Birthday bash rolls into Nano

I've never done 'official' NANO.

Go ahead. Click on the word NANO. Go join. I'll be waiting here.

Jeopardy

The above link takes you to the Jeopardy Theme Song

We'll all listen while you go join

Nope, not in all these years as a writer.

But I have dedicated myself to what I call....

SHADOW NANO

Shadow Nano...the term is my own (where's the copyright button on that stroke of genius???)

Is what I do most every November.

I set BIGGER goals...but just for myself.

Why you ask?

Keep Smiling Cupcake!

Why doesn't that friendly, easy going (weird loner) Mary Connealy join NANO

Why doesn't that little ray of pep and sunshine 

(who never leaves her keyboard) 

team up with other authors and have fun, fun, fun holding each other

ACCOUNTABLE

Why don't I either: Show off??? (Oh really, you didn't reach your goal today? Hmmmm I did!)

Or: Admit to the world my failure (not unlike the Doritos I sneak when no one is watching?)

I've often suspected that NANO

Is a little like herding cats

One of the reasons Seekerville is such a great community is because we all are sorta LONERS. 

I think many writers are loners.

It can't be a coincidence that my best friends in the world, my Seeker buddies, all live five states away from me. All my relationships work much better in two dimensions instead of three.

So I do SHADOW NANO

I sort of like that way that rings in my ears.

Like it's EPIC.

Like......

A long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away there was

SHADOW NANO!

So anyway, I'd like to invite you all to blow out the birthday candles.

Wipe the decorator frosting roses off your ceiling.

Roll up those streamers and pack them away

And join me in trying to make November a month of stretching yourself. Of setting goals.

Of doing MORE than you usually do.

Let's talk normal work production and how we can accelerate it.

I do 1000 words a day and I try to do it seven days a week but probably manage more like five.

I often write MORE, but I try to seldom write less.

I've got galley edits, just arrived in the mail for the
NEW SERIES WHICH BEGINS NEXT APRIL!

Book #1 is called

The Accidental Guardian 

and it has recently appeared on Amazon for pre-order.

Wow, I had fun with this one!!!

I have to finish those galleys.

And I've got a book releasing in December that is a collection of novellas.

Several of them were in previous Barbour Publishing Collections

The rest were in Seeker novella collections but were never in print, only digital.

So I'm excited about that

Calico and Cowboys

And there are some blog interviews and such involved in launching this book.

But I am committed

To writing 1500 words a day through November. 

 (Keeping close to my heart that lovely Christian tenet of forgiveness!!!)

TODAY!!!

Talk to me about goals.

What do we do after a month of PARTY!!!

We get back to work.

Join me in Shadow Nano

And tell me your goals, increased or not, for November.

Leave a comment to get your name in a drawing for a signed copy of

  Too Far Down.
Book #4 in the 

Cimarron Legacy Series

In bookstores Now!!!

How To Take Your Career From Whine to Shine

Feeling frustrated that your career isn’t where you want it to be? Do you wonder why with every passing year you don’t seem to be any closer to success? How can you turn that frustration into a win?

I encounter other writers who share your frustration. Here are 6 things I believe will help you take your career from “whine” to “shine!”

1.    Define your goal.

Be as specific as possible. What is it you want? If you don’t define your goal, if you don’t know exactly what you want, how can you expect to get it?


When I was starting out as a writer, my goal was to have a career as a novelist. I wanted to write books for a living. I didn’t want to write as a hobby, I wanted a career. I discovered the basic steps: write great novels, sign with a good agent, get published, etc. But as I worked through the steps, I never, ever forgot the original and ultimate goal, which was a career as an author.

2.    Be single-minded, a.k.a Count the cost.

This is where I see so many writers—good, talented writers—steer themselves wrong and delay the attainment of their goal. Being successful requires focus. Laser focus. The focus of a heat-seeking missile. It requires asking oneself hard questions. It requires tuning out voices giving you bad advice. 

One of the pieces of advice that is like nails on a chalkboard to me is: “You gotta get your name out there.”

What does that even mean? I recently had a conversation with a fellow published author. When I asked her why she was writing short stories and novellas and self-publishing them, she said, “To get my name out there.” I asked her what was the goal of getting her name out there, and she said, “To drive readers to buy my book.” 

