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Author Confessions: The Blank Page

May18
Reading Time: 3 minutes

Author Confessions: The Blank Page

One of the biggest challenges for an author is exactly what I faced when I sat down at my laptop to write this post. The Blank Page. 

All that white can be intimidating, or all that black if you write in dark mode (black background and white letters which can be kinder to the eyes). That’s why even in real life, a blank wall in a house is calling for decoration. When we moved into our tiny apartment while building a house, I determined that I would only put one hole in the wall, and that was for the clock we are conditioned to look to to check the time. I’ve kept to to that. But the white walls bother me and seem so–sterile.

It’s probably why we can’t seem to keep any surface from also having things one it, whether it is a decoration on the dining room table, or all the stuff we drop on it when we get home.

There is something in the human condition that rebells against that stark emptiness. Probably because God created us for beauty and color. Texture and depth. But we also need space and emptiness.

The blank page is too much emptiness, just as a lot of walls with no color, design, or decoration. Too much, however, becomes clutter. My documents in my word processor are automatically set for a one inch margin. When I write I usually have double spaced as well, especially when writing a story. Filling a blank space is good but too much is difficult for the brain to process.

The beauty of writing in this day and age is editing, deleting, can be done with minimal effort. I was working on edits the other day and slashed over 3,000 words from a novella. For comparison this post has 775 words. That’s a lot of words! The stuff I deleted will make the story better according to my editors and I agree with them. I printed it out without the removed words so I can read it again and make sure I didn’t make any other mistakes. No rewriting by hand. Technology can be such a blessing.

When writers start writing, however, it can be a daunting thing to look at the blank page. Sure we can put in the capter number, a header and insert page numbers, but those things do not make a story come to life. Neither do the margins, although lack of them can be bothersome for a reader.

There is such a thing as free-form writing where the author writes whatever comes to mind. Any thought. Journalling can be like this where the blank page becomes filled with all the random thoughts that occupy it. Sometimes getting those things out clears the clutter for the good stuff that make up a text: sentences and paragraphs a reader might want to read.

I journal on a daily basis and sometimes it’s brief and short. I have an audio diary that I will often speak into on my phone where I can just ramble (I talk like I’m talking to God) about whatever is on my heart. It goes faster as not every thought that crosses my mind is something my husband or friends might want to listen to. But if it is on my heart then I figure God doesn’t mind hearing it.

The blank page can be hard for authors but the reality is this: You can’t edit a blank page. With modern technology writings can be saved in other documents to be used for a later time, or forgotten which is more likely to happen to me. We can easily delete. Even writing a blog I have started some that sat in draft mode for a while before I finally decided they weren’t worth sharing with the world wide web, or whomever visits my blog.

Do you want to write? Then write. Don’t worry about the rules, you can learn those later. No matter what your age, we are in a world where re-writes are so much easier. I remember grade school and high school–before computers–and all the paper crumpled up on the floor. Don’t let the blank page intimidate you into pouring out your thoughts and ideas on paper. Even if no one else sees it, writing is beneficial. My journaling is with pen and paper. The audio journal is digital. Thankfully, word processing has made writing books easier than ever.

So whether you’re writing a letter to a friend, a thank you note, a prayer, or the next best-selling novel, write. Don’t let the blank page win.

 

Author Confessions: Characters Don’t Waste Time on the Phone

Apr27
Reading Time: 3 minutes

Author Confessions: Characters Don’t Waste Time on the Phone

When I write a story, I have had characters use their cell phones to text but not much else. I don’t think I’ve even had a character doom scrolling through social media. Fictional characters don’t waste time on the phone.

I do.

Too much time, even though I have plenty of other things to keep me occupied. Sometimes I wish for the  days of the flip phone when it was only about phone calls (although texting was a beast on those). And I like to be able to check something on the internet or quickly place an order to check emails.

However, apart from those convenient uses for my phone, I spend too much time on it. Maybe God’s convicting me of this. The other day I left my phone alone and doing a craft as I watched television with my husband, because if there was a weather emergency I wanted the battery to be full so I could monitor the weather from the basement, maybe even through a helpful meterological video channel.

