How do you Rejuvenate your Writing Soul?

By facing the problem and moving forward.

This fall, I had to confront this type of problem when a health issue had plagued me for more than a year. I was miserable. I tried to deny its existence. However, when  I no longer could take it anymore, I gathered up my nerve and went to see my primary doctor who prescribed a medicine. I took it for almost a week, but after the pill gave me every kind of side effect mentioned on its side-effects sheet, such as dizziness and foggy vision. I called the office and they referred me to a specialist.

I eventually ended up seeing a woman doctor. One remedy she tried did not work for me thus that left surgery.

“Surgery,” the word hung on my lips. I had never had an operation. My hospital experience included four stays to give birth to my four sons. 

So fear struck me and I sought other avenues, which included a visit to a chiropractor. He was a nice man and tired his best, but my problem had deteriorated to such a point that this did not work.

A friend urged me to get a second opinion. I took her advice. The smiley doctor came in and examined me. His recommendation was the same as the first doctor's. However, this visit was very important since he relayed information about my long-term prospects. This frightened me and I returned home, calling the first doctor’s office to schedule the procedure.

February first was the day of my reckoning. We also face those days in our writing. What should I write and will this story sell? Is there enough emotion to make this novel moving and compelling? And, in nonfiction, have I made this information interesting?

As with my decision to do surgery, we also must confront our problems and see how  to move forward with our desires. In order to fulfill these, we seek recommendations from those in the field as well as our readers. This also means enlisting fresh ideas, rewriting and fine tuning our work. We do this because we know we are in control of our fate so we edge forward with our next great idea.

Where we will end up we do not know. However, if we do not take the plunge we will not know the outcomes just as with my surgery, I moved forward and can say I am no longer in misery. I again can enjoy life. Praise God!

So proceed forward. What do you have to lose? Nothing. This is your road of opportunity thus do not squander it. You never know what lies ahead. That alone should keep you moving onward. God bless.

Go Create

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In the movie, "It's a Wonderful Life," the angel tells George Bailey, “You have been given a great gift.” Yes, you do and, if we are people of faith, we are called by God to not squander those.

In this picture, you see what I made for a romance group’s Christmas party where organizers challenged each member to bring gifts they created.

Some may not think my creative juices were that great, but I am proud of what I made, especially since many of the items I used came from materials my deceased mother had. To make the eyeglass case, I used her felt and sewed a flower she made onto the case. The small notebook I decorated with Mom's felt and a cross I had on hand along with trimming the book with rickrack. The larger notebook I adorned with my Courtships and Carriages bookmark and again trimmed the book with pink rickrack. I  would never describe myself as being "crafty," but I was proud of this achievement.

Be proud of your achievements, too, even though it is difficult at times. Readers have no idea how much work is required to produce a piece of writing we call our best. 

I recently wrote a nonfiction account about my husband’s mother – a mother he never knew. He never knew her because as a toddler she was committed to a mental institution. I had developed this article after attending a conference this fall. I submitted it to a publication, however, officials did not believe it was quite right for that publication. I am not giving up, though, I am going to submit it elsewhere. Never give up! Remember not everything we create is going to appeal to everyone. I will remind you that there are people who do not like Stephen King's work even though he has been successful and admired by many.

This gets me thinking about my craft items. I wonder if the receiver of my gifts liked it. I hope so but in reality it does not matter. What matters is if we like what we created. If so, smile and move forward.

Rejections are part of life. There are some people who never will like us, but rejections of any form are difficult to take. However, what we need to do is to persevere.

I market my book at a lot of craft fairs, and I can tell you responses vary from “I liked that book” to “I liked your other book better” to no comment at all. Some readers like  stories without much substance while others like substance. It is in the eye of the beholder. When people do make a comment about your book, it means two things -- they either did not like it or they have not read it, yet. I can testify to the latter since my bookcase still contains Bill O’Reilly’s book, Killing Kennedy, and he has had two books released since then.

However, remember no matter how discouraged you get (and we all do) salvage the fun and satisfaction of a finished product you created and loved. Now, GO AND CREATE! God bless, and it is good to be blogging again after a few months absence.

A Trip Inside a Police Cruiser, Made me Think

A couple of weeks ago my husband and I trekked to Grand Island, Neb., to attend the state fair. Little did we know by the end of the day we would be riding in a police cruiser.

