A Dog, A Monk and A Judge Walk Into a Book Store

Sorry. There is no punchline. But Ron has author wisdom to share involving all three of those elements. How could I resist?  

Meet Ron Marasco ...

What things would you do differently…

I think I would have liked to begin my writing career with the understanding I now have about editors. Older writers sometimes have negative and cautionary things to say to young writers about editors. But it has been my experience that your relationship with you editor can be one of the truly rich experiences of your working life as a writer. The key is to approach it as a naturally collaborative relationship—as it is—as opposed to an adversarial relationship--which it only is if it gets off on the wrong foot!

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5 Ways to Take Your Story From Meh to Marvelous

Michelle Griep writes historical romance, with 2 titles published to date. She teaches history and writing classes for a local high school co-op, and is a member of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and MCWG (Minnesota Christian Writers Guild). At the end of the day, she comes home to 4 kids, 1 husband, and a slightly psychotic boxer named Tyson. 

You know that story you've written that's hiding in a drawer?

The one that's finished but it's just meh?

The one you love but know isn't market ready and you're not quite sure why?

                                                                         

Have I got a handy dandy checklist for you . . . 

5 Ways to Spice Up a Lukewarm Manuscript

Cause Trouble

When it comes to characters and story, safety is overrated. If your characters aren't having the rug yanked out from beneath them in every chapter, forget about it. You think readers want to wade through a dung pile of description for pages on end? The answer is no, they don't, and I don't care how clever your prose is. Ramp up the tension, not the exposition.

Speed It Up

Think about it. What's more exciting to watch? A Nascar race with squealing tires and burning rubber, or a blue-haired senior shuffling along with a walker? Pacing is everything when it comes to story. Put the pedal to the metal and keep the action whizzing by.

Shove Your Reader to the End of their Seat

Cliffhangers aren't only for the climax of a story. Use them at the end of every scene. Wait, did you hear me? EVERY scene. Don't give your reader a reason to yawn and close your book.

Zigzag and Switchback

Predictability is death. Except for a few die-hard formula romance readers, no one wants to have the story figured out from page one. As an author, it's your job to keep the reader guessing.

Toss in Some Clown Pants

Humor has its place in every book, no matter the genre. Sprinkled throughout, a good grin creates levity, breathing space, and contrast.

So go ahead and pull out that manuscript. Give these techniques a whirl. You'll have a spicey dicey story in no time.

Writer Off the Leash

Are you a writer at heart? How can you tell? And if you are, how do you go about composing and selling the next Great American Novel? WRITER OFF THE LEASH answers these questions and more--all in an easy to understand, tongue-in-cheek style. This is more than a how-to book. It's a kick in the pants for anyone who wants to write but is stymied by fear, doubt, or simply doesn't know how to take their writing to the next level. Award-winning author MICHELLE GRIEP blows the lid off stodgy old-school rulebooks and makes it clear that writing can--and should--be fun. 

Here is what readers are saying: 

“As a former publisher of more than 500 novels, I’m familiar with the questions and struggles of both the unpublished and seasoned author. Michelle’s fast-paced guide addresses these craft issues in a way that educates and entertains while arming you with tangible tools for becoming a better writer.” 
Allen Arnold, Former Fiction Publisher and Director of Content Ransomed Heart Ministries 

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Tess Gerritsen ~ Writing the Slam-Bam Thriller Climax

Tess Gerritsen left a successful practice as an internist to raise her children and concentrate on her writing. She gained nationwide acclaim for her first novel of medical suspense, the New York Times bestseller Harvest. She is also the author of the bestsellers Life Support, Bloodstream, Gravity, and The Surgeon. Tess lives with her family in Maine. (PHOTO CREDIT: Paul D'Innocenzo) --as appeared her blog.





How does a writer come up with a thriller climax that truly thrills? Here was my advice over at ITW’s website:

On the surface, writing the thriller climax seems easy. You just put your hero in danger and throw in some bad guys chasing him in a spooky locale. Hero gets cornered, death seems imminent, and he either saves himself or gets saved by the cavalry. A big-stakes action scene should do the trick and get readers’ hearts racing, right?

