Where do I begin – Deciding where to start your story

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I've just finished judging the First Impression contest for ACFW, which is such a great idea for a contest.
It made me start thinking about starting a story and I’m going to try and talk with you about where, when and how.
I’m open to other opinions here because it’s tricky, so chime in.
I always say explode your story. Explode that book onto the page. But it’s not enough to explode for the sake of exploding. You've got to explode your story.

The opening of a book needs to do five things.
1) Explode
2) Story 
3) Anchor
4) Moment of Change
5) Cute Meet

1) EXPLODE- I mean something big, emotionally or physically, right off the bat.
When you’re revising your book take a few moments and VISUALIZE the editor. Visualize her sitting at her desk with STACKS of manila envelopes to her left and right. You know she is exhausted, overwhelmed, she’s got a lot of other jobs besides acquiring and she’s set 2-4 pm aside daily to read submissions from unpublished authors.
She rips open envelop after envelop and here’s the thing…she WANTS to buy your story. She wants something to grab her and excite her. She is hoping and praying she’ll find a new author. SHE NEEDS YOU.
Now, I don’t know this, but I suspect you've got about two minutes. You have got to grab her just like you're going to have to grab a reader when your book is published. You've got to write something exciting and you've got about half a page to do it.
Now look at your opening. Is it there? Is what she needs going to leap right off the page at her? Your story needs to explode.
HOWEVER it needs to not just explode for the sake of an explosion. There needs to be a point. It’s your STORY that’s exploding not just some random action scene to hook an editor.

2) STORY—Story! Story! Story! I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH!!! YOU'VE GOT TO TELL ME YOUR STORY. The story need to be there, front and center. I don’t think I can stress this enough. You’ve got to tell me the story. Yes, explode the book, but WHAT STORY ARE YOU GOING TO TELL? The trickiness of starting a book becomes MUCH SIMPLER if you just tell me your story from word one!
One of my recurring comments in judging is, “I still have no idea the story you’re going to tell me. I can’t tell by reading if this is a romance, who the hero and heroine are going to be, I don’t know where I am, when I am, who these people are and what story you’re going to tell. This is a sure fired way to get your submission rejected. START THE STORY. It needs to be in there. If it’s NOT in there, then you need to rework it until it is. I should NOT have to go to the blurb to know your story. No, not even in a short submission like five pages. TELL ME YOUR STORY! (have I stressed that enough, yet?)

3) ANCHOR—WHERE am I, WHEN am I, WHO are these people. When someone picks up a Mary Connealy book hopefully from my past work, the cover, and the backstory blurb, a reader flips open the page knowing what to expect. It’s gonna be a historical romance set in the America West, post-Civil War. But even with the reader knowing that, I still need to anchor them firmly in a time and place for them to join me on this journey. A tag after the title isn't enough. AND—I CAN’T LET IT STOP MY STORY FROM EXPLODING!

Yes, you can put a date under the title
Over the Edge
Rawhide, Colorado
October 30, 1866
Chapter One
(sometimes I include setting here, Rawhide, Colorado, but I didn't in Over the Edge)
But no place and date can do the job of drawing in a reader. That isn't enough to truly anchor your reader and draw them into the world you’re trying to create. You don’t have to be heavy handed about this. If Callie Kincaid is in a stagecoach hold up, I’m done. I've anchored them. A stagecoach sets you in time and place.

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I haven’t said:
Callie Kincaid was riding through the Colorado Rockies in 1866.
Instead page one, sentence one of Over the Edge:

A bullet slammed through the door of the stagecoach, threading a needle to miss all four passengers.

It’s a hold-up!” Callie Kincaid grabbed her rifle. “Get down!”

Almost every reader is immediately going to start thinking about a stagecoach hold-up they’ve seen in a movie. And I’m done. It’s cowboys. It’s the American west. Horses, rifles, Stetsons. It’s all done with one sentence. I work Colorado in pretty soon, but honestly there’s little time with the bullets flying. And at this point Colorado isn’t important because the reader knows exactly where they are in a general sense. The Wild West.


4) Moment of Change— I've heard it said to start your story at the moment of change. So, okay, picture yourself right now. What are you doing? Duh, you’re reading Seekerville. Then, maybe you've got screaming kids tugging on your knees, or it’s time to get dinner or you've got to head out to work, or you’re going to write for an hour. I’m sorry to tell you this, but YOUR LIFE ISN'T A STORY. The stuff you did yesterday and today and tomorrow is all good, it’s life and it’s a good life. But it’s not a STORY. (and be thankful for that, most stories are full of trouble--in fact PRAY that your life never becomes a story!). A story usually begins when that everyday life is changed.
The phone rings.
A knock on the door.
An outlaw shoots you out of the saddle.
A man plunges over a creek bank riding his horse at full speed and a woman races to save his life.
The train pulls up and a tall, dark and handsome stranger steps off and his fiery hazel eyes lock on yours.

Now THAT’S a story. Pick that moment of change. How does your heroine’s life suddenly change?

In Too Deep, the hero and heroine already know each other. But there’s that awful, beautiful cavern and it nearly steals the heroine’s baby from her forever. Ethan saves the baby and Audra knows she’s got to get away from that cavern. It’s too dangerous for a toddler. Ethan and Audra are married by the first sentence of Chapter Two. There’s your moment of change.

In Too Deep
Chapter One

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"Ethan! Where's Maggie?"  
Ethan's head snapped up at Audra's sharp tone. "What?"
Audra, rounding a boulder, just coming into view, dropped an armload of kindling. With the baby, Lily clutched to her chest, she charged forward calling, "Maggie!"
"I thought she stayed with you?" Ethan rose from where he crouched by the morning fire and turned in a circle, searching for the toddler. 

