Putting the Pieces Together

by Debby Giusti

Happy Birthday, Seekerville! October has been a fantastic month. I love the daily giveaways and all the wonderful posts our guests have provided. The take-a-closer-look-at-a-writer’s-life blogs have been fun too. I’ll never forget Ruthy’s 4 AM shot with the kitty and Myra doing her morning exercise a la Wii.

Now, it’s my turn. What to write? What to share? What to ignore?

I start with an internal picture. (I  believe it's called a freeze frame in the screenwriting world.) It’s as if my mind’s eye catches a glimpse of action, either the beginning of the story or the climax. If not worth developing, it flutters away like the falling leaves. But if the idea captures my imagination then I begin to “what if” and the story starts to build.

When my husband and I moved into a new home that had a security alarm, we inadvertently activated the emergency code and were surprised when the police arrived with their guns drawn. Naturally, my suspense writer brain pictured a woman tripping an alarm and the law enforcement hero arriving on scene to check out the situation.

Eventually that “mental picture” morphed into NOWHERE TO HIDE, the first book I sold to Steeple Hill. The heroine and her young son are on the run and need to hide out in her elderly aunt’s coastal Georgia home. To compound the problem, the aunt set the security alarm before she left on a trip and a storm knocks out the electricity. The house is dark, and when the heroine opens the door, the backup power supply triggers a screeching alarm that alerts the island chief of security. You guessed it! Enter the hero.

My second book took shape when I thought about a winding road, an ice storm and a car that plunges off a bridge into raging water, which is how SCARED TO DEATH opens. Of course, the woman is rescued only to learn the old friend she was driving to visit died earlier that day. I had been researching liver transplants for a clinical laboratory article I was writing at the time so I considered adding a black market organ transplant operation that morphed into a transplant tourist racket. (FYI, that’s when US citizens skirt the long wait for an organ by traveling to a foreign country for their transplants.)

Currently, I’m writing a series about special agents in the US Army Criminal Investigation Division. THE OFFICER’S SECRET will be out in May 2011 and began with a fictional Army post in Georgia, two estranged siblings and a CID agent who investigates the death of a female major on post. The second book in the series, THE CAPTAIN’S MISSION, starts with a possible training accident my blond, blue-eyed CID heroine is called in to investigate.

Once the plot starts to take shape, I work on the hero and heroine’s back story and their inner conflict. Usually they are tackling similar issues, which play into the overall theme. Layers are added as I enhance the love story, increase the suspense, plant clues, add a few red herrings and drive the action to the climax. Including an act of nature—a fire, tornado, hurricane or flood--ups the tension and provides another complication.

I’m always thinking of worst case scenarios for my characters. Given two choices, I pick the one that provides more difficulty, anxiety or pain. Speaking of pain, I usually wound the hero or heroine or both. Gunshot wounds, stabbings, infections and extreme cold are some of the problems my characters have had to endure.

Since I write for the Love Inspired Suspense line, I focus on an exciting beginning, a hero or heroine in danger throughout the story, a concrete external problem that needs to be solved and internal conflicts that inhibit the characters in the beginning. During the story, they change and grow. By the end of their journey, they are able to forgive themselves and accept God’s love as well as the love of another.

The picture was taken in my garage, but you get the idea! :)

Now a peek into where I write…the picture at the beginning of this blog shows me on my deck with my AlphaSmart in hand. The simple word processor can hold about 25 pages of text in each of eight files and allows me to write on the go. When hubby and I travel, I’ll work while he drives. Sometimes in the winter if I’ve been housebound too long, I’ll take my Alpha to Starbucks just for a change of pace.

Often I’ll get up between 5 and 6 AM and work at my kitchen counter for two or three hours. About 9 AM, I head to church for Bible Study or some other activity followed by grocery shopping and errands. By noon or 1 PM, I’m back at work. In the late afternoon, I walk before cooking dinner, and most evenings, I’m at my computer, catching up on emails.

Before I start writing, I always recite The Writer’s Prayer. God gave me the prayer shortly after I got The Call. (He must have known I would always need His help.) For the last few years, I’ve handed out the prayer at conferences and am touched when others mention praying it as well.



The back of the previous page provides room for inserts.

When I finish the first draft of a book, I do a number of rewrites and often read the text in a web layout or use a different font to pick out errors I might not notice otherwise. I also print the entire manuscript and put it in a binder for my final revisions. To enter the changes in the computer, I work from the back of the book and move forward, which keeps my page numbers intact as I make corrections.

