My wonderful, supportive husband brought me TWO dozen roses today: one for Valentine’s Day and one to congratulate me on the release of Baggage Claim. Isn’t he amazing? I sure do love him. In addition to working hard so I can stay home and write, he’s been so patient as I worked on preparing Baggage Claim for publication! Baggage Claim It’s a little like having a baby, but instead of nine months, Baggage Claim took me nearly nine years to produce. I started it in 2009 for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), All of my sons had finally graduated from high school, and after all those years of homeschooling, I had some free time to do “me” things! Then I got a real job and didn’t have time for writing anymore. I looked at it every so often, made a few edits, changed a few plot points… and then put it away again. After a few years, I forced myself to finish it, and then I set it aside again. I started an outline for a sequel. (Oh – I was also working on a few other books, all of which followed that pattern. I have a very short attention Read More
Tag: Writing
Preparing for NaNoWriMo – 6 Important Tasks to Complete Before Nov. 1
National Novel Writing Month If you have ever participated in the NaNoWriMo annual 30-day writing marathon, you already know what it’s like. You cross everything else off your schedule, hunker down and write. On second thought, it’s not really a marathon. It’s a sprint, hurdling over writer’s blocks and kick-starting your creativity because it’s all about the first draft. It’s freeing! No one expects you to turn out a polished manuscript. You just keep writing and writing and writing. The NaNo organization has built a terrific interactive website with incentives, forums, encouraging blog articles, writing buddy networks, local groups, achievement badges and accountability charts that will inspire you to frantic efforts or despair. Or, if you are doing well, they might make you feel a little smug. (Watch out for that.) You even get a gold halo for your profile picture if you make a donation. My Favorite NaNoWriMo Resources from Helping Writers Become Authors: One of my favorite writing craft teachers, K.M. Weiland, is doing a series of articles on How to Outline for NaNoWriMo. I have her two books, Outlining Your Novel and Structuring Your Novel, in digital form, and I buy fresh copies of the corresponding workbooks Read More
What is Christian Fiction?
What qualifies a book as Christian Fiction? We all know that our first responsibility in this world is to glorify God. Whether we eat or drink or whatever we do – including writing! – we should do it all to the glory of God. Therefore, all “Christian fiction” in every genre should glorify God. That is true and simple, right? No, it’s true and it’s complex. Ever since the Christian market grew beyond Amish romances and sweet prairie mail order brides, there is an ever-cycling argument about what kinds of language and situations are permissible in Christian fiction. Although I occasionally enjoy an Amish romance, I am mostly interested in police mysteries/political thrillers and romantic suspense, and those genres are more likely to be set “in the world.” I live in that world, but I am still a Christian reader. Personal convictions vary, and personally, I lean toward prudery – I do not want to be shown the nakedness or sexual activities, conversation and thoughts of other people. A skilled writer can write (ahem) physically-charged scenes without gloating over the details or making me a voyeur. I don’t want to read blasphemous or vulgar dialog. A good writer can show Read More
Do what you love – as long as you love doing it
I recently published an article – Quitting Quilting – on my GloryQuilts blog, explaining why I was restructuring my business. It explained the quitting part, but it didn’t really address the “art as career” aspect of the change. Through this experience, I am persuaded that if I am ever forced to support myself financially, I must not do it by making a career from the things I love doing. It sounds good, but it can end up sucking the joy from the creative heart and leaving only resentment. For more than 20 years, I have been teaching quiltmaking as well as sewing and quilting professionally as GloryQuilts. At first, I sold class samples and pattern prototypes as well as some things I made just for fun. I did some juried art shows, and then some that were less selective. I had to make quantities of items for the shows, on a strict deadline, and be ready to set up displays and manage sales. I started selling things on eBay and then Etsy. Instead of selling unique and creative quilts, I began creating quilts specifically to sell, in trendy fabrics and styles. As my reputation grew, I was offered and accepted Read More
NaNoWriMo – 6 Things to Do Before November 1st
National Novel Writing Month If you have ever participated in the NaNoWriMo annual 30-day writing marathon, you already know what it’s like. You understand its magnitude, and you’ve probably made the decision to do it again. It’s an addictive event. It hurdles the writer’s block and kick-starts your creativity because it’s all about the first draft. No one expects you to turn out a polished manuscript. You just keep writing. and writing. and writing. The NaNo organization has built a terrific website with incentives, forums, encouraging blog articles, writing buddy networks, local groups, achievement badges and accountability charts that will inspire you to frantic efforts or despair. Or, if you are doing well, they might make you feel a little smug. (Watch out for that.) You even get a gold halo for your profile picture if you make a donation. I just read an article by KM Weiland: 6 Tasks You’ll Love Yourself for Checking Off Your NaNo Pre-Writing List. KM Weiland is a gifted teacher. Everything she writes is worth reading and applying. Everything. I have scanned the article and pinned it to study again when I have time to prepare for NaNoWriMo. It looks amazing. Side Read More
Resolutions Everywhere
On every blog, every website, and every facebook page, there are articles about resolutions and goals. Some people want to sell you their latest organizational book or tool, and some people want to sell you fitness advice or diet pills. Webinars, videos, podcasts all over the place, free and fee. Some people just want to talk about setting goals – their own or in general. Okay, so it’s not “everywhere”, but it’s a large percentage. Some people are more retrospective, writing about the past year instead of goals. I have one statement that wraps it all up for me: Last year, I lost my job. That changed everything. No more income of my own, but I have a husband who is encouraging me to follow my own dreams. I would like to keep contributing financially, so I will do some sewing, but what I really want to do is write. I can make pin money by doing some copy writing, but I really want to spend the time writing fiction. Resolution – to figure that out and do it all, without procrastination or distraction. Goal – next year, at this time, I want to be ready for publication of at Read More