Being Nice: An Etiquette Guide for Published and Agented Writers

Have you heard about the girl who's caused a huge stir about her decision to stop wearing leggings in public with concern it may make men lust after her?

This post has nothing to do with that. :)

But it is about a similar question: what is the line between being considerate of others' struggles and unnecessarily catering to/coddling them?

Now, please know this post is meant as a fun, lighthearted look at a serious situation. I don't mean to point fingers or offend. I have been on both sides of the map as a writer with a fabulous agent and two published short stories, who is still desperately craving to see her novels in print. Therefore, with one foot in each "camp," so to speak, I feel qualified to look the issue from, well, both sides.

I've noticed that within the past few years, social media has taken a turn towards (sometimes heavy) self-promotion. I get it. Every published author needs to sell books, and aren't we all a little scared of not selling enough? But at the risk of giving advice completely counter to what your publishing house may have told you, sometimes self-promotion makes you sound like that friend who only calls to invite you to Mary Kay parties. There's a difference between building genuine relationships with readers and author friends via social media and using people for sales.

So I thought today I'd write a post that's a little different... some things to consider if you're a published writer as you engage in social media with so many hopeful-heart storytellers still waiting.

Do you remember when you were a little girl and you wore your mother's shoes around the house, wishing they would fit your tiny feet? I can remember this specific towel rack in my parents' old bathroom that I used to look at and think, "When I'm as tall as that, I'll be so grown." Blame Cinderella, but I used to dream about being old enough to go dancing-- really dancing, like learning to waltz and swing. Can you remember things you so badly wanted to do as a little kid?

Now that I'm an adult, it's easy to forget how deeply my childhood heart yearned for these things. In the same way, I think anyone who has been on the writing journey long enough may begin to forget the excitement and longing of those initial stages of writing... as well as the deep discouragement it can bring.

Photo by  khunaspix at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I've heard so many published authors say, "Just wait and see! Things get so much harder after publication!" Please, do not say this to writers who are still waiting. It's like looking at that little girl in those big 'ol shoes and saying, "Just you want until you're grown-- then you'll see it's bills and sleep deprivation and never enough coffee, and really not all it's cracked up to be." But what about all the good things? What about all the travels and the grown-up beauty and the dreams?

I think published and unpublished writers have so much to offer one another, but I've noticed that sometimes unpublished writers get a little gun-shy approaching "success stories." You may not realize it, but if you're published, you're kind of a rock star. Like, really. You are in a HUGE minority. You have written words that are actually printed and in front of other human beings--whether that's a book, a novella, or a magazine. Many... even most... writers never make it to the point of having actual readers! If you do have readers, what an influence you have, what a ministry! Please don't take that for granted.

I write all this not as a critique of published writers, but as encouragement to reframe your perspective. If you are feeling overwhelmed by your deadline, or discouraged by a bad review, take time to remember the big picture. You have the dream in your hands. It may not look the way you thought it would, and it may not be easy. At all. But again, you have readers, and that is nothing short of a crazy, miraculous thing. These stories started in your imagination, and God is using them to touch someone out there in the world--someone you may never meet. Someone who may even be reading your story as you read this post. How cool is that!

I also want to encourage you to be sensitive to your unpublished writer friends and remember what it was like when you were on the waiting side of your contract. Don't forget the doubt, and the tears, and the desperate prayers to God as you wondered if this thing was ever going to happen or if it's a huge failure of a dream. Don't forget that while people celebrate with you because you had lunch with your dream editor or you made it big in a writing contest, with too much detail, these successes will inevitably remind others of what they have not yet achieved... and sometimes that stings. Don't cater to every overly-sensitive individual who needs to get a thicker writer's skin, but do remember that doubt hits every one of us, as well as feelings of insecurity. Do everything you can to encourage the writers around you in their callings and dreams, because you are a success story.

And let's face it. The world needs to hear more of those.

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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.

How to be a Great Writer of Children's Stories or Any Story!

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Today's tips will wow you and benefit your writing whether you are writing for children, teens, or adults.

At the Write to Publish Conference this year, Jesse Florea, Editorial Director with Focus on the Family taught a class: How to be Great Writer of Children's Stories.  He gave permission to share these important tips. I've added the details.

