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Margaret Rose Realy and Lent – CWG February Book Blast

February 21, 2015/0 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing, Encouragement for Writers, Faith, Inspirational, Lenten Devotion/by Mary Jessica Woods

This month’s CWG Book Blast is to get you ready for Lent. We’re a little behind, but that doesn’t make Margaret Rose Realy’s book any less applicable. It’s a perfect springtime meditation as well. It has the CWG Seal of Approval and is published by Patheos Press.

Cultivating God’s Garden through Lent

Margaret Rose Realy, Obl. OSB

These daily reflections for Lent offer tranquility and simplicity by finding God through nature. Readers who love gardens and woods and find solace in experiencing the Creator through these environments will enjoy these prayerful reflections.

Excerpt:

Thursday after Ash Wednesday

Fast from bitterness; turn to forgiveness

Fast from hatred; return good for evil

It was a relatively small patch that I had dug at the back end of the yard to the rental house where I planned a vegetable garden. As an undergraduate at MSU, and a decade older than my classmates, I knew that growing my own food was a necessity; I did not have parents supporting my education.

I dug a portion of the sod and broke up clumps, picked stones and broken glass from the soil, raked it smooth, and mounded the edges to help direct water. Purchasing seeds, I then planted the early season crops of peas, radishes, kales, and a few herbs. A few weeks later I would purchase starter plants for vegetables that took longer to mature such as eggplants, tomatoes, and peppers.

I returned home rather late after classes one day about a week later and again headed to the back of the yard to water the seedlings before sunset. A few feet away I stopped dead in my tracks, saddened by the state of my garden patch. The mounded edges had been kicked into the lawn. Two-thirds of the patch had been covered over with pieces of hand-dug sod, while the remaining third was trampled. Apparently I had unknowingly encroached into the neighbor’s property.

Disheartened, I cleaned up what remained but knew I did not have enough time in my schedule to expand the now even smaller patch.

Soon afterwards, as weather permitted, I planted starters of tomatoes and eggplants in the remaining section of garden. In another garden area bordering the house I tucked in some bush zucchini seeds.

Throughout the summer when I was studying in my room, I would often hear the neighbor mowing his yard and anxiously hoped my plants were safe. They were often coated with grass clippings but never really damaged.

It wasn’t long until the fruits of my labor ripened and canning and freezing commenced. There is something about tomato and zucchini plants in that I always underestimate their production. Even with the smaller plot I had an overabundance.

While washing the vegetables I looked out the window over the kitchen sink. Sitting in the shade of a large sycamore tree was the woman who lived with the man who mowed the lawn that covered my plants with debris. What I saw was just another woman on a hot August day trying to find a cool place to sit. I had lived next to her for almost a year and never knew her name. After all, I was just another student in the rental house next door.

I carefully laid newspapers in the bottom and up the sides of a small cardboard box. I placed a few small zucchini to one side and then piled several large tomatoes on the other. I took a deep breath and headed out the screened side door.

As I approached the woman I introduced myself and held out the box of vegetables. I could tell by the look on her face she was surprised to see me. I think she realized for the first time that I, the student next door, was close to her own age and not a teenager.

As she accepted my gift she seemed dumbfounded by my presence. She never rose from the lawn chair or told me her name. Avoiding eye contact, she spoke a barely audible “Thanks.”

Feeling rejected, but without bitterness, I turned away and went back to my kitchen to continue putting food by. Looking again through the window I noticed that my neighbor had left her shady area and taken with her my gift.

That September I found a room in a house closer to campus. Before I moved away I kicked the mounded edges of dirt into the little patch that had been my garden, smoothed it over, and dusted it with seeds for new lawn. I patted down my pant legs and “shook the dust from my sandals,” knowing I had already moved on.

____________________________

Heavenly Father,

Guide me to always reflect you to those around me. Spare me the shame of reciprocal behaviors rooted in personal pride and let me not limit your love to human love. Grant me to be charitable and forgiving in the face of apathy or anger, so that those whom I meet will know it is you that I serve.

Amen.

