What Can We Authors Write That Might Make A Difference?

Michael Hicks Thompson

As Susan Reichert says, and I paraphrase, Let’s make 2021 better, using Suite T to speak life into our new year by discussing opportunities that may open because of what we went through during 2020, one of the worst years any of us have ever experienced. What new venues did we find to cope? What ways do we have to help others? What can we authors write that might make a difference in the lives of those in 2021. What things would we like to see come about to make this year better?

Susan Reichert could not have asked a more pertinent question of the authors she supports and nourishes.

So, here’s my humble, feeble contribution.

First, a confession. I did not look to the Bible for answers to all that happened in 2020, so much as I did books, articles about Covid-19, social justice, blm, the riots, Antifa, the election, and all the subsequent political nastiness played out on the public stage. I should have spent more time in the Bible, but I was glued to news and information about all the issues we suddenly began facing.

2020 was a year that will go down in infamy, as Roosevelt said about the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The public discourse in 2020 was acrimonious, contentious, divisive. Politics from all parties showed their nasty underbellies. The Covid scare was worse. Frankly, 2020 stank.

But it’s over. What do we do now?

Well, we can’t ignore the fact that more of the same could repeat. Nobody knows what will happen. But America is under attack. That much is clear.

Me? I believe it’s time to pray like we’ve never prayed before. Will you pray with me now? Right now?

“Our Father, who is in heaven, you are the Almighty, the Creator of all that exists. We are under siege from the evil one. Will you guide us out of his misery? Will you show us how to think? Will you lead those who’ve never tasted the love and forgiveness of Jesus to do so this year? We are in travail. We are confused. It’s as you predicted, people will call evil good, and good evil. LORD, we beg you to not separate us from each other. There is already too much civil enmity within families. We need your peace to fall upon us, shine on us like the noon day sun; take away our own iniquities and sins, as we are all sinners in the face of our Savior. Show those who seek to do you harm the wicked ways of their heart. All this and so much more our Spirit calls out to you for help. We, LORD, are not in control. You are. And that gives us the only comfort and hope we have for 2021, and beyond.” 

While I’ve not addressed all the ideas Susan has for Suite T and 2021, the one that I wanted to concentrate on most was this: What can we authors write that might make a difference in the lives of those in 2021.

Michael Hicks Thompson has written six Christian novels, four of them winning several major literary awards, including The Selah award for Best Mystery Suspense from the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writer’s Association for The Rector—A Christian Murder Mystery; two Gold Winners from the International Books Awards, Winner for Best Religion Fiction from the Beverly Hills Book Awards (The Rector), Winner for Best Religion Fiction for the Inde Excellence Awards, Grand Prize Winner for best book (The Actress) from the International KCT Awards, Best Christian Thriller from the Pinnacle Awards (The Actress), one Silver IPPY and two Bronze IPPYs from the Independent Book Publishers Asso., for his DAVID books, plus several other awards.

Be on the lookout for his latest suspense thriller, CLOUDS ABOVE, a plausible sci-fi of a 2035 world without clean water. It’s already predicted.

Visit Michael at: https://www.michaelthompsonauthor.com

Writing for the Cinema, Part 2

By Doyne Phillips, Managing Editor for Southern Writers Magazine

This is a continuation of the presentation of the author of The Rector and The Actress. Michael Hicks Thompson gave to our writer’s group, recently. We covered three of Michael’s tips in my Writing for the Cinema, Part 1 blog post on Tuesday. You may catch up there by going to this link. If you have read Part 1, then let’s continue with his tips on writing cinematically.

Structure. “Books and movies can employ the same beats – beats that can create certain rhythmic feeling inside us. This lets us know that the experience we’re having feels familiar, yet new, all at the same time.” Michael then shared with us the way to do that is with structure. “If you want your story to feel cinematic, you will need to do 2 things:

1) Read this book: Save the Cat, Blake Snyder

2) Download and use 3-Act Diagram. It’s the roadmap for the best storytelling. Once you have mastered this you can deviate. Michael uses the program Scapple to create a mind-mapping outline to streamline his book

Tension, according to Michael, should be included in every chapter, every paragraph and every sentence if possible. It should be anything interesting to keep your readers nose in the book. We have all read books that keep us on the edge of our seats. Tension between the characters plays a big part in that and a big part in the movie that could be made from the book. How many times have you finished a movie and seemed to be exhausted? Ninety minutes of tension can do that to you.

