The Rest of Sally Stuart's Story

I've had a delightful time interviewing Sally. Some of us have posed questions directly to Sally in the TWV2 Christian Writer's Group on Yahoo this week. She hasn't disappointed. Here is your turn to feast in her wisdom.

In part one of this interview Sally presented the birth of The Christian Writer's Market Guide, who would take over the project, and other questions. You can read the interview here: Interview with Sally Stuart.

Today, Sally shares her personal ideas and tips:

Welcome back, Sally!

Let's get started. Tell us, Sally, what is your favorite book/genre and why?

I read constantly, so it's hard to pick just one favorite book. I guess I'd have to say, Come Away, My Beloved--which has been a staple in my quiet time over the years. For pleasure, I read a lot of suspense fiction. I'm not sure if I've ever asked myself why, but I think it's because I love the exercise of trying to figure out "who done it." As  a writer it becomes second nature to try and figure out how another writer plants the evidence we are supposed to overlook when we read so they can surprise us at the end.

So true. The detective hat is essential for writers, useful in all genre.  With this in mind, what advice would you give an aspiring writer?

First advice would be to write--and write a lot. It's by writing that we improve our craft. And although we hear a lot about the importance of marketing, having an agent, or whatever it is--what it all comes down to is it's the quality of the writing that makes the difference between getting published--or not. However, that said, studying the markets and determining  potential markets for what you want to write is also essential. And you must do that before you write so you can gear the piece to the specific needs of an appropriate market.

The reason so many writers fail is that they write something and then try to find a place where it will fit. The key is in identifying the appropriate potential market or markets before you ever start the writing. Editors these days are adamant about writers following their guidelines exactly. Much easier to do that if you know what those guidelines are when you begin. Also attending writers' conferences is a big help to new and experienced writers.

Oh, yes. And each year you kept us updated with modified guidelines in the Christian Market Writers Guide. We appreciated your ministry. Can you tell us how what has God called you to do next?

I'm still waiting for that message, but in the meantime I just want to slow down enough to hear that still, small voice that will take me on to the next adventure. Although I have given up the marketing column in the Christian communicator, I am starting a new Q & A column for the same publication. I hope some of you will e-mail me your writing questions at stuartcwmg@aol.com.

Your new column will be a great avenue for writers to learn. I'll ask the first question. Can you tell us one of the biggest mistakes writers make?

I guess the thing I have noticed the most over the years is that they give up too soon. Writing takes more persistence than almost anything else you can do. You have to give it the time it deserves (which usually means giving up something else you are doing), and then keep submitting it as long as there are appropriate places to send it. Even a dozen rejections is not a reason to quit submitting, as long as you have done your homework and are tweaking it each time to fit the specific needs of the next publisher.

Dealing with rejection is difficult for all of us. Sometimes inspiration motivates us to get back on target. Who has been your inspiration?

Of course, there have been a lot of people who have inspired me over all these years, but it consistently is those writers and even would-be writers who have the determination to do whatever it takes to get published, and stick with it even in the face of continuing disappointments. I have seen a lot of potentially great writers who didn't care enough to follow through and do what it takes to get published--which is really sad. But I've also seen writers with much less talent who kept working hard and with so much dedication to the task that they were published regularly. They are the ones who inspire me.

stuartcwmg@aol.com

www.stuartmarket.com

www.stuartmarket.blogspot.com 

Thank you Sally for sharing with us.  

We all wish you God's blessings in your new pursuits.

Do you have any other questions for Sally?  

Would you like to leave a comment of appreciation of encouragement for her?

Perhaps you have questions for Jerry B. Jenkins, regarding his new ideas for the Christian Writers Market Guide. He will answer your questions in my next post in two weeks, April 27th. I have a few questions planned for him, but need more.

Plenty for you to comment on.  Let's shower Sally and Jerry with our encouragement and questions!

P.O.M.P.O.M.S. For The Post-Contest Cheers

Yesterday Pepper brought us yummy chocolate to ease the Post-Contest Blues. Well, today I am bring you the tools to celebrate your Post-Contest Cheers. All cheerleaders have tools of the trade: their pompoms. So grab your tools and get to celebrating!

P   -  Praise - 1 Chronicles - 16:34 "Give thanks to God—he is good and his love never quits."

