my "Spot"

I have a "Spot."

Do you have a spot? Or an item? Or a hat? I don't know... something?

I have a "Spot," and when I'm in that "Spot" it means that I'm in writing mode. Sitting there in front of that ancient mac computer at that chunky desk in an ratty desk chair turns my brain into writer mode.

Or... I used to have a spot.

A few years ago, the computer quit and my parents sold the desk and the chair. Naturally, it was about the time I went away for college. But along with the sale of the items that belonged to my spot, went my inspiration to write. I suffered from the worst writer's block for the next year. I had to force myself to write and I couldn't remember EVER having to force myself before.

So, I've decided to find a new spot... or maybe I'm going to buy a candle, or a jacket to wear, or a scarf... something to get a routine and rhythm into my writing. A regularity of some kind to turn the creative side of my head on.

So how about you? Do you have a spot?

Taking It All In

It's been said that in order to write life, you must live life. Never were words spoken so truly. And being a teen writer, never will you experience so much that can feed your writing. Each day, you go to school and interact with those you love, hate, admire and envy. Emotion exudes from those interactions and it can flow into your characters easily if you harness it and let it go.

After all, writing is therapeutic, isn't it? As a high school student, I can't even begin to describe the roller coaster I went over. Day to day my friendships were turbulent. Without even realizing, my characters began to have turbulent friendships. Struggles that I faced showed themselves in my protagonists. But how else can a fictional problem begin to feel real unless it is written out of experience?

Don't let life scare you.

Most of us writers are introverts. Life seems easier for us when we are in our comfort zones. Being challenged is a scary thing. But when you become so sedentary and stop moving almost altogether, you'll begin to notice that like a water spigot, your ability to write will turn on and off, and writers' block can set in. Worst nightmare right?

And honestly... God doesn't want us to hide at home either. That's hardly the life He imagined for you. Like me, you can make excuses about how writing CHRISTIAN fiction is fulfilling His calling for you, OR you can realize that our greatest calling is to live heaven here on earth. That means investing and working on those HARD relationships. It means going outside and praising God for the beauty he created all around us. LIVE LIFE. No matter how hard. The creativity and realness will flow from it.

Hugs,

Emily

we're all readers here

We can talk about writing well all we want to, but our desire to write stems from the fact that as children, we fell in love with books. So here's my question to you... what is your favorite book? Of all time? comment with the title and author. Why is it your favorite?

Write Real

One of the strangest oddities about being a writer stems from our strange propensity to write about life rather than live it. Rationally, writing is how we process the world. It's our little hole through which we view things. It alters the light through which we showcase our thoughts and emotions.

But what about REAL life? Not just the life we write about. Certainly the life we write about is altered and effected by real life. But in order to KEEP writing about life, we have to keep living it. Go outside, sit on a park bench, go to a restaurant, go shopping or take a hike. GET OUT. Live real life. Take note of the little details of everyday life so that you can better describe it in your stories.

One of the things I like to do is carry around a small notebook with me - one that snaps or ties closed. Every time I experience some noteworthy moment - even something as odd as feeling perturbed over the person sitting in the pew behind me poking me with their foot because the put their feet up to rest on my pew. Things like that. Jot down the exact feeling you get when your crush waves at you at school. Write down all those moments! They'll help you add something real to your writing.

When real emotions and experiences are littered throughout your writing, your reader will pause when their read it and smile because they KNOW that feeling you wrote about. they experience it in their own lives.

Write Real. Write something that isn't so far fetched.

Advertising Christ Through Our Writing

I was at my younger brother’s little league game the other day. His team is sponsored by “Kleenex” and “Kelloggs”—and their uniforms proudly show it off. Why do major businesses often sponsor sports teams? They’re looking for some advertising. Think about it: Every time a little kid walks into a public place with his uniform on, he’s advertising the business that sponsored his team. Not only do people notice the business, they also notice that the business did something good for the community by sponsoring a team. So . . . I got to thinking. As a Christian writer, God is my biggest “sponsor.” All Christians have God’s sponsorship over everything they do. That’s pretty cool if you think about it. I also realized that we writers can learn a thing or two from the little league foundation. When God sponsors us, we need to advertise Him through our writing (forgive my business terms). Our writings (if we choose to show them to other people) are like baseball jerseys—people notice them, and when they “advertise” Christ, people notice that, too. If we are Christians, our writing can be used as an incredible missionary tool!

That Vague Little Thing Called Writer's Block

What happens when you just can't write... Ick. Such an awful realization. For us Seat-of-the-pantsers, it's like a death sentence. Plotters usually have an easier time getting back into the swing of things.

So what do you do? We live for writing. It's the very air we breathe sometimes. When that air is gone, life seems pretty empty. But somewhere out there, a solution has to be waiting.

Well, here's my ideas... the things that I do. Considering that I'm a Seat-of-the-pants writer, I can't promise that these things will help a Plotter.

1. Often, we are inspired by seeing things around us and since Writer's Block stems from lack of inspiration or motivation, one of the counters to Writer's Block, is getting excited about a new story or an old one. Try watching a movie that has a similar or completely different plot. Sometimes different can give you new ideas. Or read a book. Same idea. And if the story is historical or themed... Go to a location that relates to the setting. Seeing my setting always gets me excited to start telling a story. Museums help too. They get the wheels in my head turning
2. Other times, Writer's Block means you have no motivation to write whatsoever. That's a dreadful place to be. The best thing I can say, is sit down at your computer and type until you get yourself into a rhythm. Do some editing on old work. Just force yourself to focus. Eventually writing will become habit and the words will come a little easier. 
3. Something else that helps... Move away from your current project and work on something else. I always have 2 stories that I work on simultaneously. One that is my primary project, and another that I use when I get Writer's Block. Working on something fresh takes my mind of wherever I got stuck on and gets it going. Eventually, the old project becomes appealing again. 

Well... that's what I do. If you have any other tips for Writer's Block, comment with your solution below. Let's ban together to defeat that vague little thing called Writer's Block!

Emily

Test Time!

What makes books good or bad? Oftentimes, even we (writers) can’t really tell exactly what makes a book a winner. Sure, we know if there is an exciting plot, excellent imagery, or beautiful, poetic writing. But sometimes we can’t tell exactly what made this book appealing to us—and why it appealed to the people who published it. And if we can’t tell that for ourselves, how will we know how to make our own books or stories winners? I’m the type of girl who has a hard time putting down a book—even if it’s really mundane. I just can’t stand the thought of not finishing something. That has been to my determent, because I haven’t come to realize what it is in the book that makes me not want to keep reading. I just read on, no matter what. So I’ve started an exercise. When I go to the library, I head to my favorite section (definitely the Christian Historical Fiction) and I pick out three books. Two of them are books that I definitely want to read (usually ones that friends recommend or that I have a steadfast trust in the author). Then, for the third one, I pick a random book that I’ve never heard of. I read this book until 45 pages (I found out that this is usually the farthest point a bored reader will read to until they finally put it down). After that, I stop, and I write a paragraph in a designated notebook about why or why not I want to continue with this book. Is it a successful plot? Has the story engaged me from the beginning? Have the characters’ voices engaged me from the beginning? After I write my paragraph, I can use the pros I found in my own stories, and I can make sure not to use any of the cons I found, too. It’s a great exercise—and I’ve even found a few new favorite authors!

Leap Frog

Ay yi yi... this really bugs people when they read your writing. POV. There's lots of different perspectives, and they are all pretty viable options for telling a story. But one has definitely earned a disapproving eye from editors. THIRD PERSON OMNISCIENT is dangerous. Now we get to explore why I have so fondly titled this post, "Leap Frog."

One of the worst things about third person omniscient is what we like to call, "head hopping." Believe me, I've been called out on this little mistake.

So what is Head Hopping?

Head hopping is when the reader is allowed to know the thoughts of all characters involved in a scene. 

Do we get it just a little now? Essentially, Head Hopping is just outright confusing to read. The reader hops from one head to the other. In one paragraph, they are listening in on the thoughts of John Boy and the next they get to hear how much Sally Jane thinks John Boy smells. Back and forth. Back and forth. It's really no good at all.

So what do we do then?

Well, THIRD PERSON LIMITED is the next best thing. Stay in ONE characters head for the duration of the scene. If you'd like, create a SCENE BREAK and then change to another's head. Make the transition very obvious. (if it's a novel you're working on, try not to go into the heads of more than 3 characters)

And if you've never considered it, try FIRST PERSON. That's always an interesting change of pace. (avoid first person present because the tense of that POV is hard to handle as a reader, though it is accepted). I would list SECOND PERSON, but that's not a very popular one, just because it takes skill to do well and few write in second person for Christian Markets. I can't say how editors will receive it.


