Best Birthday Ever!

Photo by blickpistol @ pixabay.com

Shhh...do you hear it? Do you feel it? It is almost Christmas and the anticipation of celebration is in the air. You may be frantic with last minute shopping or brushing the sweat off your brow as you pull the last batch of cookies out of the oven, but at some point you, too, will stop long enough to breathe and be touched by the spirit of Christmas.

Being with family, eating mountains of food, and ripping the wrapping off of presents brings a joy that creates memories for years to come. All the work is finished and now you can relax and just enjoy the day of celebration.

After all, it is a birthday party.

It's easy to forget that many years ago a small baby was born and laid in a manger. Wrapped in swaddling clothes protecting him from the prickly straw, his parents looked upon him with love and wonder. Wonder at the miracle before them. A miracle that was wrought by God and bestowed upon the whole world.

This miracle child was... and is... the Savior of the world.

God with us. Among us. Within us.

As we prepare for the holiday, let us not forget that Monday is a celebration day. It's party-time! It's the best birthday the world has ever seen!

So have fun. Love on your family. And may you end the year with thanksgiving and praise for the One who came to love you and those all around you.

Merry Christmas!

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Sherrinda Ketchersid is a born and bred Texan, preacher’s wife, mother to 4 children. With the children grown and out of the house, she weaves tales of fierce knights and their ladies in a time where men were warriors and women had to be strong enough to keep them in check.

After taking time off from writing, she has returned with a new motto in place to spur her on. “Writers write. Everyone else makes excuses.” ~Jack Bickham.  No excuses this time. She is weaving her love of romance with history to bring joy and the hope of love to those who may one day read her stories.

You can connect with her through:

Personal blog: sherrinda.com

Twitter: @sherrinda

Instagram: @sherrinda

There Is No "Other Side"

Don’t worry. I’m not going Rob Bell on you guys. But today I want to chat about something I think is relevant to us all... the concept of the "other side" of the wall.

As humans, we are always reaching for something beyond our selves and our current circumstance. C.S. Lewis once suggested this propensity points to an innate desire for the heavenly, that which is outside of this world.

And as writers, we often reach for that “something” in the form of the publishing world. But have you noticed the “other side” of where you are is ever-escalating and never satisfactory? 

First, it’s “if I could sign with an agent, I’d be so happy.” Then, “if I could get a contract with a publishing house, I would finally feel like a real writer.” Then, perhaps, “if I could land in a larger publishing house, I’d have more resources and be taken more seriously.” And then the ladder continues to grow higher. Maybe you do land at your dream publishing house. Soon you have reviews to worry about, sales. Even if you become a bestselling author and get rave reviews from Romantic Times, and your Kindle sells are off the charts... then you have to worry about your next book. Certainly it won’t live up, right? Certainly you’ll be found a fraud. Comparison creeps in and becomes such an enemy of joy. 

Where do you stand on the ladder? Can you relate? Can’t we all? No matter how high you climb, you've never accomplished enough. 

Friends, let me tell you something. 

There is no “other side,” this side of heaven. 

Let that sink in a minute. Imagine that wall you’re trying so hard to scale fade away like a hologram. 

In God's eyes, that wall never existed at all. 

Now, let me be clear. I want that publishing contract with my dream publishing house. And I want to write for them for decades and hit bestseller lists, and I want my stories to change people’s lives. I mean I really, really, really want it, guys. But in this long journey toward publication, I’ve seen many people get my dream. And you know what? I­­t didn’t make them happy/confident/satisfied if they weren’t that way before the contract. Sometimes, it did the opposite. 

Because purpose and validation don’t come in the doing, but the being. 

If you are called, you are a writer because God says you are. You don’t need contracts/reviews/sales/visibility to prove your worth. 

You are worthy because He is. You are worthy because You are his. 

So let me ask you this. What if nothing taunted you with whispers of inadequacy? What if that “next thing” you’re trying so hard to attain was just another checkpoint in the journey, rather than a turning point of validation? And what if the person you are and will be exists not by what she’s achieved, but instead by who God already is, and has been all along? 

How would your life and dreams be different? Live like that today. Ask God to show you the walls you've built and willingly begun living behind.

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Ashley Clark writes romance with southern grace. She's dreamed of being a writer ever since the thumbprint-cookie-days of library story hour. Ashley has an M.A. in English and enjoys teaching literature courses at her local university. She's an active member of ACFW and runs their newcomer's loop. When she's not writing, Ashley's usually busy rescuing stray animals and finding charming new towns. You can find Ashley on her personal blog, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. She is represented by Karen Solem.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We are thankful for you!

