What Stephen King Said About Writing and Making Money?

By Susan Reichert, Editor-in-Chief, Southern Writers Magazine

It should not amaze me when I hear people ask me this question. But it always does. Why? Well, to be truthful, they probably know the answer; they’re just hoping I can give them one that is better and a faster way. Oh, I don’t fault them for wanting to know if there is such a thing. Let’s face it, we all wish there was one.

So what is the question? The one I hear the most is, “How can I make money with my writing?” Now, that is a legitimate question. However, there is more than one answer. It can go in many different directions for a writer.

Stephen King said, “Writing isn't about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid, or making friends. In the end, it's about enriching the lives of those who will read your work, and enriching your own life, as well. It's about getting up, getting well, and getting over. Getting happy, okay? Getting happy.”

As so many successful authors have said down through the ages, if you are getting into writing to make a lot of money, you are choosing the wrong career. Yes, there are writers who make a great deal of money.  However, I don’t think we realize that when they started writing they weren’t making big bucks. They weren’t overnight successes pulling in the dough.

They spent their time learning and writing. The more they learned the more they wrote, the better they became. Along with that however, when their writing got better they started trying to get their name out so people would come to know who they were.

Today, I think we have it easier to a degree. In Hemingway’s day, they didn’t have blogs, blog tours and such. We have them at our fingertips. These blogs help get our name recognized much faster. Guest posting on other peoples blogs is a quick way, especially when we tell our friends to drop by and say hello. We can drop by any blog and just leave a comment. We can plaster our name everywhere. And it doesn’t cost us a dime…just a little time in blogging and posting.

We preach a lot about how writing is a business. Some writers don’t like to hear that. Nevertheless, it is true. It’s not a hobby. As with any business, it takes time to grow the business and to become known. We have to be persistent in doing the necessary things, every day: this includes, writing, research, social media, marketing and promoting all the while learning our craft.

We have to invest our time and money. But if it is important to us, we will do exactly that. It’s nice to have friends who will help you along the way, but in the end, we are the ones to have to pay the dues to become successful.  

We never know that exact moment the door is going to open to success. But we do have to make the effort to prepare the way for it to open.

So what is the question we should be asking? Where are the blogs I should be posting on to get my name out?

Writer or Not

By Sarah Loudin Thomas

I recently came to the halfway point on my fourth novel (four and a half counting the novella). The book isn't contracted and may never see the light of day, but early on I learned it's much easier to sell something than nothing.

But I’ve found a funny thing happens around the midpoint of a book—something I suspect quite a few authors’ experience. This is the place where:

1.      I can't imagine how there could possibly be another half of a book to go. Oh my goodness--I've run out of all words except "the end!"

2.      I wonder how I got this far to begin with. I can't even remember what happened two chapters ago (which is why I write a chapter-by-chapter synopsis as I go--seriously--I don't remember).

3.      I begin to think there's no tension and no plot, it's just a Seinfeld episode where nothing happens.

4.      I’m pretty sure there's no moral center to the story. What did I think it was about? Forgiveness? Faith? Love? Then why didn't I write that stuff in?!?

5.      I have the niggling feeling there was a really cool idea for the second half that I didn't write down and so have forgotten completely.

This is the point at which I have to decide, for the umpteenth time, if I'm going to be a writer or not. Writers, I have concluded, are assailed by doubts but keep writing anyway. Non-writers are assailed by doubts and go eat some ice cream and watch a few episodes of Blue Bloods, marveling at the intricacies of the plots. (Okay, writers, do that too, but afterwards they keep

writing anyway.)

This is the advantage of having completed several manuscripts. I know this moment is coming. I expect it. And now I realize that if I just keep writing past it, I'll get a book in the end. One that someone might read. And perhaps, enjoy.

So, for as long as it takes after I reach the midpoint, I'll write. Because I'm a writer—really I am.

And anyway, I’m curious to know what happens next . . .

