CFRR in Review

A month and a half ago I had the wonderful experience of participating in something NEW! If you’ve been on social media, you might have heard about it. At the end of August, the very first Christian Fiction Readers Retreat happened in Nashville, TN.

So…what is CFRR?

At first it was a dream – but with the right people in charge, it became a reality. From a wish whispered to Julie Lessman three years ago by Bonnie Roof, to a treasure-of-an-opportunity in Nashville, TN. Three devoted readers and bloggers decided that there needed to be an opportunity for readers and authors to meet together and mutually encourage, support, and uplift one another.

CFFR was born.

Bonnie from Overcoming with God, Annie from the blog Just Commonly, and Carrie from Reading is my Super Power cast a wide net to gather readers, bloggers, and authors alike to meet to learn, teach, laugh, pray, and worship together. It was such a unique and amazing opportunity.

So I’m going to give you a brief overview.

The theme of the conference was Honoring God Through Christian Fiction

YES! Readers + Authors + Jesus????? Add some chocolate and you have a perfect day! :-)

The atmosphere lit with a beautiful merging of learning, conversations, prayer, prizes, praise, and laughter.

Bonnie, Carrie, and Annie kicked off breakfast by sharing how the Lord blew their socks off with miracles in preparation for the retreat. Authors they never imagined showing up and response from readers that surprised them – definitely pointing to how this retreat as something lots of people had been waiting for!

Debby Giusti started the retreat off right with prayer. Interspersed through the panel discussions, presentations, and speed chats, was some praise time offered by Caryl McAdoo, Melony Teague, and Rachel Dixon.

The dynamic duo of Mary Conneally and Ruth Logan Herne (Seekerville Divas) hosted a presentation on their own writing journies (as well as some hysterical interactions between the two of them), followed by the amazing Julie Lessman, who shared her gripping testimony. Tamera Alexander came next, encouraging authors with her own struggles and successes along the writing journey. 

The first panel discussion included authors Carrie Turansky, Gabe Meyer, Jan Drexler, Jennifer Slatterly, Laura Frantz, and Myra Johnson. They answered questions related to the ‘writer’s life’ – and just proved that even within our sameness there are a lot of differences :-)

After lunch…in a very “Hogwarts looking’ dining room – where I sat with some new friends as well as sharing wonderful space with my lovely Krista Phillips, my adorable Rachael Wing, and my cute & sassy Sarah Monzon, we returned to the main rooms for worship and then back to some fun afternoon activities.

Laura Frantz spoke next, bringing her sweet spirit, fantastic southern accent, and beautiful personality to the audience by asking them questions.

Next was one of those ‘surreal-thank-you-Jesus-for-letting-me-be-here’ moments where I sat on a panel entitled Pucker Up (talking about romance and smooching in fiction). I was on this panel with the following AMAZING authors – Ruth Logan Herne, Melanie Dickerson, Kristi Ann Hunter, Janet Dean, and the ‘kissing queen herself’ Julie Lessman. WOW what fun!!!! I loved chatting about how a kiss is NEVER just a kiss – it should always have much more than just lips-on-lips. (though that part is fun too :-)

A Reader panel gave us authors a chance to hear from our audience about what they enjoy most about stories and authors. Readers like to hear from us, people!! And they want organic books that are realistic.

Speed Chats ensued – where authors moved from group to group like speed dating. So much fun and a great way to get to meet new people.

The next author panel about Imaginary Friends featured Kara Isaacs, Becky Wade, Carrie Fancet Pagels, Sarah Monzon, Dani Pettrey, and Mesu Andrews (who is now in my neck of the woods in western NC :-)

My thoughts:

I LOVE readers!!! Getting to meet readers, engage in conversations, find out what they loved about our stories, made this retreat truly spectacular. That touch point in closing the gap between authors and readers was amazing.

This retreat was the perfect combination of stories, readers, authors, and Jesus. The room exploded with joy and acceptance.

The retreat offered something unique in the realm of Christian fiction. Our writer’s conferences are fantastic, but this opportunity moved our words from a ballroom to an intimate fireside chat.

I can’t wait to experience it again in 2017!!!

In celebration of CFRR, I have a giveway for you!!

Some of the questions asked in the panel discussions are below. Pick TWO and answer to be entered into a CFRR-inspired giveaway!!!!

