Around the Web: Best Posts on Writing I've Discovered This Week

I subscribe to and follow several authors, blogs, and writing sources throughout

the week.

Each Friday, I include links to FIVE sources to improve your writing that I found useful.

Here are my offerings for this week.

Hope they inspire you to start writing
and to continue to write!

Excellent points here to remind you about what it takes to be a successful  author and great quotes to keep you on your writing journey: https://seekerville.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-write-attitude-revisited.html

This link tells you the importance of doing research for your story so you get the careers of your characters correct.  Your readers might just have those careers themselves and will be turned off as a reader. This post also sheds light on the lack of research by news reporting agencies as well. Be enlightened and read this post: https://killzoneblog.com/2022/03/research-to-right-the-wrongs-and-mary-poppins.html

How do you build secondary characters that will enhance the story and bring out the protagonists struggle? Find out here: https://writerunboxed.com/2022/03/16/secondary-characters-with-purpose-and-pzazz/

This is a great study in showing you  ways to add more depth to your writing by being succinct. I missed the first example, but then I caught on and caught the issues. Let me know how you did.  https://kathysteinemann.com/Musings/redundancy-quiz-18/

Here's a list of publishers who accept non-agented submissions for sci-fi and fantasy. https://authorspublish.com/28-publishers-that-accept-science-fiction-or-fantasy-novels/

Getting Together One-to-One

This has been one strange year, hasn't it. At the beginning of the year, I was scheduling writing conferences, sending out submissions, signing up for book fairs, planning on vacations, and attending my weekly and monthly critique sessions. 

Then the world turned upside down.

Conferences and book fairs were cancelled, 

Critique meetings stopped. 

Even my vacations went by the wayside!

What we could and couldn't do evolved and changed. Now we're in a Brave New World with shades of Nineteen-Eighty-Four and Atlas Shrugged. I read those books years ago and thought they were mere speculation of creative minds. Now the plotlines have me wondering where we'll be heading next.

Ah, but there are positive notes for living in the 21st Century. We have the internet to connect with each other without being in person. We have video meetings! I've now done those with my office, my critique partners, and recently a pitch meeting and workshop.

The only problem with a video conference is you can see what everyone is doing. If they leave their monitors the meeting host sees that. They also see if you're paying attention. You can chat with others in your group as if they were sitting next to you, only your snippy remarks will be seen by all. So we become good students and do good eye contact. 

This past weekend I attended a workshop that was hosted by a publisher and we "met" with some of the editors. They discussed cover design, what makes readers buy,  and the type of books submissions they'd like to see. 

Then we discussed COVID and how it's affecting writing. That got a little messy. For those who write historical or fantasy, you can write as you've always done. But what if you write contemporary? 

Who will want to read about the Covid Epidemic two years from now (the length of time it takes for a manuscript to be acquired and brought to  print)? Will it be better or worse in that time frame? If you're writing contemporary do you just ignore all the Covid guidelines and act like 2020 never happened? No clear consensus was given.

So, I throw it out to you. How do you think contemporary novels should be written? With the Covid Back story? Or don't mention it at all?

The Importance of Research in Writing: An Interview with Wanda Brunstetter

My interview today is with New York Times bestselling and award-winning author, Wanda E. Brunstetter. She is one of the founders of the Amish fiction genre. She has written close to 90 books translated in four languages. 

With over 10 million copies sold, Wanda's stories consistently earn spots on the nations most prestigious bestseller lists and have received numerous awards. Now let's see how she keeps that writing fresh and inspiring.

I am in awe of your expansive body of work. When did you publish your first Amish romance novel? At what time did you think you could make a career of writing?
My first Amish romance novel was published in 1997. Up to that time, I’d written and had published, hundreds of short stories, articles, devotionals, puppet plays, and poems. Even though I wasn’t making much money at first, I still thought of writing as my career.

Do you ever visit the locations you write about?
Yes, all of the books I have written have been researched by visiting the area I chose to write about. In addition to that, I make sure I have a contact in that location so I can reach out to them if I have further questions. I have always done my own research.

An upcoming novel has a Hawaiian location. How did that story come about?
The Hawaiian Discovery is a sequel to The Hawaiian Quilt, and they both came about because we have an Amish friend who has visited the Islands and shared some of her experiences with us. Since my co-author, Jean, and I have been to Hawaii several times, and know some of the people there, we thought it would make for an interesting storyline.