In the Waiting

"I just love waiting an unforeseen amount of time for things I hold really dear to my heart," said no one ever.

I don't know about you guys, but I'm a do-er. When I first started this novel-writing journey--what was it? Seven, eight years ago?-- I thought if I just worked hard enough, I could make it happen. I was valedictorian, a university adjunct by age 24, and a girl with an amazing shoe collection. If I didn't achieve something, I just needed to work harder.

Looking back now, I realize I was such a child, you guys!

Because here's the thing.

Publication never was and never will be benchmark for "making it" or becoming a happy writer.

There is no benchmark for "making it" or becoming a happy writer.

There is only living within God's purpose or not.

There is only a life fulfilled or a life lived with perception of lack.

Now, don't get me wrong. I want to be published. I really want to be published. I want to hit the bestseller lists and my new personal goal is to be interviewed on the Hallmark Home and Family show. ;)

But I've realized something along this journey. That--all of that-- is not what writing is all about.

Writing is about the healing that comes from page to page. The messages the Lord gives you late at night. The friendships and mentorships that make you wiser, happier, and braver.

And that my friends, is why I believe so many published writers are still searching for an "it" factor... a contest win or a winning review or a certain number of sales... to finally give them that feeling of success.

Don't fall into the trap.

Don't tell yourself tomorrow will be different because tomorrow won't be different unless you are different tomorrow.

I hope this song encourages your heart if you're growing weary in the waiting. God has brought it to my Pandora station at some pretty apt times lately, and I know I can't be the only one who needs this message today. :) Because He's not just on the other side of the waiting. He's in it. With you.

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Ashley Clark writes romance with southern grace. She's dreamed of being a writer ever since the thumbprint-cookie-days of library story hour. Ashley has an M.A. in English and enjoys teaching literature courses at her local university. She's an active member of ACFW and runs their newcomer's loop. When she's not writing, Ashley's usually busy rescuing stray animals and finding charming new towns. You can find Ashley on her personal blog, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. She is represented by Karen Solem.

5 Tips to Develop Your Public Speaking Skills

This last mod of the Weekend MBA program at Purdue, I’m taking communications. It’s a class that comes fairly easy for me because I’ve spent the last 20 years intentionally working to become a better public speaker. When I graduated from undergrad many moons ago, I knew I wanted to develop as a speaker. I’d had a speech class in college, but the standard was so low, I could literally get up on days when no one else was prepared, extemporaneously give a speech, and get an A. Nice for the GPA. Not so nice for developing real skills.

Because I wanted to develop skills in this area, I intentionally sought a job in D.C. that would allow me to try, fail, and try again. I’m blessed that my bosses at the Leadership Institute gave me abundant opportunities.

I kept looking for them.

Today, public speaking is relatively easy for me. People often assume it’s always been this way. It hasn’t. Here are 5 tips that I hope will help you become more comfortable speaking.

1) Seek opportunities to practice. When the fear of public speaking ranks right up there with death, it’s often the last thing we want to do. Why on earth would we seek opportunities to do something that makes our knees quake, our stomachs tremble, and our vision blur? Because being comfortable speaking is an important skill that opens doors. So push yourself. Join an organization like Toastmasters.  The key is to practice.

2) Develop an area of expertise that you are passionate about. It is much easier to talk about areas where our passions lie. I can talk about the Monuments Men all day. I could elaborate on why I think it is so important to mentor young people consistently. You have areas of passion, too. Tap into those and your voice and gestures will be more enthusiastic and lively.

3) Watch other speakers. What do they do well? What could they improve upon? What can you learn from watching them? How do they engage with their audience? How do they use words and their voice to catch your attention. Imitate what you learn until it becomes natural to you. There are some masterful speakers to study.

4) Read Public Speaking Books. Wait. That sounds an awful lot like non-fiction, and we love fiction around here! There is a place for non-fiction and this is one of them. A lot of really smart people have written books sharing their secrets…we don’t have to learn the hard way. We can jump ahead to a new level of skill. There are a host of public speaking books out there.  A few I have in my library are Well Said by Darlene Price, The Exceptional Presenter by Tim Koegel, and How to be a Presentation god by Scott Schwertly. Others would add different books to this list. The key is to find a couple books, read them, and slowly incorporate suggestions into your speaking. The Exceptional Presenter has great tips on how to move, gestures, etc. Well Said has great basics on every aspect of speaking. Each has a strength. Taken together they form a strong picture.