Available online at:

Amazon, http://bit.ly/1Ms4EPF

Patheos Press, http://bit.ly/1iBPxTm

Barnes & Noble, http://bit.ly/17J9Fn2

Website: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/prayergardens

Author Central: http://amzn.to/1AKPvUS

Still not sure? Check out this review:

Cultivating God’s Garden through Lent offers daily reflections for each of the days of Lent. These reflections come from the writer’s experience bringing order to gardens both real and spiritual. At every turn of the trowel, every sprinkle of seed, every tug of a weed, Margaret points out to us the rich, loamy meaning that God has for us, just waiting there quietly, if only we will make ourselves still and small enough to see. Margaret does this, shares the fruits of her contemplation with us, and in doing so, invites us to examine our own gardens, wild and weed-ridden they may be. If we stop and look with her, we will see the kind of quiet, luscious adventure that only a gardener can find. This is the first book to ever make me wish Lent could be longer than it already is. The meditations in Cultivating are just the right length to slow you down without dragging it out, and the messages are presented so clearly… I cannot wait to see what sorts of seeds come forth from the read during that time of cold, silent, invisible growth [of Lent]. ~ Mrs. Erin McCole Cupp, OP

Catholic Writers Conference, July 29-August 1, 2014

July 22, 2014/7 Comments/in Catholic Writers Conference Live, Catholic Writers Guild, Catholic Writing and Publishing, CWG member benefits, CWG Needs Volunteers, Encouragement for Writers, Marketing Your Work, Networking, The Writing Life/by Leslie Lynch

EWTN Bookmark interviews at the CWG Booth

Headed for Catholic Writers Conference next week? Are you excited? You should be! Take a look at this photo to get a sense of the energy and opportunities that await! What an opportunity to rub shoulders with industry professionals, to put names 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 Chicago, Illinois, 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 ready when others ask you these questions. (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 seen 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.

8) Use social media to keep the non-conference-goers among us updated! There’s the CWG Facebook page and your personal Facebook/Twitter, etc. accounts. The ripple effect can be unlimited. Share the love!

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!

The End: Sweet Words for an Author, Sweet Experience for a Reader

April 22, 2014/4 Comments/in Catholic Fiction, Catholic Writing and Publishing, Editing, Encouragement for Writers, Fiction, Novel, The Writing Life, Writing Tips and Tricks/by Leslie Lynch

The end.

Two of the most satisfying words a writer can tap onto a keyboard.

We’ve all dreamed of typing those six letters, and many of us have been fortunate enough to have achieved that particular success.

In my past few posts, we’ve discussed beginnings and middles. Let’s talk about endings today.

How do you craft an ending that works? You know what I mean: the ending that satisfies in a way that nothing else can. The good guys win, the couple (finally!) gets together for their happy ever after, the world is saved from certain disaster.

Yet I suspect many of us know when an ending doesn’t work. Have you ever read a book where the story had you in its grip—and then it fell flat and limped to the last page? I have. It feels like the author suddenly lost interest. Perhaps they were on a deadline and just typed a bunch of words to fulfill a contract. Or maybe they really didn’t know how the book ended, so they just threw some words on the page and hoped they would do. And that the reader wouldn’t notice.

Alternatively, I’ve read books where The End happened ten or fifteen pages before the printed pages did. It’s disconcerting to be engaged in the story, come across that emotionally satisfying ahhh that is the indisputable end…but then things keep happening and the characters keep talking, and as a reader, you’ve lost interest.

To avoid a bad ending, go back to the beginning. Is your theme still clear? Will the ending make that theme shine (even though it’s likely not stated outright)? What is the question posed at the beginning of the book? There may be an overall question, along with individual questions for each of the main characters. Are those questions answered in the last chapter? What about the middle? Does all that suspense and tension you’ve nurtured through the book come to a climax that is addressed in the final scene(s)? If you’ve been paying attention to these elements of craft, you’ve set yourself up for a good, satisfying end.

Pacing is another issue. Keep the tension strong; don’t dilute it with throwaway words or scenes. When the end is reached, end the story; don’t belabor it.

Make sure all loose ends are tied up. This is a great task for critique partners and/or beta readers. Whatever did happen to Uncle Bert after everyone else hared off after the bad guys and left him chained to the gushing water pipe in the basement? Or Sally rescued the lost kitten in chapter two, but the kitten was never mentioned again. What happened to it??? You can bet your readers will ask these questions!