1. Know your audience. It is all to easy to pooh pooh this category. Writers need to watch vocabulary-keep it high enough for the oldest reader in the category, interest, topic, theme, jokes, length of sentence, speed-high action, and etc. Consider your audience and write to them.

2. Think like a child when writing for children when expanding the text. Likewise think like whoever your audience is. When writing for children you can say "as big as a school" because they would understand that. Don't say in 1926. Do say: when your great grandmother because it is a time reference they understand. A good example of a story book knocking this out of the park: Sally Lloyd Jones: How to be a Baby by Me, the Big Sister.

3. Work on a gripping opening. You only have ten seconds, three sentences to lock your readers into the story. The story must be like sticky fly paper where the readers simply can't leave. They must finish the story.

4. Use vibrant active verbs. Never start a sentence with It or There. Also avoid is, was, and were. A good writer can rewrite, editing any of these words out of a sentence. This does not mean you cannot use state of being words. Use them only when absolutely necessary.

5. Don't go adjective crazy: One well chosen adjective is better than three strung together. Brevity is clarity. More is not better. When using a dialogue tag, just use said. Don't use fluff words like shouted, growled, huffed, begged imploringly, etc.

6. Do use interesting dialogue: Inject the dialogue with great verbs. Let your characters say believable and appropriate words. Do not use cool phrases like hot or narly

7. Watch POV filtering. Bad-He heard the car horns. Good-The car horns blared.

8. Use humor freely. Collect funny things and keep them in your hat. If someone laughs when you tell a story in a group figure out what made them laugh and make a repertoire of these. Give your story a pulse with humor. 

For children and as appropriate for others use: 
Repetition: poke little puppy, 
Switches:   Freaky Friday
Word play: Louis always did things left, batted left...but his coach told him to play the game right.
Exaggeration: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

9.Don't wrap up your story in a nice little bow. When you end a story be honest, even if happily ever after is not the result. The ending should leave the reader with an ultimate satisfaction AND a tinge of dissatisfaction for flavoring.

10. Stay out of cliché land. Don't go there. Readers love love to read new phrases. One of my favorites is from Devil Wears Prada when Miranda says "Go ahead and move at a glacial pace, you know how it pleases me." Isn't that awesome? Some writers slip cliches into dialogue. Avoid this at all cost. Use your creative writing genius instead and wow your readers.

11. Leave readers with a nugget of truth. A story is pointless without a nugget of truth, in any genre.

12. Be creative. God created. He created us in His image. We are to be like Him. Therefore we are creative. Don't follow the world repeating what has been done. Be a leader with writing. 

13. Write compelling characters. How many of these do you know? Scarlett. Rhett. Belle. Clark Kent. Giver. Gatsby. Harry Potter. Tigger. Jack Ryan. Will your characters be compelling?

13. Follow the rules. Brainstorm ideas with others. Outline the story. Work through the draft. If necessary do thirty or more revisions before sending the book to an editor/agent. Watch the word count and format.

14. Know the industry. Trend entertainment. Watch the trailers of what is coming out. What do readers buy? What are readers raving about?

15. Be yourself. Readers can spot a phony a mile away (whoops, a cliché!)  Write who you are. Clues that the writing is an imitation bleed through the pages and mar the story.

Your turn. Which is your favorite tip? 
Which is the dreaded tip?
If you can't decide, please take a second to say howdie doo. Standing in the Alley alone is no fun.

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If you found any typos in today's post...Mary Vee, (that's me sheepishly grinning), is waving her hand as the guilty party. 

If you have questions or would like this topic discussed in greater detail, let me know in the comment section. I'll gladly do the research and write a post...just for you :)

Mary has moved to Michigan with her husband, closer to her three college kids. She misses the mountains of Montana, but loves seeing family more often. She writes contemporary and romance Christian fiction, is honing marketing and writing skills, and loves to pen missionary and Bible adventure stories on her ministry blog, God Loves Kids.

Visit Mary at her website and her ministry blog to families: God Loves Kids. Or chat on Facebook or Twitter

How to Entice Readers to Turn the Page

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The number of unfinished books that have visited my nightstand in the past are way more than ten. You too?

