Life in the Query Trenches

I’M BACK!

Well, hello there! It’s been ages since I’ve seen you, faithful readers. Re-launching my blog is one of my goals for 2018. I’m a little late in getting there but my heart’s in the right place. How best to reboot the blog than discuss things in my writing life. In the next few weeks, I hope to share my Pitch Wars experience.

Since early January I’ve been conducting trench warfare; that is, query trench warfare.

It’s not really war at all but using the word adds a little spice to things. Essentially, as those of you know who are in those trenches yourselves, querying involves a lot of waiting…and waiting…and waiting.

So, as a very impatient person it’s not my favorite activity but it’s all part of the process.

WHAT I’VE LEARNED THESE PAST TWO MONTHS

I already knew about the waiting so, while challenging, it’s not news. But I have learned a couple of things:

First, the market and subsequently, agent preferences, can change in a year or two. The first time I queried my contemporary middle grade novel, I received a host of positive responses. The story was much thinner in terms of plot, but it still garnered some requests. I’m still early in the query stage but have noticed how interest in that type of story has changed. It’s just a reminder to not write to trends (which I didn’t).

Second, building relationships with writers, editors and agents has helped me endure the process. Through Pitch Wars and Twitter, I’ve met some outstanding fellow writers, some at the same stage in their career, some on different paths and in different stages. When I queried in the past, I really didn’t have that support and I’ve found it invaluable, just to keep moving forward day-to-day. I really believe a lot of the connections I’ve made will be for the long haul.

I’ll speak to this further when I share my Pitch Wars journey but if you take anything away from this post, I hope it’s this: take the time to build relationships, nurture them, support others and be willing to be a sounding board. Encourage, don’t deflate.

We may all be on the journey to publication, but this doesn’t have to be a competition. It should be---it NEEDS to be---community.

WIP Wednesday: Sarah's Wild Ride

My youngest daughter just exited the operating room for a liver biopsy a little more than an hour ago. Her liver "numbers" spiked unexpectedly and after a few close calls and grace from our transplant team, Sarah headed to Seattle Children's Hospital this afternoon. She's a real trooper and her patience & strength amaze me on a regular basis.

When I discovered she'd be needing this latest biopsy a couple of days ago, I began revisiting the project I need to write but have been avoiding, perhaps intentionally, perhaps not. There's a lot of painful memories embedded within the story I've tentatively entitled, "Sarah's Wild Ride."

It's the most compelling book I've attempted to write and the most daunting. At this point it's a half memoir/half parenting book. I've queried the proposal numerous times and have received a lot of positive feedback but it's perceived as too much of a niche market (parents of seriously ill children, or parents of kids with a liver disease) for any one to take it on.

Understandable in today's market. Still, I believe there is a bigger market for this book than people believe. This story goes well beyond the trials of a family working its way through the diagnosis of a potentially life-threatening ailment and subsequent liver transplant. It goes to the very heart of being a parent and what lengths you'll go to fight for your child's life; the sacrifices you make; and the hard lessons you learn through the process.

It may seem strange that the other book I'm focusing on right now is a somewhat humorous middle-grade novel. I have a lot of stories within me waiting to get out but none more than "Sarah's Wild Ride."

Hopefully, you'll join me for the ride from completing the 1st draft through publication. It's time to stop avoiding the story and getting down to the nitty gritty. Looking forward to sharing the experience with you.

WIP Wednesday:

It's that time of the week where I share my writing update. My entire focus so far this year has been to complete the first draft of my humorous middle-grade novel. It's been awhile since I've finished a novel and I want to get off on the right foot to begin 2015.

The key is to see how different it feels to write a 25-30k word middle-grade novel as opposed to the 80,000+ word YA fantasy novels I've written in the past.

Current word count: 15,850
Word count goal: 25,000
Self-imposed deadline to complete: February 15

I'd love to hear what progress your making in your current WIP. Feel free to share in the comments and happy writing!

Failure of the Most Epic Kind

So I watched the home team complete the most epic choke in Super Bowl history by failing to do the obvious - hand the ball to their running back, Marshawn Lynch. A no-brainer to just about 100% of the football watching world, yet the brilliant coaching minds of the Seahawks decided to run a pass play that seemed doom from conception. Poor decision that cost the team back-to-back championships and their place in the annals of football history. Instead, they'll be remembered for the play they didn't run. The Seahawks aren't the first ones to fail in an epic way.

