Why Do I Bother? Tips for Staying Motivated

If you're a writer, you've probably said this many times… My writing isn't any good.  I know. Been there, done that and have the wastebaskets full of crumbled papers.

Initial doubts begin with your first critique session. You've taken your brilliant manuscript to your writing group expecting them to be wowed by your creative genius. Instead your fellow writers suggest you cut paragraphs, improve your grammar, add emotion, and delete extraneous dialog tags and much more.

You’re crushed and think this writing thing just isn't worth it! Or you may think what do they know? This was written from your heart and readers will cherish your wit(Like Ralphie in A Christmas Story movie where he expects to see A++++ from his teacher for his lackluster theme about why he should have a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas).  That was my first impression after one of my critique sessions. But I did go back to the next group get-together.

What writers who have been at it for awhile know is at one time they were in your same situation. As writers, we’ve all gone through this step and see it repeated over and over with new writers. I didn’t give up and neither should you. Writing is a learning process and so are critiques. Make sure you understand the grammar and style suggestions. Ask your fellow scribes for suggestions on writing courses and their favorite books on writing. We all want to succeed – and we want you to be a success as well.

The results depend on you. An “overnight” writing success usually takes multiple manuscripts before the first one takes off. Good writing takes practice. I laugh when I hear someone finished their first draft and think it’s ready to go off to the printer right then and there. A good writer can find improvements to their manuscript even after it has been edited several times.

Like the old adage for musicians…How do you get to Carnegie Hall?

                                                         Practice, man. Practice.

It’s the same with writing. You need to practice and learn how to make a lyrical composition with words that will resonate with your readers.

Writers need to be readers, too. Read in the genre you want to write. Study other authors’ books to see what draws you into their stories. And don’t be surprised if you find occasional errors. After all, no one is perfect; but a good editor will usually weed out most of the mistakes.

Soon you’ll find ways to improve your own stories. And you’ll start to see when the prose is’t working as your inner editor starts critiquing your writing.

To answer the question I originally posed at the start. Why I bother is I love to write and share stories where readers can learn from my characters as they reach for their dreams. Maybe that will give them the impetus to reach for their own goals.

This post is part of the Writing Contest: Writers Crushing Doubt. Hosted by Positive Writer. For details and more positive tips on writing, go to the link below.  

http://positivewriter.com/become-the-writer/#disqus_thread

Keep on writing!

From Newspapers to Novels: Author Interview with Michele Huey

Your background includes writing for newspapers and doing a radio program. What made you decide to take the big step and write a novel?
After over a decade writing nonfiction (devotionals, articles), I felt I wasn’t developing the talent God gave me. I love to read fiction—why not try to write it?

Who helped you with the editing? 
I belonged to an online critique group when I wrote my first two novels and when I began the third one, Getaway Mountain, my critique group partners helped with the initial drafts. Marsha Hubler edited The Heart Remembers and Before I Die when they were published by Helping Hands Press.

I published Getaway Mountain as an independent author/publisher, and I hired Barbara J. Scott, a freelance editor who edited for a major Christian publishing house for decades before going freelance, to do a developmental/substantive edit.

Your books fit a very specific niche - with your protagonists in the retirement age. Since that is out of the normal 30 and under character leads, what was the feedback you received from agents and editors?
I really didn’t pursue traditional publishing after I dropped my agent, and even then I got few comments about the older protagonist. I’ve never been a jump-on-the-bandwagon person, and I’m not a “formula” writer (I do follow structure). I’ve read and immensely enjoyed fiction with older women protagonists, so I followed my own advice to write what’s in my heart.

Are you currently active with any writing groups? 
Yes. I looked for an online critique group after the one I mentioned above became inactive, and finally (just last month) became part of a new online critique group.

Who encouraged you along the way?
My husband, my brother, my best friend, friends, my critique group partners, writing colleagues/friends I met at writing conferences, my CWG mentor (I took the Craftsman fiction course) and my fellow Craftsman classmates. I’m sure there are more, but too many to mention.

How do you get past writer's block?
Write. Write. Write. Just get words onto the page (screen) and don’t try to edit.

What are some of the more difficult aspects of writing a romantic mysteries?
This is my first romantic suspense book in the series. I’ll let you know when I write the second book in the series.

