Home Again

I got home a couple hours ago from Minneapolis and the annual ACFW conference-- It was really great!

Last year at the conference I really connected with some other writers, and we kept in touch via a critique group that definitely facilitated major growth in me as a writer. At the conference this year, we were able to reunite and catch up, and it was so so awesome!

I learned a ton of really helpful things, both about the craft of writing as well as the business of it. When I left for the conference, my biggest question was about where I fit in the industry-- particularly whether I should seek publication through the CBA (Christian Bookseller's Association) or ABA (American Bookseller's Association). It seemed like a vague and mysterious question.

Because I understand the history of CBA a little better as well as the current setup of the CBA Young Adult genre, I feel like that question is pretty much settled. Which is a huge deal! So that's great. It also seems like the doors that were opened at the conference were really in line with where I think my place in the industry is.

So that was really a huge deal for me.

The other big announcement has to do with the Genesis contest... remember that one? I entered it earlier this year and found out last spring that I was a finalist. Well, last night they announced the winners, and....

I won third place! Woo-hoo! It was so exciting to see the faces of all the winners and see how much it meant to everyone.

I'm glad to be home now, and I think it's finally time to start making up for some of that sleep I lost all weekend. :)

Thanks, everyone, for all your encouragement and support!

Last Day Before Conference

Well, it's finally here. Time to print, pack and put on my Sunday best. I leave for Minneapolis super-early tomorrow morning.

I'm really grateful that I'm going with the good wishes and support of so many friends and family. I know that no matter what happens, it will be a great trip and I'll learn so many things.

Looking back to last conference, I can't believe how much I've grown and how many great things have come from that trip. Mentors, friends, people I wouldn't be here without.

I will try to keep my blog updated while I'm gone, but if all else fails, you'll see something on Sunday about how things went.

Directional Pondering

Do you ever have those days where you're just not really sure which way is up?

Sometimes you hear about pilots getting that way during flight. You'd think trusting your instincts is the way to go, but sometimes that's how things go way wrong. It's just hard to tell what's really true sometimes.

We kind of get in Star Wars Mode. You know, all that "Trust your feelings!" stuff. And yeah... I think it's important to be aware of our feelings... but I'm not sure they're really trustworthy. You might feel lonely... but it doesn't mean you are alone, right?

Anyway. I'm not entirely sure where all this is going.

An Update on my progress...

I'm still working on my synopsis and tweaking my one sheet. I had planned to take it to Kinkos next week, but I might just try to print it myself and see how that looks. My first three chapters are very nearly polished and ready... though I am still undecided about whether or not to have a prologue... I might just skip it for now and perhaps add it back later, if need be. I've gotten enough distance from the story that I can see how to work those details in without using a prologue, and that might be a better way to go.

One more week until the conference!

The Dreaded One Sheet

As you can see, this week I've been working on my one-sheet. My brilliant sister helped me put this together in PhotoShop... I'm still working on getting the lighting right on the background image. I know it's a little hard to make out on here. (yes, it's a guitar player...)

Thoughts? Ideas? Confessions on what you thought the background image was before I told you it was a guitar player?

I've updated the story blurb, so this is what it now says:


A shattered past. A new beginning. But it could become his worst nightmare.

Broken glass. Blood pooled around a still form on the kitchen floor. The haunting face of the meth-addict who caused them. A man Eli will never forgive.

Seven years later and three thousand miles away, Eli still can’t hide from his past. Living with his aunt and uncle is no picnic, either. The only bright spot in his life is playing bass for his and Luke’s band. Well, and being around Sarah, Luke’s girlfriend. Then a midnight car accident changes everything. Eli’s aunt and uncle threaten to kick him out, a new guitar player divides the band, and Eli might be in over his head with Luke’s girlfriend.

He tries to make peace with everyone, but rumors of Luke’s experimentation with meth push Eli over the edge. How can he forgive Luke for becoming the man who killed his mom? When Sarah nearly overdoses, Eli has to make a choice. Does he save her or Luke?

***
Well? Are your hands just tingling to get ahold of the novel the second it comes out? Are you intrigued? That would mean I've succeeded. If you're not, tell me what turned you off. Seriously, help me out here. Constructively, please. :)

Fifteeen days left until the conference!!

