Photo by normaldude

There is just something about people that surround me in everyday life. They all have such diverse personalities and struggles.

Yet, when I start working to brainstorm a character it seems I need something new to infuse my character with a fresh breath of air.

First, I follow the character interview that Susan May Warren introduces in her book From the Inside Out: Discover, Create, and Publish the Novel in You! A lot of inspiration is found in these articles.

Now you may have your character lined up, but what about those deep inter relational issues? Our characters cannot all have the same issues, but we are writers not psychologists.

One Tip To Revolutionize Your Characters:

Find a new release in psychology resources that can give your characters a boost of reality. Sometimes you may choose to purchase the book, sometimes not. Either way you are able to infuse your characters with a dash 0f real life.

For example, I recently discovered this book: Attached. The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find – And Keep – Love.

This book gave me some new ideas how to spark chemistry and create disagreements between the heroine and hero in my novels. The fun of creating a romance between two characters with different attachment styles has created a different dynamic on the page.

Another book I found recently helped me to create a certain type of villain to cast in my new novel. The book  The Sociopath Next Door gave me insight into another type of villain.

These resources don’t create my characters or their journeys. I do. But the ideas I find in these types of resources often deepen my understanding of people which helps me to cast more believable characters.

Every now and then revolutionize your characters with a new psychology resource. It will give your characters added dimensions and create uniqueness on the page.

What are some books you found helped you to revolutionize your characters?

A writer’s passion to grow their skills in the writing craft can bring them increased success, but getting that training on a writer’s budget can be a challenge.

One of my favorite retreats every year is the Great Lakes Get Away in Duluth Minnesota. The retreat created by Minnesota N.I.C.E., a local chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers, offers a reasonable choice for writers looking to season their craft.

In previous years I was priviledged to learn from a variety of speakers: Rachel Hauck, Colleen Coble, and Susan May Warren. Each retreat made me a stronger writer and I wouldn’t miss it for the world.

Duluth MN

July 19th – 21st, 2013

Featured Speaker:  Susan May Warren

Spend a weekend on the shores of Lake Superior honing your craft with more than 10 hours of writing instruction, opportunities to network with other writers.

Registration Cost:   $165 for Members     $190 for Nonmembers

*Attendees are responsible for their own lodging. Room rates for double occupancy is $90 per person a night.

Award Winning Author Susan May Warren

Susan May Warren is the founder of My Book Therapy. A RITA award-winning author of over forty novels with Tyndale, Steeple Hill, Barbour, and Summerside Press. A four-time Christy award finalist, a two-time RITA Finalist, she’s also a multi-winner of the ACFW CAROL and the   Inspirational Readers Choice award . A seasoned women’s event speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation.

Susan May Warren’s Weekend Workshops Include:

*Elements of a Strong Scene

*Getting the Muddle Out of the Middle

*Writing A Satisfying Ending

*Editing Your Novel  From Spine to Line

Friday Workshop Speaker: Michelle Lim

Yes, I have been invited to teach on Friday this year and I have to admit I am really excited. Having attended the retreat every year since its first year, I know I’m in for a treat! Friday is all about Brainstorming Strategies for Writer’s Nightmares.

Canal Park Lodge, Duluth, MN

Photo by Canal Park Lodge- Permission Granted

Registration Information:

*Early Registration Prices end June 10th, 2011.

*After June 10th, $15 is added for late registration.

*Registration is closed on June 30th, 2011. 

(This year they even have a paypal option)

A registration form can be found at this website: 

https://sites.google.com/site/minnesotaniceacfw/summer-retreat

Hope to see some of you there!

If you have been to Lake Superior, or the Great Lakes Get Away, what did you love about it?

Photo by Rubaaaa

Brain dead. That’s what happens between hitting send and that next new story idea. Sometimes it takes forever to come up with that spark that is the beginning of a new novel.