“Is that working?” I asked. The look on her face answered my question. “No.” 

If you want readers to discover your books, you need to write more books. If you want to have a career writing novels, you need to write more novels. If you’re agreeing to write novellas for novella collections with other authors, and writing those novellas is keeping you from writing more novels, you need to ask yourself the hard question: “Why am I doing this?” “Is this helping me attain my goal?”

I had a similar conversation with another writer friend who announced she was starting a blog and she was going to set herself a strict schedule of blogging three times a week, because that’s what gets followers for one’s blog. This writer friend had been trying to get the same book published for years and had not written any other books. I asked her why she was writing a blog instead of starting on her next book. She said it was to get her name out there.


Sigh. If you want to get your name out there, write more books, and work at getting them published. Ask yourself, “How is having a blog going to help me accomplish my goal?” If you can’t definitively answer that question with anything other than, “It won’t,” then skip the strict blog-writing schedule. Skip anything that keeps you from writing the next book and getting it published. Let me repeat that. Skip anything that keeps you from your goal.

My point is that you have to count the cost of anything you decide to do, because when you divide your time doing things not directly focused on your goal, then it’s just going to take you that much longer to reach your goal. Know your goal, and know your limitations. 


3.    If what you’re doing is not working, try something else.

If you’ve been working on your craft, practicing said craft by writing several books, and trying to get published, but no traditional publishers are interested in the kind of books you write, it might be time to go indie and publish your own books. Thankfully, we live in an amazing day and time when such a step is a viable option. Many writers have done quite well for themselves by self-publishing. And I love that we have that opportunity and that today’s technology makes it possible to have great success as an independent.

Work hard but work smart.

4.    If success is eluding you and you can’t figure out why, read a book.

But not just any book. I just finished 9 Things You Simply Must Do to Succeed in Love and Life. It’s by Dr. Henry Cloud of Boundaries fame. With points like “Make decisions based on how they’ll affect the future,” and “Don’t make decisions based on your fear of other people’s reactions,” it’s definitely worth reading, and it might help you identify ways you are sabotaging your own success.

5.    Ask yourself the hard questions.
 
 Am I making excuses?   Am I burying my talents by not pursuing my dream?   Am I doing “busy-ness” instead of fulfilling my purpose in life?   Am I spending too much time with marketing and promotion? Is what I’m doing helping me or hindering me from reaching my goal?   Am I praying about each commitment before committing?

 6.    Pray about everything.

I mean it. Ask God to make clear to you what your goal should be and what you should be doing with your limited time and energy and finances. Pray for success. Pray before you accept that offer to become the church librarian. Pray before you agree to write a novella to contribute to your friends’ anthology. Pray before you sit down to a marathon viewing of an entire season of “Blue Bloods” instead of working on your WIP. And pray before you agree to write a blog post for that blog that has only three followers. (Sorry, but let’s be real.)

Be humble. If contest judges and critique partners (or reviewers) have given you constructive criticism, really look at what they’re saying and try to make the changes that will improve your writing. And don’t be jealous of the writers who are getting the things you always wanted. Easier said than done, I know! But take a hard look at whether you have jealousy in your heart, and surrender it to God. 

And while you’re at it, surrender your writing to God. I can remember the day I held out my hands and, with tears streaming down my face, surrendered my writing to God, telling him I was okay with whatever he decided to do with it. It was not long after that that things started happening and I got my first contract.

Realize that success may not be exactly what you expected it to be. I thought being a successful author would make everyone love me. Boy, was I wrong! I lost more friends the more successful I became, and the rejection I felt from those friends, alongside some one- and two-star reviews, was nearly crippling. I also know published authors whose expectations of income have been dashed. When you do attain your goals, you may still end up disappointed. 

So don’t set your heart on success. Set your heart on the One who is able to give you what you need.

And really listen for God to speak to you. David inquired of the Lord before making decisions. Why should we not do the same? Be diligent in prayer. God is faithful. If anyone asks for wisdom, he should believe and not doubt that God will give it to him. If we seek him with all our hearts, we will find him. Knock and the door will be opened to you. Ask and you shall receive. 

My favorite parable starts like this: “One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.” Luke 18:1 

Keep on praying! Never give up!

