Readers are Rubberneckers

by Gary Fearon, Creative Director, Southern Writers Magazine

While driving along highways, I take particular interest in the overhead LED signs with their traffic safety messages. When they're imaginative they can conjure a smile, plus their pointillistic letters remind me of the Lite Brite I used to play with as a kid.

Some messages are strictly business, warning of a lane closing or a road crew ahead. But sometimes they make an effort to be memorable.  Here are a few slogans you may have seen:

ALERT TODAY - ALIVE TOMORROW

FAST DRIVE COULD BE LAST DRIVE

BOOZE IT AND LOSE IT

DRIVING FASTER CAN CAUSE DISASTER

BETTER TO BE MISTER LATE THAN LATE MISTER

I try to picture the person who's writing these.  If they work for the Department of Transportation, it's probably their most creative moment of the day.

Here's a message that I actually saw yesterday while driving along I-40 in Memphis:

AVOID A WRECK - DON'T RUBBERNECK

I kept an eye out for the accident it might be referring to, but saw none and wrote it off as a generic admonishment.  Ironically, driving past that same stretch of highway three hours later, there was indeed an accident in that very spot.  Apparently, Confucious was doing the signs yesterday.  Then again, on I-40 it was bound to come true sooner or later.

But it got me thinking about the sign again and the fact that people do have a tendency to rubberneck. As drivers inched their way past the tow trucks, they seemed to pay less attention to the policemen directing traffic than they did the state of the cars involved and whether any victims could be seen. (Don't worry, it wasn't that bad of an accident.)

People inherently want to know who, what, when, where, how, and why, even when it's really none of our business.  We turn on the news at night to see what happened to people we don't know in places we've never been to.

Don Henley's 80s hit "Dirty Laundry" included a line that has always stuck with me: "It's interesting when people die." Dark as that sentiment seems, it's very true, and maybe it has something to do with our own underlying sense of mortality, visiting it second-hand and coming out alive. That would be a question for our psychologist author friends, and you know who you are.

All of this is terrific news for writers. Since people are curious by nature, they are always in search of a good story, making them willing to invest the time it takes to read about the imaginary characters you've cooked up for them. As we write, it's a good practice to think about these rubbernecking readers and what kind of details they are hoping to get out of the experience.

Meanwhile, drive safely, and let's flash our lights in honor of the writer who came up with this one:

DONATE BLOOD, BUT NOT ON ROADS

Writer’s Block…Nope

By Claire Fullerton

I don’t believe in writer’s block because I think everyone has their own writing process; the task is to honor it. When I begin a novel, I have a story to tell. My aim is not so much to entertain as to say something about the complexities of living through the art of story. I am fascinated in the deep-seated emotional life within all of us. 

I firmly believe most people hide a significant part of who they are. In my mind, there are many possibilities on why this is so: fear of not fitting in, or of being misunderstood; unreasonable expectations dictated by someone close and domineering; the weight of psychic and emotional baggage accrued from any number of avenues, or perhaps wanting to toe the line of status quo in the interest of cultural society. It’s our emotional life that shapes much of our fate, and I never underestimate its motivational significance. Because this is a subject that intrigues me, I weave it into all of my books, for I aim to tell more than a story; I like to give the reader suggestions on how the story came to be because I think we are all subject to cause and effect.

When I have a novel in mind, I know its beginning, middle, and end, which gives me a story line, yet I am more concerned with the book’s message. I go into writing a book with both considerations in play, and allow the book to breathe and grow. Because I realize that most of us play out our lives in contrast and comparison to other people, and that our lives are somehow reflective of the people, places and things around us, I use characters as triggers for cause and effect within the story. It is the interplay, the exchange between characters that gives a story meaning, and I’ll go one further to say it’s the characters in a book that show us who we are.

All this said I take my time in writing a novel because I believe it has its own life force.  I have yet to write anything wherein I did not pause and reflect in the process, which is exactly why I am not a believer in writer’s block. I believe the story is within me, flying around on the wings of inspiration, and my job is to let it make itself known in its own terms then put it into words in my own timeframe.

I’ve heard it said by some writers that even when they are not writing, they are writing in their head. This makes perfect sense to me, and it takes mineral patience and iron trust to finagle the weight. If a writer can do this, then it allows for a living, breathing work in progress to create itself, along with anything else attendant to their personal process. 

