I Went to a Writing Retreat Without My Laptop and Survived

by Pamela S. Meyers

A log cabin writers retreat…the words jumped out of my computer screen as if to say, “Do it!”  The picture of the cabin drew me in. Spending a late autumn weekend in a cabin in my beloved native Wisconsin woods sounded like a great way to plot a storyline for the sequel to my new book.

The cabin was located about a three-hour drive from my suburban Chicago home. Just far enough to feel like I really was away from it all. I claimed one of the three bedrooms offered and made plans to attend.

I was told that Internet connection would be spotty but I could drive to a nearby town to check for emails. Important since I was in constant communication with my editor for an upcoming book. The plans for the weekend were made. I’d attend my Bible study the morning of my departure, then after lunch make the drive to the cabin. Little did I know that the Chicago Cubs would clench the World Series title the night before and I'd be awake until after two a.m. thanks to my over-exuberant neighbors’ celebrations. Regardless, I had to be up at the crack of dawn for responsibilities at the Bible study. No sleeping in for me.

That afternoon, with my eyelids at half mast, I hopped on The I-90 Tollway and began my trek north. By the time I crossed the state line into Wisconsin a little more than an hour later, my adrenalin took over. The sight of the rolling Wisconsin hills, some still wearing autumn’s glorious colors of reds and yellows, helped to regain clarity of mind. I couldn’t wait to sit with my laptop and be inspired as I tapped away on the keyboard and the plot began to emerge.

Then the thought hit me.

I’d left my laptop at home. I don’t know how I knew without looking, but I did. Praying I was wrong, I pulled off at the next exit and found a place to park. My computer bag was not in the car. Which also meant my phone charger wasn’t in the car either. 

I’d gone too far to turn around, so my only option was to keep going. I did pack a notebook and a pen for my devotions. And I could use them to scribble out ideas. Isn’t that how authors of old wrote? As for the phone charger, I’d have to find a Walmart or similar store. I turned it all over to God. If anything I could enjoy walks in the woods while the others wrote on their laptops.

Within minutes I spotted the familiar blue and white Walmart sign and pulled off at the next exit.

By now the sun was quickly setting and I’d have to hurry if I didn’t want to be searching for a cabin in the Wisconsin woods in the dark. I raced into the store and scurried the electronics department. By then sleep deprivation had returned, and I could barely get the words out to a rather disinterested clerk that I needed a phone charger. Stumbling over my words, I explained I was sleep deprived from being up too late watching the World Series. 

She gave me a blank stare and said she never watched sports. I picked out what I needed and as we walked to the cash register I said, “Here I am going to a writers retreat and I left my computer at home. What writer does that?” I received another blank stare. Something we always joke about at writing conferences popped into my mind. Remember, we aren’t the only ones in the hotel. The other guests are “normals.” At least I didn’t tell her I was coming to Wisconsin to plot how to kill someone off.

I made it to the cabin at dusk and stepped into a beautiful, cozy room, complete with a large stone fireplace—perfect. Later, when I stepped into my bedroom I was pleased to find a welcome bag containing a notebook and pen. I wouldn’t need to use my prayer journal.

The next day, after some instruction on characterization, I sat down with the notebook and pen and before long, I had a couple great plot points for my hero. The endorphins kicked in and I wrote at characterizing my character for at least an hour. By the end of the second day, I had a great start on putting a plot together and had driven into town and took pictures of a unique old building I might use in a story. Amazingly, I hadn’t missed my computer at all.

God taught me a lesson I should have known. Even when it seems I am ill equipped, I really am not because the One who called me to this gig called writing is always with me and He will provide using whatever is available. In my case it was a pen and notebook and nothing more.

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A native of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, author Pamela S. Meyers lives in suburban Chicago with her two rescue cats. Her novels include Thyme for Love and her 1933 historical romance, Love Finds You in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin Her novella. What Lies Ahead, is part of a novella collection, The Bucket List Dare, which is now available at Amazon in both print and Kindle formats. Second Chance Love from Bling!, an imprint of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, will release in January 2017. When she isn’t at her laptop writing her latest novel, she can often be found nosing around Wisconsin and other Midwestern spots for new story ideas.

