My Journey to a Book Contract - Part 8 Importance of Conferences, Writing Groups and Writers' Blogs

by  Elva Cobb Martin  @ElvaCobbMartin

Today I want to share the next step to my first book contract. 

Writing conferences, writing groups, critique partners and following good writing blogs have all been part of helping me finally gain a book contract.

As a writer you may feel like or wish to be a loner, but this is not going to fly well today. Networking is important. Many people helped me along the way to a contract. I appreciate them all and hope I have helped others.

Writing Conferences

Some great coming conferences I can recommend along with their links are: 

• February each year. Asheville Christian Writers; Conference. (formerly Boot Camp)  http://ashevillechristianwritersconference.com/

• February also,  Florida Christian Writers’ Conference, Lake Yale Conference Center,  Leesburg, Florida    http://www.floridacwc.net

• Mid-March, Carolina Christian Writers Conference, Spartanburg First Baptist    www.fbs.org/writers

• May 20-24, Blue Ridge Mtns. Christian Writers Conference, Ridgecrest  http://www.blueridgeconference.com/2017-info

• September usually, ACFW Premier Christian Fiction Conference, Texas  www.acfw.com/conference

I consider money spent for conferences, which I have to carefully plan and budget for, is an investment in my writing success. And I keep detailed records for tax deductions for all my writing expenses, including conferences.

My first book contract offer for my inspirational romantic suspense novel, Summer of Deception, actually came after I attended and pitched it to an editor at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. I had 26 rejections of query letters and partial submissions by email before that. Of course, I kept improving my craft after each rejection...and kept writing my second novel. I think the face-to-face contact with an editor at a conference helped slide me over into a book contract offer. Summer of Deception was released May, 2017. Amazon link http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI

Writing Groups

Along with conferences, I have been blessed by my participation in several writing groups: our ACFW-SC chapter of which I am vice president; Cross N Pens, which meets in Simpsonville, SC, and Yvonne Lehman's writing group which I attend when I can in Black Mountain, NC. The critique times in these groups helped me plow through quite a few craft items I needed to improve.

Great Writers' Blogs to Follow:

http://www.thewriteconversation.com

http:/www.seekerville.blogspot.com 
http://www.blog@janicehardy.com 

http://www.writerswrite.co.za 


I skim these blogs and print out the ones I need to study further. 

Which conferences, writing groups, or blogs have helped you along the way?

All the above things have helped me gain a book contract. But I will never discount the fact that finding time to daily study the Bible and pray over my writing have been the key to any success I've enjoyed and much smoother sailing.

My second novel is from the pirate era! In a Pirate's Debt has been released by Lighthouse Publishers of the Carolinas. 

Amazon link http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI

So glad you stopped by. Do leave a comment and share this on your social media if you think it helpful to others. 

Be blessed today,
Elva 

Elva Cobb Martin is vice-president of the South Carolina Chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is a former school teacher and a graduate of Anderson University and Erskine College. She has two inspirational novels contracted with Lighthouse Publishers of the Carolinas. Summer of Deception, a contemporary romantic suspense, and an historical romance, In a Pirate’s Debt. Both have spent time on Amazon’s 100 Best Sellers List for Women’s Religious Fiction. Decision, Charisma, and Home Life have carried Elva's articles. Jim Hart of Hartline Literary represents her. She and her husband Dwayne are semi-retired ministers. A mother and grandmother, Elva lives in Anderson, South Carolina. Connect with her on her web site http://www.elvamartin.com,on  her blog

http://www.carolinaromancewithelvamartin.blogspot.com

Twitter www.twitter.com/ElvaCobbMartin; Facebook http://www.facebook.com/elvacobbmartin;  and Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/elvacobbmartin

Link to her romance novels and non-fiction works on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI

My Journey to a Book Contract - Part 6 Deep Point of View

by Elva Cobb Martin

Part 6 - Master Deep Point of View (DPOV)

I highly recommend you purchase a copy of Rivet Your Readers with Deep Point of View by Jill Elizabeth Nelson! It is a small book but a great help in mastering DPOV.

DPOV draws the reader into the arms and head of your character.

Mastering DPOV often eliminates most problems with show/don’t tell and italics.

Here are some quick pointers:

♦  Never say he/she thought, felt, knew, wondered, realized, decided. 

Simply write what it is.

    Wrong: He understood how much this would mean to her. He knew she’d be worried.

    Right: This would mean a  lot to her. She would be worried.