As for writer’s block, I never claim it; when in downtime, I only think I’m taking a breath.

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Claire Fullerton hails from Memphis, Tennessee and now lives in Malibu, California. She is the author of paranormal mystery, A Portal in Time, set in Carmel-by-the-Sea, and contemporary fiction, Dancing to an Irish Reel, set on the west coast of Ireland; both books published by Vinspire Publishing. Claire's third novel, Mourning Dove, is a Southern family saga set in Memphis. It will be published in June, 2018, by Firefly Southern Fiction. Her Social Media Links are: http://www.clairefullerton.com  Http://twitter.com/@cfullerton3  https://cffullerton.wordpress.com/

https://www.facebook.com/clairefullertonauthor/

Stock Photography – Bringing Stories to Life

By MJ Harper

They say never judge a book by its cover. While that certainly applies to people, we all know it doesn’t work for books. Of course a reader judges by the cover—as well they should. And just like any first impression, and author wants the cover to speak to the reader. A cover should catch the eye, tell the reader the genre, and state something about what the story is about—all in a matter of a one second glance. The object is to get the reader to stop and look closer.

A good cover artist is the first step to securing that knockout cover. Second, you should find the right model. You’ll want the model to fit your description of your character(s) because readers really hate it when the person on the cover isn’t as they are described in the book. Stock photography is a great option to find the character you need in the appropriate outfit. To really go that extra mile, you can set up a custom shoot with a photography company so that you can get exactly the look you envision.

At Period Stock, we specialize in historical fiction photography. 

We take great care in coming up with 19^th century custom-designed outfits. We offer authors not only ready-to-go stock photography with a variety of models (we strive for new models every couple of shoots so that you always have fresh faces to choose from) but we also offer the option for authors to request a custom or exclusive photo shoot.

With a custom shoot, authors can choose the model’s look and outfit, as well as just the right pose for what they envision for their covers. Authors can opt for a shoot that allows us to use the shots they didn’t choose on our site for a very affordable price, or for a completely unique look, authors can participate in an exclusive shoot with us and guarantee that the chosen cover model and outfit will be completely exclusive to your cover. If you are interested in what we offer, you can find out more here: https://periodstock.com/custom-shoots/

Remember that the cover is the first thing your reader sees. Be sure that it is so compelling that they can’t help but pick it to see the amazing story inside.

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MJ Harper is the president of PeriodStock.com, a stock photography site that specializes in 19th century stock photography for historical book covers. MJ loves historical fiction and the classic styles of the 1800s and enjoys working with authors, cover artists, and models to make stories come to life! 

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. 

The Re-Write

By Sophia Barnes

I personally find that the most stressful part about being a writer comes after I’ve submitted my manuscript to my editor and have to wait for her feedback. It can be nail-bitingly tense, handing over my innermost thoughts and ideas for cross examination. So much time and effort goes into each book – we’re looking at three to four months of work now resting in the hands of an individual who’s going to comment on all of its flaws. But, the good part is that although I do dread my editor’s feedback, I completely trust her opinion and know that the story is only going to get better from here on out. Naturally, I always try to write that perfect book that doesn’t need a lot of extra work, but over the years I’ve come to realize and accept that doing so simply isn’t possible – at least not for me. For the most part, all of my stories have had scenes added and deleted, they’ve required more character development and sometimes complete plot overhauls.

In fact, the story I’m currently working on is going to get re-written from scratch. I just spoke to my editor two days ago – she was very apologetic and sweet on the phone – but the bottom line was that she didn’t like the plot at all. Now, I could argue with her and try to defend my story, but at the same time I appreciate her skill and can therefore see that she has a valid point. Plus, I would prefer that she finds the issues and points them out to me rather than that reviewers tear me to shreds once the story gets published. So, as depressing as it feels at the moment, I’m tossing an entire book (though I may be able to save the first chapter and a bit from the middle) and starting fresh. I’ve spent the weekend writing a new plot outline which I will present to my editor before I start writing again. During this process, I decided to go back to basics and look at how to create plot structure from an inciting moment to various stages of attempted solutions and complications that eventually lead to the hero’s/heroine’s dark moment and the final climax. This is the simple stuff that ought to come naturally, but sometimes a little refreshing can help clarify issues and help tighten the story.

