Chasing the Muse

by Randy Singer, @litfuse

It dawned on me recently that I did not begin my writing career seventeen years ago when I started the manuscript for Directed Verdict, my first book. It actually began nearly ten years before that when, as a young attorney, I had fully developed plot lines kicking around in my head.

And it happened while I was running.

At the time, I was a young associate in the litigation section of a relatively large firm. I loved my job but it was a lot of hard work, grinding away on big cases, reviewing reams and reams of documents. It was a far cry from the exciting life of the television lawyers who get to try a major case every sixty minutes. To relieve stress, I would do a lot of running. And while I ran, I would think about my cases, or about other lawyer’s cases, or about hypothetical cases and how I would try them.

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Drop and Give Me Twenty! Okay, One.

by Rachel Hauck, @RachelHauck

All right, writers. I’m going to say a word most of you will hate: exercise. Yeah, I know, the excuses are long and many.

“I hate it.”

“I don’t have time for it.”

“It’s too cold.”

“It’s too hot.”

“My legs hurt. My arms…”

“I sprained my eyelashes.”

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Drop and Give Me Twenty!

By Rachel Hauck

All right writers, drop and give me twenty! Okay, One.

I’m going to say a word most of you will hate: exercise. 

Yeah, I know, the excuses are long and many.

“I hate it.”

“I don’t have time for it.”

“It’s too cold.”

“It’s too hot.”

“My legs hurt. My arms…”

“I sprained my eyelashes.”

I get it. But as writers, we need to take care of our bodies as much as our hearts and minds.

I'm not a health nut but I do believe in exercise to keep us writing-fit.

Sitting all day is hard on writer. A few years ago I realized my entire body hurt. I was starting to think I was going to have to life with pain in my shoulders, hips and back the rest of my writing life. While I wasn’t happy about it, I wasn’t sure what to do.

Other than hot baths.

And over time, those didn’t work as well. I had a neck warmer thingy with beads in it that I’d heat up in the microwave. But I finally burned up the insides.

Then I found Tony Horton’s P90X. I’ve always been an exerciser – biking, lifting weights, running, spinning, aerobics – but I wasn’t purposeful.

Tony Horton made me more purposeful. His P90X program is intense. The routines are long so it’s hard to fit in an average day, but along the way, I learned a few strengthening tricks that eradicated my pain.

One, I got a good chair. I’d been sitting in an Executive chair for years. The kind where the seat and back are concave. But the sides of the seat were padded so half my back side was down, half up, shifting my hip out of whack.

The lack of support on my back caused me to hunch my shoulders and arch my back. Over time, I knotted up and stayed knotted.

I splurged and bought a nice, ergonomically correct chair. In fact, I'm on my second one!

Two, I started working out with Tony Horton. He had me doing dips and push-ups, and all kinds of mean squats, but my shoulders and arms began to get built up.

My hips and backside got stronger so sitting all day wasn’t such a strain. 

Core. Let’s talk core. Very important. And probably the last place most of us focus. Core is from you neck down to your thighs. Sit ups and crunches, push-ups, squats, all the stuff we did in elementary P.E. class is core for our cores!

What are you doing to keep your body strong? Are you going from the bed to the car to the office chair to the dining room table to the couch and finally back to bed?

Do you have joint and muscle pain? I think you can rid yourself of some of it with a few good, purposeful exercises.

Here’s some tip recaps.

1.             Get a good chair. If you can’t afford one, pray for the Lord to give you one. It makes a huge difference. A good mattress too. We got a Sleep Number bed and my hip pain left.

2.             Drop and give me one! One good push up. Work up to ten or more a day. By push up, I’m legs extended in the plank position. Not on your knees, girls.

3.             Do some squats. Stand with your feet a few inches apart and sit down into a squat, touching your fingers to the ground. Then stand, raising arms over head and repeat the squat. If you get ambitions, you can jump for the last few squats.

4.             Work your core. Sit ups, crunches, oblique exercises.

5.              Find a good workout DVD, or gym class, or a good walking routine. Keep moving!

6.             Improvise. I’ll put on a fun worship CD and boogie around the house, maybe do some “whacky-jacks” in the midst of it, work those obliques.

So, what changes can you make to start building your body to be a better and stronger writer?

P.S. Some of the best ideas come while exercising! 

***

Rachel lives in sunny central Florida. 

