“The More That You Read…”

Did you know that March 2nd is Dr. Seuss’s birthday? In his honor, it’s also National Read Across America Day. I remember celebrating all things reading at this time of year when I was a kid in school and it was wonderful. Now I get to enjoy the experience all over again with my kids.

I think writers can learn so much from Dr. Seuss’s example, even those of us who write in completely different genres. Here are a few things I take from his writing:

Keep it short

Did you know that The Cat in the Hat is only 236 words long? But it’s still a complete, imaginative story that draws readers in. Dr. Seuss was a master at picking just the right words, just the right rhythm, just the right visual to get his point across to a wide audience while remaining succinct.

This is just as important in 80,000-word novels. It can seem like a lot of space to get around to the story. But we can easily get bogged down in meandering descriptions and pointless subplots. Keep that writing tight and clean to keep your reader engaged. Take the time to make each word convey the perfect message and every scene advance the story.

Keep it simple

I love how The Cat in the Hat came to be. In response to worries over falling literacy rates in young children, Dr. Seuss was given the challenge of writing an early reader that would be more interesting for children than the ones that existed. Yes, that incredibly creative story contains only the most basic vocabulary, meant for kids just learning to read.

Beautiful prose is wonderful to read. But using big words for the sake of it can come across as trying too hard. So, go ahead, throw in that awesome, huge word you learned last week that you’re dying to use. But try not to do it in every sentence.

Keep it up

To continue using the example of The Cat in the Hat, how long do you think it would take you to write a 236-word story for kids? A few hours? A week? Dr. Seuss thought so, too. But it ended up taking him a year and a half! I’m pretty sure I would have given up a few months in and chalked it up to a good experiment. But he persisted and the story he struggled to write helped foster a love of reading in multiple generations of children.

Dr. Seuss’s first book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, received some twenty or thirty rejections before an editor friend took a chance on it. Haven’t you heard story after story like that from authors? Try to take it as an encouragement. Let it motivate you to finish another manuscript, send one more query, pitch that book again. You never know when the next time will be the one that works!

Here’s a challenge for you: take a page out of Dr. Seuss’s book and try something short. Come to the ACFW Indiana Masterpiece-in-a-Day event on March 10^th, write a short story, and get a chance to be published in Spark magazine! More info in this post. RSVP right away!

Abbey Downey never expected her love for writing to turn into a career, but she’s thankful for the chance to write inspirational romance as Mollie Campbell. A life-long Midwestern girl, Abbey lives in Central Indiana, where her family has roots back to the 1840s. She couldn’t be happier spending her days putting words on paper and hanging out with her husband, two kids, and a rather enthusiastic beagle.

You can check out Abbey’s books at www.molliecampbell.com

Freedom for Writers

There's a lot of debate about how and when a writer should publish. Today I want to encourage you to think about these four things before you decide where you are on the road to publication.

1) Know your goals. Why do you want to write indie? What is motivating that decision? The same questions should be asked if you're pursuing traditional publishing. For me, I'm pursing indie for my books where I have received the rights back from the publisher. It's been a huge learning curve, but I know these are good books and there are readers who haven't discovered them. Indie publishing is a way to get them back out there, update them and more. I love traditional publishing, because I love the partnership aspects. I know they have a platform I don't have on my own. They have the team to help me with all the elements that are overwhelming to consider on my own. That's why I love being with the big houses.

2) The most important relationship is between reader and author. Regardless of how you publish, you have to think about how you will build that relationship. Part of it will be writing more, great books. Then there will be websites, social media, booksignings, etc. you will have to think deliberately about how you will build this relationship. It also requires you to know and listen to your reader. Involve them in the process. Help them acquire ownership of your books. How can you help them become your biggest advocates?

3) Hire an editor. This step is so often overlooked. If you are traditionally published, then you should have three rounds of editing: macro/story edit, line edit, and proofing. If you are indie, you need the same. Even though the book I have put up were edited at least three times, I still hired someone to proof each one. It's amazing what is caught each time. The quickest way to lose a reader is to have a poorly edited book. Don't skip this step. It is worth the expense to make the book is done well. As James Scott Bell says you're best marketing is the book the reader is currently reading.

4) Don't rush. Let's face it. We all get important. But let's not rush into print before we're ready. I have friends churning out 4-6 books a year. I can't do that with everything else going on in my world. Three is about my max; four if I'm writing two with Tricia Goyer. I know that's my pace, and I know this after writing 27 books. What's your pace? How fast can you write and still do a good job? Seriously stop and think about. How much time do you need to make sure you're going through the rounds of edits and putting out a great book? Is your first book really ready for the world to read?

What would you add?

Cara Putman

An award-winning author of more than twenty books, Cara is a lecturer on business and employment law to graduate students at Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management. Putman also practices law and is a second-generation homeschooling mom. She lives with her husband and four children in Indiana.

10 More Reader Tips for Writers

Last month I shared 11 tips from readers on what they love to see in novels. Here are more tips to help you write compelling fiction.

Research Matters! (More so for historicals)

• Probably the #1 thing for me is accuracy. I just read Eleanor & Park (very popular YA set in the 80s). The author almost lost me as a reader when she had a line that sounded like the father was a Korean War veteran but would have been about 12. I stayed with it and the line was clarified. He was a Vietnam vet stationed in Korea. Seriously, one line nearly ruined a book & the author's reputation in my eyes. An extremely successful author did this by writing an entire novel based on a medical condition, and the details were WRONG! I'm not talking about a medical condition that I'm intimately familiar with, but one I know about through my own manuscript research.
• Accurate research is vital to keeping my attention. :)
• Never change actual history.

