Top Tips for Marketing as an Author and Reader PLUS Giveaway

Hi! Sherrinda Ketchersid here. 

Spring is on our doorstep! A Season for New!

This month on the Writer's Alley we're introducing, discussing, and giving tips for some of those "new" chapters writers encounter. We have a lot to share! Last week, Mary Vee shared her top tips for before and after getting a book contract. Julia Reffner and Laurie Tomlinson will host later this month with great "new" topics for you. 

As I began thinking about this post, I started kicking myself (not really, but kinda really) for saying I'd take this topic. Me talk about marketing? I hate marketing! And I'm still a debut author with my first book published last May, so what do I know about good marketing? Well, I'm going to share some things I've learned here today and Thursday night I'm going to do a Facebook Live on The Writer's Alley and share some of the Alley Cat's best advice for marketing. (Yikes! I said I'd do a Facebook Live too????)

So let's get down to it. First we'll talk about tips for the writer, then switch to tips for the reader.

Top Tips To Do for the Writer:

• Begin early to search blogs you can guest post or get an interview on. If you are a member of ACFW and join their mail email loop, people will post when they are accepting guest bloggers on their blog. There are so many supportive authors who want to help you promote your new release. Schedule one a day the week(s) before and after your release. If you schedule more than one a day, it gets super busy and splits your focus. 
• Create a speadsheet of your author interviews, guest posts, etc. This will help in maintaining deadlines, sending all the required documents (book cover, author photo, book blurb, etc.), and other pertinent information.
• Use Canva or some photo editing tool to create memes with quotes from your book and do a week countdown with them toward release day.
• Follow book bloggers on social media and develop a REAL relationship with them - not just to promote your book, but share your love of books. When you have a book release, you can offer up a copy of your book for them to read and hopefully review.
• Start a newsletter. This was (and still is) hard for me, but as we all know, social media changes on a daily basis and is not reliable in getting our news into the hands of our followers. But an email list is YOURS and you can share book news straight into your interested readers' inbox. 
• Start a website if you don't already have one. Readers want to know all about the authors they read, so have a page about you, a page for your book(s), and a blog. A blog is a great way to share behind the scenes stuff about your book, your writing life, your reading life, and more. Yes, you can do this through social media too (or instead of a blog). 
• Gather a launch team. This was incredibly intimidating for me to do. There are many ways to do this and you can google "how to start a launch team" and will get hundreds of ideas. I decided to tell my newsletter subscribers and was able to gather some that way. You could open it up on Facebook too. It is suggested to have a survey or sign up form so that you get serious minded people who will follow through with sharing and reviewing your book that they got for free. Create a Facebook group for them and share memes with them to post, as well as share the blogs you are on so they can spread the word too. There may be some on your team who can host you as well.
• Hire a company that does blog tours such as JustRead Tours or Celebrate Lit. I hired JustRead Tours a few months after my release and could see an increase in sales. I highly recommend them! They were amazing to deal with and very helpful.
• Try and set up book signings in your local book stores or libraries. 
• Have a Release Day Party and celebrate your special day with friends and family. You will sell lots of books, so have plenty on hand. Make it simple. Cookies and punch. Talk a little about your book and how it came to be. It is a fun way to mark an important day in your life.

Top Tips To Not Do for the Writer:

• Don't try to do everything. You can't do it all and will burn out and not enjoy the whole experience of your book releasing into the world if you are stressed. Pick a few things to do and do them well. You don't have to join every single social media. Find what you like best and do it.
• Don't focus just on yourself on social media. Try following the 80/20 rule. Share about others or non-book news 80% of the time and 20% about your book news. 
• Don't follow reader groups just to advertise your book. Social media is about developing relationships and that is the goal, not just promoting your book.
• Don't spend a boat-load of money on Ads without doing your research. Some say Facebook ads are dead and others have huge success with them. Some say Amazon ads are the way to go and others say it's a waste of your money. Do your due diligence and find out what will work for you.

