Confessions of a Reformed Writer (Or How James Scott Bell Helped Me Find my Way out of the Mist).

Once upon a time, there was a young woman who loved to read. Writing books never ever crossed her mind. She beheld authors as on a pedestal. They were magicians who created the extraordinary stories that swept her away to other lands and times. Surely they weren’t mere mortals.

Time passed and the young lady grew up and got a job working for a movie company. One day, while traveling to a business conference, she grabbed a magazine in the airport newsstand. The magazine contained a feature on two women, California secretaries, who typed best-selling historical romances during their lunch hours.

That article was life-changing because the young woman, for the first time, began to consider that ordinary people could be authors. Did that mean even she could possibly become an author? Join the hallowed ranks of people like Frank Yerby and Gwen Bristow, Walter Farley and Irving Stone?

I’m sure you’ve figured out by now that I was that young woman. The year was 1984. I remember the moment as if it happened yesterday. I was a newlywed, alone on a business trip for Columbia Pictures. I picked up the magazine so I’d have something to read in my hotel room.  The two authors were Rosemary Rogers and Shirlee Busbee.

To this day, I credit that article for planting the seed that I could write a book. I’d always had ideas in my head. I’d always made up stories. It just never occurred to me that I could turn them into those magical books that meant so much to me.

Unfortunately, the article made it sound really easy. Have an understanding boss, type away whenever you have free time, and you too can write for Avon books.

I can hear you laughing at me.

It’s okay. With the gift of hindsight, I’m laughing too. Sort of. Apparently I’m a slow learner. And that’s where this story takes a detour - a thirty year detour.

But hang on. It has the requisite happy ending.

Along the way there were babies, graduate degrees, career changes (several of them), and even other interests.

But through them all, the seed that had been planted grew. Slowly - sort of like those evergreen trees that grow an inch every seven years. But it had deep roots that never let go. I snatched moments at dance class or in a coffee shop between work and picking up my daughters. I wrote freely and happily, ignorant of rules or conventions. I was in love with writing. Ordinary, mortal me was writing books!

There were some early successes (Golden Heart finals) and the amazing world of writers’ conferences where I met other women like me who also loved to write. We plotted over tea and scones while our children played. The rush and the joy were incredible.

But into every life a little rain must fall.

Rejections.

Ouch.

And then there was this thing called craft.

At writer’s conferences people were all talking about this mysterious thing called GMC. Everywhere I turned I was hearing Deb Dixon’s name.

I began to learn that writing wasn’t just fun. It took discipline, attention to craft, and (*heavy sigh*) it needed a structure.

I’ll spare you the following pain-filled years.

By now you might be asking yourself what any of this has to do with James Scott Bell.

Good question. I’m getting there.

But first…

A few years ago, as I was muddling through the land of unpubbed writers, I shared a post here about Jo Beverley and my light bulb moment hearing her speech at RWA about writers who write into the mist. That was so much nicer sounding than pantsers.  

 You can read that post if you want, but please come back. You don’t want to miss the happy ending. 

As more time went by, I had to acknowledge something. As much as I loved writing into the mist, it wasn’t working for me anymore.

The problem was I wasn’t just writing into the mist, I was getting totally lost in it. I was happy when I was writing, but I ended up with many, many hundreds of thousands of words on my computer and very few final, complete manuscripts.

Confession is supposed to be good for the soul, so I’m confessing. I was a mess. I was a messy writer, writing in a misty world, and I desperately needed a compass.

That’s where James Scott Bell comes in. I don’t know if he’s ever envisioned himself as a knight in shining armor, but he came to my rescue as surely as any hero on a white steed.

Confession #2. James Scott Bell has no clue about who I am. This rescue was rather anonymous.  It happened when I saw a tweet mentioning his book Super Structure: The Key to Unleashing the Power of Story.

I downloaded a sample to my Kindle App and my life changed again.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

You see, in between the mist post and me discovering Super Structure, there was some happy news. I sold a book. (More about that later).

Unfortunately, that didn’t solve my messy writing problem. In fact, it added pressure to repeat the feat.

Enter Super Structure.

My Kindle App doesn’t give page numbers for this book, but at the 11% mark I ran across a paragraph that practically screamed my name.  Bell quotes a post by John Vorhauson on Writer Unboxed about the huge, ragged mess he’s left with after writing his pantsed first draft. 

It made me want to cry. The mess he is talking about is one I know too well.

BUT, there was a ray of hope. Bell said he had a way to help pantsers become more efficient. Yes! My white knight!

The help he offers is a very simple but profound list of 14 signposts a writer can use to organize the story. The remainder of the book explains each signpost in great detail.

Why does this excite me so?

I’m a teacher. I know that children learn in different ways. So it makes sense that as adults we go about our work in different ways. Gather any group of writers together and you’ll see that we work in equally many ways. Pantsers are pansters (or misters) and plotters are plotters, and it’s really pretty futile trying to convince one that the other way is better.