Action. Michael says there are two things an author would rather have more than anything. One is book sales and the other is a movie deal. Action will get you there. Every big story cries out for some BIG moments. A fight? Car chases? Maybe a dramatic courtroom scene. You probably just thought of your favorite ones as you read this. They punctuate the action and grab the reader.

Create Character Arcs. The technique of having your main characters change over the course of the story is a must. Every story should have such an effect on the main character that changes occur. This, character arc, is a technique that one should study.  Again, Michael reminds us to study the craft.

Michael Hicks Thompson is willing to travel to conferences, deliver this and other Keynote addresses, or workshops. Please contact Michael through his web site, michaelthompsonauthor.com for more information and a quote. This 2 part blog does NOT include all the information in the "7 Secrets of Cinematic Writing." Thompson saved his best, I'm not allowed to include it here. You'll need to bring Thompson to your next conference to see his cinematic writing presentation, his Dramatic Irony presentation, or his "7 Secrets to Mystery Writing,” as only Michael can deliver.

Confidence

By Michael Hicks Thompson

What is the one thing— the most important thing—a professional golfer must have to win on tour?

Confidence! If you’re a pro golfer, or tennis player, even a heart surgeon, you need confidence. Not arrogance. Just confidence. A belief in your God-given abilities coupled with the teaching and practice you’ve slogged through. And the determination to be the best you can be.

For novelists, their need for confidence is no different than the professional athlete or the heart surgeon. It’s a long haul with short term goals.

Without confidence, you’re sunk. It’s the underlying cause of the dreaded yips for golfers and surgeons. Or writer’s block for authors.  

I’d just come out of a major inferiority complex dealing with another novel. Actually, it’s a novel I‘d written five years ago. A sci-fi thriller about a world without decent drinking water. It was published as a serial in a year-long magazine.

After that, I wrote the Solo murder mysteries series--The Rector, then The Actress. Lately, I’ve felt a strong urge to re-write the sci-fi thriller, originally titled, JALA, which means water in Hindi. I wasn’t happy with my writing of that story, so I picked it up again. Even changed the title to WATER, 2035.

My confidence had taken leave, along with my senses. Big time. I struggled for months with the story. Couldn’t make up my mind about anything--the protagonist, the antagonist, the POV, their relationship, nothing. I was happy with the sub-plot, but nothing else.

Then, I was the first to sign up for a weekend retreat with Brandilyn Collins in Coure d’Alene, Idaho. That day and a half got me back on track. This was her first time to invite 15 writers to her home. She’s a master teacher.

One fellow didn’t show, leaving me as the only male among 14 ladies and one instructor. If you ever have the chance to attend one of her retreats, I recommend it.

It wasn’t like she sprinkled magic dust over my writing.

After returning home, I still struggled to get behind my computer and work out the scenes, the action, the dialogue. Mrs. Collins edited the first two pages that six of us had sent in a month earlier. She handed them out on the last day, and read them. Our version. Then hers. I sunk down in my chair when my turn came.

I got over my ego fast after reading and re-reading her edits. Then, I realized how right she was. Every day, I’d start from page one and read until I needed to add or correct something. (I didn’t change much from those first two pages.) But, I finally realized I had a good story to tell. And any writer knows the first two pages are life or death for a reader. I used what Brandilyn taught and eventually got in a groove, finally able to determine my protagonist’s deepest desires. If a writer doesn’t know the protagonist’s desires then the reader certainly won’t. And your writing will fall flat on the page.

I’d fiddle with and re-write every word along the way, each morning, progressing slowly through the scenes that needed re-writing for either plot/character changes, or just pure bad writing.

By the third month, my confidence had grown, little by little. The story seemed to take shape. And I was loving it. Still am. Sixty-seven thousand words later, and I’m still in a groove.

My advice to writers stuck in a new genre? Seek the help of from an excellent instructor in a small group setting. You’ll come away a better writer. 

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Born in his mother’s bed and raised on a small Mississippi farm, Michael Hicks Thompson knows a thing or two about strong Christian women, alcoholic men, and Jesus. His fictional writings intersperse his observations of human nature with theology. He’s a member of Kairos (prison ministry), been to Cuba twice on door-to-door evangelism mission trips, been a Sunday School teacher, and a member of Independent Presbyterian Church for 35 years. He and his wife of 45 years live in Memphis, TN, have three sons and four grandchildren. The little ones call him “Big Mike.”After earning his undergrad degree from Ole Miss and then a master’s in mass communication from the University of South Carolina, Michael started a one-man ad agency in Memphis. It grew to 87 employees in two cities, winning numerous national and international creative awards. Michael sold his firm in 2011 and turned his attention to full-time Christian fiction writing. His latest novel, The Actress (his sixth novel), is available in book stores and on Amazon in print, and for Kindle. Having already won four major awards, The Rector was first in the series. Both novels are murder mysteries that take place in the Mississippi Delta.

