Going Bold in 2016--Courage for Writers

I never thought I would swim with stingrays or tile a floor, but I have. What about those things we planned to do but didn't? As the saying goes, Go bold or go home.
 
Writers take risks all the time, and the ones I've heard talk about it, don't ever get totally comfortable with them. Whether it's summoning the guts to share your writing with friends and family--heaven forbid the public should read it!--or marketing scares you to death, there's at least one aspect of the writing craft where authors need courage.
 
Why and how to go bold:

• To prove something to yourself. You've always wanted to write it, now tell yourself that you can. Others have proven it's possible. They all had a starting point. Work toward the "I can too" attitude. Give yourself positive vibes and permission to succeed.
• To gain a greater audience. Change your perspective. Telling others about your book or project is helpful to them. You are giving information so they can decide. You are sharing something they can learn from or enjoy. Be enthusiastic without overusing your messages.
• The year is going to pass anyway. Why not do what you've always wanted to do? Find a support group, critique partner, mentor, or other available resources for encouragement and motivation.

My debut book comes out in two months. This is both scary and exciting. I'll have new experiences, but life is full of those, right? I'll hope for the best and deal with any negatives because I'm doing what I love. It's worth the risk. Let this be the year that you go bold too! Write on!

More Ups Than Downs in 2015

Time to wrap things up... presents, projects, the end of another year. I'm reflecting on what I've accomplished, big and small.

Presents--Did you wrap or receive any books? It's a common time for reading. My reading habits this past year involved mostly library audio books and downloading e-books on my iPad. I also participated irregularly in a local book club group. Their choice of books has expanded my typical reading habits.

Projects--This year was devoted to working on the untitled sequel to Secrets of the King's Daughter. I finished the revised draft and just got feedback from my critique partners. Yep, there's a little more work to do, but I should have it ready for beta readers in a month or so. This big project was accomplished in many smaller chunks along the way and with the encouragement of my critique group. Some days went better than others. No surprise there.

Year's End--I've had to be patient, practically ignoring anything concerning publishing as I await the release of my debut book in March 2016. The delays will soon be a fading memory and I look forward to exciting things happening in the coming year.

How has your year been?

A Writer's Influence - No Greater Calling

Merry Christmas, friends! In the midst of this special time of year where Christians celebrate the birth of the Savior of the world, I'm led toward sharing a deeper personal level of my thoughts. At the heart of my writing, I've always hoped to inspire others spiritually--to entertain and make readers feel strong emotion, certainly, but I also want to give hope, courage to choose the right, a desire to build God's kingdom on earth, and discover one's divine potential. It might not be easy to achieve, but why not try?

My oldest grandchildren are getting to the age where peer pressure plays into their choices, where innocence peels away to expose the harsh realities of worldliness. I want them to experience as many good influences as possible. In my convictions, anything we can do to steer a single soul of God's children to choose His ways is worth the effort. Not that I expect to change the world. But one person can make a difference to someone. We don't always recognize our influence or impact on other people, similar to George Bailey in the Christmas movie It's a Wonderful Life.

I'm starting my writing career with scripture-based fiction (soon to be published) and LDS inspirational non-fiction (yet to be published). It's a niche market--not for everyone. Getting rich is obviously not my first priority. Writers have the blessing of reaching an audience with themes and memes for good or otherwise. If I can subtly send out vibes and show characters who make others want to do good and be good, what greater calling is there?

Not all writers need to have the same priorities, and you may or may not agree, but these are my feelings, and I intend to take ownership of them. Consider your own calling as a writer and how your reading choices influence you. Do they meet your current goals?

Secret to Author Success = Hard Work

Nobody is perfect, but sometimes we use too many excuses for delaying/not finishing a project. My goal of getting Missionary Stories submitted to my publisher by now has come and gone. Again. My other WIP (work in progress) took priority because it has critique group deadlines and is more fun to work on. That's because the stage I'm at is one of organizing, copying permissions, and filling out submission forms instead of creating. So close.  

Are you achieving your goals? What is preventing your success? Here's a little "tough love" list from Jim F. Kukral of the Author Marketing Institute. He gives 13 reasons we aren't as successful an author as we should be, which I have summarized or you can view the webinar. Rather than beat yourself up and suffer writer's guilt, pick one thing to improve/correct over the next month. You won't regret it!