5) Listen/Watch your speeches. Eric teases me when I listen to the podcasts or radio shows I’ve been a guest on. It’s not a matter of hubris, but a matter of listening to what I said and how and using that information to look for areas to improve. In the MBA class, each presentation is videotaped and we have to review and critique our performances. You should do the same. It’s only when you listen to yourself that you notice fillers (umms, uhhs, etc.) and note the speed you talk. It’s when you watch that you pick up nervous tics you’re completely unaware of. It’s not always comfortable, but it is a great way to learn.

What would you add to this list?

CLICK TO TWEET:

Are you a #writer who wants to grow your #publicspeaking platform? Then check out these tips from @cara_putman: http://bit.ly/2yVl5mb

Cara Putman

An award-winning author of 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.

Taking the Guesswork Out of Back Cover Copy

Whether you're about to start your NaNoWriMo journey, are plotting the bones of a new project, or have a manuscript finished and want to know how to position it, writing your back cover copy can be an invaluable step in creating a marketable, cohesive, solid story. 

In my full-time book publicist job, I was responsible for writing several back cover blurbs every day, but I've found it's a completely different thing to remove myself from my own story to write a high-level summary. Can I get a witness?

Both plotters and pantsers can benefit from being armed with this awareness of their story. Let's take some of the guesswork and intimidation out of it, shall we?

Important questions to begin with:

• What is the big question your story will answer? (Ex: Will the hero get the girl? Can the hero survive in the face of mortal peril?)                                                                                                               
• What does your hero want or need most in the world? (Ex: Closure, safety, to win his daughter back in a custody case, to defeat the villain and restore peace to the galaxy)

• What is keeping your hero from getting what he wants/needs? (Ex: An evil overlord, her own self-doubt, a greedy boss, his inability to move on from the past, an expiration date due to terminal illness, writer's block)

• What will your character lose if he/she doesn’t get this? (Ex: Certain death, unemployment, his biggest hopes and dreams, an important opportunity, her one true love)

• What must your character learn or do to overcome this? (Ex: Defeat the evil overlord once and for all, come to an important conclusion about his life, overcome her writer's block, accomplish X before it's too late)

The key elements of back cover copy are:

•       Hook: Grabs the reader’s attention, gives clues about setting/context, and creates reader expectations about what kind of story this will be
•       Defining Characterization: A defining feature about your main character that pertains MOST to the plot (i.e. age/job/social status/abilities/location)
•       Glimpse of Old Normal: A glimpse at your main character’s backstory or current normal existence.
•       Inciting Incident: An incident, change, problem, or invitation that sets the story in motion, begins the adventure, and/or propels the character from his/her normal life (often begins with “But” or “When”)
•       Adaptation: How the character adapts or exists in the new normal
•      A twist: Complications that arise and threaten to prevent the character from getting what he/she wants or needs most
•       Conclusion: What the hero must do to get what he wants/needs most. Often posed in question form.

Let's do an example from True to You by Becky Wade:
After a devastating heartbreak three years ago, (Defining characterization) genealogist and historical village owner Nora Bradford has decided that burying her nose in her work and her books is far safer than romance in the here and now (Old Normal).

Unlike Nora, (Defining Characterization) former Navy SEAL and Medal of Honor recipient John Lawson is a modern-day man, usually 100 percent focused on the present (Old Normal). But when he's diagnosed with an inherited condition (Inciting Incident), he's forced to dig into the secrets of his past and his adoption as an infant, enlisting Nora to help him uncover the identity of his birth mother,

The more time they spend together, the more this pair of opposites suspects they just might be a perfect match. (Adaptation to New Normal) However, John's already dating someone and Nora's not sure she's ready to trade her crushes on fictional heroes for the risks of a real relationship (Twist). Finding the answers they're seeking will test the limits of their identity, their faith, and their devotion to one another (Conclusion).

If you have your back cover copy written for your current manuscript, share it with us in the comments or let us know some of these elements from your story. Don't be shy! 

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Laurie Tomlinson is an award-winning contemporary romance author and cheerleader for creatives. She believes that God's love is unfailing, anything can be accomplished with a good to-do list, and that life should be celebrated with cupcakes and extra sprinkles. 

Previously a full-time book publicist, Laurie now serves as a virtual assistant and runs a freelance editing and PR consulting business called 1624 Communications. 

She lives with her husband and two small children in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Her novella, That's When I Knew, released with the Love at First Laugh rom-com collection this spring, and her debut contemporary romance novel, With No Reservations, is now available wherever books are sold from Harlequin Heartwarming.

You can connect with Laurie on her website, Facebook page, and Twitter. 