Hook a Reader

By Annette Cole Mastron, Communications Director at Southern Writers Magazine

My friend and author, Steve Bradshaw was stirring up social media the other day by posting a picture on Facebook. He gave a writing prompt with the posting of an intriguing picture saying, "there's a story here. Write the first sentence..."

My sentence was "'Murder in the family mausoleum' was the lead story for a week; then, another victim was found."

Author Michael Hicks Thompson responded, "Randolph Horn had always lived in a mansion. His last would be his forever."

Author Claire Fullerton's sentence was, "It takes the permanence of a graveyard to remind me of my impermanence."

Author Nick Nixon's sentence, "As I knelt beside the gravestone to lay some flowers down, the ground beneath me started to tremble. Suddenly a pasty, gray hand burst out of the grave and grabbed my ankle! Ahhhhhh!!!!"

Author Loryn Kramer Staley's sentence was, "Hidden in the shadow the old elm provided, she was relieved to find she was on this side of the daisies.

Author Devin Greaney wrote, "June 8, 1874, Rosa laid down to bed in her home on North Main, yet she awoke, of all places, in this cemetery which she realized was odd though not nearly as much as her discovery that it was now 2017."

Reader, Janie wrote, “Two sisters looking for relatives that were gone before them! Gone but not forgotten!"

Reader, Laurie's sentence, "I know I only have an hour or so before the darkness will be here... right here, once more."

Reader, Mike wrote, "The only ability Tripp had over making a grand entrance was the pomp and circumstance surrounding his grand exit and it's awe inspiring finality. He had commissioned his majestic mausoleum eighteen years ago and no detail was left unfinished. It has been said that, "You can't take it with you" but, apparently, they didn't know Harold Robinson, III."

Reader Julie's sentence was, "The moment he saw the old stone church in the middle of the beauty of its green surroundings he felt the sinister uneasiness he had felt before. He felt it beckoning yet a fear so pervasive overcame him he couldn't move. Suddenly he realized........"

Steve's post provided fabulous responses from authors and readers, alike. Authors' sentences had a different but clearly connected perspective. Authors want to hook the reader with the all-important first sentence. Readers wrote what they wanted to first read, which essentially is the same thing. 

Lessons for authors can be learned through an exercise like this, and it gets everyone's creative juices flowing. 

Thanks to Steve, it fueled me to write this blog post. How about you? 

If you didn't see Steve's picture, here it is, and now it's your turn to write the first sentence of the story behind this picture. 

Ready, get set...go. 

Old Familiar Friends

By Michael Hicks Thompson

I have no idea if any of those “How to Write a Novel” books (e.g., King’s On Writing, 10th Anniversary Edition: A Memoir of the Craft) or any others) taught this, but I’ve not read it anywhere; though, I doubt I’m the only one to offer it up.

I discovered a principle about readers. Simply by reading my manuscript through, page by page, word by word, dozens of times.

Here’s what I discovered. Readers need to encounter familiar friends (even foes) during the course of reading a novel. Why? Because readers need familiar characters to pop up throughout the story. Otherwise, their subconscious asks them, “Where’s that character, Freddie? I haven’t read anything about him for ten chapters.” Well, people don’t think exactly like that, but you get the point.

Think of it this way. If a writer brings up a character in the first third, that character will need to reappear again. Maybe even multiple times, depending on the size of the character’s role in the first third. The more description, dialogue, or substance an author gives to a character, the more that character needs to come back into the story. I had to re-write a major portion of my novel when I discovered that I’d simply written this one scene about a deputy on the Greenlee Sheriff’s Force.

She reached in her purse and retrieved a thin, silver-engraved box of cigarettes. She selected one and inserted it into a shiny black holder. Deputy Cox, who’d been leaning against the doorjamb, pulled a Zippo from his pocket, strutted over, and lit it. She smiled at him, tossed her head back, and blew out a smoke ring as big as my dinner plates. Cox grinned and dropped the lighter in his trousers, while Butch continued.