1. Laziness. Examine how you think and act.
2. Entitlement. Nobody owes you anything; get to work!
3. Fear. Authors take many risks. Imagine what you can do when you stop the fear excuses.
4. Negativity. Surround yourself with successful, positive people.
5. Stop Thinking. Don't analyze, do instead of think.
6. No Goals. Plan, rather than play it by ear. Write them down and keep them with you.
7. "They". Forget everyone else. You alone control your success.
8. No "X" factor. It doesn't matter how outgoing or beautiful you are. Just work hard.
9. Time Wasters. Unproductive work that doesn't achieve your goals. Are you busy doing the right things?
10. Social BS. Too much time spent on social media.
11. Thinking Too Small. Think long-term. Lead rather than follow.
12. Don't Want It. Fight negative internal messages. Believe instead of dream.
13. Don't Believe. Ignore messages that say only a few succeed. It's hard work that wins, not luck.

As for me, I have a plan now to quit analyzing things and do the actual work. In one month's time, I expect to have this submission behind me. It's public now; got to do it. Just saying.

A Writer's Summertime Musings & Book Releases

For a few more days, I'm leaving up a quick survey from the previous post (scroll below) in case you didn't get a chance to VOTE for my book title. My thanks to those of you who did (or will).

So...how did your summer go? Hopefully you enjoyed a few seasonal activities or a vacation. I enjoyed relaxing reunions o both sides of the family, seeing all my siblings at once. Fun stuff.

I'm wondering how many writers or readers out there keep up on their goals during the summer or if the kids being out of school make you put off those plans. Also, do you venture more into the pool-side light reads during summer and something more academic or substantial during autumn? How did summertime affect your habits and goals?

I took some vacation time, but apparently my muse did not. Writing went well for me this summer, jump-started with the fabulous LDStorymaker conference. I've been working on the sequel to my Book of Mormon fiction--the one where you can vote for the title--and gathering/completing stories for my narrative non-fiction, Missionary Stories. Having my adult son home for the summer made for a few adjustments--especially because I like silence when I write. Sometimes I reordered my priorities, sometimes I shut the office door. It all worked out.

Okay Jane Austen and romance fans, look for Rebecca Jamison's latest book out now! Click for her blog tour schedule.

From the back blurb: As if it wasn't bad enough to be getting food from Church welfare, I had to meet one of the Ferreros--a good-looking Ferrero, at that.

   Elly Goodwin, a brilliant programmer, is so desperate for a job that she takes one from her ex-boyfriend--the same man who put her family out of business. Then she meets Ethan Ferrero, who seems too good to be true--especially for her ex's brother-in-law. At the same time, she must help her sister Maren recover from a severe case of depression. Elly is far too busy for love, especially not with Ethan Ferrero.

   Meanwhile, Elly’s dramatic sister, Maren, has recovered enough to fall in love, and when she falls, she falls hard. Elly must intercede before Maren's passion clouds her common sense. Together, Elly and Maren must learn that a mixture of sense and sensibility is the perfect recipe for love.

Fans of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility will love this modern retelling of the classic romance novel.

Another great romance is coming our way. Lisa Swinton's Ring On Her Finger will release September 3rd. Here is the cover reveal and tagline: What happened in Vegas should stay there,not follow Amanda home wedded to the man who broke her heart.
The Blurb: After celebrating college graduation with her friends in Las Vegas, Amanda St. Claire wakes up with a terrible hangover and a ring on her finger. Her day gets worse when she finds out she's married to rich playboy Blake Worthington--the guy she loathed the past four years. Amanda convinces Blake to legally termintate the marriage and they both return home like nothing ever happened. That is, until Blake shows up on her doorstep and Amanda has to come clean with her family.
Together for better or worse while the legalities are cleared, Amanda reluctantly plays along, but then the unthinkable happens--she finds herself falling in love with Blake.
Can they overcome the past? Or will it end their future before it even starts?

The new-to-me website of the week is www.writershelpingwriters.net. You can easily lose yourself in looking through their tools and resources for writers. Wonderful stuff from the authors of several good thesaurus books. 