10 Great Links About Writing You Might Have Missed

Sometimes I stumble across blogs or articles that really resonate with me. They get me thinking about my own writing and how I can apply the principles to my story. So I've collected some links that have stood out to me over the past couple of weeks. Maybe some with touch you too.

1. Writing with vulnerability is something we all know we should do, but when someone does it and has has success, then we sit up and take notice. Michael Hauge points to a story of such a man who, in his vulnerability, gained a following. You can read about it here: Vulnerability & Courage

2. What if God asks you to write about something you don't want to? What do you say? Yay or nay? This article by Andy Lee speaks to writing the hard things instead of being a people pleaser. You can read about it here: Write The Hard Stuff

3. We make goals and meet them, but do you feel successful when you do? It's important to define our success in order to know when we have succeeded. You can read about it here: How to Define  Success

4. Publishing isn't for wimps and there are many hoops to jump through and hurdles to jump over. They are obstacles, but we must learn to consider them friends. They help us grow and mature along the writing journey. You can read about it here: Hoops Jumping for Writers

5. We all have issues with time management, as we all need more hours in our day. Edie Melson at The Write Conversation gives some excellent suggestions for finding more time to write. You can read about it here: 10 Tips to Simplify Your Writing Life

6. All writers are told to build their platform and be on social media. Bah! We have trouble finding time to write, much less spend time on social media. Andrea Guevara on The Write Life shares 5 fixes to build your brand. You can read about it here: Social Media for Writers: 5 Quick Fixes to Build Your Brand.

7. Have you heard about The Story Equation by Susan May Warren? She talks about the components to a great story plot and how to get put it all together on the Seekerville blog. You can read about it here: One Question That Will Unlock Your Entire Story

8. You have heard about the gatekeepers in the publishing industry. We all face them on our writing journey. Ann Kroeker, The Writing Coach explains the different kinds of gatekeeps and the good they do. You can read about it here: The Role of a Gatekeeper in the Publishing World

9. Do you use Twitter? Carolyn Howard-Johnson talks about the importance of hashtags on BookBaby Blog. You can read about it here: Making Magic With Twitter Hashtags

10. Everyone knows how hard it is to write a good query. Rachelle Gardner at Books & Such had a great post on what not to say in a query letter. You can read about it here: Avoid These Lines in Your Query Letter

What have you learned this week in regards to writing? 


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Sherrinda Ketchersid is a born and bred Texan, preacher’s wife, mother to 4 children, and secretary at public elementary school. With the children grown and out of the house, she weaves tales of fierce knights and their ladies in a time where men were warriors and women had to be strong enough to keep them in check.

After taking time off from writing, she has returned with a new motto in place to spur her on. “Writers write. Everyone else makes excuses.” ~Jack Bickham.  No excuses this time. She is weaving her love of romance with history to bring joy and the hope of love to those who may one day read her stories.

You can connect with her through:

Personal blog: sherrinda.com

Twitter: @sherrinda

Instagram: @sherrinda

It Should've Been Me

Today's post is so honest and hard that I hesitate to even write it. Because it's a rough-around-the-edges type of message that we all relate to, yet we all want to hide from. But I believe the Lord has something in this, so here it goes.

Four little words.

I don't care if you're an editor, a marketing director, an award-winning author, or a new writer with really big dreams. If you're further than six months into this journey, you've thought these four little words and you've felt them deep into your being.

It. Should've. Been. Me.

Can we get honest here? Because this is the ugly lie we've all caught ourselves believing.

Maybe it was a writing award. Maybe a promotion. Maybe the elusive book contract at the house of your dreams.

You've been chasing down this thing, and you've been hopeful, and you've been waiting expectantly. And then word comes that despite all the wishing and all the waiting and all the working, you aren't the one getting your dream. And maybe--even worse--someone else is living your dream (how dare they?!).

It bites.

Right? I mean, it does. And we all need to acknowledge that disappointment is inevitably going to sting. But at some point, we have to proverbially dust ourselves off and acknowledge something.

God does not dwell, nor does He gift, in scarcity.

See, the problem with our thinking is we begin to develop a victim mentality. Maybe we don't acknowledge it aloud, but each time we see the cover of that book that beat us in a contest or ousted us for a contract, our hearts constrict with longing. Longing is natural. But jealousy is ugly. We must carefully guard our hearts against the belief we are victims of circumstance, living in a realm of scarcity. For God does not dwell in scarcity, but in abundance. And God does not gift us in scarcity either.

If you are writing in response to God's calling in your life, you do not dwell in scarcity. Why would the God who created the universe be limited by contest feedback or a promotion or an acquisitions meeting? The Lord's plans are so much greater, friends.