Have other novels been started and stopped along the way?
One—Whiskey Run —which I plan to return to and finish as a novella (have 18k words now). It’s a historical novel based on a real coal boom town in western Pennsylvania by that name. I plan for two more novellas in that series. I also started a novel based on WWII and the Battle of Attu. But the characters weren’t coming into focus, so I moved on. I plan to return to that, if the characters cooperate.

You also write daily devotional books. It looks like the first one was only 25 pages and the next one 112 pages. Was the first book testing the waters to see what feedback you would get?
No. I published Minute Meditations: Meeting God in Everyday Experiences and I Lift Up My Eyes: Minute Meditations Vol. 2 with Ampleos Press in 2000 and 2002, respectively. They are compilations of my weekly newspaper column, which was “Minute Meditations,” which later became “God, Me & a Cup of Tea” when I went to another newspaper. The column won second place in the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association’s Keystone Press Awards in 2009.

I published the books because my readers were telling me they cut out my column and sent them to people they knew. One lady (who lived in a skilled living facility) cut them out and out them in a scrapbook. I decided to compile 50 of my favorite columns and publish them as a devotional book. They still sell well at my book table when I speak at Christian conferences. I continue to get comments on them. Even after 16 years, God is still using these books to touch people.

God, Me & a Cup of Tea was published by Helping Hands Press at their request. The publisher wanted to do ten devotionals in one eBook to start. When he’d published five eBooks (total 50 devotionals), he published a print book with all 50.

I’m currently in the process of typing the Minute Meditation books to publish as eBooks (Kindle edition).

How do you promote these books?
Through social media, direct mail, e-mail, newsletter, press releases . . . Whatever way I can. I’m still on the learning curve.

What do you know now about writing/publishing now that you wished you had known sooner? I wish I’d have believed in myself when I was younger (right out of college). I didn’t get serious about writing until I was in my forties. But then, I believe in God’s timing. I had more fodder and life experiences when I did start writing in earnest. I’ve enjoyed the process—both writing and publishing—each step of the way.

What other books do you have in the works?
Book 1 of the “Almost” Angel series and Book 2 of the PennWoods Mystery series. And the eBooks of my meditations.

What is the best advice you’ve been given about writing or that you’ve learned that you would like to pass along? 
Write what’s in your heart. Anything else will sound fake. Write the first draft from the heart. Lock up the editor and let the muse dance. You can let the editor out when you’re ready to revise.

Are there any other notes you’d like to add? 
Buy my books. Please.

That's all for today's interview. If you would like to know more about Michele's current and upcoming books, use this link:  https://michelehuey.wordpress.com/

Writing in the Genre that Inspires You: Author Interview with Vanetta Chapman

I see you started your writing career with writing articles. How did you make the jump to writing a novel? 

I've always been an avid reader. After publishing 150 articles, I thought, "Hey. Maybe I could do an entire book." And then I just started writing. 

How did you meet your agent? Through a conference or sending out queries? 

I bought a Guide to Literary Agents at a Half Priced Bookstore. Starting with the A's, I marked any agent who represented what I had written to date. Then I started querying. This was in the old days (2000), so I sent everything in snail mail. I'd send 7 queries in each week. When I received a rejection, I'd send out 2 more. And yes, I had a chart to keep track of who all had rejected me, or said feel free to send something else, or whatever their response was. It took a couple of years, but finally I had several agents circling. At that point, I emailed some of their client list for references and made my choice.

How did you find your publisher?

My agent was submitting my work to all the major pubs. We had one (Harper Collins Christian Fiction) come back and say that they liked my writing but they didn't need another romance author. Would I consider writing a cozy mystery? My answer was ... OF COURSE.

Your first book was published in 2010. How long did it take to write that book? 
THAT book was a bit unique. I wrote it in 6 weeks because we had a publisher anxious for it, but they wouldn't make an offer until it was done. I don't recommend writing a book that quickly. When I was finished, I couldn't use my right arm - had a major case of frozen shoulder syndrome. 

Was that the first book you wrote?
The first book I sold was the 9th book I wrote. At that point it was taking me about 6 months per book. 

How long does take today?
Currently I have a full length novel (100,000 words) due every 3 to 4 months.