Not necessarily. An effective thriller climax isn’t all about action, which can in truth be pretty boring. I first came to this insight while watching a James Bond film, and realized that the car chase was going on too long and I wanted to get on with the plot. The scene itself wasn’t revealing anything to me except crashed cars and broken bodies, and since you already knew the hero would survive, I wasn’t feeling particularly thrilled.

So what does make a climax thrilling? Tension. This is not merely action; it’s the fear and adrenaline that precedes the horrible thing you know is coming. The longer you can draw out that tension, the longer you sustain that sense of imminent jeopardy, the more thrilling the scene. I think of it as slowly blowing up a balloon bigger and bigger, waiting for it to pop. One trick I use is to have several crises building at once, involving multiple characters. Intercut between these scenes. Leave each scene with a mini-cliffhanger or a question begging to be answered. Don’t get to the blood-and-guts too soon, or the balloon will pop and you’ll lose that tension.

The Big Reveal makes the climax even more thrilling. It’s the surprise that your hero never saw coming, the shock that makes a reader suck in a startled gasp. In my medical thriller HARVEST, after a desperate struggle, the heroine is strapped to an operating room table, about to be sliced open. She’s reached what you think is her darkest moment … until the surgeon walks in. He’s not just any villain; he’s the man she loves. It’s not the action or the violence that a reader will remember; it’s that heart-stopping moment of ultimate betrayal. Give your Big Reveal an emotional punch, and the climax will be far more powerful. It can also be your way to explain parts of the mystery that are otherwise unknown to the hero/reader. Not a stilted “as you know, Mr. Bond” conversation, but a dropping of clues through dialogue or a sudden insight on the hero’s part.

The Rescue wraps up the action. It can mean either self-rescue by the plucky hero or a rescue by outside agents. My own preference is to not draw this out. Make the rescue happen, make it quick, and end the scene in another page or two. The tension’s now gone, so don’t linger too long over your spent balloon. Move on to the final scenes.

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Ready for Fame ?~ Nava Atlas

Are You Ready for Fame? Classic Authors Dish about Being in the Public Eye

 

by Nava Atlas

We all know that writing, in its essence, isn’t about publishing. At the risk of stating the obvious, writing is a journey, one that, if you follow it with passion and heart, will take you where you need to go. But admit it. You’ve fantasized at least once about what it would be like to be a famous, bestselling author. I’ll admit that I’ve daydreamed about it at least once or twice—per day, that is.

What I learned from the authors I got to know while writing The Literary Ladies’ Guide to the Writing Life is that fame does have its pleasures and advantages, but it has its discontents as well. The twelve classic authors whose writing lives unfold in the book all craved recognition and its advantages—primarily the kind of independence that was hard-won to women of their times. None were “overnight successes,” though it may have appeared so to the world. Hard work, setbacks, and disappointments most often preceded their breakthroughs. The Literary Ladies ultimately reaped the rewards they richly deserved, to greater or lesser degrees. But they also found that fame meant having to deal with the ups and downs of becoming a public person, producing work in the glare of raised expectations, and having to deal with criticism.

One of those was Harriet Beecher Stowe, whose Uncle Tom’s Cabin was the first ever book of fiction that became an international bestseller. This modest woman (who gave birth to seven children and lost three along the way) was surprised when the book she’d yearned to write with the sole aim of creating social change also made her a global literary star. The book was as controversial as it was successful, so she was both celebrated and reviled at home and abroad.

A letter to her husband, written in 1856 while she was in England to promote her second novel, Dred, reveals how she learned to take the highs and lows of fame in stride: “One hundred thousand copies of Dred sold in four weeks! After that who cares what critics say? ... It is very bitterly attacked, both from a literary and a religious point of view ... but yet it goes everywhere, is read everywhere, and Mr. Low says that he puts the hundred and twenty-fifth thousand to press confidently ... Is not this blessed, my dear husband? Is it not worth all the suffering of writing it?”