General Suggestions

• Where do I start???? One thing that isn't probably something a newbie needs to know right away but will when they start entering Genesis or any contest that requires a synopsis. They need to know that a synopsis is not a back-of-the-book blurb. All my years on Genesis and now doing critiques for conference have led me to realize a great many newbies have no idea how to write a synopsis.
• Write what God tells you to write without second guessing how the results will look. You may publish, you may not. Is it an offering to God? That's what matters. :-) He's in charge of the results. Of course, that's for believers. LOL
•  How long to really expect the process to take. (I think people might be inclined to give up if they aren't moving as fast as they expect to.)
• Perseverance. Practice. Keep moving forward and not giving up. Being teachable. Most people who are willing to put in the effort will make it to a certain degree, but not if you're arrogant and inflexible. No matter how talented a top athlete is they have to put in time learning and improving. Writing is no different.
• I'm an avid reader. For new writers: Characters must be believable, no matter the genre. Make me want to know them. Help me live inside the characters so I feel what the characters experience.
•  The plot and storyline must also be believable and maintain integrity within the story. As a reader I want to trust the author. Otherwise I won't read them again.
• While writing the first draft: Get the story down. Just write it. And know you will rewrite and edit - later. Don't get so hung up perfecting a paragraph or scene that you become discouraged with the process. First get the basic story written.
• Then, when working through it again, pay attention to the details. Do the necessary research. Readers do notice. Keep the main POV clear - don't bounce from head to head. Pay attention to what can jerk a reader out of the story - and don't do it.
• The comment about being teachable and not arrogant or inflexible is spot on. That goes for the entire process, including sales.
• And, for the record, I love reading new authors. Especially when their stories not only are free from "fatal" flaws but leave me sighing, "Wow, I can't believe this is her/his first book."
• Not sure this is an issue for everyone, but I definitely prefer a story that does not rely on graphic violence or sexuality.

What would you add to this list? What makes a book compelling to you?

Cara Putman

An award-winning author of more than twenty books, Cara is a lecturer on business and employment law to graduate students at Purdue University’s Krannert School of Management. Putman also practices law and is a second-generation homeschooling mom. She lives with her husband and four children in Indiana.

5 Ways to Write More than 1 Book at a Time

I have often written multiple books at the same time. It's a part of life when one of your hats is professional writer. But it can also be a real part of the writing journey when you're getting started writing. The challenge is learning how to juggle the multiple characters, plots, and timelines.  Here are a few tips I've developed over the years to let me do exactly that:

[Tweet "Need to write more than 1 book at a time? Overwhelmed? @cara_putman offers 5 #strategies. #amwriting"]

• Use different music to signal to my brain that I’ve switched times/genres/etc.

Right now I’m writing suspense to an Avengers/movie soundtrack channel I’ve built on Pandora. As soon as it comes on my brain settles down. I use different music for cozy mysteries or WWII historicals. This has worked really well for me over time which is why I listed it first. There's something about the music that lets my mind know immediately which book to focus on in that moment. 

• Always stop mid scene so I can easily get back into what I was thinking when I stopped writing.

One way to smooth out this process of transitioning from book to book is to make a few bullet point notes of where I saw the scene heading before I end for the day. That alone saves a lot of time and helps me get started quickly when I start the next day or week or whenever I can come back to the story. It also allows me to end knowing that I know where to begin, alleviating the blank page syndrome.

• Edit what I wrote the day before to get back into the story flow.

This is a great way to get right back into the story. It also helps me to let go of the editing details while I'm writing. If I know I'm going to come back the next day and clean up the spelling and grammar issues, it lets me focus on words on the page. It also helps me get immediately back into the story.  

• Occasionally I will alternate days, but I don’t always have the luxury.

My friend Lenora Worth does something like this consistently. I loved how she put it:

When I'm working on more than one project, I compartmentalize them. I might work on a suspense in the morning and a romance in the afternoon. Or I pick days and stick to that--suspense on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, other things on Tuesday and Thursday. For a while, I wrote novel length books on weekdays and turned to Indie novellas on the weekend.  Or I'd work on longer books all day and save one precious hour for other projects at the end of the day.

• Research one while writing the other. 

This last one works well. I like to let my brain think about one book by writing another. It may be researching an idea, reading background books, locating sources, but it's a different kind of creative work that writing. It also allows me the break from an intense focus on one book and allows my subconscious to work on the second book. This process works really well for me. 

If you're feeling the pull to work on two books or have multiple deadlines, I hope these tips help you make that process work. Do you have a different way for writing multiple books? I'd love to read about your tips and strategies. Be sure to leave them in the comments below! Thanks for joining the conversation.

Sick of Your Own Words

by Rick Barry

I confess: By the time I emailed my publisher the final edits for my new book, The Methuselah Project, I was sick of my own words.

Understand that I did not dislike my story. It's just that I was past the point of tired when it came to reading and revising my own pages. How can an author love his story, yet be sick of looking at it? I wrote the original draft in 2009. Then I sent copies to a number of friends for their input. Using their remarks, I changed paragraphs here and there. The timeline needed adjusting too, as did some chapter headings. "Yay!" I thought. "That took some work, but the story is better."

Next I asked a few more friends to look over the edited version. Once again their objective eyes caught details that needed fixing. A missionary friend in Germany (a former editing colleague) pointed out inaccuracies about the Autobahn. She also suggested I change the name and hair color of a German character to match better people living in modern Germany. I made the changes. "That took time, but it's even better."

Finally I began pitching the story to editors at writing conferences. Several liked the concept, but declined when they saw sample chapters. The beginning was too long. I needed to begin the story further in, close to the real action. The ending didn't grab another. That epilogue was dead wood. Back to the drawing board I went. I chopped, sliced, diced, and rearranged scenes. I toyed with multiple titles, eventually brainstorming 40+ variations. The story became better, but I was already longing to move on to another project.

Next conference, instead of seeking out editors, I pursued agents. When I told one I intended my suspense story to appeal to both men and women, he shook his head slightly, read a page, then declined. No smile or business card from that chat! Later, as I pitched it to another agent, I glanced up in time to catch her rolling her eyes. "Sounds like a big coincidence," she said. And so it went.

