Book Club Categories?

After thirty-plus years, I’m trying to overcome what Katie identified: being “an author who, for all her dreams, craves both literary success and personal obscurity.” I’m getting used to speaking in public places where my writing will be spotlighted. After all, I had nine non-fiction books published before my first work of fiction appeared.

All of my NFs were religious books and they became, to my great surprise, battlegrounds. I’m used to having the sponsoring group get a phone call from an irate Mormon who’s heard an announcement about the meeting on the radio and calls to say they’ll be there to take notes and sue us all for inaccuracies. I’ve had people stomp out, threaten me privately, break down in tears.

Now, that’s not just when I’m speaking on cults. Once a lady attended a large meeting when I spoke on Rahab (the subject of my book, The Red Cord of Hope: When History Stopped for One Woman of Faith). 

I don’t know if she brought the little pad of yellow Post-It notes by chance or if she put them in her purse that morning just for me. Every time I said something she had a different view on, she wrote in tiny crabbed writing a scriptural notation and her “corrections” which she presented to me with a flourish in front of about a bazillion people. (I still have all those little yellow badges of shame, inside one of my Bibles, right by the scriptures she listed. And—in one case, she was absolutely right and I was wrong, letting my blabbermouth speculate on something off the cuff.)  

And I have to say the most hurtful, scathing letter I received in all these years of publishing was from a fellow Christian woman who said I’d misused and overstepped the Bible. (Later she admitted that she was basing her judgment on the King James Version of the Bible, and she could see why I said what I said when quoting the NIV.)

When my first work of fiction appeared (The Dream Quilt, Waterbrook),  it sold very well. I was thrilled to hear via the grapevine that entire groups of people were working on quilts using the design on the book. People wrote the publisher saying that it had helped their children be able to overcome bad dreams. One MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group tracked me down and paid for professional recording studio time for me to read the book aloud. Then they distributed cassettes, child-friendly cassette players, and books to hospital children’s wards, for kids who had to spend the night without their parents.

I say, “tracked me down,” because I published that book under a pseudonym (my own children’s names, Celeste Ryan.) So there was no speaking before groups with that one.

Nonetheless, I’ve had a very wide range of experiences speaking to groups of people who have read my books. But in my experience, mostly the people who come to a book club meeting (or some sort of public gathering that focuses on an author and her work) fall into several broad categories. I’ll list a few, and hope that you will provide some other categories.

First, there are those who are issue-driven. If you write anything that is even slightly controversial (and for some Christian readers, even mentioning an issue like abortion or alcohol use is controversial), you may offend someone who will welcome the chance to tell you about that. Other issue-driven readers may feel they have something to add to the author’s knowledge base. At best, however, such a person may just want to sound you out about why you made the decision to deal with such an issue in a Christian book.

Second, there are people who want to achieve some sort of vindication. I have found with almost every woman’s group, as a speaker I can see visual clues to whom the group sees as leader. If I make a startling or unusual statement, I can see the eyes of the group flit toward the leader. Often this is the person with the most depth of Bible knowledge, or the one who is usually the teacher in the group. Because such a position is important to her and she feels protective of her flock, she will often feel that she should ask the “probing” questions about the book they’ve all been studying. Or—she may give you praise for what you wrote, and her words will carry enormous weight.

Thirdly, there is often a “hijacker” in the group. This is the person who is involved in great personal struggle and for whom the group (especially if it is a small group, or just has members from one church) serves as a kind of therapy. Such a person will want to have you (as an authority figure—you’re up there speaking, right?) hear about their problems and give public advice – and sympathy. It is very difficult to properly acknowledge such pain and yet not let the group’s focus be swept into her very small corner.

Fourth, there is almost always at least one aspiring writer in the group. Many times (as Bonnie has described!) such a person will try to use a public situation to wrangle out of a published author a commitment to read, endorse, edit, co-write, or re-write a book.

But mostly such people just want a little nudge or direction or encouragement. I find that if I say, “I’d love to give you some pointers after the meeting,” I can help without veering off the course that the person who invited me to speak had in mind.  Then when meeting with the writer, I save myself a lot of time and misunderstanding by writing down for him or her the web address to my short blog article, “The Seventeen Steps to Getting a Christian Book Published.” 