So, you are up against the brick wall you’ve been banging your head against for the last two weeks and nothing brilliant is happening. Relax, you’re a writer. Brick walls are in the writer’s arsenal. Unfortunately, they don’t often help.

Trying the same brainstorming tips over and over can sometimes leave us stymied, too. Here are a few new tips you can try when the brick wall isn’t jarring anything loose.

3 Brainstorming Ideas To Spark A New Story:

1. Find a picture on the internet with people. Tell the story of one of the people in the picture that draws your attention.

This picture drew my attention because it was unique.

Photo by beuford00

Think of the different kinds of stories that can be written from this character. He could be a villain, a man down on his luck, an adventurer lost in the wilderness, etc.

2. Pick a verb for your genre and select a musical piece that sounds like that verb. As you are listening to that piece of music decide who in the story is acting out the verb you envision.

For this piece I might use the word run and develop a story that is happening out of it.

3. Find a picture of a place that you find interesting. Create a story that occurs in that place. 

The following picture gave me ideas of historical novels or fairy tales:

Photo by 13dede

This last trick of finding a place is similar to an idea I learned from Colleen Coble at the Great Lakes Get Away last year. She taught us how to research an area to come up with ideas.

What helps you brainstorm a story?

Photo by Krappweis

Peace. What’s that? It is that occasional moment where our character is at rest before all chaos breaks loose. Every now and then we need a scene where our character is reflective or sitting with their love on a porch swing ready to embrace their future.

Of course this moment won’t last, after all, a scene must end with a new or unsolved problem. But sometimes we can find beauty in the contrast within a scene.

It is in this contrast before the chaos that we find a peaceful moment in a story. So how can you create this peaceful moment with a richness that shows contrast?

4 Tips To Add Impact To A Peaceful Moment:

*Close your eyes and listen to a peaceful selection of music, writing down what you imagine happening with your characters in the scene of the music. Pay special attention the flowing motion of your words, creating a smoothness of thought and feeling on the page. Use this smoothness to write the actions as fluid motion.

An example of a peaceful selection of music is:

*Write a sensory notation for each of the five senses that you could incorporate into your peaceful moment. 

For example:

Smell- Of cherry blossoms

Taste- Of cool lemonade on a hot summer evening

Sight- Of the willow tree that sways gently in the breeze

Sound- Of crickets chirping in the tall grass

Touch- Of the smooth wood of the porch swing

*Connect a memory of a peaceful moment in the past. What happened in your character’s history that this peaceful moment reminds them of. Add that into your scene.

For example, your character might remember fishing with their Grandpa on a glasstop lake.

*Identify an object in the setting that personifies that sense of peace. A snowflake that drifts to the ground without a care in the world. A tree that reaches toward the sky, its outline golden with the sunset. A deer feeding in the green grass of an open field. You get the picture.

What is your favorite peaceful place?

Photo by ilco

Prize Winners From Last Week:

$10 Amazon Gift Cards:  Heather Day Gilbert and Susan Crawford

Bunny Slippers: Lindsay Harrel

Ben & Jerry’s Zip Drive: Sally Bradley

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Life is full of that little bug called guilt. Us writers are attacked by it to0. You know, when you ache to write, but everything else in life rushes in to tell you why you shouldn’t?

Yes, there are times when we need to put family and other things before our writing pursuits, but that isn’t every second of every day.

It’s time to take back your dream territory and kick the guilt bug to the curb. It serves no purpose for good in your life. Guilt is merely a distraction from what God has intended for you.

CHASE YOUR DREAMS WITH NO APOLOGIES!

Moms out there, this means you, too! I am a mom of four and juggling writing, family, church, God, and other responsibilities is daunting sometimes. Sometimes I feel guilty about taking the time to chase my dreams, but there is something I’ve learned in chasing my dreams and it’s powerful impact on my family.