The reality is, my battery, on a normal day, shouldn’t need to have much battery drain.

I also tend to lose my phone. Have you ever left home without your phone? I have. How did you feel? Anxious? All the “what if’s” pop up. What if I have an accident? What if I miss an important phone call–which is funny as most people don’t call on the phone too much anymore.

I remind myself that I used to drive around all the time without a phone before car phones became a thing. It never dawned on me at that time I might be in danger. Of course, as I drive now I think of all the things I need my phone for. Uses I probably wouldn’t have thought of if it were in my pocket.

A reframe for me when I leave my phone behind is this: Without my phone, I’m off the leash. Think of a dog running with wild abandon when the leash is off. Being without my phone doesn’t need to be a bad thing. Some people turn if off and leave it behind for a day or two on a regular basis so they are not distracted by other things. Not sure I’m willing to go that far at this season of my life. In a newer community you might be surprised how much I use the map feature.

Fictional characters might text, or even make a phone call, but the conversations are short because too much of that kind of thing bogs down the story.

Fictional characters don’t waste time on their phones because that doesn’t move their story forward and a reader wouldn’t want to read about all they are scrolling through. Maybe I should be more like my fictional characters. Might be worth a try to see how much God can do with that time.

How much is my phone bogging down my life and keeping me from all that God has for me? Playing a game on my phone might be relaxing, but what if instead I were praying for someone? Or even silently praising God–or loudly by singing without a backup track in my car. What do you think? Does your phone monopolize your time?

 

Susan Speaks: Learning to Breathe (Book Review)

Apr24
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Susan Speaks: Learning to Breathe (Book Review)

I’m supplanting Oliver and Minnie but they are busy playing, and the topic of this book is of a more serious nature. One of the subjects that underlies most of my fiction is sanctification. Characters must grow in faith (or come to faith). My Orchard Hill Series has a church as a focal point for all the characters in some way, shape, or form, because I deeply love the church and believe it is essential to the Christian walk. Learning to Breathe: How To Cultivate A Life-Changing Relationship with the Holy Spirit comes from behind the shadows of fiction that I use as my platform, and lays it out clearly and without apology.

I have taught about the subject of the Holy Spirit from a more doctrinal standpoint, but Matt Morton has raised the bar for books on this subject. With authenticity he challenges the reader to go deeper. For instance, his chapter (3) on the Fruit of the Spirit is eye-opening, as a gauge that all beliveers in Jesus can use to determine where we need to grow, something we can only do by the power of the Holy Spirit.

There is personal application in every chapter and Matt Morton builds beautifully from personal sanctification (which only happens through the power of the Holy Spirit) to the beauty of the church and mission it has throughout the world in spreading the wonderful and powerful message of salvation in Jesus.

If you want to live a more vibrant walk with the Lord, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. While Lewis Sperry Chafer’s work on the topic is great, and Francis Chan’s is approachable, Matt Morton’s work is easy- to- read yet challenging. If you do not want to grow in your faith, do not purchase this book. I went through this as part of a group and found that to be a blessing as we shared how the truths in this book was working to transform our lives. I’ve walked with Jesus for 45 years and love that He has so much more to teach me, and this book has been helpful in challenging me to grow further.

If this were Oliver or Minnie, they would give this book five bones, because they are dogs after all. I, however, give it five stars.

Author Confessions: Getting To Know You

Apr6
Reading Time: 4 minutes

Author Confessions: Getting To Know You

When we meet people, there is often a process of “getting to know you,” that takes place. For most of us we don’t blurt out our entire life’s history at a first meeting. We share information, bit by bit, as we deem someone is safe to share with. The superficial before the deeper, more intimate secrets, we might carry. That’s true in fiction as well.

I’ve mentioned before that I write by the seat-of-my pants. I will do a back page blurb and have my two main characters and inciting incident where they meet and then I eagerly jump in and write. I can write fast when I put my mind to it. Not as fast as some but it is a matter of discipline. The reality is when I’m excited about something I can’t wait to get back to it!