We've all been there. Done something we regret. Made a choice we've thought better well after the fact. We may have even ruined a friendship, a marriage or a relationship with a child. Perhaps you've burned a bridge with a former employer that haunts you (and your career) to this day. What can we learn from these mental lapses in judgment, both about how we make choices and about ourselves?

As writers we strive to improve with each and every word. If you've felt the pain of rejection, you may have thought of lashing back at an agent or editor who shredded your work. Even in cases where they rejected you with no explanation, you might have felt anger or resentment. It's times like these we need to step back, take a deep breath and really consider our response, if any.

Our stories and characters are like our children. We've created and nurtured them. They're a part of us and we've put our heart and soul within them. It's natural to feel disappointment and I don't advise stuffing your pain in your pocket. The response is everything.

Just like the Seahawks will surely feel the sting of a lost opportunity until training camp begins next summer, they'll have to move beyond that to reach the pinnacle of the football world again. When we decide to consciously hurt someone else or make a financial decision that can prove lethal to our career or family, we learn that the decision itself is only one step in the process. The bigger step may be learning how to move on and restore faith, trust or a broken relationship.

Epic failures don't need to define WHO we are. They paint only one side of our face. The challenge is to use the other colors on the palate of our live to determine what the outcome of that decision will be and, in turn, what our future will look like.

Have you experienced an epic failure in your personal or writing life? How did you overcome it?

Friday Free-For-All: Conference Season

Conference season is in full swing throughout the U.S. While I'll be refocusing my own efforts towards completing projects and revising others, there are some noteworthy conferences and workshops coming up that I'd like to share with you.

April 17-19 - SCBWI Western Washington Spring Conference 
It's the 24th Annual event and as always well worth the time. Held at the Marriott in Redmond Town Center and boasting roundtable critiques and in-depth sessions, it's a great place to meet some of the best people in the world - children's writers!

May 15-16 - NCWA Writers Renewal
This year's keynote speaker is Angela Hunt. If you're a writer interested in the Christian market this is a great place to network and meet other writers on a similar path. Always quality breakout sessions.

May 3-10 - Highlights Foundation: Writing the Unreal
This one's been on my bucket list for a few years and some day I'll get there!
Anne Ursu and Laura Ruby lead this popular Whole Novel workshop for Speculative fiction writers. I've heard nothing but great things about it.

July 13-17 - Oregon Coast Children's Book Writers Workshop
Labeled an "intensive workshop" by the facilitator/host David Greenburg, this workshop is set along the beautiful Oregon coast. Five full days of writing, onsite critique and feedback and in-depth workshop sessions. Two editors and one agent on hand to guide you through the publishing jungle.

July 16-19 - PNWA Conference
This popular conference hosted by the Pacific Northwest Writers' Association celebrates its 60th year. This year's speakers include Andre Dubus III, J.A. Jance and Nancy Kress.

Hope to see you at one of these events! What's on your list for events this year?

A Long Time Coming, or Shaking Off the Blog Cobwebs

A belated welcome to 2015. I don't know about you but I'm ready for big things this year. I've made some lofty goals (mixed in with the attainable ones) and believe this can be a breakthrough writing year.

For regular readers of the blog, thanks for your faithfulness over the past 18+ months where it's lied dormant. It was never my intention to abandon the blog completely but as many of you know life does invade on our writing lives. I made a conscious effort to focus my efforts elsewhere all the time seeking to return here one day.

I'll share some of my 2015 writing goals in a future post. For the time being, let's take a look at what I'll be tackling this year with the blog:

- Dreaming big
I'm ready to dream ENORMOUS dreams this year, how about you? It takes more than dreaming to make for a successful reality. Let's delve into what hard work it involves and challenge each other to be better...and to reach those dreams.

- Commitment to your craft, your characters and yourself
Like most writers, I'm looking to get better with each word I write and every story I complete. As I look to 2015 as a banner year, I also realize how challenging it will be to up my game. At the same time, commitment occurs on many levels within our lives. I'll be focusing on several of those I believe are essential to success.

- Where the Money is in writing (and why I'm looking in that direction myself). Becoming a published writer can mean more than selling a book. Writing is a broad field with many options, some of which I'm exploring this year to supplement my day job income.

- Fostering community. Not only do I look to do that through local groups and other social media, but I really hope to engage readers on this very blog in 2015. It's something I've desired for a long time and am going to do my best to facilitate worthwhile discussions by writing engaging content.