Whatever you do, please, please avoid the temptation to use a plot ploy at the end. No hand of God reaching down to set all aright, or aliens/knights in shining armor/Navy Seals (that haven’t been part of the book until now) suddenly appearing out of nowhere to solve all the problems. Or a minor character who inexplicably becomes the linchpin upon which the premise of the entire book now rests. I have read books that ended this way, and they were disappointing, to say the least. Keep your characters true to their motivations and your plot logical. That makes for authenticity, and happy readers.

The ending should have a twist that no one saw coming. No one likes to read clichés, whether within the book or at the end. Do your best to give the reader a wonderful surprise, one that delights or challenges. Don’t be afraid to brainstorm different endings; too often we pick the first idea that pops into our head. The best idea may be the fifth or eighth. Have fun with this. Readers will enjoy the result.

What about epilogues? They seem to be more effective and better received than prologues. An epilogue can be a wonderful way to tie up remaining loose ends (especially in an action-packed story). It can even set the scene for the next book, if you are writing a series. But keep it short. No more than two pages. Make it count; otherwise, it’s best to leave it out.

You want your readers to be satisfied so they will write nice reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. You want them to tell their friends about the great book they just finished. You also want them to like the end so much they’ll come back for your next book. And the next one.

So give them an ending that carries an emotional punch, the one they hope for. Your reader has invested money and, more important, their time. Make it worthwhile.

What have you learned about writing endings? Any tips to share? I’d love to hear them!

Books, and Toned Middles

March 25, 2014/1 Comment/in Catholic Fiction, Catholic Theme, Catholic Writing and Publishing, Editing, Encouragement for Writers, Fiction, Novel, The Writing Life, Writing Tips and Tricks/by Leslie Lynch

Last month, I talked about beginnings and how important they are to drawing the reader in to your book. It seems appropriate to continue on to story middles today.

Middles ought to be pretty simple. After all, it’s the stuff that happens between the beginning and the end. Many authors, however, struggle with middles. There’s a term for middles that lose their direction and energy: the dreaded Sagging Middle.

How do we keep our middles on task, doing the unsung but necessary work of getting the reader to the end of the story? How do we keep the energy high? Most important, how do we keep the reader engaged?

It’s best to step back and look at the big picture first. What is the underlying theme of your story? Is it clear and evident in every scene, though it’s likely never stated outright? Theme should be the basis for every action that takes place, every decision a character makes, and even descriptions of setting. Every word you use can and should further the development of the theme you’ve chosen. For more on THEME, click here.

Next, what about story structure? If you’ve built even a rudimentary five-sentence outline of turning points for a particular story, it is much easier to keep the individual scenes pointed in the right direction. No ambling about aimlessly in the rose garden and boring the readers—unless, of course, the rose garden is critical to both the theme and structure of this story! In that case, amble all you want, as long as there is purpose. For more on STRUCTURE, click here.

Now we get down to the nitty-gritty. Each scene in a story must have tension. This is sometimes referred to as conflict, and always results in suspense. Suspense isn’t defined as horror movie scary stuff; it’s simply a reader asking the question “What happens next” and turning the page to find out.

This is the key to toning up the middle of your book: Every scene and each chapter must have higher and higher stakes for the main characters. Each character has more to lose as the story progresses, and each character is forced into increasingly difficult choices. As situations evolve, and as the characters slog their way through their troubles, they reveal their increasingly deeper secrets to the reader. The characters struggle, and they grow. The reader identifies in some way, roots for them, and is willing to be swept along. For more on ROOTING FACTORS, click here.

One caution: Watch for filler, and ruthlessly cut it. It’s easy to rationalize that since this is the middle of the book, the reader is already caught up in it and won’t put it down, so you don’t have to work quite as hard, and nobody will notice that this whole scene/chapter doesn’t really advance the story; it’s just there because you, the author, like it. Nope. Readers are smart. Cut the scene if it doesn’t advance the story. Cut the details if they don’t advance the story. I know. It’s hard. If it’s too hard, create a file for deleted scenes and put the cuts there so they’re accessible if you want them later. I find that’s sometimes a necessary intermediate step, even though those end up fully deleted later. Human nature is pretty funny!