That’s the definition of an ideal job, right?

I wish I could say that every part of writing and editing is pure, unadulterated joy. It’s not. It can be grueling and hard. Grit your teeth and git-‘er-done type of work. However, the initial excitment of starting a story, especially when it flows and the characters are engaging, can be so much fun to write.

I’m often too impulsive to do a basic character interview with my main characters so I jump right in and let them surprise me when they reveal parts of their past that I didn’t know. Sounds mysterious, right? It’s a creative process. I pray that I’m following where the Holy Spirit leads as I write stories that I hope and pray will give glory to God.

This year I do not have a Christmas gnome novella releasing as I focused on one I co-authored with DeeDee Lake called Mission: Matrimony, the last of our military romance series. I also finished, with great joy, writing Sealed With a Kiss, a contemporary Christmas romance based on letters from WWII that had been germinating for years. With planning a house, there wasn’t time to produce another novella. Both of those should release this November, 2026.

Space opened up in my schedule and I’ve longed to write a romance for Quincia Bellpepper. Puck’s twin sister in Gnomebody But You, needed her own story and perhaps I should start writing it. This time I decided to do a character interview with Quincia and her love interest, Jinx Jingleheimer. That takes prayer and time. Real life people don’t give up all  their secrets at once and neither do fictional ones. I should always do this and my writing would be better for it.

When I wrote Sir Micheal’s Mayhem, it was probably the first time I’d done a character interview. Something as simple as the answer to the question, “Do they have any scars and how did they get them?”, resulted in a focal point in the story that revealed secrets and brought the couple back to the spot. I won’t give anything else away, you’ll have to read it to find out, but Sir Michael and Katrina are one of my favorite couples, maybe because I got to know them so well during that interview process.

There was another reason to do an interview for the gnome novella. Gnomes have unique names and I needed to map out family and friends with their requisite names! Picking names is always part of the fun for any story, but the names in the gnome novellas adds whimsy to the tale. It is no different with this one! And even though I’m the one who comes up with their backstories, they still reveal themselves to me in a deeper way through this process. Not everything in that interview will show up on the page but it might influence their actions and choices. Eventually the reader might be privy to the why they behaved as they did. The slow unveiling of a characters past makes the story more enjoyable instead of dumping their individual backstories in the first chapter. A reader wants to experience the adventure, not read their biographies.

If you are an author or aspiring author who would like to write a character interview and acquainted with your characters before you write, there are likely some examples on line. Or you can email me at silygoos@gmail.com and ask me to send my blank chart that I developed for couples (I might have a single one as well). Since it’s a Word doc file you can modify it to your heart’s desire. I’ve taken what others have done and made my own but I don’t proclaim to own rights to it. You might find other questions you’d like answers to.

If you’re a reader, I hope you enjoyed getting a peek behind-the-scenes of an author’s “Getting to know you,” process. I hope the characters that spring from that will bring you a few hours of enjoyment, and inspiration.

Author Confessions: Why I Don’t Write “THE END.”

Mar30
Reading Time: 3 minutes

Author Confessions: Why I Don’t Write “THE END.”

I happily finished and submitted a Christmas novella to my publisher. I confess that when I’m writing a story I struggle as I get to the end because it means my journey with these characters who have become dear to me, is over. It takes discipline to finally get to the end of the story and when I do, it is bittersweet.

A lot of authors celebrate finishing a story and proudly write, “THE END” on the page. I stop when I am convinced that I have come to a satisfactory conclusion to the story. My happily-ever-after ending as it were. And there are no more words to write at that point.

The beauty of writing a series as the characters in the preceding ones can go on with their fictional lives and the reader can get glimpses.

No one gets a happily-ever-after in this life unless we are believers in Jesus. Even when He said “It is finished,” on the cross, it wasn’t the end of the story. What seemed like a horrific tragedy was for our benefit. And yet while we may experience periods of happiness, that sweet kiss of promise at the end of a romance, life doesn’t go on with neverending bliss.

