Jumping off Bridges

"If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you do it too?"

You know, that whole "don't follow the crowd if the crowd is stupid" adage your mother gave you when growing up... and you may have spouted it to your own kids now.

And it's smart too. Kinda. Most of the time.

Here is the thing, though. Let's say... the bridge was on fire. And the only way to survive was to jump in the water. All your friends are jumping in...

Then the answer is, "Yes, Mom... I WOULD jump off that bridge."

And there may be those dare-devils out there that have a bungee-cord attached to them that do it for the thrill. Guess there are various opinions on the wiseness of such a sport!

What does bridge jumping have to do with writing, you ask?

Well... there are a lot of changes going on in the publishing industry lately. Self-pub, epub, small press, no advance, agent-or-no-agent.... lots of people have some very STRONG opinions one way or another.

Not to mention genre fads that come and go like vampires, epics, Amish romance and 50 shades crap *ahem*.

Do we follow the crowd, or do we pave our own path? Is doing something "different" the equivalent of saving ourselves or jumping off a bridge and going splat?

Honestly, I'm a firm believer that there are no right or wrong answers... not earthly answers anyway.

I don't believe just following a crowd (or in writing speak, "trends") is the way to go... for the very same reason your momma warned you against it. Following a crowd just means that you have a lot of company in whatever you are doing... not necessarily that you are doing the RIGHT thing.

But if the crowd is doing something, it's prudent to know about it and find out why. Is it something you want to follow? Is it where God is leading you? Is it SMART? Because knowledge is POWER in pretty much all facets of business, including the writing one.

Another fun note.... the most successful people are on the FRONT END of that crowd... but that involves a bit of risk. If you are a path paver... then you start down a path that is sparsely populated. YOU decide to jump off a bridge when no one else is. This involves a great deal of risk 'cause you might fall flat on your face.

Or you could jump right into your awesome destiny that God has for you.

In conclusion... there is no right or wrong answer. Sometimes you lead, sometimes you follow. Sometimes you run the opposite direction. But your path is just that, YOUR OWN... and you need to make smart decisions at each step.

One word of caution: Just because YOU chose a certain path, doesn't mean it is right for others. There seems to be a lot of criticism in ALL directions these days, and it makes me sad. Especially as Christians, let's lift each other up, not tear each other down.

Question: Would call yourself a path paver or a "follow the leader" bridge jumper? Or do you just cling the bridge with all your might?

3 Unique Ways to Incorporate Holidays Into a Novel

This isn't a time of year when holidays are predominant in our minds. But with last Saturday being St. Patrick's Day, I recently got thinking about all the different holidays we celebrate every month. (August is the only month of the year without a federal holiday.)

And they can play a key role in our novels as well. Here are some ideas to freshen up your story:

1) Turn a holiday into a deadline. We all know how effective the "ticking time bomb" effect can be. Why not ramp it up and pair it with a holiday that holds significance to the characters?

Sure, you could always do the kiss at midnight on New Years Eve. But what about something less obvious, like Ash Wednesday? What if your character is an FBI agent who's chasing down a Ponzi scheme that patterned itself after a popular TV show? But the agent is giving up TV for Lent, which starts in two days, and he needs to unlock the code before Ash Wednesday?

2) Play up the quirks of lesser-known holidays. Remember earlier when I mentioned every month has a federal holiday except August? Chances are extremely high that a holiday will fall during the timeframe of your novel, whether it's a popular day or a lesser-known one.

Anybody seen the movie Leap Year? What if your character's birthday is February 29th and they only get an actual birthday every four years? How can you play this up in your book? Or what about federal holidays when the post office doesn't deliver mail? What if your character mails an important payment, but it arrives a day late because of Presidents Day?

3) Incorporate holidays with wardrobe. Although these may not be major players in your novel, they can add authenticity and quirks that set the stage for conflict and characterization.

We can all think of costume parties where guests' identity are concealed. Or what about a misfit teenager who forgets to wear green on St. Patrick's Day and shows up at school as the outcast? Or what about the family who for 20 years has taken a group portrait on Christmas Day in matching red sweaters, but on Year 21, the "perfect child" shows up in all black?

The idea behind all these points is this: Be mindful of the timeframe of your novel and be aware of the holidays that may take place. Are there ways you can incorporate them into your story to add depth and conflict? You never want it to be forced, but you may just find that missing piece that will make your novel shine.

Let's talk...What sort of holidays have you incorporated into your novels? Have any lesser-known holidays wormed their way into your stories? What fun twists came to mind as you read this post?

*St. Patrick's Day photo from FreeDigitalPhotos.net
**Mail photo by digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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Sarah Forgrave is a stay-at-home writer-mom who feels blessed to pursue her calling and passion. She writes contemporary romance for the inspirational market and is a contributor to the webzine Ungrind.

To learn more about Sarah, visit her personal blog at:
http://www.sarahforgrave.com/blog

What's Up the Street For Next Week?

If you haven't noticed we really like to celebrate around here!
And what a better way to start off June than with some partying.

Out of over 100 entries, Casey Herringshaw was picked as one of six finalists in the Frasier Writing Contest given by Susan May Warren, Rachel Hauck, and Sarah Anne Sympolec over at My Book Therapy. It's a great honor and we're super proud of our youngest Alley Cat!

Winners for the Frasier will be announced at the My Book Therapy Pizza Party at ACFW in St. Louis, MO.
Good luck, Case. WOOHOOOO!!!