1.       What was the moment that you KNEW God had called you to write?

2.       What's the funniest/weirdest thing that's happened to you on your writing journey?

3.       Do you prefer stand-alones or series? 

4.       Do you prefer more passion in your books-both spiritually and romantically-or less? 

5.       How do you prefer to interact with your favorite authors? Through social media, or via newsletters?

6.       Speaking of just right, what elements do you think must be in the perfect fictional kiss? 

7.       What's your favorite kissing scene that you've written? 

8.       If your characters could describe YOU as an author, what would they say? 

A winner will be announced next Friday, October 21!!

Swooning with Austen's Heroes...Part 2

Last time I introduced the 6 Austen-hero-types, but only expounded on the first two. As a refresher, here are the 6 categories:

The Reluctant Hero

The Subtle Servant

The Good Guy

The Best Friend

The Reformed Rogue

The Anti-Hero

Though the last two hero types seem to cause greater swoon-power, I am equally impressed (and enamored) by the next two Austen heroes.

The Good Guy

This hero is good for goodness sake. The heroine meets him within the first chapter or two, and there is an immediate kinship because this hero has the ability to create instant camaraderie. He doesn’t brood, is honest, hopeful, encouraging, and usually has a fantastic sense of humor. Though – I’d have to say most of Austen’s heroes have solid senses of humor, this one may have of the best.

Henry Tilney

Austen describes our first glance at Henry as this: "rather tall, had a pleasing countenance, a very intelligent and lively eye, and, if not quite handsome, was very near it."

Henry Tilney, a second born son and one of the few ‘good’ clergyman in Austen’s novels, stands in contrast to many of her other heroes. He’s open, friendly, honest, has a fine income, quick wit, and teases the conventions of society. Much like Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady, he takes the poor, inexperienced heroine, Catherine, under his wing to guide her in ‘polite’ society – most of the time tongue-in-cheek style. Unlike Henry Higgins, he does not carry the same arrogance or self-importance, but seems genuinely kindhearted and goodnatured. Plus, he’s good to his sister and likes to read novels ;-)

In all honesty, how can you not like a guy who says stuff like this:

Miss Morland, no one can think more highly of the understanding of women than I do. In my opinion, nature has given them so much that they never find it necessary to use more than half.” -Ch 14 of Northanger Abbey

Austen's Mr. Bingley and perhaps Colonel Fitzwilliam might fit in here too.
Justin Wells from Margaret Brownley’s A Lady Like Sarah

Red Dawson from Mary Connealy’s book Montana Rose (FAVORITE Connealy classic)

Harry DeVries from Siri Mitchell’s She Walks in Beauty (FAVORITE Siri historical)

George Bailey from It’s a Wonderful Life

Captain America, Superman

David from my novel, The Thorn Keeper

August from my WIP, The Thorn Healer

Red Shirt from Laura Frantz's novel, Courting Morrow Little

And Jack from While You Were Sleeping

 

The Best Friend

This is the man who not only provides a solid friendship, but is a confidante for the heroine. The difference between him and the Good Guy type is the depth of relationship he already possesses with the heroine. His closeness, many times, fogs up the feelings of love growing between the two, and may become entangled with conflict, irrational behavior, withdrawal, and conflict before the pair realizes what revelation is taking place in their hearts. In my opinion, solid friendship is a prerequisite to true love, and there is rare beauty in a gentle transition of platonic relationship deepening with romance.

Within the uniqueness of this romance is the need the hero might have to 'set the heroine straight'.  Their close relationships encourages the hero to feel a particular need to keep the heroine on the right track and perhaps even reprimand her if she sways off.

Mr. George Knightley – George Knightley seems to possess all the makings of a perfect hero and without the brooding of Mr. Darcy or bitterness of Captain Wentworth (though both of those heroes are fantastic). He is prone to ‘right wrongs’ to the point of being a bit bossy sometimes, but his intentions are to bring Emma back to the woman he knows she truly is on the inside. Their friendship gives him the intimacy of knowledge about her which a shorter acquaintance might not provide. Controlled, even-tempered, and logical, Mr. Knightley only loses ‘his cool’ when he becomes aware of his deepening feelings for Emma, to which he then responds with foreign internal feelings such as jealousy and impulsivity. He is the epitome of kindness, and is quick to assist the needs of the women of his acquaintance. And though he sees clearly Emma’s flaws, he loves her still, perhaps his love even deepens because of the solid foundation of their friendship.