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Sarah Loudin Thomas grew up on a 100-acre farm in French Creek, WV, the seventh generation to live there. Her Christian fiction is set in West Virginia and celebrates the people, the land, and the heritage of Appalachia. Her first novel, Miracle in a Dry Season, released August 2014 through Bethany House. Book #2, Until the Harvest,released May 2015. Her novella, Appalachian Serenade is FREE today on Amazon. Sarah and her husband Jim live in the mountains of Western North Carolina with Thistle–the canine equivalent to a personal trainer pushing them to hike, run, and throw sticks. Sarah is active in her local church and enjoys cooking and–you guessed it–reading. She can be found at www.SarahLoudinThomas.com  www.facebook.com/SarahLoudinThomas @SarahAnneThomas   www.pinterest.com/sarahlthomas

Chart It!—How to Keep Track of Your Characters

By Sarah Sundin

What color were her eyes again? How long has he had this job? When did she break her arm, and is she out of her cast yet?

When we’re writing a novel, details threaten to swamp us. We waste time tracking them down. We waste time fixing them during editing. And when we mess up, we drive our copyeditors—or our readers!—crazy.

A character chart can save time and headaches. I use a simple table in Microsoft Word, but you can use any form you like. I prefer to enter information as I go to keep it up-to-date. When I turn in my manuscript, I include my character chart—the editorial staff at my publishing house loves this!

Here’s a snippet of the chart from my most recent World War II novel, In Perfect Time, showing the main characters, Kay Jobson and Roger Cooper.

Characters: Each named character gets a row in the table. I group characters by story function, such as “Kay’s family,” “802^nd Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron” (Kay’s unit), “64^th Troop Carrier Group” (Roger’s unit), and of course, “other.”

Name: The first column is for names. I can check my table for repetitions, too many names that start with M, and ethnic diversity. Since I use military settings, I include the character’s rank. Also include nicknames, including familial nicknames—do her children call her “Mom” or “Mama”? I also add “nonfictional” to any real historical figures mentioned in the story.

Role: In this column, I state the character’s role in the story—“Kay’s father,” “Roger’s best friend,” and their job. To keep the timeline straight, I often include graduation dates and when the character started or changed jobs.

Family: List the character’s family—birth order, names of parents, siblings, spouse, and children. Since my novels feature characters from all over America, I list hometown or region.

Age/Birthday: Self-explanatory! But it’s important to know how old your characters are, especially if the book or series spans a longer period of time, or for child characters who change rapidly. For minor characters, this might be only “middle-aged” or “early twenties.”

Description: For major characters, I list height and weight, hair and eye color, and other significant features, including scars or disabilities. For minor characters, I only list what’s mentioned in the story.

Other: List any detail you need to track. Do they wear glasses or speak Mandarin or smoke? I listed singing voice, because it’s pertinent to my story. With my military setting, I include promotion dates. I include dates and nature of injuries (I’m mean to my characters!), so I can track their convalescence and make sure the cast doesn’t move from one arm to the other. I also include the date a character is killed (I told you I’m mean).

A Stitch in Time . . .With a bit of work in advance, you can create a tool to save loads of time later. And your editor—and readers!—will love you.

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Sarah Sundin is the author of seven historical novels. Her book, Through Waters Deep, releases this month and is Book 1 in the Waves of Freedom series. Her other books include In Perfect Time (Revell, August 2014). Her novel On Distant Shores was a double finalist for the 2014 Golden Scroll Awards. A mother of three, Sarah lives in northern California, works on-call as a hospital pharmacist, and teaches Sunday school. She also enjoys speaking for church, community, or writers’ groups.

Website: http://www.sarahsundin.com Blog: http://www.sarahsundin.com/blog

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SarahSundinAuthor

Twitter: http://twitter.com/sarahsundin  Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/sarahsundin

Icarus and Pick’n Corn or Dig’n Tators

By Doyne Phillips, Managing Editor for Southern Writers Magazine

Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones in a recent interview spoke of celebrity and the pitfalls they face. He spoke of his legend as a Rock Star as opposed to his actual existence as a fan and being aware of the truth of each. Richards referenced the Greek Mythology figure Icarus as what can happen should you fail to know who you truly are; should you fly too close to the Sun.

During my high school years I was fortunate to have many young teachers just out of college. They were eager to take on the challenge of teaching and challenge us as students to go the extra mile in our curiosity and education. One such teacher was Judy Thurman. Mrs. Thurman taught Greek Mythology. Not a particularly popular subject but I found it more interesting than most.