♦  Don’t name the emotion, describe it instead.

     

     Shallow: Jealousy flashed through me.

     Deep: Heat boiled my insides. If that wimp could win a trophy, where was mine?

♦  Describe physical effects on the body: 

         Anger: His hands formed into fists.

       Nervous: Sweat popped out on his palms. His throat closed.

♦  Ditch Prepositional telling phrases (of, with, in)

     

     Shallow: Desiree’s skin prickled with pleasant excitement.

      Deep: Shadows deepened. The place reeked of ancient secrets.   Desi's skin prickled.

♦  Don’t use he/she saw, tasted, smelled, heard. Simply state what he saw, tasted, smelled or heard.

     Shallow: He could see the tip of the dog’s nose peeking out of the                            closet.

     Deep: The tip of the dog’s nose peeked out of the closet.

     Shallow: He tasted bile. 

     Deep: Bile rose in his throat.

Do you have some tips to help master DPOV? Please leave a comment and share on your social media if this blog helped you.

Be blessed,
Elva

Elva Cobb Martin is vice-president of the South Carolina Chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is a former school teacher and a graduate of Anderson University and Erskine College. She has two inspirational novels contracted with Lighthouse Publishers of the Carolinas. Summer of Deception, a contemporary romantic suspense, and an historical romance, In a Pirate’s Debt. Both have spent time on Amazon’s 100 Best Sellers List for Women’s Religious Fiction. Decision, Charisma, and Home Life have carried Elva's articles. Jim Hart of Hartline Literary represents her. She and her husband Dwayne are semi-retired ministers. A mother and grandmother, Elva lives in Anderson, South Carolina. Connect with her on her web site http://www.elvamartin.com,on  her blog
http://www.carolinaromancewithelvamartin.blogspot.com
Twitter www.twitter.com/ElvaCobbMartin; Facebook http://www.facebook.com/elvacobbmartin;  and Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/elvacobbmartin

Link to her romance novels and non-fiction works on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI

Creating a Good Villain and Perfect Setting - Guest blogger

Today I want to share a blog post by a new author friend, Katherine McDermott. I am currently reading her exciting romantic suspense, Hiding. I highly recommend it.

     In creating romantic suspense the "bad guy" is just as important, if not more important, than the hero and heroine. He must be a "real" person with legitimate motives and his own back story; otherwise, you end up writing a melodrama with stock characters like Dudley Do-right and Snidely Whiplash.
     In my suspense romance Hiding, available at www.thewildrosepress.com, I gave a lot of thought to my stalker, Alex Sinclair. When Alex was a child his father deserted his mother, and Alex has pent up anger over the abandonment. His fascination with knives is symbolic of his father's action in cutting off his family. Alex is insecure and easily becomes jealous. He hates to look foolish in front of other males.
     At first, he is a strong shoulder to lean on, an excellent financial advisor and friend to the heroine, Teresa, who has lost her father after a long struggle with cancer. Her mother died when Teresa was a child, and her father's medical bills have left her almost destitute. Fortunately, she has a college education and rare artistic talent. Alex goes out of his way to help her, even lending her money, but he finds her desire to establish independence threatening. When he strikes her in anger, she flees to Paris with the last of her savings, hoping to leave his over possessiveness behind. But eventually, he tracks her down.
     A "good villain"? Oxymoron? No. In creating a believable monster who genuinely thinks he has been wronged, an author cranks up the suspense. Breath bated, the reader forges ahead as this legitimately off-balanced person commits acts of increasing atrocity. Like the narrator in Poe's "The Tell Tale Heart," who keeps insisting that he is perfectly sane, the reader sees and fears the psychosis.

The Perfect Oubliette (Forgotten Place)

     After creating an intriguing villain, I needed the perfect setting for the climax of Hiding, available at www.thewildrosepress.com.
Having read a fascinating article in National Geographic about the labyrinth of tunnels under Paris that include a sewer and water system, French resistance outposts from WWII, and the ancient and eerie catacombs, I knew I had the perfect oubliette. The French word oubliette means "forgotten place." An on-line tour of the catacombs gave me a realistic vision of the bone yard. When Alex abducts Teresa and takes her there, she realizes with growing horror there is no better place to kill someone. What notice will be taken of one more set of bones among the many?
     Find the perfect oubliette for your novel and think about important setting can be to the story. In "The Fall of the House of Usher" the crumbling mansion represents the decaying family. The house is attacks strangers; it is almost a living being, another character. The crack that widens and causes its ultimate destruction
symbolizes the hereditary thread of insanity that runs through the Usher family which culminates with Roderick and Madeline.