Balancing Progress - FB Author Page

All weeks are not created equal. No, I didn't get my website going yet. That's still in the prep stages (see previous posts). I'm doing the work, I'm baby-stepping. But I did make more progress elsewhere. And that gets me to my writer's tip today: Everything you do leads to progress. Yes, those crummy scenes you later delete can lead to better ideas and better writing. Even time on social media can lead to needed information, opportunities, or a better mood. Just remember that moderation is key. (Perhaps you are one who needs an egg timer to bring you back to your intended focus?) The point is that doing means action and action (eventually) gets results. For me, my actions didn't yet result in a website, but I'll get there. We don't have to be too hard on ourselves. Find the right balance of working toward your goals so that you accomplish effectively without over-stressing. Work hard when you can, take a breather when you need to.

This past week my efforts led me to set up my Facebook Author page. Perhaps prematurely, but I'm getting in on having people 'like' my page as part of a Rafflecopter giveaway for someone's blog tour next month. So that's done and you can check it out through the badge on the sidebar. 

The new-to-me blog of the week is Fire and Ice, a good-sized blog which highlights books through reviews, blog tours, author spotlights, etc. They promote YA, children's, and LDS fiction. I'm bookmarking them for future reference. Find them at www.fireandicereads.com

Looks like a week of revisions on Bishop Stories for me and finishing up a book review. What have you been up to?

January Writing Goals and A Call For Missionary Stories

What a great way for me to start the new year! Did you see my children's story in the January 2014 issue of the Friend magazine? I couldn't be more pleased with the placement and artwork. Find it online here. It shows the a-ha moment when my then ten-year-old daughter found a family backpacking trip to be just like an event in the scriptures. My personal writing goals for January will focus on more inspirational stories.

In keeping with my inspirational stories line to follow the Bishop Stories book that I'm almost ready to submit, I'm sending out a call for "missionary stories". I'm collecting stories from or about LDS missionaries and converts that show the ups and downs of missionary life with uplifting or inspirational results. Send yours--yep, I know you've got one--to: my.missionary.story@gmail.com  Don't worry about the quality of writing. Just get down the details. These stories will be edited to omit identifying names and give a light polishing. You can also e-mail questions to the above address. How about helping me with my January goals by sending your story to me now while it's on your mind? Or put it on your to-do list. Thanks so much!

New this year: With most posts I'm sharing a new-to-me blog to learn from. You can suggest a site in the comment post. This week I visited http://rjcraddockauthor.blogspot.com/  She shared the importance of not rushing one's first book into self-publication and having more than one editor go over it.
What would you like to see on my blog? Writing tips, personal story experiences, book reviews, guest authors, contests?

The Pace of Life

Hello December. Hectic or joyful? Maybe both. Today I'm thinking about pacing--not in writing but in life. Whether you are breathing a sigh of relief from a frantic finish to NaNoWriMo or you've been dragging your feet to accomplish year-end goals, December is a good month to think about life pacing. 

Step 1- Evaluate. Are there extra activities pulling you away from writing goals? Do you need more family time? Would a break invigorate you for those New Year Resolutions ahead or do you need a push to get into gear? Figure out where you stand. Don't be hard on yourself by analyzing it to death. It's just a place that you are currently at. A starting point to figure where to go from here.
Step 2 - Prioritize. Can the deadlines wait or does the family need more from you? In the long and short of it, what things will be important today, this week, and this month? I'm a list-maker and it feels good to cross things off, but a few things usually get pushed to tomorrow. Disruptions happen and usually I'm okay with that. I still see progress and some spontaneity makes life interesting. It can be tricky making sure the proper things get the most attention, whatever the amount of time we're dealt. If we have our priorities straight in our heads, it's easier to both implement action and go with the flow.
Step 3 - Work the Plan. Make those priorities happen to the degree of your abilities, whether you've decided to work hard or scale back. Put whatever it is that is your priority into action through step by step goals or keeping end-result focus. This is hard to do if you haven't completed steps 1 and 2. (That's the biggest tip here, folks.) 

May we all find a pace that makes us and those around us happy. Enjoy December!

Tips To Keep Going and Contest Reminder

Slim Summerville slowly sauntered seaward. Several sailors suddenly seeing Slim's subconscious surroundings slyly stole Slim's shorts, socks, shoes, shirt.
Can you beat this? Submit your entry for the Second Annual Alliteration Contest. Check out last week's post below for the rules and enter today!

I want to share with you a tiling project that took much longer to complete than anticipated. It was hard, yet satisfying work because progress was visible. I pushed myself to finish through less than top-notch health because I had a deadline. It needed to be completed before going out of state.