Mary again—the kindling, the morning fire, these cues set this book in the past. I suppose it could be a camping trip, but hopefully it’s enough. The explosion is a missing toddler and the accompanying panic and desperate search. But the story is there, too. A mother with children, a heroic cowboy there to help. And the moment of change, once we’re done exploding of course, is that Audra needs to get away which propels the marriage and the change that begins our story.

5) Cute Meet—Begin your story with the moment the hero/heroine have their cute meet.
Have you ever heard that in a romance the hero and heroine need to meet by page three? This is a hard and fast rule in shorter romances. Especially unshakable for a new author trying to get that first contract. You can try and push the envelop later, when you’re established, but for now, no matter the length, if you’re trying to get published, a great way to start your story is for the hero and heroine to meet. BAM! Page one. Sentence one. No backstory. No prologue. Just have them meet.

In Out of Control, Rafe and Julia meet when Rafe hears a scream for help. This--the moment they meet--is such an obvious place to start a romance novel that if you DON’T pick it, you’d better have a really good reason. This is the moment of change, this can explode, this can anchor you in time and place. THIS IS YOUR STORY!
Out of Control
Chapter One

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Last time. This is it. Never again.
Rafe Kincaid pulled his chestnut thoroughbred to a halt in full darkness, still a distance away from the entrance of the cavern. (Mary--Rafe is riding a horse, BAM cowboy, American west, historical, his name...the book is anchored)
He rubbed the ugly, jagged scar that ran from the corner of his eye to his hairline just above his ear. He was glad he had it. A lifelong reminder of that awful day eleven years ago and this treacherous cavern. He'd grown up fast. 
A breeze came down across the mountains and cooled the air and made the tree branches bob and dance. Like most summer nights in the Colorado Rockies, a fire would feel good. (Mary--more anchors, Colorado Rockies)
Rafe smelled grass. Over the crest of this rugged, heavily-wooded mountain, his cattle dozed in the moonlight, spread out over a lush meadow. 
But tonight he wasn’t looking for cattle. Instead he was looking to make his peace. 
Right in front of him stood a cave entrance, nothing but a hole in the ground. It looked like a mouth gaped open with the cornered turned down in a scowl. Mouth was a good word for it because this place almost swallowed his family whole. 
Then he saw the rope.
A rope coiled beside the entrance to the cave. (Mary--the explosion, an intruder, in Rafe's cave)
Narrowing his eyes, he swung down and hitched his chestnut to a scrub pine. It’d been over a decade since Rafe had fought his battle with that cavern. And he’d faced that cave many times since because he refused to let it defeat him. But he’d never seen evidence anyone else had been in it. Not since Seth had run off.
He took two more steps and heard Seth scream. (Mary--more of the explosion, screaming is ALWAYS GOOD! )
Cold control sleeted in his veins as he drew his gun, leveled it. The metallic crack as he cocked it
There was nothing to aim at. 
Seth didn't scream. Seth wasn't down there.
Another scream split the air. (Mary--the cute meet and the moment of change, though screaming and cute don't seem to go together, nothing cute in the real world about screaming usually. But in a novel they fit, and that screamer is Julia, of course. The change is, love comes into Rafe's overly controlled life in the form of a feisty damsel in distress who needs to be rescued in many ways, which will keep Rafe busy for 80,000 words)

The thing is, I’m not giving you a list of five possible ways to start your story. Your story needs to start with ALL OF THEM.

Explode
Story 
Anchor
Moment of Change
Cute Meet

If you do this, when that overworked, hopeful but pessimistic editor pulls your submission out of it’s envelop, you've got a lot better chance of her reading past page one. You might even end up getting THE CALL!!!

Leave a comment to get your name in a drawing for a $25 Christian Book egift card.

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Candlelight Christmas
My latest release is an ebook Christmas novella containing two books, one by me, one by Linda Goodnight.
If you have read this (and liked it) I would really appreciate it if you'd go LIKE it on Amazon and leave a review.

Two Inspirational Christmas Stories ...
1. The Outlaw’s Gift by Linda Goodnight
1880s Oklahoma Territory
When drifter Seth Blackstone shows up at Raven Patterson’s homestead, Raven thinks this may be the solution to all her problems. But Seth’s mysterious past is about to catch up with him and could mean disaster for them both.
2. The Christmas Candle by Mary Connealy
Arkansas Ozarks 1883
Gabe Wagner, has left his hectic city life and moved onto Rose Palmer’s mountain. His plans to build a house will tear the heart out of her Ozark Mountain home. Rose learns that what she calls peace and quiet has evolved into isolation and loneliness. As Christmas approaches and she searches for the perfect way to honor the Savior’s birth, she realizes she wants to let Gabe into her life. But to do it, she may have to face a larger world that frightens her while she gives up the safe life she has always known.
Can the search for the perfect Christmas candle and the broken hearts of two little boys bring a solitary woman and a grieving man together?http://maryconnealy.com/ 

Space. . .The Final Frontier with Guest Elizabeth Goddard

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And the rest of the familiar words from Star Trek:

“These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.”




Let me translate that into the language of writers. Space is a blank page: Your opportunity to boldly go where you’ve never gone before and write what you don’t know with confidence!
 
When I visited Seekerville this summer, I still lived in Texas. I think I mentioned moving to Louisiana. Well, now I’m here. There’s a swamp right behind my house and I’m getting pressured to try alligator. Not alligator hunting, but alligator on a stick! Sort of like Teriyaki chicken, I think.  I’ll leave the hunting to someone else.


You gotta love these Louisiana folks. I never realized how different the culture could be just three hours away from my home in Texas. But different, it is. 

Just three hours away from East Texas, the food is different, and the people are Deep South warm and friendly. I thought I lived in the south in Texas, but I learned that to these purist Deep South folk, Texas is considered part of the West.

There’s a point to all this. One of the first story ideas I developed into a novel was set on a sugar plantation near a Louisiana bayou. Could I really be authentic with my story if I’ve never lived in Louisiana? 