Back in the day, authors quaked in anticipation of the opinions of print media critics, but now, we also need to fear reader-reviewers’ rants on online book sites. Once your words are out there, they’re fair game, and it’s hard not to let criticism hurt, no matter what its source. Madeleine L’Engle (best known for A Wrinkle in Time) hit the nail on the head when she explained why authors dwell on the one bad review among many: “I bleed from bad reviews, even though I have been very blessed in getting many more good reviews than bad reviews. But like every other writer I know, when you get ninety-nine good reviews and one bad review, what review stays in your mind? The bad one. And why? Because it awakens our own doubts.”

Most of us could do without public criticism, but becoming rich and famous within one’s lifetime is a “problem” most of us would be glad to grapple with. It does require an adjustment of one’s self-mage, however. Louisa May Alcott saw herself as a pen-wielding drudge, and once fame and fortune were assured with the publication of Little Women (a book she did just for the money, with low expectations), she wrote to her sister, “I can’t make the fortunate Miss A. [referring to herself] seem me, and only remember the weary years, the work, the waiting, and disappointment.”

But even as she reconciled herself to her new incarnation as a bestselling author, Alcott wasn’t content to rest on her laurels. She continued to write, though chronic illness made it increasingly difficult toward the end of her life (she died at age 55). Her success allowed her to provide for her mother and sisters, and letters to her publisher reveal gratitude and humble acknowledgment of the pleasures of fame and money.

Becoming famous within one’s lifetime can be a classic case of “be careful what you wish for.” Willa Cather had a fierce love/hate relationship with the press. Yet unlike most of the other Literary Ladies whose writing lives I learned about from their private letters and journals, Cather made it her business to be a public person, granting interviews and giving speeches galore. She behaved like a social networking maven within the milieu of her own times. Yet even as she did tons of outreach to bolster her reputation, she grew irritable with loss of privacy, complaining: “In this country a writer has to hide and lie and almost steal in order to get time to work — and peace of mind to work with.”

To gain recognition as a writer is a blessing. To become famous is a mixed blessing. Becoming a public person can be fun in small doses for those who can muster grace under pressure. Fifteen minutes —or a lifetime—of renown is something many writers would be willing to experience; but then it’s important to once again regain balance, and find a quiet oasis where work can flourish. Our literary role models learned to deal fairly well with fame and fortune, and if you and I should be so lucky, we’ll find a way to do so as well.

Nava Atlas is the author of The Literary Ladies’ Guide to the Writing Life. Visit the companion web site for more on classic authors and their wisdom for contemporary writers.

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Author Interview ~ Beth Vogt

Beth K. Vogt is a non-fiction author and editor who said she’d never write fiction. She’s the wife of an Air Force family physician (now in solo practice) who said she’d never marry a doctor—or anyone in the military. She’s a mom of four who said she’d never have kids. She’s discovered that God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.”

Her inspirational contemporary romance novel, Wish You Were Here, debuted May 2012 (Howard Books.) Her second novel, Catch a Falling Star, releases May 2013. Beth is an established magazine writer and former editor of Connections, the leadership magazine for MOPS International.

Tell us a bit about your current project.

Wish You Were Here asks the question “Can the wrong kiss lead to Mr. Right?” The novel tells the story of what happens when a woman kisses her fiancé’s brother five days before the wedding. Which is the mistake? The kiss? Or the wedding?

We are all about journeys...unique ones at that. How convoluted was your path to your first published book? Share some highlights or lowlights from your path to publication. 

The first book I ever published was a non-fiction book about late-in-life motherhood, Baby Changes Everything (Revell 2007.) For years, I said I would never writer fiction – I was quite content staying on my side of the writing road. And then I hit a season of burnout when I told my husband I would never write another word – ever, ever, ever. He came home three days later to find me at the computer … um, writing. When he asked me about my vow to never write again (ever, ever, ever), I told him that what I was doing didn’t count. I was just having fun, playing around with an idea for a novel. No one would ever see it. That “just for fun” idea became Wish You Were Here. God used burnout to redirect my life – and allow me to see a whole new dream come true.

Do you still experience self-doubts regarding your work, or struggle in a particular area such as writers block or angst driven head-banging against walls? Please share some helpful overcoming hints that you’ve discovered.

Self-doubt wants to tag along on this journey, kind of like an unwelcome, invisible companion. The best way to overcome self-doubt is to surround myself with my “security net” of friends – both writers and non-writers. These friends (including my husband) speak truth to me when I’m up on a ledge and want to jump off. They point me back to who I am in God’s eyes and they help me to shake off the self-doubt.