The beauty of Super Structure is that it can work for each of us in our own way. Sort of like play dough, we get to mold it in a way that fits our style while keeping the same central backbone of structure. Plotters can use the signposts as they outline their novels. Mist writers like me can use the same signposts to make sense of the ragged mess of story we’re left with after speeding through that first draft. As Bell indicates, we’re not all that different really. The pantsers are simply writing that outline as a rather long, somewhat rough first draft.

In the book, Bell uses many examples from books and films to show how these signposts work to support great stories. He takes you through step-by-step explaining the role and location of each signpost. It’s amazing!

Why am I a fan?

Because for the first time in a long time, I don’t feel frustrated by my writing. I’ve tried plotting ahead. I can’t. My brain doesn’t work that way. The ideas that fill out my stories come to me as I’m writing them, as I’m getting inside my characters. I can’t force that ahead of time no matter how much I wish I could. But now, I have a way of wrangling all those ideas into a story with structure

And now for the happy ending:

I was chatting with Tina Radcliffe about Super Structure and how much I was enjoying reading it. She suggested I do a post about it. In a bit of serendipity, the date she asked for - today - was one year to the date when my full manuscript was due to Love Inspired as part of the Killer Voices contest.

On May 22, 2014, I had received notice that the editors wanted to see the whole book by June 9^th.

I work well under pressure.  As the days to June 9^th counted down, something clicked and I wrote like a maniac, determined to make that deadline. I had no idea if what I was writing was any good, but I didn’t have time to play like I usually do. I wrote at the speed of light, relying purely on instinct about where the story was going. Miraculously, Emily Rodmell found something worthy in my story and offered me a contract for the book.

Once that deadline was past though, I found myself falling back into the same bad habits. I was frustrated, but without the looming deadline, I didn’t know how to make my brain work differently.

So what do you do when your natural writing style is impeding progress and derailing your career?

You have two choices: give up or keep going.

If you decide to keep going, you have to remember the famous advice attributed to Einstein.  "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

Fortunately my sanity was saved when I saw that tweet and downloaded Super Structure.

Out of gratitude, I’m offering one commenter an ecopy of SuperStructure.  Another reader will get an IOU for my debut, Christmas in Hiding, coming in October from Love Inspired Suspense under my pen name, Cate Nolan.

Oh, one final note: once I summoned my courage, I decided to put Christmas inHiding to the test. According to Bell, every great story has a moment exactly halfway through that is known as the “Mirror Moment”.  It’s the moment he wrote an entire book about (Write Your Novel from the Middle) It is the moment halfway through the book when the “main character has to figuratively look at himself, as in the mirror. He is confronted with a disturbing truth: change or die.”

Nervously, I opened Christmas in Hiding to the middle, and WOOOHOOOOOO, there it was, just where it was supposed to be - my Mirror Moment.

Somehow, in my mad rush, my instincts (honed by 30 years of trying) had me do it right.

Now I just have to pull it off again.

And so do you.

Good luck!

So let’s chat.

I’d love to hear your thoughts - about your writing styles, how you organize your writing, whether any of you are as messy as I am. Have any of you read Super Structure?

You already know Mary Curry. Now, meet Cate Nolan, Love Inspired Suspense author!

Cate Nolan lives in New York City, but she escapes to the ocean any chance she gets. A devoted mom, wife and teacher, Cate loves to leave her real life behind and play with the characters in her imagination. She’s got that suspense writer gene that sees danger and a story in everyday occurrences. Cate particularly loves to write stories of faith enabling ordinary people to overcome extraordinary danger. 

Seven + Villager Success Stories

Janet  here. Since Seekerville's inception seven years ago, one by one all the Seekers set sail from Unpubbed Island to the Mainland of Published Fiction. Our goal for Seekerville was to help others do the same by emphasizing the value of contests and sharing craft and inspiring posts. In those early days, 30 comments delighted us, and most of those were ours. LOL Now the blog has over 11,000 followers and almost a million and a half page reviews. God has grown Seekerville and all of us as we share the ups and downs of the writers’ journey. 

   

To celebrate Seekerville’s 7^th Birthday, I asked seven + Villagers, if they'd like to share how Seekerville helped them achieve their dream of publication. I got a resounding yes! So grab a cup of Helen's coffee and let's party with these lovely ladies!  

Keli Gwyn, Family of her Dreams, Love Inspired Historical, June 2015. A Bride Opens Shop in El Dorado, California

Keli Gwyn and Janet

When I dusted off my four-decade-long dream of being a writer, I had no idea what I was doing. I sat holed up in my office cranking out five lackluster stories in two years. Although my joy was abundant, my knowledge of craft was abysmal. All that changed when I finaled in the 2008 Golden Heart®. A wonderful woman named Tina Radcliffe found me and asked me to be a blog guest at Seekerville. Because I was a florescent green newbie writer and a technophobe, I had several questions for Tina. The first was, "what is a blog?" She answered that question and has answered many more since. I was warmly welcomed by all the Seekers and Seekervillagers and have learned oodles from you talented people. Ruthy was my Lighten Up 101 instructor and taught me how to make this writing gig a lot more fun. Missy, one of my contest judges, gave me a great idea on how to improve the story that became my debut novel. I won a critique from Julie, and she gave me awesome pointers on that same story's opening. I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea. Seekerville rocks! Happy seventh birthday! Here's to another great year to come.