The point here is that I have always found writing to be an ongoing learning experience. 

Sometimes, I get so lost in my ideas and characters and the direction in which I see them moving that I forget the simplest aspects of storytelling. In those moments, it’s good to take a step back and recognize that mistakes have been made.

Now that I see what those mistakes are, it’s time to fix them, because at the end of the day, the most important thing for me is to deliver a wonderful experience to my readers – an experience that fulfills the promise I’ve made to them with all of my previous books – the one that tells them what sort of adventure I’m about to take them on the moment they sit down and read my story.

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Born in Denmark, Sophie Barnes has spent her youth traveling with her parents to wonderful places all around the world. She’s lived in five different countries, on three different continents, and speaks Danish, English, French, Spanish and Romanian. She has studied design in Paris and New York and has a bachelor’s degree from Parson’s School of Design, but most impressive of all – she’s been married to the same man three times, in three different countries and in three different dresses. While living in Africa, Sophie turned to her lifelong passion – writing. When she’s not busy, dreaming up her next romance novel, Sophie enjoys spending time with her family, swimming, cooking, gardening, watching romantic comedies and, of course, reading. She currently lives on the East Coast. Social Links: Website   FB Twitter - @BarnesSophie Blogger  Goodreads  Amazon Pinterest  

Sell Your Books–– Use Speaking Engagements

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

First, let me tell you, speakers are needed. Organizations, conferences, associations, corporations, events, ladies’ groups, church groups, these are just some of the places speakers are needed.

Back in the eighties, I had the privilege to attend a conference in San Diego, CA. and hear well known successful speaker Brain Tracy. He held my attention to the point I did not want him to stop talking and from the looks of the audience, they didn’t either.

When he did finish, people were standing in line to buy a complete set of his tapes. Yes, me too.

Listening to him, there was no doubt in our minds we could all be successful. His tapes were offering us that opportunity to learn from a pro. I wish I still had those tapes, but somewhere along the line they disappeared.

Not long ago I read this quote from him, “The reason why successful people are successful in speaking is because they have a burning message that they want to share, that people can really benefit from.” Aren’t you burning to tell people about your book? Aren’t you passionate about your book?

Before you tell yourself you are too shy to speak in front of groups, let me ask you a question. When your family gets together for special holidays, events, etc., do you have a problem talking in that group? No? Then you can learn to speak in front of other groups, providing you have a passion for the subject.

So now I ask you, are there some things you feel passionate about and want to share information with others? Can you tie those things into your book?

Sit down with your book. Make a list of the things that make your book interesting. Think about the current things going on in the world today, can you relate your book to one or more of those?

Make a list of what people ask you about being a writer. How do you come up with ideas? How do you determine where you will set your story? Are the characters people you know? Family members? Are you one of the characters? Where did the idea come from for this book? What is the world of a writer? There are many more questions, so think of some more and write them down.

Now out of those, come up with at least five you could build a 20 minute talk, a 30 minute talk, or an hour. Write the key points down.

The next part is research, looking for places to give a speech. In your town, there are groups looking for someone to give a twenty-thirty minute speech. Look at the ladies organizations. They love having authors. Book stores, libraries, the list goes on.

Always remember to read an excerpt from your book, hold up your book, and give them an opportunity after your speech to buy one.

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.

Trans-Cultural Writing

By Tony Kail

As a non-fiction writer who has spent several years writing about various religious and healing cultures, I am reminded on a daily basis the importance of practicing transcultural writing skills. As a cultural anthropologist that provides training to medical organizations, I have become quite familiar with a specialized area of nursing known as ‘transcultural nursing’. Transcultural nursing focuses on learning about a patient’s culture and being able to provide effective healthcare while showing sensitivity and respect to the beliefs, customs and practices of the patient. The discipline also focuses on keeping communication open with patients while avoiding stereotypes and personal judgements that could affect patient care. These practices also translate to those of us who are researchers and writers that write about historical people, places and cultures.