Praise your Father in heaven, who gifted you to write and in His own time, has given you success. I am sure you turn to God first and give him thanks, but truly He is our audience and He is the one who opens the door of opportunity for us.

O  -  Order thank you notes - Colossians 3:15 "And cultivate thankfulness." 

You don't really need to order thank you notes, but you do need to send thank you's to your contest judges. Even if your scores were not what you had hoped, the judges may have families and obligations just like you and gave up their valuable time to volunteer in this way. Forward your thank you to your contest coordinator, making sure you include the judge's number, and she will forward it to the correct address.

M  - Massage – Proverbs 1:30 -  "First pay attention to me, and then relax. Now you can take it easy—you're in good hands."

Oh, this may be my favorite. Treat yourself to a massage. You know you've been feeling those kinks in your shoulders for all that polishing and synopsis writing. Splurge a little. You deserve it!

 P  - Polish your manuscript.- Isaiah 5:27 - "None drag their feet, no one stumbles, no one sleeps or dawdles. Shirts are on and pants buckled, every boot is spit-polished and tied."

Oh yes. Don't wait until the winner is announced to get your manuscript ready. Buckle down and polish that baby up. Who knows? A big name editor or agent might request a full and you want to be able to send that shining manuscript their way.

O - Oscillate: Keep looking around, back and forth, for the next great idea.  – 1 Thessalonians 1:11 - "Pray that our God will make you fit for what he's called you to be, pray that he'll fill your good ideas and acts of faith with his own energy so that it all amounts to something."

Yeah, I had trouble finding a word...and scripture...for this O. But don't sit on your laurels (not sure what that is, but it's a nice sounding word, don't you think?) dwelling on the same manuscript. Keep your eyes open for the next big idea for a story. You never know what will spark the germ for a fascinating tale. 

M - Microphone: Grab a mic and give a shout out to other finalists and encourage those who didn’t final. – 1 Thessalonians 5:9 - "So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you'll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind."

Be a gracious winner. I confess, I am not good in this, but I had some wonderful examples of it this week. I had other finalists facebook me, requesting friendship and congratulating me. I had a couple of authors email me congratulations and encouraged me in my writing. I had twitter messages sent and comments on my blog. It was an outpouring of love. Reach out to others. Share their joy. Commiserate with their pain.

S  - Sit your behind in a chair and write. – Galations 6:4 - "Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don't be impressed with yourself. Don't compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life."

You should know this by heart, because it is the hallmark of a writer. Sit down and write. Keep writing new stories. Keep filling the page with ink. The more you write, the better you get. The better you get, the greater your chances are of making that sale. 

So as you cheer and celebrate, remember first who enabled you and give Him thanks. Then look to others, affirming and encouraging them. Finally, keep pursuing your dream. Keep writing. 

Write to your heart's content.

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Clip art from: http://www.acclaimclipart.com/

Scripture from The Message (and taken WAY out of context for my purposes)

C.H.O.C.O.L.A.T.E. for the Post-Contest Blues

Pepper here - so get ready for a LOOOOONG  post.
It's a good day for encouragement, especially since Genesis semi-final news came out on Friday.

If you have 5 minutes, get some chocolate for your heart.

C – Cry – Proverbs 13:12 -Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.  
It’s your story, you can cry if you want to.  Being upset, confused, disillusioned, and disappointed is part of the contest circuit. After all, we’re sending out our little babies into the war – judges carrying red pens to possibly scar our flawless novels. Scary! Been there more times than I have fingers. It’s a part of the learning curve for writers. But remember good judges have preferences, styles, experiences, and points of view from which they score your manuscript – and each one can be VERY different. Just this weekend, on the manuscript I THOUGHT would final but DIDN’T, I received two similar scores and then one that had a 40 point score discrepancy. WHOA! That’s a big difference.

H- Hold Back – Ecclesiastes 8:1 - There's nothing better than being wise, Knowing how to interpret the meaning of life. Wisdom puts light in the eyes, And gives gentleness to words and manners.