Life is full of hardships and suffering and our happily-ever-after ending comes when we are reunited with the holy Triune God and revel in His glorious presence.

For all those reasons, I won’t write THE END on any of the 36 stories I’ve written to date. And it is a practice I never intend to abandon because even though my characters are fictional, they represent real-life people whose lives face tragedies and joys, love and loss, and deep griefs which in the moment might feel like they will never end. But they do.

As Easter nears we will feel the weight of Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross but we endure that momentry discomfort because we know what comes three days later when Christ emerged victorious from the grave. Life is still filled with ups and downs, however, we, as believers, hold on to the hope of His calling us home or His triumphant return. We hold on to that hope. Hebrews 10:23 says, “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.”

This is meant as an encouragement to you, dear reader. No matter what difficulties you are facing, God is faithful and will never leave or abandon you. During dark days in my past a wise woman told me I needed hope. She was correct. I was living with a hopeless mentality. The story God was writing in my life wasn’t over. That was a turning point for me. When I worry about my grown children, I remember their stories aren’t over yet either and God can do marvelous works in His perfect timing.

So I cling to hope. And never write “THE END”. Jesus didn’t.

Author Confessions: Is the Story Realistic or Not?

Mar16
Reading Time: 3 minutes

Author Confessions: Is the Story Realistic or Not?

When my husband and I watch movies or television programs, he is often looking for realism in the story and loves finding the things that couldn’t have happened. Now unless the genre is science fiction or fantasy, an author should make a story realistic. Yet as an author, I want to be able to surprise my readers. I don’t want my stories to be formulaic.

So many movies and television shows ask you to suspend reality as you get wrapped up in the story unfolding before you. Reading a book is no different.

But is real life always realistic? I remember when Covid hit and all the news anchors used the word unprecedented. But was it really? There had been plagues in the past.

How often have you or someone you know say something to the effect of, “You won’t believe this!” For those of us who are Christians, we should be living with full anticipation that God will be doing amazing things in our lives.

In the Bible you read so many amazing feats of God in the lives of people. Those really happened. We too should be living a life that defies logic at times.

I have many stories of when God acted on my behalf as I imperfectly sought to follow Him in my life. From barely escaping a car accident (and yes, I have had some in my past, one of them was my fault), to money showing up without me even asking God for my needs.  There are so many more! Two years ago when my husband’s hip surgery got moved up five weeks he was worried about how we would have enough wood for our stove to get us through the rest of winter. Before we left the doctor’s office, a friend, who knew nothing about the surgery or timing, was dropping off dump-trailer loads of cut firewood. All we needed to do was transport it to our home, which we did. We made it through winter with heat for our home and water.

As I write, I want to leave room for God work even on the pages of fiction. Sometimes the unbelievable happens because we live beyond just a physical, logical world. We live in a spiritual world as well, and if my stories are going to refelct a real and living God, it is good for Him to show up in the pages of my books.

Characters might occassionally act out of character. I have found that happening in my own life as God has led. I can look back on big and small decisions made that were out of my comfort zone. When God leads, we are to follow. My characters therefore might face situations that are out of the ordinary.

So far I’ve not had any reviews complain about those things. I did have one complain about a real life type of situation that they disagreed with but since it was a historical, I assume that time period was not something they were informed about and they were not my target audience.

We are amazed by many things in this world and if this world were realistic, we would cease to be amazed. That is not how the real world, with an amazing, holy, sovereign, all-powerful Creator God in control, works, does it? God delights in amazing us with sunrises and sunsets – perhaps depending on whether you are a morning or an evening person. He delights in showing off His glory in a variety of ways, sometimes big and sometimes small, if we only pay attention.

Do you remember a story you’d read where there was a unique, or perhaps surprising event in that story? Did it cause you to stop reading or did you accept it as part of the overall plot? How about in your own life? Where have you seen God show up and show off? Those kinds of stories become part of your testimony of His work in your life and should be remembered often as proof of His love and care of you.