Here’s a picture of some of my favorite research books. The US Army Survival Manual (Platinum Press, Inc), A Special Forces Guide to Escape and Evasion (Will Rowler, St. Martin’s Press), The Forensic Casebook ( N.E. Genge, Ballantine Books) and Extreme Survival (Akkermans, Cook, Mattos, Morrison, JG Press) have been especially helpful for the CID series.

Research books for the suspense writer.

I hope this brief glimpse into my writing life brings to mind something you’d like to share about your process. Leave a comment or question to be entered into two drawings. I’m giving away PROTECTING HER CHILD and SCARED TO DEATH, along with two $10 Starbuck’s gift card, today.  Your comment automatically enters you in the Big Birthday Bash drawing for a Kindle!

My favorite writing snacks!

The breakfast bar is open—make your own omelets.  Help yourself to the sausage, hashed browns, biscuits and gravy, an assortment of pastries and, of course, grits! The coffee’s on. Grab a plate, pour a cup of joe and let’s talk writing!

Wishing you abundant blessings,

Debby Giusti

http://www.debbygiusti.com/

Why Write?

By Debby Giusti

Today is Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent, a time leading up to Easter and the joyous celebration of Christ’s resurrection. During the next forty-plus days, many Christians will focus their minds and hearts on Christ and the love He preached. In doing so, some will practice acts of self-sacrifice, others will spend more time in prayer and scripture study, while still others will find new ways to reach out to those in need. No matter which path or paths are taken, the end result is a return to the basic gospel message.

Just as Christians use Lent to return to the basics and ensure they’re living in accord with the gospel, so too should writers take time on a regular basis to reassess their work and the reasons they write.

Financial gain motivates some writers. Single mom Iris Johansen scribbled stories longhand as she waited in the car while her children attended their after-school activities. She had a full-time job but needed additional income to support her family, and that financial need pushed her to produce. Once her first book sold, Iris kept up a steady pace, publishing four to six category romances each year, until she broke into single title and eventually hit bestseller status.

Journalist Terry Kay took a year off from the newspaper where he worked to write fiction. As the end of his self-imposed deadline approached without a saleable manuscript to show for his efforts, Terry’s supportive wife suggested he get away on his own for a few days. Checking into a local motel, Terry wrote the beginning of a story that attracted an editor’s attention and eventually sold. His debut, The Year the Lights Came On, was published in 1976. Considered a leading Southern voice in literature, Kay says he is one of approximately 300 authors in the U.S. who support themselves with their writing so financial remuneration continues to be an important reason for why he writes.

Some write because they have a story that needs to be told. Margaret Mitchell comes to mind. Although she wrote only one book, Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind attracted worldwide attention and continues to live on as a classic. Harper Lee also achieved acclaim for her only novel. To Kill a Mockingbird, published in 1960, won the Pulitzer Price for Fiction and is still studied in high school literature classes throughout the United States.

Writing can be the stepping stone to success that comes from a different direction. A friend of mine—stuck in a dead end position—longed to quit her day job. She published three category romances and seemed to have a good writing career ahead of her. Then a new position opened up in her company. She applied, landed the job and stopped writing. Her main aim had been to find a satisfying job. Once she achieved that goal, she no longer needed to write.

Another friend, a wonderfully talented writer, stopped writing when her husband retired and they moved to Florida. Her days are now filled with ventures that include her husband and their new coastal lifestyle. Writing was a stopgap for her until her husband retired.

Julia Cameron talks about “shadow artists,” who work in jobs associated with a certain art form, such as publicists or editors or agents who work with authors. Often their careers encompass both the art and the “shadow” industry, with the art serving as a springboard to the real work they are called to do.

Those of you who were at ACFW last year may remember Debbie Macomber’s moving story of growing up with dyslexia. Ridiculed for her learning disability, she was told by many people, including teachers, that she would never read or write. Of course, Debbie proved them wrong and admits her desire to do so motivated her to publish.

For Christians, writing can be a ministry. The Lord has gifted them with talents they want to use for good and to build up the kingdom of God. Targeting Christian publishers allows them to explore the basic fundamentals of faith and proclaim the Good News through their writing.

At the beginning of my writing journey, I focused on the phrase “to touch readers’ hearts” as the steam that propelled my writing engine. Over the last few years, I’ve come to realize the pain many people carry and believe that, in order for my stories to resonate with readers, I need to create characters who struggle as well. The misconceived perceptions my characters hold onto concerning their past pain--whether physical or emotional--must be significant and inhibit them from accepting love from others and from God. When, in the course of the story, my hero or heroine triumphs over adversity, my readers—hopefully--realize God is more powerful than any conditions with which they may struggle in their own daily lives.