SO! No more leap frog.

Emily

More to Come!

Hello, Lovers of the written word =) At the end of this week, I'm taking off for Mount Hermon. This will be my third year going to the writers' conference and I'm absolutely thrilled. I'm gonna soak up every possible grain of information that I can so I can come back and share with you.

The Mount Hermon Christian Writers' Conference is what inspired me to start the facebook page, "Christian Teen Writers" that led to the making of this blog. Most of what I've posted here somehow started at the conference. If you manage to make it there this year or next, or the following, etc, look for me. I'll be the one with a big stupid grin on my face because I'm so excited to be in the company of other Christian Writers.

So... look forward to new and fresh information! It's gonna be amazing. I promise to post pictures.

Emily

Mirror, Mirror!

Have you ever seen a movie in which the acting is terrible? The lines seem forced and unreal, the actor’s tones and facial expressions are either too cheesy and cliché or not dramatic at all, and you go away from the movie theater wishing you didn’t waste ten bucks on the ticket. Believe it or not, books can be the same way. We’ve all read books in which we read something (a phrase, an action beat, even the whole plot) that was unrealistic or poorly written. It leaves us thinking, “No way would a person in real life say/do that.” And when a character in a book is unreal, readers don’t get a chance to bond with him or her. And that’s what the main objective in a book is, isn’t it? I don’t know about you, but if the character is unreal, says ridiculous things, and “giggles” out her words every four sentences (really, how many times do you “giggle” while you talk?!), chances are, I’ll put the book down, because I can’t connect with her. So, what is one of the things you can do to keep from making this error in your own book or story? Mirror, mirror! I got this idea from Christine Tangvald, a wonderful and enthusiastic writer and writing teacher from Mt. Hermon. I had her edit some of my children’s book, and she suggested that I take my work into the bathroom and act out a scene in a mirror. Before long, I was giggling myself because of the ludicrous and highly cliché things that I had put in my manuscript. By doing this, I was able to fix a lot of things and make them truer to every day life. And yes, there were times where I realized I had to spice things up a bit. It also gives some great ideas for those action beats (character’s actions that go before a quote) in which you can’t figure out what to say. Instead of saying, “She/He scratched his/her head” several times, you will be able to come up with things that have to do with the plot. Things come naturally in the mirror. So, print out your work, head to the place in your house with the largest mirror, and act away. First, though, I would highly recommend you do it when family is not around (that’s another story).

An Ultimate Love Story

Writing a book or a story is the beginning of a beautiful relationship between you and your imaginary characters. Don’t even try to resist the urges to laugh at your funny one-liners, cry when your favorite character dies, or obsessively hate your villain. And don’t be too embarrassed if you accidentally call your best friend the name of your main character. But keep these things to yourself, because your family will think you are nuts. Writing wasn’t always this way for me. My name is Esther. I’ve been writing fiction since I was six or seven—not that that writing was anything I am proud of. At thirteen, I wrote my first REAL book. It was short—a children’s book about a young girl with a crazy grandma who drives a rocket ship. It’s the first piece of writing I’m not wholeheartedly ashamed of, because it’s technically pretty clean. I started going to Mount Hermon’s writing conference that year, and I got some great editing. But I wasn’t in love with my writing. It was nothing more than a hobby—almost seemed like school to me at times. There were times my mom forced me to go to the computer. I had this unrealistic dream that I was going to get that book published. I went to Mt. Hermon twice. No interest from anyone. Last year after Mt. Hermon, I had this new idea for a book. As soon as I started writing it, I felt something change. What was it? I fell in love with writing. It just sort of happened—I didn’t try. I found myself waking up before school at ridiculously early times to write a scene. I would goof off during school work dreaming up what would happen next. When I was supposed to be online finding scholarships for college, I would be—you guessed it—writing. And my focuses turned from trying to get published for money sake, to just writing because I loved it and couldn’t stop. I still want to be published, believe me. I’ll be going to Mt. Hermon again in two years to try. But even if I don’t, I won’t stop, because writing is a part of me, and I’m never letting go. I hope that this can be of some inspiration to you.

Composing a Story

How do we even begin a craft a good story? Now I know well that some of you are "plotters" and some of you are "seat-of-the-pants" writers, and there are benefits to both styles, but this is something everyone should and CAN do. Even us "seat-of-the-pants" people can manage this.

Make your own version of this and tack it up on your computer so you never forget as you begin your opening scene:

CHARACTER'S NAME: _______________________________

What is their exterior GOAL:


What is their interior GOAL:


What is their exterior MOTIVATION:


What is their interior MOTIVATION:


What will get in their way:




If you can fill out this simple chart, you will be on your way to writing an awesome story.

Being a CHRISTIAN Writer

It's been a process... beginning from the moment I created this page until now, and even trailing into the future. We are writers who are Christians, right? Or are we Christian writers? I suppose I'll leave that one up to you. Not all of us want to write for the Christian market. Some of us are called to write for the secular market because that is where we can give God the most glory. That's what important. Where has God called you into His ministry?

Ever thought about it that way before? That writing is your ministry? It took me years to wrap my head around that. I just knew I liked writing. I didn't quite understand God's role in my writing. The two seemed separate, yet inexplicably bound together in a jumbled mess. I'm sure many of you can sympathize.

But this is what I discovered.

God created us. He knows our inmost being. In fact, He even gave us our gifts and talents, he designated them to us. Think back for a moment of the parable of the talents that Jesus told. Each servant was given gifts so that they could take them and make use of them for the benefit of the master, and eventually, themselves. Can't you just imagine God saying, "Well done, good and faithful servant"?

We were gifted with the talent of writing - the joy of writing! So why shouldn't we expect that God wants us to put that talent to use and gain profit from it? It's the whole point of having the talent! What use would it be... what purpose would it have if we just hid it under and rock? God intended for us to use our talent.

But here's the real question... how do we use it? And what is profit?

Those answers will vary from person to person. But when I say profit (this answer will be universally true) I do NOT mean money. It is inevitable that you will reap some financial benefits, BUT IF YOU ARE WRITING, shouldn't your writing serve some purpose? We were created to give glory to God and declare His Holy and Precious Name. This does not necessarily mean you have to write Christian works, but I do think that your works should reflect the values of our Creator and should focus on having an identity founded in Him. What this means will vary depending on your subject matter. Profit will first and foremost mean directing people to look upwards for answers. Use? Well... what story has God laid on your heart to write? Only He can tell you.

Hugs.

Thoughts...

Characters are funny things. In many ways they are completely open. In other ways, they are very closed off. Knowing when they are supposed to be one or the other to the reader, is a difficult lesson to learn. Primarily because everything depends on circumstance.

Most writers botch this art thoroughly in the form of thoughts: when the writer goes into detail about a character's thought process during a scene. It's the one time we really get into the character's head and see exactly what they are thinking. But often, what most writer's get wrong, is that few stories are told from the prospective of a character looking back on their life. Most characters are living in the moment.

One of my biggest pet peeves is "information dumps." Most characters understand themselves and should not feel the need to explain themselves. In Shakespearean dramas, such things are called an "aside." If you need to say something that helps the reader to make more sense of the character's life, then you have done something horribly wrong in previous scenes.

The ultimate tool for a writer is CONTEXT and HINTING. Nothing is ever stately bluntly in a novel because most characters are too engrossed in their dilemma to be thinking clear enough anyways. Aside from that, most of them don't constantly feel the need to reiterate their backstory as they go through life. This would be a little weird if someone in real life went about thinking such things like.

As Marty walked through the halls of Lincoln High School, he considered his upbringing at the family cabin by the lake. He had two sisters, Lizzy and Beth, twins actually. His dad was a pastor at the local church.

NO NO NO. It's not relevant to what the character is experiencing and it just sounds awkward. It's the author creating an information dump. It's especially easy to do when working on a series where the lives of the same characters are followed. When this happens, it's tempting to practically summarize what happened in the previous book at the beginning of the new book. Like I said... Most characters live in the moment and do not have their life story rolling through their mind 24/7.

Now... how do we fix this?

I told you before that Context and Hinting are powerful tools. Let's look at Marty once again. If we NEED to know that he grew up in a lake cabin, we can use things in his life to help the reader catch on to that bit of information instead of blatantly stating it.

To do this, we can start a new scene with Marty sitting at home and interacting with his family. His dad might ask how he likes his new school, to which Marty might answer that he misses being home schooled back at the lake house. Then, his sisters might pipe in. Marty might smile at the way they always speak at the same time, a twin trait, he guesses. The twins might say they don't miss the lake house at all and that they like their new teacher.