So now it’s your turn. If you have reached your goal, what do you think has been the secret to your success? If you feel less than successful, what is something you need to change in order to attain your goal? 

Leave a comment today for an opportunity to win a copy of The Noble Servant. Winner announced in the Weekend Edition. Melanie is generously giving away THREE copies of her release. Thank you, Melanie!

 

The Noble Servant

 She lost everything to the scheme of an evil servant.

But she might just gain what she’s always wanted . . . if she makes it in time.

The impossible was happening. She, Magdalen of Mallin, was to marry the Duke of Wolfberg. Magdalen had dreamed about receiving a proposal ever since she met the duke two years ago. Such a marriage was the only way she could save her people from starvation. But why would a handsome, wealthy duke want to marry her, a poor baron’s daughter? It seemed too good to be true.

On the journey to Wolfberg Castle, Magdalen’s servant forces her to trade places and become her servant, threatening not only Magdalen’s life, but the lives of those she holds dear. Stripped of her identity and title in Wolfberg, where no one knows her, Magdalen is sentenced to tend geese while she watches her former handmaiden gain all Magdalen had ever dreamed of.

When a handsome shepherd befriends her, Magdalen begins to suspect he carries secrets of his own. Together, Magdalen and the shepherd uncover a sinister plot against Wolfberg and the duke. But with no resources, will they be able to find the answers, the hiding places, and the forces they need in time to save both Mallin and Wolfberg?
 

 Melanie Dickerson is the New York Times bestselling author for whose success she gives all the credit to God. Her two favorite time periods are Medieval, which she has combined with her love of fairy tales, and Regency England, which stems from her love of Jane Austen. She earned her bachelor's degree in special education from The University of Alabama and has taught children with special needs in Georgia and Tennessee, and English to adults in Germany and Ukraine. Now she spends her time writing novels like a highly motivated woman on a mission, and being with her husband, two daughters, and two guinea pigs near Huntsville, Alabama. Visit her on Facebook and at http://www.MelanieDickerson.com.

Just Keep Writing

with guest Pepper Basham.


I’m so tickled to be back at Seekerville!! Oh my, what a wonderful group of ladies, and a definite ‘full circle’ moment for me. Mary Connealy introduced me to the lovely Seekers in 2008 – and it was a meeting that changed my world. 

If you’ve ever been in a van full of kids for a long trip you know the inevitable chain of questions that happen about an hour, two hours, two hours and fifteen minutes, 3 hours, etc into your trip. “When will we get there?”, “How much longer?”, “Are we there yet?”
No matter how many activities I plan, interesting stops I make along the way, or well-placed snacks to distract, inevitably the question is always asked …. More than once. As a parent, I know the trek, which roads to take, which to avoid, when to make a detour, when the breaks need to happen and when I can push forward an extra hour – but my kids don’t know that. They wait, somewhat impatiently and with lots of questions, eager to arrive at the destination.

Pepper's junior storytellers.

Boy, oh boy, does that sound familiar. I started on this writing road trip by attending my first writer’s conference in 2004. After the first day I realized how very little I knew about writing, even though I’d been writing since I was a little girl. So over the next few years I studied craft, took a few classes, and had a critique. I didn’t have visions of grandeur or anything. My life was much too full with other paths like a job, children, and a husband in full-time ministry. All those things are good and right, but it made my journey much slower.
But … I just kept writing.

And prayed God would give me the wisdom and strength to create beautiful stories to touch ‘waiting’ hearts with His truth.

Discouragement almost ran me off the road many times. Detours left me disillusioned and impatient. The ever-present questions “How much longer?” kept going off like a siren in my head, but I just kept writing, praying, and hoping. (Sometimes complaining and often doubting).

I was beginning to understand how the Israelites felt when they were wandering in the wilderness for forty years.

During the long wait, there were times I had to stop writing for a time because of the natural demands of having a large family, while working full-time to help put my husband through seminary. At that point, I had to pull completely off the road. But writing was a gift, burning in me to come out in stories. During my break, I wrote story ideas on napkins, took fifteen minutes to compose songs or develop poems, and held the dream in my heart by reading great writing.

And waited. (Sometimes not very patiently). I’ve wanted to give up so many times, but couldn’t. Truly. God would always bring something into my path to get me back on the road. I would read my work and look to heaven asking, “Am I there yet?”, but He knew the best timing.