Once you approach the end of the book (or even at the end of chapters!), resist the urge to tie up loose ends too soon. I admit to that failing as a new author. My first attempts at chapters all had tidy endings. Wrong, wrong, wrong! Every chapter should end with an unanswered question. Analyze your favorite I-couldn’t-put-it-down book. What created that quality? I’m willing to bet it was ever more crucial unanswered questions, and lots of loose ends. For more on TENSION, click here, and for more on HOOKS, click here.

What tips do you have to share regarding middles? I’d love to hear a new take on the subject!

In the Beginning…

February 25, 2014/6 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing, Editing, Encouragement for Writers, Fiction, Novel, The Writing Life, Writing Tips and Tricks/by Leslie Lynch

"The Beginning" Road Sign with dramatic blue sky and clouds. The most important part of your novel, short story, or even nonfiction piece is the beginning.

What compels the reader to keep reading? How do you craft a beginning that doesn’t bog down, one that keeps the reader engaged?

There are several schools of thought regarding beginnings. Depending on the genre, the beginning can create a normal world (think of the movies Star Wars or The Wizard of Oz), and let the reader get to know the characters in their natural habitat. Women’s fiction and literary fiction tend to follow this style. Caution: Choose the details of the everyday life carefully, to the point of foreshadowing what’s going to come next—namely conflict. What’s at stake for the main character? In Star Wars, Han Solo saw his family facing the loss of their way of life, and peace. Dorothy, in The Wizard of Oz, engaged in a life or death battle to keep Toto.

What we tend to remember in these stories is the outrageous intergalactic characters and battle scenes of Star Wars or the Technicolor adventures on the way to Oz. Yet when one analyzes the story structure, the “black and white” ordinary life is where the story begins—and presages the main conflict in a way that amplifies the conflict when it arrives.

A different way to begin a story, common especially in suspenses, is in media res, which throws the reader into the deep end of the swimming pool along with the main character. Picture a book beginning with a young woman being snatched from a sidewalk and shoved into a van. The van speeds off—and of course the reader is going to turn the page to find out who, why, where, and what happens next??? This technique can be very effective. The author gives concise clues to setting (city or suburb, day or night, good neighborhood vs bad, etc.), characterization (she fights back or is paralyzed with fear, the snatcher and snatchee know each other and have shared history, etc.), and motivation (kidnapping vs bodyguards collecting an errant charge vs fraternity joke, etc.) without much else in the way of detail to ground the reader. It’s not for every story, though; imagine Dorothy opening the door of the house after setting down in Oz, with the story beginning in Technicolor. The event would lose much of its impact, and the subsequent conflict would lose its sizzle.

One of the most common mistakes new writers make is starting the story in the wrong place. My advice is to write it the way that makes sense to you, then come back when you’ve finished the whole thing and re-read the beginning. Chances are you’ll hit a certain paragraph where everything springs to life. That’s where your story really begins. One common suggestion is to dump the first chapter and start with the second. Personal experience: I had to dump the first three chapters of my first novel—they were that boring, even to me! But I had to write them in order to discover where the story really began. You may have to cut words, but they are never wasted; you always learn something important about your characters, even if it doesn’t end up as words in the book.

Another common mistake is to explain the characters and back story (what happened before the book started). This is called an information dump. Resist. Draw your characters clearly through their internal and present thoughts; let the reader get to know them deeply, layer by layer. What brought them to this point will be revealed in good time. Another wise bit of advice I’ve come across is to get about thirty pages into a story before disclosing back story.

Dialogue is a great way to tell a story, and the beginning is no exception. If you can incorporate dialogue at that point, do so, and make it unforgettable.

For a fun exercise, go to the library or a bookstore, or even your own shelf of well-worn favorites. Open to the first page and read the first line. Is it compelling? Intriguing? Why did you want to read more? How much information about the character, setting, motivations and tone did the author convey in those few words?

When it comes down to it, the story begins when there is a change in the main character’s life. The change can be subtle or cataclysmic, but that is the point at which you, as author, commence weaving a tale that will hold readers in thrall until the words The End.

How do you know where your book begins? Do you have a strategy for determining what the opening scene is, or who inhabits it? Please share!

