Best of the Archives: The Secret Life of An Inspirational Romance Writer and More...

with Tina Radcliffe.

This post first appeared in Seekerville on 7/30/15. Comments are closed today.

In my ordinary world, no one knows that I'm an inspirational romance writer. 

This week a co-worker asked about my recent absence. I shared that I went to New York City for a conference on my vacation.

"A conference? What kind of conference?"
"Um, I do a little writing on the side."
"Oh, a hobby."
Sigh. "Not exactly a hobby...."

This is a typical reaction to my revealing my secret life. 

Of course, there is the occasional flip-side of that. I have another coworker with whom I have shared that I write inspirational romance. She told me that her mother is a voracious reader. So I brought in a copy of my latest release, (in a brown paper bag, of course) for her mom.

That coworker came by my desk later with tears in her eyes and a stunned expression on her face. 

"I texted the cover of your book to my mom. My mother already read your book. She said it was really good. She wants to read it again."
"Your mom is a fan of mine?"
"YES!!"

Those moments are far and few between, but they are absolutely priceless. They make me want to shout!

"I'm an inspirational romance writer! I'M AN INSPIRATIONAL ROMANCE WRITER!"

So although I'm not fabulously rich and famous.

And no one recognizes me when I walk down the street.

And though I don't dress in full tiara mode.

Or sit in on a mountaintop waiting for a word from God.

There are a few perks to this gig...

I write fun and sassy books about real Christians and their daily struggles and my name is on the cover of those books.

I get paid for that honor.

My book is on the shelf in the grocery store!

I'm honored to have the privilege to share my faith in a way that is truly me. 

And once or twice a year I get to meet my tribe at a conference. And there is nothing like it. That amazing feeling of being surrounded by like-minded individuals who really, really get me.

Each year the tribe grows a bit more as I reconnect with old friends and add new ones. It's truly an amazing honor and a kick in the pants as well. I'm not ashamed to admit I need my people and yes, they do validate me in a real and very necessary way. After five days with my peeps am ready to go back to the cave and back to my solitary life for another year or so. 

The End. 

As Seekerville begins its eleventh blogging year, 

several Seekers are moving into new seasons.

Dear Seekerville,

Happy Holidays!  2018 will be a year of exciting changes for me. After an entire year of prayer, I have decided that this is the time to retire from Seekerville. Today is my last day in the role of a Seeker author.

 I have spent ten wonderful years in the ministry called Seekerville, and I have been blessed over and over again by the many amazing people who continue to touch my life.

You can still keep up with me by signing up for my newsletter here or checking my updated webpage here to see where I will be in 2018. You can also email me at contact@tinaradcliffe.com

My One Word for the upcoming year is BEST. The best is yet to come! I'm beyond excited to see what the Lord has in store for the next ten years. I'm also delighted that I can visit Seekerville in my new role as Villager.

I pray that 2018 is a year of harvest for you. 

Much love,

Tina Radcliffe

My dear Seekervillagers, what an adventure we’ve shared over the past 10 years! However, the time has come for me to step back from my Seekerville responsibilities so that I can devote more focused attention not only to the writing I love but to the everyday things that make life worth living—faith, family, home, and friendships. Being a part of Seekerville has been such a blessing, especially getting to know so many dedicated writers and readers as friends. I promise to visit often, and I’ll be watching right along with you to see what changes are in store for Seekerville in the New Year.

 I hope you’ll stay in touch with me on Facebook, Twitter, and my website. I also share book news, giveaways, and other fun stuff in my newsletter, so please subscribe!

By the way, Grammar Queen has a new home, too! She now has her own page on my website and will be conducting future lectures via my blog. You can also follow GQ on Twitter. She's always happy to take questions, and you may find yours answered in an upcoming class!

Sincerely,

Myra Johnson

Somebody pass the Kleenex—please—because this announcement is not easy for a CDQ! 

Like Tina, I also have felt God’s leading to retire from Seekerville, so on December 31st, I will be retiring as well to focus more on God, family, and writing. But actually, I prefer the term “Seekerville alumni” rather than retiree because I hope to return with guest blogs here and there. 

This is not an easy transition for any of us because the Seekers and all our Seekerville friends are family, so I’m trying to think of it more as a move to a different state where I don’t see my family quite as often as I used to. :) But we can still stay in touch through Julie's Facebook page or my website, so please don’t hesitate to come by to say “hey,” okay? 