Top Tips for the Reader:

You might be thinking, "What? Why do I need to market my favorite authors?" Let me tell you, authors desperately need you, the reader! All authors are expected to market their books, even authors who publish with the big publishers. If you love an author's work and want to see more books from them, do your part in spreading the word about those beloved stories. Here's how you can help:

• Write a review and post on Amazon, Goodreads, Bookbub, and other sites. Reviews matter and help to boost the book in the "algorithms" that showcases books to others.
• Follow authors on social media and like/comment on their posts. This helps to build their platform that publishers want to see.
• Share author's news on social media, like new releases, book sales, etc. Word of mouth sells books.
• Subscribe to an author's newsletter. This keeps you informed of news, but also, publishers like to see an author's growing email list.
• Join an author's street team and be active within the group. This is huge to an author. They need people who love their books and want to engage.
• Ask your library to carry an author's book. More eyes on a book gets an author more readers.
• If you like a book, share about it on social media. Again, word of mouth sells books. 
• Do a giveaway for a favorite book on social media.
• If you are on Instagram, do a cute #bookstagram to feature a book. There are so many creative ways to share your love of books. 
• Nominate a book for your book club. Ask the author to Skype in for discussion. 

There are so many ways authors and readers can help each other in sharing their love for books and marketing those books. All authors were readers first and as a reader, should do their part in promoting others' books besides their own. It's a lot to take in, right? But if we are being honest, sharing our love for story isn't all that hard. Be real and authentic. Just a few lines and a simple photo of your book of choice is all it takes to spread some book love.

In regards to marketing and promoting books, what other ways can you think of to get the word out about your book or your favorite reads?

GIVEAWAY

***Giveaway closed and winner has been chosen.

The winner chosen by random.org is Patti Jo, aka CatMom. She has been contacted by email.***

In the comments, answer the question above for a chance to win your choice of:

OR

Your choice of any Alley Cat book still in print. Go HERE to see all the books!

Winner will be selected Friday, March 13, 2020

Also, stop by Thursday night at 7 pm Central for a Facebook Live talking about promoting books: tips for the author and the reader. 

See you then!!!

BONUS: If you would like to browse through my collection of marketing articles I've found on Pinterest, just go HERE.

______________________________________________________________________

Sherrinda Ketchersid is a lover of stories with happily-ever-after endings. Whether set in the past or present, romance is what she writes and where her dreams reside. 

Sherrinda lives in north-central Texas with her preacher husband. With four grown children, three guys and a gal, she has more time and energy to spin tales of faith, fun, and forever love.

When not writing, Sherrinda loves to read, paint in her Bible, and play with her adorable scruffy dog, Phineas.






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My Kinda Hero: A Purrfect Romance Week

I have always loved curling up on the couch with a good book. But I'll admit, curling up on the couch with my DVD collection and choosing an oldie-but-goodie love story is a purrfect pastime too.
For Hero week on The Writer's Alley, let's chat about the men in my DVD collection! In the comments, would love for you to share yours...and any CBA/Clean read heroes you can think of that might fall under each of the following categories:

(And don't forget to check out the info below for a fun opportunity to celebrate Heroes later this week and an ADDITIONAL giveaway to the Purrfect Romance Alleycat bundle)!

BOY NEXT DOOR TURNED MAN: They are the guys who’ve always been there. They see their heroine through awkward stages, not-so-great stages, and the woman they’ve become. These men have grown up, just like their heroine, but their soft side for the heroine offers hope in all she’s lost and has come home to find again. From my collection:

• Matty from Thirteen going on Thirty 
• Jake from Sweet Home Alabama
• Justin from Hope Floats 

ENEMIES...OR NOT: It’s always fun to see the trope of a hate-love relationship where the love wins in the end. Whether there is a secret being covered up, or a conflict of interest, the hero finds redemption when his vulnerable side comes out—his family life woos the heroine—or the heroine brings out his own soft side beyond their conflict. It’s always fun to see how the writers will bank on the moments that crack the tough exterior. From my collection:

•  Andrew from The Proposal 
•  Ben from How To Lose A Guy in Ten Days 
•  Joe from You’ve Got Mail 

SECOND CHANCE AT LOVE: They’ve loved before. And they aren’t quite sure they can love again. As an audience member, it’s easy to fall in love with a hero who gave his heart away only to return with a wound. We want to help them in their pain, we want to drag them along and stand them right in front of the heroine and say, "hey, look at him"! These heroes have backstories wrapped up in a different woman, but all they’ve gone through brings them to a new heroine and the love story of a lifetime. From my collection:

• Bob from Return To Me 
• Sam from Sleepless In Seattle
• Graham and Miles from The Holiday

MORE HERO TALK! You can nominate your favorite heroes in CBA or Clean Reads by checking out the pinned post at the Heroes on The Red Carpet Event . Be sure to join in the fun on Thursday night! 

YOUR TURN: Comment for a chance to win the Purrfect Romance giveaway. Any good romantic heroes to add to the list? How about your favorite in CBA or clean reads? 

*****************

Angie Dicken credits her love of story to reading British literature during life as a military kid in England. Now living in the U.S. heartland, she's a member of ACFW, sharing about author life with her fellow Alley Cats on The Writer's Alley blog and Facebook page. Besides writing, she is a busy mom of four and works in Adult Ministry. Angie writes historical romance and historical fiction. She enjoys eclectic new restaurants, authentic conversation with friends, and date nights with her Texas Aggie husband. 



Find her on:

Website: angiedicken.com

Facebook: Facebook.com/dicken.angie
Instagram: instagram.com/angiedicken/

Twitter: twitter.com/angiedicken
Goodreads: goodreads.com/angiedicken
BookBub: bookbub.com/angiedicken
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Romantic Gestures...the many 'expressions' of Love

Pepper here, and we're talking about Romantic Gestures today!!
How do people in books and movies (and real-life) show love? Oh!! Let's count the ways :-)
Let's start with the little ways :-)

Small gestures
These are "simple" everyday ways of showing love.
Let's hear what some readers have to say about examples of this type of love expression:
Kristine: He goes out on below-zero days to clean off her vehicle and starts the car so it's warm when she leaves for work."
Summer: A foot rub after a long day of work, putting the kids to bed.
Denise: Getting up and making coffee every day before she leaves for work, even though he doesn't HAVE to get up for two more hours.
Rachel: sweet notes hidden around the house, or a note "just because"
Paula: writing a poem on their 48th anniversary and showing love by going shopping with her (because he hates shopping).
Author Janine Rosche added: I love a good running of fingers through hair.

Other ways: using his/her skills to build something unique for the one they love. Supporting the other person's dreams/passions/likes. Giving the other person time and resources (when possible) to explore those interests. Finding ways to keep each other safe. Keeping a letter/book/gift of your beloved because it came from or belonged to them. Or Colonel Brandon staring with such rapt wonder at Marianne as she plays the piano in Sense and Sensibility. Sacrifice can be small or big, so can acts of protection.

One of the most romantic gestures EVER (which fits into both small and grand gestures category) is KNOWING the "loved" person by listening, remembering, and finding ways to express they've "heard" you and want to celebrate the things that matter to you!

Grand gestures
These are the ones that are usually celebrated on movies, right? "Big" things.
Does the hero uproot his life in order to be with the heroine? Does he work all summer on a project in order to pay for something the heroine wanted? A trip for her to take? Does she race across an airport and get on the intercom to stop him from catching his flight so she can tell him she loves him?...um...oh wait...I digress ;-)

Julia Lynch reminded me of Gilbert Blythe giving up the Avonlea school for Anne.
In my case, my husband worked out our finances so that we could take a trip to Ireland at the end of March (for ME...because I love traveling/research. Him? Not so much :-)

Bottom line: Time and intention are super romantic, no matter how big or how small. 