- WIP Wednesdays return. This is simply a brief blog where I detail how well I'm hitting my personal goals and ask you to share as well. It's one way to keep myself accountable.

- Interviews. This will run the gambit from writers of all genres and backgrounds, to editors, agents and other experts in the writing business.

Looking forward to this journey and sharing it with you. So hop back on board. I'm ready to roll.

Interview with Jane Kirkpatrick

Jane Kirkpatrick is internationally recognized for her 20 published books, 17 of which are historical and often set in the American West. Several of those books have been Book of the Month and Literary Guild selections. Jane is the Keynote Speaker for this year's Northwest Christian Writers' Renewal conference.

1.     Where do you find inspiration?

A cartoon I have posted in my office says: "Inspiration couldn't make it today. She sent me instead. I'm a dry scratchy cough."  So I can't wait for inspiration to appear, I have to invite her. Music inspires me as does the landscape. I read poetry. The words of others inspire me - prayers and scripture. Since most of my work is drawn from actual historical characters, I read old journals and diaries, books about early settlement, visit small city and county museums, historical sites, listen to story-tellers speaking of their families and  always alert to something strange that I can thoroughly explore.

2.      Practicing and perfecting craft is key to becoming a great writer. What tips or practices have you incorporated into your daily writing to improve it over the course of your career?

A huge help for me was suggested by my first editor Rod Morris (now at Harvest House). He suggested I read Structuring Your Novel by Meredith and Fitzgerald. They have a practice that I call "the work before the work." They suggest answering three questions: what is my intention? What is my attitude (what do I feel deeply about) and what is my purpose in writing this story/essay/poem etc. (or how do I hope a reader will be changed)? I may write three or four pages responding to each question but then get it down to once sentence each. I post those three sentences on the top of my computer so when I struggle I can look at them and find a way to move forward. I also usually end my writing for the day in the middle of a sentence so I know right where to pick up the next day. I also get into the "zone" by reminding myself to" enter and live the story" and thus silence the harpies who would tell me that the work I do isn't worthy.

3.      Could you offer one nugget of writing truth you’ve discovered that might apply to all writers, whether novelist, children’s writers or freelancers?

Feel deeply about whatever you write and risk the pain of that depth trusting that you're not alone.

4.      Many writers find it hard to “sell” family and friends on their writing career. Could you share a bit of your experience? Did you ever face this dilemma? What would you suggest to a writer facing pressure to pursue a “practical” career?

Ah, that's a big one. When I first began writing I had another career that brought an income in so my family didn't give me a hard time about writing...besides, I chastised myself so much better than they might have. I'd say things like "who told you you could write?" or "You're spending all this time and surely it could be better spent on something that made money." Or "Angie Hunt has published over 200 books in her career. What's wrong with you?"  I discovered that to do away with the guilt of spending time that might otherwise be "better" spent, that I became a morning person, setting my alarm for 4:00am and committing to being writer-ready by 5:00am. I gave myself two hours. No one else was up then, I would only have been sleeping otherwise so I had less guilt about using the time that way. Others have told me they dealt with the time challenge (and lack of support therefore) by keeping a similar commitment to write three days a week for 30 minutes or write after the kids were in bed or during lunch hours. In my writing classes people are amazed at the powerful things they can write in thirty minutes. To respond to the "Who told you you could write?" I'd remind myself that it wasn't my job to write the great American novel nor to win awards nor even to get published. My job was to show up, to assume the position of a writer and to tell the stories I'd been given the best way I knew how and to trust that I wasn't alone in the telling. As for that Angie Hunt rant, I'd remind myself that like Angie I worked to tell stories that touched the human heart and that each of us has a gift expressed differently.  I think if we give worth to our work that in time others will come to see it has value as well. Sometimes family discounts are work when what they are really experiencing is a feeling of separation, as though they are less important to us than the story. So I do make a special commitment when I "re-enter" as I call it, to be present with my husband and family and not give the impression that I'd rather be writing.

5.      Is there anything currently published that you wish you had written?

Interesting question! I wish I'd written Susan Meissner's The Shape of Mercy or Sandra Byrd's To Die For or Barbara Kingsolver's Poisonwood Bible or Anne Lamott's Bird by Bird or Marilyn Robinson's Gilead or anything by Mary Oliver, Frederick Buechner, or Madeleine L'Engle. I can reread those works many times and still find new insights and inspiration. I know I'm not them as a writer but I so admire their work and yes, I have to silence the harpies who suggest that I not bother to write if I can't write as they do. It's that "gifts differing" again.