In addition to spiritual themes of God's unconditional love, mercy and forgiveness, I’m also including universal truths such as how power corrupts and man’s inhumanity to man. Because of my concern for our country in these difficult times, I sometimes touch on world problems, couched in a fictional tale where good always triumphs over evil.

I’ll continue to evaluate my writing in the years ahead to ensure I’m on the path I’ve been called to walk. What about your writing journey? Do you know what motivates you to work long hours, face rejection and yet still write? If so, I hope you’ll share those reasons with us today.

Anyone who includes his or her email address along with a comment will be entered into a drawing for a copy of my February release, Killer Headline.

Need prayer or want to join the Cross My Heart Prayer Team? Stop by my new prayer blog: http://www.crossmyheartprayerteam.blogspot.com/.

Wishing you abundant blessings,
Debby Giusti
http://www.debbygiusti.com/
http://www.ladiesofsuspense.blogspot.com/

THE CONTINUITY CHALLENGE

By Debby Giusti

Shortly after my first book was published, I banded together with a number of Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense authors to discuss brainstorming our own continuity series. The challenge, we soon learned, was to create an overall story told in a six-book format. While each book contains its own suspense, a larger problem weaves through the entire series, which negatively impacts the characters and must be satisfactorily resolved at the conclusion of the sixth book.

Those of us who were new to the line didn’t realize the complexities unique to this type of long-term project and were hard pressed to imagine the twists and turns necessary to create a suspense that could sustain itself through six books, each written by a different author. Before long, we decided creating a continuity storyline was harder than we had first imagined and should be left to someone else.

With that background, last year when I was asked to take part in Steeple Hill’s 2010 continuity, PROTECTING THE WITNESSES, I knew I had a lot to learn. Luckily, a number of the other authors selected for the project had worked on continuities before and helped me through the process. I thought you might be interested in a behind-the-scenes peek at how our series developed.

PROTECTING THE WITNESSES, as the back-of-the-book blurb states, revolves around "new identities, looming danger and forever love in the Witness Protection Program." Chicago Mafia don Salvatore Martino is dying and his son Vincent takes over the family operation. Years earlier, the testimony of a green-eyed woman named Eloise Hill sent Salvatore to jail for murder. For her own safety, she was placed in witness protection in Montana, but the mob’s after her now, and in their attempt to find Eloise, innocent women end up dead.

Steeple Hill Assistant Editor Emily Rodmell was in charge of the project, and I applaud her patience in keeping us on track and ensuring each book fit into the overall vision for the series. Shortly after she invited us to take part in the continuity, Emily sent out the “bible,” a 31-page, single-spaced outline for the series. Packed with information, it included an overview of the stories as well as the major threads, settings and brief character descriptions. The continuity elements and teasers needed in each book were part of the bible, as well.

In an attempt to keep everything straight, I read and reread those pages, underlined important information, made notes in the margins and highlighted the traits of specific characters with colored markers. Incorporating the needed information and making all the pieces fit in a way that flows naturally from the story proved to be the most challenging part, in my opinion.

Luckily, my story was the second in line so I had fewer threads to pull together, in comparison to books at the end of the series. The final author has the most challenging task of wrapping everything up in a satisfying conclusion.

We set up a yahoo loop to ease communication and, after weeks of brainstorming, submitted our synopses and first three chapters to Emily. Once the proposals were accepted, we started writing, yet continued to keep in touch, often asking advice, clarifying information or specific details as well as determining when clues would be revealed and by whom.

The deadline for each book depended on its placement in the series, with book 1 being the first in line. Changes or rewrites affected the other stories so everyone needed to be kept up to date on revisions.

Looking back, I learned a lot about the continuity process and how to take an established story and make it my own. Working with the great lineup of authors was an honor and the highlight of the entire process.

I hope you'll enjoy reading the series as much as we enjoyed writing the stories.

Wishing you abundant blessings,

Debby Giusti

http://www.debbygiusti.com/

http://www.ladiesofsuspense.blogspot.com/

Got an idea that might make a great continuity series? Leave a comment and your email address to be entered into a drawing for an advance copy of KILLER HEADLINE.