Oh, and you’ll still see me in the comments section with plenty of caps and exclamation points to let you know I’m still around! 

HUGS!! 

Julie Lessman

Harlequin’s decision to close the Love Inspired Historical line has had me examining the pros and cons of continuing to pursue publication. I’m still awaiting God’s direction. Wherever He leads, I’m so grateful for the privilege of having had published books on the shelves and the blessings publication has brought into my life. I especially want to thank those who’ve read and reviewed my books and encouraged me during this fabulous journey.

With the uncertainty about the direction of my writing, I’ve made the very difficult decision to retire from Seekerville. I never dreamed when we stepped into cyberspace ten years ago that Seekerville would become this amazing, close-knit community of writers and readers. As we’ve prayed for each other, celebrated and commiserated with one another during life’s ups and downs, we’ve evolved into what feels like family. 

This isn’t goodbye. I’ll be a frequent visitor to Seekerville to keep up with all of you and to support my Seeker sisters moving forward. 

Thank you for sharing your lives with me!

 May the Good Lord bless you mightily, as you have blessed me!  

 Janet Dean

Dear Villagers, as I am retiring from writing, (see my post here) I will also be signing off on the Seekerville blog.

I plan to visit and enjoy the new directions my treasured Seeker friends will travel. Happy writing and reading, everyone. 

Happy New Year. 

Sandra Leesmith

National Blue Jeans Day and Getting Into Character

Welcome to National Blue Jeans Day. This post is an update of one done in August of 2015. Comments are closed today. 

Right now I'm working on my fourth book in my Big Heart Ranch series, which will release in 2019, and I'm very excited about this book. 

This is Tripp Walker's story. Tripp is a horse whisperer. A six-foot-five lean cowboy with a scar down the left side of his face,  whose history of abuse and neglect as a child runs as deep as those of the children of Big Heart Ranch.


I like the idea of getting into the head or the boots of this cowboy who is actually a pretty funny man of few words. And those words tend to be to the point. Even if that point hurts. 

Why does a writer get into character? We do this so our readers will relate to our protagonist/s. So they care. We want them to care enough to continue to turn the pages and to think about our characters after the book has ended. We also want to show how this character is different from every other character in the book. Even the blue jeans they wear show they are different. 

But how does a writer get into character?

 I've invited a few of my friends to share their methods with you.


Getting to know my characters is fundamental to my writing process. I cannot write them until in my head they "live, move and have their being." To facilitate this, I fill out a character profile on each major character—kind of like what I'd want to know if I were going to date them. I find photos—actors work best in terms of picture availability—that match the character forming in my head with someone I can study on screen for mannerisms that will make my characters come to life on the page. Then, I take my characters with me wherever I go—to the grocery store, carpool, church, etc . . . I try to see the experience through their eyes, not my own. By the time I've finished this "research phase", I know my characters well enough that I'll know their favorite hymn and what "moves" them. Finally, once they've completely jelled, I start writing. My final step will sound weird—but the normal ship sailed without me a long time ago. Utilizing a signature character fragrance found in lotions, soaps or candles, I'm able to quickly step into their essence and write their story each day. 
Lisa Carter-Beyond the Cherokee Trail



Before I write a story, I need to know the characters, especially their internal conflicts and any fears or secrets they might be hiding. Often they've been wounded, sometimes by a misconception, sometimes by a lost love, sometimes by a mistake they've made. Seeing life through the lens of that wound creates a false self, what screenwriting consultant Michael Hauge calls a false identity. Once I understand my characters' brokenness and the baggage they carry, I'm ready to begin my story. 
Debby Giusti-Person of Interest


The easiest and fastest way for me to get into my characters head is to take a walk. The walking is enough activity to keep the left brain occupied so my creative right brain can get into it.  Then I walk and picture myself in their world and imagine their reaction to it.  Other tricks I use:  I have photos of each main character and a list of their flaws, their goals, wants, needs, etc.  I can quickly glance at that list and photo and picture their character. 
Sandra Leesmith

photo Haley Phelps @Unsplach

I ask myself what the character is feeling. If I can write realistic emotions, then the rest usually falls into place. If I'm having a particularly difficult time with a scene, I stop writing in narrative form and start making lists. I'll go back and list everything that's happened to my character recently and then write down some basic emotions. "Elise is feeling angry because..., so that anger is going to come out when she..." I'll make a list of the things I want her to feel and unique ways to describe those feelings. I'll also make a list of descriptions to sprinkle in. I work right on through the five senses and then add the sentences I come up with to bland spots in the scene.
Naomi Rawlings-Love's Unfading Light