Giving Thanks

November 26, 2013/4 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing, CWG Member News, Encouragement for Writers, The Writing Life/by Leslie Lynch

Last month, I attended CWG’s Your Word is My Delight: A Catholic Writers’ Retreat in Dewitt, Michigan. As is so often the case, it took me a few days post-retreat to recognize the gifts poured out by the Holy Spirit through the event.

Opportunities to pray abounded. Daily Rosary, daily Mass, Adoration most evenings…and those were just the formally scheduled times. Reflection in the privacy of one’s room or walking the beautiful grounds offered occasions for informal prayer. Several of us shared that the main focus of our attendance was discernment regarding our calling and future direction. No matter the answer(s) each individual heard, the time spent in the company of God brought peace.

The intimacy of the gathering allowed us to get to know each other in ways that are not possible through conferences. For me, recognizing the holiness in each person’s vocation, whether religious or as laity, was a true gift. Faith, fidelity, devotion, patience, joy—these attributes were modeled by various people throughout the five days. Our small community built each other up, just as Paul instructs us to do in the Epistles. Not limited to retreats, a mindset willing to see these things in our ordinary lives can open our eyes to God’s hand in the day-to-day.

Networking, both professional and personal, was another gift. Blogs were born, ideas (writing and non-writing related) shared, horizons broadened, new directions and new projects envisioned, contacts swapped. I’d had an idea for a book-length nonfiction project, and, thanks to a presenter, realized I could create it in any number of formats, from brochure to booklet to book. Others took a step into fiction from their background of nonfiction, etc. Sometimes it takes another’s perspective to see possibilities we never imagined. As a bonus, we left the retreat with a strong network of writers in vastly different geographic areas and personal/professional circles of influence. Now, when one of us tosses the proverbial pebble into a pond, the ripple effects will go into coves we never could have predicted.

The subject of New Evangelization came up numerous times in unrelated contexts. New Evangelization is reaching out in love and catechesis to those Catholics who’ve drifted away from the Church, or who’ve made a conscious decision to leave the Church, or don’t have a solid understanding of its teachings—namely, a lively relationship with and fruitful gratitude to Jesus, our Savior. I certainly came away with a better understanding of the scope of the issue, along with a renewed sense of purpose as a writer and evangelizer.

As Michelle Buckman, the keynote presenter, said, God is in the details. He brought each of us to Dewitt, Michigan for a purpose—actually, several purposes. From personal to spiritual to the craft of writing to the purpose of our calling to networking, the Holy Spirit was hard at work at the St. Francis Retreat Center.

Look back at your most recent experience with a conference or a retreat, or maybe in a CWG forum or the new Google group or Facebook group page. Take a moment to recognize the Holy Spirit’s influence, and give thanks. It is far too easy to take these things for granted, or downplay them. Next time you have the opportunity to participate in a writing community, pay attention to what God is showing you. If you’re like me, it won’t be anything like you expected, and may not even be writing-related. It may be difficult to recognize or discern while in the moment, but at some point you will recognize the truth of why you were in that place, at that time, with those people.

God’s hand, open hearts—a combination that bears great fruit, whether on retreat or slogging through our daily lives. Together, they yield blessings, grace, and much cause for gratitude.

Thanksgiving is two days away. What are you offering thanks for this year? Do you have any examples of blessings or gifts related to writing you’d like to share? Let’s encourage each other in our vocation as writers.

NaNoWriMo Approacheth!

October 22, 2013/7 Comments/in Adventure, Editing, Encouragement for Writers, Fiction, Humour, Novel, The Writing Life, Writing Tips and Tricks/by Leslie Lynch

What is NaNoWriMo? For the uninitiated, this acronym is short for National Novel Writing Month, and it has taken place every November since its inception in 1999. The idea is to crank out 50,000 words between November 1 and November 30—which works out to be 1667 words per day. Every day. On a novel, specifically a new novel.

Why would any sane person take part in such a venture? (I have asked myself that very question, usually at five in the morning as I rub the sleep out of my eyes and stare at the glowing computer screen…)

First and foremost, it’s FUN! Really! Put that infernal internal editor on the back burner and let your creative side take over! When you write that fast and that consistently, you don’t have time to agonize over word choices or plot points. True, a lot of what you might write is drivel, but I can guarantee you that there will be a wealth of gold and gems in what you produce. (More than you think.) The best part is that you actually end up with words that can be edited—as opposed to a blank computer screen with a blinking cursor and anxiety because you haven’t produced anything. :-/

Writing is a solitary activity; therefore, perhaps the most important element of NaNo is community. There are lots of forums on the site itself, and many groups, such as CWG, create their own small communities for the month. There’s a move afoot on the CWG Yahoo group and the Facebook group to get one going. (CWG members, contact Ann Lewis or Karina Fabian if you haven’t been invited to these groups yet.)