Icarus and his father the Master Craftsman Daedalus were escaping Crete by using wings Daedalus crafted from feathers and wax. Before their escape Daedalus warned his son of flying too close to the sea, where the moisture would weigh his wings down, or too close to the sun where the wax would melt and the wings come apart. Daedalus used this to teach his son of the fall one can take if too complacent or too prideful. As you know his pride caused him to soar toward the Sun, his wax melted and he fell into the sea.

As grateful as I am for my studies under Mrs. Thurman and the richness and global understanding of the tales of Greek Mythology this story was overshadowed by a simple phrase from a little girl from southern Arkansas. She was spending a day as a Page in the Arkansas State Senate where I was serving as Reading Clerk. Something was said about flying and she quickly shared with us something her father had taught her. She said, “My Daddy told me that you should never get no higher than pick’n corn or lower than dig’n taters”.

That phrase has stuck with me over the years. Although the little girl took Daddy’s tale literally, it still has the same clarity of Icarus’ warning from his father. Your demeanor should be no higher, prideful, than pick’n corn or lower, complacent, than dig’n taters. Both are lessons taught to a child by their father but in different approaches. Both can be affective but its impact depends on your audience.

Writing with impact depends on connecting with our audience. When writing we should ask ourselves how to best relate our ideas to our readers. Will they understand a quick reference to Icarus or will a colloquial phrase hit home better. A much as I may hate to admit it when it comes to thinking on being prideful I have thought more times on pick’n corn and dig’n taters than I have Icarus. Which do you think would connect with your readers? You may want to give it some thought or run it by a friend or editor before you commit it to the page. It could make a difference to your readers and your success.

The Process Within the Process

By Patrick E. Craig

One of the questions I am often asked when I do interviews or articles is “What’s the process you use when you are writing?” It seems that everyone is looking for the answer to being a good writer.  We go to writer’s conferences to learn the latest techniques, we read books by authors who have already “made it”, and we listen over and over to the latest mantras: show, don’t tell, simplify, keep one person’s point of view throughout a scene, use better words, don’t write in the passive voice, etc. etc. etc.

When I sat down to write this article the guidelines were simple: 250 - 500 words about the writing craft such as "how I do it" or a "how to" theme. So I took a few minutes to look back over the answers I have given to the “process” question in the past. As I did it struck me that no two of my answers were ever the same.  In one article I stress the importance of a complete synopsis, in another I talk about chapter outlines and in a third I write about the importance of knowing your characters.  

So I dug deep and when I got down to the bottom of what it means to me to be a writer I found that I don’t really have a process. That was a startling realization. When I think about the books I have written I realize that somehow the stories already seem to exist somewhere “out there” and they come through as I discipline myself to be in the room with my feet on the floor and my fingers on the keys.  It’s as though I am reading someone’s journal and copying it down.  And that was an eye-opener. As I considered the implications I realized that I am not the storyteller, but there is a master storyteller who lives in me.  He is the repository of all the stories that have ever been or ever will be written. There is nothing that I can do that He hasn’t already done, and nothing I can say that He has not already said.

So what’s the bottom line? If I want the story that’s in my heart to come out, I have to show up at my computer and ask Him to tell me the story and then write it down the way he gives it to me.  Am I saying, “Don’t worry about writing well?” Am I saying, “Don’t edit and rewrite and do multiple drafts?” Am I saying, “Don’t write and write and write until you get good at your craft?” No, I’m not saying that because those things are all important. What I am saying is that as a Christian writer you must listen to the story that He wants to tell through you and stay at it until you know that you have written it the best you can.  And then trust Him to do the rest.