To write my characters' stories I must know their backstory inside and out. Once I have a handle on what they’ve experienced and the difficulties that’s caused, they become very real to me. When writing their story, I feel what they’re feeling, as I would feel the heartache and joy of a dear friend. I don’t use music, fragrances or pictures to trigger them. The fastest way for me to get into their story is to read the previous scene. If that fails, I reread the profile I created that includes everything of importance I know about them. Not what they like for breakfast, but vital stuff like their wounds and issues—Jeff Gerke calls these the poison or knots that keep them from changing—their strengths, goals and motivations. Once I’m engaged by what makes them tick and what they want and why, I’m ready to travel their bumpy road, showing their view of their world--often a skewed view--through their senses and reactions. When I find myself speaking their dialogue as I type, I know I'm connected. 
Janet Dean-The Bounty Hunter’s Redemption

Well, since I AM a character, it’s pretty easy for me to get inside my characters’ heads, especially the quirky ones like Charity O’Connor.I find that brainstorming on the treadmill works wonders in this regard because once my feet are flying, the dialogue does too, and nothing gets me into character faster than writing dialogue. Another thing that helps, crazy as it sounds, is a hand mirror. I keep one close so I can act out character expressions and personalities. Sometimes I even try to emulate people/characters I love and relate to. For instance, my disfigured, sweet and shy heroine Emma Malloy was actually modeled after Francine Rivers’ amazing Hadassah heroine from the Mark of the Lion series. A poor imitation, I realize, but Francine’s depiction really helped me shape Emma and get inside her head. 
Julie Lessman-Grace Like Rain (With This Kiss Historical Collection)


Desperate love of freedom... and an even more desperate yearning to put the past behind her. That's how I got into character for Magdalena Serida, my church-sponsored Chechen refugee in "Refuge of the Heart". War can take a normal person and push them to unheard extremes, but inside they're still that normal person. I had to envision every decision, every emotion from both angles. How would Lena react to this? And how would a war-torn tortured soul see it? And each action then had to embrace both sides. A woman at odds with herself, faced with new chances. Reading about the Chechen insurgency and following news clips on the Internet helped me shape her past, but pretending to be Magdalena helped me mold her future. 
Ruth Logan Herne-Refuge of the Heart

 AJ Colores @Unsplash

The way I get into a character's head the quickest is to focus on three Ps: picture, profession and personality. What a person looks like, what s/he does for a living (paid or unpaid) and what traits s/he possesses can tell me a lot about her/him. I find a picture of a person that looks like my character and keep it handy. Is s/he tall or short, attractive or plain? Does s/he have any distinctive markings, features, etc. that would affect her/his way of relating to others?I use metaphors, similes, language, etc. that someone in my character's chosen profession would use.  If there's a particular jargon associated with the profession, I work those words into my character's thoughts and dialogue. I keep my character's personality in mind and think about how that would affect her/his choices, actions, speech, etc. Is s/he serious, silly, snarky or sweet? 
Keli Gwyn- Family of Her Dreams


I often do a mix of things to get into a character’s head:

Find a photo to keep their face/personality fresh in my mind

Give them a dominant characteristic and perspective on the world that colors their thoughts (a Wyoming rancher is very likely going to see some things differently than a big city surgeon)

Write a few  “first person” paragraphs from the character’s POV explaining to me their background, their goal, motivation & conflict, and their thoughts regarding their love interest. 

Sometimes I ask them questions--it’s amazing what your subconscious dredges up about the interior life of a character if he’s given the leeway to speak his own mind!

