Write On! Fall 2014

Write On! Quarterly e-Zine • Fall 2014

WHAT’S

INSIDE?

I Went Hybrid, but Kept My Agent

by Tina Ann Forkner Crafting Crazy Characters

by Barbara Claypole White A Literary Agent on Being a Successful Hybrid Author

by Chip MacGregor

... and more!

EDITORS FEATURES EDITOR COLUMNS EDITOR Erin Bartels is a copywriter by day, a novelist by Tasha Seegmiller (T + ash + a S + egg + miller) night, and a wife, mother, seamstress, and is a mom to three kids and high school tireless ambassador for the state of Michigan English teacher in Southern Utah. She in between. Erin is a board member of the writes contemporary women’s fiction with a Capital City Writers Association and the dash of magic. Her loves include Diet Coke, author of The Intentional Writer . You can owls, chocolate and cinnamon bears. She find her encouraging writers, talking about is a founder of and contributor to Thinking craft, and sharing beautiful photographs Through Our Fingers, and can be found at www.erinbartels.com. a t w w w. t a s h a s e e g m i l l e r. b l o g spot.com.

MANAGING EDITOR HIGHLIGHTS EDITOR Jessica Ferguson is the author of The Last Reese Leyva wrote her first poem at age seven (in a birthday card for her grandmother) and Daughter , a novella published by The Wild Rose Press. She interviews authors became a narrative addict shortly thereafter, for Southern Writers Magazine and captivated by stories of any form—books, is co-editor of Swamp Lily Review, a poems, spoken word, film, etc. She’s written Journal of Louisiana Literature and Arts. hundreds of poems, several short films, a novella, In her spare time, she plays with her a full—length stage play, and an unpublished recently retired husband. Jess blogs at novel. She’s currently working on her second www.jessyferguson.blogspot.com. novel while blogging at www.reeseleyva.com.

ABOUT THE WFWA We began this organization in 2013 with the idea to create a safe, nurturing place for male and female writers of women’s fiction. The publishing industry is morphing—with new opportunities and, as yet, unknown futures. The founders of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association wanted somewhere to amass and disseminate information to and about our chosen genre.

Defining Women’s Fiction has proven as subjective as the types of books we prefer. For that reason, our guiding statement is broad and comprehensive:

An inclusive organization of writers who create stories about a woman’s emotional journey.

Our stories may have romance. Or they may not. They could be contemporary. Or historical. But what binds us together is the focus on a woman’s emotional journey.

Write on!

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CONTENTS

05

Tina Ann Forkner I Went Hybrid, but Kept My Agent

10

Barbara Claypole White Crafting Crazy Characters

14

Join Jessica Ferguson at The WFWA Cafe’

20

Chip MacGregor A Literary Agent on Being a Successful Hybrid Author

22

Erin Bartels How to Enjoy the Revision Process

27

Marilyn Brant Guiding Scribe:

Don’t Miss...

03

Rising Star Contest Winners

04

Women’s Fiction Book Club Join us on Goodreads

07

2015 Board Elections

17

Member News Members’ New Releases!

25

Tasha Seegmiller Tech Tips

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President’s Note

you’re a published author, this is a great way to support the aspiring writers in your community.

• We have a retreat coming up in the fall of 2015. If you’re planning on attending, consider volunteering to run a discussion session or with one of the many onsite needs.

• Have you visited the Toolbox section of the website? We’re always looking for helpful articles and links that will benefit the community.

• Participating in the WFWA Goodreads Book Club is a great way to support fellow writers and help increase interest/excitement for women’s fiction.

With elections coming up for the 2015 board, we posed a question to each of the candidates running for office: What are your goals for WFWA in 2015? (See their responses on page 07.)

• Promote the association and its events through your social media. Let fellow writers know about the great opportunities at WFWA. Encourage your readers to follow the Book Club, join in the Facebook launch parties, follow us on Facebook, etc.

Now, I’d like to pose a similar question to all 450 members (450! And we’re a year old. Can we have a quick hooray for 450 members?):

• Contribute an article to the Write On! ezine. Send helpful industry news links to the IN team.

What can you do to support your organization in 2015?

I know, I know, volunteering requires time and time is a luxury we’re all dreaming about.

But as a volunteer-run organization, we rely on our members. Helping can take on many forms, and not all are time-consuming.

• Board positions are, of course, a critical part of the organization and a great way to affect change. 2016 anyone?

• There are numerous coordinator positions that come open and we’re always looking for enthusiastic members willing to take on a new member benefit.

• Each of the website forums is moderated by a volunteer. It’s a great opportunity to get to know fellow members.

• The forums benefit when there’s active discussion. Your contribution can be as simple as starting a topic or joining an existing topic.

• In the next few months we’ll be recruiting judges for the 2015 Rising Star Contest. If

• Share your good news with our Inside WFWA and Write On! ezine teams.

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• Have an idea for a workshop? Contact the workshop coordinators.

• Want to see a contest for published authors? Join the contest committee.

• Would you like to see a WFWA blog?

Consider volunteering to coordinate it.

• Are you web savvy? Do you have ideas on improving the WFWA website? Volunteer to be the webmaster.

Bottom line, this is your Association. Whether you have the time to take on a larger role or lend a few Tweets and Facebook mentions, everything helps. Feel free to contact me directly if you have questions or you’re ready to contribute.

The women’s fiction community is amazingly generous and I’m proud to be part of it.

The WFWA Founding Team Do you know the founders of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association?

The 2014 Rising Star Contest

Orly Konig-Lopez President www.orlykoniglopez.com

The Rising Star Contest has uncovered many rising stars!

Kerry Lonsdale Vice President, Programs www.kerrylonsdale.com

The WFWA contest committee would like to first thank the generous published authors who gave their time and shared their wisdom during the first round judging. And huge thanks to the agents who supported and encouraged this first contest dedicated to women’s fiction.

Laura Drake Vice President, Finance / Treasurer www.lauradrakebooks.com

Now, drum roll please …

The winners of the first Rising Star Contest for Unpublished Manuscripts are 1st Place – A Sister in Need by Jenny Hansen 2nd Place – So Brand New by Patricia O’Day Rosen 3rd Place – The Wine Widow by Kathleen Basi Finalists – Silent Grace by Geri LeClerc – Trespass by Sandra Neily There were 6 requests for full manuscripts from the final judges, and we’re proud to say that every finalist received a request! All five finalists will also have a 15 minute call with a final round judge to discuss their entry!

The Rising Star’s debut year has been a resounding success, and the committee would like to thank everyone involved.

Linda Avellar Secretary www.lindaavellar.com Marilyn Brant Guiding Scribe www.marilynbrant.com Maggie Marr WFWA Legal Counsel www.maggiemarr.com If you haven’t already, send them a Friend Request on the WFWA site to stay connected and see their newest posts in The Hub.

See you next year – polish those manuscripts!

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The Women’s Fiction Goodreads Book Club Is Going Strong!

Reasons to participate …

1) Education. Reading, studying, and discussing published women’s fiction books is great way to steep yourself in the breadth and depth of your chosen genre, and a great way to absorb craft.

2) Connections. Interacting with other WFWA authors is a great way to create beneficial and long lasting relationships. And by purchasing the books, you’re supporting both the industry and authors you hope will support you.

Reasons to promote …

1) Visibility. Provide greater visibility to WFWA authors. We’re building the Goodreads bookshelves and, in time, all of the published WF titles will be displayed.

2) Awareness. Raise awareness of women’s fiction among readers and awareness for the association among writers and industry.

You do not need to be a WFWA member to join, so please spread the word! https://womensfictionwriters.org/programs/womens-fiction-book-club/ Coming up on the Women’s Fiction Book Club: November 2014 Normandie Fischer, Sailing Out of Darkness

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December 2014 Michelle Gable, A Paris Apartment

January 2015 Kathryn Craft, The Art of Falling

I Went Hybrid, but Kept My Agent Tina Ann Forkner

W

hen my agent, Chip MacGregor, first started talking about being a “hybrid author,” I couldn’t help but imagine myself with a plant growing out of my head. There was something strange about the name, and something even stranger about the idea of a multipublished author pursuing a form of publication that, for years, I personally swore I would never do. I remember thinking, This guy’s my agent.

