Summer Reruns: The Pain of Promotion

This expanded article originally posted on October 9, 2013.

Not long ago I read a novel by an author I'd not read before, selected it late one night from the sales pages of Christianbook.com when I'd run out of things to read. The first thing that caught my attention was that it was published by NavPress, the house that published my first two novels, so I read the opening pages and was intrigued enough to order it. It was surprisingly good, a refreshing find, completely out of the box for CBA. It was published in 2006. In my opinion, CBA has tightened its net, so to speak, in the intervening years, and I'm not sure this book would find a home in CBA these days.

The author, first name Annette, did a remarkable job of writing a male protagonist (a topic we discussed on this blog in August 2013). She wrote real-world characters you could truly identify with, who had goals beyond getting the girl/guy next door, and problems that look a lot like mine; problems that don't always have good solutions. I applauded her guts and her ability, and sent her an email saying how much I'd enjoyed the novel. Her response kind of blew me away. She graciously gave me permission to share some of what was contained therein.

Annette is the author of 13 novels, the first published in 1997. It sold roughly 140,000 copies. The others, combined, sold about the same number. Combined or not, I was struck with Serious Envy when I read her sales numbers. I've never come close to that, nowhere near, though I never stop working at it.

But it was her next statement that really blew me away. She wrote, "As for why I stopped writing ..."

Excuse me?!?

Stopped writing?!?

With that kind of success?!?

Yes. Stopped. She had three main reasons:

First, I absolutely cannot bear promoting. I'm quite private, more so as I've gotten older (I'm 54). I am the only person I know not on Facebook. When I began writing, promotion meant speaking a bit, doing book signings, giving out bookmarks. I did do a blog for a bit, and didn't mind that. But now ... I just can't do all that is expected and needed of an author. When I weighed the pain of promoting vs the joy of writing for publication, writing did not come out on top. I do not see how someone unwilling to promote can publish today.

Second, writing was never a calling for me. I loved it. It came easily and naturally for me, and I had a talent for it. I read a few how-to books and subscribed to Writer's Digest, but I never took a writing class. I attended my first conference after I'd had 7 books out. It wasn't something I longed for or dreamed about. I was a voracious reader, but really never thought being an author was in the realm of reality. It was an amazing surprise.

But my true calling? Hospice nursing. I've been an RN since age 20. It is what I was born to do. It is where I have served, where I have done my best work. It was easy to let writing slip away when it wasn't my only thing, or even my main thing.

"Wasn't my only thing, or even my main thing."  That line really struck me. Because aside from my relationship with my family and God, writing IS my main thing and has been for 28 years. Aside from unforeseen circumstances, I have no intention of stopping. But I completely get what she's saying. Debbie wrote a great post on the truth about introverts. Many writers are introverts --- and shy to boot, as Lori Benton pointed out in the comments to Debbie's post. That certainly describes me. So when Annette said she couldn't bear self-promotion, I could relate so well. And yet, as she points out, someone unwilling to self-promote these days won't get far as an author.

The environment we find ourselves in as writers is somewhat a dichotomy. On one hand, publishing opportunities are greater --- and less costly --- than ever before, if one is willing to go the independent route. Because many authors, even those who have been multi-published traditionally, are choosing to go independent, the stigma of self-publishing is diminishing.

On the other hand, going independent means the full weight of promotion falls on the author. And for those of us --- which basically is all of us --- who dislike self-promotion, it makes the writing life that much harder. Building a readership is like tossing a stone into water and watching the ripple spread out from the initial splash. Turning that ripple into a tsunami is the goal, but how do you do that?

We learned from Latayne's post last week that Lisa Samson, an author all of us here respect and admire, has thrown in the towel, primarily because of the demands of marketing. She's not the only author to give up on writing, at least in the traditional sense of publishing. The burden of marketing is a huge factor in the decisions, but it isn't the only factor. Authors with really good sales numbers are finding it difficult to get contracts these days, or if they do get contracts, to get the type of advances they're used to and need to get by.

That makes the ground beneath my feet unstable indeed, because I don't have the sales numbers, I don't have the industry contacts anymore. I don't have the following of a Lisa Samson. But what I still have is the desire and tenacity to press on ... in spite of another recent series of frustrations and setbacks. And so I press on. Especially for the next novel I plan to release, because of all the stories I've written, this is the one I most believe in; the one I so want to succeed. I have no idea what kind of success it will be met with, but my daughter Deanne helped put things in perspective when she said, "If you sell your books to 100 or 1,000,000 people, continue to write. Do your best to market and earn money, but keep writing.  God didn't give you the passion and the talent...and the story for you to quit because of someone else's version of success. You are successful because you've completed the task. And your writing is stellar."