Don’t start blaming others or yourself. ‘Hold Back’ from reacting in a negative way that could give others a bad impression of you. People respond in different ways over contest results. Instead of plotting novels, some start plotting ways to squish the judges. Don’t waste all your creative energy on something as useless as THAT. Also, ‘hold back’ from thinking you are the WORST WRITER EVER. It’s a contest, not a degree from college. This one moment in time does not define you as a writer. It didn’t cost you enough money to have that kind of power over you J

O – Others – Proverbs 27:9 - ⁹ Just as lotions and fragrance give sensual delight,
a sweet friendship refreshes the soul.

One of the best cures for disappointment is finding someone who will listen. Someone who has been through the same thing and understands. My writing buddies, especially Sherrinda, Casey, Mary, K. Dawn Byrd, and the Seekers have been a massive encouragement to me when I didn’t final in the Genesis last year, and didn’t place in 2 other contests either. Knowing they had worked through similar discouragement, grown, and even gotten published gave me the courage to lift my head, stop wallowing in self-pity (mostly), and try again.

C – Chocolate – Do I really need to explain this one? Isaiah 55:1 (taken totally out of context) Why do you spend your money on junk food, your hard-earned cash on cotton candy? Listen to me, listen well: Eat only the best, fill yourself with only the finest. J

0 – Optimism/Humor –Proverbs 12:24 - Worry weighs us down; a cheerful word picks us up.

Proverbs 17:22 - Laughter is good medicine. Seriously. J And for the disillusioned heart, it can be a good source of healing. Perspective changes everything. The trip is always longer when you focus on how long it is, instead of focusing on the destination. Finding humor or joy in the middle of discouragement is the key to climbing from the mire and back onto the playing field. God loves humor, btw, he made a donkey TALK!

L – Learn – Proverbs 18:15 - Wise men and women are always learning, always listening for fresh insights.

I know, some of you may think you’ve reached the state of perfection, but I’m pretty sure our glorified bodies are only meant for post-mortem experiences. As you read through edits or critiques, or judge’s comments, take the opportunity to prayerfully consider them. Grow as a writer.  And while you prepare for your next contest or submission – study and learn. There are plenty of resources out there.

A – Attitude – Philippians 2:13 Do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God.

Much like ‘O for Optimism’, your attitude and determination about growing as a writer will help you put contest scores into perspective. Will you be bummed? Mad? Probably, but then what? Though anger might feel like a good starting point for growing (using all that energy it provides), you fizzle out pretty fast if that’s the only motivator. Something deeper inside you has to push you forward from one contest, or one story, to the next. An inner drive? A passion? A calling? Personally, for me- I feel God’s called me to this writing gig. And who He calls, he also equips. My mantra: God’s timing, my perseverance.

T – Time – Psalm 37:18 - God keeps track of the decent folk; what they do won't soon be forgotten. In hard times, they'll hold their heads high; when the shelves are bare, they'll be full.

The phrase ‘time heals all wounds’ applies here fairly well. It certainly doesn’t apply across the board, but in contests…yeah. Again, perspective. As I distanced myself from the disappointment and judges’ comments, I was able to read them from a fresh perspective. Take the good. Toss the bad. Pray – and read them again.

E – Enter –Psalm 31:24 – Be brave. Be strong. Don't give up. Expect God to get here soon.  

Don’t give up. Try again. Whether it’s reentering a contest, submitting to an agent, or hoping an editor will take notice of your work – one failure or rejection is just another step toward publication. Submitting is hard.
Scary.
But there is valuable information waiting on the other end of the ‘submission’ button – maybe even a win or a contract.
Ruth Logan Herne once said – if you don’t try, you’ll fail 100% of the time.
(The picture to the right is in honor of Annabelle Phillips, who received a new heart Saturday night. She and her family have been brave and strong for a long time. Praise God)

Keep writing.

Keep dreaming.

Keep trying.

The perfect dessert for the writer’s soul.

****************************************************************
Bible references take from The Message paraphrase

pictures courtesy of http://www.gizmodiva.com/
http://bookhuntersholiday.wordpress.com/2008/07/30/chapter-232-wtb-for-the-book-fair-supply-kit/
http://www.funny-potato.com/valentines-day-chocolate.html

What's Up the Street For Next Week?

The results are in.

Genesis semifinals were announced yesterday.

Now whether we were going for the gold, or just wanted to get some healthy feedback, we all were waiting for the ‘call’. Right? Come on – admit it.