Why is he mentioning self-publishing to me? Was this his way of telling me he didn’t want to be my agent anymore? I wanted to publish again with a big house and I wasn’t ready to give up.

For years I had worked on a novel that just couldn’t find a home with a legacy publisher (one of the big traditional publishers). I already had two novels published with one of them. I didn’t think it was unreasonable to hope I would have a third, but for a myriad of reasons, it had not happened yet. During one of my heart-to-hearts with my agent, Chip reiterated that he believed in the novel and did not recommend that I give up on it. It’s not an agent’s job to lie to us and waste our time when we need to move on to a new book, so I kept believing. I focused on making the book better and continued to hope it would find a home.

Every now and then, Chip would ask how I felt about self-publishing or pursuing a smaller publisher for some of my work. He never pushed the idea, but he simply suggested that he wouldn’t mind if I did that in addition to continuing to pursue a legacy publisher. He said I should think about it, so I did. To make a complex and introspective journey very short, I began to watch the hybrid authors out there and recognized that the changes in the industry weren’t all bad. Self-publishing had become a viable possibility as excellent authors like Claire Cook and others raised the bar by going out on their own while continuing to promote—and write—legacy published books.

They were all hybrid authors.

When I finally made a decision to become a hybrid author myself, I talked it over with Chip. It’s a decision I never would have made without his input. We are partners, and he knows more about the business side of things than I do. Plus, it’s his job to help me make good career choices. I had a lot of questions for him and wanted to know how being hybrid would affect my career, my chances of having another book with a legacy publisher someday, and how I would let my readers know my book was out there. I also wanted to know if Chip would still want to be my agent if I became Fall 2014 • Write On!

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a hybrid author, and his answer was a resounding yes. He honestly seemed excited about it, which gave me confidence. We were looking at this decision as a career booster.

and I know he is looking at the big picture. He’s thinking about my future publishing career, while I’m focused mostly on the here and now—as in, Hooray!!! I have a book coming out!

Even though I was open to self-publishing, when the opportunity came around to go out on my own, it was in the form of a small independent company called Tule Publishing Group. An author/ editor friend, Amy Sue Nathan, connected me to Jane Porter, an experienced NYT bestselling author who runs the company. I quickly learned that Tule isn’t self-publishing, but is fully independent of the big houses, works largely in digital, and publishes some print-on-demand.

With an independent full-service publisher like Tule, you still have to submit your work, just as in traditional publishing, so there is a vetting process in case that’s important to you as an author. To me, it was, although I would still consider selfpublishing someday.

I’m thrilled to be a hybrid author. When you have control of your own career, as you do when you are a hybrid, you have a bigger say in everything from creative control to editing. The pay is much better, as well, and authors deserve to get paid for their work. Now that I’ve started on this new path, new opportunities are already coming along that I never would have had if I’d been dead set on only legacy publishing. I feel that serious writers don’t need to sit back and wait for the call, but I also think that we need to be professional, and having an agent is an important part of the picture.

As excited as I was to sign with Tule, I took some time to talk it over with my agent before signing a contract. Even though Jane’s reputation and Amy’s recommendation made a good first impression, Chip and I both did a little homework to find out more about this company. An agent’s opinion about what indie you choose, whether a full service indie or self-publishing company, is crucial. A lot is riding on your decision. For one thing, if you self-publish, you are investing dollars in the publishing process, so you don’t want to mess it up. There are still vanity presses out there who overpromise and underdeliver. Even with independent full-service publishers, Chip and I both know of horror stories. You want to send your work to the best because your writing reputation could be affected, so check with your agent first. They often have inside information that you haven’t heard.

The most important thing that Chip did for me when I signed with Tule was review my contract.

While smaller publishers tend to work more closely with authors than with agents, I wasn’t as familiar with contracts as some authors. Chip was happy to review the contract, direct questions to my publisher, and suggest changes. While I am able to handle parts of it myself, I want him to be involved because I know he is looking out for me, 6 Write On! • Fall 2014

I’m not giving up on legacy publishing, of course. I would never do that. But after having Waking Up Joy published by Tule and it being such a positive experience, I see my future as one that includes working with a smaller publisher, giving equal weight to ebook options, self-publishing some stories, and naturally, I’m still looking forward to that legacy contract—with my agent continuing to be part of the plan.

•

Tina Ann Forkner is the author of the newly released novel Waking Up Joy. She is also the author of Rose House and Ruby Among Us. Tina was born and raised in Oklahoma where Waking Up Joy is set, but she makes her home in Cheyenne, Wyoming, with her husband, three teenagers, and two spoiled dogs. In her spare time she is a substitute teacher. Learn more about her and her books at www.tinaannforkner.com

2015 Board Elections In early December, we will be voting for the 2015 Board of Directors. Below are the volunteers running for each position.

President Orly Konig-Lopez Orly Konig-Lopez is the Co-Founder, President of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. She spent over twenty years in the corporate world, where she honed her writing, editing, and project management skills.

She’s published in trade publications in the satellite communications and first responder industries. Her women’s fiction manuscripts have received recognition in numerous writing contests. She’s a member of the production team and blogs monthly at Writers in the Storm and Musings from the Mug. More about Orly: website | twitter

Please tell us what your goals will be for WFWA in 2015 if elected to the board of directors.

WFWA had an amazing first year with member growth and programs launched.

My focus for 2015 will be to improve on what’s already in place to ensure that the benefits we’re offering are meeting member needs; create a writing retreat that will be informative and enjoyable; and increase awareness for the association.

Vice President–Programs Kerry Lonsdale Kerry Lonsdale is the Co-Founder, Vice President of Programs, Website Developer/Administrator of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. She has written professionally for over twenty years. Prior to fiction writing, she was a marketing executive where her skills include management, technical writing, graphic arts, website design, and collateral development.

Kerry’s non-fiction articles and technical content have appeared in regional and trade publications, and her fiction work has received recognition in writing contests. She is represented by Jen Karsbaek with Fuse Literary and blogs at Musings from the Mug. More about Kerry: website | facebook | twitter

Please tell us what your goals will be for WFWA in 2015 if elected to the board of directors.

In 2013 and continuing into 2014, we launched a robust and interactive website along with a host of programs designed to advance author careers and enhance networking opportunities within the publishing community. As the Vice President of Programs, my goal for 2015 is to strengthen our existing

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programs so they benefit authors at any stage of their career, whether they are multi-published or just drafting their first manuscript. Also, it’s my intention to offer support and technical skill to assist the communications team in promoting the organization. In 2015, we want WFWA more firmly established within the publishing industry as a credible and distinguished international association.

Joy Ross Davis Joy Ross Davis lives in Bessemer, Alabama. A student of the lore and magic of the back hills of Tennessee, she writes imaginative fiction. She has a PhD in Creative Writing and for many years taught English at a local community college. She retired to become a caregiver for her mother who suffered from dementia. She documented her experiences with her mother in a series of articles for a local newspaper. The articles, titled “Mother, Can You Hear Me?” have also been featured in Muscadine Lines, a Southern literary magazine.

For several months in 2007, she lived in Ireland and worked as a travel writer and photographer for Tourism Ireland. She is currently teaching English online for the University of Phoenix. She lives with her son and three rescue dogs.

Please tell us what your goals will be for WFWA in 2015 if elected to the board of directors.

My goals for WFWA in 2015 would be to continue to offer exemplary and informative programs that will benefit all members and perspective members in the association with a primary focus on the belief that writers need other writers. From beginners to professionals, all writers benefit from input from those who are involved in the writing community at large, be they writers, editors, agents, or publishers. My goals will be to keep our members involved with each other and with professionals who can offer compelling and innovative techniques and information.