Even more fun, many regional groups have sprung up and organize “write-ins.” Can you imagine how much fun is it to go to a sponsoring coffee shop and be part of twenty or fifty folks tapping away at their computers on a blustery November evening?!! There are kick-off parties before NaNo begins, and celebration parties after it ends. If you follow the official rules and win, you get a cool NaNo icon to put on your website. And you get a “participant” icon just for making the effort.

One of the byproducts of the discipline of NaNo is confidence. You discover it is possible to crank out lots of words—and you discover that your creative side wants to come out and play. Like any talent, the more you use and hone it, the stronger it becomes. Lauren Sapala has written a great blog on the benefits of NaNoWriMo.

Think about it. This time next month, you could be nearing the middle or end of your novel! I will admit that I’ve never completed the 50k goal—but I’ve hit more than 20k. Without the challenge, I would have written maybe 5k words for the month. Whether you “win” or not, it’s worth a try.

Will you? If you’ve never tried it before, why not? Do you think you might try this year? If you’ve done NaNo before, share your experience—the good, the bad, and the ugly!

On writing…better!

September 24, 2013/12 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing, Editing, Encouragement for Writers, Fiction, Marketing Your Work, The Writing Life, Writing Tips and Tricks/by Leslie Lynch

What do you view as the most important element of your writing, or your writing life?

Passion? Yes, we all need that, especially when faced with rejection or obstacles in our quest for publication. But if passion were the most critical element in the making of a successful author, the bookstores would be overflowing with our works.

Persistence is certainly another closely related trait shared by successful authors. Again, though, while essential to success, it’s only part of the story.

Time (and balance) questions are often posed to well-known authors in Q & A sessions. It’s a challenge for everyone: how to juggle family/work/writing. That one has no pat answer. Each person has to find what works, and once a routine is established, be flexible enough to accommodate changing circumstances.

How about subject matter and finding a matching audience? Yep. Crucial. Have you written something that someone wants to read? How are they going to discover it? If you have a good handle on these basics, you’re a step ahead of many writers.

Let’s say you have all these ingredients. You’ve got a story (or a topic, for nonfiction writers), a passion for telling it, you are persistent, and you have a good sense of your target audience. You’ve created a workable plan that supports your creativity.

Anything missing?

I would humbly propose that commitment to development of one’s craft might actually top the list. If the final product is full of misspellings, inappropriate word choices, poor pacing, clichés, etc., no one is going to want to read it, no matter how awesome the premise.

Your goal is for readers to snap up your amazing work! And then clamor for more!

Development of craft can come through formal schooling (college coursework, or in-residence classes), informal schooling (online classes or workshops at conferences), or books. I’d like to share my favorite books on the craft of writing. Some of these have garnered mention in my contributions to the CWG blog over the past year or so, but I thought it would be helpful to list them together. I’d also love for you to jump in with your favorites.

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Browne & King. The first craft book I ever bought, its precepts remain timeless and valuable.
Plot & Structure, Bell. Great for learning, well, how to structure fiction.
Conflict & Suspense, Bell. How to keep your reader turning the pages. The ideas pertain to all fiction, not just suspense, and can be applied to nonfiction, as well.
Revision & Self-Editing, Bell. Just what it says. (*Note: The last three books are by James Scott Bell, and are published by Writers Digest, which offers an extensive list of books on the different aspects of craft. There are other books on these subjects by other authors and other publishers.)
Save the Cat!, Snyder. Intended for screenwriting, it is a great resource for learning story structure and for increasing the level of dialogue (a trend in modern fiction).
Writing the Breakout Novel, Maas. Everything about novels and how to balance the elements, written by a high-powered literary agent.
Break into Fiction, Buckham and Love. Perhaps more geared to the genre of romance, but more broadly applicable.
Writing a Romance Novel for Dummies, Wainger. A top editor with many years of experience, this peek at our work through her lens is invaluable. Again, the content can be more broadly applied.
Believable Characters, Creating with Enneagrams, Schnebly. A method for creating rich characters based on personality types.
Punctuation, Plain and Simple, Edgar C. Alward and Jean A. Alward.
Roget’s Thesaurus.
Any good dictionary.
Words That Make a Difference, Greenman.
The Elements of Style, Strunk and White.

