Jessica Ferguson

Author, Writing Coach, Speaker

ETBU Christian Writers Conference – Part III

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This is my third (and last) installment of my ETBU conference experience. If you missed them and you’re interested, read ETBU, Part I and  ETBU, Part II to catch up.

Posting my experience has been good practice for getting me back into blogging mode. I started blogging in 2007 and posted almost every day. It was a habit, and I can say with certainty that bllogging helped my writing as well as my confidence. If you don’t blog–try it, even if you do it secretly.

Now about the conference: The ETBU Christian conference definitely wasn’t the norm when it comes to conferences—at least not like any I’ve attended. I wouldn’t say it was really a “How-To” experience. Hubby called it a “conceptual” conference. I guess it was a combination of the two, but without a doubt, motivational. I came away with my creativity fully charged. That had as much to do with the speakers, their friendliness and encouragement, than what they actually said. No one–absolutely no one in any of the sessions I attended offered a negative word. Believe me when I say that’s unusual.

After my one-on-one with Cecil Murphey, I hurried to Kristen Clark’s session on How to Write & Publish the Inspirational Short Story. As you know, I hate entering a session late or walking out early, so here’s a funny story of my own; maybe it’s an inspirational one. After all, God works in mysterious  ways.

Because I missed the first thirty minutes of Kristen’s talk when I met with Cec, I missed her reading a couple of short stories. Hubby was sooooooo glad I wasn’t there. You see, I have the weakest stomach around and Kristen read, in graphic detail, a story about an eating disorder. Yeah, right, you get the picture.

Oh, thank you, Lord, that I missed that reading. If I had met with Cec at ten o’clock on Saturday morning as I was supposed to and been Kristen_booksitting in my front row seat right in front of Kristen … well, use your imagination.

I’m reading Kristen’s book now and enjoying the step by step instruction on writing and submitting. If you have an interest in writing short—especially for Chicken Soup for the Soul—or pulling together compilation books, head on over to Amazon and grab How To Write & Publish The Inspirational Short Story. It’s a good, informative read. Also, visit Kristen’s website.

My fifth session was called Failure: A Necessary Step Toward Success by Cecil Murphey. Okay, who in their right mind wants to attend a session on Failure. We can do that without any instruction, right? Wrong! We need to learn how to fail—pay our dues—and make it work for us. This was one of the most inspirational and creative sessions I’ve EVER attended. Every step we take toward publication is a learning experience, and that including failing. There are actually people (writers) out there who fear failure so much that they never submit anything. Looking back on my writing career, I can see where I’ve sabotaged myself just because I think I might fail. Cec made me realize I need to view failure as another stepping stone to publication–not a nail in my writing coffin.

My last hour of the conference was with James Pence, author of Blindsight, Unseen and Mercy Killer, and the NF book Terror by Night. James’ topic was called 21st Century Publishing: A Word of Exciting (and Confusing) Opportunities. In a nutshell, James advised all of us to take a hard look at where we are in our writing careers, make note of all options then determine the BEST option for us.

Books James recommends: A.P.E. (Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur – by Guy Kawasaki

The Fine Print of Self-Publishing by Mark Levine

The Rise of the Machines by Kristen Lamb

If you’ve never been to writers’ conference, you’re missing out. Doesn’t matter if you attend a big one or a small one, just do it. You’ll come home refreshed, challenged and ready to write.

 

IWSG Day: ETBU Conference Part II

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Today is IWSG day because it’s the first Wednesday of the month. InsecureWritersSupportGroupIWSG stands for Insecure Writers Support Group and was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh.  Our purpose is to share and encourage. You can follow other IWSG members here or on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG. We also have a Facebook page.

Monday I blogged about my trek to Marshall, Texas, to attend the ETBU Conference. If you’re interested you can backtrack and read Part I but each post stands alone—as they say in the world of series writing.

ben carson bookpiper bookWhen I registered for the conference, I signed up for an appointment with one of my favorite guys in the entire realm of Christian writing and publishing. Yes, you guessed it—Cecil Murphey. Cec is author of a whole slew of books but two you might recognize are Gifted Hands: the Ben Carson Story, and 90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death and Life.