 John Brady in Julie Lessman’s novel A Passion Denied

Gilbert Blythe from the Anne of Green Gables series

Sam from my debut novel, The Thorn Bearer

Harry from When Harry Met Sally

Adrien from Siri Mitchell’s novel Kissing Adrien

What do YOU think of these two Austen hero-types? Have you ever written a Good Guy or a Best Friend? In my current historical romance I have a 'Best Friend' hero. In the third book of that same series, I have a Good Guy.

Thankful for Inspiring Authors

Last week and this one, on the Alley, we're taking the time to share our thanksgiving for those who've influenced, shared, or encouraged us in this writing journey.

Today, I'm going to share my gratitude for those authors who have inspired me!

It would take a novel to fit, on one blog post, all the authors who have inspired me and touched my life.  So instead I decided to write a "thank you" post for those who've inspired me the most in very different ways. I was going to limit my list to three… Then I expanded it to five… I think I've finally gotten it to nine? and I'm not going any further, though there are plenty other names I can add .

And that's not even including the AlleyCats. Ashley posted a great blog about the sisterhood of this group and the blessing they are in the last Tuesday's post,(to which I greatly agree).

So today, I'm sharing my thankfulness for Inspiring Authors.


About eight years ago I was introduced to two different authors of two different genres at about the same time. If you guys know my typical ADHD writing pattern you'll understand how special that was!! Within the same month I picked up Mary Connealy's novel, Petticoat Ranch, and Siri Mitchell's book, Kissing Adrien.

For the first time in this crazy journey I realized there were stories out there like mine. Stories with adventure, drama, humor, and… Jesus. Its was the 'aha' moment in my writing journey where I realized..."Oh, there are other people out there like me." (Not too sure how Mary or Siri would feel about being compared to me ;-)


Thankfully neither one of those authors minded being stalked by me, and they even helped guide me into making some connections that I might not have made otherwise. Siri Mitchell met me at my first ACFW conference and took me out for coffee. She prayed God would help guide my writing future and gave me such warm encouragement as a kickstart to the journey. Mary Connealy introduced me to the lovely ladies of Seekerville, where I garnered knowledge and support in my early learning phases of writing.

Seekerville led to a trio of more inspiration in the forms of Ruth Logan Herne, Tina Radcliffe, and Audra Harders. These ladies came alongside me and gave fantastic advice. Mama Ruthy even became something of a mentor for a while, urging me to pull up my big girl panties and take the punches with the praises. And, to this day, I'm known to Tina as the elevator stalker. At least I can provide her with a good story to share ;-)

Then I read Julie Lessman and KNEW I'd found a kindred drama queen and borderline overwriter :-)! Not only did Julie's writing inspire my tremulous attempts to write 'on the edge' but Julie's heart of encouragement continued to help me dream that this writing gig might actually happen one day. (In case you didn't know, I'd been writing novels for 20 years and actually pursuing publication for 11 years before I got 'the call', so encouragement was vital. The writing journey is not for the faint of heart or will)

And, of course, there is Beth Vogt, who has continued to be a sweet, calming sounding board and prayer warrior in my life. Her gentleness has mentored me through many trials on this journey. I can't imagine this path without her consisitent support...(and she gives great hugs)

Janice Thompson came next (notice my continued genre confusion ;-). Her generous nature, humor, and compassion are amazing. After reading one of my manuscripts, she said "This is better than anything I've ever written". Needless to say, I hung that quote up on my computer screen for weeks!! I'll never forget spending an evening with her in Houston and gleaning from her kindness and wisdom! (and she didn't mind my genre confusion, because I think she has it too).

Last, and certainly not least, I'm inspired by Laura Frantz. Her writing, almost poetic in its beauty, makes me study the craft to become better and better. And her heart is just as beautiful as her stories. The fact that she endorsed my debut novel still leaves me in a complete stupor of gratitude and awe!! It was a fantastic culmination of a long journey.