What mistakes have you made while seeking publication? Or to narrow it down further what’s something you wish you’d known earlier that might have saved you some time/frustration in the publishing business?

That idea that you’re going to get it all done one day? It’s not going to happen.

And comparing yourself to someone else? Don’t go there. You walk your journey along the writing road and let them walk their journey. If your paths cross, cheer them on.

What is your favorite source for finding story ideas?

I love weaving real life into my novels. Often story ideas are prompted by questions that I’ve faced and found answers to – or maybe not.  I like letting fictional characters wrestle with the issues we face in the real world. I also love mulling over the question, “What if?”  and getting together with other writers and brainstorming story ideas.

Have you ever had one of those awkward writer moments you’d like to share with us, the ones wherein you get “the look” from the normals? Example, you stand at a knife display at the sporting goods store and ask the clerk which would be the best to use to disembowel a six foot man…please do tell.

At one time I thought Wish You Were Here was going to be a romantic suspense. Long story short: That was a rookie writer’s attempt to ramp up tension. Several years ago, during my youngest daughter’s spring break, we drove through Rocky Mountain National Park trying to find the best place for a confrontation – complete with a car going over the edge of a cliff. We were marking spots on a map of the park. I kept thinking: If the teacher asks the class what they did during spring break, what will my daughter say? “We tried to figure out how to kill somebody?”

Do you have a pet peeve having to do with this biz?
 

That time is relative in the writing world? That waiting is mandatory? That authors must market themselves? That social media is essential – and can pull me away from my work-in-progress … Oh, sorry. You only asked for one pet peeve.

Share a dream or something you'd love to accomplish through your writing career.

I am thankful to say I’ve accomplished more than I ever dreamed of as a writer. But one thing I hope to do in the future is encourage other writers – to help them achieve their dreams. I saw my dreams come true because of others coming alongside me and helping me. I want to do the same. 

What gives you the greatest writer buzz, makes the trip worth the hassles (besides coffee or other substances, or course)?

Relationships with other writers. We “get” each other, you know? And connecting with another writer, talking deadlines and elevator pitches and successes and “try again” moments – all of this has enriched my life so, so much.

Describe your special or favorite writing spot or send a picture if you'd like.

I have three-quarters of an office that is all mine. Or maybe it’s more like four-fifths. It’s large enough for two desks, and so the second desk is where my youngest daughter does homework or where my husband pays bills. But the office is mine – painted the way I like, with my favorite photos and sayings and mementos on the wall. 

What is the first thing you do when you begin a new book?

I grab a new copy of The Book Buddy, written by best-selling author Susan May Warren. It’s an amazing work-text that helps me map out my story – everything from my theme and Story Question, to my characters and my subplots, to my key scenes. By the time I’m done working through “Buddy,” I’ve plotted out enough to begin writing my fast draft.

Have you discovered any successful marketing/promo ideas that you'd share with us?

I had the absolutely delightful experience of being part of the “Debs” with three other authors who debuted in May: Dani Pettrey, Katie Ganshert and Olivia Newport. We joined together to encourage one another months before our books launched. Then Rel of Relz Reviewz and Kelli Standish – who is amazing with web design and all the “techy” stuff – coordinated a live online launch party for us. Our publishers – Howard Books, Bethany, Waterbrook and Revell – supported our combo launch party. We also highlighted Heart of the Bride, a ministry that provides for the needs of orphans worldwide.

Parting words? Anything you wish we would’ve asked because you’ve got the perfect answer?

So … what about the llamas? Wish You Were Here is a bit quirky, in that it has a trio of llamas incorporated in the storyline. People often ask “What’s up with the llamas?” I have my husband, Rob, to thank for that. Whenever I would hit a wall and not know what to write next, he would say, “Is this when the aliens come in?” I always told him I wasn’t writing that kind of novel. One day while we were in Estes Park (yes, the same time we were trying to figure out how to kill someone off in the book) we saw some llamas. And my husband asked, “Well, how about putting llamas in your book?”

That suggestion made me laugh – and I agreed.