Have you ever forced yourself to finish a book "just because" and for no other reason? That book is collecting dust, too, right?

I'm really not a high maintenance reader. 

I simply want a story that is realistic, draws me in, causes me to empathize for the right characters, and hate the others. 

While I'm putting in my order, I also like stories that surprise me, wow me, make me laugh, cause me to reach for a tissue, force me to shout out loud and feel embarrassed when my family looks at me weird. Is this asking too much?

I am a writer. I am also a reader. I always start a book hoping it will send shivers up my happy scale, cause me to want to read it again, and show me what a well written book looks like. 

Perhaps you are the very writer I want to read. The one who distracts me from a crummy day at work, the snobby cashier, the rotten driver who nearly ran me off the road, the fifty cent jump in gas price while I ran in for one grocery item, or the perfect dinner in the crock pot that didn't get turned on (Erica Vetsch recently confessed to this one).

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Readers want to turn pages. Readers want to feel the power of a story that could change their lives. Readers want stories like Esther to move them rather than be lectured with ten points. Readers love to read.

Writers just need stories that put out the welcome mat.

So, how can writers welcome a reader, show them a comfy chair, and hand them their favorite beverage to keep them turning pages?

One of the best way to gift a reader is to have a page turner novel. One way to set up page turners is by giving a special gift at the end of a chapter.

Often readers will endure slow moments in a scene, sometimes these are breathers for the reader. But if the end of a chapter ends with everything wrapped up with a lovely pink bow or has no action, the reader might close the book instead of turning the page to dive into the next chapter.

In Tim Shoemaker's class: Take Your Fiction to the Gym presented at the Write to Publish Conference this year he helped me see how crucial the end of a chapter can be to keep the pages turning.   

Choose a random chapter from your WIP. You know the scene, the characters, etc. Now look at the end of the chapter (which may not necessarily be the end of the scene) and answer these questions:

1. Who is the POV character? 
2. Where are they?
3. What have they just seen, heard, said, done, etc?
4. What is the most unexpected word or action that could happen at this specific moment?

This doesn't have to be something huge. But it can be.

Here are some examples:
*Girl meets boy, (nothing new). Girl dresses nice and hopes boy wants to date her (nothing new). Five minutes before Mr. Wonderful arrives her little brother shoots her with his squirt gun...that has red dye in the water.

Or...Girl gets a call five minutes before Mr. Wonderful arrives. The doctor's office says she has a brain tumor.

*Man is walking down the street to his place of employment. Car drives by and splashes mud on the man. He goes to the men's room to wash, reaches into his pocket for his phone to call a family member to have them bring a new outfit. The same pocket he keeps his wallet. Only he doesn't feel his wallet.

Or...he reaches into his pocket and finds the one hundred dollar bill he thought he lost two weeks ago.

*A truth that rocks the POV character's world. (Boyfriend finds out his girlfriend is actually married. She discovers she is adopted. They find out the neighbor robbed a store ten years ago and is still hiding from the police.)

*Something undoes things just when everything seems right for the character. (Turbo tax says she owes $9,859.42, Or his shoelace is untied. He trips and falls into the waitress carrying a large tray of food. Or... he trips and falls, knocking the papers off of a desk. He finds the one he'd been looking for. )

*The pov character received a reward-A promotion, the guy breaks off an engagement with the other girl, chosen for first place, etc.

*The pov character finds a treasure that changes them (Found a priceless painting in a garage sale, a long lost photo of a family member, the key that unlocks the hope chest in the attic)

*It could be a phone call, a letter, troubling news

*Maybe something big like the birth of a grandchild, word of an inheritance, a house fire, lost job, major illness

*It could be something as small as someone peeking around the corner and catching the character doing something.


Whatever you choose must be: 

* Something the character cannot fix. This will give more power.
       The flat tire has made them late. What did the character miss?
       The phone call has canceled an important appointment. 
       Your character has witnessed something good or a crime.

* Needs to be unique or you will loose the surprise effect.

Tim Shoemaker's class showed me the importance of putting something enticing, mysterious, suspenseful, or surprising at the end of every single chapter. This is doable. Ask your character what is the one thing they would not want to have happen at that moment...then write it in the scene.