I’d never met Cec but I’ve read his blog and I’m on a couple writing loops with him. I’ve emailed him with questions through the years, and he’s always been generous with answers. I think that’s unusual. There are other authors I’ve emailed with questions who say they don’t have time or that they’ll get back with me, and never do.

cecil_writercecil_writer2My appointment with Cec was at ten o’clock sharp on Saturday morning, and my session with Caleb Pirtle III (The Magic of Storytelling) ended at exactly ten 0’clock. One of my pet peeves is people coming and going during writing sessions; it’s disruptive. So what did I do? Well, uh, I skipped my appointment. Crazy, huh? It surprised me too, but you know, face to face Cec might not be as kind as online Cec. (Yes, that actually crossed my mind. Insecurity is an ugly thing!)

I felt so guilty. I visualized Cec sitting there waiting, looking at his watch, wondering why I didn’t show.

In my next session, all of a sudden I got a text message from Elizabeth Hoyer who handled the conference paperwork: “Jessica, Cecil Murphey is trying to get in touch with you.”

Whaaaat? Never in all my days have I had an appointment track me down. Not that I miss a lot of appointments—actually not Cecilany, but I’d bet good money all those agents and editors I’ve met with over the years wouldn’t have missed me, much less tracked me down. I texted Elizabeth back, apologized, and told her I’d be in Cec’s 2:45 session and not to worry about the appointment. In her next text Cec2she gave me his cell phone number. He wanted me to call him.

Call Cecil Murphey—THE Cecil Murphey—on the phone?

I didn’t call. I texted Elizabeth: “It’s not necessary to put himself out. Sorry for the trouble.”

Elizabeth responded: “No, it’s fine. He gave me his number for you, he has appointments before and after his class so you can set up another time to meet.”

What pressure!

I still didn’t call Cec, but I texted him and we set up an appointment for 2:30–EXACTLY when my session with Kristen Clark (How to Write and Publish Your Inspirational Short Story) was supposed to begin.

I know what you’re thinking and you’re right. Sometimes my elevator stops between floors. Here I was at a conference especially to meet Cecil Murphey, but I seemed to be running from him. Was it nerves? What was going on with me?

Hubby went to Kristen’s workshop and promised to take good notes and save me a seat. I had no idea how long my appointment with Cec would be–probably no longer than five or ten minutes. I trekked off to find him.

The moment our eyes met–haha–actually, the moment he read my name-tag, he apologized for the mix-up. Mix-up? You’ll be proud to know I took full responsibility and confessed to standing him up.

We walked outside, the sun peeked from behind the clouds. No, really, it did. It had rained all night and part of the morning. Sitting on a bench in the sun, we talked. And talked. And talked. For thirty minutes!

He told me I was the only one of his appointments that didn’t send him something to critique. I told him I just wanted to meet him, to thank him, to tell him how much he’d meant to me over the years. That he would take the time to answer questions in detail from someone he didn’t know … He’d been a mentor—and didn’t know it.

Cec and JessWas I too gushy? Too forward? Do you think I scared him? (I still have his cell number in my phone and I do have stalker tendencies. Not to worry. He probably used a conference throw-away.)

We talked about everything from writing to praying. He advised me on some things I had questions about and shared some of his writing plans. That thirty minutes was worth the price of the entire conference–doubled!

Have you ever read someone’s book, their blog and just known deep down in your gut that you have a connection with that person? That you share something? That’s the way I’ve always felt about Cecil Murphey. And after meeting him, I thank God he was exactly as I’ve always imagined.

On Friday, I’ll tell you about my last three sessions at the ETBU Conference.

ETBU Christian Writers Conference

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SIGNHubby and I just got back from the 13th Annual East Texas Christian Writers Conference in Marshall, Texas. I’ve known about this conference for years, but I’ve never been. I’ve often considered attending but always talked myself out of it. This year I noticed that a favorite writer would be presenting. He was also there in 2011 but I let that opportunity pass. This time I had the feeling if I didn’t go, it might be my last chance to meet him. More about that on Wednesday.

The event was held on the East Texas Baptist University grounds. It’s a beautiful campus. We registered and connected with my friend Linda Yezak, author of The Cat Lady’s Secret as well as other books. I also finally met Vickie Phelps, an email friend from my home town. postmark from the pastVickie’s debut novel, Postmark From The Past, releases November 6th. Here’s a cover pic.

After visiting awhile, hubby and I went to our pre-conference session with author Frank Ball who spoke on Story Power. I took nine pages of notes! Here’s Frank’s website. Lots of good stuff here.