Look for the following PROTECTING THE WITNESSES stories wherever you buy Steeple Hill books:
TWIN TARGETS, by Martha Perry, Jan 2010
KILLER HEADLINE, By Debby Giusti, Feb 2010
COWBOY PROTECTOR, By Margaret Daley, Mar 2010
DEADLY VOWS, By Shirlee McCoy, Apr 2010
FATAL SECRETS, By Barbara Phinney, May 2010
RISKY REUNION, By Lenora Worth, June 2010

KILLER HEADLINE
By Debby Giusti

WHO WILL BE NEXT?

Two women in the witness protection program have been murdered in Montana. The connection? The mob…and the victims' green eyes. Coincidence? Not according to journalist Violet Kramer, who's counting on her exposé to reveal the truth, protect women in danger—and establish herself as an ace reporter. Undercover cop Clay West thinks she's making a deadly mistake that could bring the mob to her door. And when the lawman with the piercing black eyes insists on protecting her himself, Violet knows she's already in danger.

Seekerville Welcomes Stephanie Newton

Wait. She said WHAT about my book?

I think most writers read reviews. There are a few stalwart souls who can resist the temptation of finding out what this or that reader thought, but I think those writers are few and far between. Most of us pour over reviews, trying to decipher meaning from every word. Did she really mean that all my writing was lackluster? When she said that the book was melodramatic, maybe she was only talking about the one part where the baby bird fell out of the tree.

Why is it that when most reviews are overwhelmingly positive, it's the lone negative voice that we recall with vivid clarity? And how should we react when our work is being publicly denigrated?

Some people respond inappropriately, like the recent twitter debacle where a reviewer's phone number was given out by an irate author. Other badly chosen responses might include going to bed for days, or swearing to never write again. Getting one's friends to go to the review site and flame the reviewer might also be considered an inappropriate response. So, how should an author respond to a negative review?

I think there are a few choices. One, remember we all get them. Reading is subjective and not every reader is going to like every book. Our beautiful covers and scintillating back cover copy is designed by marketing to draw in the most readers possible. Some of those will be disappointed by what they find inside the covers. But most will be surprised and delighted.

Two, call a trusted friend or critique partner and whine. My critique partners are one of my greatest assets as a writer. I know I can count on them to be incensed on my behalf, but I also trust them to be the voice of reason when I need it.

Three, fuggedaboutit. It you're obsessively checking Amazon, Good Reads, LibraryThing, Shelfari, etc. for reviews, just don't do it. Or make one day a month your review reading day. Seriously, you should be writing. You don't have time for all this obsessing.

Option number four is the one that got me thinking about this blog post to begin with. You can send that review to The Worst Review Ever. Their tag line is "Feel the Pain, Heal the Pain." Some of the entries are hilarious, but the website reminds us that though it's awful when our creative endeavors are scorned, we're not alone. Everyone gets bad reviews.

Finally, and this should not be the option of last resort, give it up. Pray about it. There's really only One opinion that counts. And I don't think He's writing reviews on Amazon.

Stephanie Newton wrote her first suspense story at age twelve. A teaching degree, a pastor husband, two kids, and six moves later, she's still writing. She lives in Northwest Florida and gains lots of inspiration from the sugar sand, aqua blue-green water of the Gulf of Mexico and the many, many unusual things you see when you live on the beach. When's she's not in her chair with her laptop, she can most often be found enjoying the water with her family, or at church, where she makes the coffee and her husband preaches the sermons. For more info on Steph's books, check out her website at www.stephanienewtonbooks.com.

Is Donald Maass Worth $99?

By Debby Giusti

Registration for the American Fiction Writers Conference is in progress and many of you have probably signed up for the workshops being offered this year. But what about the early bird session? Literary agent and story-guru Donald Maass is presenting the full-day program. Cost for the event is $99.

With the economy in a downward spiral, money is tight. If you’re like me, the conference takes a big bite out of my writing budget. The Thursday early-bird program adds the workshop fee as well as overnight hotel accommodations to an already hefty bottom line. So, you might be asking, is Maass worth the extra expense?

Shortly after he published WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL in 2001, my Georgia Romance Writers Chapter invited Maass to do a program for our membership. I grabbed a front-row seat and soaked up as much information as I could. Didn’t take long for me to realize the man truly understands story and especially the elements that transform an ordinary read into a best-selling novel. I bought his book, went home and tried to incorporate what I’d learned into my current work-in-progress.

In 2004, Maass published WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL WORKBOOK. An easy-to-swallow text with accompanying writing exercises, the workbook offers examples from New York Times bestsellers, straightforward explanations about the processes those authors have used to take their work to a higher level and exercises to incorporate the lessons learned into a writer’s current manuscript.