My post back in June, The Well-Trained Author: Supercharge Your Brain to Generate Great Ideas gave you a few tips on how to keep your idea generator stoked.  If any of those techniques helped, and you came up with an idea list that was several pages long, you might have started to wonder about whether or not you are qualified to write those stories.

Something might be a great idea, but you don’t have a clue about the topic. After all, haven’t you heard repeatedly that you should write what you know? 

Write what you know.

Write what you know.

Writing gurus and publishing authorities will give you this advice. But I beg to differ.
Think about some of the most prolific best-selling authors you know. The ones you see on display at the grocery store check-out line. One author I can think of is so prolific, she writes under two names. She can’t possibly have experienced everything she writes about, can she? 

No how. No way.

Still, the publishing authorities are correct to a degree. For instance, I wouldn’t want to write a legal thriller or a medical thriller without some background. But there’s another side to that. I’ve read a few books written by people who are “experts” or have experience in a particular field and that doesn’t necessarily mean they know how to write a great novel.  I’ve been disappointed by novelists with experience in their field plenty of times.

One of the reasons I enjoy writing to begin with is that I can live vicariously through my characters—characters  that have awesome adventures that I would never be able to experience in real life. 

As writers, the most important thing we can do is give the reader the experience of being there, and especially if that reader is someone who lives in the setting, or who has already experienced what you’re writing about. There’s nothing better than hearing that you’ve portrayed something accurately. 

If you can visit the setting in person and spend time there as part of your research, then all the better. But let me add that you can grow up in a town and still hear complaints that you got the town wrong. Think about it. Five different witnesses to an accident will remember it differently. We’re all different people, so our experiences and memories and, most importantly, perspectives are different. 

I have an author friend who created a fictional town and heard from a reader who complained that she’d grown up in that town and the author got everything wrong.  

Still, I’m not advocating sloppy research. I simply want to encourage you that you CAN write about something you don’t know.

How?

You do enough research that you can almost call yourself an expert when you’re done.  You know your stuff by the time you turn that manuscript in. Or at least you have long, intelligent conversations with experts on the topic. They read the manuscript or the scene to approve things, or add their input, all with an understanding of your particular audience. 

Since I write romantic suspense which primarily targets women, I don’t need to put too much technical lingo into the story.

In my latest release, TREACHEROUS SKIES, I didn’t have a clue about flying a Learjet when I came up with my initial premise: A test pilot turned Learjet recovery man retrieves a jet only to find the kidnapped daughter of a Colombian drug lord concealed inside.

I didn’t know if my pilots could do what I needed them to do in the story. But I found a couple of experienced pilots who agreed to work with me. By work with me, I mean they cooperated in the following ways:

1) Answered questions

2) Helped me make what I wanted or needed to happen work within the context of the story. Made sure things could actually work or,

3) Offered other scenarios where I could accomplish my goals.

4) Gave details about what happens and specifics on how things happen.

5) Read through scenes to make sure they are right. Offer suggestions and corrections.

Often, before I even posed the question to my experts, I spent hours researching on my own.
I’m sure if you’ve been bold enough to go where you’ve never been before, you’ve probably discovered some of the following tips on your own. (Honestly, I don’t know how people wrote before the internet.)

An awesome research technique is to watch YouTube videos. I used YouTube while writing Freezing Point, watching videos on how to create ice sculptures. Many readers commented on how well I portrayed ice sculpting in that story. I also had my experts available to talk to. I have a twenty-year FBI veteran available to answer questions regarding my undercover agent.
I read blogs written by those who live in a particulate setting or work at a type of job that I’m writing about. It’s the next best thing to communicating with an expert, and can also be used as supplemental research material.

I started this post referencing the television series, Star Trek. Think about all the credits at the end of television shows and movies. Credit is given to the experts who helped make things authentic: makeup, hair, costumes, props, historians or other individuals with the required knowledge. 

So assemble your crew and fearlessly explore strange and new worlds!



 
 Treacherous Skies

After years of peace and quiet, Maya Carpenter thinks she's safe—that her drug-lord father's world will never catch up with her. Then she's abducted and secretly stashed on a plane. And once she and the test pilot who finds her land in the Keys, the real threat begins....

Daredevil pilot Connor Jacobson is no one's hero. And this time, he's in way over his head. Yet he can't leave Maya to face danger alone. Besides, he has a few tricks up his sleeve that might keep them safe...as long as he's willing to put everything at risk, including his heart.



 
Elizabeth Goddard is the award-winning author of more than a dozen novels, including the romantic mystery, The Camera Never Lies—a 2011 Carol Award winner. She lives in Central Louisiana with her husband and children.





Today Elizabeth is generously giving away two copies of Treacherous Skies to two commenters. Winners announced in the Weekend Edition.

GUEST BLOGGER DINA SLEIMAN: Making History Work for You (and Giveaway)!!

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At first glance, writing a historical romance can look like a daunting task. After all, there are at least 6,000 years to choose from, not to mention an entire globe. Then there’s research, which can be pretty scary. How in the world do you choose? Here are a few tips to simplify choosing your historical romance setting.

Choose History that Sells
You can significantly narrow your historical search just by knowing the market. For inspirational historical romance, there are only a few times and places that sell well. The easiest stories to sell are set in America between 1800 and 1900. Books set in the later 1800s in the Midwest are probably still at the top of the list, although publishers have been branching out in the last few years. Small town and rural settings are more popular than city settings. Generally, if you can put a bonnet on your heroine, that’s a good thing from a sales perspective.

Still marketable, although not quite as hot, is anywhere from 1700 until about 1930 in America. Also Regency, Edwardian, and perhaps Victorian novels set in England. Occasionally you’ll find a CBA story set somewhere like France or Russia or maybe even England in the 1500s, but that’s rare, and those settings are certainly not advisable places for new authors to start. More exotic settings than Europe are nearly impossible to sell. Biblical novels have seen a resurgence in popularity recently, although these are typically historical rather than historical romance.