Discouragement accompanied each decline. But in my heart I believed in my story. I resolved to tighten the pace, to polish my prose, and to perfect my pitch. Yet, in the meantime, I also began writing another novel just in case my special baby never sold.

Enter literary agent Linda Glaz. Because I assumed she represented only romance, I had never considered pitching The Methuselah Project to her. Spotting her in a corridor between workshops, I struck up a conversation just for fun. When I mentioned my story, she perked up. "You've got a suspense story? What's it about?" I gave her a brief description, and she handed me her business card. "Send that to me."

Long story short, she loved the concept as much as I did. But her fresh eyes still found flaws that needed improvement. Back to the computer I went. But now hope glimmered on the horizon. I had an agent!

Once again, multiple publishers turned down the proposal for various reasons. At last, though, an editor at Kregel Publications read the whole story and immediately loved it. So did the pub committee. They sent me a contract! But I wasn't off the hook. Working with Kregel, I went through three more rounds of edits, with different editors suggesting various ways to enhance the plot, to flesh out the characters, etc. Even the excitement of an actual publication date couldn't keep me from growing weary of reading my own novel over and over. And over. And over again....

But now that the book is out, were all those re-readings and edits worth it? You bet they were. The published story shines much brighter than the one that caught my agent's eye. Judging by the exuberant reviews on Amazon, the story's blend of WW2 history, suspense, a touch of romance, and a sprinkle of sci-fi truly has appealed to both male and female readers. I had prayed over every chapter, and God has blessed, despite the way I'd grown weary of my words. May He be praised!

 Do you grow sick of your own words? Are you tempted to take shortcuts just to get that thing off your desk and into the mail? ("Ready or not, here I come!") If so, be careful. Yielding to the shortcuts might sabotage your chances of success.

Rick Barry speaks Russian, has visited Eastern Europe 50+ times for mission trips, and has even prowled deserted buildings in the evacuated zone of Chernobyl, Ukraine. He has freelanced hundreds of articles and short stories. In September 2015 Kegel Books released his suspense novel The Methuselah Project. His author site is rickcbarry.com.

 

#TheMethuselahProject

Help with Prepositions

For five years I worked as a full-time editor. During that time, I saw more grammatical and spelling errors than I can count. However, certain errors wormed their way into manuscript after manuscript of many different authors. Nowadays I see those same errors often repeated. 

If you want to strengthen your grip on proper English, here are a couple easy tips about prepositions.

On/Onto

The preposition "on" generally shows static location:

John was on the boat.

But what about this sentence?

John jumped on the speedboat.

Despite common improper usage, that sentence means that John was already on the boat and was jumping up and down there. It does not mean that he started someplace else and took a leap that ended on the boat. If you intend to say that John started out on a pier, or on a ship, or on some other object then leaped, ending on the speedboat, then that would be written with a different preposition, the one that incorporates motion:

John jumped onto the speedboat. 

So, "on" indicates location, but "onto" shows motion from one place to another. (True, there are figures of speech such as "on drugs" or "on a roll," but this discussion concerns only the most literal use of the prepositions.)

In/Into

Another little preposition that often causes writers to stumble is "in." Consider the following:

Jane walks in the gym.

That reveals Jane is already located inside a gym and that she is walking. Maybe she's on a track, maybe on a treadmill, but inside the gym is where she does her walking. That sentence does not mean Jane had been standing outside, then stepped through the gymnasium doorway. That concept uses a different preposition, the one that incorporates motion:

Jane walks into the gym. 

Once again, many non-literal figures of speech use "in" and have nothing to do with physical location ("in love," "in trouble," "to be in luck").

In summary, if you want to show literal motion and not simply location, remember to write "onto" and "into."  Mastering such fine points will show editors you actually know how to write.

Rick Barry has freelanced hundreds of articles and short stories and had two novels published. Kregel Books has slated his third novel, The Methuselah Project, for Fall 2015.

Yes, You Need the Conference Recording

by Rick Barry

          I didn't used to buy recordings of writers conferences. My thinking was, "Hey, I was there. I already heard the sessions I wanted most." Big mistake.
          Unless you have a superhuman memory that retains every thought, there's no way you can fully grasp and keep all the explanations, insights, and tips that you heard at a conference. Sure, you took notes on some key points, but how often do you pull out those notes and review them in following months? (Neither do I.) By listening to recordings of the workshops later, the concepts in them will sink deeper into your understanding and memory.
          Another bonus of owning the recordings (typically in MP3 format, but sometimes on CD) is that information you didn't need last week can become truly helpful next month or next year. (There's nothing like selling a manuscript to make you wish you had attended that session on marketing or the author/editor relationship!)
          "But I never sit in one place long enough to listen to the recordings." I don't either. My favorite place to review writers conference is in the car, while driving. This is a fantastic way to use otherwise wasted time traveling to work or to pick up the kids at school.
          "Well, my car is older. The radio doesn't have a port for a flash drive." Same here! My good ol'

A simple, inexpensive MP3 player/FM transmitter.

2005 Buick LeSabre (I know--"old person's car") has a fine radio, but no USB port. The solution is simple. For about $10 you can buy an MP3 player FM transmitter for your car. Simply plug the transmitter into the spot for the cigarette lighter, insert your conference flash drive into the device, set your car FM radio to a number that has no radio station on it, and then tune the FM transmitter to broadcast on that frequency. Boom! Suddenly your radio can pick up the workshops from the transmitter. With a click of the up/down buttons, you can cycle from workshop to workshop without even taking your eyes from the road.
          "But I haven't even attended a writers conference." Well, this way you can still gain many of the benefits of a conference without having been there. No, you won't be able to sit down with editors or agents to pitch your book idea. Neither will you have the fun of networking with other writers. But you'll still reap a boatload of information and inspiration at a fraction of the cost of attending. Most of my conference recordings come from the American Christian Fiction Writers conferences. Anyone can order flash drives loaded with sessions from past conferences here:

http://www.acfw.com/conference

          Have I convinced you yet? If so, start listening. Your writing and submitting are bound to improve!