Writing the opening chapter helps solidify the character when I can see and hear him/her in action.
Glynna Kaye-Rekindling the Widower's Heart


In the course of getting to know my hero/heroine, I usually zero in on a few key likes/dislikes. I find a favorite (or in one case hated) food. I also tend to associate a scent. And I always (ALWAYS) have a playlist with songs specific to the characters and the book. The playlist is key because once I put that on, I'm in the story. The songs are so familiar to me that my brain tunes out the words, but the tune keeps me grounded in the story and in character. For my upcoming release, Christmas in Hiding (LIS, October 2015), I focused on Christmas scents and foods. If I needed to get into character, I brewed a cup of peppermint tea and had a chocolate cookie with it. Often the tea grew cold as I wrote, but the scent was there to remind me. I also had a sachet with a balsam scent that kept me in the Christmas spirit. Ironically, I didn't use Christmas music while writing this book. My heroine, Callie, loves the song "How Great Thou Art." I had that on constant repeat as I wrote. It never failed to put me in Callie's head and heart.
Cate Nolan-Christmas in Hiding




As for me (Tina here), well, the first draft of getting into character utilizes Michael Hauge's, The Hero's Two Journeys techniques. Hauge says that our number one job is to draw the reader into the world we have created by identification. How do we help the reader to identify or empathize with the character? By giving them at least two of the following:

1. Make the character the victim of some undeserved misfortune.
2. Put the character in jeopardy. 
3. Make the character likable.
4. Make the character funny.
5. Make the character powerful.  

Second draft and each one after that is where I really dig in and channel my characters. Yes, really, channel them. If the word "channel" makes you think of Whoopi Goldberg in Ghost, then go ahead and think about walking a mile in your character's moccasins. Whatever gets you in their head and into deep point of view.

A quick refresher on deep point of view. 

Ashley Baxter @Unsplash

"Deep Point of View was a phrase that I came up with when I was trying to explain my writing style. Point of view can be subjective (picture a hand-held camera on top of a character's head) or objective (picture something like a security camera, bolted into place in the corner of a room). In my books, I use subjective point of view, but I'm not satisfied with merely showing the reader what that camera sees from its perch atop a character's head. I bring the camera down, inside of that character's head, so we see the world through that character's eyes. We hear things through his ears. We smell what he smells, feel what he feels, think what he think. With deep POV, I write using words that that character would use. I tell the story with that character's voice. "

 Suzanne Brockmann

Now that you have methods for getting into character I want to show you what happens when you get into character. Pick any Keeper book on your shelf and chances are the author is terrific at characterization. These are books you read over and over again because you know the characters inside and out. Why? Because the author got into character and dragged you along.

Pete Bellis @Unsplash

Here are some examples of authors who know how to get into character. They put you right in the scene. 


The Python turned slowly in his chair, and Annabelle felt as if she'd been punched in the gut. 

He was square-jawed and tough, everything about him proclaiming a brash, self-made man-a roughneck who'd flunked charm school the first couple of times around but finally got it right on the third pass. His hair was thick and crisp, its rich color a cross between a leather portfolio and a bottle of Bud. He had a straight, confident nose and bold dark eyebrows, one of which was bisected near the end with a thin pale scar. The firm set of his well-molded mouth proclaimed a low tolerance for fools, a passion for hard work that bordered on obsession, and possibly-although this might be her imagination-a determination to own a small chalet near St. Tropez before he was fifty. If it weren't for a vague irregularity to his features, he would have been unbearably gorgeous. Instead, he was merely drop-dead good-looking. What did a man like this need with a matchmaker?

Susan Elizabeth Phillips-Match Me If You Can


She looked up-and up again-into his face. The Phoenix website hadn't identified which PI held which credential, but based on this guy's polished clean-cut appearance-not to mention his authoritative bearing-she'd be willing to bet he was Secret Service. 

As for her plan to bolt ...she wavered as his eyes sucked her in. Dark as obsidian, they searched, discerned, and reassured all in the space of a few heartbeats, prompting her to draw three rapid conclusions. 

This was a man who would listen, evaluate, and come to sound conclusions.
This was a man who would treat her story with respect.
This was a man she could trust.

The silence lengthened, until the receptionist hidden from her view behind the PI's broad shoulders cleared her throat.

A fleeting frown marred the man's brow, then he released her hand, took a step back, and waited.

The ball was in her court.

Without overanalyzing her change of heart, she took a deep breath and tightened her fingers around the handle of her briefcase. "I can spare a few minutes."

Irene Hannon-Deceived


Reacher took a shuttle from the bus depot to the Portland airport and bought a one-way ticket on United to LAX. He used his passport for ID and his ATM card as a debit card. The one-way walk up fare was outrageous. Alaska Airlines would have been cheaper, but Reacher hated Alaska Airlines. They put a scripture card on their meal trays. Ruined his appetite. 