Virginia Carmichael, A Home for her Family. Love Inspired, October 2014

I've always loved Seekerville for introducing me to great new authors, but as someone who just started writing, every day seems like an intensive writing course. I've learned so much in Seekerville! As for tangible help, I won a fancy printer during The New Year’s party one year. This was back when it seemed like most agents still wanted paper submissions. I had a terrible old printer that mostly ate paper and never printed anything legibly, so I was THRILLED to win. I sent out hundreds of queries and lots of partials with that printer! Then, I finaled in the Seekerville Query Contest with Melissa Endlich, and she requested full manuscripts from all of us winners. She called to say they wanted to acquire it in Nov 2011. I signed my first contract through Seekerville!

Sue Mason, Healing the Widower’s Heart, Love Inspired, February 2015

Ruth Tredway, Helen Gray, Sue Mason, Janet

I most definitely credit the fabulous ladies of Seekerville with my success as a writer! It all started when I became a Golden Heart finalist in 2008. Tina Radcliffe tracked me down and invited me to share a little about my story on her blog. I had no idea who she was or even what a blog was, but I jumped on board. From then on, I became a faithful follower of Seekerville. Not only do they provide fantastic information about the craft of writing, they often feature agents and editors, and host contests. This was the case back in October 2012 when Love Inspired editor, Elizabeth Mazer, was featured in a post which included a First Page contest. I didn't plan to participate since my contemporary trilogy was on submission at White Rose Publishing, and my other stand-alone romance, Wyndermere House, (ironically my 2008 GH entry) had already been rejected by a different LI editor. Then Tina sent me an email pretty much ordering me to get something in to the contest! So I took another look at Wyndermere House, made a few adjustments, and sent it in! To make a long story short, I received a request from Elizabeth, and now 2 years later, my manuscript is being released as Healing the Widower’s Heart (February 2015). Without Tina (as well as all the encouragement and prayers from the wonderful women at Seekerville), I wouldn't be able to call myself a Love Inspired author! Thank you SO MUCH Seekerville!

Jessica Nelson, Family on the Range, Love Inspired Historical, June 2014

In 2007 I started my first manuscript with the intent of publication. As soon as I waded into the cyberworld of writers, I discovered Seekerville. A blog dedicated to helping writers on the path and a home for those who didn't know what they were doing (me!), the Seekers' posts on craft, contests, submission etiquette and encouragement soon had me hooked! Many of the Seekers still resided on Unpubbed Island. Thanks to their intelligent posts and loving personalities, I gained confidence in my ability to seek publication and to actually achieve it. They made traditional publication seem possible when many others said it was impossible.

I am so thankful I stumbled across the Seekerville years ago. Long Live the Seekers!

Jan Drexler, A Mother for His Children, Love Inspired Historical, August 2014

What can I say about Seekerville? Four years ago, my journey to publication started with a vague idea of a story, a thirty-year-old bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing, and twenty-some years of homeschooling and raising children under my belt. Then I stumbled upon Seekerville while looking for tips on how to write. Well, I say I “stumbled upon” this blog, but I know God led me here. From the beginning I knew I was facing a huge learning curve, but the gracious ladies on Unpubbed Island made gentle suggestions and offered enthusiastic encouragement. I entered contests, developed writing goals and discipline, and watched my word count grow. I entered more contests – including the great ones here on Seekerville that led to my first book landing on a Love Inspired editor’s desk and led to signing with an agent. And the Seekers cheered every step of the way. I listened to their advice, learned from their blog posts, and kept working. I signed my first contract with Love Inspired in April, 2012, and this summer signed a three book contract with Revell. My publication journey may have been possible without the Seekers, but I can’t imagine how long I would have struggled in my writing cave without their wisdom and encouragement opening doors I didn’t even know existed. I look forward to many, many more years of being a Seekervillager. Happy Birthday, Seekerville!

Helen Gray, OzarkWedding, Heartsong Presents, September, 2014

My profile says I've been hanging around Seekerville since November, 2009, but I was “Anonymous” for a few months before that, until I learned how to set up an account. During those years I have printed and utilized a lot of How-To craft tips, and I've never been allowed to feel lonely at ACFW conferences. I've also benefited from Seeker critiques. Of the series I had release this year, Mary critiqued the first chapter of book one, Tina critiqued the first chapter of book two, and Grammar Queen edited the first chapter of book three. And I lived to tell about it! In addition to all that, they drink my virtual coffee, even though I have no idea how to make the stuff in reality.

Christina Rich, The Warrior's Vow, Love Inspired Historical, July 2014

SEEKERVILLE, first, happy birthday!

Second, I wouldn't be where I am today without you. It was during your birthday in 2011 I received a request from Emily Rodmell at Love Inspired. In 2012 I received the call! I can't say thank you enough for the continued support and encouragement as I travel beyond the island.

Mary Curry, writing as Cate Nolan, will debut her Christmas book in October, 2015,

identified seven reasons she’s thankful for having the Seekers in my life.

Friends - Some of my dearest writing friends are people I've met through Seekerville. We all know how lonely a writer's life can be, but the Seekers bring a light of friendship into that loneliness. I thank them for their friendship.