I appreciate her encouragement so much.

Have you found a way to balance writing with promotion, and have you found a promotional tool that's been successful for you? Is the fear of promotional responsibilities enough to give you pause in your writing, or perhaps deter you from going independent? What, if anything, would make you put down your pen for good?

One Novelist Calls It Quits

We at NovelMatters have writers we admire, and Lisa Samson is at the top of our list. She's published a bazillion books, won a Christie Award, and Publisher's Weekly calls her "a talented novelist who's not afraid to take risks." I count The Passion of Mary-Margaret among the best, most memorable books I've ever read.

So what would cause such a fine writer just to stop writing? She's not old. To my knowledge, she's not sick or under a governmental gag order.

Things have changed for novelists. We at NovelMatters have said it before, but Lisa says it concisely and well. Here, with her permission, we're reprinting her post from Facebook in which she explains.

What do you think, NovelMatters readers? Is there a solution that would encourage such a writer to continue?

Here is what Lisa said:

Dear Friends,

All good things must come to an end, the saying goes. I, however, like to think that all good things continue to evolve. For twenty-two years I have been writing for the inspirational (read: evangelical Christian) market, and it has been an honor and a privilege. True, with the artistic strictures and the increasing necessity for a platform, it has had its share of frustrations for a novelist who simply wants to explore an artform, but sharing stories and getting to know readers as friends, hearing how these words have been used to encourage, inspire, affirm, and even challenge, has been a thrill.

The publishing world has changed drastically since I first set pen to paper almost exactly twenty-two years ago on August 8th, 1992. Back then, you could just be a novelist. I raised my children while writing stories and it was a blessing. Some of my readers have been with me since the beginning and I am truly grateful. But as most of you know, things changed. The author has become increasingly responsible for marketing, publicity, and that platform I mentioned earlier. I’m simply not that kind of writer. I write, create, mull, think, write some more, go look in the fridge, and am not interested in nor gifted for the new responsibilities and I never have been. So, in essence, I’m a lousy person to publish in this new world. I fall down on the job when half of my job isn’t writing. In other words, what is now required of an author is something I’m neither equipped for, nor willing to do. I write. That’s it.

I was recently offered a contract that was insufficient for me to support my family. A real step down from the previous one. And that is all I will say about that matter. It wasn’t personal, I realize, but it was severely disappointing to have worked faithfully for two decades only to have your work go down in value to that point. I wish money didn’t matter, but it has to, and that saddens me. I'm still intensely grateful for the time I spent writing for that house and the people there who are, quite simply, wonderful. But traditional publishing is a business and I'm no good for the bottom line no matter how much I'm personally loved, and good feelings don't keep the lights on over here at my house.

And so, out of respect for those of you who have encouraged me, published me, worked with me, lifted me up in prayer, and have been there for me throughout the years, I want to honor your friendship and love by telling you the news that I will no longer be writing as I have been. A Thing of Beauty will release and after that, I just don’t know. As far as I’m concerned, having worked for over two decades for it to all come to a place where I cannot support my family, I’m just discouraged and ready to move on. I do believe it’s time.

Will I write again? I just can’t say for sure. If God drops something good in my lap and says follow me, of course I will follow. But doing what I have to do to move forward as a person and a mom, I have enrolled in the Lexington Healing Arts Academy and will begin their massage therapy program in late September. I hope to give relief to cancer, hospice, and Alzheimer’s patients. It will be a new adventure and one I am truly excited about. Please continue your prayers for me, and keep in touch. I’ll maintain this page through the release of A Thing of Beauty, and I hope that my “retiring” of “Lisa Samson,” does not mean that we still aren’t a part of each other's lives here in the crazy little space called facebook. I love you all, and appreciate all you’ve done and been to me all these years. God bless you and again, my gratitude for you is deep and wide and filled with love. You are amazing.

Love,

Lisa

The Carpe Annum Interviews: Don Pape, Publisher of Trade Books at David C. Cook

Novel Matters has been celebrating 2013 as Carpe Annum: Seize the Year! Here to help us do that today is Don Pape, publisher of trade books at David C. Cook, one of the most innovative and exciting fiction publishers in the CBA (Christian Booksellers Association). 

Don Pape was born in Brazil of missionary parents. He got his high school education in Canada’s capital where he attended his father’s bilingual church – French in the morning and English at night. After graduating with a degree in political science, Don went on InterVarsity staff in Toronto and that is where he met his best friend and wife of 28 years, Ruthie.