Now I don’t say any of this to put you in a box. You don’t have to aim for the center of the market. But going into the situation informed will certainly help. My agent asked me to write a historical romance set anywhere in America during the 1800s. That wasn’t too hard for me to work with. Personally, I’m not a prairie girl. I don’t enjoy reading those books, so it would be silly for me to try to write one. Instead, I like elegant settings full of romance and mystique. I live in Virginia, love the old South, and enjoy Regency fashions. So that gave me a start in my search. My guess is somewhere within that general category of history that sells, you can find a setting that fits your interests.

Choose History that Fits
Once you narrow down your search, you can begin to work on your plot. As you think through the main characters and events for your story, that will help you to narrow your search even more to a spot that really works. In my case, I had the idea for a title, Love in Three-Quarter Time. I wanted the story to be about the waltz coming to America, so that helped me pin down my year. It also determined my setting of an upper-class plantation home. As I concluded that my heroine would be a former belle of the ball who had lost her fortune and now must teach dance, I realized that I’d have to move her close to the frontier because sought after dance masters were male. One of my favorite locations in Virginia is near Winchester, but as I studied the history I discovered I was probably venturing too far north for plantations at that time. And as the story continued unfolding in my head, I realized I needed the setting to be a reasonable distance from Richmond. So I settled on Charlottesville.

Choose History that Informs
Once you’ve settled on a specific year and location, you can have fun searching out that time and place for entertaining and interesting historical details. Historical romance fans love little historical facts tucked into their books. In my case I discovered lots of interesting history surrounding the “scandalous waltz,” the nearby Monticello, and the beautiful plantation homes. Because I did choose a more rural setting, I had to learn a little about planting seasons and rotations, although that was more for my own understanding. I learned about a fascinating mixed-race group of Native Americans and runaway slaves known as the “Black Indians” that lived nearby. And of course, I had tons of fun studying those beautiful Regency gowns. You don’t want to overwhelm your reader with history. However, you need to know the background so you can set the story firmly in history and really picture it in your own mind. You want to supply your reader with new and interesting information about the time without getting bogged down in the details. Remember, story always comes first. And if it is a romance, the romance should be more prevalent than the history as well.

And Consider History that Challenges
Personally, I would also encourage you to find history that challenges. The idea of historical times being “the good old days” really isn’t true. History is rife with injustice and abuse. At anytime you can find poverty, inequality, oppression, drugs, alcohol, violence, etc… I mean, even Little House on the Prairie looks at social issues of that day. Now this point needs some clarification. The cozier the book, the less challenging it should be. The shorter the book, the less you’ll have time to go deep. Romance should be lighter than straight historical. However, for a long historical romance, there is definitely time for a peek at the real issues facing people in your chosen time period. I think examining those challenging issues makes your characters seem more real, more human, and allows us to relate to them. These issues allow us to walk away from the book enriched because of the experience. Romance fans are famous for wanting an escape, but it’s my opinion that the best romance books offer emotional depth and takeaway value as well.

So those are a few ideas to get you started on your historical romance novel. I’m sure some of the other ladies here will have tips for you as well. Feel free to share your thoughts on historical romance and ask any questions as well.

More About Dina Sleiman:
Dina writes lyrical stories that dance with light. Most of the time you will find this Virginia Beach resident reading, biking, dancing, or hanging out with her husband and three children, preferably at the oceanfront. Since finishing her Professional Writing MA in 1994, she has enjoyed many opportunities to teach literature, writing, and the arts. She was the Overall Winner in the 2009 Touched by Love contest for unpublished authors. Her debut novel, Dance of the Dandelion with Whitefire Publishing, won an honorable mention in the 2012 Selah Awards. Her latest novel, Love in Three-Quarter Time, is the launch title for the new Zondervan First imprint. Dina is a contributing author at Inkwell Inspirations, Colonial Quills, iflourishonline.com, a part-time acquistions editor for WhiteFire Publishing, and she is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of The Steve Laube Agency. Join her as she discovers the unforced rhythms of grace. For more info visit her at http://dinasleiman.com/.

More About Love in Three-Quarter-Time:
In the style of Deeanne Gist, Dina Sleiman explores the world of 1817 Virginia in her novel Love in Three-Quarter Time. When the belle of the ball falls into genteel poverty, the fiery Constance Cavendish must teach the dances she once loved in order to help her family survive. The opportunity of a lifetime might await her in the frontier town of Charlottesville, but the position will require her to instruct the sisters of the plantation owner who jilted her when she needed him most. As Robert Montgomery and Constance make discoveries about one another, will their renewed faith in God help them to face their past and the guilt that threatens to destroy them in time to waltz to a fresh start? Only $3.99. Visit http://zondervan.com/9780310334156, or to learn more about Dina visit  http://dinasleiman.com.

How To Win:
Leave a comment about your favorite historical era to read about or just a comment to be entered to win an e-copy of Love in Three-Quarter Time or a paperback copy of Dance of the Dandelion.

GOOD LUCK!!