Faith - Through word, deed and prayer, the Seekers live their faith and inspire us to be the best we can be. Through prayers I've requested and prayers I didn't know about until afterward, I've been lifted so often by these lovely women. I thank them for their shared faith.

Craft - Seekerville is like one endless graduate course on how to write a book. It's the university from which we never want to graduate. The shared wisdom of the Seekers and their friends helps us strive and never settle for average. I thank them for sharing their knowledge.

Fun - It's not all serious! The one thing you know you can count on is that a day spent in Seekerville will be a day of happiness. From the New Year's Eve bash to the month long birthday party, Seekerville is a cheerful refuge. I thank the Seekers for the joy they bring each day.

Lynette Eason, Patty Smith Hall, Debby, Missy, Jessica Nelson

Family or Community -  I remember the first time I visited Seekerville. I feared it was some "in club" that I would forever watch from the outskirts. Little did I know that Seekerville is chock full of warmth and legendary hospitality. There are no strangers in Seekerville, only the friends we haven't gotten to know yet. I thank the Seekers for inviting us in and making us feel welcome.

Prizes - Not to seem mercenary, ;) but seriously! The Seekers are so generous with prizes offering so many free books, gift cards, and treats. I still drink my tea from the mug Tina sent as my very first newbie villager prize. I thank you for your generosity.

Hope and Support - "And the greatest of these is love."  Through their love for God, each other, and the villagers, the Seekers show by example how to be a love-driven, faith-based community. They never stint on time or effort, advice or prizes ;) Whether it's brandishing a whip or offering candy, the Seekers have our backs and I hope they know we have theirs. They make this journey seem possible and when you reach your goal, there's no better place to celebrate than Seekerville!  I thank the Seekers for years of support and celebration and for being the best kind of community a writer could yearn for.

Nancy Kimball, Chasing the Lion

Years ago, before all the Seekers had made it off unpubbed island, I'd written this "book" and had no idea what I was supposed to do next. Praise the Lord for Google and Seekerville. From the first post I read there, I felt like I'd come home to a place I'd never been before. I jumped in right away and soaked up information like a Persian rug does spilled wine. There was so much to learn but when I began commenting, these "real authors" took an interest in the "new person" and were so welcoming. Encouraging. That sense of home and belonging deepened as I continued to make my daily Seekerville stop for the next two years. I say with honesty Seekerville is where I learned about half of what I know about the craft of fiction and marketing. I made so many friends there and am blessed to have maintained those friendships even though life as a published author no longer affords me the time to spend in Seekerville I once did. I will always be grateful for the Seekers, and their continuing mission to support and encourage the up and coming author as much as the multi-published. I am published today with a very successful Indie debut, and mentoring an up-and-coming author, thanks largely to that early learning and shared community here in Seekerville. Thank you Seekers, for seven years and counting.


Patty Smith Hall, "Christmas Lessons," Christmas Traditions, October, 2014.     
                 .
Many will talk about how Seekerville has helped them to realize their dream of being a published writer, and they'd be correct. Cheryl Wyatt's post on scene development back in 2008 changed the way I wrote, and gave me the push I needed to finish my first published novel, Hearts in Flight. 

But it is the kindness of the Seekers that has touched my heart and made Seekerville feel like a second home. In early 2012, the doctors told me my spine could no longer support me and I would need surgery. The recovery period was anywhere from six months to a year, most which would be spent in a brace and on my back. Within days of my hospital release, I received my first card from one of the Seekers, then another and another. Every couple of days for the next few months, there would be a card or two waiting in my mailbox, encouraging me, letting know they were praying for my recovery. Those cards, and the notes written within, helped me through those first hard days of my recovery, and encouraged me to lean on God and to keep writing. A small kindness that still touches me today.

Thank you, ladies--and Happy Birthday, Seekerville!

Janet again. Thanks, ladies! Your sweet words bless and encourage us. Your success is such fun to celebrate! And offers hope to those working hard, who haven't yet received The Call. 

For breakfast I brought orange juice, crisp bacon and crunchy French toast dusted with powdered sugar and warm maple syrup. And of course there's birthday cakes with layers of chocolate, strawberry and yellow to nibble on all day. Leave a comment for a chance to win one of these author's books in either eBook or hard copy, author’s choice (we'll discuss your options) and a $10 Amazon gift card. 

Building a Better World - One Story at a Time

with guest Mary Curry.

     You've probably heard the story about Abraham Lincoln meeting Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom's Cabin, and saying, "So this is the little lady who started this great war."

    But did you also know that Adolf Hitler claimed to have drawn inspiration for his Aryan nation from Wagner's early opera Rienzi, which in turn was based on a book by Edward Bulwer-Lytton (of It was a dark and stormy night fame)?

    Or how about the Cannibal Rat ship that's floating around the internet these days? Has that made you think of global responsibility?  (Or maybe it's fed a plot idea.) True or false, the story has certainly infested Facebook and the Twitterverse.

  
Behold the power of story … for good or for ill.

Who remembers this scene from Romancing the Stone?
 