He has served in a variety of roles in publishing – graphic design, sales, marketing, literary agent  - and for the past six years has been publisher of the trade books group at David C Cook. He has seen a half dozen titles attain New York Times bestselling status and enjoys interacting with his authors. An avid reader, he enjoys swimming, hiking and listening to smooth jazz – or attending concerts at Red Rocks! He is the proud father of three sons – Jeremy, a freelance videographer; Matthew, a communications major; and Timothy, a recent graduate of the nursing program. While an American citizen, he still loves his home country of Canada – for its hockey, Tim Horton’s coffee and best of all, Swiss Chalet chicken.

Novels that I’m reading: Lisa Samson’s The Sky Behind My Feet, Kent Haruf’s Benediction and Jenny Milchman’s Cover of Snow.  Talking to the Dead by your own Bonnie Grove truly is a personal favorite of most recent novels I have published – including Nancy Rue, Elizabeth Musser and Julie Cantrell. 

I love reading novels and personal favorites are John Grisham, Ann Patchett and classics from Madeleine L’Engle. I am a varied reader, can you tell?

Novel Matters: Don, the theme this year on Novel Matters is Carpe Annum: Seize the Year! Tell us about a turning-point time in your journey in publishing when you took hold of your career. What did that look like? 

Don Pape: Ugh, this is a hard one. Well, I’ve been in this for almost thirty years. I had a stint of over a year where I had a role as a literary agent; while I loved my colleagues and the Agency where I worked I truly missed “the team.” It was a significant job to hold but I recognized then that I really am gifted to encourage and lead, and the role of publisher allows me to engage with Agents, Authors, editors, designers, copy editors, marketers, sales folks – a whole mix of people that together brings a book to market. I love that. I love being a part of that and engaging in the different aspects of getting a book to market – from start to finish.

NM: It couldn't have been easy to move away from the role of literary agent, knowing how much you cherish and care about writers. How did that moment change you as a publishing professional? 

DP: It affirmed the role that I have today. I believe it has helped me broker on behalf of various departments but ultimately I think we also have a very strong team, of which I’m a part of right now. 

NM: And it's the best of both worlds--of both your gifts--to work with the team and still remain actively involved with writers, yes?

DP: I’m working with some excellent authors but I’m also working alongside some very talented editors, copy editors, designers who all have an end-goal to serve the Author and his message well.

NM: Publishing is changing on every front. What is the biggest change you've noticed in the last few years? 

DP: Well when I first started the only market channel truly was the Christian retail. Now that is truly waning and we have a very bifurcated market – online, brick and mortar and that can mean book shops, drugstores, grocery stores… We don’t have a loyal customer either – the buyer wants a deal! 

NM: I recently got an iPhone, and I realized after only a few days that my attitude toward all of the content available on my phone had shifted from, "This is so cool," to "I want free apps!" E-books are wonderful, but they also feed into the shift in thinking that books are just like apps, download and enjoy--and apps should be free or, at least, very inexpensive.

DP: We have seen through digital a real devaluing of intellectual property. Once we would buy a project with a reasonable advance and sell it for $15 in the hopes of recouping your investment. Now that consumer is wanting that same property – nah they demand – at $2.99 or heavens, free! 

NM: Are books doomed, then?

DP: Lots of change but truly plenty of opportunity because people still want to read a good story, right? A great story –whether in physical or digital , the important thing is getting it into people's hands and that is our challenge – discoverability. Can a great story be found in the cacophony called world wide web?

NM: Tell us about those opportunities you've been excited about in terms of publishing for 2013 and into the future? 

DP: This year we are launching a number of new authors with us at Cook – Gary Thomas, Jim Wallace, Stasi Eldredge, Tim Chaddick, Matt Chandler….I'm so delighted to be working with each of them and the uniqueness of their message. I just really get excited about being a really good steward of people's message…what God has entrusted to them and they in turn entrust to us. It's an honor. And these projects I cited are just really fresh voices, new material, but ancient truths. I love it!!! We are doing some digital first projects – Mark Steel and Glenn Packiam come to mind. That’s exciting to be a part of that foray.

NM: As a publisher, what are you looking our for when it comes to fiction you want to publish? 

DP: Nothing changes – a Really Great story!! Whether it is historical, contemporary – a really great story well told, amazing fully developed characters. And please, not another “in the tradition of Left Behind” or “Gresham-like” – let’s be original please!!

NM: We're all making notes on that last answer, Don. Here's what comes through for me in this interview, and knowing you personally: you're a people person. You love writers, artists, musicians, editors, everyone involved in the arts. (I just had to sneak in this picture of you and me chatting at a conference awhile back. Good times!) How does being a people person this make your job easier, and how does it make it harder? 

