would not be nearly as stress-free, but we don't. Although things are tight, we have a kitchen full of food (too much wheat) and except for tuition and monthly missionary payments, we have no monthly payments to anybody (but both of those things are another blessing in and of themselves.)

So I guess we've been greatly blessed but not in the way I'd choose. As far as writing, I don't have the heart of my days to devote to it any longer and I was upset. I prayed about it one night and the next morning realized that during seminary I could write. So now I've got an hour a day from 6-7 and another hour when Camron's older brother takes him out for PE from 8-9. Two focused hours is pretty good so I'm not going to complain anymore.

It's funny when God says my ways are not your ways. I'm curious to see what the end of this part of my story is. I have no idea when or where a job will come through but my faith muscle is sure getting a workout and so far, I can't complain.

Research

By Christine Thackeray

Some people may wonder whether fiction requires research. I've found it does. In my first book I had to see if there was a real medical condition that would make someone sleep for long periods of time and wake up at random intervals. It turns out there was exactly such a condition called Klein Levine Syndrome and I had to change some of the specifics of my story to make it more plausible.

In my next visiting teaching adventure, due to come out in the spring, I had to look into Child Protective Service and find out how different states dealt with cases of neglect and abuse. Each state has different terminology and processes. In the end I used the most common terms, even though it wasn't exactly accurate for the state I imagined but since I never actually mention the state, it seemed the best way to go.

My current work in progress is a whole new experience. I'm writing a historical fiction piece which has required years of study. It covers King Herod and I thought I was well-versed about the events of his reign. Then my husband took me to Israel and I was amazed how different reality was from books. The first shook was to stop thinking in American sizes. You can see the Dead Sea from Jerusalem, so Jericho and Qumran which seemed world away are more like suburbs of that great city.

Another surprise was how refined their architecture was. I thought their buildings would be more primitive. After careful perusal of Masada, I've decided that slaves offset the advent of power tools, evening the playing field considerably.

Finally, research begats inspiration. I was a little stumped at a point in the story and after visiting the place in person, I received such clarity- I can't wait to roll up my sleeves and start writing.

How Do You Create?

By Christine Thackeray

I'm a mother of seven great kids and discovered early on that there was a definite correlation between the way my kids were potty trained and how they learned to read. My oldest struggled with both. My second son fought against the whole idea on both fronts. Then my daughter decided she was done with diapers at 11 months and was fluent at reading by the time she started kindergarten.

Well, you get the idea. I do believe that certain skill sets can clue us in to brain patterns when it comes to other activities. One such pairing might be in the way we prepare "talks" or presentations and the way we write novels.

I've noticed that some people write out every word and then stick exactly to their script without deviation. Others write a lose outline and stick closely to it while still others write out one thing and then when they get up there go off on a separate tangent completely.

As writers that may clue us into what works for our brain type. I remember sitting through one writing class on mapping and calendaring out your novel. I thought at the time that would be my answer to simplifying the writing process and quickly bought a calendar and began writing down fictional events. After hours of writing, scribbling and tearing complete pages out and throwing them across the room, I realized that technique may not be the best for me.

Personally, I do the research, write an outline and then write wherever the characters take me, knowing the basic overview but trying to be true to their personal motivations without manipulating them too much. (Can you tell I'm the loose outline type.)

My other friend plots in her head down to the detail, writes her chapters out perfectly the first time and then plots again. She is more like the person that writes out every word of their talk.

It's a nice guilt-lifter to know that we can each create differently and it may even help the emerging writer to have a better idea how to proceed if they look at the way they create other things and use the techniques that they know work.

Am I Happy?

By Christine Thackeray

This week I've had a cold which has left me a little down. In an attempt to lift my spirits, I noticed a book about "Happy People" and decided to read it. In the late seventies Jonathan Freeman did a study on happiness. Although he was clear that there is no simple recipe for happiness, he did hypothesize that different categories of people were more happy if certain things in their lives were in harmony. He called these the "Ten Pillars of Happiness." They were different for single and married people and for men and women. For married women he found the list went as follows:

1. Being in love
2. Marriage
3. Partner's happiness
4. Sex life
5. Recognition
6. Personal Growth
7. Primary Activity
8. Friends and Social life
9. Health
10. Being a parent

Now, right off the bat I considered the study flawed because these were the priorities of people who claimed they were most happy. I mean every euphoric newlywed will claim to be extremely happy whereas when life starts hedging in marriage alone might not keep you there. Still, I have to admit that the quality of our marriages is the largest factor in our happiness (which entails the first four items on the list).

What really got me about this study is that it reminded me of a scripture I was reviewing in Proverbs 31 last week about women being more precious than rubies. I personally hold that this list is a basic blueprint of an ideal priority list for women's greatest happiness. Anyway, here it is:

10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no
need of spoil.
12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.


I think its fascinating that the number one item in this list is marriage as well. Only it is far more specific about which aspect of marriage we need to work on- that we are careful with his "heart." The we don't stamp on his feelings, injure his ego or intentionally push his buttons.