Kathleen Turner evoked the exhilaration writers feel when the writing is working. But I think readers also identify with the scene because they completely understand the sheer power of story to carry you out of your daily life. That's what we're talking about today. Story and the power it wields.

 A month or so ago, I received an email from an organization called The Greater Good.

The email contained an article, by Paul J. Zak, called How Stories Change the Brain.

Since I had recently posted here at Seekerville about Wired for Story , I was interested to read the article and watch the accompanying video.  Although Wired by Lisa Kron and the Greater Good article by Paul Zak, approach the topic differently, their conclusions are ultimately the same. Story is vital to our survival. The brain loves story, and stories change our brains.

What does this mean to us as writers?

Here's a video from Zak's article that shows you how story impacts your brain - literally shows you. It's only 5 minutes long so I encourage you to watch it. Then come back and we'll talk. Go ahead. I'll wait. It's fascinating stuff.




The part of the video I found most intriguing was at the 3:35 mark (through 4:31). If you weren't able to watch, through brain imaging, Zak's team was able to show brain activity in response to different types of stories. In response to the story of a father whose son is dying, brains lit up with empathy and understanding of what others are doing. In response to a story of a father having a fun day at the zoo with his son, nothing lit up. Nothing.

That's powerful imagery!

Imagine readers reading your stories. Do their brains light up in response to what you have written, thus keeping them invested in the story, or is there no response? If nothing is happening in your story, the reader's brain won't tune in. That's hard, cold science. Shudder.

Zak connects this brain imaging to the Dramatic Arc of story.

"This evidence supports the view of some narrative theorists that there is a universal story structure. These scholars claim every engaging story has this structure, called the dramatic arc. It starts with something new and surprising, and increases tension with difficulties that the characters must overcome, often because of some failure or crisis in their past, and then leads to a climax where the characters must look deep inside themselves to overcome the looming crisis, and once this transformation occurs, the story resolves itself. "


There's more, but I don't want to give away the whole story. If you'd like to read the full article, you can find it here.

So this is all well and good. Really interesting and very important to remember.
But what do we do with it?

Well, I could have just ended this post with the advice to write a really interesting story with lots going on.

But as I was reading the article and thinking about this post, a song kept playing in my head.

Five For Fighting's World.



What kind of world do you want?
Think Anything
Let's start at the start
Build a masterpiece
Be careful what you wish for
History starts now...

So that brings me to a bigger question.

What kind of world do you want?  And can you help build it with your stories?

Deeper into the Greater Good article, Zak goes on to say, "We also tested why stories can motivate us, like the characters in them, to look inside ourselves and make changes to become better people."

Without giving away the story on the video, Zak says chemicals are emitted in the brain in response to story. The people who were motivated by the story to donate "had more empathic concern of other people and were happier."

He goes on to say:

"This shows there is a virtuous cycle in which we first engage with others emotionally that leads to helping behaviors, that make us happier. Many philosophical and religious traditions advocate caring for strangers, and our research reveals why these traditions continue to influence us today—they resonate with our evolved brain systems that make social interactions rewarding. "

The story Zak worked with was true, but apparently that doesn't impact the brain's reaction. The down side for us is that in Zak's study, apparently the reaction was better with video than with written story.  Let's take that as a challenge!


In the sidebar of the article, there was a link to another article - a review of Jonathan Gottschall's book The Storytelling Animal - How Stories Make Us Human. So of course I had to read that too. It's an interesting book (though some may find his views on religion to be insulting). Gottschall examines how stories (in all their varied forms from videos to printed stories to dreams and daydreams) saturate our lives. He uses what scientists have learned from biology, psychology, and neuroscience to explain why humans are addicted to stories. 

The examples I used in the opening (not the Cannibal rats!) are discussed in his book. 

In chapters respectively called The Moral of the Story and Ink People Changed the World, Gottschall discusses how people are "putty in a storyteller's hands". He cites evidence to show that the more deeply involved people are in a story, the more the story changes them. He writes about the fundamental power of story to enforce societal norms and values, to define people, to "tell us what is laudable and what is contemptible." Gottschall says "Stories are working on us all the time, reshaping us in the way that flowing water gradually reshapes a rock."

Zak's Center is using the understanding they have developed to "test stories that seek to motivate positive behavioral changes." He suggests we "go see a movie and laugh and cry. It’s good for your brain, and just might motivate you to make positive changes in your life and in others’ lives as well."

Gottschall ends his book with this advice. "Go get lost in a novel."

The message for authors seems clear - craft a compelling story and you can change people for the better.

So I'd love to hear from you. How do you think we can use our stories to build a better world? Can we deliberately craft a message in the hope of inspiring an empathetic reaction?

What kind of world do you want? Are you willing to help build it with your stories?


"World"

 
Got a package full of Wishes
A Time machine, a Magic Wand
A Globe made out of Gold

No Instructions or Commandments
Laws of Gravity or
Indecisions to uphold

Printed on the box I see
A.C.M.E.'s Build-a-World-to-be
Take a chance - Grab a piece
Help me to believe it

What kind of world do you want?
Think Anything
Let's start at the start
Build a masterpiece
Be careful what you wish for
History starts now...