So the real test for me was not only waiting, but trusting in His timing.

In June 2014 my family made a BIG move to Asheville, NC. It has been a tough transition for everyone, especially my older kids. I didn’t write a word for three months because of the massive demands of a new job and transitioning my kids into a new school. The journey seemed too long and hard. Maybe it was time to make a big U-turn and give up altogether – but then something happened.

Thirteen years after my first conference, I received a contract for my first book in the middle of September. By the end of November, I had two more contracts. I’m headed into 2015 on a new road of publication and the way is new, uncharted, exciting, and a little scary – so I’m … writing and praying God will give me the same patience, strength, and wisdom to create beautiful stories to touch ‘waiting’ hearts with God’s truth.

What can I tell you to encourage those of you wandering on the road-trip?

1. Find ways to enjoy the journey. 
The scenery is lovely if you take the time to look. God is teaching you things in the waiting period. New ways to trust him, to build faith in you, to look to Him for strength and creativity instead of ourselves. There is natural joy in the creative process of writing, so delve deep and relearn the joy of story.

2. Enjoy the people within your journey. 
God’s placed specific people in this proverbial car with you. For some, it might be kids, a spouse, or parents – for others it might be writing friends or a church family. Don’t forget to celebrate those around, beside you, encouraging you along the way. When we get so distracted by our own ‘waiting’ or detours, we lose sight of what (and who) is really important.

3. Make detours  and ‘pull-overs’ work for you

When life happens and you have to take a break or slowdown in your writing journey, remember that this detour is not a surprise to God. Find small, little ways to remind yourself of His call on your life to write. Take some time to read good books or listen to presentations about writing. Take a nature walk or watch a favorite movie. Stories are EVERYWHERE. Just because you don’t have time (or can’t) write at the moment doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the God-given fascination of story in almost every facet of our lives. Reading, watching, or listening to other people’s stories many times help encourage our own when the time is right to write again.

4. Remember “Not everyone who wanders is lost” (Tolkien)
When the writing well feels dry, try another creative route. Creativity can come out in so many ways, such as writing in a different genre, or developing another skill in yourself, or finding creative ways to serve in your church or teach your kids. Just because you’ve hit a dry-spell, doesn’t mean you’ve lost your way.


5. Keep writing
I may sound too simple but it’s incredibly important. KEEP WRITING. Just because you have to slow your pace to napkins or scratch paper, if God has called you to share the art of story, then WRITE. When He sends you on a detour? Write. When you feel bereft of creativity? Write. When you are angry at waiting? Write (I get some GREAT scenes of conflict out of this one). When you’re sad about a rejection or critique? Write.
Just keep writing.

Remember who’s driving the car of your life? God – and he knows the perfect road to get you to where he wants you to be. It may not be the route you’d choose, in fact it usually isn’t, but it is the path that’s best for you – for your good and His glory.

You may not be ‘there yet” and you may have no clue how much longer, but have faith in the One who gave you the gift of Story and – Just keep writing.

The One who called you to be a Storyteller has the right destination in mind for you. 

What's your destination? Tell us about your route to that destination. 

Comment today to win an ecopy of the The Thorn Bearer. Winner announced in the Weekend Edition.

Pepper D Basham has been telling tales ever since she was a little girl. A native of the Blue Ridge Mountains, mom of five, speech-language pathologist, and lover of chocolate, Pepper enjoys sprinkling her native Appalachian culture into her fiction wherever she can, usually writing Blue Ridge Romance peppered with grace and humor. Usually you'll find her hanging out with her family, working with kids who have special needs, searching for unique hats, or plotting new ways to annoy her wonderful friends at her group writing blog, The Writer’s Alley. She is represented by Julie Gwinn of Seymour Literary Agency. 

Her debut novel, The Thorn Bearer, came out in May 2015 and is the first book in the Penned in Time series. Books 2 and 3 of Penned in Time, come out in 2016.  

Her first contemporary romance, A Twist of Faith, is slated to release later this year. You can find her at www.pepperdbasham.com or follow her writing antics on her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pepper-D-Basham or Twitter at https://twitter.com/pepperbasham

The Thorn Bearer by Pepper D. Basham

From the decks of the ill-fated Lusitania to the smoke-filled trenches of France, Ashleigh must choose between the forgiveness of her past, life in the present, and a Savior who can rescue her from them all. 