The next day we attended six—yes SIX—sessions. The day was a rush of great information and very little time to visit and network, but I did meet a couple of people I hope to keep in touch with. Here’s a short rundown on my sessions.

Caleb Pirtle III spoke on The Magic Power of Storytelling. Pirtle is a former travel editor for Southern Living Magazine, a screenwriter with three motion picture and TV movie credits, and the author of more than 60 published books. Take a look at his marketing company, Venture Galleries.

Harold Rawlings spoke on Writing Christian Nonfiction. Dr. Rawlings, author of Trial by Fire, travels the country speaking to churches and schools about how the English Bible came into print. He was fascinating and encouraged all of us to try nonfiction. He says, “Truth and accuracy are the foundation upon which every nonfiction project rests.”

Bruce Gourley’s topic was Writing, Publishing and Marketing in the Digital Age. I have to confess I didn’t take many notes. We got way too techie and I zoned out, but going to Gourley’s website—wow! I sure wish he’d spoken on research.

Writers’ conferences are a necessity for all writers. You learn, but more than that, you rub shoulders with like-minded people. There’s nothing more inspiring than congregating with a crowd that loves the same thing you love—books and writing. But conferences are all different. If you’ve never attended one, do so, but take a close look at each speaker, Google them and look over their websites BEFORE you send in your registration dollars. Make sure there’s something there for you.

I wasn’t disappointed in The East Texas Christian Writers Conference at all and I got way more than I bargained for—but I went to meet one man and I’ll tell you about that meeting on Wednesday. I hope you’ll tune in.

IWSG Day: Wishy-Washy Me

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InsecureWritersSupportGroupToday is IWSG Day.  IWSG stands for Insecure Writers Support Group and was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh.  You can  or on or on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG. We also have a Facebook page.  The purpose of IWSG is to share and encourage, so today I sharing some market info with you in case some of you are still interested in traditional publishing.

Who needs encouragement out there? I do!

For months I’ve focused on writing four novellas with the intention of ePublishing them myself. So, I’m writing along just singing my song, all happy with myself, when a writer-friend says, “A book from a traditional publisher gets more respect than an eBook you publish yourself. I’d always choose a traditional publisher first.”

Wait! What? Really? I thought “those days” were a thing of the past.

So I back up and start rethinking my plans, and for a day or two I’m completely confused.

I hate that I’m so easily influenced, that anyone and everyone can make me doubt myself and my choices. Yes, I’ve asked a thousand and one times if I really want to be in charge of everything from book covers to bookkeeping. I’m still not sure I do—but I also know I don’t want to earn seven or eight cents off each print book I sell.

Most authors say to choose both—traditional and indie, and that sounds like a pretty good idea to me. I’m back to my original plan: indie publishing for me and if a traditional publisher falls into my lap—then so be it.

How about you? What’s your career plan, and how did you come to choose it?

 

IWSG DAY: Looking @ Kensington Books

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Today is IWSG Day because it’s the first Wednesday in September.  IWSG stands for Insecure Writers Support Group and was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh.  You can follow otheInsecureWritersSupportGroupr IWSG members here or on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG. We also have a Facebook page.  The purpose of IWSG is to share and encourage, so today I sharing some market info with you in case some of you are still interested in traditional publishing.

If you’ve read my blog before, you know one of my favorite sites is Cindi Myers’ market news blog. Cindi is the author of more than three dozen women’s fiction and romance novels.  She started her market newsletter in 2000 as a way to share the information she collected with others. You can learn more about her by visiting her website:  http://www.CindiMyers.com  Cindi  allows readers to share her info as long as we give credit to her as the source so … I’m sharing, and encourage you to visit her websites here and here, or check her out on Facebook. 

I’m sharing Cindi’s review of Kensington Books.  There’s good information here. I hope you benefit from it.

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Editor Alicia Condon started off the spotlight. The focus of the Spotlight on Kensington Books was on letting attendees know what makes Kensington different from everyone else. Ms. Condon noted that last year the company celebrated its 40th anniversary. It is the largest New York-based independent publisher in the U.S. Steve and Adam Zacharias run the family-owned company. Being small allows them to respond more quickly to changing market trends. They give personal attention to each author but are large enough to have books on the New York Times list almost every week. Kensington editors and departments work at a team. As a smaller company, everyone knows everyone else.