What is the hardest part of writing for you? Starting? Creating a scene? Dialog? Tension?
The hardest part of writing for me is creating an outline for each chapter before I start the actual writing process. Even though I know the beginning, middle, and ending of my books, it can be difficult to create scenes ahead of time for each chapter.

However, having a good outline can prove to be very helpful once I begin writing the book. Even if my characters take me in a slightly different direction than originally planned, the outline serves as a guide and also helps if writer’s block sets in.

What’s the best encouragement you’ve had in your writing?

My biggest encouragement comes from hearing from any of my readers that something they’ve read in one of my books has helped them in some way.

We have all experienced rejection. Give me an example of one you’ve had, and how you learned to write past it.
Early in my writing career, I received several rejections for a children’s book. I felt that it had potential, so I revised the manuscript, put it away for a while, and when I brought it out again, it was accepted.

What is some of the best writing advice that you’ve received or could give?
One piece of advice I would give to other writers is to make sure you know your subject well and spend enough time researching the setting of your story, as well as the people you are writing about.

Are there any other points about writing that you would like to add?
There are times when a writer might become discouraged, and as someone told me once, “Never give up. Never leave any stone unturned.”

What is the next book that will be coming out? Can you give me a short synopsis?
My next book following The Hawaiian Discovery is The Hope Jar. It will be published in August 2018, and it’s the first book in the new Prayer Jars series. Here is a short synopsis:

What happens when making an elderly Amish couple very happy means going along with a lie that gets bigger by the day? Michelle Taylor is not who her new family in Lancaster County believes her to be. The Lapps were looking for their long-lost granddaughter when they met Michelle and she assumed the identity of Sara Murray. 

Once homeless and hopeless, Michelle has come to love her new Amish friends and even considers the idea of romance among them. Finding an old blue jar in the barn that is filled with slips of paper containing thoughts, quotes, and prayers by an unknown author becomes a boost to Michelle’s budding faith— but also convicting. How can she tell the truth without hurting the ones she has truly come to love?

That’s all for today’s interview. I hope it has inspired you to pick up one of her stories. Here are some links to learn more about her books.

Website: www.wandabrunstetter.com 

Facebook Fan Page:  https://www.facebook.com/WandaBrunstetterFans

Pinterest Page: https://www.pinterest.com/wandabrun/ 

YouTube page:  https://www.youtube.com/user/WandaBrunstetter

Breathing Life into History: An Interview with Kimberley Woodhouse

Kim has been writing seriously for fifteen years. Songs, plays, short stories, novels, picture books, articles, newsletters – you name it – she’s written it. It wasn’t until a dear friend challenged her to “do something with it”, that she pursued publication. She now has multiple books to her credit, with more on the way. So let's learn more about her writing

You’ve written books under your name only and in conjunction with your daughter or Tracie Peterson. How do you switch from having sole control of the story to writing it with someone else? 

That's a fun question! Writing with Kayla and Tracie has been a joy. Both were easy because we work so well together and the creative process is completely a team process. In both cases, we brainstorm and discuss everything together and decide together on which way the story goes. There's never a lack of ideas, which is always great - no block. 

You are in the midst of writing two different series – one about Alaska and another about the people on the Mayflower. How do you divide your time between the two?

I'm a bit of an organized freak so I love deadlines and planning my calendar. At any given time, I'll be juggling three to five books in different stages: research, synopsis writing, actual writing, editing, and galleys. I just plan out what I'm working on as I know about certain deadlines and approximate deadlines that are coming up.

Which storyline is harder to research – Alaska or New England?

Research on the Mayflower was much more difficult because there aren't as many sources from that era. My research for The Patriot Bride was a bit simpler because there's so much more historical information for the 1774-1776 years. I absolutely LOVED researching George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. Then research for Curry, Alaska had some difficulty as well because Curry is no longer in existence.

Can you give me an example of something you discovered while doing your research that surprised you?
One of the things that surprised me during the research of the Mayflower was that William Bradford's wife died when they were anchored in the harbor. The poor woman had survived the horrendous voyage, had made it through all the devastating sickness, and then she fell off the ship and drowned. It broke my heart because William Bradford's journal was a huge part of my research and I felt very connected to him. He was a fascinating man. 

Which geographic area (New England or Alaska) and period can you relate to

better?

I would have to say that I relate to Alaska better. After living there for several years, it became beloved to me. That's why I love to write about Alaska because it was home and few people get it correct. If you haven't lived there or even been there it's hard to capture. Alaska is one of the most fascinating places on the planet and very unique. Alaskans are amazing people and they love it when authors write about Alaska authentically.