Was the next book easier to write?
I think each book has its own challenges--so they are both easier (because you have experience) and harder (because writing is always difficult).

What inspired you to write about the Amish? 

My agent asked me to try my hand at writing Amish. We'd been pitching romantic suspense and had good response but no congrats. 

Do you have an Amish family history? 
Possibly. My great grandparents lived in Albion, PA and all correspondence we have from them is in German - so it is possible that there are some Amish roots there.

Are you active in any writing critique groups?
Currently I am not involved in any critique groups. I have been in the past, but we moved to a small town and it's a bit of a drive to reach other authors.

What type of research do you do for your books? Tell me about the process.
If I'm writing a 3 book series, I always visit the location. I walk the streets, talk to the librarians and local museum folks, eat in the restaurants, and generally chat up anyone who will talk to me. I take lots and lots and LOTS of pictures. And I take home a few email addresses of folks who are willing to answer questions. I do a little internet research before I go and a lot after I get home.

Do you still go through the normal process of pitching your book to publishers?
Pretty much. I was recently thrilled to receive a 6 book contract from Harvest House publishers, and yes - I had to go through the pub committee like anyone else. My agent usually reads through my proposal before we send it. He may have minor suggestions, but he doesn't page edit or anything like that.

What does your publisher expect you to do to assist in promoting your books? 
I do a lot of promotion--basically I'm involved in all the usual places, plus I have a street team, and I've built a newsletter base. My publisher has told me several times that they're astounded at how much marketing I do and that it is one of the reasons they continue to re-sign me.

What do you know now about writing/publishing now that you wished you had known sooner?
I wish I'd spent less time worrying about "when" I'd be published and more time diligently learning the craft.

What surprised you the most in a good way in writing your novels? What’s been the most frustrating?
I guess what surprises me most is that the ideas don't dry up. I'm careful to take time off, not burn out, feed the artist well and all that. Still, I'm surprised that my brain knows where to go with a story even when I don't. And that would be the frustrating part. When I start, I have no idea what I'm doing. I usually have a character and where I want to start the story, and that's it. Even in the murder mysteries, I have no idea "who did it."

What is the best advice you've been given about writing or that you've learned that you would like to pass along?
Keep writing, keep writing, keep writing.

What other works do you have in the process? Are there any other points you’d like to cover?
I do have a whacky process that I'd love to share. I write the beginning of a novel until I'm bored with where we're going. Then I stop and write the ending. This could be an additional 3,000 work or (more often) 10-20,000 words. Once I have the ending finished, once I know where we're all going, I go back and fill in the middle. It's worked every time! And it keep the middle from sagging and slowing down.

That's all for today's interview. If you'd like to learn more about Vanetta's writing and her giveaways or special promotions here's how  www.vannettachapman.com

An Education in Writing for Children: Author Interview with Janet Halfmann

Five years ago, I started doing author interviews on this blog. Today's interview is with one of the first authors I interviewed in the beginning. I thought it would be fun to see what's she's up to today. As I expected, she is still busy writing and has some interesting insights on the craft. So without any further ado, let's begin the interview!

You’ve been publishing books for more than 15 years, starting with writing for the educational market. Is that a good market for new writers to try to break into the field?
I think writing for the educational market is a good way to break into the field. When I was starting out, I submitted writing samples to various educational publishers and also submitted proposals to them for possible books and series. I wrote series books on bugs, habitats, architecture, “Plant Tricksters,” and more. Educational publishers are in constant need of good writers for the many series that they do every year.

How important is having previous writing credits to those publishers?
I really can’t speak to how important it is to have previous writing credits. Mostly, you want to show the publishers in some way that you are a good writer and can write for children.

How do you go about finding just the right trivia bits about your animal subjects that will intrigue a publisher? How many sources do you use to do research?
I always choose animals I’m interested in learning more about. I try to write about what I think kids will find fascinating. For example, Animal Teachers came about because I noticed that many animals teach their young skills such as swimming, just like humans do. I thought kids would enjoy seeing how animal lives mirror their own.

Eggs 1, 2, 3: Who Will the Babies Be? grew out of research I was doing on bird eggs. I found bird eggs fascinating with their many colors, patterns, and sizes. I figured if bird eggs were so captivating, the eggs of other animals likely were, too. To make my Eggs book more interesting, I created it as a counting book, riddle book, and a book that in a few words told a lot about the animals and captured their habitats. I was delighted when Blue Apple Books decided to make it a lift-the-flap book.

