Terry is Retiring

I retired from a career in chamber of commerce management after more than 25 years service.

I retired from working with a community service organization after more than ten years service.

I’ve been with Hartline for over ten years, seven as an agent. After much prayer and discussion my wife and I have decided it is time to retire yet again.

It’s not been an easy decision to make. I have a great group of clients that are together in an online group where we talk daily. They are more than clients, they are good friends. Doing this agent gig has been something of a mission effort for me. I have had a heart for trying to help debut Christian writers get started, whatever it took. Seeing them get their work out has been very satisfying. Of course focusing on debut writers has not been very rewarding financially, but that was a decision I made.

I’ve seen a number of clients move on to other things after I helped them get started.

But it has required a huge investment of time and effort as well as a lot of stress. To tell the truth even though I will miss it, making the decision brought an immediate feeling of relief. I told Joyce it would be effective November first which will give me a couple of months to wrap things up and to try and help my clients get placed elsewhere. A number of them will be picked up by other Hartline agents.

I owe Joyce a debt of gratitude for helping me get started as a writer, serving as my agent. Further she allowed me the opportunity to be an agent myself. I’m very grateful for her help and for her believing in me.

I am going ahead and making the announcement this far ahead to keep people from continuing to submit to me when I am no longer taking submissions. For much of the time I have been working in this role I have attended a couple of conferences a month and received thousands of submissions allowing me to meet quite a large number of writers in person or on paper.  It is an amazing thing having friends spread all over this country. It has been a real blessing.

My daughter and a couple of my clients are hosting a “virtual retirement party” over on my facebook page. Leave a comment here or drop by there and sign the “virtual guest book.”

God bless you all . . .

Terry

5 Mistakes Authors Make When Writing for the Young Adult, Teen, or Middle Reader Market

The reason many submissions are rejected by agents and editors is due to the writer not understanding their true audience. Take a look at these very common mistakes that often cross our desks in relation to writing for the younger audience.

1) Label your novel as targeting the age of your main character.

Young readers ‘read up’. Readers want to read about characters that are older than they are. If your main character is 14 your reader might be 8-12. Incorrectly labeling your reader market is a common mistake our agents see all of the time in submissions of this type.

 

Wikipedia says: The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) of the American Library Association (ALA) defines a young adult (reader) as someone between the ages of twelve and eighteen. Authors and readers of young adult (YA) novels often define the category as literature traditionally written for ages ranging from sixteen years to the age of twenty-five, while Teen Fiction is written for the ages of ten to fifteen. [2]

 

Think of your widest possible audience. The protagonist is usually on the older side of your readership. That means a 12- or even 13-year-old hero for MG and a 17- or 18-year-old for YA. If you have a college age protagonist, this pushes you into the New Adult category. (In the general market this means ‘very sexy’.)

 

2) Write a 100,000 word literary novel for a MR audience.  Generally a Middle Reader novel is between 30,000 to 50,000 words and a YA between 50,000 to 75,000 words.

While fantasy fiction can be the exception to the rule, you better write like J. K. Rowling if you are going to present a debut novel that large. And every word needs to count. Edit out all unnecessary words, and tighten the writing. This audience is a digital sound bite one. Think instant messaging and Tweeting. Write to them in shorter, no fluff sentences.

 

3) Forget the age of your reader and use throw back cultural language they will not get. Example: “Laverne and Shirley aren’t capping bottles in Detroit anymore, if you get my drift.”  Total disconnect. And while they might know what an Elvis impersonator is, you would have to make it relevant to the reader. Perhaps they ran away, and took a bus to Vegas when an Elvis Impersonator conference was going on. What a nightmare for a child! Or the protagonist’s grandfather is raising him/her and they have to tag along when he works the stage as one. J    

 

NOTE: There is a huge difference in interests between a 5^th and 10^th grader.

 Many retired school teachers have a heart for the young reader BUT are two generations separated from them in culture. It will take some serious research for them to catch up enough to be relevant when writing to that audience.

4) Use a lot of slang that will quickly outdate your book. Trying too hard at being hip and cool can backfire. It is best to stick to words that never go out of style. Cool, sweet, awesome, and phenomenal might work. Hip and cool are back, so one might use them as well. A good publishing editor will know and guide you. I cannot see one or two mischosen words causing a rejection, but beware; overuse of them absolutely will.

 

5)  Bypass the parental preferences or library gatekeepers and offer your reader inappropriate material. You know better how mature your reader is and what their emotional needs are. Go ahead and write inappropriate material.

Keep in mind the book buyer. MR’s do not generally purchase their own books. Their parents do. Over use of swear words, violence and sexuality will not fly. Good literature is not smutty.