Please Welcome Our Guest Erica Vetsch

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The other side of the scoreWhat contest judges are thinkingAs a newbie to writing contests, I had no idea what contestjudges were thinking, why they seemed so harsh, or why, according to them, Ishould be encouraged by the red marks covering my beautiful manuscript. Ihad no idea the time, effort, and expertise that went into judging fiction, andat the time, I didn’t appreciate what I considered gratuitous violence appliedto my shining prose. Now, as both a published author and an experienced contestjudge, I have a better idea of what happens on the other side of thescore-sheet. But, because judging is an individual sport, I’ve enlisted thehelp of several of my writing buddies to get their take on contest judging andsome of the ‘why’ behind the scores.
1. How does your experiencehaving participated in writing contests affect the way you judge writingcontest entries?
Glynna Kaye: Iknow what helped me most--SPECIFICS. A judge giving me a low score or ageneral negative comment with NO explanation about where inthe manuscript this "offense" occurred or how it might be fixed,well, that wasn't helpful at all. But if another judge actually pointedout the specific faux pas, where it occurred in amanuscript, and offered a "you might want to try..." suggestionof how to correct it, that was always appreciated. Ibelieve in finding genuine positives in any manuscript and bringing thoseto an author's attention, too. A few sincere words ofpraise from judges kept me going during discouraging times.
Julie Lessman: Igo to GREAT LENGTHS to point out the good I see in an entry before I gentlypoint out what needs work.
Georgiana Daniels:After having entered contests, I know how anticipation and excitement can becrushed instantly upon seeing the scores and comments. That's why I try to wordmy comments so the entrant knows specifically how to fix whatever problem I'mpointing out. Also, I try to praise the good parts of their work. It'simportant to stay hopeful!
Myra Johnson: Onthe one hand, I try to be more sensitive about not crushing a budding writer'sdreams. On the other, I feel it's important to be honest about specific weakareas. It's important to do more than simply point out weakness, though. I tryto give constructive advice and examples. It's equally important to praisereally strong entries and encourage writers whose work is close to beingpublishable.
THE TAKE AWAY:Contest judges are not trying to crush your dreams! They truly are trying to behonest and evaluate your work for the sole purpose of helping you reach thosedreams you’re striving for. The reason there are often a plethora of commentsis due to the fact that they want to give specific instruction that will beuseful.
2. What is the most commoncomment you find yourself making on entries?
Stephanie Morrill:POV is a big one. It's such a tricky thing to get the hang of. The other thingI often suggest is using more action or thought beats instead of dialogue tags.
Janet Dean: Mymost frequent comments are usually about the need for characters to havestronger goals, motivations and conflicts. In historical entries, I often findwords that are not in usage at the time of the story.
Pam Hillman: Manytimes I suggest the author consider starting the story a bit later. Sometimesthere is a section a few pages in that grabs me, and that seems like the bestplace to start.
Sandra Leesmith:Show don't tell
THE TAKE AWAY:
a) There are a lot of ‘big issues’that can make or break a contest entry. If you don’t know what Point of View,Show don’t Tell, or Goal, Motivation and Conflict are, find out before youspend your hard earned $ on contests.
b) Each judge might have adifferent area they point out, one that they might’ve struggled withthemselves, or one in which they are particularly strong. Pay attention to whateach judge says, even if they are the only one who pointed something out.
3. What is your favorite writing"how-to" book that you recommend in your comments on an entry? 
For this one, I’m going to list the books in order ofpopularity amongst those polled.
Goal, Motivation &Conflict by Debra Dixon
Writing The BreakoutNovel by Donald Maass
Self Editing forFiction Writers by Browne and King
The Story Within byAlicia Rasley
From the Inside Out bySusan May Warren
Elements of Style byStrunk and White
Write Tight by WilliamBrohaugh
Plot and Structure,Revision and Editing, and The Art of War for Writers by James Scott Bell
Bird by Bird by AnnLamott
On Writing by StephenKing
Webster’s CollegiateDictionary
The Hero’s Journey byVogler and Hauge
Seekerville Posts

And one judgerecommends reading great fiction above all else to learn how to write it.

THE TAKE AWAY: There are a lot of great how-to books available, andjudges are pretty savvy about matching up their recommendation to theparticular weakness they perceive in your entry. Start building yourwriting-craft library. A smart idea is to check with your local library,test-drive the recommended books, then choose which ones you want to purchase.

4. Doyou consider yourself to be a 'tough' judge or an 'easy' judge, and why?A caveat here: Theanswers to this one were so good, I couldn’t choose just a few.

TinaRadcliffe: A tough judge. Again,they paid money for that critique. If they don't grow from it then they justwasted a lot of cash that could have been spent on paper or toner.
Mary Connealy: The better I think an entry is, the tougher I am. If you're clearly abeginner, I give broad, general suggestions—Learn what POV is. You're tellingwhen you should be showing. Back-story, cut it, it doesn't belong here—But in areally strong, polished entry I figure you can take it. I hope you've done alot of this and want straight talk, and I'm much more likely to be very directin my critique. But I will also say things like, 'I think this is great,remember that when I'm noting things I find that need attention. Take all mycomments with it in mind that I think you're really talented."

Missy Tippens:I probably lean more toward being an "easy" judge. Not because I golight on feedback, but because, overall, I tend to score higher than otherjudges.SandraLeesmith: Tough.  See answer #1 (which was: My previous experience makes memore conscientious in judging as I know how important it is.  I tend to bemore honest because of this. In other words, I don't necessarily sugar coat mycomments.  I'm honest and blunt. But I do try to balance tough commentswith complimentary.  I think it is just as important for a writer to knowtheir strengths as well as their weaknesses.)

JanetDean: I lean toward tough, but when I say tough, I don’t mean harsh. Tofinal in a contest and get work in front of an editor, writers should be ready.Judges don’t want to send an unprepared writer before an editor who mightassociate poor writing with the contestant’s name or see judging the contest asa waste of time.MyraJohnson: Definitely tough. While I try to beencouraging, new writers need to know what they're up against. This is a toughbusiness.



Georgiana Daniels: I'm one tough cookie when itcomes to judging because I figure the entrant really wants feedback to improvetheir work, not just affirmation. (That's what friends are for, not contests,lol.) That said, if there are too many issues with the entry, I'll only focuson the major ones rather than every single problem to avoid discouraging thewriter. I always try to find good things about the entry so the writer knowswhat their strengths are and how they can capitalize on them. 
Julie Lessman: Tough in that I expect a lot.Easy in that I believe in a spoonful of sugar to get the medicine down.