Vice President-Finance/Treasurer Laura Drake Laura was a corporate CFO for twenty years before retiring. Her novels revolve around two of her passions — motorcycles and pro bull riding. Her Sweet on a Cowboy series debuted with The Sweet Spot, which won the 2014 RITA award for Best First Book. Laura’s “biker chick” novel, Her Road Home, has been expanded to a four-book small town series.

She is currently working on a women’s fiction manuscript, A Day Made of Glass.

Please tell us what your goals will be for WFWA in 2015 if elected to the board of directors.

To continue to keep the organization on a solid financial footing through advising the Board and reducing risk by maintaining our accounts, insurance, and legal reporting duties. I'm so proud of where we are today, only a year from $0!

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Secretary Lisa Collins Mauro When she is not entrenched in analyzing lines of data, Lisa Collins Mauro is a contemporary women's fiction writer. Her essay, "Reflection," will be published in an upcoming anthology titled Pocket Tales for Rainy Days and Lazy Afternoons. Her first novel, The Place We Went to Yesterday, is currently being queried.

Please tell us what your goals will be for WFWA in 2015 if elected to the board of directors.

I'm a very new member of the WFWA and have found it to be an invaluable resource. As secretary, I would like to expand on the resources available to members—actively seeking new content, encouraging increased member participation, and fostering communication.

With fifteen years of administrative, project management, web development, and event management experience, I believe I would be an excellent candidate for this position.

Guiding Scribe Barbara Claypole White English born and educated, Barbara Claypole White lives in the North Carolina forest with her brilliant professor husband and, when he’s home from college, their equally brilliant poet/musician son. An avid woodland gardener inspired by her son’s courageous battles against an anxiety disorder (OCD), Barbara writes stories that find light through the trees and hope in the darkness of invisible disabilities. Her debut novel, The Unfinished Garden, won the 2013 Golden Quill Contest for Best First Book; The In-Between Hour was chosen

by SIBA (Southern Indie Booksellers) as a Winter 2014 Okra Pick. Her third novel, It's All About Harry, has a publication date of May 2015. Connect with Barbara at barbaraclaypolewhite.com.

Please tell us what your goals will be for WFWA in 2015 if elected to the board of directors.

I'm running for the board as the Guiding Scribe. I understand the purpose of this post is to help new members and unpublished authors find their way through the thicket of women's fiction publishing, as well as provide encouragement to the published members on their career path. My goal would be to create a forum where authors-in-waiting could ask multiple SQOTD's (stupid question of the day) and find a home for mutual cheerleading. The emphasis would be on support and information sharing. I would also like to set-up the equivalent of an agony aunt column through the website, or "Ask Aunty B."

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Crafting Crazy Characters

Barbara Claypole White

I

’m drawn to quirky, damaged characters— people who struggle with invisible disabilities such as severe grief, neurological disorders, and mental illnesses. While I often refer to my characters as crazy, I do so with deep affection, offbeat humor, and neverending respect for the courage it takes to navigate life with messed-up brain chemistry.

My son has battled OCD, an anxiety disorder that creates irrational fear in the absence of true threat, for most of his life. Crazy is the term The Beloved Sophomore Delinquent uses to describe himself—always said with an incandescent smile.

(I call him brilliant and bonkers.) Watching him throw up his arms and say, “Yup, I’m crazy,” fills me with maternal pride. It’s liberating and brave, and also reminds me of the scene in The Bird Cage when Robin Williams’s character goes a little loopy illustrating eclectic dance moves.

That’s where I want to take my characters—into the moment when they embrace and accept their inner craziness.

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I’m not talking miracle cures. Robin Williams’s suicide is a horrific reminder that happy endings can be a rarity in the world of invisible disabilities.

But there’s always hope: hope for a brighter tomorrow; hope that you’ll meet someone to share your journey through the darkness. My stories are about finding that hope.

I have two golden rules: 1) A character is not his or her disorder.

People are glorious composites of experience, genetics, background, and personality. Not everything comes down to serotonin levels.

2) There are no textbook versions of invisible disabilities. Think about grief for a minute. How many family members grieve the same way? After my father died, my sister was a dry-eyed tower of strength, I was the basket case who sobbed in the shower, and my mother was catatonic (except when she broke the news to her dog whisperer. Go figure).

Authors-in-waiting often ask if I worry about misrepresenting a particular disorder. No, because I have one goal: to create complex, believable characters—individuals with unique life experiences, not cardboard cutouts labeled depression or dementia. Writing instructors scream, “Avoid clichés!” I scream, “No stereotypes!”

Here’s an example from my debut novel, The Unfinished Garden: James Nealy has severe obsessive-compulsive disorder. He’s also mega successful, sexy as hell, and has a tattoo of a coiled snake. If he sped by in his Alfa Romeo convertible, you’d never shout, “Hey! There goes the poster guy for mental illness.” During a book club visit, one lovely lady insisted that I’d been mistaken about James: he couldn’t have OCD because he wasn’t a hand washer and he had a tattoo. (For the record, my son has never been a hand washer and he has four tattoos.) Her source was Monk, the television show about the germaphobic detective. I smiled and informed her that not only is Adrian Monk a caricature, but there’s no such thing as standardized OCD. Nope, doesn’t exist. OCD manifests differently in everyone. While researching 17-year-old Harry Fitzwilliam for novel three—due out next year, I learned the same is true of Tourette syndrome.

Ditch the notion of a right/wrong way to portray invisible disabilities, roll up your sleeves, and let the fun begin…

Step One: Research, Baby I’m a research nut, and my favorite method is one-on-one interviews. If I don’t know something, I consult an expert. I’ve interviewed lawyers, bankers, rock climbers, the head of psychiatry at a major teaching hospital, a big dude cardiologist, and the chief of our local Native American tribe.

The trick is to encourage people to share their stories, which is how you stumble over the unexpected gems. For example, while researching clinical depression and suicide ideation for Galen, the tortured young poet in my second novel, The In-Between Hour, I spread the word that I was looking to interview anyone with personal

experience. One guy who answered the call suggested we act out a particularly dark scene— using his first hand knowledge. Prior to our impromptu amateur dramatics, I thought I knew where the scene was heading. Five minutes into our reenactment, I realized I’d been wrong.

I also conduct online research, interview support group members, and read memoirs with the proviso that (a) I consider the potential bias of the source and (b) most research leans toward more extreme versions of disorders.

My research into Tourette syndrome included watching hours of YouTube videos that weren’t always helpful. Most of the videos highlighted coprolalia, the involuntary utterance of obscene words that afflicts only a small percentage of people with Tourette’s (although popular culture would have us believe otherwise). My character, Harry, doesn’t have coprolalia, but I have no doubt that come my first book club, someone will compare him unfavorably to the Tourette’s guy who yelled obscenities non-stop during the now iconic episode of LA Law. Sadly, that one representation on primetime television set the bar for public perceptions about Tourette syndrome in the same way that Monk apparently defined OCD for many people.

Step Two: Find the Positive Buried in the Negative Flushing out certain behaviors that stem from a mental illness or a neurological disorder can make a character seem unsympathetic. Harry’s father, Felix, has an undiagnosed issue that encourages him to be extremely judgmental. Felix is almost an anti-hero (but he makes wonderful, selfless decisions as the story progresses). Felix and Harry are polar opposites. One is driven by a need for order; the other is chaos and unedited joie de vivre. When the novel starts, the two barely interact, but I knew that hadn’t always been the case. As I started examining Felix’s judgmental streak from a more positive angle, I found what I was looking for. Young Harry would lose himself in explosive rage attacks that destroyed his bedroom. After the episodes, ashamed and guilty, Harry would step outside his room—often to the muffled sounds of his mother crying—and discover that everything in the rest of the house Fall 2014 • Write On!

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was as it should be. The sense of predictable order that Felix insisted the family maintain, the ‘everything must be in the right place’ philosophy, provided the ideal, safe environment for a child terrified by his own loss of control.

Step Three: Make it Personal The disorder you’re researching is one part of your character’s personality. Think outside the box of clinical descriptions to find the person.

Consider your character’s relationship to his or her disorder. How has it shaped and defined his life? Has it made her intensely private, or does she trust others with her dark truths? How does it affect his relationships with strangers and those close to him?