Same information gets across, but it sounds less awkward and it's not an information dump. The reader still understands the same ideas about his past. It's all about CONTEXT and HINTING. Never just dump information into a story. Characters should think and process things the same way anyone in real life does.

Critiquing Services

Hey writers... well all know that sometimes your own eyes don't catch all the problems. If you could use some help editing, this is something super simple we are happy to do for you...

Email us at CHRISTIANTEENWRITERS@MAIL.COM

Include your first name
"Title of Your Story/poem/script/non-fiction"
and email address

Provide a short summary of your work, Include the basic outline of what you have written from start to end. If it is a story, we'd like to know what the character wants, how they go about getting it, the black moment and the resolution. This helps with editing purposes so that we can help you weed out extraneous scenes.

then attach a word document or PDF to the email. Format the document in MLA style. This is easiest to work with. 12 pt. Times New Roman, double spaced. We will accept up to 20 pages.

you will receive an email in return with our notes. This follow up should come within a week.

Easy Edits

So, we've mentioned before that it's important to weed out words like "was," "had" and ly adverbs. But just do a word search in your manuscript and you'll quickly find that the task isn't as simple as it may seem. There are two different instances in which we find "was" and "had," one of which is easy to fix, the other, not so much.

the first is like we've mentioned before:

"He was singing in the choir until September of last year." becomes, "He sang"

Easy right? Well, what about that other instance where you can't simply conjugate the word? Well, that is where we all learn to become better writers...

"The sky was grey and overcast."

Hmm... can't just conjugate that one. But let's think about this sentence for a moment. It's just fine grammatically, but for a work of fiction, it's just not very descriptive. It's shallow. So let's dig in a little deep and watch that "was" disappear.

"Alisa looked up into the clouds and noted the way they sagged with the weight of rain. The blue sky all but disappeared as the clouds moved into place, preparing to drench the parched ground."

Well! How about that? We just took a simple sentence and created something beautiful and descriptive with feeling! Our characters only comment on things that are of some importance to them, or effect them in some way. FEELING and description is a crucial part of setting the scene. So don't be so scared of rewriting. It takes work... but your story will come alive.

WAS, HAD and LY ADVERBS are crippling to your descriptions! They cut the picture off at short, sweet and simple. We don't want that! So delve in a little deeper and give your reader a better picture.

Love and Hugs

Heart Works

Writing is a work of the heart, isn't it? It's one of the most personal careers one can have. I've met so many authors... when I read their novels, I can hear their voices and see their personalities come through so completely.

So how about Christian versus Secular books? The Christian heart comes out in writing. Values and struggles make their way into our stories.

I was marveling over some of my early stories the other day - some of the stories I wrote in late Junior High and early High School. It struck me as I was reading that I could still see myself in those stories, the self I was in those days, anyway. I've changed so much. But as I took a close look at the characters in those stories, the struggled my characters were facing suddenly looked much more like what I worried over while I was writing the story.

There is something to be said for those English teachers who force you to take a closer look at the assigned readings and how they relate to the author who wrote them. Writing IS personal. We bare our souls as we work through the muddled state of our own hearts. As the character finds resolution, so do we.

God is SO involved in our work that it just looks nuts from the outside. How does He do it? I can't exactly explain it. He is wonderful, though. That I can say for certain. He does it on purpose, I think. He corrects and disciplines those He loves... so why not use the process of crafting a story to train up an author?

So the next time you sit down to write, close your eyes and talk to God.

Lord, Everything is from You.
In fact, I'm nothing without You.
Wonderful creator, thank you for loving me so completely
You work through me and change my heart
You inspire the way I craft stories to change the hearts of my characters
As I sit down to tell this story, work through me
Show me exactly what to say.
Even as I hope my readers will learn, please also help me to learn

Amen

Pet Words

I see it all the time... Writer's have pet words. Those little phrases or words we like to use all the time. A common one is, "suddenly." But then you might have a pet word all your own. Some will say things like, "she got a feeling in the pit of her stomach," and use that phrase over and over again. After a time, it starts sounding odd, though it is a very descriptive comment. Avoid Cliches too. Those are no bueno!

"Was" and "had" are horrible ones. When many first begin writing, they are very easy words to slide into almost every sentence, but same as before... they SOUND ODD when used AGAIN and AGAIN.

My new favorite trick is this little thing called, "right-click." If you right-click a word and select synonyms, your Word program will give you a whole list of words that mean the same thing. "Was" and "had" are just as simple to get rid of. They often appear just before words with an "ed" or an "ing" on the end.

for example:
"She [was working] for that company" becomes "worked"
"She [had worked] for that company" becomes "worked"

It all means the same thing. Get rid of the excesses!

"Ly" adverbs can be your downfall too. Use them sparingly... get it? haha. And please don't put more than two adjectives in a row.

Well, there's your editing tip for the day. Get rid of pet words!

Love and Hugs

Childhood Memories

I remember when I fell in love with books... with stories. Goodness, I remember it like it was yesterday! I started reading in Kindergarten, you know, those books with the same words repeated over and over again that they send home with you to practice? But when I was in first grade, my mom began taking me to the public library all the time - she liked to read to. It was the Paso Robles Public Library across the street from the park with the old library they turned into a museum. This new library had a gift store in it. I remember that too. But towards the back of this library, there were chapter books. I was only in first grade.

I loved books. I could never get enough of them. I used to read all the time. I would bring home armfuls of The Boxcar Children and The Saddle Club. Then at night, my dad would read me the Chronicles of Narnia and my mom would read picture books to me. When we didn't want one of the picture books, she would tell a story. There were two she had made up that she would retell to us.

Books really left their mark on me. I practically drowned myself in them, I suppose. More and More so as I got older. But reading books became the reason that I started writing. After I would finish a story, I liked to dream up in my head what happened to the characters when the story ended. I would make up new adventures for them. Peter Pan was my favorite, but I also used to do this with the Pevency Children from Narnia and the siblings from the Boxcar Children. Sound familiar?

Looking back, it is so easy to see why I love making up my own stories. Stories impact us in powerful ways. Almost every author loves reading or movies or something story related. It all starts somewhere.

I found this out when I started reading with another little first grader I was working with. I was the teacher's aid in her class my senior year of high school. Reagan and I would spend lots of time together after school because her mom was a teacher. In the school's library collection, I found my old favorite - the Boxcar Children. Spotting the first book in the series, I dragged Reagan aside and we began to read the story... then Reagan wanted to read it aloud to me. I saw that spark.

Reagan took those books home and read them through on her own. It made me smile to see those books touch someone else.

Whatever purpose it may serve... think back and try to remember when you fell in love with stories. It'll bring a smile to your face. Then share your love of stories. Stories teach people things - they provide companionship, and they take you on adventures.

Actually... it can also serve an amazing purpose. Reading can fix writer's block. I SWEAR it works. Sometimes, i find I just can't write, but when I go back to the source of what got me writing in the first place, I get excited and the words begin to flow.


Reading is the Beginning of Writing.

Writer Funnies

You know you're a writer when...

1. you hear voices inside your head, but you KNOW you aren't crazy because they happen to be your characters.
2. you are in the middle of doing something important, but you really wish you were staring at your computer screen because a new idea just hit you.
3. someone does something really intriguing and your first thought is to work it into your novel.
4. you stare at people in public places. 
5. a two sided conversation happens, but no one else can see who you're talking to.
6. you feel guilty about harming a fictitious being.
7. you start to tell people that your story "tells itself"
8. instead of counting sheep, you plan your next scene as you fall asleep.
9. each character has a "distinct voice" inside your head as you read.
10. your thoughts always come out better when you are writing than when you try to speak.
11. you get distracted by the internet when you were actually just trying to research something for your novel.
12. someone interrupts you and you have a panic attack because you're afraid the inspiration will leave.
13. you have a list of names that you like just in case you have a character strikes you. 
14. after a while... you become "so immersed" in the world of writing that you get WAY too picky about the books you read. 

we can laugh at ourselves right? we certainly are an odd bunch. That's what makes us so great though. The odd ones have more fun.

The Sky Turned Black

Somewhere along the journey of writing a story, you fall in love with your characters... or at least, you SHOULD. They become like children or best friends to you. They live in your head and become SO real that they nearly tell the story themselves. But quite sadly, the downside to this miracle of writing is, once we fall in love with our characters, sometimes it becomes difficult to do something that is absolutely necessary.