In general, though, people who come to a book club or other formal meeting to meet an author just want to interact with a face as they have interacted with a mind when they read my book. I try to dress nicely and as Patti said, skip the spinach salad before I speak. But on the other hand, people want to know that authors aren’t perfect. They can see the middle-aged woman with a slight lisp and in desperate need of a manicure and be assured that a regular person can achieve something even if you’re not Superwoman. I tell them that I began studying biblical Greek in my forties and they can too. That I wrote my first book in a corner of my garage. That most of my writing takes place when my hair isn’t combed and my robe doesn’t match my house slippers.

And we, as authors, need this kind of feedback too. We stand before a great, dark forest into which we have sent our words and we timidly call out, “Is anybody there?” That forest is enchanted. Magic can still happen with words. As authors and readers we believe that words don’t belong to the author, ultimately they belong to the reader. And that’s why people read, why they come to book club meetings, some of them, because they have begun to own our words.

How about you? Do you have some other categories of people who attend book club meetings? Are you a representative of such a category?

Book Clubs: What to Ask Before You Say Yes

Let me start off by saying that I love being a guest author at book clubs. First, what makes a better party than a roomful of book lovers? Second, they've all read and loved my book, mostly. And last, there is always something yummy being served, usually chocolate and sometimes wine.

My first several experiences at book clubs were true love-fests and so much fun that I couldn't imagine anything that could sully the experience. I was wrong. Feel free to learn from my experiences.

While pressing toward the deadline on my second novel, I took time out of my writing day to attend a book club at a local church. I stepped out of my usual writing gear (exercise togs) and into street worthy clothes and stashed a box of my first book in the van, just in case the ladies needed copies for all of their friends.

I arrived in the lovely fellowship hall a little breathless and a bit anxious to get back to my writing—such is the tug between promotion and deadlines. The ladies, white-hairs all, moved with the unhurried grace of those who have long since stopped wearing a watch. They offered coffee and a slice of day-old white cake from the grocer. In the course of sweetening my coffee, more ladies sauntered in, curious about the newcomer.

“I’m the author of the book you read this month,” I said to satisfy their questions.

“Oh that, I don't read the books."

“No matter, I’m just glad you came.” (I’m not from Minnesota, but I am capable of being as nice as a Minnesotan but not a Canadian, even under great stress.)

As the ladies found their seats, I was but an eavesdropper on their conversations. Soon, I realized, I was the only one present who had read my book and wanted to talk about it. The meeting never convened in a conventional sense, so I waited the requisite hour and made my excuses.

You would think from that experience I would learn to ask if the group will read my book before accepting an invitation to attend a book club. I did not. I was too flattered to be invited to the oldest book club in Denver to even consider asking. 

I rehearsed my talk until I had it memorized before I drove 250 miles to spend the night in my hostess’ palatial home. After a lovely dinner at a French restaurant (yes, I was feeling the part of the celebrity), I watched television with my hostess. During a commercial, I asked, “The group sounds quite large. Will they break into smaller groups to discuss the book?”

The woman didn't look away from the Snugglie commercial. “Oh, we don’t need to do that. None of us have read the book.”

Ugh. “Ah,” I said, picking my words carefully. (I didn't want to give away my outlandish assumption that they had read my novel.) “Then I’ll just talk to them about how I came up with the idea and a little bit about the story.”

“Exactly. Then they'll know if they want to read it.”

Ohhhhh, my job was to sell my book to the book club, a very different task than what my prepared talk would accomplish. It was meant to provide background to the story and to fuel their questions. 

I excused myself from television watching to go to bed at 8:30 and rewrite my talk. 

The next day’s crowd was unprecedented. Not even our governor’s wife had attracted such a crowd for her children’s book. If I was going down in flames, I was happy to have a large crowd to cheer me on.

Happily, the talk went better than I could have hoped. The ladies proved a generous audience with easy laughs and applause. Not only that, they bought me out of books. All through the long drive home, I repeated and repeated the question I should have asked: Do the members of your book club read the selection before the meeting or after? Either answer is fine, but it helps to know ahead of time.

I highly recommend you ask the same question. There are as many different ways to share a love of books as there are book clubs.

I was the guest author at another book club in the home of a local woman. As the guests arrived, I was delighted to discover we had many common friends and acquaintances. After a lovely lunch, I sat in that special chair, just as Katy had talked about on Monday, and answered their many questions. I had them cowed into believing me to be a true wordsmith and creative genius. They were eating out of my hand, until…someone asked what I meant by a phrase I’d written in my first novel. 