More news? Congrats to Patsy. She's our winner for Jeannie Campbell's Writers Guild to Creating Rich Back Stories

Now, let's look at our week, shall we?

Gotta pitch? Stop by Monday and read a little about pitches and get ready to show off your own. Pepper has roped in the support of the other Alley Cats and is going to have a Pitch & Blurb day - so bring your best, and we'll all work on them together.

School is out for most people - and that means Sherrinda too. Stop by Tuesday and check out what she has to share with us after a full year of chaos and mental exhaustion. Writing from Scratch with Sherrinda.

Wednesday Mary welcomes in a MASTER storyteller. Or at least the sage advice of a master storyteller. Stop by for a post entitled "Dear C.S. Lewis"

Our little Frasier winner - Casey, brings you some 'time management tips for the harried home writer' on Thursday. If time is NOT on your side, or you need encouragement in the midst of life's crazy twists and turns, check out this post.

Back to the writing business, with Krista's Friday post - Money & Writing: Part II. The Big Tax Debate.

Newstand:

Sarah is giving away an Amazon card on her blog this week.

Pepper's continuing her review series with A Week's Review with Deeanne Gist on her blog.

Featuring Jerry B. Jenkins

Those who walk the path before us have much to share. I love learning from them, don't you? One day, maybe I'll walk in their shoes. 

Today Jerry B. Jenkins, author of more than 175 books including the Left Behind Series, walks with us on the Writers Alley to share insights of his successful writing career, his recent purchase of the Christian Writers' Market Guide from Sally Stuart, and up-to-date information for writers and authors.

Thank you for joining us today, Jerry.  

Several on the Alley have asked about your recent purchase of Sally Stuart's Christian Writers' Market Guide, can you tell us what will remain the same and what will change? Will you honor previous subscriptions? We'd like to know your future plans for this valuable resource.

We’re slightly changing the title to The Christian Writer’s Market Guide, but our plan is to continue the stellar work Sally did for so many years. We might add a few features that relate to writers at all stages of their careers, and of course we will be adapting to the new face of publishing, which is increasingly going electronic. We also plan to streamline the compiling of information for the guide, moving toward electronic submissions as much as possible.



Having the new Christian Writer's Market Guide will help with ideas and our WIP, but we'd like to have direction to find the next blockbuster idea. What do you think will be the big Christian fiction trend on the horizon?

Chicken Soup for the Left Behind Amish Vampire.

The truth is, no one knows.  We are seeing more publishers willing to take chances on speculative, sci-fi, and fantasy. The big hits are often titles that go against the trends.



Going against the trends, eh? Sounds exciting yet challenging. A calling for great writers. Could you tell us what characteristics separate a good writer from a great writer?

The writing. Regardless the distribution vehicle – whether the printed page or the electronic screen – books and articles still have to be written and edited with excellence. The cream rises. 



Since you've successfully written in many genres, what advice would you give to unpublished writers who struggle to find their focused genre?

Don’t let people force you into a genre. If you’re wedded to one, go for it, immerse yourself in it, read it exhaustively. But if you’re a writer interested in eclectic areas, write what you’re most passionate about at the time – fiction, non-fiction, history, philosophy, current events, whatever.

Thanks for the encouragement. Do you have a favorite genre to write? 


I used to say it was whatever I wasn’t working on currently. But I have learned that my sweet spot is adult fiction, though I like to switch historical periods. Biblical, contemporary, futuristic—it’s all fun for me.

Writers naturally enjoy reading, and having books suggested. What is your favorite book?

All Over but the Shoutin’ by Rick Bragg. Many authors make me aspire to write like they do. Rick Bragg makes me just surrender and enjoy.

We have a few questions about the publishing field. What significant changes have you seen in the publishing industry since the Left Behind series and where do you see publishing going from here?

It’s harder to be legitimately published these days (where the publisher pays you and not the other way around). Publishers are demanding that authors come with built-in platforms (spheres of influence). And we have become a screen generation. More books and articles will appear electronically than on paper soon, but as I say, things still have to be written and edited well.

Interesting. What can we as writers do specifically to be prepared for these changes?

Use social networking to help build your platform. Hone your skills. Develop your craft. Read every day. Write every day.

We persistently work on our craft, yet sometimes get the rejection letter or call. How have you handled rejection or disappointment in your career?

I avoid it like the plague. I don’t consider the rejection of a proposal or query as failure. It’s just a business transaction. And I don’t write something until someone has responded positively to the proposal. Then I work my tail off to deliver.

On the flip side, what has contributed to your greatest successes?

I have passionately centered on my one gift. I don’t sing or dance or preach. Writing is what I do.

Jerry B. Jenkins   
Owner | CHRISTIAN WRITERS GUILD

  & JENKINS ENTERTAINMENT
_______________________________

719.495.5835 ● http://www.jerryjenkins.com/ 

Thank you for walking beside us on the Writers Alley today, Jerry.

******

Words from experienced authors like Jerry B. Jenkins inspire me. I appreciate when those who walk ahead choose to guide those in the footsteps. Thanks again, Jerry.

Can you relate to the answers above?

I'll start...

Jerry's answer to number 10 speaks volumes. I tend to divide my interest in many ways. Perhaps if I removed some other interests, I would advance my writing skills at a faster pace.

Your turn...