Is your story realistic or not? I hope it’s not, because that means God is doing a work beyond what you are capable of. In my life that causes me to lean on Him and trust Him more and more. Keep your eyes open.

Author Confessions: Reviews are Important

Mar9
Reading Time: 2 minutes

Author Confessions: Reviews are Important

Authors will often request that if an author likes a book, that they write a review.

I realize, as authors, we are asking a lot of our readers.

First, we want them to actually spend money to purchase a book. While libraries and borrowing a paperback are wonderful, they don’t get us a royalty per copy sold. Obviously, we work hard to write that handheld doorway into a wonderful imagination and story, an escape from the trials of this world and a more worthwhile distraction than playing a video game. It would be nice if the author, editior, copyeditor, cover artist, and publisher could all make some money.

Secondly, after we ask you to buy a book, we hope you will actually read it and enjoy it. But after you’ve reached the end of the book we want you to go back to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, GoodReads or the publisher’s web site and write a review. You probably thought book reviews were left behind when you graduated high school.

Here’s the truth.

  • Writing a review takes a little time, true. You need to log into whatever site you’re choosing.
  • A review doesn’t need to be long. Just tell other readers what you liked about that book. It can be short and sweet.
  • Telling others, in person, or on social media that you recommend a book can help a lot.

Reviews on Amazon help other readers find our books and book sales help authors continue to write those stories you might have enjoyed.

Lastly, if you really love a story or an author’s voice, tell them personally. Send an email or text or if you see them in person, go ahead, and fan-girl or guy around them. Writing and getting a book published (two seperate endeavors) takes a lot of hard work. I doubt your words of encouragement will swell their heads but it might give them the motivation to keep writing and doing all the hard work to provide you with another great story.

Who have you read lately that deserves a little “atta boy” or “atta girl” for a story you enjoyed? Got ahead and write that review. Reviews are important.

Author Confessions: Stumbling Blocks in Fiction, Part II

Feb23
Reading Time: 5 minutes

Author Confessions: Stumbling Blocks in Fiction, Part II

In my last post I wrote about the generic issue of stumbling blocks in fiction, but there are more that are specific to the Christian genre. For some, writing with these restrictions can be challenging, but for a devoted follower of Christ they should be easier to avoid.

Denomination bias

This one could be the most challenging for some. We all love our individual “tribes” of denominations and some believe they are superior to others. Of course, there are some that border on cultish. There is a branch of Amish fiction which deals more with the culture of the Amish than the religion itself although the strict rules often come into play and those are religious. With Amish fiction, it would be hard to not mention that they were Amish as no other people group operates quite the way they do. I’ve refused to write Amish fiction even though when I had an agent, she urged me to because they sell well. I told her I thought they bordered on cultish and I didn’t want to glorify that kind of religious belief system. Maybe someday I will write one about how abusive they are to dogs they are breeding since I have two Amish puppy mill rescues.

Demoninations can be specific about some things. There’s a meme that goes around about other things but could apply to church denominations: Tell me your denomination without telling me your denomination. We need to focus more on Jesus than a specific church denomination. This way we don’t alienate readers.

I will confess, I broke this rule in my book Fragile Blessings because as a historical novella, there were times when denominations had conflict and that was highlighted, but neither denomination was condemned or elevated.

Gratitous Sin

Sin is going to infiltrate our stories because we can’t escape sin and it’s impact on our lives in this world. Sin brings about conflict and navigating that conflict makes a story insteresting. Having said that an author needs to avoid elevating any kind of behavior that might be construed as more destructive. For instance, in my Regency romancees, I have a disclaimer about drinking. It was a cultural thing for that time period and culture, and when someone became intoxicated it had disasterous results. I never would want any thing I write to be taken as permission, for someone who struggles with alcohol, for instance, to take that as permission to give in to that addiction. As my husband says, “No one starts out having a drink of alcohol intending on becoming an alcoholic.” Do I believe drinking is a sin? No. However, because some do struggle with it I will never put that as a common practice in my books.