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Making Fantasy Fiction Feel Real ~ Robert Liparulo

Best-selling novelist Robert Liparulo is a former journalist, with over a thousand articles and multiple writing awards to his name. His first three critically acclaimed thrillers—Comes a Horseman, Germ, and Deadfall—were optioned by Hollywood producers, as well as his Dreamhouse Kings series for young adults. Bestselling author Ted Dekker calls The 13th Tribe, released in April 2012, “a phenomenal story.” Liparulo is currently working with director Andrew Davis (The Fugitive, The Guardian) on the novel and screenplay of a political thriller. New York Times best-selling author Steve Berry calls Liparulo’s writing “Inventive, suspenseful, and highly entertaining . . . Robert Liparulo is a storyteller, pure and simple.” Liparulo lives in Colorado with his family.

Five Elements that Make Fantasy Fiction Feel Real

By Robert Liparulo

I like stories that surprise me, show me things I’ve never seen before, and get me playing make-believe like I haven’t since selling my G.I. Joes and Legos at a garage sale. Few tales are as make-believe (or as fun) as fantasy fiction—from the ones I call “light fantasy,” like alternate histories and time travel to the hard-core stuff involving space odysseys and dragons. Trouble is, I’m a skeptic, a hard sell. For a story to grab me, no matter how far-fetched it’s supposed to be, I have to see and feel things I recognize, things I relate to.

Sounds like common sense, but as a voracious reader of published fiction and a judge in umpteen writing competitions, I’m here to tell you it’s not as common as you’d think.

The idea of reality-based fantasy truly hit home when, after writing three reality-based thrillers (Comes a Horseman, Germ, and Deadfall), I decided to tackle a fantasy-adventure story for young adults and a fantasy-thriller for my latest novel, The 13th Tribe.

In the Dreamhouse Kings series, a family moves into a house that turns out to be a gateway to times past. Not only can the family go from the house to the past, people from the past can come through into their house. Someone does—and kidnaps Mom back into some unknown history. Brothers David and Xander begin going through the portals looking for Mom. We slowly learn that the Kings are in the house for a very specific purpose, and they must do much more than “simply” find their mother.

In The 13th Tribe, a group of immortal vigilantes try to earn God’s favor by killing sinners. When we meet them, they’re planning an attack on a major city and it’s up to our reluctant protagonist to stop them.

My goal was to make the stories feel as real as possible, and more: I wanted to reach even readers who don’t normally like fantasy elements in stories. I identified a few key ingredients that would help me reach this goal:

1. Characters who feel. The way to a reader’s heart is through a story’s characters. Doesn’t matter if they’re fighting dragons or stepping into the Roman Colosseum during a gladiator fight, a character has to experience fear and courage, love and heartbreak, blood, sweat and tears—all of it realistically rendered in a way the reader understands. In the Dreamhouse Kings, I decided to make the time travel parts feel real by making everything else absolutely real.

The poor King boys (ages 12 and 15) suffer so many cuts, bruises, and broken bones that a popular contest on my website involves identifying as many wounds as possible on medical body charts. They cry for their mother, and ache at the possibility of never seeing her again. They also realize how much they need and love one another, and even find time to laugh.

Look, too, at Ender Wiggin in Orson Scott Card’s brilliant Ender’s Game: That boy went through such a gamut of emotions (loneliness, anger, triumph, self-discovery) that despite the future setting on a spacecraft, even non-sci-fi fans ate it up.

2. A character who’s skeptical. Some authors have done so much research and spent so much time contemplating the fantasies of their stories that buying into the fantastic is a no-brainer for them. Their characters barely shrug at the concept of vampires or the shattering of the laws of physics.

I read a lot of fantasy, but I still want to be convinced every time. It helps when at least one character mirrors my disbelief. It tells me the author knows he or she is venturing into fantasy territory, so I trust that I won’t be left behind. As the evidence slowly convinces the skeptical character, more times than not, I’m convinced as well. In other words, the author builds a bridge between reality and fantasy—if not necessarily with rock-solid explanations, then at least with feasible theories and suppositions.