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Find the Sweet Spot and Make That Sale!

By Pamela S. Meyers

One of the perks of Authorfest is the wonderful view! The Riviera Bldg. is left of center

Two weekends ago, I participated in Authorfest in my hometown of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. This is the second year for this festival and my second time participating. I have also sold my books at craft fairs and over time, I have learned one thing. If you want to sell your books, you have to find the sweet spot of emotion in each potential buyer.

I hate pushy sales people as much as the next person and when I first started selling at craft fairs and festivals, I waited for the customers to flock to my table. If I were a well-known author with a famous name that probably would have happened, but in my case not likely. After a so-so experience at a couple craft fairs I decided I needed to step it up.

You would think that my book Love Finds You in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin would be an auto-buy for anyone attending a book sale set next to the beach where the town's iconic Riviera Building is featured on my book cover. But not so much. I still had to sell the book to people and find that emotional connection for them to want to take my book home to read.

My Book cover that matched the view

My table was situated along a sidewalk that sees a lot of walkers over the course of a sunny summer Saturday and it was also one of several first seller tables the walkers encountered if they approached from the west. 

I'm not a shy person, but the first few times I made my pitch it was a little nerve-wracking. However, each time it got easier and I tweaked it on the fly when I saw what worked. Of course you have to make this applicable to your own situation, but I've broken the pitch down into increments to give you a head start:

1. Know your target audience and begin to search the people approaching your location for those people. My main target group are women from approximately 20 years old and up. And out of that group, women from middle age and up narrows it down even more. 

2.  When I spotted a woman that fit my target audience, I watched for her to look over at my table and slow her pace as she took in the large sign with a picture of my book. 

3. At this point I asked if she would be interested in stories set in historical Lake Geneva. By now, she had usually stopped walking and answered one of three ways: "Yes" or "Maybe" or "Not really." 

4. I gave the not-really people my book mark that features my current books and they went on their way, but with those who answered "Yes" or "Maybe," I begin my sales pitch by telling them I'm the author of the book, which they were sometimes surprised to learn. Then I continued on with the following facts:

• I grew up in Lake Geneva (which gives authentication to the story).
• My story is a love story that also involves historical information woven in about what the town was like in the 1930s and how the community project of building the new recreation building on the lakeshore brought the people together.
• That the Riviera Building is on the cover of my book, and how I learned a lot about life in the town during the Great Depression and prohibition that I never knew.
• I mentioned  how hard I worked at research to make sure that the only stores and places named were ones that were there at that time  

About this point in the conversation I could tell if I had made an emotional connection with the person. And if I had, I'd found the sweet spot. At any point after this, they were usually reaching for their wallets. Note usually, because some still walked away.

Of course, if I were doing this in a different location or even selling a different book at that time, my pitch would different. But the key point I’ve learned is searching for that “sweet spot” where you make an emotional connection. It's something I see in their face or their eyes or in something they say in response to what I've said. 

At my book table at Authorfest

One man loved the history of the area but he was hesitant to buy a book that was a love story (Calling the book a love story, as opposed to a romance, works better with men). With him I stressed the town's history that is shown throughout the story and assured him the love story wasn’t the only element in the book. I even warned him what part of the story had the first kiss so he could skim when he got to that part. He laughed and bought the book.

I also learned I did right by setting the price point at a level that a majority of people considered reasonable to pay for a trade paperback book. I was told that other authors at the sale were selling their books as much as five dollars more then I was. This was not a strategical move on my part, but I do know that there is an invisible line that most book customers don't usually cross when considering an impulse purchase of a book. I try to stay below that line.

All in all, Saturday at the Authorfest was a successful day. I have no idea how it will be for me next year when I’ll have a new rodeo story to sell that is set in southern Illinois, but I'll still be looking for that sweet spot.

What tips can you share for making the sale when selling at fests and craft fairs? 

If you’re interested in Love Finds You in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin,it is still available online at Amazon and other online stores. You can also purchase my other book, Thyme for Love, which I was also selling at Authorfest by clicking on the title of the book.

