Shards

From beyond the. . .conference?

2007-12-11T14:35:00.001-08:00

Hey all!

I have been doing a lot of praying and juggling the last few months. I am just worn out. I believe God is telling me to simplify to get back to what He has called me to do.

So I am officially closing this blog for the time being. I am not deleting it because it has some useful info, but I will be combining this with my other blog. You will be able to read writing tips there.

Join me at

http://pammer.blogspot.com

Back from the ACFW National Conference. . .

2007-10-19T19:13:00.000-07:00

I've been busy! Reworking my wips, applying what I've learned, reading up on craft books.

I haven't forgotten and as soon as life straightens out for a while, I will get back to this blog about craft. I'll gladly share what I've learned.

Hope you guys are having a great fall!

Rejection Burns

2007-07-23T17:56:00.001-07:00

Well, I got a rejection letter last week on the manuscript I sent to Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense.

I cried a little bit at work (my son called me to tell me the news). And then I cried some more when my friend Cheryl Wyatt called me all heartbroken. Now, I was better, but it distressed me for her to be so distressed, LOL. Then my friend Robin Miller (writing as Robin Caroll) called me and gave me a plan of action and an assignment. (In other words, keep her busy so she'll not wallow.) Good idea. :)

I prayed for peace. I prayed for God's will. In an amazingly short amount of time I felt better. I was able to look at it differently. It wasn't my time yet. God was working His perfect will.

My husband is looking over my hard copy and he asked me if I was frustrated wasting those months only to be rejected. First it wasn't that long, only four months (especially considering how swamped they are!) and second of all, I didn't waste it but got right to work on another book. (Techinally the book is written, but I am rewriting with the knowlege I've gained up to this point.)

As the days pass, more opportunities are coming to light. In fact I told my husband last night that I felt comforted being in God's will with writing. He didn't understand. I told him that although I had dreams, God could dream so much bigger and better for me than I can even comprehend and I surely didn't want to limit Him to stick to my pitiful agenda when I know His is better.

And all day today my mind has been churning and working and I am sure this is a blessing in disguise. I have a chance to learn more and integrate it into my next wip before I send it out into the world. And it will be a better book for it. (It doesn't hurt that I have some great CPs and some awesome writing buds who aren't afraid to tell me when something doesn't work.) Not to mention this has opened ideas I hadn't considered before. Stepping in the light and walking in His path is such a rewarding experience.

With some great brainstorming alone, with a friend or two and in groups, I think my current wip has a great cast of characters. My hero is still a little distant but he's starting to come around. I may be trying out pitch lines on you guys before long. I want to have this ready by conference. We are going on vacation soon and I'll have ALOT of car time (read: writing time). See oldest son is now our official navigator and my hubby is usually the driver (although all four of us have Driver's License--how do you make that plural?) that leaves me with a kid who has earphones and a phone permantly stuck to his ears. :D
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So first things I learned. I hope I'm not repeating myself.

Goals. Good characters have gotta have them. Strong goals. And the motivation to gain these goals has to be there too. A reason and motivation so strong they couldn't stop going after this particular goal even if you paid them. Makes it more interesting when you give them a choice between their goal and that which they cling to most tightly, be it a standard, a moral or a person. Lots of conflict and inner turmoil.

You have to make the characters likable so the reader will want to root for them. Then you have to give them goals so that the reader will have something to root for. Readers want to be involved. Give them real and complex characters.

In my villain/villianess I am working with motivation. I have the goal secured. The motivation is a little slow coming. There is one way I could go, but I feel it has been overdone. I want to approach it in a fresh manner. Abuse as a child is almost a given, but I have to give them a reason to love/hate/wish to destroy adolescent boys. So instead of going the bare and most traveled path, I'm beating the bushes looking for that nonexistant or little used footpath, the one that will give my story a new and unique viewpoint.

I guess that is another thing to look for in characterization, make sure your characters motivations are not too cliche. Look for the best twist the freshest approach. It automatically makes you deepen your characterization as you get to know the character better. Understand why they act the way they do.

I guess that's all for tonight. I'm getting so tired, the screen is blurring.

Characters

2007-07-08T09:20:00.000-07:00

Been a while since I've been on here. Since then my computer snacked down my Work In Progress and I figured it was God's way of telling me to try again. Same thing only better. :)

It was timely too because as I tried to recreate what I'd written, it occured to me I didn't know my villian at ALL. Not even a name.

