Thursday, April 28, 2011

What really happens when Writing a Novel



Video by James Andrew Wilson

Five Common Writing Problems and How to Fix Them by Annette Lyon

Five Common Writing Problems and How to Fix Them

by JOANNA PENN on APRIL 27, 2011
This is a guest post from Annette Lyon, author, freelance writer and editor.
As a writer, I’ve been edited, so I know how it feels. Most of the time, I’ve had talented editors, but periodically I run into an editor who tries to change my voice and personality rather than doing their job by polishing my work. So when I’m on the other side of the fence, wearing my editor cap, I work hard to maintain a client’s voice and vision while making their work even better.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

The Writing Life: It Won't Fly If You Don't... By Terry Whalin



By Terry Whalin

Hopefully you've heard the saying, "If won't fly, if you don't try."
Many writers grow frustrated with the publishing world.
 They pitch their idea to a series of agents or editors at
a conference. Return home and send the follow-up
material to those professionals. Then several months
down the line, they get rejected and decide,
"Guess no one wants to publish my idea."

That is not necessarily the case. 

There are many reasons why your book idea was rejected.

To read the rest, please link to Terry Whalin's...

Lisa Buffaloe's Blog: Father May I?

Lisa Buffaloe's Blog: Father May I?:

"Did you ever play the game, “Mother May I”, or what some call “Captain May I”? One person would be the “Mother” or the “Captain.” That person would stand facing away from the other players – “children” or crewmembers.”


The players take turns asking “Mother/Captain, may I ____?” and makes a movement suggestion. For example, Johnny might ask, “Mother/Captain, may I take five steps forward?” The leader either replies “Yes, you may” or “No, you may not do that, but you may _____ instead” and inserts his/her own suggestion. Such as “Johnny you may take giant/regular/baby steps/scissor steps/bunny hops/frog leaps/ballet steps, forward or backward.”

The players usually move closer but are sometimes led farther away. Even if the leader makes an unfavorable suggestion, the player must still perform the action. The first player to reach the location of the leader wins the game. 

What if the lead person is your best friend? Your very best-friend-forever. ...



Monday, April 25, 2011

Review: Over the Edge by Brandilyn Collins

Lisa here...

Brandilyn Collins is my favorite suspense author. I read her books not only for the awesome stories but to enjoy her amazing writing. Her books are truly "Seatbelt suspense," and she takes her readers for a wild ride through plot-line twists and turns. If you like suspense, you'll love Brandilyn's books.

Over The Edge, was personal. A tick bite in 1999 started a spiraling decline in my health. As my body fell apart, twenty-three doctors resulted in twenty-three opinions. I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, and other equally worrisome diseases.

Not until 2006 did we find the true culprit -- Lyme Disease. By that time, the disease was well rooted in my system. Even as every blood test confirmed my immune system remained horribly affected, and I was termed chronically ill, most doctors were either clueless or refused to believe Chronic Lyme Disease existed.

I had just entered the Lyme Wars.

Over The Edge is a must-read for suspense lovers as well as anyone who has encountered Lyme Disease.

Suspense lovers and Lyme sufferers, buckle your seat belts and head Over The Edge.

Over the Edge
Over the Edge

A suspense novel based on Lyme disease and the "Lyme Wars"
Torn from the front lines of medical debate and the author's own experience with Lyme Disease, Over the Edge is riveting fiction, full of twists and turns—and powerful truths about today's medical field.

Janessa McNeil’s husband, Dr. Brock McNeil, a researcher and professor at Stanford University's Department of Medicine, specializes in tick-borne diseases—especially Lyme. For years he has insisted that Chronic Lyme Disease doesn't exist. Even as patients across the country are getting sicker, the committee Brock chairs is about to announce its latest findings—which will further seal the door shut for Lyme treatment.

One embittered man sets out to prove Dr. McNeil wrong by giving him a close-up view of the very disease he denies. The man infects Janessa with Lyme, then states his demand: convince her husband to publicly reverse his stand on Lyme—or their young daughter will be next. But Janessa's marriage is already rocky. She's so sick she can hardly move or think. And her  husband denies she has Lyme at all.

Welcome to the Lyme wars, Janessa.




Read an Excerpt of Over the Edge
Order at:

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Register for Symbolism in Fiction

Register for Symbolism in Fiction


You want to be a writer, but you’re not sure where to start and you’re not quite ready to commit your time and finances to a course.
Here’s a step to test the waters and begin to develop your skills: Attend our monthly webinars. One webinar attendee emailed, “The CWG webinar series has been a huge asset to my writing/publishing development. I can’t believe how much I’ve learned in just two short months.”

