Be Who You Are and Take the Risk

You are creative.

You have a voice.

You can write in a way no one else can.

But are you getting lost in the mechanics and not writing from your gut?

Don't get me wrong. I am all for learning the particulars - the basics of word usage, writing tight, grammar rules, etc. But don't let these things overshadow your creative yearnings!

When I think about famous painters or composers over the centuries, rules were broken and personal style took precedence. Can you imagine if they all started and ended with cookie cutter methods?

Get the basics down, but let your style shine. You are the only one that can find this balance. 

If no two snowflakes are alike, no two finger prints, doesn't that spell U N I Q U E?

Yes!

There are many ways to tell something and you are going to tell it the way no one else can. And you may use some unconventional ways to do it.

Going with our gut is risky. Sometimes we're wrong. But there is something that wells up inside of us that says go for it! We might fall flat on our face. But it was worth the sheer enjoyment of putting ourselves out there. That's because you know what you're good at. And even if everyone won't applaud your work, there is someone out there who will.

You just have to find them.

pHotosHo0x / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)

What writing project are you struggling with? Could it because you are trying to be someone you are not? 

~~~

After raising and homeschooling her 8 children, Kathy has found time to pursue freelance writing. You can find her passion to bring encouragement and hope to people of all ages at When It Hurts -http://kathleenmoulton.com

Write on Your Summer Vacation

Summer is almost here and I have vacation on my mind. This trip is also my annual writing retreat. I chose the accommodations and I will have the freedom to roam about town.

Sitting around on park benches and hanging out at outdoor cafes allows me to people watch. There might be a ballgame or concert going on at the park. Maybe an artist will be painting a local scene.

I can visit museums and shop at stores. I might see an object that starts telling me a story. Maybe it’s an antique, something that was well loved by someone long ago. Perhaps it’s a piece of art or a photograph that speaks to me.

In the evening, when it’s cooler, I may go for a walk. I might see historic houses and wonder who used to live in them. Perhaps I will watch the birds move about, searching for food and flying back to their nests.

I may meet some interesting people. One year on vacation, I met a mystery writer. He was working on his latest creation at the inn where I was staying. On another trip, I was able to chat with a children’s author. She was selling her new book at a local festival.

When you plan your summer vacation, think of  it as an opportunity to be inspired, to write about what you see and do each day.

What plans are you making for this summer?

Whatever you decide to do, have fun and good luck with your writing!

Debbie A. Byrne has a B.S. in Mass Communication with a minor in History. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and is working on her first children’s book.

When Taglines Don't Work. Part III

Two months ago we looked at what taglines are, and what they're meant to achieve. I also encouraged you to try your hand at creating your own. Last month we looked at some author taglines that work well. This month, I want to round off this theme by looking at a few taglines that don't work, and why.

AT&T had a catchy tagline: Reach Out and Touch Someone. As an inspirational writer who has a lot of contact with people going through cancer treatment, I often encourage people to touch their friends and family if it is appropriate. By touch, I mean to reach out and hold a hand, or give a hug, to show them some love and care. So that seemed a good tagline.

That's before I looked up AT&T and discovered they are a mobile network company. Hmm. Where I understand what they're trying to say (I think) the idea of someone reaching out and touching me from my cell phone kind of gives me the creeps! This doesn't say what it's meant to say.

Electrolux marketed vacuum cleaners in the United Kingdom with the tagline, Nothing sucks like an Electrolux. That is a great recommendation for a vacuum cleaner or course, but it sure sucks as a promotion. Incidentally, although this was regarded by many as a huge blunder, the company claims this was a deliberate effort to gain attention. It worked! So, is this a good tagline or a bad one?

If you know Electrolux is a vacuum cleaner, it's a clever line. But if you don't? I know Electrolux is a well-known brand, but it is just possible there are some people out there in our global village who don't know. And that sucks! This tagline has a double meaning.

Kentucky Fried Chicken's finger-lickin' good is a well-known tagline, but they need to be careful if they translate it into Chinese. It then becomes "We'll Eat Your Fingers Off!" So it works well for its American market, but if it's used globally, and of course KFC is pretty world-wide now, it could cause some concern.

A well-known author uses the term HEA in her tagline. I read a comment by her on a blog recently where she says, "People would have to know what HEA stands for of course, but I’d assume most romance writers do."

Well, as a matter of fact I didn't. But then, I'm not a romance writer. So I Googled the term. I found it could mean:

• Higher Education Act
• Higher Education Authority
• Hypospadias and Epispadias Association