When it comes to sex, that also is not a sin within marriage. I don’t want to deny the desire and physical attraction characters may have for each other but it will only ever be between a man and woman and consumation will not happen until after marriage. I do not want anyone to read my books and find them tittiltating. I used to do some proofreading for another publishing house I was originally contracted with, and one story had just one line in it that I thought went too far with its suggestiveness. I did tell the publisher but I have no awareness of whether that was deleted or changed in the story as it was about to go to print. I hope it was. When my children were younger, I wanted my books to be safe for even my children to read. A former pastor used to read my books as well and enjoyed them. I will stand before God someday for what I write.

Normalizing destructive behaviors

I’ve already mentioned alcohol but the same would be true with murder, cheating, lying, abuse. Anything that can be destructive to another person whould never be promoted in a clean or Christian novel as acceptable. Those behaviors might be part of a story, but not promoted as good. Pesto and Potholes starts out with domestic abuse. In Salsa and Speed Bumps my character deals with the aftermath of a date rape and the consequences of Christians making wrong assumptions about her condition to disasterous effect. Truffles and Traffic deals with the aftermath of a divorce. In all those stories there is redemption as the people lean on God to get them through the pain and trauma they experienced. I could cite many other stories as well. A Christian author never wants to promote sinful behavior as acceptable or permissable for the believer in Jesus.

Foul language

This can be difficult. Funny thing is, as much as people love to swear or tell dirty jokes, it’s amazing how they can change their behavior when they need to. When I worked in the field of mental health, my clients, without me asking, refused to swear or use other foul language in front of me. They understood by my actions that I was a Christian. In fiction, we have unredeemed people who are doing bad things, and while using foul langage is the norm for some authors, the Christian author has to be more creative in the use of their words and descriptions to give a foul character realism. We might even say someone “cursed under their breath,” not promoting that but also not using any words they might use.

An author must be careful of the words even our characters use, even if in real like someone might be swearing, we can’t put that on the page.

Twisted Theology or Unique Theological Differences 

There are so many theological differences that could be at issue. I had an author whose main character was a female pastor. I’m not going to debate whether women can be pastors or not, that’s not the point. It is, however, a bone of contention for many believers. I told her I could not publish her book. We spoke with an agent who was sitting nearby. He said that it would limit the reach of the book and certain bookstores would refuse to carry a book with that as a main component. For those with more controversial issues that they want central to a plot line in a story, that doesn’t mean they can never publish their story, self-publishing is more popular than ever. Authors just need to be aware that some publishing houses won’t accept that.

I’ve had to help authors make minor corrections to descriptions describing the crux of the gospel in their stories. If the gospel is being presented in some way it needs to be clear and avoid any add-ons or misunderstandings. We never want a book to be preachy, but if a character comes to Christ we need to handle that with excellence even as we are creative in our story telling.

Life is complicated but stumbling blocks in fiction are not only for purposes of publication. Stumbling blocks in fiction can upset a Christian reader and cause them to stop reading or write a negative review. Stumbling blocks in fiction could also tempt someone to sin, or keep them from taking the next step of faith. None of these things are good, so a wise author will be careful to avoid them. Can you think of any other stumbling blocks you might have come across in Christian fiction?

Author Confessions: Stumbling Blocks in Fiction Part 1

Feb16
Reading Time: 5 minutes

Author Confessions: Stumbling Blocks in Fiction Part 1

After writing last weeks post which you can find here, I started thinking of stumbling blocks in fiction. I’m going to focus mostly on Christian fiction as there are differences between that and the secular marketplace.

I used to be a reader that if I read the back page and liked the concept and checked out the book–I would read it to the end. It wasn’t too many years into adulthood that I decided it wasn’t worth my time if I wasn’t enjoying the story. Readers now are being more particular.

Here are some examples of stumbling blocks that authors sometimes overlook but will possibly cause a less interested reader to move past and finish a book. These are also things that as an editor might cause me to reject submisson.