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Best-selling author Patrick E. Craig is a lifelong writer and musician who left a successful songwriting and performance career in the music industry to follow Christ in 1984. He spent the next 26 years as a worship leader, seminar speaker, and pastor in churches, and at retreats, seminars and conferences all across the western United States. In 2011 he signed a three-book deal with Harvest House Publishers to publish his Apple Creek Dreams series. The books are historical Amish fiction and include A Quilt for Jenna, The Road Home, and Jenny’s Choice. A Quilt For Jenna recently hit #1 best-seller in Amish Fiction on Amazon.  His current series is The Paradise Chronicles and the first book in the series is The Amish Heiress, published by P&J Publishing and just released on August 10th. Patrick and his wife Judy make their home in Idaho and are the parents of two adult children and have five grandchildren. Patrick is represented by the Steve Laube Agency. Author Social Media Links www.patrickecraig.com  Webpage
https://www.facebook.com/PatrickECraig  Facebook

https://twitter.com/PatrickECraig  Twitter Where can readers purchase my books?

http://tinyurl.com/n6sfagg Amazon

Look Out

by Gary Fearon, Creative Director, Southern Writers Magazine

If you're a media junkie like I am, you find the comings and goings of popular phrases entertaining.  You've probably noticed that "At the end of the day" has all but replaced "The bottom line" to preface a conclusion.  I often wonder who was the first person to say whatever is the phrase of the day.

Some years ago, a famous magazine editor tried to make "mouseburger" a catch phrase, to describe a woman who had to work extra hard to get noticed.  From the moment I read it in an interview, "mouseburger" seemed so random and ridiculous that I think I actually prayed for it not to catch on. That prayer, I'm happy to report, was answered.  Ironically, just this past week I came across an interview in which an actress said she was a total "fanburger" when she met her acting idol.  I nearly gaggedburger.

A couple of years ago in a previous post, I ranted about the inappropriate use of "So" at the beginning of an answer, as in:

"How did you get interested in writing?"
"So, I did a book report on Mark Twain and..."

Nothing inherently wrong with "so", other than it's a bit premature.  Being a synonym for "therefore", it is best served up after stating some facts first.  Only then, summarizing things with a "So" would make sense.

On a related note, I sometimes use "so" to introduce a brand new subject in conversation.  ("So I was at the bank today and...")  I'm not even sure why it works as a segue, but I do know it's not authorized as such by Merriam-Webster, so I save it for emergencies.

In any event, today I'd like to focus on another word that, in recent months, has become even more abused: the use of "Look" at the beginning of an answer.  For example:

"Why has milk gotten so expensive?"
"Look, it comes down to a number of factors..."

In the context of beginning an explanation, "look" is at least more fitting than "so".   However, it carries with it a tone of condescension or argumentativeness, along the lines of "Look, if you can't do the job, I'll find someone who can". Instructing the listener to "look" is a directive reminiscent of old gangster movies.  ("You ain't goin' nowhere, see?")

Guests on 24-hour news channels start their answers with "look" constantly.  In interview situations, it does lend an air of authority and confidence more than the traditional "Well".  But in most cases, the implication is that they have the definitive facts of a situation when they are merely stating an opinion,

It's no surprise that this trend began with politicians.  When answering a question off the cuff, "Look" is their go-to pause while forming a response.  It was only a matter of time before business people and journalists adopted it.  On the rare occasion when a politician still starts with "Well", it seems comparatively more genuine and trustworthy, not that language has ever been a true barometer of trustworthiness.

One of the concepts in George Orwell's 1984 (published in 1949) was "Newspeak", the government-regulated vocabulary of Oceania.  We're not quite at the stage where our language is controlled by a higher power, but every communication has an agenda of some kind.  As we hear and read, as we speak and write, it's an interesting and educational challenge to keep our eyes open for the con in lexicon.

Rehashing a Successful Indie Book Launch

By Keely Brooke Keith

My debut novel, The Land Uncharted, was originally signed with a small press. Though they gave a few marketing suggestions, the bulk of the marketing was the author’s responsibility. A few months before my release date, the press disbanded and my contract was cancelled. I read several books on publishing and—with the help of knowledgeable friends—I decided to release the first three books in the Uncharted series myself. Here’s how I prepared for my book launch:

My online platform prior to launch consisted of a Facebook Page, Twitter, and my website. I’m also on Pinterest, Instagram, Goodreads, Wattpad, Shelfari, LibraryThing, and FictFact, but I posted sparingly on those sites.

I recruited a street team by asking my book-loving friends if they’d be willing to post/tweet about my book release. I made a sign-up using Google Forms and posted it on my website, then put the link on Facebook and several more people signed up. I used Mail Chimp to send my street team publishing updates, give them the first glimpse of the book cover before the reveal, and make sure they had all my social media links.