Non-kiss touches
Romantic touches come in all shapes and sizes...and they can be just as unique to the couple as favorite gestures, but there are a few that show the sweetness and meaningfulness of touch.
Stacey shared that her husband will take her in his arms when she gets home and say, "I'm so glad I get to be home with you." (cue the 'aww').

What about the moment on North & South with the hero and heroine touch fingers while she's serving him tea? A guy pushing back a girl's hair from her face? A hand to the small of the back? Linking arms as two lovers walk? Holding hands? Caresses to the face (super intimate). Dancing. Tender glances. HUGS!! (and so many more).

Kissing
Okay, so this is one of my favorites, but I have to tell you, I'm not a fan of watching kisses on movies if the couple looks like they're trying to eat each others' faces off. I do love kisses like..well, as I mentioned above, the kiss in North & South!! Tender, gentle, intentional, sweet...Mama Mia!!!

A kiss is NOT just a kiss!

Romantic kisses come with stories behind them.
There is intention, knowledge of each other, care, and, yes, there can be a sense of awe and passion too!

Kisses of love are expressions of something that's already happening in the heart and, in my opinion, are just extensions of the appreciation, knowledge, tenderness, and delight two people have in (and for) each other. Without the story behind the kiss, there really isn't any romance in it.
Kisses are kind of like the exclamation marks of a million conversations between two people who love each other. 

Words
It goes without saying...hee hee...words DO matter in romance. But it's more than just sweet words. Of course, there are compliments and expressions of appreciation, but there are also thoughtful discussions, intelligent conversations, careful questions to show care, encouragement, healthy debates, and so much more.

One note about the art of innuendo: It's a beautiful thing to see subtlety in stories that show the love and romance growing between characters - the messages between the lines. Even in those more "intimate" moments that are tastefully and beautifully rendered.

Author Rachel McMillan reminded me that there are some beautifully subtle expressions of love shown in the movie/book The Magic of Ordinary Days when Ray begins reading archaeology books so that he can have something to talk to Livy about (and so she won't feel alone). What about Mr. Knightley's rushing back from London to check on Emma's wellbeing after he finds out about Churchhill's engagement?

A few recommendations from Rachel regarding well-written intimate innuendo in romance is Laura Frantz's The Lacemaker, Jolina Petersheim's How the Light Gets In, Deanne Gist's Tiffany Girl, and Kate Breslin's As High as the Heavens...for a start :-)

I'd LOVE to hear about some of your favorite romantic gestures shown in movies, books or REAL LIFE...and, to make things more interesting, you can't list the kissing ones :-)

Plus, join me on Thursday evening at 8am EST for a FB live chat about Romantic Gestures in fiction & movies! Bring some examples from your favorites and we'll swoon together :-)Let's talk romance!
_________________________________________________________________________________

Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance peppered with grace and humor. Both her historical and contemporary novels have garnered recognition in the Grace Awards, Inspys, and ACFW's Genesis and Carol Awards. Her historical romance, The Thorn Healer, was a finalist in the 2018 RT Awards. Her most recent historical romance, My Heart Belongs in the Blue Ridge, showcases her Appalachian heritage and family history, as well as her love for humor, the mountains, and family. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of Asheville, NC, where she is the mom of five great kids, a speech-language pathologist to dozens more, and a love for chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus. Pepper loves to connect with readers and other authors through social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Learn more about her and her books at www.pepperdbasham.com

.

The Illusive Writer's Voice

Among the numerous benefits of attending a writing conference is the opportunity to learn something new. Or better yet, finally untangling that crazy misconception of a specific topic.

I admit it, sharpening the focus on "voice" in terms of writing, has been as difficult for me as learning how to crochet. I still don't know how to crochet. 

BUT

Thanks to author Lisa Carter, an instructor at the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writer's Conference, I FINALLY UNDERSTAND completely, exactly, totally what an agent means when he or she says, I want to see your voice in your story. 

I can't help but tell the world of writers and spare the masses from the same puzzled look I've had.