 And one page over, the Sheriff is telling Cox to take Tully Ivey back to the Grater house.

“Cox, I want you to drive Miz Ivey and Mr. Carr out to the Grater house.”

“Be my pleasure,” Cox said, spreading his cowboy legs, both thumbs wrapped around his belt buckle.

I had left Cox out for the rest of the story. Stupid me. But, it’s easy to do unless you look for such occurrences, and I did, after reading the doggone manuscript over a dozen times.

Leave out old friends, and you’ll leave your reader out.

Here’s what I did. I brought Cox back later, in a subtle way, i.e., not trying to connect his love interest in Tully Ivey, America’s most famous actress, but simply learning from her how Tarot cards work. Eerie.

Haven’t you read novels where a character came into play in the first third with a seemingly big set-up, only never to hear from him again? It happens all the time.

You see, it’s difficult to juggle a mystery novel. To keep the plot moving, the clues, the red herrings, the humor, the empathy, the struggle, yet be aware of every character’s role and their place in the story tell

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Michael Hicks Thompson received his masters degree in mass communication from the University of South Carolina, after an undergrad from Ole Miss. He started a one-man ad agency that grew into 87 employees in two cities, where he was CEO/creative director/copywriter. His firm, Thompson & Company won numerous national and international creative awards. He sold the firm in 2011, and now devotes his time to writing the Solo series. The Rector has already won several major awards. He's been a team member in Kairos' prison ministry for two years; also been to Cuba on door-to-door evangelism trips, and spoken at large conventions as featured speaker on the life of David ben Jesse. You can actually "See Inside" the DAVID books at www.shepking.com, or Amazon. Oh you won't want to miss the photo of Goliath and the Ark of the Covenant. Michael had both of them made for a book signing tour. His latest book The Actress has released.

Authors, Are You Into Webinars?

 By Michael Hicks Thompson

I've had it with the non-stop email solicitations wanting to help me sell books. Of course I need to know how to better market my books! So I try to keep up. But, frankly, it’s not easy, figuring out which “Help Offer” is going to help me.

I've been on at least two dozen "How to Successfully Market Your Book" webinars. Some even charge $!  (I've found a few that don't charge, yet offer good insight. Like Joan Stewart's The Publicity Hound.) 

I sign up for what looks good. Then comes the pitch. Most give good ‘free’ info then go through the same routine to up-sell you on their programs. "It's worth $2,000. But if you buy today… only $297."

I know I need to learn. So I wade through them all. Some are outrageous.

Like the "$1 NOW" come-ons... only to discover there's a $1 charge for 7 days, then jumps to $59/month -- automatically, unless I remember to cancel. Have you ever?  

Maybe you've also plowed through the plethora of "Let Me Help You" sites? I get six emails a week, and yes, I'll admit, I check 'em out. Why not? I'm trying to figure out how to sell a few books when 727,125 ISBNs were assigned to self-published authors in 2015 .That's right. 727,125 in one year alone, and that’s just to self-published authors. Look it up on Bowker.

  

Authors, the competition is daunting. But good work will win out in the end.

If you’re contemplating your first novel, please, stop and ask yourself. “Am I doing this so I can tell my family and friends that I’ve written a novel?” If that’s your subconscious speaking to you, please, re-think this. So many “first novels” come on the marketplace that haven’t even been edited. Result? Family and friends who read them become so disillusioned by all the errors, grammatical mistakes, plot snafus, and unexplainable dialogue that they may never pick up a new author again. They go back to the same celebrity authors, leaving new, serious authors in the wake of anonymity. 

My college roommate went to New York to become an actor in the 70s. He later told me, "Michael, for every audition I went to, there were 3,000 actors as qualified for that role as me. Not all 3,000 showed up, but the hardest-working ones did. There was just too much competition." 

Writing a 75,000-word book is hard work. If you’re not willing to hire a professional editor, why write it? And if it’s going to be the only book you ever write, why bother?

Meantime, I'll keep wading through the webinars and try to make sense of this industry. Maybe somebody should start a “Ranking Profile” of these webinars.

PS -- I'm really not a sour-puss. Today, I'm just frustrated by all the noise in the "Let Me Help You" world of new authors. 

