Tag Archive for: catholic fiction

Ms. Manners Goes to Conference! Conference Etiquette for a Better Experience

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Headed for Catholic Writers Conference? Are you excited? You should be! What an opportunity to rub shoulders with industry professionals, to put faces and personalities to folks you’ve met online, to renew friendships, and to network. This is a once in a lifetime experience; make the most of it. There will never be another gathering of exactly the same people at this point in their faith and writing journeys. Truly you are in Arlington, Texas, because God has called you to be there!

Each of you has a specific reason for attending, a goal you hope to accomplish. If this is your first conference experience, the coming days are likely to be a roller coaster of euphoria juxtaposed with self doubt. Be assured that you are not the only one grappling with these feelings. I hope this knowledge translates into a greater sense of ease in a new and sometimes intimidating environment. Here are some words of advice (of wisdom, too, hopefully!) for both newbies and veterans, for authors, for agents, and for editors, geared toward making this conference the best it can be for everyone:

1)      Everyone’s goals are the same, ultimately. Editors want to find the next diamond of a manuscript to publish. Agents want to discover the next author whose career they can guide to new heights. Authors want to find a publisher and/or agent to promote their awesome work. And in this particular setting, all of these people want to serve God with their talents and gifts in the way that pleases Him the most.

When viewed through that prism, competition loses the edge of greed and rejection loses its sting. We’re all on the same side, and God’s looking out for the good of each person’s life and career. This doesn’t mean you should fail to promote your product, just that there is no need for fear.  Which brings us to the next point.

2)     Be confident. You have something no one else does: your voice, and your work. These are gifts that God has given you, gifts that you have honed with hard work and prayer. No one can duplicate your contribution. Take heart in that fact, and know that your work will find its home. Maybe through this conference; maybe not – which leads to…

3)      Don’t take rejection personally. Sometimes it just isn’t a good fit for the publisher or agent. Imagine a library with thousands of books. You have three days to find the best two. You will have to create a system to sort and discard the ones that aren’t suitable for your purpose. Do you see that many wonderful, deserving books will be overlooked? This does not reflect on the worthiness of each one, the same way it does not reflect on your particular project. And in today’s climate, many options are available. So…

4)      Be open. There are many possibilities that we may not recognize in our limited, human view. Be open to new ideas, new directions, new options. You may discover a brand new path, or even a calling! You may discover it through…

5)      Networking. This is the whole purpose of a conference. Meet people! Ask them what they write, who they want to represent, what they want to publish. Have a brief answer for these questions, too, so you can give a nutshell sense of your project when it comes up. (I write ___, and my current project is about ___.)

This is a remarkably small community, and the contacts you make in the next few days will serve you for your entire career. Do not discount the importance of these interactions. They are crucial for your success. But remember…

6)      Be nice. This should go without saying, especially in this setting, but we are human and sometimes we need to be reminded. Keep your comments positive; you never know who might overhear or repeat something you said in a frustrated or disappointed moment. Again, this is a remarkably small community even though it may not seem that way.

Also, restrict your interactions to appropriate venues. Don’t try to pitch to an agent or publisher in the restroom, or shove your manuscript under the door of the stall. I have witnessed the first and have heard of the second, so these are not as far-fetched as they seem. Be considerate of folks. If the target of your interest has a headache or gets a pained look on their face when you approach, be brief. Introduce yourself and say you’d like to send them a query if that is acceptable; believe me, they will remember and appreciate your kindness. And that goes a long way. Which leads to the last point…

7)      Be yourself. This may call for leaving your comfort zone, though. If you tend to be shy (many writers are!) push yourself to be more sociable. It’s not hard; smile and ask people around you about themselves. You’ll be glad you did. If you are an extrovert, recognize your tendency to overshadow the more timid among us and let them shine, too.

I hope each one of you has a wonderful experience at the Catholic Writers Conference! And… Oops! I forgot the most important words of advice! HAVE FUN!

