How Kids in Fiction Can Be Effective by JoAnn Durgin

  

I love writing children into my books. They’re cute, they add to the dynamics of a story, and—let’s face it—they pull on our heartstrings. I think one of the primary reasons I enjoy writing (and reading) about children so much is because we, as adults, can learn so much from them! There’s nothing like the innocence, and yet the (sometimes blunt) honesty, of a child. They tell it like it is as they see people, life, and situations without the “filters” we’ve learned to adapt as we’ve grown older. Children can teach us patience, but they can also make us stop and think before we speak.

Case in point: When our oldest, Sarah, was a toddler, I used to call people “turkey” when they did something I didn’t like. I remember driving with her one day on the highway and someone cut me off. From the backseat, Sarah yelled, “You turkey!” In a way, it was cute. In another way, I’m thankful I hadn’t used a stronger word. When a child actor spews a profane word, others laugh, but oh how it riles me! Hearing Sarah repeat my words that taught me a valuable lesson as a new mother. I need to be very careful of the words that come from my mouth.

Ephesians 4:29: Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (NIV)

Our son, Matthew, is high-functioning autistic (Asperger’s Syndrome), but—at age 19—he is very intelligent yet still has the sweetness of a boy much younger than his chronological age. People often don’t know how to respond to Matthew’s openness and complete ease in saying “I love you.” One of his teachers in high school told him that she wasn’t allowed to respond when he told her he loved her. But then she confided to me she would pull him aside each day and whisper, “I love you, too, Matthew.” His helpful spirit and genuine love for people shines in everything he does. He doesn’t care what others think about him, and there are times when I really envy that quality!

Our daughter, Chelsea, is very loving, but also quite headstrong and independent. She’s also blessed us with our first grandchild, Amelia Grace (see her photo; you can’t miss the huge headband!). My husband, Jim, and I are reminded all over again how quickly children grow. It’s amazing the changes Amelia has gone through each month. At six months old, she’s now rocking on her haunches and giving us that “Just you wait!” look. I have the feeling once she starts crawling, she’ll be pulling up and walking soon after. I can’t wait until she starts talking!

All in all, children are an incomparable blessing from the Lord.

Psalm 127:3: Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him. (NIV)

I can’t imagine my upcoming Christmas story, Starlight in Her Eyes, without my sweet little six-year-old, Lily, who challenges my cheeky Brit, Colin Young. He’s not used to little ones, but he’s a natural, and they take to one another quickly. Children are also now figuring quite prominently into my Lewis Legacy Series. In my estimation, my stories are richer for the addition of children.

What have your kids—or a child you know (or have known in the past) taught you? I’d love to hear, so please feel free to share!

I’ll leave you with an excerpt from my latest release, Enchantment, Book #6 in my Lewis Legacy Series, where little Joe Lewis has a man-to-man chat with his father, Sam, about Gracie, a little girl who keeps punching Joe in the arm.

Here’s that excerpt:

“Dad, I’ve got a problem.”

Joe only called him Dad when he wanted a heart-to-heart chat. His boy was almost four going on forty. He took things so seriously. His TeamWork reports could wait. “Sure, son. Want to go sit on the porch and talk?”

“Uh huh.” Joe walked beside Sam from the office and out onto the porch. The early evening had cooled a bit and a slight breeze rustled the leaves of the towering trees.

In a few minutes, he’d walk his children over to the dining hall for dinner. He’d put in an appearance earlier but Lexa had shooed him out, telling him everything was under control. The tantalizing aromas of food filled the air. The ladies of the One Nation Church had been cooking for hours, and they were all in for quite a feast tonight.

After Joe dropped into one of the rockers, Sam took the other. “Tell me what’s bothering you.”

“Gracie.”

“Ah.” Resting one elbow on the arm of the chair, Sam began to rock as he stared out over the expanse of the camp. Maybe it was no surprise that—as the son of two former financial planners—Joe already exhibited signs of an analytical, logical mind. Sam’s brother, Will, was Joe’s personal hero these days. When he’d first heard Will had been named a shuttle commander for an upcoming NASA mission, Joe had whooped and hollered and declared he wanted to be an astronaut. No doubt they’d be paying a lot of visits to Johnson Space Center.

Sam glanced over at Joe. “How’s that arm?” Since they’d arrived at the camp, Joe had complained that Gracie punched him at every available opportunity. He knew Natalie and Marc were working with their daughter to try and control her inclination to sock Joe, apparently Gracie’s sole target.

Joe rubbed his fingers over his upper right arm. At least no bruises were visible. “Sore. Like always when Gracie’s around. It’s good she lives in Massa….”

“Massachusetts. Why do you think she hits you?”