When her fiancé leaves her eight months before their wedding, the unexpected blow ignites a battalion of insecurities stemming from her father’s intimate betrayal. Her worst fears are confirmed – who could ever love a soiled woman? 

In an attempt to escape the shame and disappointment of her past, Ashleigh boards the ill-fated Lusitania to cross the war-torn waters of Europe. Much to her dismay, she isn’t traveling alone. 

Sam Miller is always making up for his best friend’s mistakes. Determined to help Ashleigh, he offers his compassion and protection as she ventures across a perilous sea. With the faint hope of renewing his lost love for Ashleigh’s sister, Sam never expects to find the woman of his dreams in his best friend’s former fiancé and his own childhood companion. 

As they travel across the Atlantic, neither is prepared for the life-altering and heart-breaking journey of their friendship. 

When the truth of Ashleigh’s past explodes in the middle of war and Sam rejects her, Ashleigh must decide if God is enough – or if the double weight of her betrayal and past will crush her life forever.

No Limits! Is This Your Year?

Image credit: Fotolia/ © chrisdorney

The Year of No Limits – What does it mean for you?

Missy Tippens

Happy new year, everyone! On my first post of the year, I  wanted to weigh in on our YEAR OF NO LIMITS in Seekerville. When Tina Radcliffe first mentioned this theme, my brain started clicking on what it would mean for me.

I want you to do the same!

What does No Limits mean for YOU? I think this is going to end up being varied and might be very personal for some of you. So today, I’m going to challenge you to think about how you can make this an amazing year.

Some questions to ask yourself…

--When you’re scared or feeling unsure, what/whose voice do you hear in your head? What is it telling you? Do you have someone in your family telling you you’ll fail? Or maybe someone in your past telling you you’re being ridiculous? Or do you have someone actually saying you can do this, but you don’t believe it? Or maybe you’re hearing your own voice.

--What type things limit you? Personal, career, spiritual, emotional, craft, health (physical and/or mental)?

--In what area do you feel most insecure or incapable? Your writing? The day job? Spiritual things? Parenting? Being a spouse/friend/significant other? Handling social media? Promotion? Meeting deadlines? Being organized? Staying present in your “real” life outside writing?

Photo Credit: Crestock/creatista

--Where do you feel weakest in your writing--commitment, drive, energy, creativity, ability, follow-through, establishing habits…?

--Do you dream big enough? Have you put yourself in a box?

So many questions to ask! So many areas to look into. But once you’ve figured out what limits you, I encourage you to come up with a plan to battle that.

 Come up with a plan...

Negative voices? Block them out! Practice positive thoughts. Replace the old ones with new, encouraging voices. We’d love to help do that here on the blog!

Self-doubt over your writing ability? Study in the areas in which you’re weakest. Study your favorite authors and figure out what they do. Also, write, write, write. Practice will make you better.

Photo Credit: Crestock/ kentoh

Personal or emotional or relationship problems limiting you? Get help. Since this can be so varied, I won’t even attempt to offer advice. But if life and relationships are tough, seek the help of a trusted friend, pastor or counselor (whatever is appropriate for the situation). And treat yourself with compassion. I just read an article about how people who give themselves a break, rather than trying to build themselves up after failure, often end up being more successful (my paraphrase). (Click here if you’re interested in the article.)

Health problems limiting you? See your doctor. Vow to eat healthfully and get as fit as you can in your situation. Again, I can’t offer specific advice since I’m not a healthcare professional. But I believe there is hope in all situations.

Is lack of confidence your problem? I can attest that you can work to move past this! Write lots. Get feedback from trusted critique partners or contests or editors. Work to improve. Send your work out there into the world (scary, I know). Then let it go. (If you’re now hearing refrains from a certain princess, it was unintentional!) :) At some point, you have to take a little risk. It’s nerve-wracking, but it will help build confidence, step by step. (For those who are newbies who haven’t yet taken the first step of sharing your work, please see my giveaway at the end of my post!)