In order for a story to be worth telling, a character must overcome an obstacle that has the potential to ruin the life they have sought for themselves. Anything less that this is boring. It's like... "Sally Sue lived with her perfectly nice mother and father in a beautiful house. One day, she met Danny Doug. Danny Doug was very nice and they spent lots of time together on nice little outings. Sally Sue and Danny Doug fell in love and got married. The end."

Seriously... lots of pretty words... but not a story that will keep us on the edge of our seat completely enthralled. It's boring, no matter how "nice" it is. It's just not a worthwhile story! What Sally Sue needs is a problem!!!

If you have a Sally Sue character, you may have fallen in love with her as a character and the idea of trowing something bad into her life may horrify you. You may have to separate her and Danny Doug, or maybe one of them gets a horrible disease! Gosh, that may upset you. But part of being a writer is creating characters that the reader can identify with. Your readers have problems in their lives and when they see a character who goes through a similar circumstance and overcomes, they feels strengthened and encouraged. Isn't that the whole point of a story? Reading something that makes you feel good?

This is why a Black moment is so necessary. It puts the character in a place where they must make a choice, a place where they learn something, or a place where they must reach beyond themselves in order to overcome. THIS is good reading! Readers love this! So let's go back to Sally Sue and see if we can give her a moment where the sky on her pretty little life seems to turn completely black and she almost looses hope. It'll be fun! I promise!

"If anyone in the town of Littleburg looked at the life of Sally Sue, they would have thought she lived the perfect life. Everything about her seemed wonderful... her parents, her house, she even had met the perfect man, Danny Doug. But all was not so well as it seemed. Sally Sue's family had a secret. Mr. Sue was a murderer! Sally kept this secret all to herself. She feared that Danny might not want her if he ever found out. But one day, on her way home from a nice outing with Danny, Sally overheard her Dad plotting to murder Danny too! She had to warn Danny, even if she never saw him again, his life mattered above all else.

"So Sally went to Danny's house and begged him to believe her. He thought she was joking. But Sally couldn't let anything bad happen to Danny. When she saw her Dad sneaking out that night, she followed him all the way to Danny's house. She got in through the back door and placed herself in front of Danny's bedroom door. Her dad came up the stairs with the knife poised and began to lower his weapon, aiming for Sally's chest. but then the light from the moon dipped on Sally's face and her dad froze. Her dropped the knife and ran out of the house. Sally called the police and they caught Mr. Sue on his way back to the perfect little house. Danny was safe. The end."

THAT is called a good story. Did you catch the black moment there? It makes all the difference in the story. When Sally Sue risks her life and her chance at living happily ever after with Danny - that's what makes her a character we admire and care about.

Try a black moment in your story, even if it means upsetting your character you love so much.

Chance of a Lifetime

I've been trying to stress this a lot lately, but I just wanted to take the time to really punch this one hard. This page is designed to help teen writers find the resources they need to be recognized and possibly get on the path to publishing earlier than most authors do. That's something to get excited about.

My name is Emily and that's me in on the far left in the picture next to Lauraine Snelling, author of the Red River series. I started writing... really writing... in eighth grade. By 9th and 10th grade, I was obsessive and so my parents decided that we needed to do something about my obsession with writing. I spent most of the day after I got home from school sitting in front of an old mac computer working on a series of stories that were actually inspired by Lauraine Snelling's books. She wrote about her Norwegian heritage, so I decided to write about my Swedish heritage. I used to spend hours on those stories. And that's where my story begins.

My mom found a Christian writers conference online and wanted to send me, but we found the conference a little late. By the next year... my Junior year, my mom jumped on it. That spring, i found myself at the Mt. Hermon Christian Writer's Conference with my dad and surrounded by authors I knew only by their books. I flipped. I'd never been so excited. These authors felt like celebrities to me. They were rather human idols though... I got to know them over the course of the conference. They were a lot like me. Being writers, I'm sure you understand... we're a strange breed of people... we eavesdrop, talk to ourselves, make up stories in our heads, stare into space, and take note of weird details. Trust me... you are not alone. Meeting other authors was amazing. It made me realize that I really was apart of this group of people.

I got a lot of advice about my writing that year. Mary DeMuth mentored me and helped me weed out my excessive "was's" and "had's" and "ly adverbs." I also did a TON of "head-hopping." She fixed that right away. My writing took a giant leap. I will never forget that year.

After such a great year... of course I had to go back my Senior year of high school. By then, I had almost finished working on a new manuscript with all of the previous year's advise worked in. I mailed it in ahead of time to be critiqued. I was totally 17 and nervous about what the critic would think, but then she approached me and wanted to meet with me in the ice cream parlor. Believe me when I say I was elated. But I'd jsut hit midconference crash and decided to skip my last seminar and go for a walk. I forgot what time it was. I missed my meeting.

This is my story though... that was my "black moment." I felt crushed inside for missing my appointment. But my dad showed up (he'd been staying with my great-grandma rather than attending the conference with me again) and we ate dinner together before the awards ceremony the night before the end of the conference. That made me feel better... at least a little. He sat with me as they began announcing the different awards. Mt. Hermon has an amazing awards ceremony for the different published authors and the writers who submit manuscripts for critique. My friend Esther and I were most anxious about the "Most promising teen writer" award. I don't think I really expected anything. Sure I think I hoped for it, but I don't think I expected anything. But that's what makes me smile as I think back. When they did call my name, I finally understood why my dad came early. I was rather overwhelmed.

They handed me the framed certificate and my hand was shaken several times. They read out some information about me... which colleges had accepted me, where I was from and how long I'd been writing. But when I sat down with me, my dad shared something with me that I'd never forget. It was Lauraine Snelling who critiqued my manuscript. And according to a relative who happens to be an agent and on the board choosing the recipients for the awards, Lauraine Snelling didn't know I was a teen author when she read my manuscript. Hearing that changed writing for me. It gave me the strength I needed to feel confident about pushing forward to getting that story published. I suddenly wanted that more than anything.

So... that's my story... and I don't want you to walk away thinking, "she must be a really good writer" because I'm obviously only 18. I still have a lot of work to do. I want you to walk away and start pressing forward... doing what you need to do to get the resources you need to someday realize your dreams.

God has given you a talent and when he gives you a talent he wants you to use it. "In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Matt. 5:16) This isn't about pride here or humility. This is about giving glory to God. When we do things, we do things for God's glory so that others can see and believe. So don't let your God given talents slip aside. Use them for this glory.

Mt. Hermon Writers' Conference is coming up again this spring. I'm planning on being there again. Even if you don't live in California... I HIGHLY recommend you find a similar conference in your area. Something about conferences... they're the chance of a lifetime to kick-start your journey into doing something about your God-given talent.

http://mounthermon.org/event/122

END in the beginning

Every good story should have the end in the beginning.... I'm sure you have no idea what I'm talking about, and if you think you do, you probably don't, so keep reading.

This doesn't mean that you need to tell what happens in the end and then flashback to how the character got there. NO. Don't do that for goodness sake. Well, you can, but that's not what I'm trying to say here. Don't get ahead of me. What I AM trying to say, is that In order to write a good opening to a story, you need to introduce a problem that needs to be resolved.

think about it... when you read the first  few chapters of a book, a problem is introduced. You meet a character who is struggling with something that needs to be resolved somehow by the end of the story. Cinderella is an amazing example of this. Cinderella is poor and abused by her stepmother. We would assume that by the end of the story, Cinderella is no longer poor and no longer under the control of her stepmother. Are you starting to get it now????

It's a simple enough and it ALWAYS helps with plot. One of the biggest problems with writing is sometimes we have NO idea where we are going with a story, we're just writing. Creating an END in the Beginning can help your story to have direction. This does not CONFINE you. I promise. But when you write an introduction, set up a problem. That's all you have to do. Keep in mind as you write the story that the problem you introduced needs to be resolved. The entire story SHOULD be about HOW this problem gets resolved. Or HOW the character learned the trait they lacked and are in desperate need of.

Just for a little positive note to end on, I'll leave you with one last example.

In the movie "Brave," Merida and her mother have two opposing viewpoints. As the audience, we assume that by the end of the movie, Merida and her mother with get along and have a better understanding and appreciation for one another.

Okay... that's all from me for now =)

Happy writing

Real Men - Ladies Only

For some reason, men don't struggle with this as much a women do, but this is important. WE CAN'T MESS THIS UP ANYMORE LADIES! We can't create girly men! Men are very different from women and if we write stories about men who act like women we'll get some very nasty accusations from our Christian audience. Ah well. I suppose I need to tell you what - exactly - you, my lady friends, are doing wrong.

Men...

• can separate feelings from what they need to do
• tend to notice action rather than color (meaning they probably don't care about how the frilly dress your heroine is wearing flatters her eyes)
• tend to dislike dependency. (money, skills)
• tend to be blunt

Women...

