What does Brian Williams have to do with writing? by Terry Burns

The news and social media are full of it, Brian Williams stretching the truth in newscasts, apparently in several instances.

What's the big deal? An announcer on a Christian radio station said we of all people should be offering forgiveness instead of 'piling on.'

I'm good with that, offering Christian forgiveness and not castigating the man. But does that mean I trust him to be factual with the news? That's a different issue and seems to be the one people are primarily concerned about.

But what does this mean for writers? What can we draw from it?

How about this? People like us as a writer and as a person. They like the story we offer and find it an enjoyable read. But some of the things we present as fact don't check out because we didn't do our research. Does that put us in the same boat?

One of my colleagues told me of a client that offered a story to an English publisher. He turned it down because it had a turtle in it and there are no turtles in England. If he couldn't trust that fact he didn't know what other facts he might not be able to trust.

You may have seen that in a blog here. We've had considerable discussion on the importance of proper research and getting our facts right but to me this issue filling the news today is a very strong example.

People stretch the truth all the time, the size of a fish they caught, the one that got away. But people that are supposed to be giving us facts that we can trust, when that trust is broken it can take quite a while to earn that trust again. Does it apply to us as writers?

I think it does.

Appropriate or Inappropriate Social Media Posts? By Diana Flegal

I like to pray for people. Some might call it a ministry- but since I lean heavily on God for my own daily life, it is an easy thing for me to bring you with me in my conversations with him.

BUT- when you post a prayer request on FB do you have to show me your husband in a hospital gown with a nasal candela in his nose? That is way to intimate a picture for me- who has never met the man. And I cannot really see him appreciating it much. 

INAPPROPRIATE!

Or how about describing your post nasal drip, or the excessive gas bloating your tummy, or the oozing sore that makes it hard for you to sit down? 

INAPPROPRIATE! 

A more appropriate post would be to post a picture of your husband smiling and interacting with his grandchildren or even an anniversary photo of the two of you in happier times stating; My dear husband John is in need of your prayers. We had to take him to the hospital last evening. Thank you very much.

APPROPRIATE!

Or; I am experiencing back pain that is keeping me from enjoying my writing, or; folks I am standing in the need of prayer right now.

APPROPRIATE!

There is a difference between personal, family, and public situations. Please stick to appropriate posts dear Facebook friends.   Otherwise I might have to hide or unfriend you.

Lunchtime Learning by Andy Scheer

Two minor aspects of the nearly 500-page typesetting project left me stumped. Asking Google and the program's “help” feature had brought me no closer to a solution.

For several weeks I avoided the problem, typesetting all the text sections, which gave me no problems. But this weekend I finished that aspect. Now I had to gain access to the page headers and borders, which remained stubbornly locked.

I had excuses: I was using someone else's layout from a previous edition. Plus, I'd done most of my typesetting with another program. I'd never had training in Adobe InDesign.

But those excuses wouldn't wash. I'd agreed to undertake the project, and now I was on deadline.

So I took the step I should have taken weeks ago: I invited a friend to lunch.

Not just any friend, but a guy I knew from a local ministry who for years had earned his living using InDesign.

Yes, he was willing to meet me for lunch at a first-rate barbecue place near his office. Based on my email description of the problem, he thought he already knew the answer.

Mike did indeed. He quickly pointed me to an aspect of the program I hadn't discovered on my own. He pointed out how the feature worked, then gave me multiple opportunities to practice it.

Then for good measure, he pointed to two more big time-savers.

For years we've both been part of a professional training and support organization. This far into my career, I'm usually the one offering instruction to rookies.

But sometimes I'm the one who needs to learn. How much better when instruction comes with a plate of pulled pork and fried okra.

We’ve Seen it All...or Have We? By Linda S. Glaz

There’s Brian Williams at Iwo Jima, Brian in Iraq, Brian landing on the moon, Brian carrying the Ten Commandments, Brian inspired by MLK, and, of course, Brian reporting from the Nativity. We’ve had a lot of laughs this week at his expense, but let’s face it, he sort of put himself in the pile of…memes. When reporting, the American people expect the truth (well, we do even though we oftentimes don’t get it). But this recent, major faux pas has stirred something in most of us that should speak to authors.