“Huh?” I said, smartly.

“Let me read the passage to you,” and she did. “What does that mean, really?” The way she sharpened her words put me on the defensive and my brain froze.

“Read that line again, please.”

She complied.

My brain was a glacier, a very, very slow-moving glacier. “It’s been awhile since I wrote that. Can I get back to you?” I gathered her contact information, ran home, reread my own novel, and confidently answered her question.

Lessons learned: 1) Make sure everything you write makes sense, so you’ll be able to answer the tough questions, eventually. 2) Reread your older works now and again to keep them fresh in your mind. I never dreamed I would forget a word of my first novel, but when I was attending this gathering to talk about book #5, specifics of book #1 were a bit foggy.

If you read the comments on Monday, you may remember that an overzealous neighbor made a list of six negative criticisms of my first book and read through them all at one of my earliest book club appearances. I believe that asking an author to come to a book club without recompense (I’ve never been paid, but I've sold books) and to spend time away from her family and/or her writing time should be enough. An author shouldn't have to sit through a negative critique of her book. That’s just not polite, by any state’s standards. So I would also ask a potential host/hostess if the group critiques the book in front of the author. I know Susie Finkbeiner has been told to expect just that this coming spring. I’m sure they’ll all love her book (Paint Chips), but there’s always that one person who relishes finding a typo or a lapse in logic. Perhaps you think differently about this, and I would love to hear your comments.  I think.

Allow me to preach to the choir a bit here. Most book club attendees will be in complete awe of you. Whether you like it or not, they will consider you a celebrity of sorts. That means you should pass on the spinach salad before speaking, but more importantly, this is a time to check your ego at the door. When they tell you they loved your book, simply thank them. While sipping or munching, get to know your fellow book lovers. Ask the attendees questions about their work, their families, their dreams. Connect with your audience as book lovers and friends, even if that means recommending another author’s books. In short, grab this opportunity to serve and to encourage the folks who have come out to meet you.

Can you add questions to this list? What do you ask book clubs before you agree to attend their meeting? What books have you read with your book club lately that has spurred great conversation?

The Special Chair

For the month of December, we're offering Sharon K. Souza's Christmas novella, A Heavenly Christmas in Hometown, (read 1st chapter here) for $5, including shipping. It's a fun story for the entire family, in a beautiful hardback, with dust-cover  To order, email Sharon through our Contacts page. Order early to ensure you have it before Christmas.







I used to dream of standing before a book club of smart, interested readers who loved a book that I had written. I saw myself answering their questions about my characters, the setting, the unexpected twists of plot, the symbols and hidden meanings.

I'm here to warn you, dreams come true. And that's good - if you're flexible about how the whole scene will play out.

Happily, Sharon was with me to hold my hand.

The difficulty began the morning I was to meet with her friend's reading group, when I stood before the mirror and thought to myself that I didn't look like an author. I looked like me.

I did my best with the makeup and hair, tried on a few erudite expressions, shook my head and tossed them away, then got in the car.

Annette's home was wondrous: we all sat in an intimate family room/kitchen. If Mr. Tumnus had hosted the Narnia-War Drobe Book Club in the home of Mrs. Beaver, it might have looked almost as welcoming. There were delicious treats and hot coffee.

And there was a special chair just for me, front and center. Already, both good and bad, for an author who, for all her dreams, craves both literary success and personal obscurity.

I started by reading a selection from the first chapter, and found to my relief that, even though it was only me sitting in that special chair, I still felt proud of what I had written. I straightened my back and sat a bit taller.

Then it was time for the readers to talk. They began shyly, but soon warmed to our conversation, and to my relief, they did like my book. They asked good questions - great questions - some of which made me blush. They seemed to see more in the story than I saw, but I already knew the magic of storytelling: that things creep in below the author's line of sight, and wait to be discovered like Christmas presents. They certainly came as a gift that day, when I sat nervously in the spotlight.

With readers like these, who asked such great questions, who made me so comfortable, I began to doubt my earlier judgment. Maybe I did l look like an author, after all. I'd have to check.

Then came the best question of all, a question so astute, it left me speechless:

"On page such and so, how does this character turn up in this place when just two pages before you have her in that other place?"

You can see me, can't you? The mouth opens. The mouth closes. The face goes slack.

I look to Sharon, who is laughing - with me. Because then I am laughing, and so is everyone else. "Because," comes my only possible answer, "I goofed."