As a writer it is important that we understand that writing about a particular culture means that we are taking part in the world’s dialogue about a culture. Anthropology teaches that we can be susceptible to becoming ‘ethnocentric’. That is trying to place our own prejudices and beliefs on someone else’s culture because we feel that our way of thinking is the only way of thinking. How can this manifest in writing? Suppose you are writing about a particular practice or religion that you personally philosophically disagree with. Our terminology can reflect bias feelings. For example, what if you perceived a specific practice as foolish but yet the practice is considered a valid way of being among members of a specific culture. Would you use terms to convey your belief? ‘Foolish’, ‘Weird’ and even more descriptive terms like ‘demonic’, ‘scary’ or ‘evil’ can quickly convey to your reader that you are less interested in being non-bias and accurate in providing historical data and more concerned about promoting a specific worldview. This is acceptable if you are writing for a specific religious or philosophical genre but it is very questionable when used in non-fiction or historical writing.

Another element that is important is that as non-fiction writers we need to realize that no matter how interesting our subject matter may be to us that it is someone else’s reality. Recently writing about the culture of hoodoo and African inspired rootwork history in the southern U.S. it could become very easy to get caught up in the imagery of the fascinating vintage products used in hoodoo and the pop culture representations of blues singers and mojo bags. However the truth is that the rootwork culture is a living culture with living practitioners. It is not practiced as a hobby or a game, but it is a traditional practice with a real historic lineage that had to survive through slavery and segregation in the South. 

This understanding affected how I performed interviews and how I communicated the stories of these practitioners. No longer were they anonymous shadowy characters but were real people. They were sons, daughters, mothers and fathers. While interviewing sources to obtain knowledge about a particular culture it is important that we show respect in our listening and our writing as in the practice of transcultural nursing.

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Tony Kail is a cultural anthropologist, ethnographer and writer. Kail holds a degree in cultural anthropology and has been involved in research of magico-religious cultures for more than twenty-five years. He is a cultural consultant for local, state and federal medical and public safety agencies on issues related to cultural diversity, religious culture and transcultural communication. His latest book is A Secret History of Memphis Hoodoo:Rootworkers, Conjurers & Spirituals from The History Press. Website: www.memphishoodoo.com Twitter: @memphishoodoo

Enhanced

By Doyne Phillips, Managing Editor for Southern Writers Magazine

I recently was introduced to a lady that was wearing a green diamond solitaire ring. My interest in diamonds is weighed only by how large and shiny one is. But I have to admit this one was exceptional. Although not large by most standards, the color alone seemed to make the stone jump out at me. Enough so I had to ask the owner about it.

I was told it was a family piece owned by her mother. It was a gift from her father to her mother many years ago. Her father being in the oil business in Houston, Texas had the money to purchase such an extravagant gift early in their marriage. It weighed 1.999 carats and was mounted on a simple gold solitaire mounting. The character of the piece was carried by its green color. She said a recent appraisal by a gemologist in our area had revealed the stone was enhanced giving it the green color.

I had not heard of stones being enhanced but was told there is a process for all sorts of enhancements for the treatment of clarity as well as color. Clarity enhancements are done to remove or reduce any dark carbon inclusions or to fill any fractures in the stone. Removing the carbon inclusions is done by laser drilling with a surgical laser and soaking the diamond in sulfuric acid dissolving the carbon. This technique was developed in the 60’s. This reduces the visibility of the carbon and enhances the clarity. Fracture filling has been done for a few thousand years. In the beginning simple materials such as wax was used. Today there are secret formulas of lead based glass as well as silicone being used to fill those fractures and give continuity to the clear appearance of the stone.

As for color enhancements the colors are from radiation treatments of 4 various methods. The green diamond I was shown was known as a cyclotroned diamond. Cyclotroned diamonds have a green to blue green color and are treated only on the surface using gamma rays.  

All methods are known to gemologist and each of these enhancements can be seen by them when the stone is under a microscope. This is a known part of the diamond trade not often discussed with the purchaser but apparently determines the appraisal value of each and every stone. I can only wonder if the price of the stone is enhanced as well.

As writers we too enhance our product. Many of our stories have been enhanced in various ways to improve the appearance of our characters, settings or tales. Our little gems are similar from those dug from the earth. We may cut, polish, laser and fill to enhance the original. In the end our little gems, like the green diamond, may never be known as enhanced unless it is told. Let’s keep them guessing.      

  

       

Living Libraries

By Eva Marie Everson

As is true with most cultures, the South loves story. And she’s not above making some of it up.