Rick Barry has freelanced hundreds of articles and short stories, had two novels published, and recently sold a third novel to Kregel Publications!          

Do Your Verbs Need a Workout?

by Rachael Phillips

As a writer, I sometimes receive compliments about my books. A reader may appreciate my characters or my humor. Once I received kudos about food in my stories (“When I read your books, I know somebody will eat something scrumptious. I’ll devour a blow-by-blow description without swallowing a single calorie!”)    

But no one has ever said, “Rachael, I just can’t get enough of your verbs!”

Yet try writing a story without them. In romances, heroines and heroes would not flirt, flounce, fight or kiss. In mysteries, nobody would deduce, shiver, quiver or solve. Or die. Who reads mysteries in which everyone stays alive? Verbs keep the story interesting.

Given their importance, perhaps they should receive more attention. Too often, my verbs degenerate into couch potatoes, content to be, not do. “I AM” never denotes lethargy when the expression refers to God Almighty, the source of all creativity and energy. But too many forms of “be” (am, are, is, was, were, been) stagnate my scenes.

Superfluous “ing” verbs also drain a scene of vitality. They often clump together, clogging my manuscript, but a quick search helps me identify and smooth them, restoring movement to the story. Do you use “going to” in your writing, as in, “She is going to study platypuses in Australia”? Colloquial phrases such as this work in dialogue, but in narrative, the scholar and maybe even the platypuses (if they’re English majors) will fare better if she “plans to study” or “aspires to study.”

Bottom line, present or past tenses project much stronger action than “ing” verbs, so use the former whenever possible.

Verbs in active voice (“The octogenarian drives a purple convertible”) also trump verbs in passive voice (“A purple convertible is driven by the octogenarian”).

Lastly, experiment with vivid verbs. Overuse produces a big-plaid-with-floral-print effect (“She detonated the room with her presence and disseminated hellos, guzzling drinks and demolishing hors d’oeuvres”). But a well-placed, unique action can polish a paragraph to a spit-shine. 

So drag those verbs off the sofa and prod them into action. If we exercise to stay in shape, why shouldn’t they? 

What Do You Request from Proofreaders?

Smart authors realize the wisdom of getting others' input on their manuscripts. Some authors use "Alpha" readers, which some define as readers who provide feedback on a story as the book is being written. Others rely on "Beta" readers, who take the finished the manuscript and comment on the whole work before it gets submitted. (And yes, the two groups can overlap.)

No matter what you label the friends and colleagues who provide feedback on your manuscripts, you need to decide what it is you're asking them to do. Unless you tell them upfront, those helpful ones won't know for sure how to help you.

I call upon different friends to read and comment on various projects. A couple are fellow authors, but not all. Successful authors are busy people, so they might know their stuff, but they have many demands on their time. I prefer to call upon well-read acquaintances who love books and can articulate what works and what does not in a story.  

I don't keep a formal checklist of questions, but I here are some points I especially ask my readers to keep in mind:

1. Do NOT worry about hurting my feelings. Writing is business, and if anything about the story is ho-hum or worse, it does me no favors to pretend the manuscript is fine exactly as it is. Be brutal! Point out things that need more polish no matter how badly I might like to finish the project.

2. If you sincerely do like the story, that is great. BUT, don't just tell me you like it. What could make it better? Can a character be improved? Are there scenes that drag? Anything about the title rub you the wrong way? Could you see what was coming too easily? Anything that might add intrigue or suspense? Other ways the story could be strengthened?

3. Is the ending satisfying? If not, what went wrong for you personally?

4. If my readers have the time and inclination to catch typos, grammatical errors, mechanical glitches, etc., I love that. But I ask them to put more stress on the story itself. If the story puts them to sleep, no amount of technical perfection will help it to sell. (By the way, line-by-line editing is time-consuming and tedious. Consider hiring a professional if you want this kind of help, since it's quite a huge chore to request as a free favor.)


Are there other points you writers request of your proofreaders? If so, please share them!

Rick Barry has freelanced hundreds of articles and short stories, had two novels published, and has more projects in the works.

Goblins Spamming Your Blog Posts?

by Rick Barry

For months I experienced a daily nuisance. Maybe you have, too--spam comments on blog posts. And not the more recent posts. The goblins' comments always targeted my first couple of  posts of 2014.  But how to block them?

The spam messages might have been less irksome if they at least stated something connected to my post. Instead, I received pointless comments stating, for instance:

When most gamers found out about the i – OS App Store (along with the various other stores for mobile devices), many of them thought the games on the store would never amount to anything substantial.

Other comments arrived in horrendous English:

"Hi mates, how is everything, and what you wish for to say concerning this article, in my view its actually remarkable designed for me. Here is my blog post...."


Yes, I had taken security precautions, and Blogger never actually allowed these junk messages to appear. Yet, it sent me daily email copies of each new message, giving me the option of manually moderating and permitting the message, if I so chose.

Friends offered suggestions. One said her solution is passive resignation, which wasn't good enough for me. Another author explained that she chose to moderate ALL comments, which an additional chore for her, and which slowed the posting of comments by readers.

But my kudos go to author Sarah Sundin for sharing a simple solution. Sarah said, "Blogger actually makes it easy. If they're targeting one particular post, edit that post and click on the box to not allow comments." I had forgotten that Blogger offers that option right on the page where you compose blog posts. Here's what it looks like:

Options

Reader comments

Allow

Don't allow, show existing

Don't allow, hide existing

I clicked the option to keep the previous comments but to block all further comments on my two targeted victims. Sure enough, no more spam.

If you have a blog and have been receiving spam, maybe this option will work for you, too. If the goblins have not noticed your blog yet, beware! You could need these solutions sooner than you think.

Perhaps you have additional insights on blog spam? If so, please share below. I promise not to block you!