This was unusual for me since the name and looks usually come to me. I kept thinking up villians, but their motivations were weak, and they seemed cliche. I wanted something fresh, unusual, different.

So I started playing out different scenarios in my head. Taking the ones I could think of and putting them at extremes. (Does that make sense?) Taking Joe Villian that had poor and abused as a child and thought the world owed him and taking him to an extreme in one area such as a extremely wealthy child that had been abused emotionally all up to his adult years. (Bad example but you get what I'm saying.)

Still the characters seemed cliche. None of them spoke to me. So I thought, what are the usual kinds of victims? What are their needs and motivations?

Now do something different. Then it came to me. She appeared in my imagination (not totally formed mind you, just a blur that I knew was a she). I'd read an article about female sex offenders earlier and I guess it had stuck in my mind. Why all the male villians hadn't spoke to me is because they weren't for this book.

So I had a villian (or villianess) and I could work from there. Usually I don't give much thought to names, just whatever instincts tells me is right. I "feel" the name. This one though, I had to work for.

With the brainstorming help of Cheryl Wyatt, Camy Tang, and Robin Miller (a few of my trusted allies in crime). Still waiting for Heather Tipton to put her opinion in the loop. But with their help, I have a villianess taking shape to be proud of.

Now I am working on her background. This means exploring her goals, motivation, and of course her conflict will be my newscaster heroine and detective hero.

I don't see why this technique....is it even a technique?...couldn't work with the hero, heroine or secondary characters. We all want our characters to be fresh, original and three dimensional.

Does anyone have a strange and unusual method of coming up with characters that are troublesome? Please share with us in the comments.

Happy characterizing.

Winners for May

2007-05-08T20:04:00.001-07:00

And the winners are:

Sanjay Srinivas won Deadly Payoff by Valerie Hansen

and

Susan Page Davis won Vanished by Margaret Daley

Congratulations!

You can hurry now and enter to win next months books.

Glory Be! by Ron & Janet Benrey

and

Where Truth Lies by Lynn Bulock

Go now to http://www.pamela-james.com

Have a wonderful evening.

Ransomed Dreams

2007-04-24T09:36:00.000-07:00

We are here with Amy Wallace to talk about her new book Ransomed Dreams.

PJ: Hi Amy, I am so excited to have you here on my blog.

AW: Thanks for having me over! It's always a joy to talk with other writers about a passion we share~ writing books for God's glory.

PJ: I certainly hope you have another book in the works. I haven't completely finished Ransomed Dreams, but I am totally HOOKED! In fact I've already been recommending it to people.

AW: Thank you!!! Those recommendations are by far the very best thing people can do to encourage a writer and spread the word about a book they love. I'm learning to never underestimate the power of a great recommendation. That and trust the Lord will do abundantly more than I can imagine. ;-)
And yes, book 2 has been turned in and I'm working right now on book 3.

PJ: I read your interview with Cheryl Wyatt on her blog and I too wondered how you were able to write that first chapter. The emotion absolutely strummed from the pages. How did you tap into the kind of emotion?

AW: I wrote that chapter praying through my worst nightmare. My awesome writing mentor told me to never be afraid of bleeding onto the pages. So that's what I did. I walked in Gracie's shoes thinking about my own kids and husband and how I'd react to that kind of pain. At times, it was hard to be that honest on the page because I felt very vulnerable being that open about how I'd wrestle with God and walk through those circumstances. But that's how I try to live my life. I don't like masks and I don't want to wear them on the page any more than I want to wear them in real life. It's a painful path to choose, but I'm encouraged to see so many writers who do that and their characters really breathe and communicate the deep things of life. Funny thing I've found is that when I'm willing to get that honest with God, He takes me to places I never dreamed and then He makes my characters take on a life and personality that is theirs, not mine. That I can't explain except to say that when we're willing to lay ourselves bare with God, He'll take that and reach hearts in ways we can't begin to comprehend.

PJ: Your characters are so well rounded and very real. Do your characters appear to you fully formed? If so what do you do to fill them out? Character charts or interviews? If not, how do you go about creating such a real 'person'.