 

In contrast; it is not a good thing to preach at your reader. A good story can awaken a God consciousness in a reader, and introduce a reader to biblical principles, but do not sneak in, or brow beat the reader with your doctrinal preferences. Leave that for the parent and Sunday school teacher, unless you are writing a bible study or a themed workbook. Author Jill Marie Richardson did an outstanding job of taking a cultural hot topic and relating it to our faith.  In Hobbits, You, and the Spiritual World of Middle-Earth, published by Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, Jill overlays the Bible with the The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, giving us a peek into God's world of wonder and awe. This book guides readers in discovering the deep spiritual truths found in J.R.R. Tolkien's classic characters and shows how they might apply them to their own epic tale. A great book for use by families or youth groups. NOTE: This book is upfront about its mission. Nothing sneaky about the way it approaches the subject.    

  

TIP: Find a group of unbiased test readers of the age in your market. Prepare a list of questions for them with a YES or NO they can circle. This makes it easier for them to critique.  

• Did you want to keep reading after the first two pages? YES or NO
• Did you feel like the situation was believable? YES or NO
• Was there any place you got bored while reading? YES or NO
• Where did you get bored if you did? PAGE _________ and PAGE _______
• Was the main character likable? YES or NO
• and Could you relate to his or her troubles? YES or NO

Getting this kind of feedback will help you become a better writer and nail your target audience. Adding the results from research like this into your proposal is very helpful info.

INTERESTING STAT: 40 % of Young Adult readers are adults.

Hiding, Finding Easter Eggs by Andy Scheer

Readers in the know will smile.

Last week I found an Easter egg. Not the type that gets hidden in the spring, but the kind some authors place in books.

In Death on a Vineyard Beach, Philip R. Craig needed a detective on Cape Cod. So on page 72, he writes the client had hired “a man named Aristotle Socarides.”

For most readers, that’s just another name. But for those in the know, “Soc” is the protagonist of a Cape Cod detective series by fellow New Englander Paul Kemprecos.

In the course of a novel, you need many supporting characters. So why not include some people you know?

When he was learning the craft, now-bestselling author Steve Berry met regularly with a writers group. Two of its members were Nancy Pridgen and Daiva Woodworth. In Steve’s second published novel, The Romanov Prophecy, his protagonist works for an international law firm: Pridgen & Woodworth.

For years, thriller writer Jack Du Brul has known book collector Wayne Valero. When Jack needed a name in Corsair for an Undersecretary of State for Mideast Affairs, the assignment went to Wayne’s wife, Cristie. Though Wayne knows all the co-writers for thriller grandmaster, Clive Cussler, he’s still waiting to find his own name in a novel.

That could be a good thing. There’s a well-known quote attributed to Mary Higgins Clark: “When someone is mean to me, I just make them a victim in my next book.”

The prize for the most-included name may go to Leigh Hunt. In a dozen or more of his Dirk Pitt novels, Cussler included his friend—often as a character who got killed in the prologue.

Or you could even include yourself in your own books, much the way Alfred Hitchock gave himself cameos in many of his movies. If you want a precedent for this, look again to Clive Cussler.

I was typing a description of Pitt and a classic car he was exhibiting at a concours meet. In the scene, he walks over and extends his hand to the old white-haired, bearded man who was exhibiting the car next to him. I wrote, “Hello, my name is Dirk Pitt.” The old fellow shook his hand and said, “I’m Clive Cussler.”

I immediately thought, Why did I do that? I meant to change the name, but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed fun to leave it in. ... Now readers wait for me to show up.

You might not want to go that far, but your novel does have room for quite a few names. As long as you don’t defame someone, why not?

There’s a Hitch in my Gitalong by Linda S. Glaz

And in a few other places as I awaken, groan, and take my few steps. I know you know what I mean. And the expression is spot on!

When you sit down to write, do you take into consideration the area/region that you’re writing about? Do you think about what words and expressions they use in that area? Do you sprinkle them throughout your work, or do you overwhelm your project with so many expressions your reader will need a book of colloquialisms to navigate?

When I write my stories and include a cold glass of pop in it. Do you imagine the 80s treat Pop Rocks, or do you think of your dad dunked in a glass of ice? Okay, so I’m from Michigan, and we understand that pop, Vernors, and Faygo are all related. Pop being any kind of soda, Vernors the ONLY brand of ginger ale that counts, and Faygo, a pop with so many flavors your taste buds barely have time to keep up. Once I realized that pop is primarily used in Michigan and some other parts of the Midwest, I knew I had to be sure my reader understood the term. And using Vernors and Faygo allowed the reader a new experience.

Put some local flavor into your novels, but don’t overwhelm your reader, his palette might not be as discerning as yours.

Apples to Oranges by Jim Hart

As creatives we often find ourselves comparing our abilities to those of another talented person. He writes better than I do. She sells more books than I do. He has a contract with a bigger publisher. She has thousands more Twitter followers than I do.

Notice we don’t compare ourselves to those who have failed; we aim for the successful ones! But did you ever stop to think just how much failure has been experienced on the road to success? We tend to look at the end results and not so much the process of getting there.

If we’re not careful we can slide into coveting territory. Look at the wide range of Biblical characters who, at one time or another, wished they were someone else, or were jealous of what another had.

Saul, though he was the king, was jealous of David.

Some of the Disciples wanted what the other Disciples had.

Simon the sorcerer wanted what the Apostles had.