6.      What is that one project you would love to write but haven’t yet?  

There's a ranch in Central Oregon, the Imperial Stock Ranch, the oldest still working ranch in the region. Three women played a major part in that ranch but each had tragic trials. I'd love to explore their stories but I'm still looking for the hopeful ending. I'll call it The Imperial Women and I think it would be much like a female Legends of the Fall. Of course, I'm also working on a project now that is my current favorite, the story of the first black woman to bring a law suit in Oregon in 1851 -- and win. It's working title is The Peace of Encircling Hills. As I said when I heard about it...."now there's a story."  I just hope I can tell it well. 

Interview with Terry Whalin

Terry Whalin understands both sides of the editorial desk--as an editor and a writer. He worked as a magazine editor and his magazine work has appeared in more than 50 publications. A former literary agent, Terry is an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing. He has written more than 60 books through traditional publishers in a wide range of topics from children’s books to biographies to co-authored books. Several of Terry’s books have sold over 100,000 copies.


1.     As an acquisitions editor, what do you look for in manuscripts? How important is  a unique sense of voice?

Great question. For any manuscript, I'm looking for solid writing. From my years in this business, in a short time, I can tell if something is pulling me into their work or not--whether nonfiction, fiction or even children's books. The next factor that I'm looking for is passion about their topic and a connection to their reading audience.

Every writer has a unique way of telling their story and that "should" show up in their writing.


2.     Could you tell us a little about the progression of your publishing career and your current role?
 
I was trained as a newspaper journalist at one of the top j schools in the country, Indiana University. I planned to work for a newspaper but I made a personal commitment to Jesus halfway through my sophomore year. You can read the story of that life change at: http://terrylinks.com/twowords. When I graduated from college, I made a left hand turn out of college into linguistics. I'm certain my journalism colleagues thought I was nuts to leave writing. I spent 17 years with Wycliffe Bible Translators and 10 years in linguistics.

Over 20 years ago, I returned to my writing in the magazine area and began writing for magazines. I still write for magazines and have written for over 50 publications. My first book was published in 1992 and I've written more than 60 books for traditional publishers--children's books, youth books, biographies, how-to, co-authored books, Bible studies, devotionals, etc.

About 10 years ago I had the opportunity to work inside a publisher as the acquisitions editor at David C. Cook. then I spent three years acquiring fiction at Howard Books and now I work as an acquisitions editor at Morgan James Publishing.

Since 2003, Morgan James has published over 1500 books. 30% of our books are Christian and about 30% of our authors have literary agents. Our books have been on the New York Times list 19 times (which means we sell many books inside the brick and mortar bookstores).  As an acquisitions editor, I'm charged to find nonfiction, fiction and children's books to present to our publication board. We receive about 5,000 submissions a year and only publish about 150 books--so it is a major deal if you receive a contract from our pub board.


3.     What would you say the greatest need is right now at Morgan James?

The continual search at Morgan James is for high quality nonfiction, fiction and children's books. We are known as the entrepreneurial publisher and our stance in the marketplace is considerably different from any other publisher. One of the best ways to understand our distinctions is to study the comparison chart on our website at: http://publishing.morgan-james.com/compare/ This chart clearly shows the difference between Morgan James, traditional publishing and self-publishing in a variety of basic categories.


4.     What is the biggest mistake you see writers make in their submissions today?

The biggest mistake that I see on a consistent basis is where authors have submitted something which is incomplete. By incomplete, it does not include their mailing address, email or best phone number. We need all of that information in the submission for two reasons:
1) we acknowledge every submission with a letter that we send to the author in the mail. Yes, it is old fashion but it shows that we cared enough to respond and 2) we need your mailing address if our publication board ultimately decides that your book idea is one of the 150 books a year (out of 5,000 submission) where they want to issue an acceptance letter and a book contract. You can't issue a contract without a mailing address.

The old saying is true: the devil is in the details and unfortunately many authors leave out some critical details in their submission.


5.     What would you say are the biggest myths in publishing?

There are many myths in publishing but here's a couple which come to mind:

1. Every author needs a literary agent. Not true since only 30% of our authors have literary agents and it is very hard for beginning writers to get a literary agent to represent them. Also I know a number of bestselling authors (you would instantly recognize their names) who do not have literary agents. It's a myth that you have to have an agent. In fact, for many authors, they aren't ready for a literary agent.