Well several of the Alley Cats are getting to wade a little deeper into those Genesis waters, and we’re going to share some contest tips, clues, experiences, and learning curves this week to help you too. So we’re celebrating. Come on in and enjoy our Party - a Think-outside-the-box party, because as writers, that's what we do :-)

Read on to find out more about our celebration….

But first – we have WINNERS!!!

This weeks’ winners are:

Monday’s winner of The Healer’s Apprentice is Diane Shaw.

Tuesday’s winner of Lady in Waiting is Faith Hope Cherrytea and Joy Tamsin David is the winner of Petra.

Jennie Coughlin is the winner of Wednesday’s Margie Lawson packet.

The winner of Ruth Logan Herne’s novel Winter’s End is Patsy Houston.

Winner of Surrender Bay is lgm52

(contact Pepper at pepperbasham@yahoo.com with your snail mail)

Congrats to all the WINNERS!!!

So What’s our news here on the Alley?

Sherrinda & Angie are semifinalists in the Genesis in the Historical Romance category

Krista & Pepper are semifinalists in the Contemporary Romance category.

We’re so excited for our Alley Cats! And for all the other semifinalists.

For those of you who didn’t get a call yesterday, we send our encouragement. We’ve ALL been right where you are now. (Stop by on Monday & Tuesday to hear more)

Coming up this week?

Pepper, Sherrinda, and Krista are pretty sure their posts will be about contests. The joys, the tips, the disappointments, and the critiques, but to be REALLY sure – you’ll need to stop by on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday to find out.

Mary’s talkin’ about the Rest of Sally Stuart's story on Wednesday.

On Thursday, Casey’s welcoming author Karen Witemeyer who will blog about how she crafted a RITA finalist novel.

NEWSTAND

Wendy has Carla Stewart, author of Chasing Lilacs on her blog.

Siri Mitchell is the author in the spotlight this week on Words Seasoned With Salt.

Mark Your CALENDARS - The Writers Alley is coming up on its 1 YEAR Blogiversary. On Monday, May 2, the Party will begin - so celebrate with us. You know how much we like parties :-)

Scoring a Well-Rounded Manuscript: Voice

For many of us, time and practice help us become better writers, and more knowledgeable of the craft. We learn and get critiques and study and write, write, write, to help improve each manuscript. And we discover over the years that there are certain elements we want to include in each story to make it as well-rounded as possible.

I like to look at it like the game of bowling. Yep, scoring a well-rounded manuscript is like scoring a strike. Your goal with each roll of the ball is to knock down each and every pin, just like your goal when you attempt each new story is to encompass the most important elements of fiction or non-fiction writing and get it into your story.

These elements include everything from plot to characters to sentence structure. But today we're going to talk about Voice.

I see Voice as the lead pin. It serves that position well because, in order to score a strike, you need to hit this lead pin. It touches the rest of the pins necessary to score well. Similarly, in writing, Voice touches and makes an impression on the rest of the story in order to accomplish your goal.

So what is Voice?

It's your own unique writing style. Your vocabulary, the tone in which you write, your style, sentence length, etc. All these things are part of Voice.

How do you know your Voice?

Ask yourself these questions:

What style are you drawn to when you read?
What entertains you and inspires you to write?
What comes naturally to you when you put pen to paper?

And how else can you determine your own unique writing signature?

Try:

Journaling or blogging
*What comes out naturally, whether more poetic or more staccato or something else, is typically the writing style that's going to suit you best and sound unique to you.

Free writing or a writing prompt
*Use a writing prompt, like a set scene, or even a picture, and free write about it for around ten minutes to see what comes out.

Experiment
*Practice and try new things. Experiment with styles, POVs, tenses, and even with genres if you're just starting out and not sure where you fit (humorous, literary, etc.) in fiction or non-fiction.

Let others in
*Allow others to read your work. Sometimes you have a very distinct voice and don't even realize it.

I'd love to hear how you all discovered your voice or if you're still experimenting, so please share in the comments.

Also, this is the final day of our Giveaway Party! If you'd like to win a copy of Denise Hunter's Surrender Bay, please leave your e-mail address in the comments. Winners will be announced tomorrow.