There are so many other inspirational people in my life (Julie Gwinn, my granny, my parents, my cousin, Ashley, my friends Jessica, Teresa, Lindsay, and Marie, my brainstorming team....and the list goes ON) who have all contributed in large or small quantities to inspiring me in this writing journey, but today I devoted my attention to the authors!

And there are many other authors who have touched my life. These 9 ladies, though, made a lasting impression on my writing, and my heart.

So....which authors have inspired you? Either through their writing or their lives?

The ABCs of A Writing Community

In light of the gathering writing community this week at ACFW!! An oldie but goodie!!

Pepper here.

I've always been impressed with the way the Christian writing community pulls together. I remember a conversation the Alleycats had at one of our get-togethers about what a unique group of individuals Christian writers are. In a highly competitive profession, where a large group of writers are trying to get their story in with a small number (and growing smaller) of publishing houses, we'd expect less friendliness and community and more isolationism and suspicion.

But no.

My experience has been one of the support, encouragement, and celebration.

In fact, Dawn Crandall (a writer I've never met) started reading my book two weeks ago and has not only given me GREAT pointers for publicity, she's also hooked me up with her entire Street Team of early readers! I'm serious. I received 30 FB messages in one day offering to be an influencer for my May debut.

CRAZY! AWESOME!

And endorsers? Laura Frantz and Julie Lessman were quick to agree - even though I KNOW both of them are enormously busy. Julie Klassen gave me some tips. Carrie Turansky encouraged. And all along the way people have come alongside me (as I'm wading through this new pool of 'publication') to help.

So - what do you do to build your writing community?

Let's get to the basics. A, B, C.

Appreciation and Attend - I didn't start out with a writing community. The Writer's Alley was a grasp for community between a few newbies (Sherrinda, Casey, Krista, Mary, and me) But along the way, I began to come upon new contacts too - by showing appreciation and attending other blogs.

It's sad how many people show appreciation nowadays - and the simple act can make the best impressions. I think that's one of the reasons God talks about an attitude of Thanksgiving in the Bible so much. A thankful heart is attractive and welcoming.

Ruth Logan Herne once told me that 1/2 of the battle is 'showing up'. That's how you build community too. BEING somewhere! Seekerville was one of the first places I visited because of  author Mary Connealy's recommendation. (I'd written her an email to show my appreciation for her book, Petticoat Ranch) - the appreciation led to my attendance at Seekerville! And eventually to creating a daughter blog, the Writer's Alley.


Build and Bring - These two go hand-n-hand and carry the same connation as the movie Field of Dreams. "If you build it, they will come" - Well, building something worth reading is a key ingredient to growing a writing community. Whether it is your novel, short story, or blog, make it worthwhile and (I cringe here because I'm so bad at this) consistent. I've recently revamped my blog to make it a more consistent offering - something I can actually DO! 2 days a week.
So build something worth reading and it will bring the readers and community!

Collaborate and Cooperate - this is where we give back! Promoting and encouraging other writers or readers on the journey helps create a sense of community. It's a give and take relationship! It may mean something as simple as sharing their FB status to promote their book. Letting them know you're praying for them. Offering to be an influencer or endorser, or being willing to host them on your blog.

Cheering as a team is so much more fun than cheering alone.

So - what are some ways you build your Writing Community? What would you add to my list? Let's work together here ;-)
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Pepper D Basham has been telling tales ever since she was a little girl. When her grandmother called her a “writer” at the age of ten, Pepper took it as gospel and has enjoyed various types of writing styles ever since. A native of the Blue Ridge Mountains, mom of five, speech-language pathologist, and lover of chocolate, Pepper enjoys sprinkling her native Appalachian culture into her fiction wherever she can. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC, where she works with kids with special needs, searches for unique hats, and plots new ways to annoy her wonderful friends at The Writer’s Alley. She is represented by Julie Gwinn and debuts her first novel, The Thorn Bearer, on May 7th 2015.

www.pepperdbasham.com

The Saggy Middle Diet

pixabay.com

Did that title get your attention? If you’re trying to shed a few pounds like I am, it might have J For the past two weeks I’ve been carefully following an eating plan in the hopes of detoxing my carb-loving, sugar-adoring, fat-storing body. I enjoy eating…for the simple joy of eating, and after a few years, and a few kids, it’s taking its eternal toil on me, so I’m trying to reduce my saggy middle.