• have feelings about everything they endeavor
• notice color over action
• have a tendency not to have qualms about dependency 
• will disguise their true feelings

This is not true for EVERY man. But most men are... well, masculine. They don't act like girls. So when you write about guys, it's important not to impose feelings on a male character that they really never would have. A guy won't put a half hour's thought into what he's wear so that a girl will notice. He won't be able to simply get together just to "get together" - he'll probably need a purpose. Guys are intentional. Crying isn't something they do, except on very, very significant occasions.

ANYWAYS. Girls, we need to start telling our stories straight. We need to write about real men.

Contest - Count Your Many Blessings

 

Kelly Webber, New Jersey

“This is so unfair,” Aileen cried in refusal.
            “Aileen,” her father warned in a stern, yet slightly calm, tone. “Your mother and I do not have a choice about this. We are moving to the United States, and that is final.”
            “London is my home! London is our home! Our family is here. All my friends are here.”
            Her mother leaned over and embraced her with a tight squeeze. “We know. I’m not going to lie; leaving will be difficult for all of us. Trust me. This will be so much easier if we can just look at the positives.”
            Positives? Aileen’s ears perked with keen interest at this promising word. “Hollywood. Please tell me it’s Hollywood. Please, please, please.” As an aspiring guitarist and vocal singer, Aileen took every opportunity possible to get involved in the music business. Hollywood might just be her coveted ticket to fame. “Or at least somewhere in California. I need to find a music producer.” Aileen drifted off into a deep reverie and imagined herself in a recording studio or starring in her debut movie, on the cover of every teen magazine available. She might as well start practicing her autograph.
            Her father grinned, pleased with her newfound euphoria. “Better. We’re moving to Naperville, Illinois.”
            Aileen blinked with confusion at the name of the unfamiliar location. “Isn’t Illinois in the middle of nowhere?”
            “We won’t be too far from Chicago,” her mother added, somewhat helpfully. “We can drive up there on weekends and look around in the city.”
            Aileen considered this. She could cooperate or not. She opted not. Enraged, she stormed up to her room.

            I do not belong here, Aileen thought to herself while preparing to board the plane. Her best friend, Heather Morris, and their youth group leader, Amber Baldry, tagged along with her to the airport. Much to Aileen’s chagrin, they insisted on a few final farewells. Aileen refused to say goodbye. Saying goodbye made moving so much more real. She preferred to hide in her bedroom and pretend that her life was not her reality; it was just a ghastly nightmare from which she would soon wake.
“We’re going to miss you so much,” whispered Heather, eyes shining with tears.
“Write to us every chance you get,” Amber instructed. “Everyone will want to hear about America.”
“I don’t see why.” Aileen gave her duffel bag a weak kick, hoping her misery would show.
Amber hugged her. “Come on, Aileen. This is a great opportunity. Besides, it’s almost America’s Independence Day.”
Heather nodded. “Take pictures. None of us ever got to celebrate the Fourth of July.”
Aileen agreed. “E-mail me about it as soon as you can.”
After a few final farewells, Aileen and her parents boarded the plane.
A single, lonely tear strayed down Aileen’s cheek. She wiped it off, and snuggled into the airplane seat. A window seat, she noted miserably. About ten years ago, she would move to Antarctica if it meant she could have the window seat. That was ages ago, and Aileen suddenly longed for the simplicity of being six.
Why did God make this happen to her? Why did her life have to be so horrific? The whole plane ride to the location her parents called ‘home,’ Aileen prayed that nothing would change. Not her friendship with Heather or Amber, not her life, nothing.
The uneventful take-off commenced. Aileen sighed and opened her book. Reading always made time pass. A crumpled sheet of loose-leaf paper stuck out of a page, in place of her bookmark. It said, in Amber’s neat print, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” Jeremiah 29:11.

            Grace Church was located only a few blocks from their new home in Naperville. Since Youth Group was held on Wednesday afternoons at three, Aileen opted to check it out. Her mother suggested a few hours of sleep, but Aileen was far too desolate to notice her jet lag. She strolled down the picturesque suburban sidewalk. She noticed the truly stunning summer foliage: tall trees with leaves green as emeralds. She tilted her head upward, stunned by the cloudless azure sky, accentuated with the scorching rays of July sun.
            At first glance, Grace Church looked small and somewhat abandoned. It was unpretentious at the best. The building was no larger than Aileen’s new house, and without a doubt much older. Daisies and daffodils bloomed with elegance surrounding the narrow pathway, which led to a crooked entrance. Aileen paced toward the front door with caution. She reminded herself that the façade had nothing to do with the church itself; what truly mattered was their devotion to Jesus.
            Sure enough, the first thing Aileen noticed was a stack of brand new Bibles. They were the New International Version, with shiny never-been-opened covers. They looked out of place in the antiquated church. Behind Aileen, a swarm of teenagers flooded in through the wooden doorway. They were all different ages ranging from about twelve to no younger than seventeen. They filed into the pews, chattering and laughing. Aileen followed their lead, hoping she would not seem like too much of an outcast.
            A soft, yet somehow loud voice greeted them from in front of the closed door. “Welcome, everyone! I see a lot of familiar faces, and a few new ones. Have a seat and I’ll explain our agenda for this summer.”
            Aileen found a seat in between a lanky fifteen year old guy, and a girl about the same age. They both wore casual attire: jeans and t-shirts. Aileen glanced down at her knee-length floral skirt in regret. At her old church, mass and youth group were always occasions which called for formal attire.
            “That’s Emily Hughes,” one of her neighbors, the boy, informed her, beckoning toward the tall brunette who just addressed the group. “She’s our youth leader.”
            He obviously noticed her naiveté, she realized.
            “Welcome to Grace Church youth group,” Emily announced. “We’re going to shake things up a bit this summer. First order of business: Bibles. Sage, could you pass them out to everyone?”
            A short girl with spunky ebony hair obediently handed a Bible to each teen. Emily nodded encouragingly, and moved on.
            “Secondly, I have a new idea for this summer. We are the only youth group in Naperville with both middle and high school students. Why not take advantage of that? I’m going to pair each one of you middle school students with an older buddy.”
            A few groans arose from both age groups.
            “Come on, guys,” Emily’s enthusiasm seemed to never wear off. “You can hang out together, pray together, text, or just talk. I think this is a unique opportunity for you to grow as people and Christians.” A few were still obviously defiant, but Aileen admired Emily’s bubbly personality. “Everyone get up. I made a list of who I think will work best together.”
            Worry unexpectedly crept into Aileen’s heart. Her visit to Grace Church youth group had been impromptu.
            “Emily?”
            “Yes, darling? Sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”
            “My name is Aileen Hutchins. I just moved here from London.”
            “Welcome to Grace Church. Believe me, this summer is going to be the best experience of your life.”
            Aileen wasn’t sure about that, but Emily’s charisma instantly seeped into her. “You probably didn’t think to pair me with one of the middle school-”
            Emily cut her off, “Not to worry! I have the perfect match for you. Joy!”
            One of the youngest girls jogged toward them. Aileen assumed she could be no older than eleven. She was short and rather skinny for her age, with chocolate eyes and luscious blonde hair.
            “Aileen, this is Joy Becker,” Emily introduced the girl. “She’s twelve years old and going into seventh grade.”
            “Hello, Joy. I’m Aileen Hutchins. It’s nice to meet you.”
            Emily added, “Aileen just moved here all the way from London.”
            Aileen would not have imagined it was possible for Joy’s gargantuan eyes to grow any larger, but they widened with astonishment as she heard this. “H-hi. I’m Joy.”
            “Let’s exchange e-mails,” Aileen suggested. “We should get to know each other.”
            “Okay,” she agreed. “I’ll g-give you my cell phone number t-too.”
            They just finished exchanging contacts and Joy’s phone beeped. “My mom is here,” she muttered after reading the text.
“Have a nice day, Joy. I’ll text you later.” Aileen promised.
Joy waved. “Okay, see you around.”
It was when she waved that Aileen noticed the slits scarring her wrists.