Let's share good examples from either your manuscript or a book you've read. Tell one awesome page turner (feel free to condense or share the text).

Tim Shoemaker shared one about a teen boy trying to ask a girl to a prom. Paul tried to be alone with Joyce all day at school, but never had the chance. After school he went home, took a shower, put on nice clothes and drove his jalopy over to her house. He practiced his words all the way there and was confident Joyce would say yes. He turned on to her street and pulled up to her house. In the driveway, Chuck, the captain of the football team, stood next to a shiny black Fiat....talking to Joyce. What did the teen boy do? Turn the page and see.

Your turn. If you can't think of an example, please take a second and say howdie doo. Standing in the Alley alone is no fun.

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If you found any typos in today's post...Mary Vee, (that's me sheepishly grinning), is waving her hand as the guilty party. 

If you have questions or would like this topic discussed in greater detail, let me know in the comment section. I'll gladly do the research and write a post...just for you :)

Mary has moved to Michigan with her husband, closer to her three college kids. She misses the mountains of Montana, but loves seeing family more often. She writes contemporary and romance Christian fiction, is honing marketing and writing skills, and loves to pen missionary and Bible adventure stories on her ministry blog, God Loves Kids.

Visit Mary at her website and her ministry blog to families: God Loves Kids. Or chat on Facebook or Twitter

She Wanted to Be a Writer-- at 100 Years Old!

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A car accident took her husband. She'd barely turned fifty and no longer saw a purpose in life.

She didn't feel like eating and hid away from everyone -- until a friend visited her. "Ella, you can't die!" Her friend asked what career had she always wanted to do. "Work with children" was Ella's answer. 

Ella went to college (remember she is fifty), earned her certification and applied for jobs at age fifty-five. She taught for about ten years, saw the needs of many children, went back to school, and became a social worker.

While helping the needy children, she saw how drugs hurt their lives. She built up a camp, that provided a place for the children to clean out their bodies and find a new purpose in life. 

By age one hundred, Ella had many experiences. She felt as spry as her grandchildren and decided she wanted to learn to play the violin or maybe become a writer. A coin toss chose her next career. Ella became a writer.

She studied the craft while writing articles, a history of her county, and a novel, and probably more!

Dennis Hensley, professor at Taylor University, presented his interview with Ella and wrote several articles about her writing career that lasted until she was 106 years old. He told his class at the Write to Publish conference about this amazing lady.



There are times when life can rip us apart. Thankfully, God gives us friends and family to encourage us. Like Ella, what we choose to do with each day could impact more people than we realize.

Time is a gift given brand new, with no mistakes, every day. 

Twenty-four hours. Sometimes events, commitments, and pressures make the day feel like five hours, and that is okay. God will give us a new set the next morning. 

Dennis Hensley talked about two basic kinds of writers and how they used their time: the write players and the write producers.

A write player is one who shows the world her intentions to compose the next great novel. She attends writers' conferences, wears clothes that makes her feel like a writer, talks about her idea, tells all their friends even the hotel maid walking down the hall about the novel she is working on. In one year's time she's managed to have an outline, maybe. None of us want to be this kind of writer.


The write producer has her seat in the chair everyday. Sometimes for five minutes, hopefully for two hours. The plot of her book takes on twists and turns breathing excitement. Words are edited and fresh words keyed on the screen. The write producer knows when to walk away from the words to think and work through the next scene and when to rush back to the chair, ready to type.

Time Management is crucial to a write producer. 

Many things can suck the life out of our writing time without our noticing. Take this quiz to determine your need, or confirm you are already spot on as a writer producer. 

1. What is the greatest distractor of your writing time?
    A. Social Media
    B. Television
    C. Emails-Internet
    D. Other (not essentials like caring for family, etc.)

2. How much time do you spend with this distractor each day? (For now make a guess. Tomorrow, for just the one day, jot down the time you spend doing this activity. You may be spending more time than you thought.)
    A.  Thirty minutes
    B.  One hour
    C.  Two hours
    D.  More than two hours

3. What is the excuse that draws you to the distractor?
    A.  I will only take a minute.
    B.  I need a break.
    C.  Someone else calls my attention to the distractor.
    D.  I don't feel like writing at that second.