3. A learning curve in understanding the fantasy. “Hey, a watch that stops time—let’s do it!” You’ve probably seen the equivalent of this many times: the characters instantly grasp and use some crazy new item or idea. I want to see them stumble, misuse it, make mistakes, figure it out. A large part of the fun in Dreamhouse lies in the family’s near fatal mistakes as they rush to find Mom, and how their assumptions about time travel and the portals consistently lead them into more trouble. They eventually set up a “Mission Control Center” to map where the portals take them and what they can and cannot do in the past.

In Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend (my favorite book), protagonist Robert Neville is constantly learning new things about the creatures after him and the virus that turned them into vampire-like beasts. Readers get to tag along and figure out the problems and solutions with him; discovery becomes a team effort between character and reader.

4. Real surroundings and situations. Like characters who laugh and cry, hyper-realistic environments make the fantasy elements feel more real—because everything else is. When the King family finds the house, it’s dusty and run down, the banister leaves splinters in their palms, when the electricity comes on, old bulbs pop. Tolkien was a master at this, chronicling in Lord of the Rings the hobbits’ journey in almost painful detail. He gradually pulls readers in until we’re there, sore—if not hairy—feet and all. Likewise, characters should eat, sleep, go to the bathroom, whittle . . . whatever makes them real.

5. Consistency. A major Hollywood studio has an offer on the table for the film rights to The 13th Tribe, but part of the deal includes my providing a “mythology” of the immortals: What are their abilities, how can they die, how does the way they became immortal (it was a divine punishment) and their time on earth effect their current behavior? Movie people are particularly sensitive to remaining consistent to the rules of made-up conceits because audiences can spot inconsistencies easier in the condensed stories of film (and movies rarely have the time to explain how seeming inconsistencies really aren’t). It’s a lesson writers of novels would do well to learn, because readers tend to be more demanding when it comes to storytellers staying true to the rules of a made-up world.

Not every story requires equal doses of these elements. Think of them as spices: the amount authors use of each depends on the dish they’re preparing . . . and their personal tastes. But all dishes need spices, just as all stories need to feel real to readers.

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NoTime, No Privacy, No Self-Discipline ~ The Literary Ladies Blast Through Excuses ~ Nava Atlas

Though Nava Atlas is best known as the author of many books on vegan vegetarian cooking, she also produces visual books on women’s issues, most recently The Literary Ladies’ Guide to the Writing Life (2011). This lavishly illustrated book explores the writing lives of twelve classic women authors in their own words, with commentary on the relevance of their experiences to all women who love to write.






by Nava Atlas

Too much to do and too little time, no room of one’s own, and no willpower to simply sit down and write—those are the Big Three of “why I’m not writing” excuses. Those obstacles were as true for women writers in earlier generations as they are for today’s writers, as I discovered in researching the writing lives of classic authors of the past for The Literary Ladies’ Guide to the Writing Life.

Sure, you’re busy, but you may feel less overwhelmed when you learn that Harriet Beecher Stowe had seven children, and was in charge of all the household duties, aside from being responsible for bringing in at least half of its income. Still, she somehow found the wherewithal to complete Uncle Tom’s Cabin, a book that’s been credited with shifting public attitude about slavery when it was published in 1853.

In times past, a writer was truly alone with the blank piece of paper. Now, with most of us working on computers, fully wired, a new daily battle is fought against the constant distraction of the Internet, that sneaky demon lurking behind the blank page on the screen. How did writers past, the ones who ultimately succeeded gloriously, find time, privacy, and the will to write? Here are some nuggets of wisdom from several Literary Ladies:

Don’t take an all or nothing attitude. Some of the authors in this book, including Willa Cather (author of My Antonia, O Pioneers!, and many other works), worked a mere few hours a day: “I work from two and a half to three hours a day. I don’t hold myself to longer hours; if I did, I wouldn’t gain by it,” she said in a 1921 interview.

Don’t wait until you have the perfect private, quiet place. L.M. Montgomery (best known for her Anne of Green Gables series) got nothing done in her silent room before or after work as a working girl in 1920. But when she snatched odd moments in the bustle of the newsroom where she was employed, “The impossible happened ... Every morning here I write, and not bad stuff either.” Similarly, Madeleine L’Engle wrote, “I must seize opportunities,” and found that she got good work done on planes, as well as in airports and hotels.