DP: A people person wants everyone happy – can’t always have it that way. Discernment, tact, grace, aplomb, diplomacy….all come into play. Sometimes you have to tell the Author they can’t have what they want. Some hard decisions need to be made. So it’s great when all is moving along smoothly but when conflicts come along the people person can wreak havoc. Ugh. But age and maturity helps… I think!

NM: Nothing trumps experience and after nearly 30 years in this industry, you have so much and we're honored you've shared some of it with us today. One last question, in addition to being a people person, you're a Carpe Annum man—I know you jump into every year full of enthusiasm and drive. What are you doing this year to seize the year, professionally, personally, or both.

DP: My sons bought me an artist's kit for Christmas and I’m planning to get back into doing some watercolors. I’m always reading too and that keeps me sharp. I am challenged by business books and writers like Brene Brown, Daniel Pink, the Heath Brothers and Jonah Berger – they are making me think outside the box as well as to dream. Sometimes publishing is quite corporate and not in any way creative so it is nice to occasionally read an inspiring book that keeps you going.

Thank you so much, Don, for taking time from your insanely busy schedule to spend time with us on Novel Matters today. As always, it's a pleasure to talk to you.

Exceptional Writing, Exceptional Techniques

Let’s start out this year by congratulating exceptional writing.

I read a lot of books. I have to admit, most books leave me with just one memory of what I liked about them. I may remember a single scene or a turn of phrase or perhaps a clever plot point.

But a book rises to the top of my favorites lists when it leaves me with many memories. Furthermore, I classify it as a significant book when those qualities not only impress me, but change me.

Such a book is The Passion of Mary Margaret by Lisa Samson. As a reader, I was impressed with the way she dragged me along with her protagonist into situations that demanded a moral decision and then demonstrated how courage and obedience to God can enable someone to not only survive a “hard teaching” from God but triumph in it.

This book changed how I look at romantic love. I will never be the same after reading this book.

I hope that more readers will want to buy this book. This book is good reading because of its unusual premise, the clever “frame” format, a wealth of compelling details and wry dialogue and humor and gut-wrenching scenarios.

I also hope writers buy this book to study its craftsmanship. I learned from it. For instance, it takes skill to effectively pull off a first-person narration with that many flashbacks without frustrating the reader. There are too many examples of other subtle literary proficiencies to list in a single post, but one I particularly admired.

Previously here on NM we’ve discussed how to insert the literary equivalent of what we call a “rest” in music – what would in a movie be filled with music or something else while a character stays silent in the midst of a conversation.

Samson inserted a pause by giving a description:

Halfway to the dock, Gerald took hold of my arm with his other hand. “Stop just a minute, Mary-Margaret. I’m getting a little breathless.”

We stood in front of a span of eelgrass, the ribbon leaves swirling in the gentle ebb of the water.

I’m sorry.”

He rested his hand atop his head, then rubbed. “Used to be I could drag you along.”

Did you see it? Not only is the reader snagged away from the next line of dialogue, made to wait, to count out a caesura, but the description is itself of something that is silent and filled with motion that designates time.

That’s exceptional writing, and I salute Lisa Samson. May God give her a long life and many more books to bless us.

What exceptional Christian book have you read lately?

The Reader in Me

Throughout the year we devote most of the space on our blog to discussions about writing. But like most writers, I'm also an avid reader. Occasionally, I hear a novelist or editor say they don't have time to read fiction, and honestly, I don't get it. I know time is precious, but I'd give up an hour (or more) of sleep a night before I'd give up reading fiction. It's the nightcap I look forward to. In 2009, I began keeping a log of the novels I read throughout the year. So far in 2010 I've read 52 novels. The total will probably be close to 60 before the year is through. Plus I read all the entries for our Audience with an Agent Contest, and judged 21 entries for the ACFW Genesis Contest. That doesn't count the non-fiction books I read, or the books on the craft of writing, which I place in a division all their own.

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This year I added a grade score to each of the novels I read. Of the 52 novels on my list, 15 received an A, which includes plus and minus; 18 received a B; 9 received a C; 3 received a D; and 7 received "no grade," because, in my mind, anyone who has the tenacity to write a novel and get it published deserves not to get an F, even if I don't care for the book.

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So today I'm going to put on my reader's hat and share with you my favorite novels from 2010, those that received an A in my book. I have to start with Where the River Ends by Charles Martin, because it received an A++ from me, as do almost all of his books. Charles is one of my favorite authors, and this is an excellent novel. He's interviewed this month on She Reads, our sister blog. You can read the interviews here, but be sure to scroll all the way down to get all the installments, including a great interview with Charles' wife, Christy.