4.  What is the best way to draw you back to writing?
    A.  A reminder of my commitment to God to do this writing project.
    B.  Seeing my work space.
    C.  My main character pops in my mind.
    D.  Available time.

5. If your confidence has been lowered for any reason, what works best to restore your drive?
     A.  Time with God.
     B.  Sitting down/going for a walk and enveloping myself with the story.
     C. Talking about my story with a writer friend.
     D.  Writing the next scene


Answering questions like these helps me see where my focus is. I probably would answer the questions different from one week to the next--and that is okay. By confronting myself with these questions, I become aware of what I need to do to honor the time God has given me to be the best writer I can be.

Here is one last question for you.

What would like to be doing if you reach one hundred years old?


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If you found any typos in today's post...Mary Vee, (that's me sheepishly grinning), is waving her hand as the guilty party. 

If you have questions or would like this topic discussed in greater detail, let me know in the comment section. I'll gladly do the research and write a post...just for you :)

Mary has moved to Michigan with her husband, closer to her three college kids. She misses the mountains of Montana, but loves seeing family more often. She writes contemporary and romance Christian fiction, is honing marketing and writing skills, and loves to pen missionary and Bible adventure stories on her ministry blog, God Loves Kids.

Visit Mary at her website and her ministry blog to families: God Loves Kids. Or chat on Facebook or Twitter

You Want Me to Use Linkedin? Seriously?

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Seriously, you want me to start a Linkedin account? 

Maybe.

After researching Linkedin and the benefits to writers for literally hours, I felt like a ping pong ball smacked from those singing the praises of this social media to the naysayers. 

The benefit of my experience to you is a totally middle of the road presentation. I won't garner my marketing skills to persuade you one way or the other. The decision is yours.

What is Linkedin?
Linkedin is a place for professionals to find you and for you to find professionals. Okay that works, writers are professionals. We learn our craft and sell a product.

Why would a writer want to develop a Linkedin account?
1. Writers and authors can find individuals and groups with similar interests. Since this social network is designed to link like-minded professionals, expanding your tribe is much easier than searching for these individuals on Facebook, unless you happen to know the person's name.

2. Linkedin has a group feature that allows the member to join up to fifty groups. In these groups you can meet others with interests that match a tribe you are building then leap to friends of friends. 

3. By setting up an account, focus on a professional presentation. This is not a casual site. Treat it like a nice restaurant. Make sure your conversation is dressed up and smile. You could be offered a writing opportunity. This is a great way to build your credibility as a writer

4. Writers who would like to earn money doing articles, technical writing, curriculums, etc, could benefit from Linkedin. Even authors who prefer to only write books might want to set up this account to do freelance writing on the side. Conferences can get expensive. Why not earn a few writing dollars on the side?

5. The google search algorithm will count links from your Linkedin account to your online content. Facebook links don't count.

6. Linkedin is designed to help professionals who are looking for employees like you. In my research, I visited one site where the writer had forgotten she'd set up a Linkedin account until one day when she received an email from a newspaper wanting to hire her to write a regular column. She didn't have to advertise or do anything to promote her work other than to set up her account. Of course, had she posted or interacted more with her Linkedin account, she might have found work sooner.

7. According to a 7/17/13 article on writerswin.com: 

LinkedIn is a social media marketing tool too often overlooked by authors as “that’s for business” or “it’s just about finding a job.” Nothing could be further from the truth. LinkedIn packs a serious marketing punch, primarily through its groups, which are nothing less than social networking on steroids.

Linkedin groups can help you:

* Reach groups with similar interests.

* Ask writing/technical and other questions and get answers. You can also answer other people's questions.

* Some groups allow you to promote your writing and website.

* Build a tribe 

On the other hand, writing is your number one focus. 

To have more than, say three social media groups, I'm thinking of Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads (other choices might be Pinterest, Instagram, Google+) would be to tip the beneficial scale. 

We are expected to market out books. We need to participate in social media to promote our writing. But remember, all things in moderation. If your time is sucked up in marketing you won't have a product to market. 

So the choice is yours. In my opinion, I took one afternoon and set mine up. Every blue moon or two I take a peak at what is going on. What does it hurt?

Do you have questions about Linkedin?  I will answer all those I know right away and research those I don't. But I will work to find an answer for you.