2. Writers only write. Most beginning writers dream of writing day in and day out. Yet the business of publishing demands that writers spend part of their time on other areas such as building their own presence with their target audience or marketing or social media or public speaking or ????. The work of being a writer is much more than simply excellent storytelling (which is a critical part of the process).


6.      E-books, POD and e-readers have altered the publishing landscape. How do you envision the publishing realm continuing to change over the next 5-10 years?

Yes, Ebooks have changed the landscape but not as radically as many people believe. People consume books in many different ways and you want to be in as many of those different formats as possible. Ebooks are still only 25 to 30% of the overall market. That leaves 70% to 75% of the market to printed books. There is all this fear that the printed book is going to disappear but that is a myth. 

Authors have an exciting number of choices and ways to get their words into print. The challenge is for them to make good decisions and not get sucked into some scam. By scam I mean fall prey for these ads that say "Get your book published for $500." Yes that is possible but how are they defining "publish?" Don't tell me your book will be on 19,000 online bookstores. Look at the production numbers of self-published books for 2011: http://terrylinks.com/bpn2011 Also understand that "Author Solutions" which published over 47,000 titles appears with names like CrossBooks or WestBow or Voices of Guideposts or ???. Authors need to be educated about what they are doing before they jump into such waters.

Also at the end of the day, good writing is going to rise to the top and be what will excel and be published. Writers need to work at their craft and learn to tell good stories. That will be true five or ten years from now as much as it is true today.


7.     What’s been the most rewarding experience in your publishing career?

It's how God uses my writing and my teaching in ways that I never know. Occasionally I get a glimpse at the results. For example, recently I heard that a first time author used the contents of my Book Proposals That Sell, to write a book proposal and a publisher gave them a $50,000 book advance.

Or someone will contact me years after I've taught a conference or a workshop about the profound way my teaching changed their life. That is the most rewarding of experiences. Rare but rewarding.

Switching Writing Gears

Life takes us many different places. We learn, grown and move. We make choices that take us one direction or another. The pursuit of a writing career can be quite similar. 

If you follow this blog with any frequency, you know I’ve been writing novels and a non-fiction book. The latter is still very much on the table but these past couple of weeks I’ve decided to follow a new path – freelance writing.

Now, obviously, many a book writer has started as a freelancer or written freelance material to supplement book sales. It’s not like I’m standing at the edge of some unexplored frontier. At this point in time, I believe broadening my horizons, honing my writing skills and stretching me with freelance opportunities is the best choice for my long-term writing career.

What This Means

You will immediately notice the blog will take on a decidedly “freelance” turn. While I won’t ignore the book world entirely, I will focus on opportunities available to freelance writers – content, blogging, press releases, articles and more. The number of freelance writers seems to be growing daily but the opportunities are just as plentiful.  I’ll be following trends, offering insight and hopefully together we’ll discover new avenues for publication

What This Doesn’t Mean

I’ll still offer industry interviews with faculty from local writer’s conferences as well as (hopefully) other freelancers further along in their career, who can share insights and advice to those of us new to the game.

It’s my strong desire to make this blog a regular stop for readers and to offer content that is useful and encouraging. That won’t change.

I’m looking forward to sharing this new path with you and hope you will join me for the ride. Maybe we’ll learn some things together.

Interview with Beth Adams

This week Beth Adams visits the blog in advance of the NW Christian Writers' Renewal next month. Beth is a senior editor at Howard Books, focusing mostly on fiction. Previous she worked at Guideposts and Random House, and has degrees from Princeton and New York University. She works out of the main Simon and Schuster office in New York.

1. What’s been the most rewarding experience in your editing career?

Oh goodness. Every book is a special experience in some way. It’s so satisfying  to see a project go from a raw manuscript to a finished book. But beyond that, I can’t pick. This one is too hard!

2. What keeps you engaged with a story? What does “story” mean to you in the big picture?

I stay engaged in a story when there’s a compelling question that drives the story—when there’s something I need to know. I’ll keep reading to find out what happens. You can do this with any genre, even ones where there’s a pretty standard plot formula.

3. What are two of your all-time favorite books, fiction or non-fiction? Why?

This one is too hard too! I can never pick!

4. What are the primary reasons manuscripts fail to grab an editor’s interest?

Most of the books that cross my desk seem… good enough. Good enough is fine, but I’m looking for a book that stands out. I’m always looking for something that takes the book up a notch, makes it really stand out, that gives us an angle to sell it. Basically, I’m looking for a hook. A book that catches my attention will have that.