Photo Credit: Crestock/ donskarpo

Does negativity cause setbacks? How about bad reviews or contest feedback? Again, you have to tell yourself (maybe over and over, especially if you’re a people-pleaser like I am) that not all people are going to like your writing. Accept that fact right now. It’ll make your life a lot easier!

If you write Christian fiction, do you feel you’re not qualified to write it? I thought that in the beginning. Then I took a Bible study where I studied Moses. (If this is you, go read Exodus right now.) It changed my outlook and made me push through that roadblock.

Do you suffer from a lack of commitment and drive? Then set some goals for yourself. Be realistic but challenge yourself! I imagine you can be a lot more productive than you think you can. Some examples of goals… Get up x-number of minutes earlier each day. Write x-number of words a day. Enter one contest. Send out one proposal. Find a critique partner. Release one indie short story/novella/novel. Take one online course. Read x-number of books in your genre. If you’re paralyzed because you’re feeling overwhelmed, then take just ONE step toward reaching one goal. Check one thing, any thing, off your to-do list. Every step will help motivate you.

Oh! And get this… I just read an article on the Psychology Today website (click here but come back) about how one small victory can flood your brain with a feel-good brain chemical (dopamine) that has been linked to motivation. So set yourself up to achieve (one small victory following another)!

Have you realized you don’t dream big enough? This is where this year’s theme hit me in the gut. I realized I don’t dream big enough, and thus don’t achieve all I can. So I’m going to do my normal goal setting. But then I’m going to add some stretch goals. I’m going to push myself and dare to strive to do more. And most of all, I want to remember Who’s in charge. To remember that God has a good plan for me. For me. Wow. I need to be more confident in that and let Him guide me.

And now, before we jump in with comments, I asked the Seeker ladies what No Limits meant for them. I’d like to share a quote from Audra Harders…

“No Limits gives me permission to stop holding back, to trust my gut instinct. If I'm writing the book of my heart, it's all emotion and feeling, and the end product is completely sigh-worthy.”

 And from Ruth Logan Herne…

“I can't believe people intentionally put limits on themselves in the first place! What are they thinking??? Be that baby who takes off running, refusing to crawl because the view is so much better with your head held high!”

I love that. We should all take Ruthy’s attitude!

What about you? How are you going to make 2015 YOUR YEAR???? What does No Limits mean to you?

Please share with us! We’d love to cheer you on.

GIVEAWAY: For any newbies who haven’t braved showing your work to anyone (other than family or best friends--nope, they don't count!), I’d like to offer to read the first five pages of your story for a critique (very gentle, I promise). I’ll draw three names. Please comment and let me know you’d like to be entered! We’d really, really (pretty please) love to have you comment, but if anyone is too shy to ask, please email me at missytippens [@] aol.com to enter. (Put Seekers in the subject line.)

www.missytippens.com

The Heart of the Matter: Discovering Your Character’s True Desire

The Heart of the Matter: Discovering Your Character’s True Desire

with Guest Katie Ganshert

I’m very pro craft book. I’ve read all the popular ones, and even some of the lesser known ones. My favorites are teeming in highlights and earmarks (sorry if makes anyone cringe). But sometimes, the best writing tips don’t come from craft books at all. Sometimes, the best writing tips come from unexpected sources. This is what happened to me while reading a book called Live a Praying Life, by Jennifer Kennedy Dean. Have you heard of it?

I wasn’t reading the book to improve my writing. I was reading the book to better understand God’s design for prayer. But as writers, we usually have that third eye (or ear) open and observant and aware. Ready to soak up some juicy insight. Some truth, some epiphany, some reflection of the human condition that will help us breath greater life into our characters and our stories.

So when I came upon something Jennifer wrote, I immediately switched to writing mode:

“Usually, what we call ‘the desire of my heart’ is really a secondary desire orbiting around the true desire. Usually, what we think we desire is really the way we have imagined the true desire will be met.”

She goes on to say, “We think we are asking for the desire of our hearts, but we are really asking for the desire of the moment. Often, in order to give you the desire of your heart, God will withhold the desire of the moment. He only says no as a prelude to a higher yes.”

Wow. I don’t know about you, but I see major truth in these words. 

Truth that points to an overarching human condition. 

So how do we apply that truth to our characters?

Simple. We pick up our metaphorical shovels and we do a little digging.

On the Surface: What does your character want?