Or if you don't have a question--say howdie. I hate spending the day alone.

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This blog post is by Mary Vee

Mary has moved to Michigan with her husband, closer to her three college kids. She misses the mountains of Montana, but loves seeing family more often. She writes contemporary and romance Christian fiction, is honing marketing and writing skills, and loves to pen missionary and Bible adventure stories on her ministry blog, God Loves Kids.

Visit Mary at her website and her ministry blog to families: God Loves Kids. Or chat on Facebook or Twitter

Proving You Really Have The Answer

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Too often we allow ourselves to be weighed down from reading comments, writing technique books, classes, blogs, and our own critical eye.





In the middle of rifling words onto a screen, this question sneaks into our heads: Will our manuscript e-ver be good enough for publication? Then POP, our enthusiasm and energy is zapped.

We here on the Alley are your cheerleaders!!! 

Let's get started.

Dear Jesus, I pray for all who are reading this post. May they sense the thrill in Your very being to help them write the story they are working through. Your word says You joy over us with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17). Each one of us. Individually. Drive away the doubts. Strengthen us as we endeavor to serve You. Amen

Since God has given us the desire to write, it is our duty to stand up to doubts seeping into our words and allow our strengths to show. Imitating others is an easy fall back. We like what other authors write then copy their style. Unfortunately we become expert imitators of another person's writing instead of the unique writers we are meant to be.

Some reasons our work doesn't glitter are: 
* We haven't taken enough time to learn the craft
* We didn't write
* We didn't edit
* We didn't write from our soul
* We're afraid readers won't like our story

A contest judge once told a contestant, "It is always better to be more conservative than to add words to impress. In this one section your voice sounded very natural. You bit off a little too much in this other section. Sometimes when you add a lot of extras, it's like unnecessary risks. Famous authors seem to do a lot of things, but they know when to wrangle it in. It is our job to wrangle in what we can do and make it tasteful. Get comfortable with your words, your story. Practice every day. And not just for a few minutes. Strive to become an expert." 

The answer is in you. Deep down you know what your manuscript needs for publication. (see the glitter reasons above)

All around us, we see and witness the answers to our writing. God sends the smells, conversations, what makes people laugh/cry, strife, settings, themes, what triggers a gasp, furry, song, silence. God has given us a whole world of answers from the micro to the macro. The variables are endless. All we have to do is write what we know.

Perhaps we have a fear readers will feel disconnected or hate our story because a necessary scene or character didn't agree with her values. Stand strong if the scene is truly needed to move the story forward. Confidence alongside discretion is needed in every word of our manuscript. 

Breathe when doubts pull you from your work.
Pray daily for God's blessings and direction for your words.

Strength is crucial and control needs to come effortlessly. I think of Francine Rivers who has drawn many to Christ through her books. Her stories are saturated with reality not theatrics. She never holds back and never takes advantage of an opportunity by including something that should not be in a scene. Her stories are true and powerful, personal, and glorifying to God, drawing His children to a closer walk with Him.

Someday when I grow up, I want to write with the same truth and power. I don't want to imitate Francine, but I want to develop into a writer who can impact many for Christ as she does.

When we write with a heart that is in sync with God and have studied the craft, we will find the answers needed to perfect our manuscript for the intended audience. 

The answers are found on the way to publication, through the stumbles, the friends we meet, and the scenic routes God leads us. Go and write for Christ.

So, how can we pray for you?
Do you have a writing question that is bugging you? We can help.
Do you have good news to share. Let us cheer for you!

Let us know in the comment section. Or simply say hi! We love to chat.

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This blog post is by Mary Vee

Mary has moved to Michigan with her husband, closer to her three college kids. She misses the mountains of Montana, but loves seeing family more often. She writes contemporary and romance Christian fiction, is honing marketing and writing skills, and loves to pen missionary and Bible adventure stories on her ministry blog, God Loves Kids.

Visit Mary at her website and her ministry blog to families: God Loves Kids. Or chat on Facebook or Twitter

How Can We Swap Research to Help Each Other?

I visited a superb restaurant in May. It wasn't a four or five star in appearance, but the food certainly was worthy of the rating. 