No, we did nothing wrong. In fact, the policeman took pity on us. Below is my explanation.

Each year my husband and I travel to the state fair so I can sell my novels at the Nebraska Writers Guild booth. There we can sell our books and in turn we promote to writers we encounter the benefits of joining the guild.

There is a certain place where I park and that is what I did this day. However, you have to bring your own books. My husband and I had two luggage bags. I pulled one and he the other. We began our long walk to the 4-H/FFA building, when a fair volunteer, driving a golf cart, approached us and asked, “Would you like a ride?”

“Yes,” we answered, giving a large sigh of relief. The building was a long ways, and the offer of a ride was well appreciated. But in the end, it caused us a lot of grief.

How? It is one word, b e a r i n g s.

I lost my bearings. Not walking there, I could not remember landmarks to get us to the right entrance/exit gates so we ended up at the wrong exit.

We exited and I scanned the area, knowing in my gut nothing looked familiar. I yelled at an officer, who with other policemen were directing vehicles into a parking lot, and asked him if the road in front of us was Stollely Street. He came over to us and gestured to a street about a mile from us. He studied us, seeing our luggage. “That’s a long walk,” he finally said.

My heart sank, knowing we had walked around fair exhibits and buildings only to travel in the wrong direction. I was dumbfounded. It took minutes to even remember where I parked until the officer said the word, Roush Street. “That’s where we parked,” I replied.

He left and returned minutes later in his police car. He opened the door for my husband then joked, “You won’t be able to kiss in here,” as my husband slide into the tiny space between the plastic glass and the door. If you never have been inside a police vehicle (which we had not), you better not be overweight or you will be squished. The policeman opened the door for me. I sat down beside my husband. Yes with Plexiglas dividing us there was no way we could smooch. However, we were not in the mood anyway. I wonder why?

The officer drove us to our car and unloaded our bags. He placed them into my vehicle. We shook his hand in gratitude for having compassion on a dim-witted couple.

However, this made me think about writers, and how we too can lose our bearings. We forget to focus on our next undertaking and not fret about a past mistake or pet project that may not have done as well as expected.

What is the next hottest genre in publishing? Literary agents will say your guess is as good as theirs. If they cannot figure it out, how can you? Thus, the best thing to do is to leave the past behind you and do not give up.

What do the experts say? That the worse mistake authors make is to give up after disappointments. If people had given up on the movie, “Wizard of Oz,” we would not have this enduring classic since it initially flopped in the theaters when it was released. Television is what revived it and brought it into the living rooms and hearts of viewers for decades to come. My hope, though, that it does not take you that long to achieve your success.

So keep your powder dry, start your next venture and put the past behind you. God bless.

Having to Say Good-Bye

All of us have those years we wish to forget, and this year is one of them for me.

         This year began with a series of deaths. It started with my sister-in-law. Then my husband’s brother (who was married to the sister-in-law mentioned above) passed away along with the sudden death of a reporter colleague of mine and ended with the cancer death of a woman who did a lot for Special Olympics.

         She left behind a husband and two adult daughters – one has Down Syndrome. This mother hosted a wonderful dinner for the special education students before they went to the high school prom. I remember my youngest autistic son enjoying this meal and his excitement at seeing how lovely the girls looked in their Cinderella gowns.

        However, the good-byes continued when I learned my dear friend and writing partner was moving far away. We have done so much together not only in the writing arena but in trips to restaurants and just spending good times together. I will greatly miss her.

         But besides family and friends, good-byes also occur in writing. Years ago I had to learn how to transition from journalism to fiction writing. A writers critique group taught me techniques to do this. Also, I learned a lot by attending writing conferences, where editing and promotional techniques were taught as well as learning what a writer’s life really is like.

         One of the first things I learned was when an author receives an “advance” from a publishing house if that book does not sell out that “advanced” money, the author must return the sum for those not sold. I was shocked at that because I thought once your book was out there you were on easy street. Boy was I mistaken. I pictured authors typing out their stories in their pajamas. I also was surprised to find out authors actually had to promote their own work. This still happens in some cases but by in large in today's world most writers must do their own work. 

         When my first book, Seasons of the Soul, was released, I had a book signing at the local library. I envisioned lines around the library waiting for people to buy it. I had a good book signing but not what I pictured.