AW: I tend to see my characters' inner struggles first. Then as I'm creating their back-story through extensive character charts, (Thank you Randy for the awesome snowflake charts!) that's when I really get to know my characters and see what God is communicating through them. I don't want to write sermons, that's not my calling. Nor do I want to write a book where I hit the reader over the head with some preconceived point. I want to write a story that draws people in and opens their hearts to hear the Lord. I pray that's what I'm doing through creating realistic characters who seek a real God and then planting myself in the chair, watching for what God has to teach me as He and I write the story.

PJ: How was such a marvelous plot born? Do you have any tips or tricks you can share with the readers?

AW: No tricks! ;-) I do have some tips though. One would be to seek the Lord for good research materials and technical advisors for whatever careers your characters have. For me, reading FBI biographies, talking to real life federal agents and their spouses, scouring the FBI website and reading bulletins on there have all given me some awesome plot ideas. Then when I'd take those and pray over how to tell the story, I watched God put together some amazing things that I sit back and say, "Wow God. That's cool!"

PJ: I just have to ask, are you a pantster or a plotter?

AW: I'm a total plotter. But what I've learned to do is spend time creating the characters, and then I write out an outline that gives me a story I can jump into and am excited about. As I'm typing, I don't have all the scenes completely mapped out so there's still plenty of room for God to surprise me with some issues that come up, and He does that often!

PJ: You are a homeschooling mother (like myself). How do you fit it into your day? Any tips or suggestions for all the other homeschool/writer moms out there?

AW: I'll share what has worked for us. Pray! ;-) In fact, I’d say pray a lot! For the most part I try to keep my homeschooling separate from my writing. Meaning during the hours my kids are up, I'm mom and we're working on school or hanging out. But when they're busy with a project or it's afternoon quiet time, then I jump into email or other business related things.
On Saturdays, I do the bulk of my writing when my husband and kids are together. Sometimes it's really hard to give up a Saturday just playing and having fun with my family, but I try to take some time out to go for walks and plan times during the week to have fun too.

PJ: Has your suspenseful mind gotten you in trouble before?

AW: Let me count the ways! ;-) I can't watch CSI or any of the crime shows anymore and my husband has asked me not to do so much reading on serial killers and other criminals because I tend to let my mind run wild and end up scared of every noise. I finally learned to mull over story ideas by talking with God and not just letting my thoughts wander into situations. That's helped.

PJ: Do your kids show signs of being raised by a suspense writer? :) I know mine do.

AW: It's scary that my kids talk about the types of guns I have researched or we discuss as a family the theological repercussions of killing off bad guys. But my kiddos are pretty amazing in that they've learned far earlier than I did to work through their questions by talking it out with us and with God. We tend to talk about praying a lot because that's the only way I can handle the issues I write about.

PJ: Thank you so much for hanging out at my blog today. I'm praying for your powerful story to touch many lives. And praying that waiting for the next book will go really fast.

AW: Thank you! Your prayers are a precious encouragement to me! And I greatly appreciate your patience in waiting for the next book. ;-) I do have a few things to offer that might help the wait... I do a fun monthly quiz about RD characters and book facts on my website (www.defendersofhope.com) and in my newsletter (http://www.defendersofhope.com/newsletter.html) I'm going to start talking in depth about how I created my characters and what I love most about certain Ransomed Dreams folks.

PJ: I'll be sure to go check those out. Sounds like a fun idea.

Have a blessed day.

Contest Winners

2007-04-01T20:57:00.001-07:00

Hi all!

The winners for the monthly contest on my website are:

Deb Frischkorn won The Sound of Secrets by Irene Brand

and

Delia Latham won Nowhere to Hide by Debby Giusti

Congratulations!

You can go to my website and enter to win next moths free books:

Deadly Payoff by Valerie Hansen
and
Vanished by Margaret Daley

http://www.pamela-james.com

Some advice

2007-03-27T20:57:00.000-07:00

I thought I would take a break in the characterization talk---okay, I've been swamped with conference stuff, LOL--but I didn't want to leave you all hanging forever. And it is about characterization.