The lightly enhanced fresh basil salad dressing still touches my memory. The delicately spiced-to-perfection tomato sauce on the fettuccinie, and the tiaramisu--airy, melt-in-your-mouth silkiness, had balanced flavors which were faultless on the palate and guaranteed to be savored long after the experience. This was fine dining.

Inside Ciao!, a beautiful free-standing stone fireplace was set in the center of the room. Long, dark beams stretched across a white ceiling. The lobby had elegant sofas and wing backed chairs with material matching the decor throughout the restaurant.

The manager, elegantly dressed, visited every table and spent a few minutes chatting with the guests. She pointed out to us that the chef grew today's herbs in the garden located in the side yard and made all the dishes from scratch. The bouquet of flavors delicately balanced in our meal proved her words. 

I'd like to introduce you to Ciao! An Italian restaurant located in Sylvania, Ohio.  

If I had a character who wanted to be a chef in an excellent restaurant, or if my characters happened to have an evening with fine dining, I would take them to Ciao!  


Today we will explore swapping research to help each other.

As writers, we spend a large amount of time researching. Sometimes, we don't have a clear picture of a business because we are depending on a picture from the Internet and the words of a great marketer.

Today we will help each other by swapping information about the perfect restaurant to take our characters for any occasion. 

The next excellent restaurant I'd like to introduce you to is Waffle House. Yep. You heard me right. Waffle House. In this case I am going to specifically refer to the Waffle Houses located south of the Ohio border. 

During vacations, my family huddles into one of the small booths, orders food then wait for the show. The waitress turns her head and shouts the most amazing words. Something about smothered and covered. Her accent is a thick southern style with words stretching her mouth as wide as possible. 

I had no idea what the waitress was referring to when I first visited a Waffle House. She called out the order loud enough to be heard over chattering guests and the cook's clanking pans. Somehow the cooks managed to whip up breakfast foods at superman speed, delivering the meal to the waitress seconds after she shouted the order. This truly was a cultural experienced. I loved it! We put the Waffle House on our must do list every time we drive south of Ohio. If you need a place to tickle your funny bone, Waffle House is the place.

The caption with this photo read: Take note criminals. Waffle Houses aren't "soft targets" as it is common knowledge that legal gun carriers enjoy coffee and breakfast food. Dan Cannon link to article 

If I had a character who lived in a small town, she might be a cook at a Waffle House. The sheriff would be a regular customer along with the mortician, school teacher, and the preacher. When a stranger drove into town everyone would stop and stare, leery of what the wind just blew in with the dust. Decidedly a trouble maker until proven otherwise.

I really love both of these restaurants and would gladly eat at either one again.

Ready to work together? After all, our characters need to eat! 

Rules:
1. You must have eaten at the restaurant you select.
2. The restaurant does not have to be one that serves the needs of your current characters. We are here to help each other. So talk about a restaurant you liked. It might fit the need of someone else's character.
3. You are only allowed to choose restaurants you liked.
4. Not allowed to criticize a restaurant someone else chooses.

Instructions:

1. Choose a geographical area: 
Northwest, United States     Southwest, United States    Midwest, United States     Northeast, Unites States      Southeast, United States     International
or other

2. Choose a level of dining:
formal                       expensive but a little less formal           middle class
fast food                   cafe                                                       lodge 
or other

3. Describe briefly the setting/atmosphere inside the restaurant.
4. Comment on the food/menu/prices
5. What type of character would eat there and how do they need to be dressed?
6. Name the restaurant. YES, we need to know the name of the restaurant and the location.

I can't wait to see what you share! This will be a great help to all of us. Take notes!!

BTW you can choose the same restaurant as another commenter. Each of us have different experiences. Please be sure to add more information if you do. The more we know, the better we can help our characters find the perfect place to eat.

So....where should our characters eat?

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This blog post is by Mary Vee

Mary has moved to Michigan with her husband, closer to her three college kids. She misses the mountains of Montana, but loves seeing family more often. She writes contemporary and romance Christian fiction, is honing marketing and writing skills, and loves to pen missionary and Bible adventure stories on her ministry blog, God Loves Kids.

Visit Mary at her website and her ministry blog to families: God Loves Kids. Or chat on Facebook or Twitter