Hey, everybody - even before I got laid off at work, I knew that 2008 was the year I needed to reinvent myself as a writer. The first real evidence of this "new Chris Well" will be revealed in a short mystery story I am offering free on Valentine's Day to subscribers to my newsletter.
Generally, the new strategy includes repairing my name as a brand; refuting those who would label my fiction exclusively for "men" (which excludes the vast majority of readers who actually buy fiction); and circumventing those who think they're somehow doing my art a favor by making my stories impossible for the public to see / find / buy.
Specifically, this story introduces our new husband-wife sleuths Tom and Darla Booke. Over time, we hope to introduce the characters into several media, including comics, audio dramas, and more.
By the way, I see that Stephen Bly is also taking the fiction right to the people.
- Chris Well
http://studiowell.com/
http://www.ShoutLife.com/ChrisWell
Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends
Monday, February 11, 2008
Friday, February 8, 2008
A message from Virginia Smith
My 4th book made its official entrance to the world on Friday. (woo hoo!!!) STUCK IN THE MIDDLE is the first book in the Sister-to-Sister Series, published by Revell. The advance reviews have been good - a positive review in Publisher's Weekly (whew!), and 4 stars from Romantic Times.
To promote this book, my publisher and I are conducting an awesome contest. We're giving away a $500 shopping spree, as you've been seeing in my auto signature for a month now. :-) Entering the contest is easy. You just have to sign up to receive my bimonthly eNewsletter. Details of the contest can be found here: http://www.virginiasmith.org/contest.html
Wow...congrats Virginia! And while you're at it, don't forget to sign-up for my newsletter here!
Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends
To promote this book, my publisher and I are conducting an awesome contest. We're giving away a $500 shopping spree, as you've been seeing in my auto signature for a month now. :-) Entering the contest is easy. You just have to sign up to receive my bimonthly eNewsletter. Details of the contest can be found here: http://www.virginiasmith.org/contest.html
Wow...congrats Virginia! And while you're at it, don't forget to sign-up for my newsletter here!
Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Sisters by Rebeca Seitz
The week CFBA is touring Rebeca Seitz's first book in her scrapbook series.
About Rebeca
Seitz is Founder and President of Glass Road Public Relations. An author for several years, PRINTS CHARMING was her first novel.
Rebeca cut her publicity teeth as the first dedicated publicist for the fiction division of Thomas Nelson Publishers. In 2005, Rebeca resigned from WestBow and opened the doors of GRPR, the only publicity firm of its kind in the country dedicated solely to representing novelists writing from a Christian worldview.
Rebeca makes her home in Kentucky with her husband, Charles, and their son, Anderson.
Go here for a great interview with Rebeca on Relz Reviewz
ABOUT THE BOOK
Sisters, Ink marks the first in a series of novels written by, for, and about scrapbookers. At the center of the creativity and humor are four unlikely young adult sisters, each separately adopted during early childhood into the loving home of Marilyn and Jack Sinclair.
Ten years after their mother Marilyn has died, the multi-racial Sinclair sisters (Meg, Kendra, Tandy, and Joy) still return to her converted attic scrapping studio in the small town of Stars Hill, Tennessee, to encourage each other through life’s highs and lows.
Book one spotlights headstrong Tandy, a successful yet haunted attorney now living back in Orlando where she spent the first eight years of her life on the streets as a junkie’s kid. When a suddenly enforced leave of absence at work leads her to an extended visit with her sisters in Stars Hill, a business opportunity, rekindled romance, and fresh understanding of God’s will soon follow.
Buy the book here
Check out Rebeca's website here
Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
White Space
I think I've mentioned before that I teach writing to teens once a month. Do you want to guess what the #1 thing they need to work on it? Paragraphs!
My teens have the "sound" of books in their head, but they usually wrote everything in 1-2 paragraphs. One EASY tip for writers that not everyone realizes is the more white space on the page the better. Here is what Stephen King has to say about that.
"Observe the pattern--the lines of type, the margins, and most particularly the blocks of white space where paragraphs begin or leave off.
You can tell without even reading if the book you've chosen is apt to be easy or hard, right? Easy books contain lots of short paragraphs-- including dialogue paragraphs which may only be a word or two long--and lots of white space."
Stephen King, King on Writing, p. 123
Thinking about this, go back an look at your book. Is there a lot of white space? Is it easy to read? Do the paragraphs look overwhelming or friendly on the page???
Easy, right?
Powerful, yes.
Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends
My teens have the "sound" of books in their head, but they usually wrote everything in 1-2 paragraphs. One EASY tip for writers that not everyone realizes is the more white space on the page the better. Here is what Stephen King has to say about that.