Step Four: Find the Fear “Yeah, yeah,” you say, “we know all about finding our characters’ fears.” Excellent. But here’s a little trick I learned from years of fighting the evil emperor of fear, OCD: It’s not enough to know your character is afraid of x because of y. Dig deep to excavate y—to uncover the one inciting incident or seed that gave that particular fear roots.

Going back to The Unfinished Garden— James’s OCD tells him dirt is the conductor of disease and death. And what happens? He falls in love with Tilly, a gardener with dirt under her fingernails. Most of James’s psychological battles—not all, because he has non-OCD related family baggage—trace back to his mother’s death.

When he was ten, his mother died of cancer. She had been in remission, and the day his father told James the cancer had returned, she was outside digging frantically in her garden. When she came into the house, she tracked in fertile, Illinois soil.

Bingo. The OCD latched onto that one detail— soil brought inside on her shoes—and created a horror story that played in a neverending loop in James’s mind for the next thirty-five years. Dirt = cancer and death. That small piece of backstory generated most of my plot, which is driven by James’s quest to overcome his greatest fear—dirt.

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Step Five: To Label or Not to Label, That Is The Question The answer should come from your character.

Always. One of my favorite scenes in The Unfinished Garden unfolds when James admits— for the first time—that he has a hiccup in his brain.

And he chooses to tell Tilly’s young son. James wants to reclaim his life from his own bizarre rituals and obsessive thoughts. This is part of his journey. But if your character is in deep denial, don’t diagnose him—or her.

The hero of The In-Between Hour is Will. His mother was batshit crazy. Years after her death, he’s still dealing with the emotional fallout of life with mom. I struggled to diagnose her before realizing any label was irrelevant. Her severe mood swings and alcohol abuse went untreated; they remained well-guarded family secrets. What mattered was the impact they had on Will. And the truth is that psychologists frequently misdiagnose patients. If mental health professionals don’t have all the answers, why should writers?

Step Six: Field Work Don’t forget that setting is a wonderful tool to help sculpt your crazy character. Visit places he would never go in his mundane, everyday life: a historic garden, an art museum, or a deserted beach. Now pop him down in one of those settings and watch. What grabs his attention? Why? I put Felix, a workaholic investment banker, in all of the locations I just mentioned, and each time I learned more about him than I did from my research into his mental health. And yes, those scenes made it into the novel. And no, I’m not telling you what his diagnosis is (spoiler alert).

Step Seven: Emotional Research Whether you have relevant personal experience or not, you can still pull from your own emotional life. All my heroes come from my darkest moment as a mother: sitting on the kitchen floor one Friday evening with a weeping child who cried over and over, “Make it stop, Mommy, make it stop.” My son was trapped in hell and I was powerless to help. Then I created

my own dark fear: What if, as my young son grew up, no one could see beyond his quirky, obsessive behavior to love him for the incredible person he is? While my son’s courage in fighting OCD may have inspired James, there is nothing of him in my subsequent heroes—Will and Felix. And yet each of them grew out of that single moment, that desire to see my grown-up son successful in love. I live in the dark world of mental illness.

Often I wish I didn’t, but I never give up hope that I can always write a better story for my family. Writing as therapy—imagine!

And Finally—Boldly Go Where No One Has Gone Before Take readers inside your character’s dark corners. Until I climbed into Galen’s mind, I’d imagined mangled, senseless thoughts. What I discovered was eerie calm. Once I’d found his voice, I knew something bad was about to happen in The In-Between Hour. It did.

To wrap up—a final story about James, because he started me on my path of no return.

When I first queried The Unfinished Garden, I had only one POV and it belonged to my heroine.

A famous dudette told me the book would never get published because James was too dark for a romantic hero. Figuring I had nothing to lose, I rewrote the manuscript to include James’s POV. I unleashed him; I let him talk about the voice inside his head; and I quickly found my adored agent, Nalini Akolekar.

English born and educated, Barbara Claypole White writes and gardens in the forests of North Carolina.

The Unfinished Garden won the 2013 Golden Quill for Best First Book, and The In-Between Hour was chosen by the Southern Indie Booksellers as a Winter 2014 Okra Pick. Her third novel, It’s All About Harry, has a release date of May 2015. Connect with Barbara at barbaraclaypolewhite.com.

There you have it, boys and girls. Good things happen when you embrace the dark side. And once you’ve engaged with readers who say, “I’ve never told anyone this before, but…” you’ll discover fiction contains the power to chip away at stigma. And maybe, just maybe, your crazy character can touch lives and even help shape the conversation about mental health.

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with Jessica Ferguson Several years ago a man visited our local writers’ meeting. He told me he was trying his hand at writing romance novels. “Great—which authors do you like to read?” I asked. His answer: “Oh, I don’t like to read.” I suppose my expression said it all because he skulked away and took his seat at the table to listen to the speaker say, “All writers must read.” Isn’t it funny the things we remember?

Today, so many years later, I find myself thinking about that stranger who wants to write but doesn’t want to read. Most non-writers don’t understand the process, do they? Writing and reading go hand in hand. We’ve all been influenced by favorite authors and books. We love reading and learning as much as we do the actual writing. So, join us in our favorite coffee house, the WFWA Café. Melodie Starkey, Judith Grout, Cheryl O’Donovan, Melissa Lenhardt, and Travis Erwin discuss

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childhood memories, brainstorming, and the books and movies that have influenced their writing.

Jess: Melodie, you first.

Melodie: I was a misfit, in my family and in my cowpoke town. However, one thing my otherwise out-of-control bipolar mother did instill in all of us was the love of books. To escape, I spent every summer riding my bike to the public library and sitting in the air conditioning or lying in the park behind it, reading ravenously. Some favorites: Astrid Lindgren and Frances Hodgson Burnett.

Judith: Richard Scarry’s Great Big Air Book Jess: Yes, Judith, Scarry was one of the finest children’s authors and illustrators. He sold over 300 books! Some of his original stories—out of print now—have been made “politically correct.”

Cheryl: Oooh, I loved ordering Scholastic books by checking those newsprint order forms and then lo and behold, my five or six gems would eventually arrive, courtesy of my teacher. I felt like Midas, examining the covers and seams, turning the pages. Being the serious, grim kid I was, I did my book report on The Rise & Fall of the Third Reich.

I was NOT the kid other girls wanted to hang out with, LOL! Melissa: I hid on an empty bus at a middle school band competition and read Forever by Judy Blume in two hours. My mother kept me from finishing it in fourth grade when I asked her what masturbation was. It took me four years to get my hands on it, and alone, where I could read it. Worth every minute.

Jess: Number seven on the American Library Association’s top one hundred list of banned books for about ten years, Melissa.

Travis: Where the Red Fern Grows was the first book that I read the last paragraph, wiped the tears from my face and immediately turned to the beginning and started reading again. I think it was a seed planted then that I wanted to write stories that could invoke that kind of emotion and passion.

Jess: Oh Travis! I loved the movie. Daughter and I watched it over and over again, and the tears flowed. What about movies? Any inspiration there?

Since my books often lean toward not-so-happy endings, it might not be surprising that Casablanca is a favorite. Also, Three Days of the Condor. Robert Redford is forever looking over his shoulder in my mind.

Melodie: Two come to mind: Harold and Maude, which taught me that the tiniest details can pack the biggest punches (consider the scene when she tells Harold about the glorious sea birds, and he looks down at the Auschwitz tattoo on her arm), and A Trip to Bountiful, which taught me that little stories from the heart are far more powerful than big flashy stories with high drama or lots of action.

Judith: Romancing the Stone. The best and brightest of my creative writing teachers used that script in numerous ways as her example of goal, motivation, and conflict development.

Cheryl: I really love those “down for the count” movies, where characters seem desperate and everything hinges on one game or a case being won— The Natural and The Verdict. In my last manuscript, my husband said of the male hero: “Hey, this guy’s

80 percent Raylan and 20 percent Boyd.” (After TV’s Justified) And YES, I was definitely inspired by the dark wit of that show.