                                      ***

Katherine McDermott was born and raised in Charleston, S.C. She is a retired English teacher and guidance counselor with degrees from the College of Charleston and Citadel. She has articles published in numerous publications and her Hiding ms was a finalist in the Daphne Du Maurier Kiss of Death Contest. She has published children's books and co-authored South Carolina Lighthouses.

Connect with Katherine McDermott

http://www.katherinemcdermott.blogspot.com/

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/

amazon.com/author/mcdermottkatherine

www.amazon.com/author/kimmcdermott

I hope you enjoyed this guest blog by Katherine McDermott. How have you created your villain?  Have you found a great setting or "oubliette?" Do leave a comment and share with your friends.

Elva Cobb Martin

President, ACFW-SC Chapter

Crafting Great Dialog by Guest Andrea Merrell

Crafting Great Dialogue

By Andrea Merrell from

  http://www.TheWriteEditing.blogspot.com  

Dialogue can make or break a story—too much, too little, too stilted, or too corny.

When we read, we want to see the characters interacting with each other. Whether they're arguing, sharing secrets, or just getting to know each other, we want the communication to be real and flow in such a way that we get pulled into the story.

As writers, we all have a unique voice. When we create our characters, they will also have a voice. The problem occurs when all of our characters have our voice instead of their own. How boring for our readers if everyone in our story sounds the same.

Tips To Remember When Crafting Dialogue

• Use believable, down-to-earth dialogue that fits your character.
• Don’t be afraid to use contractions, since that’s the way most people talk.
• Be mindful of the setting, especially if it’s historical.
• Make your words fit the culture.
• Consider the age of your characters.

Using speaker beats and tags will enhance your dialogue. Let’s look at both.

Speaker Tags

A speaker tag shows the speaker’s name and a speech-related verb (said, asked, shouted). This is generally the best way to show which of your characters is speaking, but sometimes we tend to overuse them. They're not necessary each and every time someone speaks, especially in a long section of dialogue.

Example: “That’s a lovely dress you’re wearing,” Wendy said.

                   “Thank you so much,” Beverly replied.

                    “Would you tell me where you got it?” Wendy said.

                   “Sure. It came from Dillard’s,” Beverly answered.

Do you see how annoying that could get?

Note: This is a common error when using speaker tags:  “That’s a pretty scrawny dog,” Jim laughed. Since Jim cannot laugh that comment, the proper way would be: “That’s a pretty scrawny dog.” Jim laughed. Do you see the difference? In the second example, there is a period after the word dog instead of a comma. The problem with this is that the second example now becomes a speaker beat instead of a tag.

Speaker Beats

A speaker beat describes the action that accompanies what the speaker is saying (like the example above). Here is another example:

“I can’t believe you said that to me.” Jessie grabbed her keys and headed for the door.

Note: Just like the speaker tags, don’t overuse beats. Too many will interrupt the flow of dialogue. They're not necessary every time but work well to help set the scene when used correctly. You can also use them at the beginning instead of the end:

Jessie grabbed her keys and headed for the door. “I can’t believe you said that to me.”

Know your characters well and present them in such a way your readers will not forget them.

What secrets can you share about crafting dialogue? We would love to hear your suggestions.

Andrea Merrell

(Photos courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net/cooldesign/Master Isolated Images.)

TWEETABLES

Dialogue can make or break a story. via @AndreaMerrell (Click to Tweet.)

Learn to use speaker beats and tags appropriately. via @AndreaMerrell (Click to Tweet.)

To Conference or not to Conference?

by Elva Cobb Martin Yours truly with an agent at BRMCWC May 2015 Many writing conferences are coming up, and all of them look good! See a partial list below. Conferences are one of the best ways to get your writing in front of prospective agents and publishers, and network with other writers and publishing experts. Attending and directing writing conferences has greatly helped me along the path to publication. I feel every conference I've directed or attended has been worth the effort, time and money. And I do believe in "praying in the finances." God can and will provide as you pray. I look on money spent for conferences as an investment in my writing career. I also pray for divine connections to the right editors, agents and new friends. But how can you decide which conference is best for you? Here are some neat questions and to ask yourself presented by our sister North Georgia ACFW Chapter. Ask yourself these questions about any conference you are considering. If you don't answer "yes" a lot, you need to do a bit more praying over it. - Can I afford the conference (including tuition, hotel, travel and food)? - Will it help me take the next step in my career? - Are the publishers/agents I'm targeting for my genre going to be there? - Do the workshops look helpful for where I am in my career? - Am I up for an award? (Don't forget to enter contests so this can happen!)