A graduate of Ohio State University with a degree in Journalism, she worked in the corporate software world before planting her backside in uncomfortable chair to write full time eleven years ago.

She’s the author of New York Times, USA Today, EPCA and CBA best selling novels. She is a RITA and Christy finalist. 

Her latest book, The Wedding Chapel, was named to Booklist Top Ten Inspirational Novels of 2015.

She co-authored the critically acclaimed Songbird Novels with platinum selling country music artist Sara Evans. Their novel Softly and Tenderly, was one of Booklists 2011 Top Ten Inspirationals.

Rachel serves on the Executive Board for American Christian Fiction Writers. She is a mentor and book therapist at My Book Therapy, a conference speaker and worship leader.

Rachel writes from her two-story tower in an exceedingly more comfy chair. She is a huge Buckeyes football fan.

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10 Tips to Exercise Your Imagination

Peter Leavell, a 2007 graduate of Boise State University with a degree in history, was the 2011 winner of Christian Writers Guild's Operation First Novel contest, and 2013 Christian Retailing's Best award for First-Time Author. Peter and his family live in Boise, Idaho. www.peterleavell.com.

Our minds destroy the planet in one moment and save humanity in the next.

Or, we write a scene of death and torture, thievery and mischief, just before we go to church and worship an ever-loving God.

Yeah, we’re writers. We’re messed up.

Our imagination is our weapon of choice, and if we don’t keep our mind honed, we’re missing out on our potential. A few tips to expand your mind—

1: Solving problems—our specialty. Like a solitary chess player, the mind is divided between two equal opponents. Guy/Girl, Bad Guy/Good Guy, Happy/Sad, Bad Situation/Good Situation. Practice getting a character into problems you have no idea how to extract him or her, then think, think, think. Get your character out! No worries—this isn’t a math story problem. So no tears.

2: Imaginations soar. Let it go! (My 12-year-old daughter is singing in my head right now.) Take time to reflect. Think big. Think bad. Think gloriously.

3: Dig. Dig through books. Dig fiction and nonfiction. Dig YA and dig philosophy no one understands. Dig poetry and plays. Digging books expands your mind.

4: Observe. Watch others carefully. What depths of good or bad are humans capable of? Or depths of feeling? In a café, I watched an 8-year-old boy in the corner booth crying. Not tears of a tantrum, just red eyes and tracks down his cheeks. Quiet suffering. His parents and grandparents ignored him. Listening, I learned his grandfather sitting next to the boy was going into surgery the next day, and they were discussing odds of survival. My heart broke for the lad, giving me a new depth to my own emotion.

5: Tell stories. But verbalize them. Make your tale as entertaining as possible—perhaps funny or intriguing points of views. Verbalizing good stories is great practice.

6: Be curious. Ever curious. And satiate your curiosity. I’m reading about clouds right now.

7: Balance rest and exercise. Come on. You’re a grownup. You know how your body works by now. Maximize your potential by exercising and eating what’s good for body and mind.

8: Hang out with exciting/interesting people. They fuel your imagination!

9: Brain synapses are important. Synapse is how information passes through the brain. Getting the left and right hand side of the brain to talk with each other is vital. I memorize poetry and recite. Then write. When I grow weary, I juggle—passing the tennis balls from the right side of my body to the left gets the two sides fired up and talking.

10: Learn math. Sigh. So you don’t have to make up a point when the title says ten points. You never know, it may help with problem solving, even if there are tears. (small, humble text)

Maximize your potential! Keep your mind humming!

By the way, two months later, in the same café, a grandfather with a walker sat at a table with a happy 8-year-old boy.

What do you do to maximize your imagination's potential? 

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Read More, Weigh Less

Gina Holmes is the founder of Novel Rocket, regularly named as one of Writers Digest’s best websites for writers. Her debut, Crossing Oceans, was a Christy and Gold Medallion finalist and winner of the Carol Award, INSPY, and RWA’s Inspirational Reader’s Choice, as well as being a CBA, ECPA, Amazon and PW bestseller. Her sophomore novel, Dry as Rain was a Christy Award finalist. Wings of Glass has been named as one of the best books of the year in 2013 by Library Journal and was a SIBA Okra pick and a finalist for Romantic Times’ Reviewers Choice Award. Her latest novel, Driftwood Tides is in stores now. She holds degrees in science and nursing and currently resides with her family in southern Virginia. She works too hard, laughs too loud, and longs to see others heal from their past and discover their God-given purpose. To learn more about her, visit www.ginaholmes.com.