Melissa: I think I’m more influenced by television, specifically series with a clear story arc, such as Breaking Bad, the early season of the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica, Deadwood, The Wire. For long term character development, I don’t think there is any show on television—network, cable, or premium—that can match The Good Wife.

Travis: Movies huh? I’m not a big movie guy but perhaps Legends of the Fall. I liked how the characters in that movie were built and how they all had problems to overcome that made them slightly unlikable but not enough that you couldn’t root for them.

Jess: Some of us have been writing forever, and some not so long. Regardless, what are the biggest surprises you’ve encountered on your journey?

Melodie: Just last weekend, my 18-year-old niece (whom I hardly know) told me one of my books was the best thing she had ever read. It is one that has been virtually ignored by everyone else although I’m pretty fond of it personally. It was an odd feeling to come upon someone who had actually read it and was talking to me about my characters as though they were real people.

Jess: That’s a wonderful compliment, Melodie.

She might be a great beta reader. How about you, Judith? What’s your biggest surprise?

Judith: How early in the creative writing cycle one must jump into the sink-or-swim pool of social media.

Cheryl: That you can be an exemplary wordsmith and have a knockout narrative voice, but still not sell a novel. Stories are what sell, not writing. That’s been a humbling lesson, and I’m still learning . . .

I’m always learning.

Melissa: Sometimes, I’m shocked I do this at all. I’ll read something I wrote and think, “I did that? That came from my mind?” I never thought of myself as being creative so the idea that I am is astonishing.

Travis: The variety of reactions people have upon finding out I write women’s fiction. I don’t just mean surprise. That’s kind of a given since I’m a large 6’5” 300-pound bearded man with a heavy Texas twang.

But I’ve had a few show outright anger that I’d dare attempt to write from a woman’s perspective,

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especially emotionally laden stories. I’ve also seen a good amount of skepticism.

outside and vow to keep them all (or most of them) anyway.

Jess: So, taking what you’ve experienced and what you’ve learned from favorite books, authors, and movies, I’m sure that’s influenced your brainstorming techniques. Let’s share our process.

Cheryl: Don’t rewrite the same chapter 20 times, grasshopper! Establish a cohesive plot. Worry less and produce faster. Don’t take things personally, whether it’s a rejection or a fallout with a critique partner. I’d tell myself to lick my wounds in my proverbial cave for a bit, then pull up my big girl panties and behave like a professional. Make mistakes and move on. Don’t wallow, kiddo.

Melodie: Since almost everything I write is character-based, with the plot coming in far behind, I usually just let my people start talking and write it all down. Worry about whether it makes sense and applying tags and figuring out who they are talking to, etc., later. If I weren’t so lazy I’d probably look into becoming a playwright instead.

Judith: Daily household drudgery-type tasks leave plenty of brain cells hungering for nourishment so let them snack on wild, wacky events. Jot them on the back of your sweaty hands, transfer to the notes section of your handy electronic device, and pick the juiciest one for that day’s keyboard session.

Cheryl: Formally brainstorm? Naw, my brain doesn’t work that way. It happens when I’m in the shower, driving, or splitting atoms at Cern (LOL!). That’s when the great ideas hatch. And then I’m frantically scribbling notes on a grocery store receipt, veering off the road.

Melissa: Stop wasting time. The publishing industry is slow and you aren’t getting any younger.

Travis: Write from your heart, your gut, and from your instincts the first couple of times through. Save the doubt, censorship, and editing for later drafts.

Oh, how you gals and guy inspire me. I should splatter your bits of wisdom across my office walls!

Thank you for being so honest and forthcoming.

Until next time, let’s turn our thoughts toward the holidays, and enjoy our family and friends. But don’t forget to join us at the WFWA Café in 2015 where we’ll have a fresh batch of questions with interesting answers. See you then!

•

Melissa: Driving. Or taking a shower. Running when I’m feeling motivated. I do my best thinking when I perform mindless activities. Except for housework. I wish I did my best thinking while doing housework.

I’d have a much cleaner house.

Travis: When stuck I do one of two things: take a long hot shower and let my ideas float amongst the steam, or get in my truck and drive aimlessly out on the narrow farm-to-market and rutted dirt roads that crisscross the Texas Panhandle.

Jess: Sometimes I wish I could start over from scratch. Erase all the negatives and bad habits, unlearn a few things, and just start fresh. If you could go back in time and talk to yourself when you were a beginning writer, what would you say?

Melodie: Don’t take things so personally! I wasted a lot of years because I got discouraged easily. Also, LEARN TO TYPE! I really don’t know how anything ever got published before the invention of the word processor.

Judith: Write using the most imaginative verbs you can muster. When your critique reader/writer group red line them, meekly nod your assent on the

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JESSICA FERGUSON is the author of The Last Daughter, a novella published by The Wild Rose Press. She interviews authors for Southern Writers Magazine and is co-editor of Swamp Lily Review, a Journal of Louisiana Literature and Arts. In her spare time, she plays with her recently retired husband.

Jess blogs at www.jessyferguson.blogspot.com.

MEMBER NEWS We’re excited to share these new member releases coming out this quarter.

Waking Up Joy

Release Date: October 8, 2014

By Tina Ann Forknew Synopsis from Goodreads: Behind every lost dream lies a second chance…

When adored town spinster Joy Talley ends up in a coma after a peculiar accident, she is surprised and incensed to hear what is being said in her hospital room, including plans for her funeral. When she finally wakes, her well---meaning, but bossy, brothers and sisters dismiss her claims, thinking her accident has knocked her off her rocker, but Joy has never felt better, and is determined to set the past right.

Now Joy must face her darkest secret and risk reopening wounds caused by an old flame who rejected her more than twenty years ago. But taking risks brings change, as well as a new, younger man into Joy’s life, making her feel like a teenager again. Suddenly Joy’s once humdrum life is anything but boring and routine and the future beckons, exhilarating and bright.

Redemption

Release Date: October 7, 2014

By Kathryn Barrett Synopsis from Goodreads: Recently appointed an executive of a Philadelphia department store, Claire Porter doesn’t want a man in her life. She still bears scars from her past, including the Hollywood scandal that resulted in the birth of her son, but she’s the last to admit she needs a hero.

Matt Grayson is perfectly cast for the role. As a kid, he staged rescue operations with GI Joe and Barbie. Now he plays a hero on the big screen, but when he encounters Claire, ten years after their disastrous affair, he realizes she’s no longer the naïve girl who fell into his arms.

She not only forbids him to use her store as a location for the film he’s directing, but also refuses to cooperate with the emotional rescue he plans.

As layers of secrets are exposed, Claire and Matt grow closer, and finally face their personal— and public—redemption.

Finding the Rainbow

Release Date: December 2014

By Traci Borum Synopsis from Goodreads: Holly Newbury’s life is on hold in the cozy English village of Chilton Crosse. While her friends are marrying, having children, and embarking on successful careers, Holly is raising her three younger sisters and working part time at the village art gallery. Her life feels incomplete, but family is more important to her than anything. Then a film crew’s arrival galvanizes the community, and Holly becomes fast friends with Fletcher Hays, the movie’s love-shy American writer.

The production of an Emma film isn’t the only drama in town, though. Their father makes a choice that threatens everything she gave up her dreams for. Holly’s sisters endure growing pains. And Fletcher plans to return to America as soon as filming is over, ruining any chance of their relationship blossoming further. After years of sacrificing for others, Holly must find the courage to take a risk on a future she never dared to expect.

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The Last Breath

Release Date: September 30, 2014

By Kimberly Belle Synopsis from Goodreads: Humanitarian aid worker Gia Andrews chases disasters around the globe for a living. It’s the perfect lifestyle to keep her far away from her own personal ground zero. Sixteen years ago, Gia’s father was imprisoned for brutally killing her stepmother. Now he’s come home to die of cancer, and she’s responsible for his care—and coming to terms with his guilt.