It’s hard work, filled with strategic planning and purposeful eating.

Progress is SLLLLOOOOWWWW, but I hope the reward at the end will be worth the slogging.

Get where I’m headed?

One of the dreaded parts of novel writing or reading is getting to a saggy middle of the story. Sometimes it can seem sluggish and slow, other times it can feel really drawn, and there are even times when it might have lots of action…but its only action for action’s sake – it doesn’t move the story forward.

I’m writing the middle of my WIP right now and I’m trying to brainstorm ways to make the middle as powerful as the beginning and end.

Finding that ‘finely toned’ middle can be a lot of hard work, filled with strategic planning and purposeful writing.

I’ve tried to think of 5 ways to help support toning up the flabby middle of your novel.

1.       Spice Things Up – adding action or emotional intensity is a great way to spice up the center of the story. Mary Connealy once mentioned something about ‘when things get slow, bring in a man with a gun.’ J For her and Amy Leigh Simpson’s books, that would work….not so much for other types. The point is, if you can keep the intensity high (as you hope to do within each chapter), it will help keep the pacing of the story moving. 

This is usually helpful when you have some subplots going on.

It’s also a great place to reinforce your character arc by bringing in some good scenes to support or challenge the direction you want your character to go.

 

I’ve added a subplot which has really intensified the middle but also undergirds my heroine’s bigger story question.

 2.       Make Your Moments Count – but within the ‘spice’ your scenes need to be purposeful, helping spurn the story forward. A meaningless middle, even if action-packed, can still feel just as empty as the saggy middle. Every chapter, beginning, middle, or end, should help lead to the ultimate goal of your novel. Don’t just throw a smoking gun into the mix unless it’s going to help move your main story forward, either through character self-awareness or other-awareness.

 Just like on a diet, you’re keeping that bigger goal in mind as you make little decisions.

 3.       If You Get Off Track, Jump Back On  - High pressure is a notorious killer of creativity. Believe me, right now I totally get it! Having the pressure to get words on the page can instigate a whole host of insecurities and worries that can really kick in the writer’s block. An important thing to remember, is if you get stuck (or eat that delicious banana pudding on the 4^th), you can keep writing. So what if you have to delete the scene? Writing spurs on more writing. Other options might be taking a walk, watching a movie that will inspire your story creating, brainstorming with friends, or listening to beautiful music.

 I’ve been watching episodes of Downton Abbey, biographies about World War 1, and some other era-based movies to help when I’m stuck.

 4.       Keep Your Goal in Mind – You started this book with a purpose. As we discover our characters and story writing, we hope that initial purpose becomes clearer and clearer. As you enter the middle of your book, remember why you were drawn to this story-seed. What about the characters captured your heart to lead you into story-creating? Keeping the goal in mind will help you tone up the middle.

 

What about you? What are some tools you use to tighten your saggy story middle? What are some books you’ve read where you’ve enjoyed the story all the way to the end…even in the middle?

 

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Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor. She’s a native of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a mom of five, a speech-language pathologist, and a lover of chocolate. She enjoys sprinkling her native Appalachian culture into her fiction whenever she can. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC where she works with kids with special needs, searches for unique hats, and plots new ways to annoy her wonderful friends at her writing blog, The Writer’s Alley. She is represented by Julie Gwinn and her debut novel, The Thorn Bearer, released in April 2015. You can connect with Pepper on her website at www.pepperdbasham.com, Facebook-  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pepper-D-Basham or Twitter at https://twitter.com/pepperbasham

 

 

Freebie Friday!

Hey Alley Pals...

We're having quite the bummer summer with nonstop rainy days and a revolving door of sickness here at the Simpson homestead. I don't know how the weather is treating you in your slice of the ozone but since it's been nothing but rainy here I'm declaring it's a great day to curl up with a good book.