What is the hardest part of writing for you?

The first draft is the toughest. I just have to crank it out. I've done tons of research before I start writing, so I write fast and furious and then LOVE to spend time in the editing phase. 

What does your editor remind you to do most often? 

It's different depending on the story. I used to have to really work on allowing the reader to breathe because I put too much conflict in. Karen Ball taught me a lot in that area and writing historical helped with that as well. 

What’s the best encouragement you’ve had in your writing?
Letters from readers. It blesses me every time a reader takes the time to let me know that a story I've written has touched them. 

What do you know now about writing that you wished you had known sooner?

I wish I'd known from the very beginning that writing a long synopsis--scene by scene-- is a game changer.

What is some of the best writing advice that you’ve received or could give?
Write, write, write, write, write. Never stop learning.

What is the next book that will be coming out? 

The Patriot Bride - August 2018 

Can you give me a short synopsis?

Spies Work Together for the Patriot Cause…Faith Jackson is a wealthy widow, a friend of George Washington, and staunch supporter of the Patriot cause. Matthew Weber is friends with both Ben Franklin and his son William, who increasingly differ in their political views; and Matthew finds himself privy to information on both sides of the conflict.

When a message needs to get to a spy among the Loyalists, Faith bravely steps up and in turn meets Matthew Weber. Suddenly she believes she could love again. But someone else has his eye on the Faith she portrays in elite social circles. What will Matthew and Faith have to sacrifice for the sake of their fledgling country? 

That’s all for today’s interview. If you’ve never been a fan of studying history, I urge you to read a couple historical novels. For me, it made me want to learn more about the history outside of the book.

If you’d like to learn more about Kim’s writing, start with these links…

WEB: www.kimberleywoodhouse.com 

FACEBOOK: http://facebook.com/KimberleyWoodhouseAuthor 

twitter.com/kimwoodhouse       instagram.com/kimberleywoodhouse

Affairs of the Heart at Versailles: Author Interview with Sally Christie

What drew you to writing historical romance/intrigue?
I’ve been a history nut since forever, and I’d say 80% of everything that I’ve ever read (and I’ve read a lot!) has been history, either fiction or non-fiction.

Was there a specific author that you read that made you think, ”I could write that’?
I’ve been inspired by a lot of authors, and I have a very vivid memory from about 10 years ago: I read Emma Donoghue’s Slammerkin and I got this intense, jealous feeling, thinking: But that was the book I wanted to write!

Why the time frame of Louis XV?
Before I started research for The Sisters of Versailles, Louis XV and 18th century Versailles were not core interests of mine, but as I got sucked into the research I developed a passion for that era: simply a fascinating time.

Tell me about the process for your Versailles trilogy.
Thanks to Google Books, 99% of the research material I needed was online, including memoirs of the day, secondary sources, original newspapers, etc, etc. I’m fluent in French, which was very useful as many of the sources have not been translated. I also visited Paris and the sisters’ childhood home, and went “behind the scenes” at Versailles – invaluable in giving me a granular feel for what life at Versailles was really like.

What are some of the more difficult aspects of writing historical novel?
The biggest challenge, research-wise, was that virtually every major event in the sisters’ lives had 2 or 3 different versions associated with it. If I had tackled a non-fiction account, I would have spent a lot of time evaluating various scenarios against the probable truth. Writing a novel, I had more liberty to choose the version of events that made the most sense, both to me as a historian and for the story’s sake.

How much “artistic license” do you use in creating locations for your stories?
In The Sisters of Versailles there is quite a bit of artistic license because so little is known about them – I took nuggets of real events and spun stories about them. Writing the second book in the series, about the fascinating Madame de Pompadour, is a very different experience – she is a very well documented figure (though somehow manages to remain quite the enigma!)

How did you go about finding a publisher? Did you pitch agents?
My process was fairly “old school”: I finished the book and pitched agents in batches of five. Got interest in the second batch, thank goodness, because no matter how much you try to prepare yourself, the querying process is painful. After several rewrites (see below) we went out on submission and Atria picked it up in the first round.

Was it sold as a 3 book deal?
Yes, we sold it as a trilogy – I hadn’t initially thought about the book as part of a series, but that’s definitely something that is selling well these days. I was really surprised to find that neither the Marquise de Pompadour or the Comtesse du Barry (protagonists of the next 2 books in the series) had been the subject of any recent English fiction, and so… voila! The Mistresses of Versailles trilogy was born.