5. E-books, POD and e-readers have altered the publishing landscape. How do you envision the publishing realm continuing to change over the next 5-10 years?

 think e-books will continue to become a larger part of the market every year. This creates enormous opportunities for writers and publishers, and I think we will continue to find ways to capitalize on this more and more. I don’t think paper books will be going away anytime soon, but ultimately, readers are going to pick whatever format works best for them, and that’s progress. As long as they’re reading, I’m happy.

6. What one piece of advice would you offer an unpublished writer?

My best advice is to read a lot, and write a lot. I guess that’s technically two pieces of advice, but they’re closely related. Read so you know what else is out there, what you like, what you love, what works, what doesn’t. Read because it broadens your horizons and teaches you things you didn’t know. And it might just change the way you think about writing. And write. Do it a lot. Do it every day. Write things that you want to publish and things that you never think you can get published. The more your write, the better your craft will become, but it only happens through practice. 

Interview with Jesse Florea

Today is the first in a series of interviews leading up to the Northwest Christian Writers' Renewal, May 17-18, at Overlake Christian Church in Redmond, WA. My first guest is Jesse Florea, editorial director for youth publications at Focus on the Family, for Clubhouse and Clubhouse Jr. magazines. He co-hosts the biweekly "Official Adventures in Odyssey" podcast.

You can learn more about the conference here.

1. How in the world did you ever decide to pursue a career in publishing? Why children’s stories?

Up until my sophomore year of high school, I pictured myself as a junior high teacher. But that year I took an introduction to journalism course and fell in love with writing. I started writing sports stories for my local weekly newspaper in Louisville, Colo., and continued to cover high school sports for 26 years (all through college and even during many of my years with Focus on the Family). As far as children’s stuff, I’ve always have a passion for children to know what and why they believe in Christ. Kids need to have a firm foundation of faith before their teen years when they’re bombarded by the media, friends and peer pressure. My position at Clubhouse and Club Jr. lines up perfectly with how God made me. I always say I haven’t worked a day in my life, because I’m having too much fun.

2. What do you see as the one thing lacking from submissions that cross your desk?

Engaging child characters. The best children’s writers respect children and challenge them in their writing. They don’t write “down” to the audience. They don’t have Mom or Dad or grandma swoop in and solve every problem. Many stories I see don’t give children that respect. Whereas books in the mainstream marketplace do. Strange, huh?
Also, I need humor!!! Kids love to laugh. Studies show that children laugh more than 300 times a day, compared to about 20 times a day for adults. Help kids fill their laugh quotient by writing humor.

3. What types of stories or articles are you seeking right now? How far in advance do you plan each issue’s material?

For Clubhouse, we need personality stories of ordinary kids doing extraordinary things for God. Takes research and interviewing, but totally worth it. Quizzes, especially humorous ones, would also be great. Clubhouse Jr. needs Bible stories and rebus stories. Or write a rebus Bible story—it’s a win-win. We work five months ahead but plan eight months ahead—even longer for Christmas and Easter where we get lots of stories.

4. What advice would you give a writer trying to break into a children’s magazine?

Study the publication. Know the voice, style and length of stories it publishes. Also, Sunday school take-home papers are a great way to start. I sold my first two children’s stories to Sunday school take-home papers. Try your writing out on kids. One of my writers pays his son to be his editor. Any story that he sells to Clubhouse, his son makes 15 percent.

5. If you could write any story in the world, what would that look like?

I’m a huge sports fan, so it’d probably be something related to Christianity and sports. Recently, I’ve been blessed to work on a few of these types of projects. I helped write a Jeremy Lin biography during the height of Lin-Sanity last year. And a book I wrote on New York Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera just came out in April. Plus, I did a Playing With Purpose: Baseball book with a couple of friends that highlighted the good guys in that sport.
Maybe one day I’ll branch out and write fiction . . . but right now that scares me.

It's Conference Season!

That's right, if you're up for some learning and some schmoozing with other writers, agents and editors. 

I'm focusing on conferences happening in my neck of the woods, Washington. We're blessed to have some fabulous conferences throughout the year. Here is a sample of what to expect:

SCBWI Western Washington Regional Writers' Conference, April 19-21

http://www.scbwi-washington.org/20/annual-conference.html 

This is one of the most fun and informative conferences around for those of us who write for kids. Year after year, the regional advisers exceed my expectations with the quality of the faculty and I always make at least one or two new writing friends. From First Pages sessions to illustrator-only sessions and beyond, this one is not to be missed---but naturally, I WILL be missing it this year.