This was kindly given to me by our own DiAnn Mills. And if you haven't read Lightening and Lace (third book in the Texas Legacy series) RUN to get it. It's western, a romance and a suspense all wrapped in one intriguing package. I love the series. Axiously awaiting the next book. :)

DiAnn Mills
Blog Writing Article

When Characters become Friends

A mixture of emotions swept over me last week when my third and final book in the Texas Legacy Series stepped into the marketplace. I’ve grown to love these characters – everything about them. I love their stubborn moments, their victories, their defeats, the way they love, and even the way they hate. They fight for what they believe in, and God is always right. For the past two years, I’ve wakened to the sound of their voices ringing in my head and to their problems. I watched the women slip into their dresses and bonnets, and the men tug on their boots. Actually, the women sometimes wiggled into a pair of boots and pants too. I rode the gentle mares and the wild broncos and held my breath. I lifted my Winchester, tensed my body for the kickback and sent bullets flying into targets, some of which were human. I celebrated with them, and I cried with them. I cheered when they triumphed and wanted to shake them when they made poor decisions.
In short, my characters have become my friends, and it’s hard to let them go. Unfortunately, I experience this grieving period every time I finish a book or series. I feel abandoned and lost, since too often I’m thinking about them just after I say my prayers and before I drift off to sleep. Dare I say that I worry about my characters? Hope they are not quarreling with their spouses or their children? That life hasn’t given them another dose of bitter herbs?
This bizarre and sometimes eccentric habit of mine is not much different from the habits of many of my other writer friends. How else can a writer create a character unless he/she first understands their motivation? And while these characters are on a journey called life, I realize the many reasons why I enjoy them.
I also realize their problems and issues. The storms of life that beat against our doors today have been happening since time began.
I consider Leather and Lace. Casey O’Hare didn’t start out life wanting to be an outlaw. Quite the contrary, she had hopes and dreams like every little girl until life slapped her in the face, and she chose to survive in the only way she knew. Many women today have made poor choices when faced with the dredges of life. We all have. I wrote that book for those women.
Jenny in Lanterns and Lace desperately wanted someone to love her. Is that such a bad thing, since we were created with a deep desire to be loved? The problem is, where do we go for love? Jenny thought unconditional love was a myth until the great Lover showed her differently.
Bonnie abhorred the disease that ravaged her beloved husband and left her a widow in Lightning and Lace. But she is determined, and alcohol is not the answer. Substance abuse is not native to today’s world. Wherever there is pain and suffering, people will look for a way to manage their sorrow.
Oh my, I do hope my darlings will be fine. They will be back next fall in a Christmas Legacy book, and then that is truly the end.
So today, I’m creating new friends. Already I know they won’t behave in every instance, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. I’m on my way to a new adventure. And, by the way, this is a contemporary.

Thank you so much, DiAnn.
God bless!

Characterization

2007-03-01T17:37:00.000-08:00

I know I promised something a few weeks ago about characters.

Since then, I really pushed and got my book finished, printed off and in the mail. Mailed it last Wednesday. I was standing there in the post office waiting for them to open the doors. I'm pretty sure it's sitting on an editor's desk at Steeple Hill. (I lost my ticket to check the delivery confirmation, so I'm just assuming here, lol.)

So now I've started two different books. One historical romantic suspense and one contemporary romantic suspense (sequel to the one I just sent in, although both are stand alone books as well).

Both of these books have one thing in common.
Characters.

The first thing I have to do is name my characters. I can't write about a character with no name. Usually by the time I start a story, I have the two main characters the hero and heroine figured out, at least their names.

Their names come to me. I rarely do research on them. It's usually I name I heard and liked or one I heard and made up a variation in my head. Or one that ties into the story. My husband is constantly on the lookout for names he thinks I will like. If he hears a really kewl name he'll even ask permission of the owner for me to use it in a book if I like. Usually most people are flattered and say yes. I've never had anyone say no.

When I decide what a character will look like the only thing I seem to have a choice in is eye color. The rest is already there in my imagination. Does anyone else do this or do you have more say in it?

This is going to interactive. I need your help in these posts.

How do you name your characters. And if you manage to write with nameless characters, share with us how you do that.

How do you decide what your characters will look like?

If you have any tips or research ideas, please share them with us. I'm looking forward to this because the characters in my contemporary aren't playing nice.

Tomorrow....we'll talk about putting more layers on our characters.

Have you seen this man?

2007-02-04T16:45:00.000-08:00

Please pray for Phil and all our brave military troops, fighting for our freedom.