No one ever told me - as I am telling you - that an author's dream moment could make me feel less like Nicole Krauss, the author of The History of Love, and more like her main character, Leo Gursky:

A few months ago I saw an ad in the paper. It said, NEEDED: NUDE MODEL FOR DRAWING CLASS. $ 15/ HOUR. It seemed too good to be true. To have so much looked at. By so many. I called the number. A woman told me to come the following Tuesday. I tried to describe myself, but she wasn’t interested. Anything will do, she said.

To have so much looked at. By so many. And anything will do.

They even gave me a little Japanese Maple. It's growing in my back yard, and it's beautiful.

Please share your book club stories, from the "special chair" or from the couch. I love to read what you have to say.

Freebie Marketing--Thoughts from the Edge

I'm fresh from a new marketing/promotion experience courtesy of publisher David C. Cook who offered my novel, Talking to the Dead, as a free ebook download for two days this November. (If you missed the freebie, it's on sale until Dec 17th for only $2.99 across nearly all ebook platforms). I was happy about the opportunity to reach new readers and I dug in with both hands to help spread the word. Many of you, faithful readers/friends dug in with me for which I'm grateful and awed.

Here are some bits of experience, thoughts, limitations, and demons I rode out over the two day freebie giveaway:

--at one point, after I realized the promo was a "success" in all possible measurable ways, I wrestled with the notion that all it takes to be #1 is to offer full length novels for free. I stared down this monster by reasoning the purpose of the promo was not sales, but exposure. New people being introduced to my work means traction under the new work when it releases (whenever that might be).

--my astonishment at the realization that, after years of "putting myself out there" online, at writer's conferences, and on this blog, I actually can move books--and, simultaneously realizing that it's not me AT ALL moving these books, but it's YOU, my friends, readers, fans, and all around amazing people. All I did was create a couple of picture files and asked friends to share.

--on the Novel Matters Facebook page, I was reading comments on the post promoting the free download and I noticed two women who were obviously talking to each other, but in a language I didn't know. I clicked over to one of their pages and discovered they were from Romania. I copy and pasted one of the comments into Google Translate and translated from Romanian to English. Turns out the two women were discussing my novel, and one of woman said she didn't have Kindle so she couldn't get the book. I typed out a response to them (in English) about how they could still get the book for free and included all the relevant links. I then had Google translate my comment into Romanian, and I posted it in the comments section. I was feeling all kinds of international that day, let me tell ya.

--the thrill of working in partnership with a team of industry professionals who are excited about your work is unparalleled. The marketing team at David C. Cook is an enthusiastic bunch. They love books, they love readers. They know how to connect the two in ways I can't begin to imagine. Disappointed writers will often lament that publishers don't know how to connect with readers and can't promote fiction. That publishers leave everything up to the author. Not true. It's the writer who must find the best ways to partner with the publisher to promote. They are a large system, you are a single, deeply creative soul. Use both to your full advantage.

--back to "sure, I'm #1 in the whole Kindle store because the book is free". Yeah, that one again. I beat it with a shut up stick.

--I was pretty much glued to social media for two days. Yes, I obsessively watched the measurable numbers (which means Amazon, really. None of the other sites bother with sales info on their sites), but that wasn't what took all my time and attention. I made sure that I "liked" and/or commented on everyone's posts or comments that mentioned my work online. Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Review Sites, all of them kept me hyper busy. I also did a whole lot of "thank you-ing" throughout the two days. Being Canadian, I'm polite by nature, but I absolutely wanted to connect and thank people who took time out of their busy days to share my news. I felt genuinely honoured by that.

--So, if I'm online all day solid, how on earth am I getting any writing done? Not. Just not. But, it's reasonable to spend two days with a limited time promotion. This has helped me understand the real needs of promo. I don't have to work at it all day, every day, but I do need to dedicate blocks of time for promotion and marketing--around relevant events.

--I have the most loving and devoted group of friends imaginable. I dearly wish I could talk numbers just to let you know how amazing you are, how far you can reach, but I can't (mostly because they aren't all in yet. It takes between 60-90 days after the promotion ends to collect all the numbers--but really, folks, we swept the Amazon Kindle Store. The whole flippin' Kindle Store. That's gotta tell you something, right?). Let me just say even the very, very early numbers floored me. When Cook emailed me (and they were tickled too!) I just stared at the numbers. When I was able to speak again the only things that came out were whispers of "Thank you." and occasionally, "Me?"