What should new authors consider before signing a book contract?
I’m not sure I’m in a great position to answer that as I consider myself a new author too. I have to say having an agent is invaluable – I felt completely comfortable leaving the contract in his hands and leaving him to go to bat for me.

How long did it take you to write your first book? How many rewrites did you do on it?
The first draft of The Sisters of Versailles took about 6 months – it just came gushing out! My agent didn’t sign me immediately - he saw something he liked in the original draft but felt it needed too much work for him to take on. He invited me to revise and resubmit, and recommended an editor that I might like to use. I jumped at the chance (she usually only works by referral) and it was an amazing experience – she stripped the book down and then we built it back up again. Based on the that draft my agent signed me. He had a few more changes to make, and then after selling the book to Atria there were additional modifications and changes, but nothing major.

I am a huge believer in outside help and the more hands, the merrier. I think there is a perception amongst new writers that you risk losing “your” work or “your” vision during the editorial process, but really, you don’t. It’s still your story, your voice, but there are many different structures or ways to tell a story, and a good editor will help you find the best one. I think it’s really hard to self-edit, if not impossible.

Have other novels been started and stopped along the way?
I’ve been writing since I was 10, but never finished anything; it was just a hobby I enjoyed. A few years ago I gave myself a year off, to FINALLY finish one of the many books I’d started – I had a list of 5 projects I wanted to complete during that time (ambitious, yes!). But all those other projects were left by the wayside when I stumbled across the Mailly Nesle sisters and jumped into their story.

How long did it take you to write the second and third book?
The writing for the second and third books is taking about the same amount of time but it’s a more streamlined process, as I have a better idea of what the end result should be.

What is your writing process?
I basically submerge myself in research for several months, read all available sources, jot down notes and ideas, muse about the characters, and identify key events that will become chapters or scenes. By the end of that period I am chomping at the bit, ready to get started with the writing! Research continues along the way, of course, as I deep dive into different areas.

When I’m ready to write I start up Scrivener and create separate files for each chapter / scene: it’s a very handy tool that enables you to flick back and forth between parts of the manuscript. I’m a very iterative writer; I never write linearly and I am constantly circling back and forth between chapters and scenes. When I sit down to write a scene, I only have a vague idea of what’s going to happen in it, and I love those days when my creativity is on fire and I go to strange and wonderful places that I never expected!

What do you know now about writing/publishing that you wished you had known sooner?
I was a little asleep at the wheel during the copy edit phase, which is basically the first time line edits come back to you. The publishers make their ARCs (advanced reading copies) based on the draft after the copy edits. I didn’t quite understand that (wasn’t even sure what an ARC was!), and I was fairly horrified at some of the mistakes in the ARC (that I later fixed during subsequent editing phases).

So this time I am going to be paying a lot of attention during the first copy edit and make sure that the ARC for my next book, The Rivals of Versailles, is better.

What type of publicity do you do to promote your book?
I’m only a few weeks into my publishing adventure, so I am not sure I have good advice there! Before the books, I was not heavily into social media but I’ve really been enjoying it so far. The whole world of book blogging is AMAZING – I signed up for several virtual tours. I also love Goodreads, which I only discovered once I became an author. I like reading reviews, even negative ones: once a book is sold to a publishing house, it’s basically surrounded by fans and supporters, so it’s really interesting, once it gets out into the real world, to see what people liked and didn’t like.

What is the best advice you've learned about writing that you’d like to pass along?
I think everyone has a very different writing process. For me, personally, most of my first pass is really crappy. It can be quite depressing. But my mantra is: You can’t improve something that doesn’t exist. So just get it out, no matter how awful it is, and then the improving and the polishing can start…

And I really liked this piece of advice I read a few years ago: write the book you want to read. For me, The Sisters of Versailles is that book. I really love it. That’s fairly Lady Obvious, but it’s true!

That's it for today's interview. If you'd like to know more about the intrigue in the courts of Versailles, here's your options.

Website: www.sallychristieauthor.com
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/sallychristieauthor
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sallychristie52/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13854110.Sally_Christie

Illuminating a LIfe Through Research: Author Interiew with Kathleen Krull

You’ve published a variety of books in your career from fiction to non-fiction. What was the first book that got published – fiction or non-fiction?

Before I became a full-time writer, I worked for eleven years for four companies as a children’s book editor. While on the job, I wrote mysteries in the Trixie Belden series, a Little Golden Book, a collection of Christmas carols, and a 24-book concept series. My very first published book was THE BUGS BUNNY BOOK (fiction), an auspicious debut to be sure.