Gia reluctantly resumes the role of daughter to the town’s most infamous murderer, a part complete with protesters on the lawn and death threats that are turning tragedy into frontpage news. Returning to life in small-town Tennessee involves rebuilding relationships that distance and turmoil have strained, though finding an emotional anchor in the attractive hometown bartender is certainly helping Gia cope.

As the past unravels before her, Gia will find herself torn between the stories that her family, their friends and neighbors, and even her long-departed stepmother have believed to be real all these years. But in the end, the truth—and all the lies that came before—may have deadlier consequences than she could have ever anticipated...

Yellow Pansies in a Blue Cobalt Jar

Release Date: October 10, 2014

By Nancy LaPonzina Synopsis from Goodreads: Bibliotherapist, silver-haired Rhose Guerin uses books, movies, plays, and poetry in her private practice. An advanced professional credentialing program removes her from friends and family in North Carolina to study in Westport, Connecticut where she reconsiders her fading marriage; a daughter in a relationship crisis; a parent challenged by health issues; and the reappearance of an old love.

Long held family secrets and relationships are revealed that beg intervention as Rhose second-guesses decisions made in her past. Was the path she turned from, the better one to have taken? Can she satisfy her need to grow both professionally and personally in order to find acceptance and romance in a life of her own?

There are no novels to show her how. She must be the heroine of her own story as she appraises and makes peace with life decisions boomer generation women face.

A Bollywood Affair

Release Date: October 28, 2014

By Sonali Dev Synopsis from Goodreads: Mili Rathod hasn’t seen her husband in twenty years—not since she was promised to him at the age of four. Yet marriage has allowed Mili a freedom rarely given to girls in her village. Her grandmother has even allowed her to leave India and study in America for eight months, all to make her the perfect modern wife. Which is exactly what Mili longs to be—if her husband would just come and claim her.

Bollywood’s favorite director, Samir Rathod, has come to Michigan to secure a divorce for his older brother. Persuading a naïve village girl to sign the papers should be easy for someone with Samir’s tabloid-famous charm. But Mili is neither a fool nor a gold-digger. Open-hearted yet complex, she’s trying to reconcile her independence with cherished traditions. And before he can stop himself, Samir is immersed in Mili’s life—cooking her dal and rotis, escorting her to her roommate’s elaborate Indian wedding, and wondering where his loyalties and happiness lie.

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Stillwater Rising

Release Date: November 11, 2014

By Steena Holmes Synopsis from Goodreads: After losing her son in an elementary school shooting that devastates the tight-knit community of Stillwater Bay, Jennifer Crowne finds herself unable to settle back into her role of perfect stay-at-home mom and committee organizer. Meanwhile, her best friend, Mayor Charlotte Stone, struggles to keep the town together, and Charlotte’s husband, the school principal, may not be the hero everyone thinks him to be.

As they try to heal from this irrevocable trauma, Jenn and Charlotte find themselves at a crossroads? within the town and within their friendship. For Jenn, broken and grieving, there is no going back, and she demands that the school be closed so that she can bury the past.

Yet Charlotte is equally desperate to hold the town together, fighting the school closure and helping the shooter’s mother regain her place in the community. Jenn and Charlotte’s relationship is put to the ultimate test as each weighs her own interests against the bonds of their friendship.

A Newport Christmas Wedding: A Novella

By Shelley Noble

Release Date: December 2, 2014

Synopsis from Goodreads: It’s Christmas in Newport. The mansions are decorated and the streets are filled with excitement. Across the bay, preparations are in full swing for the wedding of Meri Hollis and Alden Corrigan. A year ago, Meri never imagined that she would marry her best friend, Alden, or become step mother to his two teenaged children, Nora and Lucas.

But as the wedding day draws near, tension and emotions run high and Meri’s happiness turns to uncertainty. Nora is suddenly acting sullen and withdrawn, Alden is preoccupied, and Meri wonders if marrying Alden will bring the family closer together or tear them apart.

It seems like this wedding might be doomed before it begins until a special Christmas surprise brings home the meaning of family and the joy of the holidays.

Have something being published between January and March 2015? Please send an email to writeon@womensfictionwriters.org.

We’d LOVE to get your news in the next e-zine!

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A Literary Agent on Being a Successful Hybrid Author Chip MacGregor ’m frequently asked about the notion of I working with “hybrid authors” because I seem to be a bit of a rarity—a literary agent who actually encourages his authors to become hybrids. But you see, I used to make my living as a writer, so I understand what it’s like to try to make a living with words. And the changes in the industry that have taken place means there are new opportunities available to writers that were never available in the past.

Let’s define our terms: A hybrid author is one who is self-publishing AND traditionally publishing. There are plenty of people who insist one method or the other is the “right” way to have a writing career these days—that you either get an advance and publish your books with a legacy press and ignore the badly-edited self-published crud on Amazon, OR you self-publish your title via Amazon and Smashwords, and reject those moneygrubbing publishers in New York who only want to enslave you as a midlist author. Um . . . I tend to think there’s another way.

A hybrid author gets the benefit of an occasional advance check, professional editing, great distribution, and access to marketing professionals from his or her publisher. PLUS there’s the benefit of having complete creative control, book price control, and the chance to do more titles that generate 20 Write On! • Fall 2014

immediate earnings from his or her selfpublished titles.

Of course, there’s also a downside. A hybrid author really has to set up his or her writing life as a small business, since everything from cover choices to copyeditor payments are the responsibility of the author. He or she has to stay up on trends—which etailers are selling your books? What formats are selling best? What changes do you have to make to stay current? And for most hybrid authors, marketing becomes a full time job. With that sort of to-do list, finding time to write can be difficult.

So the decision to become a hybrid author is really the decision to start your own company—one where you’ll be making the decisions, handling the problems, and charting your own strategic direction.

And that’s where I see myself fitting in. I’m a multi-published author, a former publisher (with the old Time-Warner Book Group), and a longtime agent (16 years and counting).

A hybrid author often needs help with the technical side of things (reading contracts, setting up release schedules), the business side of things (dealing with editors, arranging to get all the vendors paid), the selling side of things (contracting foreign rights, talking with Hollywood producers), and the marketing side of things (crafting a marketing

plan, connecting with a magazine on a press release). A good agent will probably offer some practical help with several of those issues, and free you up to focus on your writing.

Each author is different, so your needs won’t be the same as someone else’s, but some writers really need help with editing, others with managing the business, still others with handling all the marketing responsibilities.

A good agent ought to be able to help an author manage relationships, coordinate with publishers, and troubleshoot the difficult issues you face. He or she may be able to help with vendor coordination or marketing planning. Most importantly, an agent really ought to be able to help you clarify your longterm goals and create a plan for reaching them.

But authors aren’t limited to simply publishing with a huge New York house or self-publishing their manuscript on their own.

The changes in technology and the advent of ebooks has created a brand new world of indie publishers—smaller houses that are sometimes doing e-only titles, and sometimes doing ebook and print-on-demand books, often marketing them to a niche audience.

This has greatly expanded the options available to authors, as companies step in to assist authors with reaching their readers.

If you’re a writer pondering what steps to take to become a hybrid author, let me suggest a few simple things to consider. First, look at the books you already have scheduled, and the manuscripts you’ve completed and want to self-publish. Begin to map out a schedule of releases that gets you out there on the market, but doesn’t have you competing with yourself. You’re going to do best as a hybrid author if you have several titles to sell to readers, keep creating new works, and decide to sell them inexpensively. Second, start to create a list of people in your world who can help you move forward—editors, marketing professionals, cover designers, and people with the technical experience to assist you in the process. Third, determine right now that you’re going to invest a lot of time into marketing. That’s the most important skill you’re going to need if you plan to set up a self-publishing business, so that could mean investing in some training or resources, or

deciding to link up with some experienced marketing types who can assist you in this new venture.

One author I represent, Vincent Zandri, decided several years ago he was going to become a hybrid author. He has worked with traditional publishers, and currently has created a handful of bestselling books with Amazon Publishing’s Thomas & Mercer imprint. But he has also worked with some smaller houses, and has successfully selfpublished some titles, so that he has maximum exposure to readers. The result? Over the past four years, Vince has sold hundreds of thousands of books, landed on the New York Times bestseller list, and made a good living as a writer.