         Years ago I had lots of book signings at Barnes and Noble when my first book was out. The customer service representative was anxious to have me come. She encouraged me to stay as long as I wanted. However, years later when my historical romance, Lockets and Lanterns, was released times had changed. The representative actually told me to leave after a couple hours. What made the difference? The e-book revolution took its toll on Barnes and Noble’s profits. So I had to say good-bye to those days of the past.

         I will truly miss my dear friend. She, though, needs to go where God leads her family, and we still will stay in touch by phone, e-mail, write anthologies together and attend conferences. However, it will not be the same. So enjoy your time with others because nothing on this earth lasts forever. I turn to God to sustain me through these "life" good-byes.

         Now I must say good-bye. But God willing and the creeks do not rise, another post will appear next month. God bless.

Should Writers by an Open Book?

Should Writers be an Open Book?

Yes, you should be an open book at least to a certain point. Why? Because your readers want to get to know you, know your background and where you live and more.

         My first book, Seasons of the Soul, includes a spattering of personal accounts of my two different autistic sons. At book signings, people would approach me and express empathy for my situation, purchasing this book because of my handicapped children or the book’s uplifting message. Some individuals would say: “God gives special children to special people.” I smiled and thanked them. Expressions, such as these, warmed my heart. However, there also were those who thought they could get my nonverbal son to talk if only they spent 30 minutes with him. Again, I would smile and say thanks, even though I knew that was impossible.

         Readers want to form a bond with you. Think about why you purchase books. I buy many because I know the author either as a friend, an acquaintance or as a member of a writing group.

         Bonding is important and you can establish this in many ways. I know this since I sell my books personally so I meet buyers, and they will state the reason they are purchasing the book(s). Some read an article about me or bought my first book so purchased my newest release. But what do you do if you never or seldom do these kinds of events?

         Forums and social media are good avenues. Ruth Ann Nordin is good at this but I never have participated in one. Of course, I do social media because you must in this era, and you need to get acquainted with your followers as much as possible.

Patrons love meeting the authors they love, and we should return our love through special gifts for our loyal customers, friends and former and current co-workers. Recently, I sent someone a special token, a Seasons of the Soul journal, for purchasing my latest releases, Courtships and Carriages, Bride by Arrangement and Lockets and Lanterns. In addition, I inserted a personal note. No matter what they say about the Internet nothing is more valuable than a “handwritten note.”

         Readers also like to know something about your background, such as where you live. Several years ago, I was selling my first book in a town about 50 minutes from where I live. One person saw me there and bought my book since I live in the same town she spent her childhood. However, do not tell everything about yourself.

         I gave out too much data about myself when I started out. Most people are wonderful, but some will take advantage of you, such as “potential” writers. I have this book I want to write, they would say. Could you help me with it? They would ask. If you agree to assist them, remember your own work will suffer. It is better to connect them with critique groups and more so you can spend more time doing what is beneficial to you. However, this does not mean you should refuse every one of these just be wise about them.

         Also, do not provide too much information about yourself on the Internet. You do need to interact and get to know your followers, but I suggest not getting too personal with posts, such as printing your family’s names. We need to be cautious rather than regret it later.

         Do make comments on authors/readers’ blogs, Facebook pages, etc. This shows you find their posts important and care about them. However, do not go overboard or you will not be able to do your own work.

         So be an open book, but remember you need to watch telling everything about yourself and overdoing others’ wishes. Well, I hope this information has been useful and as always I will end with a God bless.

        

        

        

        

        

        

        

With the New Year Came Changes

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Last week, I awaited the installer of our new television and Internet provider to arrive. I did this with a lot of trepidation. It is interesting how these small changes can throw us. I wondered, for example, if what the carrier promised would be better than what our previous providers had given us.

         I awoke that day at 5 a.m. to a blistering-cold morning of one degree. I worried if he would show up as planned, but he did and got right to work.

He was a pleasant man who knew his business. Within a couple of hours, my living room was clear of wires which had stretched beside our couch for years, and another bonus was I no longer had to lock our downstairs-bedroom door to keep the cat from playing with the wires in there.

Also, the modem was a constant fret of mine since it sat beside by computer. I watched it continually since sometimes it prevented my Internet to work. Every day I would walk into my office and wondered if I would have to unplug it today. Relief swept over me. I never realized how much these items had given me anxiety. It took me a few hours, but soon I felt liberated and in the process I had better television with the program I missed and faster Internet.