Slow start

Sometimes an author can get caught up in writing very descriptive scenes with eloquent words that really say nothing but they sound nice. And this can go on for more than a paragraph where as a reader, I’m left wondering, “What is this story about? Who is it about? When does this take place?” Now having said that, in older literature this was the norm. Creative writing and beautifully crafted scenese before you ever truly understand what is going on in the story. That doesn’t work as well now.

Annoying characters

Characters should be likable. Thus says the author who has enjoyed quirky and sometimes annoying characters as Sherlock, Doc Martin, and House. Characters should have some relatable qualities that make them likable, or at least tolerable. Quirky isn’t necessarily annoying but that depends upon the person. A character might have some personalilty defect but if the reader doesn’t sense that they might change as the story progresses, they are not likely to stick with the story.

Too many people or complicated names

I’ve read science fiction and that genre is spectacular for the made up and sometimes difficult to pronounce names. I had a character in Truffles and Traffic initially called Benedict and one of the editors told me that was too harsh sounding so I changed it to Benjamin, which wasn’t a painful decision as it’s one of my favorite names, and that was before I met my husband. When I wrote the book Pesto and Potholes, Antonio has a large family and I actually had a genogram of all the relations in the order in which they were related to help me keep the story straight. Thankfully, only a few made significant enough appearances that it was easier for the reader to not worry about how all the rest were connected. I wanted the family tree in the book but was told I  couldn’t do that. :-(.  Stumbling over names or having names too similar even, can make it hard for the reader to navigate the story, and anything that pulls the reader out of the story, even to look back to see who is connected to who, is frowned upon.

The story doesn’t move along

Stories that drag from the start or start out gang-busters and then fizzle will challenge the most ardent reader. I find this even when we are watching movies or television series that if they start out slow and the pace plods along, my husband will tell me to find something else. Maybe it gets better by episode three but they lost us in the first fifteen minutes. The same is true for a piece of fiction. The first sentence, paragraph, five pages, might determine whether a reader keeps going. As an editor, I’m often generus enough to read through chapter 3. When editing a book its possible that the real story starts there and I’ll need to tell the author to revise and delete the first two chapters. When I started out writing, I had to do this myself when I realized my error and a kind mentor pointed it out to me. Nothing wasted, but it would have been if it had gone to print that way.

I also read story submissions to the end. I don’t rely on the author’s synopsis. I’ve had books cross my laptop that started out strong but fell apart quickly. Huge disappointment but I’m glad I didn’t offer a contract to them. It would have meant a lot more work for me and the author because the book wasn’t ready.

Time and place are ambiguous

Who, what, where, when, and why, are not only key words for a journalist, but for an author as well. If I can’t tell if the book is historical, sci-fi, fantasy, or contemporary, right away, it is a red-flag and annoys me to no end. Where is it taking place? Is it in America, Africa, Germany, Cuba, Mars, a space-station? Is it during the civil war, WWII, the 80’s, or 2278? If the author can’t tell me that in plain words or by their description, I get incredibly frustrated.  Thankfully, that’s only crossed my desk a handful of times and they were a quick rejection but I did give them my complaint so they could do better. It’s not something I’m required to do but when it’s stuff like that and I’m irritated enough, I will, and hopefully save some other poor reader that frustration.

Main character does foolish things

Now we all do foolish things at times. Maybe I should say stupid things? These have to be pretty big or perhaps dangerous and perhaps even triggering. Not every story is for every reader but no reader wants to spend the six or more hours reading a book, yelling at the character “No!” time and time again. It gets exhausting.

Lack of change or growth in the main character

Characters should change through the story, whether it’s an emotional growth, relationship choices, spiritual, or simply gaining in wisdom that provides a benefit for themselves and others. If the character ends the story in the same state he or she started out, it will leave a bad taste in the mind of the reader.

