My Journey to a Book Contract - Part 9 Preparing for Editors and Agents

by Elva Cobb Martin  @ElvaCobbMartin

You can master all kinds of writing craft but if you don't learn how to submit to editors and agents, you might never get that dreamed of open door to a book contract and great adventure.

Recently I learned about an excellent  editing program that can help you polish a manuscript before submitting to an editor or agent. Check out ProWritingAid.com  I bought it for $40/year and its been a great help.

Once you have your ms in what you think is your best form, you should read publishers or agents submission guidelines carefully and do exactly what they say to submit. It's amazing how many don't think they need to follow submission guidelines. You can google any publisher, editor or agent's name and go to the link for Submission Guidelines. All this study is vital before submitting.

Attend writers' conferences! At writers' conferences, the editors and agents will write in their class sections in the syllabus what type manuscripts they are currently interested in. See where yours would fit and make an appointment with that editor or agent, and sit at their table. In this picture I am at a dinner seating with MacGregor Literary Agent Erin Buterbaugh at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference at Ridgecrest, NC.

For editors and agents you need to learn what One Sheets are, query letters, book proposals, pitches/loglines, tags. You can google these terms and find a lot of information. And you need to have a great business card. For cards and many other writer helps check out http:///www.vistaprint.com  

Appointments at conferences are only 15 minutes long so you have to have your pitch ready to go and hopefully, a One Sheet. Don't know what a One Sheet is or like to see a sample? Leave a comment and ask for a sample to be sent to your email address as an attachment, and I'll send you one you can just delete my info and add yours. Don't forget your email address! 

An appointment with an editor at the 2015 Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference I attended and my carefully crafted pitch and One Sheet, led to my first book contract which was for my inspirational romantic suspense, Summer of Deception. Amazon link: http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI

Pitch or Logline
This a one or two sentence nutshell that explains what your story is about and HOOKS the reader or editor.

Sample 1: Jacob Marshall must avenge his father's honor by implicating Serena Jones' Father only to realize revenge often hurts the innocent.

Here's a simple work template to write your pitch:

(Your protagonist) ______________MUST________________ (critical plot goal BY_______________ (action or conflict with the Antagonist) ONLY TO REALIZE ________________ (what the character learns about life that helps him change his goal during the journey of book or come to a satisfactory ending.)

Here's my pitch I wrote for Summer of Deception using this template, and I pitched it and gave a One Sheet to editors during our appointment, along with my business card.

Rachel York tries to unearth the truth about her brother's reported death by taking a position at a Carolina tea plantation, only to realize the truth may destroy her new found love and could even cost her life.
http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI

Tags
A tag is a much briefer hook, like back cover copy's first line or two in large print, or movie bylines.

To boldly go where no man has gone. (Star Wars)
Don't go in the water. (Jaws)
Seth Kincaid remembers almost everything . . . except getting married. (novel tag)
Power comes with a price (The List by Robert Whitlow)

My tags for Summer of Deception:
A wounded warrior . . . a woman searching for truth.
Can love survive a summer of deception?

Rejections happen to all! Never forget this. Summer of Deception was rejected 26 times over several years, but I kept honing my craft, rewriting and submitting. Here are some comments I received with rejections:

Too much telling. (White Rose Publishing)
Too wordy - too much description (Agent sue Seymour)
Too long for publisher's guidelines (Editor Yvonne Lehman)
Not a fit for us. (Harlequin Love Inspired)

Make up your mind. YOU will not give up! Track your submissions by date, person submitted to and their response. Keep a Writing Log Notebook as you progress with your writing daily or weekly.

So glad you stopped by today! Did any of this help you? Do leave a comment and share on your social media if helpful.

Here's my scripture prayer for you and all Christian writers:
Make our words "like a gushing stream, (sparkling, fresh, pure and life-giving.)" Prov. 18:4b Amplified Bible

Thanks for stopping by. This is the last part of the series on my "Journey to a Book Contract." Now, as Randy Ingermanson would say: "Go write a heartbreaking work of staggering genius."

Onward in His Steps,
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 7 Internal Dialogue Editor's Notes

by Elva Cobb Martin

Today I am sharing some internal dialogue notes from an editor of my romantic suspense novel, Summer of Deception, which was released in May, 2017.

What do you think the characters in the pictures below might be thinking?

Secret:  Ethan Becket, my hero for my next novel. He's begging me to tell his story.

Internal Dialogue and Italics – Notes from Susan Baganz, Editor, 

   Internal dialog is the way someone talks to themselves in their minds, it’s not just mere thoughts)

1) Just plain thoughts are not italicized.  