Most Southerners can tell you about the history of their family—where they hailed from, how many fought in the “War of Northern Aggression,” who originally owned this piece of jewelry, or how that shotgun managed to make it back from the war.

Nearly every Southern adult in their sunset years can tell you about surviving the Great Depression—wearing potato-sack clothes, working rows of cotton and endless tobacco fields. Difficult as they were, these were the best of times, they’ll tell you. Times when families sat in front-porch rockers and talked.

These are the folks I call “living libraries.”

Too often, as I try to recall something one of my parents or grandparents told me about such-and-such a time, I also realize there is no one to verify that story fragment I no longer remember.

When Aunt Snook snuck off to marry the soldier, was her dress cobalt blue like her eyes . . . or chocolate brown like her hair? And did they sneak off because her daddy didn’t approve . . . or his mama?

Writing The One True Love of Alice-Ann (Tyndale House Publishers, April 2017), a story set in World War II, began with a remembrance of a tale told to me by neighbors, now both deceased. He had been shot down in the Pacific and survived. But she had been told he died.

This led to the “what if” all novel writers live for.

What if, I thought, she had met another man? What if she fell in love with him, only to discover her first true love hadn’t died at all?

To set the novel during WWII came without question. But my knowledge of that era was sadly limited mostly to what I’d seen in movies.

My parents are deceased, but they have living siblings. I found my aunts and uncles excited to share their stories. (They had been children during the war, but they remembered the years well.) As it happened, one of my maternal uncles owned a book that recounted the taking of nearly 300,000 acres of private farmland in five Georgia counties by the government to build Camp Stewart, today one of the most vital Army posts in our country. “They took a good deal of Granddaddy Kicklighter’s land,” my uncle said, “and he had a stroke.”

Literally. He had a stroke.

That went in the book.

My brother remembered our paternal grandmother—a tenant farmwife—telling about German and Italian POWs held in Bulloch County who helped tend the land alongside them. “They were nice,” Grandma said. “And said we were kinder than their own countrymen.” And that went in the novel.

Our grandmother died in 2000, but her youngest child shared memories of swimming in the pond after long days of farming . . . and that went in the novel too.

As I worked on the manuscript, my brother called to tell me the Bulloch Historical Society had located the land where the POW camp once stood. The reporter had interviewed 101-year-old Naomi Neville, who remembered cooking for the prisoners who worked her late husband’s peanut farm.

Turns out, he had been the cousin of my maternal grandmother.

I devoured the article.

In addition to reaching out to living libraries, I read books from brick-and-mortar libraries. I viewed documentaries and films. I studied advertisements and articles from a bygone era.

And, in the end, I had a novel I’m quite proud of.

But I’m fearful because we’re losing the oldest members of our living libraries. Soon enough, we will be a part of the volumes on the shelves.

Perhaps we already are.

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Eva Marie Everson is the award-winning, bestselling author of over 30 fiction and nonfiction titles. She is the president of Word Weavers International, the director of Florida Christian Writers Conference, and a popular speaker across the US. Her latest work, The One True Love of Alice-Ann, releases in April 2017 from Tyndale House Publishers.

When in Doubt

by Gary Fearon, Creative Director, Southern Writers Magazine


While browsing Facebook this weekend, I came across this exchange:

Linda: There are days, like this one, when I want to shred my manuscript and throw my computer in the pond. It'll happen someday. I'll toss everything and take up basket weaving.

Kathleen: That just means you're a writer.

Linda: You mean other writers want to throw their computer in a pond?

This amusing dialogue (which I've been granted permission to share) was between authors Linda Yezak and Kathleen Y'Barbo.  And each of these successful writers make a good point:

1) You know you're a writer when you get frustrated with your writing.
2) Every writer gets frustrated with their writing.

Frustration and moments of doubt, however, don't stop Linda nor Kathleen. Linda Yezak's latest novel The Final Ride just won First Place in Christian Fiction by the Texas Association of Authors. And Kathleen Y'Barbo's vast catalog, including last week's re-release of Not the Marrying Kind, would easily fill two shelves at Barnes & Noble.

Looking through the 1.8 million book titles on Amazon, or reading the success stories of other writers, it would be easy to question our own value to the writing community. We sometimes forget that the struggles we face are the same ones shared by every writer.