I had a book promoter set up a cover reveal, and I hosted a scavenger hunt on Facebook on the cover reveal day. I organized a blog tour. I mentioned the book release on my social and book media sites. I submitted my book to reviewers. I got my book listed on every clean book and Christian fiction list I could find. I set up giveaways on Goodreads, LibraryThing, and my Facebook page. Two weeks before the launch, I started a Thunderclap campaign. I also sent an email announcement about the book release, including cover image, blurb, and buy links.

We all define success differently, and my launch was quite successful to me!

So many authors get disappointed after their book release because they thought the launch meant quitting their day job. It doesn’t. I determined from the outset not to define my success by sales figures. I had a few non-sales related goals in mind and I met those goals. Everything else has been a cherry on top, including hitting an Amazon Best Seller list!

If you’re signed: don’t expect your publisher to do all the marketing. Get involved. If you’re indie: Don’t rush a book to market. Hire professionals to do the things best left to professionals (editing and cover design, especially). Learn about metadata and make sure your author name on all your social media, website, etc. is the same as your author name on your book. Set a firm launch date and stick to it no matter how excited you get or how easy it is to hit ‘publish’ on Smashwords or KDP or whatever. And no matter how you are published: always try to promote other authors more than you promote yourself.

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Born in St. Joseph, Missouri, Keely Brooke Keith was a tree-climbing, baseball-loving ‘80s kid. She grew up in a family who frequently relocated. By graduation, Keely lived in 8 states and attended 14 schools before settling in Tennessee. Keely is a bass guitarist and plays on worship teams and for Christian artists. When she isn’t writing stories or playing bass, Keely enjoys having coffee with friends, preparing homeschool lessons, and collecting antique textbooks. Keely resides on a hilltop south of Nashville with her husband, Marty, and their daughter.

Making Time to Write

By Clarissa Johal

If you’re like me, you juggle writing time with other obligations. It can be extremely difficult to carve out writing time. In my case, it’s not just the time I need, but isolation. Isolation allows me to listen to the voices in my head, and experience what my characters experience. That may sound a bit cuckoo, but most of you will get it.

Last year, when I started writing THE ISLAND, I mentioned to my husband that I was having difficulty finding “isolation” time. I was also struggling with concrete details of where my story was situated. The story takes place on a remote island off the coast of Canada. I grew up around the area, but hadn’t visited the island since I was a kid.

My husband is my hero. As a surprise, he gave me a writing trip for my birthday. I’d never been away from our kids for longer than one night, so this was a big deal to me. But I took it. My agenda was to take an airplane to Canada, a ferry to one particular island, and then kayak to another, smaller island. There, I would reconnect with what was essentially the heart of my paranormal horror novel.

It was quite the trek but totally worth it. I was able to recapture the details I’d been missing. That feeling of remoteness and isolation.  That feeling of wilderness. That feeling of, “what if everything went haywire and you were stuck here?” Plus, I spent a week doing what I love to do—hiking, exploring, and day-dreaming. Crucial things to my writer brain.

I’m going to do another one of these writing trips next year. This time, I’m searching for a lighthouse. One that I can sleep in, and preferably abandoned. If it’s haunted, that would be a plus. More exploring, more isolation, and more day-dreaming. All of what make up a good paranormal story.

If you’re intrigued, take a peek at my new release, THE ISLAND…which isn’t as abandoned as it seems. 

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Clarissa Johal is the author of paranormal novels, THE ISLAND, VOICES, STRUCK, PRADEE and BETWEEN. When she’s not listening to the ghosts in her head, she’s dancing, taking pictures of gargoyles, or swinging from a trapeze. She shares her life with her husband, two daughters, and every stray animal that darkens their doorstep. *Member of the Horror Writers Association Find Clarissa Online: Author Website  Blog   Facebook  Twitter  Goodreads Amazon Author Page  and Pinterest

Changing Writer's Block into Writer's Bliss

By Annette Cole Mastron, Communications Director for Southern Writers Magazine

An article in the August 2015, Watch magazine titled, "Reboot Your Brain," caught my attention. The article highlights the founder of a Los Angeles, California hot spot "Unplugged Meditation." The article talks about "thought leaders" who help people meditate to block internal thoughts and external chatter, at least 10 minutes per day. Meditation also has major health benefits according to health professionals. 