     

     Was this a manipulation?  

     Good gravy. Was this the way the Marines landed?  

    

2)When the character is actually talking to himself, that should be italicized. 

   

      It was just a nightmare. It was just a nightmare.

      Get out of my way, please.

      Not expecting her?

      A pleasing fragrance emanated from her. Musk or lavender?

3) Silent prayers are italicized.

     God help me.

     Lord, thank You for this wonderful summer position, but I’m going to need Your help big time to sit at table with this man every day.

4)  Third person past tense versus first person present tense in thoughts. (This was an eye opener for me)

         

     Incorrect: Wipe the silly smirk off your face. (Simple thought of character I had in italics)

    Corrected: She longed to wipe the silly smirk off his face.

    

     Incorrect: Yes, what is preventing me?

     Corrected: Yes, what was preventing her?

      Incorrect: So you don't care a thing about Morgan, Mr. Barrett? And you think marijuana shouldn't be legalized, but you've stashed a fortune in cocaine in your attic.

     Corrected:  So he didn't care a thing about Morgan. And he thought marijuana shouldn't be legalized but he stashed a fortune of cocaine in his attic. 

                                                       ***

Thanks for stopping by. Please share any tips you have about internal dialog, and do share this blog on your social media if it proved helpful.

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

My Journey to a Book Contract - Part 5 Show Don't Tell

by Elva Cobb Martin

Show/don't tell is a biggie for us writers to master, and I keep working at it, believe me. Randy Ingermanson has helped me a lot. Here is an excerpt from his blog archive at https://www.advancedfictionwriting.com

How to Show/Not tell 

by Randy Ingermanson

 1) Action: Anything your characters do, shown in real time. 

• Jake swung the bat into the kidnapper's head.

 2) Dialogue: Anything your characters say, shown in quote marks.

      "Take that, you scurvy dog!" Jake shouted.

3) Interior Monologue: Anything your chracters think, whether a verbatim record of the thought or a mere statement of it. Verbatim thoughts are often shown in italics, whereas indirect thoughts never are.

    And if you ever touch my daughter again, you're dead.

    What were these idiots thinking, to mess with the daughter of a Navy Seal?

4) Interior Emotion: Anything your characters feel. This is best done by showing direct physiological reactions which can be interpreted as emotions.

      Another rush of adrenaline boiled up in Jake's stomach.

5) Description: Anything your characters can see, hear, smell, taste, or touch.

     Two gunshots range in quick succession. The bare light bulb in the basement exploded in a burst of darkness. Cold air rushed over Jake like a river. He smelled gunpowder so strong he could taste it. The small red dot of a laser aiming device raced across the floor toward his feet.

What has helped you show/not tell? Please leave a comment and share this blog on your social media by clicking on the icons below.

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 4 Master GMC and MRU's

by Elva Cobb Martin

We continue "My Journey to a Book Contract" and honing your craft. This is Part 4. You can access Parts 1-3 in our archives.

Master “Goals, Motivation, and Conflict” 

(check out a great book with same title by Debra Dixon)

Your hero, heroine and even other characters should have a:

        Goal – What they want

        Motivation – Why they want it

        Conflict – The why not (what stands in their way)

   

   Internal and External Needs evolve into Goals, Motivation, Conflict which drive the story.

           Carolyn Greene says inner conflict is what gives characters’ something to think about.

           External conflict propels the plot and gives characters something to do.

           Inner needs can be universal and intangible: respect, acceptance, security, safety, love

           External needs should be tangible and resolvable:  justice, revenge, the truth, job promotion   

Kirsten Arnold wrote on a Seekerville blog comment her idea at Internal and external GMC & logline. Here it goes.

Log Line/Pitch: A rugged Alaskan hunting guide must save the younger brother of the woman he loves while learning to accept the forgiveness that can set him free and open the door to love and life.

    

Who: Cooper Maitland: Alaskan outfitter/hunting guide

External GMC: Cooper wants to help the FBI catch drug traffickers operating as Alaskan fishermen, and save Bryce Wallace the kid brother of McAye Wallace the woman Cooper loves.
Internal GMC: Cooper wants to forgive himself and accept God’s forgiveness for the terrible mistake he made that cost McAye’s sister her life. His love for McAye stands in the way, because it serves as a constant reminder of his past and keeps him mired in guilt.