Airport security was easy for Reacher. His carry-on baggage amounted to precisely none at all. He had no belt, no keys, no cell phone, no watch. All he had to do was dump his loose change in a plastic tray and take off his shoes and walk through the X-ray hoop. Thirty seconds, beginning to end. Then he was on his way to the gate, coins back in his pocket, shoes back on his feet, Neagley on his mind. 

Lee Child-Bad Luck and Trouble

So what do you think? And what are your tips for getting into character?

One more challenge. Stop and think really quick about the hero and or heroine of one of the books on your Keeper shelf (including a virtual Keeper shelf).  Or a memorable secondary character. I bet you remember their names without looking.

Two of mine are Jaine Bright and Sam Donovan (heroine & hero from a contemporary romance-not inspirational). Only a few of you will know what book I am talking about. 

Have a wonderful Tuesday, and flaunt your blue jeans! 

Tina Radcliffe now lives in sunny Arizona where there are two seasons: hot summer and cold summer.

She is a 2014 ACFW Carol Award winner for Mending the Doctor's Heart. 

Tina is delighted to partner with Love Inspired and Harlequin for the Big Heart Ranch series. The first of these books,  Claiming Her Cowboy, releases December 19, in print and January 1, in ebook format.

To celebrate this new series, join in on First Dibs Fridays on her Facebook Author page here. Fun giveaways every Friday in December. 

To keep up with her giveaways, sign up for her newsletter here. 

Photo Courtesy Rhonda Starnes Red Boots Photography.

Deadline Tales from the Trenches

Day 27 of Speedbo. Once again this is your reminder that Speedbo isn't simply about writing a book. It's about challenging your personal status quo. Your norm. Your comfort zone. 

 Speedbo is about changing your future. You can do much more than you realize and with God's help, your vision can come to pass. "God is able to do exceedingly abundantly more than we could ask or imagine." Ephesians 3:20-21


Just so you know that you aren't alone, I bring you deadline tales from the trenches. Tales from some of your favorite authors.


Had to be a God thing... I was six weeks from deadline with a book that was not working. After I realized the prince and my heroine had yet to meet and I was on page 192 (ha!) I started over again! But I could muscle up and do it. I had a good feel for what I needed to do. It would take 5k words a day to get it rewritten and submitted on time, or with the few days of grace offered by my editor, but I could do it. Then, bam! Menopause steamrolled into my life. Literally at 2:30 in the morning. I couldn't eat, sleep or think. I was tired, melancholy and at night, I'd tremble. Like a scared pup. Try to sleep when your heart is pounding and your body is quaking! This left me exhausted and as creative as a rock. Worse, I didn't care. I wanted to quit. I'd lay on the Florida room couch in the morning's wee hours and imagine calling my publisher to tell her, "I quit. Done. Outta here." Then I'd wait for the peace to come. It never did. Not in those moments. Only when I said, "Okay God, I'll stick with it." Then the tiniest sliver of light broke through my hormone soaked darkness. Every day, I'd climb the stairs to my office and write 5K words. I had no idea if they were any good. I'd cry in the middle of a scene. And not because the story was so touching. Because I was a mess. With the support of my husband and my publisher, and my writing partners Susan May Warren and Beth Vogt, I lived to write another day. That book went on to earn a Starred Review from Booklist. God, in the midst of my extreme weakness, was strong! He has my heart forever and ever! #keepwriting.  

Rachel Hauck, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author-The Wedding Shop.



It was a dark and stormy night, and my manuscript was due the next day. Hubby, my beta reader, plowed through the pages of the final draft and smiled when he came to the end. “I liked what I read,” he said. “Although I thought the scene you repeated worked better later in the story.” My eyes widened. “You read the same scene twice…in different sections of the manuscript?” He nodded and showed me where he had marked the pages. “Here’s the scene initially,” he said. Then he turned to a later chapter. “And here it is again.” Silly me! I had moved the scene, but I had failed to delete the original text. Thankfully, hubby caught the error. I corrected my mistake and, early the next morning, sent the story to my editor. Wonder what she would have thought about those duplicate scenes? Probably not much. Thanks to hubby, my deadline had a happy ending. 

-Debby Giusti. Publishers Weekly Bestselling Author. Amish Refuge.