GlynnaKaye: I try to be a balanced and compassionate judge.Praise where praise is due and suggestions for improvement. If anentry appears to be written by a more seasoned writer, you can dig alittle deeper, get a little pickier, and help them bring theirmanuscript to an even higher level. With newbies, you're careful to"triage" only one or two of the most critical needs ofthe contest entry so you don't discourage them. I neverever want to crush a fledgling writer's spirit by overwhelming them.

AudraHarders: I know I’m not a tough judge because Iremember my feelings being decimated by judges who had no concept of respectingauthor integrity and creativity. Totally blunt and tactless to make theirpoints. I don’t think I’m too easy either because that doesn’t help anyone. Ilike to judge as if I’m a reader with the background knowledge of how to writea book. I make suggestions rather than telling someone they’re doing it wrong.To me, there’s nothing worse than a judge who wields their power like a razoredguillotine. 
KeliGwyn: I like to think of myself as a fair judge,offering a balance of constructive criticism coupled with a generous helping ofencouragement. If I were pressed to choose one of your options, I'd go with"easy." I've had entries where I could have given a very low score,but I don't have it in me to crush someone by doling out a series of ones. Iprefer to use my comments to convey my suggestions for improvement and build upa writer rather than resorting to low scores alone to convey my impressions ofa writer's skill level. That's not to say I mislead an entrant by givinginflated scores. It's more that I realize a three or four out of ten can let awriter know I saw a major weakness in an area as well as a one but does so farless brutally.
StephanieMorrill: Yikes, I don't know. Probably tough. Itypically judge YA, and I'm passionate about young adult novels. My goal is tobe honest but also encouraging.
Pam Hillman:Middle-of-the-road. If an entry is "almost there", I have no problemtelling an entrant that it's just a matter of time, the right story, the righteditor, because their work is ready. But I am careful with entries that need alot of work. Since contests are blind, I have no way of knowing if this mightbe the very first time an author has put their work out there for scrutiny. Iremember those early days when my heart pounded with dread and excitement whenI opened the results of a contest. I want to encourage someone, not crush theirdream.
THE TAKE AWAY: Did you see how many judges consider themselves tobe ‘tough’ judges? The tougher the critique, the more value the entrantreceives for their money, the more honest feedback is given, and the morepotential the entrant has for growth. Even those judges who consider themselves‘easy’ make a point of giving plenty of feedback and encouragement.

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5. How long does it take you to judge an entry? (15 pages anda synop.)
Again, for the sake ofspace, I’m going to summarize here.

1.       Theshortest amount of time was twenty minutes for an entry that was reallystellar. 15 minutes to read about it and 5 minutes to gush about how wonderfulit was.
2.       Theaverage was 45 mins. to an hour per entry.
3.       Thelongest amount of time for a single entry was…HOURS! And several of thosepolled said it can take them hours to judge an entry.
THE TAKE AWAY: At an average of an hour per entry for purelyvolunteer work, the number of hours a judge spends on contest entries racks upin a hurry. Remember when you’re going over the judge’s comments, that they arevolunteering their expertise, that they took a considerable amount of time toread and understand your entry, and that they do it because they love writingand writers. They’re looking for a way to pay forward the help they receivedthrough contests, and that they truly want to be helpful.6. Do you have anything that you’d love to tell contestentrants?

Glynna Kaye: For me,entering unpubbed contests was the equivalent of an ongoing writingcourse using my own manuscripts as the training tools, the hands-on testingground. It wasn't all "theory" but application. I don't believe I'dbe published today if it hadn't been for some really awesome judges whoencouraged me and helped me learn the craft. I think the biggest thing toremember when entering contests is NOT to give up when you don't win, final, oreven get much in the way of positive scores and comments. In some ofmy earliest contests, my best scorewas for formatting!!!!  So determine deep down inside: "I WILL NOT GIVE UP!"Audra Harders: As an author who has spent a fortune enteringcontests, I believe every penny invested in the feedback and instruction Ireceived, well worth it. I know if it hadn’t been for contests, I never wouldhave matured as a writer or persevered to grasp the golden ring of publication.I learned to sense which judges had my best interests at heart--the judges thatencouraged as they pointed out flaws, the ones that explained why certaintechniques didn’t work. God bless each and every one of them.

Myra Johnson: While contests canbe an excellent way to get feedback on your wip, don't use them as a substitutefor a skilled critique partner. Beginning writers would be wise to let theircritique groups help them decide when their work is contest-ready. Otherwise, alow score and negative comments could be devastating.