To get work done, think of small chunks. Some authors of the past found their will to stay put and write was aided by just focusing on that day’s work. Edna Ferber (hugely successful in her time for cinematic novels like Cimmaron and Giant), thought it better to think of “any long piece of work as a day to day task,” and not become overwhelmed by the big picture, otherwise, “one can drown in a morass of apprehension.”

So, while today’s writing women might battle the temptations of Facebook and Twitter, it was little different for George Sand, who complained in 1869, “I let myself be distracted by guilty fancies.” No doubt, those were her myriad of lovers, but that didn’t stop her from writing more than seventy novels. See excuses for what they are, and don’t let them get the best of you. The Literary Ladies all found strategies to overcome the very same issues, and you can, too.

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My Kindle Free Short Story Experiment ~ Tess Gerritsen

Tess Gerritsen left a successful practice as an internist to raise her children and concentrate on her writing. She gained nationwide acclaim for her first novel of medical suspense, the New York Times bestseller Harvest. She is also the author of the bestsellers Life Support, Bloodstream, Gravity, and The Surgeon. Tess lives with her family in Maine. (PHOTO CREDIT: Paul D'Innocenzo)



My Kindle Free Short Story Experiment  by Tess Gerritsen

In June, shortly before my book THE SILENT GIRL went on sale, my publisher and I decided to try a little experiment. We put up a free Rizzoli & Isles short story called “Freaks” that had earlier appeared on the TNT website to promote the TV show. It was intended as a fun little piece, a complete mystery told in about fifteen pages. It opens with a dead girl’s body in an abandoned church. There are hints of vampires, there’s a chase through an alley, an autopsy, and a final confrontation with a gunman. Mystery solved, with a twist. All in fifteen pages.


Also included in the free download were the first two chapters of THE SILENT GIRL, and a script from the TV show. We wanted to give readers just a taste of Jane and Maura, to offer a sneak peek at the new book, and maybe entice viewers of the TV show to give the books a try.


And did I mention this was all free?


“Freaks” shot to the top of the chart for free offerings and was downloaded tens of thousands of times the first week. It looked like the experiment was working. I waited and watched the reader reviews, to see if folks were getting a kick out of it. To see if it was leading them to buy a book.


What I found instead were complaints, complaints, complaints: The story was too short! Hardly any character development! Not as good as the books! Some people were pissed about the two free chapters because they resented anything promotional, and were disgusted that they got a free peek. (You know, no one forced you to read the chapters.) And for some, “free” wasn’t cheap enough; they complained that the offer wasn’t “worth it.”


The objections made my head hurt. Do people really expect a short story to be as good as a book? Do they really expect deep character development plus a complete mystery in fifteen pages?


My conclusion: I don't think it was worth it on my end, either. Short stories are killers to craft when you’re used to writing novels. I had to distill a plot down to its basic elements, make it punchy enough to work for a TV website, keep the action tense and the twists unpredictable, all while establishing a feel for the characters. My hope was that the story would serve as a bridge between the slightly different TV and book versions of Jane and Maura, helping readers enjoy both interpretations.


For all the effort I put into it, I think the free short story experiment was, if not a failure, a disappointment. I think I’ll stick with Twitter.

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Fiction with a Mission ~ Kathi Macias

Kathi Macias (www.kathimacias.com) is a multi-award winning writer who has authored more than 35 books and ghostwritten numerous others. A former newspaper columnist and string reporter, Kathi lives in Southern California with her husband, Al, where the two of them spend their free time buzzing around in Al’s 2005 sunburst orange Corvette—hence, Kathi’s “road name” of Easy Writer.

FICTION WITH A MISSION

From the moment I signed the contract with New Hope Publishers for my four-book Extreme Devotion fiction series, I began hearing variations of the same question from potential readers: What’s the genre?

Tough one to answer. I suppose contemporary international fiction sums it up best, since each book is set in a different country and takes place in modern times. But New Hope, which is known for its passion for missions, has opted to call the line “Fiction with a Mission,” and I couldn’t be more pleased with that label.