--marketing and promotion is an oil and water mix of hope, elation, dejection, yardsticks, and shut up sticks.

Thank you so much for your help, word of mouth, and general good looking-ness.

What about you? Would you want to give your work away? Have you? Is it a good idea? We love to hear from you.

Going Indie

It was with much thought, prayer and a good dose of nerves that I decided to go independent in publishing my latest novel, Unraveled, which I released in August. My former agent had tried to find a home for it in CBA, with no success, so when I told her I wanted to publish it myself, she gave me her blessing. I made the decision because I believe in the story, and because I believe the quality of the writing is equal to my other published novels. But it was apparent that if it was to be published, it would be done independently. The reader comments I’ve received so far make me glad I was brave enough to give it a try.

There were a number of ways I could go once I made the decision, but I chose to go with Amazon CreateSpace because our own gifted Latayne had used CreateSpace for The Hinge of Your History: The Phases of Faith. She gave me pointers on how to get started, and once I began the process, Amazon made it very easy to navigate through. I’ve been very satisfied with CreateSpace, and would go that route again without hesitation.

Now I’m in the marketing phase, which is a daunting task. But I was pretty much on my own in promoting Every Good & Perfect Gift and Lying on Sunday, so this isn’t new territory. Fortunately, I’m a lot more knowledgeable than I was in ‘08 when those novels were published, and I have many more contacts. That said, I’m still only making a ripple with my efforts, when my goal is to make a splash. I’d really like to connect with book clubs, but I’m not sure how to find them. If you have any suggestions, I’d love to hear them. I'm marketing extensively to libraries, as I did with my earlier novels, which is already proving effective.

As you know if you follow this blog on a regular basis, Patti is also in the midst of going independent, and I’m happily benefitting from her research. She recommended Make a Killing on Kindle Without Blogging, Facebook and Twitter: The Guerilla Marketer’s Guide to Selling Your Ebooks on Amazon by Michael Alvear. I like his writing style, like his dry wit and humor, but after reading the first four chapters my assessment was: Just shoot me now. There was no way that I, a relatively unknown author, who is not remotely guerilla-ish, was going to succeed at selling books, whether traditionally or independently published. No. Way. I might as well hang it up. But then I got to Chapter 5, and began feeling less suicidal. Rather than telling me all the reasons why I should fail, Michael began to show me how I could succeed. I’m creating my strategy and will soon put his recommendations to the test.

James Scott Bell’s Self-Publishing Attack! The 5 Absolutely Unbreakable Laws for Creating Steady Income Publishing Your Own Books has also been helpful. The suggestions that overlap in both books are the ones I’m concentrating on first.

Is going independent the optimum course for me? That remains to be seen. What is certain is that there’s never been a better time to try. No longer does self-publishing require an outlay of thousands of dollars, or mean boxes of books in your garage. With a minimum investment you can have a quality product to put on the market, but that’s the key word here: “quality” is vital. From cover to content, don’t cut corners. Period. The old maxim holds true: If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.  With the enormous changes taking place in the publishing world, self-publishing is losing its stigma. Many A-list authors are going that route, particularly with ebooks, because for many, it makes the most sense.

What about you? Have you considered going independent? If so, why? If not, why? And again, if you have suggestions about reaching book clubs, I'd appreciate hearing from you.

Looking Forward: Choosing a writer's conference in 2013

Writer's conferences can be a terrific opportunity to network with writers and meet with editors and agents. They can also be an opportunity to make bung things up so badly you'll want to run home, hide under your bed and never come out again.

Strange things happen at writer's conferences. Normal adults begin behaving as if the conference were some big slumber party. Writers cry. Many of them. Often. Otherwise psychologically healthy people break down and start stalking people. The conference atmosphere is surreal and you need to prepare for it now. Here's a quick check list for deciding which conference you should attend, and what to do once you get there.

1) Align the conference you want to attend to writing goals

This rule assumes a great deal of forethought prior to registering for a conference. As a writer, you are the CEO of your small business - an entrepreneur. It's important to have clear goals for what you want to accomplish as a writer and how you plan to accomplish them. Are you just starting out? You're in luck. Most conferences offer workshops for beginner writers - but ensure you sign up for the workshops that best fit with what you hope to accomplish. A workshop on writing Amish Memoirs may well be fascinating, but if you hope to write devotional books for computer nerds - you shouldn't waste time in the memoir workshop. The short version of this rule: Writer, know thyself.