            “I’m sure by now you’ve picked up on Joy’s depression,” Emily acknowledged before sipping her mocha.
            Aileen sunk deeper into her seat. Maybe meeting Emily for coffee was a mistake. She pondered on the irony of what her youth leader had just said: Joy’s depression. What on earth could be more ironic than a girl named Joy with depression? She glared at the coffee drink sitting before her, whipped cream oozing out the top of her portable mug. At this point, Aileen ceased to remember what she ordered. Everything suddenly seemed completely insignificant whenever she reminisced on Joy’s wrists, scarred with countless slits.
            “She’s had a rough couple of years. Her parents were divorced in September, and her dad has apparently made no effort to contact her. She feels abandoned, you know?”
            Aileen nodded and uttered something incoherent.
            “Her school situation definitely hasn’t help, of course. She’s usually scraped by with C’s and D’s, but she failed Algebra this year. She never had many friends in the first place, and it looks like things are only getting worse for her.”
            “Is she being bullied?”
            “As far as I know, people are never outright mean to her. She’s avoided for few reasons. Her stutter, her...wrists.”
            “That can’t be easy for her. You know, going through all of that, all alone.”
            “That’s why you’re here, darling.”
            “Do you think I can help her?”
            Emily paused and sipped her coffee. “I think you need to consider why God sent you Naperville to begin with. Figure that out, and you might find yourself closer to your answer.”
            Guilt flooded Aileen’s heart. For the past week, she allowed anger to consume her. God did not send her to Naperville because He enjoyed her pain. He had something much, much bigger in mind. Aileen, apparently, was incapable of seeing His big picture. God, why do you let terrible things happen? Why do I have so many blessings in my life and Joy is lonely? Why did this happen to someone so gentle and innocent? Aileen wondered silently.
            “Aileen? Do you want to talk about it?”
            “No,” she replied, forlorn. She gathered her things and rushed out of the coffee shop.
            She left her coffee on the table, untouched.

            1:15 a.m. 1:16 a.m. Aileen watched in frustration as her clock ticked and tocked into the starless night. A blank sheet of paper sat in front of her, as it had for over nearly two hours. No, it was not totally blank. It was covered in eraser marks and scratched out lyrics.
            Aileen attempted to write a song for Joy. She wrote countless songs back in London, but she never showed anyone. Writing somehow seemed different when the writer knew that anyone, even if just one person, would read what they wrote. Aileen suddenly felt self-conscious about songwriting.
            In effort to take her mind off her failure of a song, Aileen opened her Bible and began reading. While flipping through the pages, she came across “So rejoice in the Lord and glad, all you who obey Him! Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!” Psalm 32:11.
            Without another thought, she wrote the perfect song. She titled it “Count Your Many Blessings”.

            “Joy,” Aileen summoned her friend after mass. “I have something to show you.”
            “What?” she responded, not bothering to hide her lack of fervor.
            Aileen’s lips curved into a small smile. She reached into her case and grasped her secret weapon: an outdated, yet perfectly tuned, guitar.
            “I don’t know how to play,” Joy declared with only a single glance at the instrument.
            “That’s okay,” Aileen responded. “I wrote a song for you.”
            “For me?” she asked, her face overcome with bewilderment.
            “Sit down and listen,” she ordered, beckoning toward a bright crimson bean bag in the corner. She stroked the guitars antique strings, and began to sing.
“Through much pain I must overcome
I am engulfed by my own sin
Life will never be perfect
But I guess that’s not the point
For I found a beloved Savior
Who gave is life for mine
All my agony is eclipsed by his overwhelming mercy
So I count my many blessings and thank the Lord for my joy
So I count my many blessings
And thank the Lord for my Joy”
            Aileen glimpsed at Joy, her heart pounding. Did Joy like the song?
            Joy raised her right hand and reached into the pocket of her ripped faded blue jeans. She took out her phone and clicked a few buttons. Aileen watched, goose bumps emerging all over her arms. Joy set her phone on the floor and commanded, “Sing.”
            “Excuse me?” Aileen asked in confusion. What was going on?
            “Sing your song again.”
            Aileen obeyed, this time repeating the verse twice. She wasn’t nervous at all. In fact, it felt as if Jesus had suddenly let His light shine upon her, and nothing could stop her from playing this song with her whole heart. She remembered Matthew 5:16. “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven.”
            After the final note, Joy retrieved her phone and ginned as if. “I’m going to listen to this every single day. You’re my best friend.” Joy uttered, wrapping her into an infinite hug.
            Aileen had no idea what it felt like to get a recording label, but she could not imagine it could possibly feel anywhere near as rewarding as this.

            Only a few days after singing her song to Joy, Aileen realized the past week caused her too much stress. She walked over to Andersen Book Shop and spent some time alone. This is nice, she thought to herself. Peace and quiet. Finally!
            She browsed the neatly ordered bookshelves, admiring the tidiness. She felt grateful to escape from the slew of moving boxes covering the floor of her room. Though the book selection was relatively broad for such a small store, Aileen made her decision almost instantly. Her favorite Christian fiction author just released a new addition to her series, and Aileen could not wait to read it.
            “Aileen!” a voice called from a few feet away. Aileen turned in anticipation. She did not make any plans to meet a friend.
            “Emily?”
            “Some of the middle school girls got their friends to join youth group, so I came here to pick up a few Bibles for them,” her youth group leader responded, carrying a bag with at least five or six Bibles.
            “That’s awfully kind of you, Emily. You must have bought at least thirty for the whole group by now.”
            Her hazel eyes smiled. “Twenty-five to be exact, including these.”
            Aileen giggled with affection for her astounding leader. “Either way, you’re very compassionate.”
            “Thanks. That means a lot. Hey, you’re actually just the girl I was hoping to bump into.”
            “Why is that?”
            “My sister Faith is a very talented musician, and we planned on her to be the entertainment at our Fourth of July party.”
            “That’s great! I can’t wait to meet her.”
            “Well, that’s where you come in. As it turns out, she can’t make it to Naperville on time. She lives in Massachusetts, and something just came up.”
            “That’s too bad,” Aileen cooed, filled with sympathy. “But how do I come in?”
            “I overheard you singing to Joy in the church a few days ago. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but you were very talented.”
            “Are you serious? Thank you so much! That means a lot to me.”
            “Aileen, would you like to fill in for Faith at the Fourth of July celebration?”
            “Nothing could possibly make me happier.”

            “Showtime!” Emily announced.
            “W-what if I get nervous?” Joy stuttered. Aileen added her to the performance last-minute.
            Aileen giggled. “Nobody will be able to tell. Just smile. Besides, it’s a duet. I’ll be singing with you.”
            They stood in the center of the stage, all eyes on them. The entire congregation watched them. Aileen heard her heart pounding.
            They sang Star Spangled Banner, two of Faith’s original songs and then a few of their favorite songs from youth group. They even sang the song Aileen wrote for Joy. As it turned out, God blessed Joy with a beautiful singing voice. She discovered a newfound confidence on the stage, and she sang with her whole heart. Aileen, overcome with pride, just played the guitar for the second verse and ceased to sing. That moment was Joy’s time to shine.
After a stellar performance, Joy and Aileen collapsed on the lawn, exhausted. Fireworks crackled in the sky, lighting up the universe with explosive eruptions of red, white and blue. Joy rested her head against Aileen’s left shoulder. Aileen stroked her soft blonde locks, praying that this would be only the beginning of their blossoming friendship, not to mention Joy’s journey with Christ.
            Aileen reflected on the past few weeks. Before she moved, her life had been so routine and repetitive. She had been fairly satisfied, but her heart was not full. She feared change. She was terrified of God’s plan for her because she did not know how to carry out His will on her own.
            Moving to Naperville uncovered a layer of truth. When God brought her to America, He did not bring her to pain and misery. On the contrary, He brought her to Joy. That in itself was a true blessing.

Voice

Something you might actually come into on your own without any guidance... well, it's not exactly something I can give you... is VOICE. Hmm. weird. don't you think? Voice is everything to a story. It keeps your reader hooked and it helps them settle into the story. Voice makes the reader feel as if what they are reading is actually happening. It sounds natural, as if someone in their heard were talking. It's smooth and not awkward or dull. It sounds human.

When I critique stories, one of the first things I notice, is their voice. You really can tell a lot about an author through their voice. Some have an incredible sense of humor and will describe things in a very ironic way. Kristien Heitzmann's Diamond of the Rockies series is this way. So is Jane Austen's books. Both authors have a very sarcastic voice when they choose. It makes the reader laugh. Others are much more serious and will get very in touch with the character's emotional state. Judith Pella's voice can be like this.

But, while some authors have an incredible voice, others however, have no voice, or a very dull one. Dull voices lack everything afore mentioned and seem to only give facts and details. Certainly the reader has a sense of what is going on in a scene, but for some reason, they fail to even scratch the surface of what is REALLY happening and their stories feel dead.

It can feel rather silly or cliche to say, but part of an author's voice does indeed come from emotion. If they are truly emotionally involved in their character's predicament, their voice absolutely sings and they will break through the glass many author's simply look through and become involved in the scene.