Every protagonist needs a goal, something for which they are striving. They can’t be standing around, twiddling their thumbs. A boring story, that would make. What is your protagonist trying to accomplish throughout the story? 

Or how about this. Let’s say your character gets on her knees in the morning, clasps her hands together, and begs you–her creator–for something. What is she petitioning for? 

Often times, this petition is what Jennifer calls the desire of the moment. And this desire of the moment is what becomes our story, our plot. These tend to be external things. Like…

·      Please, give me this promotion.

·      Please, make this guy fall in love with me.

·      Please, let me get this scholarship. 

The possibilities are endless.

Digging Deeper: Why does your character want this?

Here’s where it gets interesting. Because we know—or should know—something that our character doesn’t. 

This thing she is “praying” for? It’s not really the desire of her heart. It reflects a deeper desire. One she’s most likely unaware of.

So pick up that shovel and go deeper. 

Why does your character want this promotion? Why does your character want the guy to fall in love with her? Why does your character want the scholarship?

In the very depth of her soul, what does your character really want? What is she craving?

The promotion will mean she’s not a failure. She will finally make her parents proud. The promotion becomes a matter of approval. 

Getting the guy to love her will mean she’s desirable. It will mean she’s wanted. Getting the guy to love her becomes a matter of value.

Getting the scholarship means paying her own way for college. She won’t have to answer to her parents anymore. Getting the scholarship becomes a matter of freedom.

Usually, these heart desires can be summed up in one or two words and they tend to be universal. 

Something most of us crave in one form or another.  

Now think….

How can we, as authors, withhold the desire of the moment? How can we tell our characters no? And while they keep striving, how can we make our characters see something deeper? Something beyond the temporary? And how can we meet this true desire in a way that is exceedingly better than what our character (and readers) imagined?

*********

 Bio:
Award-winning author, Katie Ganshert is a slightly-frazzled, ever-inquisitive Midwest gal who loves Jesus, grace, her family, and adoption. When she’s not busy writing or playing or reading or consuming chocolate, she is dreaming about the day when her Congolese daughter finally gets to come home. You can learn more about Katie and her romantic tales by visiting her website or author Facebook page.

A Broken Kind of Beautiful: A Novel 

Sometimes everything you ever learned about yourself is wrong

Fashion is a fickle industry, a frightening fact for twenty-four year old model Ivy Clark. Ten years in and she’s learned a sacred truth—appearance is everything. Nobody cares about her broken past as long as she looks beautiful for the camera. This is the only life Ivy knows—so when it starts to unravel, she’ll do anything to hold on. Even if that means moving to the quaint island town of Greenbrier, South Carolina, to be the new face of her stepmother’s bridal wear line—an irony too rich for words, since Ivy is far from the pure bride in white. 
 
If only her tenuous future didn’t rest in the hands of Davis Knight, her mysterious new photographer. Not only did he walk away from the kind of success Ivy longs for to work maintenance at a local church, he treats her differently than any man ever has. Somehow, Davis sees through the façade she works so hard to maintain. He, along with a cast of other characters, challenges everything Ivy has come to believe about beauty and worth. Is it possible that God sees her—a woman stained and broken by the world—yet wants her still?

5 Ways to Beat Average -- with Missy Tippens

5 Ways to Beat Average

by Missy Tippens

Do you ever feel as if you're biding your time? Or maybe just slogging along doing the bare minimum to make your word count or deadline?

Or maybe you feel like you're actually doing pretty well. You're plugging away, putting in your time each day to meet your goals. You're not feeling the peak of your game, but you're managing. Because, after all, you're busy and have lots of other stuff to do: A day job, laundry, chauffeuring kids, cooking something besides frozen pizza.

Several months ago, I saw this commercial on TV and immediately backed it up to watch again. And let me tell you, I was CONVICTED. I hope you'll take a minute to watch it...

Of course, the exercise component convicted me first. (I about fell off the couch laughing at the "loiter" setting on the treadmill, and also at the guy who stands on the escalator waiting for it to start up again, because I could see hints of myself in both.)

But as I watched the commercial a third time (remember how I mentioned feeling convicted?!), I realized that this Beat Average could apply to my writing as well.