Plotting......

2007-02-03T08:41:00.000-08:00

(First I'd like to correct an error from yesterday. I'm obviously dyslexic and my left may not be the same as yours, so for all you normals out there.....I mean the links on the right. Sigh. And to go to Brandilyn's blog, you will have to go through the Scenes and Beans blog to get to hers since I don't have her link up there yet.)

I want to see how all of you think. Bwahahaha.

I was driving home from Toto's (awesome little coffee shop I just discovered) and as I merged on the highway, I noticed a shoe lying in the middle of the two lane road, and then the mate on the side several yards away.

Who lost the shoes?

Why?

I went home and ended up with two pages of ideas from that one little sighting.

I'll share mine: The shoes belong to heroine's brother. The brother is on a deep undercover assignment and something has gone terribly wrong. The agent sent to look for him has been injured and ends up on her doorstep.

Share with me what you come up with. You can keep the most wonderful details to yourself (like I did) and just share the bare bones.

Tell me what you think. Or if this led to another line of thought. What things inspire ideas in your mind?

Winners!!!!

2007-02-02T20:48:00.000-08:00

The winners for my February Book Drawing are:

See No Evil by Gayle Roper - Cherie Japp

and

Little Girl Lost by Shirlee McCoy - Hilary Ashe

Yay!

It's not to early to sign up for next months's contest.

For those of you that haven't been there in a while? I've made some changes.

http://www.pamela-james.com

I've been lax about writing in this blog.

Next week we will start discussing Characters.
(I've been told I characterize children and animals well, so we will explore this and other facets of creating believable characters.) I WILL need your input though. So get your thinking caps on. :D

This week Brandilyn Collins has been talking about Author Voice on her blog. Click the link on the left and check it out.

Have a wonderful relaxing weekend.

Deadling approaching on.....

2007-01-29T18:34:00.000-08:00

my website! I have my monthly contests back up and running and you only have two days.....that's right folks, two days to sign up for the February drawing for two Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense novels.

Last months winners were: Marlene Banks-Benn --Fatal Image by Lenora Worth
and: Nicole Crawford-- Heart of the Amazon by Margaret Daley

Congratulations!!!

This months give aways will be:

See No Evil by Gayle Roper
Little Girl Lost by Shirlee McCoy

Good luck all. I will announce the winners here on February 1, 2007.

PS. Deadling is a Brandilyism I appropriated from her word for a deadline and what it feels like to be on one. :D BG terminology is a lovely thing.

For Writer's ONLY

2007-01-04T21:10:00.000-08:00

That's "write" this is for writer's only. Those of you who are not writer's you will not be interested in this.

The man is mad, he's genius....and he's a writer.

The Snowflake Guy has turned over a new leaf. He's helping us with marketing. He's starting a great new ezine. You just have to check out the Mad Genius Writer's Manifesto. Here's a link:

http://www.MadGeniusWriter.com

Good stuff.

You should also check out his regular e-zine. It has tons of great writing tips.

Romancing the Idea

2006-12-26T19:05:00.000-08:00

by Colleen Coble

ROMANCING THE IDEA

Start with a nugget of idea. They can come from anywhere and generally reflect the kinds of things that interest us and that fit in with the kinds of stories we write. Read the newspaper, watch TV with the thought “what if”. That’s how I came up with the idea for Distant Echoes and Without a Trace.

Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell says the best books come from who we are.

What do you care about most in the world? What are your passions? What issues push your buttons? The best novels come out of outrage.
How do you feel about your physical appearance?
What do you fear the most?
What are your major strengths of character?
What are your major flaws?
What are you good at? What do you wish you were good at?
If you could do one thing and know you’d be successful, what would you do?
What three events from your childhood helped shape you into the person you are?
What are some of your annoying habits?
What secret in your life do you hope is never revealed?
What is your philosophy of life?