If you do decide to attend a conference, knowing how to pitch, organize, and present your book is vital. We cover these things in many of our chapter meetings and will share more on the next blog. Good conferences include small classes where you can interact and ask questions of experts. Award-winning author and instructor Yvonne Lehman leads a class in Anderson. Here's a list of some conferences we have posted on the calendar page of this blog. March 11-12 Carolina Christian Writers Conf., Spartanburg First Baptist  www.fbs.org/writers  Tuition early bird  $125, then $145 May 22-26, Blue Ridge Mtns. Christian Wrtrs Conf., Ridgecrest, N.C  http://altongansky.typepad.com/writersconferences/.  Tuition $325  or call 1-800-588-7222 to register. (our VP Edie Melson is co-director of this great conference!) August 25-28, ACFW National Conf. Nashville, TN  Huge Premier Christian Fiction Conf. www.acfw.com/conference  See the web site for full information. Oct. 16-10  Blue Ridge Autumn in the Mountains Novelist Retreat w/Yvonne Lehman and others!   at Ridgecrest, N.C. Tuition $350 but check the early bird discounts! Call 1 800 588-7222 to register. Or go to  http://www.ridgecrestconferencecenter.org/event/novelist#.VqVAm5XSlS What part of pitching, or preparing for a conference, is hardest for you? Do you have a tip for other writers? Leave a comment or question below and please do share this blog on your social media. Blessings on your writing! Elva Cobb Martin Elva Cobb Martin is president of the South Carolina Chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is a former school teacher and a graduate of Anderson University and Erskine College. Decision, Charisma, and Home Life have published her articles. She has published a  Bible study, Power Over Satan, available on Amazon.com. She has recently signed a book contract with Prism Book Group for her first inspirational romance, Summer of Deception. She has also completed a second novel, first book of an historical series, In a Pirate’s Debt. Elva is represented by Jim Hart of Hartline Literary. A mother and grandmother, Elva lives with her husband Dwayne and a mini-dachshund writing helper, Lucy, in Anderson, South Carolina. She also leads an internet prayer task force praying for a Great Awakening. Connect with her on her web site www.elvamartin.com, her blog http://carolinaromancewithelvamartin.blogspot.com on Twitter www.twitter.com/Elvacobbmartin, on Facebook and Pinterest

Planning My Novels, Part II - by Misty M. Beller

By Misty M Beller @MistyMBeller

Hi Friends!

On the SC Writers ACFW chapter blog last week, I shared the first step of my planning for a new novel: The Brainstorming Document. If you missed it, you can find that post here. 

This week, I'll share step two, the Chapter Outline. As I mentioned before, I'm a plotter, but not to the extreme. When I hear some seat-of-the-pants writers talk about a bare-bones rough draft, I often think my chapter outline must be similar to that first draft. Regardless, this helps me plan out my story and get a feel for the way the motivations and character arcs (from the Brainstorming document) will play out in the plot. 

So without further ado, let's talk details about:  

*** The Chapter Outline ***

    This is a scene by scene document, written in third-person, present tense. I include dates, and tentative POVs for each scene. Here’s an example from my book, The Lady and the Mountain Doctor. (Please don't judge the story from this behind-the-scenes snippet. :) The creative process takes strange forms!)

Chapter One - Oct 28, 1876, Miriam’s POV: Miriam is bleeding a deer when she's attacked by a mountain lion. She fights the cougar, and then loses consciousness from blood loss.

Alex’s POV: He's grinding Echinacea root when Gideon comes crashing in saying his sister Miriam is hurt badly. Alex helps him carry her to the exam room, then sends Gideon to find his brother to help with surgery. By the time Bryan arrives, Alex has examined her and given the prognosis. The lateral collateral ligament has a second degree tear, but the worst seems to be a large tear in the patellar tendon. Bryan tells him to take the lead on the surgery.

I usually use this document to keep up with my timeline, except there was one novel where I had to resort to an actual calendar (because I needed to track Pony Express runs that changed every week).

Even though I call this a chapter outline, it’s really a scene outline. When I’m writing the first draft of the story, I usually tweak the planned chapter starting places based on word count and what feels right for the story (making sure I end each chapter with a good hook).