Rick Barry has freelanced hundreds of articles and short stories, had two novels published, and has more projects in the pipeline.

Could Publication Be Your Idol?

As a Christian author, I occasionally have to ask myself a question that I will now ask you: "Is getting published becoming your idol?"

Sure, the typical image of an idol is a solid object carved from stone, or clay, or even wood. It might be painted, and it might be adorned with gold or gemstones. In our mind's eye we picture uneducated pagans bowing down, making their petitions to this object. However, an idol isn't necessarily a solid object. An idol can literally be anything for which you live, or which gives your life meaning, or which would cause you serious depression if you could not have it. With that broader description, an idol could be almost anything. For instance, a certain type of physical body. The goal of being considered intelligent or helpful. Even success at getting published.

"But wait!" you object. "I want to get published for good reasons. My manuscripts glorify God. They contain important messages people need."

However, explanations make no difference. We can rationalize our "need" for any idol, including weight loss, education, productivity, and even getting published with with good, God-glorifying material.

I will not suggest for one second that all writers over-emphasize getting published and idolize that goal. I don't believe that at all. Yet, when I see the deep pools of depression that some sink into when they can't reach that goal--or can't re-acquire it after some initial success--I can't help but wonder whether they are elevating the goal to too-lofty a pedestal in their lives? Rejection slips serve to keep me humble and to remind me that--no matter how many manuscripts I've had published--I should never live for getting published.

Dear friend, getting published will not give your life meaning. It will not affirm your reason for existence. It will not grant you new respectability. It will not add a glistening halo above your head. It won't make you special in any way. So, if you knew right now that you would never be published (or never again), would you slump into depression? If so, perhaps this publishing goal has grown into an idol in your life. Perform a heart check. Better yet, ask God to examine your heart. If your goal of writing for God has grown even larger than your love for God Himself, that would be a vital lesson to learn!

May the Lord bless you!

Rick Barry has freelanced hundreds of articles and short stories, had two novels published, and has more projects in the works.

You Can Write Short Stories (Part 3)

by Rick Barry



(If you're interested in writing and selling short fiction, I suggest you begin with my first post in this series:

http://rickbarry.blogspot.com/2014/03/you-can-write-short-stories.html.)

          Let's jump back into the exciting topic of writing short stories for publication. At this stage, you have some possible target publications in mind for your stories. You have studied them. Next, based on what you learned about the publications (magazines, journals, Sunday school papers, whatever), you have brainstormed some ideas that pump your creative juices.

Genre
          Even before typing your title into a blank document, you need to decide a few things. What genre is your story going to be? Horror? Humorous? Sci-fi? Fantasy? Western? Contemporary? You get the idea. Deciding this in advance will steer you in the creative process.


Recognize the target audience 
          Equally important is the question, "Who is my target audience?" Your short story, no matter how wonderful, cannot target everybody from pre-schoolers to senior citizens. True, some adults will read fiction geared for teens. Some junior high girls will read romances intended for adults. Still, the majority of your readers will fall into some particular segment of society. Decide up front who those people most likely will be. Your choice of publication should give guidance here.
          When I penned "Ronnie Right's Wrong Day," I targeted lower-elementary students and added humor appropriate to the age level. Clubhouse Jr. bought that piece. Could I have sold the same story to Saturday Evening Post? Not likely. The fiction I've seen in the Post aims at adult readers.
          Some years ago I volunteered to lead a critique session at a Write to Publish conference. When I asked who would like to read a few pages for us to discuss, one young lady shot her hand up.
          "Okay," I said, "but before you start, let us know who your target audience is."
          She went blank. "I have no idea who my target audience is."
          If you release an arrow without aiming at any particular target, you have an excellent chance of hitting nothing in particular. The same is true in writing. At least target one portion of society for readability and appropriate interest level. Then the editor can tell whether your work is likely to appeal to his typical readers.

Remember: this is not a novel
           A novel provides much greater opportunity for imbuing your creation with back story, with gradual character arcs that encompass an inner journey and an outer journey, detailed descriptions, etc. Short stories? Forget it. As I've stated before, short stories are the SWAT teams of literature. You jump into the situation, locate the problem, handle it, then pull back out. You're done. Short stories simply can't offer luxurious time and space to accomplish all that novels accomplish.
          A writing student once asked if he could examine a short-story manuscript I had just sold. I was happy to oblige. What he noticed is worth mentioning:
          "You didn't say anything about where these people were before the story started or how they got here. You just jumped into the action. It's almost as if this were one chapter pulled out of a whole novel."
          He was correct. With short stories, you can simply hop into the situation, present the key characters, and run with it. The implication is always that these people were alive and doing something before the reader happened along. However, you don't necessarily have to provide the history undergirding the story. In fact, you might not even need a full resolution to the problem, if you can pull it off.
          With short stories, your characters might not change as they do in a novel. I once sold a story called "Jacob's Cell." In it, teenage Jacob languishes in a dreary prison cell. His grandfather from Moscow had warned him about communists and the extent to which such cold-hearted people could hate and persecute those who sincerely love God. As the story unfolds, the reader assumes this is a historical tale that takes place in the old Soviet Union. At the end, though, Jacob rallies his strength to look out the window, and in the distance he sees a pale-green statue of a woman lifting a torch to the sky. Does Jacob change or grow in my short story? Not much. The real change I aimed for happens in the reader who suddenly realizes it's a futuristic story about the United States, not historical Russia.

Your turn! I've shared a lot of tips concerning short stories. Now I hope at least some of you will give them a try.

To be continued...

Rick Barry has freelanced hundreds of articles and short stories, had two novels published, and has more projects in the works.

You Can Write Short Stories (Part 2)

by Rick Barry

Last month I introduced my topic of writing short stories for publication. If you're arriving late to the party and didn't see that post, you might want to start here: http://hoosierink.blogspot.com/2014/03/you-can-write-short-stories-part-1.html.