Hybrid publishing isn’t for everyone, but it might be an avenue to consider if you’re an entrepreneurial and prolific writer with a knack for marketing.

•

Chip MacGregor is the president of MacGregor Literary, Inc., a full-service literary agency located on the left coast. He has been working in the publishing industry for three decades, and made his living as a freelance writer and editor for several years. He is the author of numerous books, including a couple of bestselling nonfiction titles, and formerly served as a publisher with Time-Warner. Chip began working as an agent sixteen years ago, and has represented hundreds of titles, including numerous award winners and bestsellers, and one that hit #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. A well-known speaker at writing conferences and via online writing sites, he lives on the Oregon coast.

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How to Enjoy the Revision Process Erin Bartels

I

t seems to me that writers generally fall into one of two camps when it comes to the subject of revision : On one side are writers who love the drafting phase of writing and dread the prospect of then going back and revising a manuscript. On the other side are those who are relieved when the drafting of a novel is done so that they can finally get to the fun part—revising! I happen to be in the latter camp (hence the jaunty exclamation point). My husband lives in the former.

Because we approach the writing process differently—he as a relentless outliner of even the minutiae and has everything ( everything ) all lined up correctly in his head before he ever types a word of the first draft, I as a basically casual pantser who fiddles a bit with loose outlines only as a way of not forgetting ideas I’m saving for later—we also approach revision differently. Zach resists it, I embrace it. And I’m going to use my remaining 1,862 words to convince you to embrace it as well.

Over the past three years, my sister and I have taken three incredible hiking trips in 22 Write On! • Fall 2014

Michigan’s gorgeous Upper Peninsula. And the process of preparing for and then actually taking these trips has continuously impressed upon me its value as a metaphor for writing, revising, and editing. In a nutshell: •Writing is pre-trip planning and packing your bags.

•Revising is actually taking the trip.

•Editing is going through all those pictures and deciding what to share with the world.

Each part of this process is important. Each depends on the others. Each is worth our time and our enthusiasm. Short-changing any one of them can make for a bad experience (even a dangerous one).

Let’s look at each of these statements closely.

Writing is pre-trip packing your bags.

planning

and

Whether you’re a plotter or a pantser,

for the purposes of this metaphor, if you’re going on a trip you need to pack a bag, get a map, have some sort of itinerary. You don’t just drive off at random, stop at random, and start walking off on a days-long journey into the woods with no preparation at all.

Writing is making a packing list, buying supplies, stuffing your pack, reserving campsites, consulting good maps, and planning how far you will hike each day. It’s making sure you have everything you need, gathering the essentials of your story— characters, setting, plot, etc.

It’s putting all those essential things into an orderly fashion. You don’t pack beef jerky in the same place you pack your underwear (not unless you want bears, coyotes, and wolves to take a special interest in your rear end). You don’t store matches at the bottom of your water bottle. Writing is lining everything up, putting your expectations out there.

Maybe in the course of planning you have to make adjustments. You thought you’d be able to get that ideal campsite, but when you tried to reserve it you found out it was full. So you try another itinerary, reroute, recalculate.

Those adjustments might be called rewriting — big picture adjustments that happen as you realize your original plan may not work out right, or because it wasn’t until you really got into the planning that you realized there was a better option than you had at first assumed.

In these early stages of creating a novel, sometimes rewriting really does have to be done or else you will find yourself lost in the wilderness days later having taken a wrong turn way back in chapter four. Better perhaps to retrace your steps now, consider your options more carefully, and take the right path. After all, blazing new trails is hard work and if you’re going to do it you want to end up in the right place. Or, to put it in terms of our packing metaphor, I don’t want to get too far into my hiking trip and find that I neglected to pack my water purifier or my tent.

Rewriting is, I think, the part of the writing process that can make us feel most anxious.

What if we can’t work out the kinks? What

if this whole trip is a disaster? What if the trip I’m planning is boring or pointless or not unique enough? What if I blow this whole thing?

Rewriting often changes everything . You realize that you need to give a character better motivation for making a change in her life, and when you do that, suddenly her entire personality changes, her voice changes, her goals change. It’s like realizing that you hadn’t thought about the fact that you’re overweight and out of shape and should not be attempting a 12-mile day over very challenging terrain (not that I’m speaking from firsthand experience or anything). You have to reevaluate and decide if making such a far-reaching change is absolutely necessary, because it will alter the whole trip.

And, eventually, you come to believe that it is necessary—hopefully before you start your revision trip. Sometimes we don’t admit that to ourselves at first and we end up with pulled muscles and blistered feet and quitepossibly-permanent damage to our ego.

Once you’ve written out that first real draft, the one that gets most of your story on paper in some sort of sensible order, then you’re ready to take the trip. No one plans and packs for a trip and then says, “Well, that was fun and I can’t wait to do it again next year,” and then doesn’t go on the trip. If the trip doesn’t happen, it’s because something went wrong. We never stop at the writing part of the writing process. Revision is necessary, and it can be the most enjoyable and rewarding part of the process.

Revising is actually taking the trip.

Like you, I love writing. I enjoy putting thoughts down in words on a page/screen, and I especially enjoy that mysterious reverse aspect of writing, when the act of writing actually drives your thoughts. It is fascinating to be part of the interchange between process and product, the fluid state where you aren’t sure who is in charge of the story that is taking shape. But even more than writing, even more than planning a fun hiking trip, I love revision. I know from the outset that Fall 2014 • Write On!

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it is going to be hard work—sometimes the most painful and taxing work of all—but I also know that it will all be worth it.

I’m not talking about editing, that necessary nitpicking that gives you a clean manuscript, puts your story into the very best light possible. We’ll discuss that in a minute.

I’m talking about actually looking around at the literary landscape of your draft and seeing it for what it is (which can be difficult at times on our own, making a hiking partner—a critique partner—such a valuable asset).

I’m talking about looking at individual words and phrases and judging their merit.

Are they hardworking or lazy? Are they unique or cliché? Do they truly mean what you want them to mean? Is there a better one, a more complete one, a more interesting one that could be substituted to bring your writing to the next level? This is like looking down at the forest floor on a hike, noticing the individual plants and flowers and mosses, spotting the snake slithering away or the butterfly sipping nectar. It’s paying attention to the little things, because the little things are what make up the whole of the experience of the trip and they are each important. If your first readers are tripping over poorly chosen words, this is your chance to level the path. Say what you mean!

I’m talking about looking at individual sentences with that same critical eye and asking if that sentence is truly the best it can be. Does it say something important? Does it say something true? Does it say something necessary? Is it essential? Does it move the reader forward in the plot or deeper into the character? This is like looking at everything around you at eye-level on a hike. This is seeing the path ahead, seeing the deer tiptoeing among the trees, seeing the play of sunlight and shadow on the water. This widens your scope from individual words and takes into account the somewhat larger landscape of your story. If your first readers have come to a swampy area with no little footbridge in sight, this is your big chance to build one for them so they don’t have to slog through the muck (something my sister and I did a lot of 24 Write On! • Fall 2014

on our most recent hike). Tighten it up!

I’m talking about examining a paragraph and then a chapter and applying the same criteria to it. Is it unique, necessary, dynamic, clear, interesting, and compelling? If you read just this excerpt, would it pull you to want to read the whole? These are the breaks in the trees that allow you to experience the bigger picture. They are the overlooks, the vistas that you miss if you are too focused on the ground. These are the points at which you (and your reader) can get a glimpse of what is coming ahead. Entice and enchant them!

Work your way through the entire hike, the entire book, slowly and thoughtfully.

Enjoy the happy accidents that occur along the way, the things you didn’t anticipate while packing (writing). They can end up being some of the best parts of the trip (like when my sister and I had to walk across a beaver dam because the beaver had all but obliterated the trail! Awesome!). All of these levels, when put together, are what make the overall impression readers will come away with as they close the back cover. Did you wow them? Surprise them? Bowl them over?