Reasons You Should Chase Your Dreams With No Apologies:

You Are Called To Write. Giving someone a talent and a dream to write is something God uses to remind us of one of our purposes in life. Dreams are meant to be lived. Whether God’s purpose is to publish your work or teach you something amazing along the way, God meant for us to live our dream a day at a time.

You Are Inspiring Other Dreamers. This is one of the reasons it is vitally important that moms chase their dreams. Your children are watching you and learning that it is possible to chase their dreams, too.

They learn the power of supporting each other on the dream chasing journey. Just as you encourage your children to chase their dreams, you model it in your life.

If you are not a parent, there are still others watching God work through your writing journey. Inspire others by chasing your dreams with no apologies.

You Have Something To Say. God has given a story that is meant to be told. For whatever purpose he gave it to you, you are the only one who can write the story the way that you can.

It Brings You Joy. The Bible says that the joy of the Lord is our strength.  Chasing the dreams that bring us joy build our strength. This joy is from the dreams God gave us. Love every minute of it.

Who have you seen chase their dreams with no apologies in a way that inspires you?

Photo by davidlat

Yesterday we celebrated with those who were Semi-Finalists in the Genesis Contest. Our Winners of the $10 Amazon Gift Cards are: 

Heather Day Gilbert  and  Susan Crawford

Today’s Prizes are in the true spirit of a Kleenex Party. Those who Comment will be entered in drawings for the following:

Bunny Slippers:

http://www.bunnyslippers.com/bunny-slippers/classic-bunny-slippers.php

Ben & Jerry’s Flashdrive:

http://commerce.workflowoneaccess.com/UI/Customer.aspx?autologonid=8ef6506b-c9ea-4c19-a163-6ca651e9fac6

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Just as we rejoiced with those who rejoiced yesterday, today we will weep with those who weep.

So crack out your bunny slippers and bon bons, today is a day to deal with those disappointments along the writing journey.

I’ve worn those same slippers many times and lifted that scoop of Ben & Jerry’s to my lips. Something I learned from two of my treasured friends on this journey, Lisa Jordan and Beth K. Vogt, is that it is okay to take a day to grieve.

Give yourself a day or two to admit you’re discouraged and sad. It is totally normal. Your dreams are big because God gave them to you, but once in a while there are set backs on the journey.

Tomorrow, pick yourself back up and get back to work. But for today, let yourself grieve.

You have cheered others on and been a good sport, but disappointment still stings. I have great news for you.

IT WON’T LAST FOREVER!

As sure as you are wearing your bunny slippers, your day of success will come. So, today’s party is for you!

Tell us your favorite Kleenex Party Treat, Leave a Word of Encouragement or a Scripture to encourage those who are having a Kleenex Party Type of Day.

Photo by ba1969

This is that great time of year when we hit contest results from American Christian Fiction Writers’ Genesis Contest. Some of you may not have gotten the results that you wanted, but we want to celebrate those who did well.

“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.”

Romans 12:15

With the heart of this verse in mind, today we are going to celebrate with those who are rejoicing in their Semi-Finalist Status. Tomorrow we will weep with those that weep in our annual Kleenex Party. Those of you who are congratulated here today, I invite you to stop back tomorrow and leave an encouraging word or verse for those who didn’t do as well as they hoped.

Leave a word of encouragement or congratulations for our Semi-Finalists!

We will be having a drawing for 2 $10 Amazon Gift Cards for those who leave a comment. Winners to be announced at tomorrow’s Kleenex Party.