Master MRU’s - Motivation Reaction Units

(Should be in this order but don’t have to include all 4)

  1) Physical or gut level

  2) Thought

  3) dialog (can be combined with action)

  4) action

Incorrect Order (example from my draft of Summer of Deception)

Rachel looked at him for a long moment. First the housekeeper, now this man. Wasn’t anyone expecting her? A sting shot through her empty stomach. But she shook off her uneasiness. Everything could be cleared up in two seconds. She dug in her handbag. “Mr. Barrett offered me a summer position. I have his note here.”

Corrected Order: 

A sting shot through Rachel’s empty stomach. Wasn’t anyone expecting her? First the housekeeper, now this man. She looked at him a long moment and cast off her uneasiness. Everything could be cleared up in two seconds. “Mr. Barrett offered me a summer position. I have his note here.” She dug in her handbag.

What helped you master GMC or MRU's? Please leave a comment and share this blog on your social media by clicking on the icons below.

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 at
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 - Five Vital Steps (Part 3 Theme)

By Elva Cobb Martin

Today I continue my series on "My Long Journey to a Book Contract - Five Vital Steps."
You can get the full blogs in my archives on Part 1 and 2 but here is a fast review:


Here are the five steps I listed in Part 1:

1) NEVER give up!
2) Keep Honing Your Craft
3) Importance of Conferences and Writing Groups
4) Help Other Writers 
5) Learn how to Submit to Editors and Agents

In Part 2 I covered four ways I've learned to plot a novel. 

Today, in Part 3, I continue with "Honing Your Craft" and important things I learned that helped me on the way to a contract. 

Plug into a Theme - A story’s most basic element

The author’s worldview, their core values and outlook on life, drive the theme. Here are 10 central themes in film and books constantly repeated which describe an opinion about society, human nature, God, or life in general.

1) Good vs. Evil   - Star Wars, The Chronicles of Narnia,

         The War Room

2) Love Conquers All 
 - The Notebook, Love Comes Softly                      series, The Passion

3) Triumph over Adversity – The Blind Side, Facing the Giants

4) Individual vs. Society – Schindler’s List, The Elephant Man

5) The Battle – Braveheart, The Patriot, Attila

6) Death as a Part of Life – The Shack, Driving Miss Daisy

7) Revenge – Cape Fear, Revenge of the Nerds

8) Loss of Innocence – Sixteen Candles, Toy Story 3

9) Man vs. Himself – Gone with the Wind,The Godfather

10) Man vs. Nature –Jaws, Armageddon, Jack London stories,               Survivor shows

A quick check of stories in the Bible will reveal many universal themes. In fact, the Bible hasn’t left out any nitty-gritty issues mankind faces.

■ Husband and wife join in wrongdoing (Adam/Eve, Ahab/Jezebel, Ananias/Sapphira)

■ Jealousy/sibling conflict (Cain/Able, Rachel/Leah,                       Joseph/brothers)

■ Love/hate triangles (Abraham/Sarah/Hagar;                                     Jacob/Leah/Rachel)

■ Arranged marriages (Isaac/Rebecca, Jacob/Leah/Rachel,               Christ and His Bride

■ Rape (Dinah and Shechem; Tamar and Ammon)

■ War and its mighty men (Joshua, David, Gideon, Samson)

■ Women’s rights (the daughters of Zelophehad Joshua 17:3-6)

■Adoption vs. Infanticide (Moses)     

■Adultery/Murder (David/Bathsheba) (Hosea)

■ The perfect love story – Ruth and Boaz

■ The Wrong Kind of Sex  – Sodom & Gomorrah, the Levite’s concubine (Judges 19), Samson & Delilah

■ Redemption and Forgiveness – (the Prodigal Son and                        numerous stories)

Because I'm an inspirational writer, I want my novels to reflect my Christian worldview, core values and outlook on life, through whatever theme I choose. That's the legacy I want to leave with my readers and future generations.

Can you discern the writer's worldview in the movies and/or books you have read recently? So much being written and filmed today is in a secular worldview, but I do love to read and view stories with a strong Christian worldview. How about you?

What is your theme in your current WIP? Can you add to our theme list? Please leave a comment and share this blog on your social media if it helped you.

Be blessed today!
Elva Martin

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,
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 - Five Vital Steps (Part 2)

by Elva Cobb Martin

For a long while my dream of securing a book contract seemed like an impossible goal- like reaching for a castle in the sky.

If you missed Part 1, you can find it in the archives.

Here's a quick list of the Five Steps that helped me finally land my first book contract. It is with Prism Book Group for my inspirational romantic suspense novel, Summer of Deception, to be released in 2017. 