I do a terrific amount of research—mostly books, magazine articles, and internet pieces written by experts. I especially like to read first-hand accounts of animal behavior by scientists and naturalists in the field, because their accounts have lots more specific details, such as exactly how the mom gives a baby a bath, teaches the little one, etc.

What makes a non-fiction book sellable? Is it humanizing the animal? Choosing something that’s cute and cuddly or totally weird?
This is a tough question. When writing about animals, I try to make them come alive for the reader by including such things as the noises they make, their specific behaviors, etc. I also try to use lyrical language.

Before submitting, I always check the publisher’s catalog to make sure they haven’t already done a book on my subject. Some of my stories appeal to editors, and others don’t, so I don’t know the magic formula.

One of your favorite books as a child was Rumpelstiltskin. Those classic fairy tales were closer to 2000 words. Why do you think today’s stories for children are less than one-third that amount?
I think children today expect everything in their lives to move faster, including stories. Editors are definitely looking for shorter stories.

You’ve written numerous books for the Smithsonian Institute. How did that come about?
I saw some of these nature stories at my local library and was very impressed by them. They were very similar to the manuscripts I was writing. The company doing these books in conjunction with the Smithsonian was Soundprints. I looked through their catalog for an animal that they didn’t have in their collection, then spent about four or five months writing the very best story I could about a Sea Star. Soundprints didn’t buy that story, but later one of their writers dropped the ball on a story about the Brown Pelican. I was asked if I could write that story in two weeks—and I did. That led to nine more books. In these books my copy, the art, and the stuffed animals that came with the books all had to be approved by scientists at the Smithsonian. Sadly, Soundprints and the company that succeeded it went out of business a few years ago, and the books are no longer in print.

Luckily, the Sea Star story went on to have a life of its very own with another publisher. With more fine-tuning, it became Star of the Sea: A Day in the Life of a Sea Star, published by Christy Ottaviano/Henry Holt in 2011.

What type of publicity does your publisher expect you to do in promoting your book? 
I work with several publishes, and each one is different. But in general, publishers like their writers to do whatever they can to get the word out about their book. That can include speaking and appearing at book festivals and conferences, at bookstores, schools, libraries, etc. Publishers also like writers to contact people in their various networks to let them know about the book, such as traditional and social media, bookstores, friends, etc.

What do they do on your behalf?
The publishers have great networks and sales teams for distributing my books to schools, libraries, nature centers, and other markets. They also promote my books at various trade shows. The publishers also submit my books for reviews in major journals and for awards.

What did you learn in writing your earlier books that helped you in expanding your writing career?
The more I wrote, the better my writing became. Also, getting published by educational publishers gave me the confidence that I could indeed be a children’s author.

Also, about nine years ago, I joined the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. We have a very active chapter in Wisconsin where I live. SCBWI offers all kinds of opportunities to hear editors, art directors, other writers, agents, etc. talk about the writing craft and so much more. The organization also provides many opportunities for promoting one’s books.

What do you think is the most positive aspect of children’s books going digital?
I think with digital books, there are even more opportunities for children to read. Children now can always have books with them—on a phone, tablet, or some other electronic device. Several of my books are e-books, as well as print books.

What frustrates you the most about the current publishing market? 

It frustrates me that more and more publishing houses are becoming closed to writers such as me who don’t have an agent. I was lucky to get my foot in the door of several publishers before they became closed houses. It is becoming more and more imperative that one has an agent in order to get your manuscripts even in the door of a publishing company.

What is the best advice you’ve been given about writing or that you’ve learned that you would like to pass along?
The best advice I ever heard at a writing workshop was that each word in a manuscript must “sing.” I realized that I wasn’t doing that. Now, I make sure every word counts. A good way to hear and feel the rhythm of a manuscript is by reading it aloud. I read each of my manuscripts aloud about 100 times before I send it off to a publisher.

What works do you have in the process?
My book Grandma Is a Slowpoke was released in February from Star Bright Books. The story was inspired by walks with my grandchildren when they were preschoolers.