LET’S HEAR IT FOR OUR FINALISTS:

Contemporary 
Sally Bradley                   Meghan Carver                 Amy Drown
Lindsay Harrel                Kerry Johnson                   Jessica Schofield
Dawn Shipman               Jennifer Sienes                  Laurie Tomlinson
Suzy Parrish

Romance
Jill Buteyn                       Susan Crawford                 V.V. Denman
Casey Herringshaw           Jill Kemerer                        C. Ann Miller
Stacy Monson (Double Finalist)
Chandra Lynn Smith         Candice Sue Patterson

Historical (through Vietnam Era)
Kay Chandler                Connilyn Cossette             Pat Davis
Kathleen Freeman         Jennifer Leo                     Kelsey McKernie
Susan Mires                 Vanessa Morton                Kiersti Plog
Jennifer Uhlarik

Historical Romance (through Vietnam Era)
Whitney Bailey            Susanne Dietze                    Gwendolyn Gage
Nancy Kimball             Susan Mason                        Gabrielle Meyer
Brittany Mitchell         Corella Roberts              Jaime Wright Sundsmo   Marilyn Turk

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller

Casey Rhodes              Janice Boekhoff                  Norma Hinkens
Andrew Huff                Kara Hunt                          Bob Lyzenga
Mark Rhyne                 Larry W. Timm (Double Finalist)
Michelle Saint-Germain

Romantic Suspense
Suzanne Bratcher          Dawn Crandall (Double Finalist)
Loretta Eidson              Sarah Hamaker                   K.D. Harp
Linda Matchett             Linda Rodante                    Delores Topliff
Kathryn Wall

Speculative
Ralene Burke                  Becky Dean                           Lisa Gefrides
David Goodall                 S.R. Karfelt                            Ann Larson
A.G. Larson                   Jennifer Rogers                        Luke Scott
Regina Smeltzer

Category
Sally Bayless                 Anne Braeburn                        Jill Buteyn
Michelle Lim                  Debra E. Marvin
Carol Moncado (Double Finalist)                            Preslaysa Williams
Abigail Wilson               Jodie Wolfe

Young Adult
T.J. Akers                   Carol Eaton                              Valerie Gray
Loraine Kemp               Teresa Lockhart                  Heather Letto
Constance Sedler        Diane Steward
Sarah Tipton (Double Finalist)

Congratulations to all of you!! Don’t forget to leave encouragement for our finalists below.

Planning for the next year at MBT was an adventure, but even more than that it was wonderful to be surrounded by a great writing support team. A dream team, so to speak.

We all need A Writing Dream Team on our journey to help us dream big and encourage us to overcome our obstacles. Without this team it is easy to grow complacent, give up, and even forget to reach for the stars.

Who is your writing dream team?

If you don’t know, it is time to figure it out. You need to recognize who they are and how they encourage you on your journey. Don’t forget to think of how you can encourage them.

People On Your Dream Team Might Be:

*A Mentor who has walked the journey much longer than you. This is someone you look up to and learn from on a regular basis. They challenge you to be your best and don’t just speak the words you love to hear, but the words you need to hear.

*A Mentor/Craft Partner who has a bit more experience on the writing journey than you, but is more accessible for more frequent conversations. This person might be your craft partner or someone at a local writer’s group that can give you journey insights. They are likely published or soon to be published.

*A Craft Partner you work with closely. This may be the same as the previous person, or they may be in addition to them. You work together on your stories for brainstorming, an occasional critique, and craft questions. You pray together and encourage one another along the journey. This relationship is a balance of give and take where both partners benefit greatly from each other.

*A Writing Community. A community of writers that you join to learn craft whether it is your local chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers, My Book Therapy, or others. You may even be a part of more than one group as I am, getting the benefits that each have to offer.

*A Newer Writer You Are Mentoring. In the writing community one of the most important things is giving back. There will always be those who help you on the journey as you help others. Never miss out on an opportunity to help those who are learning just like you.

Who is on your writing dream team?

Dr. Richard Mabry is a retired physician, past Vice-President of the American Christian Fiction Writers, and the author of four published novels of medical suspense. His books have been finalists in competitions including ACFW’s Carol Award and Romantic Times’ Inspirational Book of the Year. His last novel, Lethal Remedy, won a 2012 Selah Award from the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference. His most recent medical thriller, Stress Test (Thomas Nelson), was released in April, and will be followed by Heart Failure in October.