Senior Editor Esi Sogah presented an overview of the kinds of books Kensington publishes. They publish over 500 books annually, in all genres and all formats. Zebra is the main mass-market romance imprint, publishing historical, contemporary, erotica, sweet romances, romantic suspense, paranormal – everything romance. Lyrical is Kensington’s digital first publishing program. In 2016 Zebra will debut Zebra Shout, which will focus on debut authors. The books will be priced at $4.99. Lyrical authors will also have the opportunity to move from ebook only to print in the Zebra Shout program. Dafina, Kensington’s African-American and multi-cultural program publishes over 80 books a year in all formats and all genres. Dafina is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Pinnacle publishes thrillers, westerns and true crime. Sogah emphasized that Kensington is willing to take risks on authors.

Associate Editor Martin Biro talked about Lyrical Press, Kensington’s digital-first imprint. They publish 20+ books a month and are growing fast. They also release a trade-paper POD version of every Lyrical book that is 60,000 words and up. Lyrical publishes a wide variety of fiction. It is very romance focused, but they also publish mystery and suspense with Lyrical Underground and contemporary romance with Lyrical Shine. They publish mainstream commercial fiction and young adult in Lyrical also. Lyrical is actively acquiring and they are open to experimenting with a wide variety of fiction.

Tara Gavin is the newest editor with Kensington. She comes to Kensington after a long career with Harlequin. She spoke about how to submit to Kensington. Kensington accepts queries from both agented and unagented authors. She advised authors to study the market and think about where they fit in best. Read a lot and become familiar with what each publisher publishes. Send your query electronically and in your query let the editor know you have a complete manuscript. Compare your work to books that are already in the marketplace. This helps the editor understand the type of book you are writing and where it fits in the market. Summarize the story in a few paragraphs. Include a synopsis of a couple of pages with your query letter. Submit to only one editor at Kensington, but if the manuscript is not right for that editor and he or she believes another editor would like it, he or she will pass the submission on to them. Tara is actively acquiring and building an author base.

Alex Nicolajsen is the associate director of digital at Kensington. She works with Lyrical. She talked about marketing and Kensington. Vida Engstrom is director of marketing at Kensington. They develop a marketing plan for each book and have a dedicated communications person for each genre and imprint. They brainstorm ways to promote books.

The next section of the Spotlight was devoted to each editor revealing what is on their wish list.

Alicia Condon is looking for a “fantastic Amish romance” with a fresh theme or a fresh setting. She noted they have an Amish series that is set in Appalachia, which is the type of unusual setting they are looking for. She is looking for a mystery romance with a humorous, off-beat voice. She would love some “feel-good fiction” exploring the themes of friendship and family, on the sweeter side, verging on inspirational but not inspirational.

Tara Gavin loves historical mysteries. She would love to find some new cozy mystery series. She loves series and readers do too. She wants women’s fiction that focuses on community.

Alex would love to see a sexy cozy mystery for Lyrical, as well as contemporary romance with different settings, such as the French countryside.

Martin Biro said he’s looking for more mysteries for Lyrical. Personally, he loves historical romance from different settings and cultures. He also said if anyone wants to write “Dexter meets Murder She Wrote” he would probably buy it.

Esi Sogah is also very interested in sexy cozy mysteries. She would love to see more historicals with unique settings. She would also like an American romance set in the earlier part of the 20th century – roaring 20s or turn-of-the-century.

Alica Condon announced that Wendy McCurdy is joining Kensington as of August 3rd. McCurdy is a former senior editor at Bantam Dell and the former executive editor at Berkley. She is acquiring women’s fiction and romance.

You can find out more about what specific Kensington editors are looking for at their website .

The editors present briefly talked about their pet peeves. Do your research and confirm the editor you are submitting to actually works on the kind of book you are writing – don’t send your YA to an editor who doesn’t work on YA. Spell the editor’s name correctly, and verify their gender (Alex doesn’t want to be addressed as ‘Mr.’).

You can reach any editor at Kensington via email by addressing your email to them using the address of their first initial last name @kensingtonbooks.com

Thanks for visiting my new site. Hope to see you here often! And please, leave a comment!

10 Markets, 10 Strategies

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Jessica Ferguson, WriterI love chasing markets. There’s something challenging, invigorating about coming across a magazine issuing a call for manuscripts. Writing shorts—poems, fillers, articles or short stories—teaches us to make every word count. Writing and marketing shorts is how many writers first get published. It adds to our writer’s resume and builds confidence. With a few bylines beneath our belt, we’re not afraid to call ourselves a real writer.