***photo by battlecreekcvb

Combating the “I Bite” Blues

Editing first drafts will do it to you. Getting back a critique so marked up with red it’s difficult to read will do it to you. Discovering how often you use the word just and how frequently you begin sentences with ing words will do it to you. Anything can inspire that overwhelming feeling that makes you want to wallow in the mud with pigs. You know, the “I bite” blues.

So, are we supposed to roll over and play dead when we recognize that feeling? Heck no.

We need to throw on our gloves and put up a fight.

And what’s the best way to fight in our field?

We write. We edit. We do NOT give up when we are discouraged.

Ephesians 6 provides a step by step guide of how to equip ourselves when we come up against things that are meant to bring us down.

Here are some ways the Bible could relate to the tribulations we face in our industry as well:

belt of truth = we confront our weaknesses in our writing truthfully, but hold on to the hope of improvement

breastplate of righteousness = we go about our novel-building with integrity, weaving plots that inspire others

feet fitted with readiness = we read as much as possible, connect with other writers, and get a strong sense of what to expect in the industry

shield of faith = no matter how bumpy the road gets we stay the course and believe in our calling

helmet of salvation = we remember all that’s been done for us and the power in us enabling us to go on.

sword of the Spirit = we raise our swords to anything that tries to tear us down or dissuade us from our God-given dream.

Finally, we pray on all occasions! Get a manuscript request—pray. Get an agent—pray. Get a contract with a reputable house—pray. Get a new novel idea—pray. Feel like quitting—pray!

How do you combat the “I bite” blues?

***

I’m giving away Winter’s End by Ruth Logan Herne. Comment for a chance to win!

*photo from Flickr

Self-Editing Checklist: Consistency (Plus a Dynamite Giveaway!)

No, I'm not giving away dynamite...That might get me arrested. But I am offering a fabulous giveaway for people who want to propel their writing to a dynamite level. Curious? Keep reading. :)

Remember that self-editing checklist I've talked about in my previous posts? We're moving on to Point #3 this week. I call this one Consistency. (For points 1 & 2, click here.)

Under consistency, consider the following items for each of your scenes.

a) Have you left any dangling subplots or story lines? If so, is it intentional or do you need to fill in the gaps? In my last post, you may have gathered that I'm a spreadsheet nerd. So how do you suppose I track my subplots? That's right...in a spreadsheet. :) Whether you're a plotter or a pantser, I highly recommend you keep track of your scenes somehow, whether it's in Excel or on index cards.

In Excel, I create a column called Plot/Subplots. In my latest book, I have the primary plot of the romance between my main characters Brogan and Ivy, but I also have subplots of Ivy's troubled relationship with her dad, her struggle to get out of debt, and her job for her ex-boyfriend, to name a few. Next to each scene, I indicate which plot/subplots are addressed. It's not foolproof, but it does help me recognize if I've ignored the debt subplot for 20 straight chapters.

Resources: Camy Tang talks about subplot threads in this Story Sensei post.

b) Does the character's emotional or spiritual arc flow? Does your character hate her father in one scene and then give him a big old hug in the next? If so, there'd better be a reason. Jerking the reader up and down with willy-nilly character emotions will just unsettle them. Make sure the emotional arc picks up where it left off in the previous scene and move it forward from there.

Resources: For a quick hit on emotional arcs, check out this article. If you want to take your character's emotional arc (and your writing) to the next level, I highly recommend Margie Lawson's AMAZING course, Empowering Character Emotions. In case you didn't sign up after Casey's post last week, you can buy Margie's lecture packets (over 280 pages!) for only $22. It's seriously the steal of the century when you consider the AMAZING (yes, I used that word twice in one paragraph) things you'll learn.

Your homework for the next two weeks, should you choose to accept it: Read the articles I've referenced. And if you're ready to learn like crazy, buy Margie Lawson's lecture packet and gobble it up like your Thanksgiving turkey. Then analyze your scenes for consistency.

But wait! (Do you feel like you're watching an infomercial yet?) Remember that dynamite giveaway I mentioned? For one lucky commenter, I'm offering the choice of any one of Margie's lecture packets! The winner will be announced in our weekend edition.

Do you keep track of your plots and subplots? If so, how? How closely do you pay attention to the character arc?

*Rock climbing photo by Bill Longshaw / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
** Curve photo by Filomena Scalise / FreeDigitalPhotos.net