On the Journey: Hearing the Heartbeat

Current Wordcount: 34,175
Finishing Chapter 18

In writing a scene, sometimes there are these moments where for just a second, the characters seem to come to life, jump off the page, and do something that even I didn't expect. I find myself looking at the screen at the last two lines I wrote and saying to myself-- "Seriously?! He did?!"

I love those moments. It's like hearing the heartbeat of the story for a second. For a moment, it has a life all its own.

There was a moment like that for me last week, where one character is revealing something of another character's history. And it came out different than I originally planned. But I loved it!

The conference schedule has just come out on the ACFW website, so I am already abuzz with thinking of which workshops will be most beneficial for me. There are several classes that look really intriguing. I hope to register by the end of the month.

And in minor, but exciting news... this week I earned my first ever income from writing. I sold an article online. Woo-hoo! One small leap for man-kind, but a giant leap for me!

Back to the beat...

On the Journey: 20 Weeks to Lift-Off

Current Word Count: 28,736 Beginning Chapter 15

So I'm adding a new weekly post to my blog. If you've been here before, you probably already figured out that on Mondays I try to do some kind of study or tips for writing, and Fridays I write a brief book review.

With the knowledge that I am a Genesis finalist and the annual ACFW conference countdown beginning, I thought it would be fun to include a weekly journal of my progress as I move toward my conference goals. I'll be posting these updates on Wednesdays.

What ARE my goals?

Last year was my first time at a writing conference, and I learned a whole lot, both as I prepared and attended. These few months since the conference have really felt explosive in terms of growth for me. So I am hoping to set goals which will again set me up for massive growth as a writer.

1. Finished Manuscript
Because the prize for winning in any category of the Genesis contest is dibs on a meeting with agent or editor of your choice, I need to be ready to pitch a proposal for a completed manuscript to that agent or editor. (No, I'm not trying to be sly in not saying the title of my piece. We are asked to keep that info under wraps until after the judging is completed, sometime in July. So if you know my title, be warned-- it's classified! Don't tell.)

2. Completed Proposal
One of the things I learned last year was that though an agent won't take stacks of paper home from the conference from all his or her appointments (and I do NOT blame them), that doesn't mean he or she won't ask to see a proposal or sample of my writing. So this year I aim to be prepared with a proposal completed and ready for anyone who asks. Also, that way, it's ready to submit to any interested agent(s) as soon as I get home from the conference.

3. FABULOUS One-Sheet
I don't think these are necessary, and I've heard other writers say that they are never asked for these at other conferences. But I like the concept of putting all the highlights of you and your manuscript on one page. Through a trial-by-fire workshop last year, I learned a LOT about putting one of these babies together, and I'll probably do a post at some point that is all the dos and don'ts that I learned.

But that's it. Those are my goals. I am shooting for writing 1K words per day, which should put me finishing the manuscript sometime in July. Then I'll rewrite. Then start putting together the proposal and one-sheet.

Genesis Contest Finalists Announced!

Awhile back, I entered a writing contest called the Genesis Contest for unpublished writers. Two of my critique partners also entered, but in different categories.

Tonight I found out that we are ALL finalists!

I'm so excited!!

The final round of judging begins next week, and winners will be announced at the annual ACFW Conference in Minneapolis, MN in September.

I keep thinking that this really is a testimony of how much we have grown as writers in the last year-- due a great deal to our efforts in the critique group, I believe. How exciting!

Yea!!!

Worth Fighting For?

So... again a departure from the planned blog. I promise I will keep pressing in on what makes a plot spectacular... but for now, I simply wanted to share a little bit of my heart. Or my thoughts. Or both.

Over the last couple weeks, I've found myself saying over and over, that my life would be easy, even manageable, if I were not trying to also write (on top of maintaining the house, parenting a two-year-old, working 20-30 hours, and teaching ballet once a week). I've thought of this so much that I've actually considered putting it all aside for a season.

But what stops me is that while I love my family, and the other things I do are directly or indirectly to support them, writing is the thing of passion in my life. Stories. Characters. Reading them, writing them. Breathing them in and letting them splash out onto paper... er, screen.

