Late-Night Writing by Andy Scheer

I hadn't planned to work on my novel's opening chapter between 3:30 and 4:30 a.m.

But I woke up, my mind filled with questions about the story's maguffin – the item my characters would pursue.

I'd thought everything was in place. But yesterday evening I began re-reading one of my favorite mysteries: Curses! by Edgar Award-winning novelist Aaron Elkins. Early in the story Elkins makes sure readers grasp the rarity of a pre-conquest Mayan codex.

No lights flashed as I read that chapter, but my subconscious mind took note. At 3:30 I woke up and began considering what my Professor Hastings had packed into his Gladstone bag. For readers to understand why two criminal syndicates were after the bag, I had some to do some explaining.

And that means further research into two obscure subjects. Then I'll simply have to figure out a way to convey that information without intruding into the story.

Maybe that will come at 3:30 next Saturday morning.

Is a client's next book automatically represented? by Terry Burns

I do a contract now and then for a single project, but for the most part Hartline contracts are for all book length work. We aren't really that interested in just getting a book published, we're looking to help them develop their writing career.

For that reason a client has a reasonable expectation that I am going to represent any book length work they write. And that is true, but with one caveat, it has to be something I would normally accept to represent. If the book I sign them for is good in my opinion, but the second offering is not where it needs to be, I'm not going to try to pitch it just because they are a client. We are going to try to work with them to get it to where it needs to be, but until it is it doesn't do either one of us any good to pitch a project that I don't believe is ready to publish.

Sometimes I stretch a little as a professional courtesy for a client and pitch a genre I don't usually handle. I don't know these markets or the editors in them as well and depend on the client to help me target the submissions in such a case. I depend on clients to help me in that manner anyway. I don't have time to read books that would be comparables for all my clients so I expect them to continue to do that and to pass on potential editors and publishing houses that they find in such reading. It is, after all, OUR job to get them published, not just MY job.

Cliches and Overused Phrases by Diana Flegal

In preparation of a workshop on self editing for the 2014 conference season, I got to thinking of the cliché.


Webster defines a cliché as:

cli·ché

noun \klē-ˈshā, ˈklē-ˌ, kli-ˈ\

: a phrase or expression that has been used so often that it is no longer original or interesting

: something that is so commonly used in books, stories, etc., that it is no longer effective

 

When we see multiple cliché's in a submission, it tells me either the writer is a novice or being a lazy writer. Even a well published author slips an occasional cliché into their story, thinking it works, but I suggest cliché's are to be avoided at all costs.

 

It was a dark and stormy night, he was weak as a new born kitten, high as a kite, straight as an arrow, fat as a cow.

 

When writing your first draft- allow the cliché and write on. When you come back for your rewrite, take the time to find a more creative way to express what your trying to say.

 

One of my favorite lines from The Help; is how the author, Kathryn Stockett, describes Mae Mobley's mothers thin legs. "they looked like she done growed 'em last week". How much better is that than saying she had string-bean thin legs.

 

Authors might want to consider these cliché's as well:

• a speech filled with clichés about “finding your way” and “keeping the faith”
• The macho cop of Hollywood movies has become a cliché.

What are a few cliché's you recall? Have you run across any cliché's recently in a blog or book you have recently read that caused you to moan? Please share them with us if you can without hurting or exposing the source.

How the Word Spreads by Andy Scheer

If you're writing in the action/adventure genre, you should know my friend Wayne. He's not only a writer, he's also a key influencer.

Over the past three decades, Wayne assembled one of the world's top collections dedicated to the books of one best-selling author and his co-writers. He co-founded a worldwide collector's society and has organized annual conventions that enable big-time fans to meet those authors.

In the process he's befriended many of the top names in the genre. They sometimes use Wayne as a sounding board, and to spread the word on upcoming releases.

A few weeks ago I suggested that Wayne might volunteer to moderate the forum on one co-writer's website. Wayne emailed back that he'd gotten a green light to moderate the forum, and also learned some big news.

The main author had picked a new co-writer for a spinoff series. That writer's name was new to me, so I searched for his website.

His site was most informative—giving me the covers and promotional descriptions for his half-dozen published novels—plus interesting biographical information, FAQs, and some articles. This writer meant business.

Better yet, I'd timed my visit to his website perfectly. Besides an excerpt from his latest novel, he was offering for the next two days a free download of the complete book.

I downloaded it, started reading, and had to force myself to stop. As a regular participant in the collector society chat group, I knew dozens of others who'd also want to experience this author's work. So I sent an email alerting them to this opportunity.

And so the word spreads.

The Best and The Worst by Linda S. Glaz

This weather has encouraged me to writing something that has absolutely nothing to do with writing.

I feel like: It was the best of times...it was the worst of times...