 

 

 

 

 

Art and Faith, as They Intersect in Writing

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We recently observed the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Fortnight of Freedom, and this might be a good time to look at writing as an expression of our journey and expression of faith.

Regular readers of this blog are most likely members of Catholic Writers Guild – which means we are Catholic, and we love to write. For many of us, these two passions intersect in what we write, as in blogs, articles, or books about being Catholic in today’s world. In nonfiction, this is straightforward. The audience and purpose of such works provide a framework for sharing both the writer’s journey and/or expression of a specific aspect of faith.

Fiction, my personal love, can be a bit trickier. How does an author express their faith within the conventions of their chosen genre? We’ve all read books where it’s done poorly, usually resulting in a preachy tone as grating as fingernails on chalkboard. I’m reminded of Barbara Nicolosi’s comment from the 2012 Catholic Writers Conference Online: My theory is that the secular world is not anti-Catholic as much as it is anti-bad art.

When viewed through that lens, our priority as writers or artists is to learn and hone our craft. It doesn’t matter how important our message is if it is badly executed. Read books on the craft of writing. Take classes. Ask for feedback – and listen to it. The most successful writers recognize that they need to continually strive to improve.

We also have a responsibility to learn and understand our religion. I’m preaching to the choir here, but there is always something deeper, more sublime, more elemental to discover about the challenges (and rewards) of being Catholic. We have to be well-catechized in order to articulate what we need or want to convey in written format.

The great news is, that in fiction, who you are will come out in your writing, even if you don’t spell out your beliefs in the imaginary world inhabited by your characters. Think of St. Francis of Assisi. Preach the Gospel at all times. If necessary, use words. Well, we can’t write without words, but we can write great fiction without being overbearing about our faith. Readers will accept just about anything in a character, as long as the character is authentic, has depth and complexity, and is true to his or her motivations, flaws and all.

We’ve all read stories where the characters act in ways that make us cringe or gasp or squirm, but we keep reading because the author has done such a good job.  We are eager to accompany the character on his or her journey. That’s our calling. To write so well that readers are willing to follow a character they don’t necessarily agree with because they want to better understand them.

I suspect most of CWG’s members pray before they write (or draw or make music or however we choose to create) and that’s where we all need to begin. Pray. Discern. Perhaps education or beauty is more important than exhortation. Keep in mind that your readers will not be in the same place you are on their spiritual journey – and we are all on a spiritual journey, whether we realize it or not. On a personal level, God has touched me through works of fiction in which I least expected to hear His voice. Never underestimate what He can (and will) do through us, whether or not we are aware.

Take courage, pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance, and use the gift of talent with which God has graced you. Create art that illuminates a vision of God. None of us can see God, but we can express our experience, and the light we reflect may aid a fellow traveler in life.

Now. Words matter. Go forth, write and create, and bear fruit in a world that hungers for it.

How do you approach your craft in a way that changes our world? How does faith inform your art? Do you think of those concepts as you toil over the keyboard, searching for just the right word to express the idea in your mind’s eye? What gives you joy as you create?

One of my Favorite Characters, Sister Grace

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I’m excited to blog today about one of my dear characters, Sister Grace, for two reasons:  First, her second book came out this month—Live and Let Fly.  Second, her story, Siren Spell, comes out today from Flying Island Press.

Sister Grace is not your typical nun.  First of all, she’s not from our world.  She was born in Ireland, but in the Faerie dimension, where magic, elves, demigods and all manner of unusual creatures are a fact of life.  Secondly, she’s not fully human—but I’ll let you read about that in Flying Island.  Suffice to say, it gave her some very powerful magical ability, which for the safety of herself and everyone, were consecrated to God when she was very young,  Currently, Sister Grace is partnered with a dragon, Vern, and they run a private investigations agency here in our world.  Most of the time they handle mundane (and Mundane) cases like finding lost animals or assisting the police when magic might be in play.  Every so often, they have to take on major supernatural baddies  to save our world and Faerie.