If there is a thing I was created to do, it must be this. Even if I chose to put my piece aside for now, until things settle, the story would still occupy my thoughts, the characters would still be part of me, moving through their scenes, in my quiet waking moments, while I'm driving, or when I hear a song that sparks something.

I think of my grandfather, who passed away a year ago, and how he earned his master's degree from FL Tech while working full time, and with a wife and three small children at home. It was a sacrifice, on everyone's part. Maybe this is my sacrifice. To work harder, dig deeper as a writer, and not wait until the easy days come.

Because what if those days never do?

On Writing: You Might Be a Writer If...

1. You at least occasionally find yourself mentally narrating your own life.

2. The people you know the best are the central characters in a story you're writing.

3. You spot real people who remind you of your main characters at Wal-Mart and consider stealthily following them around to see what they say and do that might contribute to your story.

4. You see a story in everything. There is always an obstacle, drama, drama and more drama.

5. You find it next to impossible to write an email containing less than 300 words.

6. You take great delight in contemplating and carrying out the demise of one of your characters.

7. You fall in love with a good story, no matter who wrote it.

8. You can't stop thinking about writing. Your daydreams are stories. Your dreams. You might be able to walk away from it for a season, but the story is a longing that never fades away completely.

On Writing: Thoughts On Jordin Sparks (or Writing Like a Superstar)

Yeah, I know... Jordin Sparks, last season's American Idol--What does that have to do with writing? For those of you still abstaining from one of the biggest reality TV shows in America, let me give you a little background on Miss Sparks...

Long before her elevation to the show, she'd been an Idol fan. In an interview on the show, she talked about how she'd watched previous seasons longing to try out, planning for the year when she was finally old enough to do it. And so she did. And she won!

Here's the thing, though. We all know tons of people tried out for the show. Tons. Probably others who had dreamed of having their shot at stardom in the AI spotlight. But there's only one winner. What if she'd looked at those odds and decided they were stacked against her. What if she'd been too afraid of the criticism? Of Simon Cowell's straightforward, no sugar feedback on her performances?

The point is that she stepped out, pursued her dream, even if it made her look totally ridiculous. She went for it.

When the contest was down to Jordin and Blake, both sang the song "This Is My Now." Watching Jordin sing that song was like seeing into her heart for a moment. The song so clearly exemplified the struggle and the excitement of her journey to that very moment. Her dream was right before her. She stepped out, right into it.

Anyway, same deal for writing. If it's in your heart to be a writer, run after it. Be Jordin Sparks, and don't let your fears get in your way. Over and over I watched her accept the critique of the American Idol judges with maturity and humility. She was committed to learn and grow from her experience. So just like her, keep learning. Learn from other writers, from sharing your writing with people who will give you honest critique, from reading, from writing.

And on those days when you inevitably feel like one of those other contestants-- the ones whose auditions are actually painful to watch and make you wonder who besides dear Mama told that boy he could sing-- just stop and take a deep breath.

Go for the gold.

On Writing: "Critical" Thinking (Critique Group Thoughts)

As mentioned in a previous post, I've been a part of a small critique group called Cannot Stop Writers since the fall of last year. The experience has been overwhelmingly positive, and I can't stress enough the many ways in which both my writing and my ability to edit has grown. We're talking leaps and bounds.

But now we come to my latest struggle. I tend to be a bottom-line thinker when it comes to critique. Oh, I'm detail-oriented enough when it comes to the creative process, but drop me into crit-mode, and it's pretty cut and dry, or seems so to me. The problem is: I really don't want to shred someone's work rather than offering helpful suggestions.

So this is me, brainstorming...

First, I think it's important to recognize differences in style. One group member has an incredible way of creating these stark metaphoric pictures to describe her character's internal emotions. Beautiful. And my feeling is that it fits her genre. (I write Young Adult, remember, and tend to be a little more streamlined than some other genres.) So I don't want my critique suggestions to be tampering with her style, unless it's a metaphor that I don't think really works or something.

It's also very important to make notes on what does work. Lines that sparkle, really get you. Yes, it's nice to have that little ego stroke, but that's not the only reason. It's also a big help to know what works, what made someone laugh (which was hopefully intentional!), etc.