• Household Economy Assessment
• High Energy Astrophysics
• Happily Ever After 
• and another 40-odd possibilities.

Ahh wait! She assumes most romance writers know what HEA stands for, so I'm guessing it's Happily Ever After. It's not her fault I didn't know that's what she meant, but then surely she wants her tagline to reach out and appeal to more than just romance writers? Maybe not.

Then we have

• the car company that says We put people in front of cars. Really?
• the airline that says, We get you there. Umm. That's probably a good thing. But they don't say how! It doesn't enthuse me to use their service. 
• the spice that says it's Distilled in hell. As a Christian I would be apprehensive of sprinkling this on my food!

I could give many more examples but they're all there on the World Wide Web. You only need to Google "Bad taglines." The Internet has dozens of them.

It's not my intention to belittle the people who came up with these taglines. They're all pretty clever when you know what they mean. But what have we learned from these examples?

1. Don't rush your decision. We need to consider the different cultures we're writing for, and think of whether readers in another land will understand our meaning.
2. Be cautious of a clever play on words. The Upper Room, a devotional magazine that is published in over 40 languages, refuses to use any idioms that would not make sense to other cultures. That is a challenge; but then we're writers. We're up to challenges.
3. Make sure it gives the message you want it to.  No creepy hands coming out of the mobile! Or people standing in front of cars!
4. Avoid initials or abbreviations unless we are only using our tagline "in house," with a group of people that will know what we're talking about.

Hmm. Suddenly my tagline, The Write to Inspire doesn't seem so clever. It is of course a play on words: The Right to Inspire. Back to the drawing board!

How about you? Do you have any more advice? Points we should beware of when we come up with that startling, all-important, tagline that's going to shoot us up the charts of fame?

SHIRLEY CORDER lives on the coast in South Africa with her husband, Rob. Her book, Strength Renewed: Meditations for your Journey through Breast Cancer contains 90 meditations based on her sojourn in the cancer valley.

Please visit Shirley's Write to inspire and encourage website or at  RiseAndSoar.com, where she has the Write to inspire and encourage those in the cancer valley. You can also meet with her on Twitter or FaceBook. 

The first two parts of this theme can be read here:

Part I What is Your Tagline?
Part II Some Taglines that Work

How do You Capture Writing Time?

As I approach 60, I know that life occurs in stages and I wake up amazed some days at where I am in relation to where I thought I would be. I find when talking to others my age, they are either pursuing their dream or feeling overwhelmed and disappointed that there is never enough time to reach their goal. As a nurse and also a shop owner,  I have heard it more than once from peers..... "I will do such and such when I have more time" or " when I retire I want to take up sewing, quilting, writing, painting, volunteering," and the list goes on. Well folks, I am here to say for the record for those who want to pursue writing the time is now.







While some other skills, hobbies, or crafts may have to wait because of finances or family obligations, writing can be done with little investment and with as little time as 15 minutes a day. It is all about capturing those precious moments of time to pursue your writing dream.




 Writers just beginning need only a piece of paper and a pen. Simple enough, and of course the desire to say something to the reader. I dare say that those of us with some experience need only a pen and paper as well. The vast amount of courses, books, and software that help writers to hone their skills are invaluable but a writer needs a pen, paper, the spark of an idea, and TIME to pursue the dream.


So how do writers capture writing time?


 I find that the most important thing is to prioritize. Making a list of activities that take time in each day and writing this in on the page helps to identify snippets of time that can be directed towards writing time. Scheduling a set time for writing on the calendar makes it as important as any other item you schedule, but only you/I can decide how important to make it.




Preparing is another way to capture writing time. Always carry a small notepad and pen with you wherever you go. Writing phrases of a conversation, the colors of a sunset, the scents, sounds, or adjectives describing an emotional or important event can be jotted down. Later those few words may be all it takes to flesh out a great story or article. Technology allows many notes to be made or recorded on your cell phone deleting the need for pen and paper so being prepared can be a simple as knowing how to utilize those apps on your phone or notepad.




I find that the best way to capture writing time is to actively pursue it After I prioritize the list of tasks for my day, then prepare by having pen and paper, I am better able to pursue valuable writing time every time I have a few extra minutes during the day. I work a part time nursing job and run a quilt shop but I can still flesh out a scene during my lunch break or write a character description during a lull at the shop. I use waiting time at appointments, extra minutes in the early morning or 30 minutes before bed.