So, if you are a new writer, I promise you that your voice is only beginning to develop. The more you write, the clearer your voice becomes. It's like a muscle though. You have to exercise it for it to become stronger. When your voice becomes strong, there is nothing that can stop you.

And all you first person writers - this still applies to you. Your voice will change depending on which point of view you write from, but still, that character must have a distinct voice that sets them apart and breaks into the scene and makes it real.

Living In My Head

 I would like to introduce you to a pair of characters that have lived in my head for years. They came to take up their residence when I was only a few years old, but they've never seen reason to move out. And so, Peter and Wendy have lived in my head and grown up with me.

I'm sure that I'm not alone when I say most authors start this way... making up stories in their head. Peter and Wendy used to have all kinds of adventures in my head - though not in Neverland - quite sadly, that was never their location. Somehow, they became my own, not the famous pair from the old story.

Let me start by telling you about my Peter. I want you to meet him. My Peter became a boy by the name of Peter Parker (Yes, that I took from spiderman. Forgive me, I was six) who grew up in a hospital because of a rare muscle disease that paralyzed him. Sometimes, depending on my story, he was an orphan, other times his father left him, not knowing what to do with him. Either way, he was always a tragic figure, as well as a hero. In all circumstance, Peter has three things in his favor that keep him going: he is affluent, he is incredibly intelligent, and he is fun-loving. This is my Peter. He lives in my head.

My Wendy, is actaully named Gwendolyn. Wendy is only a short name for her. Sometimes, she was a girl who suffered a slight injury and ended up in the same wing of the hospital as Peter. In other cases, she happened to be a girl who came to visit patients at the hospital as a good-deed-doer and met Peter that way. In both cases, they became friends and partners in Peter's pranks and escapades.

By now, you are wondering why I chose to introduce you to those characters. They are a bit different and will never have their story make it to paper, but nevertheless, they are always in my head and remind me of why I love telling stories. I truly do hope you have someone, or someones, who live in your head too. It's rather amazing to have a fictional someone like that... and no, if you are an author, it is not strange =)

but anyways... having a character live in your head also helps you to write better. It can help you to know them inside and out and keep you from writing clones. CLONES are characters that all act and think the same, and I assure you, clones make for an incredibly dull story. Two characters should never be exactly alike.

THE TRUTH IN FICTION by Mona Hodgson

Many of my closest friends are liars. But they might prefer the title storyteller extraordinaire. Tale-weavers. And whether the literary yarn they spin is set in an actual place or based upon real life events and historical characters, they are authors of fiction. I am too. And as novelists, we have chosen to write fiction, not fact. But even so, is the story we weave truly and completely made up?

Not the best stories. All compelling fiction resonates with readers. Why? Because the best stories are rich in truth.

Why has Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell camped on bestsellers’ lists? Why has it inspired movies and spin-offs? Why is Gone with the Wind a classic? Because the story told the truth. Even though Scarlett’s tale wasn’t necessarily formed in actual reality, the setting and characters, action and themes offer a tapestry of honesty that can make a work of fiction feel more real, at times, than life itself.

Using those four central threads of fiction, I try to create an honest story world and premise that will provide a platform for truth and deepen the realness of my fiction.


SETTING

As the backdrop for the action, the setting anchors a story in a specific time and place. How can setting add truth to fiction?

You and I are affected by the location in which we find ourselves. We react to our setting on physical, emotional, mental, and perhaps even a spiritual level. Sometimes we’re aware of our reactions. At other times they take place in our subconscious.

Where is your story set? At a plantation in Georgia?

Tell me more.

Actually, it’s Tara, a cotton plantation Scarlett’s father named after the Hill of Tara, once the capital of the High King of ancient Ireland.

When?

Through the Civil War and into the reconstruction period.

That’s more like it. The time period in which a story unfolds has everything to do with the setting. And that’s true whether it plays out in a historical time and place or whether it’s contemporary. Setting isn’t limited to a pin on a map, but also provides a cultural, social, and political context in which the characters act, interact, and react. Consider the West Coast of America in contrast to the South. Ireland in the1600s and the USA in that same time period. What about settings where women are finally able to vote? And post 9/11? These events will be considered and remembered differently, depending upon the setting and
situation in which the characters experience them.

That’s something an author has to consider . . . what is the main character’s surface and gut-level reaction to the details and fullness of their setting? A clearly defined setting will impact their characters, and, consequently us as readers because we will recognize honesty in the setting.

My Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek Series is set in a mining camp in Colorado in the late 1890s. There are many truths intrinsic to that specific time and place—the culture of the Wild West mining camps. Ore fever, most definitely. Prostitutes, certainly. And hardships in varying sizes and shapes.

CHARACTERS

Scarlett O’Hara was fake only when she chose to be to serve her purposes. Otherwise, she was one of the most “real” characters we’ll find in literature. An individual through and through, Scarlett was bathed in the truth of human nature—replete with strengths and weaknesses, self-centered pursuits and dogged determination in the company of tragedy. A character’s inner conflict is what invokes honesty.                             

Margaret Mitchell imbued Scarlettt, a multi-dimensional character, with a clearly defined goal—to win Ashley’s heart, and then to save Tara and win Rhett Butler back. We watched Scarlett’s desires unfold and change and deepen, along with the setting in which she found herself.

How does an author draw truth out of a character? We saw it with Scarlet. It’s through the fascination and friction inherent in human relationships (fictional ones included) that reveals true character. And that’s true whether those secondary characters are love interests, antagonists, sidekicks, or mentors. They provide a means for readers like you and I to see the main character’s vulnerabilities and strengths.

As I plan a story, I have to determine what it is that my main characters want? What must he or she achieve or overcome? Why? Where lies their motivation? What is at risk if he or she doesn’t meet their goal? What will happen if their objective changes?

Two Brides Too Many tells the story of Kat and Nell, two sisters who came out west from Portland, Maine as mail order brides. What drove them to make that choice? In Too Rich for a Bride, Ida the oldest Sinclair sister arrived in Cripple Creek with the dream of being a businesswoman. What planted that dream in her?

If I “flesh out” the character and her journey and outcome, I find myself writing truth in
fiction.

ACTION

The story consists of a series of actions inspired by a character’s goal and motivation, driven by his or her interactions with others, and deepened by the roadblocks they face, which may in part be inherent to the setting they find themselves in.

For instance, Two Brides Too Many is set in a mining camp on the southwestern slopes of Pikes Peak in 1896. In that time period, most of those towns were still made of wood. Those that were, went up in flames at least once and, most of them, many times before the town’s people chose to rebuild using brick and stone. Kat Sinclair encounters one of those fires in Cripple Creek, which serves as a key plot point in her journey, fueling action on her part and on the secondary characters with whom she interacts.

Basically, plotting is the action a character takes to overcome the obstacles and work through the conflict that stands in the way of him or her reaching their goal. Gone with the Wind is resplendent with such action.

THEME

I want my readers to discover truth about themselves, the world, God, and others as they relate to and interact with my characters. The theme provides the walk-away value in the story. What central truth do I want my readers to recognize in the setting, the characters, and the action and take with them when they close my book?

My job then is to develop my characters fully and allow them to struggle naturally and passionately, letting my theme emerge out of the “realness” of the characters’ situations.

Margaret Mitchell didn’t break into the story to tell us the themes of Gone with the Wind. Through setting, characters, and action, she showed us triumph over tragedy and there is strength in love. In Two Brides Too Many, I showed God making a way through the wilderness for those who placed their trust in Him. Ida Sinclair struggles to realize where her true priorities lie in Too Rich for a Bride. In The Bride Wore Blue, shame nearly suffocates Vivian, the youngest of the four sisters, until she learns that God’s grace is all-sufficient.

The message or moral of a story will only ring true when the characters carry the theme with them on their journey from goal through conflict to resolution.

Where is the truth in fiction? Yes, it is in the details. But it is birthed deep within the writer. I’m trying to dig deep to create stories rich in authentic settings, characters, action, and themes. Thanks for reading!

MONA HODGSON is the author of more than thirty-two books for adults and children, including her popular Sinclair Sisters of Cripple Creek Series—Two Brides Too Many, Too Rich for a Bride, The Bride Wore Blue, and Twice a Bride (October 2012). Her children’s book titles include: Bedtime in the Southwest and six princess and desert I Can Read books. For more information about Mona and her books and for Writers Resources, visit her website at www.monahodgson.com. You can connect with Mona on Twitter and Facebook on her Mona Hodgson Author Page, https://www.facebook.com/Author.Mona.