This will probably sound like a cheesy "group therapy" line, but that doesn't make it moot-- I believe it's also important to use opinion-oriented statements. "I think..." "It seems to me..." Etc. It helps keep those comments in their place-- as suggestions from other writers. Sometimes I take the suggestions from the critique group. Sometimes I don't. Sometimes I make a change, but not the suggested one. I want those whose precious words I am reading to feel that same way. That my suggestions are simply that and no more.

So I guess some of that comes down to humility. Just being humble as a writer and as a critique partner. Being willing to share something and receive feedback, but also stepping out and being willing to offer suggestions, but not as the be-all, end-all critique partner.

Which I suppose means, above all, that I continue to learn...

Write Well With Others: Importance of Critique Groups

Recently I had the amazing pleasure of going to my very first writer's conference. It was a national conference that met in Texas the last weekend of September. I went not knowing what to expect, but full of hope and excitement. One of the top things on my conference wish list was to not only network with other writers, published and unpublished, but to find a few with whom to form a critique group. There are four of us in the group at present, and we are the Cannot Stop Writers!

I felt this way prior to being a part of this group, but I feel it so much moreso now-- if you are serious about writing, you really need to be a part of a critique group. It is infinitely encouraging for a fellow writer to look at a scene you've written and say, "I love this line!" And infinitely helpful when a crit partner says, "I'm confused about this paragraph." Or, "Insert his emotion and thoughts here. I need to know more what he's thinking." (Something I hear a fair amount of these days, though I do believe that even in the last few months I've made improvement. I used to see that comment five or six times a page. Now I'm down to two or three... So I'm getting there.)

It also keeps you writing. You know that every 10 or 12 days, you're up for a submission! Every few days, you've got someone's chapter to critique! You've got to stay on the ball. Stay focused. Stay in the writing mode.

And when you finally are ready for that first submission, you know you've got several pairs of eyes to bounce your proposal off of, to give you feedback on what works, what's weak or unclear, etc. Can't beat that!

I love my readers-- and I have several. My sister is by far the most devoted one-- she's enthusiastic and has been with me since the beginning of my writing journey-- but I have several friends who also read for me. This is an incredible gift for them to give. The feedback they give me helps shape the scene, helps me know what doesn't flow-- there are a couple of people who are great at picking out small typos. (Yes, Monique and Stephen-- that's you two!) That might not seem like anything to stop traffic for, but it's a huge service! Also, because I'm writing from the hero's POV, I believe it's essential for me to have a guy reading for me. :)

A critique group takes this to a new level. It gives you feedback from someone else in the industry, someone who strives for better craft themselves. That, to me, is something no aspiring writer should be without!

Thoughts on the Journey of Writing: Read and Write!

There's no doubt about it: writing is a journey. It's a process-- and not just in the actual writing of the manuscript. There is always room for improvement, always something new to learn. In many ways we are always looking for new ways to tell the stories we love: Boy meets girl. Coming of Age. Etc.

There are really two ways to get better at this process: read and write. (This blog is partly a way to hold myself accountable to do both!) I heard once about a conference at which a famous author spoke, (can I remember who it was? Of course not.) and when he addressed the hundreds of eager writers and wannabes, he said to them: "Why are you all sitting here? You want to be a writer? Go! Go write!"

Anyone still with me? So, yes. Write. Set a goal each day. Even if it's only 500 words. (That's about a page, single-spaced.) Just do it. Don't wait until you feel up to the task, because you never will. Just DO IT!

And keep reading. Read what's new. Read the genre you write, and read beyond it. Read books about writing. Read about writers. Read fiction. Find a voice or an author that speaks to you. Set goals-- read a chapter a day. A book per month. Or more than that, if you like. I try to read at least one book per week, on average.

Read a book about writing and then read a novel. See if you can spot some of the things you learned to do (or not do) in the book on the craft of writing.

And don't be discouraged. Every time I write a new scene, I am convinced it's the best thing I have ever written. Then a few weeks later, I read it again and have to fix the glaring messes in it. If you find yourself feeling that same way, think of it as evidence of your continued growth as a writer.