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I'll also add A Conspiracy of Breath by our own Latayne Scott, which also received an A++ from me. Sorry, it's not yet published. (Don't mean to tease.) The others I'll list alphabetically by author:

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Try Darkness by James Scott Bell

What We Keep by Elizabeth Berg

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (read 2 x in 2010; gave it an A both times ; )

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Lost Mission by Athol Dickson

The Sea Wolf by Jack London (I've read at least 5 x over the years)

To Dance in the Desert by Kathleen Popa (3rd time)

The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers (3rd time)

They Almost Always Come Home by Cynthia Ruchti (2nd time; 1st time I had the privilege to read an endorser's copy)

The Help by Kathryn Stockett (2nd time)

Some Wildflower in My Heart by Jamie Langston Turner

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On my wish list for 2011: (believe me, this list is only in its infant stages)

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Paradise Valley by Dale Cramer

Life in Defiance by Mary DeMuth

Wonders Never Cease by Tim Downs (loved his Bug Man series)

Almost Heaven by Chris Fabry

The Rivers Run Dry by Sibella Giorello

Listen by Rene Gutteridge

The Mountain Between Us by Charles Martin

Resurrection in May by Lisa Samson

Anything by the amazing women I blog with

The last page of my WIP

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So what about you? What were your favorite novels in 2010? And what title/author would you add to your wish list?

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As a thank you for your invaluable contribution to the discussions here, I'd like to offer Every Good & Perfect Gift, Lying on Sunday, and/or A Heavenly Christmas in Hometown for $8 each between now and December 15. Email me through my website if you'd like to place an order.

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And just for fun, for any Bill Cosby fans, you might enjoy watching these videos. They take a few minutes to load, but they're worth the wait. Here's part 1 and part 2.

God is Edgy

As 2009 wound down, a friend raved about reading her new Bible from beginning to end. I thought I'd done that, but I hadn't. Who knew Job was written before Genesis, that Ezekiel and Jeremiah do-si-doed? (No, I didn't go to Bible school.) I was very intrigued. My husband saw my interest and ordered a chronological Bible for my birthday. Wow.

It's been a very interesting year. The story seems bigger, more personal.

In my reading, however, I've thought more than once: Uh, God, have you seen the writing guidelines for Christians?

In short, God isn't always nice, nor does he use polite language. We make a mistake if we try to fit him into our 1950s sensibilities, probably the last decade being His follower felt comfortable. In my Bible reading yesterday, God speaks to Israel through Ezekiel like harlots with lusts for very large Assyrian...um...well...genitalia (Ezekial 23), only He spoke in more earthy language. In the next chapter, Ezekiel's wife dies. God tells him not to mourn to demonstrate His lack of pity on His adulterous children. That's not nice, either.

God is so surprising.

He is not "nice" as defined in western culture. In fact, "He's not a tame lion," as C.S. Lewis proclaims in his Chronicles of Narnia. His jaws ensnare us; his teeth rip flesh; we are devoured by His greatness.

He's God.

His justice is harsh. His love is crushing, comforting, confounding. His truth immutable. When we expect Him to zig, He zags. He subdues His power and begs us to come closer. His will comes to us as a finger writing in stone and by a child's breathy whisper. He is a passionate lover. His desire is for us, and His love outpaced His judgment when He took the nails on Calvary.

Who can figure Him out?

And yet, books are written--fiction and nonfiction--pretending to knowing the secret formula for taming Him, like if we do x, he will y. Riiight.

All of this is to say (thanks for being patient) True edgy fiction isn't pushing the envelope on topics of sex and language, although I agree with Sharon's conclusions yesterday.

Edgy fiction lets God be God.

We need some good examples, don't we? What have you read lately that portrays God as God? Lisa Samson's The Passion of Mary-Margaret and Embrace Me come to mind. And you?

Much Ado About Fiction

We've had some interesting posts the past few days, that have generated more comments than usual, beginning with Eric Wilson's post on Monday, August 2: "Is it Time for Christian Fiction to Die?" I understand there were heated discussions on other blogs that posted his article. We here at Novel Matters are pleased that the comments left here were varied and thoughtful, but respectful and kind. Thank you all for your great participation.

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In reading the comments generated by Eric's post, and by the posts which followed, there were some statements that caught my attention and caused me to think a bit on what was said. In response to Latayne's post on Wednesday, following Eric's, Megan Sayer said: "We as a church tend to gravitate towards the middle ground, non-offensive content. Even when so many of us will watch movies and read books that present new and beautiful stylistic and artistic forms we don't talk about them except in the secret, safe places, because we may offend people. And yes, there's wisdom in that -- looking after those whose faith is weak ..."