Last year, I pulled the workbook off my reference shelf and referred to it in my weekly Craftie Ladies of Suspense blogs (www.ladiesofsuspense.blogspot.com). Here's a sampling of what I learned and shared with my blog readers:

♦Maass encourages writers to push the envelope! Give your hero a one-liner that puts the villain in his place. The I-wish-I'd-said-that factor resonates with readers and makes our heroes and heroines compelling and memorable.

♦As writers, we need to ensure our characters grapple with pertinent issues that strike a chord with those who read our work. So cut the fluff and zone in on core principles, universal truths and moral dilemmas that engage readers, whether contest judges or editors looking to buy the next bestseller.

♦Maass encourages writers to step outside the box and embrace originality, perhaps peppered with a bit of audacity, to meld bizarre, seemingly non-convergent traits and actions into a memorable character.

♦When we look at each individual page of our manuscript instead of the chapter or scene as a whole, we’re better able to spot opportunities to up the stakes, which may have been missed otherwise.

♦Maass explains that if problems arise from an outside source—meaning they’re not self-imposed internal conflicts—and if the problems continue to escalate, they eventually become what he calls "public" stakes that can touch the reader on a universal level.

♦We all know the antagonist needs to have his or her own GMC (goals, motivation and conflict), but Maass encourages us to go even deeper into the villain’s character. One of the workbook exercises focuses on exploring the bad guy/gal’s sympathetic side. By adding a few details, the reader can see the villain as a multi-dimensional character that may even be likable in some ways. Just as our hero and heroine can be pulled between what they really want/need and what they think they want, if the villain’s good side is in direct opposition to the bad deeds he’s forced to do, that internal struggle can provide a more richly drawn antagonist as well.

♦Just as we describe a sunset or a garden in bloom, so should we detail the impact events have on the inner person. Maass suggests doing “emotional research.” How does a flesh and blood person react to a similar situation in real life? That glimpse of reality will give authenticity to our characters, which will resonate with readers.

♦When we provide opportunities for a character to forgive a wrong or put the needs of another before his own, we are elevating that character’s worth. When characters are elevated, readers are elevated as well.

♦To create memorable first lines, Maass suggests taking what we’ve initially written and then shortening it. Perhaps the second sentence would provide a tighter opening. Or combine all the elements in the first paragraph and craft a hard-hitting line that draws the reader into the story. Maass warns against starting with weather, description or setting. Instead lead with a hook that keeps the reader guessing.

♦Equally important are closing lines, which should also be well crafted. Books in a series need to leave the reader hungry for the next release. Stand-alone titles should provide an uplifting resolution or final thought the reader can savor.

Which brings me to the end of this blog. Maass challenges me to be a better writer, to dig deeper, to stretch and grow and to create stories readers will remember. In my book, that’s worth $99.

Happy writing! Happy reading!

Wishing you abundant blessings,
Debby Giusti
http://www.debbygiusti.com/
http://www.ladiesofsuspense.blogspot.com/

PROTECTING HER CHILD
By
Debby Giusti

“WHAT HAPPENED TO MY BABY?”

Wealthy heiress Eve Townsend is close to death. But before she dies, she has to know: what happened to the daughter she gave up for adoption twenty-four years before? Did she inherit her mother’s life-threatening disease? Medical researcher Pete Worth is ready to find answers by tracking her down. And when he finally locates Meredith Lassiter, he finds her widowed, pregnant and on the run. The loan sharks who killed her husband want her dead…and Pete is the only one standing in their way.

Winner of the 2008 Daphne du Maurier Award for Inspirational Suspense, medical technologist Debby Giusti writes spine-chilling Christian fiction for Steeple Hill. PROTECTING HER CHILD, her fifth book and the second story in her Magnolia Medical series, was released in May. CHRISTMAS PERIL will feature her novella YULE DIE in December, and KILLER HEADLINE will follow in February 2010. Her first three books, NOWHERE TO HIDE, SCARED TO DEATH and MIA: MISSING IN ATLANTA are available in hardcover by Thorndike. In addition to full-length fiction, Debby has written articles for numerous magazines, including Southern Lady, Woman’s World, Our Sunday Visitor, Army and Family. For over twelve years, she served on the editorial advisory board of ADVANCE for Administrators of the Laboratory and wrote extensively on emerging infectious diseases for that magazine. For more information about Debby and her books, visit her web site at: http://www.debbygiusti.com/.