Webinar Registration

Register for Symbolism in Fiction by calling 866.495.5177. $25 for Guild members, or $45 for nonmembers.
What are webinars?
Webinars are one-hour classes offered live over the internet by professional writers including Jerry B. Jenkins, James Scott Bell, Angela Hunt, Bill Myers, DiAnn Mills, and others. They focus on topics that will help you grow as a writer.
Our next webinar topic
Symbolism in Fiction
Presented by Dennis E. Hensley
April 21, 8-9 p.m. (Eastern Time)
To read the rest and Register for Symbolism in Fiction

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Writing Prompt

For most of us, Spring has sprung. The long cold days of Winter are being broken apart by fresh green grass and flowers anew.

This week, write about one of the five senses {or as many as you'd like}:
  • The smells of spring
  • The sights of spring
  • The sounds of spring
  • The touch of spring
  • The tastes of spring
This prompt is from the Creativity Portal.

Are you inspired? I hope so. Link up your post when you're ready. Don't forget to place the Writer's Workshop button within your post!

<center><a href="http://www.bloggymoms.com/group/writersworkshop"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbHSa0_ueCQKpTIGRQrG_3tlZ4rt0bI0evdGK35iwxAJg46qcBcj9Ba2-Yi0btC8kvHxvkfBsa9B8aKrR0SORHkAgxD148E-dbr778uINf11J6tFGYJVgALFTXi_ZCKzFj5koMXIbGevw/s1600/Button.jpg"/></a></center>

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Blog Helps

Hilarey here..

I am not a strong blogger. It has to be a purposeful, conscious effort for me to come up with ideas. Lisa gave me an suggestion, she texts herself blog ideas whenever they come.

I noticed that when I am driving, my mind wanders. (note to husband: I still concentrate on driving safe!) With a relaxed mind I am able to think of topics more readily. So occasionally, I record voice notes on my phone and then email them to myself later.

Another thing that helps me is to write the rough outline of several post and save them. Then on the morning I post, I go back and read through with fresh eyes and add to it.

What tips can you offer to reluctant bloggers? Anything that inspires or aids you to be consistent.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

2011 Christian Book Award Finalists!

 

The Christian Book Awards are among the most prestigious awards in the religious publishing industry, as well as the oldest. Formerly the Gold Medallion Book Awards, the Christian Book Awards have been awarded to Christian authors since 1978. Given out by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA), the awards honor excellence in content, literary quality, design, and significance of contribution in six categories, including BiblesFictionChildren,InspirationBible Reference, and Non-Fiction.  To see the list please link to...http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/cms_sp?sp=85588&p=1163467

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Your Book is a Business So Market it Like One by WestBow Press

Your book is much like a business and marketing is no exception. Daydreaming about the best-sellers list won’t get you any closer to breaking the top 10. So how do you market a book like a business? Let’s start with a few simple questions that will help you identify the best way to market your new book. Like any business, these questions are key to identifying and creating a successful marketing plan for your book.

To read the rest, please link to...Your Book is a Business So Market it Like One

Friday, April 15, 2011

1000 Verbs to Write By, by Deanna Carlyle


All the writing advice in the world can't replace good tools and lots of practice. This is why I've compiled the following list of over a thousand action verbs. I needed a handy, printable reference tool that didn’t strain my eyes or my wrists. Try it for yourself sometime. It works.

For "walked" or "ran" ...
lumbered
plodded
scurried
sidled
slinked/slunk

To read the remaining 1000, please link to this great resource.... http://www.deannacarlyle.com/articles/verb.html

Monday, April 11, 2011

Painfully Funny Similes and Metaphors by Laura Christianson

Painfully Funny Similes and Metaphors from High School Students

That fella’s the raspberry seed in my wisdom tooth.
–The Music Man
You can almost feel it, can’t you? That tiny, irritating raspberry seed lodged in your tooth (or worse yet, in your gums).
A good metaphor or simile breathes life into a sentence. It helps the reader’s mind make fresh correlations between smells, sounds, taste, touch.
A bad metaphor kills the sentence deader than a chainsaw murderer wielding a plastic chainsaw from Toys R Us. Get the idea?


Friday, April 8, 2011

Seven Reasons the Committee Says No -- by Nick Harrison

Seven Reasons the Committee Says No

Yesterday I asked for blogging suggestions and there were a number of good responses. In fact, I’ll answer several over the course of the next few blogs. The one I’m picking today is Michael Reynolds’ question: ‎”What are the top five reasons books get shut down in pub committee?”

Kathi "Easy Writer" Macias: A great writing opportunity!

Kathi "Easy Writer" Macias: A great writing opportunity!: "2012 MOPS Devotional Seeks Submissions Never Alone is a devotional for mothers underscoring God’s promise of His presence in her life -..." http://kathieasywritermacias.blogspot.com/2011/04/great-writing-opportunity.html

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

How to Offer a Beneficial Critique

How to Offer a Beneficial Critique

As writers, critique is part of what we will face on a continual basis - both the giving and the receiving of critiques. Obviously getting critiqued is not the happiest experience in the world, but it is a necessary pain that brings out the true nuggets of genius in our writing.