You say you wrote for the Trixie Belden series. I see this was a series which was written by Julie Campbell Tatham. How do you pick up and write someone else's series? 

Julie wrote the first 6 books, but after that they were written by freelancers under the house pseudonym Kathryn Kenny.  As editor on the series, I revised many of the manuscripts extensively, & wrote my own -  Trixie Belden and the Hudson River Mystery.

During those11 years as an editor, you also said you wrote a 24-book concept series. Did you edit those books yourself?

I never thought of it that way, but yes I did edit myself. This was the "Beginning to Learn About" Series with Richard L. Allington. They covered the topics of colors, shapes, numbers, hearing etc.

You’ve always been an avid reader. Is there any book you’ve ever read that you wished you had written? If so, what book was that?

 Harry Potter, naturally, and many many others.  I think being an avid reader has always inspired me--striving to be in the company of all the great writers out there.

Most of your books tend to be non-fiction based. How did you get your start in writing non-fiction books? Did you start with a packager?

My mind does gravitate toward organizing large amounts of interesting information into the form of a story. Have never worked with a packager, but my first success, LIVES OF THE MUSICIANS, was pitched as a joint endeavor with the artist, the amazing Kathryn Hewitt. I minored in music in college, it’s one of my passions, and when I looked at the musical biographies that were out then, I wanted to do something fresh and more relevant to contemporary kids.  Its success has led to seven more LIVES OF books, and inspired many of my other books as well.  

How do you decide on the facet of the person’s life that you want to cover? How do you go about doing your research?

I think of myself as a large (5 foot, 2 inch) flashlight, illuminating any avenue of information I can find. Most often, that road takes me to the library, of which I am a heavy user. For real research, detailed information that’s been digested by scholars and carefully edited—you need books. The Internet—not so much. I also have learned not to pay too much attention to diaries and autobiographies, because many people tend to, um, lie about their lives for various reasons.

Instead, I seek what the best scholars have done with this material. I see my role as taking the valuable work of scholars and distilling it into a form that I hope will make children love, or at least like, history. I take a mountain of notes on what is most interesting, and then revise, tinker, revise, edit, whittle, and then revise some more. If there is a key to what I do, it’s that I don’t use most of my information. As Voltaire said, “The best way to be boring is to leave nothing out.” I list my sources and suggested reading at the end, as I think one of the goals of a biography is to direct readers outward to learn more.

Did you ever find something that surprised you in doing research on a topic or person?

 My research constantly jolts me, for better or for worse—one of the perks of the job. 

Is there anyone in particular that you would like to write a book about that you have not yet done?

 I have lots of people I want to write about-- especially women, because I think they’re still underrepresented in the historical record.  Maybe Lady Gaga????

Your husband is an illustrator, but sometimes your writing credits show him as a co-author? How do you decide who does what?

With the books co-written with Paul Brewer-- FARTISTE, LINCOLN TELLS A JOKE, and new THE BEATLES WERE FAB-- he has generally come up with the idea and done the bulk of the research. We do the writing together, passing the manuscript back and forth many times until neither one of us has a quibble.   

How do you handle it when he is your illustrator? 

With the books he illustrates, I never tell him what to illustrate; I’m available for consultation in my office next to his, but even then I find that he and other artists that have illustrated my books come up with ideas a million times better than mine.

Does writing a story come easier now that you’ve written so many books?

 I WISH it came easier, but it really doesn’t--I still go through just as many revisions as I did in the beginning. I do have more confidence that I will eventually have something publishable, while in the beginning I was more in the dark.   

Is there one book you’ve enjoyed writing than any others? 

I enjoy writing all my books--I pick topics I’m passionate about--and how long they take varies wildly, from a few weeks to several years.

What is your favorite part of the writing process?

 I like all parts of the writing process, but my very favorite is getting what seems like a good idea. Pure exhilaration.   

What’s one of the best pieces of writing advice you’ve ever been given?

As for advice, I believe this comes from Hemingway, who said he stopped writing for the day when the writing was going well, not when he was blocked.  He said this makes it easier to get back on the saddle the next day, and I’ve found this to be true.

For those who want to learn more about Kathleen's work, you can visit her author page 

f you would like to have her visit your school to talk about writing, nonfiction or biographies, you can reach her by email  

To see all her "LIVES" series of books, each accompanied by its own downloadable Activity & Discussion Guide, click here