Books by successful authors about writing on my shelves:

On Writing, Stephen King
How I Write, Janet Evanovich
Escaping into the Open, the Art of Writing True, Berg.

Believe it or not, this is not a complete list of my reference books. Some of the rest duplicate the content of the ones listed, or stray from a strictly-writing focus. Have I read all of these? You bet. In some cases, several times over. Have they helped me? Absolutely. Would they help writers of the submissions of a recent contest I judged? Yes, yes, and yes again.

What references do you keep at hand as you write? What books do you consider so essential that you’d buy a copy for your favorite protégé? Let’s see how many different books show up in this list! Thanks for contributing to a reference gem for our fellow authors!

How can a God Who is Love Put People in Hell?

September 3, 2013/9 Comments/in Catholic Writing and Publishing/by Larry Peterson

Besides the harangues of the secular world around us, I have been told directly and have heard among others in informal group settings that the idea HELL exists is ridiculous. The reasoning is, if God loves us how could He ever let any of us go there? How could He make such a horrible place? I have even heard that if God made people go to Hell He was no different than the murderers He was sending there. Result: There can be no Hell because then there is no God–HUH ???? Whatever.

I am not a theologian. However, I was educated in grade school by the Ursuline nuns, and they were quite successful at instilling the “fear of hell” in me and my classmates. We were taught that God our Father was one tough parent, and that we had better mind “our Ps & Qs” or else. I was sure many of my school mates were destined for Gehenna because they had eaten meat on Friday. Not me, I was afraid of not being able to get to confession in time so I stuck to cheese or tuna. Then they changed the rule and you could eat meat. I was so confused that for the first time I began to question things. I mean, did the people who ate meat the week before the rule was changed die and go to Hell, and then the people who ate meat the following Friday went to heaven? Okay, I figured it out for myself, and I want to share my personal theology about Hell. If you decide I am a bit wifty, so be it.

First of all, I know and believe unequivocally that there is, in fact, a place called Hell. There has to be. When I bring Holy Communion to the home bound and to folks in nursing homes my first prayer is from the the first letter of John, Ch4:16, “We come to know and believe that God is Love and he who abides in Love abides in God and God in him”. If God is Love and Love is God, He cannot put any of us in Hell. He does NOT do it. Contrary to some belief, He is not waiting to clobber us over the head with a mallet because we mess up. He is, in fact, the most loving, compassionate and forgiving Father we could ever have, including our own earthly one.

We put ourselves in Hell all by ourselves by rejecting the Love that is given us by God. You see, we have this thing called pride. So many of us think we are SO smart. The consummate atheist, Frederick Nietzsche was SO smart that after having thought about it for a very long time announced that “God is dead”. I have been blessed because I know I am not that smart. I’m not even as smart as Christopher Hitchins who thinks that “believers belong to the infancy of species”. Thank you Lord for keeping me dumb.

Look, I try to keep it simple. There has to be a God. We just have to look at the perfection all around us. The change in seasons, the new birth of springtime, day and night always within a 24 hour period, sunshine and moonshine, baby ducks following their mom. Those who choose to reject that simplicity and fall prey to their own false pride can wind up in a place called Hell. But we have a soul that is indestructible and eternal, right? My theology tells me that Hell is the utter and complete loss of Hope. We always have another chance while we are alive. When we die there are no more second chances. I cannot imagine existing in a world absent of all Hope, and knowing it is for all eternity. That is hell for sure. As for me, I intend to keep watching those baby ducks.

Which way???