The line "so that he shall have no need of spoil" holds special significance. In a Biblical sense, spoil is most often referred to as the fall out of conflict, as in spoils of war. How many marriages go through difficulty because a clever wife throws a zinger at her husband who in turn isn't quite as adroit so he tries to get her back with something that harms their relationship? Then she blames him instead of looking at herself and that initial act. Not only have I been guilty, but I can think of a handful of examples from my closest friends. Wow, I'm going to be nicer, especially when I'm tired or hormonal.


Ironically, I had planned to write about the number TWO item on the list- recognition and personal growth, i.e. wool and flax, as in pursuing writing or other talents in balance with responsibilities, but there you are. Often in writing our characters don't do what we plan, and I guess for me today blogging went the same way.

Now I'm going to go upstairs and give my poor hubby a hug. He caught my cold.

Where Do Your Books Come From?

By Christine Thackeray

Last year my mother passed away, and I inherited many of her books. It has been a wonderful gift. The funny thing I found is that my mother always read with a purpose. For example, she was going to England on a trip with my father, and she must have bought twenty books (most historical fiction or quasi-non-fiction) on the Victorian Era. Most are beefy hardbacks with ornate covers. She also grew interested in the Northeast and has another huge collection of stories about Cape Cod and Nantucket. There are a few other things that caught her eye. She bought a book by an author named "Thomas Tryon" which happens to be the same name as my sister's little boy. Add to that a handful of each of the big production writers of the 80's and 90's and then an unexpected treasure here and there and that's about it.

Looking at my Mother's books made me think about my own books. Many are volumes I purchased for research purposes. I have every one of C.S. Lewis's works and almost twenty books on King Herod. I'm also a post-temple trip bargain shopper and own quite a lot of LDS fiction. Whatever is on sale, I pick up. I also go wild in the back of CFI every time I go back to Utah. Also, I think I own every Jodi Picoult and Janet Evanovich.

So I'm curious... where do you buy your books, what are your favorites and what draws you to them?

What Makes a Great Ending?

By Christine Thackeray

Sometimes when we put a book down or walk out of a movie, there is a feeling of complete satisfaction. The book was "right" and you want to the shake the author's hand. Other times you want to throw the book against the wall or ask for your money back at the theatre. But what makes an ending work or not.

This week I've been working on short stories. One of the benefits of that form is it gives you practice in creating a concise story arc with a satisfying conclusion. What interested me is that the ending was the most difficult part. This is why I struggled:

1. Don't beat a dead horse- After I made my point, I kept on going. Sort of like disciplining a teenager, once you've said your peace you need to be quiet. It is not effective to nag, especially as a writer.
2. What's the point- A story is different than a journal entry. When you finish there has to be an epiphany, a new insight, that the story awakens in you or at least an emotive response. Like a good joke, in the end there has to be something to "get." If not, then it isn't really a story at all.
3. Letting the reader do his part- If you have to explain everything in the end, then you haven't done a good job in the middle. In two of my stories I had to lighten the end so that the reader could finish the equations and finish the story feeling complete. Sometimes stopping just before the end can work.
4. Echo the first scene- To illustrate character growth, I really like it when the final scene mirrors the first in some way. The best is when the mirror isn't easily recognized but still there.
5. Stop at the end- I don't know if you've every read a story that went too long. Once the central conflict is complete STOP! Many stories stop at the first kiss rather than show the wedding because the wedding goest without a hitch and is BORING. Although I'd love to see what happed after Rhett said "Frankly, Scarlett" I don't give a damn." I never watched "Scarlett" because I really felt the story was over. I didn't need or want to see more.

So what are your favorite endings?

Hidden Treasures

By Christine Thackeray

My parents went on their mission to South Africa and told the story of a poor native boy who found a large unusual stone about the size of a human head and took it home with him. The family used it as a doorstop. One day years later two geologists came to his village and were surprised to discover the stone was one of the largest uncut diamonds ever found. For years the family had been scrounging for food and barely making ends meet when right below their noses they had something of such worth they could have been living in a palace.

I think too often we are the same way. We live our lives focusing on all the things we don't have or haven't done when there are treasures all around us that we either don't appreciate or don't even recognize.

I think one of those treasures for me has been finding my voice as a writer. I've given myself permission to explore the things I'm interested in at my own pace and it's been a delightful journey of discovery.

I'm curious what your diamonds are.

Genuine Surprise

By Christine Thackeray

I have to admit I startle easily. When very focused on what I'm doing, it may only take a hand on my shoulder to make me jump. At church while talking to a friend, one of my children often sneaks up and leaves me jolted by their sudden scream. The worst is when I'm preparing to sneeze, and my husband shouts a pretend scream just before my authentic ach-oo emerges because then my sneeze never comes and my nose is left itchy and unsatisfied.

In life sudden surprises may not be that great, but in writing genuine surprises are phenomenal. Not only are they rare but if done correctly, they leave you revisiting the plot line in your mind long after you've put down the book, trying to figure out how you didn't see it coming.

Bravo to Tristi who has accomplished this feat in her latest novel "Agent in Old Lace." It's a worthy goal many writers should strive for.