What I found interesting was the connection between meditation and success found by those who learn to meditate daily. The article states, "Meditation is a work-in not a work-out."

The article mentions two free "happy" apps to help keep you on track for meditation; Headspace and Insight Timer. Headspace states it's a "gym for your brain." The "Insight Timer" helps you keep track of the sessions. 

Writer's block by definition is "the condition of being unable to think of what to write or how to proceed with writing." However, the meditation exercise may bring you internal bliss, but with a little tweaking, you can use these exercises to blast through any writer's block you may be experiencing. Writer's block can make it difficult to just write that first sentence. So take the lessons learned with meditation and apply that to your writer life. Unplug for 10 minutes a day and see if after 30 days you might have the start to your novel.

Using meditation, you can think through any writing dilemmas you might experience and find your writer's bliss. How did this work for you finding your writer's bliss? 

The Wiregrass: The Impact of Remembering ‘Big’

By Pam Webber

A couple of years ago while gathering research for my Southern novel, The Wiregrass, I ate supper at a small diner in an unknown town on an unknown road in South Alabama. On the paper placemat was the saying “Some folks never exaggerate . . . they just remember big.” Finding this unexpected wisdom in this unlikely place struck a writer’s cord with me.

Isn’t this exactly what most fiction authors do? Don’t we exaggerate characters, settings, and themes to create entertaining and tension-filled storylines? Aren’t we remembering big the unique sights, sounds, places, and feelings that help us create and enhance meaningful stories? Can you imagine what the story of Tom Sawyer would be like if Mark Twain had not exaggerated the characters of Huckleberry Finn and Injun Joe and remembered big the sights and sounds along the Mississippi River?

Would To Kill a Mockingbird have become an American classic if Harper Lee had not exaggerated characters like Scout Finch and Boo Radley and remembered big the issue of social injustice? Remembering big allows writers to bring lovable and unlovable characters to life while taking their readers on a roller coaster ride of emotions, from laugh out loud funny to soul crushing sadness. In the process, they create stories that stay with us for a lifetime.

So how do we go about remembering big the settings and characters in our novels? While there are no formal guidelines, the following suggestions may help.

First, give the story’s setting the same degree of attention you give the major characters. Can you imagine Tom Sawyer without the details of the Mississippi River or To Kill A Mockingbird without the suspense associated with Boo Radley’s house? Rich, detailed settings support and surround the story, engage the reader, and advance the story line, and they do it in a way the characters can’t.

Second, climb into your character’s head and stay there. Singularity in point of view is important to the internal consistency of a story and is what connects with readers. See what the character sees, think what he thinks, feel what he feels. It was the single point of view that allowed us to see Becky Thatcher through Tom Sawyer’s eyes and Boo Radley through Scout Finch’s, and it is an important element of successful stories.

Third, pull back the curtain on what moves your character. Readers connect with a story because it has meaning to them, and the only way to capture that level of meaningfulness is through the unbridled emotions of the author. If you’re not laughing and crying when your characters are then perhaps your story is more mechanical than meaningful.

In writing The Wiregrass, I remembered big the sights, sounds, and feelings of a magical time in an ordinary place, filled with extraordinary people, wrapped it all in a lot of imagination and faith, and prayed for the grace of a good story. I hope as you write you remember big too.

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Pam Webber is a nationally certified nurse practitioner and award-winning university-level nursing educator. She has published numerous articles and co-authored four editions of a nursing textbook. Pam resides in Virginia’s Northern Shenandoah Valley with her husband. The Wiregrass is her first novel. Find Pam at Facebook https://www.facebook.com/authorpamwebber

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7 Ways Your Blog Can Promote Your Book

By Susan Reichert, Editor-in-Chief, Southern Writers Magazine

We all know to use our blog to keep in touch with our readers and friends. In addition, our blog should also be used to bring them into our worlds. Let your blog be the tool you use to cultivate not just the readers you have had, but future readers. Your blog is one of the most important marketing and sales tools you have.

Practice these seven ways:

·         Update your readers. Tell them what you are working on. They love authors to share with them the stories being created.