"We learn from failure, not from success," said Bram Stoker.  It is quite an achievement when we've honed our craft well enough to recognize when something doesn't meet our standards.  Especially something that we've written.  The ability to distinguish wheat from the chaff in our own writing is something most novices can't do, dazzled instead by the joy of simply getting words on a page.

A few months back, one of my favorite author/lecturers spoke to a crowd of fellow writers.  She revealed the insecurities she's had to overcome, including that of speaking in front of a live audience. If she had simply given a great talk (which she did), we'd have been impressed.  But we respected her even more because she shared her vulnerabilities. The entire audience immediately bonded to her as fellow victims of self-doubt.

It's nice to know we're not alone, and that even in frustrating moments we're honoring a grand tradition of all the writers who, like Stephen King, laughed in the face of rejection slips and even stuck them on a nail to impale them. Don't lose your battle for want of a nail.

Follow the advice of Rise Up and Salute the Sun author Suzy Kassem: "Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will." Can that attitude help you succeed?  Undoubtedly.

Quirky Sources to Add to Your Characterization

By DiAnn Mills

I live and breathe story—most writers do. And we’re always looking for ways to ensure our characters and their predicaments are exciting and unique. Some of the places we look can be a bit . . . different. But the exploration is worth it.

Here are a few areas in which I’ve found ways to add idiosyncrasies to character, plot, dialogue, setting, emotion, narration, body language, and symbolism. You might find your next plot twist there too.

Coffee, Tea, or Milk?

I admit my characters drink coffee. Usually black. But what about a tea drinker? What brand? Sugar or cream? Use a tea bag or steep the leaves? Visit a shop that carries tea and check out the buyers. You’ll find all sizes and ages. What if your character is a milk drinker? Whole milk or two percent? Your character could despise coffee, tea, is lactose intolerant and drinks only lemonade.

Grocery Store

Everyone needs to buy food, and most of us develop habits that stick throughout life. Does your character smell the pineapple? Squeeze a head of lettuce? Always buys two of each kind of fruit. Only selects organic products? Despises vegetables and replaces them with green apples? What about your character’s choice of candy—from gummy worms to dark chocolate? Does your character save the dairy and bakery department until last, or does the ice cream always melt by the time he/she gets to the checkout line?

Habits

Observe what is going on the next time you’re at a hair or nail salon. Women can have some crazy habits regarding their hair, fingers, and toes, everything from color to style. What about a woman at a hardware store searching for nails or plumbing supplies? Open up a character’s closet. Is it organized and tidy or a train wreck? Study those people at a family reunion. Who resembles whom and what mannerisms make them distinct?

Pets

Who doesn’t love a devoted dog, cat, or horse? Does your character have a hamster that keeps the owner up all night? A pot-belly pig that’s housebroken? An obnoxious parrot?

Mall Walkers

I used to think the only mall walkers were of the seasoned citizen variety, but not so. I see women pushing strollers and men joining them. Some of the walkers window-shop, sip coffee, chat on the phone, make sure they don’t work up a sweat, and (my personal favorite) pump their arms and legs as though heading for the Olympic gold.

Water Park

Preferably in the summer because the writer will want to participate in the fun. This is another place to snap a ton of pics. Who zooms down a water slide? Who’s the man who doesn’t want to get wet? Who’s there to show off his/her body? Who could care less how he/she looks—those enthusiasts just want to have fun.

Workout Facility

Sometimes this can be compared to a zoo. Need I say more?

Zoo

What about a character who has a snake, parrot, iguana, or monkey pig for a pet? Tour your zoo. Take pics. A few of the animals might resemble your characters.

Distinct details about our stories can be found anywhere. Search out for real people in real situations. You never know what you might find.

How do you find distinct characters?

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DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She combines unforgettable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels. Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. Library Journal presented her with a Best Books 2014: Genre Fiction award in the Christian Fiction category for Firewall. DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. She is co-director of The Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference and The Author Roadmap with social media specialist Edie Melson where she continues her passion of helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. DiAnn has been termed a coffee snob and roasts her own coffee beans. She’s an avid reader, loves to cook, and believes her grandchildren are the smartest kids in the universe. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas. Her latest book Deep Extraction releases, today. DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on any of the social media platforms listed at www.diannmills.com