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Tina Radcliffe: I learned the most from contests when Ibecame a judge. Do yourself a favor. Volunteer to judge.
Stephanie Morrill:I would say keep in mind that it's one person's opinion. I've judged contestswhere pieces I loved didn't final, and where pieces I think need considerablework do.Also, my Genesis entry in 2007 did so-so, but the feedback inspired arewrite. And that rewrite hooked an agent, and that agent got me a contractwith Revell, and Me, Just Different released in the summer of2009. I had felt crushed when the manuscript hadn't finalled, but it still ledme to something bigger.
Janet Dean: I want to encourage writers, whether newbie orexperienced, once they’ve done their best to enter contests. You could finaland get your story in front of an editor or agent, everyone’s dream. But nomatter what happens, you’ll be putting your work out there for evaluation,something all writers must do if they want to sell. Judges will either give youinvaluable, consistent information that will improve your story or offerconflicting advice. Don’t let the latter upset you. Differing feedback is ateaching tool, too. Look at your story with both ideas in mind. Trust your gutand go with the suggestions that work for your story, your style. The harshtruth is that judging—and what editors love or don’t—is subjective. I’ve neverhad a mean-spirited judge, but if a judge tells you to forget writing and takeup knitting, that judge should be reported to the coordinator.  Sandra Leesmith: Writing and reading likes and tastes are sosubjective.  What I might not like, someone else might love.  So takeall comments with grain of salt and get more than one opinion.  If morethan one judge makes the same comment then it is more than likely something youneed to focus on.  But if comments are not consistent, then go with yourgut.
Missy Tippens: I'd like to add that I think judging contests is agreat way to learn to write better! It's much easier to spot problems insomeone else's work. Then I take what I learn and apply it to my own writing.
Mary Connealy: I give a writer's contest credit for the fact that Iam published today. I believe in them and I also know they can really hurt andthey cost a fair amount of money, especially if you enter a lot of them. So Isalute anyone who has the guts to put their precious creation out into theworld to be critiqued. It's not easy. God bless you all.
THE TAKE AWAY:
a)      Theseladies are giving, conscientious, and learned judges who, I feel, typify thebreed.
b)      Contestjudges are not out to maim your work or your hopes as a writer. They truly onlywant to be helpful, even if their advice might be difficult to swallow,especially at first.
c)       Ihave some amazing friends to so generously give of their time to help me withthis post, and I’d like to thank all of them.
Question for you: What is the most helpful piece of advice you’vereceived on a contest entry? Leave a comment to get your name in a drawing for a copy of Erica's latest release Sagebrush Brides.
Is there something you’ve alwayswanted to ask a contest judge, but haven’t had the chance? Ask here and I’msure one or more of these fine ladies will be happy to answer you.

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Sagebrush Knights: Journey along with the four Gerhard sisters asthey head to Wyoming Territory in search of husbands and discover that happyendings are not ready-made. Evelyn arrives in Wyoming with a secret and agrudge, only to find her prospective groom holds a secret, too. Jane vies forthe attention of her workaholic husband who is bent on saving his ranch even ifit means losing love. Gwendolyn’s would-be husband dies, leaving her to thewill of another man. And Emmeline’s knight-in-shining-armor herds sheep insteadof cattle. Will love prevail, or will their journeys have not so happy endings?
Erica Vetsch is a transplanted Kansan now residing inMinnesota. She loves history and reading, and is blessed to be able to combinethe two by writing historical fiction set in the American West.Whenever she’s not following flights of fancy in her fictionalworld, she’s the company bookkeeper for the family lumber business,mother of two terrific teens, wife to a man who is her total opposite and soul-mate,and avid museum patron.FindMe On Facebook
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The Best of the Archives:So Many Acronyms, So Little Time

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 (This post first appeared in Seekerville August 2, 2011 and has been updated for your enjoyment.)
I think it's fair to assume that writer's don't get credit for half our brilliance. I'm pretty sure we invented the acronym. It was only natural for guys like Al Einstein to borrow the technique. After all, genius recognizes genius.

Acronyms are the foundation for text messages. Which of course launched Twitter as we know it.

So pat yourself on the back and if you're ready for a Seekerville acronym refresher, you're in luck.

Remember, acronyms are not to be confused with Author Speak, which Janet Dean has so nicely explained in this post from the archives.



WIP = Work in progress

POV = Point of view

2S2L = Too stupid too live (as in the heroine who is...)


ARC =Advanced reading copy

MS or MSC = manuscript

HEA = Happily ever after

H/H = Hero/Heroine

GMC = Goal. Motivation. Conflict.

GH = Golden Heart Award

CRIT = Critique

CRITTER = Critique Partner unless you live in Nebraska where it does refer to a small rodent in your basement

TBR = To be read

BICHOK = Butt in chair, hands on keyboard

BSD = Back Story Dump 

RUE = Resist the Urge to Explain

TAG = Title. Author. Genre

AFK = Away from keyboard





WF = Women's Fiction

ST = Single Title

SC = Short Contemporary

LC = Long Contemporary

SH = Short historical

LH = Long historical

YA = Young adult

MG = Middle grade

SF = Science Fiction

SF/F = Science Fiction and Fantasy

SF/F/P = Science Fiction and Fantasy and Paranormal




ACFW = American Christian Fiction Writers

RWA = Romance Writers of America

ICRS = International Christian Retailer Show

BEA = Book Expo America

CBA = Christian Bookseller's Association

ABA = American Bookseller's Association

PASIC = Published Author Special Interest Chapter

NINC = Novelists, Inc.

PAN = Published Authors Network

PW = Publisher's Weekly

NaNoWriMo = National Novel Writing Month

BIAW = Book in a Week



There are also the funny and tasteless acronyms:

WWJAD = What would Jane Austen do?

PUYBGP = Pull up your big girl panties

HUAW = Hurry up and wait



Seekerville of course has a few of our own acronyms such as:

DD = Don't Diva.

MDI or JDI = Mary did it. or Julie did it.

FOS = Friend/s of Seekerville

SKRVL = Seekerville

VP  = Village People (or for Vince, just the Peeps)


And today I'd like to propose a few we ought to be using:

WIDSAC = When in doubt, shoot a character

WTJR = Who took Jack's rum?

WWFC = Will write for chocolate

LMMOUI = Left my mind on Upubbed Island


What about you, any you'd like to share or create? Feel free to be funny and tasteless, just keep it PG Rated.


And just in case you need help...


Para Ducks Acronym Generator

Acronym Creator


Today, I'm giving away your choice of a 5 page critique liberally sprinkled with acronyms and/or for a reader, a copy of Ruth Logan Herne and Mia Ross's Christmas releases from Love Inspired, His Mistletoe Family and A Gift of Family.


Both were recently sighted at my local store. Winners announced in the Weekend Edition.

Book Review: Driving the Saudis: by JAYNE AMELIA LARSON

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Title: Driving the Saudis
Author: Jayne Amelia Larson
Category: Autobiography/Memoir
Pub. Date: 10/16/2012
Publisher: Free Press
Format: Paperback
Pages: 224
ISBN#: 1451640013

Synopsis:  
Actress, producer, and occasional chauffeur Jayne Amelia Larson offers a funny and insightful memoir about the time she spent as a driver for members of the Saudi royal family visiting Beverly Hills, detailing her invitation inside one of the world’s most closely guarded monarchies.