August 26, 2013/13 Comments/in Catholic Writers Conference Live, Catholic Writing and Publishing, Encouragement for Writers, Fiction, Marketing Your Work, Self-Publishing, The Writing Life, Writing Tips and Tricks/by Leslie Lynch

Did you go to Catholic Writers Conference Live? Or perhaps you’ve been lucky enough to attend another writers’ conference in the past few months. You’ve come home with a mind spinning with possibilities. Suddenly you have options, and choices to make. You’ve pitched a book (or two, or three), and hurriedly polished your work in order to send it to interested editors or agents.

Maybe you sense a sale in the offing. (Cue cheering crowds and confetti!)

Or…maybe not. Maybe your work straddles two genres, or maybe publishers are saying your story is unmarketable. Or worse, your genre is dead. Whatever the case, you’ve found no takers.

No need for discouragement – not in this day and age. Now you can publish your work by yourself. Five years ago, self-publishing was still new, and still carried a fair amount of risk. Print on demand (in its current form) didn’t exist, and an author basically had to commission a small print run out of their own pocket. Without the ability to market or access traditional booksellers, more than a few self-published authors ended up with a garage filled with thousands of unsold books – and a big hole in their coffers. Thanks to the explosion of e-books, authors of well-written fiction can now publish their own work.

Rather than go into the nuts and bolts of how to self-publish, let’s examine the pros and cons of taking on the venture.

At first blush, there is no con. After all, you just format and upload your work and wait for the money to roll in. Well, not so fast.

It boils down to: How much work are you willing to do, in order to succeed? And how do you define success? The answers to those two questions will drive your decision.

As a self-pubber, you are responsible for obtaining quality editing (yes, you must do this, and no, critique partners don’t count), formatting, cover design, obtaining ISBN numbers, finding out how to upload to the different platforms (Kindle, Nook, Smashwords, etc.) and then doing it, and promotion.

Some people relish the control they have over the process; others would rather poke their eye out than deal with all the details. As a self-pubber, you will create business relationships with cover designers, free-lance editors, and formatters. You will build an online presence and platform. This includes at least a website (complete with “buy” buttons) and an author Facebook page.

Marketing and promotion are essential. Getting your book noticed now that “everybody” is self-pubbing is not an easy task. Depending on your comfort level and ability to create and manipulate social media, you may face a steep learning curve – or pay experts to build and maintain your website, etc. Either way, it takes time and effort to market. *Note: Marketing and promotion are required of all authors nowadays, whether their route is via traditional publishers or self-publishing.

Sound like something you’d like to tackle? Then here are a couple of important things to keep in mind.

The most critical item in self-publishing is having a quality product. That means your book has to be the best it can possibly be. No ‘throwing it out there’ to see how it does. If the quality is mediocre, or worse, poor, you’ll generate bad reviews on Goodreads or Amazon. It is very difficult to entice people to try a subsequent work if the initial one was of poor quality.

The best way to ensure quality? Surround yourself with a superb team.

Before you jump into the self-pubbed fray, pay for a free-lance editor. At three to five hundred dollars, it’s a chunk of change, but every successful self-pubbed author I know views this step as vital. Read other people’s self-pubbed books, and when you find one that’s well-edited, contact the author to find out who they use. The best ones are booked a year or so out.

Find a great cover designer. Even in e-books, a sloppy or amateurish cover can kill sales. Same for formatting. Most readers will let an occasional error slide, but repeated errors are annoying.

Build a strong online network. Word of mouth still sells more than anything – but when your ‘word of mouth’ is a small group of authors with a similar readership and ten to twenty thousand Twitter followers each, ‘word of mouth’ takes on a whole new meaning. Too, there are Twitter accounts that exist solely to promote self-published works.

Other options are available if you choose to not take on the responsibility of self-publishing. Many smaller e-publishers are springing up to serve specific niches. You give up some of the profit in return for not having to go it alone. A ready-made team might be the perfect solution.

Or consider the hybrid route. Self-publish some work and seek traditional publication for others. Mix and match between larger and smaller houses.

Having a clear plan is essential. And since this is the Catholic Writers Guild, it is imperative to begin the discernment process with prayer. It’s crucial to align ourselves with God’s plan for us and our work. Sometimes an examination of conscience reveals that our ego or pride is driving our insistence on a particular path. Neither avoidance of rejection nor arrogance will serve us (or God) well.

What are your thoughts regarding self-publishing? Can you add some wisdom gleaned from your experience? What led you to take that path? And what have you found to be the most important elements for success?