Grandma Is a Slowpoke is the story of a little girl who goes on a walk with her grandma, but her grandma is such a slowpoke. She stops to take a close look at everything they see in nature. In the end, the little girl sees a muskrat that Grandma didn’t notice, and wants to linger longer to watch this amazing animal. The little girl becomes a slowpoke just like her grandma, and they are happy being slowpokes together. The book is also the story of a loving bond between a grandchild and her grandma. Kirkus Reviews called it “a sweet celebration of intergenerational slowpokery.”

Another picture book that I am extremely proud of will come out in Spring 2017 from Lee & Low Books. It's titled, Midnight Teacher. This is the true story of a courageous enslaved woman who believed in the power of education and risked her life to teach others to read and write.

Also, I am shortening the text for my book Good Night, Little Sea Otter. It will come out as a board book for younger listeners this fall from Star Bright Books. I am very excited about this because this book is extremely popular as a gift for baby showers.

That's all for today's interview. I hope you're inspired to keep on writing and finding the genre that works for you. If you'd like to know more about Janet and writing for the children's market, here's some options to get you started.

Janet’s Website: http://www.janethalfmann.com
Grandma Is a Slowpoke Publisher’s Page: http://www.starbrightbooks.org/details.php?id=540
SCBWI: http://www.scbwi.org

Indie-Publishing for Picture Books: Author Interview with Ben Wilder

What inspired you to write Big and Small, God Made Them All?
I tell you what, it was a long time coming because I actually had the title in mind years ago. But to go back to my childhood for a second, I've grown up with a love for the outdoors, for animals, the ocean, and nature in general. This environment we get to live in always astounded me, and as an adult now, it still does. So as is the case with any good art, whether it's music, paintings, drawings, literature, it points back to a talented and creative artist. That's what this book is about. The inspiration is the trees, the animals, the ocean, the wild nature that God designed, and it's pretty amazing!

When did you actually start writing your book?
I started writing this book in late summer 2015.

How long did it take to write your first draft?
It's a short book, but I'd say over the course of a couple weeks I had a good first draft going.

Who encouraged you along the way?
I didn't tell a lot of people about what I was up to specifically, but my family knew, so they were very encouraging. As the book progressed, a few close friends were cheering me on as well.

Prior to this picture book, what was your publishing and writing background?
My writing experience  is in television, actually. I started as a production assistant at CMT in 2006 and by the end of my time there I was an associate producer and writing scripts for a few of the highest rated shows on the network. I have always enjoyed writing in it's different forms, but this my first experience in the literary world.

Are you active with any children’s writers groups?
Not at the moment.

The publishing company, Driftwood Tree Press is your imprint, correct? What made you decide to start your own publishing company?
Yes, this is my imprint. The decision to start this publishing company came after hearing advice from people with more expertise than I have, and doing research about the best way to go when an author is self-publishing. The entire process was new to me, so I simply went with what most indie-publishers were doing, and trusting the advice I received.

Did you do your own formatting or did you hire someone?
I knew I needed a team of experts to help this book become a reality, so I hired a designer to come on board for the formatting, page layout, cover and back cover layout, etc.

What was that process like?
It was fun "drafting" a dream team for this project. I ended up hiring an illustrator, editor, and designer. I researched quite a bit for each. I came across a website (Reedsy.com) which is where I found my editor, and indirectly my designer. There's an gigantic world of talented people out there, so it can take some time to find the folks you like, but Reedsy definitely helped, and various professional websites with reviews, portfolios, etc were great to browse through.

Did you send your manuscripts out to other publishers or agents prior to that?
I was in touch with two other publishing companies that had imprints designed for new authors but just didn't feel comfortable going that route, so I decided to indie-publish. I wanted to have more control than I felt like those companies would allow.

I love the whimsy of your front cover. How did you go about finding an illustrator?
Childrensillustrators.com has a huge list of illustrators and after looking through quite a few portfolios, I still wasn't sure I found a match. I researched other sites, other artists, and traded emails with a few artists. But then going back to childrensillustrators.com I came across Laura Watson and that was all she wrote. I knew she was the exact artist I wanted.

What did you look for in an illustrator?
Detail. I wanted a strong attention to detail and the more portfolios I browsed, it really came down to the eyes. What I learned is that a lot of personality can be shown through the eyes of the characters or things being illustrated. Some artists had great illustrations, very talented people out there, for sure, but all the eyes in their creations were the same. In Laura's work, you can almost eliminate everything but the eyes and still know exactly what the emotion of the character is. 