So here are just a few freebies you might want to check out on Amazon today! Happy, healthy Friday to you and yours!

xoxo

The Art of Falling by Julie Jarnagin 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Swept Away by Mary Connealy

The Rules of Murder by Julianna Deering

Deadly Devotion by Sandra Orchard

 

 

The New Recruit by Jill Williamson

Be My Love by Lucy Kevin

 

 

 

Enjoy <3

 

The Chocolate Cafe with Mary Connealy

There are a lot of people I look for at ACFW, but the Seekers are a group I make SURE to find each time. And author, Mary Connealy, is one of the reasons I've stalked the Seekers as much as I have over the past 4 years. (Well, Mary told me that I wasn't working hard enough to be a stalker and I "needed to apply myself" - so I need to stalk harder :-)

I read Petticoat Ranch in 2009 and immediately fell in love with the style, humor, and male/female banter. It was one of the first books in CBA I'd read which really hit at the humor aspect I wanted to write. (Siri Mitchell was another initial influence). 

Mary's characters have such vibrancy and each book is an adventure. So... let's see who one of her most memorable characters is?

I love Dare Riker, the hero of Fired Up because he is deeply honorable. So deeply honorable that he is tormented to realize that he completely missed the Glynna Greer was being abused by her husband and left her to be beaten a second time. It's destroyed his belief in himself and he no longer wants to be a doctor. Ever since he trained to help a doctor in the Civil War he's taken some smug satisfaction in practicing medicine without 'wasting a bunch of time' in college. Believing he's just as good as any doctor. But now he sees himself as a liar and a fraud and he's ashamed of himself.
 
But he has such a natural gift for nurturing and healing that everytime someone gets sick or hurt near him, he just can't help stepping in and taking care of them.
 
It's enough of a dilemma to drive a poor defenseless doctor mad!

I do like him a bunch - but why does Glynna end of liking him?

He's smart. Hard working. Kind. Intensely loyal. A natural caretaker. A driven student, learning all he can about medicine, more than most men who have been to college by reading everything he can get his hands on. Honest. Cute. Once he realizes Glynna's in trouble nothing matters but saving her. Including Luke's ranch.
 
Leaving her behind the second time he is called to her house, once he knows Flint beat her, knowing he will die if he tries to take her...and being willing to do that if it would save her, but knowing it wouldn't save her at all, nearly tears him in half.
 
Plus he is smoking hot and he wants to get his hands on Glynna so bad it is driving him mad and Glynna wants him right back.
 
What's not to love?

Wooweee! Romance with rifles! Passion with pistols. No doubt, Fired Up will take you on a fun and furious ride through another Connealy classic. If you'd like to hear more about character creation with Mary Connealy, you can check out her posts at Seekerville. You can also learn more about her books at her website.

Quotes for the day: (and Mary will probably appreciate these :-)

“Writing historical fiction is a legitimate use of Multiple Personality disorder.” 
- Peggy Ullman Bell

I get up in the morning, torture a typewriter until it screams, then stop.” 

-Clarence Kelland

Showing C.A.R.E in the First Chapter

Last year I had the opportunity to participate in my first speaking engagement as a writer. I lecture often in my job as a university instructor, so speaking on Autism or Speech-Language Pathology to a group of people isn't such a big deal.

As I was preparing to chat with a writer's group about the importance of first chapters, I thought of a cute acronym to go along with my teaching. (because it helps with memory, right?)

So - what keeps the readers reading in your first chapter?

Showing C.A.R.E. as an author. That's what!

C - Character relate-ability - If readers don't care about our characters in one way or other, they are less likely to keep reading. This doesn't necessarily mean that our characters have to be noble and righteous. It means they have to be relatable. An 'aha' moment of "I know how that feels" or "I've felt that way before", or "I've been there or done that" before. Somehow we have to relate.

So, if we enter the world of Narnia with Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, a reader might can't relate to the fears of WWII or stepping through a wardrobe into a magical world, but we can relate to being scared of something (like the children were of the bombs dropping in London) or of being in a new place (like in the Professors house), and we can remember 'dreaming' of imaginary places. It's wonderful.

A - Arrest the Readers Attention - Within the first page (preferably) an author must grab the reader's attention. Beginning your story in the beginning is not the best place, usually. Beginning the story IN MOTION is vital. Fairytales of years gone by which started with Once Upon a Time and then were followed with a five page narrative about the poor lost girl whose life was miserable, aren't hooking readers' attention or curiosity anymore.

Example: How do producers hook viewers for a 1-hour weekly series? The first five minutes (or less) of the show (before commercial break) begins with some arresting development. A body drops from a twelth story window onto the car of the hero/heroine; a recap of last weeks' ending reminds us that the heroine walked in on her boyfriend kissing another woman. Somethng happens to grab our attention and hold us through that commercial break.