Name – using book that tells what people think about a name. I use The Baby Name Survey Book. Picking the right name adds to the characterization.
Research setting – comes up with different ideas based on the setting. Can add to the plot. Ex.: Beyond a Doubt, I read about how they’d taken copper mines and turned them into plant growing facilities. Plot totally sprang from that research.
Brainstorm with friends. SUPER IMPORTANT!!
Character types. Take a look at character types and pit different types against one another to play off weaknesses and pet peeves. Read obits, notice people around you.
Flip a genre. Take a look a genre other than the one you’re writing in—westerns for example—and see how you can flip it and make it a romance. See what makes it work and figure out if the elements of that other genre will raise your own story a notch.
Take a look at trends by reading current magazines like Scientific American, Time, Newsweek, U.S.A. Today. Maybe you can pick up on a coming wave and ride it for a while.
Can you give your protagonist an obsession? That can really springboard you to plot ideas as she pursues it.
Think about using mind mapping software like Inspiration.
Interesting occupation. This leads me to story ideas all the time. I’ve written about a SAR dog team, a dolphin researcher, a smokejumper.

Okay, now you have your idea. But are there problems? Has this type of story been done before? Almost always the answer will be yes. But what makes your idea stand out? What makes it different from others. It’s all about the IDEA.

Is the setting ordinary? Setting is HUGE for a novel. More so than most authors give it credit for. Brainstorm just where you want your novel set and why. Research a few settings before settling on one.

Is the story BIG enough? Can you come up with a great hook that will catch the reader’s attention?

Is there some other element you can add to make it more fascinating? Quirks, obsession, a fresh angle? Think it out with brainstorming partners. CRUCIAL!!!

Think of plot layers. Try to come up with three. For example, in Dangerous Depths, I have my character struggling with the knowledge that she carries a gene that might give her children Down’s Syndrome and she wants to keep it a secret from her former fiancé, her grandmother has Alzheimer’s and she doesn’t know what to do to help her, and she finds herself the target of some unknown assailants and doesn’t know why.

A New Post

2006-11-09T21:52:00.000-08:00

Shocking, isn't it?

I just want you to know that everything got crazy around conference time, and after conference hasn't been much better.

Now we are in November (where DID the year go?) and immersed in the insanity writer's call NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). We try to write 50,000 words (basically a book) in one month. You can see my meter over to the side.

But I do want you to know I am working hard behind the scenes to hook you up with some great articles and writers who have worn a path to the publisher and those who are on the path for the very first time. Perhaps some, like myself that are still finding our way.

My goal is to help out writers, new and in between.

So keep watching, sign up on the side for updates. Some really good stuff is coming up soon.

Pammer's Ramblin's

2006-07-06T06:02:00.000-07:00

Pammer's Ramblin's

KANNER LAKE BLOG IS LIVE!

JULY 5, 2006

Go to http://kannerlake.blogspot.com and check out the blog. If you want to know more about the blog, go to http://kannerlake.com and see all about Brandilyn's new Kanner Lake Series and what we're blogging about.

Don't wait....GO NOW!

Does your synopsis lack ooomph?

2006-07-03T14:15:00.000-07:00

Let my friend help you out.

The Story Sensei Summer Sale - A writers' summer event!

From now until July 15th, I will be holding a fabulous contest for myStory Sensei critique service.

I will draw the names of TWO lucky winners! They will each receive:

A free synopsis critique – up to 10 pages single-spaced, a $40 value!

AND

A coupon for 25% OFF any manuscript critique – whether full or partialmanuscript, any number of words. For a 100,000 word manuscript, that'sa savings of $250!

In addition, EVERYONE WHO ENTERS will receive a 10% OFF coupon for anyservice, whether synopsis, query letter, or manuscript critique (fullor partial). For a 100,000 word manuscript, that's a savings of $100,just for entering.

Go to my Story Sensei blog and post a comment to enter the contest!http://storysensei.blogspot.com/

Blog Tour

2006-04-26T20:03:00.000-07:00

for Brandilyn Collins. Or, rather, as she calls them, a Blour.

Brandilyn's BGs (blog readers) have a language all their own. Brandilyn talks about all aspects of the writing process and she writes some nail-biting suspense. I want to be her when I grow up. :D

Hurry on over to her blog and begin reading. Start at the very beginning with the Never Ending Saga. The entire blog will bless you.

Well, now you must be asking where to go?

http://www.forensicsandfaith.blogspot.com

Have fun. I hope to have another article ready this weekend (my kids will be out of town so it should be easy, right?) on Stakes. It connects in with the goals, motivation, and conflict, but also with the gut emotional appeal.

See you soon.

