Guest Blogger ~ Colleen Coble

Ever since I started writing, I’ve heard that it’s tough to get published. And it is. But it’s not really tougher today than it was last year or the year before. It’s always been hard. But you can do it! Editors today are looking for stories that really stand out.

How do you make your book stand out, you ask? Good question so I’m going to tell you.

I just finished teaching a class on ACFW about layering. Good layers are often the key to making an editor sit up and take notice. So much of the time, stories that hit the editor’s desk are so similar. Romance especially can be tough to make fresh. But it’s all in the layers.

Here are the layers I work on with every story:

1. Setting is huge for me. A character who lives in Boston is very different from one who lives in Indiana. The culture that shaped him/her is different too. Think about where your characters are. Read newspapers from that area and see if you can find a plot layer in what is going on currently there. Is there a culture group that’s strong there? In my Rock Harbor books, the Finnish culture had a huge role and was fun to layer in. Lonestar Sanctuary, which is just now shipping to stores, is set on a ranch in Texas that rescues abused horses and matches them with abused children. That idea gripped me by the throat, and that’s what you want your idea to do.

2. Character types. Take a look at character types and pit different types against one another to play off weaknesses and pet peeves. This can add a really great layer of conflict that’s ongoing.

3. Can you give your protagonist an obsession? That can really springboard you to plot ideas as she pursues it. This is often where to layer in your theme.

4. Interesting occupation. This leads me to story ideas all the time. I’ve written about a SAR dog team, a dolphin researcher, a smokejumper.

5. Think of plot layers that are problems for your main characters. Try to come up with at least three. For example, in Lonestar Sanctuary, I have my character struggling with how to help her daughter who has been mute since a trauma, Her dead husband’s parents are trying to take her daughter, she wants to get to know her unknown grandfather, and she finds herself the target of some unknown assailant and doesn’t know why. Oh yes, and she is forced into marrying a man she doesn’t know to keep her daughter and has to learn to love him. Keep piling on the problems! Torture your poor character. The problem with many manuscripts I see is that there isn’t enough conflict and it isn’t varied enough. It’s not enough to have just ONE conflict.

Layers will life your book out of the rejected pile. They will add depth and interest to your characters and your plot. If you’ve already written the book, it’s still not too late to tear into it and make it something special. Don’t be afraid to start from scratch and add the things that need to be there.

A story about the unexpected fulfillment of promises made long ago.

Allie Siders is desperate to help her five-year-old daughter, Betsy, speak again. But with a stalker out for revenge, all Allie can think about is the safety that awaits them at the peaceful Bluebird Ranch, nestled deep in Texas hill country. Not only is the ranch a sanctuary for abused horses, but also for troubled youths. And Allie is determined to get Betsy, who hasn't spoken a word in nearly a year, all the help she needs--and find a safe haven for both of them.

Ranch owner Elijah DeAngelo, compassionate and kind, eagerly welcomes the duo. But Rick Bailey, the handsome foreman, hasn't decided to let down his guard . . . yet. As promises made long ago soon force Rick and Allie to work together to save all they hold dear, will they discover the remarkable power of love along the way?