·         Is it going to be a mystery or a romance, or maybe a little of both. Perhaps you are thinking a thriller or a western. Tell them your thoughts, the pros and cons–they love to hear. It involves them in your writing.

·         Let them in on the period you are thinking the story should be written in. You can even ask them what they think.

·         What settings are you considering placing your story in? You could be considering the mountains in West Virginia, a little town in Ohio, or near an Ocean, the Florida coast, etc. Ask them to give you their opinion or if they have a suggestion. People love to be involved in projects, and especially with authors. It makes them feel a part of your book so involve them–see if they have a preference where you set the story. Ask them to help you name your fiction town.

·         Ask for suggestions on naming particular characters. When they send in suggestions you could make a drawing out of it, and the winner’s suggestion will be used in the story and they will receive a signed book when it is published.

·         Be sure, and keep them updated each week, be consistent, on your progress. Anytime you can get their input you are bonding with that reader, and they are bonding with you and that book. When you publish it, they are going to buy it.

·         Let them in on the up’s and down’s, in’s and out’s-enough to whet the appetites, building excitement and buzz for the book. Perhaps they can participate by asking you questions. Anytime readers can ask the author questions or participate in any way, you can bet they are going to buy that book when it comes out.

Is It Only a Blog or Something More?

By Bonnie Leon

How many of you have ever thought, It’s just a blog post, and hurry through to get it posted? Most of us do this, at least on occasion. We get an idea, write it down, do a quick edit, and hit send.

I’m guilty. I’m under a self-imposed blog deadline every week and sometimes I get in a hurry—there are so many other important issues that require my attention. And I’ve got to get something on the blog. With that mindset the something is rarely my best effort.

 Every Wednesday I have a guest blogger and some of the submissions I receive have clearly been written in a hurry-up mode. They lack polish and style, are often written sloppily, or have no clear objective and may lack rhythm and voice.

I sympathize. My blog guests and I live in the same world of writing. However, I cringe when posting unprofessional submissions, and sometimes I am compelled to make minor adjustments. I’ve received enough hurry-up writing that I’ve decided to include a request for permission to edit the work, with major changes waiting on an author’s approval.

We, as authors, need to remember that all of our writing is important. It represents who we are and what we stand for. It may be our first introduction to a reader. It needs to be our best work every time. So it may not be a book or an article in a prestigious periodical, but it still has the power to influence, encourage, and maybe even change lives.

Will we captivate a reader? Or will they move on without completing what we have to say? A blog can help or hurt our careers.

Things to think about before hitting send.

·        What is the purpose of the blog? Know what and why and state it clearly.

·        Is there a common thread throughout the piece? If not, find it.

·        Is the writing cohesive? Don’t throw out a bunch of ideas and hope they stick. They probably won’t.

·        Be relevant. What do your readers care about?

·        Keep the writing punchy—stay clear of clichés, change up the tempo, find new ways to say something old.

·        Write tight. Readers have busy schedules too, and will pass on long-winded dissertations.

·        Seek and destroy weasel words. They weaken our writing.

·        Read your article out loud. It’s amazing what you will discover.

·        Let the work rest. Write and then go on to something else. Return to the work a day or two later with new eyes to see.

Your blog is valuable and worthy of your best so don’t hurry. And remember, blogging can and should be fun. So have a good time.

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Bonnie Leon is the author of twenty-one novels, including the recently released To Dance with Dolphins, Where Eagles Soar, the popular Alaskan Skies and bestselling The Journey of Eleven Moons and bestselling series, Sydney Cove. In 2014 Bonnie branched out into independent writing with her first ever memoir, a story about A Native American woman who grew up in the Alaskan wildnerness where she learned to hunt, trap, and survive. Her greatest foe, however, was not the grizzlies or wolves in the wilds, but rather her father. Bonnie’s books are being read internationally and she hears from readers in Australia, Europe, and even Africa. She enjoys speaking for women’s groups and teaching at writing seminars and conventions. These days, her time is filled with writing, being a grandmother and relishing precious time with her aged mother. Bonnie and her husband, Greg, live in Southern Oregon. They have three grown children and eight grandchildren. You can find bonnie at https://www.bonnieleon.com

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