Readers expect the truth in amongst the lies known as fiction! Why do I say lies? Fiction is one great big lie about the folks living in our heads. And while we fictionalize circumstances, towns, maps, locations, as well as the people living there, there is a certain expectation of reality that our readers want. Can we move a building or structure within a town in order to work an aspect of the story in creatively? Of course. Can we tell an out and out lie about the business or building? Now we’re ruffling the dander of the folks who own or patronize that biz or building. We can fictionalize the circumstances, but can we tell folks that the local McD’s is the hotbed of drug biz in a certain town? Not a good idea. So we might change the name of the fast food joint to accommodate the “lie”.

Can we tell an historic inaccuracy in order to create intrigue in the fiction? Certainly, especially if we have emphasized this in our notes, etc. Otherwise, how do the readers know we are fictionalizing the era? Should the historic nuances be correct? I’m talking about whether or not a Corvette was available in 1930 or not? How about the words on a Burma Shave sign? How about the exact time Rosie the Riveter came to be known? Did they make chocolate chip cookies in England in 1840? Did air industry start in before Columbus came to America? I guess you get my drift…

An entire book might be written about, let’s say Vietnam. A fictionalized battle is fine, few of us have been to or fought in Vietnam, and we want a particular outcome for our characters. Can we do justice to a fictionalized battle? ABSOLUTELY! But be sure that you didn’t use weapons that weren’t in use yet, rocket launchers that had yet to be produced and the like. You have told your reader it’s a piece of fiction to give them the flavor of what happened in ‘Nam, but be sure the accoutrements and such are correct for that period. It will lend a much stronger flavor to your story.

Let’s not come across sounding like Brian. Let’s make our fiction as correct as possible, even a work that uses fact loosely for the sake of the story. After all, 007’s antics weren’t all accurate, but Ian Fleming used as much correct information for that time period as possible. The architecture, landscape, most of the autos, fashion, and the like. And he introduced many fascinating “new” electronics and such to sprinkle salt on the story. He blended fiction with futuristic possibilities giving us the best of both worlds. And none of expected to own cars that could fly or dive under water just because James Bond could. Fleming let us know what to expect and he knew what was expected of him as an author. He didn’t try to convince us that particular items existed; he let our imaginations work with his stories.

Fictionalize and make the story pop, but don’t look like Brian Williams in the process.

Yes, there’s a fine line, but readers know when you’re handing them a load of hooey. And they don’t much like it unless they know it is your intention.

Don’t lie about your lie!

Reminded by Terry Burns

Yes, I was reminded this morning as I watched my client group welcoming a new member how lucky I am to be associated with such a fine group of people.

My client group is a private group that only they can access. I set it up originally simply to give me the ability to quickly say something to all clients at once. Being in the group is mandatory if you are a client.

I soon discovered it was something else entirely. Even though it is mandatory to be in the group they can choose whether to be in the side that has the ability to talk to one another, or they can choose to not have full access and only receive these priority messages that I originally set the group up for.

Then I discovered the group has a heart for encouraging one another. To further this I share good news with the group and they enjoy sharing in each other's successes. Even if they are not currently getting such good news themselves they like to know and like to rejoice with other clients.

They share bad news as well, asking the group for prayers when needed and the group has become an amazing collection of prayer warriors. I don't ask if a potential client is a Christian in the submission process or what their religious leanings might be but I think a non-believer might not be very comfortable in my client group.

I tell my clients that it isn't MY job to place their project, it is OUR job. I ask them all to be information sources, passing on things they hear in various groups they are in, from what they read and sources they have. They share whether it is information that will be useful on their submissions or not, it may be useful to someone in the group. They pass on places they would really like to be submitted to and I can tell them whether that is a good suggestion or if I have information they don't have that means it isn't a good opportunity for them.