When I made a quick trip through the grocery store last Saturday for stamps and some yogurt, I couldn't find a parking spot. I clearly forgot a storm was headed our way and people were starting to think: oh, no. I'll never eat again. I only have enough food on hand to feed a small third world army, so I'd better stock up for at least a month. (at least it felt like this)

Folks were arguing over parking spaces, etc. A friend had her foot clomped on while a man dove for a bar of cheese. (are you kidding me?) Krogers is pretty big; no one was going to go hungry!

At home...I awoke Sunday morning to the sound of a small plow. My young neighbor who has been kind enough to plow us out periodically, was clearing my drive without having been asked. Well..for the last two days, he's plowed us out three times. And this morning, after my husband buried himself in the snow (before the plowing) he hooked up a tow line, and suddenly four neighbors were in our yard pushing and towing that Ford Escape out of a deep snowdrift (about 20" and he was majorly buried). The kindness was a bit overwhelming. We insisted our young neighbor take some money for all the plowing (which he did not want but we made him take it anyway, after all, gas costs money), and I baked him double-fudge brownies for when he finally took a break, because, you see, he plows the sidewalks about 100ft in either direction of his home after each storm so folks don't have to shovel it. He shows up at folks' homes without being ask and plows them out. Once he finished with the plowing, he helped another neighbor get his snowplow to his garage where he started repairing it for the other neighbor.

So you see, just when we find ourselves losing faith in mankind, a terrific kid like Ben comes along, and restores it. He reminds me just how amazing humans can be one to the other. He's the kind of person with the type of heart that I plan to write into my heroes in my novels. It isn't phony; the kindness isn't done expecting ANYthing in return...it is simply a blessing.

Hope you all survive this nasty cold spell, and decide to do a kindness today!

Happy New Year to all of the readers of this blog from Joyce Hart.

I’ve been reading comments on Face Book about resolutions and goals for 2014.  Also, some people are saying what their word is for the New Year.  My word for 2014 is Trust.  There is an old hymn “Trusting Jesus.”  The first verse says “Simply trusting every day, Trusting thru a stormy way, Even when my faith is small, Trusting Jesus, that is all.”  Trusting Him for our businesses, trusting Him for family, trusting Him for health, trusting him for guidance every day.  We even have to trust people that come into our lives.  Trusting Him that as a writer you will find a publisher and that He will give you clear direction about what to write.

Now about goals.   I feel that writing your goals down is important. When I took the Dale Carnegie Sales course, the instructor told us to write down the amount of money we wanted to make for the year.  I thought to myself, but I’m on salary, how could I make more money?  However, I wrote down a goal.  Did I make that much money that year?   Yes, I did.  My boss decided to give us bonuses based on our sales and I was paid the amount of money that was my written goal.  It was amazing to me.  Again it comes back to trust.  I think one of the most important lessons I have learned through the years is that God is our source.  It doesn’t matter whether we are free-lance or if we work for someone, God is still our source ultimately.

Let me encourage you to Trust God.  Write down, I will get published in 2014 as one of your goals.  One of my clients wrote down that she would get published last year and in December of 2013, she had a signed contract in her hands.

Wisdom from Proverbs in Chapter 3, verses 5 & 6 tells us “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct our paths.” NKJV

May God bless and direct all your ways in 2014.

In His service,

Joyce Hart

Welcome to 2014 by Terry Burns

Another year. They seem to be coming around faster and faster.

The popular thing to do this time of year is to make a set of resolutions that we plan to get done in the coming year. I don't know how well you do with that but my record is abysmal.

I think the only resolution I have ever kept was a number of years ago that I resolved to not make any more dang fool resolutions. Now that one I could keep and have done so for a lot of years now.

The problem with resolutions is that we keep them or we don't. Pass or fail. I don't do well with that kind of test.

But it doesn't mean I don't have plans for the New Year. However, instead of resolutions I have GOALS. Goals are different, we can work toward a goal. There can be progress even if the goal is not reached. Not just pass or fail but we can have degrees of accomplishment. We can even exceed the goal. We can do better than we planned. Hard to do that with a resolution.

Many of these goals are captured on my to-do list. Family goals, financial goals, faith goals, work and writing goals, honey-do projects and household repairs, all on one list. I constantly try to whittle that list down but it often seems like I take one thing off and put a dozen things back on in its place.

I'm convinced that life is that list, and while I know I have eternal life thanks to my Lord and Savior, that list has an immortality of its own here on earth. It can never be finished. Even when it comes time for me to make my heavenly trip, the list still survives. Only now it has to be added to someone else's list, along with the task of making my final arrangements.

Some things on the list survived last year too and will go into next year. Some have been on there for several years, but as long as they are on the list I fully intend they get done, and they will eventually be resolved one way or the other. A few of that type of goals has been resolved over the years by finally admitting I'm just not going to do them and taking them off the list. Yes, that does resolve them, just admitting we aren't going to do it. Not ideal, but it does work.

How about you? What's your record on resolutions? If you do them I hope your record is better than mine. Or if you are a goal person I hope you see a lot of them accomplished or even surpassed in 2014. I hope you have a great New Year!