The same is true for our writing.

R - Radiate a Sense of Place - Story Worlds are powerful places. From Middle Earth to Scarlet O'Hara's Deep South, to Dickens' London, or Brian Jacques' Redwall Abbey, place plays a big role in a reader's immersion into our stories. Downton Abbey is great for creating a sense of 'place' on the screen.

One of the BIGGEST reasons why fiction readers read is to escape their world or be entertained by someone else's story. Creating Story Worlds that do just that feeds the fiction reader's need, and makes them want to keep reading.

E - Emotions Draw Readers In - Relatability is one thing; An Emotional Connection is another. When the reader has an emotional response, he/she is usually hooked into reading more. If the response is caring, then great! If it's intrigue, good. If it is shock or fear (not my favorite ones, but some people like them), then they are more liekly to keep reading.

Jamie Carie begins her novel, Love's First Light, in the middle of the French Revolution with the hero's sister being executed. Emotional? Oh yeah! Mary Connealy usually begins her novels with the characters in peril. Emotional? You bet. Laura Frantz starts her novels off with historical beauty and depth of characters that create longing. Emotional? Definitely. And let's not forget humor! Like Janice Hanna Thompson or Deeanne Gist.

So, what do we need to do as writer?

Show our first chapters (and our entire books) a lot of C.A.R.E. and we'll really set the stage for a beautiful story.

Of the above 4 elements, which do you think is most important? Which one are you good at writing? Which one do you find most challenging?

Showing C.A.R.E. in Your First Chapter

Last year I had the opportunity to participate in my first speaking engagement as a writer. I lecture often in my job as a university instructor, so speaking on Autism or Speech-Language Pathology to a group of people isn't such a big deal.
But presenting about writing? Well, that was new. Fun, but new.

As I was preparing to chat with a writer's group about the importance of first chapters, I thought of a cute acronym to go along with my teaching.

So - what keeps the readers reading in your first chapter?

Showing C.A.R.E. as an author. That's what!

C - Character relate-ability - If readers don't care about our characters in one way or other, they are less likely to keep reading. This doesn't necessarily mean that our characters have to be noble and righteous. It means they have to be relatable. An 'aha' moment of "I know how that feels" or "I've felt that way before", or "I've been there or done that" before. Somehow we have to relate.

So, if we enter the world of Narnia with Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, a reader might can't relate to the fears of WWII or stepping through a wardrobe into a magical world, but we can relate to being scared of something (like the children were of the bombs dropping in London) or of being in a new place (like in the Professors house), and we can remember 'dreaming' of imaginary places. It's wonderful.

A - Arrest the Readers Attention - Within the first page (preferably) an author must grab the reader's attention. Beginning your story in the beginning is not the best place, usually. Beginning the story IN MOTION is vital. Fairytales of years gone by which started with Once Upon a Time and then were followed with a five page narrative about the poor lost girl whose life was miserable, aren't hooking readers' attention or curiosity anymore.

Example: How do producers hook viewers for a 1-hour weekly series? The first five minutes (or less) of the show (before commercial break) begins with some arresting development. A body drops from a twelth story window onto the car of the hero/heroine; a recap of last weeks' ending reminds us that the heroine walked in on her boyfriend kissing another woman. Somethng happens to grab our attention and hold us through that commercial break.

The same is true for our writing.

R - Radiate a Sense of Place - Story Worlds are powerful places. From Middle Earth to Scarlet O'Hara's Deep South, to Dickens' London, or Brian Jacques' Redwall Abbey, place plays a big role in a reader's immersion into our stories.

One of the BIGGEST reasons why fiction readers read is to escape their world  or be entertained by someone else's story. Creating Story Worlds that do just that feeds the fiction reader's need, and makes them want to keep reading.

E - Emotions Draw Readers In - Relatability is one thing; An Emotional Connection is another. When the reader has an emotional response, he/she is usually hooked into reading more. If the response is caring, then great! If it's intrigue, good. If it is shock or fear (not my favorite ones, but some people like them), then they are more liekly to keep reading.