I encourage them to go to workshops or conferences when they can and to bring back input from those as well, especially if it is something I'm not going to attend. I encourage them to read in their genre and to be sensitive to who is publishing things they like and particularly if the book gives thanks to some editor in the front of the book.

Finally, the group just plain has fun! At times the traffic can get a little heavy and some of them choose to do it in digest form, but they have come to be a family. They really care for one another. We've had some leave, primarily when they decided to pursue self-publishing and the group wishes them the best, but are a little saddened by losing one of the family. On occasion I have to release one when I realize I have used all the contacts I have on their behalf. That's always difficult, but I want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem and if I can no longer help them I don't want to have them tied up where they can't get with someone that has a different set of contacts and skills and maybe can do them so good.

Did I mention that I am blessed just to be associated with this group of people?

It is a 60 Minute Game by Diana Flegal

I interrupt my previously scheduled blog to bring you my thoughts on the recent big game.


Sunday's Super Bowl game was one of the best. Two well matched teams fighting it out for the honor of winning a ring. The Seattle Seahawks against the New England Patriot's. The Patriots already with three of the coveted rings.


For the few of you who might not have seen the game, the Pats took an early lead, then the Seahawks took over. It looked like the Pats were not going to recover. Some friends of mine were already calling the game but I reminded them that it was a 60 min game. I belong to The Steeler Nation and we know what that means.


And sure enough, the Pats awoke from their stupor and it was now a three point game. With the Seahawks ahead. Then in the last quarter the Pats scored again and the Seahawks found themselves behind with under two minutes on the clock. One huge pass got them over the 50 yard mark and into Patriot territory. A few more quick passes got them well inside the red zone. 20 seconds on the clock with one time out left. All the Seahawks had to do was push a yard with three downs to do it in. But for some crazy reason we will be discussing for a l-o-n-g while, they put the ball in the air. In the air!


It was intercepted by Butler of the Patriots. A rookie. The Pats had pulled off the biggest second-half comeback in Super Bowl history. They took a knee. Game over.


A 60 minute game. Every minute counting.


I'd like you to grab hold of that word picture. You might be in the first inning of your writing game, the second, third, or fourth. But it is not over until you breath your last breath.


As coach Bill Belichick said to his team at half time: ‘This game is no different than any other one. It’s a 60-minute football game, and whatever issues we have, let’s make sure we correct them, coach them, and fix them.'


So stay in the game. Correct and fix the things you can. You never know what is going to happen. You might meet your agent at that next conference, or get that book contract you have been longing for.


The game is a full 60 minutes long.

Speaking Your Language by Andy Scheer

Besides English, how many languages do you speak? Likely more than you suspect.

One guest at our Super Bowl party works as an electrical engineer. Because he is fluent in a technical vocabulary he shares only with those who work in his field, I asked if he could interpret the title of a job description I'd recently stumbled on: a “mixed signal design verification engineer.”

As someone who works with words, I had my own understanding of “mixed signals.” But to Dan, the title made perfect sense. The meaning has nothing to do with conflicting messages, but to input from both analog and digital sources.

If your novel ever includes someone who works in electronics, I hope that character talks something like Dan. Even if your readers don't catch half the jargon, it provides a sense of authenticity. And that, every reader can understand.

I've never done any fly fishing, but I sure know that Keith McCafferty, the author of the novels I'm reading, has. His protagonist works as a Montana fishing guide. Every page offers a richness of details that ring true: about trout flies and fishing techniques, the geography, plants, and wildlife, the people and their way of life.

While I've never done more than just drive through Montana, after reading The Royal Wulff Murders I felt I'd spent considerable time there. A visit I enjoyed so much, I booked a return trip – in the form of the sequel: The Gray Ghost Murders.

After reading those novels, I don't pretend to know what kind of trout fly to use in different conditions. But I know there's an important difference and that a good guide – or a good author – can inform me.

Do that well and you won't send your readers any mixed signals.