"Observe the pattern--the lines of type, the margins, and most particularly the blocks of white space where paragraphs begin or leave off.
You can tell without even reading if the book you've chosen is apt to be easy or hard, right? Easy books contain lots of short paragraphs-- including dialogue paragraphs which may only be a word or two long--and lots of white space."
Stephen King, King on Writing, p. 123
Thinking about this, go back an look at your book. Is there a lot of white space? Is it easy to read? Do the paragraphs look overwhelming or friendly on the page???
Easy, right?
Powerful, yes.
Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Guest Blogger...Cara Putnam
I'm in that interesting spot writers sometimes find themselves in...in between contracts. I turned in my last contracted book January 15th, and spent a week revising one proposal as requested and then creating a new series proposal at another editor's request. Now I'm...waiting. Ugh. I.
Hate. That.
Let me say that again. I. Hate. Waiting.
I'm a type A personality. It didn't take my agent long to label me slightly obsessive.
It's truly ironic that two of my favorite Bible passages deal with trusting God and waiting on Him. He has a supreme sense of humor! Psalm 37:4 has been my life verse since I was 11 or 12. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Love it! But I can't ignore the verses that surround it:
Psalm 37:3-6 Trust inHmmm. Could David tell us to trust and commit our ways to Him anymore often in that passage? I say I trust God, and I really do try. But I'll be honest...times like this when everything is outside of my control are hard. There is truly nothing I can do but sit back and trust Him to have my future and my best interests in His hands. He knows which books I should write, in which order, and for which houses. Now I have to trust.
the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.
I also am tired. Frankly, I needed a few weeks to read, work on new ideas, dream a bit, and not write with a deadline marching across the calendar.
The Type A makes it very easy for me to tackle everything. I'm good at it. I can do alot. But I also need to give myself a break, let me body and mind rest. And maybe God knew I wouldn't do that without an imposed break. Yep, I think He knows me well.
So I'm also trying to take Isaiah 40 to heart:
Isaiah 40:28-31 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.You see, I'm still very new to this field. I'm used to being in fields (law, non-profit world, teaching) where, while I couldn't control everything, there were certain things I could always do to help direct results. Do A and B is likely to occur, if not guaranteed.
Writing is nothing like that. Instead, it's a real journey of faith.
There are still things I can do. Read great fiction. Research areas that interest me. I've got World War Two ideas and horse racing ideas filling my mind because I've been reading non-fiction in those areas. I can draft proposals.
But at a certain point, all I can do is wait.
You see, I have this assurance deep inside that good things are coming. I just don't know when. And that uncertainty is hard to handle. I also don't know which of the three proposals currently out there will resonate with an editor. Making it EXTREMELY hard to know where to direct my time and energy.
So I gave myself another week "off" -- my husband would laugh as I race through books, write reviews, work on ACFW's 2008 conference, etc.
But next week, I'll pick up another legal thriller proposal that several editors are interested in. I'll invest a week in it, try to polish it up for my agent to review. And then I'll wait. Rest in Him. And trust that He has my future under control.
Cara C. Putman
http://www.caraputman.com
Canteen Dreams -- October 2007; Sandhill Dreams -- May 2008 and Captive Dreams -- September 2008 (Heartsong Presents) Deadly Exposure -- May 2008 (LI Suspense)
Craftie Ladies of Suspense http://ladiesofsuspense.blogspot.com/
Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends
Monday, February 4, 2008
Emote
People read fiction for one thing above all else--emotion. They want to laugh, cry, get warm fuzzies, be surprised, be scared, be so scared they pee their pants! The problem is that too many times writers don't DELVE into their emotions. They say, "Clark was angry." or "Clara was excited." Well, so what? Those are just words. We can't FEEL it.
When it comes to emotions it's best to SHOW. It's also best to sometimes be over the top. If it's too much (which rarely happens) you can scale back.
It's also important to be creative. Help us to view these emotions in a new way. Here is an example from Anne Lamott.
"God, it was painful though, too, and the hangover was debilitating. I was deeply aware of the worm inside of me and of the grim bits that I feed it. The secret envy inside me is maybe the worst thing about my life. I am the Saddam Hussein of jealousy."
~Anne Lamott, Operating Instructions
That's less than 50 words, and even though this is non-fiction we can FEEL it. We can relate. We can understand.
So take time to go through your book. Highlight the emotions. Are you just telling? Delete that and rewrite it so we can FEEL it. Is it cliché? Think of a way to come up with something unique. Your reader will love you for it.
Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends
When it comes to emotions it's best to SHOW. It's also best to sometimes be over the top. If it's too much (which rarely happens) you can scale back.
It's also important to be creative. Help us to view these emotions in a new way. Here is an example from Anne Lamott.
"God, it was painful though, too, and the hangover was debilitating. I was deeply aware of the worm inside of me and of the grim bits that I feed it. The secret envy inside me is maybe the worst thing about my life. I am the Saddam Hussein of jealousy."
~Anne Lamott, Operating Instructions
That's less than 50 words, and even though this is non-fiction we can FEEL it. We can relate. We can understand.
So take time to go through your book. Highlight the emotions. Are you just telling? Delete that and rewrite it so we can FEEL it. Is it cliché? Think of a way to come up with something unique. Your reader will love you for it.
Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends
Friday, February 1, 2008
Writing takes discipline.
I have to sit down and work. I have to make goals. I have to meet goals.
I've also found out that the more discipline I have in life the better my writing goes.
I learned that when I have the discipline to eat right and exercise I sleep better, wake up with energy, and I can get more done. If I don't eat right, I feel sluggish and I need naps ... lots of them. I got a recumbent bike that allows me to exercise and read at the same time. Perfect!
Of course, discipline/joy that helps me the most is having daily quiet time. When I take time to read, pray, praise, journal my heart is on-fire and my mind is ready to work.
Over the last 8 months or so I've been disciplined in using the calendar in Outlook. I schedule everything: Bible reading, exercise, writing time, interviews, making dinner, phone meetings--everything. It also helps me as I fill in my to-do list. When I put everything into their own slots I get a realistic look at what I can accomplish--instead of being disappointed at the end of the day because I didn't accomplish as much as I hoped. Also, if another "to-do" comes to mind, I plug it in. Sometimes I schedule it days, weeks, or even months out. I've discovered that when I do this I don't have to worry about that "to-do" anymore because I know I have a plan and it will get done. It also feels good to check things off!
I also make church service a priority. Not service, the noun, but service the verb. My husband and I volunteer in children's church every week and every Wednesday I'm part of a small group study. It helps me to interact and give and serve. We also have a couples' small group every Monday night in our home. The six other couples are our best friends, and it's a great time. It is good to connect with real people!
Of course, being disciplined is HARD WORK. It's easy to make plans, but it's harder to follow through. My eating was good today. My exercise was not. I didn't have quiet time, because I had to take my grandma to the doctor. Some days are better than others, but it's a good reminder that this is a process. We are on pilgrimage, and I trust when I'm working at it day after day, then I will grow closer to God as I disciple myself and as I seek His strength in all these areas.
Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends
I've also found out that the more discipline I have in life the better my writing goes.
I learned that when I have the discipline to eat right and exercise I sleep better, wake up with energy, and I can get more done. If I don't eat right, I feel sluggish and I need naps ... lots of them. I got a recumbent bike that allows me to exercise and read at the same time. Perfect!
Of course, discipline/joy that helps me the most is having daily quiet time. When I take time to read, pray, praise, journal my heart is on-fire and my mind is ready to work.
Over the last 8 months or so I've been disciplined in using the calendar in Outlook. I schedule everything: Bible reading, exercise, writing time, interviews, making dinner, phone meetings--everything. It also helps me as I fill in my to-do list. When I put everything into their own slots I get a realistic look at what I can accomplish--instead of being disappointed at the end of the day because I didn't accomplish as much as I hoped. Also, if another "to-do" comes to mind, I plug it in. Sometimes I schedule it days, weeks, or even months out. I've discovered that when I do this I don't have to worry about that "to-do" anymore because I know I have a plan and it will get done. It also feels good to check things off!
I also make church service a priority. Not service, the noun, but service the verb. My husband and I volunteer in children's church every week and every Wednesday I'm part of a small group study. It helps me to interact and give and serve. We also have a couples' small group every Monday night in our home. The six other couples are our best friends, and it's a great time. It is good to connect with real people!
Of course, being disciplined is HARD WORK. It's easy to make plans, but it's harder to follow through. My eating was good today. My exercise was not. I didn't have quiet time, because I had to take my grandma to the doctor. Some days are better than others, but it's a good reminder that this is a process. We are on pilgrimage, and I trust when I'm working at it day after day, then I will grow closer to God as I disciple myself and as I seek His strength in all these areas.
Stop Lurking! Every week I will draw names for a free Tricia Goyer book from those who comment on my blogs. Winner's choice! Tell your friends
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