 Capturing writing time can be a challenge for those who have kids at home but so rewarding as you find time to squeeze writing in between homework, bedtime, and other family activities. Try for at least 15 minutes a day and you will gradually be able to add more time as your story or article begins to take shape.




For those who pursue writing full time,  an eight- ten hour writing day might be the norm. Others like myself must grab writing time in between another job or business. When writing is a priority, capturing writing time is as much a part of life as doing laundry or making dinner. You just do it. Prioritize, prepare, and pursue.


 How do you capture your writing time?









Terri Forehand captures writing time between nursing, quilting, running a quilt shop, and being a grandma. Author of The Cancer Prayer Book and The ABC's of Cancer According to Lilly Isabella Lane, she writes from her home nestled in the hills of Brown County Indiana. Visit her author blog at http://terri-forehand.blogspot.com and her author website at www.terriforehand.webnode.com

Getting Unstuck When Writing a Novel

by Suzanne Lieurance, the Working Writer's Coach

As a writing coach, I see it all the time.

Someone decides to write a novel.

They get off to a brilliant start.

Then – about 4 or 5 chapters in – they get stuck.

They don’t know what to write next.

They try to figure out what to do, but most of the time they don’t, so they give up.

They put the manuscript away and start on something new.

Sound familiar?

If it does, then dig out your half-finished novel and take a look at it with the following elements in mind.

Chances are, one or more of these elements is lacking, or not fully developed, in your story and that’s why you’re having trouble moving forward.

Elements of a Novel

1. Compelling and Distinctive Characters

Readers need to care about your characters, right from the start. Otherwise, they have no reason to continue reading past the first few pages.

Readers won’t like or love all of your characters, of course. In fact, they’ll probably hate your protagonist. But, the point is, they need to have strong positive or negative feelings about these characters. They should not feel indifferent about them.

What have you done in your first few chapters to make readers care about your characters?

2. A Compelling Overall Story Problem for the Main Character

Quite often I see writers run into trouble midway through their novels because they haven’t created a BIG enough overall story problem for their main character. When that happens, it’s often difficult to keep readers’ interest. There just isn’t enough at stake for the main character, so readers don’t care whether or not he solves the big problem.

What is the overall problem your main character (your protagonist) is trying to solve? How much is at stake - what will happen if he doesn’t solve this problem?

3. Rising Action – Dramatic Tension

Once there is plenty at stake for the main character, the next step is to create LOTS of conflict, so it isn’t easy for the character to solve this problem. Things should get worse and worse – this creates rising action.

When your story has plenty of conflict or rising action, readers will worry and wonder if the main character will ever be able to solve, or at least resolve, the big problem. They’ll keep reading to find out!

How do things keep getting worse and worse for your main character?

4. Believable and Effective Turning Points

Turning points are those places in your story where things change. They take a different direction, usually because some choice has to be made or there is some sort of dilemma for the main character. An effective turning point means once a choice has been made, or a specific action has been taken, there is no going back for the character(s).

Do you have several turning points in your story? What are they?

5. Vivid Sensory Details

Details make your story come alive for readers, so they feel as if they’re experiencing the story along with the characters and not simply reading about what these characters are doing and what is happening to them.

Appeals to all 5 senses (taste, touch, sound, sight, smell) should be seamlessly woven into the action and dialogue of the story.

Do you have appeals to several senses in each chapter? Could you create more sensory details to enliven your story?

6. Engaging and Cohesive Subplots

Subplots are stories within the main story. But they relate to the main story. When used effectively, they can create additional rising action and conflict related to the overall story problem.

What are the subplots in your story? Can you create an additional subplot to create more rising action?

7. An Effective Climax

This is the most exciting part of your story. It’s when your main character must do something or make some decision that will cause him to solve or resolve the overall story problem. But it can’t be easy for him.

What is the most exciting point of your story? What is decision or dilemma your main character must face at this point?

8. A Satisfying Resolution

The climax of your story leads to the resolution, where everything is tied together or resolved. Usually, readers get some idea of what life will be like for the main character, now that he has solved or resolved the overall story problem.

It’s a good idea to consider how your story will end even BEFORE you start writing the story. This doesn’t mean your ending (and even other things in the story) won’t change by the time you write the ending. But if you know how you want the story to end, it will be easier to keep writing because you know where you’re going.