Did you at least intrigue them? Would they want to take that hike again? Keep revising until the answer is an unequivocal yes.

Editing is going through all those pictures.

When I come home from a trip, I go through all of my photos and decide which ones to share. Even though I shoot with a digital camera and could easily upload every blessed photo to Facebook, I don’t. Why? Because they’re not all great, and I only want to share the best. I edit my trips. Because I don’t want to bore people, I don’t want them to flip through a few photos, see that they’re kind of mediocre, and pass on the rest. I want them to wish they were on that trip with me.

The lovely thing about editing is that this is your chance to reframe your trip. You can crop out the stuff that, now that you look at it again, actually detracts from the photo. You can tweak the lighting a bit to make it feel more like you remembered it actually feeling

in real life. You can leave out the parts that, now that you look at them, you can’t for the life of you remember why, precisely, you had decided to include them.

Back in the day when film had to be developed, you were forced to wait for your photos, sometimes a week or more. This wait time is important. Because when you edit you want to let your book rest a bit, take your mind off of it for a while, give it room to settle and breathe, before going through it. And just like hiking a trail, you can always start again from the beginning, make the same hike, and notice new things every time, so you’ll want to plan multiple edits.

TECH TIPS

Not sure where to start on your hike? One of the best books I’ve read on the subject is The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman. It’s a veritable field guide to successful revision and editing. If you take Lukeman’s advice seriously and apply it to your manuscript, you will end up with a far better product than you started with. If you’re up for a real challenge, try Donald Maass’s Writing 21st Century Fiction . It will change. Your. Life.

Happy hiking!

•

from Tasha Seegmiller

I

f you have been dabbling in writing for long at all, you have probably heard of the software Scrivener. There are varying opinions about the software—some swear by it, others swear at it. It is not for everyone. But if you have been looking for a tool that will allow you to outline, draft, research, write, and edit all in one location, I don’t know that there is a better comprehensive program.

WHAT IT IS Scrivener’s website explains the software as “… a powerful content-generation tool for writers that allows you to concentrate on composing and structuring long and difficult documents. While it gives you complete control of the formatting, its focus is on helping you get to the end of that awkward first draft.”

Named by the Saturday Evening Post among “the greatest up-and-coming fiction writers today,” Erin Bartels has worked in the publishing industry for twelve years. She has been enjoying the hike through her WIP for the past seven months. You can find her at www.erinbartels.com.

This is a program created with the long write in mind. It understands there is a process; its design is to allow that process to flow from stage to stage with the least amount of disruption possible.

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HOW IT WORKS You purchase the software from the site. It is designed for either Mac or PC. It used to be that the Mac had many more features, but recent updates have made the two nearly equal. Once downloaded, the company provides users with an extensive tutorial. It is saved in the program itself for ease of referencing.

The program has a basic selection of layouts.

There are blank, fiction, non-fiction, screenwriting, and miscellaneous forms to choose from with variations under each of these genres. Under fiction are the options for Novel, Novel, with Parts and Short Story. All the formatting questions that present themselves in standard word processing programs are resolved quickly. Once a format is selected, you can choose if you want to start drafting, if you’d like to spend some time drafting ideas with the corkboard, or tinker in outline mode.

you to have the option to see what it is all about before committing. If you decide to take the leap, please remember there is a learning curve when it comes to all technology—don’t expect to open this and automatically know how everything works. But chances are, if time and patience is allowed, the program will change your writing process for the better.

The views expressed are the author’s own, offered without endorsement, and do not represent the views of the WFWA organization. •

There is also a way to pull research into the project you are working on, pulling it up side by side with your writing instead of the necessity to click between programs and windows and tabs.

BELLS AND WHISTLES Scrivener already has the ability to make the document compatible for whatever e-format you need. It also has the ability to expand and take up the full screen, blocking out whatever social media is you distraction of choice. You can set word count goals for the whole book, each chapter, and each scene, and there is a target that shows up to indicate how close you are.

You can leave notes in a side screen of things you need to look up or remember to include, or whatever other little bread crumbs you tend to leave for yourself while in the process of writing.

But the best part is the faith the company has in their program. If you are on the fence, have been thinking about buying the software, or just want to see what it is all about, visit the website and download a 30-day free trial. But this isn’t your standard 30-day free trial. It is 30 days of usage. If you buy it on a Monday, play around, and don’t open it again for a week, the second time you open it is your 2nd day. They really want 26 Write On! • Fall 2014

Tasha Seegmiller is a mom to three kids and high school English teacher in Southern Utah.

She writes contemporary women’s fiction with a dash of magic. Her loves include Diet Coke, owls, chocolate and cinnamon bears. She is a founder of and contributor to Thinking Through Our Fingers, and can be found at tashaseegmiller. blogspot.com www.tashaseegmiller.blogspot.com.

Guiding Scribe: Marilyn Brant

I

t was because of the fall that I became a writer.

Well, one of the reasons. Maybe it would be more accurate to say that the descriptions I was writing in my head about the fall led to my not becoming a biochemist, my original college major.

I knew I’d somehow chosen the wrong career path on a very early Thursday morning during bio lab. It was a brilliant October day on campus, with a sky that reminded me of hues I’d only seen in National Geographic photos of the Caribbean or, possibly, on those painting shows when they’d go a little wild with acrylics. The nearby bluffs were ablaze with color, too. The trees looked like the Heat Miser’s hair in “The Year without a Santa Claus.” (I know at least some of you will get that reference—it was my favorite of the holiday cartoons as a kid.) I kept staring longingly out the window at the rising hills and cliffs, humming the song of Mr. Green Christmas impatiently under my breath.

For three hours.

When the lab finally ended, I walked from the science building directly to the career counseling center, realizing I’d have to find a new profession—one that would passionately intrigue me and wouldn’t leave me looking elsewhere for entertainment. I needed to figure out what I could do with my life that would genuinely compete for my attention in the face of stunning natural beauty, like those bluffs and that sky.

As I write this today—on an absolutely gorgeous autumn morning nearly 30 years later—I’m a little startled to realize that I did, indeed, find that compelling profession. That the act of trying to get at the heart of a deep truth and then express it by using only words had, somehow, become more important to me than even the external vision that had inspired those words in the first place.

The clouds are dancing in a cerulean sky today. Our neighbor’s sugar maple has turned a fiery scarlet, awash with dashes of green, Fall 2014 • Write On!

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gold, and that shade of orange that looks more like freshly poured Tropicana than pumpkin.

I observe it. I admire it. But I find I don’t hunger for it—because it’s already mine. Even as I’m mentally describing what I see in the outside world, I’ve already drawn its beauty to me. It’s been captured and embraced. And now I’m fully absorbed by what’s happening with my internal eye. What I’ll be able to create with that knowledge.

I suppose it’s a bit like biochemistry after all. At least those physiological sensations we feel when we’re falling in love. As authors, this calling of ours has us frequently turning our attention away from the reality before our eyes in order to construct a different kind of reality on the page. Two disparate shades of the same experience perhaps, but both, I believe, equally true.

Happy Fall, WFWA Friends. Here’s wishing you a season filled with the joy of writing! ~Marilyn

•

MARILYN BRANT is proud to be WFWA’s founding Guiding Scribe. She’s a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary women’s fiction, romantic comedy, and mystery. In 2013, she was chosen to be the Author of the Year by the Illinois Association of Teachers of English. Her latest release is a women’s fiction mystery entitled The Road and Beyond. Visit her website at www.marilynbrant.com.

About the GUIDING SCRIBE Position The Guiding Scribe serves as the respected guiding voice within the Association. S/he is published in Women’s Fiction and provides advice to members and the Board about topics related to the genre of Women’s Fiction.

Will you consider helping WFWA grow?

WFWA is an entirely volunteer-run organization. The programs we’re currently running, as well as the ones we’d like to introduce, depend on the creativity and dedication of our members.

If you’re interested in blogging, mentoring, contests, communications, publicity, workshops, websites, board positions, or have an idea that will benefit the members, please contact me directly.

Orly Konig-Lopez orly@oklopez.com WFWA Founding President

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