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?

Book Signing Hype - Worth It?



I went to see Stephanie Black at the Sacramento CA Deseret Book store the other day. I was excited to get her latest book, Played For A Fool, but also to remind myself of things to do/not do for future reference. She had a smile on her face, a nice display, was interested in me, and had chocolate. All good things. Oh, and did you notice that she chooses great colors to wear?

Stephanie drove two hours to the closest DB store to her. Was it worth it? I don't know. Maybe it depends upon your criteria. (She didn't know ahead of time she would get my blog post out of it.) I'm sure authors have the most success when they're a local/people know them and word of their event was wide spread. Maybe it's something I will have to experience to know, but I plan to make mine fun and prepare however I can.

For now, I'd like to know what your feelings are about book signings. Please take a few seconds to help me out. Thank you!
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Mixing Business with Pleasure for My Writing Adventures

Many authors find writing pleasurable, but not so much marketing or other aspects of being a writer. This one tops my list for both work and fun. Enjoy.

The Mackleys, Konopnickis, and Lunds at Dinner

I recently went on my first cruise, enjoying it with an LDS group of 30. We went to see "Book of Mormon Lands" in the western Caribbean, with two shore excursions to the Maya ruins of Tulum and  Lamanai. In addition, I attended lectures aboard ship, given by author and motivational speaker Dr. John L. Lund, where evidence was presented about Mesoamerican sites as candidates for locations described in the Book of Mormon. If you know a little of my writing projects, you can see how perfect this was for me.

I not only listened to Lund for the entertainment and educational value, I hoped to glean some tidbits to insert into my sequel, Secrets of the King's Daughter: A Book of Mormon Romance. And I found a couple that I never would have considered on my own.

Things I gained on vacation for my scripture-based fiction:
1. A visual appreciation for the beauty and topography of my writing project's setting for my next two books.
2. Specific scriptural references which apply to my story, as presented by Dr. Lund.
3. Cool photos to share, educate, and use for promotional posts or contests.
4. I purchased some swag to give away. (Wish I could have found more!)
5. Increased education about the best candidate locations for Book of Mormon sites, including climate, minerals, river flow, use of "up" and "down" correlating to elevation (rather than compass directions), volcanoes, and religious evidences.
6. New friends who could become potential readers.

I'll leave you with a couple teaser photos.


Lund points to Mask Temple in Lamanai, Belize

Tulum, Mexico

Scripture-Based Fiction: Finding that Happy Middle Ground

Fun Research: Maya Ruins in Tulum, Mexico

Purists who love the precious word of God may frown upon anything they see as a distortion of the scriptures. Scenes that alter/enhance what they’ve already imagined may cause them concern. On the other end of the spectrum, some LDS readers may feel guilty if they spend more time enjoying fiction than studying the scriptures. Is it possible to reach a happy medium? When considering Church productions like the Book of Mormon film The Testaments, the majority would likely agree that scripture stories can be told with appropriate creative enhancement to leave an inspirational, powerful message and impact.

 

As a writer of scripture-based fiction, striving for that happy middle ground has been a difficult learning process. My journey began with a love for certain scripture stories and the inspiration to tell them from authors such as Chris Heimerdinger and H. B. Moore. At first I figured it easiest to stick to and wanted to stay as true to the scriptural events as possible. My critique group told me it was too boring. I couldn’t simply retell a scripture story with added characters and events, I needed characters with goals and motivations that drove them to fulfill those goals. There had to be obstacles to their goals and something at stake if they should fail. Hence, it was necessary to add creative developments within the historical framework.

Another challenge was finding that delicate balance of credibility using research. Incorporating too much research drifts the story toward non-fiction characteristics, too little shows a lack of authority and authenticity in the setting and details. The reader must be kept in the world and time frame that has been created.

Feedback alerted me that I must not over-use scriptural language either. Fiction has to flow and sound natural. It was tricky, but I loved seeing the story develop and improve. Submitting into two first chapter contests garnered two first place awards in the Historical Fiction category, telling me that my scripture-based writing was engaging.

My target audience knows that a daily dose of searching and pondering the scriptures should top their reading list. Choosing scripture-based fiction can additionally inspire readers, be a way to bring the scriptures to life—with vivid characters and description that solidifies the portrayed events in our minds, or provide wholesome entertainment. It is always a good idea to compare the scriptures so that one knows fact from fiction. For this reason, I included a scripture reference list at the end of my novel, Secrets of the King's Daughter: A Book of Mormon Romance. Look for it's release in early March 2016. I hope you will give this genre a try. Enjoy!