How did you tie up all the loose ends to complete your story? What is different for your main character(s) now?

Use these elements as a checklist when writing a novel and you'll be less likely to get stuck and never finish writing your novel.

Try it!

Suzanne Lieurance is an author, freelance writer, certified professional life coach and writing coach, speaker and workshop presenter. She has written over two dozen published books and hundreds of articles for newspapers, magazines, and other publications.

She can help you write your first or next novel. Find out more about her Quick Start System to Writing Novels at www.writeanovelstarttofinish.com

Let Passion Fuel Your Writing Career

The Four Levels of Engagement & How to Use Them To Fuel Your Work

When you are looking to start a new writing project, here are some things to consider:

Level 1 Engagement: Lack of Enthusiasm: When you find you are lacking enthusiasm for your current writing project, many times this is because you are not following your passion, but that of another person. As a writer, we can all write a variety of things from non-fiction to short stories to novels, and we can choose from a wide range of topics. But when you find yourself writing something that doesn't seem to drive you toward your own goals, this lack of enthusiasm may cause you to stumble. Write what fuels your passion.

Level 2 Engagement: Inspired: Inspiration occurs when an idea manifests. Inspired people are more engaged in their project and may think and speak about the 'great idea' they have. Inspiration is important to fueling your writing, but inspiration alone is not enough. Talking about and thinking about what to write will not get words on a page.

Level 3 Engagement: Motivated: Motivation is an idea you can't put down. It won't let go of you, following you to the grocery store and to bed at night. But its more than just an idea, it's an idea that must, and I mean must, be acted on. Motivation means you will sit down at your desk and write. Being motivated will fuel your writing and provide you with a body of work.

Level 4 Engagement: Passion: Passion is when you have an idea, and it's one that won't let go of you and you writing this particular article or longer piece is part of your destiny, your path. This project will take you where you want to go with your writing career. It is the work you were meant to write to share with the world and it will show in your final product. Let passion fuel your work.

_______________________________________________

D. Jean Quarles is a writer of Women's Fiction and a co-author of a Young Adult Science Fiction Series. Her latest book, Flight from the Water Planet, Book 1 of The Exodus Series was written with coauthor, Austine Etcheverry.

D. Jean loves to tell stories of personal growth – where success has nothing to do with money or fame, but of living life to the fullest. She is also the author of the novels: Rocky's Mountains, Fire in the Hole and, Perception. The Mermaid, an award winning short story was published in the anthology, Tales from a Sweltering City.

She is a wife, mother, grandmother and business coach. In her free time . . . ha! ha! ha! Anyway, you can find more about D. Jean Quarles, her writing and her books at her website at www.djeanquarles.com

You can also follower her at www.djeanquarles.blogspot.com or on Facebook

NYTs Best Seller's List or Book Club?

In this profession, they say you've made it when you are on the NYTs Best Seller's list, or at least in the top 100 on that list.  But what if you were to get your book or books as part of a book club discussion?  Do you think that is "making it"? 

I recently attended a "Reluctant YA Readers" book club (a group of adults who don't want to admit they read YA but do anyway - lol) at the local library.  I really enjoyed the discussion, even though I hadn't read the selected read for the month.  After the group left, I spent some time talking with the librarian who heads up the reading clubs.  My book, FINALLY HOME, will be either the book selected for the October reading or I may end up on a different day just to have my own book event with the ability of being able to sell my book.  The hope is that the second story in the series, THE TIES OF TIME, will be completed and published, so I can sell both books at the same time.

To me, it's not necessarily the NYTs best seller's list, but it means I have finally made it.  I'm making a name for myself, starting locally and building a readership and hopefully that will lead to word of mouth sales, which in turn will eventually lead to NYTs Best Seller's list, not that that has really been goal since publishing my first story.  It's a nice little perk.

Eight years from the first story being published online after taking a shared 2nd place to the present, putting my book out there for the librarian to put my books out in the face of the public.  I've not pushed my books in the last couple of years as much as I did when I first got published, but now I feel it is time to really step it up and put more effort into getting my stories completed and published and maybe shoot for the stars - the NYTs Best Seller's List.

This is an encouragement note, as Heidi's was a couple of days ago.  It doesn't matter the route you take to get there, just keep at it and persevere and you will get there.  Reach for the top rung!!

Elysabeth Eldering
Author
Finally Home (A Kelly Watson, YA, paranormal mystery) - available in print, ebook, and as an audiobook
The Ties of Time (A Kelly Watson, YA, paranormal mystery - coming soon)
Elysabeth's Writing Blog