          Jumping back into our topic, let's assume you've decided to give short stories a try. I will further assume that you now understand the futility of concocting a story that fits no publication's particular guidelines and then releasing a shotgun blast of submissions in hopes of hitting an editor who likes your creation. No, you've done some homework. You have pinpointed several publications for which you would like to write, you've read their guidelines for submissions, and you've read enough past issues to gain a feel for the material these editors like to buy. What's next?

Ideas, Ideas, Ideas
          "Where do you get your ideas?" is the #1 question people ask me about writing. My answer? "Everywhere." Ideas surround us all the time. They flow through your mind disguised as the evening news. They sometimes hide, tucked away in your childhood memories. Sometimes they sit across from you at the airport. Allow me to share a few ideas I reached out and grabbed, then molded into short stories that reaped contracts.

Sci-fi
          One time I sat in my parked car, eating a Subway 12-incher and listening to the news on the radio. The announcer mentioned that China had announced interest in establishing a permanent base on the moon. The news item was brief, but it started me thinking. What if China really did build a moon base? Better yet, what if both the U.S. and China built moon bases, and it was possible to travel from one to the other across the lunar surface? From those humble beginnings I developed an 1800-word story I titled "Stranded." In it, a young technician from the American moon base is requested to take a moon buggy to the Chinese station to lend a hand with a computer glitch. Jettisoning protocol, my impetuous hero sets out alone. On impulse he starts hot-dogging and performing jumps over craters in the buggy, which he crashes. There he is, halfway between the two bases, with no wheels, a broken radio, and his oxygen running out... For that story, I received $400.

Contemporary YA
          Another occasion, I was in San Francisco to attend a conference. In my spare time I hopped a bus across town to visit the Pacific shoreline. On the way back, the bus ambled along Haight Street, where there was a wide selection of colorful characters to watch. As passengers got on and off, I began to think of story ideas. What if a teen guy boarded the bus and tried to impress the gorgeous girl sitting nearby with sunglasses? What if, after many attempts to get her attention, he finally started a conversation with her? The final result was an 1,800-word piece called "The Girl with Great Eyes." The twist came at the end. When the girl in the shades rose to get off the bus, she unfolded a white cane used only by the blind and tapped her way to the exit.

Non-fiction

          I mined my personal life to write a story for a non-fiction magazine based on people's reminisces of the past. In this case, the story was 100% true. I described an event from my childhood when I decided to help my mother with the laundry. In those days, our family still used a wringer-washer. When I shoved a handful of soggy shirt into the wringer, the rollers grabbed my fingers and proceeded to pull me into it! "The Washing Machine Tried to Eat Me" sold, and so, many decades later, I finally received some cash recompense for the scar on my left palm.

          Three different stories. Three different types of inspiration. The tricky part is developing a knack for weighing the essence of an idea in your mind. Is it interesting enough that strangers would read the whole thing? Is it unique enough to rise above the ocean of submissions from other writers? Is it fresh enough to make an editor offer a contract for permission to print it?
          Not all of my submissions have been winners. Especially in the early days of writing, I've penned my share of clunkers that didn't sell. In a sense, learning how to write short stories is a little like learning how to pan for gold. The newbie might search in the wrong places. Very likely, he'll get excited and waste time with literary "fool's gold," which isn't good enough to sell.  But if he or she has the patience and the basic gift for wordsmithing, experience will yield to sales.

To be continued...

Rick Barry has freelanced hundreds of articles and short stories, had two novels published, and has more projects in the pipeline.          

Interview with Suzanne Hartmann

by Jeff Reynolds

There are some stories that are hard to pigeon hole. One of these are Suzanne Hartmann's Fast Track Thrillers. But I'll let Suzanne tell you about that.

Jeff Reynolds: Welcome, Suzanne. I've enjoyed reading Peril, the first of the Fast Track Thrillers. What inspired these stories?

Suzanne Hartmann: Thank you for having me here on Hoosier Ink, and thank you for your kind words about the first book in my series. I’m so glad you enjoyed it.

The stories that eventually became the Fast Track Thrillers originally began as a bunch of scenes I created to entertain myself while sitting through violin lessons, soccer and baseball practice, and the innumerable hours spend driving the kids to and from their various activities.

The twist of NASCAR came about after my daughter decided she had a favorite driver. I knew almost nothing about NASCAR at the time and had never heard of this person. In the process of researching the driver to decide whether he was someone we should encourage our daughter to root for, I realized racing would make an interesting setting for some of the scenes I had created and began incorporating racetracks into my stories.

JR:  The second installment of your Fast Track Thrillers is approaching the starting line. Could you tell us about the series and your new release?

SH: Conspiracy picks up only a few months after the dramatic, surprise ending to Peril, and we rejoin Joanne Van der Haas, a top-secret agent with enhanced strength who works for the nation's most clandestine intelligence agency. When her boss is accused of selling government secrets, she must choose which to trust: the man she's worked with for many years or the NSA’s evidence. While things heat up at the agency, Joanne must also deal with her husband's serious illness, but when bad turns to worse, her friend, NASCAR Champion Stuart Jackson, follows through with his promise to always be there for her. His willingness to help leads him into danger. Joanne would rather not involve him in, but when she doesn't know who to turn to in the intelligence community any more, she has little choice. Joanne’s final assignment for the agency leads to disaster, yet opens the door to surprising information from an unlikely source. But is there enough time to prove who the spy is before Joanne is implicated too?

JR:  I have the impression that you've dealt with several obstacles both on the writing track and off. What has it been like, and what lessons has God taught you through the false starts?

SH:  Yes, I have, Jeff, both the typical obstacles any new author must negotiate and medical issues, including over twenty surgeries. The main thing I’ve learned from both types of obstacle is the need to keep my eyes on Jesus. When I put my focus on people, I will inevitably be disappointed. But when I lay my troubles at God’s feet, I can rest in the knowledge that He will meet all of my needs. Much easier said than done, but He continually shows His faithfulness when I am able to do so.