When an agent or editor says he wants to see your voice in the manuscript, he or she expects to begin reading your story on page one, and due to the engaging writing and deep story, he feels more than compelled to read on...and dreads the bell ending the appointment time. Your twist on the plot. Your presentation of the characters. Your edited writing has sucked the reader into the story.

Any writer can write a given story. The resulting manuscripts of five authors given the same topic will be completely different because we include what we know, what we have experienced, our tastes, perceptions, feelings, hopes, anticipations, dreams, and etc. No two people, even twins, have walked the same exact road and therefore no two stories will be written the same exact way.

These are some ways to ensure our voice is present on the page:
1. Don't allow fear to stop you from confronting your fears and utter joys when keying words onto the page. Not fake, superficial emotions. Touch the heart.

2. Explore your passions. Although we are told to write what we know, we should write what we love. Then and only then will your voice enrich the story.

3. Keep a journal of your experiences. Record clear descriptions that tend to fade with time. Pour your emotions on the page so you can remember the feelings, then give those feelings to your characters.

4. Also, record daily details. What you see and think. Today you saw two people walking across the street. Yesterday you saw two different people walking across the street. How were they different. Dress. Body Language. Voice. These notes will enhance your writing. Most likely if I had seen the same two people, my observation list would look different. These differences are what flavor our voice when writing. If we both wrote a story about the two individuals, do you think the story would be different? Absolutely. 

Lisa gave several more points. Hopefully, the few I've highlights helped you to understand the concept.

One day at the conference, I saw an agent see my voice in my manuscript. This was the first time for me! The agent glanced at my one sheet, slightly grinned and tipped his head to the right then to the left. He asked for my first three chapters and began reading. He shielded his eyes with his hands blocking out other appointment distractions and read on. His eyes slid left to right and down the page. He whipped the first page aside and read on through the second page then looked at the time. 

His smile said he saw my voice in the story. 

I may not be able to crochet, but I finally, after so many years of learning how to write, have discovered how to write my voice into story.

Do you have questions?

~Mary Vee
Photo by Mary Vee

Link to Mary's books: https://amzn.to/2Fq4Jbm

Mary Vee -Rock climbing, white-water rafting, and hiking top Mary’s list of ways to enjoy a day. She was homeless for a time, was a teacher, a missionary, and married an Air Force vet. Mary has been a finalist in several writing contests and writes for her King.

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

Bloom of the Cross for Writers

As Christians, Easter is THE day. It's the celebration of life - true life in Jesus.

It's the day we are reminded that Jesus has taken our crosses...our burdens, our failures, our sin...and nailed them to the cross. It's the day we are reminded that because of Jesus' resurrection, we have a new life, a beautiful life.

Jesus has taken the ugly, thorny cross of our sin and failure and replaced it with beauty and life. Real life. Joyful life. Life with meaning and purpose.

Our church flowers a barren cross every Easter. People file up to the front and place their flowers upon the cross, reminding them that Jesus replaces our failures with His goodness. What was once a cross of thorns and ugliness becomes a cross of velvet beauty.

That's what Christ does for each and everyone who believes in Him. He takes our failure and sin and turns it into success and beauty. He transforms us, loving us into becoming a person for His glory. A person of beauty. A person of joy. A person who oozes God's love.

As writers, we all struggled with feelings of failure, disappointment, angst, rejection, and despair. It's not an easy road. But like the picture of the flowered cross, when we give our hurts and rejections over to God, He redeems those feelings and replaces them with His love and encouragement.

We keep drawing close to Him, bringing our offering of words before Him each and every day. He will make our words bloom into something beautiful as we trust Him and His timing.

What has the bloom of the cross done for you? Are you experiencing His transforming power or are you struggling under the weight of the thorny cross?

**************************************************************

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

After taking time off from writing, she has returned with a new motto in place to spur her on. “Writers write. Everyone else makes excuses.” ~Jack Bickham.  No excuses this time. She is weaving her love of romance with history to bring joy and the hope of love to those who may one day read her stories. Her first book, Lord of Her Heart, releases May 2019.