How many times have I settled for a word when I know there's something better just out of my grasp? Or written the cliche knowingly? Or told the emotion rather than showing it just because I didn't have the energy to push through and find a better way?

{Side Note: I'm not talking first draft here. For many people, I think it's best to just get that story down on paper. I'm talking about revising here. The polishing before you turn something in.}

How many times have I gone with my first idea for a plot rather than spending the time to dig and maybe find something fresh or different?

How many times have I quit writing for the day just because someone distracted me or my favorite show came on TV?

How many times have I done what was convenient or fun or relaxing rather than what I knew I should be doing?

How many times have I settled for average???

NO MORE.

Friends don't let other friends be average!

So I'm sharing some tips I hope can help you and me step up our game. And I promise it won't involve a treadmill (unless you're feeling convicted about that, too.) :)

5 Ways to Beat Average

1.     Study the best.

Nothing inspires me to write better than reading good writing—in my genre and outside my genre. I’ve been known to cry while reading some of my favorite authors, weeping because I knew I’d never write that well. But that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t TRY. We should all try to improve. So study what your favorites do. How do they write unforgettable characters? How do they describe setting so that you don’t even really notice that’s what they’re doing?  How do they up the stakes? How do they turn the perfect phrase? Study and learn from the masters.

2.     Figure out your faults and weaknesses.

I’m not talking about picking yourself apart and being overly critical. I’m talking about an honest appraisal. These might be things that your critique partners or contest judges notice.  I think you might find these are the areas of writing that are the hardest for you. Do you struggle with conflict? Do you struggle with a sagging middle? Do you struggle with where to start your story? These may be your weakest spots.

3.     Work to improve and overcome.

Once you know your weaknesses, study and practice to improve. To do this, read how-to books. Take online writing classes. Tear apart other novels to see how the author handles your problem areas. Work hard (yes, put the treadmill on a steeper incline!) and you’ll find that you get better and better.  Eventually, you’ll begin to do better naturally, on the first try.

4.     Set goals and aim high.

Feeling overwhelmed by your weaknesses? Or feeling lazy? Not in the mood to put in the time? Do it anyway. Do we want to put average work out there in book form??? NO, we do not!

Reevaluate your goals. Make a schedule. Get in your word count each day before you get online or check social media. Practice, practice, practice. Repetition is how I learn best. Maybe it’ll be the same for you, too. If we establish a good writing habit, meeting our goals will come more easily.

   

Photo credit: Crestock/donskarpo

5.     Ask for help—push yourself or get someone who will.

Set deadlines for yourself. If you’re not self-motivated or are easily distracted (Every time you sit down to write, do you suddenly decide the shower tile grout needs to be scrubbed with a toothbrush??), consider finding a critique partner or accountability partner. And I’m not talking about your mother or sister or spouse (unless they’re big readers and will be totally honest). Or if you don’t have the time for give and take with a critique partner, consider hiring an editor. And if needed, maybe even a writing coach or life coach.

DON’T SETTLE. We need to do whatever it takes to help us move beyond average.

So who’s ready to join me in trying to move beyond average? Please share what you’d like to improve on. I’ll share mine first. My recent focus is on making sure that I show and don’t tell, especially with emotions. Now, your turn…

GIVEAWAY!  Please LET ME KNOW YOU WANT TO BE ENTERED. I'm giving away 3 copies of my new release from Love Inspired (e-book or print). The Guy Next Door is available NOW on the Harlequin website. And it’s up for pre-order at other booksellers!

The book has already gone out to the Book Club subscribers, and I've been thrilled to have heard from readers who loved it! I hope you enjoy it, too.

The Guy Next Door
Available at:
Harlequin.com
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
ChristianBook.com

From Friend to…Fiancé?  

Stalwart and steady, Darcy O'Malley has been by Luke Jordan's side since childhood. She has seen him through trials and tragedies, romances and breakups. They've been everything to each other—except boyfriend and girlfriend. Why ruin a good thing? What Luke can't explain, however, is why suddenly Darcy's presence is making his heart beat so hard. Something has changed since he left Appleton, and it's making him uneasy. Is it possible his best friend is meant to be something more? Dare he risk their perfect friendship in the hopes of finding his perfect wife?

www.missytippens.com

@MissyTippens on Twitter

http://www.facebook.com/missy.tippens.readers