In return for sharing your thoughts today, I'd like to offer a book of choice - any of the books on brains and writing or a Seeker book of choice. Take your pick, but be sure to let us know if you're interested.

Mary Curry

Mary is a teacher, mother, wife and writer.  And a lifelong reader. That passion for reading transformed over time into a compulsion to create stories of her own. She’s been writing  and contesting for many years and along the way has garnered a few writing credits including being a three time Golden Heart finalist and the 2011 Genesis winner for Contemporary Romance. She has recently won Duel on the Delta, Touched by Love, and the Laurie.

Mary can be found on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/M.M.Curry
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/maryc2010

http://myplacebythesea.blogspot.com/  I'm reinventing my blog as a resource for readers to meet authors (published and pre-published) and get free books. If you're interested in being interviewed let me know.

Story: Your Brain on Drugs

with guest Mary Curry

Confession time: I'm a craft book junkie. More accurately, I'm addicted to buying craft books. I can't claim to have read all (or even most) of them, but I have A LOT. Over the years I've developed favorites. Anne Lamott's bird by bird gets credit for keeping me sane as a writer. Robert McKee's Story intimidates me simply by its size. Elizabeth Sinclair's The Dreaded Synopsis and Deb Dixon's GMC have held places of honor on my writing shelf for over a decade. There's Vogler and Swain, Maass and Bell,  Gardner and Snyder, Cameron and Hauge. Rebecca McClanahan teaches me to paint with words and Noah Lukeman offers advice on staying out of the rejection pile in The First Five Pages. The list goes on and on. King, Stein, Goldberg, etc., etc.

So seriously, is there any way to justify purchasing another craft book?

Can you see me cocking my head and giving you the evil eye?

One can never have too many craft books, right?

We could debate that, but today I just want to share with you my newest favorite.

Wired for Story:  The Writer's Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence. By Lisa Cron

How can a title like that not snag your interest?

The back cover blurb says:

Imagine knowing what the brain craves from every tale it encounters, what fuels the success of any great story, and what keeps readers transfixed. Wired for Story reveals these cognitive secrets - and it's a game changer for anyone who has ever set pen to paper.

That was enough to convince me to purchase a copy!  (Clearly Barnes & Noble has reason to love me!)

I'm really, really glad I did. I've learned so much about storytelling from this book. My copy is full of Post its and underlining and notes written in the margins. I read and thought about my stories, realized where I was going wrong, and got excited about new ways to do it right.  And I've learned to look at story in a whole new light.

The book is chock full of so many interesting points that I'd need a month of posts to do it justice. Rather than doing a poor job summarizing, I'm hoping to whet your appetite with some of the more intriguing thoughts, and prompt some discussion on your thoughts about neuroscience and writing.

I also want to use this study of brain science and story as a lens to look at our roles as writers of inspirational fiction.

Calgon Take me Away


Any of you who are a certain age may recall the Calgon ads - usually a harried housewife pleading, "Calgon, take me away."





Stories have always been my Calgon. The one reliable escape from madness.

But according to Lisa Cron, I've had it all wrong. Stories aren't about escape, but rather about survival.

 "Recent breakthroughs in neuroscience reveal that our brain is hardwired to respond to story; the pleasure we derive from a tale well old is nature's way of seducing us into paying attention to it." (p. 1)

And why do we have to pay attention? 

To survive.

Lisa Cron discussed her book on Writer Unboxed saying,

 "By letting us vicariously experience difficult situations and problems we haven’t actually lived through, story bestows upon us, risk free, a treasure trove of useful intel, just in case. And so back in the Stone Age, even though those shiny red berries looked delicious, we remembered the story of the Neanderthal next door who gobbled ‘em down and promptly keeled over, and made do with a couple of stale old beetles instead."

So story is essential to our survival.

What does that have to do with us as writers?

Because of the way our brains are wired, we respond in certain ways. According to Cron, this explains why some stories captivate us while others leave us cold.

She claims writers often mistakenly believe that beautiful prose and fascinating plots make good stories.

Wrong!

Have you ever read a beautifully crafted writing sample that left you feeling nothing? Or one that was so perfectly structured you were conscious of the craft? By contrast, books that are universally acknowledged as horribly written often become mega best sellers.

Why?

Because they appeal to our cravings for story.

What makes a story work is that inescapable need for the brain to know what is going to happen next. That's what keeps us awake at night reading. Curiosity is roused. Your survival instincts kick in. It's a drug - literally. A dopamine* rush. 

Sounds easy, right?

Apparently that's another way we go wrong.

Because stories engage our attention effortlessly, they seem easy to write. And that's where our job can become difficult.

"Not only do we crave story, but we have very specific hardwired expectations for every story we read." (p. 10)

For the remainder of the book, Cron goes through these expectations step by step, explaining how we can create our stories in a manner that gives readers that dopamine high.  Each section begins with a Cognitive Secret and a related Story Secret.


There's so much more information about mirror neurons, plot expectations, the protagonist as her own worst enemy, meeting reader expectations, etc.  So much  good stuff that not only do I seriously recommend this book for your own reading, but I'm going to give away a copy to one lucky commenter. More about that in a bit.