JR: Besides this series, you also have a book out titled Write This Way: Take Your Writing To a New Level. Any other interesting facts that might help writers here in their literary qualifying attempts? How did this book help with the Fast Track series? Or was it the other way around?

SH: I wrote Write This Way after writing Peril. It is based on the many lessons I learned during the process of revising the very rough draft of Peril (my first attempt at novel-writing). When I realized the issues I dealt with were common among new authors, I began blogging about them to teach others how to recognize and fix them. Eventually I had so many blog posts that it just made sense to compile them into a book to create an easy-to-use reference tool.

One stylistic error I address that I don’t see talked about much is the unnecessary use of small movements: turning, reaching, walking across the room, etc. Every action involves multiple smaller actions, but we don’t want to bore our readers with every single, tiny action required to accomplish something. For example, I could write, “James made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.” That involves many steps, from reaching into the cabinet to pull out the jar, to spreading the jelly. But since readers are familiar with how make a PB&J, we don’t need to include every little step. In the same way, readers automatically fill in little actions like reaching out before touching someone, or walking across the room to answer the door, or turning towards the window before looking outside. So we can leave these small motions out when writing.

JR: In my opinion, Peril didn't fit neatly into a typical genre, combining elements from romance, suspense, science fiction, and auto racing. Did the uniqueness of this story create some roadblocks in dealing with agents/editors? 

SH: I believe it did. Even though the story was well-written, it didn’t fit nicely into a particular slot—an oval instead of a circle, and many publishers don’t like to take a chance on such things. Thankfully, OakTara not only takes chances on novels that don’t quite fit the molds, but seeks them out, because they know there is a huge audience out there looking for books that are unique and break the mold.

JR:  I know that you're working on Revenge, the third leg of this series. Have you thought about what you'll do when your trilogy has crossed the checkered flag?

SH:  Although I have been pondering the idea of a prequel, I have decided to move on for now and concentrate on finishing two partially completed novels. One is also NASCAR-related, but it is a romantic suspense novel. The other—like the Fast Track Thrillers—has a twist of the unusual, but it is women’s fiction.

JR:  Thank you very much for your time. As I've mentioned before, I'm looking forward to reading Conspiracy. Any web pages you want to mention so your admiring fans can keep cheering you on?

SH:  Thank you for hosting me on Hoosier Ink, Jeff. Your readers can find out more about Peril and Conspiracy at my Fast Track Thrillers website at www.fasttrackthrillers.blogspot.com, where they will find lots of extras like character interviews and articles about some of my own personal experiences that are reflected in Peril, and the book trailer for Perl is located at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-

G_LzhD4zE&list=HL1330442585&feature=mh_lolz For more information about Write This Way: Take Your Writing to the Next Level, readers can visit my blog at www.suzanne-hartmann2.blogspot.com, where they will find tons of advice about writing. And I would love to connect with readers on Facebook.

“Physics & Your Fiction,” Guest blogger Albert Einstein

             First, let me thank Rick Barry for this chance to be a guest blogger. It is a great honor. I only hope he vill not edit my author’s voice out of this submission.

Second, some of you may vonder, “Vhat does this kook know about fiction? He is a physicist, not a writer.” Vell, let me assure you, physicists already live in their own little world. Ve know plenty about alternate reality!”

Now, back to the point: Vhat does physics have to do with you fiction writers? Plenty. Allow me to introduce Newton’s First Law of Motion in laymen’s terms: “An object at rest tends to stay at rest, vhile an object in motion tends to stay in motion vith the same direction and speed.”

“So vhat,” you ask?

Vell, here’s vhat, Mister Smarty Pants: If you relax too much, your novel is in danger. Let me rephrase: An author at rest, tends to stay at rest. For instance, if you love to lie on your couch with a clicker, your idea for a novel might go kaputt. Writing is hard vork. You must develop discipline. Rise early, if you must. Get out of bed. (It’s mind over mattress, Charlie.) Limit your minutes with the television. Vhatever it is that tends to put your body at rest, get control of that thing, or you are doomed. 

However, there is a positive side of physics in fiction writing. An author in motion tends to stay in motion. In other vords, vonce you develop a daily rhythm, a time in vhich you record all that gobbledygook you dream up inside your skull, you have a vonderful bit of synergy going for you. Keep it up, baby! Momentum is a vonderful thing. Vhen you go to bed knowing exactly vhat should happen in the next chapter--vowie! You vill be eager to rush back to that keyboard. No more writer’s blockhead for you. Your subconscious noggin vill keep vorking on plot ideas vhen you sleep, vhen you drive, etc. But, if you relax too much, if you start skipping your keyboard time day after day… Pffffft! Your momentum evaporates. It is gone vith the vind. (Sounds like a fiction title, ja?)
             Facebook? Facebook is not writing. It is dessert. Check your FB only after you have written, and you vill maintain momentum. E-mail? Same idea. Answering email first soaks up time and creativity. Keep up creative momentum first, then check email as a reward after x number of vords added to the story. You vill thank me, believe me.

A similar principle of motion applies after you make a sale. Vonce an editor buys your vork, keep that ball rolling. No matter vhether you sell an article, or a short story or a whole big shebang novel, do not let that editor forget you! Craft another vork of art, and submit it! Othervise, you end up trying to get your cold foot in the door like a begger over and over.

So I stress: Apply physics to your fiction unless you vant to bomb. 

(Trust me, I know a thing or two about bombs. You do not vant to do that!) 

Auf Wiedersehen!

  

When he isn't impersonating famous physicists, Rick Barry is the author of over 200 published short stories and articles, plus two novels. Visit his personal blog at http://rickbarry.blogspot.com.

Ten Tips from Tolkien

Need to enchant your fiction skills? Step into Middle-earth to find out how. In recognition of this month's movie release of The Hobbit, I'm reprinting here an article I wrote for Writer's Journal. I hope these principles will Ring true for your work as well.