When the Saudi royal family vacationed in Los Angeles, they hired Jayne Amelia Larson, an actress struggling to make ends meet, to be their personal chauffeur. She’d heard stories of the Saudis’ outrageously generous gratuities and figured that several weeks at their beck and call might be worth her time. But when the family arrived via their private jet with an entourage of forty and millions of dollars in cash, Jayne Amelia realized she might be getting into more than she bargained for.

For weeks, Larson observed the family’s opulent lifestyle: they occupied four luxury hotels, enjoyed day in and day out shopping binges, and servants catered 24/7 to Princess Zaahira and her entourage. From the thirteen-year-old princess who slapped down $100 dollar bills at a supermarket and didn’t bother to wait for her change to the nanny who ran away in the airport the moment she was handed her passport, the stories Larson shares are bizarre, poignant, and illustrative of the profound contradictions and complications that only such massive wealth can create.

Driving the Saudis, based on the author’s successful one-woman stage show, is a vivid portrait of the Saudi royals as few ever get to see them. As funny as it is insightful, this is a true-to-life fable for our times. But at its heart, it’s a story about the corruption that infinite wealth creates, and about what we all do for money.  

 My Review:   
This book was one that will stand out in my mind as a very interesting, surprising and as well as down to earth. 

Memoirs are not really something that I normally would read, but reading author Jayne Amelia Larson's was like nothing I would have even thought about. Her writing style keeps you completely interested all the way through the book. 

I am not going to go any further, just know that this book is an awesome, very intriguing read. 


This is a must must read book! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this memoir.

So due to the above, I am giving this book a Breath of Life ratings of: 

Five Clock Rating!!!  
Disclosure: I received this book for my honest opinion and review. Opinions are my own and yours may differ. 

Book Review: Priceless Christmas by Connie Neal

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Title: Priceless Christmas
Category: Connie Neal
Pub. Date:
Publisher:
Format:
Pages:
ISBN#:

Synopsis:  
Priceless Christmas combines the joys of Christmas with the joy of saving money. It will more than pay for itself with the first idea you use! It is chock-full of FREE stuff, inspiring ideas for Christmas gifts, holiday happenings, crafts, low-cost or no-cost handmade gift ideas, family-friendly activities, outings, games, contests, and creative Christmas ideas for shopping, dressing-up for special occasions, and throwing great parties your guests will remember forever (like the Whoville Whobilation Celebration based on classic tale How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr.Seuss, )

This is not a hodge-podge of ideas collected from the internet. Each idea that made the cut for this book has been a raving success for the author’s own family and friends. This is the best of the best from a best-selling author who wanted to bring together her Christmas best-of collection to help her readers make the most of the season she loves best.

Special Features & Formatting
The author carefully designed this Kindle version with formatting and features to make your reading experience more rewarding and enjoyable:
• Each idea comes with:
o Cost, Work/Effort Involved
o What It Is Description
o Step-by-Step How-To Instructions
o List of Things You Will Need (many with active links to where you get it)
o Benefits You Can Reap
o Some even link to online How-To Videos that show you how to do it
• Entertaining examples and stories to illustrate or inform
• Lots of illustrative photos
• A complete cross-referenced index that categorizes sections into:
o FREE
o Crafts
o Fun
o Family-Friendly Activities
o Family-Friendly Outings
o Holiday Parties and Get-Togethers

Additional Benefits
The benefits of this book go way beyond saving money to include:
• Giving more meaningful gifts
• Inspiring a spirit of generosity in children
• Religious experiences and resources that will illuminate the reason for the season, like reading the Christmas story by firelight (a script from the Bible story is included translated at a 3rd grade reading level)
• Escaping materialism and helping those less fortunate (which will make you feel rich no matter what’s in your bank account)

So, if you are thrifty, crafty, strapped for cash, budget-minded, discount-driven, trying to escape materialism that can overtake Christmas, bored with the same old traditions, or you’re longing for Christmas celebrations that will be priceless – regardless of how much or little you spend, this book is for you. It also offers sage advice and wisdom gained while raising a family.


My Review:  
Oh My Oh My Oh My!! I do so LOVE  everything Christmas. And as I did this book as well. I am not sure if there is much else I could say that the synopsis did not already say, with the exception of it has given me some food for thought as well as some new traditions I would and will try to implement. 
If you are a new young lady or you are just starting to do Christmas with your new family this book would be great to be in your library as one of books you can go to for awesome ideas. I know it will stay on my self for a long long time and will be handed down to my family. 
This is a must have Christmas book! I am thoroughly enjoying going back through and picking out some more ideas for this year.. and dogearing... ones for next year.
So due to the above, I am giving this book a Breath of Life ratings of: 
Five Clock Rating!!!  
Disclosure: I received this book for Amazon for my Christmas reading challenge and this is my honest opinion and review. Opinions are my own and yours may differ. 
________________________

About the Author:  
  
   Connie Neal is a trusted best-selling author who writes on family, marriage, parenting, communication, and pop culture. She has authored dozens of books which have been featured in Time, Newsweek, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Christianity Today, Decision, Entertainment Weekly, Marriage Partnership, PBS, and media worldwide. She has a BA in Communication from Pepperdine University; MS in Education, Instructional Design for Online Learning from Capella University. She has edited & contributed to five major Bible projects and toured America as a speaker for Women of Faith. She is the premier Christian authority on Harry Potter. Her Instructional Design work helps others communicate more effectively using new media. Now she is transitioning content online (through Kindle Direct Publishing) and to online learning in keeping with research-based multimedia principles to enhance understanding.