Now I'd like to shift the focus slightly. Seeing that this is Seekerville and most of us write inspirational fiction, I couldn't help but think of discussing this book with our particular writing in mind.

We're following in the footsteps of the greatest storyteller ever known. Jesus taught with stories to make lessons accessible and meaningful to his people.

As I read Wired for Story, I couldn't help but wonder, can we use the discoveries of neuroscience to help build the Kingdom of God?

Early in the book, Cron writes;

"Writers can change the way people think simply by giving them a glimpse of life through their characters' eyes. They can transport readers to places they've never been, catapult them into situations they've never dreamed of, and reveal subtle universal truths that just might alter their entire perception of reality." (p. 2)

That can be a powerful burden or an awesome opportunity.

There's so much wonderful information in this book about how to carefully craft your story to meet reader expectations. I think we could easily learn to adapt those techniques to subtly craft a message that inspires.

So what do you think?

Are you interested in learning more about how neuroscience can help you craft engaging stories?

Do you think we should use this knowledge and these skills to evangelize?

Did I thoroughly confuse you?

I can't really begin to do neuroscience credit in one blog post, so I'm offering a copy of Lisa Cron's book, Wired for Story (ebook or paper), as a prize. Please let us know in the comments if you want to be in the drawing. Winner announced in the Weekend Edition.

If you're interested in more information, Lisa Cron has a website here. 
and can be found on Writer Unboxed  


*According to Psychology Today, Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that helps control the brain's reward and pleasure centers. Dopamine also helps regulate movement and emotional responses.



Mary Curry


Mary is a teacher, mother, wife and writer.  And a lifelong reader. That passion for reading transformed over time into a compulsion to create stories of her own. She’s been writing  and contesting for many years and along the way has garnered a few writing credits including being a three time Golden Heart finalist and the 2011 Genesis winner for Contemporary Romance. She has recently won Duel on the Delta, Touched by Love, and the Laurie.


Mary can be found on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/M.M.Curry

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/maryc2010

Her own blog can be found at My Place By the Sea

An Introvert's Guide to Having a Great Conference Experience with Guests Mary Curry and Julie Hilton Steele

Today we're going to bring you our version of how to turn pre-conference jitters into a memorable (in a good way) experience.  We're hoping our shared experiences can help quell those nerves and make your next conference painless and productive. And maybe even fun.

But first, we want you to know where we're coming from:

Julie: I am more of an extroverted introvert. I need to be around people, know how to work a room and, if I don’t know someone, I will get to know them.

But extroverted introverts (EIs) also have their challenges at conferences. Mainly because everyone else thinks EIs know everyone or aren’t insecure.  Or worse, they don’t get the alone time they desperately need to be extroverted the rest of the time.

Mary and I were great roomies at RWA #13 Atlanta because we were always in our room at different times. We had the quiet time we needed without hiding in a dark corner in the lobby.

Mary: I'm your classic introvert.  I sign up for conference in a burst of enthusiasm, and then as the time draws near, I wonder what I was thinking, why I ever made the plans in the first place. In 2011, I even cancelled my reservations and stayed home from ACFW. That was a mistake because I missed the chance to accept my Genesis Award. I hope you can learn from my mistake. I did.

This year, when I headed to RWA, I was determined to overcome my introvert tendencies. I found two ways to do it. First, rooming with Julie. In the past, I always stayed by myself, but that just reinforced my introvert tendencies. Having a roomie forced me to be with other people, but it made it easy too because it's always easier to meet new people when you have a friend to fall back on.

The other trick I played on myself was using my iPad camera as a way to meet people. It was fun to introduce myself under the guise of "taking photos for Tina and Seekerville." Not only do I have great videos and photos of conference memories, but I had the chance to speak with so many people I otherwise would have missed.

It’s Conference Time

Whether the conference be RWA, ACFW, or a smaller regional event, in the weeks leading up to CONFERENCE, social media is abuzz with people making plans, tweeting about appointments, Facebook friends posting about meeting face-to-face, roomies who are excited to catch up again after a year, friends planning who will bring/share the chocolate, news about publisher events, luncheon or dinner plans, etc. You get the drift. You've likely seen the posts. Maybe you're even one of the enthusiastic ones posting and sharing your plans.

It's easy to get caught up in the excitement, but it's also possible that you're feeling overwhelmed, left out, the proverbial wallflower watching as the others plan fun times. If the nerves get too bad, you might even decide to stay home rather than venture into a world outside your comfort zone (writer's cave).  

That’s before you even get there.  

But what happens if you overcome those nerves and actually go to a conference?

Our nerves were calmed almost instantly when we arrived. Not only did we have each other but we were blessed to have a ready-made welcoming committee, our friends from Seekerville. Even though they had their own workshop to prep, agents and editors to see, parties to attend, these wonderful folks embraced us, offered encouragement and kept us informed of opportunities. Just like the Seeker blog but in 3D! And all the friends of Seekerville who attended were just as marvelous.  

We weren’t alone. We knew people.  Still there was the niggling question that plagues every conference attendee at one time or another:

Why am I here?   