Mona Hodgson

tips on stort stories

Since this happens to be a group for teen WRITERS... We thought it only appropriate that we give you opportunities to show off your writing skills. But, we know that many of you don't get too many opportunities to see just what it takes to write those best seller stories... though we do believe that you can do it.

So as we start out on our first ever short story contest, we thought it might be helpful to give you some tips on how to write a short story that stands out... after all, you do want to win, don't you?

1. You need a conflict. Internal or external... something must cause problems for your character.
2. setting... we need to know where your character is... leave us hints to give us a sense of our surroundings. Characters do not float around in a big, black blah.... unless you specifically say that they are floating around in a big black blah.
3. Try to avoid words like "was" or "had" or ly adverbs. These types of words can turn into crutches that stop you from fully describing what's going on. for example... "She was going to the library." EW. bad. now how about, "Under her arm, Suzie held a stack of books that continuously slipped out from her grip. They were overdue, and if she hurried, she could avoid owing another couple of cents that she didn't have."
4. Show, don't tell. As mentioned above.
5. A lesson must be learned. The character must come away with a different point of view than they had at the beginning.
6. And please... open the story where the story begins. Backstories don't help anyone. your reader must learn things on a need to know basis. And... end the story where the story ends. We don't always need to hear about what their life was like after the story ends.

I hope these tips were of some use to you =) Good luck!

Length, length, length...

When we all start writing, we write what I like to call, "story starts." Little short one to ten page beginnings of novels. Right? It's not such a bad place to begin, but sometimes, it's easy to get stuck writing story starts. It can seem like no matter what, you just can't write more than a few pages on a story... you lose interest, you think of a new story, etc. etc. Don't worry, we get it. And I just wanted to let you know, you won't be stuck there forever. Almost every author starts out that way.

To start, here's an idea that will help you control the NEW ideas that constantly bombard you.

The new ideas will never stop coming, It's one of the hassles of being an author... you get inspired, you think of something... that's just the way it is. But, when you're working on a story, and a new idea hits you, it can distract you, and derail you. So, when this happens, try this: get a notebook, any notebook, hard-bound, spiral... it really doesn't matter... and each time a new idea comes to you, rather than beginning another "story-start," write down a short synopsis of the idea in the notebook.

Now, how do you actually write a story that's longer than say... 10 pages?

Hmmm... haha. Yup. I know. Not easy. Quite naturally, when you first begin writing, a 300 page novel seems absolutely impossible. Especially, well, let me just say that the number of pages you type in Word will not match up with a book format. You'll have to start judging the length of your book by word count. For every ~350 words, you have 1 page. So take your word count and divide it by 350 to get an approximate page count. But really, don't expect to write a 300 page novel right off the back. Write until the story stops telling itself to you (this is an idea from CS Lewis - Chronicles of Narnia). The more you practice... yes, practice... writing, the easier the story will come. When you look back and compare the word counts of the stories you've written in chronological order, you'll see a steady climb. Other than that, here's some basic tricks...

• take time to tuck in details about the setting (but beware of dropping huge dull paragraphs of scenery)
• describe the character's physical reactions (facial, hands, feet... you get the picture)
• describe the character's thought process. 

These are the kinds of things that will fill out a scene... and when you write a scene, remember that each scene has a point to it that drives the plot. Say that Johnny brings a puppy home because he's searching for friends. He and his mother conflict... she doesn't want a dog in the house. So, Johnny is driven to look elsewhere. Meaningful scenes will help to drive your plot and send the story somewhere.

Happy writing =)

abc's Once Upon A Time

Okay, so how many of you have been hooked onto one of abc's BEST (in my own opinion) TV show? Of my own admission, I believe that this TV show is wonderful, but not only is it wonderful, it's a great idea. How? well, think about it. the creators of Once Upon a Time took our beloved childhood fairytales and turned the on the side, looked at them upside down and reworked them so that they all tied into one another.

When you're stumped for story ideas, fan fiction isn't such a bad idea. The characters are borrowed, and so are some of their goals, motivations and conflicts, but those things change all over the place when a fan fiction peice is created. but fan fiction is also a great tool when you're working on developing plot. Character is already set up and roaring to go, and you don't have to worry about it as much.

If you have issues with telling a good story (creating a good plot) why not play around with some fan fiction? Once you've got the hang of things, throw in your own characters and have a ball.

Go for it - just remember that you can't publish fanfiction because you don't own the rights to the characters.

The Day That's Different

In a previous note, we talked about ending with a bang, but what about starting a story? How do you capture a reader's attention since we only have about a minute's time to do so? How do we entrap them with the plight of our characters in such a way that they absolutely have to see the story through? That they have to make sure Johnny and Fido are together again? (you remember Johnny and Fido the robot dog don't you?)

Well, any good story begins on THE DAY THAT'S DIFFERENT. In that other note, I told you that epilogues were dangerous, right? Well, so are prologues and backstories. If you begin your story by telling your reader that Johnny was born to a middle class family and loves his mom, dad, and baby brother... well, that's nice, but it's not important to Johnny and Fido's plight. So how do we open a story? How do we introduce Johnny and his robot dog Fido? Like I said, we begin on the day that's different.

In grade school, you probably saw story charts like the one below...

story mountain

 But there's something majorly wrong with this story mountain... see how it's flat? Well, flat's boring. Really boring. So, let's skip ahead a bit and put our exposition at the very base of the mountain. Keep things lively by telling the reader that one afternoon, while Johnny and Fido were playing fetch, a man drove by in a truck and both stopped to stare. It was a big white truck that neither one had ever seen before with the words, "Big Chow" painted on the side and it scarred them both just a little... it gave them a feeling of foreboding.

How was that? Without trying to hard, I even told you a little bit about their relationship. By telling you that they play fetch, you know that Johnny takes time out for Fido to play with him. But I didn't blab a ton about how Johnny built Fido out of spare parts or that his mother is always annoyed when Fido leaves oil stains on the carpet. Your reader is on a need to know basis. You don't have to tell them something until it's important to the plot. But anyways... I began on the day that was different, a day that wasn't like all the other days Fido and Johnny played in the park together. This time, they saw something that looked out of place and would change things for them.

How about another example that we're all familiar with? Pinocchio. The story of Pinocchio begins on the day that Gepeto carves the little marionette. Now, Gepeto carves a lot of things... he's a woodcarver, that's not all too unusual for him, but this time, when Gepeto closes up his shop, he wishes on a star... THAT'S WHAT'S DIFFERENT. He didn't wish on a star the other nights (or at least we don't think he did) and even if Gepeto had wished on the star before, THIS TIME his wish was granted.

so remember

1. Backstories at the beginning (prologues) are dangerous because they are boring and often extraneous.
2. Your reader is on a Need to Know basis
3. And begin on the day that is different. 

If you can remember this when you begin a story, you will be able to capture any reader's attention.

Writer Lingo...

Once you get into the real world of writing, you might feel a bit confused by all the terms you'll hear. It seems that we writers have a name for everything, even some of the writing techniques that are commonly used. Some you might already know, but many might be a little new.

Ms or Mss: abbreviation of Manuscript (your story all typed out)

angle: approach

genre: category (fiction, non-fiction, horror, mystery, romance, historical, fantasy...)

rights: ownership

slush pile: stories submitting to a publishing company without request from an editor

royalty advance: a percentage of profits given to the author before the book is published.

pay-per-word: amount of money payed out per word, normally for a short story or article.

assignment: requested story from publisher

work-for-hire: contract, publisher's idea

kill fee: money paid when an assignment or work-for-hire is canned.

Pay on Acceptance: immediate pay

Pay on Publication: paid when published

Simultaneous Submissions: submitting a manuscript to multiple publishers at once

Ghost Writing: When an author writes a book for a person who has no experience writing a novel, such as a famous person telling their biography. The author receives no credit and the famous person's name goes on the cover alone

Collaboration: Two authors work together to write a story, both recieve equal credit.

As Told To: similar to Ghost Writing and a Collaboration project. The author writes the story for someone else, but receives credit.

byline: that line that says by: your name

cover letter: a page that is on top of your manuscript, includes title, name, word count and a short "back-cover" sort of synopsis.

Query Letter: sent by an author to inquire from a publisher as to their interest in a proposed story for publishing.

Book Proposal: Follows a Query letter once a publisher shows interest. Explains in more detail the plot, marketing of the book, the intended audience, etc.

SASE: self-addressed, stamped envelope. Included with a manuscript send in by mail for the editor's reply.

freelance: editor/author not connected to a publishing house.

House: publisher

P & L: profits and loss

MC: main character

beats: action phrases included with dialogue. ("No you can't!" He ran to the door and closed it.)

Back-Cover copy: that little two or three paragraphs about the book on the back cover.