You can connect with her through:
Newsletter: Sign Up Here

Website: sherrinda.com

Twitter: @sherrinda

Instagram: @sherrinda
Facebook: Sherrinda Ketchersid, Author
Pinterest: Sherrinda Ketchersid

#TipfulTuesday How Time Produces The Best Books

#TipfulTuesday

We live in an instant society and are conditioned to rush everything we do. We want the wedding day to come, to toss our graduation cap in the air, the baby to be born, for Johnny to read his first word...the list goes on. Wouldn't it be nice to relax? Enjoy devoting time to a quality project?

Our view of time can be our downfall. Rushing a task leads to poor quality. (this does not mean we should swing the pendulum by slacking in our endeavors). 

A great writer:

Drafts

Takes time to experience life-this grows vivid descriptive scenes and heartfelt emotions.

Humbles themselves by devoting hours to studying the craft-attending conferences, joining writing groups, chatting with other writers.

Writes

Rewrites

Revises

Allows others to read their work, asking for critique, BEFORE submitting to an agent, editor, or self-publishes.

Edits

Rewrites

Recently, a gentleman posted a video explaining how he wrote a book in eight days. He took off work and devoted the time to writing the book. I considered all his planning before the 8 days. The research. The outlines. Character plotting. Processing the ideas. Yes, he could have written a draft, but not a polished manuscript in that time. It seemed that the video didn't truly represent the seedling to full grown-ready to send to an agent/publisher/self-publish process. 

Writing a book worthy of readers takes time.

Passion

A desire to clearly communicate

Sweat

Tears

Frustration

Study

Research

And most of all...devotion

Oddly enough, all these ingredients produce an indescribable joy!

~Mary Vee

The two photos: a sycamore seed and full-grown tree. 
Taken in Israel, by Mary Vee

#amwriting #time #devotion #authors #writers #loveswriting

Link to Mary's books: https://amzn.to/2Fq4Jbm

Mary Vee -  Mary Vee - Rock climbing, white-water rafting, and hiking top Mary’s list of ways to enjoy a day. She was homeless for a time, earned her MA in Counseling, and married an Air Force vet.  Mary has been a finalist in several writing contests and writes for her King.

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

BOOK LINK: CLICK HERE

Reading Critically: Grow as a Writer

I am blessed to attend a critique group twice a month with two multi-published, award-winning authors. They take turns sharing words of wisdom about the craft of writing at the beginning of our sessions. This week the topic was on reading to improve your craft, given by the incredible Lynne Gentry. While I knew it was important to read, the tips given opened my eyes to how I can grow as a critical reader. I thought I'd share a few with you.

1. Read outside of your genre. When you always read the same genre, it is easy to gloss over that unique turn of phrase, the pacing of story, etc. Reading something new makes it easier to see new things that can up your own writing.
2. Read to find out what you DON'T want to do in your writing. Let's face it. Not everything in a book grabs our attention. Pay attention to what you skim over and make sure you don't do that particular thing in your own story.
3. When you start to "feel" something, take notice. When your heart races, when you heave a sigh, when you get angry...these are the things that should make you sit up and take notes. What did the author do to inspire such feeling? Whatever it was, incorporate that type of writing in your own story. 

These are just a few ways to grow in reading critically. Can you think of anything to add to the list? What things do you look for while reading to learn?

**************************************************************

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

After taking time off from writing, she has returned with a new motto in place to spur her on. “Writers write. Everyone else makes excuses.” ~Jack Bickham.  No excuses this time. She is weaving her love of romance with history to bring joy and the hope of love to those who may one day read her stories. Her first book, Lord of Her Heart, releases May 2019.