Grace is the perfect complement to a snarky, cynical and sometimes selfish dragon.  She’s got the spunk—and the grace—to keep him in line and following God’s direction more willingly than he usually does.  She’s also helped him enjoy his current situation.  Vern is good for her, too—she feels protected and secure with him, and he makes her laugh, which she hadn’t done for a long time before they met.  He also gave her the confidence to use her magic again after having faced some difficult temptations at the hands of some demons.  The two love each other dearly—which makes things a little awkward when Vern turns human for the case in Live and Let Fly.

That’s what I love about Grace, though.  She’s spiritual and utterly devoted to God, but she’s nonetheless human.  She’s been known to lose her temper, grab people by the ear, even get into magical spats with other beings.  She lets Vern get away with stuff now and then.  (Check out Vern’s “Apologia on Extortion,” http:// flowersonthefence.blogspot.com.)  But she’s also ready to sacrifice herself for others and always ready to follow God’s call.  And her reaction to seeing her very best friend as a gorgeous guy?  “Mary loved her sweet Joseph, and there have been plenty of married but celibate saints.  I’ll be fine.  But, just don’t touch me.”

Spirit, spunk, and a big dose of practicality.  That’s Sister Grace.

About Live and Let Fly:

The magic is Faerie.  The technology, Mundane.  When they meet, the survival of the world rests in one dragon’s…er…claws.  See Vern as you’ve never seen him before!  

For a dragon detective with a magic-slinging nun as a partner, saving the worlds gets routine. So, when the US government hires Vern and Sister Grace to recover stolen secrets for creating a new Interdimensional Gap– secrets the US would like to keep, thank you—Vern sees a chance to play Dragon-Oh-Seven.

No human spy, however, ever went up against a Norse goddess determined to use those secrets to rescue her husband. Sigyn will move heaven and earth to get Loki—and use the best and worst of our world against anyone who tries to stop her.
It’s super-spy spoofing at its best with exotic locations (Idaho–exotic?  Well, it is to them!), maniacal middle-managers, secret agent men, teen rock stars in trouble, man-eating animatronics, evil overlords and more!

Here’s an Excerpt with Vern and Grace talking the details of a case:

“Sure it was 2:30, exactly?”

Grace pulled off her shoes and massaged her feet. Then she wiggled her toes. She’s never cared for shoes. “They didn’t say exactly. Why?”

“Something about that time…”

Grace waited patiently while I mulled it over, then wracked my brains. Once upon a time, everything I learned I remembered; now “Wisdom of the Ages” is just a tag line on my Yellow Pages ad. I had my excellent memory back, but only of more recent events, and not always with perfect recall. There was something about the Gap and 2:30. Two-thirty. Two hundred thirty. Two-Three-Oh…

I felt more than heard Grace begin a prayer. She did that sometimes, prayed that a particular bit of knowledge would come to me. In fact, in our first case, her novena caused me to translate a popular song that turned out to be an ancient summoning rite—just in time, too.

I let it go. If there was something about the time we needed to know, God would help me remember. I settled myself down, arms tucked under my chest, and said my own dragon-style prayers until I saw Grace cross herself. “Hungry?”

“Ach, no. I’ve been filled with snacks.”

“Sure, nuns get pastries, but who feeds the dragon? After all, by now they know I prefer lunch meat over lovely maidens.”

She chuckled. “Well, someone hit a doe on the Gap road. Randy asked me to see if you were interested.”

“Best tip I’ve had all day. So how was the wedding?”

“Beautiful. Very simple, very heartfelt. A pleasure to sing at.”

I couldn’t help but grin at Grace’s starry gaze. Who said nuns can’t be romantics, too?

Then her expression changed. “Vern, do ye not think it’s time to apologize to Kitty?”

“Apologize?” I resisted the urge to ask, “What for,” since she’d come up with a list as long as my tail. “If I apologize to McGrue, she’ll only take that as evidence that she’s won somehow. That woman is as bad as—”

“—a dragon?”

There were times I’d rather face McGrue’s accusative stares than Grace’s guileless looks. Couldn’t she at least arch an eyebrow or something?