         When the man grasped the wires, he said, “What I have in my hand is old technology.” He was right. This change was well needed.

         Authors also must make changes and try new things. Last year, I tried something new – the anthology, Bride by Arrangement, with Ruth Ann Nordin. This endeavor allowed me to reach a different audience through my story, She Came by Train. Ruth Ann Nordin and I plan another anthology – a follow-up on last year’s – and my goal is to write book two – a follow-up on Courtships and Carriages – in the Great Plains series.

         Now I am excited about writing again along with the busy Christmas activity being over. Winter puts me in the mood to write. Of course, you sure cannot go outside and enjoy the warm weather. Instead you sit by a fireplace, if you have one. I do but it is not close enough to curl up beside, but it does keep me cozy and my fingers warm enough to type even if gibberish is what appears at times. Ha! Ha!

         In addition, this is a great time to clean your office, get rid of old files or rearrange your office. I even got to clean my desk where the modem sat and that made me happy.

         You also get to throw away that old calendar in which you were tired of and hang up something new and inspiring. I replaced my office-wall calendar with a calendar portraying a variety of paintings, including January’s winter scene with gray skies, cardinal birds perched on a white fence with a church in the background. The scene filled me with peace and awe in the Creator’s majesty and prompted me to want to write again.

         As I come to a close, remember to embrace the future and the change it brings, and I wish you the best as you pursue your writing career. God bless.

Web sites: Keep them Simple

After just returning from a Heart of America Christian Network Writers conference in Overland Park, Kan., I took stock of what I learned during several workshop sessions. One great workshop was on how to create an effective Web site. The workshop was facilitated by Jim Watkins of Wesleyan Publishing.
    Pay close attention to detail and keep it consistent, he said, highlighting Rev. Billy Graham’s site as a good example of a well done Web site. What makes it a good site is its simplicity. It is not  cluttered with material, is easy to read and navigate, Watkins added. Here is a link to that site:  http://billygraham.org/video/heaven/?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=November%202014&utm_campaign=CTV&SOURCE=BT14BYGGS&gclid=CPWlsobI88ECFehAMgodSmkA4Q
    A key to a good Web site is to define the blog or Web site's purpose, he said. Is its purpose for people to become acquainted with you through your author biography (which, according to him, is a must), get a taste of your work through reading samples of your material or is it have people buy your products, books or more? If your ultimate purpose is for visitors to purchase your goods then make sure no more than two clicks takes them there or anywhere else on your site, Watkins said.
    What you are offering? That needs to be shown on your home page, he said. Also, include a way viewers can search your site and contact you, he continued.
    The most important item is to keep the site simple without fancy colors and fonts, Watkins said. Black lettering on white background still is the best. Also, use easy to read fonts, such as Helvetica, and do not employ point sizes smaller than 10 to 11 points, he said. You can, though, utilize bold and italics to vary the font you chose. Also, he advised participants to never use all capitals.
    We read from left to right so place the most important item(s) there, he said. Size means significance. Thus, your largest lettering denotes prominence whereas each size degradation portrays lesser value, Watkins continued.
    You can add color to your Web site but try to find a color which represents you and when seen throughout media spectrums it becomes recognizable as "your color," he said. Through my experience, I would not use white lettering because when the item is printed out it will not show up on white paper.
    Do not overload your site with images, he cautioned. These take time to load and through my experience it is something which instead of be inviting to viewers could make them instantly leave your site. People are busy so design your site accordingly. 
    Yahoo small business is good. They have several templates you can choose and cost about $120 a year and are easy to use, according to a person familiar with this method. Most blog sites also are easy to use, and you can use your blog as your Web site.
    How do you promote your Web site once it is done? Ask questions on Facebook which provides interaction and visits to your site, Watkins suggested. In conjunction with this, I have a question for you. To those who have read Courtships and Carriages, what character would you like to see as my main character in Book Two of the Great Plains series? Please respond here. I will post this question at a later date on Facebook.
    Well, my hope is that this post was informative and until we meet again many of the Lord’s blessings to you.

Writers Need Team Work

Just as a sport’s team needs to work as a team to win games so must a writer.  

With the completion of my sweet-Christian romance, Courtships and Carriages, I reflected on how those behind the scenes make a product successful. In other words, an author needs a good team, including an eye-appealing cover, excellent editors and a good story which keeps readers' interest and makes them turn pages.