Take a look at the 10 markets below. There’s something here for everyone. Before you send your work to any magazine, newspaper or publisher, study their writing guidelines. That’s called doing your homework.

10 MARKETS, 10 STRATEGIES

  1. The Sun – http://thesunmagazine.org/ – The Sun has been around for forty years. It describes itself as personal, political, provocative and ad-free. Writing from this well-put-together magazine have won notable prizes included in prestigious anthologies. The Sun is extremely “new writer” friendly.
  1. Woman’s World – This tabloid can be found at the checkout counter of most grocery stores. It’s one of the few magazines that publish a romance and a mystery. They have very strict writer’s guidelines but GREAT pay. Here are two blogs that dissect and evaluate WW’s fiction. You can learn a lot from reading these two blogs, and they also have the magazines guidelines posted. http://womansworldstyle.blogspot.com/p/workshop-info.htmlAND http://womansworldstyle.blogspot.com/2013/08/womans-world-mini-mystery-guidelines.html
  1. True Story and True Confessions http://www.truerenditionsllc.com/write-for-us/ – In these two confession magazines, you’ll find approximately eight markets. Check your grocery store or bookstore and browse through them. Don’t be embarrassed to pick up a confession magazine. They published positive, inspirational-type short stories, and some great columns like My Moment with God.
  1. First Line Literary Journal http://thefirstline.com/index.htm – This great little literary magazine publishes stories all using the same first line. This is a great writing credit!
  1. The Good Old Days http://www.goodolddaysmagazine.com/ – A nostalgia magazine that’s really fun. Read the guidelines and remember, if you send a picture with your article, send a copy—not the original!
  1. Regional magazines and Newspapers – Bayou Living Magazine http://www.bayoulivingmagazine.com/ – A new online magazine that covers territory from Beaumont, Texas to Lafayette, Louisiana. Query the editor.
  1. Helping Hands Press http://www.myhelpinghandspress.com/ – A Christian publisher. Visit them on Facebook every Thursday night.
  1. The Wild Rose Press http://www.thewildrosepress.com/ – TWRP has been voted Best Publisher by Preditors & Editors Poll seven years straight!
  1. Listverse   http://listverse.com/write-get-paid/ – Study this online site carefully. It’s fun and self-explanatory.
  1. Letters to the Editor (magazines & newspapers) One of my favorite markets is the letter section of any magazine or newspaper. Sometimes a great letter can evolve into an op-ed piece. The Sun publishes letters, but they also run a column called Readers Write—and that column has a theme. Click the link to read their guidelines and see what that theme is. http://thesunmagazine.org/about/submission_guidelines/readers_write

And good luck!

IWSG DAY: WHAT DO YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE?

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Today is IWSG Day because it’s the first Wednesday in August.  IWSG stands for Insecure Writers Support Group and was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh.  You can follow other IWSG members here or on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG. We also have a Facebook page.  The purpose of IWSG is to share and encourage, so today I plan to encourage.

I want you to take a look at what you’ve accomplished since our last IWSG day. Maybe you should jot a few notes to organize your thoughts. Accomplished a lot? Great! But what about all of you who have done nothing because of vacations, kids being home, sickness or surgeries? Don’t feel bad. Life gets in the way sometimes, but honestly, we shouldn’t let life get in the way ALL the time.

Ask yourself this question:

What do you truly want to achieve with your writing? Be realistic when you answer. Being a best selling writer is a realistic goal for someone who writes daily, wins contests and is actively studying and learning, but being published by one of the top five might not be  realistic for someone who only writes a few times every few months, never enters or wins a contest and doesn’t revise according to critiques or feedback. We always need to learn and grow.

I’d like to suggest a writing/learning plan for those of you who aren’t accomplishing anything.

Settle on one goal. You might want to finish your novel. When you reach the end, go through it again, do a little tweaking, then find beta readers or someone willing to critique. You can revise according to those comments you get from your readers. Oh, wait… you don’t agree with any thing they said? Then Houston, we might have a problem. Put your pages away for a few weeks or even better, a few months while you delve into a really good how-to book. When you go back to your critiques, I’m certain you’ll view them differently.