“I’m going to see what I can pick up at the Colt’s Hoof,” I growled on my way out.

Purchase on Amazon:  http://tinyurl.com/amazonllf

Purchase from Publisher: http://tinyurl.com/LiveAndLetFly

The Personal Approach to Marketing Your Self-Published Book

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Because self-published authors don’t have a publishing company to help them promote their work, it’s important to take the initiative in marketing. Connecting with your fans on a personal level is a great way to market. This can be done through attending conferences as well as interacting with them through your blog, facebook or other social networking.

Face-to-face interaction, however, is one of the most effective ways to market. If you have the budget, time and freedom to do so, I highly recommend attending conferences as a vendor and/or book seller. Readers and potential customers appreciate the opportunity to speak with an author and to have their books signed by the author herself.

For the first six years of my career as an author, most of my book sales occurred at live conferences (see photo) I attended as a vendor. (Now, Kindle sales make up 80 percent of my writing income). I typically attend four to five conferences a year. I normally sell anywhere from 30 to 100 books per conference (depending on the length and attendance of the conference.)

The goal of any author is to find those readers who will not only buy your first book, but will keep coming back for your future books. Attending conferences is a great way to have interested readers coming back for more.

For example, I have attended the Journey to the Father Youth Conference as a vendor every summer since 2005. The JTTF attendees, workers and volunteers know me and most importantly, there are many at this conference who will not only buy anything I write, they will buy excess copies.

Another approach to personal marketing is to always reply to a comment on your blog, on Facebook and/or Twitter. This develops a rapport with your readers and you can also make a lot of great friends too!

One last approach to personal marketing is to participate in Skype or teleconference calls with book clubs. This is a fairly new (and ideal) way to connect with many readers at once.

The personal approach to marketing can help to promote your books to those readers who will return time and again to purchase your books.

copyright 2011 Ellen Gable Hrkach

Ellen Gable Hrkach is the vice president of the Catholic Writers Guild. She is the award-winning author of In Name Only, a Catholic historical romance and now an Amazon Kindle bestseller (top 100 Religious Fiction). Her new book is Stealing Jenny, which is a contemporary pro-life suspense novel. She can be found blogging at Plot Line and Sinker. She and her husband and five sons live in Pakenham, ON Canada.

Discover Your Cover

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A book’s cover is the first thing a prospective reader sees so it is important that it be professionally created. If it is poorly designed or if it is too simplistic, it can turn your reader away. I know of some self-published books in which the story and writing were pretty good, but the covers screamed “Self published!”

In these days of digital printing and e-copies, a good cover also needs to look interesting in thumbnail.

With traditional publishing, the author may not have much say regarding the cover. However, with self-publishing, the author has 100 percent responsibility for making sure the cover is professionally created.

I cannot stress enough the importance of hiring a professional cover designer. In my case, my husband is an artist and he has designed all my covers.

Some self-publishing websites also offer cover design services. However, if you want a professional looking cover and not too simplistic, it’s better to hire a cover designer. Ask fellow authors for recommendations. Do an online search. Cover designers are as diverse as authors. Look for a designer whose portfolio includes covers which are professionally done and thematically in line with your book’s topic.

Once you’ve hired a designer, it’s important to work with him or her to create a cover design which sets the mood for your book and intrigues a prospective reader.

Two things an author should realize with regard to good cover design is that:

1) one of the most important things about a cover design is the composition
2) artistic/visual composition is probably one of the things authors/writers know the least about

Look for books which have interesting designs and ask yourself:

What’s the theme?
Why does the layout work?
What’s the emotion?
What’s being represented?
Do the lines, color and composition support the theme?

A book’s cover is a marketing device. Professionally produced covers will not only enhance your book, they will also help in marketing it to prospective readers.

Ellen Gable Hrkach is an award-winning novelist, freelance writer and vice president of the CWG. Her new book is called “Come My Beloved: Inspiring Stories of Catholic Courtship.” She blogs at Plot Line and Sinker. She lives with her husband and five sons in Pakenham, Ontario Canada.

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