 

Obviously the first photo shows that more time needs to be spent before completion. What if my motivation to finish is lacking? I could give several excuses but it won't change the fact that the shower is not usable until completed. 

Sometimes writers get frustrated or feel their project is taking too long? On top of that are revisions and waiting for reader's feedback. Will all the effort be worth it? I can't answer that question for anyone but myself, but I can share a few things I've learned:

1. Start with a project that is exciting to you. It moves the process along much better. 
2. Any project worth doing is worth doing well, to the best of your ability. It leaves the fewest regrets.
3. Goals and deadlines do help us achieve. So does a support group. Use whatever devise/reward system that spurs you on.
4. Expect a few delays or bumps in the road. There's a learning curve to first projects. It took me an extra year to get my manuscript in shape. Worth it since I ended up with a finished product that made me even more proud.
5. Breaks are necessary but use them wisely. Energy spent on a secondary project or something totally different can rejuvenate but watch that length of time where it gets harder and harder to see the motivation of project number one. Some do better to plow on through without sidetracks. Learn how you work best.
6. End results are fulfilling and satisfying. Follow up with any last cleanup and sendoffs, then celebrate! When the project is over, move on to the next.

What's your motivation to keep going?

New Critique Group Sparks My New Year

Hi, everyone. How is your new year going? Are you diving into those reading or writing goals? Have you set them at attainable levels that push but not too hard? It's okay to revise them if needed--just don't throw them out the window.
I'm so excited to start with my online critique group this week! I'll be sending a chapter out to three others to critique and they will send me theirs. This will be a great motivator to write a chapter a week or tweak and resubmit those revisions. I hope we are a good fit and can keep this going. I've missed not being in a group since moving midway through last year. That was a fun bunch that met face to face. I am a believer in how helpful a critique group can be and I hope to do my part in making it successful. Updates will follow.
What writing or reading goals do you have for the new year?

A Bonus Book Review?

  I didn't do so well on my revision goals last week. Sickness, holiday with family visitors--need I say more? It was too ambitious for me to revise 75,000 words in a month with all the going-ons so I'm going to give it another month, and I'm not going to feel badly about it. I'll just keep chipping away . . . Did you make your nanowrimo goals? How do you feel about it?
  I did make time to read *smiling* Maria Hoagland's debut novel, Nourish and Strengthen. First, the back cover blurb:
 After losing forty pounds, Chloe Taylor is finally happy with her body. What she doesn't realize is that she's not the one in control. When Chloe is called as the Primary president, she discovers that managing the highs and lows of a chronic illness may be easier than the ups and downs associated with family, friends, and church callings. Consumed by her won challenges, Chloe fails to recognize the issues her friends are facing and is in danger of losing their friendship. As Chloe sstrives to develop Christ-like love for herself and those around her, she learns that outer appearances are fare less important than inner peace and spiritual strength. But is she strong enough to face her most difficult trial yet?
  This LDS women's fiction novel was different from my typical reading choice so I had to gear myself into the mode of women with real-life issues and the fact that Chloe was going to talk about diabetes over and over again. It's an easy enough transition if you allow it. Hoagland could have been writing an auto-biography for all I know, with the detail and day-to-day reality in first-person. I thought she did an excellent job at keeping the scenes succinct and using nice description. Once the point was made, Hoagland moved on. She adds nice touches of description that do double duty to paint emotion into her visuals. And, of course, I learned a lot more about diabetes. There was even an aha moment when Chloe made me recognize something in myself that could have remained undiscovered. I got a bonus in the form of some self-helps to put into practice. Thanks, Maria, and good job! Even if others don't gain what I did, it's a thought-provoking read.
  You can find out more about Maria or order her book at one of the following:

blog: http://mariahoagland.blogspot.com/

Createspace for paperback: https://www.createspace.com/3647471

Smashwords for all eBook: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/93675

Amazon for Kindle and paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Nourish-Strengthen-Novel-Maria-Hoagland/dp/0615535615/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322271517&sr=8-1

Milestones--Are You Graduating?