It is important to have an eye-appealing cover like the one above for Courtships and Carriages. The book is released Oct. 17 in e-book with paperback to follow. 

However, it is not easy to get a good design which matches your novel. For one thing, you need the right photograph which tells your overall story. Mine says sweetness and romance, all fitting this story. But other genres would need different qualities, such as a horror book would include dark elements, denoting evil lurking in the shadows. 

At a glance, readers must be able to know what lies behind the cover. Currently, I am reading, Doctored Evidence. What is on its cover? A picture of a doctor’s stool and the type of bed you would find in his office or in an emergency room. As indy publishers or with certain traditional publishers, some authors can have input on their cover. But if the author is not allowed to give his/her input then the graphic designer, who never read the book, makes that determination.This could lead to disastrous results like a cover depicting a man wearing pajamas, but no scene contains anything of that sort. 

A good cover also should not contain more than three concepts. Otherwise, it becomes cluttered and leaves readers confused about what your story really is about. My Courtships and Carriages has three -- the girl, the basket and the yellow-wheeled carriage. Each of these are important to the storyline. 

If you are a self-published author, you need to hire a professional graphic designer or be proficient in that area. I met an author a couple of years ago who used his mother’s painting of their Alaskan cabin for the cover. It was terrible. After talking to the man during an author fair, I became intrigued with his family's experiences in Alaska, such as a bear peeking into their window when a certain television show was on air. So I bought his book, however, if I only had seen his cover I would never had purchased it. 

Also, you must line up a good team of editors. This is extremely important. I have readers who look over my manuscript and give me their take from a reader’s perspective. One reader is especially knowledgable about farm animals since she grew up on a farm. She also is a great resource for lanterns and cooking without electricity because she experienced these. She has caught several of my mistakes in this regard. 

However, I also have wonderful editors. They are a great team and they look for grammar and spelling errors, historical inaccuracies, if the story flows smoothly and how to improve the overall work. I am so grateful for them. If it was not for them, my work would not be the best it could be nor would people want to read it. 

A key, though, is to have a story which carries readers on an unbelievable journey. Last year I was heartsick when a special person told me I should make major changes to my story. I thought of all the work I had put into it and how now I would have to rewrite it. But she was right, it just was not going to work to make the villain in my Lockets and Lanterns into a good man in this novel. So I changed a lot of it and started a new series -- one where I now had the freedom to create characters I like. Thanks to her input my story flows and the characters shine. 

So line up a great team which may take time. But it will come and with that you will develop a team which works for you and produces the best product possible. God bless. 

Watch for Facebook Scam Artist

As writers we need to be out there for people to learn and know about us, but this also makes us vulnerable for scams. Last week, for example, I received a scam and wanted you to be aware of this in case you are targeted as well.

The scam was prevalent and widespread as I saw other friends' posts who also experienced the scam. 

        It began with a message from a high-school friend who I never had chatted with before on Facebook. Thus, I was delighted to hear from her and knew she was a good and honest person. This also was why I did not discount the validity of the message from the beginning.

Her message started with a hello and I responded with a “hi” and continued with a few lines of conversational banter but after that the scam began. It ran something like this: Did you know Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, is running a $90,000 lottery promotion?

Lottery promotion I thought. This is unusual since lotteries are run by municipalities or states and is a form of gambling so how in the world could he offer a lottery promotion, which would not only include the United States but all over the world? This could not be legal. 

        In Nebraska, there was a ballot issue to allow for casino gambling (in order to compete with Council Bluffs, Iowa, which has several casinos and lies across the river from Omaha). The Nebraska measure was defeated, but my point is it had to be legally approved. So the word, “lottery,” was a red flag, especially since I am a political junky and a former journalist.

My supposed friend’s wining portion was “delivered” to her. Delivered? What an odd choice of words. Money is either sent to your checking account or a check is sent to your home but “delivered?” This gave  me an uneasy feeling.

It proceeded, saying they saw my profile as a winner, and I needed to contact this claim agent to receive it. I thought at first my friend was kidding so I wrote yes and answered I sure would not want to miss my 50 cents worth. After this, the person provided a link to this particular claim agent’s Facebook link. If the Internet has taught me anything, it is to not click links from unknown sources.

The message continued. I could see my friend was serious. I replied, "I thought you were kidding but you are serious, aren’t you?" The person replied with a yes. At this point, I stopped communicating with my friend and really got an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my gut.