To me, that was huge. For this book, I wanted each animal, whether it was a scary one (like an alligator) or a friendly one (penguin, or elephant, etc), to come across as kind and happy, showing lots of personality. They had to be somewhat realistic, but extremely cute.

Did she work strictly from your text or do you give her suggestions of how you want the story to be done?
The book text definitely lends itself to pretty specific images so I didn't give Laura many notes beyond that at first. I wanted her to have freedom to create without restrictions.

What made Laura Watson the right fit for you?
Her art was the perfect balance of whimsical, yet realistic, full of personality, cute, detailed, artistic without being abstract, and again... the eyes!

How many changes had to be made before you chose the illustrations you wanted? 

Not many changes in the illustrations. i think we went through a few rounds of revisions, but I'd say half of the artwork was approved on the first rough sketches I saw. We spent more time on the cover than any other illustration, because we knew how important it was to have a great cover.

What has frustrated you the most in putting together this book?
I think it was the "not knowing." As a first time author, and indie-publishing, there was (and is) so much I didn't know from book size, to types of paper, image bleed, when to publish, who to publish with, how many pages is ideal, color choices, etc. So many decisions to make!

What has pleasantly surprised you in the process?
Having a team that was as excited as I was to make the book. I know being hired as an artist, editor, or designer can be looked at as just another job, but they were so supportive, offering ideas and encouragement all along the way. It really was a dream team.

What do you know now about writing and publishing you wish you had learned sooner?
I'm not sure I have a good answer to this. I think the most important thing for anyone who wants to take this step of publishing their first book is to take the first step. Whatever that first step is for them. I believe I learned what I was supposed to learn at the time I was supposed to learn it. I will say this, I wish I would have taken the leap sooner. I had the title in my head for many months, but didn't act on it, and I wish I would've done that sooner.

What type of promotions have you done for this book?
I'm trying a lot of things, but it mostly comes down to social media. The majority of sales so far have come from connections on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Other promotions I've done are giveaways on Goodreads and Facebook, a tie-in with a children's organization in Nicaragua, and a couple of posts on blogs designed for parents. The book was published fairly recently, so I still have a few ideas for promoting it the rest of this year. I'd like to have a few book signings, more giveaways, and things like that.

What promotions have been the most successful?
I did a giveaway on Facebook recently and it seems to have drummed up quite a bit of chatter. As far as creating the most buzz, it was the book trailer. I posted this weeks before the book was published and it definitely helped create excitement about the book. I highly recommend book trailers for a new book coming out!

What’s the best writing tip you’ve learned or been given that you’d like to share?
My editor shared with me a line that I won't soon forget. We were going over what parts of the book were strong and others that weren't strong, and she said about a particular line, it might be time to "kill your darlings." The phrase (from William Faulkner, I believe) resonated with me, and will help me even in the future as I write.

What other works do you have in the process?
I have the idea for my second children's book. I'm super excited to get started on it. It's very early in the process, but I'm hoping it will be as fun to create as this first book was.

What message would you like parents and children to take away from your books?
I love animals, so I'm guessing any theme in the books I create will come from that love. But going a little deeper than that, I hope that parents and children will become more curious about the things I write and that will lead them to do research on their own about whatever the subject is. Especially for this first book of mine. 

It's a story about animals, but really it's a story about God and his love for us. He created so many amazing things in the world and more importantly, he created mankind and lets us enjoy all the other things he made. Seeing the diversity in nature, the detail and the way animals each have their quirks, reminds me how big God is and yet, he's in the details. I'd love for anyone who reads this book, whether they agree that God created these things or not, to at the very least become curious enough to wonder.

What future plans do you have for the publishing company?

More books!

Any last words or tips?
To the readers and the buyers of my book, whether you know it or not, I am YOUR #1 fan. Keep reading... and thank you! For anyone thinking about taking a step of faith in any endeavor, do it. There may be some downs with the ups, but I doubt you'll regret it.

I like that. Thank you for the interview. If you would like to know more about Ben and buy this book, here's the way to get started.

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1JQpv10
Website: www.benjaminwilder.com