While trying to meet one particularly challenging deadline when my kids were younger, they had gotten to point where every evening, one of them would see me at my computer and say, "So we're on our own for dinner again tonight?" :) When I finally turned that book in, you've never seen such happy faces as when I told them, "NO! You're not on your own! Tonight...we're going out to celebrate!" (Who could be expected to cook that first night back to real life?!) I have to say, though, that families are resilient. I don't think my kids are scarred from eating cereal and frozen pizzas near deadlines over the years. :) They're now young adults who are proud of their mom for battling through the tough times to pursue her dream.

- Missy Tippens. The Doctor's Second Chance.

Unfortunately, I have a reputation for writing "doorstopper novels" because my first five books averaged between 150,000 and 160,000 words each. But when my publisher's legal department pointed out my contract called for 120,000 words, my editor was forced to have me cut 50,000 words (almost one Love Inspired book!) from the final novel in the O'Connor saga ... uh, within weeks! How did I do it? I prayed realllllly hard and then whacked away with a machete, plots, and scenes flying everywhere. The good news? I learned I could edit anything in mere days, plus I ended up with a tighter story and two subplots I used in two novellas, so all's well that cuts well.

- Julie Lessman. A Glimmer of Hope (Free Download).

I’ve been on a constant deadline for almost 3 ½ years now. In those years I’ve written and edited 8 ½ books. The constant pressure has taught me a lot. I’ve always been a scatterbrained person prone to forget things. But honestly, I think the constant deadlines have made me more focused, and I actually forget fewer things than I did before I started getting contracts and having deadlines. I try not to make my family suffer just because I’m on a deadline, but they do pitch in a bit more when they know I’m behind and/or the deadline is drawing near.The main thing to suffer is my house. I can’t even tell you when I last did a thorough cleaning. Let’s just say that people are not welcome to just drop by and stay for a visit without weeks of prior notice!  

-Melanie Dickerson.  NYT Bestselling Author. A Viscount's Proposal.



Deadlines can be a tense time. For most deadlines, I don’t get too anxious. When I hit send, I usually feel pretty confident that I did my best. I know that I can still make changes in the round of edits. Except for the FINAL DEADLINE! That’s when anything I miss will be forever out there for the world read. Why’s it in caps? Because that’s when my anxiety reaches an all-time high and I tend to get a little intense. Thankfully, my family has learned to read the signs of Mom-in-deadline. Usually, this period is very short. Like a week. Most times it goes smoothly. But one time, when I was finishing up one of my books for my Amish Country Justice series, I hit a major technology snag. Okay, maybe not major, but it felt like it. I was plodding along when I suddenly saw that my word count had gone down. By around 100 words. Somehow, I had erased an entire conversation. A really important one. I tried the undo key. My cursor flew back to something I had typed pages earlier. My words were gone. I have no clue what happened. I was able to go back to an earlier draft and copy and paste the conversation back in. By that time, I was really panicking. What if I did it again, and didn’t know about it? I finished editing and then sent it off to my wonderful critique partners, who read it to make sure everything was in order and read smooth. They gave it thumbs up. I truly believe that God alerted me to the problem. 

-Dana R. Lynn. Plain Target.


I recently finished a novella for the Classified K-9 Unit continuity series, which started in March. The story is set at Christmas time and I had it in my head the word count was 35k. I’m a heavy plotter so when I was finished with my plot I thought, eek, I have too much story here, so I paired it down and work hard to make the story come in as close to 35k as I could. I ended up a thousand words over. But I was finished early which turned out to be a blessing because it turned out my word count was 30k. Ugh! I was 6k over.  I’ve never had to cut so many words before but over the next two weeks I chopped and chopped until I finally was able to turn the book in on time with the correct word count. Whew! 

 -Terri Reed. Guardian (Classified K9 Unit)


Anyone who knows me will tell you I can be a real spaz. Back in December 2014, I was working on a manuscript that would end up being Her Small-Town Romance. In order to stay on track with my writing goals, I needed to finish drafting the book before Christmas. I didn’t want to spend the beginning of my kids’ Christmas vacation stuck in my office all day, though, so I gave myself a new deadline—the Friday before their break. The day arrived and I still had almost ten thousand words to write. With the help of a large McDonald’s Coke and my trusty M&Ms, I wrote for twelve hours straight. I didn’t even break for dinner. My husband thought I was nuts and slid a plate with some food on it to me around 8pm. I paused for a few bites, but kept going until I typed The End around 10pm. I giggle about it now, but it won’t be the last time I push myself to meet a crazy goal. I’m just wired that way!