Scrunching his features into a frown, Joe appeared to consider the question. “’Cause she’s mean.”

“Is she mean all the time?”

“No. She’s nice to Hannah and Leah. And Luke. She wants to carry Emily around like she’s her baby. Chloe thinks Gracie’s okay when she’s not bossy.”

The corners of Sam’s mouth quirked. “And what do you think?”

“I think Gracie hates boys.”

“That could be it, although I doubt it’s as strong as hate. Do you like Gracie? Even though she’s a girl?”

“Sort of. If she’d stop hitting me all the time, I might like her better. I don’t hate her.” Joe’s feet didn’t reach the porch floor, so he scooted to the edge of the chair. Pushing off with both feet, he began to rock.

“You know, Joe, sometimes girls hit boys for the opposite reason. Maybe Gracie punches you in the arm because—deep down inside—she secretly likes you.”

“She sure has a funny way of showing it.”

Sam laughed. “You know, your mother wasn’t sure she liked me all that much when she first met me, either. It was at our first TeamWork mission together outside San Antonio.”

“Did Mommy hit you?”

“She did, but it was an accident. We had a flat tire on the old Volvo station wagon—the one in the garage out back at home in Houston—and I was trying to fix it. When Mommy tried to hand me a wrench, it slipped out of her hand and hit my leg.”

“So she didn’t mean to do it.” The implication from Joe being the situation was different since Gracie intended to hit him. Smart boy.

“No, no. It was heavy and slippery. But she sure made a big impression on me. And I think Gracie’s made an impression on you.”

Joe tilted his head. “What’s that mean?”

Sam chuckled and ran one hand over his chin. “It means I started liking your mother.”

“Because she hit you?”

He wasn’t doing the best job of explaining. “Mommy got my attention, but then she kept my attention because she was different from all the other girls. In a good way.”

“Yeah. Gracie’s different, too, but does that mean I have to like her?”

Joe asked insightful questions that helped to keep Sam sharp. He learned from his children on a daily basis, and that was one of his favorite parts of being a father. “As a Christian, we’re told in the Bible to love one another. I always try to do that even when people do things I don’t like.”

“Like what?” Joe rocked away in his chair and looked at him with wide-eyed innocence.

“They lie or they cheat. Or they do something they know could hurt someone else and they do it, anyway.”

“Yep.” Joe shook his head with a sad expression. The compassion in his boy—even for Gracie—warmed his heart. They wouldn’t be having this discussion now if he didn’t care.

“Sometimes it’s hard to like people, Joe. All God asks is that we try. Be patient with Gracie. God’s working in her heart just like He’s working on you and me.”

Joe nodded. “Makes sense. My tummy growled. Is it time to eat?”

“So did mine.” Sam lifted from the chair. “Let’s go get your sisters and head on over to the dining hall. Thanks for the talk, son.”

“Anytime, Dad.”

Blessings, friends.

 ~JoAnn

 

Five Keys to Publishing Success by JoAnn Durgin

I must preface this post by saying I’m certainly no expert on anything, but I'd like to share some of what I've learned with you in the hope it might somehow encourage you in your own writing journey. By the end of 2014, I’ll have been traditionally published as well as indie published with ten books (six full-length novels and four novellas) to my name. All in the last four years, in addition to working full-time. So, that’s got to count for something.

Not to sound like a dreaded infomercial (I’m not selling anything here although I am posting a photo of the boxed set of my first four books as well as the cover of my newest release, Moonbeams), I’d like to share with you what I consider the five key factors to success in pursuing a full-time writing career. I’m hoping to quit my full-time job in the near future, and—based on the income I’ve earned in the past three months—I believe it can be done.

The following steps are nothing more than common sense, really. You know these things, too, but sometimes it helps to have someone else put it in perspective.  As I mention at the end of the post, please feel free to add your own ideas.

 *Pray. Begin every writing, editing or marketing/advertising session with a time of prayer. Whether it’s one minute or 15 minutes, I always present my petitions, both large and small, to the Lord. He has been my Partner in my writing journey from Day One. I firmly believe without Him at my side, and living inside me, I could not have accomplished as much as I’ve done with anywhere near the same measure of success. Write for His glory and know you can hold you head high when you meet your Savior one day.

*Write.  The only way you can get a book published is by writing it. The only way you can learn and grow as a writer is by continuing to write, edit, hone and fine tune your work. Make each and every book your best effort. Write a good book and the Lord will get it in the hands of those who most need to read it. Word-of-mouth promotion will kick in after a while, but don’t get greedy and don’t get impatient. Sometimes—especially with a first novel—it takes time to build the momentum, especially if you’re not with a big publisher. But don’t ever get lazy. And keep writing and releasing. The more books you can offer readers, the higher the potential for income.