You can connect with her through:
Newsletter: Sign Up Here

Website: sherrinda.com

Twitter: @sherrinda

Instagram: @sherrinda
Facebook: Sherrinda Ketchersid, Author
Pinterest: Sherrinda Ketchersid

#TipfulTuesday Pen The Words

There are times when a writer's life is oh so difficult, like when we don't have control over our circumstances and the accompanying issues whittle away at our time. 

For me, life in the north during the last week's ice and wind storm stole my focus.

Tree branches snapped under the weight of ice, falling 60' in my yard. In our community, entire trees snapped at the trunk blocking roads and crashing onto homes. We will have to say goodbye to our beautiful tall Elm this summer when the thaw enables us to clean it up.

At the end of our road, a power line broke and started the road on fire. The road was impassible except through dirt backroads barely wide enough for a small vehicle.

I'm thankful for our generator, but is it okay to say the constant, loud grinding sound hurt my ears? Moment by moment, God helped me remember to be thankful for our furnace powered by the generator for the five days. Then, when the generator suddenly broke, God stayed with us. Ice had clogged the system. Thirty minutes after the furnace stopped, our power was restored. I am so very thankful. 

One extreme benefit of story is that it allows writers to place characters in difficult situations. Readers who have endured similar circumstances see the joy in our characters when at last triumph rules over tragedy. Stories build hope and reassurance deep within that is so strong readers say: I can and will experience joy someday. Don't you love hearing the testimonials? 

The story that God has impressed upon your heart is destined to help a reader. 

No matter your circumstances, don't give up. Find a way to pen the words.

~Mary Vee Writer

Photo by Mary Vee

Link to Mary's books: https://amzn.to/2Fq4Jbm

#TipfulTuesdayMary Vee Mystery/Suspense Writer#hope #amwriting #TheWritersAlley #Story

Mary Vee -  Mary Vee - Rock climbing, white-water rafting, and hiking top Mary’s list of ways to enjoy a day. She was homeless for a time, earned her MA in Counseling, and married an Air Force vet.  Mary has been a finalist in several writing contests and writes for her King.

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

BOOK LINK: CLICK HERE

#TipfulTuesday Subplot Ideas

Without a subplot, the singular journey arc of a novel from page one to the last page will fall flat.

It doesn't matter how dynamic the journey. Every good novel needs at least one subplot.

Subplots are the butter on toast. The seasoning in a marinade. The sound in a movie. They are never the primary component of a story and should never ever hijack the plot--but are so very important!

Contemporary movies, TV shows, and novels tend to use a romance thread for the subplot. It's easy to incorporate one. I must admit, my current story has one. I think readers and viewers have come to expect it. 

In my story, Christmas With The Enemy, I included a second subplot about a foster child. This subplot, more than the other one I used, has readers asking, "Will there be a story about Janey?"

Below, you will find a list of ideas, something different for you to try. Perhaps one of these ideas will morph into your next novel. Many subplots do. 

After reading the list below, add some of your own ideas in the comment section. I am tempted to say more than a keyword but will try to refrain. I don't want to limit your creativity. But if you have a question or expanded thoughts about the idea leave a message in the comment section. 

1. A new tradition including all the ancillary issues that pop up.

2. Dealing with a newly discovered disorder, like eating disorders.

3. A new skill

4. Phobia- suggest some in the comments

5. A grudge, lack of forgiveness, rivalry

6. Moving to a new home, redecorating, clutter, hoarder, building, adding on, etc.

7. Taking/planning a vacation, business trip

8. A sudden disability

9. Dealing with a family secret

10. A mysterious affliction

11. a new child, bonding, foster, adoption, loss

12. financial - sudden new income, loss of income

Happy writing. May you be blessed with many subplots. ;)

~Mary Vee

Author of Christmas with the Enemy

Photo by Mary Vee 

#amwriting #subplots #author #TheWritersAlley 

Mary Vee -  Mary Vee - Rock climbing, white-water rafting, and hiking top Mary’s list of ways to enjoy a day. She was homeless for a time, earned her MA in Counseling, and married an Air Force vet.  Mary has been a finalist in several writing contests and writes for her King.

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

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