-Jill Kemerer.  Hometown Hero’s Redemption.

I started writing when my kids were very young. We set rules early about when Mom was on deadline: Don’t interrupt Mom unless it didn’t stop bleeding, it was obviously broken or someone had lost consciousness and couldn’t be revived. I didn’t realize how seriously they took those requests until the day I was on a writing roll with a deadline breathing down my neck...and I realized it was long past time to eat. I hurried into the kitchen and found them happily dining on the leftovers I’d set aside for that week. Even though they were young—the oldest was only 9—they’d selected the meal they wanted, put it in microwave, and stood on tiptoe to set the time to cook. On one hand, I knew my “Mother of the Year” award wasn’t going to be forthcoming (again!), but I was proud of them for working it out on their own while I got those last couple of hundred words written. So proud in fact, that the book when published—after getting in on time!—was dedicated to the three of them, the “grab-it” meals they’d prepared for themselves and the microwave.

Jo Ann Brown, Publishers Weekly Bestselling Author. A Ready Made Amish Family.

And to protect..everyone, we have a few anonymous tales.


The book was due, and I had three more projects in the queue, which meant I couldn't dilly dally.  I had 30k words and I realized NOTHING was working. The characters weren't working, the story wasn't working, the plot wasn't working. I was shaking. Literally shaking. I asked for a short extension and rewrote the entire book in 22 days. I only kept about 3k words from the original proposal, which meant I wrote 67k in 22 days. Then the flu came sweeping through our house. The book wasn't great, but it wasn't as bad as you'd think. Worst, most miserable experience of my writing life. On the good side, writing a 20k novella in month felt like a breeze after that!  -Anonymous


Once I wrote a proposal with a false engagement, and the editor's notes said that she didn't like how the engagement was written. Misunderstanding the direction, I took out the entire plot line instead of making the engagement more believable (what she meant). I was finishing up the book when the editor asked me for titles. She rejected all the titles and asked for a title that included a reference to the false engagement. The book was due in two weeks. I had to write the plot line back *in* to the book! Lesson learned. When in doubt: Ask.  -Anonymous

I've always believed I was a slow writer. That is until one particular deadline. The story was plotted out. Being stuck should NOT have happened. Yet, it did happen. When the solution finally hit, I wrote twenty-five thousand words in two days. I no longer tell people I'm a slow writer.  -Anonymous.


Deadline Quotes from our Anonymous Authors.

  My son once said, "That's about as believable as when mom says she's going to finish a book before deadline." Sigh. Even the kids know.


My kids don't even blink when they find there is milk in the pantry (instead of the refrigerator) during deadline week. They've learned that mom is there, but not 'there.'


I once fell asleep on the space bar and added 1,011 blank pages to the document. It took a long time to delete all those pages.


I told my husband, "Remember, I'm on deadline this week." He rolled his eyes and said, "How is this different from every other week?"


My children grew up with their mother as a writer on deadline. From an early age, I heard my daughter explain to her siblings that, "Mom is in her happy place." Meaning I was definitely in my head and not on this planet.

An Urban Legend Deadline Tale.

As an unpublished author, new to RWA, I heard the story of a multi-published author who entered the Golden Heart when she was an unpublished newbie. She didn't just enter. She entered by overnighting her entry at what would have been a whopping cost, at the last possible minute. In those draconian days, we had to print out our entry and snail mail them. This nameless legend finaled, and won her category of the Golden Heart and went on to sell that book and many, many more. This tale kept me entering the Golden Heart year after year. And I finaled twice. 

-Tina Radcliffe. Rocky Mountain Cowboy. 
 

Now, in this last week, we encourage you to press on! But before you do, we'd love for you to share your own deadline tale! No matter what the deadline was. Like that time you were late for church and showed up with your shirt inside out. Come on, you know you wanna tell us! Leave a comment for a chance at this fun giveaway!

Card Catalogue Note Cards with Envelopes that look like check out sleeves from old library books. Two winners. A reader and a writer. Winners announced in the Weekend Edition. 

This post was brought to you by Tina Radcliffe. Sign up for her monthly newsletter here. The next one goes out on April 13 and is guaranteed to make you smile.

Don't forget that the end of Speedbo means revising. You can sign up for Tina Radcliffe's month-long self-paced class, Self-Editing for Beginners, that runs April 3-28 here.  If you have already taken the class, you can audit for free if you need a refresher. Just email Tina.