Finding the answer is part of what makes a good conference experience. 

We've come up with what we consider prime conference attendance rules to help you find those answers, have fun and come home energized. The good thing is, we think these "rules" apply whether you're an introvert, an extrovert or a happy mix.


Our conference rules:

 Pray -

What a great thing to have Debby Giusti grab each of us and pray over us!  If someone needed prayer, she was there!  And we felt those prayers. 

Debby wasn't the only one praying, of course. Our FH&L chapter members and all of our Seeker friends were a great source of prayer support and inspiration.

Remember to pray in the first place. Don’t be shy about asking folks to pray for you. Whether you are a seasoned published author or a newbie just diving into the conference pool, you need prayers. And there’s no shame in saying you’re nervous or struggling.

Listen -

Keep your heart open. Allow room for the Holy Spirit to work.  You may start to hear something relevant to your book over and over again. Or run into an agent in unexpected places.  Sometimes it may be hearing things about your manuscript or career path you’d rather not hear but need to know.  

Sure conference is a great place to chat and catch up with friends, but take time to listen. You need to be quiet and grounded to start catching those Godincidences.

Trust -

Julie: I attended my first conference not planning on pitching. I just wanted to savor the workshops and networking without the stress. But two of my friends who shall remain nameless, okay, Piper and Mary, convinced me to sign up for pitch appointments freed by cancellations.  To be honest, Piper walked me downstairs so I’d actually do it! Mary helped me review what a pitch contains. I ran into Winnie Griggs and Renee Ryan in a hallway, and they gave me tips.

I stood in line to go into my pitch session and all I remembered thinking was, “I’m not nervous. WHY am I not nervous? This is weird.” Bottom line, I trusted God was working, sat down and just talked with two editors.  I got through it AND brought home a request for a full and another for a synopsis. 

Mary: So, the introvert may go about it differently. I went down by myself and snagged an extra editor appointment, but I didn't mention it to anyone until it was over. That's just my way. But the point is that trust was precious for me as well. I trusted that the appointment had become available to me at that moment for a reason, so I went into it confident that I was supposed to be there. Not only did I come away with a request, but I had a chance to brainstorm my story with an editor for ten minutes. That was fun! Even for an introvert.

 Manage Expectations-

It’s hard not to go to a conference expecting the sky to open if you just meet the right agent, or if your one-sheet bowls everyone over, or you win an award.  Call this syndrome The "If" Plague.  Those expectations creep in. 

We each had different expectations for the conference, with one of us being an old hand and the other a newbie. But both of us set the bar pretty low.  The newbie didn't expect to pitch, knew she wouldn't get to attend every workshop, and wasn't up for an award.  But she came home with requests. The old hand at conference cancelling went, turned into the Seekerville reporter on the spot, and met people she wouldn't have otherwise.


Why we are there, the untold story 

We also realized pretty quickly, we are not at conferences for ourselves alone.  We are there to be the encouragement for someone who is practicing their pitch as we walk by or to provide a sympathetic ear when things don’t go well. We are there to tell another writer how much their book meant to us.  Even multi-published authors love to hear that their efforts are appreciated. We may be standing in line next to someone and have to explain why we write inspirational romance. Yep, personal witness time and it happened more often than not! We may be there for the person sitting alone at a luncheon or in a workshop.  

So, if you are nervous about going to conference, remember, you may be going for someone else.

Most of all, remember, that God doesn't care if you're an introvert or an extrovert. He's got you covered. All you have to do is follow His plan and know that it will fall into place at His command when His time is right. 

Because when it comes right down to it, if we're writing for His glory, then our fears have no place. When you think of it that way, being an introvert isn't such a hard thing to overcome.

Out of gratitude for all the Seekers and Villagers have generously shared with us, we are offering two chances for a prize. One person has the chance to win a $10 gift card to your choice of either Amazon or B&N. 

A second winner will get a download of the Seeker's RWA13 workshop plus one of the leis that were given away to attendees.  Please just let us know if you'd like to be included in the drawing.



Julie Hilton Steele

A former microbiologist, church educator and pastor, Julie discovered romance eight years ago when an unexpected loss led her to look for books with guaranteed HEAs. She glommed every type of romance and discovered  the inspirational genre. As a former writer of devotional non-fiction for Upper Room magazines, Julie is navigating the transition to fictional works set in WWII Washington DC, the city of her birth.  The medical side of history and the inspirational side of romance are her passions. 
  
Julie can be found on the following : Facebook     Julie Hilton Steele – Writer  

Group Blog  Yankee-Belle Café – food, fun and inspirational fiction writers 


Twitter    @SisSteele          
                
Mary Curry

Mary is a teacher, mother, wife and writer.  And a lifelong reader. That passion for reading transformed over time into a compulsion to create stories of her own. She’s been writing  and contesting for many years and along the way has garnered a few writing credits including being a three time Golden Heart finalist and the 2011 Genesis winner for Contemporary Romance. She has recently won Duel on the Delta, Touched by Love, and the Laurie.

Mary can be found on Facebook:  M.M.Curry

Twitter:  @maryc2010

Her own blog is under construction and will be relaunching soon. Stay tuned.