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Michael Hicks Thompson was a successful ad agency owner, winning numerous national and international awards. After selling his firm in 2011, Michael turned his attention to full-time writing. His latest novel is The Actress and he also authored The Rector, available on Amazon in print, on Audio Book, and Kindle. Two graphic novels on the life of David from the Old Testament–DAVID–The Illustrated Novel came first. (Volume 2-won first place BEST GRAPHIC NOVEL and BEST INTERIOR DESIGN, 2012, from USA Book’s INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS. Volume 1 won the Silver IPPY for Graphic Novels in 2011 from the Independent Publisher Book Awards.) Next was a sci-fi thriller (CLOUDS ABOVE) that was serialized in a monthly magazine for a year. (Out in book in 2016.) Michael writes Christian novels that entertain, intrigue, and shine a light on his Jesus. He’s a member of the ACFW, Mystery Writers of America, The International Crime Writers Association, and the Southern Writers Association. Visit his website, www.michaelthompsonauthor.com to learn more. 

michael@shepking.com Can book trailers be as riveting as movie trailers? Let's see:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehb0cDbeozE

Authors: Let’s not accessorize our nouns and objects. Okay?

By Michael Hicks Thompson

Do people talk like they read? I don’t think so. An interesting thing about us humans: when we talk, we tend to embellish our stories with adverbs … just to add more excitement.

Well, maybe you don’t, but the good storytellers do it! We all remember Mark Twain’s, “Why let facts get in the way of a good story.” While he was referring to the written word, I’d like to use it in context of verbal storytelling, if you don’t mind.  

Let’s say you’re an introvert, and don’t like to tell stories, but you like to write them. The premise is still true for you.

Yes, there’s a premise here: We don’t read like we talk.

And that premise leads to a principle: Don’t write like people talk, unless you’re writing dialogue. That’s where it counts to write like people talk.Here’s an example:

I was editing my sixth novel, when I came upon this sentence:

Still, that note in Andrew Dawkins’s clinched hand led to an investigation nobody ever expected.

I was reading aloud from the entire ms, to determine if the sound of each word matched my intent. I came to that sentence and, after vocalizing it, felt that I’d added an unnecessary word—the adverb, ever.

I had embellished a noun many readers would have taken offense at because of my unsubstantial opinion that nobody could have ever expected it. You see, the embellishment was merely my opinion. I dropped the adverb, and this is the result:

Still, that note in Andrew Dawkins’s clinched hand led to an investigation nobody expected.

Ahh, the difference is subtle, no? Only one word removed. But when I read the version with the adverb in it, I encountered an icky feeling in my gut that I (the author) can’t be trusted. “How could I know everything? How could I be certain that nobody ever expected it?”

Subconsciously, many readers will have the same reaction: Not sure I’d trust this author, they’ll think.

Here’s another example:

She was in deep denial.

The sentence actually comes from the same manuscript. After reading it aloud, I decided to drop the word, deep. It’s only important that my reader know she was in denial. My reader will not believe that I knew she was in deep denial. See the trust factor?

A reader who thinks, I can’t trust this author is likely also thinking, I’ll be closing this book. These are death words to an author.

Nobody likes death. So, let’s keep our readers away from embellishments. They need to trust us.

Ahh, but wait! Just as in life, there’s a season and a reason for everything, right? Here’s a noun in need of help:

I don’t ever want to interview her again, I thought, slipping into my car.

But this adverb, ever, is factual, not an opinion. The narrator of this story feels very strongly about not wanting to interview this woman again. That’s a fact, in the narrator’s mind. When it’s factual, it’s really not embellishment at all, is it? The sentence, without the adverb, would fall flat on its face, would it not?

Moral of this story? If readers don’t trust you, the author, they’ll drop you faster than a verb.

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Michael Hicks Thompson was a successful ad agency owner and he and his company won numerous national and international awards. After selling his firm in 2011, Michael began writing, but what started out as a hobby, turned into a full fledge author, writing two graphic novels on the life of David from the Old Testament–DAVID–The Illustrated Novel. Volume 2-won first place Best Graphic Novel and Best Interior Design, 2012, from USA Book’s INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARDS. Volume 1 won 2^nd Best Graphic Novel of 2011 from the Independent Publisher Book Awards. His next project was a sci-fi thriller (JALA) that was serialized in a monthly magazine for an entire year. His novel The Parchman Preacher is available and he has finished the next book, The Parchman Redeemer, and is waiting to be published. Michael writes Christian novels that entertain, intrigue, and shine a light on his Jesus. He’s a member of the ACFW, Mystery Writers of America, The International Crime Writers Association, and the Southern Writers Association. Visit his website, www.michaelthompsonauthor.com  to learn more about Michael.