I called a friend and asked her advice. She too thought this whole thing sounded too good to be true and mentioned a fact I had not thought of and this was what were the odds that both of us could win? 

So I discounted the message and returned to my regular tasks. About a half hour later, a writing friend asked me to befriend her. I confirmed the request since I did know her. The message again started with a “hello” then asked if I heard about the $90,000 lottery giveaway. That is when I knew the whole thing definitely was a scam.

What did I do? I deleted the messages and reported the scam to Facebook. You can to do this on your page and select different options, such as “delete” or “delete and report scam.” I soon discovered the person who requested my friendship was already my Facebook friend so I unfriended the fake one and, as with anything of this nature, it is suggested you change your password. 

Anyway, I thought I would alert you to this scam since writers use the Internet to interact with friends and provide updates on what you are doing in the writing arena. May this post prevent you from this scam and others. Remember most people are honest brokers, but there always are those scammers. God bless. 

Buildin' the Dream Conference

From left: Janet Syas Nitsick (me), Ruth Ann Nordin, Judy DeVries and Rose Gordon

Flying away to Phoenix for a writing conference was one special time not only in what the conference offered but also in the flying experience.

I never flew first class. Heard about it but never dreamed about doing it. However, the trip to Phoenix changed that. 

I experienced a full-course meal including wine and dessert and bags arriving first in the baggage terminal. It was a great and sure beats my last time flying where my youngest autistic son ran out the plane while waiting to take off from Omaha Eppley Airfield. You can read about this in my first book, Seasons of the Soul. 

Of course, the Phoenix setting was spectacular. A little too hot in late May for even this cold-blooded individual with temperatures around 107 degrees. However, how could you not love the sand domes in the horizon? The sight took your breath away!

But back to the conference. What I liked about the Buildin’ the Dream Conference was the ability to interact with fellow authors, publishers and workshops speakers. It was more informal. Yes, there were workshops, but you could enjoy eating in the hotel’s breakfast buffet where conferees gathered and intermingle with them or in the lobby area. 

You got to know them. In other words, you were not going off to one workshop after another with no breathing room because the rooms were packed. You did not have to walk a mile or more in high heels to find food. Everything at the hotel was at your finger tips.

The nice advantage of attending a conference like the Phoenix one is you get wonderfully named speakers, such as USA Today best-selling author Rose Gordon, a top book-cover designer Anya Kelleye and a Phoenix attorney, Megan D. Scott, who is an entertainment and copyright lawyer. 

Rose Gordon gave two presentations. Her first was “Mistakes Authors Make - Historical.” As a person who knows how to sell and make money, her insights were highly valuable. She knew of what she spoke and you listened. 

Rose writes Regency and American historical romances. Think of the setting as your wallpaper where people wear clothing and interact to those time-period dictates, Gordon said. Remember the focus lies in the romance so do not get caught in details which overshadow the storyline. She said your office needs to include a dictionary, access to Web resources, a book on that age’s idioms and a trusted friend who knows more than you about the period.

Adding to Rose’s last point, I have a friend who read my Lockets and Lanterns. She is knowledgeable about farms, farm animals, reading by kerosene light and attending a small country school. This friend is an excellent resource. I cannot tell you about the number of times she caught something wrong. 

Her second workshop was “Your Books, Your Business.” Gordon told attendees to write with their hearts but think with their brains. Thus make sure your book is done, edited, formatted, has an attractive cover which sells and is marketable. Study your genre, engage the readers, condense descriptions to a sentence or two and become visible like through blog tours, giveaways, promotional items and advertisements, she said. Each piece, though, has its pros and cons. For example, an author blog is where people interact and learn about you. The con is the time involved, she added.  

Anya Kelleye showed us some of her cover designs. A book cover must include a strong focal point, evoke emotions and she cautioned against using a script font. Keep it simple. Too many images or text overtake the cover, she said. Remember, she added, your cover does not need to tell your whole novel’s story. 

Scott was a great resource. Each state is unique in its own laws, she said. However, no matter where you live when you bring your idea to physical material it is copyrighted even before it is published and recorded with the United States Copyright office, she said. 

Besides the above, there were many other wonderful workshops. The smaller arena had such advantages of being able to talk with speakers for a short time after their workshops as well as having room to sit and take notes.