This entire Chapter Outline is very fluid and usually does change some when I’m writing the manuscript (MS), but it gives me a good skeleton to start from. I copy and paste the next section from my Chapter Outline into the end of the MS so I can always see what’s coming next.  Not to say I don’t veer if the story needs it, but this saves me a lot of time getting myself back in the story when I sit down to write each day.

I allow myself at least two to three weeks to write the Chapter Outline, working on it an hour or two daily. I find that the more I put into this document, the quicker my writing goes when I’m working on the manuscript. 

As we said before, everyone must find their own process for inspiration and creativity, but we discover it by trying methods from other successful writers. When you find something that works for you, make it your own!

Misty M. Beller writes Christian historical romance, and is author of the bestselling Mountain Dreams Series and the Texas Rancher Trilogy. Her upcoming book, The Lady and the Mountain Call, will release April 5th, 2016.

Misty was raised on a farm in South Carolina, so her Southern roots run deep. About eleven years ago, she made a career change from farm life into the business world, where she worked as a Senior Manager and Director of Process & Training. She's now loving the life of a writer, wife, and mother.

Planning My Novels, Part I - by Misty M. Beller

By Misty M Beller @MistyMBeller

Hi Friends!

On the SC Writers ACFW chapter blog this week, we're continuing our series on how published authors plan their novels. In case you missed it, MaryLu Tyndall shared her method last week. 

I'm a firm believer that everyone must find their own process for inspiration and creativity, but we discover it by trying methods from other successful writers. When you find something that works for you, make it your own!

I'm a plotter, but not to an extreme. I've used the method I'll outline below to write my last nine books, fine-tuning it as I go. I'm able to write a 55K - 60K story in about three months, spending 2-3 hours a day doing heads-down writing. Some days I spend less time, depending on how the muse strikes and focused I am. 

Before I begin writing the actual manuscript, I always spend 2-3 weeks (or more) creating two different documents. The first document, I call:  

*** Brainstorming ***

To begin, I spend several days (or sometimes weeks) detailing my characters and developing a rough synopsis. I’m typically more character-driven, so I start with the characters, and use them to develop the plot synopsis, but you could do it either way. 

This Brainstorming document usually has three parts:

1.      Characters: This is for my protagonists (hero and heroine since I write romance), not necessarily minor characters. I develop my character motivations in detail, including free-writing their backstory. 

    For motivations, I make sure I have these things worked through for both the hero & heroine:

Backstory:

Physical Characteristics:

External Motivation: 

Internal Motivation: 

Conflicting goals:

Spiritual arc:

Black moment and lie:

Tension that separates from heroine/hero:

Happy moment and want (dream):

2.      Plot synopsis: This is for my eyes only, and hits the high points of the plot. It usually takes 1-2 pages, and I make sure I identify all of the major plot points:

Act 1:

1st Doorway:

Act 2:

Midpoint:

2nd Doorway:

Act 3:

I’m a big fan of James Scott Bell, and for a while I would re-read Plot and Structure before starting every new novel. It’s a fantastic book, whether you’re a plotter or a pantster. Now, I read sections of it (at least) for inspiration before starting a new story. His book, Write Your Novel from the Middle, is also very good.

Depending on the story and how comfortable I’m feeling with the plot, I may also do a one-sentence plot and identify the pinch-points. Generally, if it feels like something’s missing or the plot is not strong enough, I keep pushing until I find the missing piece. 

3.      Research: This Brainstorming document is also where I keep track of my research and websites I use. Since I write Historical Romance, research usually plays a huge part in developing my plot, so every time I find a new website to help with part of the story, I go ahead and copy/paste that link into the research section. 

Those are the main parts of the Brainstorming document, although I often add in other tidbits: Possibilities for a title, Possible opening lines, and anything that I might need to pull from later. 

Next week, I'll be back to talk about the next step in my process: the Chapter Outline. Until then, I'd love to hear your comments! Do you create a brainstorming file for each novel? Is there anything in it I haven't mentioned here? 

Misty M. Beller writes Christian historical romance, and is author of the bestselling Mountain Dreams Series and the Texas Rancher Trilogy. Her upcoming book, The Lady and the Mountain Call, will release April 5th, 2016.

Misty was raised on a farm in South Carolina, so her Southern roots run deep. About eleven years ago, she made a career change from farm life into the business world, where she worked as a Senior Manager and Director of Process & Training. She's now loving the life of a writer, wife, and mother.