2) Don't keep going to the same conference year after year out of habit.

Routine and habit are fine for housework and memorizing the multiplication table, but creative types require fresh thought, stimulation, and adventure to keep the writing pipes running. I know, it's so great to get together with a gang of ol' writing buddies and catch up, but returning year after year to the same ol' same ol' does nothing to boost your creative effort. Are you looking to raise the bar on your writing? Check out some of the conferences you've been over looking all these years and take a chance. The short version of this rule: Think outside the box.

3) Stalking a specific editor or agent because God told you they will publish/represent you is always a bad idea. Conferences have systems in place that put writers and industry professionals together. Do everything you can to work within the system (e.g. fifteen-minute appointments, submitting your manuscript ahead of time to a specific editor/agent or for critique). If the system fails you for some reason, don't lose heart. And don't follow them into the washroom. Relax. Be professional. Agents and editors aren’t thrilled about signing a writer who goes to extremes to get noticed. One way to get noticed is to spend time online, reading blogs and commenting. The short version of this rule: Have faith; be a pro.

4) Realize that pitching your book will feel weird - and get over it. You will only have a short time to talk to any single industry pro, and while it may feel strange to sit down and go straight into your pitch, the editor will thank you. Your pitch is the reason for the meeting. Eating up half your allotted time with chitchat is a waste of your time and it annoys the editor or agent.  

Give 'em what they want—the goods on your book. It will feel weird for about three seconds, then the editor/agent/publisher will say something back to you and you'll go - whew! I did it! I can do this! Short version of this rule: Shoot from the hip.

5) If you get stars in your eyes, give them a rub and keep your agenda in mind. Some conferences are packed with multi-published authors we all gush over. It's fun to rub elbows with the likes of them - but remember, you're on a journey to become a multi-published author yourself. Avoid gushing. It's actually awkward for the author you are gushing over. A smile, or handshake and a quick, "I enjoy your books. It's a pleasure to meet you" or words to that effect are perfect. Short version of this rule: Act like you belong (because you do!)

6) Multi-published authors want to help you, but they are not information cows to be milked. I attended a conference last year and was approached by a hopeful writer who asked me to share my professional contacts with her. Three times she asked. Then she informed me that I wasn’t a good person because I refused her reasonable request. The exchanges made me uncomfortable, but there’s no way I was going to hand over contacts emails and phone numbers. Publishing is about developing relationships. This takes time, but the rewards are lasting - and I don't just mean sharing contacts. I have wonderful relationships with editors and publishers because they are terrific people. The short version of this rule: Relationships first.

Now you: What's your question about attending a writer's conference? Do you have a tip to share? Leave a comment!

Going Global

On Monday, Sharon, Katy and I met with Megan Sayer for lunch in Old Sacramento. Megan is a regular reader of Novel Matters and comments often on our posts, and she  had come all the way from Tasmania (not just to see us).  We spent a delightful afternoon together before she headed for colder climates. Here we are:

It’s so interesting to get a glimpse of your culture through someone else's eyes.  The pumpkin that Megan is holding was one such glimpse.  Pumpkins are a symbol of autumn, harvest, Halloween and Thanksgiving in the U.S. When I see them on display, I get all warm and fuzzy.  They call up visions of chilly autumn evenings by the fire, the family around a Thanksgiving table, carving jack-o-lanterns with my kids, and remind me that the holidays are coming!  Megan was a bit amused by them. They are just vegetables in her experience. She asked what we would think if we saw a potato sitting on someone's porch.  I had to admit, it would seem pretty silly without the experience that went along with it. After all, Tasmania is just coming into summer right now. The weather channel shows a high of 60s to 70 degrees (fahrenheit). Makes perfect sense!

Though our time together was brief, our discussion got me thinking about how many of our personal experiences get included in our writing under the assumption that they are commonly held beliefs.  They could be family traditions, or the expressions of regional or national holidays, for example.  I recently read Alan Bradley's Flavia deLuce mysteries and really enjoyed the setting (both in time period and location) and the stories made sense, but I can't say that I 'got' it all. There's absolutely nothing wrong with this, unless the plot turns on what we perceive as a common experience, and we lose our readers.  

My takeaway is to see through more of a global lens whenever possible in my writing. Does any of this post-Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) rambling ring a bell with anyone? We'd love to hear.