However, some downfalls did exist. One was the Buildin’ the Dream author conference, and the Arizona Dreamin reader event shared the same Web site page. The two headers used the same colors and unless you paid close attention you could easily sign up for the wrong one. I pointed this out on their feedback form. This, though, was the first time a readers’ event was held. So as with anything done for the first time, there always are problems to work out.

Would I go again? You bet, in a heartbeat. It was a wonderful trip, the conference was fantastic and it was awesome meeting people you interact with on the Internet, such as Lauralynn Elliott and Judy DeVries. It also was great seeing Rose Gordon again. laughing with her, Judy and Ruth Ann. They even taught me some new words. It was a beautiful trip and traveling and sharing a hotel room with Ruth Ann Nordin made it the best. The Lord’s blessings to you. 

Boxing this Giveaway

Ruth Ann Nordin and I did a Facebook and blog giveaway recently. Ruth organized it and made the whole affair work. I am so grateful for her expertise and the time she spent in this endeavor. There were wonderful prizes, which included the winning of a Kindle, a Western candle and a rectangular-treasure box to place small items, a bread-sized Western chest and the winner’s choice of either e-books or paperbacks. However, what I learned was how much fun a giveaway can be.

People who won shared their appreciation, such as one winner who expressed her gratitude that the Kindle came right at the best time. Her mother was in need of one. She downloaded recipes and sweet romance books for her. Is that not awesome?

The interaction with our book readers (Ruth’s more than mine) was also a blessings. Some people shared personal information, and your heart ached for their hardships, health problems and more. We also got a chance to know our audience, and this giveaway in turn gave us a way to express our appreciation of their support. 

In February, Ruth and I picked out the Western items. We planned to do a giveaway in March, but with our busy schedules the giveaway never materialized. So I kept the items to await our next move. Since we were having a joint book signing of our anthology, Bride by Arrangement, May 10, Ruth made some cards about our giveaway. We distributed these and gave them out during our book signing. 

We were able to get the word out through this and our blog postings. Ruth thought ahead while my brain still was in the clouds. This is why it is good to do these together because what one does not think of the other does. 

It also is a good idea (if you have a place to store them) to keep boxes. My husband is not pleased with my basement Christmas collection, but it sure comes in handy in BOXING THIS GIVEAWAY. I have all sizes of boxes. Being a pack rat does come in handy at times.

Besides this, I keep those disgusting store plastic bags. They make great box stuffers to keep the items from breaking and rolling around. Do you hear that Paul? My husband. He wonders if sometimes I have lost my mind. 

Doing a giveaway together also provides other benefits, such as getting to enjoy lunch out together after selecting your store giveaway items and keeps the expenses down as well as making the giveaway a happy time instead of a chore. 

At a previous Nebraska Writers Guild conference, one of the speakers said giveaways are important. Why? Because it gets your work out there and could build relationships and readers! 

When my first book, Seasons of the Soul, was released, I hesitated to give away my books. One less book sold. But as the old adage states: You need to invest money to make money. This is the same with books. People need to read them before your book will produce sales.

I hope this post was helpful and if you choose to do this you will find it as rewarding as Ruth Ann Nordin and myself did. Boxing a giveaway is, indeed, fun so package that giveaway up and send it out! God bless. 

Comparing Your Work with Others

When you compare your writing to another author, it can be positive or negative. 

A few authors slam a fellow author’s book with one and two star reviews. Some reviews are honest assessments while others are not.

Base your evaluation on readability, storyline, plot durability, realistic dialogue, grammar and more. If you cannot do do this, then do not write a review. Nothing is wrong with that because 

authors need time to write their own stories, engage in social media and do whatever else to promote their work. Doing this leaves little time to read others’ materials and write reviews and that is okay. 

I write reviews for two reasons: (1)it keeps my followers informed on what else I am doing besides my work in progress and (2)it assists me with my own writing. 

Reading (when I have time to do so) helps you gleam a lot in the way of word choices, character names, plot ideas and descriptions. 

Currently, I am reading Mary Connealy’s Calico Canyon. The villain is Parrish. I like the way Connealy describes him. “But his temper goaded him. He hungered to make her sorry for what she’d done. The image of her cowering under his fists kept him awake at night and rode him like a spur [my italics] all day.”

Playing off one another is fine as long as we do not take their words and ideas verbatim. There are only so many story lines out there, but adding our own bends and twists do make the difference. The Twilight series is an example of this. The story is romance but what is different is the werewolf twist. 