All four books of the Extreme Devotion series—No Greater Love (set in South Africa in 1989 during the violence and upheaval preceding the overthrow of Apartheid), More than Conquerors (set in Mexico and dealing with the Mayan culture and influence), Red Ink (set in China and loosely based on the true-life story of currently-imprisoned-for-her-faith Li Yin), and People of the Book (set in Saudi Arabia and dealing with the cost of converting from Islam to Christianity) have now released.

The writing and production of this series was an exciting shared adventure, as I partnered with New Hope Publishers in their first fiction launch even while I learned about the unique aspects of writing fiction in international settings. It was also quite a challenge, as I’d never helped launch a first-ever fiction line for a publisher known for their nonfiction. In addition, of the four countries highlighted in the books, I have been to only one—Mexico—but I have never set foot in the area where the Mayan culture is so strong and where much of that book takes place. Can anyone say RESEARCH? Online research, library research, books and videos and movies—and people. My greatest resource for authentic research was connecting with people who either currently lived in the countries where my stories occur or had recently lived there. Though I began the writing of the stories based on much of my online and book research, the majority of personal touches that make readers say, “Wow, it’s like I’m right there!” came about as a result of feedback from those who know the areas and culture firsthand.

And now we are in the midst of the Freedom series, another “fiction with a mission” offering (trilogy) based on the topic of human trafficking. The first book, Deliver Me From Evil, released in September 2011, with the following two books in the series, Special Delivery and The Deliverer, set to release in 2012. Though much of this series takes place right here in the States, as I wanted readers to understand that human trafficking doesn’t just happen in faraway lands, the books will also contain a strong sub-plot set in the Golden Triangle area of Thailand as well as several scenes in Mexico. (Yep, more research!) Even our stand-alone 2011 Christmas book, A Christmas Journey Home, has an international setting, with the story going back and forth between the Baja area of Mexico and the Arizona desert.

As an author of Christian books, this is my way of “going into all the world” to fulfill the Great Commission—and helping my readers do the same. I pray my venture into international fiction will truly prove to be “fiction with a mission” for all who read it—and who may find themselves called to expand their own outreach in response to God’s call on their lives.

A Christmas Journey Home


During Isabella Alcantara’s seventh month of pregnancy, her parents and siblings are murdered in gang- and drug-related violence, simply because their home was targeted by mistake. Isabella knows she was spared only because she now lives in a different location, but she knows too that the same thing could easily happen to her and her husband, Francisco. When her grandfather offers to hire a “coyote” to bring them across the border to America, she agrees. But Francisco and Isabella are abandoned by the coyote and left to die. Francisco then valiantly sacrifices himself to get Isabella to safety. Homeless, nearly penniless, pregnant, and alone, Isabella determines to find a way to honor her promise to her beloved husband.

Living on one of the smaller spreads along the Arizona border, Miriam Nelson becomes furious with God and turns from her faith when her
border patrol agent husband, David, is killed in a skirmish with drug smugglers. Though her mother and young son do their best to woo her back from the anger and bitterness that have overtaken her, they make little headway.

Two widows—one driven by fear and a promise, the other by bitterness and revenge—must make their journeys along different pathways, but with the same destination: a barn full of animals that stands waiting for them on Christmas Eve. Forced to face their personal demons, Isabella and Miriam soon discover a common yearning that will bind them together in a most miraculous way.

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Two New Books on Writing

The Maeve Binchy Writer's Club, Maeve Binchy

"This warm inspiring guide to writing and publishing is backed with Maeve Binchy's signature humor and generous spirit. From choosing a subject and creating good writing habits to sustaining progress, finding an agent, and working with an editor, Binchy prescribes practical, concise advice for every step."

On-Sale, March 9, 2010












The Weekend Novelist Rewrites the Novel, Robert J. Ray

"You've finished the first draft—congratulations! Think it's ready for publication? Think again. The next stage is all about revisiting and reworking your manuscript—fine-tuning the plot, adding or improving subplots, and fleshing out characters; in short, addressing important structural issues that make or break a novel. . . . Also included are checklists, timed exercises, plot diagrams and charts—all aimed to get you rewriting and revising your draft with confidence. "

On Sale, Feb 16, 2010

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