Or, your goal might be to write a few short pieces and get them out there. That’s great: Identify your markets–print magazines or online literary journals. Study them by reading several months of back issues, including their guidelines. Then write. Find someone to read and give you a critique. Believe me when I say feedback is helpful. Revise accordingly.

I know I’ve said this to you a thousand times: making up our mind to do something is half the battle. We can be our own worst enemy or we can be our hero. We just need to decide on what we want to accomplish and let nothing or no one stand in our way as we plod toward our dream.

Here’s an interesting quote from Natalie Goldberg. Take it to heart.

This is your life. You are responsible for it.
You will not live forever. Don’t wait.

~ Natalie Goldberg

On another note, I’m speaking at the Texas Gulf Coast Mini-Conference on Saturday. Here’s the link if you’d like to check it out: http://www.texasgulfcoastwriters.blogspot.com/

Also, my novella, The Last Daughter, is only 99 cents. If you haven’t read it, I’d love for you to grab a copy and then leave an honest review.

Good Writing!

 

 

IWSG Day: Catch Your Dreams

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Don’t you just love IWSG Day? It comes around the first Wednesday of each month and we get to visit hundreds of blogs that are filled with encouragement.  IWSG stands for Insecure Writers Support Group and was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh.  If you’re interested follow other IWSG members here or on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG. We also have a Facebook page.  Hey, we even have a tee shirt!

What have you accomplished since our last IWSG posting? You know, don’t you, that if you actually write down your goals, you’ll come near achieving them. At least that’s what I’ve heard. I’m a list maker so I’ve always written down goals, right along with my grocery list and things to do. Unfortunately, sometimes I don’t look at my list.

I’ve accomplished a few things during the past few weeks. I’ve always wanted to write a series of books about friends. A few weeks ago, I started my series. Every morning I crawl out of bed, grab my coffee and go into my office to write. I’ve finished rough drafts of Book 1, Book 2 and tomorrow I start Book 3. My intention is to write three 15,000 word stories and wrap up the series with a 30,000 word novella. My four friends will show up in each stand-alone story. 

I’m pretty excited about this series, but even more excited that I’ve been able to keep my momentum and write. I hope I’m not disappointed when I go back through and read these rough drafts. A couple of times I’ve sat for a moment or two, wondering what was supposed to happen next, but as real writers do… I just opened a vein. Okay, I’m kidding. I opened my heart. I love my characters. Their problems are real. I’m doing the Camp NaNoWriMo thing too–trying  to hang on to that momentum.

Another thing I’m excited about is that I’ll be speaking at the Texas Gulf Coast Writers mini-conference in August. More about that later.

What are you working on? What have you accomplished since last month’s IWSG day? We need to get busy and catch our dreams. Let me hear how you’re catching yours.

IWSG DAY: Unfinished Business

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Today is IWSG Day because it’s the first Wednesday in June.  IWSG stands for Insecure Writers Support Group and was founded by Alex J. Cavanaugh.  You can follow other IWSG members here or on twitter using the hashtag #IWSG. We also have a Facebook page. 

The purpose of IWSG is to share and encourage. So today I’m wondering … have you ever started something that you never finished? Whether it was a novel, a knitting project or a jigsaw puzzle, I’ve read that the number one reason we quit a project is because our motivation fizzles. I must be queen of the fizzlers because I have a lot of unfinished projects–from jewelry projects to journaling to braided rag rugs to novels!

When it comes to my writing, I often give up when I hit a rough spot. What I really need to do is focus and plough through the brick wall I’ve created. I’ve noticed that usually the reason I can’t go forth is because I’ve taken a wrong turn, put my characters in a predicament that isn’t conducive to my plot or the story, creating an impossible action/reaction–or next scene.

When I wrote The Last Daughter I never had such a problem. You know why? Because I brainstormed and outlined; I had a plan. First I identified all my characters and wrote character sketches for each one. I knew my theme, what the word count needed to be and had a deadline. I followed the “breadcrumbs” I created to the end of the story and successfully completed it.

I wish I could train myself to immediately go into outline mode with each new project, but I don’t. I tell myself that each book has its on personality and therefore, its on birthing process. That’s true in a way but it only takes me so far. If I know beyond a doubt that I write better and to completion by outlining, why don’t I just do it?

How about you? How many notes do you make about a project before or during the writing process? How extensive are they? Do you have any unfinished projects? Any plans to finish them? Share.