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While I agree with Megan's observation, I drew a different conclusion: not that those who might be troubled by certain content in movies and books would be offended because their faith is weak, but because their relationship with Christ is such that they don't want to offend Him. I wrestle with this in my own life. There are authors I enjoy whose work is exceptional but who use profanity and are more sexually explicit than I personally prefer. In light of Philippians 4:8: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things," I wonder if I disappoint the Lord with some of the books I read. I'm just being honest here, sharing what came to mind from the discussion.

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Does that mean I only want to read -- and write -- what's been described as "safe" fiction? Absolutely not. I'm not at all satisfied with fiction that ignores the realities of life, that makes trite the struggles each of us face, that offers unrealistic solutions with happy-ever-after endings that tie every loose end into a nice little bow; fiction, in short, that turns off the mainstream. I want to read -- and write -- fiction that addresses the hard issues of life, in a redemptive way. As Eric said, "If our own writings fail to wrestle honestly with life's difficulties, it seems to me that we gloss over the bloody, earth-shaking war that Jesus fought on the cross -- and we undermine the triumph of His resurrection." I couldn't agree more. No subject is taboo, but any subject can be handled with grace, as evidenced by MaryDeMuth, Lisa Samson, Jamie Langston Turner, and so many other outstanding CBA authors. And, in my opinion, they can be handled in a manner appealing to a larger audience than Christian fiction tends to draw at present.

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It seems we're making much ado about fiction on this blog, the make-believe stories that spring from a writer's imagination. But there's little doubt that the creative arts are enormously important to the human race. Karen Shravemade said it well in a comment to Bonnie's post on Friday: "God created art and gave us the ability to create art." He so absolutely did, and I'm so thrilled that he allows us to be part of His creative nature. She went on to say, "...so it angers me when we use art to belittle him and make much of ourselves, or worse, to make nothing of anything." I wholeheartedly agree.

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So this is where I find myself in the evocative discussion we've had here the past few days: As a reader and writer I want fiction that stimulates my imagination, that draws me into the story world because it's relatable -- even if it's fantasy -- that is not base or profane in its presentation, but is still edgy and provocative. I want it to be redemptive but not preachy, and above all, it must entertain. That should be its primary function. Am I asking for too much? I don't think so. Not for one minute.

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What about you? What do you expect of fiction, and what role does it play in your life?

Reading as a Writer

Are you preparing a proposal for your agent to present at ICRS? Several of us at Novel Matters are doing just that. It's like finals week at my house. Anyway, I decided to have a little fun with today's post. Prepare to make a true confession about your vacations.

Also...we're announcing the winner to the Audience-with-an-Agent contest. Janet Grant is requesting a manuscript! Be here on Wednesday, June 15th for the grand reveal. This is so exciting!!!

On a recent trip to Seattle, my husband and I went looking for a grocery store to restock our ice chest before driving across the Great American Desert. Not too surprisingly, we drove by a garden center. Dennis, the original nose-to-the-ground guy, actually craned his neck to get a better look at that garden center.

“Do you want to stop?” I asked.

“Could we? You wouldn't mind?” He managed a U-turn on Seattle’s narrow streets and parked the car.

Imagine an art history major visiting the Louvre for the first time. That was Dennis in that garden center. We manage to find ourselves at garden centers on most vacations, even New Zealand. We’ve owned our garden center for 27 years. Visiting someone else’s garden center is a great way to find new ways of doing things. There are also plant envy issues to deal with.

Once inside, Dennis bent to read a tag on a shrub. “Oh man, I wish we could grow these at home.” (Please note: Seattle gets 38” of rain a year. In a lush year, we receive 9" in western Colorado.)

“What is it?” I said, rubbing the glossy leaves.

“Shrubagreata grandiflora fantastico.” Actually, he provided the spot-on Latin name for the shrub. This is my interpretation.

“Should I take a picture?”

“Maybe if we planted it on the east side.”

I snapped a picture. Dennis, wistful, took notes on signage, display, and product placement. We left the garden center with new ideas and the reassurance that our small-town garden center was above average. We also left with a shrubagreata grandiflora fantastico in the backseat. It died.

My husband’s passion is people who happen to buy plants. Mine is storytelling, so I do exactly the same thing, only with books. I read as a writer.

Reading as a writer means I pay attention to how an author has described a character in a fresh way, like Sue Monk Kidd describes Rosaleen in The Secret Life of Bees: “She had a big round face and a body that sloped out from her neck like a pup tent, and she was so black that night seemed to seep from her skin.”

Oh!

I can’t and won’t copy that description, but I will look at my characters more carefully to find that common image and surprising comparison that paints an instant picture.