Drum-m-m ROL-L-L! I have recently signed a second contract with Lighthouse Publishers of the Carolinas for my historical, In a Pirate's Debt! So now I am into edits on TWO books at the same time. (Yes, that's a prayer request in the subtext). Selling the second book has been quicker maybe because I started writing it before I sold the first one. ( : 

Here are the five steps I listed in Part 1:

1) NEVER give up!
2) Keep Honing Your Craft
3) Importance of Conferences and Writing Groups
4) Help Other Writers
5) Learn how to Submit to Editors and Agents

Part 2  Keep Honing Your Craft!

Learn how to Plot a Novel  - 4 Ways I’ve Studied               

A) The detailed Authors Boot Camp Manual can be found at

    http://seekerville.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-authors-boot-camp-   manual-for-2016.html. (archived under Boot Camp)   

     There are tons of links compiled for every aspect of plotting and writing a book! And it’s all free—the best articles from some of the best authors you’ll find. 

B) The Snowflake Method by Randy Ingermanson. Find his 10 detailed steps under Products at  http://www.advancefictionwriting.com

         
Randy, a former software architect, lists 10 Steps that he compares to a snowflake in building a novel. He has a software program on it and a detailed book you can purchase on Amazon.)

   Here are the first 4 steps briefly which he covers in detail on his site and in his book.

      Step 1 - Take an hour and write a one sentence summary of your novel idea.

         Ex. “A rogue physicist travels back in time to kill the Apostle Paul.”

      Step 2 - Take another hour and expand that sentence into a full paragraph describing the story setup, 3 major disasters, and the ending.

      Step 3 – Characters: Write a one-page summary for each character telling their name, their storyline, their motivation, goal, conflict, and epiphany (Details on site)

       Step 4 – Expand each sentence in your paragraph summary into a full paragraph each. The final paragraph should tell how the book ends.

End each chapter with a cliff hanger!

C)  MaryLu Tyndall’s basic method for historicals: Starts with research

           1) Do detailed main character sketches with photos and index cards of main characters

           2) Write synopsis of basic story line and chapter by chapter summary

           3) Write the first draft down fast in creative mode. No editing or checking research details. Get the main plot points down, about 40,000 words

           4) Rewrite/Expand adding the polish, research details, DPOV, five senses add more tension/conflict, and end each chapter with a cliff hanger.

           5) Edit for final draft

           6) She keeps three docs pulled up in computer when writing:

              a)Chapter by Chapter summary which she uses to write the first draft, (I have a Scene List doc for each chapter as I write the scenes)

              b) A To-Remember Doc which lists things she needs to keep track of like dates, back story, ancestry, research items

              c) Add-in Doc – lists all the extra ideas that she comes up with while doing other stuff that she wants to add in later

                       (In editing to cut my novel word count, I added a “Cuts” document to paste in all cuts which I may want to use later in blogs.

              Find MaryLu’s other Writing Tips at http://www.crossandcutlass.blogspot.com

D) Prescription for Plotting Notebook by Carolyn M. Greene (Pass it around)

   

       A fantastic 3-ring binder with 75 pages of worksheets, forms and easy instructions to help plot your novel. Order it from:

           Carolyn Greene, P.O. Box 412, Powhattan, VA 23139 

      Send check or money order for $25 plus $5 for shipping.  Check out her site at    http://carolynpd.fortunecity.ws/

       (I highly recommend this notebook, if still available.)

Three “plots” I worked up for Summer of Deception

           

The main romance plot between heroine Rachel and hero Luke.

The suspense/mystery subplot of who is smuggling drugs on the Charleston coastline and what really happened to Rachel’s brother declared dead by the DEA.

The spiritual subplot of Luke’s struggle to regain faith and the testing of Rachel’s faith

The Spectrum for Spiritual Plots for Inspirational novels from Ron Benry’s Writing Christian Fiction

    ♦ At the High End: A conversion/redemption scene of a main character, grace in action

    ♦ The Middle Ground: Jesus at work in the lives of one or more characters  

    ♦ At the very least: Show progress in a lead character’s Christian walk or reaffirmed faith.

          OR: Challenge your protagonist’ moral beliefs. Judith Rolfs in a new mystery release by Prism Books, Never Tomorrow, has a scene in which the heroine’s moral belief in chastity is challenged by a character she has begun to think of in a romantic way and the heroine gives a great “No” answer.

My take on all this is: Weave in the spiritual plot through “parable/story style” not preachy style.

Don't miss the next blog(s) when I will share other writing skills I had to gain mastery in: Goals, Motivation and Conflict; MRU's; and How to Show not Tell. 

What has helped you most in plotting or planning your book? Please reply by leaving a comment and click and share this with friends on Twitter and FB.

Blessings on your day,
Elva Cobb Martin