Premise

2006-04-22T16:47:00.000-07:00

I’ve been studying writing (imagine that), trying to improve my craft. Not because I’m big on selling and think I’ll make tons of money (although I won’t deny publication seems nice), but because I’m called to write and I think God, having called me to this ministry, would like me to do my very best, so I need to be teachable and willing to learn.
As Christians our mindset isn’t on making the money and hitting the top ten lists, however those can be nice byproducts. We’re the templates by which the world “judges” most other Christians. I’ve heard people who think the Christian market is the best place to break in, and easy. That’s not true. The bars have been raised and the demand for excellence is as firm in the Christian market as it is in other markets. We owe it to Christians everywhere to learn to make our writing sparkle.

Awesome premises don’t just happen, like great books don’t just happen. They take time and planning. Being led by God, I believe He gives us some things, but expects us to work for others. You have to decide what your weaknesses and strengths are. Plots are not my strength; that is something I have to learn, something I have to work at.
Every novel starts with an idea. That idea has to be rich enough to engage the writer’s imagination and establish a novel concept. Depending on the type of writer you are – a pantster, a plotter, or somewhere in between – this could take several drafts or just an intense brainstorming session. You have to learn to take that minuscule glimmer of an idea and mold it into a workable premise. It has to be a moment or image or something so profound to you that you cannot stop yourself from writing about.
Look at your favorite books. Why do you read and reread these particular ones? What makes them so special to you? The only thing these stories may have in common to you is the experience you got while reading them, unforgettable characters, certainly, happenings that have great impact, either on the world or on a single person or family, and maybe, just maybe, changed the way you looked at the world after you read them. They are full of passion and purpose. You can put that in your work too. You must.

According to Donald Maass in Writing the Breakout Novel, a breakout premise has the following characteristics. Plausibility, inherent conflict, originality, and gut emotional appeal.

Plausibility: Could this really happen? I suppose as readers it has to have some basis in a reality we can relate to. But we don’t want boring and predictable. We want something interesting and surprising, yet credible enough to actually happen.

Inherent Conflict: Conflict built in. The setting you have chosen, the backdrop or the events happening, some come with problems and twists readily available. Conflict is what drives the story and the more that’s readily built in, the easier our job. It can also be a relationship that is awash with conflict normally. If your story lacks conflict, dig deeper. Where there are people there is conflict. No conflict, no story.

Originality: Something new. Okay, there is nothing new under the sun, but can you find a fresh new angle on an old idea? Come up with unusual combinations of stories or even genres. Look at your premise and take an unexpected direction with it. Take what is expected and turn it on its head.

Gut Emotional Appeal: Your work needs to make people react. Punch them in the gut. Grip them. Write about something you are passionate about.

You’ll want to sit down with paper (some work better at the computer, but I need to doodle to think) and brainstorm your premise to make sure it has the “oomph” to carry a novel all the way through. Dig deep, avoid the obvious, stoke the conflict, find the passion, and ask the eternal writer’s question…, “What if. . .?”

Interview

2006-04-09T11:23:00.000-07:00

Here is an interview with Colleen Coble. Believe me, this woman KNOWS how to write Romantic Suspense. :0) Since she is special to me, it is fitting that I have her as my first real post on this new blog.

Hi Colleen. So glad to have you with us today. Before we begin I would like to say that I admire you as a writer, but more importantly as a woman of God.

Was there a special way you met your husband?

Um, yes. LOL I was in college and dating Dave's best friend who had just gotten home from being stationed with the Air Force in the Phillipines. When the friend was sent off to Las Vegas, Dave was stationed in Illinois. Knowing Dave would be home often, his friend asked him to take care of me. Dave has been doing a very good job of that for many years now. We'll celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary in October.

Does that play into your writing?

I'm a romantic at heart. I believe there is a soulmate out there and if we're lucky, we find him/her. I'm a student of human relationships, and my own always are fair game for telling me how people react.

What made you choose Alaska for a backdrop?

I've always been fascinated by Alaska. I LOVED the movie North to Alaska. I bet I've seen it twenty or thirty times. I don't think it will ever be truly tamed. There's something very compelling about that--and the perfect place to plunk down some characters where they have no one to depend on but themselves and God.