Books are dying, I said to a publisher friend. She sighed. I sighed. The crow outside my window sighed. Okay, it was more of an angry, caw-caw, but whatever.

The world was bleak.

The sky was gray. So were my roots. Okay, are my roots.

Why write anymore if no one was going to read my stuff anyway?

My publisher friend and I lamented the woes of the industry and how there are so many more books these days and so fewer readers. Bookstores are going bankrupt, writers are going crazy, and readers are going to youtube.

What’s the point?

My publisher friend didn’t know.

I certainly didn’t.

And so, I decided to burn off some of my dark energy on the treadmill before I could turn it on myself and do something I couldn’t undo… like eating the whole bucket of chocolate covered pretzels I was supposed to mail to my dad for father’s day. (Can you believe I actually shipped them to my own address instead? Well, hopefully he can.)

So, there I am on my treadmill trying to burn off the lumps of middle-age and my morose mood. I stalk up the incline at a steady 4 mph and try to figure out how many miles per hour I’d have to run if I wanted to win a marathon. I pant, mostly from the exertion of trying to solve a math problem, let’s face it, I’m not walking all that fast. I decide 8 mph seems about right. That doesn’t sound so impossible. Certainly not as hard as writing a whole novel and getting it published.

I increase my speed.

###

After applying ice to my now Angelina-esque bottomlip (yes, I flew off the stupid treadmill and hit my face on the floor. It looked way cooler than it sounds,) I got back on the treadmill and decided thinking and walking might be one thing too many for me. So, I listen to a book instead. Before I knew it, I had done an hour of walking and I didn’t even hate it.

Maybe listening to the book helped me pass time in a way that music, thinking and staring at the blank yellow wall hadn’t. Or maybe a closed head injury was to thank.

The next day, I charged head first into the wall, (just in case it really was the head injury making exercise bearable), and then listened to another book via Audible. Time flew again, and before I knew it my 5 miles was behind me. 

I was onto something.

The following day, I decided one more blow to the head might drop my IQ into the special assistance range, so I forwent the cranial knock and just had my Kindle read to me in its super-soothing, and oh-so-natural GPS voice. I worked out two hours that day. TWO HOURS. That’s how good the book was. (Travels with Charley by Steinbeck if you're curious.)

In the last 3 months, since getting an Audible membership and getting used to the Kindle’s GPS voice, I’ve read more books than I have in the last few years. Books aren’t dying, they’re just changing form. And guess what? By reading more, I’m getting way more exercise and changing form too. 

All we need to do now is convince bookstores to start offering Zumba classes.

______________________________________________________________________________
Romantic Times "Holmes weaves a superb story of discovering how to forgive." 

"Driftwood Tides moves like a serene sea: gentle,persuasive, and transformative. Much in the same way time and the elements turn driftwood into something beautiful, Libby and Holton learn that they, too, can change for the better. Readers will delight in this story of redemption and growth." Booklist

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Countdown to Christmas - by DiAnn Mills

It’s fifteen days until Christmas. If you’re like me, you can’t sit still. The excitement has me wiggling to the tune of Jingle Bells. At times I think I’ll explode with the pure joy of the season. It’s in the air I breathe, the thrills of Christmas.

Are you a writer on deadline?

Yet the writing life goes on, and I can’t think of anything worse than an approaching deadline at Christmas. If you’re like me, it’s difficult to concentrate on finishing up a novel, respond and create social media, and explore content for blogs when I’d rather turn up the Christmas music and bake cookies.

Dear writer, this may be the year to slow down, especially if you’re on a time crunch.

How do writers balance family, work, and holiday responsibilities when we want

to create the perfect Christmas? To counter my perfectionism to complete all projects and meet all demands, I made a list of fifteen things every writer can do to make the season more fun and less stressful.

Too many things to do!