Northwest Christian Writers Renewal, May 17-18

http://www.nwchristianwriters.org/RenewalConference

If you write for a Christian audience, then this conference is for you. One of the best bangs for your buck of any conference in the region. Two days are filled to the gills with teaching sessions, critique feedback, fellowship and fun. I've met some of my best friends at this conference and highly recommend it. You'll be hard pressed to find any size conference that offers such a whirlwind of activity in such a short time. 

Upcoming conferences:

I'll highlight these in a future post. You might want to get these on your radar now:

Pacific Northwest Writers Association Summer Writes Conference, July 25-28

Oregon Christian Writers Conference, August 12-15

Whidbey Island Writers Conference, October 25-27

The bottom line for attending a writers' conference? First, it's all about the people. Reach out to fellow writers and form new friendships. Don't just focus on the editors and agents. You never know, you may discover the perfect critique partner. Second, decide what you want to achieve far in advance of the conference itself. This way you don't head there without vision or return home feeling like a failure. 

Happy Conference Season!

The Writing Parent

Finding time to write can be difficult enough. You have a full-time job. You have other responsibilities inside or outside your home. And that's BEFORE children come along!

How in the world do you find time to write as a parent? 

Whether you're at home with your kids, getting them each day for school or caring for a newborn; or if you leave each day for work, then come home to wall-to-wall kid time and family duties, you know the drill.

"I have to squeeze some time to write. Somewhere between changing diapers, helping with homework and making dinner. Oh, then there's the laundry."

Finding time to write is not as easy as it sounds. Sure, fifteen minutes sounds doable enough but once those kids are in bed, and you finally have some time to unwind, motivation may be a pipe dream.

How can you maintain motivation amidst your day-to-day parenting adventures? Here are a couple of suggestions:

* Utilize work breaks and lunches - Personally, this has been one of my most productive times to write. If you hold a full-time job outside the home, give it a try.

* Carry a mini-recorder so you don't lose any thoughts while driving or have forgotten a notepad.

* Shut off the Internet after the kids go to bed and hit it hard for at least 15 minutes. When there is finally quiet in the house, you never know how much you can accomplish.

* Schedule one night a week to write. I take one night and go spend anywhere from 3-5 hours writing at a coffee shop or the library. This is dedicated time where you can ensure no distractions, at least not from your kids.

What secrets have you found to finding time to write?

Transforming Your Writing Life in 2013

How was your 2012? Did you accomplish all your writing goals? Most of them? None of them?

No need to fret, it’s a new year and that means new goals and the opportunity to reap success. What that success will look like is totally up to you. It will take dedication, hard work and passion.

Are you ready for it?

Will this be the year you finish a manuscript? Are you working on editing a completed manuscript to submit to an agent an editor?

Are you waiting to hear back after querying agents and are unsure of your next project, but know you need to keep those creative juices flowing?

Do you have a deadline looming with an editor for your first, second or tenth book?

Or are you standing on the precipice of finally jumping into this writing life with both feet?

Dive in, the water's fine, my friend.

I've determined that 2013 is THE year my writing life moves forward. I'm taking steps to make certain it happens. Obviously, some things are out of your hands. All you can do is what you can do.

It can be as simple as steadying yourself to begin querying, complete a book proposal or send off that final revision to an editor. Whatever it is, you CAN succeed this year. Take the step. Or the plunge.  But do it. Do SOMETHING today.

You never know what this year will bring. 

A New Year, A New Vision

It’s been awhile coming but I’m climbing up on the blogging horse again. While I won’t say that life has settled down – really, does that EVER happen? – I do think now is prime time to crank up the blog.

I’ve spent some time re-imagining what this year on the blog will look like. I’m hoping to offer more useful content, conduct more interactive dialogues, comment on the happenings in the publishing world and don’t forget those interviews!

It’s my sincere desire that you’ll visit this blog and connect with me. I realize there are a gazillion writing-focused blogs out there and many of them are well worth your time. Heck, I read them as well.

I’ve incorporated a new vision to my writing for 2013 as well. I’ll be writing new stories, of course, but I’m calling this the “Year of Revision and Submission” because that’s where I’m at in my writing career. I’m still pre-published (besides a devotional) but believe this will be the year I take the next step.

To that end, I’ll be attending at least one writer’s workshop and probably one or two conferences, in addition to the popular WriteOnCon in August. I’ll also be reporting on interesting articles, my take on the publishing business and many other things.