* * * *

DON’T JUST PAINT BY NUMBERS

Kay Mabry’s Painting

My wife, Kay, is a talented painter. I admire her work, but can’t begin to reproduce it. The closest I’ve come is completing one of those “paint by numbers” kits…and the end result wasn’t something you’d hang on your walls. Good painters don’t paint by the numbers, and good authors don’t write “by the numbers,” either. I’d suggest that in our writing we’d do well to follow the painter’s example.

First, lay out the colors in your palette. For a writer, this means populating the story—not necessarily every character, but certainly the major ones. Just as some colors predominate in a painting, some characters take center stage in a book. For Stress Test, I chose to go with a male doctor as protagonist, but paired him with a strong second lead, a female attorney.

Second, sketch in the rough outlines of the painting. Since I write “by the seat of my pants,” I don’t have a detailed outline of the story flow. However, I always know going in how it will open, the general story arc, the mid-point surprise, and the ending. Everything else is subject to change.

Third, fill in the painting, making changes as you go. For a painter, this might

Richard Mabry’s New Release

involve putting in a tree, moving a cloud, or otherwise altering the rough outline from which they started. In the case of a writer, sometimes the characters make us go in a different direction. I’ve even been known to kill off a character, one I had no intention of harming, in order to get the effect I needed. Painters and authors have to be willing to change to improve the final product.

Fourth, apply the finishing touches. The painter will add shadows, touch up one area, insert highlights in another. The author goes through the entire story, often more than once, deepening emotions, involving the senses, and sometimes even changing a character’s actions or motivation until the whole thing holds together.

Fifth, add the proper frame. The frame can set the tone for the reception a painting gets. For a book, what the potential reader sees first is the cover, both the image and title. Publishers have control over both these areas, but the author can have a voice. It’s wise to be prepared to give input in these critical areas.

Writers, do you painstakingly go through these steps, or are there times you take the easy way and produce something formulaic, sort of “painting by the numbers?” Readers, can you tell in a book when that has happened?

Photo by hbrinkman

Subplots are one of my favorite parts of a longer novel. If I’m not careful once in a while my subplot character tries to take over my story. I love these characters so much, but a great subplot has specific qualities that enhance the main plot line of the story.

What exactly is the subplot?

A subplot is a secondary strand of plot that connects to the main plot and often complicates the life of the hero/heroine.

When are subplots used?

Typically, shorter novels of 60,000 words or less does not contain a subplot because there is not enough words to fully develop both a subplot and a main plot. Longer novels often have subplots, sometimes even more than one.

Examples of Subplot:

*Princess Bride- Wesley and Buttercup are the hero and heroine. The main plot centers around them finding one another again.

This clip shows the subplot with it’s Point of View Character:

*Pretty in Pink- Blaine and Andy are the main romance in this story. The story of Andy and Ducky’s friendship is a subplot.

3 Qualities of a Superb Subplot:

1. Connects back into the main plot. The subplot is not meant to be a parallel story with overlapping characters. It is tied intricately into the main plot. Without the main plot it wouldn’t stand completely alone. At the end of the story, the subplot must weave back into the ending in a meaningful way.

At the beginning the subplot might seem insignificant, but a superb subplot will eventually escalate the drama complicating the hero/heroine’s quest for their goal. For ultimate impact, the subplot can make the hero/heroine question their own quest by pitting what they want against what they need.

2. Feeds the spiritual thread. A superb subplot adds a new dimension to the spiritual thread. For example, if the spiritual thread is about forgiving others then the subplot would expound on that thread or deepen it in some way.

Main Plot: Forgiving Others

Subplot: Forgiving Family Who Have Wronged You

3. Adds richness to the story. A fabulous subplot will add richness to the plot through diversifying characters and deepening the plot to fill it with twists and surprises. It will give us a different point of view for the truth to be told. It creates the opportunity for more conflict and casts a wider net of interest for readers.

What is your favorite subplot of all time?