1. Calendar the church’s Christmas program and plan to attend.

2. Cut the amount of Christmas decorations in half.

3. Order the holiday baking goodies instead of melting butter and measuring sugar at 1:00 a.m.

4. Stuck with hosting the holiday dinner? Consider a maid and catering service.

5. Shop online and avoid the traffic crunch.

6. Do a Christmas craft with kids. It’s amazing how much fun, and it’s also a creative outlet.

7. Send e-cards instead of mailing traditional ones. It’s cheaper and the selection is amazing.

8. Exercise—you’ll feel better.

9. Eat healthy—your body will thank you.

10. Sleep late and nap so you’re rested for the big party.

11. Read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

12. Have a Christmas movie marathon.

13. Sing all your favorite Christmas songs at the top of your lungs!

14. Take time to thank God for all His blessings.

15. Create a silly poem. Here’s mine:

Up on the Bookshelf

Up on the bookshelf

Editors call.

Out jump agents, writers on call.

Down through the aisles

With lots of books,

All with metaphors and lively hooks.

Ho Ho Ho

A writer would know.

Ho Ho Ho

A writer would know.

Oh, up on a bookshelf

Click Click Click

Down through the aisles

Comes a best seller’s pick.

I can enjoy this countdown!

How are you going to celebrate Christmas this year? This might be the year to relax and allow the quiet beauty of the first Christmas be your inspiration.

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She combines unforgettable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels.

Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests.

DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers; the 2015 president of the Romance Writers of America’s Faith, Hope, & Love chapter; a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, and International Thriller Writers. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.

DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on any of the social media platforms listed at www.diannmills.com.

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Jet-Fuel Backstory by DiAnn Mills

Jet-Fuel Backstory
By DiAnn Mills

Backstory is your story’s history. Some parts of it will never be visible to the reader. Like jet fuel, it’s the power behind every novel, the motivation propelling every character into action. Backstory reveals the why to unexpected behavior and adds punch to the unpredictable. The result is a believable story with characters who resonate with the readers long after the book is finished.

A jet moves ahead because it's fueled with power.

When developing story that’s fresh and engaging, a writer strives to understand the character’s goals, fears, desires, strengths, and weaknesses. This task is impossible to navigate without knowing where the character has been, which means discovering what happened in the character’s life before chapter one, line one of the story.

The what-ifs of plot are easier to create when the writer understands the extreme challenges of the point of view character, whether that character is the protagonist or antagonist. Backstory takes the writer into that zone.

Consider yourself: You are the total of all life’s happenings since the day you were born. You inherited genes from your parents that set the stage for how you thrive mentally, physically, emotionally, and possibly spiritually. You’ve been seeped in culture, education, and a span of time called life. Nature and nurture combined with experiences, and there you are.

Which way is your story headed?

  Discovering a character’s personality is a similar process. Fortunately for the writer, the items needed from backstory are those that apply to your story, specifically scene by scene. But the writer still has a lot of work to do. Interview questions help, but writers have to know what to ask.

I’m a fan of Donald Maass, and often his teachings challenge me to stretch my imagination so my creativity can take a leap. The following prompt comes from a Maass exercise in Writing the Breakout Novel. The responses give you a solid foundation for your character’s motivation—and a few things you might not have already known.

1. What happened in your character’s life up to age 12 that affected who she/he is today?
2. What happened in your character’s life from ages 13 - 20 that affected who she/he is today?
3. What happened in your character’s life from ages 21 - 30 that affected who she/he is today?
4. What happened in your character’s life 1 year ago that affected who she/he is today?
5. 6 months?
6. 6 weeks?
7. 24 hours?
8. 1 hour?
9. 10 minutes?

Are you ready to dive deeper into backstory? You can develop the character’s personality, vocabulary, career choices, emotions, attraction to the opposite sex, opinions, purpose, social concerns, problems, mental handicaps, and so much more, giving the story more intimacy because the writer has touched the character’s life. The exciting part is the writer is better equipped to predict behavior, no matter how eccentric.

A writer’s greatest joy is when a reader becomes engrossed in story, living the adventure of the character in unforgettable moments. You can do this by discovering the backstory.

Go ahead.

I dare you. 

Add some jet-fuel backstory.

 DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She currently has more than fifty-five books published.
Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers; the 2014 president of the Romance Writers of America’s Faith, Hope, & Love chapter; and a member of Inspirational Writers Alive, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, and International Thriller Writers. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. DiAnn is also a craftsman mentor for the Jerry B. Jenkins
Christian Writers Guild. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas. Visit her website at www.diannmills.com and connect with her on Facebook
(www.facebook.com/DiAnnMills), Twitter (@DiAnnMills), Pinterest (www.pinterest.com/DiAnnMills), and Goodreads (www.goodreads.com/DiAnnMills).

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