Write your way. Do not write like another author because if you do you will fail. After all, God gave you your own gifts not another person's. My way is to set a scene with the five senses. 

In addition, I include historical details, such as I did in Ruth Ann Nordin’s and my anthology, Bride by Arrangement, set in Lincoln, Neb., in 1876. The book includes two novellas. Ruth’s story is The Purchased Bride and mine is She Came by Train. Below is an excerpt from my novella highlighting an old hymn: 

“As the afternoon sun rays glimmered on the pearly keys, Opal settled herself on the piano stool. Opening one of the hymnals, she turned the page to ‘When the Roll is Called up Yonder.’ Stroking the keys, her fingers graced the notes. She sang as she played the tune. 

“‘When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound and time shall be no more, And the morning breaks, eternal, bright, ...’ Footsteps approached. ‘When the roll is called up yonder, I’ll be there. ... When the roll is called up yonder., I’ll be there.’ Finished with the chorus, she turned to Mr. Crowley, who stood in front of her. ‘Yes?’

“‘Miss Preston, you have two visitors. One is named Ada Wilcox.’”

  My brother loved reading an author who added Native American details into his work. This helped set that author apart from others. If you are one who does not care for research (which takes time), then write what fits you. Learning about time periods and how people lived is fascinating to me. By the way, visiting historical homes is one of the best ways to gather information. 

I read a variety of genres, which includes romance, mystery, suspense and non-fiction. I read Bill O’Reilly’s Killing Lincoln. It gave you a wonderful feel for that era which helped me with my own writing. Even heartwarming, spiritual true stories, such as Heaven is for Real, enables me to capture emotions and incorporate these into my own work. 

In conclusion, it can be good to compare yourself to others if you do this with the right intent but never deviate from your true self. Write your own story. Garner methods and styles from others, but fashion your own story and your own descriptions. God created you so devise your writing as you want. The Lord’s blessings to you.

Write your Heart

People tell me I should write about my autistic children, and I have done that to some extent in my best of year book, Seasons of the Soul. But there are other stories about them, especially my youngest high-functioning, verbal son, which I cannot share.

At one time, I thought I could write about our experiences of sitting on pins and needles not knowing what the youngest's behavior would be like. But my heart would not allow me to do this. It also exposes our family, and my youngest to the public eye which I do not feel comfortable about right now. He is doing better and lives in a group home. All is well. Praise God! So, when others tell you to write about certain topics, don’t do it if it is not in your heart. 

Recently, I heard about an author who wrote teen novels but her heart was not in her work. She now is entering a new genre - one she is comfortable in pursuing. 

 

Many years ago I heard this man on the radio. He would advise listeners on business and recommended to callers to not choose a profession based on the money but, instead, go with your passion. For example, if your love is writing, then write what interests you not someone else. Of course, there are times you need a paycheck and have to supplement your income but do not forgo your passion.

Author Stephen King was a teacher and pursued his writing in his downtime. He started with short stories before his novels were published, his work turned into movies and his name became a household word. Remember nothing comes overnight.

I laugh when I think about my first book. I was so excited and thought everyone in my community would line up around the block for my book signing. I did have a good turnout, but it was not what I expected.  

You need to work for what you get because no one gives you anything. There are local billboards which say, "Earn It," and that is so right. Anything done well takes time.

Coming from a journalism background, I had to learn the technique of writing fiction. Think about it. A journalist writes what he sees and hears. He does not add emotion, but in fiction your story cannot survive unless it does. Heart racing, she climbed the dark-narrow stairs. 

Learning this technique is like going from night to day. I have made great progress, but my education has not stopped. You must persevere to get anywhere. 

But you also need to be realistic. If you are writing poetry, the odds of becoming a poet laureate are not good. However, what you can become is a poet who reaches peoples' souls. My one sister-in-law makes her own digital cards. Each card includes poetry which rhymes, but what is amazing is how she captures that relative’s personality. We look forward to these cards. They warm our hearts. Remember not all value is monetary. Sometimes what we do provides comfort and eases others' pains. This is what my books, Seasons of the Soul, and Lockets and Lanterns, have done, according to people who purchased them. 

In closing, remember to write from your heart. Nothing is as satisfying as to pursue your passion whether it is a full-time or part-time effort. God bless.