So I want to encourage you--even as I encourage myself--to shift your thinking today from the perspective of scarcity to a perspective of abundance.

The big-picture verse for my current story is Psalm 66:12b. It reads:

"We went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance." 

You can trust the shepherd of your soul with your writing journey, just as you can trust Him with your life's journey. That's not to say it's always easy. That's not to say disappointment won't come and that the fire and flood won't overwhelm you. But He will bring you through, because He is the giver of all good things. Rejection does not define you. Your calling and your passion do.

And if the Lord has brought us into a place of abundance, who are we to live as if we've anything less?

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Ashley Clark writes romance with southern grace. She's dreamed of being a writer ever since the thumbprint-cookie-days of library story hour. Ashley has an M.A. in English and enjoys teaching literature courses at her local university. She's an active member of ACFW and runs their newcomer's loop. When she's not writing, Ashley's usually busy rescuing stray animals and finding charming new towns. You can find Ashley on her personal blog, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. She is represented by Karen Solem.

The Saturday Show on The Writer's Alley

Today we have the privilege to host guest, Lindsey Brackett.  Lindsey was at the Blue Ridge Christian Writers Conference with Mary and Pepper this year. We are giving a shout out to her debut release: Still Waters.

Here is a little bit about Lindsey. What a list of accomplishments! 

Award-winning writer Lindsey P. Brackett once taught middle grades literature, but now she writes her own works in the midst of motherhood. A blogger since 2010, she has published articles and short stories in a variety of print and online publications  In both 2015 and 2017, she placed in the top ten for Southern Writers Magazine Best Short Fiction. Previously, Lindsey served as Editor of Web Content for the Splickety Publishing Group, and currently she is a general editor with Firefly Southern Fiction, an imprint of LPC Books. In addition, she writes a popular column for several North Georgia newspapers.

Today on the Alley, Lindsey shares her thoughts on Time Management for the Writer with a Life. And boy can we use this, right?

Time Management for the Writer with a Life

People crack me up when they ask how I “do it all.” I’m pretty sure if these same people were a fly on my wall, they’d a) have full run of the house because I’m too busy to buy a fly swatter and b) realize pretty quickly, I’m definitely not doing it all.

What I am doing is a lot of little things that take up a lot of precious time. Some of these things help fund my writing. Some of these things help keep my sanity. A few of these things are because I’m still unable to use the word no to my best advantage.

And all the people-pleasers just whispered amen.

However, as my career grows, so do my commitments. I launched a book last month and suddenly social media, marketing, and networking have become black vortexes of time. I’ll sit at my computer for three hours, look up and realize I only accomplished one or two items on my Bullet Journal daily task list. (Canva is the culprit, I’m sure.)

I’m realizing pretty quickly I can’t go through life chained to my computer. There’s a time for “butt in chair, hands on keyboard”—and there’s a time for scrolling and posting and sharing. There’s also a time for walking and reading and cooking and showering. The trick is to realize: your time does not manage you. You manage your time.

I like to work in big chunks, so as my needs migrate, I’m muddling through a new system. I’m constantly self-evaluating, and I’m having to remind my task list that this thirty minutes of self-reflection is going to help me work more efficiently in the future.

Here are three questions to ask yourself as you manage your time:

1.    When do I feel most creative?

2.    What finished tasks bring me joy?

3.    What’s my return on investment (ROI)?

I’m at my most creative in the early morning hours, so right now I’m using those to work through my WIP and get it ready to send to my editor. I love teaching and connecting with other writers, so I’m changing some of my social media focus to allow time for engagement, rather than only sharing. I’m looking at my marketing techniques and putting my money into passive streams that make sales, but my time into places where I actually get to connect with readers, like libraries and bookstores.

We can all agree, as writers, we’re doing so much more than crafting stories. But I think we can also learn from and support one another so that venturing out into this beautiful busy place doesn’t have to be quite so intimidating. Don't you?


Here is Lindsey's debut novel!!

Still Waters, influenced by her family ties to the South Carolina Lowcountry, is her debut novel. A story about the power of family and forgiveness, it’s been called “a brilliant debut” with “exquisite writing.” A Georgia native, Lindsey makes her home—full of wet towels, lost library books, and strong coffee—at the foothills of Appalachia with her patient husband and their four rowdy children.

For more information about Lindsey and her writings: 

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Wow, Lindsey. Thanks for those amazing time management tips! We loved having you here on the Alley and pray God's blessing on your debut novel.

Do you have any questions for Lindsey?
If not, please leave her an encouraging word.