So how does this affect us as? It can darken our own dreams and make us hesitant to reach for those grand goals. It hinders us from moving forward. We lose, or fail to gain, momentum. It stops us from pursuing our passions.

Here are a few things that we can do when we find our eyes too focused on another's lot in life:

1. Focus on your own strengths.

This is perhaps what we need to remember most. Our abilities are ours alone. They make us unique. Work hard at recognizing those unique things that are helping you develop your own style.

As a guitarist and pianist I cannot, and probably never will be able to play as fast as many other musicians. But here’s how this has played out: To compensate for lack of speed, I’ve given time to studying what makes a good melody. If I can’t play as fast as I wish, I’ll play something that at least is pleasing to the ear.

And my vocal range is also pretty mediocre. But I don’t let that stop me. I work with what I have. As a worship leader I have to constantly lower the key to those new and popular worship songs I know our congregation loves to sing. I’ve found the range I’m limited to seems to be comfortable for most people – not too high, not too low. I think that’s why our relatively small congregation sings with the volume of a larger congregation. So Chris Tomlin, I’m not, but that’s been ok – because it benefits the congregation. I try to view this weakness as strength.

2. See yourself as a writer who is made in the image of God.

Our creative God has poured His Spirit into you. You are wonderfully and fearfully made. The Lord knew all the days in your book before you were even considered. (Psalm 139:16). He determined eons ago that you would be a writer. Remember that He has made each of us with unique talents and abilities. (Romans 12:6-8) When we purpose to use them for Him, He will be faithful to lead and guide us, and to grant us His peace in our work.

3. Never stop working at improving your craft.

Never.

We improve by doing it, not just thinking about it. There are countless resources designed solely to help us improve our writing skills. Never stop learning and never stop writing.

 

4. Remember not to compare apples to oranges.

You can take an apple off the tree and bite right into it. When you take an orange off the tree, you’ve got to peel it before you can take a bite. How does this relate to our comparing ourselves to others? I don’t know….I didn’t have time to figure that one out.

But think of it this way: Sometimes you want an apple. Sometimes you want an orange. Sometimes the apple is exactly what is needed, as in apple pie. Sometimes the orange is exactly what’s needed, as in an orange-banana smoothie. Sometimes you crave that warm slice of apple pie. Other times a cool orange-banana smoothie is the only thing that satisfies.

You get the point. Recognize that readers will always reach for something different. Sometimes they’ll reach for Steven James, or Debbie Macomber. And sometimes they’ll reach for you!

What have you done to resist comparing yourself to some one else?

Faith tune-up by Terry Burns

Saundra and I went to see the new Christian movie War Room and we loved it. It put it on my mind to say something here.

Faith is the most important thing for Christian writers whether they are writing Christian fiction, nonfiction, devotionals or whether they are writing for the mainstream. "If God ain't in it, it's going nowhere."

But our faith needs a little tune up every now and then. Even if we are reading the word a lot, attending church when the doors are open, feeling like we are doing what we need to be doing, we can start just going through the motions. Christians just going through the motions are why this nation is in the shape it is in.

Churches have revivals and that helps jump start our faith to revive our passion. Our church has one scheduled in a few weeks. But if you need a little shot of adrenaline injected right into your faith I recommend seeing this movie. The little old lady that is the focal character of the movie is sure to give you a fresh feel for your faith and particularly for your prayer life.

Don't let the title throw you off, you will love the explanation of what a war room is and how it impacts the way she prays. I don't have a war room, but I do start the day every day with a cup of coffee on the porch talking to the Lord.

I've seen where critics pan Christian movies as "too simplistic and generally with bad acting." Of course they are simplistic. God wants it that way. There is nothing we can do to earn salvation, it is a gift and often people just can't believe it is that simple. Christians want movies that are powerful spiritually, that are packed with passion and move the audience. When we went to see it there was often applause and people commenting aloud, and crying . . . yes there was crying.

Believers came out of the movie feeling refreshed and wanting to put a new life in their prayer life. How about non-believers? Hopefully their minds and hearts were opened as they got a first hand look at what it is like to come to the Lord.

But this is a writing blog, what does this have to do with writing? The lady in the movie was a powerful prayer warrior and we all need to be that. But it was also a call to arms and as writers we are uniquely equipped to make our words count for the Lord. We need a fresh dedication of our desires and our efforts.

It's why I felt the need to write this blog.

Fun With Punctuation by Andy Scheer

Check this infographic and smile.

I compare punctuation marks to the yellow and black signs along a twisting highway. They alert you that you’ll soon need to turn. If you ignore the sign, you may end up in the ditch.

Like the samples from a recent infographic, “Punctuation Matters.”

You’ll find ten sometimes-comical illustrations of why commas, colons, hyphens, apostrophes, quotation marks, semicolons, and Oxford commas matter.

For example:

 Twenty five-dollar bills

vs.

Twenty-five dollar bills

I find inspiration in cooking my family and my dog.

vs.

I find inspiration in cooking, my family, and my dog.

I’m sorry I love you.

vs.

I’m sorry; I love you.

Check the infographic. Click, smile, and learn.