Give up the idea of writing the “perfect” novel. It’s simply not going to happen. A book can be grammatically perfect, a book can follow all the rules, but it doesn’t mean it’ll touch hearts. How many books have you read where it’s sound from a technical standpoint but doesn’t affect a reader’s emotions? How many reviews have you read where the reviewer says, “I can tell the author was on deadline because the ending felt rushed”? Write from your heart and finish your story. Then it will reach others with the message you want to convey.

*Join. Become a member of a writers’ group. Critique group. Something. Any organization where you’re around others who share your passion. Guaranteed, you will learn more about the craft of writing. The energy to be gained from fellowshipping with other Christian authors, in particular, is infectious and one of the best things you can do. After I joined the national ACFW, I learned so much just from reading the email loops. One of the best things I ever learned was from Indiana’s Colleen Coble who advised me to write a scene in the POV of “the one who has the most to lose.” Give others the opportunity to teach you and be willing to share what you’ve learned with others.

*Persevere. More than half the battle is sticking with it. Writing can be a lonely existence at times. It will be joyful and yet there will be the inevitable lows. You will be uplifted by others and sometimes you will feel a bit wounded by the careless words of others or by a reviewer who just didn’t “get” the message of your book. There will be those who rejoice with you and others who will try to tear you down. That’s a big part of standing firm in your faith. The Lord never said it would be easy, but He said He’d be there for us. And, oh what a comfort that is! I cling to His promises, folks, and I trust that you do, too. Keep at it and pursue the calling of writing the Lord has placed in your heart. Tell His stories your way. And tell your story His way.

*Marketing/Advertising. As it is, there are millions of books written every year. With the advent of self-publishing, anyone can write anything and get it published, and that can be both a good and a bad thing. Be creative and inventive. Seek out your focus group. My book series (five books now in release and more to come) is based in the Houston area, although settings from all over the country (and more) are featured in the subsequent books. After the third book released, I prepared and sent a slick “ad” to a number of big Houston-area evangelical churches. I addressed them to the ladies’ ministry coordinators. Do I know whether or not it had an impact? No, but based on the sales of the books shortly thereafter, I believe it certainly didn’t hurt.

Without going into detail, I managed to get my debut novel (at the time published by a small Canadian publisher no one had ever heard of) into the illustrious CBD catalog. It only stayed there for two or three issues, but I accomplished my goal. After meeting the CBD rep at the ACFW and then getting no response after several emails, I used my common sense and got the job done. 

Be willing to spend money to make money. One of the biggest boosts to my writing is discovering websites such as BookBub and Ereader News Today. The first is expensive but more than worth the cost. Guaranteed, if you advertise with BookBub, your book will make it to bestseller status, even if only for a day or two. BookBub has a subscriber list of thousands and many of their members download their daily recommendations. You must be willing to reduce your eBook price (free and 99 cent books do the best, and the first of a series book does even better). Seriously, your jaw will drop at the number of downloads! Ereader News Today is a wonderful outlet, especially for those who are self-published. The results are only a small portion of what BookBub can do (hundreds of books downloaded as opposed to thousands in one day), but their cost is relatively small but well worth it.

https://www.bookbub.com/home/overview.php?source=mssitelink_about

http://ereadernewstoday.com/

 

These are only a few helpful hints that have boosted my visibility in the contemporary Christian romance market. They’re tried and true in my case. Feel free to share any tips that have worked for you! I’d love to hear them. After all, we’re here to help one another!

Blessings, friends.

~JoAnn Durgin

Matthew 5:16

The Perils (and Blessings) of Publishing by JoAnn Durgin

I’ve seen a lot in the last (almost) three years since I’ve been a published author. If nothing else, you can always count on me for being honest and upfront about my life, including my writing career. Something happened in the past few weeks that might have devastated me six months ago…but now? Not so much. Let me explain: the publisher of my Lewis Legacy series decided he didn’t want to publish anymore. “Nothing personal,” he said, and I know he means it. He simply wants to concentrate on his own writing, editing and publishing projects. So, I’m being cut loose. I liken it to the bird in the nest who's now ready to fly on its own. So, on a wing and the proverbial prayer, here I go.

What to do now? Well, I could shop the series (four books out now and more to come) to other publishers, but I don’t think I’m going that route. You see, I believe the Lord prepared me for this to happen and I’ve expected it for some time. Like so many in the publishing industry, including the CBA, I’ve kept a close eye on several well-respected, multi-published authors who’ve taken to self-publishing their backlist titles or new, shorter works and listing them for sale at a low-cost price. And now these same authors are saying they’re earning their “bread and butter” from these books. Interesting, eh? Sure, they’ve been traditionally published and have earned a strong, large and loyal following…that certainly helps. Keep reading.