Describing the appearance of a character is one thing. Showing the inner conflict of a character requires incredible self control. Tell too much up front and what’s the point of finishing the book? The just-right amount will propel a reader into the story.

Christa Parrish is masterful at character development in Watch Over Me. Early on we get this glimpse into Abbi’s head:

How her mind had wandered from prayer to hair, she couldn’t remember. But it happened that way when she ran, her feet penitent against the loose stone at the start, her petitions spilling into the open space with each breath. And then, twenty or so minutes later, she slowed for a quick drink and realized she’d been making mental lists…

Parrish takes what is common to us all and uses language that provides a keyhole view of her character’s inner life. I love it!

And this might seem silly, but writers love a fresh use of punctuation or the lack thereof. Lately, we’re seeing punctuation used more in the manner it was originally intended, as cues for speech patterns: Sit. Down. Now. There’s no doubt the speaker is talking through her teeth.

I just finished Lisa Samson’s Embrace Me. Samson uses dialogue attribution tags (says, asks, etc.) sparingly. This keeps the dialogue moving along at an engaging, natural clip. She takes this to the next level by not using the attribution tag at all:

She turns around and crosses her arms. “Go thirsty then, big shot. It’s you choice.” And proceeds to make herself a cup of tea. “Go home then. I’m’ sure it’s more exciting there than this gloomy place.”

Gloomy? What’s so gloomy about Shalom?

I look around me. Cracked walls, buckled linoleum floors severely lacking that lemony fresh glow you see on television commercials.

“Anything’s better than that trailer.” Bobby. [Just Bobby!]

While reading Embrace Me, I was never confused about who was speaking. I’m not quite sure what I think about this technique, although losing attribution tags wouldn’t disappoint me. Whether I experiment with attribution tags or not, I appreciate the nudge Samson gives me to think about how I use them.

Writers love to think about things like this. I know. We’re strange.

The best possible reading experience for me, however, is like jumping into a vat of chocolate. I don’t worry about deciphering the recipe. How much cocoa? Butter? Milk? Nope, I open my mouth and start gulping. To think about the recipe would be a precious waste of opportunity.

And so, I’m curious, do authorial devices jump out at you when you’re reading? Do you find some language too conspicuous and distracting? Do you ever highlight a passage or a word in a novel? Do you visit odd places on your vacations? I won't tell.

Is the God of Fiction Too Small?

Only two more followers needed to reach the 200 mark! We so appreciate your partnership in exploring the craft of writing and the passion of reading. Number 200 wins one book from each of us. AND if you share your favorite flower in your comments, I'll choose someone out of a hat to win a three-book set of my Garden Gates series. I've sprinkled flowers from my garden throughout the text, my gift to you at the beginning of this Memorial Day weekend.

Dearest readers and friends~ You've been absolutely brilliant this week, offering comments to reinforce and challenge ideas about showing emotion in fiction and the place for sarcasm. More graciously, you've seeded new ideas. Thank you for coming ready to participate. If you missed a day, be sure to scroll down and read the discussions. It's never too late to comment. Maybe we should rename our blog Novel Matters et al.

My question for you today: Is there room for mystery--and I'm not talking whodunit--in Christian fiction? Let me explain.


Let's go back to Abram. (This is not a Bible study, but this is a question that springs from some Scripture exploration. Hang in there with me.)

Abram went on quite a wild ride with God. He was minding his own business back in Ur. He knew what to expect from life because he was entrenched in his culture. He was a landowner with some standing in his community. His father was around for 205 years to offer advice--"Go for the two-humped camel. You'll never be sorry for the extra cargo room." The household idols, like a punching bag, gave him a place to vent. His heartache was his wife's barrenness. His greatest test, surrendering the son who answered all of God's promises.

On the other hand, there were no laws. The Ten Commandments hadn't been given yet. No Tabernacle. No Ark of the Covenant. No exodus. No synagogue. In essence, God was a distant idea from the time of Noah.

Simply, Abram was a man in the desert with a barren wife.

Until God talked to him.

God didn't lay down the law, he made outlandish promises to an old man with a barren wife: "I will make you into a great nation...and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

Oh, really?

And God did just that. (Thanks, God.)


God encountered Abram, soon to become Abraham, in an incredibly personal, extravagant, unexpected manner. He's still doing this through today Jesus Christ. Yay!

With this in mind--plus the fact, for one, that Jesus never healed the same twice--is there room in Christian fiction for a powerful, humongous God who defies explanation? Do you want to know any other kind? This is a God who doesn't always give the protag the man of her dreams? Who doesn't resolve life's questions in 95,000 words? Who may use disease, mayhem, and/or an irritating relative to express his power and love? And who, when he touches us, he will definitely leave a mark? He will show up in the most surprising places, like in the deserts of Ur, to a pagan who cannot accomplish God's promises on his own, although he tries. (Don't we all?)