To read the rest...How to Offer a Beneficial Critique

One Way to Tell if Your Prologue (and Epilogue) Is Unnecessary

One Way to Tell if Your Prologue (and Epilogue) Is Unnecessary

God Gave Me This Blog Post | The Steve Laube Agency


God gave me this blog post.
By invoking divine inspiration I have guaranteed that you will read this post and possibly give me money to read more.
Sound like a stretch? Then what if I just wrote or said:
“God spoke to me”
“I was led to write this”
“God revealed this to me”
“I have been called to write this”
“I believe this is an inspired post”
In the Christian publishing industry editors, publishers, and literary agents hear these all time (and I suspect they are heard in the aisles and parking lots of churches every week).
To read the rest please link to...God Gave Me This Blog Post | The Steve Laube Agency

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Obscure Color Terms

I once read a book where the heroine's hair was described as the color of conaque at least once per chapter.

I just found a helpful list that suggests alternate words for colors. Here it is on: phrontistery.info

It's a site dedicated to "spreading the joy of the English language" and includes many rare words.

Have you stumbled across a valuable site lately? Share it with us.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

April Writing Conferences


QUAD CITIES CHRISTIAN WRITERS' CONFERENCE, April 8-9, Eldridge, IA. http://www.qccwc.com/ 

MINNESOTA CHRISTIAN WRITERS GUILD SEMINAR, April 9, Minneapolis, MN. http://www.mnchristianwriters.org/

MT. HERMON CHRISTIAN WRITERS CONFERENCE, April 15-19, Mt. Hermon, CA. http://mounthermon.org/adult/professionals/writers-conference/

MT. HERMON HEAD START MENTORING CLINIC, April 13-15, Mt. Hermon, CA.
http://mounthermon.org/adult/professionals/writers-conference/mentoring-\
clinic


FESTIVAL OF FAITH & WRITING, April 19-21, Grand Rapids, MI. http://www.calvin.edu/academic/engl/festival/

BIOLA MEDIA CONFERENCE, April 30, La Mirada, CA 
http://www.biolamedia.com/ 

ORANGE COUNTY CHRISTIAN WRITERS CONFERENCE, April 29-30, Irvine, CA.
Website: http://www.occwf.org/ 

ASJA WRITERS CONFERENCE, Members April 29-May 1, Public April 30-May 1,
New York, NY. Website: http://www.asja.org/wc/




Saturday, April 2, 2011

From the Heart: We can publish ebooks for free?

From the Heart: We can publish ebooks for free?: "Really? Let’s look at that. Publishing houses are quick to tell us that the only difference between an ebook and a print book is the actu..."  Read the rest...http://hartlineliteraryagency.blogspot.com/2011/04/we-can-publish-ebooks-for-free.html

Christian Writer to talk on Writing Process as Work of the Soul at OC Christian Writers Conference


The active creative life is a calling, one you have to say yes to discover its true power and joy in your life, according to Vinita Hampton Wright.
If you’re engaged in any form of writing, Vinita Hampton Wright’sThe Soul Tells a Story is a valuable resource on the nature and practices of the creative process in the soul of the writer. It’s a calling to a divine process in our lives.Creating is kin to our spiritual lives in that both necessitate a submission to a process that is more than can be comprehended with the conscious mind alone. Through her narrative survey and analysis of this creative process that is both inspiring and enlarging she brings insight to a dimension of the creative life that is often left unexplored. Read the rest of this entry »

Christian Writer to talk on Writing Process as Work of the Soul at OC Christian Writers Conference

Friday, April 1, 2011

Effective Self-Presentation for Novelists' Publicity by Rosslyn Elliott

Effective Self-Presentation for Novelists' Publicity

By Rosslyn Elliott


Have you ever seen yourself present something on camera?


I was videotaped teaching college students as part of my training in grad school. Wow, was that an eye-opener. Presenting an analytical subject is not as easy as it feels. Though I was satisfied with my performance overall, I was surprised to see that a few of my points during the lesson might have been an analytical leap for my students, who didn't have my background knowledge to help them connect the dots.

I will never forget what I learned by watching myself on video. What we think we are presenting is not necessarily what comes out to the listener or viewer. To know how we will appear in interviews, we have to look at ourselves from the outside.

In this post, I'm going to showcase three kinds of interview: telephone-to-print, public TV interview, and self-or-publisher-created video interview. 

To read the rest, please link to...http://inkhornblue.blogspot.com/2011/03/effective-self-presentation-for.html