A native of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, author Pamela S. Meyers lives in suburban Chicago with her two rescue cats. Her novels include Thyme for Love, which has recently been re-released on Amazon and her 1933 historical romance, Love Finds You in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Love is All We Need (the sequel to Thyme for Love) will release in 2016, and Second Chance Love from Bling!, an imprint of Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, will release in January 2017. When she isn’t at her laptop writing her latest novel, she can often be found nosing around Wisconsin and other Midwestern spots for new story ideas.

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SEEDS OF LIGHT

by Cynthia Ruchti

Traveling across Wisconsin at this time of year is a stunning experience, especially when using full advantage of back roads. Tidy red barns and white farmhouses contrast against a background of ripening wheat, lush green carpets of alfalfa, and mixed hardwood and pine forests. A farm pond, river, or lake is never far from sight. Gardens seem to express their gratitude for the sun and rain of Wisconsin's short growing season by condensing their life-cycles into two or three months of jungle-paced growth.

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Old Newspapers -- A Treasure Trove for Researching Your Historical Novel

Ever since I began writing fiction, I shied away from writing historicals because you have to make sure you have all the details correct, right down to the type of shoes they wore, food they ate, even whether or not their words were part of the vernacular at the time. Otherwise, the historical junkies will be sure to spot your mistakes.

I stuck to writing contemporaries until at an ACFW Chapter meeting,  when I told the editor from Summerside Press that I was raised in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Intrigued that I was from the very popular Midwestern resort area, the editor wanted to know more because they were interested in resort settings. I instantly began plotting a contemporary in my head.

The bubble burst when she said, “Why don’t you work up a historical proposal for me?” Of course I agreed and quickly decided on 1933 when the iconic lakeshore building known as the Riviera was opened.

Growing up in the town did give me somewhat of an advantage, but I still needed to know what the town was like in 1933, not when I was a child. I owned several coffee table books about Lake Geneva that featured pictures from the past, but I needed a more up-close-and-personal snapshot of the town. I decided what better place to find that than copies of the weekly newspaper from that time.

Fortunately I live about an hour away from Lake Geneva and was able to make frequent trips to the public library where I discovered a treasure trove of information hidden in the microfilms of the Lake Geneva News Tribune.

Not only did I find needed information regarding the building of the Riviera, but I also discovered the heartbeat of the town as I read about how everyone came behind the plan to make the lakefront a tourist magnet. Tourists meant money spent on lodging, using the beach and dancing up a storm in the Riviera’s new ballroom. After all, this was the time of the Great Depression.

I’d grown up taking for granted the Riviera when I passed it daily, but as I read, I began to feel the same passion for the structure as the townspeople of 1933. And when I later began writing the story, I couldn’t help but bring that same passion and excitement to my heroine and the other characters.

I didn't just read articles related to the building of the Riviera. I read about the society doings, bank robberies, high school activities, ete. etc. Often times I came across a last name I recognized as the same as one of my classmates. These weekly editions truly were a "Back to the Future" type of moment, giving me a view of my hometown from a time before I was born.

Not everyone can travel to their story setting to take advantage of the local library’s microfilm library, but there are there are a lot of newspapers from the past available on line. By typing “newspaper archives” in the Google search bar, I received dozens of hits to sites—some free and others by subscription—that just might have newspapers from your story’s setting. Some go back to the 19^th Century. 

A few that I came across include:

http://www.newspapers.com

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/

http://guides.library.upenn.edu/historicalnewspapersonline

That's the tip of the iceberg, so start exploring!

On a future post,  I’ll discuss another way the newspapers helped me make the setting become real for my readers.

A native of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, author Pamela S. Meyers lives in suburban Chicago, an hour's drive away from her hometown which she visits often to dig into its historical legacy. Her novels include Thyme for Love, and Love Will Find a Way,  contemporary romantic mysteries from OakTara Publishers, published in 2011 and 2013. Her 1933 historical romance, Love Finds You in Lake Geneva,Wisconsin, released April 1, 2013. She can often be found speaking at events around Lake Geneva or nosing in microfilms and historical records about Wisconsin and other Midwestern spots for new story ideas

She can often be found speaking at events around Lake Geneva or nosing in microfilms and historical records about Wisconsin and other Midwestern spots for new story ideas.
 

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