Which came first with this story, the spiritual thread, the plot, or the setting>

The setting always comes first for me. Weird, I know. But I think where the character grows up, the experiences she goes through affects the person she becomes. I can't conceive of my characters separate from her surroundings. And when you can weave parts of the culture, the terrain, the history, and the lingo into the plot, you have a book that couldn't take place anywhere else--and the reader is more immersed in the book.

You always come up with such wonderful occupations. What made you choose a photographer for Haley?

I've thought photography would be an exciting profession. You get to see interesting sights and meet "characters." I used to wear glasses (I've had lasix surgery now), and every time I wore them, I felt distanced from people. I thought photographers might feel the same way, and Denise Hunter was telling me about an article she read that said that very thing--that they're often distanced by the camera. That worked perfectly for who Haley was.

It would be very gratifying for me to know that you stay up late working on this as you have kept me up many a night with your other books.

Well it's after nine, so you're getting your wish!

Where do you come up with such delightful and drop-dead gorgeous men?!

I tend to like "hunks". LOL Tank is kind of based on my son, Dave. He's 6'6" with shoulders like a linebacker. But he's taken now! And I'm getting a new daughter. :-)

Did your hubby complain about the cold when you researched this time? (big grin)

Sounds like you'd heard his suggestion to set the next series (which ended up being the Aloha Reef series) someplace warm. LOL I'm disappointed to tell you I didn't get to go to Alaska before I wrote this book. I've been there many times in movies, books and imagination, but WestBow asked me to write this in DECEMBER. And I had three months to write it in, so there was no time. But I was blessed to have Amy Bang and Kristin Blincoe read it for me. They grew up in Alaska.

What do you feel the spiritual theme of this book is?

That God is sovereign We can be angry and bitter about the things we go through, or we can trust Him to work things out for our good in the end. Letting go of our lives into his hands is the only place to find true safety.

Does it relate to real life for you?

Oh yes! Every spiritual truth I layer into my stories is one I've often learned the hard way. I learned this lesson early in my Christian walk. We were involved in a head on car collision when Kara was three and Dave Jr was 6. I didn't see why God had allowed us to go through this. We were all injured, one boy was killed in the other car, and it seemed so unfair. But one year after that accident, we'd become Christians and 10 people had come to Christ.

How do you manage to weave it in so well it seems a natural part of the book? How do you find the balance between a natural part of the story and preachy?

I work really hard at it. I start out sometimes without a clear idea of what the spiritual theme will be and my characters just seem to find it. I put them in bad situations and my own Christian worldview just naturally flows out with the answer. LOL But then I go back through and try to make sure it's not preachy.

Do you consider yourself ot be a pantster or a plotter?

I'm a 'tweener. LOL I plot and I fly by the pants both. I tried totally plotting a book, and it about made me die from boredom as I was writing it. I needed to have the space for my characters to take off on their own. I love to write when my characters take me places I don't expect.

Do you use storyboards?

No, but I'd like to learn how.

How do you rate this book against the other Romantic Suspense books you’ve written?

It was my favorite until I finished Fire Dancer this week. LOL Seriously, Haley will always be special to me. I love the way she overcame her fears and only having one leg. My favorite scene is when she uses her prosthesis as a weapon. Gotta love a girl with that kind of spunk!

Since my son is an avid fan of yours, I have to ask if you get many letters from men who are fans.

Actually I do get quite a few letters from male readers.

Thank you so much for your gracious answers. I appreciate you stopping by, feel free to come back anytime.

Great questions! Some really different ones that made it fun for me. Thanks for having me!

Now, go out and buy all her books. The Rock Harbor Series, the Aloha Reef Series and the new Alaska Twilight. You won't be sorry. She has an awesome gift.

Have a great Lord's Day.
Blessings.

Welcome to my new blog

2006-04-06T18:45:00.000-07:00

I have lots of ideas for this site, but it's going to be about writing and writers. I have another blog for the emotional and day-in-the-life type stuff.

This will be my interpretation of things as I struggle to learn the craft of writing and set my sights on publication and the journey along the way.

I'm reading Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maas right now and I'll pass on overviews of what I feel I've learned. Maybe it'll help someone else.

For now, back to my own writing. Only have a couple more chapters and it's so hard to get done.

Blessings.

First Post

2006-04-01T07:23:00.000-08:00

Testing.