Don't get your BVDs in a wad. I know. I know. The parameters of revelation in Scripture are sacrosanct. Also, hope is the best sort of resolution, very necessary in fiction--and the only resolution many of us are given--in fiction and life.

Our Novel Matters writers are masterful at that very thing. Lest we seem too self-serving, let me direct you to a book I've referred here before, The Passion of Mary-Margaret by Lisa Samson. If you haven't read it yet (Why not?), I don't want to ruin the book for you, but Jesus is a character in Lisa's contemporary women's fiction masterpiece. She tickled my imagination and made me hunger for the incarnate Christ. I want my fiction to do that, too.

Don't you?
So, what about it? Have you read something lately that expanded your perceptions about God? Please name them! Also, and I know you will, let me know if I'm running as fast as I can in the wrong direction. That's what we do for one another around here.

Be sure to thank a serviceman, past or present. My salute goes out to my step-dad, a WW II veteran and my brother-in-law, Bob, who served gallantly in Viet Nam. I'm also remembering my dad, William Irvin Kegebein, who supported the troops in Guam during the Korean War.

Who are you thanking? Feel free to add your salute here. It's let-it-all hangout Friday.

Completing the Circle: Reader to Author

Dear readers, just in case you've forgotten in your rush to turn your taxes in, may we remind you that today, April 15, is also the last day to turn in your entries for the Audience With An Agent Contest? We don't want to miss a single entry, and we are much more fun than Uncle Sam. So if you've got the manuscript and just haven't sent in your synopsis and first chapter, please take a moment to DO IT NOW!

On Monday, Ariel proposed what is needed for the proper care and feeding of readers. I appreciated her insights very much. I agree with her that a writer’s ultimate responsibility is to write a great story because the reader has invested their trust and s as much as an hour’s wage to buy the book.

An author’s work is, in essence, an outstretched hand to the reader hoping for an emotional connection to the story of her heart. The only way to know if the writer has hit the mark is to hear from the reader, thus completing the circle.

I treasure every word my readers commit to an e-mail or—Oh, glorious day!—a letter. I keep a basket in my closet where they accumulate. To me, the correspondence represents most clearly that my work has accomplished its purpose.The correspondences I appreciate the most, because they help me grow as a writer, highlight a specific point of craft or outcome.

I owe many, many writers a letter to close the circle. In fact, I’ve waited so long that some of the authors of works that impacted me are dead. No matter. Here are open letters to those authors.

My dear Miss Charlotte,

It is with great gladness of heart that I put pen to paper this morning. I’ve just finished reading Jane Eyre, an unmistakable masterpiece that will surely grow in esteem. You have single-handedly lifted the novel to art. You may find my assertions grandiose, but I assure you that your rendition of the female’s low estate most accurate. As I read, I hastened to dream of a world where Jane mastered her own fate, and perhaps I mastered my own.

With great affection, your most eager admirer,

Mrs. Patti Hill

Dear Mr. Twain,

You’ve written a humdinger of a tale. Huck tickled my funny bone and scratched my conscience. He dope-slapped me silly, but I didn’t mind a lick, although my noggin hurt me something awful by the end of the book. Now, I’m hankerin’ for an adventure after reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and I’m an honest to goodness ninny. I also see the world a good deal straighter, thanks to you. Next time, leave that scallywag, Tom Sawyer, out of it.

With Warmest Regard,

Patti Hill

Dear Mrs. Buck,

Please don’t be offended. At first, I missed the value of The Good Earth.. My opinion has completely changed. I see now that you offer an unflinching and nonjudgmental view of Chinese culture I would never have encountered outside of your writing. I am so grateful. You’ve made my world much bigger and vastly more interesting. I now love The Good Earth. Thank you for sharing your gift with me.

Sincerely,

Patti

Lisa,

As a reader, I’m your biggest fan. As a writer, I envy your mastery of story as well as your courage. The Passion of Mary-Margaret is amazing. Oh, oh, oh! You broke every rule beautifully. I’m sure you could rewrite the book on writing novels. Would you consider sharing what you know? What I loved most was how you jumbled the storyline, actually giving away plot points. I could go on and on about your descriptions and character development and story originality. What’s next from you?

Write faster!

Patti

Hey, Christa! Luv Watch Over Me. Ur dscrptns r grt. Frsh yet rstraind. U go, grl! P

What authors deserve a letter from you? Take this chance on Novel Matters to complete the circle between reader and writer by writing a note to an author here.