I realize I’ve talked about some of these things over the years and this is a different, if not negative, approach to the stumbling blocks in fiction. It’s not a conclusive list by any means. But even as a reader I bet you’ll be more aware when you pick up the next book and either you’ll be cheering for the author because they got it right and you’ll enjoy the story, or you’ll find yourself as frustrated as I do when these things happen.

Reminder, I’m not perfect and I’ve made these mistakes in the past. And I might make them in the future. I hope I’ve grown enough as an author that these stumbling blocks in fiction don’t show up in my stories, and if you find them there (because this can be subjective) then I humbly apologize.

 

Author Confessions: Slow Down

Jan26
Reading Time: 4 minutes

Author Confessions: Slow Down

Winter kind of slows everything down doesn’t it? Maybe that’s a signal to us that we should pause a little more as well. Slowing down is often easier said than done.

Sabbath Rest

We try to honor the Sabbath. We attend church and in the summer, we might play mini-golf and grill out. Sometimes we would do dinner with friends. We were challenged with keeping this when we were going through our packing, showing, selling, moving out, and moving into a small, temporary residence. I’m still amazed at how hard we both physically worked during that time period. We still sought to rest on Sunday.

Slowing  down and taking a Sabbath rest is recognizing that God is in control and I’m not. I can let Him take care of the things that weigh on my mind that I sometimes think are so important that only my efforts can make a difference.

Sabbath doesn’t have to be one particular day. Two weeks ago we had a Friday where we hadn’t planned for it but ended up working really hard. Heavy lifting, carrying, loading trailers in the cold. It was not fun but we had a good crew who didn’t give up even though we would have all liked to quit. The next day, I fully expected my hubby to head to the shop. There was plenty to be done. Instead he decided rest was a better option. I could have worked, even with him in our tiny space, but I decided that it was more important to rest with him. We rested again on Sunday. I think we really needed it.

So what did we do? It wasn’t our regular Sabbath rest. We debated going out to look at flooring for our build, or even playing indoor mini-golf, but we decided we preferred to be home. The only time I left was to take the dogs outside to do their business. I started a new embroidery project and worked on a 3D puzzle. We also played some games but mostly chilled and watched some television. I think my hubby might have even napped for a little while in his favorite recliner.

When I served at church on Sunday mornings, I rested in the afternoon but also tried to give myself more time on Monday to rest, reflect, and not rush into the week. God designed us to need rest. It is important physically, emotionally, and spiritually to practice that.

Slowing Down Daily

I start every morning slow which is honestly, hard to do in some ways but I’ve found it essential for a good day. I spend time in God’s word, I journal, perhaps do my homework for Bible Study. I might even read a little. All this with a cup of spiced chai. This is a habit I’ve done even while I was in graduate school. Neighbors would laugh at me getting up so early, but even when my kids were little I would get up before they would wake up for a few minutes of peace and quiet.

I sometimes want to rush throught things but I’m learning more and more that slowing  down my pace and taking my writing and other work slower, I can relax and actually enjoy it more. Instead of thinking of all the other things that need to be done and rushing to get throught the present to rush into the future, I’m learning to take a breath, stretch, and focus on the here and now.

Slowing Down a Story

In writing we often try to keep a steady pace between highs and lows in a story. Sometimes with thrillers or suspense type novels, however, you often find the pace faster. Just as in life sometimes a person can be hit with all kinds of difficulties and crisis at the same time, that can be reflected in fiction. The reader becomes emotionally breathless without a break in the action, even if they put the book down for a time, since the story progresses at a rapid rate of challenges. I’ve read books like this but it is a wild ride!

Often dialogue or inner thoughts on the page will slow down a story and give the reader a break before joining the character as they tackle the next event the author tosses at them. The ups and downs make the reading more enjoyable. A diary of a day-in-the- life of many of use would be boring, so the action is essential in fiction, just as it often is in life.

How do you slow down? I’d be interested in what that means for you. Reading a book? Sometimes for me that is now work (although it can be fun!). What kinds of things do you do to relax and refresh yourself? Are you able to do that weekly? How about slowing down during each day? What tips and tricks might you have for that?