          You’re creeping through a dank cave. You’re lost in blackness and wondering which way you should crawl. Unexpectedly, your fingers brush a small ring. Curious, you slip it onto a finger. Instantly, your eyes pierce the darkness and you discern the best slant to take. What fortune! You’ve stumbled across the Ring of Writing, transforming you from a struggling writer into a Best-Selling Author!

          Ah, if only success were so simple. Mystic shortcuts to publication don’t exist. You, the writer, must forge your writing skills in the fires of perseverance. However, help is at hand. Following are ten tips gleaned from J.R.R. Tolkien’s trilogy, The Lord of the Rings (LOTR). Even if fantasy isn’t your style, these principles will breathe life into other forms of fiction as well.

1. Give characters personal opinions.  In Chapter 2 of The Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo grumbles that trouble-making Gollum deserves death. However, Gandalf rebuts:

“Deserves it! I daresay he does. Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement.”

This exchange propels the narrative while showing contrasting viewpoints.

2. Give heroes weaknesses. If your protagonists are too fearless, too perfect, then your story is shot. Good heroes can be wounded—even destroyed—by the challenges facing them. For instance, when Gandalf tumbles into an abyss while resisting the Balrog in Moria, the reader bolts upright in shock. Gandalf was powerful, but still limited.

Notice, too, the frailties of other characters: Frodo has little confidence in his own strength and feels dragged toward doom. Weary Aragorn and Gimli can’t catch the Orcs that capture Merry and Pippin. Limitations don’t turn heroes into wimps. Rather, they build suspense and enable imperfect readers to identify with the characters.

3. Provide some background. Tolkien excelled at fabricating historical backdrops for his Elves, Dwarves, men, and hobbits. Fleeting references to Eärendil, Gilthoniel, and the perished realms of Gondolin and Númenor infuse this fiction with the feel of reality.

4. Maintain mystery.  Recall the night at Bree when a stranger named Strider invites Frodo to his table? The hobbit needs guidance but isn’t positive he trusts this fellow. Of course, the author could have made Strider flash a copy of his family tree and a photo I.D. But by doling out information about the Ranger in bits and pieces, the author intrigues the reader. Mystery sparks curiosity and keeps pages turning.

5. Breathe life into objects. The fact that you’re depicting a lifeless thing doesn’t force you to nail dead adjectives to it. Note how Tolkien portrays the trail at Cirith Ungol:

At length they were once more aware of a wall looming up, and once more a stairway opened before them. Again they halted, and again they began to climb. It was a long and weary ascent; but this stairway did not delve into the mountain-side. Here the huge cliff-face sloped backwards, and the path like a snake wound to and fro across it. (Italics added for emphasis. Chapter 8, Book IV, The Two Towers)

Motion verbs like looming, opened, delve, sloped, and wound imply action. They enliven a ho-hum pathway.

6. Create individuals. How boring Tolkien’s characters would be if everyone spoke alike. But they don’t. Sam Gamgee talks in the rustic style of a country gardener. And Frodo’s education affects his speech, even enables him to speak some Elvish.

          Remember which characters spoke these lines?

“Fear not! … Long have I desired to look upon the likenesses of Isildur and Anárion, my sires of old!” (Chapter 9, Book II, The Fellowship of the Ring)

“Hoom, hmm! Come now! Not so hasty!” (Chapter 2, Book III, The Two Towers)

“Don’t let them hurt us, precious! They won’t hurt us will they, nice little hobbitses?” (Chapter 1, Book IV, The Two Towers)

Of course, the speakers are Aragorn, Treebeard, and Gollum. Not all characters need an accent or verbal tic, but characters’ words should be consistent with  their personalities.

7. Cut out clutter. Some writers describe every freckle and hair. Not Tolkien. If any of his characters had committed a crime, no police artist could sketch an exact likeness based on the author’s scanty clues. And what exactly did the company eat between Rivendell and Lothlórien? Who cares? The reader’s imagination can bridge such gaps.

8. Paint pictures. When Tolkien introduces Éowyn of Rohan, he could have described her as “a tall, beautiful, blonde.” Instead, he wrote

Very fair was her face, and her long hair was like a river of gold. Slender and tall she was in her white robe girt with silver…. (Chapter 6, Book III, The Two Towers)

The simile “river of gold,” paints a striking image. Later, in Mordor, Frodo and Sam tumble into a tangle of bushes:

The thorns and briars were as tough as wire and as clinging as claws. (Chapter 1, Book VI, The Return of the King.)

These wonderful similes surpass imagery and suggest tactile sensations.

9. Be subtle. Don’t spell out everything. Hint. Let readers piece together part of the puzzle. For instance, when Gandalf accuses Wormtongue of treachery, he adds:

          “…were you to pick your share of the treasure, and take the woman you desire? Too long have you watched her under your eyelids and haunted her steps.”

          Éomer grasped his sword. “That I knew already,” he muttered. (Chapter 6, Book III, The Two Towers)

By not immediately naming Éomer’s sister, Tolkien permits readers to grasp Gandalf’s meaning on their own.

          Likewise, in the final chapter, the author could have bluntly stated, “Later Sam realized it was the anniversary of the day Frodo got stabbed with a Morgul knife.” But Tolkien’s subtlety is more satisfying:

It was not until afterwards that Sam recalled that the date was October the sixth. Two years before on that day it was dark in the dell under Weathertop. (Chapter 9, Book VI, The Return of the King)

10. Learn to plod. J.R.R. Tolkien wasn’t a full-time writer. The Foreword to his trilogy reveals his technique: “I plodded on, mostly by night….” If you can’t dedicate huge chunks of time to writing, just plod, line upon line, redeeming whatever minutes you can. Who knows what wonderful works you might pen, if only you’ll keep plodding?

Rick Barry has published over 200 short stories and articles, plus two novels. One of his novels is a fantasy, Kiriath's Quest.