  My baby graduated from High School and LDS Seminary this past week. Another milestone in the journey. Hoorah! A proud moment indeed for all concerned. I'm sure you can relate.
  Soon he will be off to college and I will graduate into the realm of old people--empty nesters. Whoa. I'm not quite ready to call myself old, even if I'm a grandma, my body has it's own complaints, and grey hairs are springing up. But it got me thinking: What am I really graduating from? Can I say that I have passed a milestone of my own? Have I continued learning and refining my writing craft, followed through with some goals?
  I doubt any of us can say we are hundred percenters. It's a process. It takes continual (but not constant) effort. We don't want to burn out, we want to shine. Take it one milestone at a time. My next writing goal is to get something ready to send off to the LUW contest. What milestones are you reaching?

(Sub)mission Accomplished!

It's in! I submitted my LDS Adult Book of Mormon Fiction, The Seventh City. This was November's goal. No, the whole year's goal. But today I can check that goal off. I'd love to tell you a little about my book:

A death. A secret. A spirited, sixteen-year-old widow.  For the young, Mayan princess it was either kill or be killed. Then a Nephite missionary comes to preach about repentance. Can Karlinah gain acceptance and remarry without revealing her secret?

As soon as I pushed SEND, I did the happy dance. Then came the second guessing. Why do we do that to ourselves? I'm going to quit thinking about who else should have read it first, etc. It doesn't have to be perfect. That's what an editor is for. It just has to be my best effort. I worte it to be read and that's what pushing SEND will hopefully do. Now comes the waiting game. For the next few months, no news is good news. Wish me luck!

Well, back to writing the sequel ( the second generation of King Lamoni's family).

Giving Your Words Over to the Reader

   Who is writing really for--the author or the reader? Your writing may arguably be for you--to fulfill that burning drive to put pen to paper, but if anyone but you are to gain from it, you must finish the work and pass it on to another. So begins November's National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo. The goal of writing 50,000 words spurs many on. Being at the point of revising and getting my novel ready to send rather than write, I am not offically participating. To those who are, I cheer you from the sidelines.
   To finish a major work is a satisfying experience. To allow others to pass judgement on that work takes courage and is necessary is one seeks publication. It also takes giving. Completing my novel to such a point that I can completely give it over to a reader or editor is my November goal.
   Katharine Coles, professor, novelist, and Utah's Poet Laureate caught my attention recently when she spoke about rejection. Though she relates it to writing poetry, any writing can be applied. She says: "Rejection may be especially hard for poets because their work is uniquely intimate and personal--a rejection of the poem feels like a rejection of the self.  It feels as if it's about YOU in the deepest way.  But when we think about that editor as a mediator between poet and reader, we remember that a finished poem isn't actually about the poet any longer.  In fact, I'd argue that no poem is ever finished until it has become about the reader--until it has created a space for the reader to confront or commune with not the poet but his or her own mind.  If this is true, and I think it is, then the process of finishing the poem is the process of detaching from it and giving it over.  If rejection of a given poem or poems feels so personal to you that you suffer more than a few minutes of ordinary disappointment that your wishes have been thwarted, then you probably haven't really finished the poem."
   I want to strive for the point of finishing my work in progress to the point of not looking back and wondering what still needs to be tweaked. An editor can do that. But first, I must give him or her the chance, after all I can do. Whatever your stage of writing, make November your best writing month yet!

A Strange Day

Yesterday, while I was having breakfast with Brandon Mull and Lisa Mangum (among others at my table), my husband was called into his boss's office to hear the news that he was one of 400 to be layed off at ATK. While I was having my query letter reviewed my Kirk Shaw and listening to 'story ideas that rock' from presenter John Brown, my husband was packing things from his desk and shelves. As I hob-nobbed with famous authors and author-to-be's and we clicked photo ops with friends old and new, the press interviewed my husband about his feelings of being let go after twenty-five years of service. With my buddy, Melissa Cunningham, we dined out with such delightful company as Jeff Savage, Tristi Pinkston, and too many to name while my husband and last child at home heated something in the microwave.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Book Academy Conference at UVU, pushing to the back of my mind what was going on at home. But it's strange to be gleaning wisdom to make me a better writer and having such a good time when traditionally I should feel upset.
There is a peace about our family situation and I have faith we will be taken care of, but it makes me want to pour all that gleaned wisdom into the final edits of my novel and make it the best I can even more than before. Attending two conferences in two weeks has put a fire under me that I don't want to quench before the manuscript is sent off. The conference did for me what it was intended to do. My goal is to have the MS complete by the end of October. There--I've said it out loud.
Anybody out there want to say their goal out loud?
Happy writing, my friends.