Jamie Carie begins her novel, Love's First Light, in the middle of the French Revolution with the hero's sister being executed. Emotional? Oh yeah! Mary Connealy usually begins her novels with the characters in peril. Emotional? You bet. Laura Frantz starts her novels off with historical beauty and depth of characters that create longing. Emotional? Definitely. And let's not forget humor! Like Janice Hanna Thompson or Deeanne Gist.

So, what do we need to do as writer?

Show our first chapters (and our entire books) a lot of C.A.R.E. and we'll really set the stage for a beautiful story.

Of the above 4 elements, which do you think is most important? Which one are you good at writing? Which one do you find most challenging?

Is There a Knot in Your Plot?

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Have you been there?

Everything is going along fine and BANG - you've entered the land of a 'tangled mess', walking through a perpetual fog of obscurity and your entire story grinds to a slow and somewhat agonizing stop?

I've been there. More times than I care to count and in an attempt to help other weary travelers along the tangled path I have five things for us to consider if we've come upon a few Knots in our Plots.

Of course the perfect plots hold fabulous elements of twists and turns, taking us in directions as readers, we didn't expect to go - but a knot? A tangled web of indecision or confusion? NOT what we're looking for as writers OR readers.

So what can we do to un-braid the painful bunch?

1. Know Thy Characters - Lots of times our story crashes to a stop when we haven't really gotten to know our characters. It's difficult to dig deep in a novel if we've not taken the time to 'get in the heads' of our main characters. What do they want? What drives them? What would hurt them most? What do they need the most? My Book Therapy is great at digging deeper in character development to sort out the Lie your character believes, the Wound they've had in their past, and the desperate Truth he/she must discover by story's end.

I always start with a clear idea of my main characters internal conflict and motivation, as well as their external conflict and motivation, then I start digging deeper (asking the 'why' question)

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When we know our characters, their stories begin to untangle our knotted plots with their own unique story-lines and personal desires to propel us forward.

2. Don't forget the Dynamic Duo - Holy Plot Lines, Batman! It takes TWO??? Yep, whether you're a character-driven novel writer or a plot-driven novel writer, it's difficult to write a good novel without both! It's fine to have a stronger element, either character or plot, but if you've not given enough attention to one or the other, your story may come to a strange, obscure place - like two pieces not fitting in a puzzle. Maybe do some super-sleuthing and figure out if you need to beef up a weak hero or strengthen up a few plot points to turn dastardly into dynamic :-)

3. Take a Mountain view instead of a Tree Climb - Sometimes we just need to step back and get a big-picture view of our story to figure out why we're stuck. It's easy to get lost in the trees, sorting through a wild conglomeration of story-stew. Perhaps you just need a mountain-top experience to bring your full story back into view. What's the purpose of your story? What does your heroine want? Why does she need it so badly? Stepping back can give us the view of our dark and murky forest and help us see the detour around the knotted path.

4. U-turn OFF of Easy Street - Yeah, who doesn't want to join with Annie's crazy villain and dance on 'easy street'? However, easy street does NOT a story make. Easy plotline = bored reader. If you've come to a frustrating stop in your novel maybe you should do a quick complexity check for 3 important aspects to steer you into inspiration alley.
a. How complex are your main characters?
b. Do you have some interesting and supportive secondary characters?
c. How are you story-enhancing subplots driving your novel?

5. Hurt somebody - The secret weapon of fiction writing is CONFLICT! Oh yes! Mary Connealy once said that if you get stuck in a story, shoot somebody. Okay, so not everyone writes 'those' sorts of stories, but figuratively it works too. If you've reached a point of inertia, MOVE something! Add conflict. Throw in a twist. See what happens. Why did the story of a poor girl-turning-to-a-princess work for Cinderella? Evil stepmother - conflict. And just when you think everything is going to work out swimmingly, throw in a nasty cat named Lucifer (aptly named, btw) and you have MORE conflict.

There are lots of other ways to get out of sticky situation, so let's hear from you. Are you stuck? Have you been stuck? Did you figure a way out of the knot? Share your strategy with us!

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 Pepper Basham writes Blue Ridge romance peppered with grace and humor. She's a mom of five, speech-language pathologist, and lover of chocolate. When she's not aggravating the wonderful AlleyCats, you can visit her at her personal blog, Words Seasoned With Salt. She's represented by Nicole Resciniti of The Seymour Agency.