I’m looking ahead to a great year and wish you all the best in your writing life and beyond.

God bless.

WIP Wednesday: Life Gets Crazy

There just aren't enough hours in a day to complete everything we'd like. Those of us who have a full-time day job & family responsibilities on top of other things can find it nearly impossible to get all the writing in that we have scheduled. I'm no different. It's been one of those weeks.

I will say I've made good progress on the book proposal, so that's something positive. When it comes down to prioritizing my writing time, my blogging time often suffers. After all, it's my desire to improve my writing craft --- by actually writing stories. 

For now, the blog will need to take a backseat but I'll never be gone for long so please hang around.  There's still much more to be said.

Contest Alert: The Baker's Dozen Agent Auction

If you are looking for the perfect opportunity to submit the logline and first 250 words of your COMPLETED and POLISHED manuscript, then this is for you.

One of my favorite people in the writing world, the Authoress, is cranking up her annual Baker's Dozen Agent Auction. Fourteen agents representing various genres will be vying to bid on your awesome stories. It really is the mother of all contests, in my opinion.

Here are links to all the information you'll need to prepare and submit (at the appropriate time). Please DO pay strict attention to dates, times and overall guidelines:

Baker's Dozen Schedule and Facts

Baker's Dozen Dates and Guidelines

The All-Star Agent Lineup!

I hope many of you will enter and that the experience proves to be an encouraging one, no matter the outcome. 

Working Through Adversity in Writing and Life (Part 1)

Challenges. Trials. Adversity. No matter the term you use, everyone will face them in our writing and our lives. Most of you who've been reading this blog for some time know about my youngest daughter's battle with the pediatric liver disease, biliary atresia. (You can read more about that adventure here.) Her subsequent transplant saved her life but didn't bring peace and certainty with it. It's not so easy for transplant recipients and their families. In spite of the uncertainty and strain, we knew we were never alone. That experience simmered inside with me until a book was birthed. 

Writers face adversity every day, perhaps not in such dramatic ways, but we face it. Our adversity includes:

- a story stalling in the middle

- revisions and rewrites

- feeling like you're not making progress in the craft

- believing we're just not good enough to be published 

- the specter of constant rejection

These are some of the reasons the writing life is anything but easy. No matter what you've written, it's been borne of many hours of hard work, sweat and tears. And that's just the first draft! Chin up, you're in good company. Every writer faces demons and frustration. We battle through it, continuing type more words, to edit our story, to wrestle with characterization. 

Loss and struggle are parts of life. There is no gold at the end of the rainbow but there is satisfaction that you're making progress; you're improving; and that at the end of the day you are a writer, no matter what else anyone tells you. That knowledge alone, and a place in the beautiful community of fellow writers, will be enough; enough to carry you through to the next stage of your career. Stay strong, you're not alone.

Blog Updates Worth Reading (9/23-9/29)

Jim Denney writes about writing badly, on purpose.

Rachelle Gardner on not overlooking who you know .

Mary Keeley tackles writing goals for 2013 and how to achieve them.

Aimee Salter talks about dropping the Us vs. Them mentality.

On Writing Retreats

Since I’m enjoying one myself this weekend, I thought this was the ideal time to discuss the subject of writing retreats.

WHY Writers Need a Retreat

Every writer reaches the point where they require refreshment. A retreat offers the perfect opportunity to recharge our batteries and uninterrupted writing time. You can set your own schedule (generally) and decide when & where to write. This weekend I’ll be staying in a beautiful home with an ample indoor and outdoor variety of locations to focus on writing---and relaxing.

WHEN Writers Need a Retreat

This can vary for every writer. Maybe you’re reaching the end of a project and need to hyper-focus for a brief time. Perhaps you’ve just finished one project and are preparing to begin another. A retreat can offer you some downtime and the opportunity to brainstorm your new ideas. Or, you may have hit a roadblock and the distractions at home (or work) are so great a retreat is the escape you need. Each writer will decide their reasons and timing for a retreat. 

HOW to Make It Happen

Schedule out your writing year and choose a date; the sooner, the better. Personally, the earlier I mark something on the calendar the more committed I come to living out that schedule. Whatever works for you, just insure you block the time now. Then you have something to looking forward to at the appointed time.

Don’t underestimate the fruit that can spring from a retreat. You might be surprised by the outcome.

Have you ever taken a writing retreat? If so, did it have the desired outcome? If not, what is preventing you from taking one?