Let’s face it. There used to be a certain “stigma” attached to self-publishing. As Michael Hyatt told his audiences at writing conventions two years ago, “The stigma is gone.” Honestly? I never expected to be published by a big CBA house, if I was published at all. Not because I didn’t believe my writing measured up, but for the very fact that my writing is “different.” I write outside-of-the-box, non-formulaic contemporary Christian romances. From the beginning, I wrote because I simply love telling a story. I understood—if I was published at all—it would most likely be with a small, independent publisher. I wasn’t personally willing to compromise to make my stories fit the “safe” mold required by most mainstream publishers. Among other aspects, my books are longer in terms of length, and my characters unashamedly refer to scripture and things of the Lord (without “beating them over the head”), and support conservative “causes” many publishers don’t want to touch. So far, the readers aren’t complaining, and my books are reaching an audience beyond the typical “Christian” mainstream reader, and I now have a small but strong and loyal following upon which to build. I couldn’t be more thrilled. Praise the Lord!

To test the waters, perhaps, I released Catching Serenity on my own a few weeks ago, something I’d planned to do before I learned of my publisher’s decision. Again, I believe it’s because I knew this was coming. I’ve been harder on myself and agonized over this one book because it’s all mine. Put it this way: it’s a good thing Amazon doesn’t charge for reloading a file when changes are made. Self-publishing is a scary proposition and yet an exciting one. To be clear, I’ve also published with a couple of other small CBA publishers and I plan on producing more books with those same publishers in the future. As always, I’ll continue to follow His leading first and foremost, in writing as in all aspects of my life. Like anything else, writing and publication is a journey. I’m sure I’ll stumble at times, but hopefully I’ll also have times when I’ll soar. But I’ll have the freedom to help design my book covers, set my own deadlines and schedule, but more importantly to me? I’ll have the freedom to tell my story my way. And that’s just fine with me.

Blessings,

JoAnn Durgin

Proverbs 3:5-6

Is It All In A Name? by JoAnn Durgin

Are you of the “Writers are Born” camp or the “Writers are Made” camp? If it’s possible, I stand firmly in the middle. It’s my opinion the good Lord gives us the desire to write and the ability to fashion a story. I also believe it’s up to us to take the germ of talent He gives us and cultivate and nurture it in order to see it grow.

One key thing I’ve noticed since becoming a published author is this: the aspiring writers getting published in Christian fiction these days are the individuals who’ve made themselves known. How do they do this? If you’re an author hoping to be published, I hope you might glean something of interest and/ or helpful in your writing journey. But always remember you are a writer, published or not. The following list is comprised of my own personal observations. Feel free to leave a comment with your own suggestions. I'd love to see a free exchange of ideas.

Here’s some of the things I’ve noticed pre-pubbed authors doing in order to make themselves known in the industry:

•Make a commitment to writing and improving their craft—and stick with it (including editing, revising and reworking as much or as often as necessary).

•Find critique partners.

•Submit queries on a regular basis (and proposals/manuscripts when requested).

•Join online writing groups and organizations (including participating in online classes).

•Join a local writing group and attend meetings.

•Network and form solid friendships and relationships with fellow writers and others in the publishing industry via e-mail, Facebook, Twitter and other media outlets.

•Visit and make comments on blogs.

•Maintain a website and/or blog and post regularly.

•Enter contests.

•Attend at least one conference a year and meet with editors, agents and/or publishers.

•Volunteer at conferences.

•Read books.

•Review books.

•Offer to be a beta reader or promote an author’s new release.

Do you have anything to add to this list? Helpful hints or suggestions? I’m not saying you have to do any or all of these things, but if you can employ one or more of these activities, they will help you to grow and stretch as a writer, whether you're not yet published or published.

Most published authors are also more than willing to help aspiring writers achieve their dream. They can give encouragement, add a new perspective, give you suggestions and answer questions. Reach out to them. Ask questions on the e-mail loops of the ACFW or any other online writing group. We’re all in this journey together.

Blessings to you as you write for His glory.

JoAnn Durgin
Matthew 5:16

JoAnn is the author of The Lewis Legacy Series, contemporary Christian romantic adventures, published by Torn Veil Books. She also published a Christmas 2012 novella, Meet Me Under the Mistletoe, with Pelican Book Group/White Rose Publishing and a short story in I Choose You, a romance anthology from Oak Tara. A full-time estate administration paralegal in Louisville, Kentucky, JoAnn lives with her family in her native southern Indiana. She is a member of the ACFW and its Indiana chapter as well as the Louisville Christian Writers.